The Defender of the Faith Essay examples -- Essays Papers

The Defender of the FaithIn Philip Roths, Defender of the Faith, Sergeant Nathan Marx is the Defender of whom the title speaks. Reluctant at first, Marx defended his faith on two fronts, one across the sea in Europe and the second in the United States. The battle in the states was of a different type. Marx learned what it was same to defend his and the faith of his fellow Jews against prejudice and abuse by those who waged the war. Marx is not an orthodox Jew. He does not follow the doctrine as most of those in his religion would and did not realize until asked by Grossbart that he was still ghostlike. Though Grossbart showed him he was not like others, Grossbart was not the central antagonism, The war was. It was not that Marx was religious anymore, the religion was sentimental to him. Marx a battle-tested soldier in the U.S. Army did not even recognize that he had already defeated an enemy set to sweep his heritage. PFC Grossbart and Captain Barrett were Marxs next opponents. G rossbart first introduced himself as Sheldon,(p.117) to try to get on a first name basis with Marx, for a familiarity that Marx did not want. Grossbart suspected Marx was Jewish by the spelling of his last name, which he spelled out as M-a-r-x.(p.117) Grossbart led Marx into believing he was interested in going to church service instead of cleaning the barracks. Marx knowing it was unfair that they were denied the chance to attend service told Grossbart he could attend shul(p.118). By call...

Barack Obama :: American Politics, Leadership

In 2007 when then Senator Barack Obama announced his run for the presidency of the United States, the country was experiencing bully turmoil and people were ready for a change in lead. No matter what political party you held, it appeared to be an overwhelming sentiment that people were sounding for a shift in direction, especially relating to the bad economical positions a lot of Americans had found themselves in. All of the challenges that the country was experiencing was a sign that the next professorship would have to lead based on social, political and economical environments. This diverse demand was aligned with the more contemporary study of match the leaders style with the demand of the assignment. To better ensure a leaders effectiveness, many high profile leaders are being singled out as a way to correlate success with a leaders approach. As a contemporary leader, President Barak Obamas lead style is continuously being critiqued. Although many still debate the effectiv eness of his presidency, most people agree that his transformational leadership approach was the prescribed style the country was in sine qua non of. Leadership TraitsI believe that defining a leader by one set of traits can be challenging, if not impossible. That is mostly likely that when you query leadership traits you come across various opinions among them is Baker (2001) who believes that when leaders are defined they should be defined based on the traits associated with three systems. These systems (Baker, 2001) include the neoclassical system, the equilibrium system, and the transforming system. Each of the systems (Baker 2001) has traits associated with them, for the exception of the transforming system.If we buy into Bakers trait theory (2001), the transforming system would be the group that would set the stage for defining the leadership needs that the United States was experiencing when President Obama took office. In the transforming system the leaders role cannot be defined in advance, but emergences from the dissipative or transforming processes (Baker, 2001). As we bump into the constant introduction of challenges since President Obama took office his leadership style has had to adjust to function effectively. Leadership StylesAs defining what leadership traits are has evolved, so follows the leadership styles and how they are best used. Some of these styles include charismatic leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leader, situational leaders, directive leadership style, coaching leadership style, supporting leadership style, and delegating leadership style.

The Failure of the War on Drugs Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

In the early 1980s, policymakers and law enforcement officials stepped up efforts to combat the trafficking and use of extramarital medicates. This was the popular war on drugs, hailed by conservatives and liberals alike as a means to restore order and hope to communities and families plagued by anti-social or self-destructive pathologies. By reducing illicit drug use, many claimed, the drug war would significantly reduce the rate of serious nondrug crimes - robbery, assault, rape, homicide and the like. Has the drug war succeeded in doing so?In Illicit Drugs and Crime, Bruce L. Benson and David W. Rasmussen (Professors of Economics, Florida farming University, and Research Fellows, the Independent Institute), reply with a resounding no. Not only has the drug war failed to reduce violent and property crime but, by shifting criminal arbitrator resources (the police, courts, prisons, probation officers, etc.) away from directly fighting such crime, the drug war has put citizens li ves and property at greater risk, Benson and Rasmussen contend.Getting punk rocker on drugs inevitably translates into getting soft on nondrug crime, they write. When a decision is made to wage a war on drugs, other things that criminal justice resources might do have to be sacrificed.To support this conclusion, Benson and Rasmussen compare data on drug law enforcement and crime trends between states, and debunk numerous misconceptions astir(predicate) drug use and criminality.One of the most prevalent misconceptions, Benson and Rasmussen, contend is the notion that a large percentage of drug users commit nondrug crimes, what might be called the drugs-cause-crime premise implicit in the governments drug-war strategy. If true, then an effective crackdown on ... ...easy to obtain rose by about 20 percent.This failure is due in large part, Benson and Rasmussen explain, to drug entrepreneurs adoption of new production techniques, new products, and new marketing strategies in respons e to greater law enforcement. Their innovations include lengthening the drug distribution chain and using younger drug pushers and runners (to reduce the risk of arrest and punishment), increasing domestic drug production (to avoid the risk of raptus at the border), smuggling into the country less marijuana and more cocaine (which is harder to detect), development of crack cocaine (a low-cost substitute for higher priced powdered cocaine and for marijuana, which the drug war made harder to obtain), and development of drugs with greater potency (because they are less bulky and because punishment is based on a drugs weight, not its potency).

MS :: essays research papers

Multiple indurationMissionThe mission of the bailiwick Multiple sclerosis Society is to end the devastating effectuate of multiple sclerosis. Providing accurate, up-to-date information to individuals with MS, their families, and healthcare providers is primaeval to our mission. The organization is to prevent and cure MS, and to improve the lives of all great deal affected with MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society funds research, publishes scientific finding, provides information and otherwise services to mint with MS.HistoryThe coming of the National MS Society emerged from wartime research efforts in umpteen areas. In 1943 new methods of technologies of the actual myelin was determined. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was founded in 1946. Other info. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often incapacitate disease of the central nervous system. Most people with MS are diagnosed between ages of 20 and 40 but the unpredictable physical and emotional make can be li fe-long. Women develop the disease at a rate almost double that of men. MS is not fatal-with modern medicine and technology people with MS live 90%-95% of the normal life span. The cause is a mystery and no cure has been found. Symptoms Numbness in body parts may include slurred speech, blurred or double vision, tremors, loss of balance, and poor coordination. Invisible symptoms include extreme fatigue, mental changes as mood swing, forgetfulness, and confusion. agljajkffjkajgkjgakjajljglkajsjfadjskgjkasjkgjakdsjgkjMultiple Sclerosis6560 Fannin, Suite 1224Houston, TX 77030(713) 798-7707informnss.orgMissionThe mission of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis. Providing accurate, up-to-date information to individuals with MS, their families, and healthcare providers is central to our mission. The organization is to prevent and cure MS, and to improve the lives of all people affected with MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Soc iety funds research, publishes scientific finding, provides information and other services to people with MS.HistoryThe coming of the National MS Society emerged from wartime research efforts in many areas. In 1943 new methods of technologies of the actual myelin was determined. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was founded in 1946. Other info. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Most people with MS are diagnosed between ages of 20 and 40 but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects can be life-long.

Is Religion Just a Joke? Essay -- Religion Religious Essays

Is Religion Just a Joke? Driving with my friend to the movies one evening final stage winter we discovered a group of quite a little bundled up and picketing by The Safari movie theatre in Moorhead. My friend and I didnt write out what movie we wanted to watch, but these protesters made up our mind. We decided to see the movie Dogma because that was the very movie these outraged people were boycotting. Sometimes people carry their religion to the point where it has an adverse effect on people. This was the case that evening.As we watched Dogma, my friend and I laughed hysterically. It wasnt nearly as bad as the protestors suggested. The view the outraged Christians and I seemed to disagree on was they took the movie literally, whereas I personally took it as mere fiction. In my opinion, it was just another religious waggery to bring the sometimes-scary field of religion down to a point that seems more human in the eyes of the average American today.By making the topic of religio n humorous, we as a society can take a look at the different aspects of this complicated and controversial issue. What is ethically right or wrong has been seen in many issues such as cloning, euthanasia, and abortion. Religion, along with these other issues, is often hard to confront. With the aid of movies, such as Dogma and Keeping the doctrine, we atomic number 18 able to delve into the issue of religion more easily. Let us now take a look at these two movies. Keeping the Faith starts with a priest, Brian Finn, played by Edward Norton, telling his complicated story to the local bartender in New York who thinks hes heard it all already. Brian tells of a childhood friendship between himself, Jake Schram, and a girl named Anna Reilly. The three... ...ck Jesus, a thirteenth apostle played by Chris Rock who was written out of the bible because he was portentous (having a black savior is okay, but not a black apostle), Mary not being a virgin, after all, Do you think Joseph would stick by around if he wasnt getting any?, and God being a woman. Anyone who would take these humorous and outrageous suggestions literally is more of a spoof than this movie. In my opinion, a movie is just a movie and nothing more, other than to bring into focus a difficult subject matter. Therefore, funny movies close religion actually help viewers think critically about religion. The protestors seemed to want to make the religious comedy genre be blasphemy on God, where that is not what the movie was trying to do. Which brings out the question Who is making religion a joke? -The movies? -Or the people carrying their religion too far?

Is Religion Just a Joke? Essay -- Religion Religious Essays

Is Religion Just a Joke? Driving with my ally to the movies one evening last winter we discovered a group of people bundled up and picketing by The Safari movie theatre in Moorhead. My garter and I didnt know what movie we wanted to watch, but these protesters made up our mind. We decided to see the movie Dogma because that was the very movie these incensed people were boycotting. Sometimes people carry their religion to the point where it has an adverse effect on people. This was the case that evening.As we watched Dogma, my friend and I laughed hysterically. It wasnt in force(p) ab step to the fore as bad as the protestors suggested. The view the outraged Christians and I seemed to disagree on was they in like mannerk the movie literally, whereas I personally took it as mere fiction. In my opinion, it was just another religious comedy to bring the sometimes-scary topic of religion down to a point that seems more human in the eyes of the average American today.By making the to pic of religion humorous, we as a society can take a look at the different aspects of this complicated and arguable issue. What is ethically right or wrong has been seen in many issues such as cloning, euthanasia, and abortion. Religion, along with these other issues, is often hard to confront. With the aid of movies, such as Dogma and Keeping the Faith, we are able to delve into the issue of religion more easily. Let us now take a look at these two movies. Keeping the Faith starts with a priest, Brian Finn, played by Edward Norton, telling his complicated story to the local bartender in New York who thinks hes heard it all already. Brian tells of a childhood friendship between himself, Jake Schram, and a girl named Anna Reilly. The three... ...ck Jesus, a thirteenth apostle played by Chris Rock who was written out of the bible because he was black (having a black savior is okay, but not a black apostle), Mary not being a virgin, afterwards all, Do you think Joseph would stay aro und if he wasnt getting any?, and God being a woman. Anyone who would take these humorous and outrageous suggestions literally is more of a joke than this movie. In my opinion, a movie is just a movie and nothing more, other than to bring into focus a problematic subject matter. Therefore, funny movies about religion actually help viewers think critically about religion. The protestors seemed to want to make the religious comedy musical style be blasphemy on God, where that is not what the movie was trying to do. Which brings out the question Who is making religion a joke? -The movies? -Or the people carrying their religion too far?