Frederick Douglass: On Anti-Slavery Essay

Frederick Douglass—the famous icon on the context of ‘classic slave autobiography’ is considerably an eloquent writer which in essence recounts his claim to fame as that who issued the â€Å"powerlessness resulting form the social appropriation of discourse. † Born on the month of February in the year 1818 at Near Easton, Maryland, his works and admirable finesse has been recognized as the heroic act of being a slave towards being an anti-slavery leader. At age of twenty, he was able to get off the leash of slavery and pursued with his aim to thoroughly expunge the radical schema of slavery through writing articles and other forms of documentation such as The Liberator; and thoroughly escaped the wrath of slavery at age thirty in the year 1838. Further, this Garrison writer also managed to write a book under his memoir entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave in the midst of year 1845 and gained numerous awards and took the limelight stage due to his eloquence and intellectual fortitude as a speaker on anti-slavery movements. Not only is he good in the field of public speaking, but he also managed to take a formidable seat through lecturing and spreading out his determination to achieve â€Å"freedom† through explicitly exposing himself and truth for the purpose of campaigning for the â€Å"rights of women, and participations on Seneca Falls Convention, and advocacy in the Republican Party. † As a matter of fact, he also helped in recruiting African Americans in enlisting in the Union army—for the fight against slavery—and even advising the most influential president, Abraham Lincoln, to support him in his endeavors. All of these, in the streamline of history and of literature have nevertheless paid off worthy enough. Interview with Frederick Douglass How does it feel to be famous and world-renowned? Good day to you and to our viewers. Well, I knew you would ask me that question since in my own experience, which is perhaps the legendary question which most of my interviewers consider as the â€Å"opening remark† per se. I could not feel anything more than happiness to take it to assumption that I am considerably renowned and labeled as one of those who are legendary and has made a difference in the world or on the context of slavery. Of course, like all the other public icons and heroes as far as history and literature is concerned makes me feel that I am in one point or another a blessed individual for having been given the gift of courage and eloquence. It may be hard, in some point, since there will always be â€Å"critics who are after pulling down your reputation† for reasons which I consequently define as lame. I mean like, after all the hard work I have done and with the support of the testimonies of those who were able to witness and experience the heroic act that I have made, they always try to pull me down. I don’t know why they are utterly absurd, but I guess that is how â€Å"fame† is actually established—to be talked about and to be criticized. Nevertheless, a person would not be considered famous if his or her name does not often linger on the media, press, or on critics for that instance. (Gerteis, p. 1448) Is it true that Haitis were opposed to mixed men? We are all aware that the Haitians have always been those who are aloof amongst other people or on other race. Well, it came to a point that they specifically hate individuals with â€Å"mixed citizenship†Ã¢â‚¬â€which as you can see includes me—and therefore, I became one of those who were always stalked by these people and sometimes, whenever they get the ample chance, they get to serve their wrath against me. I never really considered it as a threat, since I always thought that every race and every culture have diverse beliefs. â€Å"These beliefs, however, are manifested by historical events or simply a tradition inculcated by their forefathers†Ã¢â‚¬â€and believe me, when tradition or belief is at stake, trying to change it is like pulling a trigger on your head. (Douglass, p. 5) Why did you decide to revolt against slavery despite the â€Å"risk† that it contains? Initially, as a boy at age 20, I was one of those who were hiding from the closet for every explosion, which I may possibly hear. But then, there was this inner sense of â€Å"hatred† which I fervently feel to be a form of evil—inequity is one—and â€Å"to treat me and my people as slaves by individuals who are humans like us, stepping on the same ground, that is reason enough not to let them do their wrong doing. † It is a disgrace to humanity and I would not want my children to experience that kind of agony in the future. (Lee, p. 51) How would you define slavery in America? â€Å"American History often stresses the point of slavery and racial discrimination. † For that certain fact, it has made black Americans hungry for freedom that their way of being heard was through the use of pen by literature, or worse, in the realm of a bloody war. Plenty of truth bares the inequity behind the perceptions of asymmetrical treatment. There is this novel which formidably shattered my world apart. Anger, Betrayal, a feeling of Invisibility – all of which horrified the pitiful young man in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, which continuously puzzle readers in scouring for the Nigger’s name. Perhaps it was better way off that way then, or else the name would also dignify the unfortunate fate encountered by the man in the novel. As for the invisible man, the story of his life, though he had felt, experienced and had been a witness of the biases in color, portrayed a perfect representation of the blacks stern personality and braveness, living with their belief that all men are created equal. The mentioned outward appearance of treatment must be expunged and totally be erased in the rationality of mankind, or rather have those antagonists be called white poisonous serpents eaten with selfish pride again (Breidlid). I and my men were treated like the invisible man himself, and I believe that no one would want to live in that kind of disposition in life. Please tell me something about the Douglass-Garrison Conflict, its nature? From the founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society in the year 1833, abolitionism has been marred by constant intra-group disagreements. Within seven years, ‘the movement split itself into two camps; one was headed by William Lloyd Garrison, while the other has been spearheaded by public personalities namely, Tappans, James G. Birney, Gerrit Smith and Joshua Leavitt. ’ However, ten years after, those camp escapades, another schism occurred which eventually involved two groups which are piously clashing in perspectives with regard to the imposition of anti-slavery activities. In this point of time, the feud took place under my jurisdiction and William Lloyd Garrison’s. (Tyrone Tillery) When did you thoroughly say that you were â€Å"free† at last? My free life began sometime in September, 1838. Thus, the exultant joy resulting from this gradually fascinating status was short-lived only. In the most frustrating connotation, the moment I reached New York—just when I thought I was already away from the rage of slavery—it was surprising to realize that their power also reached the city. By then, I told myself: â€Å"no man would ever have the right to call himself slave, or assert mastery over him,† I sought refuge with the new environment where, sad as it may seem, even people same as my color would betray me over the tingle of a few dollar. (Frederick Douglass) Do you think there were also other people who suffered the same agony as that of yours? Captivating stories had been written to inspire readers instead of lingering the unfortunate fate of those who failed to survive in the war. An example for this, is a brave black American woman in the name of Fannie Lou Hamer, a woman armed with hope to eradicate a form of juxtapose deprivation against what she believed to be elements of privilege in her own very limited environment was painstakingly given to her and of her family, an implication which states that Black Americans do not allow themselves to be treated like slaves by others (Lee). Along with her bravery as indulged by other authors were The Scottsboro Boys, Joe Louis, Richard Wright and Sterling Brown. When the war has commenced, ‘children and women had to leave their homes for safety and let their fathers or any man in their family risk their lives to battle’. Guns and explosives were seen everywhere. The flag was raised symbolizing that they are ready to face the doom of death. Children were ranting and women were hearing voices. They became afraid of coming out. (Lee, p. 56) What would be your last words for the raging experience that you have had before? It was not easy; it was facing death while being alive. It seemed as if we were to lose everything that we have worked for, everything that we have sown for our children, and for the coming generations of our offspring. Our ‘economy became stagnant’, and serenity was about to be crushed into pieces. But it was a fire, ignited with hope’s flame. It was to shed blood or to be slaves; to remain free or to be chained. I now serve as a living legacy to those who enjoy the freedom the mighty indigent heroes have fought for. (Chesebrough, p. 49) Works Cited Breidlid, A. American Culture: Texts on Civilization. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 1996. Chesebrough, David B. Frederick Douglass: Oratory from Slavery. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Prestwick House Inc. , 2004.

Legalizing Marijuana Marc Dalcin

Legalizing Marijuana Marc Dalcin Dr. Marie Carroll Ashford Intro To Ethics And Social Responsibility 08/10/12 Marijuana has been at the center of a heated debate regarding its legalization. It has received both criticism and praise in equal measure. Critics refer to marijuana as a â€Å"devil weed† while supporters have often referred it to a â€Å"miracle drug. † Despite the different references to marijuana, there has been a prolonged debate on whether it should be legalized for personal use or not.There are two approaches to the use of marijuana with one involving medicinal purposes while the other involves purposes of pleasure. Medical health is an important aspect of human life and the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes has the importance of improving human health. In the case of using marijuana for pleasure, there is the issue of abuse of drugs, which often results in lawlessness among users. Legalizing marijuana presents an ethical dilemma in the se nse that it is difficult to ascertain the intentions of the users hence the drug may end up being used for the wrong reasons (Burnham, 2011).This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the ethical dilemma arising from the debate on legalizing marijuana and presents the use of deontological reasoning theory in solving the dilemma. The paper also includes a comparison between deontological reasoning and relativism with the eventual identification of the theory that best relates to the personal opinion with regards to the debate on legalizing marijuana. The question of legalizing marijuana Should the use personal use of marijuana be legalized? There are numerous uses associated with marijuana.AIDS and cancer patients find marijuana useful as a drug that restores appetite and fights nausea. Marijuana also has nutritional value because its seeds contain vitamins and can be used in preparing cooking oil (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). Research studies also indicate that the mariju ana can be used in the manufacturing of clothes. The plant has been used in the manufacturing of paper and clothing material for a very long time and is considered produce higher amount of fibre compared to trees. Environmentalists have found the marijuana plant important in addressing the problem of deforestation and soil erosion.Marijuana is beneficial in the restoration of lost soil nutrients. To law enforcement agencies, marijuana is considered to play a major role in increasing the number of crime rates. A significant number of incarcerated criminals have at least used marijuana prior to their arrest. The above analysis on the use of marijuana and its impact clearly points out to the fact that one group will support the legalization of marijuana while the other will oppose such a move. However, the debate can be solved using two theories of deontological reasoning and relativism.Deontological Reasoning The theory of deontological reasoning proposes that actions are either corre ct or wrong in themselves without taking into account their consequences. The theory of deontological reasoning can be best explained with the use of an example of a murder case. In such a situation, a deontologist considers the act of murder as wrong based on the fact that it involves taking the life of another person. It is assumed that humans have the duty of preserving life hence one should never kill no matter the circumstances (Mizzoni, 2009).In a nutshell, this implies that the end does not justify the means. Generally, deontologists believe that human beings have the duty of upholding morality. People have the moral duty to do the right things and avoid doing things that are wrong. The consequences of an action are never considered in determining whether the action is right or wrong. An individual has to consider his or her moral duty in order to make moral decisions. In this case, the personal use of marijuana is considered right or wrong based on the moral duty of users ra ther than the consequence of the plant on its user.The theory of deontological reasoning is connected to three concepts including rights, duties and principles (Burnham, 2011). However, our discussion only focuses on duties in analyzing the debate on legalizing the personal use of marijuana. There is a brief discussion of the concept of rights with regards to the theory of deontological reasoning. If an individual has the right to life, other people have the duty of making sure that such a right is respected. This relates with the issue of legalizing the use of marijuana. From a doctor’s perspective, medical marijuana has medicinal value and can be used in preserving life through healing.In such a case, the government and law enforcement agencies have the duty of respecting the right to life by legalizing the use of marijuana in providing treatment (Gerber, 2004). Marijuana may also be used for a different purpose such as pleasure, which may eventually result in users going i nsane. In order to preserve the life of users, there is an urgent need to make it illegal for users to abuse marijuana. This is because it will reduce the number of cases related to drug abuse hence saving a significant number of the human population from getting insane or engaging in criminal activities.Insanity and criminal actions have may result in the loss of life. The theory of deontological behavior proposes two classes of duties. First, there are general duties, which are commonly identified as prohibitions. Examples of prohibitions include do not kill, do not steal, and assist the needy among other general duties. The second class of duties relate to duties arising from the fact that there exists specific social relationships. For instance, if an individual has made a promise, then he or she has the duty of keeping the promise.Additionally, if one is a parent, then he or she has the duty to provide for the children. In this case, legalizing the personal use of marijuana is considered under the class of general duties (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011). One argument is that marijuana should be prohibited because it involves abuse of substances. On the other hand, doctors with patients have the duty to provide them with treatment even if it involves the use of marijuana as a medicine. Aquinas notes that each person has duties related to personal actions. An individual has a duty to keep promises, but does not have the duty to ensure that promises are kept.According to the theory of deontology, people should be more concerned with fulfilling personal duties but never make attempts of bringing out the most good. This is because it may result in the violation of the concept of a duty. In this case, we only have the duty of meeting the needs of other people rather than maximize the good (Mizzoni, 2009). There are a number of actions that people may choose from but they are free to act as they please. Basically, this means that people have the option of using marijuana for whatever reasons regardless of its consequences. There are instances when duties conflict with each other.W. D. Ross notes that in such cases, one does not require rules in solving such a conflict. One is only required to use their judgment in arriving at a solution. However, there are cases whereby one lacks the criteria that can be used in making decisions (Mizzoni, 2009). Deontologists argue that identifying the intentions of actions can provide a solution. Ross argues that actions are determined to be wrong or right based on the intentions of the agent. Therefore, deontological reasoning justifies the legalization of marijuana on the basis that it is used to improve human health.The use of marijuana can only be considered illegal if users intend to harm others. Relativism According to the theory of relativism, an action is considered moral or immoral relative to the cultural norms of the agent. This means that an action is considered right or wrong based on the moral norms of the culture within which it is practiced. A particular action may be considered moral in one culture while immoral in another culture. Relativists are opposed to the use of universal moral standards in determining whether an action is right or wrong (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011).The United Kingdom may consider the use marijuana as morally wrong while Amsterdam considers it morally right. According to relativists, there is no standard framework to be used in resolving moral disputes such as the legalization of marijuana across different members of society. Relativism is different from deontological reasoning in the sense that upholds societal norms as the determining factor on moral issues. According to relativism, marijuana should be legalized or not based on what society considers being moral or immoral (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011).However, in the case of deontological reasoning, actions are considered to be right or wrong based on the moral duties of an individual. Whereas relativism plac es emphasis on society in solving ethical dilemmas, deontological reasoning places emphasis on the moral duty of an individual. In this case, a relativist may support the legalization of marijuana because it is commonly used among members of his or her society. The same person may oppose legalizing marijuana because it is uncommon to use marijuana or use of marijuana is considered immoral within his society.The theory of relativism raises a number of important issues related to legalizing marijuana. First, different societies have conflicting moral beliefs and that believes of people within a society are deeply determined by their culture. It is therefore important that we incorporate the relativism when arguing for or against legalizing marijuana. Second, the theory provides for the exploration of reasons that influence the differences in beliefs of different individuals. This ensures that we also challenge the beliefs we hold for or against the legalization of marijuana (Burnham, 2011). Marijuana should be legalizedMy personal opinion is that there should be the legalization of marijuana. After making comparisons between the theory of relativism and deontological reasoning, I have discovered that relativism contains views that are closer to my own views. The issue of legalizing or prohibiting marijuana should be determine on the basis of what society views to be right or wrong rather than the moral duties of an individual. The theory of deontological reasoning argues that individuals have the moral duty to do what is right and at the same time avoid what is wrong but such actions are never aimed at aximizing most good (Gerber, 2004). However, relativism argues that an action is morally good or bad based on the cultural norms of a society. In such a case, actions are either considered to be good or bad for the collective benefit of society. This means that marijuana should be legalized because it helps the society or it should be made illegal because it harms the society. There are two perspectives that can be used in supporting the use of marijuana. They include marijuana as a medicine and marijuana as an illicit drug. Medical MarijuanaSince 1972, medical marijuana has been considered an illegal substance in the United States and across a number of countries in the world. In the United States, the congress banned the use of medical marijuana on the basis that it was harmful to the health of consumers and even placed it in the first schedule of the Controlled Substances Act. Generally, the congress considered that the drug did not have any healthy gains for the human body. However, recent research studies on the effects of marijuana provided different results to the claims presented by the US congress.Theses research studies have led to the discovery that medical marijuana can be used as medicine and has the potential to heal a number of diseases (Burnham, 2011). Marijuana contains a chemical THC, which has been proven to be harmless to human body. The new discoveries provide enough reasons for the legalization of marijuana. Failure to legalize marijuana implies that a significant number of people will be denied access to proper medication. Marijuana as an illicit drug Illicit drug use is a major problem and many countries led by the US have found it very difficult to address the problem.Various governments have established a number of programs aimed at solving the problem including treatment and prevention programs, international narcotics control, and drug education programs (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). Despite the efforts of government agencies to solve the problem of illicit drugs use, there is still an increase in the number of drug users. Research studies indicate that marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug. A perfect example is that in 1990, the US recorded approximately 6 million people using marijuana on a weekly basis or more.The increasing usage of marijuana as an illicit drug has bee n closely associated with crime rates all over the world. In 2002, the US reported that approximately 40 percent of jailed adults have at least tried using marijuana. This has the implication that the legalization of marijuana presents a big threat to law and order. Despite the fact that the use of marijuana has become a major problem, the war against its use has proven to be very costly compared to the benefits accrued from legalizing marijuana.For instance, the United States of America spends approximately 12 billion dollars in fighting the problem of marijuana. Legalizing the use of the same drug has the benefit of earning revenues for the government from taxation of marijuana. Instead of the government banning the use marijuana, it should legalize it but ensure that its cultivation, sale and purchase are regulated in order to control criminal activities associated with marijuana (Gerber, 2004). Legalizing marijuana is indeed an ethical dilemma given the fact that it can be used as medicine as well as an illicit drug.However, deontological reasoning proposes that an action is good or bad based on the moral duty of an individual rather than its consequence. The theory therefore proposes that the morality of legalizing the use of marijuana is a personal choice. On the contrary, the theory of relativism proposes that an action is morally ethical relative to the culture within such an action is practiced (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). It is on the basis of the theory of relativism that I propose the legalization of the use of marijuana.The benefits of legalizing marijuana such as healing and economic value far outweigh the cost of prohibiting its use. References Burnham, A. (2011). Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana. New York: GRIN Verlag. Gerber, J. R. (2004). Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Jebreal, R. & Lukes, S. (2011). Moral Relativism. New York: Profile Books. Mizzoni, J. (2009). Ethics: The Basics. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Rosenthal, E. , Kubby, S. & Newhart, S. (2003). Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. Chicago: Running Press. Legalizing Marijuana Marc Dalcin Legalizing Marijuana Marc Dalcin Dr. Marie Carroll Ashford Intro To Ethics And Social Responsibility 08/10/12 Marijuana has been at the center of a heated debate regarding its legalization. It has received both criticism and praise in equal measure. Critics refer to marijuana as a â€Å"devil weed† while supporters have often referred it to a â€Å"miracle drug. † Despite the different references to marijuana, there has been a prolonged debate on whether it should be legalized for personal use or not.There are two approaches to the use of marijuana with one involving medicinal purposes while the other involves purposes of pleasure. Medical health is an important aspect of human life and the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes has the importance of improving human health. In the case of using marijuana for pleasure, there is the issue of abuse of drugs, which often results in lawlessness among users. Legalizing marijuana presents an ethical dilemma in the se nse that it is difficult to ascertain the intentions of the users hence the drug may end up being used for the wrong reasons (Burnham, 2011).This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the ethical dilemma arising from the debate on legalizing marijuana and presents the use of deontological reasoning theory in solving the dilemma. The paper also includes a comparison between deontological reasoning and relativism with the eventual identification of the theory that best relates to the personal opinion with regards to the debate on legalizing marijuana. The question of legalizing marijuana Should the use personal use of marijuana be legalized? There are numerous uses associated with marijuana.AIDS and cancer patients find marijuana useful as a drug that restores appetite and fights nausea. Marijuana also has nutritional value because its seeds contain vitamins and can be used in preparing cooking oil (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). Research studies also indicate that the mariju ana can be used in the manufacturing of clothes. The plant has been used in the manufacturing of paper and clothing material for a very long time and is considered produce higher amount of fibre compared to trees. Environmentalists have found the marijuana plant important in addressing the problem of deforestation and soil erosion.Marijuana is beneficial in the restoration of lost soil nutrients. To law enforcement agencies, marijuana is considered to play a major role in increasing the number of crime rates. A significant number of incarcerated criminals have at least used marijuana prior to their arrest. The above analysis on the use of marijuana and its impact clearly points out to the fact that one group will support the legalization of marijuana while the other will oppose such a move. However, the debate can be solved using two theories of deontological reasoning and relativism.Deontological Reasoning The theory of deontological reasoning proposes that actions are either corre ct or wrong in themselves without taking into account their consequences. The theory of deontological reasoning can be best explained with the use of an example of a murder case. In such a situation, a deontologist considers the act of murder as wrong based on the fact that it involves taking the life of another person. It is assumed that humans have the duty of preserving life hence one should never kill no matter the circumstances (Mizzoni, 2009).In a nutshell, this implies that the end does not justify the means. Generally, deontologists believe that human beings have the duty of upholding morality. People have the moral duty to do the right things and avoid doing things that are wrong. The consequences of an action are never considered in determining whether the action is right or wrong. An individual has to consider his or her moral duty in order to make moral decisions. In this case, the personal use of marijuana is considered right or wrong based on the moral duty of users ra ther than the consequence of the plant on its user.The theory of deontological reasoning is connected to three concepts including rights, duties and principles (Burnham, 2011). However, our discussion only focuses on duties in analyzing the debate on legalizing the personal use of marijuana. There is a brief discussion of the concept of rights with regards to the theory of deontological reasoning. If an individual has the right to life, other people have the duty of making sure that such a right is respected. This relates with the issue of legalizing the use of marijuana. From a doctor’s perspective, medical marijuana has medicinal value and can be used in preserving life through healing.In such a case, the government and law enforcement agencies have the duty of respecting the right to life by legalizing the use of marijuana in providing treatment (Gerber, 2004). Marijuana may also be used for a different purpose such as pleasure, which may eventually result in users going i nsane. In order to preserve the life of users, there is an urgent need to make it illegal for users to abuse marijuana. This is because it will reduce the number of cases related to drug abuse hence saving a significant number of the human population from getting insane or engaging in criminal activities.Insanity and criminal actions have may result in the loss of life. The theory of deontological behavior proposes two classes of duties. First, there are general duties, which are commonly identified as prohibitions. Examples of prohibitions include do not kill, do not steal, and assist the needy among other general duties. The second class of duties relate to duties arising from the fact that there exists specific social relationships. For instance, if an individual has made a promise, then he or she has the duty of keeping the promise.Additionally, if one is a parent, then he or she has the duty to provide for the children. In this case, legalizing the personal use of marijuana is considered under the class of general duties (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011). One argument is that marijuana should be prohibited because it involves abuse of substances. On the other hand, doctors with patients have the duty to provide them with treatment even if it involves the use of marijuana as a medicine. Aquinas notes that each person has duties related to personal actions. An individual has a duty to keep promises, but does not have the duty to ensure that promises are kept.According to the theory of deontology, people should be more concerned with fulfilling personal duties but never make attempts of bringing out the most good. This is because it may result in the violation of the concept of a duty. In this case, we only have the duty of meeting the needs of other people rather than maximize the good (Mizzoni, 2009). There are a number of actions that people may choose from but they are free to act as they please. Basically, this means that people have the option of using marijuana for whatever reasons regardless of its consequences. There are instances when duties conflict with each other.W. D. Ross notes that in such cases, one does not require rules in solving such a conflict. One is only required to use their judgment in arriving at a solution. However, there are cases whereby one lacks the criteria that can be used in making decisions (Mizzoni, 2009). Deontologists argue that identifying the intentions of actions can provide a solution. Ross argues that actions are determined to be wrong or right based on the intentions of the agent. Therefore, deontological reasoning justifies the legalization of marijuana on the basis that it is used to improve human health.The use of marijuana can only be considered illegal if users intend to harm others. Relativism According to the theory of relativism, an action is considered moral or immoral relative to the cultural norms of the agent. This means that an action is considered right or wrong based on the moral norms of the culture within which it is practiced. A particular action may be considered moral in one culture while immoral in another culture. Relativists are opposed to the use of universal moral standards in determining whether an action is right or wrong (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011).The United Kingdom may consider the use marijuana as morally wrong while Amsterdam considers it morally right. According to relativists, there is no standard framework to be used in resolving moral disputes such as the legalization of marijuana across different members of society. Relativism is different from deontological reasoning in the sense that upholds societal norms as the determining factor on moral issues. According to relativism, marijuana should be legalized or not based on what society considers being moral or immoral (Jebreal & Lukes, 2011).However, in the case of deontological reasoning, actions are considered to be right or wrong based on the moral duties of an individual. Whereas relativism plac es emphasis on society in solving ethical dilemmas, deontological reasoning places emphasis on the moral duty of an individual. In this case, a relativist may support the legalization of marijuana because it is commonly used among members of his or her society. The same person may oppose legalizing marijuana because it is uncommon to use marijuana or use of marijuana is considered immoral within his society.The theory of relativism raises a number of important issues related to legalizing marijuana. First, different societies have conflicting moral beliefs and that believes of people within a society are deeply determined by their culture. It is therefore important that we incorporate the relativism when arguing for or against legalizing marijuana. Second, the theory provides for the exploration of reasons that influence the differences in beliefs of different individuals. This ensures that we also challenge the beliefs we hold for or against the legalization of marijuana (Burnham, 2011). Marijuana should be legalizedMy personal opinion is that there should be the legalization of marijuana. After making comparisons between the theory of relativism and deontological reasoning, I have discovered that relativism contains views that are closer to my own views. The issue of legalizing or prohibiting marijuana should be determine on the basis of what society views to be right or wrong rather than the moral duties of an individual. The theory of deontological reasoning argues that individuals have the moral duty to do what is right and at the same time avoid what is wrong but such actions are never aimed at aximizing most good (Gerber, 2004). However, relativism argues that an action is morally good or bad based on the cultural norms of a society. In such a case, actions are either considered to be good or bad for the collective benefit of society. This means that marijuana should be legalized because it helps the society or it should be made illegal because it harms the society. There are two perspectives that can be used in supporting the use of marijuana. They include marijuana as a medicine and marijuana as an illicit drug. Medical MarijuanaSince 1972, medical marijuana has been considered an illegal substance in the United States and across a number of countries in the world. In the United States, the congress banned the use of medical marijuana on the basis that it was harmful to the health of consumers and even placed it in the first schedule of the Controlled Substances Act. Generally, the congress considered that the drug did not have any healthy gains for the human body. However, recent research studies on the effects of marijuana provided different results to the claims presented by the US congress.Theses research studies have led to the discovery that medical marijuana can be used as medicine and has the potential to heal a number of diseases (Burnham, 2011). Marijuana contains a chemical THC, which has been proven to be harmless to human body. The new discoveries provide enough reasons for the legalization of marijuana. Failure to legalize marijuana implies that a significant number of people will be denied access to proper medication. Marijuana as an illicit drug Illicit drug use is a major problem and many countries led by the US have found it very difficult to address the problem.Various governments have established a number of programs aimed at solving the problem including treatment and prevention programs, international narcotics control, and drug education programs (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). Despite the efforts of government agencies to solve the problem of illicit drugs use, there is still an increase in the number of drug users. Research studies indicate that marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug. A perfect example is that in 1990, the US recorded approximately 6 million people using marijuana on a weekly basis or more.The increasing usage of marijuana as an illicit drug has bee n closely associated with crime rates all over the world. In 2002, the US reported that approximately 40 percent of jailed adults have at least tried using marijuana. This has the implication that the legalization of marijuana presents a big threat to law and order. Despite the fact that the use of marijuana has become a major problem, the war against its use has proven to be very costly compared to the benefits accrued from legalizing marijuana.For instance, the United States of America spends approximately 12 billion dollars in fighting the problem of marijuana. Legalizing the use of the same drug has the benefit of earning revenues for the government from taxation of marijuana. Instead of the government banning the use marijuana, it should legalize it but ensure that its cultivation, sale and purchase are regulated in order to control criminal activities associated with marijuana (Gerber, 2004). Legalizing marijuana is indeed an ethical dilemma given the fact that it can be used as medicine as well as an illicit drug.However, deontological reasoning proposes that an action is good or bad based on the moral duty of an individual rather than its consequence. The theory therefore proposes that the morality of legalizing the use of marijuana is a personal choice. On the contrary, the theory of relativism proposes that an action is morally ethical relative to the culture within such an action is practiced (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, 2003). It is on the basis of the theory of relativism that I propose the legalization of the use of marijuana.The benefits of legalizing marijuana such as healing and economic value far outweigh the cost of prohibiting its use. References Burnham, A. (2011). Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana. New York: GRIN Verlag. Gerber, J. R. (2004). Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group. Jebreal, R. & Lukes, S. (2011). Moral Relativism. New York: Profile Books. Mizzoni, J. (2009). Ethics: The Basics. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Rosenthal, E. , Kubby, S. & Newhart, S. (2003). Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. Chicago: Running Press.

Strategic Planning of General Electric

Jill Ridgley General Electric Strategic Planning During the 1980s General Electric’s Chairman, Jack Welch, became highly influential and equally controversial in the world of strategic management. Although Welch focused on gaining competitive advantage for his organization, he also began downsizing and restructuring GE. GE’s strategic planning and operational efforts began a shift toward Total Quality Management and improving productivity. (WriteWork contributors. â€Å"Levels of Planning in Management† WriteWork. om) The 1990s brought about a renewed interest and obsession with strategic planning, as mergers and acquisitions increased in frequency along with a rising rate of complex joint ventures. Such trends focused strategic planning on innovation through decentralized models, leveraging core competencies and emergent strategy. In order to develop a plan, there are several guidelines that need to be remembered. The main goal is to maintain business operations , looking closely at what you need to do to deliver a minimum level of service and functionality is important.Thus far in the 21st century (2000s), GE’s strategic planning continues towards an orientation of gaining competitive advantage, but with the added dimension of developing and nurturing organizational innovation. As General Electric looks to strategy to help them grapple with issues that include reconciling size with flexibility and responsiveness, planning has grown more complex. This can be attributed in part an increasingly interwoven global marketplace and growing number of competitive forces that have accompanied that change.Likewise, planning complexity has been affected by the economic woes of the 2000s, which have driven businesses to form many new alliances, partnerships and mergers. The net effect of these changes has resulted in the need for cooperative strategies, resulting in more planning and execution complexity. Additionally, the 2000s have brought abo ut changes in environmental commitments and corporate social responsibility. Within the past several years, GE has been looking into how their strategic planning will help with the ecomagination for the new â€Å"greener† products that are a ig competition now for the environment. Faced with the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression, businesses across the board are adapting their behaviors and strategies. GE’s strategic planning has transitioned from a process of trying to predict the future to one of looking backward at what we â€Å"know†, examining current-state realities in order to build effective transformation strategies for the future and leveraging lessons learned from the past.

Journal 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Journal 6 - Essay Example Furthermore, speaking with their native accent would depict that they are not yet integrated within the American society. It would therefore be difficult for them to make new friends because of negative stereotyping. Based on this fact, young people normally try not to speak with their native accents, when speaking a foreign language, or when they are in a foreign country. Furthermore, it is impossible to lack an accent. This is because as a human being, I have to interact with my peers. This interaction normally influences my language, and the accent which emanates from my speech. I tend to pick the accents of my friends when speaking to them. This is for purposes of identifying with them. On this basis, an individual would always speak with an accent. People would tend to pick the most dominant accent within the society. For example, when in America, an individual would pick the American accent. If the same person is in Britain, with time, the person would pick the British accent. This situation happens to me. While speaking, I am heavily influenced by my environment. My accent always tends to change, based on the person I am speaking to. If speaking to my peers, I would change my language and accent, and speak in a manner that is acceptable to them. On the other hand, if it is an elderly person, or my parents, I would change my language and accent. I would have to speak with them in a more respectable manner. On this basis, my accent and language would always change, based on the relationship that I have with the person I am speaking

Business commentary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business commentary - Essay Example minds the mainstream media has been the public medium where the heated debate has erupted regarding the second amendment of the constitution or right to bear arms. Private gun ownership is constantly being assaulted by new laws and legislation limiting and imposing ever increasing licensing requirements and restrictions to legally own a firearm, but have we gone too far? The first laws enacted further restricting gun ownership have already been passed in some states. For example, a bill that bans the ownership of any gun magazines that holds more than 15 rounds has passed the Colorado senate committee on March of this year. New York, Congressman, Steve Israel since last year has been pursuing for the renewal of the soon to expire Undetectable Firearms Act, to even include something that is still in the experimental or prototype stage; firearms or parts of firearms that could in the future be easily printed using a new wave of affordable 3d printers hitting the consumer market. The bill would not only ban the use of weapons that cannot be detected using a metal detector, but any firearm party that could potentially be manufactured in the future using 3d printer technology (Greenburg). This all out assault from the mainstream media, the federal government and local government regarding further limiting our right to bear arms is an illegal immoral atte mpt to further limit our individual freedoms, security of the free state, and further erode our U.S. Constitution (Salsman). Greenburg, A. 15 April 2013. â€Å"Lawmaker Seeks to Extend 3D-Printed Gun Ban Bill To Ammo Magazines And Other Components,† Forbes. 15 April 2013. Salsman, R. 21 December 2012. â€Å"Gutting The 2nd Amendment Is Not The Way to Deter Mass.† Forbes. 15 April 2013.

Sexual diversity in schooling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sexual diversity in schooling - Essay Example schools in Australia through the education system about sexual diversity and inculcate in them values such as inclusion, respect for others, and fairness. The fact is, however, that sexual diversity remains a controversial topic and has largely been ignored in the education systems (Herron, & Javier, 2006). This essay will criticize the failure of the school education system to incorporate sexual diversity. The essay will also examine the consequences of failing to address these issues and helping to deal with homophobia among children and young people. According to the Australian Journal of Human Rights, sexual diversity refers to one’s experience of gender identity or transgender that goes beyond the binary or biological notions of being either male or female (Steinberg, 2009). Dr. Tracie O’Keefe originally coined the term in his paper about human rights submitted to Amnesty International in 2002. The term has gained wide usage in many circles within Australia. Sexual diversity mostly aims at celebrating diversity in gender identities as opposed to categorizing people in different sexes or genders. Sexual diversity is also a general term referring to individuals who do not identify with either masculinity or femininity with regard to their gender identity. The term includes different groups such as androgynous, transsexual, transexed, cross dressers or transgender. Other terms popular in various parts of Australia include pan-gendered, sistergirl or brotherboy, and intergender (Dijk, & Driel, 2007). Sexual diversity also includes other minority groups such as lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. These groups of individuals have received widespread discrimination and segregation in the community. Sexual diversity has been a major human rights issue in Australia in the past few years, with cases of homophobia, exclusion being on the rise. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been at the forefront in fighting for inclusion of transgender individuals in

Gender Analysis in a case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender Analysis in a case study - Essay Example The case study in Mexico simply highlights how gender is embedded in the improvement of sanitation and water availability in peri-urban and rural areas. The Joint programme on establishing effective and democratic water and sanitation management in Mexico used a conventional approach in upgrading the involvement of women in water related public institutions. This case study used the Moser framework because it focused mainly on the planning principles of those planning to incorporate gender into their work programs or projects. Moser (1993, 5) stated that those planning to do so lacked the needed planning doctrines and procedural tools. It emphasized on women’s participation in the local water management and their duties in boosting water access in the community. Men, women and the local authorities were advised on how to positively contribute in the improvement of water access in the community. Each of them was assigned particular roles in achieving these objectives and to be able to work simultaneously. The programme found this beneficial especially to the women because they felt appreciated to be able to be a part of the desired change. The Moser framework which is also referred to as the triple-roles framework merely provides different approaches towards attaining the same goal. It places priority on giving men and women roles for the economic development of their projects. It implements gender division of labor and gender distribution of resources. The community is expected to know which roles they play according to the resources they have (Candida, et al 1999). This framework provides a simplistic way of collecting women’s and men’s data while at the same time provide access and management to resources (Warren 2007). Using the proper methods to collect data is very important in any type of framework so as not to create any

Land Law Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Land Law - Outline Example In Ashburn Anstalt v Arnold, Fox LJ’s judgment confirms that based on principle, licences do not indicate â€Å"tenancy interest or interest in the land† on the part of the licencee; therefore, they cannot bind third parties as a result of this. On the other hand, when a piece of land is given out as a lease, the landlord does not have the power to terminate the occupancy of the land on short notice (Netlawman, 2011). This means that tenant has the right of occupancy until the period of lease elapses. However, in Ashburn Anstalt v Arnold, it is clear that when a tenant is expected not to pay a rent, there is not legal relationship between him/her and the landlord. The landlord holds the licence, which he or she can revoke at anytime. And when this happens, the tenant has no power to challenge this decision in court because there has been no legal agreement between the landlord and him/her. Invariably, the tenant has not expressed interest in the occupancy of the accommo dation and hence could not claim any damages due to the revocation of the licence by the landlord. On the other hand, a tenant would show his or her interest in an accommodation by entering into a legal agreement. For the flat Andrew rent out to Beth, Catherine and Daniel, he created an interest of collective leasees in them, meaning that if he decides to sell his freehold to the flats, Beth, Catherine and Daniel have to buy the flats and become collective landlords. Even though it was just an oral agreement, they have the right to stay in the accommodation for the length of time agreed upon in the terms of tenancy which, in this case, is two years. Oral agreements are as binding as the written ones; but since court require believable pieces of evidence, it may be difficult to prove in court that an agreement has truly been entered into between the landlord and the tenant (Williston and Lord, 1999). In other words, it will be impossible for Andrew to terminate th

Foreign investment and country risks in Saudi Arabia Dissertation

Foreign investment and country risks in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example 1.2 Introduction The research report is about the FDI prospects in Saudi Arabia. The researcher has made an attempt to conduct primary research with the help of interviews ad questionnaires to analyse the topic along with an in-depth analysis of some previous researches of the topic. 1.3 Background According to Vazquez, Fournier & Flores (2009, pp.257-270), Saudi Arabia, being a developing country, has a large amount of foreign direct investment. The country’s government has made heavy investments in the infrastructure so that FDI is attracted. The government welcomes FDI as it brings in technology, employment opportunities, trained workforce, makes efficient use of domestic raw materials and enhances economic development. As per Korgstup & Matter (2005), forty five percent of the GDP and 90% of the export earnings are from the petroleum sector. The country’s economic development is also dependent upon 6 million overseas workers. With the signing of the World Trade Orga nization agreement, many opportunities have opened for investment in the country especially in the oil and service sector where the country is concentrating on producing the products rather than exporting raw materials. According to Benbya, Passiante and Belbaly (2004, pp. 201–220)m Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) may be defined as a long-term investment by a foreign direct investor in an enterprise resident in an economy other than that in which the foreign direct investor is based. This involves a parent enterprise and a foreign affiliate that together make a transnational corporation (TNC). For such an agreement to be termed as FDI, the parent firm should have the control over the other affiliate. However, Korgstup & Matter (2005) argues, any sort of investment in a foreign land should done carefully as there may be several risks involved and many issues may occur over the course of the investment. For example language and cultural barriers in Saudi Arabia limit the scope of the investment tremendously and therefore the investor should have a through understanding of the market he is venturing. Moreover, there may be differences in business negotiation styles, religion, social norms and etiquettes that may impact the FDI. The report of UNCTAD (2002), on Foreign Direct Investment to the Middle East countries recorded a decrease of 33% dropping in 2002, from $6.7 billion in 2001 to $4.5 billion in 2002, that accounted for approximately 2.8% of total FDI inflow in the Developing Countries. This was mainly due to the regional political unrest, which in turn had an impact on their global business relationships. Moreover, according to Korgstup & Matter (2005) the region along with Saudi Arabia is not a plausible place for foreign investment due to such unrest and investors are seeking new markets for their future investment due to these political vagaries. 1.3 Aims of the Dissertation: 1.3.1 The objectives of the research are to: 1.Identify the various ris ks that a foreign investment faces in Saudi Arabia and how they affect foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment is essential for Saudi Arabia and is essential for the growth of the country. However, there are many problems and difficulties that foreign investors have to face when they invest in Saudi Arabia, which deters new investors to explore this market. In this research an attempt will be made to identify these problems and issues that are causing difficulties for these foreign firms that in turn are affecting foreign direct

Compare and Contrast the aims, strategies and personalities of Charles Essay

Compare and Contrast the aims, strategies and personalities of Charles Stewart Parnell and Daniel OConnell - Essay Example The greatest and common mission of the two personalities was to agitate for liberation of Ireland that they ended not achieving. The two personalities used various strategies in advancing their views. Some strategies were similar while others were different. Following are similarities and differences in terms of personalities, aims and strategies of the two Irish icons with relations to their political and social life. One of the similarities is that both Charles Parnell and Daniel O’Connell were children of Ireland born in Ireland. Both attained university education and were reliable members of their respective societies in the advancement of the rights and needs of their people. Daniel and Parnell had similar feelings about Ireland and wanted to see their country freed from British anarchy and enabled to practice self-rule. Despite being Catholics, the family of Daniel O’Connell also owned land, as did the Parnell family. Daniel O’Connell entered politics in 1828 as the British Member of Parliament for County of Clare1. This happened after he spent a lot of time in activism, which was contrary to Charles Parnell who entered politics short time after graduation. Same to Charles Parnell, Daniel O’Connell used the poor peasants and farmers to agitate for the advancement of his views. Charles Stewart Parnell was a remarkable Irish nationalist born on 27th June 1846 in the County of Wicklow. Parnell was the third son and seventh offspring of an Anglo-Irish father John Parnell Henry and American mother Delia Stewart Tudor. Charles Stewart Parnell gained higher education from Cambridge University. Historical records also show that Charles Parnell attained most of his education in England. In 1875 after completing his studies, Charles secured election into the parliament where he served as collaborate of the Irish

Future Farmers of America Association Essay Example for Free

Future Farmers of America Association Essay Can you believe that the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) has over 400,000 members and growing in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and The Virgin Islands? The FFA is a National Organization devoted to teaching and introducing students to agricultural education. It has introduced a large impact on students, changed their views on agriculture, and given them the chances to carry them out. The history of FFA is quite a long one, starting back in 1925, when four agricultural education teachers organized the Future Farmers of Virginia, which would serve as a model for FFA, as well as the New Farmers of America. Then, in 1930, at the third National Convention, national competitions were restricted to only male competitors. The official creed, written by E. M. Tiffany, and official colors, national blue and corn gold, were adopted this year as well. In 1933, Ohio FFA members wore blue corduroy jackets with the FFA emblem printed on the back, and those were later immersed into the official uniform. Soon after, the NFA and the FFV merged together with the FFA. Later on, in 1988, the organizations name was changed from Future Farmers of America to FFA Organization and membership was extended to middle school students. Lastly, in 2006, the National Convention was at its maximum attendance, with a jaw-dropping amount of about fifty thousand attendants! The history if FFA will continue to become more memorable as long as new members join. The FFA training sequence consists of several areas, pertaining specifically to the SAE program, career opportunities, and chapter meetings. The Supervised Agricultural Experience, or SAE, Program is used to carry out a knowledgeable agriculture project. The project workers are often helped by their chapter advisor, depending on what area of study the project is from, choosing from ag production, food science, forestry, ag sales/ service, and horticulture. In some chapters, members are permitted to visit the chapter’s greenhouses/farms to expand and further pursue Ag education. They can choose to extend their knowledge in fields like farm economics, marketing, computer science, and biotechnology. Through chapter meetings, members will learn and develop public speaking skills and working for others. There are several activities to compete in and degrees to earn and receive in FFA. Members compete at local, state, and national levels in the fields of public speaking, Ag mechanics, dairy-cattle, livestock, poultry, dairy food, meat, and rabbit evaluations, floriculture, ornamental horticulture, parliamentary procedures, and nursery/ landscaping skills. The FFA also gives out four degrees to its members. The Discovery Degree is given to seventh and eight grade students. The Greenhand Degree is given to high school freshmen with knowledge, goals, and skills of FFA. After completing two semesters of Ag course work, you receive the Chapter Degree, with which you are entitled to wear a silver pin. The last degree, the State Degree, is obtained for outstanding achievements and for development of leadership skills. The receiver, however, must have also worked at least a minimum of 300 unpaid hours, and they receive with this honor a golden emblem pin. The FFA is definetly one of the younger organizations in the U. S. But, throughout the last ten years, it has delivered a tremendous impact to students, teachers, and the nation along with it’s future.

Like Water for Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Like Water for Chocolate Essay Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Squalevella Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd); ISBN: 0553472550 Copyright 1994 CHAPTER ONE. JANUARY. Chrutnuw Ro/ INGREDIENTS 1 can of arOin 1/2 choriw aaye oreyano 1 can of chitej rrano 10 haro ro PREPARATION: Take care to chop the onion fine. To keep from crying when you chop it (which is so annoying!), I suggest you place a little bit on your head. The trouble with crying over an onion is that once the chopping gets you started and the tears begin to well up, the next thing you know you just cant stop. I dont know whether thats ever happened to you, but I have to confess its happened to me, many times. Mama used to say it was because I was especially sensitive to onions, like my great-aunt, Tita. Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry, when she was still in my greatgrandmothers belly her sobs were so loud that even Nancha, the cook, who was halfdeaf, could hear them easily. Once her wailing got so violent that it brought on an early labor. And before my greatgrandmother could let out a word or even a whimper, Tita made her entrance into this world, prematurely, right there on the kitchen table amid the smells of simmering noodle soup, thyme, bay leaves, and cilantro, steamed milk, garlic, and, of course, onion. Tita had no need for the usual slap on the bottom, because she was already crying as she emerged, maybe that was because she knew then that it would be her lot in life to be denied marriage. The way Nancha told it, Tita was literally washed into this world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of t he table and flooded across the kitchen floor. That afternoon, when the uproar had subsided and the water had been dried up by the sun, Nancha swept up the residue the tears had left on the red stone floor. There was enough salt to fill a ten-pound sack-it was used for cooking and lasted a long time. Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born. When she was only two days old, Titas father, my great-grandfather, died of a heart attack and Mama Elenas milk dried up from the shock. Since there was no such thing as powdered milk in those days, and they couldnt find a wet nurse anywhere, they were in a panic to satisfy the infants hunger. Nancha, who knew everything about cooking-and much more that doesnt enter the picture until later offered to take chargeof feeding Tita. She felt she had the best chance of `educating the innocent childs stomach, even though she had never mauled or had children. Though she didnt know how to read or write, when it came to cooking she knew everything there was to know. Mama Elena accepted her offer gratefully, she had enough to do between her mourning and the enormous responsibility of running the ranch and it was the ranch that would provide her children the food and education they deserved-without having to worry about feeding a newborn baby on top of everything else. From that day on, Titas domain was the kitchen, where she grew vigorous and healthy on a diet of teas and thin corn gruels. This explains the sixth sense Tita developed about everything concerning food. Her eating habits, for example, were attuned to the kitchen routine: in the morning, when she could smell that the beans were ready, at midday, when she sensed the water was ready for plucking the chickens, and in the afternoon, when the dinner bread was baking, Tita knew it was time for her to be fed. Sometimes she would cry for no reason at all, like when Nancha chopped onions, but since they both knew the cause of those tears, they didnt pay them much mind. They made them a source of entertainment, so that during her childhood Tita didnt distinguish between tears of laughter and tears of sorrow. For her laughing was a form of crying. Likewise for Tita the joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food. It wasnt easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based onthe kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began at the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers-it was Titas realm. Her sisters were just the opposite: to them, Titas world seemed full of unknown dangers, and they were terrified of it. They felt that playing in the kitchen was foolish and dangerous. But once, Tita managed to convince them to join her in watching the dazzling display made by dancing water drops dribbled on a red hot griddle. While Tita was singing and waving her wet hands in time, showering drops of water down on the griddle so they would dance, Rosaura was cowering in the corner stunned by the display. Gertrudis, on the other hand, found this game enticing, and she threw herself into it with the enthusiasm she always showed where rhythm, movement, or music were involved. Then Rosaura had tried to join them-but since she barely moistened her hands and then shook them gingerly, her efforts didnt have the desired effect. So Tita tried to move her hands closer to the griddle. Rosaura resisted, and they struggled for control until Tita became annoyed and let go, so that momentum carried Rosauras hands onto it. Tita got a terrible spanking for that, and she was forbidden to play with her sisters in her own world. Nancha became her playmate then. Together they made up all sorts of games and activities having to do with cooking. Like the day they saw a man in the village plaza twisting long thin balloons into animal shapes, and they decided to do it with sausages. They didnt just make real animals, they also made up some of their own, creatures with the neck of a swan, the legs of a dog, the tail of a horse, and on and on. Then there was trouble, however, when the animals had to be taken apart to fry the sausage. Tita refused to do it. The only time she was willing to take them apart was when the sausage was intended for the Christmas rolls she loved so much. Then she not only allowed her animals to be dismantled, she watched them fry with glee. The sausage for the rolls must be fried over very low heat, so that it cooks thoroughly without getting too brown. When done, remove from the heat and add the sardines, which have been deboned ahead of time. Any black spots on the skin should also have been scraped off with a knife. Combine the onions, chopped chiles, and the ground oregano with the sardines. Let the mixture stand before filling the rolls. Tita enjoyed this step enormously, while the filling was resting, it was very pleasant to savor its aroma, for smells have the power to evoke the past, bringing back sounds and even other smells that have no match in the present. Tita liked to take a deep breath and let the characteristic smoke and smell transport her through the recesses of her memory. It was useless to try to recall the first time she had smelled one of those rolls-she couldnt, possibly because it had been before she was born. It might have been the unusual combination of sardines and sausages that had called to her and made her decide to trade the peace of ethereal existence in Mama Elenas belly for life as her daughter, in order to enter the De la Garza family and share their delicious meals and wonderful sausage. On Mama Elenas ranch, sausage making was a real ritual. The day before, they started peeling garlic, cleaning chiles, and grinding spices. All the women in the family had to participate: Mama Elena, her daughters, Gertrudis, Rosaura, and Tita, Nancha, the cook. And Chencha, the maid. They gathered around the diningroom table in the afternoon, and between the talking and the joking the time flew by until it started to get dark. Then Mama Elena would say: Thats it for today. For a good listener, it is said, a single word will suffice, so when they heard that, they all sprang into action. First they had to clear the table, then they had to assign tasks: one collected the chickens, another drew water for breakfast from the well, a third was in charge of wood for the stove. There would be no ironing, no embroidery, no sewing that day. When it was all finished, they went to their bedrooms to read, say their prayers, and go to sleep. One afternoon, before Mama Elena told them they could leave the table, Tita, who was then fifteen, announced in a trembling voice that Pedro Muzquiz would like to come and speak with her. After an endless silence during which Titas soul shrank, Mama Elena asked: And why should this gentleman want to come talk to me? Titas answer could barely be heard: I dont know. Mama Elena threw her a look that seemed to Tita to contain all the years of repression that had flowed over the family, and said: If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. Hell be wasting his time and mine too. You know perfectly well that being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die. With that Mama Elena got slowly to her feet, put her glasses in her apron, and said in a tone of final command: . II Thats it for today. Tita knew that discussion was not one of the forms of communication permitted in Mama Elenas household, but even so, for the first time in her life, she intended to protest her mothers ruling. But in my opinion You dont have an opinion, and thats all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single person in my family has ever questioned this tradition, and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start. Tita lowered her head, and the realization of her fate struck her as forcibly as her tears struck the table. From then on they knew, she and the table, that they could never have even the slightest voice in the unknown forces that fated Tita to bow before her mothers absurd decision, and the table to continue to receive the bitter tears that she had first shed on the day of her birth. Still Tita did not submit. anxieties sprang to her mind. Doubts and the next week she didnt speak a single word to her. What passed for communication between them resumed when Mama Elena, who was inspecting the clothes each of the women had been sewing, discovered that Titas creation, which was the most perfect, had not been basted before it was sewed. Congratulations, she said, your stitches are perfect -but you didnt haste it, did you? No, answered Tita, astonished that the sentence of silence had been revoked. `Then go and rip it out. Baste it and sew it again and then come and show it to me. And remember that the lazy man and the stingy man end up walking their road twice. But thats if a person makes a mistake, and you yourself said a moment ago that my sewing was . Are you starting up with your rebelliousness again? Its enough that you have the audacity to break the rules in your sewing. Im sorry, Mami. I wont ever do it again. With that Tita succeeded in calming Mama Elenas anger. For once she had been very careful, she had called her Mami in the correct tone of voice. Mama Elena felt that the word Mama had a disrespectful sound to it, and so, from the time they were little, she had ordered her daughters to use the word Mami when speaking to her. The only one who resisted, the only one who said the word without the proper deference was Tita, which had earned her plenty of slaps. But how perfectly she had said it this time! Mama Elena took comfort in the hope For one thing, she wanted to know who started this family tradition. It would be nice if she could let that genius know about one little flaw in this perfect plan for taking care of women in their old age. If Tita couldnt marry and have children, who would take care of her when she got old? Was there a solution in a case like that? Or are daughters who stay home and take care of their mothers not expected to survive too long after the parents death? And what about women who marry and cant have children, who will take care of them? And besides, shed like to know what kind of studies had established that the youngest daughter and not the eldest is best suited to care for their mother. Had the opinion of the daughter affected by the plan ever been taken into account? If she couldnt marry, was she at least allowed to experience love? Or not even that? Tita knew perfectly well that all these questions would have to be buried forever in the archive of questions that have no answers. In the De la Garza family, one obeyedimmediately. Ignoring Tita completely, a very angry Mama Elena left the kitchen, and for that she had finally managed to subdue her youngest daughter. Unfortunately her hope was short-lived, for the very next day Pedro Muzquiz appeared at the house, his esteemed father at his side, to ask for Titas hand in marriage. His arrival caused a huge uproar, as his visit was completely unexpected. Several days earlier Tita had sent Pedro a message via Nanchas brother asking him to abandon his suit. The brother swore he had delivered the message to Pedro, and yet, there they were, in the house. Mama Elena received them in the living room, she was extremely polite and explained why it was impossible for Tita to marry. But if you really want Pedro to get married, allow me to suggest my daughter Rosaura, whos just two years older than Tita. She is one hundred percent available, and ready for marriage At that Chencha almost dropped right onto Mama Elena the tray containing coffee and cookies, which she had carried into the living room to offer don Pascual and his son. Excusing herself, she rushed back to the kitchen, where Tita, Rosaura, and Gertrudis were waiting for her to fill them in on every detail about what was going on in the living room. She burst headlong into the room, and they all immediately stopped what they were doing, so as not to miss a word she said. They were together in the kitchen making Christmas Rolls. As the name implies, these rolls are usually prepared around Christmas, but today they were being prepared in honor of Titas birthday. She would soon be sixteen years old, and she wanted to celebrate with one of her favorite dishes. Isnt that something? Your ma talks about being ready for marriage like she was dishing up a plate of enchiladas! And the worse thing is, theyre completely different! You cant just switch tacos and enchiladas like that! Chencha kept up this kind of running commentary as she told the others-in her own way, of course-about the scene she had just witnessed. Tita knew Chencha sometimes exaggerated and distorted things, so she held her aching heart in check. She would not accept what she had just heard. Feigning calm, she continued cutting the rolls for her sisters and Nancha to fill. It is best to use homemade rolls. Hard rolls can easily be obtained from a bakery, but they should be small, the larger ones are unsuited for this recipe. After filling the rolls, bake for ten minutes and serve hot. For best results, leave the rolls out overnight, wrapped in a cloth, so that the grease from the sausage soaks into the bread. When Tita was finishing wrapping the next days rolls, Mama Elena came into the kitchen and informed them that she had agreed to Pedros marriage-to Rosaura. Hearing Chenchas story confirmed, Tita felt her body fill with a wintry chill: in one sharp, quick blast she was so cold and dry her cheeks burned and turned red, red as the apples beside her. That overpowering chill a lasted a long time, and she could find no respite, not even when Nancha told her what she had overheard as she escorted don Pascual Muzquiz and his son to the ranchs gate. Nancha followed them, walking as quietly as she could in order to hear the conversation between father and son. Don Pascual and Pedro were walking slowly, speaking in low, controlled, angry voices. Why did you do that, Pedro? It will look ridiculous, your agreeing to marry Rosaura. What happened to the eternal love you swore to Tita? Arent you going to keep that vow? Of course Ill keep it. When youre told theres no way you can marry the woman you love and your only hope of being near her is to marry her sister, wouldnt you do the same? Nancha didnt manage to hear the answer, Pulque, the ranch dog, wentrunning by, barking at a rabbit he mistook for a cat. So you intend to marry without love? No, Papa, I am going to marry with a great love for Tita that willnever die. Their voices grew less and less audible, drowned out by the crackling of dried leaves beneath their feet. How strange that Nancha, who was quite hard of hearing by that time, should have claimed to have heard this conversation. Still, Tita thanked Nancha for telling her-but that did not alter the icy feelings she began to have for Pedro. It is said that the deaf cant hear but can understand. Perhaps Nancha only heard what everyone else was afraid to say. Tita could not get to sleep that night, she could not find the words for what she was feeling. How unfortunate that black holes in space had not yet been discovered, for then she might have understood the black hole in the center of her chest, infinite coldness flowing through it. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw scenes from last Christmas, the first time Pedro and his family had been invited to dinner1 the scenesgrew more and more vivid, and the cold within her grew sharper. Despite the time that had passed since that evening, she remembered it perfectly: the sounds, the smells, the way her new dress had grazed the freshly waxed floor, the look Pedro gave her . . . That look! She had been walking to the table carrying a tray of egg-yolk candies when she first felt his hot gaze burning her skin. She turned her head, and her eyes met Pedros. It was then she understood how dough feels when it is plunged into boiling oil. The heat that invaded her body was so real she was afraid she would start to bubble-her face, her stomach, her heart, her breasts-like batter, and unable to endure his gaze she lowered her eyes and hastily crossed the room, to where Gertrudis was pedaling the player piano, playing a waltz called the Eyes of Youth. She set her tray on a little table in the middle of the room, picked up a glass of Noyo liquor that was in front of her, hardly aware of what she was doing, and sat down next to Paquita Lobo, the De Ia Carzas neighbor. But even that distance between herself and Pedro was not enough1 she felt her blood pulsing, searing her veins. A deep flush suffused her face and no matter how she tried she could not find a place for her eyes to rest. Paquita saw that something was bothering her, and with a look of great concern, she asked: That liquor is pretty strong, isnt it? Pardon me? You look a little woozy, Tita. Are you feeling all right? Yes, thank you. Youre old enough to have a little drink on a special occasion, but tell me, you little devil, did your mama say it was okay? I can see youre excited-youre shaking and Im sorry but I must say youd better not have any more. You wouldnt want to make a fool of yourself. That was the last straw! To have Paquita Lobo think she was drunk. She couldnt allow the tiniest suspicion to remain in Paquitas mind or she might tell her mother. Titas fear of her mother was enough to make her forget Pedro for a moment, and she applied herself to convincing Paquita, any way she could, that she was thinking clearly, that her mind was alert. She chatted with her, she gossiped, she made small talk. She even told her the recipe for this Noyo liquor which was supposed to have had such an effect on her. The liquor is made by soaking four ounces of peaches and a half pound of apricots in water for twenty-four hours to loosen the skin1 next, they are peeled, crushed, and steeped in hot water for fifteen days. Then the liquor is distilled. After two and a half pounds of sugar have been completely dissolved in the water, four ounces of orange-flower water are added, and the mixture is stirred and strained. And so there would be no lingering doubts about her mental and physical well-being, she reminded Paquita, as if it were just an aside, that the water containers held 2.016 liters, no more and no less. So when Mama Elena came over to ask Paquita if she was being properly entertained, she replied enthusiastically. Oh yes, perfectly! You have such wonderful daughters. Such fascinating conversation! Mama Elena sent Tita to the kitchen to get something for the guests. Pedro happened to be walking by at that moment and he offered his help. Tita rushed off to the kitchen without a word. His presence made her extremely uncomfortable. He followed her in, and she quickly sent him off with one of the trays of delicious snacks that had been waiting on the kitchen table. She would never forget the moment their hands accidentally touched as they both slowly bent down to pick up the same tray. That was when Pedro confessed his love. Sen on to Tita, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to be alone with you to tell you that I am deeply in love with you. I know this declaration is presumptuous, and that its quite sudden, but its so hard to get near you that I decided to tell you tonight. All I ask is that you tell me whether I can hope to win your love. I dont know what to say . give me time to think. No, no, I cant! I need an answer now: you dont have to think about love, you either feel it or you dont. I am a man of few words, but my word is my pledge. I swear that my love for you will last forever. What about you? Do you feel the same way about me? Yes! Yes, a thousand times. From that night on she would love him forever. And now she had to give him up. It wasnt decent to desire your sisters future husband. She had to try to put him out of her mind somehow, so she could get to sleep. She started to eat the Christmas Roll Nancha had left out on her bureau, along with a glass of milk, this remedy had proven effective many times. Nancha, with all her experience, knew that for Tita there was no pain that wouldnt disappear if she ate a delicious Christmas Roll. But this time it didnt work. She felt no relief from the hollow sensation in her stomach. Just the opposite, a wave of nausea flowed over her. She realized that the hollow sensation was not hunger but an icy feeling of grief. She had to get rid of that terrible sensation of cold. First she put on a wool robe and a heavy cloak. The cold still gripped her. Then she put on felt slippers and another two shawls. No good. Finally she went to her sewing box and pulled out the bedspread she had started the day Pedro first spoke of marriage. A bedspread like that, a crocheted one, takes about a year to complete. Exactly the length of time Pedro and Tita had planned to wait before getting married. She decided to use the yarn, not to let it go to waste, and so she worked on the bedspread and wept furiously, weeping and working until dawn, and threw it over herself. It didnt help at all. Not that night, nor many others, for as long as she lived, could she free herself from that cold. TO BE CONTINUED Next months recipe, Chabeta weooina Cake. CHAPTER TWO. FEBRUARY. Chabefa Wany Cake INGREDIENTS. 175 aranw refinco granetlate0 uyar 300 yram cake flour, fteo three tim 17eay arateo peel of one lime PREPARATION: Place five egg yolks, four whole eggs, and the sugar in a large bowl. Beat until the mixture thickens and then add two more whole eggs repeat, adding the remaining eggs two at a time until all the eggs have been added. To make the cake for Pedro and Rosauras wedding, Tita and Nancha had to multiply this recipe by ten, since they were preparing a cake not for eighteen people but for 180. Therefore, they needed 170 eggs,which meant they had to arrange to have that number of good eggs on thesame day. To get that number of eggs together, they preserved all the eggs laid by the best hens for several weeks. This preserving technique had been employed on the ranch since time immemorial to ensure a supply of this nourishing and indispensable food throughout the winter. The best time to preserve eggs is August or September. The eggs must be very fresh. Nancha preferred to use only eggs laid the same day. The eggs are placed in a cask containing crumbled sheep fodder, allowed to cool, and then covered completely. This will keep the eggs fresh for months. If you want them to keep for more than a year, place the eggs in an earthenware crock and cover them with a ten-percent lime solution. Cover tightly to keep the air out and store in the wine cellar. Tita and Nancha had chosen to use the first method because they didnt need to keep the eggs fresh for that many months. They had placed the cask containing the preserved eggs between them under the kitchen table and were taking the eggs out of it as they put the cake together. When she had beaten barely a hundred eggs, the phenomenal energy required for the task began to have a bad effect on Titas mood. To reach the goal of 170 seemed unimaginable. Tita beat the mixture while Nancha broke the eggs and added them to it. A fit of trembling shook Titas body and she broke out in goose bumps when each new egg was broken. The egg whites reminded her of the testicles of the chickens they had castrated the month before. Roosters that are castrated and then fattened up are called capons. The family had decided to serve capons at Pedro and Rosauras wedding because they would impress everyone with the quality of the dinner, as much for the amount of work required in their preparation as for the extraordinary flavor of the birds themselves. As soon as the date of the wedding was set for the twelfth of January, they ordered two hundred roosters to be bought for castrating and fattening up. This task fell to Tita and Nancha. Nancha because of her experience and Tita as punishment for feigning a headache to avoid her sister Rosauras engagement. I wont stand for disobedience, Mama Elena told her, nor am going to allow you to ruin your sisters wedding, with your acting like a victim. Youre in charge of all the preparations starting now, and dont ever let me catch you with a single tear or even a long face, do you hear?

Ideology Of Mahatma Gandhi And Subhas Chandra History Essay

Ideology Of Mahatma Gandhi And Subhas Chandra History Essay In January 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to his homeland after two decades of residence abroad. These years had been spent for the most part in South Africa, where he went as a lawyer, and in time became a leader of the Indian community in that territory. As the historian Chandran Devanesan has remarked, South Africa was the making of the Mahatma. It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi first forged the distinctive techniques of nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ violent protest known as Satyagraha, first promoted harmony between religions, and alerted the ways of upperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ caste Indians to their discriminatory treatment of low castes and women. The India that Mahatma Gandhi saw when he came back in 1915 was rather different from the one that he had seen in 1893. Although still a colony of the British, it was far more active in a political sense. The Indian National Congress now had branches in most major cities and towns. Through the Swadeshi movement of 1905à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 0 7 it had greatly broadened its appeal among the middle classes. That movement had thrown up some towering leaders among them Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra, Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal, and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab. The three were known as Lal, Bal and Pal, the alliteration conveying the allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ India character of their struggle, since their native provinces were very distant from one another. Where these leaders advocated militant opposition to colonial rule, there was a group of Moderates who preferred a more gradual and persuasive approach. Among these Moderates were Gandhijis acknowledged political mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, as well as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who, like Gandhiji, was a lawyer of Gujarati extraction trained in London. On Gokhales advice, Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its people. 1.1. The Making and Unmaking of Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation Mahatma Gandhi spent much of the year 1917 in Champaran, seeking to obtain for the peasants the security of tenure as well as the freedom to cultivate the crops of their choice. The following year, 1918, Gandhiji was involved in two campaigns in his home state of Gujarat. First, he intervened in a labour dispute in Ahmedabad, demanding better working conditions for the textile mill workers. Then he joined peasants in Kheda in asking the state for the remission of taxes following the failure of their harvest. These initiatives in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda marked Gandhiji out as a nationalist with a deep sympathy for the poor. At the same time, these were all localised struggles. Then, in 1919, the colonial rulers delivered into Gandhijis lap an issue from which he could construct a much wider movement. During the Great War of 1914à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 18, the British had instituted censorship of the press and permitted detention without trial. Now, on the recommendation of a committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, these tough measures were continued. In response, Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the Rowlatt Act. In towns across North and West India, life came to a standstill, as shops shut down and schools closed in response to the bandh call. The protests were particularly intense in the Punjab, where many men had served on the British side in the War expecting to be rewarded for their service. Instead, they were detained on the Rowlatt Act and Gandhiji was arrested whi le proceeding to Punjab, even thought he was a prominent local Congressmen. The situation in the province grew progressively more tense, reaching a bloody climax in Amritsar in April 1919, when a British Brigadier ordered his troops to open fire on a nationalist meeting. More than four hundred people were killed in what is known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was the Rowlatt satyagraha that made Gandhiji a truly national leader. Emboldened by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation with British rule. Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges and law courts, and not pay taxes. In total, they were asked to adhere to a renunciation of (all) voluntary association with the (British) Government. If non-cooperation was effectively carried out, remarked Gandhiji, India would win swaraj within a year. To broaden the struggle further, he had joined hands with the Khilafat Movement that sought to restore the Caliphate, a symbol of Panà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Islamism which had recently been abolished by the Turkish ruler Kemal Attaturk. 1.2. Khilafat Movement Gandhiji hoped that by coupling nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation with Khilafat, Indias two major religious communities, Hindus and Muslims, could collectively bring an end to the colonial rule. These movements certainly unleashed a surge of popular action that was altogether unprecedented in colonial India. Students stopped going to schools and colleges run by the government. Lawyers refused to attend court and the working class went on strike in many towns and cities. According to official figures, there were 396 strikes in 1921, involving 600,000 workers and a loss of seven million workdays. The countryside was seething with discontent too. Hill tribes in northern Andhra violated the forest laws. Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes. Peasants in Kumaun refused to carry loads for colonial officials. These protest movements were sometimes carried out in defiance of the local nationalist leadership. Peasants, workers, and others interpreted and acted upon the call to nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ coop erate with colonial rule in ways that best suited their interests, rather than conform to the dictates laid down from above. Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation, wrote Mahatma Gandhis American biographer Louis Fischer, became the name of an epoch in the life of India and of Gandhiji. Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation was negative enough to be peaceful but positive enough to be effective. It entailed denial, renunciation, and selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ discipline. It was training for selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ rule. As a consequence of the Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Cooperation Movement the British Raj was shaken to its very foundations for the first time since the Revolt of 1857. 1.3. A Peoples Leader By 1922, Gandhiji had transformed Indian nationalism, thereby redeeming the promise he made in his BHU speech of February 1916. It was no longer a movement of professionals and intellectuals; now, hundreds of thousands of peasants, workers and artisans also participated in it. Many of them venerated Gandhiji, referring to him as their Mahatma. They appreciated the fact that he dressed like them, lived like them, and spoke their language. Unlike other leaders he did not stand apart from the common folk, but empathised and even identified with them. 1.4. The Salt Satyagraha For several years after the Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation Movement ended, Mahatma Gandhi focused on his social reform work. In 1928, however, he began to think of reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ entering politics. That year there was an allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ India campaign in opposition to the allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ White Simon Commission, sent from England to enquire into conditions in the colony. Gandhiji did not himself participate in this movement, though he gave his blessings, but, he also performed a peasant satyagraha in Bardoli in the same year. In the end of December 1929, the Congress held its annual session in the city of Lahore. The meeting was significant for two things: the election of Jawaharlal Nehru as President, signifying the passing of the baton of leadership to the younger generation; and the proclamation of commitment to Purna Swaraj, or complete independence. Now the pace of politics picked up once more. On 26 January 1930, Independence Day was observed, with the national flag being h oisted in different venues, with patriotic songs being sung. Gandhiji himself issued precise instructions as to how the day should be observed. It would be good, he said, if the declaration [of Independence] is made by whole villages, whole cities even It would be well if all the meetings were held at the identical minute in all the places. 1.5. Dandi Soon after the observance of this Independence Day, Mahatma Gandhi announced that he would lead a march to break one of the most widely disliked laws in British India, which gave the state a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of salt. His picking on the salt monopoly was another illustration of Gandhijis tactical wisdom. For in every Indian household, salt was indispensable; yet people were forbidden from making salt even for domestic use, compelling them to buy it from shops at a high price. The state monopoly over salt was deeply unpopular; by making it his target, Gandhiji hoped to mobilise a wider discontent against British rule. As with Nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cooperation, apart from the officially sanctioned nationalist campaign, there were numerous other streams of protest. Across large parts of India, peasants breached the hated colonial forest laws that kept them and their cattle out of the woods in which they had once roamed freely. In some towns, factory workers went on strike while lawyers boycotted British courts and students refused to attend governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ run educational institutions. As in 1920à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 22, Gandhijis new call had encouraged Indians of all classes to manifest their own discontent with the colonial rule. The rulers responded by detaining the dissenters. In the wake of the Salt March, nearly 60,000 Indians were arrested, among them, of course, Gandhiji himself. 1.6. Quit India Quit India was genuinely a mass movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians. It especially energized the young who, in very large numbers, left their colleges to go to jail. However, while the Congress leaders languished in jail, Jinnah and his colleagues in the Muslim League worked patiently at expanding their influence. It was in these years that the League began to make a mark in the Punjab and Sind, provinces where it had previously had scarcely any presence. In June 1944, with the end of the war in sight, Gandhiji was released from prison. Later that year he held a series of meetings with Jinnah, seeking to bridge the gap between the Congress and the League. In 1945, a Labour government came to power in Britain and committed itself to granting independence to India. Meanwhile, back in India, the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, brought the Congress and the League together for a series of talks. Early in 1946 fresh elections were held to the provincial legisl atures. The Congress swept the General category, but in the seats specifically reserved for Muslims the League won an overwhelming majority. The political polarization was just complete. 2. Subhas Chandra Boses Ideology 2.1. Women Equality Subhas Chandra Bose imbibed the ideals of his political mentor, Deshabandhu Chitta Ranjan and spiritual mentor, Swami Vivekananda in regard to female education and female emancipation and used to cite the examples of noble and scholarly women of ancient India like Maitreyee, Gargee, Khana and Lilabatee. Bose wanted that women should be given a very elevated position in the family and society, and believed in female emancipation in the true sense of the term and in liberating women from all shackles and artificial disabilities social, economic and political. According to him, in the Free India, there must not be any discrimination on the grounds of caste, race, sex, creed or wealth. The glorified role played by women in the Indian national struggle, especially during the Civil Disobedience Movement with undaunted bravery and exemplary spirit of sacrifice, shaped his attitude towards women. The love and affection and help he received from few women, especially his own mother Prabhabati Devi, C.R. Dass ideal consort Basanti Devi and Sarat Chandra Boses wife Bibhabati Devi had enormous influence in shaping his views about women. Subhas Chandra Bose rightly diagnosed that illiteracy and economic dependence were the root cause of serfdom of women. Bose spoke firmly in favour of removing all obstacles in the way of womens emancipation. He spoke in favour of all-round education for women for which he formulated a recipe which included literacy, physical and vocational education or training on light Cottage Industries. He was a supporter of widow remarriage and abolition of Purdah system. 2.2. Unique Political Ideology The political philosophy of Subhas Chandra Bose requires an enunciation and analysis from the angles of his spiritualistic, nationalistic, secularistic, democratic and socialistic characteristics. Spiritualistic Characteristics: A spiritual approach of his life was originally initiated under the influence of his deeply religious parents. Subsequently, his searching mind, right from his school days could explore out the meaning, significance and objectives of human life when he came in contact with the teachings, writings and philosophy of Ramkrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo Ghose. Nationalistic Characteristics: Subhas Chandra Boses father was a government pleader and Public Prosecutor and became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council and earned the title of Rai Bahadur, but he resigned from the said post and renounced the title of Rai Bahadur as a protest against the repressive policies of the British Government. Secularistic Characteristics: Bose believed that secularism is not irreligion or atheism but tolerance of each-others faith, mutual accommodation and peaceful co-existence. It involves spiritual consciousness and establishment of contact with the divine. Subhass philosophy of nationalism acquired a spiritual tenor under the influence of his parents, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and Aurobindo. Socialistic Characteristics In his Free India, Subhas Chandra Bose had the aim of creating an egalitarian society in which all members would enjoy almost equal economic benefits and social status, and there would not be any distinction between man and man on account of accident of birth, parentage, caste and creed. Democratic Characteristics Subhas Chandra Bose developed an ethical approach to life based on sacrifice, renunciation, self-abnegation and self sacrifice which is in a way the core of a democratic way of life. These ethical and spiritual ideals contributed to his formulation of a political philosophy in consistence with Indian culture and civilisation. The big joint family taught him love, generosity, kindness, patience, tolerance, co-operation and sympathy, the very ingredients of democracy. 2.3. Economic View According to Subhas, liberty broadly signified political, economic and social freedom. For him economic freedom was the essence of social and political freedom. Subhas Chandra Bose bravely fought for Indias independence but this independence was also an economic necessity for him. He said, The problem of giving bread to our starving millions the problem of clothing and educating them the problem of improving the health and physique of the nation all these problems cannot be solved so long as India remains in bondage. To think of economic improvement and industrial development before India is free; politically is to put the cart before the horse. According to him the appalling poverty, high incident of unemployment and low standard of living were due to the foreign domination. In view of all this he desired economic reconstruction and industrialization on modern scientific and technological methods. Subhas Chandra Bose said, The moment India is free, the most important problem will be the organizing of our national defence in order to safeguard our freedom in the future. For that we shall have to build up modern war industries; so that, we may produce the arms that we shall need for self-defence. This will mean a very big programme of industrialization. He felt the necessity of modernizing the backward agriculture which in turn would aggravate the problem of disguised unemployment and to remedy this development of industry would be indispensable to absorb the surplus labour from agriculture. He was much impressed by the exemplary success attained by the U.S.S.R. in effecting economic development through rapid industrialization within a very short period of time, and became a staunch protagonist for similar forced march like Soviet Union and not a gradual one as in Great Britain. Subhas Chandra Bose classified industries into three categories, namely Large- Scale or Heavy Industr ies, Medium-Scale and Cottage Industries. According to him, heavy industries are important for rapid economic development. In the category of Large-Scale Industries, mother industries produce the means of production or make other industries run successfully and these are metals, heavy chemicals, machinery and tools, and communication industries like railways, telegraph, telephone and radio. He was very much in favour of large-scale industries but at the same time he never lost sight of cottage and small industries in an underdeveloped country like India. 3. Comparison between Mahatma Gandhi Bose Ideology Both Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses and feared by the Raj. But between themselves, these two icons of Indias freedom movement shared a rather frosty relationship and history is replete with instances of trenchant differences between them. Although Subhas Chandra was a follower of Gandhi during the initial days, the later part of the 1930s witnessed a growing radicalization of his thoughts and Bose became increasingly frustrated with the lack of momentum in the independence movement. As Bose started to assert his bold stance in various party forums, it led to a polarization in the Congress party ranks. Bose found himself frequently at loggerheads with Gandhi and their differences often came out in the public. All these bickering reached a climax when Subhas Chandra Bose became Congress President for a second term in 1939 defeating Gandhi-nominated candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Unable to hide his displeasure, Mahatma commented Subhas victory is my defeat. But this unhealthy environment within the party made Boses tasks all the more difficult and soon he resigned from his post. Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhi also disagreed over their visions for the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhi was opposed to the very concept of industrialization. In spite of all the differences in ideologies, both these great men admired and respected each other. In 1942 Gandhi called Subhash Bose the Prince among the Patriots for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi The Father of Our Nation.