The eNotes Blog Are You with theBanned

Are You with theBanned Banned Books Week is currently celebrating its 36th anniversary! This years theme, Banning Books Silences Stories, is a reminder that everyone needs to speak out against the tide of censorship. Did you know that some of the best works of all time, and very often the ones youll have studied in school, have at one time or another been censored from the public? Did you know that the practice of censorship in literature still goes on today? Yup, somewhere out there, a blinkered individual could actually be pondering at this very moment the dangers of a mind raised on an occultist story like  Bridge to Terabithia, while someone of the same mindset argues that the bildungsroman The Perks of Being a Wallflower is unsuited to a teenage audience. Seriously. And its not all Sex, by Madonna, Gossip Girl and l8r, g8r that are considered poised to corrupt our youth either. No, those are part of a tiny minority. What are the most frequently banned books? Our greatest ones, of course. Of Random Houses list of the 100 best novels of all time, 46 classics have been either challenged or banned altogether, some on a frequent basis. Of Mice and Men is one that is commonly challenged today. Even  in the last decade the list of banned books still includes To Kill a Mockingbird (for racial themes), Brave New World (for insensitivity, offensive language, and probably for being dystopian), and  The Catcher in the Rye (for being a filthy, filthy book), proving we are far from the progressive culture we may like to think of ourselves as. No sauciness allowed. Of all the reasons books are banned or challenged, sexual explicitness is cited the most often. Even when it does not concern important works, the point at hand here is that individuals and governments consider it their right to censor what others read, and that (to me) sounds borderline Cultural Revolution/Big Brother-esque. Its a tad hypocritical that the freedom of speech has been such a huge part of the public discourse lately, while so little thought is ever given to intellectual freedom: Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate, and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of work, and the viewpoints of both the author and the receiver of information.   Intellectual Freedom Manual, 7th edition If libraries begin to ban books from the public, weve basically descended into a Fahrenheit 451 situation. Oh wait, thats another banned book, so that analogy means nothing If a book offends you, dont read it. But please, dont worry that Harry Potter will turn an entire generation of kids into wand-wielding Satan worshipers. Moreover, if the people trying to censor these stories really took the time to read them, they might just realize how much more faith in humanity these offensive books store than the censors do themselves. Theres a lot more out there to fear than a mind fed with imagination, fantasy, and original thought. And with that, Ill get off my soapbox. To see a visual history of the last thirty years of banned books, check out this great timeline  from the American Library Association. It contains thirty entries between 1982s banning of Slaughterhouse Five (a just plain filthy book) and 2012s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (banned for concerning ethnic studies).  You can also find out whos behind most of the book challenges, and other information, in the ALAs Statistics page. More famous banned books: Animal Farm by George Orwell Criticism of corruption and depiction of a talking pig.   The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Criticized for profanity and sexual content.   All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Viewed as unpatriotic. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Challenged for elements of racism and negative portrayal of colonialism. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Banned for foul language, sexual content, violence, and considered a rejection of American individualism. Lord of the Flies by William Golding Challenged for being racist and offensive to minors.   Call of the Wild by Jack London Considered too radical. Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol Banned for talking animals, negative depictions of teachers, and alleged drug references. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Challenged for stereotyping, racism, and inappropriate language. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Criticized for being sexually explicit, too violent for young adults, and anti-family. What are your thoughts on banned books? Do some deserve to be taken off the shelves? If so, which ones? Wed love to hear your thoughts in a comment below!

The methods in which advertising media influence and reinforce sexism Essay

The methods in which advertising media influence and reinforce sexism in American society - Essay Example This paper illustrates that advertising revenue is the major funding source for the majority of entertainment and information that Americans receive. Broadcast and cable networks use advertising to generate money to fund programming that is informative, such as news magazine shows, and entertaining, such as sitcoms. Social media sites use advertising to pay for the costs of running their business. Most individuals watch television, read magazines and newspapers, or gather information through social media and the internet. Because advertising is the source of funding for most of these entertainment and information outlets, the individual is exposed to advertising multiple times per day. If sexism exists in the advertising, the individual is exposed to the influence of sexism, even if this exposure is subconscious. In short, we all view advertising, and it has an effect on us. The researcher hope to discover that advertising found in print, television, radio, and internet media employs sexism to sell a good or service. The researcher also hopes to discover that the sexism used in this advertising portrays men in a negative fashion. Specifically, the researcher hope to find evidence that advertising paints men as incompetent fathers, inattentive husbands, and unintelligent uninformed citizens. The researcher realizes that advertising objectifies women and uses sex to sell products to men. However, the researcher has noticed that many companies have begun doing the same to men. ... 5. Why do you care about the topic? I care about this topic primarily because I am male. I realize that advertising objectifies women and uses sex to sell products to men. However, I have noticed that many companies have begun doing the same to men. These corporations often portray men as horrible fathers that are incapable of rearing their children, as horrible husbands who do not listen to their wives, and as beer swilling sports fanatics that have no interest in intellectual pursuits. I think that, just as sexism in advertising has led to poor body image and other issues in females, sexism against men in advertising is leading a generation of men to view themselves as incompetent and worthless. 6. Why would others care about the topic or why do you want them to care? There is little doubt that women have been subject to sexism in American society for generations. However, in recent years, researchers and advocates have succeeded in voicing the issue of women’s rights. Women have responded by overcoming much of this sexism and are now succeeding in school and career at a much higher rate than men. The same battle against sexism must be waged for men as well. If the negative portrayals of men continue to grow in advertising, we can expect that men will begin to devalue themselves and underachieve in school and career. This trend is already taking place within the male population, and our society must stop it. 7. Can you identify any significant connections to the topic that are taking place at this time in the world? Males in our education system are currently underperforming at an alarming rate. Fewer men graduate high school, college, and graduate school than women. At the same time, negative messages about men in

Cyber Warfare in China Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Cyber Warfare in China - Term Paper Example Moreover, it is difficult to identify the sources of attack since the hackers can strike the target precisely without leaving many evidences about the culprits. Cyber warfare will involve disruption of crucial network services and data, damage to critical infrastructure, and the creation of uncertainty and doubt among opposing commanders and political leaders. Cyber-attack provides an ability to strike both tactical and strategic targets from a distance using inexpensive systems China is often been accused for its involvement in cyber warfare with its enemy countries like America, India etc. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is accused for conducting cyber warfare with many other countries. In fact, â€Å"PLA takes cyber war seriously as this kind of warfare offers an immediate way for the country to overcome the superiority of the U.S. in warfare techniques and weaponry† . America is one country which has superior military power than China. Based on the current capabilities, it is difficult for China to attack America directly. So, they are believed to be causing huge problems to America with the help of cyber warfare. Same way, India is another country which is working against the interests of China. India’s has frontier disputes with China. Moreover, the acceptance given to the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama by India is indigestible to China. So they are causing huge problems to India with the help of cyber warfare. Because of the necessities of instant interchange of information between countries located at different parts of the world, most networks and the computers in the world are connected in some ways. In a heavily globalized world, it is difficult for a country to isolate its computer networks from global networks. Moreover, majority of the computers in the networks are using same operating systems and networking technologies because of the monopoly of some companies in these sectors. For example, Windows is used as the operating system in majority of the computers all over the world. Same way, TCP/IP protocols are used in majority of the computer networks. Although a completely accurate map of the overall Net has not been produced, it is logical to reason that the 95% of privately owned networks are connected to each other in some way. The interoperability benefits of standardized protocols and the spread of recently devised worms and viruses such as Nimda and Sasser are testament to th e links between these networks4. China has superior internet related technologies compared to many other countries in the world. Moreover, many of the Chinese youths are currently getting training on computer software. China knows very well that they can cause huge problems to enemies silently and escape from getting punished by others. â€Å"After land, sea, air and space, warfare has entered the fifth domain: cyberspace†5. Until recent times, military powers were keen in accumulating arms and for land, sea, air and space attacks and defense. However, the development of internet or cyber space opened another domain for

Characteristics of the Peruvian Culture

Characteristics of the Peruvian Culture Peru is a Spanish speaking country surrounded by beautiful geography and has a spectacular cultural contrast. The country houses over 23 million residents consisting of Spanish settlers, and the native Inca and among all other countries ranks 19th in population size (PeruFacts). Peru is a quite diverse because of its unique climate, natural characteristics and cultural variation. The native Indian and Spanish roots cultivate the modern Peruvian society, which today accommodates three languages ranging from Spanish, Native Quechua and Aymara. Most notable of all Peru posses a very distinctive culture because of the combination of the Peruvian social structure, family conquest, inter-cultural mixing and rapid changing legacys. The natural characteristics of this country have greatly impacted Peruvians by dividing the country in multiple regions, which caused many problems for development and interactivity of uniting one society. The Andean Sierra highland that was nearly twenty thousand feet high was natures main instrument in separating Peru into compound social orders. The highlands accompanied about half of Perus population. Since the pre-Columbian times Peru has been dramatically forced to become regionally diverse and has greatly impacted the equalities of labor and the living standards of Peruvians. As a result social standards such as health, education, law, and agricultural are said to be distributed erratically across The Peruvian culture is divided viciously by nature from Aboriginal Mountain residents to imposing imperial cites. The rural communities now express their values differently from traditional practices such as owning new technology and dressing more modern that is similar to American fashion standards. However, on the other spectrum, the natives such as the Andes are upholding their ancestral traditional practices although the world is changing. If you visited these people you will find that they still operate family fields and manage the land using their bare hands and sometimes have animals to harness more vigorous duties. Like most native cultures in the United States, Peruvian natives fundamentally organize their communities by work, marriage and land-ownership. Common examples of a Peruvian society that still functions as this particularly type of community are known as the ayllu, located in Quechua. Their main tradition is known to be work exchange in which services are rendered with obligatory repayment of equal kind such gift giving in America we expect a equal repayment. (Mosley, 1992) Today because of centuries of cultural mixing most Peruvians would fall into the category known as Mestizo American Indian or European. Social divisions are not so much racially defined but are culturally defined. The best example is that today to become a Mestizo you dont have to be born into the culture, you may become one by choice and uphold their beliefs and practices. The Misti, which is noted to be the most dominant social class in the Andes share their cultural traits and are able to participate in modern activities and education. However there are other groups that are ethno linguistic that do not take part in this practice and enforce strict native rule over modernization. Overall the majority of highland people live their lives from modern benefit so that they focus on maintaining loyalty to their ancestral heritage. I find that the bright homemade costumes of native Peruvian cultures are the most intriguing. Stepping away from traditional societies of Peru the middle class is the most difficult to characterize because of the integration of modernization and city life. The economy was the ultimate cause of growth with the Peruvian middle class because of the increase of entrepreneurship and public services. It was almost obligatory for native Peruvians to move from the highlands and work to provide their families with basic resources for survivability. We can almost identify how this has affected an abundance of cultures in world history including our own country, the United States. Today Peruvian development is thought to be grossly inadequate because it cannot sustain its inhabitants. The national economy has opened a large amount of traditional market daily street trade and bargaining with market vendors. There you can find a wide range of goods from agriculture to native crafts such a beautiful native clothing and art. Many tourists come to Peru because of trade markets and find that they are indulging in the unique heritage. Each and everyday Peru is consistently becoming more stable as a society by working together to increase the strength of their culture. Peru shares many cultural characteristics as other countries but stands out for its unique practices and enriching history. Through native societies to metropolitan areas Peru continues to demonstrate the importance for culture connectivity. Many tourists such as myself would consider their art and trade exceptionally diverse which personally gives a positive impression on their society. Similar to Hawaii, Peru strives to preserve their cultural legacies by dedicated particular parts the country to natives. The miscellaneous practices of Perus culture are something all countries should learn from so that future generations will understand how people became who they are today.

Crime Control Essay

Crime has become as multifaceted as human nature, impinging on communities and threatening human rights and freedoms. Has the impact of criminal activity become extremely intense, that we as society members have strayed away from honesty and justice? Are individuals no longer valuing integrity and fairness? Criminal justice organizations both public and private sectors goals are to reduce crime within the communities and regain the trust and confidence in a fair and just system for law-abiding citizens. In the process of achieving a fair and just society, due process and crime control tactics must adhere to the ethical dimensions of the criminal justice system. I am prepared to introduce a synopsis that highlights key ethical issues in the justice system that is directly affected by ethical motives. Honesty versus Justice within the Communities Trust is a factor that is lacking within the communities, and the question in mind is how will the criminal justice organization rehabilitate the issue and let justice prevail. Justice is often defined as fairness or the suitable rewards or retribution. Justice focuses more on a person’s rights more than the needs of an individual. So how can justice prevail if community members are fighting against law enforcement, and honesty among officers and the community is obsolete? In many cases, even when people notice a crime, they often turn the other way. According to NPR (2010), â€Å"Witnesses to crimes involving things like gang activities can often be scared away from giving information to police. It does not help that a stop snitching philosophy has been promoted by some hip-hop artists and many urban communities† (para 2). After past incidents of bad treatment by the outside world and law enforcement, it has become a mainstream thought in many minority communities law enforcement is not to be trusted. And if the community cannot trust police officials, the people in the community will not step forward and be honest and aid in the investigations. Police Departments are committed to working with the communities to recognize and resolve community problems. There are departments of employees dedicated to working collectively through an assortment of programs. These programs and services are created in hope that trust and justice will be incorporated back into the community and law enforcement agencies will be able to optimistically impact the community’s quality of life as well as highlight the strengths of neighborhoods. Due Process and Crime Control Tactics Law enforcement has integrated strategies into the communities to prevent and solve crimes that are affecting citizen’s quality of life. Crimes such as theft, burglary, and vandalism are a few areas law enforcement has turned their focus on. Local law enforcement organizations will have to become accustomed to existing policing programs to fulfill the requirements of security. The goal of due process and crime control is to enhance the effectiveness of the community. When the community trusts and believes in the justice field, community members will be more prone to assisting law enforcement. Due process ensures the law is being incorporated in the tactics to prevent and stop criminal acts. Another way for law enforcement to gain the trust and respect of the community is to offer up incentives that demonstrates community enhancements. increased involvement from groups in public decision making increases access to material resources and financial opportunities for underprivileged groups changes in public policy to achieve greater and meet the needs of diverse groups increases in suitable, available community services and common interest groups developing more early childhood and youth programs within the communities Law enforcement organizations have sought to investigate the causes of crime within the communities and lower the level from the hearts of the people being affected by criminal acts. Through the construction of successful joint venture with the community and public and private sectors problem solving procedures are being implemented and ethical standards and being followed. In the awaken of September 11th incident, law enforcement agencies discover that they are understanding that it is important to identify the responsibilities and create goals goals that will reduce crime within the communities and regain the trust and confidence in a fair and just system for law-abiding citizens. According to Lane & Henry 2010, ‘People argue for longer term strategies aimed at dealing with the political, social, economic and cultural factors associated with crime. In doing so, we explore the potential of community development to contribute to crime prevention, particularly community or street crime and violence. Theoretical and practice intersections between community development and certain crime prevention approaches are identified – notably those which link crime and violence with dis-empowerment, poverty, inequality, exclusion, the learning of violence within families and communities, and lack of opportunity for children and young people to develop their potential† (para 1). Conclusion Crime has become as multifaceted as human nature, impinging on communities and threatening human rights and freedoms. The impact of criminal activity has become extremely intense, that we as society members have strayed away from honesty and justice. Law enforcement agencies are working extremely hard to rebuild the union that has been broken. Individuals are no longer valuing integrity and fairness, but with the support from law enforcement, trust will be regained and community members will be more prone to step up and offer assistance. Criminal justice organizations both public and private sectors goals are to reduce crime within the communities and recover the trust and confidence in a fair and just system for law-abiding citizens. In the process of achieving a fair and just society, due process and crime control tactics must adhere to the ethical dimensions of the criminal justice system. I have identified ethical issues in the justice system that is directly affected by ethical motives and come to the conclusion that dedication from both parties is the answer to rebuilding a broken society.

A cream cracker under the settee

Dramatic monologue is a variation of lyric poem in which the character expresses his/her emotions, actions, feelings or motives. It is written to reveal the situation as well as the character.In dramatic monologue, a single speaker who is not the poet utters the poem at a critical situation thereby adding depth to the character. In fact, we come to know about the myriad aspects of the character by listening to the speaker. This was developed during Victorian era and Robert Browning perfected this form.In the dramatic monologue â€Å"A cream cracker under the settee†, Alan Bennett puts forth his views on the society’s treatment of the elderly and the consequences thereof. He accomplishes this by describing an elderly lady’s view of the world and her loneliness.The play starts with Doris, the elderly lady sitting on the floor of her living room. She has fallen down while cleaning the photo of her late husband Wilfred. She strongly believes that the world of her tim e is much better than the present. She feels that people of her time were cleaner and more responsible than the people of today.This shows why she disapproves her domestic help, Zulema, who had not cleaned the photo in the first place. She enjoys her old memories and the lovely time she had with her husband as can be seen by the way she talks to her dead husband’s old photographs. This also shows that she is lonely and misses company.She feels she is â€Å"left behind† by the people of her generation. This loneliness can also be attributed to the lack of self-understanding and the understanding of others. Through the entire play, Doris attempts to alienate herself from the so-called â€Å"corrupt† society of today.Doris has a compulsive obsession with cleanliness. In her younger days, she had forbidden her husband Wilfred from taking up any hobbies that could be messy. When they were younger, they had a baby that died during birth.The nurse had wrapped the baby in newspaper, which according to Doris was â€Å"dirty†. This reveals that she did not want her child, even though dead, to be associated with anything dirty. She is very concerned about what her others would say if she is not spotlessly clean.This can be seen when the leaves from the next door blow into her garden and she says â€Å"I ought to put a sign on the gate, not my leaves†. She was scared that other her neighbors may not think high of her hygiene and so she asked her husband Wilfred to concrete the garden so that it would be easier to clean.While Doris is on the floor, she looks at her wedding photo and talks to her husband about her loneliness and how she was happier in her days. Her happiness in her younger days could be due to various reasons and one of the important reasons would be the total independence and the â€Å"ruler of the roost† that she enjoyed. She also laments about the need for â€Å"home help† now. This is why she disapproves of her home help, Zulema.She cannot accept that she needs Zulema because that means she is forfeiting her independence. She feels that she is not dependent on Zulema for anything. She gets very picky when Zulema tells her â€Å"you’d be better in Stafford House†. Stafford House is the local old age people’s home.Though Zulema’s intentions were right, she said that because she wanted someone to take control of Doris’s life, Doris felt that as an intrusion into her independence. According to Doris, Stafford House represents domination by others and the acceptance of her dependence on someone. She cannot accept her own inability to support herself physically.This yearning for independence is very evident when a policeman comes to check on her. The policeman asks her, â€Å"Are you alright?† Doris replies, â€Å"No. I’m all right.† This also reflects that she has gotten herself into a mindset which makes it difficult for her to acc ept the hardships and difficulties of old age.

Psychology Of Sexual Orientation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 250 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s sexual preference with respect to the gender in which they are drawn or attracted, for instance bisexual, homosexual, or heterosexual. In many different cultures there are taboos in regards to different sexualities, therefore it is very important to evaluate what causes these different sexual orientations and how they can be prevented at an early age. This is because the different sexual orientations cause discriminations and stigma. According to different research these orientations are due to different environments, cultures. Genes and the brain structure(Ward et al, 2013). Different lifestyles and environments affect an individual’s sexuality because they tend to adapt to the environment in which they are in, this will help them to survive and adapt better. Furthermore, different cultures are also play a role in an individual’s sexual orientation because they show and highlight the different norms and rules that should be followed. Genetically different individuals are born with different genetic make-up, in their different chromosomes and these affect their sexuality highly without much significance on the gender (Ward et al, 2013). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Psychology Of Sexual Orientation" essay for you Create order Additionally, different hormone’s also play a role in determining an individual’s sexuality, for instance, the levels of testosterone and estrogen both in males and females. In conclusion, it is very important to respect each and every individual’s sexuality, this is because most of these sexual orientations are not because of an individual’s life style but they are mostly things that they can’t control by themselves.