Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 20

Part IV Spirit He who sees in me all things, and all things in me, is never far from me, and I am never far from him. THE BHAGAVAD GITA Chapter 20 The road was just wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side. The grass on either side was as high as an elephant's eye. We could see blue sky above us, and exactly as far along the path as the next curve, which could have been any distance away, because there's no perspective in an unbroken green trench. We'd been traveling on this road most of the day, and passed only one old man and a couple of cows, but now we could hear what sounded like a large party approaching us, not far off, perhaps two hundred yards away. There were men's voices, a lot of them, footsteps, some dissonant metal drums, and most disturbing, the continuous screams of a woman either in pain, or terrified, or both. â€Å"Young masters!† came a voice from somewhere near us. I jumped in the air and came down in a defensive stance, my black glass knife drawn and ready. Josh looked around for the source of the voice. The screaming was getting closer. There was a rustling in the grass a few feet away from the road, then again the voice, â€Å"Young masters, you must hide.† An impossibly thin male face with eyes that seemed a size and a half too large for his skull popped out of the wall of grass beside us. â€Å"You must come. Kali comes to choose her victims! Come now or die.† The face disappeared, replaced by a craggy brown hand that motioned for us to follow into the grass. The woman's scream hit crescendo and failed, as if the voice had broken like an overtightened lute string. â€Å"Go,† said Joshua, pushing me into the grass. As soon as I was off of the road someone caught my wrist and started dragging me through the sea of grass. Joshua latched onto the tail of my shirt and allowed himself to be dragged along. As we ran the grass whipped and slashed at us. I could feel blood welling up on my face and arms, even as the brown wraith pulled me deeper into the sea of green. Above the rasping of my breath I heard men shouting from behind us, then a thrashing of the grass being trampled. â€Å"They follow,† said the brown wraith over his shoulder. â€Å"Run unless you want your heads to decorate Kali's altar. Run.† Over my shoulder to Josh, I said, â€Å"He says run or it will be bad.† Behind Josh, outlined against the sky, I saw long, swordlike spear tips, the sort of thing one might use for beheading someone. â€Å"Okey-dokey,† said Josh. It had taken us over a month to get to India, most of the journey through hundreds of miles of the highest, most rugged country we had ever seen. Amazingly enough, there were villages scattered all through the mountains, and when the villagers saw our orange robes doors were flung wide and larders opened. We were always fed, given a warm place to sleep, and welcomed to stay as long as we wished. We offered obtuse parables and irritating chants in return, as was the tradition. It wasn't until we came out of the mountains onto a brutally hot and humid grassland that we found our mode of dress was drawing more disdain than welcome. One man, of obvious wealth (he rode a horse and wore silk robes) cursed us as we passed and spit at us. Other people on foot began to take notice of us as well, and we hurried off into some high grass and changed out of our robes. I tucked the glass dagger that Joy had given me into my sash. â€Å"What was he going on about?† I asked Joshua. â€Å"He said something about tellers of false prophecies. Pretenders. Enemies of the Brahman, whatever that is. I'm not sure what else.† â€Å"Well, it looks like we're more welcome here as Jews than as Buddhists.† â€Å"For now,† said Joshua. â€Å"All the people have those marks on their foreheads like Gaspar had. I think without one of those we're going to have to be careful.† As we traveled into the lowlands the air felt as thick as warm cream, and we could feel the weight of it in our lungs after so many years in the mountains. We passed into the valley of a wide, muddy river, and the road became choked with people passing in and out of a city of wooden shacks and stone altars. There were humped-back cattle everywhere, even grazing in the gardens, but no one seemed to bear them any mind. â€Å"The last meat I ate was what was left of our camels,† I said. â€Å"Let's find a booth and buy some beef.† There were merchants along the road selling various wares, clay pots, powders, herbs, spices, copper and bronze blades (iron seemed to be in short supply), and tiny carvings of what seemed to be a thousand different gods, most of them having more limbs than seemed necessary and none of them looking particularly friendly. We found grain, breads, fruits, vegetables, and bean pastes for sale, but nowhere did we see any meat. We settled on some bread and spicy bean paste, paid the woman with Roman copper coin, then found a place under a large banyan tree where we could sit and look at the river while we ate. I'd forgotten the smell of a city, the fetid mlange of people, and waste, and smoke and animals, and I began to long for the clean air of the mountains. â€Å"I don't want to sleep here, Joshua. Let's see if we can find a place in the country.† â€Å"We are supposed to follow this river to the sea to reach Tamil. Where the river goes, so go the people.† The river – wider than any in Israel, but shallow, yellow with clay, and still against the heavy air – seemed more like a huge stagnant puddle than a living, moving thing. In this season, anyway. Dotting the surface, a half-dozen skinny, naked men with wild white hair and not three teeth apiece shouted angry poetry at the top of their lungs and tossed water into glittering crests over their heads. â€Å"I wonder how my cousin John is doing,† said Josh. All along the muddy riverbank women washed clothes and babies only steps from where cattle waded and shat, men fished or pushed long shallow boats along with poles, and children swam or played in the mud. Here and there the corpse of a dog bobbed flyblown in the gentle current. â€Å"Maybe there's a road inland a little, away from the stench.† Joshua nodded and climbed to his feet. â€Å"There,† he said, pointing to a narrow path that began on the opposite bank of the river and disappeared into some tall grass. â€Å"We'll have to cross,† I said. â€Å"Be nice if we could find a boat to take us,† said Josh. â€Å"You don't think we should ask where the path leads?† â€Å"No,† said Joshua, looking at a crowd of people who were gathering nearby and staring at us. â€Å"These people all look hostile.† â€Å"What was that you told Gaspar about love was a state you dwell in or something?† â€Å"Yeah, but not with these people. These people are creepy. Let's go.† The creepy little brown guy who was dragging me through the elephant grass was named Rumi, and much to his credit, amid the chaos and tumble of a headlong dash through a leviathan marshland, pursued by a muderous band of clanging, shouting, spear-waving decapitation enthusiasts, Rumi had managed to find a tiger – no small task when you have a kung fu master and the savior of the world in tow. â€Å"Eek, a tiger,† Rumi said, as we stumbled into a small clearing, a mere depression really, where a cat the size of Jerusalem was gleefully gnawing away on the skull of a deer. Rumi had expressed my sentiments exactly, but I would be damned if I was going to let my last words be â€Å"Eek, a tiger,† so I listened quietly as urine filled my shoes. â€Å"You'd think all the noise would have frightened him,† Josh said, just as the tiger looked up from his deer. I noticed that our pursuers seemed to be closing on us by the second. â€Å"That is the way it is usually done,† said Rumi. â€Å"The noise drives the tiger to the hunter.† â€Å"Maybe he knows that,† I said, â€Å"so he's not going anywhere. You know, they're bigger than I imagined. Tigers, I mean.† â€Å"Sit down,† said Joshua. â€Å"Pardon me?† I said. â€Å"Trust me,† Joshua said. â€Å"Remember the cobra when we were kids?† I nodded to Rumi and coaxed him down as the tiger crouched and tensed his hind legs as if preparing to leap, which is exactly what he was doing. As the first of our pursuers broke into the clearing from behind us the tiger leapt, sailing over our heads by half again the height of a man. The tiger landed on the first two men coming out of the grass, crushing them under his enormous forepaws, then raking their backs as he leapt again. After that all I could see was spear points scattering against the sky as the hunters became, well, you know. Men screamed, the woman screamed, the tiger screamed, and the two men who had fallen under the tiger crawled to their feet and limped back toward the road, screaming. Rumi looked from the dead deer, to Joshua, to me, to the dead deer, to Joshua, and his eyes seemed to grow even larger than before. â€Å"I am deeply moved and eternally grateful for your affinity with the tiger, but that is his deer, and it appears that he has not finished with it, perhaps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Joshua stood up. â€Å"Lead on.† â€Å"I don't know which way.† â€Å"Not that way,† I said, pointing in the direction of the screaming bad guys. Rumi led us through the grass to another road, which we followed to where he lived. â€Å"It's a pit,† I said. â€Å"It's not that bad,† said Joshua, looking around. There were other pits nearby. People were living in them. â€Å"You live in a pit,† I said. â€Å"Hey, ease up,† Joshua said. â€Å"He saved our lives.† â€Å"It is a humble pit, but it is home,† said Rumi. â€Å"Please make yourself comfortable.† I looked around. The pit had been chipped out of sandstone and was about shoulder deep and just wide enough to turn a cow around in, which I would find out was a crucial dimension. The pit was empty except for a single rock about knee high. â€Å"Have a seat. You may have the rock,† said Rumi. Joshua smiled and sat on the rock. Rumi sat on the floor of the pit, which was covered with a thick layer of black slime. â€Å"Please. Sit,† said Rumi, gesturing to the floor beside him. â€Å"I'm sorry, we can only afford one rock.† I didn't sit. â€Å"Rumi, you live in a pit!† I pointed out. â€Å"Well, yes, that is true. Where do Untouchables live in your land?† â€Å"Untouchable?† â€Å"Yes, the lowest of the low. The scum of the earth. None of the higher caste may acknowledge my existence. I am Untouchable.† â€Å"Well, no wonder, you live in a fucking pit.† â€Å"No,† Joshua said, â€Å"he lives in a pit because he's Untouchable, he's not Untouchable because he lives in a pit. He'd be Untouchable if he lived in a palace, isn't that right, Rumi?† â€Å"Oh, like that's going to happen,† I said. I'm sorry, the guy lived in a pit. â€Å"There's more room since my wife and most of my children died,† said Rumi. â€Å"Until this morning it was only Vitra, my youngest daughter and me, but now she is gone too. There is plenty of room for you if you wish to stay.† Joshua put his hand on Rumi's narrow shoulder and I could see the effect it had, the pain evaporating from the Untouchable's face like dew under a hot sun. I stood by being wretched. â€Å"What happened to Vitra?† Joshua asked. â€Å"They came and took her, the Brahmans, as a sacrifice on the feast of Kali. I was looking for her when I saw you two. They gather children and men, criminals, Untouchables, and strangers. They would have taken you and day after tomorrow they would have offered your head to Kali.† â€Å"So your daughter is not dead?† I asked. â€Å"They will hold her until midnight on the night of the feast, then slaughter her with the other children on the wooden elephants of Kali.† â€Å"I will go to these Brahmans and ask for your daughter back,† Joshua said. â€Å"They'll kill you,† Rumi said. â€Å"Vitra is lost, even your tiger cannot save you from Kali's destruction.† â€Å"Rumi,† I said. â€Å"Look at me, please. Explain, Brahmans, Kali, elephants, everything. Go slow, act as if I know nothing.† â€Å"Like that takes imagination,† Joshua said, clearly violating my implied, if not expressed, copyright on sarcasm. (Yeah, we have Court TV in the hotel room, why?) â€Å"There are four castes,† said Rumi, â€Å"the Brahmans, or priests; Kshatriyas, or warriors; Vaisyas, who are farmers or merchants; and the Sudras, who are laborers. There are many subcastes, but those are the main ones. Each man is born to a caste and he remains in that caste until he dies and is reborn as a higher caste or lower caste, which is determined by his karma, or actions during his last life.† â€Å"We know from karma,† I said. â€Å"We're Buddhist monks.† â€Å"Heretics!† Rumi hissed. â€Å"Bite me, you bug-eyed scrawny brown guy,† I said. â€Å"You are a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"No, you're a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"No, you are a scrawny brown guy!† â€Å"We are all scrawny brown guys,† Joshua said, making peace. â€Å"Yeah, but he's bug-eyed.† â€Å"And you are a heretic.† â€Å"You're a heretic!† â€Å"No, you are a heretic.† â€Å"We're all scrawny brown heretics,† said Joshua, calming things down again. â€Å"Well, of course I'm scrawny,† I said. â€Å"Six years of cold rice and tea, and not a scrap of beef for sale in the whole country.† â€Å"You would eat beef? You heretic!† shouted Rumi. â€Å"Enough!† shouted Joshua. â€Å"No one may eat a cow. Cows are the reincarnations of souls on their way to the next life.† â€Å"Holy cow,† Josh said. â€Å"That is what I am saying.† Joshua shook his head as if trying to straighten jumbled thoughts. â€Å"You said that there were four castes, but you didn't mention Untouchables.† â€Å"Harijans, Untouchables, have no caste, we are the lowest of the low. We may have to live many lifetimes before we even ascend to the level of a cow, and then we may become higher caste. Then, if we follow our dharma, our duty, as a higher caste, we may become one with Brahma, the universal spirit of all. I can't believe you don't know this, have you been living in a cave?† I was going to point out that Rumi was in no position to criticize where we had been living, but Joshua signaled me to let it go. Instead I said, â€Å"So you are lower on the caste system than a cow?† I asked. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So these Brahmans won't eat a cow, but they will take your daughter and kill her for their goddess?† â€Å"And eat her,† said Rumi, hanging his head. â€Å"At midnight on the night of the feast they will take her and the other children and tie them to the wooden elephants. They will cut off the children's fingers and give one to the head of each Brahman household. Then they will catch her blood in a cup and everyone in the household will taste it. They may eat the finger or bury it for good luck. After that the children are hacked to death on the wooden elephants.† â€Å"They can't do that,† Joshua said. â€Å"Oh yes, the cult of Kali may do anything they wish. It is her city, Kalighat.† [â€Å"Calcutta† on the Friendly Flyer map.] â€Å"My little Vitra is lost. We can only pray that she is reincarnated to a higher level.† Joshua patted the Untouchable's hand. â€Å"Why did you call Biff a heretic when he told you that we were Buddhist monks?† â€Å"That Gautama said that a man may go directly from any level to join Brahma, without fulfilling his dharma, that is heresy.† â€Å"That would be better for you, wouldn't it? Since you're on the bottom of the ladder?† â€Å"You cannot believe what you do not believe,† Rumi said. â€Å"I am an Untouchable because my karma dictates it.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† I said. â€Å"No sense sitting under a bodhi tree for a few hours when you can get the same thing through thousands of lifetimes of misery.† â€Å"Of course, that's ignoring the fact that you're a gentile and going to suffer eternal damnation either way,† said Josh. â€Å"Yeah, leaving that out altogether.† â€Å"But we'll get your daughter back,† Joshua said. Joshua wanted to rush into Kalighat and demand the return of Rumi's daughter and the release of all the other victims in the name of what was good and right. Joshua's solution to everything was to lead with righteous indignation, and there is a time and a place unto that, but there is also a time for cunning and guile (Ecclesiastes 9 or something). I was able to talk him into an alternate plan by using flawless logic: â€Å"Josh, did the Vegemites smite the Marmites by charging in and demanding justice at the end of a sword? I think not. These Brahmans cut off and eat the fingers of children. I know there's no finger-cutting commandment, Josh, but still, I'm guessing that these people think differently than we do. They call the Buddha a heretic, and he was one of their princes. How do you think they'll receive a scrawny brown kid claiming to be the son of a god who doesn't even live in their area?† â€Å"Good point. But we still have to save the child.† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"Extreme sneakiness.† â€Å"You'll have to be in charge then.† â€Å"First we need to see this city and this temple where the sacrifices will be held.† Joshua scratched his head. His hair had mostly grown back, but was still short. â€Å"The Vegemites smote the Marmites?† â€Å"Yeah, Excretions three-six.† â€Å"I don't remember that. I guess I need to brush up on my Torah.† The statue of Kali over her altar was carved from black stone and stood as tall as ten men. She wore a necklace of human skulls around her neck and a girdle made of severed human hands at her hips. Her open maw was lined with a saw blade of teeth over which a stream of fresh blood had been poured. Even her toenails curved into vicious blades which dug into the pile of twisted, graven corpses on which she stood. She had four arms, one holding a cruel, serpentine sword, another a severed head by the hair; the third hand she held crooked, as if beckoning her victims to the place of dark destruction to which all are destined, and the fourth was posed downward, in a manner presenting the goddess's hand-girded hips, as if asking the eternal question, â€Å"Does this outfit make me look fat?† The raised altar lay in the middle of an open garden that was surrounded by trees. The altar was wide enough that five hundred people could have stood in the shadow of the black goddess. Deep grooves had been cut in the stone to channel the blood of sacrifices into vessels, so it could be poured through the goddess's jaws. Leading to the altar was a wide stone-paved boulevard, which was lined on either side by great elephants carved from wood and set on turntables so they could be rotated. The trunks and front feet of the elephants were stained rusty brown, and here and there the trunks exhibited deep gouges from blades that had hewn through a child into the mahogany. â€Å"Vitra isn't being kept here,† Joshua said. We were hiding behind a tree near the temple garden, dressed as natives, fake caste marks and all. Having lost when we drew lots, I was the one dressed as a woman. â€Å"I think this is a bodhi tree,† I said, â€Å"just like Buddha sat under! It's so exciting. I'm feeling sort of enlightened just standing here. Really, I can feel ripe bodhies squishing between my toes.† Joshua looked at my feet. â€Å"I don't think those are bodhies. There was a cow here before us.† I lifted my foot out of the mess. â€Å"Cows are overrated in this country. Under the Buddha's tree too. Is nothing sacred?† â€Å"There's no temple to this temple,† Joshua said. â€Å"We have to ask Rumi where the sacrifices are kept until the festival.† â€Å"He won't know. He's Untouchable. These guys are Brahmans – priests – they wouldn't tell him anything. That would be like a Sadducee telling a Samaritan what the Holy of Holies looked like.† â€Å"Then we have to find them ourselves,† Joshua said. â€Å"We know where they're going to be at midnight, we'll get them then.† â€Å"I say we find these Brahmans and force them to stop the whole festival.† â€Å"We'll just storm up to their temple and tell them to stop it?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And they will.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"That's cute, Josh. Let's go find Rumi. I have a plan.†

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Essay

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals recognizes the chair, salutes the delegates and it’s deeply honored to participate in this council with such a world pressing topic. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals deeply concerned by the millions of animals being locked up in laboratories across the world with unimaginable pain and suffering due to all the chemicals that are being tested on them by so called scientists for a later human use. Seeks the halt of all types of experimentation on living creatures whom are being used as nothing more than laboratory materials for reaserch wich most of the times provide misleading or incorrect results. We believe that every creature with a will to live has a right to live free from pain and suffering. PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk has said, â€Å"When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Each one values his or her life and fights the knife.† People for Ethical Treatment of Animals are completely, totally and irrefutably against animal testing for any kind of product or drugs.Further deploring for every nation to use alternative research methods and not animal testing. Ergo People for Ethical Treatment of Animals urgently requests that: * Having devoted attention to all the suffering animals go through by getting tested on, governments should start investing money in in vitro experimentation and research. Instead of spending it on animal testing. These methods should vigorously be promoted to all companies around the world. * Encourages people to get informed of what is going on with all the animal testing by having the 1,300 aprox. companies in our â€Å"Do not test† list make campaigns to invite other companies to join this list, and consumers to only use their cruelty free preoducts. Along with the publicity we (PETA) do. * Calls upon the countries to start banning products tested on animals and only allow cruelty free products, requesting more companies to start using non-animal methods in their research and production. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals trusts that a strong message will be issued from this committee and that action will be taken in order to strongly condemn product testing in animals.

Sara Simpson . Brandon Gillette . Philosophy . 22 February

Sara Simpson Brandon Gillette Philosophy 22 February 2017 Argument Analysis Article: College athletes are being educated, not exploited. CNN Wire, 30 Mar. 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A447834169/OVIC?u=lees33148xid=2b3ade47. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017. (All quotations are from article listed above.) The article stated above advocates that college athletes already are compensated through scholarships and other various expenses. It states, â€Å"College is a time for learning. If what they learn is how to get paid as a student for playing a sport, education will never be the same again. And that would be true madness.† (College athletes). My argument that college athletes are compensated through†¦show more content†¦My argument I found it to be valid, and for my premises to be true. It is also true that for an argument to be sound the conclusion must also be true, which also makes my argument a good one. In the article an evaluative term I identified was exploited. I used this term as a semantic term. A semantic is the meaning of a word or a phrase. â€Å"In recent years, trial lawyers chasing big money settlements and other critics of college sports have alleged that these students are exploited.† In this quote the word exploited could mean more than one thing. In this sense it means that someone is using them for their money. The colleges are taking advantage of college athletes. This article uses assuring terms to show further evidence and to explain evidence provided. Examples include â€Å"In recent years† and â€Å"The critics say.† These introduce evidence found in the article. â€Å"A recent study† shows the speaker s confidence in a claim made further on in the article. Using the term, â€Å"In recent years† supports the premise above on premise one from above. Students benefit from playing sports in college. Using the term â€Å"The critics say†, does not support premise three from above on how college athletes are being benefited from scholarships, being debt free, and earning income. â€Å"The students should get a salary, the critics say, because their schools make money from the TV contracts that allow the public to watch the games.† The because in

Essay on Inspirational Graduation Speech - 744 Words

Ok, its 12:15 and I just walked into my house from seeing a movie with three of my best friends and I have to write this speech. A speech that’s suppose to inspire all of you, and tell you how the future has so much to hold for the class of 2015, how the possibilities are endless. Right now I’m probably standing in the front of the class and supposed to be addressing all of you as â€Å"fellow graduates, or to the class of 15’†. But that’s not what I’m going to do. I put this off as I do with the majority of my work thinking I would just write something everyone expects to hear, but instead I wrote this. I’m not going to tell you to go on and do well, become the doctors and lawyers and teachers of tomorrow. This isn’t a speech to tell you†¦show more content†¦No one has the memories I have, they’re mine. No one can tell the stories I’ve told or been where I’ve been. Just me. But for you, it’s exactly the same. I’ve never been perfect nor will I ever claim to be, I just get by. But for me, that’s what it’s all about. If you’ve asked me in the past if I’m nervous to move on, nervous to leave this place I most likely put on a stern exterior, one of certainty and readiness. The truth is, I’m going to miss being here. No matter how many times I wasn’t in class, no matter how many fights I’ve been in with my friends and family I will never, not for a moment look past this town. It’s more than a town, it’s who we are. We’re all going away in three months give or take, but a part of us will always be here. If you ever hear someone mutter â€Å"jazzy† in a bar your going to think of Yags, you ever watch a movie with any type of high school theme for the rest of your lives your going to be right back here, forcing your way down the A wing in-between periods. Never forget where you came from, and never take for granted what you have right now. For the next three months we’re invincible! No one can stop you! Get into trouble, go out have fun and be an eighteen year old! 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My grand father supported the family of 8 children. My father was the eldest among all the children and the financial situation forced himRead MoreThe Misuse of Diversity in Education668 Words   |  3 PagesCalifornia, seven out of every eight black students presently attend a segregated school†. This inaccuracy was not only limited to racial imbalance but in the coursework being taught under the misnomer of diversity. He references that while the inspirational lessons of such pioneers as Ruby Bridges, the first black student integrated into an all-white elementary school in 1960, Linda Brown who was appointed to the NAACP to integrate schools and civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were

Should Euthanasia Be Legalized - 1220 Words

Due to the concern of many incurable patients, it is rarely known that Euthanasia, a termination of one’s life with his/her self-willingness, is a release of permanent pain. On the other hand, it is committed by the doctors. Among Voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary Euthanasia, only is Voluntary Euthanasia being universally concerned by human beings. Various fascinating facts, Australia has already approved this act and many people from other countries have also committed Euthanasia. Regarding this topic, people have been in many debates about whether performing Euthanasia. The majority of the debates is talking about in two areas of knowledge, Ethics and the Human Sciences. Some say Euthanasia is still a way of killing and more importantly, most of the doctors cannot manipulate their mental pressure after â€Å"murdering† the patients. Unlikely, some believe that Euthanasia helps the patients to quickly end their torture from the incurable illness. Therefore, I wi ll address the concern of Euthanasia in the United States and also propose some possible solutions to the Department of Health in the United States. As a result, I support establishing Euthanasia into the United States’ constitution of the Department of Health. Towards the supporters, an elder lady from Netherland demonstrates the free will of Euthanasia, even it is illegal there. The lady signed the consent of Euthanasia with certain circumstances, for example, if she is no longer be able to eat and drinkShow MoreRelatedShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1360 Words   |  6 PagesAbout 55% of terminally ill patients die in atrocious pain. Euthanasia is a practice that hasn’t been legalized in many places, and is usually performed by lethal injection. In the United States euthanasia is only legalized in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and certain areas of Texas. Some citizens feel that euthanasia should be legalized because they should have the sole right to their life. Othe rs feel that God is the one that has the authority over a person’s life. There have been many cases whereRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?864 Words   |  4 Pagescontroversy over euthanasia. Because there is a sharp conflict on the issue, some countries accept mercy killing lawful while others do not. The main arguments about the issue are whether the deliberate intervention on one’s life to the end is morally right or wrong. Some say euthanasia should be legalized because it is the only way to relieve harsh pain and meet ‘real happiness’ for the patients who are not expected to maintain their lives more. They also argue that people should respect the patients’Read MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?971 Words   |  4 Pages Legalization of euthanasia in China Youyou Zhuang English Language Center, University of Victoria Youyou Zhuang, a student in English language center of University of Victoria. zhuangyoyo@gmail.com Legalization of euthanasia in China The hospital is a place where to cure the sickness and to save the patients. Have you ever thought a kind of â€Å"killing† could happen in the hospital? It is the â€Å"mercy killing†, also called euthanasia. Till now, euthanasia is legal in Netherlands, BelgiumRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1413 Words   |  6 Pagesstatement: euthanasia should be legalized. There exist numerous topics that are controversial within the criminal justice system. Euthanasia, the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relive pain and suffering, is one that has been around for a long time. Many people believe that it should continue being illegal due to certain moral values. However, some people argue that euthanasia should be decriminalized because people should have the right to die when they want to. Euthanasia hasRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?907 Words   |  4 Pagesactive euthanasia, which is a highly contentious issue in the United States. Voluntary active euthanasia is currently illegal in the United States. However, I believe that patients with terminal illnesses experiencing a lot of pain and misery should have the right to die the way they choose, with dignity, instead of being subjected to agony. People should be able to choose voluntary active euthanasia, if ever need be, which is why I believe that despite current policy, voluntary active euthanasia shouldRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1050 Words   |  5 Pagesend quickly, but knew it was not going to happen. If euthanasia and/or assisted suicide was legalized, perhaps his wish could have been true. Unfortunately, euthanasia is only legal in the states of Oregon and Washington at the current time. Euthanasia is considered immoral and wrong for contradicting a doctor’s job. However, it save s families the horrible sight of their loved ones dying, safeguards being up to protect any abuse towards euthanasia, and ultimate choice of being euthanized is upon theRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1272 Words   |  6 Pagesthe natural body is able to heal itself and grow. Not only is it human nature to survive and prosper, it is also instinct to be frightened of death and suffering. Euthanasia has been a topic of debate ever since the Roman and Greek physicians have started to poison terminally ill patients with their consent. Today’s definition of euthanasia is â€Å"the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless wayRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1210 Words   |  5 Pagesconcerns is dying with dignity and not left to suffer a long and drawn out death. Euthanasia, also known as mercy killing, is a sensitive and very controversial subject. Severa l people believe, doctors should not participate in any action that ends a person’s life due to the Hippocratic Oath stating that doctors are obligated to save lives. Although, euthanasia is considered to be immoral and even murder, it should be legalized when a person’s quality of life, due to an incurable illness, is gradually goingRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1490 Words   |  6 Pagesjust like you are in pain. What would you do? Euthanasia is and act where a person assist the death of other person and relieves him/her from pain. It is also called as mercy killing. It is controversial because, some may thing it is immoral and some may think it is against their religious values. But, the fact is, the person who suffers with pain knows the pain better than anybody. It is the person’s decision to make. Euthanasia should be legalized with the involvements of legal documents basedRead MoreShould Euthanasia Be Legalized?1970 Words   |  8 Pagespaper I’m going to prove to you why I think Euthanasia should be legalized. Euthanasia refers to taking a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve suffering. Some interpret Euthanasia as the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. There are two forms of Euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia is when a patient gets an injection to put them to sleep and they never wake up. It’s a very fast and painless death. Active Euthanasia is when a patient does not get the medicine

The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini Essay Example For Students

The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini Essay In his Novel, The Kite Runner, author Khaled Hosseini writes about a young boy named Amir who is a coward, but later in life redeems himself. Redemption is what Amir thirst, for as a wilted plant seeking water in the scorching heat of summer. Like a lotus flower that grows out the mud and blossoms above the muddy water surface, so too does Amir rise above his defilements and sufferings of life. Growing up in Afghanistan, Amir is blessed with the fruits of luxury and the friendship of Hassan. Baba who is Amir’s father is an incredibly wealthy man but seems to admire Hassan for his courage and â€Å"manliness†, a trait that lacks in Amir’s character. Baba spends his life on helping the poor by building an orphanage, feeding people on the streets. He was hoping to redeem himself before he passes away from this world. Baba changed the future of his family when he decided to hide the fact that Hassan is his son. His honor didn’t let him reveal the truth that he is ashamed of. From the beginning of the story, he was trying to grow Amir as a â€Å"real man† who stands up for himself and also for somebody else when it is needed. Like he stood up for a woman who was about to get raped â€Å"Haven’t I taught you anything?† (Baba, 116) and also while he was dying, Amir asked what he is going to do without his father? Baba responded: â€Å"All those years that’s what I was try. .he people who would have given their lives for us(Amir, 226). Rahim Khan is the key character in the novel because he led Amir into the path of realization and forgiveness. He was like a second father for Amir, his knowledge about Baba’s secret was making it easy for him to understand Amir. â€Å"I know how hard your father was on you when you were growing up, I saw you suffered and yearned for his affections and my heart bled for you (Rahim Khan, 301). Eventually, both characters find peace in their life, they learned that there is a way to be good again if they strive for the important values in life that gives the real meaning of redemption. â€Å"A true redemption is when the guilt leads to good† (Rahim Khan, 302). If you dedicate yourself to a commitment like these characters, you have already become one of the good people who worth be loved thousand times over.

Silent Way free essay sample

The teacher assists learners to use that knowledge in the target language, and then the teacher can continue putting together sounds to make a word * Silence is considered the best vehicle for learning because in silence students concentrate on the task to be accomplished and the potential means to its accomplishment * The Silent Way claims to facilitate what psychologists call learning to learn† * Learning is facilitated only; if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned, * by accompanying physical objects, * by problem solving involving the material to be learned * The Silent Way views learning as a problem-solving, creative, discovering activity, in which the learner is a principal actor * The rods and the color-coded pronunciation charts provide physical foci for student learning and also create memorable images to facilitate student recall Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember Involve me and I learn Objectives * General objective is to give beginning level students oral and aural facility in basic elements of the target language * The general goal is near-native fluency in the target language and correct pronunciation * An immediate objective is to provide the learner with a basic practical knowledge of the grammar of the language * Learners could be able to; Correctly and easily answer questions about themselves, their education, their family, travel, and daily events – practical knowledge and use of the target language; * Speak with a good accent; * Perform adequately in the following areas: spelling, grammar (production rather than explanation), reading comprehension, and writing Materials The materials consist mainly of a set of colored rods, color-coded pronunciation and vocabulary wall charts, a pointer and reading/writing exercises * The pronunciation charts, called Fidels, have been devised for a number of languages a nd contain symbols in the target language for all of the vowel and consonant sounds of the language * The colored cuisenaire rods are used to directly link words and structures with their meanings in the target language, thereby avoiding translation into the native language * The vocabulary or word charts are Iikewise color-coded here are typically such charts containing 500 to 800 words in the native language and script Words are selected according to their ease of application in teaching, their flexibility in terms of generalization and use with other words and their importance in illustrating basic grammatical structures: * Functional vocabulary: prepositions, numbers, pronouns, quantifiers, words dealing with temporal relations, and words of comparison. We will write a custom essay sample on Silent Way or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These kinds of words are referred to as the functional vocabulary of a language because of their high utility. * Luxury vocabulary: words used in communicating more specialized ideas, such as political or philosophical opinions. * Semi-luxury vocabulary: common expressions in the daily life Application * Classes often begin by using Fidel charts in the native language * The first part of the lesson focuses on pronunciation Rods, pictures, objects, or situations are other aids used for presentation in order to connect sounds and meanings * L1 can be used to give instructions when necessary. Meaning is made clear by focusing the students perceptions, not by translation * The teacher models a word, phrase or sentence and then elicits learner responses * After modeling the utterance, the teacher will have a student attempt to produce the utterance and will indicate its acceptability * If a response is incorrect, the teacher will attempt to reshape the utterance or have another student present the correct model * Students are presented with the structural patterns of the target language and learn the grammar rules of he language through largely inductive processes * Lessons follow a sequence based on grammatical complexity, and one element presented at a time * New lexical and structural material is meticulously broken down into its elements * A typical order would be like this: colors, numbers, prepositions, daily activities, daily dialogues and so on * Reading and writing are sometimes taught from the beginning and students are given assignments to do outside the classroom at their own pace Learners’ Role * The teacher is reluctant to repeat and that the student is obliged to pay close attention * Independent Learners must de pend and use what they already know * Autonomous Learners choose proper expressions in a given set of circumstances and situations * Responsible Learners must have to ability to choose intelligently * Learners are expected to interact with each other and suggest alternatives to each other, they must learn to work cooperatively rather than competitively Teacher’s Role * The teacher is a technician or an engineer who facilitates learning. * The teachers role is one of neutral observer. * The teacher is silent. The teachers presence in the classroom is limited to providing a model of the language that the students are going to work on. * The teachers tasks as: * to teach: the presentation of an item once, typically using nonverbal clues to get across meanings * to test: elicitation and shaping of student production is done in as silent a way as possible * to get out of the way: the teacher silently monitors learners interactions with each other and may even leave the room while learners struggle with their new linguistic tools Teacher’s Role * Sequence and timing are more important than in many kinds of language teaching classes, and the teachers sensitivity to and management of them is critical. The teacher uses gestures, charts, and manipulatives in order to elicit and shape student responses and so must be both facile and creative Advantages * Silent Way learners acquire  «inner criteria » * Creates a correctly, adequately working inter-language * The self-esteem of the studen ts will be increased and this will enhance learning * Learners gain practical knowledge and use of the target language Disadvantages * Method should be used in small groups of students * The rigidity of the system may be meaningless. * How successfully it might be used at more advanced levels is questionable. * Language is separated from its social context and taught through artificial situations usually by rods