Is Violence in Pursuit of Happiness Justified? Essay -- Civil Disobedi

How are the people, oppressed by others and by the government, supposed to react? Certainly, they do not enjoy being treated unjustly, however, they should still obey the laws. Is it to the laws of the land that command total submission or to his convictions by which he is convinced that the system is totally unjust? Therefore, how should citizens defend their liberties, without using violence or disobeying the law, if they think it’s unjust? If an individual obeys the law, he would automatically be thought of supporting the unjust system but in case he does not, he would be accused of disobeying the law. There are various controversies about whether violence is justified when liberty is threatened. Throughout history, people have had numbers of arguments on this topic. Civil disobedience is usually thought to be an â€Å"illegal activity undertaken to protest laws that are regarded as unjust† (Schlesinger). In order to eliminate injustice, or at least the most unjust law in the system , people may start disobeying that particular law. Thoreau, Gandhi, and King each were closely related on the concept of civil disobedience, they all thought that the government was in need of fundamental transformation. However, they did support the non-violence movements. I would not say that this was very pretentious--their resort to nonviolence did reflect their morality and religious judgements ,but this is not accurate enough to work one hundred percent. Some people think of civil disobedience as something that must be limited, no one knows to what extent or degree, civil disobedience is always in search of limits. The tactic for violation of rights should be openness, because stimulated public is the purpose of civil disobedience. Unjust law... ... and Education, Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . "Lesson 3 :: Non-Violence and Mass Civil Disobedience  « Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. "Martin Luther King: The Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . "The Power of Non-violence by Martin Luther King, Jr." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Simkin, John. "Malcolm X." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Is Violence in Pursuit of Happiness Justified? Essay -- Civil Disobedi How are the people, oppressed by others and by the government, supposed to react? Certainly, they do not enjoy being treated unjustly, however, they should still obey the laws. Is it to the laws of the land that command total submission or to his convictions by which he is convinced that the system is totally unjust? Therefore, how should citizens defend their liberties, without using violence or disobeying the law, if they think it’s unjust? If an individual obeys the law, he would automatically be thought of supporting the unjust system but in case he does not, he would be accused of disobeying the law. There are various controversies about whether violence is justified when liberty is threatened. Throughout history, people have had numbers of arguments on this topic. Civil disobedience is usually thought to be an â€Å"illegal activity undertaken to protest laws that are regarded as unjust† (Schlesinger). In order to eliminate injustice, or at least the most unjust law in the system , people may start disobeying that particular law. Thoreau, Gandhi, and King each were closely related on the concept of civil disobedience, they all thought that the government was in need of fundamental transformation. However, they did support the non-violence movements. I would not say that this was very pretentious--their resort to nonviolence did reflect their morality and religious judgements ,but this is not accurate enough to work one hundred percent. Some people think of civil disobedience as something that must be limited, no one knows to what extent or degree, civil disobedience is always in search of limits. The tactic for violation of rights should be openness, because stimulated public is the purpose of civil disobedience. Unjust law... ... and Education, Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. . "Lesson 3 :: Non-Violence and Mass Civil Disobedience  « Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. "Martin Luther King: The Philosophy of Nonviolent Resistance." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . "The Power of Non-violence by Martin Luther King, Jr." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. . Simkin, John. "Malcolm X." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. .

Barcelona Olympics

When Barcelona was selected to host the 1 992 Summer Olympics, the city (as well as Catalonia and Especial as a whole) welcomed the incredible opportunity. In addition to the obvious nationalist pride and international recognition hosting the games entails, their excitement was also fueled by the potential that the opportunity represented. As the International Olympic Committee explains in their â€Å"Factories – Legacies of the Games,† recent Olympic games have resulted in â€Å"long lasting legacies for their citizens,† with many cities utilizing the games as a â€Å"catalyst for urban renewal† (International 013).This was indeed the case for Barcelona, which became almost a new city entirely between 1 986 (upon first being selected) and the Opening Ceremonies. Overall, the effects of the 1 992 Barcelona Summer Olympics can be seen in three main areas: the city's economy, the culture and international perception Of Barcelona abroad, and the city's urban development. Overall, ?6. 7 billion were spent on the games, most of which was spent on improving infrastructure. Overall, the city reaped a profit of ?7. 2 million from the games themselves (Flyleaves 2012).The long-lasting economic effects and cagey, however, have been much more significant. For example, the Barcelona Organizing Committee invested ?2 billion in constructing and improving four main sporting venues. Today, these venues welcome nearly 1 people each year for various conferences, concerts, and sporting events and they support nearly 450 permanent jobs (International 2013). In terms of specific areas of economic development, immediately upon their nomination, unemployment underwent a dramatic fall, the housing market boomed, and the construction industry expanded at an exponential rate.The Barcelona Olympics were also unique economically, in that Barcelona was able to sustain this economic growth for decades to come. In fact, until the recent recession that affected mos t of Western Europe, the city recorded growth in every economic indicator: employment, investment, and new construction. Thus, not only did Barcelona benefit at the time from the games, â€Å"it succeeded in maintaining the growth generated, on a scale never seen before† (Acid 2002).In terms of employment, Barcelona unemployment rate was cut in half from 18. 4% to 9. 6%. Not only was employment provided during the preparation and the games themselves, but nearly 20,000 permanent jobs ere created due to Olympic-related investment in infrastructure and facilities (Acid 2002). In terms of investment, one-third of the event was funded by the private sector and a third of this was with foreign capital. Private investment focused predominately on the construction of housing hotels, and business centers.The rationale for this private investment was the expectation of improvement in the city's level of attractiveness for conducting foreign business and attracting future foreign inves tment. Finally, in terms Of new construction, the sector multiplied by nearly 3. 5 times, despite the fact hat Barcelona building potential was already quite exploited (Acid 2002). One final area of economic development was in tourism. Between 1986 and 2014, Barcelona hotel capacity increased threefold and the number of visitors from abroad increased by sevenfold, reaching 7. Million visitors a year. In this regard, Barcelona legacy has been more â€Å"intense and sustained than that of any other modern host city' (Acid 2002). Therefore, the Barcelona Olympics have become an economic model for present-day Olympics – an exceptional performance by a city with an extraordinary and sustained opacity to ride the â€Å"Olympic wave† (Taylor 2012). The reasons for this dramatic increase in tourism are a direct result of the second broad area of change experienced by Barcelona as a result of the games.Throughout the games and opening and closing ceremonies, Barcelona put on a large promotional show, highlighting the culture of Barcelona almost more so than the rest of Spain as a whole. As a result, the games â€Å"changed the way people thought of Barcelona† (Taylor 2012). Between 1 990 and 2001, the city went from being the 1 lath â€Å"Best City in Europe† to the 6th and is now rated the 12th most popular destination for rigorists in the world, twenty years after the games. More than simply presenting the culture that already existed (Steelers, flamenco, etc. , Barcelona did a bit of lying and presented a somewhat contrived culture. For example, the games were heavily sponsored by Estella Adam and Don Simon, producers of beer and sangria respectively. So, despite the fact that Barcelona is not known for its beer and that sangria is not actually popular for the locals here, the international community was presented a clear relationship between these two brands and the city. Nowadays, bars in the United States boast selections of â€Å"Sp anish beer and Anglia,† leading international tourists to equate these with the culture of Spain and Barcelona.Because so many tourists began to request these when they traveled to Barcelona, things have come full circle and many local bars now advertise their sangria and â€Å"typical Barcelona beers. † As Adam Taylor of Business Insider explains, â€Å"Nowadays we think of the Spanish city as a land of palm trees, sand, and sangria but its easy to forget that before the games in 1 992, it was a much different place† (Taylor 2012). In fact, none of the palm trees in Barcelona are native to the city – most of them were planted in the six ears between the announcement of Barcelona as the host city and the actual games.One final cultural development of note, the Olympics helped transform Spain into a â€Å"sporting juggernaut,† with world-class athletes in soccer, basketball, cycling, and tennis. Many assert this is a direct result of investment in sp orting facilities and training before and after the Olympics (Barr 2012). As Spanish sportswriter Juan Jose Paradise explains, â€Å"the Barcelona Olympics put the Spanish flair for sport and drama on international display† (Barr 2012).Nowadays, the names Real Madrid and FCC Barcelona re synonymous with prestige and glory in a way that could not have been imagined before the games. This interest in sport has translated at an interpersonal level as well. According to the International Olympic Committee, the increase in the proportion of the population doing some kind of physical activity at least once a week increased from 36% in 1 983 to 51% in 1 995 and women's participation in organized sports increased 10% nationwide during the same period (International 2013).One final area of development for Barcelona before, during, and after the Olympics is in the urban renewal that took place. Most significantly, Barcelona today is characterized strongly by its beachfront. However, th e city did not really have a beach before. Rather, the Barcelona Olympic Committee created two miles of beachfront and a modern marina by demolishing industrial buildings on the waterfront before the games (Taylor 2012). For the city, the Olympics represented a significant effort to restructure.

How to Watch Your Brother Die Essay

The poem How to Watch Your Brother Die is a clear representation of the struggles of the homosexual community and how the outside world views them. The author recreates a situation in which a man is struggling with the death of his gay brother and learns the everyday trials he faced. The poem is told in first person so the readers can see firsthand what the straight brother is thinking. It has been a long time since he exiled his brother for being gay and gets the phone call that he is dying. (2-3) He is dreading flying to California and meeting the lover. (8-9). He symbolizes the fact that he has to keep a straight face and keep the emotions out of it. (10-11) He is very uncomfortable with the sexual orientation of his brother and cannot comprehend how a man can look at another man with love. (14-17) Reality sets in and he remembers his brother and the love they had for each other before the conflict with his brothers’ sexual interest. He misses those times deeply. (18-24) He tries to relate to the lover even though he doesn’t know how. He brought up the fact that the lover was an extremely good looking man but yet all he wants to see is his reaction. At this point he is just trying to understand how a man can love another man. This is a question that has puzzled him for a while. He finally gets his answer when the lover explains that it is just like the love between a husband and a wife but deeper because the odds are greater. He still doesn’t understand. (25-39) They drive into Mexico to acquire drugs that are not legal in the U. S. This is where he finally realizes the challenges that his brother has faced. They are stopped by border control and are told they cannot bring the drugs back. As he rages with anger he thinks about his children getting used to another mans hatred. (40-52) This is the climax of the poem. Society has made it difficult for people of same sex relationships to be able to coexist in today’s world without feeling exiled. He realizes he is one of the ones that judge them. He calls his wife to update her on the status of his brothers’ health. He asks her â€Å"How could anyone’s commitment be deeper than a husband and wife? † She is disgusted by his question and does not answer. The brother slips into a coma and his time is almost up. The man is trying to stay strong and understanding as he holds the lover. He still cannot understand how a man can hold another man, as he grieves for his brother. (59-68) The funeral director tells him that he cannot embalm the body for fear of contamination. The man feels anger and hatred towards him. This symbolizes the fact that homosexuals are always covered up, having to hide per say, from showing who they really are. The man now understands what struggles his brother went through in life. As the man stands by the casket and greets the hundreds of homosexuals that pass by the show their respects. He realizes his brother’s life is much different from his own. Everything he thought was normal perhaps was not normal for everyone. As the passing lovers ask each other â€Å"Who will be next† we understand that the brother died from AIDS. (74-83) As the man is driven to the airport from the lover he finally gets the closer he needs. The lover tells him â€Å"Forgive yourself for not wanting to know him after he told you. He did†. As he found this closer he learned to accept the lover for who he was. A man who loved and took care of his brother the way he should have. (84-98) One the way home the man has a few drinks. This symbolizes the cliche of men being strong and keeping everything inside hidden. He strokes the scar on his eyebrow and smiles. He knows that his brother is in a better place and has forgiven him. He thinks of his children and not wanting to make the same mistakes with them as he did with his brother.