A Critical Analsysis Cultural Event Essay

School shootings has been a popularized term in both the United States and Canada for describing gun violence at educational institutions around the country. This especially applies to mass killings or shooting sprees perpetuated by the students or members of the faculty. School shootings are differentiated from acts of terrorism in that they are usually randomly targeted victims and involve students, faculty or alumni of the institution involved. This marked difference can be seen when we differentiate the Beslan School Hostage Taking (BBC News, 2004) from the Columbine Massacre. For our purposes, we would use the Columbine Massacre as our cultural event to be analyzed. This massacre has been well documented by a mountain of resources and has been extensively analyzed by researchers, law enforcement officers and medical practitioners. The Columbine Massacre is a well-known tragedy in the United States. It was a tragic day where two students who attended Columbine High School shot at their fellow students and teachers. This tragedy ended with more tragedy when the two students took their own lives. The abrupt and sudden death of the two students gave rise to more questions regarding this tragic incident. After the death of so many lives, no one was left to answer what motivated these two seemingly common boys to do such inhumane acts. Main Argument The purpose of writing a critical analysis of this event is to uncover the â€Å"deeper† implications of the event of school shootings on culture as a whole and on the writer as an individual. We will delve at the issue of school shooting from different angles that would show issues in our culture. It is the argument of this writer that school shootings can be prevented. To do this, we must pass stricter laws in gun control, prevent school violence, and reduce the amount of violence in multimedia and the Internet. Our effort to handle this tragedy has led to a valiant effort to rationalize and find solutions to prevent another Columbine. We must use this information and take responsibility by taking adequate measures in law and in practice. School shootings then as an event has brought to light the following issues: gun control, school violence, violence in multimedia and the internet, our culture on handling tragedies and our own responsibility towards preventing future killings. Support for Argument – Different Angles Gun Control The issue of gun control has been front and center in the debate regarding prevention of another Columbine Massacre. To support my main argument that stricter gun control laws can prevent another Columbine, it is argued that our laws on gun control are too lax. The access by which the shooters had to guns of high caliber and quantity of explosives prove the inherent laxity of our country’s gun control laws. In his movie, â€Å"Bowling for Columbine†, Michael Moore illustrates how guns are given away even when you open bank accounts in America. Even in Wal-Mart stores, guns were readily available. It has only been recently that Wal-Mart has pulled out guns from a third of its US stores. Even then, the company cites marketing decisions rather than lawful restrictions in its decision. (Pioneer Press, 2006) Stricter gun control laws will ensure that access and availability of guns will only be reserved for law enforcement. The consuming public, much less our children, must not be able to readily access guns without adequate reason. This reason must be well-defined in law and properly implemented to prevent young children from getting their hands on high-caliber weapons. Violence in Multimedia and the Internet The role of violence in multimedia and the Internet was a critical issue in determining what could be done to prevent another Columbine. Both shooters played violent games and were taking active part in online communities that catered to such games. Henry Jenkins, director of Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautioned the Senate Commerce Committee from totally shunning the Multimedia and the Internet. In his testimony before the senate, he reminds us that media consumption is active and not passive. They are tools that we can use and mold to our advantage. It must also be remembered that media content is a process that is developed over a period of time. Different consumers react to media in different ways. When all else fails, real life would always trump media. It is read against our perception of the world. It is in this light that the writer argues that meaningful recommendations for law making can be legislated in order to control media to lessen the amount of violence available to our youth. Such legislated can be done without trampling on our bill of rights by asking media content providers to be more creative and our schools to use media in K-12 education. These are just some of the recommendations by Jenkins in order to prevent violence in media use for institutions. More will be discussed with regard to school violence in the succeeding paragraph. School Violence The issue of school violence had come front and center as one of the reasons for the Columbine Massacre. After the event, every circumstance surrounding the life of the two shooters was examined. They were part of â€Å"goth† groups and were not considered generally popular with the students in early reports. Some of the myths would even say that they were loners and only a few students knew them. The truth however, cannot be farther. Even though they were part of â€Å"goth† groups, both shooters had a steady group of friends and were not exactly alienated from the student populace. Recent studies have cautioned on inciting a sense of â€Å"moral panic† in reacting to the problem of School Violence. â€Å"Moral Panic† is a reaction to school shootings where teachers and other students would view fellow students and faculty as â€Å"threats† to public safety. This is not the environment that will lead to the prevention of School Violence. (Jenkins, Part I, 1999) In preventing school violence, the National Association of Independent Schools have come up with the following measures: 1) more support for the youth using digital communities, 2) use media education in K-12 institutions, 3) more respect and knowledge by adults for popular culture of children, 4) more tolerance in the school environment 5) establishing parental discussion groups on appropriate media content, 6) illicit more creative responses from media producers. (Jenkins, Part IV, 1999) Our Culture on Handling Tragedies The deeper implication of this event to our culture is that it is reflective of the way we handle tragedy. It shows the need of our culture to rationalize and put blame. But more so, it shows the resilience of our culture to heal, move on and adapt to the changing times. The event itself as described above shows two things. The first part of our description culled from the CNN report is a depiction of the extent of violence imparted by the two boys. What happened in Columbine was distinctly violent and ruthless. The second part of our description culled from the Jefferson County report is a depiction of our need as culture to rationalize such violence. The process of compiling, examining and connecting all the 4,400 leads to more than 80 investigators from the federal and local government to piece together. It took 10 months to complete and amounted to painstaking work and expense. Yet, it was needed for a sense of closure to most of the families of the victims. It is clear from the 10 different findings of the Jefferson County Report that no stone was left unturned. Myths were formed regarding a third shooter or another boy who has principally induced the shooters. A lot of these myths were debunked by the official Jefferson County report. The need to rationalize by our culture does not end there. We hope to do better the next time around. We hope that tragedy will not be repeated. We rationalize and we move on. The mountain of sources that pile up to rationalize, prevent and defend our schools abound. Our psychiatrists (Block, 2007), law enforcement officers (US Secret Service, 2002), and brother citizens (Cullen, 2004) have all come up with their ways and means to justify and contribute to the growing number of literature meant to keep the discussion alive. Some have even sued gaming manufacturers of violent games and are seeking financial damages they allege that: â€Å"Absent the combination of extremely violent video games and these boys’ incredibly deep involvement, use of and addiction to these games and the boys’ basic personalities, these murders and this massacre would not have occurred. † (Wade, 2001) For the psychiatrists who have reviewed the cases, some have even suggested being careful in removing restrictions to virtual outlets of rage. It is notable that the boys who perpetuated the violence were deprived abruptly of these virtual outlets. (Block, 2007) These are all indicative of the ways we cope up with tragedy. These are ways we rationalize and learn from our mistakes. As a culture, the event has deep implications with how we handle seemingly irrational events by acting human in all respects. We pride our rationale as a civilized nation and try to make it prevail over all odds and tragedies. In the end, whether or not there is a rationale explanation to the shootings, it would be hard to know. Adding insult to injury, the shooters in this tragedy also killed themselves. This is perhaps why the Columbine School shooting has left such a distinct memory in all those touched by it. There is seemingly a distinct lack of closure because no one can be held to blame. Our Responsibility in Preventing Future killings As an individual, the writer is very much affected to reflect on what is happening with his own life. The deeper implication of this event is to cause the writer to pause and reflect his actions and his responsibility. Any other student in our society can easily relate to the deaths of these students. We have all lived a rigid classroom to classroom, day and night existence. Everyday, we do our work, travel to school and sleep towards the next day to come. Those who died in the tragedy never got the chance to finish their lives as students or graduate into adulthood. Reading all these accounts and reflections about the lives of these students has made the writer focus more on living rather than continuing on the never ending effort to rationalize. Human life seemed to be less significant in light of the quick and abrupt way the lives of thirteen people were ended. School shootings as a phenomenon did not end with Columbine. Recent school shooting such as the one by Pekka-Eric Auvinen in Tuusuola High School happened only this year. (Xinhua, 2007) The greatest implication to the writer as an individual is to live a life of responsibility. The mountain of information available to implement ways of preventing another Columbine is there. With the rationalization done by our culture and the efforts we have made to move on, it is but proper that live a life of responsibility by implementing all studies made to prevent more shootings in law through gun control measures and in practice by guiding future generations to be more tolerant of other people. Conclusion The tragedy of the Columbine is only illuminated by the facts that can be culled from the events. However, the deeper problems that lie beneath can only be solved by careful and patient assessment of these facts and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. It is the argument of this writer that school shootings can be prevented. To do this, we must pass stricter laws in gun control, prevent school violence, and reduce the amount of violence in multimedia and the Internet. Our effort to handle this tragedy has led to a valiant effort to rationalize and find solutions to prevent another Columbine. We must use this information and take responsibility by taking adequate measures in law and in practice. The implementation of the suggestions by the National Association of Independent Schools through Henry Jenkins would be a good start in harnessing the power of media to lessen violence in school institutions. References CNN. com. â€Å"In depth Specials: Columbine† (n. d. ) Columbine. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from . Ward, Mark. â€Å"Columbine Families sue Computer Game Makers†. 1 May 2001. BBC News. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from Block, Jerald. â€Å"Lessons from Columbine: Virtual and Real Rage† American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, Volume 28, Issue 2 (July, 2007) United States Secret Service. â€Å"The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States† May 2002. United States Department of Treasury. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from < http://www. treas. gov/usss/ntac/ssi_final_report. pdf> Xinhua. â€Å"US Teenager chats with Finnish School Shooter about Massacre† 13 November 2007. English-Xinhua. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from < http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/2007-11/13/content_7060867. htm> BBC News. â€Å"Attackers Storm Russian School† (1 September 2004) BBC NEWS EUROPE. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from < http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/europe/3616868. stm> Pioneer Press. â€Å"Wal-Mart halting Gun Sales by Area† (15 April 2006) Free Republic. Retrieved 15 November 2007, from < http://www. freerepublic. com/focus/f-news/1615500/posts> Jenkins, Henry. â€Å"Lessons from Littleton† (1999) National Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved 15 November 2007.

A Jack of All Trades

They say that Asian countries, especially those belonging to the third world, have low education standards and don’t speak English at all.   I’d like to take this opportunity to disprove that myth.I’m a full-blood middle class Indian, born in New Delhi, India, to an army officer and a nurse.   I’d say that I’m very fortunate because my parents were able to put me in a good school and was able to study until the 8th grade.   It is true that India belongs to the third world country due to poverty; so a lot of families can’t afford to put their children into nice schools.   There are a number of good schools in India and I was fortunate enough to have studied in one.   The intensive curriculum in my school developed my IQ especially in the field of science and mathematics.When my family and I moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 2004, my schoolmates found it truly astounding that Indians could speak and write well in English too.   This is for the fact that English is India’s second language.   There are a lot of dialects in India alone, but that doesn’t mean English is not a language spoken there.They found how studious and passionate I am with my studies and how I passed with flying colors too.   On top of that, they were pretty amazed that a poindexter like me is actually a sports fanatic too.   I was able to combine studies and sports, doing well in both at the same time.   In fact, I joined the soccer and tennis teams and was able to significantly contribute to the success of both teams. I even lost 30 lbs. out of it.  I remember how I used to doubt I’d be qualified to join the teams, but I got in after the tryouts.   It is, indeed, very hard for students to combine school and sports at the same time.   I’d say I was very proud to show my schoolmates that an Indian like me can excel in a lot of fields, thus showing that the education standard in India shouldn’t be underestimated.   The more I join teams and mingle with schoolmates, the more I learn about American culture.Eventually, my dad found a new job in Austin, Texas, so my family and I had to relocate.   I went to Westwood high school, which is one of the best schools in the US, and I found out that the curriculum there challenged me intellectually and physically.I decided to quit sports when I went to junior high because I took up 5 AP classes.   I took up AP Chemistry, AP English, AP Physics, AP Statistics and AP Computer Science classes.   The standard of the school is very high, so is the level of difficulty.   At first, I found the curriculum too challenging, but I came to realize the advantages of finishing at Westwood high school.I realized that the intensive curriculum could work to my advantage in the future, so I pursued studying well.   I even compared Westwood high school to my previous school in Massachusetts.   Thus, I am very proud to have finished with flying colors in Westwood high school.All the experiences I’ve gone through had made me a jack of all trades.   I was able to prove I can excel in all fields I wish to pursue.   The culture I grew up with in India had given me special traits that made me go through the hardest challenges in life with ease and gratitude.My parents were always there to help me, and because of this, I’m forever indebted.   I want to make them prouder, so I am taking this opportunity to explore greater chances of earning a degree that could help me in my desired profession one day.I am also very grateful that America has given opportunities to Asians like me for better education, and pursuing excellence in my studies will not only make America proud they have produced graduates like me, but will also make my motherland, India, proudest.

Alternative Perspectives on Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative Perspectives on Management - Essay Example To illustrate this, there is consideration of two topics, that is, marketing and architecture as stated in the research study by Buchanan (2010). Since many businesses require robust marketing and architecture, the members attached to the business understand these phenomena. Additionally, the stakeholders and other members understand the rational phenomenon of the business. Many stakeholders and members of a business fail to attach the functional image of the business to their experiences in terms of marketing and architecture. Marketing The functionality of a business in terms of Marketing forms an ethical foundation although it tries to disguise itself and presence of limited critics who perceive its definition of the supposed ethics. There are epistemological suppositions which dominate this perspective and whose orthodoxy needs to be uncovered. This statement implies that it is tasking to perform function marketing, but is it possible to execute the practice of contacting a custo mer. Marketing has been applied mostly in non-profit organizations and government sectors. This implies that marketing is one of the most vital business functionality as stated by Alvesson (2003). According to Alvesson, Bridgman & Willmott (2009), the business functionality problem can be in terms of the marketing strategy that the business uses. Marketing is a crucial issue when dealing with the functionality of a business. ... Boje (2008) illustrates that marketing comes before finance and sales, implying that the power of marketing is a manipulative factor for many individuals since marketing shapes the customer’s needs so as to make enough profits. Internal processes that help to get the functional view of a business from a marketing perspective include; the organization of the marketing department of the business such that every product is familiar to every potential consumer. Martin (2001) in his research study, states that it is crucial for a business to broaden marketing into the public sector since many financial institutions insist on marketing plans. Marketing colonizes organizations but does not determine the direction that the business organization takes. To illustrate this perspective, there is consideration of the Woolworth supermarket where its marketing strategies ensure that all products, which already in the market, extend to as many customers as possible. The logo that a business u ses also acts as a boost in marketing its products. Most employees in the businesses I have observed fail to understand that to retain the customers who keep the business operation; the customers require new products, which have an added ingredient. The function image of a business is in the form of a set of ongoing activities, which are logical so as to sustain the business objectives of the organization these activities depend on the marketing strategy of the business as explained by Hatch & Cunliffe (2012). Marketing has, thus; been a teaching to me to become convincing to customers when trying to make them buy a new product. Currently many stakeholders in other regions do not promote their products through marketing as

Does human beings have a duty to protect the natural environment Essay

Does human beings have a duty to protect the natural environment - Essay Example Air pollution entails the release of gases and particles into the atmosphere, according to Harrison (2001) pollutant gases include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. The increase in these gases in the atmosphere has been due to industrial release of these gases and motor vehicle fumes, the use of fossil oils has a source of energy has contributed to the air pollution problem. When these gases are released into the atmosphere they affect the quality of air in towns and industrial towns, Harrison (2001) states that some of the health dangers that air pollution poses include nose, eye and throat irritation, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and heart diseases. These medical conditions incur high health costs and lower productivity in the workplace. The only solution is to establish assessment of air pollution which will determine the amount and type of pollution, after assessment air pollutants should be determined and appropriate measures to reduce pollution undertaken. Currently many nations have established policies and mechanisms to prevent air pollution, if human beings do not control pollution then there will be no regulations governing air pollution and therefore the occurrence of the diseases mentioned will increase, this means that the mortality rate will increase as a result of deaths associated with the diseases. Therefore it is evident that human beings have a role to play in protecting the environment whereby by preventing air pollution diseases are reduced and lives saved. Radioactivity pollution problem: This form of pollution involves the release of radioactive material to the environment, Kolbert (2006) states that this form of pollution spreads rapidly to a large area and may last for many years whereby it affects animals and plants for a long period of time, this form of pollution poses a health danger whereby it causes chronic diseases and cancer. Radioactive pollution is as a result of human activity which includes testing of nuclear weapons, production of nuclear materials and accidents resulting from nuclear power production. Therefore it is evident that human activity is the main contributor to nuclear pollution, the effects of this form of pollution may last for many decades and therefore posses the greatest danger to human and plant life through diseases such as cancer and other chronic diseases. Human beings are responsible for this form of pollution and therefore have a role in protecting the environment from this form of pollution. Soil pollution problems: Soil pollution occurs as a result of the use of pesticides, oil dumping, industrial wastes, spillage by underground tanks and heavy metal contamination. Soil pollution poses health risks and degradation of agricultural soils. The major concern in heavy metal contaminated soils is that plants will take up these heavy metals and products consumed by humans are contaminated with these metals. When human activity results into the degradation of soils the soils loose their productivity and yields decline, a reduction in production means a reduction in the food produced and therefore

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 149

Discussion - Essay Example It also noted failure by the colonial authority to respect the fundamental rights, a factor that led to the Spirit of ’76 and declared liberty of the states. The writing therefore uses the Spirit of ’76 as a basis for its independence declaration objective (The National Archives, N.d.). The Common Sense that Thomas Pain authored in the year 1776 called upon Americans to abandon dialogue and fight for independence. Even though Americans already laid some of its arguments down, the arguments reinforced the urge for a revolution as did the new arguments. Pain’s description of proponents of reconciliation such as men with self-interest who cannot be trusted, weak men, and men with prejudice are examples of argument that motivated revolution (Pain, 1776). Authored earlier in the year of the Spirit of ’76 and supporting existing ideas and proposing new ideas for revolution, the document is understood as a factor to the

Literary Criticism Essay on the novel Atonement by Ian McEwan

Literary Criticism on the novel Atonement by Ian McEwan - Essay Example This essay discusses that from a formalistic theory of literature vantage point, the way in which McEwan uses grammar and syntax is developed to create a definitive undertone for the story and characters. As Briony is introduced, the writing has a tempo that is a bit staccato. One can feel her personality through the overuse of adjectives and descriptivism in order to emit the precocious, dramatic personality of a thirteen-year-old girl embroiled in the complexity of experiences that she was not yet able to process. â€Å"Briony was hard to know it then, but this was the project's highest point of fulfillment. Nothing came near it for satisfaction, all else was dreams and frustration.† In conclusion, as the story is told, the use of words creates the proper moods and enhances the characterizations. As the consequences of actions are played through, the dilemma of the writer is characterized. â€Å"The problem these fifty-nine years has been this: how can a novelist achieve atonement when, with her absolute power of deciding outcomes, she is also God?† As the reader becomes involved and inserts his or her own experiences into the consequences of the novel, nuances of viewpoint change the way in which the reader will respond. As well, the universal symbolism that utilizes helps to clearly define the journey that is undertaken. As the different literary theories are examined in context, the novel, Atonement, by Ian McEwan becomes a tapestry of emotional content that touches on universal themes.

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