Cultural diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion Essay

Cultural diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion - Essay Example On the other hand, inclusion denotes the embodiment of different groups of people that have special needs. Apparently, the proposition to engage multiculturalism, cultural diversity and inclusiveness in the education sector has not been implemented due to the divergent implications that have been expressed. Thus, this paper will focus on the positive and negative implications that have been mention in concern to the subject. Firstly, it is noted that to nurture human cohesion, all individuals need a glimpse of the historical background of all the groups that reside in an area. For example, America is considered one of the most diverse nations in the world because it has people from diverse origins. Notwithstanding, it would be prudent to engage all the population to afflict a unified society. Secondly, the inclusion of such approaches will guarantee that people will comprehend their diversity, which has not been acceptable in the past. Through such an understanding, different societies will express peaceful coexistence in the possible manner. Thirdly, the available documentations express the impressive performance of particular races. However, with the inclusion of other individuals with successful innovation, all the learners will appreciate the diversity of all the races (Grant 179). For example, the policy makers need to embrace African American who fought against the social ills as well as the white s that struggled for economic sustenance. Fourthly, the approach will enhance comprehension of collaborative methodology that expresses the concerns of all the groups that live in the region. Lastly, the execution of such an approach will lead to multicultural equity in the state. Evidently, some of the minority groups are not given identical treatment as the other majority groups, and this affects the livelihood of the marginal population. Thus, the inception of the

Trademark Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trademark - Assignment Example Identifying trademark-offending companies is not an easier task. This is because it can only be done by technologically advanced modes of comparing the quality of the products of the same company’s logos by the consumers. Dinwoodie and Janis (2008) note that trademark-offending companies have been on the rise, which has either increased or reduced the costs associated with various goods and services (Dinwoodie & Janis 2008). This calls for the identification of the complaints consumers raise about trademark-offending companies to reduce the increasingly burdensome business domains in the analgesics and financial market structures. An email, like written letters, merits copyrights protection. Copying and forwarding emails violates a sender’s copyrights with a prima facie case for copyright infringement. This issue can only be mitigated through a well-established cyber-crime control laws (Dinwoodie & Janis, 2008). In conclusion, consumers are more likely to face challenges in establishing the origin, sponsorship or the approval of the gripe site created by the trademark-offending companies due to lack of a better understanding of the original companies’ logos. Customers usually confuse counterfeit logos with the original companies’ symbols. Therefore, they should also not be blamed for tarnishing the company’s name. Additionally, they cannot be held responsible by the Federal Trademark Dilution act as they do these actions only as patriotic citizens and concerned

Human resources management. Personal Case Study Reflection Essay

Human resources management. Personal Case Study Reflection - Essay Example Instead of hiring another architect to succeed him, the position was united with that of the SMA in an affiliate mall. Since the current SMA with expanded duties held office in another mall and only remotely communicated with Robinsland, a ‘stand-in’ was assigned with whom he could coordinate. This was Edna, who worked as technical clerk in the leasing department, a marketing group. Leasing was a logical unit to relate with the mall architects because they dealt with tenants. As junior architect, Charles’ main job was to coordinate with the tenants and conduct inspections of their units, making sure that they met the mall standards for repair and refurbishing. As soon as Edna began her new function, friction erupted between her and Charles. Edna was heard fuming: ‘OMG, Charles, you are the reason for all my problems! You are the technical person, you should know this!’ When interviewed by the Group Manager (GM), Charles expressed that he was always stressed, and he and Edna had communication problems. Charles was demoralised and was thinking of resigning. However, the GM felt that he had great potential in the company, and wanted him to stay, also because architects were getting harder to recruit for mall operations. Issues and their causes The issues in this case are squarely within the sphere of human resources management and deal with how individuals behave in relation to each other in an organisation. There are three principal issues that surfaced. Staffing The first is the issue of staffing, which is broadly defined as â€Å"the process of determining human resource needs in an organisation and securing sufficient quanti ties of qualified people to fill those needs† (Caruth, et al., 2009, p. 2). Specifically in this case, the issue revolved around the assignment of duties on the basis of convenience, not capability. The facts showed that Edna acted as bridge the role of junior architect and SMA, yet was not an architect. Expanding the scope of duties of the other SMA over two malls was a mistake because the individual occupying that position cannot effectively discharge his duties particularly pertaining to Robinsland. Charles may be an architect, but as a junior he has no prerogative to decide matters that Edna knew nothing about. Organisations’ staffing policies should require that the individual possess the skills and knowledge to discharge the duties. Motivation The second issue is that of motivation, defined as â€Å"those psychological processes that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed† (Mitchell, 1982, p. 81). In this d efinition, the meaning of â€Å"goal† is admitted even by experts to be ambiguous. One construct can mean â€Å"achievement goal† such as those encountered in a school or sports setting (Shah & Gardner, 2008, p. 238). In this case, however, while achievement goal may apply, it seems inadequate in explaining the cause of the conflict. Aside from the purpose of achieving the goals of their functions, Charles and Edna were also motivated by personal goals – for Charles, the fulfilment of his architectural interests, and for Edna, the need to be recognised as competent in her new job. Supervisory training It is noticeable that Edna’s designation as â€Å"technical clerk† is rank-and-file and not supervisory. A supervisor is one who is put in charge of rank-and-file personnel and is the first line of management in the organisation (McConnell, 2011). The supervisor’

Success of Islam Essay Example for Free

Success of Islam Essay Islam word means peace literally, surrendering of the wills i. e. for the sake of God loosing oneself and for the pleasure of God surrendering one’s own pleasure. 1400 years before through the Holy prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the message of Islam was revealed. It was sent down by the angel Gabriel (pbuh) and in the Holy Quran it was preserved. The best features of the earlier scriptures are said to be recorded in the Holy Quran, which is a guarantee that’s Divine without any interruptions or errors. Unity of God is the primary message of Islam, only one is the creator of this world and only he is worthy of worship and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger and we all are its servants. A person who believes in these is a true Muslim. Other beliefs of a Muslim are in the revealed Books of God, God’s angels, belief in all the prophets from Adam to Jesus (pbuh), in the Day of Judgement and in God’s Verdict. There are five main pillars to Islam or you can say five main duties to perform, these are of being a witness to the Unity of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as His Messenger, prescribed prayers observation, the payment of Zakat, in Ramadhan keeping the fasts and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every person is born pure is what the Islamic beliefs say. God has given the human beings a choice to seek its pleasure through charity, faith and prayer and also a choice between good and evil is what the Holy Quran says. In God’s image mankind is created, says Islam and in order to attain nearness to Him mankind needs to fill in the attributes of God on a human level. Worshipping God and treating all of His creatures with compassion and kindness is what’s the main message of Islam. The rights of the needy orphans and old parents are clearly stated in the Holy Quran. 1400 hundred years ago the rights of women were safeguarded when the world was in complete darkness about liberation. The principles and rules of Islam are universal truly and have stood the test of time and the teachings of Islam also encompass every situation that’s imaginable. Neglecting the bounties of nature that are lawful is not indicated by Islamic virtue. Leading a healthy life is what it encourages, living our life with the qualities of kindness, honesty, charity, patience, politeness, courage and chastity. Basically Islam has all the guidance code for the individuals as well as communities as a whole. As time changes and time passes the messages of Islam are indisputable as the entire message is derived from the Holy Quran and the Hadith and Sunnah. Regardless of the human changes it is easily adaptable in actual fact though it may appear rigid to the eye. The spiritual path is open to all is what Islam teaches. Through sincere and earnest worship any individual can seek nearness to God if he/she believes in One Creator, establishing a relationship with the Almighty is central. A positive message like this fills the heart with courage and hope (Azam). In more than 50 countries of the world there are 1. 5 billion Muslims worldwide. The fastest growing faith in the world is Islam with its beautiful message reaching in the far corner of the earth to millions. To a merchant family the Holy prophet was born in Mecca. At the age of five he had been orphanage. To become a caravan manager he grew up and married widow rich women eventually who was his employer as well. He began to experience the visions inspired by Allah in his middle years. The Holy Prophet had believed that even though Allah had revealed himself through Moses and Jesus in parts through Hebrew and Christianity the final of the revelations were given now to him. On the basis of which the followers were to live were contained in the Quran which were the guidelines for mankind sent down as revelations to the Prophet. The teachings of the Prophet formed the basis of the religion Islam which means the ‘submission to the will of Allah’. Everything in this universe and the universe itself was created by Allah Almighty himself. For an everlasting life the humans must subject themselves to the will of Allah. The followers of him were called Muslims which meant â€Å"practitioners of Islam† Prophet Muhammad set out to convince the people of Mecca after the revelations were received. Many of the people at first thought of him as insane whereas some other people feared that the attacks of him on the corrupt society would disturb and social and political order. At the time of the failure of the Meccan’s in making people accept the religion the Holy Prophet along with his close followers migrated to Yathrib which was later renamed Medina (city of the Prophet). The holy Prophet had been invited to that town by some prominent residents over there. The Holy prophet soon had begun to win the support of the Medina people and other Bedouin tribes in the countryside surrounding it. He then formed the first Muslim community by these groups. There was no separation seen by the Muslims in the social and political authority, as to them the submission to the will of Allah was seen as submission to the Prophet Muhammad. The Holy Prophet then soon became a political and religious leader. By his military and political skills he was able to put together a reliable military force, with whom he had returned to Mecca in 630, to the new faith converting the city and the townspeople. Across the Arabian Peninsula Muhammad’s ideas began to spread quickly from Mecca and within a short period of time it resulted into both the political and the religious unification of the Arab society (Spielvogel, 64). For the balancing of the individual and the spiritual life of an individual the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has provided guidance. The guidance of the Holy Prophet Muhammad was accepted by all Muslims and they were interested more in the spiritual and individual activities of the founder than his activities as a new social order founder. The success of the Prophet as the movement leader having worldwide implications can be explained by two aspects, spiritual being the first and the other being material. Generally accepted by the religious scholars and the other Muslims the first aspect holds that Prophet Muhammad was chosen as a Prophet by Allah and his success was divine. The second one which had been used and embraced by the historians and the western researchers believe that it was the distinctive leadership skills and the charismatic personality of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that had helped in the success and also the success was believed to be the result of historical and experimental motives. The ideal personality and the historical personality were both aspects of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that were regarded as the models of Islam. Both of these models require different research and analysis methods to be examined carefully, they do not contradict each other. With the existence of his great individual skills he lived a simple life which had been witnessed by other people. The life of the Holy Prophet would not have been considered a perfect model for humanity in the Holy Quran if this was not true. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) was sent as a guide to the wide variety of people with different emotional, aspirational and moral needs, with the mental and spiritual maturity that he possessed embraced the social and individual needs of these people and helped them in solving their problems. The depth and breadth in his policies were applied to all the societies and individuals with enormous human nature range with great sensitivity. In the social, political and economic fields Prophet Muhammad was the first Prophet and leader to put his policies into practice. To the sublime quality of the Prophet such implementation of the guidance and the leadership mission was a testament. Contrary to the Mecca situation, during Hijrah, the Prophet’s political aspect and his presidential status in particular for a state newly found had emerged. Along with his religious guidance his political leadership, the establishment of the relationships between the Muslim society and the other groups had started to grow importance. The holy prophet did not gain power or became the ruler of median at the time of Hijrah but acquired the control on the city when he had defeated his enemies in Mecca and the other places when people of Medina who had accepted Islam came to join him. Several years before the demise of the Holy Prophet the political leadership of the Holy prophet became undisputed with the subsequent developments when most of the Arabian tribes had accepted Islam. Therefore, it had been seen that under his ruling a wide political unity had been developed. The personal skills, the highly developed wisdom, his diplomacy as a ruler, his understanding with other people and his tactfulness cannot be separated from his success even if the conditions were said to be in his side always. The good behavior of the Holy prophet and his politics and leadership skills played a great role in the success besides the attractiveness of Islam and the fact that Islam responded to the needs of the Arab states religiously and as a social system (Abdul Rahman,25). Under the leadership of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the political structure of the Arabian Peninsula changed with the quarter century. Due to the efforts of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) the Arabs had become a nation, first who were living as nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes. Rotting in terms of these concepts a new moral and social order in the society was also formed by the Prophet besides struggling heavily with the dominant religion, institutions and the social concepts. The superiority concept that was believed to exist since birth was ended by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) besides his elimination of the social injustice, tribal animosities and the inequalities. The artificial obstacles that tend to separate an individual from the society were also removed by him. A society that was based on affection, fellowship and cooperation was founded by him. The misbehavior toward women and the killing of girls was also stopped by him. The status of women was raised to such an extent by the Prophet that from the oppressive obedience rule they were made to share their lives with the men and had mutual amount or responsibilities and rights. The women were allowed to have their legal professions; they could purchase detached residences and spent their money on whatever they wanted. The old perceptions which did not treat or regard women’s as independent individuals were eliminated and he had invalidated the provisions in the field of family law of women. Steps to abolish slavery were taken by the Prophet (pbuh). After a short period of time as a matter of fact the liberated slaves began to outshine their masters in different fields like scholarships arts etc. In the tenth year of Hijrah as the entire Arabia had come under the Islamic rule and the Medina regions became Islamic state provinces the people from the Prophet’s tribe were assigned these provinces to administer. Through merit and personal ability these people were assigned the provinces. In recalling the people who were incompetent and assigning the provinces to the more skilled workers the Prophet was never hesitant. A person who was well skilled and well informed would not be assigned the work if he had issues with overcoming the task. From the values of nobility, class, tribal superiority and wealth the value of faith was more essential in administration. According to their personal capacity everyone was given the opportunity to achieve. It is hence seen that only the competent believers were assigned by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) (Malise,43). The act of consultation was one of the indispensible actions he employed in administration. On the issues of significance he consulted leading believers and took their opinions. The decision he used to make was enact to the decisions formed by these consultants even if it contradicted his own opinions (Ozel). The Holy prophet possesses some great leadership qualities which played a major role in the success of Islam at the time of the unification of Arabia. The Holy Prophet when received his first revelation, he with fear was trembling. Of the great responsibility he was fully aware of the great responsibility being given to him. He could only confide about this was to his wife Khadija as he was so fearful. The confidence by which the Holy Prophet took Hazrat Khadija in confidence was remarkable. Regardless of the prevailing norms it reflected his inner strength and confidence in judgment. At that time he trusted and respected his wife for her support something which was very rare at that time. The Holy Prophet’s deep humility was also reflected. He only preached to his family and close friends in the start, true to his humility. He was completely aware of the fact that this would completely turn his community upside down but would transform it for the better. He took the risk of dividing his community with great courage. His desire was to save the community and not destroy it (Khan). The followers of the Holy Prophet used to carry out all the orders of the Holy Prophet without any kind of hesitation as they all had blind faith in him and if they were asked to plunge themselves in the river of fire they were also ready to do that but the Holy Prophet never adopted any of the methods that were dictatorial. At times when the Holy Prophet received no instructions from Allah he used to consult his companions about the issue and respected whatever views they put forward and considering those he took his decisions. To the advice of his companions in the battle of Badr about choosing the camping grounds, taking military action against the enemies, how the prisoners should be dealt with etc were all left to the companions. He also consulted his companions at the time of the battle of Uhad about whether to attack the troops from within the city of Medina or from outside of Medina. On the Battle of Ahzab and Tabuk also he consulted his companions (Hart). The Holy Prophets kindness and tolerance, his anxiety in seeking the forgiveness of its community’s sins, he giving so much of importance to his companions and all his consultations with them were all main factors that had contributed to the great influence and wonderful exercise over his companions. The maximum qualities of leadership were all that he himself possessed. Like firmness, boldness, determination, no fear of any consequences of an action, bearing criticism, delegation of the powers in accordance to their abilities, giving importance to others, flexibility in his personal matters, emotional and practical talents, modesty, humility, contentment, simplicity, dignity, elevation of manners and great interest in the organizing of human resources (Mutahhari). At the disposal of humanity a complete program and a code of comprehensive laws had been placed with the raising of the Prophet of Islam. The teachings and laws implementation of Islam would ensure the happiness and the prosperity of the human beings in this as well as the next worlds. When the Quraish saw Islam as a threat they started torturing the Holy Prophet and all of his followers. But in spite of the unbearable hostility and suffering they were firm on their belief and held fast on their faith. When the news of the success of Islam reached the Quraish in general and the Umayyad in particular they with the Jews conspired to uproot the Muslims. Treachery was widespread and the Holy Prophet who had never yielded a weapon had to defend Islam by the force of arms. From the battle of Badr commencing a series of the battles were being fought in which the community had defended itself successfully. The Muslims remarkable achievements were primarily due to the outstanding leadership qualities of just one man- the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his teaching and explicit faith in Islam. By the same spirit his followers were also imbibed, which had carried them across the continents and inclined them against the two mighty empires, as the Muslims armies marched on were swept aside (Lodi). A successful prophet was Muhammad and a statesman who in brief span of 21 years went from the visionary of persecution to the ruler of Arabia. It was his success that made Islam a powerful tool for the providence and the second largest religion in the world. So the success of Islam is great due to the skills of the Holy Prophet which lead it to become a widespread strong belief religion (Cromwell).

Manufacturing process Essay Example for Free

Manufacturing process Essay ?What are two items regarding the manufacturing process related to the organization that the team finds unique or interesting? One of the processes that we found interesting concerning the Coca Cola Company is that the company operates through multiple local channels. The operation is set-up to manufacture, sell concentrates, beverages bases and syrups with partnerships with within the local regions in the world. This occurs because Coca Cola is comprised of many bottling partners who manufacture, package merchandise, and distribute the final branded beverages through local customers and vending partners worldwide who then sell to their local consumers with in their region of distribution. This is a unique operation because most consumers would think that Coca Cola is located at one place of operation and distributed worldwide. Another unique aspect that we found interesting is that Coca Cola has a conservation process called Sustainable Packaging. This process starts with the company having and showing an active role with recovery and recycling process. One way they are in the forefront in this process is that they support and invest the placement of several thousand recycling bins in public areas every year. They also directly invested in six plastic bottle to bottle recycling plants around the world, these plants process millions of pounds of material each year. This process helps to produce new packaging along with other items within the company. These innovated conservation awareness processed has gain favorably and partnership with Ocean Conservation and Keep America BEAUTIFUL. These two process from producing the product to investing in conservation show the cradle to grave aspect of the Coca Cola Company.

The Things They Carried Philosophy Essay

The Things They Carried Philosophy Essay The Things They Carried is author by storyteller Tim OBrien and addresses truth through fiction. He has taken the acts of the Vietnam War and told them through a series of stories. The characters listed in the book may actually be true but their actions may not be or not in the way OBrien tells the stories. He does not write in this book a historical account of the war but instead tells us about experiences that the soldiers had. In the chapter How to Tell a War Story (64) OBrien tells us that the truth is ugly and that war is not always about the glory or bravery of the soldiers. The stories are more about the soldiers feelings than the actual acts of war. I came to realize quickly that the book was about what the soldiers carried such as guilt, sadness, mental anguish and self doubt over acts of war and not the actual possessions. I believe people carry burden every day. I carry the guilt over my divorce and the fact that I wanted it so badly. I know that I will carry that guilt the rest of my life even though my life today is much better. Could I have tried harder? Did the divorce truly harm my son in anyway? The Things They Carried was a difficult book for me to read and I have to admit that reading the book actually has increased my concern for my son who is currently serving in Iraq. Once of my greatest fears is what he carries home with him after he has completed his mission. I understand that he may experience things thing that no one can image much like what OBrien wrote about. I am sure his experience is much different than what is referenced in OBriens book since we are not fighting the same kind of war. Those men had no choice they had to serve when called upon. My son has chosen to serve of his own free will and is actually enjoying his deployment even thought silently I worry about him. Human behavior is very strange especially in the act of war. Soldiers will do things that most human beings would not think of. In the normal routine of our day we do things that are strange. At work we may act a certain way so we can keep our job. Soldiers do the same thing; they act a certain way to stay alive and deal with the issue of war. In the chapter How to Tell a True War Story OBrien explains how war affects the soldiers minds. They hear voices, music, talking but there is nothing there. The soldiers call in fire power and there still is nothing there. The soldiers mind played tricks. The human mind can affect human behavior. Pre-Socratic Greek Philosophers Thales Thales was known as a first Greek philosopher and mathematician and introduced the idea of geometry. He was a successful business man and started his own school of philosophy which taught math and astronomy. Thales is also known for his thoughts on natural rather than supernatural views for events such as earthquakes. Looked upon as a man of knowledge and wisdom, Thales was named one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. Thales was one of the founders of math and applied geometry but made a name for himself by establishing the need for deductive reasoning and proof for demonstrating a statement. Before Thales, geometry was focused on measuring surfaces and solids. He focused on lines, circles and triangles and is known for the five basic theorems of geometry. Besides his interest in geometry and math, he enjoyed astronomy. He is most noted for astronomical observations when he predicted a solar eclipse. It is thought he learned to predict the eclipse while in Babylon where they kept detailed records of astronomical events for years. With well kept records, Thales was able to calculate when an eclipse would occur and in what year. Thales believed the earth was flat and floated on water. Water was the origin of all life and was the one element needed to grow and nurture all things. He also believed that supernatural events could be explained by natural events. That an earthquake was caused when the earth was rocked by waves. It is thought Thales died sometime around 546 BC and was the only one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece to be declared wise multiple times. His philosophy became to be known as the Ionian School of Philosophy (Thales of Miletus, 2005). Heraclitus Heraclitus lived from 540-ca to 480 BC and tried to explain the nature of the universe by using logos or reason as the guide to all things, specifically fire. Heraclitus was born in Ephesus and is thought to have renounced his social status, probably king, to his brother. He was a lonely man who looked for the truth within himself and his works were similar to the writings of other philosophers. Much of Heraclitus work, On the Nature of the Universe, exists today but the work is difficult to interpret due to the use of abbreviations and style of writing. The basis of Heraclitus philosophy is the world of appearance, all things are constantly changing. Change is due to the idea that opposites guide all changes such as hot and cold, day and night, good and bad. He also believed that things that are inconsistent through conflict or tension are a type of harmony. Heraclitus thought the cosmos had always existed but did not come to existence at some specific time; that fire is the basic substance in the cosmos and all elements are changed because of it. He thought that the human soul may come to understand the truth of the cosmos even though humans understanding may only be child like. He commanded humans to learn the nature of the universe through the understanding of their own souls and was considered to be one of the first mental philosophers. Heraclitus was one of the first Greek philosophers to focus on the problem of knowledge and was the first to note the importance of an understanding of the soul as the beginning to understanding the world (Heraclitus, 2005). Empedocles Empedocles was a philosopher, poet, politician and visionary. He developed a philosophy around four elements in the universe and defined matter as the various ratios of these elements. Empedocles was born in Sicily to a wealthy family and named after his grandfather. His sharp intellect allowed him to combine his talents in philosophy, natural history, poetry and politics to accomplish popular status in his day. He was thought to be the inventor of rhetoric which is used in politics. He was popular because of his support of democracy. His scientific exploration included mysticism but his philosophies contained the basic laws of physics which included atomic theory. Empedocles followed the Greek philosopher Parmenides in the belief that matter is indestructible. He stated that matter made up all things and the four elements of the universe air, fire, earth and water made up all things according to various ratios of these four elements. Empedocles thought that love and hate controlled how the four elements came together or moved apart. Empedocles introduced the theory of reincarnation because nothing that comes into being can be destroyed only transformed. Later in his life he wrote a poetic piece called On Nature which contained ideas of evolution, the circulation of the blood and atmospheric pressure. He was the first to state the moon could be seen due to the reflection of light and thought the moon to be one third the distance from the earth to the sun. Empedocles made significant contributions to the philosophy of science. He is credited for founding the Italian school of medicine and was known to have a style for self promotion and public relations which is seen in his writings (Empedocles of Acrages, 2005). Apology-Justice and Duty (i) and Socrates Speaks at his Trial in Plato: The Last Days of Socrates Skillful Speaker with Speaking the Truth Socrates contrasts being a skilled speaker with speaking the truth (17b). Today in the media we are exposed to a great deal of false advertising. The commercials or print ads are produced and skillfully done. They are colorful, pleasing to the eyes; cleaver and many times catch our attention. Americans spend a great deal of money on these items and many times they are worthless. In the example of the toy company advertising a dancing ballerina, it was determined the television commercial through video made the ballerina dance, not the doll itself. Today in politics, Americans are exposed to very skillful speakers running for political office. When they speak of their platforms, what they believe in, many times it is thought to be what we want to hear and not what it necessarily the truth. Americans are exposed to their cleaver speeches and many times make decisions based upon those skillful speeches. Many times when a political race is about to end and individuals are expected to vote, the ads and political speeches begin to contain damaging information and again, this damaging information is skillfully delivered but is not always the truth. We then make a last minute decision based upon this questionable information and find out later it was a bad choice. In Socrates the Apology, Socrates, much like the skillful advertisers, used rhetoric to attempt to sway his accusers. He professed to be a plain main who speaks only simple truth yet he uses cleaver rhetoric and uses words in such a way as to manipulate them to serve a different purpose. Socrates claims he is not a cleaver speaker but the Apology tells us otherwise (The Interplay of Influence: News, Advertising, Politics and the Mass Media, 2001). Socrates was not afraid of Death Socrates continues to tell the accusers that he will not be the formal charges which will destroy him but the prejudicial gossip and slander. He does not fear death because he is concerned about acting right or wrong. Socrates argues that those who fear death show ignorance, that death is a blessing but those who fear it as an evil thing cannot know it to be such. He points out that his wisdom lies in the fact that he is aware that he does not know (29a, b). Socrates thought that man should be evaluating his actions as being right or wrong, just or unjust. This is because the value and justness of our lives count. He also thought that man should not be afraid of death, because we do not know what it is. To be afraid of something we do not know is to assume we know and Socrates felt that was unwise. He was not afraid of death because he realized it is a peaceful sleep and you meet those who have died before you, so how can this be evil? Socrates also thought that man should not stop fighting for what he believes in, even if it leads to death. He felt that he would rather die than give up his philosophical life. Socrates died for a righteous cause, the belief that one should never change their beliefs because of the fear of death. When Socrates declares to the jury, Wherefore, O men of Athens, I say to you, do as Anytus bids or not as Anytus bids, and either acquit me or not; but whatever you do know that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times, he is giving up his life as an example for the future generations. He thought that if he died for a great cause it was justified. Once Socrates was found guilty, he insisted that a just person will not allow anything to count against doing the right thing, no matter the cost. If he chose ordinary good instead of the just course of action he would be choosing an action that was not good for him and he refused to do this. He did not propose an alternative to the death penalty. Socrates chose to accept his fate and becomes known as the greatest hero in the history of philosophy. His main concern in life was excellence in moral character of the soul which has set the foundation for ethics and philosophy today (Encyclopedia of Ethics, 2001). The Last Words in the Apology and Socrates Defense God and gods play a huge role in the Apology. The last word in Socrates defense is God (42a) and is placed there on purpose. In addressing the charges against him, charged with believing in other gods and corrupting the youth, Socrates does a good job of making the charges seem ridiculous. When Plato wrote the Apology he emphasizes the importance of the gods in agreement with Socrates wisdom. It was the Oracle of Delphi that proclaims that he is the wisest of the wise (20c) not Socrates. He is not defying the gods but trying to reach some truth and meaning. By asking questions he is gaining knowledge and truth which challenges the accuser to think beyond what they have always known. Socrates accusers try to prove him to be an atheist but fail by establishing Socrates teaches men to acknowledge some gods and that he believes in spirits or demigods (26a). This proves Socrates is not guilty of teaching the youth to not believe in gods of any kind but of introducing the youth to other ideas of god. In the defense of Socrates he delivers the argument that he believes in the spirits or demigods which establishes the fact that he has not corrupted the minds of the youth with ideas of not believing in God, when he himself believes in gods. Socrates tells us in the Apology that we should strive to be like God if God is considered to be the supreme entity.

Workers Need a Living Wage Essay -- Its Time to Raise the Minimum Wag

It's 6:00am and that annoying beep of your alarm is ringing in your ears. You get up, start the coffee maker, shower, and get dressed in your work attire. You start your car and back out of your drive-way before noticing that you're running on the last fumes of your tank. You drive to nearest gas station where you see gas prices have, once again, risen. The aforementioned scenario is only one of many examples of the depreciating value of the dollar. In fact, in the past five years, the CPI-U has increased from 168.8 to 190.7 - that's a 12.97% inflationary increase (Historical CPI)! Sure, to Corporate Joe in his fancy sports car, a few extra pennies for gas isn’t much, but what about the school janitor who is trying to successfully raise a family of four on minimum wage? The most immediate reality behind Living Wage organizing is the dramatic erosion of the minimum wage. Even with the 1996 increase to $5.15 an hour the buying power of the minimum wage is still 30 percent below its peak in 1968. This is true despite the fact the economy was about fifty percent more productive than in 1968. A minimum wage that had kept pace with productivity gains would be roughly $11.20 today (Pollin and Luce, 58). In fact, in 2003 the poverty rate rose from 12.1 to 12.5 percent leaving 35.9 million people at or below the poverty line of $18,660 for a family of four (U.S. Census Bureau). These 35.9 million people trudge through their manual labor occupations day in and day out only to see the (few) dollars they earn slowly depreciate in value. In 1906, John Ryan, advocate of the living wage, wrote "Every man who is willing to work, has, therefore an inborn right to sustenance from the earth and on reasonable terms or conditio... ...ome of the fiscal burden they experience. With the increasingly inflating dollar and therefore the depreciating value of the minimum wage, an implementation of a universal living wage would be the humanitarian thing to do. Works Cited Historical Consumer Price Index. Historical CPI. 2003. 4 March 2015. Pollin, Robert and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building A Fair Economy. New York: New Press, 1998. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty 2003 Highlights. 26 August 2004. 25 February 2015. Glickman, Lawrence. A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of a Consumer Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997. Acorn.org. ACORN: About Acorn. 2005. 2 March 2015.