A divided America on the topic of abortion Essay

Abortion In modern history, there have been few subjects of political and social interest as divisive as that of abortion. Ideologically, many traditional religions such as Christianity have stipulated that abortion itself is an unethical practice and one that is morally wrong. Many Christians assert that there is some divinely unethical nature of the mishandling of the fetus itself. Most arguments of this kind essentially pertain to the status of the fetus as a person, one that has the right to the same advantages and privileges as its human mother. As such, abortion has come to dominate many discussions and people have found platforms to argue for or against the acceptance of abortion as a norm in our society. Much of the opposition surrounding the ethics of abortion pertains to religious belief, and many ascribe to the notion that abortion contradicts divine command theory. As such, there are many factors to consider in interpreting abortion from a theological standpoint, as well as in add ressing the positives and negatives associated with the act itself. When the United States first began establishing itself as its own country, many of the states simply transferred English laws to their own and used these as a sort of template for how to conduct their own affairs. Abortion was handled much the same in this way, and the structure for how many states began to approach abortion came from how they chose to handle it within this framework. Many states essentially stated that it was not allowed or permitted after around the 15-20 week period immediately following conception. Anti-abortion laws and statutes officially began to manifest themselves in the United States around the 1820s, and these laws expanded upon previous laws to help supplant the notion that abortion was unethical. In the year 1821, one of the first prominent anti-abortion laws came forth from Connecticut, which outlawed medicines that were given to women to help further abortions. In 1829, New York made abortions that Despite the advances that were occurring in medical science and the developments in these fields, many people in the United States still considered it an unethical dilemma to condone the acts that were associated with abortion, or to facilitate them. As medical sciences grew in support of the belief that fetuses didn’t exhibit the same traits or characteristics as fully-born children, many theological centers and individuals began imposing their own opinions of the matter, to stand in stark contradiction to these claims. Scientists in this era concluded that conception was merely an inauguration point for the development of a fetus and that it was a continuous process of development until the child fully possessed all of its human-like traits and characteristics. Criminalization of abortion became a huge trend in the late 1860s, as various doctors and legislators began doubling down on the act and making it illegal. By the year 1900, abortion had become a felony in essentially every state in the country. Yet, some states had included clauses or provisions which were meant to ensure that abortions could be conducted in a limited nature, when issues such as the health of the mother became a factor, or if the pregnancy was the direct result of incest or rape. In 1973, the Supreme Court was a group the case of Roe v. Wade, one that would transform the history of abortions in the country and provide a catalyst for a more in-depth examination of the ethical nature of abortions themselves. In this particular case, the Supreme Court came to rule that a statute in Texas which forbade abortion, except when it was necessary to ensure the safety of the mother, was unconstitutional. This decision sparked a tremendous amount of backlash and controversy and has provided a plethora of individuals and groups with a reason to once again oppose the act. Many of these groups and entities have debated on the ethical nature of abortion, and have used the divine command theory to support their claims. The divine command theory is a theological approach to understanding and interpreting the grounds of morality, as well as establishing what is moral and what is not. Unlike the ethics of natural law, the divine command theory is used to establish a clear and present moral direction, and to help supplant a sense of duty and ethical foundation. The theory is developed on the notion that God is the creator of the world, and that the laws which govern morality and ethics are extensions of the commands that God asserts. Furthermore, the argument among many theological representatives is that God would be against the nature of abortion, as it stands contrary to the Commandments that God gave humans. A direct and implicit interpretation of the morality of abortion may be surmised from the scripture in Exodus 21:22-24, in which the scripture itself discusses a woman who has a miscarriage as a result of two men who are fighting in the passage. (The Bible, Exodus 21:22-24) The scripture does n ot directly state that she had an abortion at that moment, but it does provide an inference into the miscarriage and states that it was immoral due to the fact a life was lost in this time. As such, it has become a principle Christian belief that a life of a fetus is equivalent to that of an adult human, in terms of the value that God places upon it. In the passage 44:2, it is stated that â€Å"thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you. Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.† (The Bible, Isaiah 44:2) In this bit of scripture, God consults with Jacob and tells him that he should not have any fear because God provided him with life directly from the womb of his mother, which would imply that God has established some level of plan or purpose for Jacob even when he was a fetus. It is this basis that many have used to establish their interpretation of divine command theory. This notion supports the centralized argument that it is humanity’s responsibility to provide the most maximum safety for that of all human life, which these theorists argue starts in the womb and immediately after conception. The moral ramifications of abortion, as this theory postulates, is that God will not condone actions which facilitate the likelihood of abortion or the helping of abortion in any way. While it can be said that the religious groups believe that the life of a fetus is sacred, many people outside of these mentalities believe that there is an inherent right in the mother to control what she does with her own body, and how she goes about doing it. Many of these individuals argue that their belief systems do not correlate directly with this mentality and that it is unethical in itself to subject a woman to the harsh realities of being a mother if it was never her intention to become a mother in the first place. As such, it is worth understanding abortion itself and what it can entail, to better interpret the ethical nature of the act and which side presents a more sound argument. Abortion can be a tremendously devastating act, psychologically. A study that was amassed from approximately 56,000 public records in California concluded that women who had abortions were 160 percent more likely to be sent to the hospital for psychiatric care, as opposed to women who had chosen to see the pregnancy through and deliver the child. (Barlett, 2004, 729) Furthermore, it was noted that the rates of treatment for psychiatric issues were higher by a large margin for upwards of four years, in women who had abortions. Further studies indicate that many women experience psychological issues as early as eight weeks after they have an abortion. These studies have found that approximately 44 percent of women have some level of nervous disorder and that 36 percent note that they have some level of disturbance in their sleep patterns and in their overall regular sleep cycles. (Barlett, 2004, 731) Over 30 percent of these women also note that they openly regret the decision that the y made, and approximately 11 percent of people are prescribed some type of medication to help them cope with the stresses associated with their decision. (Barlett, 2004, 731)   Women who have abortions are more prone to visit psychiatrists than those who have delivered children to full term. Researchers have concluded that there is only one real positive emotion that is correlated with abortions, being that of relief. Yet, this can quickly be supplanted by feelings of numbness or a sense of emotional paralysis. It is often the case that women who have abortions are left with a general inability to express their emotions after the procedure, correlating whatever feelings they have to just a general appreciation for having been able to survive the procedure, with little more being reported. This can lead to a more stable, concurrent level of negative reactions which can continue to manifest themselves throughout the next several months following an abortion-related procedure. Significant studies have concluded that approximately 50 percent of women question their decisions after the procedure, and over 55 percent express some sort of guilt within the 8 weeks that follow the abortion. (Barlett, 2004, 735) Furthermore, approximately forty percent of women who abort report to having sexual complications or dysfunctions, which can last for a short or long period of time in most cases. These can include increased pain or a loss of pleasure from the acts of sex and an aversion to the genitals of their partners, or to males in general. Psychological issues aren’t the only ones that can manifest themselves after an abortion. Approximately one hundred complications have been associated with the induction of abortion, and all of these have the capacity to affect the women undergoing these processes. Statistics on abortion state that 10 percent of women who are undergoing some type of abortion-related procedure have some type of immediate physical or mental issue that occurs during or after the process and 20 percent of these can be seen as major factors and health-related issues. (Barlett, 2004, 737) Among many of the complications that can physically happen are infections, fevers, abdominal pain, bleeding, vomiting and intestinal disturbances. The most commonly identified major issues that can happen are serious infections, embolism, convulsions, cervical injury, hemorrhaging, perforation of the uterus, bleeding, and shock during the process. A study which cataloged the effects of 1,180 abortions concluded tha t over 27 percent of the patients had some type of infection that lasted more than 3 days after the process. (Barlett, 2004, 741) While it can be said that many of these issues can be immediately treated, a large percentage of them can lead to long-term, more serious results and damages to the reproductive system and other attributes of the woman’s body and health. 3 to 5 percent of women who have aborted are accidentally left sterile as a result of the effects of the process, and this is even greater when venereal diseases are introduced into the equation. (Barlett, 2004, 740) Despite these factors, there are many potential ethical positives to abortions. Regardless of the health risks associated with abortion, it should ultimately be left to the woman to decide what she will do with her own body. Many experts argue that pregnancies should not be enforced upon the acts of sex. In 2008, a study concluded that 41 percent of all pregnancies that happened in the United States were not planned, or indirectly accidental in some way. (Finn, Moore, 2008, 112) When one considers the size of the population in the United States, there are over 85 million women who identify with this claim. The number of reasons that a woman should be able to cancel a pregnancy should not be so limited, and this affects a large percentage of the population in the United States. Delineating these decisions and the freedom for a woman to have her own say over her body does not pose a significant level of intrinsic value in the life of the woman. Furthermore, the issue becomes more complex when one looks at the availability of contraception. It is often the case that many women who have sex and their partners are not able to readily find contraception, nor do they have the means to ascertain it themselves. Since 1980, there has been a 61 percent decrease in the funds that are available through the Title X program, which helps to provide affordable services to people to help them dictate their family planning. (Finn, Moore, 2008, 110)   Many socially-charged issues and the dissemination of anti-abortion materials have catalyzed a scenario in which women do not have the proper access to the resources that they often need to ensure that they do not get pregnant. When this is considered, enforcing abortions does not have much of an ethical foundation in itself, supplanting the notion that women’s bodies and their decisions are not valid or hold the same level of importance as the livelihood of fetuses. Abortion is a tremendously important social issue, and one that has manifested itself in many different ways throughout the course of modern American history. Many opponents of abortion believe that the act is against God’s will, and that God has ordained the value of a fetus’ existence as comparable to the lives of humans. This coincides with the principles of divine command theory according to many of these individuals, and their belief system is built around the notion that abortion is a fundamentally unethical issue to God. Many ideologies have used this as a principle justification for their unwillingness to understand or accept abortion, which has led to a significant level of controversy in the United States between the groups of people who oppose it and those who support it. As a result, the United States has had a turbulent history with the subject of abortion, which has led to much debate in terms of a woman’s right to her own livelihood and body. While it can be said that abortion can be a potentially harmful action in terms of the effects it can have psychologically and physically, a woman should still be given the freedom to choose how she goes about her own body, and what she chooses to do with it. Socially, it is the responsibility of a nation such as the United States to provide the most adequate resources that it can to help facilitate these processes and the decisions that women make.    References Bartlett, LA. â€Å"Risk factors for legal induced abortion-related mortality in the United   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   States†.Obstet Gynecol.Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004. p. 729-745. Finer, Lawrence B.;   Moore, Ann M.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Qualitative Perspectives† Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2008. pp..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   110–128. The Bible: Contemporary English Version, 2000. London: Harper Collins. Weingarten, Karen. Abortion in the American Imagination: Before Life and Choice, 1880-1940,   Ã‚  Ã‚   2000.New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. p. 176.

BIBL 104

Matthew is the first of the four gospels of the New Testament. Largely narrative material, this first gospel serves as the connection between the Old and New Testaments, providing an understanding of how Jesus fulfilled all the various prophecies about his coming that are found in the Old Testament. Possibly written in the A. D. 70s, though some believe it could have been written ten to twenty years earlier, the gospel of Matthew covers the entire span of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, concluding with Jesus giving the disciples their mission of going out and spreading the word of God.Geared primarily towards Jewish readers, the goal of the text was to provide them with irrefutable proof that the long-awaited Messiah had come to usher in the kingdom of God on Earth. Mark The second of the four gospels, the gospel of Mark is largely narrative and goes at a fast pace. Unlike the gospel of Matthew, which begins with the birth of Jesus and progresses through his life, Mark b egins with John the Baptist prophesying about Jesus, followed by the baptism of Jesus by John. It progresses from this point on to the end of his life.The focus of the text is on the many parables Jesus told and the miracles he performed during his period of ministry, which lasted a total of three years. The text was written by John Mark, son of a widow in Jerusalem whose home was most likely a meeting place for early Christians, who got his information from the disciple Peter. Written possibly as early as A. D. 50 and as late as A. D. 65, the text has a distinctly non-Jewish feel to it, and thus may have been written for Christians in Rome.Mark wrote it with the goal of offering encouragement to these Christians, who were suffering at the hands of the Romans, particularly the emperor. Mark, through his writings, presents Jesus as the suffering Messiah, as well as the Savior of the entire world, regardless of race or religion. Luke The third of the four gospels, the gospel of the Lu ke is largely narrative, and is the most elaborate in regards to the details of the life of Jesus. It begins with the prophecy regarding the birth of John the Baptist, progressing from that point on to the events surrounding the birth, life, and death of Jesus.Luke has the widest range of information with regard to the parables, miracles, and teachings of Jesus. Some of the more familiar parables include the parable of the sower, the parable of the Good Samaritan, the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the prodigal son, and the parable of the ten talents. Some of the more familiar miracles include the healing of the Roman centurion’s servant, the feeding of the five thousand, the transformation of water into wine, the raising of Lazarus, and the raising of daughter of Jairus. Possibly written between A. D.59 to 63, or maybe fifteen to twenty years later, the goal Luke had in writing this gospel was to put forth the message that the love of God is not just for Jews, bu t for everyone who believes in him. John The final of the four gospels, the gospel of John is largely narrative. It is believed that it was written sometime between A. D. 80 and 95. However, there are those who believe that it was written as early as the A. D. 50s and no later than A. D. 70. Like Mark, John begins his gospel with John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, and progressing from this point on up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.Written at a time when non-Jewish followers of Jesus were being bombarded with the Greek theory that Jesus was divine but not truly human, the purpose of this gospel being written was so that the people would believe that Jesus truly was the Son of God, and that he was the word made into flesh. One particular aspect that sets this gospel apart from the other three is the inclusion of several sermons Jesus gave during his three-year ministry, none of which are found in the other three gospels. Acts Written by Luke around A. D.63 to 70 to Theophilus, who may have been a particular person or a reference to the Christians in general, the book of Acts is largely historical narrative written in the form of a letter. Covering the period from Pentecost, as well as the early stages of the disciples going out and preaching the word of God, the text can be viewed as the sequel to the Gospels. Within it is an explanation by Luke regarding the incredible growth of the early Christian church, as well as a discussion regarding the source of conflict between Jewish and Gentile Christians, both of whom would be brought together eventually through their mutual love of Christ.One of the key events within the text is the martyrdom of the disciple Stephen, now known as Saint Stephen. He is one of many that Luke writes about who die for their belief in Christ. Romans The book of Romans is the first of thirteen letters, or epistles, written by the apostle Paul to various non-Jewish Christian communities, in which he offers them advice and expounds on the teachings of Christ. Written sometime in A. D. 57, and largely narrative conversation, it was geared to the mostly Gentile followers of Christ living in Rome.His goal in writing this particular letter was three-fold. First, he wanted to introduce himself to the Christian community in Rome and garner their help in spreading the gospel. Second, he wanted to develop, expand, and defend the gospel message he was preaching. Finally, he wanted to encourage the Roman Christians to depend solely on God for their salvation. In this way, they would better realize and understand that they can become righteous and be transformed through believing in Christ. To that end, the main themes of the text are faith, grace, righteousness, and justification.As a result, this text best serves those seeking spiritual renewal, and played a pivotal role in the development of the belief held by Martin Luther – that faith alone justifies – and thus in the Protestant Reformation, which fore ver changed Christianity. 1 Corinthians The second of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, Paul wrote this letter to the Christian community in Corinth around A. D. 54 to 55. Within two to three years after starting the Christian community in Corinth, Paul got word that there was a great deal of strife within the young church.There were those who had become spiritually arrogant, which in turn led to problems such as sexual misconduct, mistreatment of fellow believers, abuse of spiritual gifts, and a general misconstruing of the basic teachings of Christ. Thus, Paul wrote this letter to help restore balance to the young Christian community, giving them simple and straightforward advice on what needed to be done to restore unity within their church. Thus, the text contains information concerning Christian living, relationships within the church, spiritual gifts, love, and the teachings of Christ – all of which are still relevant today.2 Co rinthians The third of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, this was a follow-up letter written to the Corinthian Christian community around A. D. 55. Due to an uprising within the community, Paul felt obliged to write this letter to accomplish the following: the calming of various disagreements within the community, the restoration of unity within the community, and the reestablishment of Paul’s role as the leader of the community.Various themes covered in the text include the following: how to handle dissension within the church, false teaching, church leadership, the plight of other Christian communities, and financial support of the church and the poor. Paul also discusses the hopes, fears, and assurances he has for the Corinthian church and their relationship with God. Galatians The fourth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, the letter was written by Paul to the Christian community in Galat ia, a Roman province in what is now central Turkey. Written around A.D. 48 to 53, just under 25 years after Jesus was on Earth, the letter was meant to denounce and correct the false teachings cropping up in the churches that Paul and his fellow disciple – Barnabas – had established. The letter was also written by Paul as a method of defending his integrity as an apostle of Christ, which had been questioned and attacked, and also to reassert the love he had for the Galatians. This text goes back to the basics of Christianity and its teachings, focusing on what the gospel is, how it is received, and how it can be applied to daily living.Paul accomplishes through a variety of techniques, such as illustrations from his life and that of Abraham, to encourage the Galatians to return to the pure gospel and avoid the legalism that false teachers were pushing on them. Ephesians The fifth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, it was writ ten by Paul sometime during his imprisonment in Rome, around A. D. 60 to 62. The goal was to provide encouragement to the Christians of Ephesus to view themselves in a whole new way.They had once been idol-worshipers, involving in pagan activities and adhering to foolish philosophies. Now, Paul wanted them to realize that they were people in Christ. The text provides insight into what God wants for his followers, stresses unity within the church and among its believers, and provides the usual practical advice with regard to Christian living. Philippians The sixth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, it was written by Paul around A. D. 60 to 62, while Paul was under house arrest awaiting trial regarding an appeal to the Emperor Nero.Philippi was the first place in European that Paul had begun a church, sometime around A. D. 50. He eventually moved on, but the people continued to express their devotion to him by offering aid to him whenever th ey could. Thus, when he was under house arrest, they sent him money to help with his living expenses. The letter was written to thank them for the help, as well as to warn them against false teachers and to urge them to be more unified. The text also contains one of the most prominent psalms of the Bible regarding praise to and for Jesus (2:5-11).Finally, it contains practical advice to help one reshape his or her thinking according to the ways of God. Colossians The seventh of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, it was also written during the time Paul was under house arrest. Geared toward the small Christian community founded by Epaphras, one of Paul’s disciples, in the small city of Colosse, the goal of the letter was emphasize the supremacy of Christ, which was being challenged by the appearance of a new religious philosophy called Gnosticism.This new philosophy was a mixture of Christian, Jewish and pagan beliefs that were beginnin g to take hold. Paul’s intention was to make it clear that the nature, identity, deity, and authority of Christ were unquestionable and unparalleled. Other aspects also touched on in the text include the various ways that one can develop and maintain attitudes and actions that honor Christ. 1 Thessalonians The eighth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, this letter was written by Paul sometime around A. D. 50 to the Christian community in Thessalonica.Founded during his second missionary journey, Paul had been forced to leave the community due to violence and opposition against him. When he later received news of how well the community was thriving, he wrote this letter to them to commend them on their success, but also to advise them to clear up any misunderstandings that existed. The text thus provides guidelines on how Christians can live a holy life even if surrounded by hostility to their religious beliefs. It also touches on the aspect of eternal life, offering clues about the end times and the return of Christ to the Earth.2 Thessalonians The ninth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, this second letter was written not too long after the first. Paul wrote it due to the impression he got that the Thessalonicans needed an extra dose of his advice with regard to their community. Several themes are touched upon in this letter: suffering, work, and the end times. This letter, in conjunction with the first one, provide for Christians then and now, a great deal of information with regard to what will happen in the end times.It could be said to be a precursor to the book of Revelations, which goes into greater detail about the end times. Finally, the text reminds all Christians that, though our earthly life is terminal, we have the hope of living eternally with Christ. 1 Timothy The tenth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, this letter is different in that it was geared toward on specific person rather than a whole community. Timothy was a protege of Paul’s, and was now the leader of a small Christian community that was going through difficult times.Written shortly after Paul was released from jail sometime around A. D. 63 to 65, the letter offered Timothy specific guidelines on how to organize and run the church, as well as offered various practical solutions with regard to believers developing stronger relationships among themselves, as well as with their leaders and the world at large. Thus, the ultimate theme of the text is that a church requires unity in order to survive and prosper. 2 Timothy The eleventh of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, this second letter to Timothy was written around A. D.66 to 67, when Paul was once again in a Roman prison. This time, however, it was clear he would die in that prison. As a result, many of the people who had suppo rted him had now turned away from him. This letter, then, is considered to be one of the last written by Paul. In it, he demonstrates his concern not just for Timothy, but also for the Christian churches overall. He offers encouragement to the faithful, discusses various teachings of Christ and events that will occur in the last days of time, and ends with him giving Timothy his assignment – to spread the word of God – and closing remarks. TitusThe twelfth of thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, it was written to Titus by Paul sometime between A. D. 63 to 65, during his travels following his first release from prison. Titus was a protege of Paul, and had helped him start, organize, and lead several churches throughout the eastern half of the Roman Empire. The letter contains advice for Titus, who was now a young leader of a troubled church on the island of Crete. In it, Paul tells Titus to refute and ignore all false teachers, to work for the unity of his church, and to find good leaders for the church.It also provides guidelines for living a godly life, and emphasizes the power of faith with regarding to overcoming the problems of division and disharmony within the church. Finally, it puts forth the point that does who persevere in the face of difficulty will reap the benefits and rewards of their perseverance. Philemon The last of the thirteen letters offering advice and expounding on the teachings of Christ, it was written to Philemon by Paul between A. D. 60 and 62, while he was in prison. Philemon was a wealthy Christian who was part of the church at Colosse. One of his slaves – Onesimus – had run away from him.This same slave had come in contact with Paul while both were in a Roman prison. While there, Onesimus became a follower of Christ. After this, Paul decided to send the young man back to his former master, along with this letter asking for Philemon to forgive Onesimus. The hope Paul had was that Philemon would become a living example of the grace that all Christians receive through Christ. Thus, the text provides a riveting tale of the cost of asking for and granting forgiveness. It also demonstrates how important it is for Christians to realize they are all equal and acceptable in the eyes of Christ.Hebrews Hebrews is the first of eight additional letters within the New Testament. Written between A. D. 60 and 70, the author is not identified. Possible suggestions could be Paul, Barnabas, Luke, or Apollos. The purpose of the letter was to warn the early Jewish believers in and followers of Christ, who were suffering continual persecution, against reverting back to their Old Testament way of life. Throughout the letter, the author uses vivid illustrations from the Old Testament to demonstrate what God had done through Christ.There are strong emotional appeals to the Hebrews, the name initially used to refer to the Jews before they were called Israelites, to mai ntain the new covenant they had with Christ rather than revert back to the old one that had been made in the days of Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. These various connections and contrasts between the Old and New Testaments are meant to demonstrate the superiority of Christ and the new covenant made with him. Ultimately, the letter is meant to inspire all who read it to maintain their faith in Christ in all situations.James James is the second of eight additional letters within the New Testament. It is possible that this was the first book of the New Testament to have been written, sometime between A. D. 40 and 50. The letter was geared to the twelve tribes, and this could mean either the people of Israel that had now become followers of Christ or the church in a symbolic sense. It was meant to warn them against some of the habits they had developed which were undermining them: favoritism, slander, pride, the misuse of wealth, and impatience.The ultimate goal of the letter was to demonstr ate that, though one can believe in Christ, it is still possible to live the wrong way. However, it also shows that it is possible to turn belief in the right doctrine into right living. 1 Peter This first letter written by Peter is the third of eight additional letters within the New Testament. Composed sometime between A. D. 60 to 64, and geared to the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor (modern Turkey), the letter was meant to encourage the early Christians in the face of the continual persecution they were facing.This persecution had scattered them, thus spreading their belief in Christ; however, some were beginning to feel abandoned by God. To understand why they would feel this way, the letter must be placed in its historical setting. When Christianity first emerged, the Roman government had allowed early Christians the same type of religious freedom they allowed the Jews. However, as tensions grew between Jewish and Christian beliefs, the tolerance for Christianity beg an decreasing. This decreased tolerance led to the Roman government’s persecution of Christians, including Peter, who endured imprisonment and beatings for his faith.Thus, the goal of the letter is to demonstrate how faith is tested through suffering, and can be strengthened by it. 2 Peter This second letter written by Peter is the fourth of eight additional letters within the New Testament. It was geared to the same people – Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor – and was written in Rome sometime between A. D. 64 and 68. This time, the purpose of the letter was to warn the people against false teachers that had begun to infiltrate various Christian communities.In doing so, Peter hoped that the warning would prevent the Christians from being taken in by the false teachings, and instead remain true and faithful to the word of God. Several key themes can be found throughout the letter: the need and importance of developing a Christian character, the importanc e of holding on to the truth, warnings against false teachers and prophets, and advice on how to live a life that is based on the return of Christ to Earth. 1 John The first of a series of letters written by John, who also wrote one of the four gospels, it is the fifth of eight additional letters within the New Testament.Written sometime in the A. D. 80s, when John was an old man, the letter was geared to a group of Christian communities near Ephesus. These communities were part of a springing up of Christian communities emerging after the first major wave of persecution Christians endured during the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero. Possibly the last surviving apostle, John wrote this to encourage these new Christian communities, and also as a sort of history and examination of the gains and losses of the early Christian church.Some of the themes covered in the letter include the following: the fact that God is the light and his followers must walk in that light to maintain a bond wi th him; loving your fellow man as Christ taught; having faith in the Son of God – Christ; and avoidance of anything that attempts to refute the teachings of God. He concludes by restating that Christians are the children of God, and that through Christ, we have an understanding of who God is and of the promise of eternal life he offers to those who believe in him. 2 JohnThe second of a series of letters written by John, it is the sixth of eight additional letters within the New Testament. It was most likely written shortly after the first letter, and was most likely meant to accompany the first letter. His goal in writing it was to help renew the commitment the Christians made to follow Christ by further exposure of false teachings, and to also encourage them to remain faithful to God. Thus, many of the themes covered in the first letter are touched on within this short follow-up letter.Also, it is something of a challenge to those who believe in God to make sure they are fir m in their faith. 3 John The last of a series of letters written by John, it is the seventh of eight additional letters within the New Testament. It was most likely written shortly after the second letter. However, unlike the first two geared to Christian communities in general, this letter is written specifically to Gaius, a friend of John’s. The letter served to commend Gaius for his faithful support of legitimate teachers, while warning him against the actions of a strong-minded leader by the name of Diotrephes.Again, many of the same themes touched on in the first letter are touched on in this letter. However, the primary focus is on walking in the light of God and living according to his teachings. Jude The last of eight additional letters, it was written by Jude, the half-brother of Jesus and full brother of James. Composed sometime around A. D. 65 or possibly earlier, Jude wrote it because he was concerned about the possibility of Christians being drawn to and taken in by the many false doctrines being put forth at the time.Therefore, he urged believes to maintain and fight for the Christian faith. Although brief, the letter provides direct warnings against turning away from God, while also touching on the many promises a life lived in the word of God can offer. Revelation The final book of the New Testament, and of the Bible as a whole, this was most likely written by John sometime around A. D. 90 to 96. The book went to the seven Christian communities located in Asia Minor, to warn them against letting go of their faith in Christ.It also reassured them of the ultimate victory of those who remain faithful over those who choose to live immorally. The text is considered to be apocalyptic narrative, due to its many prophecies. There is a great deal of imagery and symbolism, which are used to demonstrate how evil within the world will be replaced with the good and peacefulness of the kingdom of God. Thus, the ultimate message is that, ultimately, go od will defeat evil, and the world will revert back to what it had been before Adam and Eve committed the first sin.

Lab Report on Enzyme Reactions

Lab report April 14, 2013 Abstract: In this article, we will experiment on the significant in strength of the enzyme by using three different test tubes and measuring the amount of product they give off. To determine this we are going to test the amount of color absorbance by using a special tool to help us understand our results. We will see how our end results show the effect of the amount of concentration we apply to each test tube. The results would be shown by the support of two graphs. Introduction:Enzymes are highly important because of the significant role they play in living things and animals. They are a factor which allows whether or not a reaction occurs. To find out the amount of strength an enzyme has, we need to first understand our outcome. In this experiment, our products will determine the strength of our enzymes by measuring the amount of color change. We must understand the measurement of the appearing product means in the experiment. We will determine this by usi ng a special equipment to help us understand our result better.In this study we will see how a specific enzyme could vary based on the different types of factors that affect it. The question we are going to be addressing in this study is, will the amount of enzyme concentration affect a reaction? Materials and Methods: The materials used in the making of this experiment are as stated: Three test tubes, 10. 5mL of distilled water, 6mL of Catechol, 1. 5mL of Extract(potato), a Spectronic 20 (spectrophotometer), Wax pencil, a Test tube rack, three Parafilm, tissues to clean the Spectronic 20 and the test tubes, 3 pipets and a timer.So we won’t confuse ourselves, we used the wax pencil to label each test tube as we placed the required amount of substance in each of them. To avoid any slight errors, we also used three different pipets for the three required materials, which are the distilled water, catechol and the extract, respectively. It’s important to take the precise m easurement so there won’t be any errors in doing the experiment. It’s also important that the extract goes last due to the reaction occurring in a timed pace. Results:According to the graph shown above, we see our lay out of the experiment being done. We can see how the materials are being distributed in each test tube according to the amount of ingredients required. This is highly crucial because a slight mistake can impact the experiment being done. Our end result is as follows: According to the experiment done today, we see that in test tube two, it show the most absorbance or color change. This shows that the enzyme’s strength was stronger than the rest, resulting into having more reaction and color change among the others.Discussion: As stated before, the question we had was, will the amount of enzyme concentration affect a reaction? The end result was yes, the amount of enzyme concentrated inserted into each test tube did have a significant affect to the r eaction by the amount of products it gave off (color strength). We used the extract (enzyme) as our independent variable because this is what we are testing. In contrast, we used the amount of absorbance as our dependent variable.We also made sure that our control done in this experiment was the catechol. As predicted, we were able to have more enzyme reaction in one of the test tubes than the others. The knowledge we gain today was how much the amount of concentration enzyme affects the other ingredients. We see that our experiment done today can further lead into more research as in how enzymes are used to rapid an action. It’s also important because we should know the reason why and how enzymes reactions occur at a fast rate.

HIPAA and Security Breaches Annotated Bibliography

HIPAA and Security Breaches - Annotated Bibliography Example This failure was established by an investigation carried out by OCR that made an observation that this failures were in existence for a long time. The OCR’s actions have widely shown that the agency is continuing to heighten its enforcement efforts which can impose significant financial penalties for those entities not following to the laid down producers by the HIPAA This article clearly out line the HIPAA security rules making it informative, additionally, the information is supported by clear evidence. This information can be used for further studies and research since its present real life ongoing issue especially in medicine field After the HITECH act was affected which provided for the amendment of HIPAA privacy and security rules, the penalty charge for breach of patient information which is under the violation of patients’ right under HIPAA the penalty was revised with a maximum of $250,000. The author notes that covered entities should ensure they are in compliance with the HIPAA privacy and security rules. To show how this venture is the OCR is imposing penalties in the millions all to protect patient information Medical employees are also involved in the breach of security this information is stolen and sold to identity theft conspirators. This article is used to show explain how OCR view the patient information with much serious than depicted by many. This penalties which can be called harsh, are mainly used as a wake up call to medical institutions and everybody. Certain law and standards are put in place in health care business. The healthy portability and accountability HIPAA was established to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care system, among the HIPAA law includes a privacy rule and security rule. These rules are used to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information. The rule also gives the patients’ right over their health information, which includes

Interview a Family Business Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interview a Family Business Leader - Essay Example Q: When was the Liqun established? And who named the restaurant? Xou Liqun: The restaurant was established in 1992. It was named after my father Zhang Liqun who was a former chef at Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant chain. Q: How did you get started? For how long have you been running this restaurant? Xou Liqun: I have always been inspired by the way Zhang Liqun worked at the restaurant. During my childhood, I often used to help Zhang Liqun at work; it developed a spontaneous devotion to the field. After the death of Zhang Liqun, I look after the activities of the restaurant. It has been about 10 years since Zhang Liqun passed away, and from that time, I have been supervising the restaurant. Q: Do you have managers and supervisors at the restaurant? A: Well†¦as you know that the restaurant is a small and family owned business therefore, I personally manage and supervise at the restaurant, but we do have assistants and attendants to take care of our valued customers. Q: What is the signature dish of your restaurant? Tell us something about it. A: Roaster Duck is the main specialty of Liqun Restaurant. This is a dish, which is one of the oldest and famous gourmet cuisine of Beijing (Pillsbury). It is known for its shining color, crispy skin and tender meat. Liqun restaurant is famous for providing the best Roasted Duck in town. ... The roasted duck is thinly sliced, served with cucumber, spring onion, pancakes, and a sweet bean sauce. Q: What are your duties and responsibilities at the restaurant as a manager and owner? A: To place orders for meat, vegetables fishes and other grocery, Ensure that everyone is happy and working appropriately, Keep a check on the cleanliness and hygiene of the restaurant, Checking the quality of the food and listen to complaints of customers, Ensuring the working of equipment, Welcoming and chatting with the customer, Making sure that the arrangements and presentations are done properly, and finally, evaluating the feedbacks of the customers and making appropriate changes in the management Q: What is the secret you keep your customers coming in? In your opinion what is your best promotion of your restaurant? A: Well, there is no such secret exactly. I believe that the restaurant is providing the best-roasted duck I the town (Gillham). We have been following the authentic recipe cr eated by Zhang Liqun. The authentic taste and quality of the food is the major attraction that keeps customers coming in. The other main factor is the buzz and the hype that has been observed among the people (Harper, Chen and Chow). Apart of the roasted duck we keep changing our menus with different and innovated dishes. Creativity of the dishes and presentations is the key to successful business. Regarding the successful promotions of the restaurants, on the days when we are closed (Mondays) we have an event of ‘home-style cooking’ session for the chefs. In this event, the chef’s cook different dishes, about 36 guests are invited all around the city including merchandise and other people (Plamer and Richt). Through this, we are

Going for growth by investing in people, products and plant 2 Essay

Going for growth by investing in people, products and plant 2 - Essay Example Question 1 Before making an investment, it is prudent that one possesses an effective understanding of the market of operation. This is important in making an informed investment move. The process of studying the market and developing an understanding of the same is collectively referred to as investment appraisal. It involves a series of market evaluation through a number of mechanisms which result in the comparison of the business’ key objectives which are profitability under the existent market forces (Willey, 2012). There are a number of investment appraisal methodologies including net present value which investigates the ability of the market to repay the investment given the numerous present market factors such as inflation. One of the most preferred of these methods is the direct payback method in which the investor calculates the number of years it may take the business to return the initial investment. Some other investment appraisal method is the accounting rate of r eturn which bases its assessment of the market on its ability to earn profit to the investment. Despite their different approaches to the appraisal, the methods safeguard the interest of the business by trying to determine its profitability and above all its longevity. The life of a business is of great importance to the investor since the longer a business stays viable, the more the investor earns. The company makes an extensive capital investment with the sole aim of achieving the business objective. Capital investment is the amount of money that the enterprise invests in fixed assets which are directly used before implementing its investment plan. In this case, the Hazelwood Sandwiches Company carries out an extensive market research and investment appraisal thereby ensuring that their company stays relevant in the evidently dynamic market (Tabbush, 2011). This includes enhancing the production process such as the machinery and the production plant. The company does this after st aying in operation for some time; it therefore has an understanding of the market. Its decision to make such an expansive capital investment arises from the understanding that it has for the market. The company, just as any other desires, to stay active in the industry for as long as it takes. It therefore collects adequate information about the market and has its market facts right (Thomas & Michael, 2001). After determining the market size, the company determines its market share which is indeed the largest. The subsequent investment therefore arises from the desire to retain the position thus safeguarding both the profitability and the longevity of the company. The company has therefore mapped out its capital investment plan in phases to ensure that it does not become bankrupt in the process since such as scenario might have stifled the production process thereby either incurring debts or resulting in the eventual closure of the company. While purchasing fixed assets and improvin g the scale of production, the company also increases its working capital which is also part of capital investment. Question 2 The investment decision technique is synonymous to the investment appraisal method. The three discussed in the article are the playback method, the net present value, and the account rate of return (Alexander, 2010). Despite the fact that they all lead to an appropriate investment decision, they are different in their provisions and therefore possess unique advantages and disadvantages. The net

Ehical perspective of business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ehical perspective of business - Assignment Example Business and individuals therefore when left on its will do whatever it takes to make a profit. It can only be mitigated by introducing ethics to temper its greed and have a sense of responsibility. Unethical practices are just very common particularly in business. Even us, as consumers are part of it without even knowing it. Once classic example is our participation and our encouragement for sweatshops to flourish by our patronage to their products. They employ bondage and child labor with despicable working conditions and they continue to exist because of us. And just when we thought that big businesses are not involved in employing sweatshops, we are very wrong because they are. Worst, they will even distance themselves and deny it when they are caught. I can cite the example of Swedish fast-fashion retailer  Hennes & Mauritz who subcontracted to a sweat shop in Cambodia whose building collapsed that killed many of its workers. Instead of being remorseful, Hennes & Mauritz instead denied approval of their orders to the factory to distance itself from the issue (O’Keeffe and Narin). Another company involved is Asics, a Japanese sneaker company. Asics however took a different approach and instead said that it will conduct an investigation to mitigate public anger of being a party to employing sweatshops (Cheang). These cases illustrate that business is indeed amoral that put ethics in business may seem to be an oxymoron because they contradict each other (Crane and Matten, 2006). This would not have happened without our participation and part of the equation of the blame is on us because we patronize and even seek products that are made from sweatshops. Actions which may be considered unethical such as deception and use of sweatshops may even become permissible as long they can become profitable. And if they are exposed, they will readily deny involvement

Critical issues in psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical issues in psychology - Essay Example Given the complexity of gender formations and roles, it is very common to develop gender dysphoria (Crooks and Baur 2008, p.62). Those with a prolonged, extreme degree of transgenderism are known as transsexuals. Transgenderism differs from one’s sexual identity because the former is linked with the psychological coefficients of how one views or is viewed one’s gender roles (Bockting and Goldberg 2007, p.83). Varying degrees of interpretations and connotations are normally associated with how transgendered people are seen in societies. Cultural aspects too play a pivotal role in acknowledging individual and social roles for persons with gender dysphoria (Samovar et al. 2009, p.158). Before further probing into the topic some basic ideas need to be defined. Sex is defined as the biological status of a person like male or female which can be determined by visual inspection during birth. Gender refers to the social status of any person or rather social manifestation of a person’s sex, such as womanhood or manhood (Kendall 2008, p.322). Transgender can be of three types: transgender female persons – those who have female physical attributes but think of themselves as men either partially, or fully; gender crossing females – those who reassign their genders so as to live part or full-time as men; and female-to-male (FTM) transsexed – those who were born females sexually but identity themselves as men and live as men do, but have not fully achieved socially recognizable manhood. Sexual orientation means a form of romantic, emotional and sexual attractions to men, women, both or neither. A transvestite is one who cross-dresses. Nowadays the term "transvestite" and "cross-dresser" are used synonymously (Valentine 2007, p.263). The exact basis of gender dysphoria is unknown, and there are many debatable possible causes. Sadock et al. argue that gender identity disorders can be

Perceptual Maps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perceptual Maps - Essay Example During the past two decades, the aerospace sector witnessed the proliferation of no-frills airlines which provides transport services at lower cost. Currently, we see the co-existence of huge airlines catering to the upscale market by offering value-added services suited to the market with the aggressive smaller players emphasizing on no-frills product and lower prices. Thus, the perceptual map would have two axes-the vertical measuring the level of service while the horizontal one will denote the quality of service. In the first quadrant which carries players offering high quality service and product, we will put US Airways while no-frills carrier Southwest Airlines will be on the fourth quadrant. The data which will be needed to put up the perceptual map will be from various sources including press releases which highlight the marketing strategy of the industry players, the annual report of the individual carriers, industry reports from research groups, and interviews from industry experts. The documents will allow the researcher to understand the dynamics of the airline industry as well as how the competitors differentiate their offerings from the other players. However, it is also important to realize that the perception of customers about different brands is also essential in generating a correct perceptual map. Because perceptual maps ar

Interviewing techniques Essay Example for Free

Interviewing techniques Essay Things that made it difficult or uncomfortable One semester as an undergraduate, I tried out for a student-leader position on campus and one of the last rounds of interviews was to be done by a panel of five persons. The thing that made the interview most uncomfortable was the fact that so many persons were focused on me, assessing my abilities to perform in the office I sought. Things that made it welcoming and comfortable Once the interview got started, I was made to feel welcome as each person smiled and shook my hand. They asked me how I was doing, and were very explicit about wanting me to relax. Types of questions you were asked The questions they asked pertained to leadership. They asked me to identify the characteristics that I considered indispensable in any leader. They were curious to know how I would react in a number of scenarios in which students were portrayed as being disruptive or insubordinate. 4. On the basis of your memory: †¢ What were the characteristics of the interviewer? There were many interviewers, but the main one was the dean of women. She behaved more in the office of assessor. While the other interviewers asked most questions, she took note of the answers and restricted her actions to nodding and smiling. She did smil,e however, and her smiles were calming. †¢ What made the interview memorable? The interview was memorable because of the sheer number of persons that were all focused on me. However, it was a good interview mainly because of the smiles that the people wore and because of my preparation—which allowed me the ability to answer every question with depth and accuracy. †¢ Had you been the interviewer, what would you have done differently? As the main interviewer, I would have taken more charge of the interview, controlling the direction of the inquiries perhaps by asking some questions as well. Interview Questions: i. How long have you been studying the humanities? ii. What genre of the arts do you most prefer? iii. Do you have a favourite artist—whether painter, architect, writer, poet, etc.? iv. Name one or two of your teachers who had a profound influence on you while growing up. v. At what point did you make the decision to become a university professor? vi. How many years have you been lecturing? vii. Do you enjoy it? Why? viii. Describe the road you took to arrive at this stage in your career. ix. Was it a very difficult road? Why or why not? x. Would you do it over again if you had the chance? 1. What type of interview did you conduct? The interview was done with a professor in the humanities department. It sought biographical information as well as insight into areas of inspiration and struggle in the life of the university professor. 2. How effective do you think you were in probing and obtaining information? The interview was very effective first of all because the subject matter chosen was one of which the interviewee was a master. The use of ice-breaking questions, such as â€Å"how did you start out? † made it easy for her to begin (Wheeler, 2007). It also started out in an area where the professor was able to speak about her passion—whether art or literature. Probing an area in which she was passionate caused her to be very talkative and she provided a lot of information. The openness with which she spoke about these subjects allowed her to be open to answering the more personal questions that came later—regarding her influences and struggles with the subject. Furthermore, the fact that the interview used open-ended questions as well as probing words (such as â€Å"explain† and â€Å"why, or why not†) allowed me to probe, if necessary, to a greater depth of information on subjects. I also left a general, overarching question for the end (NIU, n. d. ) 3. Do you think your way of interviewing applies to any profession? Why? This way of interviewing does apply to a lot of professions. However, it would perhaps not apply to all, as the questions asked assume a very relaxed atmosphere and are relatively imprecise. Certain persons (like doctors) who have very tight schedules might not have time to give long stories about their lives and might prefer closed-ended questions. However, I believe that the type of questions I chose were appropriate for the type of person I interviewed. References NIU. (n. d. ) â€Å"Conducting interviews. † NIU English Department. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University. Retrieved on March 1, 2007 from http://www. engl. niu. edu/wac/interview. html Wheeler, K. (2007). â€Å"Research assignment #3: Conducting an interview. † Composition and Literature. Carson-Newman College. Retrieved on March 1, 2007 from http://web. cn. edu/kwheeler/researchassignment3. html

Challenges to Gender Equality in Syria

Challenges to Gender Equality in Syria It is without a doubt that Syria is currently passing through the most critical crisis since its modern birth in the beginning of the twentieth century. The U.N. recently declared the Syria conflict the biggest humanitarian and peace and security crisis currently facing the world as the fighting enters its fourth year. Since the onset of the conflict in March 2011, there have been more than 100,000 fatalities half of whom are believed to be civilians. Syria has become the worlds leading country of forced displacement with around 40 per cent of Syrias pre-conflict population uprooted from their homes. There are more than 6.5 million people internally displaced and another 2.5 million registered refugees who fled mainly to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Turkey. The number of refugees, however, is much higher as hundreds of thousands more await registration while many others choose not to register. Though nearly all of Syrias population is affected by the conflict, the U.N. estimates that over thirteen million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Syrias youth and children are paying the heaviest toll with acute shortage in nutrition and vaccination and lack of education. Moreover, with the deteriorating security situation in the country, Syrian women have become increasingly exposed to a range of violations from the different parties in the conflict. Women have become the main victims of the consequences of the dreadful conflict. Thousands of civilian women have been killed in the conflict and many others have been raped, arrested, tortured, taken as hostages and often used as human shields. Sexual violence has also been systemically used against Syrian women in this conflict as a means to terrorize them and their families. Despite all these atrocities and crimes committed against them, Syrian women remain outside the politicians’ agendas who continue to ignore their rights especially to full participation and equal citizenship. Even before the war, and although Syria has ratified a number of international conventions including CEDAW, women’s participation in general and in political life in particular has been extremely low. The social values of the society and its negative view of women have led to the exclusion of women from most decision-making positions all over the Syrian social, economic and political life. Challenges Facing the Coalition Apart from the external constraints caused by the Syrian crisis, the Coalition of Syrian Women for Democracy faces a number of challenges that must be considered and overcome. These include finding and agreeing on common goals and means. The following strategic plan will clarify a clear focus and set realistic objectives on what the Coalition has been formed to accomplish. Nevertheless, the Coalition needs to form a coordination committee that will have to deal with a number of issues that if unaddressed might weaken the Coalition. The Coordination Committee needs to form a center of operations to deal internally with the members of the Coalition and externally with the partners, donors and other relevant actors. The Committee needs to work on boosting the motivation of the members and develop clear methods and mechanisms to resolve conflicts within the Coalition. Members need also to have a sense that each one is doing their fair share of the workload and contributing to what is exp ected of them to achieve the Coalition’s goal. The Coalition, through its statutes and bylaws, must also ensure that there is a clear decision-making mechanism and that there is a clear understanding among members and partners as to how decisions in the Coalition are made. The Coalition needs also to promote a culture of trust within the Coalition where all members can feel that their agreements and dealings are open, forthright and transparent and that all members have equal status. Other challenges that the Coalition will need to address is credit and visibility of the members where all members need to feel that they are receiving the credit and visibility they deserve unless they want to remain anonymous for one reason or another. The Coalition’s advocacy efforts will gain more strength and efficiency provided that the Coordination Committee also works on prioritized and consistent issues through sharing the priorities of the Coalition as a whole and agreeing to work towards the shared goal. This can be achieved by developing clear lines of communication between members and learning how to utilize each member’s skills and resources. Last but not least, joining efforts together, while definitely offering a range of advantages, might also be hampered by a set of weaknesses. For the Coalition to be effective and sustainable, it requires the active participation of all the members of the Coalition. The fact that many coalitions and networks are dominated by one individual can be a major obstacle. In his/her absence, no decisions will be taken and no communication will be activated, etc. It is important that all members contribute – and are encouraged to contribute – to the workload and that information is disseminated across the Coalition. This requires sharing information continuously and not just passively receiving it. The Coalition need to set the pace for planning, initiating and participating in joint activities and not merely waiting for things to happen. Our Values Gender Equality We believe that all human beings have the right to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by gender roles. We believe that men and women have the same intrinsic value and thus are equally valuable to society and have equal rights and responsibilities. We believe that there should be equality in outcomes rather than simply equality in opportunities and that all forms of discrimination should be completely abolished. Equality Equality implies that everyone has equal rights, a fact that enables us to create a fairer society where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Because real equality will only exist when we recognize and value difference and work together for inclusion, the Coalition recognizes, respects, values and embraces difference for the benefit of everyone. The Coalition also believes in gender equity and that men and women should receive fair treatment in all aspects of life. Democracy We believe that democracy is more than just the right to vote; democracy requires that people be allowed to defend their legitimate interests and rights and have the means to influence decisions affecting their lives. Democracy also requires people to make informed decisions, to have the freedom to express their views and to participate in political processes without fear of retribution. Freedoms The Coalition believes that the inherent dignity and the equal rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedoms and justice in the world and as such all people should have the freedom of speech and expression, freedom to assemble peacefully and without arms, to move freely and to practice any profession, trade or business and to follow their dreams and aspirations. Participation and Empowerment We believe that women must be well prepared and empowered to participate effectively in making decisions that affect their lives and future. Women need not only learn about their rights but they should also learn to acquire skills that would facilitate their access to decision-making positions in times of peace and war. Citizenship We believe that citizenship goes beyond the status of being a citizen of a particular community or state. Citizenship means the right of living together in dignity with other citizens and sharing a common home with them. Citizenship requires a sense of a mutual interest and a relationship that includes rights, duties and privileges. Thus, we believe that citizenship, democracy and equality are integrally three interlinked concepts. Justice The Coalition believes in the fair and proper administration of laws irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, gender, race and religion, and that all people should be treated equally and without prejudice and should have the right to access justice as a main component of their human rights. The Coalition believes that justice holds individuals and groups accountable for their actions and thus protects everyone’s rights. Justice should lead to establishing power balances within the society and reinforcing gender equity. Social Justice We believe that each person has a unique value as an individual and is thus entitled to have fair access to resources according to his / her capacities and abilities. We believe that attitudes of respect for one another should be developed as well. We also believe that proper policies and patterns of behavior should be shaped to protect and enhance the value of each individual. Rationale of Strategy One Syrian women, like most women in Arab countries, do not enjoy equal rights or equal opportunities with men. This is reflected clearly in their lack of access to political rights, civil rights, education, decision-making positions and key jobs. Even well educated women have to struggle against ancient traditions and restrictive social values that stereotype women and limit their abilities and fair access to power and resources. Democracy and human rights are integrally intertwined to one another. Human rights can only be protected when there is a true democracy and rule of law in a country. A functional democracy would embrace diversity and would allow power to ultimately rest with the people. The Coalition believes that such a model has to provide fair opportunities for women to become full partners within the Syrian society at all levels. However, democracy and human rights are interdependent. Without human rights, democracy is meaningless. The Coalition realizes that true democracy cannot be achieved unless there is a focused advocacy on human rights, women’s rights, civil and political rights as well as social, economic, educational and cultural rights. These rights can only be accomplished and protected through a modern democratic constitution that would specifically guard Syrian women’s rights and equality. The Coalition will strive to advocate for a constitution that not only grants equality to women but also sets a framework that would adopt measures of positive discrimination in favor of women – such as a quota for neutralizing the cumulative political and socio economic disadvantages and marginalization that they have experienced for decades. The Coalition will work towards achieving a constitution that would ensure gender equality before the law as well as the equal protection of the law, prohibit discrimination against any citizen on grounds of sex, religion, or ethnicity and guarantee equality in opportunity and outcome to all male and female citizens. Rationale of Strategy Two The human sex ratio in the world, as well as in Syria, is almost equal. As such, women represent half the society; without their full and meaningful participation, the society is crippled with half its capacities. Using only part of its resources, a society is destined to fail. Syria is no exception. Women should be considered as full partners in a world that both men and women equally share. Women’s participation in Syria continues to be limited; per se, effective participation remains a top priority and a critical element for achieving gender equality. The Coalition plans to lobby on behalf of the Syrian women to change all legislations that impede their full participation in political, economic and peace-making processes across all sectors and throughout different levels of life in Syria. The goal is to establish a more stable and just society in Syria. This can only be accomplished by increasing women’s capacities and skills and by adopting favorable laws and policies that would provide the proper motivation and opportunity for women to advance, flourish and achieve. Moreover, with the devastating conflict going on in Syria, the imperatives for peace and peacebuilding are enormously substantial. It is obvious that at some point that peace building and conflict resolution will be sought but such a process cannot be accomplished without the critical participation of women. Therefore, women have to be active participants at the negotiating table as negotiators, mediators and technical experts. Gender issues must be integrated into all the negotiation processes. The interests and concerns of women in Syria, as well as those displaced internally and across neighboring countries, must be discussed and addressed properly. The absence of women from formal peace negotiations is quite discriminatory and unfair given the fact that women have not only become parties to the conflict but also its main victims. The continued marginalization of Syrian women in related peace efforts that aim at preventing, addressing and resolving conflicts means that the local and international communities need to take more decisive action to remedy this injustice. The Coalition adopts UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security so as to increase Syrian’s women’s participation in all efforts related to peace and security, and to strengthen their protection in the armed conflict the country is passing through. The Coalition will concretely lobby for the participation of Syrian women in key decision-making processes related to peace and security. It will also ensure that Syrian women’s contribution is important in preventing, managing and resolving the current conflict and later in building up the society after the conflict has been resolved. Rationale of Strategy Three A coalition is a union of people and organizations that come together for the purpose of gaining more influence, outcome and power than the individual organizations can achieve on their own especially in advocacy efforts. As such, there is a need to spend time and energy to build a coalition and amass the power necessary to accomplish the intended change. Goals range from information sharing to coordination of services, from community education to advocacy for major environmental or policy changes. The Coalition of Syrian Women for Democracy seeks to influence the Syrian constitution and all relevant policies and legislations that deprive Syrian women of their rights and prohibit them from fully participating in all aspects of political, economic and social life in Syria. The Coalition, however, is faced with several significant organizational challenges. Among these are the ability to function under the dynamic changes that Syria is passing through at the moment; the ability to make better use of the limited resources it has access to; the ability to increase the capacity and accountability of its members and the ability to preserve its mission course and ultimately achieve the Coalition’s goals and objectives. The Coalition realizes quite well the urgency to respond to these organizational challenges as soon as possible. Moreover, the coordination committee needs to get more involved in the steering, communication, monitoring and guidance processes. The Coalition aims to develop the structures, strategies, methodologies, processes and procedures that would serve the Coalition best and ultimately increase its capacity and resilience. This cannot be achieved without investing in the capacity building of the members of the Coalition. This would require development of the members’ human resources, strategies, policies and procedures as well as leadership. The Coalition will embrace two values when developing its members’ capacities. These are: 1) humanistic values that relate to equality, openness, honesty and integrity and 2) democratic values that relate to social justice, freedom of choice, and involvement.

Impact of Debt Servicing on Economic Growth

Impact of Debt Servicing on Economic Growth Abstract The external debt has become a key problem for Pakistan. Pakistan has huge debt to pay, which also entails interest payment on the loan borrowed. It adds burden to the economy of Pakistan. Government through different means try to pay these loans. In this paper we have analyzed the impact of debt servicing on economic growth, i.e. whether debt servicing positively or negatively affect the economic growth. The data collected for this purpose ranges from 1982 to 2008. We have use regression test and find out that debt servicing is positively effecting the growth of Pakistan. Key Words: Debt Servicing, Economic Growth, GDP, Human Capital, Labor Force Introduction Many researchers have focused on the relationship between external debt and growth, and what is the impact of external debt on economy. It also persists to attract considerable interest from economists and policymakers. A large amount of research has been carried out on this topic and substantial literature is also available, but few have conducted research on the impact of debt servicing on economic growth. The conditions and the interest rates on which the loan is provided can vary from donor to donor. Weak economies due to low revenue generation cannot meet their expenses and have to gain loan from international financial institutions or have to issue Treasury bills. Once they obtain loan they utilize it in the development projects and generate revenue, however on maturity, Government does not have to repay only the principal amount of loan but also have to pay amount of interest on it. International Financial Institutions like World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank are the leading donor agencies. They give loan on hard and soft conditions depending upon the credit rating of the country. The discussion is going on for a passage of time, whether debt acquired by the loaner country, helps it in boosting the economic growth or the conditions implied by the donor lowers the economic growth. The higher debt service payments can also have negative effects on the composition of public spending by minimizing the amount of resources available for infrastructure and human capital, which have negative effects on growth. If external debt service is minimized it could increase growth through public investment. (Clemets et al, 2003). (Cholifihani, 2008) discuss the relationship between Public debt service and GDP. He used a production function model which measured GDP as a function of debt service, capital stock, labor and human capital in which all data are represented by constant local currency unit. He comes up with the result that Indonesia faces a debt overhang problem in the long run since increasing the public external debt service slows economic growth. The objective of this research paper is to determine the impact of debt servicing on the economic growth of Pakistan; which needs to be reviewed as these dimensions are not studied before especially in the context of Pakistan. Research study will be carried on the basis of data available of the debt servicing and economic growth. Literature Review Developing countries face the problem of debt-servicing on the economic growth which creates extra burden on the economies. For countries who do not want to print money and have lo generation of tax revenue will opt for borrowing money. Like many other LDCs, Pakistan being one of developing country has accumulated large debt burden and continuously made debt-servicing payments to the lenders which ultimately affects the fiscal position of the country. Debt Borrowing have to speed up the economic growth particularly when domestic financial resources are not enough to meet and need the extra funds. Theory of Economic also states that reasonable levels of loan accelerate economy and beyond a certain level it affects the economy negatively. The key factor is that countries in early years of development have low levels of capital stock and also the investment chances are lower. Many researchers have often argued that borrowing countries if invest the funds into productive development programs, they certainly would enjoy Macroeconomic stability. This results in lowering the debt obligations and increase in the economic growth. (Blavy, 2006) conduct a research over Jamaica, in which he emphasis on channeling the debt into productive investment. He also states that high level of debt is directly related to low level of growth. (Krugman 1988) define debt overhang a situation in which the expected repayment on external debt falls short of contractual value of debt. If a countrys debt level is anticipated to increase the countrys repayment ability with some probability in the future, expected debt service is likely to be a boosting function of the countrys output level. Investment from domestic and foreign investors is depressed which results in slowing of the economic growth. In other words, Krugman hypothesis states that debt overhang is partly due to the burden of foreign debt and that investment will be slow resulting in poor growth performance. The most widely used indicator to express debt is percentage of GNP or debt servicing as a percentage of exports and fiscal deficit for both external and internal (S.P Gupta, 1994). Rising debt limits the ability of a country to finance vital imports and to initiate new development projects. Paper focuses on some countries because of their low per capita income dependence heavily on few primary commodities for export earnings. Most of the projects were designed to improve domestic industry rather than increasing exports directly, concept was that national economies would grow over time and also the export production, and reasonable trends in export prices would allow the debt service obligations (Joshua Greene, 1989). .Most of the low income countries that face the problem of budget deficit have weak domestic structure. They get loan through International Financial Institutions like World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank and through developed countries. IMF providing the debt on certain conditions also asks them to export primary commodities. Due to the excess supply of primary commodities, prices gets low and revenue generated is low, which can cause problems like debt overhang for the debtors nation (Michael, 1998). (William Easterly 2002) states the reasons of poor countries becoming heavily indebted poor countries. He states that Governments who does not change discount rates have to obtain more loans to get debt relief for long term. The major issue faced by the countries while paying debt is the increasing inflation and low growth. Repayment of external debt has shown to entail a tradeoff between growth and inflation (Beatriz et al, 1994). Credibility of the country is also a key factor in obtaining the loan on soft conditions and low interest rates. Countries with the less creditworthiness had to pay large spread on external debt and also have to face harsh conditions for obtaining loans. The increase in debt will add to the country loss of credibility (Gupta, 1994). The credit rationing effect arises, when debtors are not able to repay the debts. Countries increase their interest rates to enhance savings which lead to shorten the saving investment gap, which negatively affect investment and hurts economic growth. (Wijeweera et al, 2005). Like every country Pakistan also took measures to limit the inflationary pressure and to protect the competitiveness of its exports. In fact there is a time frame to work their way through economy, growth can be effected if the effectiveness is not done on time (Afxentiou and Serletis, 1996). Ogunmuyiwa, 2011 carry out a research in Nigeria, in which he measures the relationship between external debt and growth. He comes up with the result that causation between debt and growth in Nigeria is weak and insignificant, and changes in GDP cannot be forecast with changes in external debt Methodology The equation has been adopted by the Indonesian paper, in this equation we will be taking GDP as a function of Human Capital, labor force and Capital stock. Y=A+B1x1+B2x2+B3x3 Y (GDP) = ÃŽ ± + B1 (Human Capital) +B2 (Capital Stock) + B3 (Labor Force) + â‚ ¬ At first, we will be checking the relation of the variables to the GDP. How much they are explaining and are affecting GDP. In Second equation, we will be checking the relationship between GDP and external debt servicing. Equation is; Y=A+B1x1 Y (GDP) = ÃŽ ± + B1 (External Debt Servicing) + â‚ ¬ For this study, we have covered a period of 1982 to 2008. The data has been collected from World Bank Catalog. The variables used in this study are GDP, Capital stock, labor force, human capital and debt servicing. Data sources are taken from key indicators of Asian Development Bank, World Development Indicators published by the World Bank. Almost all monetary units of variables are in US dollars, while labor is expressed by number of people. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a dependent variable, whereas, capital stock, labor force, human capital are determinant factors of GDP (Cholifihani, 2008). Variable of income is represented by real GDP at 2000 constant prices as GDP better reflects the independent productive capacity of the country (Cordella, 2005). Capital stock is represented by real fixed capital stock. GDP and fix capital stock are taken from World Development Indicators (WDI) published by the World Bank. Labor force is defined as employed people. Total people working i.e. employed labor force in jobs are collected from key indicators published by Asian Development Bank (ADB). Human capital in this case is represented by education expenditure per year. Human capital is important as it enhances the economy since this variable includes general skills and ability of labor to do a job. External debt service is defined as Total the sum of principal repayments and interest actually paid in foreign currency, goods, or services on long-term debt, interest paid on short-term debt and repayments (repurchases and charges) to the IMF (World Bank Catalog). Results Model Interpretation Significance R Square Standardized Co-efficient BETA Significance .000 .98 .163 Human Capital .104 Human Capital -.193 Capital Stock .038 Capital Stock 1.014 Labor Force .000 Labor Force In first equation we want to check the effect of all variables on GDP. -47090.6 is a fixed value which will come in each scenario. The coefficient of Human Capital is .163, means that increase in human capital will lead to increase in GDP. In other words it can be said that one unit change in human capital, GDP would also be increased by .163 units. The result is 0.104 which means it is less significant. The coefficient of capital stock is -.193, that if there is an increase in capital stock then GDP would be decreased. In other words we can say that Capital stock does not play a significantly role. The result is 0.00 which means it is negatively significant. The coefficient of labor force is 1.014, meaning if there is increase in labor force then GDP will be increased. The result is 0.00 which means it is positively significant. The R Square tells us about the model fitness. In our case the model is fit i.e. 98.08 %, hence we can conclude that all variables used in this model explain it by 98.08 % and around 2% is not explained by these variables. We can conclude that the other variables which explain the equation are external and are not included. Model Interpretation Significance R Square Standardized Co-efficient BETA Significance .000 .45 .675 Debt Servicing .000 Debt Servicing In the second equation, we have investigated the relationship between external debt servicing and GDP. The R square is 0.455, which means that only 45% is explained by this variable and rest of 55% was explained by external factors. The coefficient of debt servicing is .675 that if there is an increase in debt servicing then GDP would also increase. The result is 0.00 which means it is significant. Limitations The limitation of this study is that data of debt servicing includes only represents external debt servicing and the internal debt servicing was not included due to non availability of data. The result could have given a exact picture of the impact of debt servicing on economic growth if both internal and external debt service would have been added. In start we try to collect data from 1970 to 2008, but data was available from 1982 to 2008. Conclusion The main focus of this study was to analyze the effects of debt servicing on economic growth. Within limited indicators we find out that debt servicing has positively affected the economic growth of Pakistan. Theoretically it is not possible because a big amount form received borrowings is used for debt return and its interest and it should negatively affect the economy But in case of Pakistan the amount of debt circulating in the economy is high. Estimated about 70% of the economy of Pakistan consists of debt. With the passage of time, the debt should have reduced but it has increased. It can be said that the debt should be invested in productive areas rather than wasted on less productive projects.

Persuasion Paper :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Matt B  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2/14/05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PY129  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Persuasion Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hello, woman who sits in the front of the class. I may not have your name, but I do have some unfortunate news for you. You should never go out with me. We all know it would have happened. Everybody knows what’s on a woman’s mind, and how could I not notice things like the way you stare at me in class, it’s just so distracting. I’m just trying to stop this very attractive problem before it’s too late. This paper will save you from years of therapy and gallons of Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough. Don’t feel bad, it’s not you, well actually it is; but you can still choose from the other 10 guys in our class who mysteriously all sit in a circle around you! I just don’t think things would work out between us. I believe that I have a pretty good idea of what kind of a person you are from being in your logic class and never talking to you once. Our close and personal relationship gives me insight to who you are, and why we aren’t right for each other. First, your too predictable and boring for me, second, your not willing to change, and third, I don’t think you could satisfy me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Variety is the spice of life! Mix things up a bit. You sit in the same seat every day, who does this? Don’t you ever wonder what it feels like to sit someplace else? I wouldn’t be able to stand that kind of compliancy. Another testament to your predictability, is the fact that you never have a story to tell about how your weekend was. This means either one of two things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1) You do nothing on weekends. Your idea of fun is watching the Lifetime channel. You go to Six Flags and enjoy such rides as ‘Teacups,’ ‘Ferris wheel,’ and ‘Dirty bench by the hotdog stand.’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2) Just the opposite. Maybe you frequent S&M clubs or rob orphans on the weekends. Whatever it is, it probably makes the baby Jesus cry. You disgust me. So start enjoying the finer, more fun things in life. Until then, though, I just don’t think your ready for my kind of excitement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You most likely do a variety of things, or have some qualities that are unattractive to me, and you are also unwilling to change them. I know this because of our many interactions together, where you have revealed to me your deepest secrets and habits.

Cuba :: essays research papers

The weeks that have elapsed since that fatal event of February 15th have been making history in a manner highly creditable to the American government and to our citizenship. Captain Sigsbee, the commander of the Maine, had promptly telegraphed his desire that judgment should be suspended until investigation had been made. The investigation was started at once, and 75 million Americans have accordingly suspended judgment in the face of a great provocation. For it must be remembered that to suppose the destruction of the Maine an ordinary accident and not due to any external agency or hostile intent was, under all the circumstances, to set completely at defiance the law of probabilities. It is not true that battleships are in the habit of blowing themselves up. When all the environing facts were taken into consideration, it was just about as probable that the Maine had been blown up by some accident where no hostile motive was involved, as that the reported assassination of President Barrios of Guatemala, a few days previously, had really been a suicide. . . . It has been known perfectly well that Spanish hatred might at any time manifest itself by attempts upon the life of the American representative at Havana, Consul General Fitzhugh Lee. This danger was felt especially at the time of the Havana riots in January, and it seems to have had something to do with the sending of the Maine to Havana Harbor. The Spaniards themselves, however, looked upon the sending of the Maine as a further aggravation of the long series of their just grievances against the United States. They regarded the presence of the Maine at Havana as a menace to Spanish sovereignty in the island and as an encouragement to the insurgents. A powerful American fleet lay at Key West and the Dry Tortugas, with steam up ready to follow the Maine to the harbor of Havana at a few hours' notice. All this was intensely hateful to the Spaniards, and particularly to the Army officers at Havana who had sympathized with General Weyler's policy and who justly regarded General Weyler's recall to Spain as due to the demand of President McKinley. The American pretense that the Maine was making a visit of courtesy seemed to these Spaniards a further example of Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy. That this intense bitterness against the presence of the Maine was felt among the military and official class in Havana was perfectly well known to Captain Sigsbee, his staff, and all his crew; and they were not unaware of the rumors and threats that means would be found to destroy the American ship. It was, furthermore, very generally supposed that the Spanish Cuba :: essays research papers The weeks that have elapsed since that fatal event of February 15th have been making history in a manner highly creditable to the American government and to our citizenship. Captain Sigsbee, the commander of the Maine, had promptly telegraphed his desire that judgment should be suspended until investigation had been made. The investigation was started at once, and 75 million Americans have accordingly suspended judgment in the face of a great provocation. For it must be remembered that to suppose the destruction of the Maine an ordinary accident and not due to any external agency or hostile intent was, under all the circumstances, to set completely at defiance the law of probabilities. It is not true that battleships are in the habit of blowing themselves up. When all the environing facts were taken into consideration, it was just about as probable that the Maine had been blown up by some accident where no hostile motive was involved, as that the reported assassination of President Barrios of Guatemala, a few days previously, had really been a suicide. . . . It has been known perfectly well that Spanish hatred might at any time manifest itself by attempts upon the life of the American representative at Havana, Consul General Fitzhugh Lee. This danger was felt especially at the time of the Havana riots in January, and it seems to have had something to do with the sending of the Maine to Havana Harbor. The Spaniards themselves, however, looked upon the sending of the Maine as a further aggravation of the long series of their just grievances against the United States. They regarded the presence of the Maine at Havana as a menace to Spanish sovereignty in the island and as an encouragement to the insurgents. A powerful American fleet lay at Key West and the Dry Tortugas, with steam up ready to follow the Maine to the harbor of Havana at a few hours' notice. All this was intensely hateful to the Spaniards, and particularly to the Army officers at Havana who had sympathized with General Weyler's policy and who justly regarded General Weyler's recall to Spain as due to the demand of President McKinley. The American pretense that the Maine was making a visit of courtesy seemed to these Spaniards a further example of Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy. That this intense bitterness against the presence of the Maine was felt among the military and official class in Havana was perfectly well known to Captain Sigsbee, his staff, and all his crew; and they were not unaware of the rumors and threats that means would be found to destroy the American ship. It was, furthermore, very generally supposed that the Spanish