Expository Essays Unwind By Neal Shusterman - 1437 Words

When you think of unwinding, you probably imagine yourself sun tanning and drinking a martini on the beach. You probably see all of your worries disappear and paradise is very nearly near. In the breathtaking novel Unwind by Neal Shusterman, the teens of the world feel anything but relieved when they hear the word. Instead, they envision a world in which they no longer exist. At least, not in the way they used to. Unwind is a novel set in a dystopian society in a future time period, suffering the after effects of the Hartland War. The war was between the Pro-life and Pro-choice sides of society. A compromise was reached post war; it was called unwinding. Unwinding allowed teens to be harvested for all of their body parts. This novel tells the tale of three main teens who are to be sacrificed for unwinding. Risa, Connor and Lev struggle to stay out of sight until their 18th year when they will be considered free citizens. In Unwind, the story makes one question why a society would eve n consider something as radical and inhumane as unwinding. From it, we can connect to times in our own history when we made less than ideal compromises and evaluate the concept of unwinding as a whole. Unwinding seemed to me, in a word, disgusting, and that is exactly what it was. Evaluating such a crime was not hard to do. In fact, while reading this novel I found myself rather angry at the government of these people. I despised them for even thinking up such a thing as horrendous as to delete a

Gun Control Essay - 911 Words

In the wake of all the school shootings in the past fifteen years gun control has become a more serious issue than before. Gun control has always been a concern in the United States, but not until the first major school shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado did this topic become a reality to the American public. In 1999, this massacre left fifteen people dead including the assassins. And just recently on March 5, 2001 did the tradition continue, when Charles Andrew Williams killed two classmates, leaving many injured in Santee California. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;School shootings has become a very popular topic in the arguments for gun control. Gun control laws focus on making guns more difficult to obtain, as†¦show more content†¦The NRA supported the election of out current president, George W. Bush who according to the NRA follows the standard gun owner’s line. Which are harsher penalties against â€Å"gun-toting† criminals, but no more regulations for worthy citizens who take guns seriously (NRA). The Republicans feel that law-abiding citizens should have the right to their protection against criminals. This is the Republican’s point of view, make the consequences harsh and the number of violations will go down. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Democratic Party has pledged their faith in the concept of gun control. The Democratic Party has support from law enforcement and such organizations as the Million Mom March for gun control. They feel that more laws restrict people from using their weapons in a harmful manner. They feel that tighter laws are needed and an increase in penalties (Phinney). They feel that gun companies should not be spared from liability lawsuits, and feel that guns should not be apparent in society (Smith 7). After the shooting of six year old Kayla Rolland, by her classmate, Bill Clinton called for a â€Å"summit meeting†, of Congressional leaders to discuss tighter gun control laws (Naghton, Evan,and Flint). This is the Democrat’s point of view, fix it before it is a problem. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I am personally against gun control, I think that I should have the right to own a gun for my protection. I will always be afraidShow MoreRelatedGun Control766 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Paper Gun Control has been an issue that has been brought to the public’s eyes in recent years. This main issue has been going on for many years, for example when John F. Kennedy was assassinated; it raised public awareness to the lack of control on sales and also possession of guns in America. Until 1968 guns were available over the counter in stores and through mail catalogs to just about any adult in America. This was an example of how loosely guns were regulated which bring usRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control1007 Words   |  5 Pagesshootings and various other methods of gun violence, tens of thousands of people die every year. These gun-related deaths primarily originate from murder and children accidentally shooting themselves. Although those in favor of gun control tend to believe that guns should be terminated completely, the second amendment prevents lawmakers from being able to do so. Therefore, in order to combat these causes, alternative gun control solutions mu st be made for each one. Gun-related murders can be decreasedRead MoreThe Gun Laws And Gun Control965 Words   |  4 Pagesoriginate from the accessibility of guns, but rather the actions of an individual that has disregard for life in today s society. There will always be ways for the offender commit crimes with or without guns. What is being done about gun control? We have all heard of all the tragedies throughout the country regarding guns. According to the President (2013) We know that we cannot stop every act of violence with guns, but what if we tried to stop even one? Weapon controls in the U.S. is structured atRead MoreGun Control For Gun Violence880 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2015, 13,367 people lost their lives due to gun violence according to Gun Violence Archive. The Archive also states that out of that number, 693 were children from ages 0-11. We can all agree that there is indeed a problem that we have to address. The solution to that problem, however, has been debated by many. I believe the solution to this problem exists in three parts: Mandatory training and licensing along with more heavily secure gun storage, stricter regulations on the purchasing of a firearm—disabilitiesRead MoreGuns And Their Effect On Gun Control962 Words   |  4 PagesGuns and the ability to use them have been under attack in the United States and many other places throughout the World. There are groups of people that believe that as long as we have the right to bear arms that many unprotected people will lose their lives due to gun violence. There are many trends that come with gun violence and where these mass shooting occur, but a main one is that when a place legally prohibits carrying a weapon then that is where the most gun violence happens. Where guns areRead MoreGuns And Gun Control855 Words   |  4 PagesThe rise in cases of gun violence and related incidences of assault has drawn the public to the issue of guns and gun control. Such has been evident within the spheres of politics especially with the last election period seeing the incumbent president Donald Trump suggesting on stringent gun control laws. However, despite the acknowledgment of the need to have better gun laws, much ground and consensus has never reached. Such, to an extent, contributed to the current lack of political goodwill withinRead MoreThe I ssue Of Gun Control Essay868 Words   |  4 Pages Gun Control Gun Control. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2016. In this website, it discusses the debatable topic of gun control. In the article titled Gun Control, it states that the â€Å"The United States is the leader in per-capita gun deaths among industrial nations.† The main point of this article was to get the point across about the controversy that this has brought into the United States, not only does it quote influentialRead More Gun Control Essay1065 Words   |  5 Pages Gun Control Throughout America there is the constant debate concerning the second amendment or the right to bare arms. One day an innocent kid walking home from school gets shot in a drive by shooting is he just a victim of circumstance or could this of been easily prevented. There are lobbyist for the private ownership of guns and lobbyist for legislation to ban personal possession of guns for good. In this paper I hope that just maybe I can persuade you to think differently on a topic that’sRead MoreThe Assault Of Gun Control920 Words   |  4 PagesGun control has become a hot topic in the United States as of now. There will be those who are for guns and those who are against guns. Those who are for guns, assert that it is our right to bear arms according to the 2nd amendment and those who are against guns, believe that guns are unnecessary and cause more violence. Assault weapons, in particular, have caused too many deaths and the government needs to put a ban on assault weapons. First and foremost, assault weapons have claimed the livesRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesGuns have become a serious issue in today’s society. There have been incalculable incidents that involved a gun causing physical harm to a person. This can occur when guns are not properly stored in a safe location. House Bill 75 has been proposed to help solve this problem. With this bill set in place, if a minor has the ability to access a firearm unauthorized, the person responsible for that firearm will receive criminal penalties. As a matter of a fact, there have been cases reported about

Drama Evaluation Example Free Essays

On 12th of December we went to Stifford Clays Primary and performed our piece to 180 year 4’s and 5’s. When we got there we had to straight away bring in our set and therefore had to quickly work out our staging. We all agreed to have the boards on a slant so that we could get changed and await our queues without the children seeing us as if they did it would ruin the illusion. We will write a custom essay sample on Drama Evaluation Example or any similar topic only for you Order Now We did this and got changed into our costumes in 20 minutes which I thought was really good and professional. As a group the performance went really well, we all knew our queues and our lines and worked really well together, the costume changes were done in time and nobody came out of role, there for a bit of empty staging but I think this was due to the fact that we were in a new performance space and were not use to it. People were not coming off the right side and therefore ended up having to cross the back of the stage, but it was not obvious as it was in character. As an individual I think the performance was ok, the children booed as I came on as the teacher as they thought I was still the Wicked Witch, I think I did change each characters characterisation but the costume wasn’t different enough and I think they thought I was the Wicked Witch in disguise. Also when I did come on as the Wicked Witch they did not stop booing me, according to the video they booed me for a full minute. I was not expecting such a huge reaction and I just did what I thought my character would do and tell them to ‘be quite’ and ‘shut up’ I also did hand gesture of them talking, it was really tough to deal with as every time I went to talk they just started booing again. I then decided to stand there and wait for them to calm down which they eventually did. Although it was annoying I think the booing was a good sign as they believed in my character and really hated me as much as they were supposed to. As the teacher I think I did well in adopting a different role and I changed my voice and body language making everything precise. The audience interacted with everything and more and seemed to have a lot of fun. When Catherine and I did the chase scene the children loved the water gun being fired, as I ran through they grabbed my cape which I had to react to again in the way the Wicked Witch would I told them to ‘Get off before I turned them into frogs’ from this I learnt that my teacher character needs more of a disguise, that I need to hold onto my cape while running through the crowd and to react to the boo’ing at first but then stand there and wait or them to quieten down. When I melted as the Wicked Witch I melted to the side of the stage and therefore had to stay there for a little while, which I didn’t mind as I needed to catch my breath anyway, I had to pick the right time to move off the stage and therefore picked the time when Sophie and Jess were running as I though the audience’s attention would be on them, it turned out it was and I did pick the right time to slip off. When we were at the performance we had forgotten the limbo poll and the camera and therefore had to improvise with the limbo poll and use another poll at the school, we also used Catherine’s phone to record the performance. I think as an individual and a group we met the assignment brief as we engaged, entertained and educated, We engaged the audience as they interacted with all points possible, they were entertained as they all were shouting and reacting and they were educated as when the fairy god mother asked questions they knew the answers. Over all I think the performance was really good and went really well. How to cite Drama Evaluation Example, Papers

Vietnam War free essay sample

The Vietnam War is often interpreted by historians as a ‘Television war’ in which the unqualified access to uncensored war footage and inaccuracies with media reports caused public disillusionment. Historians such as Peter Braestrup and Mark Woodruff have argued that the T? t Offensive was undermined by a media fallacy by causing the demise of public support for the Vietnam War. The media fallacy was the misinterpretation of available evidence on the behalf of western journalists. This view is supported by the inconsistencies between media reports and the genuine outcome of this conflict. These inconsistencies are illustrated in the public perception of the South Vietnamese, the misinterpreted attack on the US embassy, the city of Hu? and the belief in a North Vietnamese victory. Revisionist historians have dissembled this argument and demonstrated how factors such as poor leadership, self censorship and the degeneracy of moral forces during the T? t Offensive have substantially shaped the perceptions of the public. In an attempt to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam by Communist North Vietnam, the United States joined forces with Britain, France, Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines, New Zealand, and Australia to for the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) on September 8, 1954. However, this had very limited success. Unfortunately for the Americans, situations became messy when the Led by Ho Chi Minh, the Northern Communist Party formed the National Liberation Front (NFL) on December 20, 1960, in hopes of reuniting the divided nation. The American-backed corrupt Diem government was vulnerable to the communists. Following the 1947 Truman Doctrine, the United States felt obligated to impose the â€Å"containment policy† by halting the â€Å"spread of communism. † Therefore, in the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy and his administration, devoted to defend the Southern Democratic government, began to American boys into the perilous jungles of Vietnam. The â€Å"modernization theory† also helped support the United States’ reason for entering a foreign war. The theory stated that the â€Å"traditional societies of Asia†¦could develop into modern industrial and democratic nations by following the West’s own path† (The American Pageant 913). In other words, if developed Western nations, such as the United States, assisted developing countries in other parts of the world, namely Asia, both economically and industrially, then those countries will, in turn, transform into nations with democratic governments hereby eliminating communism. Clearly referenced to in Walt Whitman Rostow’s book, The Stages of Economic Growth, the modernization theory significantly supported the United States’ decision to enter the Vietnam War. However, on November 22, 1963, President Kennedy’s tragic death gave his Vice President, Lyndon Baines Johnson, the presidency. At this time, American morale in the Vietnam War was still high. In the Cold War, tensions with the communistic Soviets were even colder than ever before, especially since they threw their support toward the communist NFL in the North against the United States-supported Diem government in the South. American citizens learned to scorn and sneer at the Soviets, and began to enlist in the army to directly defeat the communists in Vietnam and to indirectly humiliate Soviet Russia. In August of 1964, President Johnson claimed that Northern Vietnamese had fired at American ships in the Tonkin Gulf while attacking Southern Vietnam. Using this as the perfect excuse, President Johnson persuaded both houses of Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, virtually giving him a â€Å"blank check† for the Vietnam War. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution states for â€Å"the United States†¦to take all the necessary steps, including armed force, to assist any member or protocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom† (The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Archives). Although the Vietnam War had noble intentions, the number of â€Å"doves,† those who opposed the war, back home was increasing. In response, the Johnson Administration decided to advocate for a policy of gradual escalation on December 1, 1964. This policy eventually led to the meaningless loss of over 50,000 American soldier lives in the Vietnam jungles. As a result, popularity for President Lyndon B. Johnson began to plummet considerably. In February of 1965, Viet Cong guerrillas attacked Pleiku, South Vietnam, an American air base. In retaliation, President Johnson ordered for â€Å"Operation Rolling Thunder† to take place. This operation was a full-scale bombing raid against North Vietnam during the middle of March 1965. Before the end of 1965, more than 184,000 U. S. soldiers, under General William C. Westmoreland, were â€Å"slogging through the jungles and rice paddies of South Vietnam searching for guerillas† (The American Pageant 927). Following the policy of gradual escalation, President Johnson sent more and more young men to the Vietnamese frontier: 385,000 in 1966, 485,000 in 1967, and 538,000 in 1968. During the fighting, the South Vietnamese watched the war on the sidelines as it became increasingly Americanized. Numerous corrupt and weak governments were put in place in Saigon, only to be overthrown shortly after. However, American officials still remained faithful to defend the democratic government. However in January of 1968, situations in South Vietnam became even tenser. The North Vietnamese conducted an attack on South Vietnam, nearly capturing the American embassy in Saigon. Although this proved to be a significant turning point in the war, President Johnson underestimated the Northern Vietnamese by informing his people that the United States was winning the war. However, the nearly successful and sophisticatedly planned Tet Offensive showed American military experts that perhaps the Northern Vietnamese were not as â€Å"underdeveloped† as previously believed. Although in 1965 the number of Americans that favored withdrawal from Vietnam was only 15%, four years later, 69% of Americans claimed that â€Å"the war was a mistake† (The American Pageant 928). With almost 60,000 American casualties by the end of the war, it is no surprise that the majority of American citizens opposed the war. Upon learning the increasing casualties nd unnecessary violence in Vietnam, the number of student protests skyrocketed, causing civil unrest back home in the United States. In the spring 1967, more than 500,000 protested in New York City’s Central Park by burning their draft cards. However, protests began to sprout from within the American army as well. From 1960 to 1973, around 500,000 soldiers abandoned the U. S. army. In addition, more than 30,000 fled to Canada to escape from the conscription. Impenitent critics and protestors of the war taunted at President Johnson, â€Å"Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today? † (Los Angeles Times 1997). Numerous citizens questioned the morality of the Vietnam War. When the My Lai Massacre occurred in 1968, the American public was both appalled and outraged by the actions of the American soldiers. At the My Lai Massacre, U. S. soldiers had allegedly abused, tortured, and murdered up to 400 innocent Vietnamese civilians that were too frail to fight. The horrors of the Vietnam War became even worse when a U. S. soldier, Keith Franklin, was killed tragically in battle. However, his death was significant in the letter that he wrote to his parents, which revealed the true horrors of this bloody war. He wrote: â€Å"The war that has taken my life†¦is immoral, unlawful, and an atrocity. So as I lie dead†¦help me inform the American people†¦that their silence is permitting this atrocity to go on and that my death will not be in vain if by prompting them to act†¦in some way†¦to bring an end to the war that has brought an end to my life† (The Vietnam War 56). Was this war avoidable? In President Johnson’s point of view, the answer is negative. He claims that the United States had to defend its â€Å"vital interests in Vietnam† (Los Angeles Times 1997) and thus, the war was unavoidable when the NFL attacked the Democratic government of South Vietnam. Although America was not directly affected by the Vietnam War, President Johnson and his administration knew that they were obligated to stop the spread of communism, as stated by the containment policy. In other words, the â€Å"vital interests in Vietnam† were simply the Democratic Diem government in South Vietnam. However, for the majority of Americans at the time, they claimed the war was clearly preventable and unnecessary. Many believed the United States was not directly affected by the Vietnam issue and should stay out of the war, especially since the disastrous Korean War ad just ended. The horrifying violence and hostility of the war only helped strengthen their beliefs against the opinion American government. Although President Johnson used the Truman Doctrine to defend his actions in Vietnam, it was not a good enough excuse for the 69% of Americans in 1969 who declared the war was both pointless and immoral. Along with the rising number of student protests and the i ncreasing frustration brought by numerous failed military tactics, American politicians argued whether the United States should engage in a full-scale attack against the communists. If the United States was able to defeat and conquer Northern Vietnam and reinstate a Democratic government, both China and USSR would continue to supply communist Vietnamese rebels and encourage them to overthrow the Democratic government. This possibility frightened many American politicians and citizens, which certainly had a significant impact on the Vietnamese foreign affairs from 1968 to 1975. President Nixon, elected in 1968, took those possibilities into consideration and started a process called â€Å"Vietnamization. † He began to withdraw troops, but the war continued until 1975 when Saigon eventually fell to the North Vietnamese Army. In the end, the American soldiers finally came home, but the American public still pointed fingers at who was at fault for this embarrassing loss. Although it is true that neither President Johnson nor Defense Secretary McNamara had faith that America could win the war, it is also high probable that they could have with more troops, fewer restrictions, and better military tactics. However, if this was executed, it is also very likely that bigger consequences would have resulted: potential bloody and violent conflicts with communistic China and USSR. Whether the United States should have won the Vietnam War refers to the moral implications of the war. When Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara eventually admitted that â€Å"he and Johnson’s other aides knew that their Vietnam strategy had little chance of success†¦[but] pressed ahead with it†¦sending young Americans to their deaths†¦because they had no other plan† (Los Angeles Times 1995), it only proved to the American people that the Americans should not, and did not, win the war. Along with the My Lai Massacre, the Vietnam War only demonstrated how incapable the United States was to prevent the spread of communism. Despite whether the war could or should have been won, it is possible that the United States avoided the Vietnam War all together. Engaging in the war was completely unnecessary, as many American citizens had voiced. Despite the Truman Doctrine, the United States should not have mingled in another foreign country’s affairs and violating that country’s sovereignty. However, the Vietnam War began at a time when McCarthyism was weakening and ending. Nevertheless, the Red Scare that Joseph McCarthy had brought frightened the American public. As a result, the Vietnam War was at first encouraged by 85% of the nation when the fighting seriously began in 1965. Perhaps without McCarthyism and the Red Scare, it is possible that the Vietnam War would have been avoided if the American public had not pushed for it so urgently in the mid 1960s. As one of the most discussed issues, the Vietnam War left a â€Å"controversial footprint in American history. Many historians questioned the actions of President Lyndon B. Johnson during the war. The war is often tied together with the symbolic mass student protests back home and the immoral, bloody violence in Vietnam. With more than 55,000 young American lives lost, was it possible that the conflict could have been avoided? Was it possible that the war could have been won or was it moral that the war should have been won? Although these questions have been debated frequently, the answers can only be found within the opinions of the American public itself.