Prohibition Minimum Drinking Ages - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 320 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Lowering The Drinking Age Essay Did you like this example? Since the Prohibition many politicians, scholars, and parents have debated the drinking age. Should the drinking age be 21 or should we lower it to 18? Allowing 18 to 20 year olds to drink in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity. Prohibiting them this right only leads to them feeling like they need to make up for lost time and them binge drinking at parties and partaking in unsafe behavior. Parents, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how and when their offspring should be permitted to drink. Intelligent parents dont let alcohol become a big deal, a mystery or a battleground. They teach its perils, but its pleasures, too. For so many, alcohol is seen as the forbidden fruit and thus making it that much more attractive to the already vulnerable teens and adolescents. By giving teens and adolescents the right consume alcohol, you are allowing them the right to learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation, and allowing parents to supervise and guide them through the effects of alcohol. Granted, many teens have snuck a drink or two here and there but what happens when they go off to college and have unlimited access? They binge because they dont have anyone there to guide them or cut them off and they practice unsafe drinking habits, which can lead to serious health concerns or life altering situations. Sure, parents can stress the importance of drinking safely but how can they truly be certain how alcohol will effects their child without being there to supervise them? Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Prohibition: Minimum Drinking Ages" essay for you Create order Allowing parents the right to choose when their children experience alcohol, ensures that parents can teach their child, just like have done the past 18 years, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Instead of hoping that our children will remember the words we spoke about how alcohol can affect them, lets teach them and guide them through experience.

Goals Of A Goal Setting - 985 Words

In respect to a goal setting, this is another crucial characteristic that demands my accountability. This is potent and doable, however, difficult to engross. Apparently, I didn’t care how difficult it may be, all I wanted was the desired result, one that I can envision, planned and committed to achieving it. This was my personal wish, an end point, and an expected development. Realistically, I wasn’t sure how I can handle the situation, nevertheless, more appreciatively, from a friend who had a similar case. I understood the difficulties in implementing and affecting a goal setting, due to various reasons. According to him, to become successful in a goal setting must require diligent planning to achieve the best outcome. The suggestion agreed and added to the fact that a goal setting builds virtuous motivator in both performance and focus. This helped to create a commitment and drives plans, and feedback. Therefore, its notion permits my endeavors to reach wi thin a finite time placed by a deadline. Following the positive aspiration and burning desire needs, I carefully planned to become a successful person in life. There was a friend who didn’t plan well, he confided that he felt adrift in the world of calamity. He claimed to have worked hard enough in his life, although, he couldn’t seem to get anywhere worthwhile. There was much to learn from his mistakes, however, I still pushed ahead in setting my own goal. Irrespective of the dilemma involved, IShow MoreRelatedThe Goal Setting Goals And Goals918 Words   |  4 PagesSetting goals is an idea many people use to help accomplish tasks, and reach them in a certain amount of time. Implementing plans in an effective step in the right direction toward accomplishing a desired goal. Students, teachers, people in the work place; everyone sets goals whether we are aware of the goal setting or subconsciously setting goals. Goals can be long term or short term depending on ho w big the goal is. I, myself here at Marywood have set some goals. One long term and one short termRead MoreGoals For The Goal Setting1915 Words   |  8 PagesGoal setting is when people set â€Å"specific challenging goals can powerfully drive behavior and boost performance† (Ordà ³Ãƒ ±ez, Scheitzer, Galinsky, Bazerman, 2009, p.2). There are a lot of pros and cons to a lot of topics in life. Goal settings have a lot of pros and cons as well. After reading the three articles there are many more cons than pros to goal setting. Goal setting is very useful to mangers, but the attackers are blowing things out of proportion. The first pro of goal setting is too increaseRead MoreGoal Setting1546 Words   |  7 PagesGoal Setting Discover What You Want in Life and Achieve It Faster than You Think Possible  ¿Que es Goal Setting? Goal setting is the process of writing down specific, measurable, and time-targeted objectives. You figure out want you want, you write your desires down, and then you work towards achieving them. Benefits and Importance of Goal Setting Without goals or a destination, you are like a heat seeking missile with no heat to seek. In addition to letting go of the chains that pull youRead MoreSetting Goals1621 Words   |  7 Pagesthat organizations have one goal: for commercial companies, utilities, for nonprofit organizations: meeting the needs of their constituent groups. In reality, all organizations have multiple objectives. The companies also want to increase their market share and encourage the enthusiasm of the employees for their organization. An emphasis on one goal (and profits), leaves out others that also should be met to achieve long term success. According to Robbins, among the goals that an organization canRead MoreSetting Goals1477 Words   |  6 PagesSetting Goals to Obtain My BA, Business Degree and Cosmetology License Sabrina Meryl PHL/458 July 15, 2013. Professor Leatrice Phares University of Phoenix They are four stages used in the creative process steps when attempting to resolve an issue. These four stages include challenges, identifying the actual problem, investigating the problem, and finding solutions. My personal challenge has been completing my BA, Business Management Degree. I will share with you how I procrastinationRead MoreGoal Setting Goals For Employees2091 Words   |  9 Pagesannual goals called KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for their employees; however, employees may do bargaining with the companies about the KPI to minimize their duties or responsibilities. Perfunctory words that we can always hear from employees are: â€Å"I will try my best to complete tasks, but I cannot guarantee that I could finish them on time.† However, it is difficult to define the expected outcomes after people â€Å"trying their best†. Will employees give the same response after managers setting clearRead MoreGoal Setting1028 Words   |  5 Pages1. Identify two of your long-term education or career goals. Your goals may be career oriented, academic, or personal in nature. (â€Å"I will become the head of my company’s graphics department† is an example of a long-term goal.) I will advance within my company to become a Human Resource Generalist (HRG) I will advance within my company to become a Human Resource Manager 2. Break these two long-term goals into several short-term goals that you hope to accomplish within a relatively shortRead MoreGoal Setting712 Words   |  3 PagesGoals Essay Outline This essay is part of the Rainier HS portfolio, which is a graduation requirement. This essay will receive both an English class grade (using the 6-traits rubric) and a completion score in Advisory. When you have completed this essay, you will need to share it through your Google drive with both your advisory teacher and myself. Use this outline to guide your essay. #1 Introductory Paragraph *There will be at least 2 sentences in this paragraph. Why is it important forRead MoreEssay on Goal Setting1185 Words   |  5 PagesGoal Setting In the first article that I found It stated that Goal Setting is a formal process for personal planning, and is a form of motivation. It is used for a target that a person works for so they can be successful. The process of goal setting is used by many people throughout the world that are trying to and have already achieved something in their lifetime. Setting goals helps a person remain focused on being successful, stay away from distractions, and will help with motivationRead MoreThe Importance of Goal Setting912 Words   |  4 Pages Goal setting for success.com You must remain focused on your journey to greatness. - Les Brown Why to set goals? Why is it necessary? Although every one of us is living in the present world, somewhere down the line we are always thinking about our future. No one’s future is predictable. Almost all of us wish to change our lives. Whether it is associated with family, friends, professional life, career or finances. We all want to make our life better in the future than what it is in the present

Louis Armstrong His Childhood And Early Years free essay sample

Louis Armstrong: His Childhood, And Early Old ages Of His Music Essay, Research Paper Brian McLaughlin History of Wind 12/18/98 Professor Torff Louis Armstrong: His childhood, and the early old ages of his music # 8220 ; He was born in the South at a clip when a black male child could anticipate nil but to turn up, work hard at the lowest occupations all his life, and hope someway, someplace manage to remain healthy and acquire a small out of life. # 8221 ; ( P.1 Collier ) Get a small out of life Louis did, a pure mastermind he revolutionized America # 8217 ; s first true signifier of art, wind. Making a paper on Louis Armstrong has been gratifying to make and the information that is available on Armstrong is eternal. So much that this paper is traveling to concentrate on Louis Childhood how he got involved with music and the early old ages of his music calling with King Oliver # 8217 ; s Creole Jazz Band and the recordings of the Hot 5 # 8217 ; s and Hot 7 # 8217 ; s. Satchmo, which is merely one of his monikers originated from people stating he had a oral cavity like a satchel, is a genuinely an extraordinary adult male. He started his life life in the slums of New Orleans, but would travel one and play in forepart of some of the most of import people in the universe such as presidents, male monarchs, and Queenss. Patching together the facts around Armstrong # 8217 ; s birth and childhood is hard. What is known depends about wholly on what he subsequently told people. He was born sometime around 1900. Louie was raised by his grandma Josephine Armstrong as an baby. His male parent abandoned him and his female parent around the clip of his birth. Louis spoke unsparingly about his male parent when he spoke about him at all. He loathed his male parent so much that he told newsman Larry King, # 8220 ; I was touring Europe so my male parent died. Didn # 8217 ; t travel to his funeral, didn # 8217 ; t direct nil. Why should I He neer had no clip for me or Maryann ( his female parent ) . # 8221 ; ( p. 19 Coller ) Louis had a echt fondness for his female parent, though she was really unreliable, go forthing her boy to take attention of himself and his sister for yearss at a clip. There is really small we know of Armstrong # 8217 ; s household as you can see. Louis grew up in New Orleans in a tough country known, as # 8220 ; The Battle Field # 8221 ; where stab battles and gun drama were common. At the age of approximately seven he moved to black Storyville. It consisted of dance halls honky tonks and whorehouses. It was an amusement territory like London # 8217 ; s Soho. He grew up with music all around him. He could hear music from outside is house when he woke up and when he went to bed. It is recorded that Louis did go to school at the Fisk school where he learned to read and compose. How long he attended this school is another enigma. One fact we do cognize about Louis is that he was arrested on New Years Eve 1912 for hiting a gun. Louis was about eleven at the clip, and this was a really serious discourtesy. He was sent to the Coloreds Waif House a reform school on the out skirts of New Orleans. Here Louis was introduced to organized music in the signifier of the school set. The school set was run by Captain Joseph Jones in a military manner that was highly rigorous. This is where Louis # 8217 ; s life changed from delinquent to a disciplined immature adult male this was besides when Louis was introduced to playing a musical instrument. The instructor, Professor Pete Davis, foremost had reserves of allowing Louis drama in the school # 8217 ; s brass set because he thought Louis was a bad child. Finally Louis was let into the set, and received his first formal pr eparation on an instrument. More significantly than the music preparation Louis received from Professor Davis were the existent life lessons Lois received. Professor Davis had more to make with Louis # 8217 ; self respect and subject than with musicianship. Even more of import was that Louis eventually formed a positive relationship with an older male, a male parent figure, whose subject Louis was willing to demur. # 8220 ; Until this clip, he had more or less acquiesced to the life into which he had been born, a universe of procurers, stealers, Hookers, and gamblers, of random force and puzzling jars of good fortune. # 8221 ; ( Bergreen P. 75 ) After clip Louis earned Davis # 8217 ; trust and Davis asked Louis to take the Colored Waif # 8217 ; s Home set. This is when Louis began to come into his ain as a performing artist. His personality was born, he wasn # 8217 ; t merely a musician, he was a true entertainer. # 8220 ; I remember Louis used to walk amusing with his pess indicating out and at the first non of music he would interrupt into comedy, # 8221 ; Davis said. ( Bergreen P. 77 ) Louis was merely about twelve at this clip and it was boding of Louis as an entertainer down the route. Up until Louis # 8217 ; release he was leader of the set and led them through many field daies and parades. He left the place at age 14 and for all practical grounds his childhood was over. Louis Armstrong # 8217 ; s following three old ages would be the wildest and most traumatic of his life. He returned to the old vicinity life amongst pandemonium of gaming, procurers, cocottes and drug traders. He was released to the detention o f his male parent, surprisingly. Even though Willie worked existent hard for his boy # 8217 ; s release, he had no more use signifier him so he did at Louis # 8217 ; birth. Between the ages of 14 and 17 Louis spent most of the clip haling coal on a Equus caballus drawn passenger car, non one time picking up the instrument he fell in love with at the Waif Home. After his male parent asked him to go forth due to the birth of another kid, Willie Armstrong figured he couldn # 8217 ; t feed four oral cavities so he asked Louis to go forth. He moved back in with his female parent and started playing music once more. He played back in the old vicinity dance halls and barrooms that were run by mobsters. Then in 1917 harlotry in Storyville was outlawed. Peoples left and Storyville became a shade town. # 8220 ; For Louis Armstrong, the shutting of Storyville meant more than a off-color recreation it was the terminal of a manner of life on which he had relied since he was a child. # 8221 ; ( Bergreen p. 110 ) He hooked up with bandleader Edward ( child ) Ory, and started playing in New Orleans Country Clubs, expensive eating houses, and even at private parties in the places of affluent Whites. Louis loved playing for Kid Ory, but yearned to play for King Oliver, his graven image. Louis started to happen out where King Oliver was playing and would demo up and inquire to transport his bag and assist out with other things. King Oliver started to assist Louis out with his horn. King Oliver recognized his endowment and gave Lois occupations that he couldn’t take. Storyville had closed and there was a mass hegira of instrumentalists traveling North to Chicago. King Oliver Louis # 8217 ; wise man left while Louis stayed behind ; he still didn # 8217 ; t earn plenty from his music to back up himself. He took over King Olivers place in Kid Ory # 8217 ; s set and made a name for himself around Chicago. He landed a occupation in Fat Marable # 8217 ; s Orchestra and eventually learned to read music. This besides meant that Louis had to go forth New Orleans in order to go up and down the Mississippi to play on the riverboats. For a twosome of old ages he played on these river boats, but felt restricted by Fat Marables expression for success in the music concern. # 8220 ; Louis now wanted to play his ain music but, the foreman would non let that aboard the river boats. # 8221 ; ( Bergreen P. 168 ) Merely as Louis was acquiring tired of his stay on the riverboats, what he was waiting for arrived. An invitation from King Oliver to fall in his set in Chicago. Louis shortly became a great plus to King Olivers # 8217 ; set. Louis and Oliver were meant to play together, Louis and Joe complimented each other when they played. Drummer George Wettling said, # 8220 ; He ( Oliver ) and Louis Armstrong had some interruptions they played together that I # 8217 ; ve neer heard played since. I don # 8217 ; t cognize how they knew what was coming up following, but they would play those interruptions and neer miss. # 8221 ; ( Jones A ; Chilton p.60 ) For Armstrong his old ages with King Oliver were animating. Armstrong confessed later that his yearss with the Creole Jazz set were the most electrifying yearss of his life. King Oliver took Louis and molded him into the following great cornet participant. Louis was good known throughout Chicago and people came to see him and the Creole Jazz Band drama at the Lincoln Gardens. Louis # 8217 ; name was besides good known throughout the wind universe. He was being asked to play with all the large name instrumentalists. In 1928 Louis received a wire from Fletcher Henderson inquiring Louis to come to New York and play with him. Louis accepted and took a wage cut to make so. Louis had an incredible consequence on the set ; Fletcher Henderson # 8217 ; s group neer sounded better. The majority of their shows were played in the Roseland Ballroom, but from clip to clip the set would travel on the route and tour New England, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Armstrong had a great impact on other instrumentalists which started in Chicago, but with King Oliver and the Creole Jazz Band Armstrong didn # 8217 ; t acquire much solo exposure, with the Henderson set it was different. He was a featured instrumentalist and soloed on about half the records. He was acquiring a great trade of exposure at the Roseland where white instrumentalists came to hear him and he besides was acquiring exposure from the black by playing nines in Harlem. Armstrong was besides taking another measure and that was to hold an tremendous effects for him and necessarily for the history of wind. He began to sing with the Henderson Band. By 1925 Satchmo had established himself as a force in the music concern, but was till unknown by the populace. He could hold stayed with Henderson every bit long as he wanted but he was acquiring restless in the set. He was annoyed that Henderson didn # 8217 ; Ts take his singing earnestly and didn # 8217 ; t think that many of the instrumentalists within in the set took their occupations earnestly. So in November 0f 1925 he left Henderson and went back to Chicago. This was a critical move for the history of Jazz. Armstrong about instantly entered the studios and started entering a series of entering called the Hot Fives and Sevens, which gave him a lasting name. Had he remained with Henderson sharing solo infinite with other instrumentalists he still would hold been influential but he wouldn # 8217 ; t had the impact on the wind universe. When Armstrong returned to Chicago in 1925 it was different than earlier. Wind was now a national craze with a broad audience that included Whites every bit good as inkinesss. Another thing that had changed was the influence of the rabble in Chicago. Most of the nines in Chicago were owned by mobsters. # 8220 ; The Five twelve records by and large titled the Louis Armstrong Hot Fives constitute one of the most important organic structures of American recorded music. # 8221 ; ( Collier P. 169 ) These records were instantly recognized by instrumentalists, and wind fans. All across the United States instrumentalists were enthralled at what Armstrong was making and they all wanted to make the same. The Hot Fives wiped away the old manner of New Orleans manner. It came to be that you either played like Armstrong or you might every bit good non play at all. The Hot Fives and Sevens put Louis on the map and opened all sorts of doors that were usually closed to African-americans at this clip. Through his music he became a film star, gazing in such movies as Jam Session and When the Boys Meet the Girls. He besides became an embassador of good will throughout the universe, in Africa several states issued casts in his award. He was known all over the universe as one of the greatest entertainers of his clip. His popularity besides allowed him to run into some of the most of import people of his clip including Pope Paul IIV in 1968. Satchmo lived a full life that was astonishing for anyone, neer head for an African-american that had everything working against him from twenty-four hours one. 1 ) Collier, James Lincoln. # 8220 ; Louis Armstrong: An American success story. # 8221 ; Macmillan Publishing company, New York 1985. 2 ) Collier, James Lincoln. # 8220 ; Louis Armstrong: An American mastermind. Oxford printing company New York 1983. 3 ) Bergreen, Lawrence. # 8220 ; Louis Armstrong: An extravagent life. # 8221 ; Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, New York 1997. 4 ) Jones, Max ; Chilton John. # 8220 ; Louis: The Louis Armstrong Story. # 8221 ; November Books Limited, London England 1971. 5 ) Kanien, Roger. # 8220 ; Music: An Appreciation Third Edition. # 8221 ; McGraw Hill 1998. 6 ) Giddons, Gary. # 8220 ; Satchmo. # 8221 ; Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing 1988. 7 ) Louis Armstrong: The best of the Decca Years, Volume One. MCA Records INC, Universal metropolis, CA. 1989

Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary Essay Example

Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary Essay Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary Although the collective knowledge in the field of Pedagogy on how readers, actually carry out this interpretive process with college-level expository text is rather limited (Haas and Flower 167). The study in discussion would like to help the understanding of this constructive, rhetorical view of reading. Throughout the article, Haas and Flower emphasize how students â€Å"are good readers in the traditional sense†¦ yet, they paraphrase rather than analyze, summarize rather than criticize texts† (170). This brings up two key points that Haas and Flower discuss in a relation to rhetorical reading strategies, in student reader-writers. According to the research Haas and Flower conducted, only about one percent of students use the rhetorical reading strategy, which means that most students don’t criticize and analyze text that they read. Most students mainly use the Content and Feature/Functional reading strategy, rather than deconstructing the text, they just say the basic things, and summarize which brings up the question, how does the constructive process play itself out in the actual thinking process of reading? Haas and Flower purpose that readers â€Å"construct meaning by building multifaceted, interwoven, representation of knowledge† (168). The main focus Haas and Flower have throughout the article is the fact that students are staying at the â€Å"mediocre† level while reading, instead of breaking down the text and actually analyzing what the author(s) were trying to say. Haas and Flower want students to get use to using the rhetorical strategy, since it will help students better understand the text they read especially as they continue on with higher education Works Cited Haas, Christina and Flower, Linda. â€Å"College Composition and Communication† Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning. 1988 We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Reading Strategies and the Construction of Meaning Summary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Communication Essays

Communication Essays Communication Essay Communication Essay On the basis of your reading of book â€Å"Media effect† explain and elaborate the theory of agenda setting. Also highlight the agenda setting role of media with examples from Pakistani setting. Introduction: This theory puts forth the ability of the media to influence the significance of events in the publics mind. The media set the agenda for the audiences discussion and mentally order and organize their world. The theory is consistent with a use and gratification approach. McCombs and Shaw  assert that the agenda-setting function of the media causes the correlation between the media and public ordering of priorities. The people most affected by the media agenda are those who have a high need for orientation. Agenda Setting Theory: The  agenda-setting theory  is the theory that the  news media  have a large influence on audiences by their choice of what stories to consider  newsworthy  and how much  prominence and space to give them. Agenda-setting theory’s main postulate is  salience  transfer. Salience  transfer is the ability of the  news media  to transfer issues of importance from their  news media  agendas  to public  agendas. Through their day-by-day selection and display of the news, editors and news directors focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. This ability to influence the  salience  of topics on the public  agenda  has come to be called the  agenda  setting role of the  news media. Foundation The  media  agenda  is the set of issues addressed by  media  sources and the public  agenda  which are issues the public consider important. Agenda-setting theory was introduced in 1972 by  Maxwell McCombs  and  Donald Shaw  in their ground breaking study of the role of the  media  in 1968 presidential campaign in  Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The theory explains the  correlation  between the rate at which  media  cover a story and the extent that people think that this story is important. This correlation has been shown to occur repeatedly. In the dissatisfaction of the  magic bullet theory,  McCombs  and  Shaw  introduced agenda setting theory in the  Public Opinion Quarterly. The theory was derived from their study that took place in Chapel Hill, NC, where the researchers surveyed 100 undecided voters during the 1968 presidential campaign on what they thought were key issues and measured that against the actual  media  content. The ranking of issues was almost identical with a correlation of . 97, and the conclusions matched their hypothesis that the  mass media  positioned the  agenda  for public opinion by emphasizing specific topics. Subsequent research on  agenda-setting theory provided evidence for the  cause-and-effect chain of influence  being debated by critics in the field. One particular study made leaps to prove the cause-effect relationship. The study was conducted by Yale researchers,  Shanto Iyengar, Mark Peters, and  Donald Kinder. The researchers had three groups of subjects fill out questionnaires about their own concerns and then each group watched different evening news programs, each of which emphasized a different issue. After watching the news for four days, the subjects again filled out questionnaires and the issues that they rated as most important matched the issues they viewed on the evening news. The study demonstrated a cause-and-effect relationship between  media  agenda  and public  agenda. As of 2004, there were over 400 empirical studies examining the effects of  Agenda  Setting. The theory has evolved beyond the  medias  influence on the publics perceptions of issue  salience  to political candidates and corporate reputation. Functions The  agenda-setting function has multiple components: ? Media  agenda  are issues discussed in the media, such as newspapers, television, and radio. ? Public  agenda  are issues discussed among members of the public. Policy  agenda  are issues that policy makers consider important, such as legislators. ? Corporate  agenda  are issues that big corporations consider important. These four  agendas  are interrelated. The two basic assumptions that underlie most research on  agenda-setting are that the press and the  media  do not reflect reality, they filter and shape it, and the media concentra tion on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues. Levels of  agenda  setting ? The first-level  agenda  setting is most traditionally studied by researchers. Simply put, the focus is/was on major issues/objects and the transfer of the salience of those objects/issues. From these broad issues,  agenda  setting evolved to look not only at the major issues/objects, but to attributes of those issues. ? In second-level  agenda  setting, the  news media  focuses on the  characteristics  of the objects or issues. This transfer of attribute  salience  is considered second-level effects or attribute agenda-setting. The second dimension refers to the transmission of attribute  salience  to the minds of the public. More specifically, each object has numerous attributes, or characteristics and properties that fill out the picture of that particular object. As certain perspectives and frames are employed in news coverage, they can draw public attention to certain attributes and away from others. In this level the media suggest how the people should think about the issue. There are two types of attributes:  cognitive  (sustentative, or topics) and  affective  (evaluative, or positive, negative, neutral). Additionally, there are several theoretical concepts that fall under the umbrella of attribute  agenda  setting. Some of these include:   priming, gate keeping (which happens in both level) of primary importance, the concept of framing. 1. Priming: There are perspectives as to what  priming  actually is, but the primary concept is such: According to the  priming  theory,  news media  exposure presumably causes the activation of related knowledge, which is more likely to be retrieved and used in later judgments because it is more accessible in memory and comes to mind spontaneously and effortlessly. Iyengar and Kinder,  define  priming  as â€Å"changes in standards that people use to make political evaluations. 2. Gate-keeping: The concept of  gate-keeping  attempts to answer the question of who sets the  news media  agenda? Mccombs,  states that we need to look at three key elements: major sources who provide information for news stories, other news organizations, and journalisms norms and traditions. Mccombs  notes that journalists validate their sense of ne ws by observing and the work of their colleagues. Local newspapers and televisions stations note the news  agenda  offered each day by their direct competitors for local attention. Finding stories that are  newsworthy  can be difficult, but most journalists look for these characteristics throughout the information they collect. These generally are:  impact,  proximity,timeliness,  prominence,  importance,  conflict,  contradiction,  contrast,  novelty, and  human interest. 3. Framing: Although many scholars have differing opinions of what exactly  framing  is, Mccombs  defines it as, the selection of and emphasis upon particular attributes for the news media  agenda  when talking about an object (the fact of cutting and trimming news stories in order to filter it and shape it as the sender wish) . In other words, it is not just is said in news reports, but how they are characterized and presented. It is through this unique characterization/portrayal of issues/objects that communicates certain meanings to audiences apart from just stating facts and figures Usage: The theory is used in political advertising, political campaigns and debates, business news and corporate reputation,  business influence on federal policy, legal systems, trials, role of groups, audience control, public opinion, and  public relations. Strengths and weaknesses of theory It has an explanatory power because it explains why most people prioritize the same issues as important. It also has predictive power because it predicts that if people are exposed to the same  media, they will feel the same issues are important. Its meta-theoretical assumptions are balanced on the scientific side and it lays groundwork for further research. There are also limitations, such as  news media  users may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. People may not be well-informed, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Instead, they may pay only casual and intermittent attention to public affairs and remain ignorant of the details. For people who have made up their minds, the effect is weakened. Another limitation is that there is limited research in the realm of non-traditional forms of  news media  (i. e. Social Media, Blogs, etc ) and it’s  Agenda  Setting Role. Q-2Describe in detail the major features and concepts of the Cultivation effects hypothesis? Compare research of this tradition with traditional television effects research. Cultivation theory: Cultivation theory in its most basic form, then, suggests that exposure to television, over time, subtly cultivates viewers perceptions of reality. This cultivation can have an impact even on light viewers of TV, because the impact on heavy viewers has an impact on our entire culture. Gerbner and Gross (1976) say television is a medium of the socialization of most people into standardized roles and behaviors. Cultivation Effects Hypothesis: Stated most simply, the central hypothesis explored in cultivation research is that those who spend more time watching television are more likely to perceive the real world in ways that reflect the most common and recurrent messages of the television world, compared with people who watch less television, but are otherwise comparable in terms of important demographic characteristics (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, Shanahan, 2002). Gerbner  et al. 1986) go on to argue the impact of television on its viewers is not unidirectional, that the use of the term cultivation for televisions contribution to conception of social reality (Does not) necessarily imply a one-way, monolithic process. The effects of a pervasive medium upon the composition and structure of the symbolic environment is subtle, complex, and intermingled with other influences. This perspective, therefore, assumes an interaction between the medium and its publics. Cultivation Theory ( George Gerbner, 1960’s) is a top down, linear, closed communication model. It regards audiences as passive, presenting ideas to society as a mass with meaning open to little or no interpretation. The ideas presented to a passive audience are often accepted, therefore influencing large groups into conforming behind ideas, meaning that the media exerts a significant influence over audiences. This audience is seen as very vulnerable and easily manipulated. Cultivation Theory looks at media as having a long term passive effect on audiences, which starts off small at first but has a compound effect, an example of this is body image and the bombardment of images. An advantage of this theory is that it is easy to apply to a wide range of texts and to a wide range of audience members, a disadvantage however is that it doesn’t look at the background, ethnicity, gender etc. of audiences. In 1968 Gerbner conducted a survey to demonstrate this theory. From his results he placed television viewers into three categories; Light viewers (less than 2 hours a day) Medium viewers (2–4 hours a day) Heavy viewers (more than 4 hours a day) He found that heavy viewers held beliefs and opinions similar to those portrayed on television rather than the real world which demonstrates the compound effect of media influence. An advantage to this study is that surveys are able to ask specific detailed questions and can be applied over different demographic groups. Disadvantages to this study is that survey questions can be interpreted incorrectly resulting in inaccurate answers and that participants of the survey may or may not be doing the survey voluntarily which could influence how they respond to the survey and the type of people being surveyed. Gerbner created the cultivation theory as one part of a three part research strategy, called Cultural Indicators. The concept of a cultural indicator was developed by Gerbner in order to be a more common idea of a social indicator. The first part of this strategy is known as the institutional process analysis. This investigates how the flow of media messages is produced and managed, how decisions are made, and how media organizations function. The second part of this strategy is known as message system analysis, which has been used since 1967 to track the most stable and recurrent images in media content. This is in terms of violence, race ethnicity, gender, and occupation. The final part of the research study is the cultivation analysis. METHODOLOGY The first stage in cultivation analysis is a careful study of TV content in order to identify predominant themes and messages. Since 1967, Gerbner and his colleagues have been meticulously analyzing sample weeks of prime time and day time TV programming. Television’s world is populated by a preponderance of males. Moreover, in portraying occupations TV over emphasizes the professions and over represents the proportion of workers engaged in law enforcement and the detection of crime. Lastly the TV world is a violent one. Step two examines what viewers absorb from heavy exposure to the world of TV. Respondents are presented with questions concerning social reality and are asked to check one of two possible answers. One of these answers (the TV answers) is more inline with the way things are portrayed on TV; the other (the real world answer) more closely resembles situations in actual life. RESEARCH FINDINGS Most findings suggest that among some people TV is cultivating distorted perceptions of the real world. Results from a national survey of adult viewers indicate that cultivation is not limited to children. In this survey heavy TV viewers evidently felt that TV violence and crime presented an accurate depiction of reality, since they also were more fearful of walking alone at night and were more likely to have bought a dog or to have put locks on windows and doors than were light TV viewers. Research has shown that content other than crime and violence might also demonstrate a cultivate effect. One study (1981) found that heavy soap opera viewers were more likely than light viewers to over estimate the number of real life married people who had affairs or who had been divorced and the number of women who had abortions. Not all researchers have accepted the cultivation hypothesis. In particular, Hughes (1980) and Hirsch (1980) reanalyzed the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) data using simultaneous rather than individual controls for demographic variables, and they were unable to replicate Gerbner’s findings. Gerbner responded by introducing resonance and mainstreaming, two new concepts to help explain inconsistencies in the results (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, 1986). These concepts take account of the fact that heavy TV viewing has different outcomes for different social groups. Resonance: When the media reinforce what is seen in real life, thus giving an audience member a â€Å"double dose,† the resulting increase in the cultivation effect is attributed to resonance. Mainstreaming is a leveling effect. Gerbner says mainstreaming occurs when heavy viewing leads to a convergence of outlooks across groups. The addition of mainstreaming and resonance to cultivation theory is a substantial modification of the theory. The theory no longer claims uniform, across the board effects of Television on all heavy viewers. It now claims that TV interacts with other variables in ways such that television viewing will have strong effects on some subgroups of persons and not on others. COMPARISON OF CULTIVATION EFFECTS HYPOTHESIS WITH TRADITIONAL T. V EFFECTS RESEARCH Traditional effects research is based on evaluating specific informational, educational, political, or marketing efforts in terms selective exposure and measurable differences between those exposed and others. Scholars steeped in those traditions find it difficult to accept the emphasis of cultivation analysis on total immersion rather than selective viewing and on the spread of stable similarities of outlook rather than on the remaining sources of cultural differentiation and change. Cultivation theory is based on the results of research findings a persistent and persuasive pull of the television. Mainstream on a great variety of conceptual currents and counter currents. The focus on broad communalities of perspectives among heavy viewers of otherwise varied backgrounds requires a theoretical and methodological approach different from traditional media effects research and appropriate to the distinct dynamics of TV. Cultivation analysis is not a substitute for but a complement to traditional approaches to media effects. Traditional research is concerned with change rather than stability and with processes more applicable to media that inter a person’s life at latter stages (with mobility, literacy, etc. ) and more selectively. Neither the â€Å"before and after exposure† model, nor the notion of â€Å"predispositions† as intervening variables. So important and traditional effects studies, apply in the context of cultivation analysis. TV enters life in infancy; there is no â€Å"before exposure† condition. TV plays a role in the formation of those very â€Å"predispositions† that later intervene (and often resist) other influences and attempts at persuasion. Cultivation analysis concentrates on the enduring and common consequences of growing up and living with TV. Those are the stable, resistant, and widely shared assumptions, images, and conceptions expressing the institutional haracteristics and interests of the medium itself. Q-3Explain the concepts of Framing and Priming with examples? Also briefly describe Mainstreaming effects. Priming and Framing: Priming (mass media research), often cited next to Framing and  Agenda-setting theory, is a cognitive process, in which media information (Primes) increases temporarily the accessibility of knowledge units in the memory of an individual, which makes it more likely that these knowledge units are used in the reception, interpretation and judgment for the following external information. Framing Although many scholars have differing opinions of what exactly  framing  is, Mccombs  defines it as, the selection of and emphasis upon particular attributes for the news media  agenda  when talking about an object (the fact of cutting and trimming news stories in order to filter it and shape it as the sender wish) . In turn, as we know from attribute  agenda  setting, people who frame objects, placing various degrees of emphasis on the attributes of persons, public issues or other objects when they think or talk about them. In other words, it is not just is said in news reports, but how they are characterized and presented. It is through this unique characterization/portrayal of issues/objects that communicates certain meanings to audiences apart from just stating facts and figures; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Entman, 1993 not only defines  frames  as â€Å"involving selection and salience. To  frame  is to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more  salient  in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described.    But also goes on to describe these four functions: 1) Defining problems-determining what a causal agent is doing with what costs and benefits, usually measured in terms of common cultural values; 2) Diagnosing causes-identifying the forces creating the problem; 3) Making moral judgments-evaluate causal  agents  and their effects; and 4) Suggesting remedies-offering and justifying treatments for the problems a nd predict their likely effects. It is through these four functions that the  news media  can highlight/characterize certain issues/candidates/problems/attributes and/or choose to ignore others. Furthermore, many other defined  news media  framing as the central organizing idea for news content that supplies a context and suggests what the issue is through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration.   When the news media  supply the context, select what to emphasize or exclude information, they show us how to think about an object/issue/candidate. In order for this to be effective the audience must be able to internalize the information and â€Å"individual’s therefore apply interpretive schemas or â€Å"primary frameworks† Priming: There are perspectives as to what  priming  actually is, but the primary concept is such: According to the  priming  theory,  news media  exposure presumably causes the activation of related knowledge, which is more likely to be retrieved and used in later judgments because it is more accessible in memory and comes to mind spontaneously and effortlessly. , its the actual act of link two different elements in order to generate a general known idea. The concept of  priming  is supported by the  accessibility bias argument  as well as the principle of resonance as some attributes may resonate longer with individuals than others. Iyengar and Kinder,  define  priming  as â€Å"changes in standards that people use to make political evaluations. † The premis e of political priming is that public evaluations of political leaders are made on the basis of issues that are on the top of citizens’ mind. This study investigated the impact of a national referendum campaign about a European integration issue on the evaluation of the incumbent government, the Prime Minister as well opposition leaders. Drawing on a content analysis of news media and a two-wave panel survey, the results showed that as the topic of the referendum (the introduction of the euro) became more visible in the media during the campaign, the importance of the euro issue for formulating general evaluations of political leaders increased. The incumbent government that was seen to handle the referendum poorly was penalized by the referendum. Exposure to news media outlets that covered the referendum extensively and offered negative evaluations of political leaders boosted the decline in overall performance rating of political leaders for politically less involved respondents. These results stress the necessity of considering the campaign and the specific content of the media to understand fluctuations in public opinion during a referendum campaign. MAINSTREAMING EFFECTS: Gerbner and his colleagues define mainstreaming as the sharing of that commonality among heavy viewers in those demographic groups whose light viewers hold divergent views (Gerbner et al. , 1980, p. 15). Gerbner and his associates look for mainstreaming effects by selecting groups of light viewers that differ strongly in their answers to a particular question (such as the estimate of the proportion of law enforcement officers in the total workforce). They then look at the heavy viewers in those same groups. If the variation in the answers of the heavy viewers is significantly smaller than the variation in the answers of the light viewers, the researchers speak of a mainstreaming effect of television, or a relative homogenization, an absorption of divergent views, and a convergence of disparate viewers (Morgan Signorielli, 1990, p. 3). Related to acts of violence depicted in programming, viewers are de-sensitized to the violence and become less empathetic to the suffering of others. Likewise studies of other social issues indicate that television cultivates assumptions we label stereotypes. Thus notions of gender roles are reinforced by television content when viewers see women in th e kitchen and men in the workplace. An interesting result of mainstreaming is that heavy viewers tend to label themselves as â€Å"moderate† instead of â€Å"liberal† or â€Å"conservative,† despite the actual positions they take on a number of political issues. Mainstream does not mean ‘middle of the road’† (Gerbner et al. , 2002, p. 57). Mainstreaming has influenced the heavy viewer to consider himself as conforming to the dominant viewpoint rather than be counted among those who are outside of the norm. Q-4: What do you understand by social Cognitive theory of mass communication? Give examples from your own society. Mass communication is something were all affected by in one way, or another. Directly, or indirectly, information transmitted by todays communication mediums shape and directs a societys expectations and behaviors. The impacts of mass communication exert a cognitive effect on us as individuals, and as a social group. The cognitive theory examines how repeated exposure to the media changes human behavior. Values: Valuesboth personal and societalare the focus within the cognitive theory of mass communication. The methods used to relay information are based on how values are formed, structured and directed within our minds. Research within psychology, marketing and communications all combine to give us an understanding of how media interacts with a societys value system. Based on structured methods that work on values, attitudes, emotions and behavior, the effects of mass communication can be pre-determined, and put to use. Features: A persons value system is built on pre-learned patterns of how to identify people and things in her environment, and how to interact with them. Patterns that carry an emotional overtone have the most impact on a persons value system. Cognitive theory refers to these patterns as Exemplars. These are the building blocks that make up a value system. Exemplars represent accumulated information blocks within a persons psychological make-up. Mass communication mediums like television and newspapers affect us on a daily basis. Cognitive theory views the information passed along through these sources as seeded with exemplars. Over a period of years, or decades, the medias portrayal of exemplars becomes a means by which value systems can be changed. Function:   Media advertisers make use of exemplars within their advertising campaigns. Cognitive theory calls this the Priming method. Based on whats called a Landscape Model, advertisers can determine where best to promote a product within a television show, a newspaper, or a movie. Product placement within the framework of a story is based on where the product will most impact the viewers. Social cognitive theory is a subcategory of  cognitive theory  that focuses on the effects that others have on our behavior. It is a form of  learning theory, but differs from other learning theories such as  behaviorism  in several important ways. Tenets of Social Cognitive Theory: Expert opinions differ on exactly what separates social cognitive theory from the more general social learning theory. In general, however, these principles can be used to define social cognitive theory. . People learn by observing others, a process known as vicarious learning, not only through their own direct experiences. 2. Although learning can modify behavior, people do not always apply what they have learned. Individual choice is based on perceived or actual consequences of behavior. 3. People are more likely to follow the behaviors modeled by someone with whom they can identify. T he more perceived commonalities and/or emotional attachments between the observer and the model, the more likely the observer will learn from the model. 4. The degree of self-efficacy that a learner possesses directly affects his or her ability to learn. Self-efficacy is a fundamental belief in one’s ability to achieve a goal. If you believe that you can learn new behaviors, you will be much more successful in doing so. Social Cognitive Theory in Daily Life: Social cognitive theory is frequently used in  advertising. Commercials are carefully targeted toward particular demographic groups. Each element of the commercial, from the actors to the background music, is chosen to help that demographic identify with the product. Notice how different the commercials shown during Saturday morning cartoons are from those shown during the evening news or a late-night movie. And who hasnt at one time or another realized the power of  peer pressure? We all want to belong, and so we tend to change our behaviors to fit in with whatever group we most strongly identify with. Although we often think of peer pressure as solely a teen phenomenon, how many of us drive a particular car, live in a specific neighborhood, or have our hair done at a certain salon simply because it is expected of someone in our social class or peer group? Social cognitive theory  is a  learning theory  based on the ideas that people learn by watching what others do and that human thought processes are central to understanding personality. While social cognitists agree that there is a fair amount of influence on development generated by learned behavior displayed in the environment in which one grows up, they believe that the individual person (and therefore cognition) is just as important in determining moral development. People learn by observing others, with the environment, behavior, and cognition all as the chief factors in influencing development. These three factors are not static or independent; rather, they are all reciprocal. For example, each behavior witnessed can change a persons way of thinking (cognition). Similarly, the environment one is raised in may influence later behaviors, just as a fathers mindset (also cognition) will determine the environment in which his children are raised.

What Type of Nurse Are You

What Type of Nurse Are You There are so many different types of nurses. These include registered nurses, travel nurses, nurse practitioners, and operating room nurses just to name a few. Have you ever wondered what type of nurse you might be if you decide to pursue nursing as a career? Or maybe if you are in the right field of nursing based on your wants? This quiz is perfect to help you decide based on your likes.  Source [ Playbuzz ]

Federal debt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Federal debt - Research Paper Example all the state loans whether it is incurred for exploiting the natural resources of a country or for meeting or preparing for the war, or any commercial purposes, etc. is termed as Government Debt. (Hansen, 1941) The federal debt is created because the annual deficit of the government when the receipts of the government in a current year falls below the government spending. (Butler) This deficit is the amount that the government has to finance from other sources. The nature of the government debt is such that it is the debt of the people of the country which is why it is also known as the public debt as the government has to repay that debt by the amount it generates from the public in form of taxes. Therefore, it can be said to be the taxpayer’s indirect debt. (Peavler) State can raise loans in different forms. It may obtain loans from people within the country or from other states or by issue of inconvertible paper currency. There is always a limit of borrowing in each case whichever method is adopted by the state. If that limit is crossed, the country is bound to suffer. We discuss below the various forms of state borrowing and also the limit to which the state can borrow. When the state finds it difficult to raise its revenue by taxation then it resorts to borrowing from citizens and financial institutions within the country. That may fall into short term loans or long term loans or both. Now, it depends upon the socio-economic conditions of the country that how much loan the state will obtain. The state can also raise loans from the Central Bank of the country. The Central Bank purchases the government securities, bonds and debentures from the government and advances loans against them. It is that loan which is raised through international money markets, foreign governments and international agencies such as IMF. When state requires wealth, it makes effort to get as much loan as it can from other states. Foreign governments take into account many

Economy of Bahrain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economy of Bahrain - Essay Example Petroleum production and processing are the main exports of Bahrain. The economic conditions of the country have depended on the price of oil. Bahrain's infrastructure is highly developed. Many multinational firms have their head offices in the country. The country also exports petroleum products. The construction industry is also a major source of revenue for the government. Bahrain has a GDP per capita of $20,500 according to research conducted in 2005. It has a purchasing parity of $14.08 billion. Bahrain is a prosperous country by regional standards. It has pursued a neutral foreign policy and is famous for its tolerance. It is the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. It has a large population of international expatriates. Despite an impressive standard of living, Bahrain suffers from poverty and poor living conditions. At least 20,000 families receive financial assistance from Ministry of Labor and private organizations. Recent studies have found that the poverty income threshold is Bahraini Dinar 209 per month. The poverty level for Bahrain is at least a quarter of the total population. At least 200,000 people suffer from poor living conditions. Many people do not have decent housing. More than 30,000 families with low incomes have inadequate housing facilities. The average income has been increasing but the poverty rate has also increased. The The rise in poverty has been attributed to corruption, poor planning, low wages, influx of foreign workers and income inequalities. Further a small group of wealthy and powerful people dominate the economy. These are considered as major obstacles to real reforms. Large areas of land have been taken over by powerful people. This has caused property prices to increase and put tremendous pressure on low income people. Poverty is clearly causing an adverse impact on society. Crime, divorce rate and increase in workers working in poor conditions are direct results of poverty (Moore, 45). Income distribution Compared with other regional countries, Bahrain has a low poverty rate. However most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the Sunni minority. The average daily expenditure is US$13.9 per person in Bahrain. This is compared with an average income of 12.8 dollars. The reason is that Bahrain has a negative savings level at the national level. Bahrain's population does not suffer from poverty compared with regional countries. Research has shown that 12 percent of the population has an average income of less than five dollars per person. The expenditure required by a Bahraini to sustain basic expenses is an estimated US$42 per month. Majority of Bahrain's population lives in apartments while the remaining owns their houses. The average Bahraini also has ownership of electronic appliances and amenities which show that the majority of families enjoy an impressive standard of living (National Accountant, 34). Economic growth rate Bahrain's economic growth rate has increased in 2007. It has been bolstered by high oil prices and increase in non oil exports. The financial sector remains the main part of the economy. The government is also addressing issues like unemployment and rising crime. The economy has registered a 7.0% growth in 2007. The growth rate is expected to

Benefits of Distance Learning Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Distance Learning Essay The benefits of distance learning are apparent as distance learning aims at meeting student’s needs. The offered outline is composed according to student’s needs and abilities. The most important factor affecting many future students who are willing to study is financial problems. Therefore firstly they consider financial benefits of any type of learning. Ability to take part-time job along with ability to save money plays an important role in choosing studying course. Students having financial problems also consider benefits in time management and distance learning gives the opportunity to study when it is convenient for a student. Therefore time management benefits have to follow financial ones. Furthermore, effectiveness of studying process is also a matter of concern for future students. Ability to correspond with teachers and other students via e-mail, telephone and chat rooms offers wide range of studying opportunities. Constant access to on-line libraries and data bases affects student’s choice. Students having full-time and part-time jobs would be able to pass exams during their available time. Finally, social benefits take the last place, because considerations about financial and studying benefits are more important in modern society as education is very expensive and one firstly thinks abut the ability to pay for the course and only then about the opportunities to lead social life. References Distance Learning Benefits. (2005). Retrieved October, 27, 2006, from http://www. distance-learning-college-guide. com/distance-learning-benefits. html

William Faulkner’s Barn Burning: Abner Snopes Character Analysis Essay

William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"Barn Burning† describes a typical relationship between wealthy people and poor people during the Civil War. The main character, Abner Snopes, sharecrops to make a living for his family. He despises wealthy people. Out of resentment for wealthy people, he burns their barns to get revenge. Abner’s character over the course of the story is unchanging in that he is cold hearted, lawless, and violent. First, Abner’s unchanging character shows his cold heartedness. After being sentenced to leave the country for burning a man’s barn, he shows no emotions to his family. During the story, there was not a time when he apologized or offered a word of encouragement to them. His tone of voice when talking to them is bitter and bossy, and he never said thank you. Later in the story after they had arrived at their next house, he orders his wife, her sister and his two daughters to unload the wagon. He walks with his son to DeSpain’s house where he entered without given permission, and proceeded to wipe his feet that was covered with horse manure, thus staining the rug. â€Å"Abner moves through life with no regard for his fellow humans and with no respect for their right to material possessions† (731). After being told to clean the rug, Abner took a rock and further ruined it. His coldness is shown when he demands his two daughters to clean the rug in pots of lye and then hanging it to dry. Later in the evening Abner calls his son to get to retur...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 27

Chapter 27 The angel and I watched Star Wars for the second time on television last night, and I just had to ask. â€Å"You've been in God's presence, right, Raziel?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Do you think he sounds like James Earl Jones?† â€Å"Who's that?† â€Å"Darth Vader.† Raziel listened for a moment while Darth Vader threatened someone. â€Å"Sure, a little. He doesn't breathe that heavy though.† â€Å"And you've seen God's face.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Is he black?† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is, isn't he? If he wasn't you'd just say he wasn't.† â€Å"I'm not allowed to say.† â€Å"He is.† â€Å"He doesn't wear a hat like that,† said Raziel. â€Å"Ah-ha!† â€Å"All I'm saying is no hat. That's all I'm saying.† â€Å"I knew it.† â€Å"I don't want to watch this anymore.† Raziel switched the channel. God (or someone who sounded like him) said, â€Å"This is CNN.† We came up to Jerusalem, in the gate at Bethsaida called the Eye of the Needle, where you had to duck down to pass through, out the Golden Gate, through the Kidron Valley, and over the Mount of Olives into Bethany. We had left the brothers and Matthew behind because they had jobs, and Bartholomew because he stank. His lack of cleanliness had started to draw attention lately from the local Pharisees in Capernaum and we didn't want to push the issue since we were walking into the lair of the enemy. Philip and Nathaniel joined us on our journey, but stayed behind on the Mount of Olives at a clearing called Gethsemane, where there was a small cave and an olive press. Joshua tried to convince me to stay with them, but I insisted. â€Å"I'll be fine,† Joshua said. â€Å"It's not my time. Jakan won't try anything, it's just dinner.† â€Å"I'm not worried about your safety, Josh, I just want to see Maggie.† I did want to see Maggie, but I was worried about Joshua's safety as well. Either way, I wasn't staying behind. Jakan met us at the gate wearing a new white tunic belted with a blue sash. He was stocky, but not as fat as I expected him to be, and almost exactly my height. His beard was black and long, but had been cut straight across about the level of his collarbone. He wore the pointed linen cap worn by many of the Pharisees, so I couldn't tell if he'd lost any of his hair. The fringe that hung down was dark brown, as were his eyes. The most frightening and perhaps the most surprising thing about him was that there was a spark of intelligence in his eyes. That hadn't been there when we were children. Perhaps seventeen years with Maggie had rubbed off on him. â€Å"Come in, fellow Nazarenes. Welcome to my home. There are some friends inside who wanted to meet you.† He led us through the door into a large great room, large enough in fact to fit any two of the houses we shared at Capernaum. The floor was paved in tile with turquoise and red mosaic spirals in the corners of the room (no pictures, of course). There was a long Roman-style table at which five other men, all dressed like Jakan, sat. (In Jewish households the tables were close to the ground and diners reclined on cushions or on the floor around them.) I didn't see Maggie anywhere, but a serving girl brought in large pitchers of water and bowls for us to wash our hands in. â€Å"Let this water stay water, will you, Joshua?† Jakan said, smiling. â€Å"We can't wash in wine.† Jakan introduced us to each of the men, adding some sort of elaborate title to each of their names that I didn't catch, but which indicated, I'm sure, that they were all members of the Sanhedrin as well as the Council of Pharisees. Ambush. They received us curtly, then made their way to the water bowls to wash their hands before dinner, all of them watching as Joshua and I washed and offered prayer. This, after all, was part of the test. We sat. The water pitchers and bowls were taken away by the serving girl, who then brought pitchers of wine. â€Å"So,† said the eldest of the Pharisees, â€Å"I hear you have been casting demons out of the afflicted in Galilee.† â€Å"Yes, we're having a lovely Passover week,† I said. â€Å"And you?† Joshua kicked me under the table. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"By the power of my father I have relieved the suffering of some who were plagued by demons.† When Joshua said â€Å"my father† every one of them squirmed. I noticed movement in one of the doorways to Jakan's back. It was Maggie, making signals and signs like a madwoman, but then Jakan spoke. Attention turned to him and Maggie ducked out of sight. Jakan leaned forward. â€Å"Some have said that you banish these demons by the power of Beelzebub.† â€Å"And how could I do that?† Joshua said, getting a little angry. â€Å"How could I turn Beelzebub against himself? How can I battle Satan with Satan? A house divided can't stand.† â€Å"Boy, I'm starving,† I said. â€Å"Bring on the eats.† â€Å"With the spirit of God I cast out demons, that's how you know the kingdom has come.† They didn't want to hear that. Hell, I didn't want to hear that, not here. If Joshua claimed to bring the kingdom, then he was claiming to be the Messiah, which by their way of thinking could be blasphemy, a crime punishable by death. It was one thing for them to hear it secondhand, it was quite another to have Joshua say it to their faces. But he, as usual, was unafraid. â€Å"Some say John the Baptist is the Messiah,† said Jakan. â€Å"There's nobody better than John,† Joshua said. â€Å"But John doesn't baptize with the Holy Ghost. I do.† They all looked at each other. They had no idea what he was talking about. Joshua had been preaching the Divine Spark – the Holy Ghost – for two years, but it was a new way of looking at God and the kingdom: it was a change. These legalists had worked hard to find their place of power; they weren't interested in change. Food was put on the table and prayers offered again, then we ate in silence for a while. Maggie was in the doorway behind Jakan again, gesturing with one hand walking over the other, mouthing words that I was supposed to understand. I had something I wanted to give her, but I had to see her in private. It was obvious that Jakan had forbidden her to enter the room. â€Å"Your disciples do not wash their hands before they eat!† said one of the Pharisees, a fat man with a scar over his eye. Bart, I thought. â€Å"It's not what goes into a man that defiles him,† Joshua said, â€Å"it's what comes out.† He broke off some of the flatbread and dipped it into a bowl of oil. â€Å"He means lies,† I said. â€Å"I know,† said the old Pharisee. â€Å"You were thinking something disgusting, don't lie.† The Pharisees passed the â€Å"no, your turn, no, it's your turn† look around the room. Joshua chewed his bread slowly, then said, â€Å"Why wash the outside of the urn, if there's decay on the inside?† â€Å"Yeah, like you rotting hypocrites!† I added, with more enthusiasm than was probably called for. â€Å"Quit helping!† Josh said. â€Å"Sorry. Nice wine. Manischewitz?† My shouting evidently stirred them out of their malaise. The old Pharisee said, â€Å"You consort with demons, Joshua of Nazareth. This Levi was seen to cause blood to come from a Pharisee's nose and a knife to break of its own, and no one even saw him move.† Joshua looked at me, then at them, then at me again. â€Å"You forget to tell me something?† â€Å"He was being an emrod, so I popped him.† (â€Å"Emrod† is the biblical term for hemorrhoid.) I heard Maggie's giggling from the other room. Joshua turned back to the creeps. â€Å"Levi who is called Biff has studied the art of the soldier in the East,† Joshua said. â€Å"He can move swiftly, but he is not a demon.† I stood up. â€Å"The invitation was for dinner, not a trial.† â€Å"This is no trial,† said Jakan, calmly. â€Å"We have heard of Joshua's miracles, and we have heard that he breaks the Law. We simply want to ask him by whose authority he does these things. This is dinner, otherwise, why would you be here?† I was wondering that myself, but Joshua answered me by pushing me down in my seat and proceeding to answer their accusations for another two hours, crafting parables and throwing their own piety back in their faces. While Joshua spoke the word of God, I did sleight-of-hand tricks with the bread and the vegetables, just to mess with them. Maggie came to the doorway and signaled me, pointing frantically to the front door and making threatening, head-bashing gestures which I took to be the consequences for my not understanding her this time. â€Å"Well, I've got to go see a man about a camel, if you'll excuse me.† I stepped out the front door. As soon as I closed it behind me I was hit with the spraying girl-spit of a violently whispering woman. â€Å"YoustupidsonofabitchwhatthefuckdidyouthinkIwastryingtosaytoyou?† She punched me in the arm. Hard. â€Å"No kiss?† I whispered. â€Å"Where can I meet you, after?† â€Å"You can't. Here, take this.† I handed her a small leather pouch. â€Å"There's a parchment inside to tell you what to do.† â€Å"I want to see you two.† â€Å"You will. Do what the note says. I have to go back in.† â€Å"You bastard.† Punch in the arm. Hard. I forgot what I was doing and entered the house still rubbing my bruised shoulder. â€Å"Levi, have you injured yourself?† â€Å"No, Jakan, but sometimes I strain a shoulder muscle just shaking this monster off.† The Pharisees hated that one. I realized that they were waiting for me to request water so I could go through the whole hand-washing ritual before I sat down to the table again. I stood there, thinking about it, rubbing my shoulder, waiting. How long could it possibly take to read a note? It seemed like a long time, with them staring at me, but I'm sure it was only a few minutes. Then it came, the scream. Maggie let go from the next room, long and high and loud, a virtuoso scream of terror and panic and madness. I bent over and whispered into Joshua's ear, â€Å"Just follow my lead. No, just don't do anything. Nothing.† â€Å"But – â€Å" The Pharisees all looked like someone had dropped hot coals into their laps as the scream went on, and on. Maggie had great sustain. Before Jakan could get up to investigate, there came my girl – still shrieking, I might add – a lovely green foam running out of her mouth, her dress torn and hanging in shreds on her blood-streaked body and blood running from the corners of her eyes. She screamed in Jakan's face and rolled her eyes, then leapt onto the table and growled as she kicked every piece of crockery off onto the floor where it shattered. The servant girl ran through screaming, â€Å"Demons have taken her, demons have taken her!† then bolted out the front door. Maggie started screeching again, then ran up and down the length of the table, urinating as she went. (Nice touch, I would never have thought of that.) The Pharisees had backed up against the wall, including Jakan, as Maggie fell on her back on the table, thrashing and growling and screaming obscenities while splattering the front of their white cloaks with green foam, urine, and blood. â€Å"Devils! She's been possessed by devils. Lots of them,† I shouted. â€Å"Seven,† Maggie said between growls. â€Å"Looks like seven,† I said. â€Å"Doesn't it, Josh?† I grabbed the back of Joshua's hair and sort of made him nod in agreement. No one was really watching him anyway, as Maggie was now spouting impressive fountains of green foam both out of her mouth and from between her legs. (Again, a nice touch I wouldn't have thought of.) She settled into a vibrating fit rhythm, with barking and obscenities for counterpoint. â€Å"Well, Jakan,† I said politely, â€Å"thank you for dinner. It's been lovely but we have to be going.† I pulled Joshua to his feet by his collar. He was a little perplexed himself. Not terrified like our host, but perplexed. â€Å"Wait,† Jakan said. â€Å"Festering dog penis!† Maggie snarled to no one in particular, but I think everyone knew who she meant. â€Å"Oh, all right, we'll try to help her,† I said. â€Å"Joshua, grab an arm.† I pushed him forward and Maggie grabbed his wrist. I went around to the other side of the table and got hold of her other arm. â€Å"We have to get her out of this house of defilement.† Maggie's fingernails bit into my arm as I lifted her up and she pulled herself along on Josh's wrist, pretending to thrash and fight. I dragged her out the front door and into the courtyard. â€Å"Make an effort, Joshua, would you,† Maggie whispered. Jakan and the Pharisees bunched at the door. â€Å"We need to take her into the wilderness to safely cast out the devils,† I shouted. I dragged her, and Joshua for that matter, into the street and kicked the heavy gate closed. Maggie relaxed and stood up. A mound of green foam cascaded off of her chest. â€Å"Don't relax yet, Maggie. When we're farther away.† â€Å"Pork-eating goat fucker!† â€Å"That's the spirit.† â€Å"Hi, Maggie,† Joshua said, taking her arm and finally helping me drag. â€Å"I think it went really well for short notice,† I said. â€Å"You know, Pharisees make the best witnesses.† â€Å"Let's go to my brother's house,† she whispered. â€Å"We can send word that I'm incurable from there. â€Å"Rat molester!† â€Å"It's okay, Maggie, we're out of range now.† â€Å"I know. I was talking to you. Why'd you take seventeen years to get me out of there?† â€Å"You're beautiful in green, did I ever tell you that?† â€Å"I've got to think that that was unethical,† Joshua said. â€Å"Josh, faking demonic possession is like a mustard seed.† â€Å"How is it like a mustard seed?† â€Å"You don't know, do you? Doesn't seem at all like a mustard seed, does it? Now you see how we all feel when you liken things unto a mustard seed? Huh?† At Simon the Leper's house Joshua went to the door first by himself so Maggie's appearance didn't scare the humus out of her brother and sister. Martha answered the door. â€Å"Shalom, Martha. I'm Joshua bar Joseph, of Nazareth. Remember me from the wedding in Cana? I've brought your sister Maggie.† â€Å"Let me see.† Martha tapped her fingernail on her chin while she searched her memory in the night sky. â€Å"Were you the one who changed the water into wine? Son of God, was it?† â€Å"There's no need to be that way,† Joshua said. I popped my head around Josh's shoulder. â€Å"I gave your sister a powder that sort of foamed her up all red and green. She's a bit nasty-looking right now.† â€Å"I'm sure that becomes her,† said Martha, with an exasperated sigh. â€Å"Come in.† She led us inside. I stood by the door while Joshua sat on the floor by the table. Martha took Maggie to the back of the house to help her clean up. It was a large house by our country standards, but not nearly as big as Jakan's. Still, Simon had done well for the son of a blacksmith. I didn't see Simon anywhere. â€Å"Come sit at the table,† Joshua said. â€Å"Nope, I'm fine by the door here.† â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Do you know whose house this is?† â€Å"Of course, Maggie's brother Simon's.† I lowered my voice. â€Å"imon-Say the eper-Lay.† â€Å"Come sit down. I'll watch over you.† â€Å"Nope. I'm fine here.† Just then Simon came in from the other room carrying a pitcher of wine and a tray of cups in his rag-wrapped hands. White linen covered his face except for his eyes, which were as clear and blue as Maggie's. â€Å"Welcome, Joshua, Levi – it's been a long time.† We'd known Simon as boys, spending as much time as we did hanging around Maggie's father's shop, but he had been older, learning his father's craft then, and far too serious to be associating with boys. In my memory he was strong and tall, but now the leprosy had bent him over like an old woman. Simon set the cups down and poured for the three of us. I remained against the wall by the door. â€Å"Martha doesn't take well to serving,† Simon said, by way of apologizing for doing the serving himself. â€Å"She tells me that you turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana.† â€Å"Simon,† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal your affliction, if you'll allow me.† â€Å"What affliction?† He lay down at the table across from Joshua. â€Å"Biff, come sit with us.† He patted a cushion next to him and I ducked in the event that fingers started flying. â€Å"I understand that Jakan used my sister as bait for a trap for you two.† â€Å"Not much of a trap,† Joshua said. â€Å"You expected that?† I asked. â€Å"I thought there would be more, the whole Pharisee council perhaps. I wanted to answer them directly, not have my words passed through a dozen spies and rumormongers. I also wanted to see if there would be any Sadducees there.† Just then I realized what Joshua had already figured out: the Sadducees, the priests, weren't involved in Jakan's little surprise inquisition. They had been born to their power, and were not as easily threatened as the working-class Pharisees. And the Sadducees were the more powerful half of the Sanhedrin, the ones who commanded the soldiers of the Temple guard. Without the priests, the Pharisees were vipers without fangs, for now anyway. â€Å"I hope we haven't brought the judgment of the Pharisees down on your head, Simon,† Joshua said. Simon waved a hand in dismissal. â€Å"Not to worry. There'll be no Pharisees coming here. Jakan is terrified of me, and if he really believes that Maggie is possessed, and if his friends believe it, well, I'd bet he's divorced her already.† â€Å"She can come back to Galilee with us,† I said, looking at Joshua, who looked at Simon, as if to ask permission. â€Å"She may do as she wishes.† â€Å"What I wish is to get out of Bethany before Jakan comes to his senses,† Maggie said, coming from the other room. She wore a simple woolen dress and her hair was still dripping. There was still green goo on her sandals. She came across the room, knelt down, and gave her brother a huge hug, then a kiss on the eyebrow. â€Å"If he comes by or sends word, you'll tell him I'm still here.† I sensed Simon was smiling under the veil. â€Å"You don't think he'll want to come in and look around?† â€Å"The coward,† Maggie spat. â€Å"Amen,† I said. â€Å"How did you stay with a creep like that all of these years?† â€Å"After the first year he didn't want to be anywhere near me. Unclean, don't you know? I told him I was bleeding.† â€Å"For all those years?† â€Å"Sure. Do you think he would embarrass himself among the members of the Pharisee council by asking them about their own wives?† Joshua said, â€Å"I can heal you of that affliction, if you'll allow me, Maggie.† â€Å"What affliction?† â€Å"You should go,† Simon said. â€Å"I'll send word about what Jakan has done as soon as I know. If he hasn't done it already, I have a friend who will plant the idea that if he doesn't divorce Maggie his place on the Sanhedrin might be questioned.† Simon and Martha waved to us from the doorway, Martha looking like a compact ghost of her older sister and Simon just looking like a ghost. And thus did we become eleven. There was a full moon and a sky full of stars thrown over us as we walked back to Gethsemane. From the top of the Mount of Olives we could see across the Kidron Valley to the Temple. Black smoke streamed into the sky from the sacrificial fires which the priests tended day and night. I held Maggie's hand as we walked through the grove of ancient olive trees and out into the clearing near the oil press where we camped. Philip and Nathaniel had built a fire and there were two strangers sitting by it with them. They all stood up as we approached. Philip glared at me, which baffled me until I remembered that he'd been with us at Cana, and seen Joshua and Maggie dancing at the wedding. He thought I was trying to steal Joshua's girl. I let her hand go. â€Å"Master,† said Nathaniel, tossing his yellow hair, â€Å"new disciples. These are Thaddeus and Thomas the Twins.† Thaddaeus stepped up to Joshua. He was about my height and age, and wore a tattered woolen tunic and looked especially gaunt, as if he might be starving. His hair was cut short like a Roman's, but it looked as if someone had cut it with a dull piece of flint. Somehow he looked familiar. â€Å"Rabbi, I heard you preach when you were with John. I have been with him for two years.† A follower of John, that's where I knew him from, although I didn't remember meeting him. That explained the hungry look as well. â€Å"Welcome, Thaddaeus,† Joshua said. â€Å"These are Biff and Mary Magdalene, disciples and friends.† â€Å"Call me Maggie,† Maggie said. Joshua stepped over to Thomas the Twins, who was only one guy, younger, perhaps twenty, his beard still like soft down in places, his clothes finer than any of ours. â€Å"And Thomas.† â€Å"Don't, you're standing on Thomas Two,† Thomas squealed. Nathaniel pushed Joshua aside and whispered in his ear a little too loudly. â€Å"He sees his twin but no one else can. You said to show mercy, so I haven't told him that he's mad.† â€Å"And so you shall be shown mercy, Nathaniel,† Joshua said. â€Å"So we won't tell you that you're a ninny,† I added. â€Å"Welcome, Thomas,† Joshua said, embracing the boy. â€Å"And Thomas Two,† Thomas said. â€Å"Forgive me. Welcome, Thomas Two, as well,† said Joshua to a perfectly empty spot in space. â€Å"Come to Galilee and help us spread the good news.† â€Å"He's over there,† said Thomas, pointing to a different spot, equally empty. And thus did we become thirteen. On the trip back to Capernaum Maggie told us about her life, about the dreams she had set aside, and about a child that had died in the first year of her marriage. I could see Joshua was shaken when he heard of the child, and I knew he was thinking that if we hadn't taken off to the East, he would have been there to save it. â€Å"After that,† Maggie said, â€Å"Jakan didn't come near me. There was bleeding right after the baby died, and as far as he knew it never stopped. He's always been afraid that someone might think that there's a curse on his house, so my duties as a wife were public only. It's a double-edged sword for him. In order to appear dutiful I had to go to the synagogue and to the women's court in the Temple, but if they thought I was going there while I was bleeding I would have been driven out, maybe stoned, and Jakan would have been shamed. Who knows what he'll do now.† â€Å"He'll divorce you,† I said. â€Å"He'll have to if he wants to save face with the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin.† Strangely enough, it was Joshua who I had trouble consoling about Maggie's lost child. She'd lived with the loss for years, cried over it, allowed it to heal as much as it would, but the wound was fresh for Joshua. He walked far behind us, shunning the new disciples who pranced around him like excited puppies. I could tell that he was talking to his father, and it didn't seem to be going well. â€Å"Go talk to him,† Maggie said. â€Å"It wasn't his fault. It was God's will.† â€Å"That's why he feels responsible,† I said. We hadn't explained to Maggie about the Holy Ghost, the kingdom, all the changes that Joshua wanted to bring to mankind, and how those were at odds, at times, with the Torah. â€Å"Go talk to him,† she said. I fell back in our column, past Philip and Thaddaeus, who were trying to explain to Nathaniel that it was his own voice he heard when he put his fingers in his ears and spoke, and not the voice of God, and past Thomas, who was having an animated discussion with empty air. I walked along beside Joshua for a while before I spoke, and then I tried to sound matter-of-fact. â€Å"You had to go to the East, Joshua. You know that now.† â€Å"I didn't have to go right then. That was cowardly. Would it have been so bad to watch her marry Jakan? To see her child born?† â€Å"Yes, it would have. You can't save everyone.† â€Å"Have you been asleep these last twenty years?† â€Å"Have you? Unless you can change the past, you're wasting the present on this guilt. If you don't use what you learned in the East then maybe we shouldn't have gone. Maybe leaving Israel was cowardly.† I felt my face go numb as if the blood had drained from it. Had I said that? So, we walked along for a while in silence, not looking at each other. I counted birds, listened to the murmur of the disciples' voices ahead, watched Maggie's ass move under her dress as she walked, not really enjoying the elegance of it. â€Å"Well, I, for one, feel better,† said Joshua finally. â€Å"Thanks for cheering me up.† â€Å"Glad to help,† I said. We arrived in Capernaum on the morning of the fifth day after leaving Bethany. Peter and the others had been preaching the good news to the people on the shore of Galilee and there was a crowd of perhaps five hundred people waiting for us. The tension had passed between Joshua and me and the rest of the journey had been pleasant, if for no other reason than we got to hear Maggie laugh and tease us. My jealousy of Joshua returned, but somehow it wasn't bitter. It was more like familiar grief for a distant loss, not the sword-in-the-heart, rending-of-flesh agony of a heartbreak. I could actually leave the two of them alone and talk to other people – think of other things. Maggie loved Joshua, that was assured, but she loved me as well, and there was no way to divine how that might manifest. By following Joshua we had already divorced ourselves of the expectations of normal existence. Marriage, home, family: they were not part of the life we had chosen, Joshua made that clear to all of his disciples. Yes, some of them were married, and some even preached with their wives at their sides, but what set them apart from the multitudes who would follow Joshua was that they had stepped off the path of their own lives to spread the Word. It was to the Word that I lost Maggie, not to Joshua. As exhausted as he was, as hungry, Joshua preached to them. They had been waiting for us and he wouldn't disappoint them. He climbed into one of Peter's boats, rowed out from the shore far enough for the crowd to be able to see him, and he preached to them about the kingdom for two hours. When he had finished, and had sent the crowd on their way, two newcomers waited among the disciples. They were both compact, strong-looking men in their mid-twenties. One was clean-shaven and wore his hair cut short, so that it formed a helmet of ringlets on his head; the other had long hair with his beard plaited and curled in the style I had seen on some Greeks. Although they wore no jewelry, and their clothes were no more fancy than my own, there was an air of wealth about them both. I thought it might have been power, but if it was, it wasn't the self-conscious power of the Pharisees. If nothing else, they were self-assured. The one with the long hair approached Joshua and kneeled before him. â€Å"Rabbi, we've heard you speak of the coming of the kingdom and we want to join you. We want to help spread the Word.† Joshua looked at the man for a long time, smiling to himself, before he spoke. He took the man by the shoulders and lifted him. â€Å"Stand up. You are welcome, friends.† The stranger seemed baffled. He looked back at his friend, then at me, as if I had some answer to his confusion. â€Å"This is Simon,† he said, nodding toward his friend. â€Å"My name is Judas Iscariot.† â€Å"I know who you are,† Joshua said. â€Å"I've been waiting for you.† And so we became fifteen: Joshua, Maggie, and me; Bartholomew, the Cynic; Peter and Andrew, John and James, the fishermen; Matthew, the tax collector; Nathaniel of Cana, the young nitwit; Philip and Thaddeus, who had been followers of John the Baptist; Thomas the twin, who was a loony; and the Zealots, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot. Fifteen went out into Galilee to preach the Holy Ghost, the coming of the kingdom, and the good news that the Son of God had arrived.

English, the Official Language in the U. S.

The researcher stated that English is now the official language in the United States. There are documents that discuss the importance of an official language in America, which supports this statement. In this research there are further details about English as the Official Language in the U. S. and how language can unite people in society, it can be universal as a language, and it also shows that it has the tendency be a challenge, for other cultures to learn as a second language. There should be a way for everyone to co-exist and to function as one nation under God in America. Language is the substance for people to communicate with one another and to co-exist freely. It can be quite difficult to communicate with people from other cultures that do not speak the English language, but the founding fathers set an example to blend English speakers with non-English speakers casually. In the Oxford Handbook on Language and Law by Peter Tiersma, stated, the founding fathers were almost all native speakers of English (Tiersma, P. ) European Languages in Early America (pg. 6). But, at that time, they had not yet deemed English as the official language in the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) comments on prior period efforts on English-only laws that reduced the privileges of non-English speakers, which usually made existence intricate for huge groups of non-English speaking populations. One example cited in Dade County, Florida, where, after a 1980 English-only law was passed, Spanish signs on public transportation were removed. Mount, S. (2010). There were many native speakers from many different countries, who came to the U. S. , and even though most of the founding fathers were native speakers of English, during the early American times, there was no need to consider English as the official language. During this day and age, the government, corporate world, media, and the entertaining industry use English as the customary language for communication. This does not exclude other cultures from using their native languages, but if the y want to communicate with society, they may need to learn English as a second language that they may be able to cope. According to research the U. S. English tongue is a nationalized, independent, non-profit populace assembly, whose assignment is to safeguard the role of the English verbal communication in the United States and erect it to be the representative dialect of the administration, consequently encouraging immigrants to study English (U. S. English). There was a large number of immigrates that came to this country within a ten year span, who spoke the Spanish language and millions came from Asia and Central America. There have been several attempts to make English the official language, although none of the bills were passed in Congress. Recipients of Official English policies, as they are limited and to the point, dispute that English have been the prevailing speech for the superior element of this century and ought to be made the official language in array to make things easier for government processes. In other language contact research, Bond et al. (2006) demonstrated the influence of Russian on Latvian vowels, and Guion (2003) the interaction of Quichua and Spanish on the vowels of bilinguals. In some research on vowels, Bullock and her social group discovered that French spoken in Frenchville, PA, most of the vowels reviewed proved a continuous course of action of meeting through the English vowel structure (Bullock, Dalola, & Gerfen, 2006; Bullock & Gerfen, 2004a, 2004b, 2005. Also see Hualde, 2004 for a response to Bullock & Gerfen). Sometimes it may be a challenge for other cultures to learn English as a second language. Recently English became the official language in the United States. Twenty-seven states have enacted laws proclaiming English their official language,† (Macmillan, C. Michael, Tatalovich, Raymond), American Review of Canadian Studies, 02722011, Summer2003, Vol. 33, Issue 2. For other states such as California and Georgia, Official English statutes that are more restrictive, i. e. , mandating that all state employees conduct official business solely in English as well as doing away with bilingual state forms is being considered (Torres 1996. ) Eng lish-only proposers like U. S. English oppose that English-only laws commonly have exceptions for community safety and health requirements. They note that the English-only laws aid the government in saving money by allowing publication of certified papers in one language, saving money by not having to translate and on printing costs, and that English-only laws support the education of the English language by non-English speakers. One example is of Canada, who has two official languages, which is English and French. The government of Canadian has addressed this issue, documenting in 1996 – 1997; there was a sum of 260 million Canadian dollars that was spent on bilingual services. According to U. S. English, the so named states currently have authorized language laws in their books: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. A few of them date back as many as a few decades, i. e. , Louisiana (1811) and Nebraska (1920), though most official verbal communication statutes were approved since the 1970's. The most recent attempts to endorse English as the administrative language has become more of the immigration from Spanish-speakers and people from the East (such as China and Vietnam) has brought an flood of foreigners to the U. S. According to the 1990 Census, 13. 8 percent of U. S. people speak some language other than the English language at home. There is a 2. 9 percent, or 6. 7 million of the people that did not speak any English what so ever, or they just could not speak it all that well. The ACLU, who is affiliated with and are in a group has opposed to establishing a nationwide authorized tongue, published a paper about reasons that such a shift ought to be challenged. It starts by acknowledging the exertion by John Adams, in the year of 1780, to institute an administrative academy that would be devoted to English, a move that was cast off at that time as undemocratic. The ACLU notes prior attempts on the English-only laws that limited the rights of non-English communicators or which in general made life complicated for a large group of non-English talking populations. This example is cited in Dade County, Florida, in a place that after a 1980 law was passed for English-only, Spanish signs on public transportation were removed Mount, S. (2010). It is the belief of the ACLU that the law for English-only has the ability to violate the protection of the U. S. Constitution of its due process (more so in courts where the service for translation would not be offered) also equality in protection (for example, where the English-only ballots would be utilized instead of the bilingual ones, when they were made available in the past). In conclusion, it has been determined that English is the official language of the United States. English has been valuable for the government to make it easier to communicate the processes to the people. The research shows that making English the official language has been very beneficial to the government. It helped the government by the English-only laws that did aid the government in saving money by allowing publication of certified documents in one tongue. It saved money by not having to translate and it saved money on the printing costs. Also, the English-only laws support the education of the English language by non-English speakers who in turn finance education through learning English. Though in the early American days, it was a challenge to pass the law to make English the official language, it stood the test of time and has proven to be the language that America would choose to be its representative as the language for the United States. All may not agree that it is necessary for English to be the official language in the U. S. because of the great numbers of non-English speakers that has immigrated here. Nevertheless, it has been decided, that America has an official language that will aid the government in many ways, and English has been established to do America that honor in aiding the government and the communities. References American Psychological Association (http://www. apa. org/) Czubaj, C. (1995). English as a second language–are educators doing a disservice to students? Education, 116(1), 109. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Greenhouse, L. (1996). Supreme Court to Review Law Making State Employees Speak English. New York Times News Service. Available: http://www. latino. com/news/0325sup. html Hellegaard, J. (1996). Official-English Laws Boost Discrimination, Says UF Law Professor. Macmillan, C. , & Tatalovich, R. (2003). Judicial Activism vs. Restraint: The Role of the Highest Courts if Official Language Policy in Canada and the United States. American Review of Canadian Studies, 33(2), 239. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Major, R.. (2010). First language attrition in foreign accent perception. The International Journal of Bilingualism, 14(2), 163-183,275. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2072928711). Mount, S. (2010). Constitutional topic: due process. Retrieved February 23, 2011 from http://www. usconstitution. net/consttop_duep. html â€Å"The Constitution of the United States,† Article 1, Section 8, Clause 5. â€Å"The Constitution of the United States,† Amendment 5. http://www. us-english. org/