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Reflection on Hostage Crisis Essay Physics prof. Peralta Hostage taking in Quirino Grandstand is another major problem that our country should face. It was a very traumatic experience for all Chinese and Filipino hostages inside the bus. This tragedy was the result of injustice made by the wrong decision of higher officials. Is there any person that should be blame for this hostage drama? Is it the hostage taker? Or the people behind of his back who pushed him to do this violent hostage aking? For the side of hostage taker: The family, relatives, friends and neighbors told that Police Inspector Ronaldo Mendoza was a kind person and a police who is sincere in his duty and responsibility. As a matter of fact, according to their chairman that Mendoza will be the next chairman in their barangay for the coming election this October. It only shows that he has the characteristic of a good leader. He received many awards as an excellent police but unfortunately there was a case that cause for is termination as a police and without receiving any benefits from the government. The hostage taker wants to review his case by the ombudsman for the clearing of his name. I think this is the reason why he made a wrong decision to hostage people for the immediate response of his request. For the side of the policeman: When I watched the hostage drama, I noticed that there are a lot of mistakes done by the policemen who are surrounding the bus. One of the police and snipers took a gunshot without assurance that no hostage victims will be hurt and causing the ostage taker to get angry. They didnt use a device like periscope that will view the interior of the bus without seeing them by the hostage taker. Other police that was trying to break glass window using big hammer but in disgrace, the police made it throw inside the bus because its heavy. Another mistake done by the policeman is that after they broke the glass of the door of the bus, they pull the door of the bus instead of pressing the button inside the bus could open the door. For the side of media:

Pictures :: essays research papers

Pictures The main conflict in the text is about having different religions. It's about how a little girl is having problems about understanding why she can't paint religious persons with dark skin. At school the teacher says that Amina can take the picture to show her mom. Amina doesn't understand why it can't hang on the wall together with the other childrens'. But the teacher gives another excuse and Amina "surrenders", and takes the picture home. But as her mother sees the picture she tears it apart, and tells Amina to never say anything to Amina's father and she tells Amina explicitly not to draw anymore pictures of the Prophet of Nazareth. It is obvious that Amina's mother is scared of how the father will react if he sees that her daughter has painted people from the Bible. Amina and her family are muslims, that's why her mother can't accept the drawing Amina brings home. The reason why she doesn't want the father to know is that he's the dominant one in the family. Maybe the mother is scared that he will punish Amina, or maybe even the mother, for not bringing up her daughter properly. Then Amina's mother teaches her to draw patterns from the Koran. Amina likes to draw the patterns and she is no more confused. Next day at school, they're all going to draw nice Christmas cards. Amina draws the patterns that her mother has just taught her. The teacher tells her to draw people instead, and she throws away the Christmas card with patterns on it. Amina refuses to draw people, and reminds the teacher of what she'd told Amina the other day. The teacher tries to behave nice and convinces Amina that she will put Amina's picture next to the others'. During the two discussions the teacher and Amina are having, the teacher is having a hard time justifying what she is actually doing. She gives no particular reason for telling Amina to take home the picture. Just as well as she gives no explanation for, why Amina can't draw patterns from the Koran. Instead she tries to flatter Amina by telling her that she is good at painting. Even more confused, Amina draws people instead. At school she's told to draw people from the Christian Bible and at home she's told that's wrong. At home her mom tells her to draw patterns from the Muslim Koran, but when she comes to school she is told to draw people, - no wonder she is confused! The ending is from the parents' point of view very contradictive ( I assume that the

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 7

The next week passed in a blur. I ran from fittings at Mrs. Fells's dress shop to visits with Rosalyn in the Cartwrights' stuffy parlor to the tavern with Damon. I tried to forget Katherine, leaving my shutters closed so I wouldn't be tempted to look across the lawn at the carriage house, and forcing myself to smile and wave at Damon and Katherine when they explored the gardens. Once I went up to the attic to look at the portrait of Mother. I wondered what advice she'd have for me. Love is patient, I remembered her saying in her lilting French accent during Bible study. The notion comforted me. Maybe love could come to me and Rosalyn. After that, I tried to love Rosalyn, or at least garner some kind of affection for her. I knew, behind her quietness and her dishwater blond hair, she was simply a sweet girl who'd make a doting wife and mother. Our most recent visits hadn't been awful. In fact, Rosalyn had been in remarkably good spirits. She'd gotten a new dog, a sleek black beast named Sadie, which she'd taken to carrying everywhere lest the new puppy suffer the same fate as Penny had. At one point, when Rosalyn looked up at me with adoring eyes, asking if I'd prefer lilacs or gardenias at the wedding, I almost felt fond of her. Maybe that would be enough. Father had wasted no time in planning another party to celebrate. This time, it was a barbecue at the estate, and Father had invited everyone within a twenty-mile radius. I recognized only a handful of the young men, pretty girls, and Confederate soldiers who milled around the labyrinth, acting as if they owned the estate. When I was younger, I used to love the parties at Veritas–they were always a chance to run down to the ice pond with our friends, to play hide-and-seek in the swamp, to ride horses to the Wickery Bridge, then dare each other to dive into the icy depths of Willow Creek. Now I just wished it were over, so I could be alone in my room. â€Å"Stefan, care to share a whiskey with me?† Robert called out to me from the makeshift bar set up on the portico. To judge from his lopsided grin, he was already drunk. He passed me a sweating tumbler and tipped his own to mine. â€Å"Pretty soon, there will be young Salvatores all over the place. Can you picture it?† He swept his hands expansively over the grounds as if to show me just how much room my imaginary family would have in which to grow. I swirled my whiskey miserably, unable to picture it for myself. â€Å"Well, you've made your daddy one lucky man. And Rosalyn one lucky girl,† Robert said. He lifted his glass to me one last time, then went to chat with the Lockwoods' overseer. I sighed and sat down on the porch swing, observing the merriment occurring all around me. I knew I should feel happy. I knew Father only wanted what was best for me. I knew that there was nothing wrong with Rosalyn. So why did this engagement feel like a death sentence? On the lawn, people were eating and laughing and dancing, and a makeshift band made up of my childhood friends Ethan Giffin, Brian Walsh, and Matthew Hartnett was playing a version of â€Å"The Bonnie Blue Flag.† The sky was cloudless and the weather balmy, with just a slight nip in the air to remind us that it was, indeed, fall. In the distance, schoolchildren were swinging and shrieking on the gate. To be around so much merriment–all meant for me–and not feel happy made my heart thud heavily in my chest. Standing up, I walked inside toward Father's study. I shut the door to the study and breathed a sigh of relief. Only the faintest stream of sunlight peeked through the heavy damask curtains. The room was cool and smelled of well-oiled leather and musty books. I took out a slim volume of Shakespeare's sonnets and turned to my favorite poem. Shakespeare calmed me, the words soothing my brain and reminding me that there soothing my brain and reminding me that there was love and beauty in the world. Perhaps experiencing it through art would be enough to sustain me. I settled into Father's leather club chair in the corner and absentmindedly skimmed the onionskin pages. I'm not sure how long I sat there, letting the language wash over me, but the more I read, the calmer I felt. â€Å"What are you reading?† The voice startled me, and the book slid off my lap with a clatter. Katherine stood at the study entrance, wearing a simple, white silk dress that hugged every curve of her body. All the other women at the party were wearing layers of crinoline and muslin, their skin guarded under thick fabric. But Katherine didn't seem the least bit embarrassed by her exposed white shoulders. Out of propriety, I glanced away. â€Å"Why aren't you at the party?† I asked, bending to pick up my book. Katherine stepped toward me. â€Å"Why aren't you at the party? Aren't you the guest of honor?† She perched on the arm of my chair. â€Å"Have you read Shakespeare?† I asked, gesturing to the open book on my lap. It was a lame attempt to change the conversation; I had yet to meet a girl versed in his works. Just yesterday, Rosalyn had admitted she hadn't even read a book in the past three years, ever since she had graduated from the Girls Academy. Even at that, the last volume she'd perused was merely a primer on how to be a dutiful Confederate wife. â€Å"Shakespeare,† she repeated, her accent expanding the word to three syllables. It was an odd accent, not one that I'd heard from other people from Atlanta. She swung her legs back and forth, and I could see that she wasn't wearing stockings. I tore my eyes away. â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?† she quoted. I looked up, astonished. â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate,† I said, continuing the quote. My heart galloped in my chest, and my brain felt as slow as molasses, creating an unusual sensation that made me feel I was dreaming. Katherine yanked the book off my lap, closing it with a resounding clap. â€Å"No,† she said firmly. â€Å"But that's how the next line goes,† I said, annoyed that she was changing the rules of a game I thought I understood. â€Å"That's how the next line goes for Mr. Shakespeare. But I was simply asking you a question. Shall I compare you to a summer's day? Are you worthy of that comparison, Mr. Salvatore? Or do you need a book to decide?† Katherine asked, grinning as she held the volume just out of my reach. I cleared my throat, my mind racing. Damon would have said something witty in response, without even thinking about it. But when I was with Katherine, I was like a schoolboy who tries to impress a girl with a frog caught from the pond. â€Å"Well, you could compare my brother to a summer's day. Y ou've been spending a lot of time with him.† My face reddened, and instantly I wished I could take it back. I sounded so jealous and petty. â€Å"Maybe a summer's day with a few thunderstorms in the distance,† Katherine said, arching her eyebrow. â€Å"But you, Scholarly Stefan, you are different from Dark Damon. Or †¦Ã¢â‚¬  –Katherine looked away, a flicker of a grin crossing her face–â€Å"Dashing Damon.† â€Å"I can be dashing, too,† I said petulantly, before I even realized what I was saying. I shook my head, frustrated. It was as though Katherine somehow compelled me to speak without thinking. She was so lively and vivacious–talking to her, I felt as though I was in a dream, where nothing I said would have any consequence but everything I said was important. â€Å"Well, then, I must see that, Stefan,† Katherine said. She placed her icy hand on my forearm. â€Å"I've gotten to know Damon, but I barely know you. It's quite a shame, don't you think?† In the distance, the band struck up â€Å"I'm a Good Old Rebel.† I knew I needed to get back outside, to smoke a cigar with Mr. Cartwright, to twirl Rosalyn in a first waltz, to toast my place as a man of Mystic Falls. But instead I remained on the leather club seat, wishing I could stay in the library, breathing in Katherine's scent, forever. â€Å"May I make an observation?† Katherine asked, leaning toward me. An errant dark curl flopped down on her white forehead. I had to use all my strength to resist pushing it off her face. â€Å"I don't think you like what's happening right now. The barbecue, the engagement †¦Ã¢â‚¬  My heart pounded. I searched Katherine's brown eyes. For the past week, I'd been trying desperately to hide my feelings. But had she seen me pausing outside the carriage house? Had she seen me run Mezzanotte to the forest when she and Damon explored the garden, desperate to get away from their laughter? Had she somehow managed to read my thoughts? Katherine smiled ruefully. â€Å"Poor, sweet, steadfast Stefan. Haven't you learned yet that rules are made to be broken? Y can't make ou anyone happy–your father, Rosalyn, the Cartwrights–if you're not happy yourself.† I cleared my throat, aching with the realization that this woman who I'd known for a matter of weeks understood me better than my own father †¦ and my future wife †¦ ever would. Katherine slid off the chair and glanced at the volumes on Father's shelves. She took down a thick, leather-bound book, The Mysteries of Mystic Falls. It was a volume I'd never seen before. A smile lit her rose-colored lips, and she beckoned me to join her on my father's couch. I knew I shouldn't, but as if in a trance, I stood and crossed the room. I sank into the cool, cracked leather cushion next to her and just let go. After all, who knew? Perhaps a few moments in her presence would be the balm I needed to break my melancholia.

While these two books had many contrasting thoughts, they...

While these two books had many contrasting thoughts, they did not have many agreements. For instance, both books linked their own opinions on government and how the people respond to it. In the Prince, men would turn against their leader in order to better their hope of changing their ruler. Likewise, the Second Treatise of Government suggested altering the rule of the death penalty for self defense. Both books also agreed with solving problems earlier rather than later to try and avoid the consequences. They also explain the roles of laws and the punishments that follow. Another main point both books share is the influence that the drive for preservation has on the values and choices people have. For example, Machiavelli explained how a†¦show more content†¦While this may be true, these are both precautions to enable the government to not be overthrown. Lastly, a divine power was believed to appoint a ruler for an absolute monarchy according to Machiavelli, unlike Lockeâ₠¬â„¢s ideas. European ideas greatly influenced how governments were controlled. The Enlightenment thinkers believed that they had the power to change society, and they succeeded. Society was transformed from what had been previously a world with logic, to observing the natural laws and equality. John Locke was an exemplary English philosopher. He argued in his book, The Second Treatise of Government, that governments need to be controlled through the interests of the citizens safety and preservation. Preservation is not just limited to life, but also the protection of liberty and property. Natural rights and the social contract allows this to be ensured. In fact, he states that, â€Å" â€Å". Marchiavelli supported governments ruled by monarchies. He argued in his book, the Prince, that it is better to have absolute power. For instance, citizens are like children and need guidance. A solid leader will enable them to have structure and be controlled. It reflected his life living in Florence. In particular, he learned that it is far better to earn the confidence of theShow MoreRelatedThe Prince Of Machiavelli s Prince1186 Words   |  5 Pagesleader that wields his power the most like Niccolo Machiavelli’s Prince, from his book The Prince, that leader is President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. Although, Putin does not hold the title of Prince, he has held influential positions throughout the years, i.e. Prime Minister and Acting President, that hold power similar to the Prince. Every position that Putin has held in Russia he has acted as if he were a Prince. Putin has held such all-consuming control and influence over RussiaRead MoreTotalitarianism In Th e Prince By Niccol Machiavellis The Prince934 Words   |  4 PagesIn our world, most societies support governments that work in a righteous way, but how can acting righteously be effective in a chaotic world full of crime and war?   In the novel The Prince by Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, a dystopian society is defined as an illusion of a perfect government which is maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, and totalitarian control. This illusion fades however, once one recognizes how these actions beneficially impact a society by uniting and protecting the country. ThroughoutRead More The Prince Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"All the states, all the dominions, under whose authority men have lived in the past and live now have been and are either republics or principalities.† In Machiavelli’s, The Prince, timeless keys to a successful principality are examined. The keys are understanding human nature, respecting that nature, and reaffirming that successful leadership can exist in the same fashion yesterday, today, and tomorrow. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Machiavelli’s perspective of human nature is foundedRead More The prince Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pages Niccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† attempts to explain the necessary tactics and required knowledge a ruler must attain in order to gain and maintain a successful reign. The novel serves as an abstract manual, addressing the definition of a good/bad ruler by placing emphasis on the required military organization, the character a ruler must posses, and the success that could be attained if a ruler should follow the guide. The scope in which the book is written is that of a scholarly observant. MachiavelliRead MoreThe Prince, By Machiavelli1517 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t hesitate to recommend that a ruler employ conventionally immoral methods against his own subjects to maintain authority over them, but he does imply that whatever a ruler does should ultimately benefit the community. A Princeâ⠂¬â„¢s actions may be cruel, manipulative, or otherwise immoral, but they put him in the position to govern. On occasion, Machiavelli even suggests that gaining power through immoral acts is the best way to improve a community because immoralityRead More Prince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesPrince Hamlet Versus Machiavellis Prince  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         The Prince is a celebrated and highly controversial piece of work by the Italian aristocrat Niccolo Machiavelli. His work is a summation of all the qualities a prince must have in order to remain in his position. Machiavelli supports the idea that a prince use his power for the ultimate benefit of all, but he also does not condemn the use of any unpleasant means in order for the prince to maintain his power. His ideas both compare and contrastRead More The Prince Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pages The Prince nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Governing countries and states properly has been a difficult task from the beginning of time. In every country there will be people to who are unhappy and will disagree with your rule, causing your system to fail. So, century after century, people have tried new ways to make their politics suffice everyone’s needs. However, the art of politics is a complicated and challenging issue that will always be needed to be dealt with. There have been many ways inRead MoreThe Prince Machiavelli Analysis1490 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout The Prince, Machiavelli advocates for the use of force to achieve the Prince’s goals. 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Machiavelli’s view of human nature is used as justificationRead MoreMachiavelli And The Apology Of The Prince1718 Words   |  7 Pages Machiavelli writes The Prince centuries after Plato documents Socrates in Crito and The Apology. Despite the different time periods, both Machiavelli and Socrates experience times of turmoil where the concept of democracy was questioned. However, the different time periods cause the views and purposes of Machiavelli’s writing to largely differ from Socrates. Machiavelli w rites in a time of turmoil where Italy was a bunch of small, fragmented states and when the Medici’s struggled to regain