Military's last barrier to Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Military's last barrier to Equality - Essay Example I agree with author that in the current environment of gender equality, there is urgent need to rescind the restrictions on women in combat positions. Indeed, women must have the freedom to choose the area of military services where they want to serve, even if they are dominated by men. McSally has justifiably pointed out that if women can be employed in combat positions in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have the right to those positions in their home ground also. Women have amply shown that they are capable of competing with their counterparts in the battle areas also. In Iraq and Afghanistan, they have won medals for bravery and served in various combat areas like frontline battle where they have killed enemies and have also sacrificed their lives for a better world; at checkpoints they have searched women and children for weapons and last but not the least is that have successfully carried their responsibility of acting as agent in counterinsurgency plans. These are all important area s of combat positions that have been successfully breached by women soldiers. Hence, they have earned the rights to serve in these areas in their country also. Interestingly, the decision to restrict entry for women in various areas of military services like infantry, artillery, tank, special services and other specialty areas is not due to any law passed by Congress. It is in fact, the decisions of Department of Defense that have not been updated to keep with changing times. Author asserts that Mike Mullen, Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff, has realized that contemporary environment is highly vulnerable to explosive situations like terrorist acts of violence and ‘everyone is in a combat zone’. Thus combat related military policies need to be reviewed. National security advisor to President Obama has also stated that ‘women are already serving in combat [in Iraq and Afghanistan] and current policy should be updated to reflect realities on the ground’. These are important indicators to change and would encourage inclusion of women in combat positions in American military. Recently President Obama had passed the strictures to allow homosexuals within the military services. This was the most radical but much needed initiative that hugely supports the concept of equal opportunity for all. The court of law had intervened in the area of defense to ensure that constitutional rights of citizens is not flouted in the garb of social sanctity to various modes of sexuality. Sexual equality has indeed come of age and it is fervently believed that department of defense would now pave way for women in areas that were hitherto restricted for them. The ban of women in various positions and areas of military were broadly based on flimsy excuses. It was believed that ‘their position could disrupt cohesion, may create sexual tension, there will be insurmountable privacy issues; they don’t (as a class) have what it takes†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ etc. T hese are feeble reasons to promote gender differentiation. They lower the esteem of not only American military but also that of American constitution that thrives on freedom of individuals to choose and their right to equal opportunities in all areas of work. President Obama has often emphasized that justice, fairness and equal rights for all must become a ground reality. It is hoped that the same would also be implemented within the various areas of military services and allow women access

Enviromental Influence in Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

The environment that someone is in can greatly affect his or her actions, decisions, and way of life. In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huck is faced with many tough decisions. Huck is a young, white boy, raised in the south. His father is a drunk, and doesn’t teach Huck good morals. As we continue in the book, Huck is faced with the decision, to free a runaway slave, or not. Growing up in the south, he was taught that whites were always better than Negros. But Huck goes against his teachings and continues to help Jim escape to freedom. Huck’s father was an abusive drunk, so legal custody of Huck was switched over to Widow Douglas, who had a slave named Jim. Living with Mrs. Watson, Huck was taught good morals, values, and manners and was forced to go to school. However, he did not live there very long. Huck’s father went on a drunken rampage and kidnapped Huck from Mrs. Watson, and locked him up in his cabin. However, Huck enjoyed living with his father for a while, because he didn’t have to act civilized. Huck eventually figures a way out of the cabin, so he fakes his death so his father doesn’t think he ran away, and then escapes. Huck runs away to Jackson Island, because it is remote and no one lives there. Wandering around the island, Huck runs into Jim, who then explains to him that he ran away because he thought Huck was dead. Jim and Huck converse for a while, till Jim explains that he wants to buy his family back from slavery. Huck then agrees to help Jim escape to freedom by ge tting to Cairo and finding the Ohio River. The time period and location that Huck was living in was very prejudice toward black people. Huck and Jim can only travel down the Mississippi River by raft at night, because Huck fears that people living along the river will think that Jim is a runaway slave and attempt to capture him and turn him into authorities. Huck and Jim have to stop every now and then to pick up necessary supplies, (i.e. food, water, tools) and Huck gets many questions from locals, as to what he’s doing with a black man. The constant questioning annoys Huck and eventually, he reflects on his decision to free Jim. First he writes to Mrs.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Essay

The legendary and controversial story behind Butch Cassidy and his partner, the Sundance Kid, goes back to the time of the American Old West. This time period was marked by exploration and people’s struggle with cultural conflicts, economic growth or falls, and mental as well as physical drama. Harry Longabaugh (the â€Å"Sundance Kid†) Criminal career started prior to his joining the â€Å"Wild Bunch†. On February 27, 1887, while traveling from South Dakotas Black Hills back to the ranch, named â€Å"N bar N†, where he worked at as a cowboy. Twenty years old Harry Longabaugh passed through a ranch called the â€Å"Three V Ranch†. While passing through this ranch, which was owned by a group of English investors, young Longabaugh stole a grey horse (branded J on its shoulder), a gun, and a saddle. He continued his journey to N bar N while the Three V Ranch’s employees were looking for a young man that is smooth-faced and has grey eyes. After unsuccessful two weeks of searching, with information given from one of the Three V Ranch employees, Harry Longabaugh was arrested by the James Ryan, Sherriff of Sundance, Wyoming. A few months later, while heading as a prisoner west to Rapid City, South Dakota, Longabaugh slipped from his handcuffs and jumped of the moving train while the sheriff was in the bathroom. After coming back to Wyoming with no luck of relocating his escaped prisoner, Sheriff Ryan offered a $250 for Longabaugh. In a not so smart move, Longabaugh returned to N bar N and was soon caught by the Sheriff’s Deputy. He arrested and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. During the time he spent in jail, Harry Longabaugh was given his new nickname, by which he is known today: the â€Å"Sundance Kid†. A few years later, late in august 1891, Butch Cassidy, that was considered as the â€Å"worst man in four states†¦Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming. †(â€Å"The Washington Post†,pg. 20’), followed his future partner’s path to prison. While Butch Cassidy was staying at a place called †Mail Camp†, Billy Nutcher, a part of the â€Å"Jack Bliss† gang, rode in trailing three saddle horses. He put his horses under care and joined a person named Burnaugh and his guests, including Butch Cassidy. Butch was interested in Nutcher’s business, as well as his horses, and a discussion about a sale soon followed. After a short discussion, a deal was struck, and Cassidy became the owner of three horses. The problem was that not a lot of attention was paid to the paperwork. Ranchers in the area started to notice that their horses were disappearing, and soon discovered that Cassidy and one of his associates in the horse dealing â€Å"business† were stealing the animals. After one of the ranchers served a complaint and an investigation started. With the lawmen on their tail, Cassidy and his associate hided in a ranch, but were discovered shortly thereafter. They were taken into custody for a few months before going into trail, and were then found guilty. After a few months they were brought a few times in front of a judge with new evidence. At the end, Cassidy was found guilty and sentenced to prison. Not long after his release from prison, Butch Cassidy started to gather some of his outlaw friends. One of its first recruits was the Sundance Kid. This new formed group was later known as the famous â€Å"Wild Bunch†. The story of Butch Cassidy (real name, Robert LeRoy Parker) and the Sundance Kid as partners in crime is in fact became well known by the American Western film, directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman, carrying the name of the two- â€Å"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid†. The film features the two as two friends who try to be as successful as they can be as robbers while escaping the law. The main cliffhanger of the movie is that the two believe they are being chased by a lawman that was paid to kill them. Consequently, the both escape to Bolivia while being accompanied by the Sundance Kid’s girlfriend Etta, and become successful bank robbers known as â€Å"Los Bandidos Yanquis†. At some point they do attempt to live the â€Å"straight† life, but encounter lawmen that recognize them and start a shootout. The film ends at a freeze frame shot of the two charging out of a building while participating in a shootout, which they started, after believing they saw the man who was paid to kill them. Although the film is based loosely on fact and has holes in it, it prorates the most famous train robbery that was conducted by the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, alongside their gang: the robbery of the Union Pacific overland flyer train near Wilcox, Wyoming. In the first robbery, which probably accrued a few years earlier, was successful. According to a newspaper, Pacific train no. 8 was held by a bandits at about 1 o’clock at august 21. The robbery was successful (for the bandits), and luckily no one was hurt (â€Å"the Atlanta Constitution†, pg. ). In the second robbery, unlike the first one that goes well, Butch Cassidy uses to much dynamite and blowing up the baggage car. While the gang, which consisted of nine members, (as reported by one of the gang members to the â€Å"Washington Post†) was desperately trying to gather up their money, lawmen arrive to the scene and a famous and massive man hunt begins. The gang scatters Besides the film, there are many more records of that day. One of them is an eyewitness who was actually a mail clerk working on the Union Pacific Railroad. His name was Robert Lawson and he recounted his experience in the June 8, 1899 issue of the Buffalo Bulletin, a newspaper that operates even today. â€Å"As soon as we came to a standstill, Conductor Storey went forward to see what was the matter and saw several men with guns, one of whom shouted that they were going to blow up the train with dynamite†¦Following close behind the shooting came a terrific explosion, and one of the doors was completely wrecked and most of the car windows broken. The bandits then threatened to blow up the whole car if we didn’t get out, so Bruce gave the word and we jumped down, and were immediately lined up and searched for weapons†¦The men all wore masks reaching below their necks and of the three I observed, one looked to be six foot tall, the others being about ordinary sized men. The leader appeared to be about 50 years old and spoke with a squeaky voice, pitched very high. (Robert Lawson, the â€Å"Buffalo Bulletin†) Two years after robbing the Union Pacific Railroad , Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Ethel â€Å"Etta† Place (the Sundance Kid’s girlfriend), fled to New York City and from there they departed to Buenos Aires, Argentina, aboard the British steamer â€Å"Herminius†. There they settled together on a 15,000-acre that they purchased on the east bank of the Rio Blanco (west-central Argentina). On February 14, 1905, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed a bank in Rio Gallegos (the capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina) and escaped with the largest amount of money that they will ever manage to escape with. After that massive bank robbery, they sold their ranch because lawmen were beginning to suspect them. They fled north aboard the steamer â€Å"Condor† across Nahuel Huapi Lake and into Chile. A year later, Etta would leave with the Sundance Kid back to the United States and Cassidy would become a Miner in the Santa Vera Cruz range of the central Bolivian Andes. Later on, the Sundance Kid reunited with Cassidy and they worked together at the Concordia Tin Mine. The cause for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s deaths are less known and still remain a mystery. The most accepted theory for their deaths todays is that they died at a shootout at Bolivia. Another theory about the cause for their death is only about Butch Cassidy, which says that he was shot died at Chiloe, where he operated a successful ranch for five years. Never the less, those theories did not stop people from believing that there is a chance that the two men who were killed by the authorities in Bolivia were not Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. Some say that the police made a mistake, and that the real Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid returned to the US and lived there for the rest of their lives. Some say that Butch Cassidy died peacefully Paraguay, Chiloe, or even at Spokane, Washington in 1935. Among those claimers this is even Cassidy’s sister, who claimed that Cassidy came for a visit in the fall of 1925. â€Å"Take your pick. There are a lot of Butch Cassidy tales in this part of Argentina because he spent so much time here. Many descendants of those who knew Cassidy live in Bariloche or in the nearby countryside, and the local museum exhibits photos and documents relating to the North American Bandits. †

A Brief Biography of Eratosthenes - 714 Words

Eratosthenes was born in 276 B.C. in a Greek colony in Cyrene, a country in North Africa better known in the present day as Libya. He raised by modest parents, his mother’s name is not known, and his father’s name could be one of two that have been discovered, Aglaos or Ambrosios. Even though they were modest parents, they were somehow able to have enough money for an education for their son. They would have had to own land that was worth at least 20 minas (type of Athenian currency), and his parents would have been free citizens. He was a typical, curious baby and as he grew older, he asked hundreds of questions that no one could answer. He was extremely interested in the sky, because it was something that he could not reach up and touch. He wondered how what the distance between the sun and earth was and what the sun was made of, why there was wind, and why the stars moved. Like most young Greek boys, when Eratosthenes was about six, he began to go to school in t he local gymnasium, where he learned reading, writing, mathematics, poetry, music and physical education. He was very strong in math but geography was by far his favourite subject. In his early years, he was given the nickname Beta, the second letter of the Greek alphabet, because he never came in first place (taken by Archimedes). Later in life, he got the nickname Pentathlos. This word meant an athlete that participated in 5 sporting events or to describe someone who was good at a variety of differentShow MoreRelatedArchimedes Background/Upbringing - Paper1497 Words   |  6 Pagesbelief that Archimedes is related to the Ruler of Syracuse King Hiero II. There are currently not many documents of Archimedes upbringing. In fact there is only one record of his life that was written by his friend Heracleides. Unfortunately this biography was lost. Education Archimedes was not only a mathematician but also a physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer (â€Å"Archimedes†, n.d). Archimedes thought of himself as first a mathematician and secondly an inventor, his other qualities whereRead MoreDiscovery of America6704 Words   |  27 Pagesto this the Columbus brothers had, by the 1480s, developed a plan to travel to the Indies, then construed roughly as all of southern and eastern Asia, by sailing directly west across the Ocean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean. Washington Irvings 1828 biography of Columbus popularized the idea that Columbus had difficulty obtaining support for his plan because Europeans thought the Earth was flat.[8] In fact, the primitive maritime navigation of the time relied on the stars and the curvature of the spherical