Explain why United States based media conglomerates are so successful Essay

Explain why United States based media conglomerates are so successful on the world media markets - Essay Example Yet, the synthesis between the local and the global in content has become the order of the day as it is successfully adopted and implemented by the United States based media conglomerates. Since media plays a vital role in the cultural lives of millions of people and the fact that media sector is by and large controlled by American interests, there have been arguments in favour of the idea ‘cultural imperialism’. Although the central postulate of cultural imperialism thesis remains valid due to the lopsidedness in the global media market, the so-called cultural imperialism through the American cultural products cannot be seen as one sided as the theorists of cultural imperialism perspective understood it to be. In the light of the recent developments taking place in the media sector, especially the regional media in the developing countries and the changes bought by the new media technologies, this paper intends to examine the case of United States based media conglomerates and their role in what is happening around us. The core concern of the essay is to examine what is remaining relevant with the arguments and concerns regarding American media supremacy and the criticisms provided by the contesting theoretical doctrines from the vantage point of the tremendous transformations occurring with the global media conditions from the very beginning of twenty first century. The term global media denotes the collective of big media players and multinationals working in the integrated global media environment. They spread around the globe and significant share of the national markets and have the ability to pace up the opening up of new markets or even invent emergent markets. However, both global and local media organisations represent the characteristics of each other. Thussu (2007) has asserted that the development of

The school website Essay Example for Free

The school website Essay Cncs: The school website is very basic, although it explains the variety amounts of information for parents and students, for example year 11 students can access there exam timetable on the side of the home page. While parents can browse through the calendar accessible on the website to identify important dates for their children. Varndean: The difference in how the icons are used, for Varndean they used more efficiently as in comparison to Cardinal Newman, the icons are not located down the side of the page but rather just as the top and are put into one icon called â€Å"School†. When there is an organised system to state what type of information hovered over shows can be accessed. On the front page they also show visual aid of the school and how students are taught, assessed and the opinions from students themselves. Logo Cncs: The logo for cardinal Newman links towards the school being catholic, this is shown as the logo is a cross representing a Christian symbol. The cross is very basic as it’s a black cross, which represents the religion that the school follows. Varndean: The design of the logo is 4 dolphins in cooperated into 1 which represents the 4 houses that, the design is very beautiful due to the colours used for each dolphin working well together as a logo. Don’t understand why the logo is a dolphin, I don’t see the link between the logo and the school – no link towards the sea, only connection is the 4 houses Letter Cncs: Letter from cardinal Newman states that’s students enrolled into he school will have to participate must perform in classes in order to gain marks to receive the best results at the end of the academic year, Further down the page, it states if students needed any support through courses, they will have to have a meeting with their teachers stating their problems and ask for extra lessons when needed in order for students to either catch up or cope with lessons. Letter presented formally towards parents of teachers who are concerned for their children coping with their students learning. Shows appropriate language for both student and teachers – understand what needs to be improved and what parents can do to help. Vardean: Language mainly formal in presentation of the letter as its  associated towards parents, however some parts are informal as they are targeted for the students to understand the different activities students can take part in as the who message is about enrichment day for students. It also states in the letter how much the activities will cost while stating the variety of activities students can enjoy. The letter is very easy to read – main points re listed to parents and students. Information’s not piled up onto letter – doesn’t bore reader. School prospectus Cncs: Cardinal Newman’s prospectus is more mature for students and parents, illustrating pictures of the daily lives the school students take part in, creating an idea of who the school is run and what new students will discover. Information laid out and organised – clearing sub =headings for text. The background is white in order for text to be easier to read as writing is size 11. The prospectus has 24 pages, gives more detail about the school. Varndean: prospectus is too childish, the colour scheme for each page is different and there is no consistency in presentation. Different blends of colours makes texts harder to read. Only a few amount of pictures – not enough visual images about the school. Audience students and parents. Parts of the prospectus states what the children who want to eb part of the school will discover when being in the school. Imformation presented in an imfromal way so its understandable for students. They don’t have huge junks of infmation as they get straight to the point.

Comparing Sexuality in Greys Riders of the Purple Sage and Doctorows

Sexuality of the Frontierswoman in Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage and Doctorow's Welcome to Hard Times The presentation of femininity in Doctorow's Welcome to Hard Times is a strong departure from the heroine of Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage. Through the metaphor of the gun as the embodiment of masculinity, both authors closely examine the complexities of the sexualized relationship of a frontierswoman to the men of her society. Doctorow mirrors the tensions present in Grey's novel though Molly acts as an extraordinarily different vision of what the West required of a woman than Jane Withersteen. Both novels reach a sexual climax as the heroine engages the men of her society in a violent action of blood and birth. Though it is a more desolate and harsh portrayal of a woman's station, Doctorow places Molly in a similar situation as the victim of her society to the more traditional Riders of the Purple Sage. While Jane Withersteen is certainly not subjected to violence in the same way that the Bad Man from Bodie raped, beat and nearly killed Molly, Jane is still victimized by her community. Doctorow's portrayal of the conflict is abstracted in ways that Grey's is not. In choosing to call Turner "The Bad Man from Bodie" for the majority of the novel, Doctorow makes him more an abstract notion of violence rather than the more human figure of jealousy Mormon Elder, Tull. However, in spite of the abstractness in Doctorow's characterization, Jane is presented as an outsider in her community and is offered up as a sacrifice to the peace, much in the same way that Blue exhorts Molly to reenter Avery's saloon. From this communal point of victimization, however, Doctorow departs from the gender conventions es... ... Pass. The falling rubble acts as the hymen restored, preserving Jane and Lassiter and Fay inside the womb, inside Eden. Thus, both novels examine the highly sexual tensions between the predominate female figures and the idea of masculinity as encapsulated by the gun, or more abstractly a weapon. Doctorow, though the tensions parallel Grey's, counters the older work on nearly every point, finally culminating in a recognition of the horror that frontier society creates. Much like the action of his novel, Grey retreats into a more idyllic vision of the West. However, he does admit the complexity of the gendered roles in the Western, though not to the extent that Doctorow casts the action in an Oedipal drama. Works Cited Doctorow, E. L. Welcome to Hard Times. New York: Penguin, 1998. Grey, Zane. Riders of the Purple Sage. New York: Penguin, 1990.

New York and Nebraska

In this world no two places can be considered to be same. All the places have a certain amount of distinctness, a certain flavor and a very dominant persona. If we consider two places, New York and Nebraska, there are a lot of similarities and contrasts, as they are the states of a same country, i.e. United States of America. Both the states have discrete histories but have common grounds on the basis of European Settlers. Nebraska became officially part of United States of America only in 1812 after Missouri Treaty bill.   New York on the other hand was dominant by the point of British and it was an important place in terms of the revolution for Independence.Comparisons between New York and NebraskaNew York and Nebraska are both large states of America and have lot of importance to the country. Both the states being large on their own are blessed on natural terms. On the whole the two states have similarities on the basis of its large parks and greenery. Also both the states are b lessed with the amount of voluminous rivers flowing through them. Nebraska and New York have a very good base in agriculture and have large share of their economy dependent on agricultural products. On a religious point of view too, both the states comprising have similarities in terms that both have a maximum population of Christians than any other religions. The states also are very rich in its heritage and culture and the no. of museums both have are outstanding, as both the states have a view of protecting and highlighting their culture.Contrasts between New York and NebraskaFirstly the climate of both the states is very different, and their discreetness is so high that the state of Nebraska has in fact two climates in its region. The state is grossly divided between a humid climate and a steppe climate. Also the effect of Global warming though being everywhere in the world is marginally higher in Nebraska compared to New York. This is assessed by the following:‘Nebraska i s home to an incredible diversity of native wildlife species, including 346 birds, 83 mammals, 87fish, 47 reptiles and 13 amphibians. Rising temperatures in the state will likely change the makeup of entire ecosystems, forcing wildlife to shift their ranges or adapt. Global warming could contribute to a 20-50 percent decline in forested area, particularly in eastern Nebraska, where grasslands and savanna could replace forests and woodlands’.(Courtesy: Myra Wilensky, â€Å"Global warming and Nebraska†. Retrieved on May 4, 2008 from http://www.nwf.org/globalwarming/pdfs/Nebraska.pdf#search=%22%22global%20warming%22%2C%20Nebraska%22)Both the states have a massive difference in the terms of economy as the state of New York is one of the key finance providers of the nation compared to Nebraska. One of the major contrasting feature of the two states politically is Nebraska is a religious Republican follower while the state of New York is avidly a Democratic supporter.Conclus ionBoth the states have their own theories of running the economy and are well blessed with flora and fauna. The comparison between the two states assesses the fact that how much ever two places might be distinct or similar, both of them are unique in their own way.Reference:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Myra Wilensky, â€Å"Global warming and Nebraska†. http://www.nwf.org/globalwarming/pdfs/Nebraska.pdf#search=%22%22global%20warming%22%2C%20Nebraska%22 New York and Nebraska In this world no two places can be considered to be same. All the places have a certain amount of distinctness, a certain flavor and a very dominant persona. If we consider two places, New York and Nebraska, there are a lot of similarities and contrasts, as they are the states of a same country, i.e. United States of America. Both the states have discrete histories but have common grounds on the basis of European Settlers. Nebraska became officially part of United States of America only in 1812 after Missouri Treaty bill.   New York on the other hand was dominant by the point of British and it was an important place in terms of the revolution for Independence.Comparisons between New York and NebraskaNew York and Nebraska are both large states of America and have lot of importance to the country. Both the states being large on their own are blessed on natural terms. On the whole the two states have similarities on the basis of its large parks and greenery. Also both the states are b lessed with the amount of voluminous rivers flowing through them. Nebraska and New York have a very good base in agriculture and have large share of their economy dependent on agricultural products. On a religious point of view too, both the states comprising have similarities in terms that both have a maximum population of Christians than any other religions. The states also are very rich in its heritage and culture and the no. of museums both have are outstanding, as both the states have a view of protecting and highlighting their culture.Contrasts between New York and NebraskaFirstly the climate of both the states is very different, and their discreetness is so high that the state of Nebraska has in fact two climates in its region. The state is grossly divided between a humid climate and a steppe climate. Also the effect of Global warming though being everywhere in the world is marginally higher in Nebraska compared to New York. This is assessed by the following:‘Nebraska i s home to an incredible diversity of native wildlife species, including 346 birds, 83 mammals, 87fish, 47 reptiles and 13 amphibians. Rising temperatures in the state will likely change the makeup of entire ecosystems, forcing wildlife to shift their ranges or adapt. Global warming could contribute to a 20-50 percent decline in forested area, particularly in eastern Nebraska, where grasslands and savanna could replace forests and woodlands’.(Courtesy: Myra Wilensky, â€Å"Global warming and Nebraska†. Retrieved on May 4, 2008 from http://www.nwf.org/globalwarming/pdfs/Nebraska.pdf#search=%22%22global%20warming%22%2C%20Nebraska%22)Both the states have a massive difference in the terms of economy as the state of New York is one of the key finance providers of the nation compared to Nebraska. One of the major contrasting feature of the two states politically is Nebraska is a religious Republican follower while the state of New York is avidly a Democratic supporter.Conclus ionBoth the states have their own theories of running the economy and are well blessed with flora and fauna. The comparison between the two states assesses the fact that how much ever two places might be distinct or similar, both of them are unique in their own way.Reference:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Myra Wilensky, â€Å"Global warming and Nebraska†. http://www.nwf.org/globalwarming/pdfs/Nebraska.pdf#search=%22%22global%20warming%22%2C%20Nebraska%22

Essay Teachers and Weapons in School Essay

Abstract In this paper, I will explore the controversial question of whether teachers should be allowed or required to carry weapons on school campuses. The question of whether the topic should be entertained has come up time and again after tragedies occur, the timeline of which will be summarized herein. The recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that devastated the nation on December 14, 2012, has wrenched this debate crudely back into the spotlight. I will investigate different types of protective instruments that could possibly be used, as well as what types are used in schools that have such regulations. I will delve into the reasoning behind states that have implemented laws that allow teachers to carry guns in school and/or at school events. Included within are excerpts from this writer’s first-person interview conducted with Maria Otero-Ball, a kindergarten teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a teacher of children the same age as those involved in the Newtown tragedy, Mrs. Otero-Ball offers a first-hand view on the changes that she and the school have made following the tragedy, as well as her views on the practicality of weapons in the school. My goals in preparing this paper are to expand my thoughts on the subject, peruse the thoughts of others, and explore the statistics to provide a better overall understanding of the subject matter to myself and to my readers. During the research process, I found that a compromise on the types of weapons teachers should be allowed to carry would be the best option from my point of view. Keywords: teachers, weapons, school, tragedy, children Screams of terror, cries of anguish, tears of sorrow, heartbreaking agony; the nation bore witness to all of these and more as the first responders struggled to make sense of the scene that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School on that fateful day of December 14th, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut (Ardillas, 2012). Many families had their hearts torn apart during the rampage of that lone gunman as he unleashed his rage on teachers and young students who were just beginning their life’s journey. Amidst the suffering and the grieving for the departed, the question was once again raised: Should the teachers charged with protecting our children be equipped with weapons to allow them to do so in a scene of horror such as this? But I don’t think the questions should end there. More importantly, would arming teachers be safe for the children and the teachers? Are there other options that may be more appropriate that should be considered? Allowing teachers to carry weapons could go a long way towards making our schools more secure, but realistically non-lethal weapons would be the safer, more manageable solution in making our schools the haven the community deserves them to be. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, though undeniably one of the most horrendous of its kind and categorically the most recent of such magnitude, is preceded by numerous similar incidents throughout the United States over the years recorded as far back as 1927. On May 18th of this year, a farmer named Andrew Kehoe set off two explosions at Bath Consolidated Schoolhouse in Bath, Michigan, killing himself, six adults and 38 children. In Houston, Texas on September 15th, 1959, convict Paul Orgeron exploded a suitcase of dynamite on a playground at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary killing himself, two adults and three children. On October 5th, 1966, 15-year-old David Black injured another student before killing teacher, Forrest Willey, at Grand Rapids High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On November 12th, 1966, in Mesa, Arizona, 18-year-old student, Robert Smith, killed five people at a local beauty college. In Olean, New York, at Olean High School on December 30th, 1974, honors student Anthony Barbaro killed a school janitor and two innocent bystanders and then killed himself while awaiting trial. 16-year-old Stephen Goods was hit and killed by a stray bullet fired during a fight between two schoolmates on March 18th, 1975, at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1978 on February 22nd, 15-year-old Roger Needham killed another student who had bullied him at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. During class on May 18th, 1978, at Murchison Junior High School in Austin, Texas, 13-year-old John Christian shot and killed his English teacher Wilbur Grayson. In San Diego, California, on January 29th, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on a school across from her home, killing the principal and janitor. (CNN U. S. , 2012) In the 80’s, violent episodes in schools increased to nearly one incident per year beginning with 17-year-old Pat Lizzotte shooting and  killing her teacher Clarence Piggott during class at Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 19th, 1982. On January 20th, 1983, an unnamed student shot and killed another student before turning the gun on himself. On February 24th, 1984, at 49th Street School in Los Angeles, California, sniper Tyrone Mitchell began firing on children on the playground, killing one, injuring 11 and later taking his own life. In Goddard, Kansas, at Goddard Junior High on January 21st, 1985, 14-year-old James Kearbey shot and killed Principal Jim McGee. David and Doris Young, a couple in their 40’s, took over Cokeville Elementary School with a bomb, holding 150 children and adults hostage and demanding $300 million in ransom in Cokeville, Washington, on May 16th, 1986. The bomb accidentally detonated causing a fire during which 74 people were injured and David Young shot his wife and then himself. The same year on December 6th, 14-year-old Kristofer Hans shot and killed his substitute teacher, Henrietta Smith, at Fergus High School in Lewistown, Montana. In Dekalb, Missouri, at Dekalb High School on March 2nd, 1987, 12-year-old Nathan Faris shot 13-year-old Timothy Perrin and then took his own life. February 11th, 1988, Pinellas Park High School, Largo, Florida; two 15-year-olds with stolen weapons, Jason McCoy and Jason Harless, shot and killed Asst. Principal Richard Allen. At Hubbard Woods Elementary School in Winnetka, Illinois, on May 20th, 1988, 30-year-old Laurie Dann killed an 8-year-old boy and injured six other people before taking her own life. Copying the Winnetka, Illinois murder, 19-year-old James Wilson killed 8-year-olds Tequila Thomas and Shequila Bradley in the school cafeteria of Oakland Elementary School in Greenwood, South Carolina on September 26th, 1988. The worst year for school killings yet, 1988 comes to a close with the fourth incident on December 16th at Atlantic Shores Christian School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, during which 16-year-old Nicholas Elliott shot and killed teacher Karen Farley. Concluding the decade’s violence, a brief month later on January 17th, 1989, 24-year-old drifter Patrick Purdy used an AK-47 to kill five children on a playground at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California before killing himself. (CNN U. S. , 2012) The momentum from the latter part of the 80’s decade did not lose velocity as the 90’s moved forward with a manifold of violent incidents every year succeeding the first episode on November 25th, 1991 at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York, when 14-year-old Jason. Bently shot a gun during an argument with two other teens, the stray bullet killing a 16-year-old student who was not even involved in the altercation. Thomas Jefferson High School was revisited by the sickness on February 26th, 1992, as 15-year-old Kahlil Sumpter shot and killed two other students. On May 1st, 1992, at Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst, California, 20-year-old dropout Eric Houston returned to school to kill a former teacher and three students. Without ado, 1993 started off with a bang on January 18th when 17-year-old Scott Pennington shot and killed a teacher and a custodian at East Carter High School in Grayson, Kentucky. Three months later on April 12th, 16-year-old Jason Robinson was stabbed to death in his Social Studies class by three teenage attackers at Dartmouth High School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Only 3 days had passed when, on April 15th, 44-year-old David Taber invaded Ford Middle School in Acushnet, Massachusetts, taking three hostages and later killing school nurse Carol Day. Pennsburg, Pennsylvania suffered a visit from the beast on May 24th, 1993, as 15-year-old Jason Smith, a student of Upper Perkiomen High School, killed another student who had bullied him. The fifth assault of 1993 ensued on December 21st at Wauwatosa West High School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin when 21-year-old former student Leonard McDowell returned to his high school killing Asst. Principal Dale Breitlow. February 1994 did not start off well at Valley View Jr. High School in Simi Valley, California; on the 1st day of the month, 13-year-old Philip Hernandez stabbed a 14-year-old student to death in the hallway. April 12th of the same year was no better in Butte, Montana, when 10-year-old Jason Osmanson shot and killed an 11-year-old classmate on the playground. The ominous cloud passed over Wickliffe Middle School in Wickliffe, Ohio, on November 7th, 1994, as 37-year-old drifter Keith Ledeger shot and killed school custodian Peter Christopher and injured three others. On October 12th, 1995, at Blackville-Hilda High School of Blackville, South Carolina, 15-year-old Toby Sincino killed a teacher and then himself. The 15th of November, 1995, 17-year-old Jaime Rouse killed a business teacher and a 16-year-old student at Richland High School in Lynnville, Tennessee. At Winston Education Center in Washington, DC, 14-year-old Damion Blocker encountered two masked gunmen in the stairwell where he was shot and killed by 16-year-old Darrick Evans on January 19th, 1996. In Moses Lake, Washington, at Frontier Jr. High School on February 2nd, 1996, 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis killed two students and a teacher with a rifle. 1997 saw three violent incidents on February 19th in Alaska, October 1st in Mississippi, and December 1st Kentucky with a combined death toll of 8, including a parent, a principal, and six students. Three episodes in 1998 in Arkansas on March 24th, Pennsylvania on April 24th, and Oregon on May 21st claimed the lives of 10 more. Littleton, Colorado was devastated on April 21st, 1999, when 18-year-old Eric Harris and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher before committing suicide in the library of Columbine High School. The final wreckage of 1999 came to pass on November 19th at Deming Middle School in Deming, New Mexico when 12-year-old Victor Cordova shot and killed a 13-year-old classmate. (CNN U. S., 2012). The first scene of 2000 unfurled with the youngest offender to date, a 6-year-old boy, who shot and killed a 6-year-old girl at Buell Elementary in Mt. Morris Township, Michigan on February 29th. On May 26th of the same year in Lake Worth, Florida, 13-year-old Nathaniel Brazill returned to school after being sent home for misbehaving to shoot and kill his teacher, Barry Grunow, at Lake Worth Community Middle School. At Santana High School in Santee, California, on March 5th, 2001, 15-year-old Charles â€Å"Andy† Williams killed two classmates and injured 13. The last upset until 2003 transpired on December 5th, 2001, at Springfield High in Springfield, Massachusetts when troubled teen Corey Ramos stabbed Reverend Theodore Brown, a counselor at the school, to death. 2003 saw two tragedies on April 24th at Red Lion Area Jr. High School in Red Lion, Pennsylvania when 14-year-old James Sheets shot his principal, Eugene Segro, and then himself, and on September 24th in Cold Spring, Minnesota, at Rocori High School, where 15-year-old Jason McLaughlin killed one student and critically injured another who died in October. The sole incident in 2004 struck on February 3rd at Southwood Middle School in Palmetto Bay, Florida, involving 14-year-old Michael Hernandez who slashed the throat of 14-year-old Jaime Rodrigo Gough. 16-year-old Jeff Weise perpetrated a multiple murder in Red Lake, Minnesota, beginning with the murder of his grandfather and another adult followed by killing four fellow students at Red Lake High School, a teacher, a security guard and finally himself on March 21st, 2005. In Jacksboro, Tennessee, Campbell County Comprehensive High School felt the sting of madness on November 8th, 2005, as a 15-year-old student opened fire on a principal and  two assistant principals, killing one and critically wounding another. Three vicious episodes rocked 2006: two dead in a Colorado high school shooting on September 27th, one dead in a high school shooting in Wisconsin on September 29th, and six dead, six wounded in a Pennsylvania Amish school on October 2nd. The singular attack in 2007 befell Henry Foss High School of Tacoma, Washington on January 3rd, culminating with 18-year-old Douglas Chantabouly fatally shooting 17-year-old Samnang Kok. 2008’s lone incident was a shooting at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, leaving one dead. 2009 witnessed three brutalities in rapid succession commencing on September 15th at a Florida high school leaving one fatally stabbed, shadowed on September 23rd at a Texas high school where a teacher was stabbed and killed and the closing fatality on October 16th at a South Carolina high school where a police officer shot and killed a student after the student had stabbed the officer. One confrontation on February 5th, 2010, at an Alabama middle school resulted in a 14-year-old with a fatal shot to the head and a conflict on January 5th, 2011, at a Nebraska high school bringing about the death of a vice principal and the suicide of the shooter. Prior to the Sandy Hook horror in December of 2012, an attack occurred on February 27th at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, killing three and wounding four others (Timeline: School violence in the US, CNN U.S. , 2012). 2013 has already suffered the first school assault at Taft High School in Taft, California leaving one student in a coma and fighting for his life (Simmons, 2012). Following the Newtown tragedy of Sandy Hook, several state lawmakers have begun the process of introducing legislation to allow teachers to bear arms. These states include Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Tennessee. Oklahoma State Representative Mark McCullough is quoted as saying: We cannot continue to be shackled by politically correct, reflexive, anti-gun sentiment in the face of the obvious — our schools are soft targets. It is incredibly irresponsible to leave our schools undefended — to allow mad men to kill dozens of innocents when we have a very simple solution available to us to prevent it. I’ve been considering this proposal for a long time. In light of the savagery on display in Connecticut, I believe it’s an idea whose time has come. (Celock, 2012, para. 3) While these states are only beginning their journey to allow teachers to bear arms, there are places where such laws already exist. In Indiana, state law makes schools â€Å"gun-free zones†, but exempts employees or others authorized by a school â€Å"to act as a security guard, perform or participate in a school function, or participate in any other activity authorized by a school† (Wilson, 2012, para. 2). Harrold, a small Texas town, allows teachers and school officials to carry concealed weapons on school grounds. This was unanimously voted upon by the school board in 2007, requiring only that any school employee who plans to carry a weapon obtain first a state concealed-weapons permit, and then be approved by the school board to carry concealed weapons on campus. (Brown, 2012) While allowing teachers to carry guns may seem an obvious solution to many, there are those who favor other approaches to making our schools safer. Maria Otero-Ball is a kindergarten teacher in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being a teacher of five and six year-old students, the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy struck a very personal chord with Mrs. Otero-Ball. Following the horrific event, Mrs. Otero-Ball made the changes that she was able to on her own to make her classroom safer; she cleared out her supply closet to enable her to hide students in such an event, put in place a classroom emergency procedure for use in conjunction with the school’s emergency procedure and she now runs a drill at least weekly to ensure her students know what to do in case of an attack such as the one in Newtown, Connecticut. Even so, she knows that these are small changes whose chances of effectiveness are uncertain at best. Mrs. Otero-Ball has another idea that she will be proposing in the next school board meeting. Her idea is for teachers to be issued and trained on non-lethal weapons such as stun guns, tasers, tranquilizer darts, and/or pepper spray. Mrs. Otero-Ball’s stance is, â€Å"I believe that we [the teachers] would have a much better chance of immobilizing a perpetrator if armed with something like this [stun guns, tasers, tranquilizer darts, and/or pepper spray]. † (Interview: Maria Otero-Ball, 2012) Non-lethal weapons are intended to cause pain and/or physically disable an adversary with a minimal risk of serious or permanent injury. The available types of non-lethal weapons include pepper spray, which comes in a compact cylinder and emits a pepper based, oleo resin spray that has the ability to incapacitate an attacker regardless of size and/or strength. Pepper spray is most effective in close range encounters and do not require accurate aim nor much training. Pepper spray is widely used by the general public and would not require legislation  to be allowed in schools. Tasers are one of the more painful non-lethal weapons and work by shooting small electrodes which penetrate the attackers clothing and skin. These electrodes are connected to a wire which conducts a strong electrical current and incapacitates offenders for up to 10 minutes. Tasers are good for distance use and the incapacitation time of the offender would allow time for the victims to take control of the situation, remove themselves to a safer location and contact law enforcement. Stun guns work on the same basic premise as tasers, but are a hand held, close range weapon. Stun guns could be very effective if one was able to surprise the victim from behind and take them down with a shock to the back of the neck. Both tasers and stun guns would require more training for use as well as for safety of the handler. One could expect legislature would be required to allow these in schools and supply sufficient training for the teachers designated for their use. Tranquilizer darts are best known for their use on wildlife such as bears, but can be modified for use on humans by utilizing a smaller dart and lower dosage of sedative, anesthetic or paralytic agent. The drawbacks with the use of tranquilizer guns include a delay between the time the dart connects and the incapacitation of the attacker and a danger of the offender dying if not monitored closely. (Admin: Just be Safe, 2011) Based on the research of the benefits and drawbacks of these non-lethal options, a combination of availability of pepper spray, stun guns and tasers for teachers and training on their use and handling would be most beneficial in a situation involving a single or multiple assailant(s). After being faced with a dreadful scene such as that which was encountered in Newtown at Sandy Hook Elementary School, it may well be the gut reaction of the general public to shout, â€Å"Arm our teachers! † In fact, since I have begun this paper, several more schools have begun legislation, voted to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons and even purchased weapons for the exclusive use of the school. However, if more thought is given to the implications of arming teachers with guns, one must see that this could prove more dangerous than helpful if the gun were to be appropriated by the wrongdoer. Another thought that had not been considered during my research was brought to light by ‘The Ed Show’ on January 10, 2013; many parents do not condone teachers having guns, concealed or otherwise, near their children (The Ed Show, 2013). With proper training on non-lethal weapons such as stun guns, tasers, and pepper spray, teachers would be able to defend our youth without the fear of having to kill or having a murderous weapon wrested from them while attempting to defend those they strive to protect. The facts are painfully evident: 1. Violence in school has escalated over the years and something must be done to protect the students and faculty. 2. The death toll relating to school violence is much too high for comfort. 3. Regulating gun laws will not prevent guns from being in circulation. 4. There are many drawbacks to allowing teachers to have access to guns in schools including fear of the gun falling into the wrong hands, discomfort of the parents knowing there are guns in the schools and what the shooter would have to deal with if they were to kill someone. 5. Conceivably, non-lethal weapons would be the safer, more manageable solution in making our schools the haven the community deserves them to be. In light of all of the evidence, it is apparent that a compromise could be made to keep our schools safe by giving the teachers the tools they need and still keep guns out of our schools, thus satisfying government, parents, teachers, students and families alike. This could be achieved by introducing a comprehensive plan to supply all teachers with pepper spray, select teachers with Tasers and stun guns and providing the training the teachers need to successfully use these defenses during an attack. References: Admin (2011, June 5). Tasers, stun guns & pepper spray: Non-lethal self defense weapons | Just B Safe. Just B Safe. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www. justbsafe. com/? p=84 Aradillas, E. , Baker, K. C. , Billups, A. , Breuer, H. , Dennis, A. , Weisensee Egan, N. , . . . Zuckermann, S. (2012, December). Tragedy in new town: Remember forever. People, 78(27), 52-59. Brown, A. (2012, December 20). Texas town allows teachers to carry concealed guns. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/huff-wires/20121220/us-gun-toting-teachers/? utm_hp_ref=green&ir=green Celock, J. (2012, December 18). Guns for teachers legislation on the rise in states. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/12/18/guns-for-teachers_n_2324095. html.

Essay on Book Review

Essay on Book Review Essay on Book Review Book Review Music in Japan: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture, Bonnie C. Wade, New York Oxford University Press 2005, 2004041486 Music in Japan is one of several case-study volumes apart of the Thinking Musically, Global Music Series. Music in Japan offers a vibrant preface to the music of modern Japan, a nation in which traditional, western, and popular music thrive side by side. Drawing on many years of experience, author Bonnie C. Wade focuses on the major periods of the development of modern music in Japan throughout the book and in the musical selections on the accompanying CD. Music in Japan is enhanced by eyewitness accounts of performances, interviews with key performers, and vivid illustrations. All in all, Wade has provided an exceptionally well balanced book, which will prove useful both in the music classroom and beyond. Wade begins by exploring how music in Japan has been profoundly affected by interface with both the Western and Asian cultural spheres. While most countries achieve their cultural diversity as a result of migrating in, Japan has achieved its musical diversity by seeking it elsewher e. Wade exclaims that the Japanese have a process of borrowing, then assimilating the foreign. This diversity began to develop during Meiji-Period modernization in the late 1800’s. This diversity expanded before, between, and after the great world wars. Through this intermingling of cultures, the music of the west became an intricate part of Japanese culture. When considering the interface of Japanese music with other Asian cultural spheres, many traditions remained intact during the transitional periods. Wade explains how the musical cultures of China and Korea have influenced Japan since ancient times. This is most prevalent in rites, rituals and ceremonies in Japan. The traditional music of Japan calls for instruments of their native land. The book includes many illustrations of instruments, dances and costumes used for these traditional events. Wade then shows how Japan's thriving popular music industry is also a modern form of a historically important facet of Japanese m usical culture: the process of gradual popularization, in which a local or a group's music eventually becomes accessible to a broader range of people. Being initially trained in western classical music, Japanese artist began to form ensembles that utilized the standard orchestral format. Eventually composers emerged releasing their original compositions for orchestra. Beyond original classical composition, palace and temple music gained a new depth. Ensembles using traditional Japanese instruments that were commonly utilized in the palace and temple developed a new sound. In addition to traditional and western classical art, Wade explains how Japanese popular music gained its own identity. Westernized pop music is called kayÃ… kyoku, which is said to have and first appeared in a dramatization of Resurrection by Tolstoy. KayÃ… kyoku became a major industry in the early twentieth century. In the 1950’s, tango and other kinds of Latin music, especially Cuban music, became very popular in Japan. In the 1960s, Japanese bands imitated The Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, along with other Appalachian folk music, psychedelic rock, and similar genres. John Lennon of The Beatles later became one of most popular Western musicians in Japan. From this period of popular music, Wade then goes on to explain J-Pop. J-pop, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a loosely defined musical genre

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was hit by a snipers bullet. King had been standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when without warning, he was shot. The .30-caliber rifle bullet entered Kings right cheek, traveled through his neck, and finally stopped at his shoulder blade. King was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. Violence and controversy followed. In outrage of the murder, many blacks took to the streets across the United States in a massive wave of riots. The FBI investigated the crime, but many believed them partially or fully responsible for the assassination. An escaped convict by the name of James Earl Ray was arrested, but many people,  including some of Martin Luther King Jr.s own family, believe he was innocent. What happened that evening? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.    When Martin Luther King Jr.  emerged as the leader of the  Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, he began a long tenure as the spokesperson for nonviolent protest in the Civil Rights Movement. As a Baptist minister, he was a moral leader to the community. Plus, he was charismatic and had a powerful way of speaking. He was also a man of vision and determination. He never stopped dreaming of what could be. Yet he was a man, not a God. He was most often overworked and overtired and he had a fondness for the private company of women. Though he was the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner, he did not have complete control over the Civil Rights Movement. By 1968, violence had edged its way into the movement. Black Panther Party members carried loaded weapons, riots had erupted across the country, and numerous civil rights organizations had taken up the mantra Black Power! Yet Martin Luther King Jr. held strong to his beliefs, even as he saw the Civil Rights Movement being torn in two. Violence is what brought King back to Memphis in April 1968. Striking Sanitation Workers in Memphis On February 12, a total of 1,300  African-American sanitation workers in Memphis went on strike. Though there had been a long history of grievances, the strike began as a response to a January 31 incident in which 22 black sanitation workers were sent home without pay during bad weather while all the white workers remained on the job. When the City of Memphis refused to negotiate with the 1,300 striking workers, King and other civil rights leaders were asked to visit Memphis in support. On Monday, March 18, King managed to fit in a quick stop in Memphis, where he spoke to more than  15,000 who had gathered at Mason Temple. Ten days later, King arrived in Memphis to lead a march in support of the striking workers. Unfortunately, as King led the crowd, a few of the protesters got rowdy and smashed the windows of a storefront. The violence spread and soon countless others had taken up sticks and were breaking windows and looting stores. Police moved in to disperse the crowd. Some of the marchers threw stones at the police. The police responded with tear gas and nightsticks. At least one of the marchers was shot and killed. King was extremely distressed at the violence that had erupted in his own march and became determined not to let violence prevail. He scheduled another march in Memphis for April 8. On April 3, King arrived in Memphis a little later than planned because there had been a bomb threat for his flight before takeoff. That evening, King delivered his Ive Been to the Mountaintop speech to a relatively small crowd that had braved the bad weather to hear King speak. Kings thoughts were obviously on his mortality, for he discussed the plane threat as well as the time he had been stabbed. He concluded the speech with, Well, I dont know what will happen now; weve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesnt matter with me now, because Ive been to the mountaintop. And I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life - longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over, and Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land. And so Im happy tonight; Im not worried about anything; Im not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. After the speech, King went back to the Lorraine Motel to rest. Martin Luther King Jr. Stands on the Lorraine Motel Balcony The Lorraine Motel (now the  National Civil Rights Museum) was a relatively drab, two-story motor inn on Mulberry Street in downtown Memphis. Yet it had become a habit of Martin Luther King and his entourage to stay at the Lorraine Motel when they visited Memphis. On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King and his friends were getting dressed to have dinner with Memphis minister Billy Kyles. King was in room 306 on the second floor and hurried to get dressed since they were, as usual, running a bit late. While putting on his shirt and using Magic Shave Powder to shave, King chatted with Ralph Abernathy about an upcoming event. Around 5:30 p.m., Kyles  knocked on their door to hurry them along. The three men joked about what was to be served for dinner. King and Abernathy wanted to confirm that they were going to be served soul food and not something like filet mignon. About half an hour later, Kyles and King stepped out of the motel room onto the balcony (basically the outside walkway that connected all the motels second-story rooms). Abernathy had gone to his room to put on some cologne. Near the car in the parking lot directly below the balcony, waited  James Bevel, Chauncey Eskridge (SCLC lawyer), Jesse Jackson, Hosea Williams, Andrew Young, and Solomon Jones, Jr. (the driver of the loaned white Cadillac). A few remarks were exchanged between the men waiting below and Kyles and King. Jones remarked that King should get a topcoat since it might get cold later; King replied, O.K. Kyles was just a couple of steps down the stairs and Abernathy was still inside the motel room when the shot rang out. Some of the men initially thought it  was a car backfire, but others realized it was a rifle shot. King had fallen to the concrete floor of the balcony with a large, gaping wound covering his right jaw. Martin Luther King Jr. Shot Abernathy ran out of his room to see his dear friend fallen, laying in a puddle of blood. He held Kings head saying, Martin, its all right. Dont worry. This is Ralph. This is Ralph.* Kyles had gone into a motel room to call an ambulance while others encircled King. Marrell McCollough, an undercover Memphis police officer, grabbed a towel and tried to stop the flow of blood. Though King was unresponsive, he was still alive - but only barely. Within 15 minutes of the shot, Martin Luther King arrived at St. Josephs Hospital on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face. He had been hit by a .30-06 caliber rifle bullet that had entered his right jaw, then traveled through his neck, severing his spinal cord, and stopped in his shoulder blade. The doctors tried emergency surgery but the wound was too serious. Martin Luther King Jr. was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. He was 39 years old. Who Killed Martin Luther King Jr.? Despite many conspiracy theories questioning who was responsible for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., most of the evidence points to a single shooter, James Earl Ray. On the morning of April 4, Ray used information from the televised news as well as from a newspaper to discover where King was staying in Memphis. Around 3:30 p.m., Ray, using the name John Willard, rented room 5B in Bessie Brewers run-down rooming house that was located across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Ray then visited the York Arms Company a few blocks away and purchased a pair of binoculars for $41.55 in cash. Returning to the rooming house, Ray readied himself in the communal bathroom, peering out the window, waiting for King to emerge from his hotel room. At 6:01 p.m., Ray shot King, mortally wounding him. Immediately after the shot, Ray quickly placed his rifle, binoculars, radio, and newspaper into a box and covered it with an old, green blanket. Then Ray hurriedly carried the bundle out of the bathroom, down the hall, and down to the first floor. Once outside, Ray dumped his package outside the Canipe Amusement Company and walked swiftly to his car. He then drove away in his white Ford Mustang, just before police arrived. While Ray was driving toward Mississippi, police were starting to put the pieces together. Nearly immediately, the mysterious green bundle was discovered as were several witnesses who had seen someone who they believed to be the new renter of 5B rushing out of the rooming house with the bundle. By comparing fingerprints found on items in the bundle, including those on the rife and binoculars, with those of known fugitives, the FBI discovered they were looking for James Earl Ray. After a two-month international manhunt, Ray was finally captured on June 8 at Londons Heathrow Airport. Ray pleaded guilty and was given a 99-year sentence in prison. Ray died in prison in 1998. * Ralph Abernathy as quoted in Gerald Posner, Killing the Dream  (New York: Random House, 1998) 31. Sources: Garrow, David J.  Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. New York: William Morrow, 1986. Posner, Gerald.  Killing the Dream: James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  New York: Random House, 1998.