Economic Policy in Downtown Development :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Heer’s Tower closed down in the 1960's, the downtown area of Springfield, MO. lost a major economic and entertaining element. Since then, Springfield has been planning and working to get back a lot of the status that it once had. The city government had to bring attractions and business in the form of new business’s to spur development to accommodate the 151,580 citizens that reside in the small city. Mayor Tom Carlson and City Manager Tom Finnie have been heading the projects with the help of large developing firms such as the UDA or Urban District Alliance, and hope that projects such as the redevelopment of Heer’s Tower, SMSU’s Innovation center, and College Station will add not only attractions for the mass of people flooding into Springfield each year, but also bring in hundreds of new jobs to boost the economy and help support a growing society. Over the next couple of pages an analysis of the current and future projects, as well as the non-quantitative benefits and effects on the surrounding community will be looked at to further explain why the project is on the community’s agenda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom Carlson calls the development of the downtown area, the â€Å"Center City.† â€Å"It will be a city within a city.† Not to long ago though Springfield was in a slump, after the huge factories of Zenith and GE went out of business, the only other major factory was Kraft. During the 1950's, These companies employed thousands of workers and once they were out of the picture the economy started to level out. The opportunity to have the Center City, started in the 1980's when sub-divisions around Springfield and surrounding towns, such as Nixa and Ozark, started booming. Since then, developer’s such as John Q. Hammons and new faces like Vaughn Post have sparked projects that have created a substantial buzz across the state. The developers took the idea of a new downtown and ran with it, using tax advantages such as state and historic tax credits, property tax abatement, gap financing and loans up to $40,000 to make facade improvements. Also, a low- interest loan program, using Community Development Block Grant Funds, has provided help for many business people. Since 1997, about $125 million has been invested in Center City.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of these tax breaks and policies have led to some astonishing developments in employment and economic gains.

Chinese History: The Han Dynasty Essay

The Han Dynasty was founded by Liu Bang in 206 BCE. He came of peasant stock and rose to power slowly from being a petty government official to the role of emperor. Liu Bang ruled China for eleven years with felicity and wisdom. He was intelligent and sought to win over the elder statesmen by promising to eliminate all the harsh laws of the Qin government. His experience as the â€Å"neighborhood head† (Hansen 114) had given him the opportunity to be familiar with the legal system of the Qin Dynasty and he made full use of this knowledge to establish a rule of prosperity and leave a long line of rulers who ruled for four hundred years in China. This paper will discuss such themes as have emerged from the research done of the Han Dynasty and will be divided into sections each dealing with one theme at a time. State and Succession: The state of China that Liu Bang wrested from the Qin ruler was in turmoil with several intrigues being hatched by the court officials against the cruelty of the Qin ruler. The rebels wanted to place the first son of the emperor to the throne but Liu Bang was able to defeat the rebels and ascended the throne as the founder of the Han dynasty. He used both stratagem and skill to either defeat his rivals or win them over with promises of sweeping changes in the administration and the legal system. The extent of his empire was divided between his nine brothers and one hundred and fifty loyal followers. The only region that was under direct control of the emperor was the western part of the empire with its capital at Changan and comprised about one-third of the total empire. His rule from 206- 195 BCE was not without troubles. He had to spend a lot of his time trying to suppress rebellions in different parts of his empire and at this time China was invaded several times by the powerful Xiongnu tribe. After being defeated by them Liu Bang concluded a humiliating treaty with the shanyu, leader of the Xiongnu, by which he had to grant equal status to the Xiongnu people and marry the Chinese Princess to the shanyu. As a result of this diplomatic gesture the Xiongnu people promised to leave China alone and not invade them any further. Liu Bang was followed by his fifteen year old son Huidi to the throne, who ruled for seven years from 195- 188 BCE. After his death the reigns of the kingdom was taken over by the widow of Liu Bang, Empress Lu who ruled in the name of Han dynasty for eight years between 188 and 180 BCE. She placed minor princes to the throne and ruled as their guardian and was able to bring peace and stability to the empire. After the death of Empress Lu intrigue again raised its head and senior court officials placed the son of Liu Bang’s concubine who was a puppet in their hands. The descendants of Liu Bang’s relative continued to rule two thirds of China while the Han Dynasty was directly in charge of only a third of the entire empire. Emperor Wu ascended the throne at the age of fifteen in 140 BCE. For the first few years of his reign he was under the control of his grandmother, the dowager Empress Dou and his uncle who was his chancellor. However, from 131 BCE, after the death of the chancellor, Emperor Wu took full charge of his kingdom and established an empire based on the principles of Confucius. He is credited with having extended the Han Empire in the southern districts and continued to maintain diplomatic relations with the Xiongnu people by paying them annuity in keeping with the treaty signed by Liu Bang. Emperor Wu was a follower of Dong Zhongshu, a student of Confucianism and under his influence established Confucian schools in every district. Emperor Wu strengthened the bureaucracy and curtailed the powers of the regional rulers who had been given kingdoms by Liu Bang (Hansen 127). He ruled as a despot with unlimited powers until his death in 87 BCE. He dissolved the position of the Chancellor and promoted his step brother-in-law to the position of regent who put minor princes on the throne and ruled in their name, thus weakening the power and influence of the Han dynasty. The influence of the Han dynasty was later restored by the support of some powerful consort families to which it remained beholden. The consort families wanted to marry their daughters to the emperor in the hope of becoming regents of minor princes and ruling in their names. One of the notable emperors of the later Han dynasty was Emperor Huan, who ruled from 146-168 A. D. Emperor Huan threw the yoke of dominance by the consort family by hatching a plot against them with the help of eunuchs. He managed to break free of the consort family’s stranglehold but set a precedence of encouragement of the eunuchs that did not augur well for the Han dynasty. The last of the Han rulers was a puppet ruler who had to abdicate and thus bring about the end of the Han dynasty in 220 A. D. Administration: Liu Bang had established some good norms of governance that were refined and made more effective by some of the other prominent Han emperors. The administration was carried out at two levels, the central government and the local governments. There were three major divisions of the central government; collection of taxes, maintaining the army and overseeing the work of the government officials. The three divisions of the local governments were later modified to include; registering population, collecting taxes, maintaining waterways, dispensing justice and recommending educated men for government positions. After becoming emperor, Liu Bang distributed his kingdom between his nine brothers and sons and gave them the titles of kings and named a hundred and fifty men from the nobility, marquis and gave them portions of the kingdom as well. These later became the regional kingdoms of China. The land directly under the control of the emperor was divided into one hundred commanderies which were further divided into one hundred and fifty counties. Under Emperor Wu the inheritance of land laws were changed and the land was divided equally between all the sons of the Emperor and did not go only to the eldest son after his death. He also altered the practice of appointing sons of the noble families to high official positions and started the practice of appointing his own nominated officials to government positions. The land revenue had been fixed at one fifteenth by Liu Bang and it was later reduced to one thirtieth by later emperors. However, with the introduction of reforms and establishment of schools and Confucian institutions Emperor Wu realized that the land revenue collected from taxes was not enough to finance his reform projects. So he issues government monopolies on salt and iron. The society under Han dynasty was divided broadly into two categories; the land owners and the slaves. The structure was not rigid and the emperor had the power to strip a land owner or noble of his land and powers and a slave could buy his freedom and become elevated in social stature. There was great disparity of wealth in the Han society. The rulers used to make grants of land to nobles who gradually made them very powerful and corrupt. They stopped paying land revenue and the revenue dropped considerably so that the emperor had to limit the size of the land holding and number of slaves in 7 BCE. The later Han rulers were able to hold on to their position of power and rule with the help of a few powerful consort families. They dare not challenge their power and gave in to most of their demands. In the third and fourth centuries of Han rule eunuchs became very powerful after the Han Emperor Huan enlisted their support to overthrow the yoke of the noble families and they played an important role in court intrigues. Crime and punishment: Liu Bang became familiar with the legal system of the Qin dynasty as a neighborhood head and realized that though the main tenets of law and justice in the Qin dynasty were good, some of the punishments meted out were harsh and barbaric. It was with a promise to change these laws that he was able to come into power in 206 BCE. Eventually, he ended up modifying some of the laws and relaxing punitive corporal punishments like beheading. Since he had to depend a lot on the support of the rich and noble families, members of these families were almost exempt from corporal punishment. Most offenders could get away with paying a huge fine or being confined to rigorous labor like masonry for men and pounding grains foe women were the most common punishments. More severe offenses were awarded amputation of a limb or cutting off of the nose. Shaving off the head and beard and tattooing were considered severe enough punishments for lesser crimes. In keeping with Laozi’s teachings, law was considered to be â€Å"the way† that emperors were supposed to rule their empire. Everyone was considered to be equal in the eyes of law. But in reality it remained a guideline and was not always implemented, the rich people usually got less rigorous punishments could pay their way out of serving punishment sentences. There was no law or power to curb the powers of the ruler. The framework for a good legal system was present and rulers like Emperor Wu made use of the law to curb the rising clout of the nobility. Role of women and eunuchs: Chinese society was male dominated and the position of women was not very enviable. The birth of a girl child was not very welcome. According to Ban Zhao, who was the scholarly and brilliant sister of court historian, Ban Gu, there were three things that had to be performed when a girl was born. The infant needed to be kept under the bed indicating that her position was lowly and weak. She would be given a potsherd to play with reminding her that she needed to work hard all her life and that the announcement of a girl child to the ancestors needed to be accompanied with an offering to remind the child that she was born to serve them. She mentions four virtues that women should practice; â€Å"womanly virtue, womanly words, womanly bearing and womanly work† (Hansen 139). Women were mostly relegated to the chores of cooking, sewing and weaving and hardly ever had the opportunity to voice their opinions. Ban Zhao advocated the education of women. She preached that both men and women must understand their respective duties and work together to make the marriage work well. She agreed that women must do the household chores but not be ignorant and serve as a slave. She must not be manhandled and treated badly and she should not argue as well. It was a poor man’s bad luck to have a daughter while the rich families could afford daughters and used them to their advantage by marrying them to emperors or nobility. Though the general condition of women in China was not encouraging there have been some powerful empresses like dowager Empress Dou who ruled in the name of the Han dynasty and brought peace and stability to the kingdom. The instances of the dowager empresses and that of Ban Zhao are examples of how women could break out of stereotypical roles if they wanted to. The Emperor had harems full of women concubines. Emperor Huan was said to have six thousand women in his harem. As the Han dynasty’s rule extended to the third or the fourth centuries the role of eunuchs became very important in the kingdoms. The eunuchs were usually kept along with womenfolk in the imperial households and played a part in the court intrigues. Like the women dowager empresses they would usually place a minor prince on the throne and rule in their names as their regents. It was during the reign of Emperor Huan that the eunuchs became very powerful because the Emperor hatched a coup to overthrow the influential consort families with the help of the eunuchs. A bitter conflict between the eunuchs and the consort families ensued only to be put down by General Cao Cao when he became regent. Philosophy and Society: Liu Bang was respectful of Confucian thought and philosophy but was not slavish to it. For example he did not allow personal ties to come between him and his ambitions (Hansen115). The Huang –Lao school of thought founded on the teachings of Laozi and Huang commended their teachings in the books, The Way and Integrity Classic and The Classic of Law. These books gave guidance in various aspects of life and living. However, they could not check the power of a ruler who did not abide by its laws and where there was poor governance. These teachings were contrary to what Confucians believed and taught Emperor Wu was greatly under the influence of Dong Zhongshu, who believed that the emperor was the link between heaven and his subjects. When Emperor Wu came to power he established Confucian academies in all the districts in order to centralize its power. As the Huang-Lao philosophy was contradictory to the Confucian philosophy Emperor Wu enforced the closure of these schools and established Confucian schools in every district. Emperor Wu was the first to establish the Confucian canon by had Confucian school of thought and institutions in all the counties. He believed in the Confucian principle that if a ruler ruled his kingdom well heaven would support him and if there were poor governance then the he would incur the wrath of the heavens and his kingdom would be afflicted with floods, droughts and other natural calamities. The tombs of the marquis of Mawangdui and his family bear testament to the Han dynasty’s belief in afterlife. It also demonstrates that people had two kinds of souls – one was the superior spirit soul or hun that was free to travel to the land of the immortals and the other the inferior body soul or po which had to reside in the tomb and if not taken care of in its tomb, it may have to travel to the netherworld. The tomb had to be supplied with replicas of gold and bronze coins, lacquer vessels, ceramics and bamboo suitcases. The food items that can be assumed to have been presented to Lady Dai, the wife of the marquis, are meat dishes and beer. The scenes depicted within the tomb provide an insight into their ideas of afterlife. The top section depicts two gods of destiny who keep records of the individual’s life and the moon and sun with their residents and the Queen Mother of the West. From the above study we see that the various themes that emerged during the course of Chinese history have shaped the philosophical and political destiny of China. The present day Chinese beliefs can trace their roots in this period of history. That history of a nation or people is dynamic and sustainable is borne out by the fact that many of the Chinese institutions and policies were shaped by the values and laws of the Han dynasty.

Essay On Gender Inequality - 1687 Words

The concept of gender denotes the distinction between culturally driven and created roles of masculinity and femininity. These specific and normalized attitudes and behaviors transcend and effect how differently men and women live their lives. Based on society’s continual re-enforcement of such gender stereotypes, we see an on-going dilemma of gender inequality. Though some may argue that men experience gender inequality, this seems to exist on a much more invasive level for women. As of recently, the awareness of gender inequality in the workplace has increased. With the fight for equal pay and equal respect, society is already making strides towards the equality of women. With that being said, one aspect of gender inequality that seems†¦show more content†¦As of December 2008, â€Å"Swedish citizens can apply for a tax deduction amounting to 50% of the labor cost for renovations, repair, cleaning, and maintenance work on homes† (European Monitoring Centre on Change). In other words, this policy encourages families to hire help such as cleaning, maid and nanny services for domestic duties. As a result, the domestic workload for women decreases as it is fulfilled by hired services. Of course, not every family is going to want to hire help but the tax deduction increases the chances of using such services. In fact, Sweden has had much success with this policy as â€Å"90% of the surveyed companies felt that the ROT-deduction had a positive impact on reducing undeclared [domestic] work† (European Monitoring Centre on Change). Integrating this policy in the United States would theoretically have the same effect on gender inequality at home. By monetizing domestic work, it not only boost employment projections for that category of employment but encourages women to transition away from household duties to other work opportunities in the outside labor market which would also help with gender inequality present in the workforce. Income Based Affordable Child Care Comparatively, to Sweden’s policy to decrease domestic work, it also has policies in place to ease the workload of child care. As most parents would agree, taking care of a child is a full-time job and society has normalized the idea that a majority of that jobShow MoreRelatedEssay On Gender Inequality1049 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality as a social institution in Asia country (India) This essay provides an overview gender as a social institution in Asia countries, also, this essay mainly focuses on education and mainly focuses on the country of India. Moreover, this essay deeply investigates how gender inequality in Asia countries, especially in India affects in the long run (Klasen, 2002, p.745). There are numerous justifications to be worried about the existence of gender inequalities mainly in the well-being-relatedRead More Gender Inequality Essay1849 Words   |  8 Pagestopic of gender. Before this, inequalities within society were based primarily on factors such as social class and status. This paper will discuss gender itself: what makes us who we are and how we are represented. It will also explore discrimination towards women throughout history, focusing mainly on women and the right to vote, inequalities between males and females in the work place and how gender is represented in the media. The term ‘gender’ was coined by John Money in 1955: â€Å"Gender is usedRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesresearchers, we get to know more and more on the issue of gender inequality in different areas of our society. However, although significant progress has been made during the twentieth century, in an attempt to equalize the rights of women and men, they still do not seem to be met daily. Having a job is considered important for men and women, although the centrality of work is organized completely differently by gender. This form of inequality persists in all areas such as: participation in decisionRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1127 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"superior† race/gender of a white male were typically treated as if they were less. Women and African-Americans aren’t being treated as bad today, but they’re still being treated worse than the white males of society. Even today, when white males are typical ly the leaders of society, it’s not always race and gender that creates inequality; sometimes it’s money that creates the issue. Not just from past evidence, but from present evidence as well, America shows signs of inequality by the way peopleRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1091 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen many inequalities that the world has been faced with; whether it is race, gender, or ethnic background. I am writing you, the representatives for Equal Rights to discuss an urgent concern of American women in the workplace. Although gender inequality is decreasing, it still exists and makes a lot of people suffer its consequences every day. Gender inequality is unfair rights between male and female based on different gender roles which leads to unequal treatment. Gender inequality has been widelyRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1431 Words   |  6 Pagestheir husbands. But for numerous years women have been fighting for equality in this so called â€Å"Manâ⠂¬â„¢s World†. The Women’s Rights Movement started in 1848, and though it has come a long way there is still gender inequality in this world today. It seems as though the pursuit to stop gender inequality has slowed down and has leveled off since the 1990’s (Ridgeway, 2013). Today women are allowed to vote, able to get an education, work in the same place as men, but we are still treated differently. MenRead MoreGender Inequality Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesGender inequality would not be considered as such an earnest issue if it did not engender such an astronomical immense number of difficulties in women’s salubrity. The pay gap, illicit abortions, discrimination at the workplace, glass ceiling, financial issues, lack of rights, domestic violence, inhibited access to edification, and partial opportunities in building a vocation are all the results of gender inequality.Cleary, gender socialization is very pleasant, and challenges to it can be upsetting Read MoreGender Inequality Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality In The Home Remains An Issue In Family Life. Gender inqualities often stem from social structures that have instiutionalized conceptions of gender differences. Gender inequality has been around for centuries. In many family homes, their lives evolve around gender roles. The responibilties in the family are allocated to their sex (gender). There are certain tasks which are usually allocated to males and females. Some see this division as biologolical differences between theRead MoreEssay On Gender Inequality1137 Words   |  5 Pageslike to say that everyone is completely equal but sadly that is not true. In the past several years you have probably heard a lot about gender inequality. In 2014 statistics have shown that women make around 79 cents to a man’s dollar. Through a rhetorical analysis of Audi’s 2017 Super Bowl commercial ‘Daughter’ they inform their buyers of the gender inequality around the world and to inform them that they are a fair and equal company when it comes to its employees. Not only that but to show supportRead MoreGender Inequality Essay803 Words   |  4 PagesGender inequality or gender st ratification is the unequal spreading of society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males. Whenever this issue is approached, evidence is provided that majority of women popularity are taken for granted and frowned upon as if women cannot do what men can do. This is proof that the oppressor vs. the oppressed is present throughout history; even in religious communities, some can date back to God’s creation. For example, it is written in the Bible, â€Å"To

The Other Side Essay - 1065 Words

The Other Side I have seen the grandeur of the casino and the awe surrounding it, it seems to draw common sense out of people like iron is attracted towards a magnet. The lure of money, that too hard cash, tempts even the most righteous ones into becoming insane gamblers. Coupled with some booze, it’s irresistible. I mean, Movies have glamorized it to no end. Thankfully I am able to resist my feelings since I am on the other side! Sometimes I feel hopeless and incapable of preventing people from getting sucked up into this black hole. No matter how hard I want to, but the conflict catches up. My job is to maintain law order; peace tranquility. Most of my time is spent in observing people and so get to know the â€Å"before and after† side effects. In all these years, I have mastered the art of spotting trouble when it is brewing. Before it can turn into a free-for-all, I have succeeded in defusing the situation however potentially volatile. Here I have seen people gambling away their fortunes and playing like there’s no tomorrow. Isn’t it common knowledge that very rarely people win? Out of thousands who lost their wealth, probably only one wins. But I think it’s the lure of becoming that ONE winner that draws people to gambling. Or is it the uncertainty or faith of individuals in chance? Whatever it is, there is certainly no escape from the satanic clutches. During my tenor here, I have realized that there isn’t any point being philosophical. Let them enjoy the way theyShow MoreRelatedExploring John Steinbecks Short Story, The Chrysanthemums: Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?939 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Steinbeck used his short story, The Chrysanthemums, as a visual illustration to answer the adage, â€Å"Is the grass â€Å"really† greener on the other side?â€Å" During The Great Depression, the American dream had become a nightmare. What was once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. What was once the land of hope and optimism had become the land of despair. The American people were questioning all the maxims on which they had based their lives - democracy, capitalism, individualismRead MoreShort Story1198 Words   |  5 Pagestae kwon do. Huh. I always wondered when it would come in handy. Thanks mom!The shorter one approaches Kat, the other one approaches me. It was a lot of fists , and I think some blood. Then a ladder form something up above drops down. Kat takes this in, then runs back and propels herself forward, doing a front aerial over the man. She reaches out her hand once steady on the other side. I grab it, and she swings me around the person I am fighting. I glance at Salim. He looks scared, but not hurt.Read Morepersonal experience in negotiation2211 Words   |  9 Pagesadd one floor on the top-storey of their 3-floor office building. Before construction, our Company needed to obtain an inn owner’s permission, as the addition floor will block light shining into some rooms of his inn-- AB Inn, which locates in the other building next to our office building. Therefore, our company had to negotiate with AB Inn regarding the permission and compensation issue. I was not been assigned any works in the process because of my poor experience, but I took part in the negotiationRead MorePersuasive Essay On Relationships808 Words   |  4 Pagesmoment we come to this world. T housands of people around us that we’re get to interact with throughout our lives. Whether it’s our families, friends, co-workers, or even acquaintances, we always strive to create a perfect and unique relationship with others without really knowing what it actually needs to do that. According to the Dunbar’s theory, even though we might meet hundreds of people on a daily basis, we can only maintain a stable relationship with only 150 individuals, and only 5 of which willRead MoreThe Social Liberties Development, Logical Request, And A Worldwide Temperature Alteration1061 Words   |  5 Pageslegislative issues, a custom of governmental issues that extended from the times of the nation s establishing to the eminence of the social liberties development, a convention in view of the straightforward thought that we have a stake in each other, and that what ties us together is more prominent than what divides us, and that if enough individuals have confidence in reality of that recommendation and follow up on it, then we won t not take care of each issue, but rather we can get somethingRead MoreLiving On Campus Is Developing A Sense Of Belonging And Forming Relationships Within The Community1358 Words   |  6 Pagesattainable, is for my residents to know the names of everybody on our floor. 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She goes on to give other examples of single stories or single perspectives and how they can influence people’s thoughts of a culture of a country.’ I can agree with Adichie when she says a single story is a quick way to misinterpret someone, or someone’s culture or countryRead MoreA Short Story1005 Words   |  5 Pages so it’s decided that we’re allies?† Reeve inquired as she finished up the trap and set it to the side. It would do. Grinning, he nodded. â€Å"Of course,† he dismissed. Before she was able to continue, both of their attention was drawn to every other tribute gravitating toward the archery station and watching in awe. Finnick and Reeve exchanged a look before joining them. Katniss was on the other side of the glass, shooting arrows rapidly at the fake attackers that broke into blocks when she hit themRead MoreDescriptive Essay About My Father1424 Words   |  6 Pageseffect on the already lively city buzzing with locals. I myself fit didn t fit into the city though. 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A Study Guide On The Bible - 966 Words

Firstly, I would like to speak of my journey to change, rectify, or should I say modify my behavior. The behavior I wished to modify is the behavior of spending time to grow in the spiritual realm. This is a rather personal subject so I will try to be superficial, but maybe not too superficial. I do not wish to lose the essence or profoundness of the journey. I began this journey by trying to read with understanding scriptures from the Holy Bible. I used this collection of books because of my religious background. If I had been of the Muslim faith, I would have probably used the Koran, or of the Judaism faith probably the Torah. However, I must tell you that I did not continue reading the Bible throughout this behavior change. I found that I needed an activity. I then remembered that I had purchased a workbook from the Women of Faith study guide series. This workbook is called â€Å"Finding Freedom from a Broken Past† The workbook has various chapters such as those entitled: A Broken World, Adopted by God, Under his wings, The Buck stops here, Forgive with both Hands and True Reconciliation. Secondly, the behavior change theory I followed was the TTM (Transtheoretical Model). This model has the following stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance and Termination. Precontemplation is the first stage. It is the stage before you realize you need to make a change. This stage is before you have come to the self-realization or self-awareness that aShow MoreRelatedA New Way to Read and Study the Bible in Michael Joseph Browns They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies1370 Words   |  6 PagesMichael Joseph Brown, unveils new ways to read and examine the Bible in his book, titled â€Å"What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies†. Although quite technical, the guide, not book, really goes into depth on the process of studying the Bible and its documents. Brown has a new and refreshing way of giving the reader this information that is necessary in a small group, or for a Biblical scholar. This guide is not meant solely for the biblical scholar and talks in detail aboutRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Old Testament Survey II By Robert H. Stein1436 Words   |  6 PagesMeek May 10, 2017 Critical Book Review of Robert H. Stein’s A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules. Biographical Sketch of the Author Stein gives a good discourse of available tools one might use to properly understand God’s Word that will be helpful to the learner’s task. If fact, he states in the Preface, â€Å"The basic goal of interpreting the Bible and other written texts should be to understand what their authors consciously sought to conveyRead MoreWebsite Evaluation : Blue Letter Bible1256 Words   |  6 PagesLetter Bible† and its URL is: (http://www.blueletterbible.org/help/videoHelps.cfm#section2). The main reason which gets my attention towards this particular website is its powerful tools which are helpful for complete and comprehensive study of the Bible. Since, I have not study the Bible in my life before this course. So, I need a website which is comprehensive as well as easy to understand. I found this site very helpful for beginner. So, in the beginning of my journey of Bible studies translationRead Morebook review: biblical studies what they dont tell yoi Essay1210 Words à ‚  |  5 Pages            What They Dont Tell You A Survivors Guide to Biblical Studies by Michael Joseph Brown and published by Westminster John Know Press is a book that provides basic information about biblical criticism. Ultimately, it tries to motivate students to engage with the biblical text and contemporary biblical studies by illustrating how to approach academic biblical studies in a different way than which one would approach normal bible study. The book seems to be aimed at students beginningRead MoreWorldview As A Person s Perception Of Life And Perspective Of The World1615 Words   |  7 Pagesand be influenced by the Bible and God’s truth. Words (146) Part II The first two chapters of Genesis clearly state that God created all things, life included [Genesis 1:1, 11-13, 20-22, 24-31] (Holy Bible, 2011). God is the beginning and end, and He is the creator. Life did not just appear or suddenly come into being from nothing by some unknown source or reason. Romans 1:19-20 reminds man that God is the creator and that none can deny His hand in creation (Holy Bible, 2011). Life was createdRead MoreEssay about Bibliology1053 Words   |  5 Pagesthe study of everything concerning the Bible. God reveals Himself, His ultimate plan for us (salvation), and His will to us through His Word. Psalms tells us that the Word of God is to be lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Psalms also tells us to hide His word in our heart. We speak to God through prayer, but He speaks to us through the Scriptures. The importance of this book cannot be stressed enough; we literally have a love letter, written by Almighty God, just for us. The Bible canRead More Islam And Christianity : Christianity And Islam1684 Words   |  7 PagesChristianity and Islam, both, follow by a sacred book of their God’s word although the Bible is also written by many other authors . They both also have a designated place of worship. Christians gather in a church although the bible does not specifically talk about attending church. Muslims, on the other hand, gather at a mosque that the Qur’an says they should attend as often as possible. Christians follow the bible to guide their way towards Jesus Christ. It is made up of sixty-six different booksRead MoreIntroduction The great American scholar, William Foxwell Albright was an American Biblical800 Words   |  4 Pageshis contributions to the archaeological historicity of the Bible. â€Å"More than any other scholar Albright’s astounding corpus of books, articles, and public lectures defined a new relationship between archaeology and Biblical studies.† Professor Albright â€Å"introduced critical assessment of the historical context of scripture, instead of merely teaching it as Gospel, and his work helped establish the Bible’s value in historical studies.† Rachel Hallote wrote of Albright by stating, â€Å"It is hardRead MoreTheological Integrity and Having a Solid Understanding of Scripture797 Words   |  3 Pagesbelieve makes a huge difference on our personal spiritual life. How we view the Bible in terms of hermeneutics, as well as accuracy, shapes everything we do in our ministry and our lives. For example, if we believe that most of the Bible is pretty accurate, and we can accept the teachings of Jesus, but we reject the Genesis story because it does not match with known science, then we create a mindset that the Bible, while it might have some good ideas, is not the foremost authority and containsRead MoreStriving For Strength: How to be a Strong Christian827 Words   |  4 Pagesof conduct that is written in the Bible, and who are not easily influenced by the worldly thinking. There are also weak Christians who care more about what other humans think of them than God. All Christians strive to be a strong Christian, and to do so, they need to hear the gospel (H), thi nk and meditate on what they have heard (T), examine or read the Bible daily (E), analyze or study the Bible (A), remember Bible verses (R), and most crucially, apply the Bible verses in real life, which makes

The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynnes Choices free essay sample

The Scarlet Letter Alienation can be linked to self-discovery. The alienated can make a choice: to endure or to protest. Explain the choices made by Hester Prynne and how they are typical or atypical based on the societal values during this time period (1640s). Hester Prynne has made many tough decisions throughout the novel. Most, if not all, of her choices were atypical for women during this time period. One of Hester’s most prominent decisions was to stay in town when she knows that her and her child, Pearl, will be shunned. Townspeople were shocked at her decision to continue living in the village in which the crime was committed. The majority of women back then would have probably hid themselves in shame and ran away to another village. Hester, on the other hand, wanted to stay in the town which she called home. Hester also feels that she is attached to Pearl’s father, Reverend Dimmesdale, who continues to live in Boston. We will write a custom essay sample on The Scarlet Letter: Hester Prynnes Choices or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another reason she chooses to stay is because she feels that the people of the town want her to leave their village. She wants to show them that they cannot and will not rule the course of her life and stays. Hester does not want to live a life of lies so she figures that she might as well deal with the consequences. Most women in that time period would have lived the rest of their lives in solitude and shame; leading a miserable life. Hester may not have been happy all the time, but she was not miserable. She endured the pain of the scarlet letter and tried not to let it affect her life. Another choice that Hester has made is the choice to keep Chillingworth’s identity a secret. When Chillingworth approaches Hester Prynne in her jail cell, he makes Hester promise that she will not tell anyone of his relation to Hester. She chooses to keep her husbands identity a secret. Hester also chooses to keep Reverend Dimmedale’s sin a secret. She does not tell anyone that Dimmesdale committed the adultery sin along with her. Many women in this society in Hester’s position probably would have made the opposite choices as Hester Prynne. They may have felt that the men deserved punishment also: Chillingworth for leaving her alone and Dimmesdale for committing the sin along with her. Hester Prynne feels that it was her responsibility and did not feel the need for Chillingworth or especially Dimmesdale, to be punished. Many women in Hester’s society and time period would have hidden the scarlet letter and tried to lead a normal life forgetting about the horrible sin that they committed. Hester wore the scarlet red â€Å"A† proudly upon her chest and wanted to teach Pearl and others the consequences of her sin. She does not want to live a life of lies. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, became depressed and suicidal because the town had no idea that he had also committed this terrible sin. The townsfolk looked up to him and followed in his footsteps so the reverend did not want to let them down. Instead of proudly displaying his crime as Hester did, he kept it to himself and physically punished himself brutally with a whip. Hester still loved him even though he was a afraid and didn’t tell the village people the truth. The majority of women in Hester’s position would have thought Dimmesdale a coward and hated him for the rest of their lives. Hester has a kind heart and forgives Dimmesdale for his cowardice and harmful actions. Hester Prynne is not the typical woman from back in the 1640s. She made many choices that were unheard of back then. She committed adultery, kept secrets, stayed in the village, and above all, she endured the pain of the scarlet â€Å"A†.

John Keegan, a modern military historian Essay Example

John Keegan, a modern military historian Paper Field Marshal Haig was the most important person during World War One. There are many different views on his competence, character and leadership qualities of both past and present leading up to his victory in 1918. Despite being victorious, there are many flaws and events of which Haig was at fault for during the war. On one hand you have the incompetent, criminal, immoral donkey view of Haig supported by historians such as John Laffin, and on the other you have a competent, man of his time, innovative resourceful supported by historians such as Garry Sheffield and John Keegan. Ultimately I will prove which view is most accurate; using the sources and my own knowledge I will provide sufficient evidence to support John Keegans suggestion that Haig was an efficient and highly skilled soldier. On the subject of Haigs performance in the Battle of the Somme, Keegans views seem to be somewhat limited. Other historians such as John Laffin argue that Haig should be seen as an incompetent and inflexible. His initial bombardment tactics were flawed, in that the Germans were easily managed to attack the British troops. There was insufficient barrage, attacking on too wide and deep a front. We will write a custom essay sample on John Keegan, a modern military historian specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on John Keegan, a modern military historian specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on John Keegan, a modern military historian specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He displayed obstinacy in adhering to fixed plans regardless of the facts, even at the price of destroying his own armies. This is shown in source D. Source D is a view of Haig in the form of a cartoon entitled Your Country needs me, from General Haigs Private War; The cartoon suggests to us that Haig was arrogant, and this is almost certainly true in that he failed to adapt to changed conditions of attack, for example when the initial bombardment at the Somme failed he continued with the same tactics best epitomizing his inexperience and arrogance. However the usefulness of this source is unconvincing- it is only the view of one person, the cartoonist, and not of the general public. There is however some powerful evidence to support the view of Keegan, in particular sources K and H. Source K an article by S. Warburton, published in Hindsight:GCSE Modern History Review in April 1998 says that Haig was the best man for the job at the time. Haig was the product of his time, of his upbringing, education, and training and previous military experience. In perspective, the criticism Haig receives seems harsh and unjustified because the British casualties were the same as the Germans and French. Source H, shows us that Haigs perseverance in continuing the battle of the Somme, despite the heavy losses proved to be the correct option. Source H, from the official biography Haig, by Duff Cooper says, To have refused to fight then and there would have meant the abandonment of Verdun to its fate and the breakdown of co-operation with the French. However the sources accuracy and reliability is dubious because Cooper was asked by Haigs family to write it, so hes bound to put Haig in a good light. Having said that, it can also be argued that perhaps Haig shouldnt have continued with a full blooded attack. Source E is a diary of the events in the battle written by Haig himself. On 1st July 1916 he reports that the battle was going to plan on the first day of battle, the battle is going very well for us and already the Germans are surrending freely. In stark contrast the first day of the Somme was the complete opposite- it was a disaster. In fact the whole of the Somme was a disaster- Haig gained so little territory that, after the battle he had only just about gained the amount of land that he had planned on the first day. Showing us that he was over confident, naive and extremely optimistic. In relation to the source itself, the reports were written by General Haig himself, so he was bound to say all went well, to make himself look good; this source is very unreliable and is of no use to any historian as it is factually incorrect amongst other things. Overall on the issue I would say that although Haigs perseverance in continuing the battle of the Somme, the manner in which he did portrays him as an incompetent, criminal, immoral donkey. Despite the British, French and German Casualties being the same, I think the amount of men who died in the battle could have decreased a lot if Haig had adjusted his tactics and not been so over confident; for that reason I think the phrase Butcher of the Somme is justified to some extent. Therefore Keegans case is somewhat mostly naive and inaccurate, although there is some evidence that proves otherwise; the things Haig did wrong in the battle far outweigh suggestions that he was an efficient and highly skilled leader who did much to lead Britain to victory. On the subject of Haigs communications in relation to politicians, generals and soldiers, Keegans view appears to be correct to some extent. He was under extreme pressure to win the war quickly, by his political masters, by a vociferous med ia, and by the determination of the British Public, there was no path to victory on offer and he was rushed into action on many occasions. One must take into consideration the role John Charteris played in the battle of the Somme. He fed wrong and inaccurate information to Haig. General Haig allowing him to do so time and time again inevitable had all the blame put on him. However, Haig abortive attitude towards General Rawlinson is perhaps ultimately his greatest downfall. Keegan is not supported by the weight of evidence in source Ei, Haig understands and notifies the idea that there will be a lot of deaths during the battle and tells the British population to accept any losses with indulgence. No superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of mens lives. Haig in due course contradicts himself in this understanding; when original tactics incorporated by Haig were failing, (by taking as much ground as possible moving the artillery so that the guns and shells could defend the ground taken) he refused to accept Rawlinsons plans to adapt to a bite and hold stra tegy- adding insult to injury as they say, this tactic was used later on in the war and it proved a great success. This in return suggests that Haig was ignorant and very dismissive of other Generals plans; his arrogance led him to believe that his tactics were the best. As shown in source F, stem from his belief that he had been chosen by God to serve his country. Presenting to us that he was over confident and optimistic, in spite of the amount of men lost as he constantly sent thousands of men to war and to their deaths, having no real effect. Notwithstanding Haigs obvious mistakes during battles, the view that he was incompetent and an immoral donkey is groundless and dubious. Evidence suggesting otherwise is best revealed in source C. Earl Haig, the son of Field Marshal Haig says that Haig should be credited for his victories, after all victory in the war was the main aim, and that views that he was the butcher of the Somme have only come about in modern times. the victories he achieved in the First World War which brought the war to an end. This is true and supportive of Keegans view because Haig is the most successful war general in the history of Britain. Earl Haigs opinion that Haigs is portrayal as a callous, uncaring man has only come about of recent times is also correct. Using my own knowledge, when Haig died, 100,000 troops shot at his coffin whilst 30,000 followed him to his burial. Therefore Keegans case is largely proper and correct; the evidence suggests that Haig shared a good relationship with his troops and that views that he was the butcher of the Somme are harsh and seemingly unjustified. Although the source must be questioned as it was written by Earl Haig, Generals Haig son, so he is bound to write good things about his father. Overall, the idea that Haig was the butcher is true to some extent. His failure to listen to General Rawlinson and allow John Charteris to make mistake after mistake is his biggest downfall. Had he listened to Rawlinson, the battle of the Somme could have been less disastrous in that fewer men would probably have been lost. However, in spite of this amongst other things sources, in source G, David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Britain at the time says My only justification is that Haig promised not to press the attack if it became clear that he could not attain his objectives by continuing the offensive. Showing that Lloyd-George did trust Haig, despite both men holding grudges against one another. Ultimately, Haig did share good relationships and shows commitment to the war effort, despite claims he was the butcher of the Somme. In perspective, qualms about his relationship with other generals are improper because he learned form his mistakes, and won many battles throughout 1917 to 1918. His aim was to win the war, and he did. Haig is extensively regarded as being a technophobe during the war years. Although he was loyal and devoted to using traditional cavalry during the war, despite being a failure on many occasions, labeling him a technophobe is unsubstantiated, fallacious and unwarranted. He was an enthusiastic supporter of air power and introduced tanks to the war together with modern artillery- used to great effect. Artillery became much bigger and was more accurate, technologically the British were far more sophisticated than the Germans. It is the way in which Haig incorporated this advances into his tactics that undermine his demise. Source J underlines Haigs involvement in technology. A war veteran recalls a meeting with Haig in 1915, Germans started shelling Haig went round and asked me questions, and then even talked about camouflage from the air. This source is very reliable as the person quoted actually fought in the war and therefore Keegans case is largely supported in terms of technology. Having evaluated Haigs performance on a variety of key issues and over the whole period of his command, my overall conclusion is that Haig was the right man for the job during the war. Many historians argue that he sent troops to their deaths, but in actual fact, there were fewer deaths in the British army than in the French or Germans. He made a number of serious errors, but he managed to learn from his mistakes. However Sir Douglas Haigs job was to win the war, and despite the countless amount of deaths, he did. Therefore, Keegans view is to be frank, correct, although it does have it limitations and drawbacks, the successes Haig masterminded in the war far outweigh the losses.