Rennaisance vs. Rap essays

Rennaisance vs. Rap essays In the latter part of the 15th century, there began a cultural revolution known as the Renaissance. This artistic rebirth changed the way people lived and thought for the next century and a half. In the last decades of the 20th century, a new voice in music has arisen. This voice called Rap represents the cries that emanate from the urban areas of Western civilization. Superficially, no comparisons can be drawn between Rap music and the Renaissance but if there is an understanding of the cultural impact that each ascertained then the connection is clear. The Renaissance began as a rebellion against the medieval church. The church during the middle ages controlled every aspect of the people under its jurisdiction. All forms of art, from painting to music, were evaluated using the churchs standards of acceptability. Therefore, if the church did not agree, it was prohibited. In an effort to escape this lack of creativity an explosion of artistic imagination occurred. Secular music was no longer look upon as damned. Courts often had two sets of musicians. That way if the occasion called for holy music and secular music the feat could be achieved. This creative overflow caused the production of more music that ever before. And with the advent of the printing press, music was now distributed by the masses. The impact of the Renaissance was tremendous in making new boundaries and advancing music as a whole. In the late1970s, Rap was making its first strides in becoming a major music power in America. Coming from humble beginnings, it has evolved over the last two decades into a domination force in this culture. At its early stages, Rap was confined to exclusively to African Americans but that too has changed. By the 21st century a substantial percentage of listeners of Rap are not black. Due to its nature and content Rap has been heavily criticized by politi ...

Shakespeare Sonnet 2 - Analysis

Shakespeare Sonnet 2 - Analysis Shakespeare’s Sonnet 2: When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow is interesting because it further expresses his desire for the subject of his poem to breed. This theme is introduced in Sonnet 1 and continues through to poem 17. The poem advises the fair youth that when he is old and looks withered and terrible he can, at least, point to his son and say that he has passed on his beauty to him. However, if he does not breed, he will have to live with the shame of simply looking old and withered. In short, a child would compensate for the ravages of aging. Through metaphor, the poem suggests that you can live your life through your child if necessary. The child would provide evidence that he was once beautiful and worthy of praise. The full text of the sonnet can be read here:  Sonnet 2. Sonnet 2: Facts Sequence:  Second sonnet in the  Fair Youth Sonnets.Key Themes:  Old age, procreation, a child providing evidence of one’s worth, Winter, obsession with the fair youth’s beauty.Style: Written in iambic pentameter and follows the traditional sonnet form. Sonnet 2: Translation When forty winters have passed, you will have aged and become wrinkly. Your youthful looks, so admired as they are now, will be gone. Then if anyone asks you where your beauty lies, where the worth of your youthful, lusty days is evident, you could say: â€Å"Within mine own deep sunken eyes.† But that would be shameful and not praiseworthy if you didn’t have a child to show off and say this is evidence of my beauty and the reason for my aging. The child’s beauty is proof of mine: â€Å"Proving his beauty by succession thine.† The child would be youthful and beautiful when you are old and would remind you of being young and warm-blooded when you are cold. Sonnet 2: Analysis Being forty years old in Shakespeare’s time would likely have been considered to be a â€Å"good old age†, so when forty winters had passed, you would have been considered old. In this sonnet, the poet is giving almost fatherly advice to the fair youth. He does not appear to be interested in the fair youth romantically himself in this poem but is encouraging a heterosexual union. However, the preoccupation with the fair youth and his life choices soon becomes quite overwhelming and obsessive. The sonnet takes a subtly different tack from Sonnet 1 (where he says that if the fair youth does not breed it would be selfish of him and the world would regret it). In this sonnet, the poet suggests that the fair youth would feel shame and would personally regret it himself – perhaps the speaker does so to appeal to the narcissistic side of the fair youth, pointed to in Sonnet 1. Perhaps a narcissist would not care what the world thinks, but would care what he may feel himself in later life?

The Goal to Eliminate Economic Inequality Assignment

The Goal to Eliminate Economic Inequality - Assignment Example Although the focus of one country may vary from another, economists and government policymakers continue to work on policies to achieve these goals. The goal to eliminate economic inequality is one of the many established objectives focused not only within a single economy but also the whole world. Economic inequality is seen in both microeconomics and macroeconomic level. In a microeconomics perspective, it is evident through the occurrence of unemployment. Unemployment is perceived as a basic cause of inequitable distribution of income in an economy resulting in some group of citizens facing poverty while others enjoying abundance. On the other hand, inequality in a macroeconomics perspective is observed as nations differ in their endowment of economic resources. Some nations are endowed with abundant economic resources while others are left to suffer from their very minimal amount of resources. From both perspectives, we end up having two groups when we talk about our people or na tions of the world. Economic inequality results in poverty creating the divide between the rich and the poor. Poverty hinders economic growth and development. It is the root of the cause of problems such as health problems, economic distress, unemployment, and more importantly hunger. That is mainly the reason for economists and government policymakers all over the world to establish ways on alleviating if not completely eliminating poverty. With economic growth and development, there will be rising outputs and income; people are more able to meet their needs and wants. This also results in improved quality of life as greater opportunities are provided without sacrificing other opportunities and pleasures. A nation experiencing growth and development can resolve socioeconomic problems better and undertake new programs to alleviate poverty more readily without impairing existing levels of consumption, investment and public goods production (McConnell and Brue, 132). The level of econ omic growth and development of a country also reflects its position in the world economy. Countries are categorized as either developed or developing - the first being wealthy and the latter being poor. The wealthy group was composed of most of the Western European countries, Canada and the United States. Inhabitants of these regions lived (and still lived) in great affluence and consumed a large part of the world’s resources. The other group - Latin America, Asia, and Africa- was poor, underdeveloped and contained almost 75 percent of the world’s population (Appleyard and Field Jr, 381). World Bank characterized countries according to their incomes. In its annual World Development Indicators in 2000 and World Development Reports in 1999/2000, countries are grouped as low- income economies, lower-middle-income economies, upper-middle-income economies and high-income economies (World Bank, 251). Economists and government policymakers, especially those in developing coun tries began to look for reasons to explain this disparity and for ways to eliminate it. Poverty creates the disparity that is experienced by the people from developed and developing countries. There is a need to realize and address the issue of poverty especially in the continent of Africa. William Easterly worked on a paper entitled â€Å"Can the West Save Africa†

Human Resource Management Functions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Management Functions - Assignment Example In the next section, this paper will further investigate why human resource management is currently considered so important in attaining superior business performance. After the discussion, it will briefly outline the main functions of human resource management and how these are applied in real world. The role of the workforce in the success or even mere survival of a business organization cannot be overstated. The old clich which states that "people is our most valuable asset" will not probably met disagreement with any manager in this competitive business environment. This is further emphasized by Bullinger, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft1 by stating that employees are a company's best assets together with their knowledge, abilities, creativity and commitment. He further asserted that the competitiveness of a business organization is highly correlated with the company's highly trained, creative, and motivated employees. John Purcell further highlighted the importance of employees in his research which emphasized the huge role played by the company's workforce as "strategic partners." This research strongly supports the highly economist viewpoint of Grant (2002: 219) of "aligning employees with organizational goals." Schuler and Jackson (1987) gave a more precise description on how management should "align" their workforce to support the company crafted strategy. Their conclusion was: If management chooses a competitive strategy of differentiation through product innovation, this would call for high levels of creative, risk-orientated and cooperative behaviour. The company's HR practices would therefore need to emphasise "selecting highly skilled individuals, giving employees more discretion, using minimal controls, making greater investment in human resources, providing more resources for experimentation, allowing and even rewarding failure and appraising performance for its long run implications" - on the other hand if management wants to pursue cost leadership (the model) suggests designing jobs which are fairly repetitive, training workers as little as is practical, cutting staff numbers to the minimum and rewarding high output and predictable behaviour. (Boxall and Purcell 2003:53-4) The importance of human resource management therefore can be traced back on the essential role that the workforce plays in the company. As this paper showed above, current researchers highlight employees as on of the competitive advantages in realizing the objectives of an organization. However, a deeper analysis will also reveal the great function of management to turn employees into "most valuable assets" and "strategic partners" thus, the key purpose of human resource management. So, what activities should be performed by the human resource department to produce highly productive employees Functions of Human Resource Management The Economist (2002) recognizes the changing role of HR leaders due to the rapid change in the business climate and environment faced by industry players. This also implies the changing function of the HRM in shaping their employees-from the "psychological contract, rewarding employee loyalty with personal development, financial progression, and job security" to the "boundary less

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare Essay ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a romantic comedy and one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays or stories. The main characters of this story are Oberon, Titania, Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. This story deals with marriage, family, elope and comedy. Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander to get married and Demetrius who loves Hermia follows them into while Helena, Hermia’s friend and Demetrius’ lover, follows Demetrius into the forest. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies in the forest, have an argument which causes tension between them. Is the forest a magical place? Yes, it is because all the characters in the forest reconcile. The story starts off with Egeus, father of Hermia, reporting to Theseus, King of Athens at that time, that his daughter refused to obey him when he commanded his daughter to marry Demetrius, a man of a noble Athenian family. There was a strict law in the city of Athens that if a daughter refused to marry the man her father had chosen, she would be put to death. Hermia had not loved Demetrius but she loved another Athenian, Lysander. She also didn’t want to marry him because her best friend, Helena, loved Demetrius and she wanted to stay loyal. Theseus could not alter the laws the rules of his country so he could only give Hermia four days to reconsider her decision or else she would be put to death. Lysander was informed about this and proposed to Hermia that they should elope to his aunt’s house outside of Athens, where the laws were not applied. Demetrius heard of this and thus, he followed them into the forest. Helena was afraid of losing Demetrius forever so therefore she followed him into the forest. Demetrius reproached Helena for following him but Helena tried to remind him of his former love and true faith to her. Demetrius, after saying many cruel things to Helena, abandoned her while Helena still raced after him. Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fairies respectively. They were having a disagreement when Titania refused to give Oberon a changeling boy. Titania dotes over this child which makes Oberon jealous. Oberon wants to make the boy part of his entourage. Titania refuses to give the boy up, hence the conflict. They lived in the magical forest. Oberon had a counsellor, Puck. Oberon observed the conflict between Demetrius and Helena. Oberon was always friendly to true lovers and felt sorry for Helena. He reported this to Puck  and commanded him to use a piece of the purple flower, which has a ‘love-juice’, and use it on Demetrius to make him fall in love with Helena. Oberon described him as wearing Athenian clothes. Puck found a man in Athenian clothes but it turned out be Lysander who was sleeping next to Hermia. Puck poured the love-juice into his eyes and the first person he saw he would fall in love with. The next morning, Helena would find Hermia and Lysander. When Lysander woke up, he saw Helena in front of him and immediately fell in love with her. Helena was confused and then she became angry with Lysander. She thought that he was pulling a sick prank on her. Oberon and Puck soon realized what happened. Oberon scolded Puck and Puck found Demetrius asleep. Puck applied the love-juice to his eyes and when Demetrius woke up, he first saw Helena and became in love with her. Ironically, what had first started out as Lysander and Demetrius chasing Hermia with Helena left behind, now had turned into Lysander and Demetrius chasing Helena with Hermia left behind. Helena outraged, thinking it was a prank, got herself into a war of words with Hermia. Oberon and Puck observed the chaos he caused and immediately attempted to fix it. Puck wearied them out by getting them lost and removed the charm from the eyes of Lysander with an antidote to reverse the effects and forget his new love for Helena. After, everything was back to normal Hermia was with Lysander and Helena was with Demetrius. Meanwhile, Oberon, longing for the changeling boy, had poured some love-juice on Titania to make her give it up. When Oberon had returned, he found a clown sleeping next to her. He put a donkey’s head on him and Titania fell in love with the clown. Oberon seized the chance and demanded the changeling boy which she unwillingly accepted. Soon, Oberon had poured some juices of another flower and had brought her back to her senses. She immediately loathed the sight of the monster. All the couples in this story reconciled. Egeus understood Demetrius not wanting to marry his daughter but Helena and Egeus accepted the marriage between Lysander and Hermia. The forest is truly a magical place because what had started as elope, disagreements and hatred turned out be union, harmony and love.

Essay --

Why? Why should parents have to worry about sending their child to school everyday? Why should students have to sit in class with thoughts in the back of their head like, what if that were to happen here? Why? The question everyone wants answers to is why do school shootings even happen. There is no single, certain answer to these questions. By finding out why school shooting occur, preventing them will be much easier. 1st Sub-topic: Where and why 60% of school shootings in the US happen in small towns. Research on earlier shootings showed the attack is on a school because that is the center stage in a small town, where the shooter can affect the entire community. School shootings are far more frequent in America than in other countries. Although school shootings seem to be on the rise, school is still considered one of the safest places. In 2012 out of all youth homicides, less than 2% occur at school, and this percentage has been stable for the past decade. In 2010, there were about 828,000 nonfatal injuries at school among students 12 to 18 years old. Deaths resulting from schoo...

P Cruises Marketing Concepts

Social needs Include the chance to meet new people and create a new social group, or simply the right to ‘brag' to friends about the experiences one has undergone while using this product. Individual needs could Include the chance of gallon new knowledge gathered through the locations offered and a different experience. Wants, when backed by buying power, become known as demands (Armstrong, Adam, Denizen & Kettle, 2012). The wants for this product are shaped through a persona's social background or even rich culture.Its uniqueness also forces the shape of the want and the variation of the respective of a holiday which is achieved through this product promotes the demand. The organization shapes the demand by promoting the practices that can only been seen and experiences through the product. P Cruises do not simply offer one type of product. What they achieve through their market include a service, goods and an experience, which are used to satisfy the customer's needs, wants a nd demands. The services that this organization offers include accommodation, meals, on-board entertainment, etc.The company provides the essential requirements to achieve a unique experience which creates the idea of a cruise which is then seen as holiday. The availability of overseas ports promotes the want for this service. Thus, P&O Cruises are able to use experiences detailed through service as their product rather than having a physical good or product. Customer perceived value is the difference between the values the customer gains from owning and using a product and the costs of obtaining the product (Armstrong, Adam, Denizen & Kettle, 2012).Media evaluation, personal knowledge and recommendations are all techniques which could be used to evaluate a product or service and then determine whether they outweigh their competitors in terms of value and satisfaction. Through the use of media reports, it is evident that P&O Cruises are continuing to grow as a corporation and are ab le to satisfy customers and consumers wants, needs and demands. Supporting this is the social media page ‘Backbone' with over 250, 000 â€Å"likes† directed toward P&O Cruises.An Important part of marketing Is the exchange, transactions and relationships sector. In large regards to how a company builds a profitable relationship with Its customers, It weighs heavily on this segment. The exchange process Is the act of obtaining a profit for the company In return for the service and experience the company offers. In P&O Cruiser's case, It Is the exchange of a luxurious holiday for a set amount of money. The success of the exchange depends widely on the transaction process.The transaction Is the marketing unit of measurement and involves the payment for the experiences offered by P Cruises companies and the like, depend on strong relationships with their consumers in order to succeed and create a healthy business. In maintaining and building a well- established relationship between P Cruises and the consumer, a strong positive relationship will result and a positive reputation will be created in favor of the company. In creating a long-term relationship, both sides will appreciate what is being offered.The customer will enjoy the service offered again and again as they trust the company and the company will continue to receive profits. The final core marketing concept is the potential buyers of a product or service, markets. P Cruises target market varies widely. It can include individuals looking for an adventure, couples that want to develop their relationship, elders that have yet to experience the thrills offered in this service, families with money to spend on something that will entertain the younger generation and many more.However, P Cruises do generally not advertise towards individuals who have limited time, money and/or interest in what is offered by the company. The five core marketing concepts are used to develop a successful company with going concern. P Cruises have evidently used these concepts during the business years and are now one of the leading cruise services offered. They have not marketed a physical good and have marketed their services and experiences successfully through the concepts of human needs, wants and demands; market offerings; value and satisfaction; exchanges, transactions and relationships; and market.

Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care Essay

Task A Booklet Create a booklet about safeguarding, which can be used as a reminder for people who work in the care profession. The booklet must: Ai Describe in your own words what is meant by the following types of abuse: †¢ Physical abuse – Body harm. Bruising, fear†¦ †¢ Sexual abuse – Forcing sexual behaviour. Bruising around genital areas, fear from p/care†¦ †¢ Emotional/psychological abuse –Verbal abuse to maintain power and control, taking empowerment away from an individual. Fear of guving opinions or speaking out loud†¦ †¢ Financial abuse –Taking money or making somebody financially dependant. Money keep on disappearing from a wallet. †¢ Institutional abuse – Setting unflexible time frames Having a strict schedule for diferent timings. †¢ Self neglect – Not taking care of ones needs by themself. Poor hygiene, dirty clothes†¦ †¢ Neglect by others – Needs being unattended to by people that could support & assist. Malnutrition, poor hygiene†¦ Aii Identify signs and symptoms of the different types of abuse Aiii Explain the correct actions to take if you suspect an individual is being abused If an individual is suspected of being abused, I should inform my superior and keep an eye out for any possible developments, try to bring the subject up in conversation with the individual in a sensitive & respectful way. Aiv Explain the correct actions to take if an individual tells you they are being abused Listen calmly and patiently, try to comfort them, inform the manager of the home of what is going on, call the care workers & the police. Av Identify how to ensure that any evidence of abuse is kept  safe Make an accurate written record of any conversations that are relevant between the service user & I, ensure written records are in a safe place, body map any kind of bruising or injuries, try to keep it all as it was until police investigators arrive Avi Identify the national policies that set out requirements for safeguarding individuals. the ADSS-led national, ‘Safeguarding Adults’ network Avii Identify the local and organisational systems for safeguarding Our Isle of Wight government is committed to the protection of any adult at risk of abuse as a high priority. Aviii Explain the roles of different agencies and professionals that are involved in safeguarding individuals Police, criminal (assault, fraud, theft, domestic violence) Council, to protect people using their service – make sure they’re safe. Extend help where needed to support those experiencing abuse and neglect in their own homes Social Workers, To investigate actual or suspected abuse or neglect CRB, to check an individuals past to see if they have any criminal convictions. I as a care worker to support the individual. Aix Identify sources of advice, support and information to help social care workers understand their own role in safeguarding Our company safeguarding file in the care office  National charity working to protect and prevent the abuse of vulnerable older adults: Action on –Elder Abuse National helpline offering advice and support to vulnerable people who have experienced crime or abuse: Voice UK A range of information, advice, advocacy, and practical help services for older people: Age Concern Southwark Support and advice for people living with a learning disability: Mencap Free and confidential help for victims of crime, witnesses and their family or friends: Victim Support Help for people with Down’s syndrome to live full and rewarding live: Downs Syndrome Association National charity providing services and support to deafblind people: Deafblind UK Task B Research and Account Identify two reports on serious failures to protect individuals from abuse. Write an account that describes the unsafe practices in the reviews. Abuse can happen anywhere anytime, but especially to vulnerable people, ie Children, elderly people, people with disabilities, people with learning difficulties. It can even happen in places people should be safe, ie hospitals, residential/ nursing homes, schools, daycare/ nurseries, centres etc. I researched two cases reported for abuse. The Winterbourne case which was nationally reported, and a local abuse case of East Sussex (Child G), the Winterbourne case was more of a physical an emotional abuse, whilst that Child Gs case was of sexual abuse of a child under 16 and abduction. The Winterbourne case was reported nationally because it was such a disgusting mistreatment of vulnerable people, 11 members of staff were caught on cctv after visitors and patients complained about mistreatments. The evidence that was captured showed physical abuse such as, slapping, poking eyes, pulling hair, even as unbelievable as trapping them under chairs, and soaking residents in freezing cold water. It also showed emotional and verbal abuse in the form of name calling. This was an inhumane mistreatment of vulnerable individuals, the effective and humane delivery of assessments and treatments was not provided. The report which is published finds that Castlebeck Care Ltd (Teesdale) was not compliant with 10 of the essential standards which the law requires providers must meet. CQC’s findings can be found below. The managers did not ensure that major incidents were reported to the Care Quality Commission as required. Planning and delivery of care did not meet people’s individual needs. They did not have robust systems to assess and monitor the quality of services. They did not identify, and manage, risks relating to the health, welfare and safety of patients. They had not responded to or considered complaints and views of people about the service. Investigations into the conduct of staff were not robust and had not safeguarded people. They did not take reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it before it occurred. They did not respond appropriately to allegations of abuse. They did not have arrangements in place to protect the people against unlawful or excessive use of restraint. They did not operate effective  recruitment procedures or take appropriate steps in relation to persons who were not fit to work in care settings. They failed in their responsibilities to provide appropriate training and supervision to staff. The centre was closed after NHS and local commissioners had found alternative locations for the clients acting in their best interest, there was a failure to report any of these incedents, staff that were not involved in the abuse should have reported it, knowledge about a crime and not doing anything about it is just as being a criminal yourself. The other report I identified was of a young 15 year old girl in East Sussex named as child G, she was abducted by her teacher Mr K in 2012, with whom she had been maintaining a sexual relationship with since around her 15 birthday, identifies serious concerns relating to school’s actions, including: failure to identify the abuse and exploitation of Child G; fixed thinking; failure to hear concerns raised by students; failure to involve Child G’s mother; insufficient recognition of Mr K’s inappropriate use of Twitter to communicate with Child G; and serious concerns with the ways in which information was recorded, stored, retrieved and provided for the review. Identifies procedural failings in police handling of allegations relating to inappropriate images of Mr K on Child G’s phone. Makes various interagency and single agency recommendations covering: East Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Board, children’s services, school and police services. Mr K was found guilty of abduction and admitted a number of charges of sexual activity with a child under 16-years; he received a custodial sentence of 5-and-a-half-years. Task C – Short Answer Questions Ci Explain what a social care worker must do if they become aware of unsafe practice. Explain the correct way of practicing safely or directly whistleblow. Cii Describe what a social care worker must do if unsafe practice is reported but nothing is done to ensure it is corrected. Inform again about the issue not being mended, if nothing is still done, it would have to be reported. Ciii Describe three factors that may make individuals more vulnerable to abuse than others. Age Mental capacity Difficulty to be able to protect themselves from abuse Civ Explain how adopting a person centred approach which offers choices and upholds rights can empower an individual and help to reduce the likelihood of abuse. An empowered person is somebody that is not scared of expressing themselves, they are more likely to give there opinion and refuse or confront if there is any abuse directed to them. Cv Explain how encouraging and promoting active participation can help to reduce the likelihood of abuse. An individual by themselves is more prone to abuse, it is an easier victim, would have nobody to turn to for support or to confide in, nobody would really keep a close eye on somebody they don’t really have close. Cvi Explain how an effective and easy to use complaints procedure can help to reduce the likelihood of abuse. It makes it easier for the home and the care provider to be able to act fast and try to get a solution for any issue.

career choices essays

career choices essays Up until recently I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I was going to school but I really had no idea what I wanted to study. Recently, after contemplating multiple career choices, I have decided that I want to become a psychologist. Psychologists study the human mind and human behavior. Like other scientists, psychologists make hypothesis and then perform experiments to test these assumptions. Their research methods may differ depending on what topic they are studying. There are numerous research methods in which psychologists gather their data. Sometimes they gather information through controlled laboratory experiments. Psychologists also administer personality, performance, aptitude and intelligence tests. Other methods include observation, interviews, questionnaires, clinical studies and surveys. Psychologists use their knowledge in a wide variety of settings including health and human services, management, education, law and sports. In addition to the variety of work settings, psychologists usually specialize in a single aspect of their growing field. Some types of psychologists include clinical, counseling, school, industrial, developmental, social and experimental or research psychologists. There are two categories of psychology that I am interested in, they are clinical and industrial. Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with applying research findings in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Clinical psychologists classify their work under three major headings: assessment, treatment and research. In assessment, they give and interpret psychological tests. These tests are given to determine the patients intelligence or to determine their mental characteristics. Another way to determine these characteristics is in an interview, where the psychologist questions and interacts with the patients. For the treatment s ...

The Battle of Concepcion of the Texas Revolution

The Battle of Concepcion of the Texas Revolution The Battle of Concepcià ³n was the first major armed conflict of the Texas Revolution. It took place on October 28, 1835, on the grounds of Concepcià ³n Mission outside of San Antonio. Rebel Texans, led by James Fannin and Jim Bowie, fought off a vicious assault by the Mexican Army and drove them back into San Antonio. The victory was a huge one for the morale of the Texans and led to the subsequent capture of the town of San Antonio. War Breaks out in Texas Tensions had been simmering in Mexican Texas for some time, as Anglo settlers (the most famous of whom was Stephen F. Austin) repeatedly demanded more rights and independence from the Mexican government, which was in a chaotic state of disarray barely a decade after gaining independence from Spain. On October 2, 1835, rebellious Texans opened fire on Mexican forces in the town of Gonzales. The Battle of Gonzales, as it came to be known, marked the beginning of Texas armed struggle for Independence. Texans March on San Antonio San Antonio de Bà ©xar was the most important town in all of Texas, a vital strategic point coveted by both sides in the conflict. When war broke out, Stephen F. Austin was named head of the rebel army: he marched on the city in the hopes of putting a quick end to the fighting. The ragged rebel â€Å"army† arrived at San Antonio in late October  1835: they were heavily outnumbered by Mexican forces in and around the city but were well-armed with lethal long rifles and ready for a fight. Prelude to the Battle of Concepcion With the rebels camped outside the city, Jim Bowies connections proved vital. A one-time resident of San Antonio, he knew the city and still had many friends there. He smuggled a message to some of them, and dozens of Mexican residents of San Antonio (many of whom were every bit as passionate about independence as the Anglo Texans) surreptitiously left the town and joined the rebels. On October 27, Fannin and Bowie, disobeying orders from Austin, took some 90 men and dug in on the grounds of the Concepcià ³n Mission outside of town. The Mexicans Attack On the morning of October 28, the rebellious Texans got a nasty surprise: the Mexican army had seen that they had divided their forces and decided to take the offensive. The Texans were pinned against the river and several companies of Mexican infantry were advancing on them. The Mexicans had even brought cannons with them, loaded with lethal grapeshot. The Texans Turn the Tide Inspired by Bowie, who kept cool under fire, the Texans stayed low and waited for the Mexican infantry to advance. When they did, the rebels deliberately picked them off with their lethal long rifles. The riflemen were so skilled that they were even able to shoot the artillerymen manning the cannons: according to survivors, they even shot down a gunner who held a lighted match in his hand, ready to fire the cannon. The Texans drove off three charges: after the final charge, the Mexicans lost their spirit and broke: the Texans gave chase. They even captured the cannons and turned them on the fleeing Mexicans. Aftermath of the Battle of Concepcià ³n The Mexicans fled back into San Antonio, where the Texans dared not chase them. The final tally: some 60 dead Mexican soldiers to only one dead Texan, killed by a Mexican musket ball. It was a heady victory for the Texans and seemed to confirm what they suspected about the Mexican soldiers: they were poorly armed and trained and didnt really want to be fighting for Texas. The rebellious Texans remained camped outside of San Antonio for several weeks. They attacked a foraging party of Mexican soldiers on November 26, believing it to be a relief column loaded with silver: in reality, the soldiers were only collecting grass for the horses in the besieged city. This became known as the Grass Fight. Although the nominal commander of the irregular forces, Edward Burleson, wanted to retreat to the east (thus following the orders that had been sent from General Sam Houston), many of the men wanted to fight. Led by settler Ben Milam, these Texans attacked San Antonio on December 5: by December 9 the Mexican forces in the city had surrendered and San Antonio belonged to the rebels. They would lose it again at the disastrous Battle of the Alamo in March. The Battle of Concepcià ³n represented everything the rebellious Texans were doing right†¦and wrong. They were brave men, fighting under solid leadership, using their best weapons - arms and accuracy - to best effect. But they were also unpaid volunteer troops with no chain of command or discipline, who had disobeyed a direct order (a wise one, as it turned out) to keep clear of San Antonio for the time being. The relatively painless victory gave the Texans a great morale boost, but also increased their sense of invulnerability: many of the same men would later die at the Alamo, believing they could hold off the entire Mexican army indefinitely. For the Mexicans, the Battle of Concepcià ³n showed their weaknesses: their troops were not very skilled in war and broke easily. It also proved to them that the Texans were dead serious about independence, something that had perhaps been unclear before. Not long after, President/General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna would arrive in Texas at the head of a massive army: it was now clear that the most important advantage the Mexicans possessed was that of sheer numbers. Sources Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.

The Rights of Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Rights of Animals - Essay Example It will support Singer's argument and present logical reasons to state the case. It will also dispel common fallacies of the opposition view and confront the objections raised most often A vegetarian diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat and in many cases has been shown to be healthier. Meat is not necessary to feed mankind as the amount of vegetable nutrition required to produce meat far outpaces the food value of the meat produced. Having accepted that we can subsist adequately on a vegetarian diet, it becomes imperative that we consider the rights of animals and extend moral dignity to all species. To explore the rights of animals, as equals, mandates that we first define equality as it relates to humans. We do not define equal rights for humans in terms of our willingness to overlook our differences. All humans have physical differences and diverse capabilities. These differences; mental agility, physical prowess, and beauty are accepted as part of being human. This can be illustrated with our concept of equality as it relates to differing ages, the ability to play music, or being multi-lingual. These differences do not limit a human's right to equality. Being equal is not a mere matter of accepting our differences. This absurd extension of reasoning would justify treating a bridge as equal to a human. Our differences are not relevant to the argument. The definition of equality lies not in our ability to overlook difference, but to identify and acknowledge what common thread binds us as human beings. When we examine the human race to determine where our sameness lies, physical and cognitive attributes are soon discarded. The wide range of attributes on the physical plane among humans immediately rejects anything material as sameness. We must therefore look to mental conditions, and awareness of that condition, to evaluate our sameness. On a simple plane of mental agility, we recognize differences in our abilities at work and in scholarly endeavors. Our sameness lies beyond our brain's ability to calculate and resides in deeper levels of consciousness. We ascribe our sameness to self-awareness, concept of past and future, and the ability to feel emotion. These are the concepts that are presumed to be unique to humans by those willing to disregard the rights of animals. Self-awareness is not the sole property of the human race. Animals are acutely aware of their self, their image, and their limitations. A cat will groom itself and will understand where the cat ends and the rest of the universe begins. Animals express their self-awareness in many aspects and in all species. Birds will display plumage and color to attract a mate. They will signal their mate with audible as well as visual indications. They are expressing their self-awareness. The human concept of past and future is reflected in our ability to learn from mistakes, plan for the future, and our appreciation of history. Animals routinely learn from trial and error. The error may result in inhumane punishment as in a training situation when a dog learns obedience. Animals obviously learn to hunt and adjust their method based on success or failure. Hunting and socialization is passed from each generation to the younger members of animal societies. As well as they learn and remember the past, it may also be shown that they exhibit grief at the death of a mate or social group member. Displays of anxiety are commonplace whether we observe