Child Labor in Africa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Child Labor in Africa - Research Paper Example According to Andvig, child labor refers to labor carried out by believably too young children, which means that by so doing, they unduly decrease their current economic welfare or their income earning capabilities in future, either by decreasing their own individual productive capabilities in future or by contracting their future external choice sets (3). In Africa, children’s work is a generally accepted part of childhood. A household framework wherein children’s work is used to profit parents as well as the extended family network, to secure training and socialization opportunities as well as sustenance for its members is prevalent in Africa. Child labor, in the African context, is deemed as vocational education, especially where children work together with their parents in the rural setup. A long history of domestic and agricultural work by children in numerous parts of Africa exists (Bass, 20-22). Besides education, Africans view child labor in terms of instilling k nowledge and responsibility of a way of life or of a trade. Particularly in the rural areas, child labor in Africa, rather than create a negative connection, presents itself historically as a method of useful training as well as social reproduction for children. Child labor is therefore a historically key part of childhood in African rural, subsistence agricultural areas. It also embodies a crucial part of overall production in the rural setups whereby parents bear many children because they can be profitable economically. Just like in the rural areas, children’s work in African urban areas is a natural extension of the indigenous educational system. While girls work in the domestic setting, boys work in the apprenticeship system. Parents usually foster their children to strangers, extended family members as well as religious leaders in urban areas. They do this with the intention of providing training opportunities for their children as well as future opportunities for other family members to migrate to urban areas. Moreover, if a child becomes established in the urban area, his/her whole family profits because he/she may help the others and they all send remittances back home. Fostering however exposes some children to situations that are potentially exploitative, especially if there is no parental supervision (Bass, 22-23). D'Andrea explains two types of child labor in Africa, the first one being trafficking of children. This involves the transportation, recruitment, receipt or transfer of a child for the purposes of labor, slavery, sexual exploitation or forced labor. The recruitment of these children is on untrue promises of employment and education and they are transported in risky conditions. Areas where trafficking is common include Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Niger. The other type of child labor is bonded child labor whereby a family receives payment in advance in order to hand over a child to an empl oyer. The United Nations notes the fact that Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa where children constitute almost one-half of the population, has the highest number of working children in the world as a proportion of the child population. The continent has roughly 80 million child workers and by the year 2015; this number could increase to 100 million. Citing statistics from International Labor Organization

Characters and Plot in the Black Gold Essay Example for Free

Characters and Plot in the Black Gold Essay It is not so frequent to find a novel written with an animal as the main character and the story revolving primarily around him. Nevertheless, there are writers like Marguerite Henry who writes animal stories with so much fascination and passion, one of which is the Black Gold. It was based on true-to-life experiences set during the early 1990s in Oklahoma and Kentucky. Mixing her vast knowledge about the topic and her creative talent in writing, Marguerite Henry was able to weave a story with extraordinary characters confronted with extraordinary conflicts. Brief Summary The story evolved in the story of a colt named Black Gold, following his adventures being a race horse. He was regarded by many as weak and not good in racing since he possesses a smaller body compared to other horses. But through the help of his trainer Hanley Webb and rider Jaydee Mooney, the colt started to win and finally gained victory in the Kentucky Derby. His success continued to flourish until he got injured in one of the races he joined. His leg got a quarter crack. Eventually, the colt died. Black Gold was given a burial in the middle of a field in New Orleans. Analysis of the Characters Being an animal is not a reason to live a life less simple. It is very much evident in the story of Black Gold. His life is consisted of complex occurrences that can be considered as more intricate when compared to lives of other people. His birth was a product of a dream. Al Hoots, the owner of Black Gold’s mother named U-See-It, dreamt that if he will breed U-See-It to a leading sire, the mare shall give birth to the horse that will win in the Kentucky Derby. As a result, Hoots tried to mate U-See-It to a stallion named Black Toney. The money Hoots used came from the oil that during that time was being excavated from their land in Oklahoma. Here is where the name Black Gold originated. Among the individuals who imparted time and dedication to Black Gold was his rider Jaydee Mooney. Jaydee Mooney was the one who initially believed in the capacity and talent of Black Gold: â€Å" †¦us Mooneys always try. We do our best†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( p. 108). However, his spirit was pushed into limits when Black Gold got injured several days before the Derby: It was the first loss for the team of Black Gold and Jaydee Mooney. Was it the soreness in his foot showing up again-the same trouble hed had the week before the Derby? (p. 143). Nevertheless, Jaydee Mooney proved to be not only as a rider but a friend as well to Black Gold, especially when the horse died. Analysis of the Plot Since the book was based from true stories and actual experiences, Marguerite Henry wrote it by narrating events in chronological order. Although written in this manner, the book is not boring and dragging to read. It is because the plot itself is a compelling one that catches and drawn immediately the attention of its readers. She used literary devices so as to show her creativity and mastery in handling and writing a topic such as that presented in the book. Henry was also successful in presenting transition of events. Every chapter in the book promises a more interesting and intense happenings from previous events and chapters. In addition, Henry was effective in inflicting transitional devices that guide the readers while reading. The use of illustrations in the book helped in the proper interpretation of events in the story since the readers will be carefully guided while going on through the story. However, the use of these illustrations somehow gives an impression that Black Gold is a children’s book. But all in all, the story’s plot, as well as the book in general, was a well- crafted depiction of an extraordinary tale. Reference Henry, M. ( 1957). Black Gold. Illinois: Rand McNally

Timeline :: essays research papers

TIMELINE Timeline by Michael Crichton, was a very exciting book about time travel and what the 'Dark Ages'; were like. Timeline also taught about the basics of quantum physics that would make it possible to achieve such a spectacular feat. Be prepared as you read this book to leap into the horrible, dangerous would of the year 1387.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Timeline started out with a group of scientists/archaeologists digging at an ancient castle site. This site was in a French valley with two main castles, Castelgard and La Roque, a monastery, and a mill. This was the site that ITC, a quantum research facility, picked to go back into time to research. Through quantum physics, ITC was able to make a machine that sent objects and people to a parallel universe that was different from this one. This was the basis of the whole story. Professor Johnston, the leader of the digging group, got curious as to how ITC knew more about the site than he did. Robert Doniger, the owner of ITC, decided that he would show the professor how they knew so much about the site. While the professor was back in time, he wandered out into the open field and got trapped inside the medieval world by the Dordogne River. Doniger then got the brilliant idea of sending back some of the other archaeologists to try and find Professor Johnston becaus e they would know the spots where he would most likely be. The group of four, Andre Marek, Chris Hughes, Kate Erickson, and David Stern flew to the New Mexico site to find the professor. During the pre-tests to see it they were physically capable of going back through the machine, David Stern decided that he was not going to go because he did not trust the machines. The five of them, the three other archaeologists, and the two guides went back to the Dordogne valley in 1387. Right off the bat when they got there, a group of knights saw the futuristic people and chopped off the head of one guide and shot the other guide full of arrows. That left the archaeologists on their own to find the professor. Right away they were astonished by how the castles looked and by how quiet it was. Facing many problems, they soon found out who the professor was in the medieval world and found him. This was a time of war, however, which presented many difficulties in getting out, not to mention the fac t that the machines had broken back home and the ITC crew did not think that the shields would hold up.

Yes to Guns! No to Gun Control!

Yes to guns! No to gun control! Banning Guns Cannot Prevent School Shootings! Imagine yourself at the scene of the Virginia Tech shooting. You hide under the desk that you were sitting at peacefully just moments ago. Gun shots ring though the air as you sit curled up on the cold floor, wondering who the next victim of the evil rampage will be. Don’t you wish you could have had a gun in this moment? Don’t you wish you had a way to defend yourself against the murderer? Because we cannot go back in time, we cannot know how differently the Virginia Tech shooting could have turned out if one of the victims had possessed a gun.We can, however, analyze this and other school shootings to see how they could have been different. Thirty-one states currently have laws allowing concealed handguns for adults with no criminal record or history of mental disorders. The cause of concealed-carry has grown over the past decade or two. More and more people are realizing how much of a posit ive difference allowing guns can really make. Banning guns on campuses doesn’t protect students. Rather, the policy only endangers those who are ethical enough to follow the law.Outlaws are the only ones who will have guns if guns are outlawed. This means that criminals will have guns, and law-abiding civilians will not. Students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. In 1997 in Pearl Mississippi, a shooter was stopped by an assistant principal who had retrieved a gun from his car. Because he was not allowed to bring his gun into the school, the assistant principal could not stop the shooting earlier. If he would have been allowed to bring his gun into the school, the lives of the shot students could have been saved.In Edinboro, Pennsylvania, in 1998, a passerby stopped a shooter who was reloading his gun by pointing a shotgun at him until the police arrived. If it were not for this civilian, the shooter would have been able to finish reloading his gun and continue his massacre. If a person bearing a gun had not been on the scene at either one of these shootings, much more damage could have been done by the shooters. Sharp-minded civilians with guns, however, were present at both of those school shootings. Without anyone even firing a shot, both of these tragedies were prevented from becoming worse.For a more recent example, consider the Virginia Tech shooting. Obviously, there was no student or teacher with a gun at the scene of the shooting. As I stated before, we cannot know if the tragedy could have turned out differently if someone would have shot the shooter. We can logically see how the tragedy could have been prevented by a student with a gun, though. Imagine if a student or teacher would have pulled a gun on and shot the Seung-Hui Cho before he began shooting people in the classroom. Dozens of lives could have been saved by that quickly-thought action.There is no possibility that someone with a concealed gun would have been on the scene, however, because concealed weapons are not allowed on the Virginia Tech campus. Almost any mass shooting could be prevented by a quick-thinking civilian with a concealed gun. Because one of the criteria for owning a concealed-carry permit is that the owner must be somewhat proficient at shooting, there is a good chance that a murderous gunner could be stopped by one bullet. Banning concealed handguns really doesn’t protect anyone.If a person is intent on killing someone, or is intent on killing a mass of people, he will do it. Someone who is willing to go against the law and kill someone, or kill a number of people, will not mind going against the law about carrying a gun on a campus. And even if a murderer does not bring a gun onto campus, there are many other ways to kill someone, such as a knife, baseball bat, or even bare hands. Guns themselves really aren’t the problem, in fact, â€Å"Guns aren’t bad things or good things . They’re things, inanimate objects, and chunks of metal with no will of their own. So if people bent on murdering will murder, people who will be the victims of the murderer should have some way to defend themselves. The best way for a person to defend themselves against an attacker is a gun, simply because it is so deadly. In a study that analyzed the relationship between concealed handgun laws and crime rates between 1977 and 1995, the effect of those laws was clearly seen. In those 19 years, states that passed laws allowing concealed-carry guns saw an 84% decline in multiple-victim shootings.In addition, after concealed-carry laws had been established for 5 years, murders decreased by at least 15%. Some people say that we cannot trust civilians with concealed handguns in mass-shooting situations because they might shoot an innocent bystander instead of the murderer. As I stated before, however, one of the criteria for obtaining a concealed-carry permit is that the owner m ust be somewhat proficient at shooting. There is a small chance that someone with a concealed handgun would shoot the wrong person in a space the size of a classroom. Others contend that small arguments could turn into shooting battles.I can see why some of my opponents would think this, but people are just as likely to shoot each other over small arguments as they are to strangle each other or stab each other. One of the requirements for a concealed-carry permit owner is, as I stated earlier, that he or she is mentally sound. People who are right in their minds will not attempt to kill someone with whom they have a minor disagreement. And if a person is bent on killing another, they will find a way to do it. According to Craig Medred, editor of the â€Å"Outdoors† magazine, â€Å"The problem isn’t the weapon of choice, it’s the anger.It doesn’t make any difference whether a killer has a gun, a knife, or a crowbar. Guns are used defensively 2. 5 million times every year. There has been many times over the past decades that multiple-victim shootings are prevented by civilians with concealed guns. Because there are people who are bent on killing others, the victims should have an effective method of defending themselves. Namely, they should be able to defend themselves with a gun. Banning guns doesn’t actually protect anybody, so people should be allowed to carry a concealed gun if they wish. Many lives could be saved if concealed handguns were allowed on college campuses.

Healthy Grief

Grief is an emotional suffering that someone is feeling when someone or something is taking away. (Wikipedia) Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the five stages of grief based on patients facing terminal illness. These steps are typical, but everyone doesn’t go through each stage. You don’t go through the stages in order and they should know that it is normal. The mindset of the individual will depend on the severity of grief they may go through. Grief can last from days to years and the person isn’t aware of this. They may restart their grieving process on holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries or when a special day arrives.Some people take’s the loss as a remembrance, but others take it as sorrow because their loved ones are gone which I think makes a person to go through the grieving process again. Coping with loss has been called† a spiritual process that includes locating our loved ones in time, place and transporting our recreated experiences to the here and now† (Angell Dennis & Dumain, 1998) Kubler- Ross grief process in the book of Job when God let Satan afflict Job to prove Job’s loyal to him. God presented Job as a virtue. Kubler-Ross stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.Job’s family, cattle and property was taken away from him. When Job didn’t succumb to these tragedies â€Å"The HEALTHY GRIEF Lord gave and the Lord has taken away†. God let Satan afflict Job again, this time Satan afflicted Job’s health. He started to have sores on his entire body that was very painful. With this tragedy Job started to go through the Kubler-Ross grieving process. Job prays and stated he doesn’t know why this is happening to him and why is god persecuting him. Job friends blamed him for the suffering because he had sinned and god. Job started questioning and challenging god.Job became depressed because his condition was deteriorating. Job wanted someone to talk for him to relieve him of his suffering. Job’s grieving went back and forth with God. When God confronts God and cross examines him, Job realized that he had misconceptions regarding God’s ability. Job does believe in God and had to go through the suffering to understand how great God is. God restored all that he had taken from Job plus some. God gave him double for the trouble. Grief of the Chinese religion is different because they don’t talk about their grief to anyone because it is considered to be unhealthy.Touching the loved one’s body is a sign of goodwill. The eldest grandson has to deliver the message to the other family members of the passing loved one in person out of respect. They are not allowed to speak about the death or the funeral. The Eldest son is the only one that is able to mourn and this has to be done for 72 days and not allowed to wear red or get married for 6 months. The eldest son has to take responsibility of caring for the fami ly and has to mourn by crying out and solemn in front of people, which is expected of him.The son has to live close to the grave site for 3 years. In the Chinese culture if a person dies by suicide the family will not touch the body because it is considered bad luck. They burn paper as a sign of providing material goods for that person. They place the deceased name on the paper so that person will receive the items. The Chinese feels eternity is passed through the sons in their family. Joy and grief goes hand in hand when it pertains to a person’s loss. When people grieve, they go through the grief stages, but when they remember the good times about that person there is joy.Through my research Nancy Bern a sociology professor spoke with a gentleman named Tim and explained that grief is like if you had your heart ripped out, it will hurt and hurt a lot and it will scab over and the pain will feel less. But if you knock off the scab it will hurt as it did the first time. It wil l hurt on those special moments or milestones HEALTHY GRIEF , but we still love them even as we bring new milestones in our life. Gratefulness and joy can be found in grief. My research hasn’t changed my views on grief.I still feel that it is the mindset of the individual and the relationship that person had with their loved ones. When we (Baptist/Christians) we celebrate the person that has passed as a â€Å"homegoing†. We sing, dance, eat and reminisce the life of that person. We are not afraid to talk about that person. As I discussed previously, When my brother (39) passed in 2005 it was difficult at first, when we had his homegoing it accepted it because my brother was very ill at that time. I don’t know how I would feel if a loved one passes unexpectedly, but my family and I would celebrate it the same way.A popular song of the African American that is sung at most homegoings is Boys to Men â€Å"It so hard to say good bye to yesterday†, But it is s uch a fitting song for the occasion. My other brother (his twin) sang this song at his homegoing. It was hard to say goodbye because we were very close. There were 5 of us, 3 girls and 2 boys but my twin brothers and me and my twin sister were the closest. To this day we still talk and remember our brother Bookie (nickname) like he never passed and still with us. I don’t feel like it is grieving, it is remembering a good soul and an awesome, awesome brother. Healthy Grief Grief is an emotional suffering that someone is feeling when someone or something is taking away. (Wikipedia) Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the five stages of grief based on patients facing terminal illness. These steps are typical, but everyone doesn’t go through each stage. You don’t go through the stages in order and they should know that it is normal. The mindset of the individual will depend on the severity of grief they may go through. Grief can last from days to years and the person isn’t aware of this. They may restart their grieving process on holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries or when a special day arrives.Some people take’s the loss as a remembrance, but others take it as sorrow because their loved ones are gone which I think makes a person to go through the grieving process again. Coping with loss has been called† a spiritual process that includes locating our loved ones in time, place and transporting our recreated experiences to the here and now† (Angell Dennis & Dumain, 1998) Kubler- Ross grief process in the book of Job when God let Satan afflict Job to prove Job’s loyal to him. God presented Job as a virtue. Kubler-Ross stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.Job’s family, cattle and property was taken away from him. When Job didn’t succumb to these tragedies â€Å"The HEALTHY GRIEF Lord gave and the Lord has taken away†. God let Satan afflict Job again, this time Satan afflicted Job’s health. He started to have sores on his entire body that was very painful. With this tragedy Job started to go through the Kubler-Ross grieving process. Job prays and stated he doesn’t know why this is happening to him and why is god persecuting him. Job friends blamed him for the suffering because he had sinned and god. Job started questioning and challenging god.Job became depressed because his condition was deteriorating. Job wanted someone to talk for him to relieve him of his suffering. Job’s grieving went back and forth with God. When God confronts God and cross examines him, Job realized that he had misconceptions regarding God’s ability. Job does believe in God and had to go through the suffering to understand how great God is. God restored all that he had taken from Job plus some. God gave him double for the trouble. Grief of the Chinese religion is different because they don’t talk about their grief to anyone because it is considered to be unhealthy.Touching the loved one’s body is a sign of goodwill. The eldest grandson has to deliver the message to the other family members of the passing loved one in person out of respect. They are not allowed to speak about the death or the funeral. The Eldest son is the only one that is able to mourn and this has to be done for 72 days and not allowed to wear red or get married for 6 months. The eldest son has to take responsibility of caring for the fami ly and has to mourn by crying out and solemn in front of people, which is expected of him.The son has to live close to the grave site for 3 years. In the Chinese culture if a person dies by suicide the family will not touch the body because it is considered bad luck. They burn paper as a sign of providing material goods for that person. They place the deceased name on the paper so that person will receive the items. The Chinese feels eternity is passed through the sons in their family. Joy and grief goes hand in hand when it pertains to a person’s loss. When people grieve, they go through the grief stages, but when they remember the good times about that person there is joy.Through my research Nancy Bern a sociology professor spoke with a gentleman named Tim and explained that grief is like if you had your heart ripped out, it will hurt and hurt a lot and it will scab over and the pain will feel less. But if you knock off the scab it will hurt as it did the first time. It wil l hurt on those special moments or milestones HEALTHY GRIEF , but we still love them even as we bring new milestones in our life. Gratefulness and joy can be found in grief. My research hasn’t changed my views on grief.I still feel that it is the mindset of the individual and the relationship that person had with their loved ones. When we (Baptist/Christians) we celebrate the person that has passed as a â€Å"homegoing†. We sing, dance, eat and reminisce the life of that person. We are not afraid to talk about that person. As I discussed previously, When my brother (39) passed in 2005 it was difficult at first, when we had his homegoing it accepted it because my brother was very ill at that time. I don’t know how I would feel if a loved one passes unexpectedly, but my family and I would celebrate it the same way.A popular song of the African American that is sung at most homegoings is Boys to Men â€Å"It so hard to say good bye to yesterday†, But it is s uch a fitting song for the occasion. My other brother (his twin) sang this song at his homegoing. It was hard to say goodbye because we were very close. There were 5 of us, 3 girls and 2 boys but my twin brothers and me and my twin sister were the closest. To this day we still talk and remember our brother Bookie (nickname) like he never passed and still with us. I don’t feel like it is grieving, it is remembering a good soul and an awesome, awesome brother.

Lets Have A Truce essays

Lets Have A Truce essays After reading Lets Have a Truce by Andrew Sullivan, I see his point of view and what hes trying to get across to the American people. I know that my opinion on this paper is going to be different than that of the other students taking this class, but here is what I obtained. It seems that most people get side tracked at what is going on in the world while campaigning is going on. Republicans and Democrats alike get so caught up in picking the right one that we are oblivious to what is going on in the world. Terrorists are still a threat while the candidate you want or the candidate you dont want is running. Another point that Mr. Sullivan made is about how divided this Country has really become over the years. It seems that if the person that you didnt want in office is now the President, you criticize and complain about the job hes doing. What you should do, rather, is try to put your good attitude in front of your bad for the better of the Country. Its not going to make a difference how many times you call the President an idiot, its not going to change anything. I myself am a Democrat, and I know that Ive done my fair share of bashing on George W. Bush, but in the long run I just hope that the Country benefits from the time hes spent as our leader. I will even go as far as saying that I respect his determination of trying to win the war on terrorism. But, I do not respect the fact that we have been in this war for so long and WHAT are we trying to accomplish here? As far as Im concerned our goal in Iraq is the wrong one. We want oil. Iraq isnt even the leading country with oil, so w hy are we there? What we need is a Republican candidate and a Democrat candidate working side by side to accomplish more than what has been done in the past. Differences aside, I believe it would be beneficial. The main point that Sullivan made i...

Phases of the French Revolution essays

Phases of the French Revolution essays The French Revolution, which took place from 1789 to 1799, was an accumulation of two different revolutions, or two different stages of the revolution. The first stage, from 1789 until early 1792, dealt with liberty, and new ideas and policies for government. The second stage, from later 1792 until 1799, dealt with democracy and the cry for equality for all. Both stages succeeded in some ways, and failed in others, leading to the French Revolution itself to be both a success and a failure. From 1789 until 1799, liberty was what the masses were after: the liberty to compete, to own, and to succeed. The creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen is a perfect example of what the masses were after. The key word is, of course, masses. The Third-Estate long felt that it was time they were heard and taken seriously. The first phase of the revolution became the battleground of the Third-Estate versus anyone with substantial power. The call for liberty spread into all aspects of a Frenchmans life, the peasantry, aristocracy, and the clergy were all affected. The first phase of the revolution was mainly about discovering new ideas, mostly on the political spectrum. France slowly began to take steps towards democracy, starting with stripping the clergy of their power, condemning the ruling family, abolishing absolute monarchy and writing the Constitution of 1791. The first phase can be viewed as both successful and unsuccessful. The constitution that was set up in 1791 failed, and when it ended the hope of many liberals disappeared as well. However, the good that came out of the first phase can be seen easily. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and then later the one written for women, both exemplify the changes that were made during the first phase of the French Revolution. People everywhere began thinking differently, and politics became a much talked about subject by all class levels. The f...

How To Post To Multiple Social Networks At Once In No Time

How To Post To Multiple Social Networks At Once In No Time Imagine how much easier your life would be if you could just update all social media at once And what if you could go beyond that to simply schedule social messages to publish now and well into the future? And what if you could do it all in a few easy minutes? Youd solve the blank slate problem since you know posting  to social media consistently is important, but  doing it consistently- or even knowing where to start- is a challenge of its own. Youd turn what was a tedious  nightmare  into an efficient and repeatable process.  Youd forget about logging in and out of every social media account  and  setting reminders to share things.  There has to be a better way to set it and forget it! Youd actually find time to post on all of your social networks. Its easy to avoid posting when it sucks up your precious time but now youd be organized enough  to really focus on creating even better social media content, increasing your engagement, growing your following. Well, your imagination really isnt running that wild because you can post to multiple social networks at once and well beyond with a beautiful and easy-to-use tool I like to call . How To Post To Multiple #SocialNetworks At Once In No TimeHeres a sneak peek of exactly what I mean by posting to all social media at once with : Now, just so I dont get ahead of myself- and to help you choose the app that posts to all social media thats right for you- lets explore where to get started all the way through a real-life example of how this works. How To Find Your App That Posts To All Social Media Your first step is to create a checklist of what you need from an app to help you choose the ultimate best tool for you. Here are the definite must-haves on your list to help you solve the problem of posting on multiple social networks now while also helping you easily scale your  social media strategy. [ ] An App To  Manage All Of Your Social Media Accounts In order to post to all social media at once, you need to find a tool that helps you manage all of your accounts in one place. Create a social media accounts list to get you started. Here are a few things to think about You have business profiles: Facebook page Facebook groups Twitter handles Pinterest profile LinkedIn company profile Google+ page You have personal profiles: Facebook profile Facebook groups Twitter handles Pinterest profile LinkedIn profile Tumblr blog Youll want to find an app  to post to multiple social networks where you already have accounts. This will help you organize  all of your social media, focus your efforts on the right profiles, and post consistently to every account. [ ] An App That Posts To Multiple Social Networks At Once Easily This is kind of a given since updating all of your social media at once is  the problem you need to solve. But theres a difference between an app that can do this versus one thats designed  to make this an easy process. [ ] An App That Helps You Write  A Variety Of Social Media Messages At Once Many tools may help you write one message and blast it to all of your social networks. But your followers  on Twitter likely expect different messaging than your fans on Facebook. You need an app that helps you write a variety of messages so you can tailor them to the unique experiences your audience expects on different social networks.  This will help you increase your reach, boost your engagement, and grow your following. [ ] An App That Helps You Switch Up Visuals  In Your Messages Visual content  is one of the best ways to make sure your social media messages stand out in crowded news feeds. But GIFs perform well on Twitter and dont even animate on Pinterest where longer images dominate your followers screens. Since you found an app that helps you post to all social media at once while tailoring your messages to each network, your  next checkmark is to make sure that the tool  supports visuals and that you can choose them specifically for each network or message. [ ] An App That Helps You Schedule Once While Sharing At The Best Times For Engagement Sure, you want a tool that posts to your social networks now. But why not  do the work of writing your messages once while automatically posting  your social media messages at the absolute best times to increase your engagement and click-throughs? [ ] An App That Helps You Post To Social Media Well Beyond Right Now Yeah, this is similar to making sure you share at the absolute best times. But what if you could also schedule more messages to send tomorrow, throughout the week, or even a month or two from now? Find  a tool that helps you schedule out well beyond today so you can post all of your messages today while consistently sharing  relevant content with your followers well beyond right now. [ ] An App That Helps You Save Your Work As A Template To  Quickly  Post New Content In The Future So you just found an app that will help you write messages for each network and connect awesome visuals to each. It also helps you post at the absolute best times and allows you to schedule social media messages tomorrow, next week, and beyond. Find an app that helps you save that social media posting schedule to reuse it as a template. That will  save you time by doing the  hard stuff once, help you  turn your social media posting into a repeatable and efficient process, and help you share awesome content consistently to grow your following. Win-win-win! [ ] An App That Helps You See Everything Youre Posting At Once The more messages you post to your social networks, the more youll need a way to see everything thats going out. Search for a tool that gives you a visual at-a-glance view of the social media messages youll post every day of the week and allows you to easily drag and drop  your messages to other days as needed. [ ] An App That Helps You Manage Your Social Media Projects You probably have blog posts to  share on social media, campaigns to manage, and curation to organize. Why not find a tool that helps you get completely organized with all of it in one place complete with  as many workflows as you need? Shop Around, But Will Fill Up Your Checklist Youve probably guessed it, but is the worlds only social media calendar that will check  off every point in your checklist. Lets take a look at how you can  use to post on multiple social networks at once (and beyond). Manage All Of Your Social Media Accounts In One Place Simply log in to your social media accounts, then connect them into . Once youre set up, you wont need to worry about logging in and out of your social networks  to post your messages because youll schedule everything to send through . Post To Multiple Social Networks At Once You can easily write a message, choose an image, and  post that same message to multiple accounts at once. Step 1 and 2: Step 3:   Step 4: While this is a thing you can do, I recommend tailoring each message you send to  a specific social network. This practice will help you write for each network accordingly to help you increase your reach, engagement, and click-throughs. The following steps will help you learn how to do exactly that. Write Awesome Messages With Social Text  Helpers Use social helpers to write messages  that you can reuse without copying and pasting. I like to write social text  helpers  specifically for each network, then get inspiration for the actual messages from: Questions: Close-ended questions that leave followers answering yes or no are proven to increase  click-throughs. Stats: Share an interesting fact from your content. Numbers tend to draw clicks, too. Blog titles: There are three kinds of headlines that get shared more than any other- how to, list, and question. Controversy: Make your readers question what they think they already know to get clicks. Anecdotes: What do you believe that goes against the grain of common belief? Taking your followers off guard can increase clicks. Humor: About 50% of all social media users  share content that entertains. Get reshares by  sharing funny content that appeals to your followers emotional need to be entertained. Quotes:  Did you mention something an influencer said in the content youre sharing? Quotes like that make for  powerful social messages. Benefits: The age-old question your audience constantly asks themselves before clicking through to read your content is, Whats in it for me?  Write social media messages that help your audience improve themselves and achieve self-fulfillment. Snippets: Subheadlines,  powerful sentences, and messages in boxes all serve well as ideas for social messages. Include Awesome Images In Your Messages With Social Image Helpers Next, mix up your visuals in your messages to add variety to your posting schedule.  When you use social image helpers in , you can easily reuse your images in multiple social media messages without copying and pasting. Facebook example: Twitter example: Sizing images correctly for each network can help you increase your engagement, and social image helpers make it easy to post those correctly for each network. Heres some inspiration for the types of images that perform well on social media: Infographics: This is the most-shared type of content. Infographics perform particularly well on Pinterest. Quote graphics: Grab a powerful quote from your content and embed it in a graphic. This tactic is common on  LinkedIn. Animated GIFs: Motion stands out in busy news feeds. Animated GIFs perform well on Twitter. Title graphics: You spend a lot of time on your headlines include them in your social media images to capture attention immediately. Title graphics tend to perform well on Twitter. Mini infographics: Sometimes, its nice to summarize some of the big points from a particular section of your content in a mini infographic to teach your social media followers immediately. This tactic performs  well on Twitter, and is definitely worth trying on Google+ for a more techie audience. Recommended Reading:  How To Make The Best Social Media Images The Easy Way (+ 84 Free Images) Schedule Messages Now While  Automatically Sharing  Smarter With Best Time Scheduling Create a  new social message in , then simply select your text and image helpers. will automatically send your message at the best time for the networks you select according to best practices. Save Your  Social Media Posting Schedule To Reuse It Later With Social Templates The point of writing multiple messages and images is to schedule a variety of social media messages now and let them automatically post to all of your social media well into the future. That will save you tons of time, organize your process, and help you share consistently. Now youll post to multiple social networks at once with a variety of text and images, while also scheduling more messages for: 1 day from now 3 days from now 7 days from now 28 days from now and anything in between or beyond When youre done, simply save your social queue as a template you can reuse again for other content youd like to share. See Every Social Media Message  With Your All-In-One Editorial Calendar Now that youve scheduled  social media messages for multiple projects, its nice to see all of it on one calendar. Easily filter by social media account to find days where you may have too much or too little activity, then drag and drop your messages accordingly. All of it is here! Manage Your Social Media Projects Even Smarter With Task Templates You can use to manage all of your social media posting projects- blog posts, social media campaigns, Twitter chats, e-book promotions, anything! Simply create your project on your calendar, then use tasks to seamlessly assign work to you and your team, complete with due dates. An Example Of How  It All Comes Together: Posting  An E-Book Landing Page On All Social Media In 10 Minutes Or Less Learning from example is a great place to start. So Lets say your team just wrote the e-book on How To Create A Social Media Strategy. Wink-wink, this is a real example. ;) Your team would add that project as Content on your editorial calendar. From there, youd create the Tasks necessary to complete the project, choose  the task due dates, and assign them to your team to complete. Posting to social media is one of the tasks assigned to you! And with , you can  create your social media messages way before you publish the e-book. Here we go: 1  Minute: Create Your Social Helper Tags In that same Content on your calendar, youd simply open the Social Helpers and create your Text Helper tags. Then youd create your Social Image Helper tags. 5  Minutes:  Add Content To Your Text And Image Helpers Then youd fill in the blanks of your Text Helpers with the actual copy  youd like to use in your social media messages. Then youd fill in your Image Helpers by uploading your graphics, pictures, or GIFs: 3  Minutes: Schedule Multiple Messages In Your Social Queue Next, youd start filling up your Social Queue with messages. Choose your Text Helper and Image Helper, then select the Social Media Profiles  to which you want to send those messages. Add more messages to your queue to span days, weeks, or even months from the point of publish. 1  Minute: Save Your Queue As A Reusable Social Template When youre done creating your messages, simply Save Queue As New Template. Now youll be able to reuse the work you put into this template with future e-books- or whatever content youd like to post, really. Thats it! Your e-book is going to be a social media success because of you! You just posted to multiple social networks at once- and scheduled tons of bonus messages that will help you post consistently without the tedious, manual work. And the best part? You saved all of the work you did creating Social Helper tags, scheduling your Social Queue, and creating a Social Template.  So the next time you have to post on social media, itll only take you seven  minutes or less because youll just have to add content into your text and image helpers. Now You Know How To Post To All Social Media In A Matter Of Minutes Youre pretty much the best social media manager in the world right now. :) Youve learned: Where to get started to post to social media consistently to build a following of engaged fans. How to boost your efficiency with a repeatable social media posting process that will get you organized. How to actually find time to post on all of your social media because you wont have to log in and out of multiple accounts. Your social media calendar is a great way to manage all of your  profiles, post to multiple social networks, and organize every project along the way. Get started with a free 14-day trial and let me know  how much time you save!

Tax law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tax law - Coursework Example This paper will look at four different examples of taxes and explain these examples using scenarios (Amatucci, GonzaÃŒ lez, Trzaskalik and Amatucci 2006). The tax imposed on Brain’s family home and shop is classified as a capital gain tax. This is because the price at which he sold it was higher than the price in which he bought it plus all the commissions and the improvement cost. There is also the net rate of appreciation. He bought the empty premises ten years ago at 750 thousand dollars and started his business. He sold it at 1,880,000 dollars. The tax imposed here will be nominal based which implies that it will not change with inflation rates. Brain’s property will be taxed as a long-term capital gain since he has owned the property and business for over one year. The shop and land will be taxed at 15% to 20%. The trading stock, goodwill, and fittings may be exempted from taxation since they are long term gains acquired and are below the 20 percent mark of the total amount. Since Brain is married, and his wife has a 5% ownership in the company where Brain 45% and is worth 5.4 million dollars, the couple will be excluded a tax of up to 540 thousand dollars. The 20 thousand dollars, he received for signing an agreement of not establishing a business in a 10 kilometer radius of the property he sold, will not also be taxed. However, he has to stick to the agreement for five years to avoid a penalty on him. The tax imposed on income from property is either capital on general principles or income. In George’s case, the sale of trees at a cost of 20 dollars for each tree is classified as farm income since the trees are farm produce and are taxable under the farm income statement. This implies George will be taxed on a rate stipulated in the country that changes with time. In the second year, George will also be taxed on the 9

What duties, if any, do we have to non-human animals Essay

What duties, if any, do we have to non-human animals - Essay Example ’1 In examining theories by Singer, McMahan, Warnock, Spira and Benson regarding the eating of non-human animals, consideration will also be given to the impact this may have on moral arguments regarding ‘duty’ in vivisection, and industries such as cosmetics, detergents and pharmaceuticals. Peter Singer believes chimpanzees and apes, should be granted ‘the right to life, to liberty and to protection from torture,’2 because they have autonomy like humans. Singer’s term ‘speciesists’ is used for people who ‘regard human beings as intrinsically more valuable than members of other species.’3 Singer purports to believe in equality between species, but Benson argues this is false ‘because of the relationships with other individuals which are inseparable from belonging to the same species.’4 Singer contradictiously suggests that chimps and apes have a greater level of consiousness, compared to other non-human an imals. In an article and the book Ethics into Action, Singer discusses Henry Spira who campaigned to reduce animal suffering related to the Draize and LD50 tests. Spira’s advertising campaign was criticized for using a Beagle to gain an emotive response; it was suggested if a rodent appeared in the advert people would not have been so outraged. Spira pointed to the importance of ‘not how popular is an animal, but can it tell the difference between pain and pleasure?’5 Singer discusses Kant’s work and states that we ‘find moral worth only when duty is done for duty’s sake.’6 What is meant by this relates to the advertising, in that if people do their duty out of sympathy or shame, they wouldn’t be doing their duty for the sake of believing and feeling it to be true. Gary L. Francione criticises Peter Singer’s work, suggesting that whilst it contains an element of reform for animal-welfare, it ‘makes people feel better about animal uses, but does not actually achieve its proper aim of protecting animals.’7 Francione argues for full abolition of animal use, claiming that because animals are sentient beings this should enable them to have full moral and legal rights. Professor of Philosophy, Jeff McMahan, discusses animals raised in good conditions, then killed humanely, for human consumption and terms this ‘benign carnivorism.’8 McMahan states the main premise of benign carnivorism’s moral philosophical argument, is that it’s preferable animals live in a contented manner, with no suffering (up until their humane death), than to not have existed at all. Mary Warnock claims animals ‘should be used for the sake of human society,’9 she lists activities such as horse riding; sledging; the food and clothing they provide. This argument is favourable to those wishing to consume meat, though McMahan points out the illogical flaw that: ‘there are no indiv iduals who never exist.’10 A comparative sense of ‘well-being’ is made between non-human animals and humans. Whilst non-human animals can appear to show emotion; other aspects of human life such as success, artistic endeavours, wisdom, meaningful connections to others, the ability to think rationally and appreciation of beauty aren’t always as easy to perceive in non-human animals. McMahan suggests that non-human animals lack a self-awareness for the future, claiming that they ‘do not†¦have desires or intentions or ambitions†¦that would be frustrated by death,’11 thus making it easier to justify killing them. McMahan’s argument makes interesting comparison to humans but his key premise throughout is that animals do not have the same rights as humans they have lesser rights; humans constantly place a higher value on human life. If non-human animals were seen to have a

Write a paper to compare the external and internal forces, how do Term

Write a to compare the external and internal forces, how do earthquakes and vocanoes develope can we predict their occurance - Term Paper Example They also help in the determination of the distribution of the surface and ground water (A Living Planet 19), and the shape of the deserts and features such as sandbars (FCAT Science 187). The formation of the soil occurs as a result of erosion and weathering (A Living Planet 20). Erosion can be of many types, such as water erosion, wind erosion, glacial erosion, and loess formation (A Living Planet 20). The process of weathering could be mechanical or chemical (A Living Planet 19). Other external forces include tornadoes, hurricanes, and water runoff (FCAT Science). On the other hand, the internal forces of the earth result in the formation of deep seafloor features (FCAT Science 175), along with the formation of landscape structures such as mountain ridges, fault lines, and phenomena such as volcanoes and earthquakes (FCAT Science 176). The internal forces can be attributed to the movement of the lithosphere which is explained most satisfactorily by the plate tectonics theory (FCAT Science 178). It states that the crust or the lithosphere of the earth is divided into twenty plates (FCAT Science 178), which are dynamic in nature due to the movement of underlying magma in the asthenosphere below (FCAT Science 178). Their movements include sliding, colliding, convergent, and divergent movements (FCAT Science 178). Divergent movements, in which the plates move away from each other (FCAT Science 179), have resulted in the formation of the Atlantic mid-ocean ridge and the Atlantic ocean seafloor (FCAT Science 179). As the crust is pulled apart, it r esults in earthquakes (FCAT Science 179). Convergent movements occur when the plates move towards each other (FCAT Science 180), resulting in the

Billy Graham and His Impact Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Billy Graham and His Impact - Research Paper Example Leading an extraordinary and remarkable life, Billy Graham’s name will forever be remembered as the man who has influenced and shaped the world of Evangelism and Christianity in all of the United States of America. His life is the account of the impact he has made in the world. Born as the eldest on the seventh day in the month of November in 1918, Billy Graham was raised on their family’s dairy farmland in close proximity to the largest city in the state of North Carolina by his parents, William Franklin Graham I who was a successful cultivator and entrepreneur and Morrow Coffey. As he was growing up with his four other siblings namely Katherine, Melvin, and Jean, he was already surrounded by the Christian upbringing in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. When the Noble Experiment was imposed in 1933, when he was only a young man at the age of about fifteen years old, Graham’s father had forced him as well as his sister Katherine into drinking and engaging in alcoholic beverages to the point where they would start throwing up. This event that happened early in his life, only as a young teenager, has caused him and his sister a strong feeling of hatred and abhorrence for alcohol and intoxicating drinks and beverages as well as drugs. Graham, a year after the incident, was converted when he was only sixteen years of age at that time when he was attending a series of several revivals and renewal meeting in which Mordecai Fowler Ham an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader, a social movement that insists on the reduction of in taking and drinking alcoholic beverages, was in charge of. He enthused up quite a number of different issues and controversies when he was charged and accused of ethical negligence and lack of discipline while he was attending and studying at his local high school.

E-Mail Upgrade Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-Mail Upgrade Project - Essay Example The work requirements of the users have increased over the years, and they need to have more features and higher reliability in their new e-mail software. The upgraded software should have better features than the current e-mail program, and should be able to meet the increased value-added job requirements of the users. The new software should have higher reliability and security to ensure better repeatability and data integrity in the users' work area. The primary objective new e-mail software is to meet the requirements of the existing users and satisfy them. The next most important success criterion of the project is flawless technical integration of the new program with the current e-mail software. The existing data and processes should be successfully migrated to the new upgraded software without any technical glitch; the new upgraded software should blend seamlessly into the existing one without any loss in data and user complaint. There should not be any IPR or patent right violation. This is important because the vendors of the upgraded software and earlier software could be different. ...The existing data and processes should be successfully migrated to the new upgraded software without any technical glitch; the new upgraded software should blend seamlessly into the existing one without any loss in data and user complaint. The new installed software should clear the Quantified User Acceptance Test. 2.3 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): There should not be any IPR or patent right violation. This is important because the vendors of the upgraded software and earlier software could be different. The new vendor should indemnify the ODHS from any litigation pertaining to such violation. Apart from indemnification, such IPR disputes could lead to delay in project execution; it is therefore, in the interests of ODHS that disputes of this nature should not arise.        

Billy Graham and His Impact Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Billy Graham and His Impact - Research Paper Example Leading an extraordinary and remarkable life, Billy Graham’s name will forever be remembered as the man who has influenced and shaped the world of Evangelism and Christianity in all of the United States of America. His life is the account of the impact he has made in the world. Born as the eldest on the seventh day in the month of November in 1918, Billy Graham was raised on their family’s dairy farmland in close proximity to the largest city in the state of North Carolina by his parents, William Franklin Graham I who was a successful cultivator and entrepreneur and Morrow Coffey. As he was growing up with his four other siblings namely Katherine, Melvin, and Jean, he was already surrounded by the Christian upbringing in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. When the Noble Experiment was imposed in 1933, when he was only a young man at the age of about fifteen years old, Graham’s father had forced him as well as his sister Katherine into drinking and engaging in alcoholic beverages to the point where they would start throwing up. This event that happened early in his life, only as a young teenager, has caused him and his sister a strong feeling of hatred and abhorrence for alcohol and intoxicating drinks and beverages as well as drugs. Graham, a year after the incident, was converted when he was only sixteen years of age at that time when he was attending a series of several revivals and renewal meeting in which Mordecai Fowler Ham an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader, a social movement that insists on the reduction of in taking and drinking alcoholic beverages, was in charge of. He enthused up quite a number of different issues and controversies when he was charged and accused of ethical negligence and lack of discipline while he was attending and studying at his local high school.

Generational Shifts in the Workplace Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Generational Shifts in the Workplace - Article Example Moreover, as people from the different generations spend more time with one another, they are in a position to remove their differences and build good rapport which is conducive for more work and lesser fuss. Managers should tend to make employees from different generations benefit from one another’s expertise. For example, old employees have more experience and are aware of the traps. They know how to deal with intricate situations and companies benefit from their strategic planning. Likewise, young employees are more skilled in technology, unlike the old employees. They have great knowledge of computer and can operate difficult software with extreme comfort. In order to progress in the contemporary age with so many competitors in the market, companies are in need of both the strategic planning of the elderly and the technological expertise of the young employees. Nevertheless, it is essential to inculcate the skills of decision making in young employees and make the old empl oyees competent enough in the use of technology.

Coraline a Wizard of Earthsea the Sense of Self Essay Example for Free

Coraline a Wizard of Earthsea the Sense of Self Essay If you see a wallet on the ground and discover there is an enormous amount of money in it, what would you do? Do you think youd return it, or possibly keep the money for yourself? How would you feel about it emotionally afterward? For the sake of an argument let us say you would keep the money. How would you then feel if someone you hate also had the same circumstance happen to them? Would you feel like them keeping the money would further prove why you dislike that person? Did you not also keep the money yourself? In the book Psychoanalysis Terry Eagleton states that Lacan permits us to explore the relations between the unconscious and human society the unconscious is not some kind of private region inside us, but an effect of our relations with one another(Eagleton 150). The unconscious is part of your self and can be negative or positive; the negative side that we produce is part of our ego. Ego is defined as the complex factor to which all conscious contents are related the ego is only one half of a whole and that whole is the self (Jung 139). Our ego is broken into three sections and the section most apparent in this case is the shadow. The reason why your peer keeping the money creates resentment in you is because of the shadow, it is a part of you that you keep in your unconscious, a part you dont like and when it is revealed to you through someone else you exchange the inward hatred and replace it with outward disdain for the person that has committed the act. Self is best described as the combination of your conscious and unconscious becoming one in a balanced state. In Coraline by Neil Gaimen and A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin the shadow becomes a physical thing, an actual entity. The genre itself, fantasy, has its own identity crisis which further adds to the lack of self in the novels. This should not make these stories any less real, the premise of both stories, of battling the shadow and overcoming the lack of identity to find the self is still a very real thing as explained by J.R.R. Tolkien fairystories deal largely with simple or fundamental things, untouched by fantasy, but these simplicities are made all the more luminous by their setting (Tolkien 20). The self being fragmented by not knowing one’s unconscious is a recurring theme in both stories. The shadow becoming and entity in the stories further explains the concept of your conscious latching on to an outward vessel to express disdain for. The conscious and unconscious meld together to form one’s identity, the conscious mind uses ones life experiences and natural behavior as an identifier while the unconscious mind creates the ego and the shadow, both of which create the idea of self. In order to gain an identity you much overcome and accept your shadow as part of you, then and only then will you truly discover your â€Å"self†. In Coraline a lonely and ignored little girl is an only child of two, negligent, parents. She has just moved into a new house and while exploring her new home she finds a door which sometimes, and progressively more while the story continues, leads her into an alternate world where her desire for excitement is fulfilled. While in this world the narrator states, There were all sorts of remarkable things in there shed never seen before this is more like it, thought Coraline† (Gaimen 30). This is Coraline’s conscious self, her excitement, her explorer, the one that doesn’t mind a new world, a girl who accept the oddities just so that she can discover all of them herself. This world was created by the other mother, a witch, who at this point has not revealed herself to Coraline as a soul consuming entity. Her brand new home put up an image of perfection that clouded her judgment. These illusions created by the other mother make it harder for Coraline to discover herself because she is only seeing what the other mother is allowing her to see through the filter of Coraline’s conscious. Jung states that The more projections are thrust in between the subject and the environment [the other world in Coralines case], the harder it is for the ego to see through its illusions (Jung 147). Because of this, Coralines newly found freedom into the other world is nothing more than an attempt by the other mother to keep her in the dark while thinking she is in control. This false sense of security doesnt allow for Coraline to discover her own self. The main plot point of the story is the more Coraline realizes shes being held back and the more she feels her sense of self coming to fruition the more the illusions put in front of her begin to dwindle until the world is revealed to her for what it really is. Although it is the other mothers world and she created it, it is the fact that Coraline hasn’t come to terms with her shadow or better yet hasn’t been forced to face it that allows her to succumb to the illusion, it is an unconscious factor [the shadow] which spins the illusions that veil [the] world (Jung 147). As Jung states here, the shadow, and this other world that has been created is her unconscious being warped through the eyes of the other mother, and her warped vision is the veil that the world hides beneath. Coralines conscious mind is her adventurous side her first two weeks in the house [were spent] exploring the garden and the grounds this is the basis of the other world, a place full of wonder and excitement, a place full of adventure (Gaimen 6). The shadow that Coraline must face is her fear. Coralines conversation with her guardian, the cat, is about her confusion of bravery and being naive. Coraline thinks that she is very brave without knowing what bravery actually is. She tells the story of her father who gets stung by a nest of hornets and in the process discovers true bravery, which she embodies as her father going back for his glasses, it wasnt brave because he wasnt scared going back again to get his glasses, then he knew the wasp were there, when he was really scared. That was brave when youre scared and you still do it anyway, thats brave (Gaimen 58-59). Once she goes through this point the world shifts for her, she sees everything for its eerie similarities of the real world but with a malicious twist. The final proof of the discovery of self in Coraline is the fact that once everything is said and done she goes back to her life exactly the way it was. Her parents still pay no mind to her and her life is just as dull now as it was when the story started but her perspective changed. She is no longer oppressed by her status because she defeats the other mother and overcomes her shadow, becoming whole. She is complete, by learning, understanding, and overcoming her unconscious she finds her â€Å"self†. The beginning of her journey is much the same as Ged in A Wizard of Earthsea, looking for her self and being too naive to find it. Ged is a boy who discovers his divine talent for witchcraft at an early age. From the moment that he saves his village from being decimated by savages he was told that he would be a great and powerful wizard by one of the great wizards, Ogion, I send you one who will be greatest of the wizards of Gont (Le Guin 48). This creates Ged’s conscious self, which is a hero complex, thinking that he can do whatever he wishes without consequence. Ged although very powerful is very arrogant and prideful, in an attempt to impress a women he learns to summon a dark spirit from the dead that almost kills him. He once again out of anger and pride summons the spirit of the dead in a competition of strength with a boy, jasper, one year his senior. The shadow is shown to him in many forms, these forms are of his character flaws, Like a clot of black shadow, quick and hideous it was like a black beast, the size of a young child the young child reflecting back on him when he first revealed himself to the darkness, while the beast is Ged’s vengeful personality taking shape (Le Guin 85). The shadow was born out of Ged’s arrogance, pride and narcissism. He constantly becomes angry at himself for not being stronger and as he succumbs to his anger the shadow becomes stronger, it rankled at his heart he should die, spitted on a Kargish lance, while still a boy raged at his weakness, for he knew his strength (Le Guin 11). His fear and his constant flaws give the shadow its strength putting those he knows in danger and further hiding his self from him. As Ged tries to run away for the last time the shadow manages to kill Geds pet. This is the last straw for Ged and he, as Coraline did, discovers his unconscious, his identity and seeks out to defeat the shadow. He begins to chase the shadow and becomes stronger from it, facing his inner demons and overcoming his fear. Ged learns of the connection he has with the shadow in order to defeat it, it wills to work evil through you. The power you had to call it gives it power over you: you are connected. It is the shadow of your arrogance, the shadow of your ignorance, the shadow you cast. Has a shadow a name (Le Guin)? By being told this and through all the trials Ged faces he becomes humble and learns his way through the barriers he has put up on his darkness. Through the hunt Ged finally realizes what the shadow is and even though it has his misguided qualities it has brought out the good qualities in him. Ged finally spoke the shadows name and the shadow repeated it, Ged and the shadow became one and Ged became one with his unconscious and becomes aware of his self, I am whole, I am free (Le Guin). Coraline and Ged went through hardships in order to become one. Coraline learned true bravery and defeated her other mother and though her life did not change she accept herself and her life for what it was. Ged through his hardship lost his arrogance, his pride, his ignorance and actually physically became one with his shadow. Through the hunt of their shadow they found themselves. They stopped running away from who they always were and just embraced and learned to become what they were trying to run away from. Coralines ignorance and Geds pride were defeated by the hunt for their unconscious. Their true enemy was themselves and the only thing that could defeat that was their new found sense of self.

Discrimination In The English Language

Discrimination In The English Language There exists national and racial discrimination in the English language. Such kind of discrimination can be reflected by words, expressions and also proverbs. This linguistic phenomenon has profound historical and cultural background, reflects national bias, conflicts and hatred, and thus provides us information about historical relationships among nations. This paper analyses causes and connotations of national and racial slurs, and shows the potential negative effects of the slurs on international contacts. It also deals with the current state of linguistic discrimination in modern society and the efforts people make to eliminate the phenomenon. Language primarily functions as the communication tool and information transmitter, and is closely linked to ethnic. Every ethnic group in this world has its own language which may be either slightly or totally different from other groups. Language is the carrier of ethnic history and social culture, and evolves together with the society where it is used. So to speak, the development of the ethnic is the fundamental cause and basic condition of the development of the language. Since language and ethnic are so profoundly interrelated, it is no wonder that language is influenced by ethnic feelings and the latter are fully embodied in the former. 1.2 National and racial discrimination in the English language As a common social phenomenon, national and racial discrimination against other ethnic groups would inevitably exert influence on languages. Thus, slurs come into being in almost every language in the world. Among these languages, English is a particularly striking example which contains many national and racial slurs. It is clearly seen that in the English language, part of its large vocabulary is concerned with nations and races. Unpleasantly, this part often carries a connotation of national and racial discrimination. We can readily find slurs with various forms such as vocabulary, phrase, address, proverb, etc. Take the Dutch idioms for example. If a person says to you, you do beat the Dutch (Liu, 2003:131), he intends to mean that you are excellent. When people use the Dutch idioms, they may wonder how those idioms originate. In fact, the slurs in the English language have profound historical background. Though causes of slurs are rather complicated ¼Ã…’yet we can still sort out them. Among these complex causes, ethnocentrism, wars and racial differences are the most important ones. 1.3 Objectives of the study The study focuses on the phenomenon of national and racial discrimination in the English language. We will look into the reason why the slurs come into being and the connotations that they carry. Once we get a better idea of their connotations, we can know whether it is proper to use them in public. Hence, we can try to avoid misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication and improve our competence. Since there are so many slurs in English, we have to be very careful about them. We may wonder about the following questions. What consequence would they cause when used improperly? Are they still used frequently in daily life? Or are they going to fade out from the English language? 2. Causes of national and racial slurs in the English language 2.1 Obsession of ethnocentrism in the United Kingdom and United States In Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary, ethnocentrism is based on the ideas and beliefs of one particular culture and using these to judge other cultures. (Hornby Wehmeier, 2004:580) Strong sense of national pride is one of the main causes of national discrimination. A nation with ethnocentrism believes in the superiority of its own culture including values, norms, languages, etc., and considers other nations as inferior to it. Since National feelings are closely interlinked with national language, national discrimination finds expression in the latter. The USA and the UK are considered to be very proud nations. We can tell ethnocentrism from the two countries names. (Jiao, 2009:57) The USA is short for the United States of America. Despite the fact that the word America stands for the whole continent including Canada and Mexico, the USA employs it as a component of its country name. When people say Americans today, they generally refer to the people of the USA and exclude Canadian and Mexican. The British is no less proud than the Americans. They used to claim their country to be the empire on which the sun never sets and the mistress of the seas (Mao, 2003:141) The full name of its nation is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British prefer to call their country Great Britain. The UK is actually a small country but it is the only country around the world using great in its countrys name. Some proverbs in English are the authentic portrayal of the excessively proud mind of the British. For instance, the English are a nation of shop-keepers; all countries stand in need of Britain, and Britain of none; one Englishman can beat three Frenchmen. (Mao, 2003:143) From these proverbs, we can see this island country is completely indulged in self-admiration. It assumes that whatever in its country is good and useful while those in other countries are odd. More often than not, it despises other countries especially those once at war with it such as France and the Netherlands. Even two of the world major powers, Russia and the United States cannot escape the fate of being derided. As the proverb says, An American will go to hell for a bag of coffee. Scratch a Russian, and you will find a tarter. (Jiao, 2009:59) Ethnocentrism endows the English language with a predilection towards the UK and the USA, and a bias against other nations or races. An excess of national pride glorifies a country while shows contempt for the virtues of other countries. In reality, it is fair to say that any ethnic group in the world is likely to show undue pride of nationalism of various degrees, consciously or not. Nonetheless ¼Ã…’ethnocentrism negatively affects international relations and goes against peaceful coexistence. 2.2 National resentment caused by wars Historical events have undoubtedly made their contribution to the development of English lexicology. New expressions often emerge from times of war when national emotion is running high. In most cases, they continue to stay in the language in the process of social development even if hundreds of years have passed. The French and Dutch expressions and proverbs are the classic examples. From a geographical perspective, France faces the United Kingdom across the English Channel. From 1377 to 1453, France and England were engaged in wars over territory and economic benefit. (Dai, 2003) The hundred-year war ended in a victory for France. This certainly gave rise to resentment from Englishmen toward France. English people found expression for their hatred in the English vocabulary. They considered the word French as a derogatory one and created many terms containing the word. Even today, we can still see the French expressions usually used as pejorative in the English language. For instance, the proverb one Englishman can beat three Frenchmen means defeating enemy troops with a force inferior in number. Some French phrases are connected with sex and eroticism. A French postcard/novel (Hou, 2009:64) is a pornographic photo/book. French gout (Hou, 2009:64) is syphilis. Not only the term French but also Dutch fall into this category. Dated back to 16th century, England had been friendly with the Netherlands. It was not until the 17th century that the Netherlands became one of the largest colonial empires in the world and a strong competitor of England for maritime trade. (Dai, 2003) It was inevitable that growing commercial rivalry between England and the United Netherlands led to the outbreak of wars. There were three Anglo-Dutch Wars fought in the 17th century. After the wars, the United Kingdom of Great Britain achieved maritime supremacy. Due to the wars, hostility persisted for years between the two countries. Many Dutch expressions and proverbs represent English feelings toward the Dutch. For instance, Dutch comfort/consolation (Liu, 2003:131) means no comfort/consolation at all. If something is double Dutch (Liu, 2003:131) to a person, he can hardly understand it. 2.3 Racial differences The majority of Native English speakers are white people. White racists consider their ancestry is sacred and of higher quality than others. They believe that their race possesses absolute and remarkable superiority when compared to others. As a consequence, they disparage other races in the world. This kind of emotion can be called racial discrimination and is sufficiently reflected in the English language. People can name racial slurs, many of which are related with African Americans, Native Americans and Asians. Expressions and proverbs containing such words as Negro, nigger and Indian often carry a connotation of contempt. Particularly in the American English, we can recognize the serious racial discrimination phenomenon. The United States is described to be a big melting pot, into which immigrants from all around the world have come together and blended their cultures and traditions. People of different nationalities, races, colors and faiths inhabit in the same community, contacting, influencing and integrating mutually. Altogether, they create a dynamic, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural society, and make their specific contribution to the American history. Yet ¼Ã…’this predominantly white country has been faced with racial contradictions and conflicts throughout its history. Strong hostility and prejudice between different racial groups, mostly the white and the colored, has resulted in racism in the English language and led to a rapid increase of discriminatory vocabulary. 2.4 National traits From the micro point of view, it is a common practice among people to remark on others physiological features, and make fun of them about their looks, shapes, and dressing. In a broad perspective, one ethnic group may tease another about its distinctive physiological feature which appears to be strange. It is conceivable that national traits (physiological features and characters) can also be a source of slurs in the English language. It is not surprising that Japanese, smaller in stature than the westerner ¼Ã…’get the nickname little-yellow-man (Liu, 2003:129) from the Americans. The Russians are nicknamed polar bears (Liu, 2003:129) because on one side part of Russia is located in the cold Arctic Circle, where polar bears often haunt, and on the other the Russians had a reputation for being strong and aggressive. Although these make sense, making fun of others about their distinctive traits is improper ¼Ã…’inconsiderate and even cruel after all. From the perspective of nation, every ethnic group is unique in its traits due to the interactions of heredity, environment and other factors. A nation is inclined to discriminate others on condition that it assumes its traits are better than any other nations. It is unfair and wrong to measure other nations by the standard of ones own nation. 2.5 Spatiotemporal differences Owing to spatiotemporal differences, countries face different environments which affect their knowledge about others. Therefore, the lack of knowledge of other areas would give rise to wrong interpretations and misunderstandings of people in those areas. Sometimes a countrys geographical backgrounds can become a popular topic and laughingstock to other countries. We may have heard the saying, Finland is the devils country (Mao, 2003:143) and wondered about its origin. As is known, Finland is situated at high latitudes of northern hemisphere with cold climatic conditions. The special geographical location leaves an impression on the English-speaking people that Finland is uninhabitable and only devils dare live there. In the English language, Chinese puzzle (Mao, 2003:142) refers to a complicated thing or problem. The phrase stems from the history when America and China had little contact. The Americans felt confused about China and had a poor understanding of the country. Hence, it is imaginable that they attached a sense of complexity to the word Chinese. 3.Words ¼Ã…’expressions and proverbs mirroring ethical prejudice In what way can words, expressions and proverbs reflect national and racial discrimination? From the point of modern English lexicology, there are four common tendencies of semantic change in words: restriction of meaning (specialization), extension of meaning (generalization), degeneration of meaning (pejoration), and elevation of meaning (amelioration). (Zhang, 1987:269) Among these four, degeneration of meaning refers to the condition that words once respectable or neutral may shift to a less respectable or even derogatory meaning. (Zhang, 1987:277) This is the most common method used in linguistic discrimination. For instance, the Dutch idioms in Chapter 3.1.1 have derogatory meanings because the word Dutch is degraded into negative sense. In English, there are so many idioms concerned about ethical prejudice that it would be difficult to cover all of them. Let us have a look at some of them from two broad categories. 3.1 Reflection of national discrimination Before moving on, I would like to state that all the idioms in the following paragraphs come from On National Prejudice in Language by Liu Baojun except those with special interlinear notes. 3.1.1 The Dutch idioms There are many Dutch expressions in English. We probably have heard or said them in daily life. However, we may have little idea about when they were first used and how they came into being. Dutch is explained by the unpleasant associations of certain historical events, namely, the Anglo-Dutch wars and rivalry at sea in the seventeenth century. Many of the Dutch expressions were first used in England at that time, during fierce naval competition between England and the Netherlands. British people used Dutch to refer to something bad. Now, of course, the British and the Dutch have a friendly relation. But the word Dutch is still used in almost the same way as it once was long time ago. The Dutch idioms can be classified into several types. First of all, some of the Dutch expressions are related to wine because the Dutch were regarded as bibber. The phrase Dutch courage is a slang term for courage gained after drinking alcohol. It is synonymous with liquid courage. The term is purported to have its origin in the battles of the seas. (Liu, 2003:131) It is said that the Dutch navy feared all other navies especially the English navy. It was rationalized that they must have drunk alcohol before battle to relieve their fear. A Dutch bargain or Dutch agreement, which is made between men who have drunk too much alcohol, is an uneven, one-sided deal. When the host is the first to get drunk in the party, it can be called a Dutch feast. Second, the British used to consider the Dutch very stingy about money. The Dutch always split the bill when whey went out for dinner. Based on this conception, Dutch treat referred to a dinner at which the invited guests should pay for their own share of food and drinks. A Dutch party is a party to which each guest contributes some food and drink. Today, Dutch treat has a slightly different meaning from that. When friends go out to have fun, each person pays his own share if they agree to Dutch treat or go Dutch. Third, in the eyes of the British, the Dutch were rude, irritable and weird. To get ones Dutch up is to flare up. To do a Dutch act means to commit suicide. If a person talks to you in a very severe way, he is talking like a Dutch uncle. This phrase emerges for the reason that the Dutch had a reputation for raising their children in a firm way. (Li, 2009:52) Not only expressions but also proverbs can convey national slurs. The Dutch has taken Holland can be interpreted as follows: a man who has seen little regards many things as strange and comment excitedly on a commonplace thing out of inexperience. However, people using these expressions may not be well aware that they are hurting the Netherlands national pride. Almost all the Dutch phrases contain negative connotation. The situation makes the Netherlands feel uncomfortable and low national respect. Thus, in 1934, Netherlands government commanded that officials should avoid use the word Dutch. (Hou, 2009:65) In spite of the effort, today the derogatory sense of the word still exists and people continue using it to refer to something negative. 3.1.2 The French idioms In the modern history of the world, France and the Great Britain rival each other in political, economic, cultural and military competition. Many British idioms have recorded the countrys discord with the French. French leave is an abrupt and unannounced departure without saying farewell to the host. The phrase can be traced back to 18th century. (Wang, 1999:45) From the view of character, the French were amiable and easygoing by nature. It was their custom that guests invited to dinner would depart without giving thanks or saying farewell to their host. To the British, in particular the English, whose reputed quality is reserved, leaving without saying goodbye is ill-mannered, discourteous and shows no respect for others. There goes the proverb when the Ethiopian is white, the French will love the English. In reality, The Ethiopians are dark-skinned and it is impossible that their skin will turn white. By using this logic analysis, neither is it possible that the French will love the English. The proverb implies that the state of hostility between the two countries would not end. Another proverb goes, The Italians are wise before the deed, the Germans in the deed, the French after the deed. (Jiao, 2009:59) By comparing France with another two countries, the idiom carries a message that the French are wooden-headed and witless. Historically, it was suggested by the Americans that some of the French expressions should be changed. Yet ¼Ã…’it was too early to be cheerful for the French. Here goes the story. In the first half of the year 2003, France opposed the plan shock and awe adopted by the American-led United Nations forces toward Iraq. This stirred up American disgust toward the French. A television host of FOX news, one of the American news media, called for a boycott of French goods. It was demanded that in the English language French toast and French fry should be changed into freedom toast and freedom fry while French leave should be reserved. (Du, 2005:23) Very interestingly, it seemed that the Americans wanted to keep the French expressions with derogatory sense and meanwhile discard others with neutral meaning. In such case, The French could do nothing but sulk. 3.1.3 The Chinaman/Chinese idioms In modern times, China cut off itself from the outside world. As a result of a seclusion policy in foreign relations, China lost an opportunity for development and fell behind. Thus, the western countries showed contempt to this poor and backward nation with weak comprehensive power. Chink and Chinaman have long been used as disparaging terms for the Chinese. Many figures of speech in the English reflected a history of Chinese being insulted. Chinamans chance essentially means an extremely slim chance or no chance at all for someone to accomplish his goal or successfully do an action. In 1978, American publisher Scribner published the novel Chinamans chance by Ross Thomas. Regardless of the content of the novel, people sought the origin of the title Chinamans chance. The historical context of the phrase dates from the goldrush days of California in the middle of the 19th century when many Chinese came here to work as laborers. (Jiao, 2009:58) Their job was demanding and very dangerous but lower-paying. The Chinese faced higher taxes, denial of citizenship and equal rights to white man. Chinamans chance truly depicts the hard life of Chinese in that city. Another expression occurred in the same period. To play someone for a Chinaman is to treat him as a fool. Many of the Chinese expressions heard in English are used as pejorative. A Chinese copy is an exact copy of an original. Chinese slavery means virtual slavery. Chinese compliment is used to describe a man who speaks one way and thinks another. Chinese fire drill refers to confusional and chaotic state, large but ineffective exercise, or the act of a group of individuals achieving nothing. If someone has Chinese restaurant syndrome (Wang, 1999:43), he may feel headache, vomiting, swirl or sweating caused by eating Chinese food that contains monosodium glutamate. Research suggests that there is no evidence of the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome and it is nothing more than urban legend. 3.1.4 The Irishman and Irish idioms The United Kingdom is made up of four nations England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Of these four nations, the English people account for the majority of the population and feel most British. They have a strong sense of national pride and ridicule the rest of the kingdom. They would verbally attack Scotland, Wales, and in particular Ireland. We can take a look at some of the Irishman and Irish phrases. Irishmans dinner/feast actually means apastia. Irishmans promotion represents demotion. Irish diamond is not diamond at all. It is just crystal or stone. Irish evidence is seen as perjury. Irish compliment is backhanded compliment. If someone makes an Irish bull, he provides a paradoxical statement. To get ones Irish up (Hou,2009:64) means to lose ones temper. A similar expression is to get ones Dutch up. There are also Irish proverbs with offensive implications: Englands difficulty is Irelands opportunity; Put an Irishman on the spit, and you can always get another to baste him. (Mao, 2003:143) 3.1.5 The Welsh idioms The word Welsh shares the same fate of Irish. To Welsh is to repudiate a debt. According to English people, the phrase originates from 19th century when many Welsh people made a living by betting on horse racing. (Liu, 1999:79) They were said to have been extremely cunning because they always tried to get out of paying money when they lost the bet. Thus, in the eyes of English people, they became notorious for such a bad quality. Therefore, to Welsh on somebody is to go back on ones word. To Welsh on ones debt is to rat on ones debt As we know, England is a relatively rich nation when compared with Wales. Phrases like Welsh comb and Welsh carpet are used by the English people to mock at Welsh poverty. 3.1.6 The Greek idioms The word Greek is associated with trick, cattiness, and danger. Greek gift can not be interpreted literally. If a person receives a Greek gift, he should be cautious because the gift is given with the intention of tricking the recipient and causing harm to him. A proverb derives from this expression, I fear the Greeks, even when they come with the gifts. Greek trust indicates unreliability. When Greek meets Greek, and then comes the tug of war. It means that when enemies face each other, their eyes blaze with hate. Fires are rekindled between the two sides and old wounds opened up again. When people encounter something incomprehensible, they would say it is all Greek to me to show that they dont understand at all. 3.2 Reflection of racial discrimination 3.2.1 Discrimination against Native American Before starting this part, I want to make it clear that all the idioms below come from On English Language against Non-English Nationalities by Mao Fasheng except those with special notes. An Indian giver refers to a person who gives a gift but require something in return later. This expression originates from around 1765 and the American colonial days. (Li, 2009:57) To the early American Indians, gifts were simply form of trade goods. A person gave a gift in hope of something of equivalent in return. However, to the European settlers, such kind of custom appeared to be insulting. In their minds, gifts were freely given rather than for trade practices. The original meaning of the expression was only the expectation of a gift in return. By the late 1800s, its sense shifted to describe someone who demands return while giving. Indian giving is a similar terms used to satirize the giver. We should handle an Indian gift with caution as well as Greek gift. The present is given by someone with expectation of receiving another from us. An Indian sign is a magic spell cast on a person to control him or bring him bad luck. If a girl is able to put or have an Indian sign on a boy, then she fascinates him perhaps with her dazzling loveliness. Americans regarded the Indians as dumb, irritable and evil-minded. Terms like cigar-store Indian, dumb Indian, wooden Indian portray a negative image for the Indians as boring and foolish. To get ones Indian up is to get mad or be inflamed with rage. It shares the same meaning as two other figures of speech get ones Dutch up and get ones Irish up. The proverb The only good Indian is a dead Indian (Liu, 2003:131) characterizes the American relationship with Indians. 3.2.2 Discrimination against African-American In American history ¼Ã…’African-Americans were subject to discrimination and their life were sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation. They were faced with poor living conditions and harsh working environments. Being despised, hated, disgraced and oppressed by racists, they lived in misery and suffering. Even today, in the society of more advanced civilization, the phenomenon of racial discrimination still exists. Racism is still a sensitive and serious issue that the world seeks to solve. From the view of language, racial slurs are to be found everywhere. Nigger, niggra, niggruh and Negro (Jiao, 2009:57) are common slavery-imposed epithets with evident insult to the black. They remind people the bitter period of slavery when African-Americans struggled for freedom. To work like a negro/nigger refers to somebody who works or is forced to work very hard just like a slave. Even in literature, we can see racial slurs in world-famous works. For example, some African-Americans complained about the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. They claimed that the writer should not have used the word nigger in the book. The following dialogue, in particular, stirs up strong discontent amongst African-Americans. Good gracious. Anybody hurt? Nom killed a nigger. Well, its lucky because sometimes people do get hurt.  [1]   We should try not to get involved in the issue of racial discrimination; otherwise we may place ourselves in criticism and trouble. In 1999, David Howard, the aide of Washington, DC mayor Anthony Williams resigned after being accused of using a racial slur.  [2]  Mr. Howard, head of the Office of Public Advocate, used the word niggardly when delivering the budget report in one of the regular meetings by municipal government. As a matter of fact, niggardly is defined as stingy or ungenerous and does not have any racial connotations. Yet, staff members present which was made up of two blacks and another white were offended by the word. Soon after the meeting, the rumor began to spread that Howard had used the racial slur nigger. Howard said such rumor has severely compromised my effectiveness as the Districts Public Advocate and in the best interest of my office, I resigned.  [3]  Howard was innocent in this issue. The real problem is that niggardly has a similar pronunciation with nigger. An important lesson we can learn out of this is that people especially government officials should avoid using not only racial slurs but also words sounding similar to them. 4. Negative effects of linguistic discrimination 4.1 Verbal counterback in other languages against English slurs Linguistic discrimination in English would surely result in verbal attack from those countries that have been insulted by English-speaking countries. It is normal to find ethnic slurs in other languages than English. For instance, in the French language, les sombikes (Liu, 1999:81), which has the same meaning as son of a bitch in the English language, is used as a disparaging term for an American. The phrase dates from the First World War when American soldiers liked to shout the expletive son of a bitch. As a matter of fact, almost any language contains ethnic slurs. It may be just to say that any ethnic in the world is apt to glorify its own group and meanwhile look down upon others. This sense of national superiority, more or less, is reflected in the language. 4.2 Negative impact on international relations Based on numerous historical events, linguistic discrimination against other nations and races mirrors barriers, conflicts, and hatred between different ethnic groups. It is a social problem that cannot be neglected. The usage of slurs can be detrimental to international relations. It exerts negative impact on social equity, stability and harmony. History teaches us that it has clearly influenced national unity and integrity in such a country of great ethnic complexity as America. As long as inter-ethnic inequality and contractions exist in human society, they would find expression in the language. Conversely ¼Ã…’linguistic discrimination would trigger hostility and conflicts between ethnics. They together initiate a vicious cycle and people get trapped in it. 5. State of English linguistic discrimination in modern society 5.1 Common existence of English linguistic discrimination It is undeniable that the phenomenon of English linguistic discrimination is still very common in modern society. People use those idioms in daily life, consciously or not. They may say a slur without recognizing that it is offensive and may cause them trouble. Why are discriminatory language still used today even if hostilities ended hundreds of years ago? As is discussed in chapter 1.1, language develops and evolves with society. Once words are given derogatory meanings, it would be difficult to change or eliminate them. It often happens that language is more conservative than civilization, material as well as moral. Objects, institutions, ideas, scientific concepts change in the course of time; yet in many cases the name is retained and thus helps to ensure a sense of tradition and continuity. (Ullmann 1977:198) 5.2 Sign of improvements on the phenomenon Fortunately, we have seen evidence of improvements on the phenomenon of national and racial discrimination in the English language. For example, In the September of 2001, the mountain Chinks Peak in the Pocatello Range in Idaho State got its new official name Chinese Peak from the United States Board of Geographic Names. The original name Chinks Peak was deemed offensive and racist. Some people especially Chinese Americans strongly requested th