The Book of Isaiah

Theological Message of the Book of Isaiah The book of Isaiah is very important because it prophesies the birth and life of Jesus Christ. The prophecy of Christ is a testament of hope in God1. Prophet Isaiah describes how Christ will save all believers on the Judgment Day. The main theological theme of this book is found in Isaiah 12: 2.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Book of Isaiah specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This verse states that God is the salvation of every Christian2. Believers should therefore trust and worship their God. The first 39 chapters of this book focus on the issue of judgment. This portrayal of judgment is relevant because it creates room for salvation. According to many scholars of the Bible, Christians should be in need of salvation. This argument explains why the themes of judgment and salvation go hand-in-hand in this book. The first chapters of Isaiah explain how sinners will be ju dged. The faithful ones will receive God’s blessings. Such believers will eventually live in a renewed world full of happiness. Summary Statement: The book of Isaiah describes how God will destroy those who have sinned and save the faithful. Theological Themes in the Book of Isaiah The concept of dualism is notable in many prophetic books in the Holy Bible. This is the same case with the book of Isaiah. The author of the book begins by giving the prophecies associated with his time3. The author then tackles a greater fulfillment that will occur after Jesus Christ returns for the second time. The book of Isaiah shows clearly that a great judgment awaits all believers. The verdict will take place after the end of this present era. This message of judgment is presented to the reader using four unique themes. This essay offers a detailed analysis and meaning of each of the four themes. Jesus Christ The theme of Christ occurs throughout this book. Most of the chapters in Isaiah co ntain prophesies of the Messiah. The book identifies Jesus’ first coming. The theme of Jesus Christ makes it easier for believers to understand God’s prophecies. The New Testament is a fulfillment of these prophecies by Isaiah4.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several verses in the book give a detailed analysis of Jesus’ role as the son of God. For instance, Isaiah 2:4 indicates clearly that Jesus will judge every nation. According to the book, Christ will be the child of a virgin. His name â€Å"shall be Immanuel† (Isaiah 8: 8-10). According to Isaiah (28: 16), Jesus Christ will be the foundation of every soul. Chapter 53 of the book explains how Christ will suffer on earth. The prophet also indicates how Jesus will die to save mankind. This chapter shows clearly that Jesus will come to give his precious life on the cross in order to redeem mankin d. The Passover lamp mentioned in Isaiah (53:7) symbolizes this act of heroism. God uses Isaiah’s prophecies to reveal why Jesus Christ will have a human soul5. This approach will make it easier for Christ to deal with the sins affecting mankind. God also showed Isaiah how Jesus will be crucified and resurrect after three days. Similar prophecies had been made by great leaders such as King David. The theme of Jesus Christ goes further to explain how God shall save mankind. God will judge and save those who shall repent. The role of Christ will be to bring more people to their creator. Warnings and Assurances to Israelites The first ten chapters of this book highlight most of the sins committed by many people during the time of Isaiah. Such are comparable to the ones committed by different Christians today6. The book of Isaiah gives a detailed analysis of the Judgment Day. Chapters 41-50 of the book also highlight the sins committed by the people of Judah and Israel. Many vers es in these chapters describe how God shall redeem his people from such sins. Chapter 56 warns believers against their actions. God will punish people for such sins. Christians should therefore be warned and put their eyes on the Lord7. The issue of hypocrisy is also mentioned in chapters 56 and 58. Such chapters describe why many Israelites had stopped keeping the Sabbath. Many people were also fasting without proper reasons. This theme encourages many believers to repent and focus on God’s deliverance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Book of Isaiah specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Believers should therefore pray in order to receive God’s mercies. They will eventually be delivered and see God’s kingdom. This theme encourages many Christians and believers to obey God’s commandments. They should do so by keeping the covenant. God shall â€Å"rescue his people from captivity† (Isaiah 11:11). This theme encourages Christians to repent. Modern believers should also consider these warnings and assurances in order to achieve their religious goals8. The Day of the Lord The world has been characterized by many evil occurrences. This fact explains why many Biblical books have described the Day of the Lord. This Day of the Lord is yet to come9. The book of Isaiah describes a time when frightening events shall occur. Such events will create room for Jesus Christ’s second coming. The Day of the Lord will put an end to this present age10. The book indicates that â€Å"this Day of the Lord shall last for a year† (Isaiah 61: 1). This one year shall be characterized by God’s wrath and vengeance (Revelations 6:17). During this day, God’s wrath will be felt in every corner of the world. The book of Isaiah also describes â€Å"how the earth shall be shaken and moved out of its orbit† (Isaiah 13:13). This Day of the Lord will also be ch aracterized by war. The book of Revelation also gives similar views of this day. The daughters of Babylon will also be destroyed during this fateful day. The word â€Å"Babylon† denotes different earthly regimes that shall be obliterated before Christ’s second coming11. According to the Holy Bible, the Day of the Lord â€Å"shall end when the great trumpet will be blown† (Isaiah 27:13). The Messiah shall return after the end of this Day of the Lord. This theme is meaningful because it describes the events that will occur before God’s second coming12.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Believers should therefore be vigilant in order to inherit God’s kingdom. Every government and earthly system shall be destroyed during this period (Isaiah 47: 1, 5, 7, 9). God’s Kingdom Every chapter in this book addresses the issues surrounding the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ will usher this new kingdom after his second coming. It is notable that the word â€Å"Kingdom† is not used in the book. However, Prophet Isaiah gives a detailed analysis of a future age that will prevail after the Day of the Lord. Several verses in the book prophesy this kingdom. For instance, Isaiah (4: 2-6) indicates that â€Å"God will establish a New Jerusalem†. The righteous shall live in this blessed city. The book also indicates that this new kingdom shall dwell forever. The â€Å"son of God will be called the Prince of Peace† (Isaiah 9: 6-7). The Holy Bible also indicates that â€Å"the deaf shall hear, the blind will see, and Jacob’s children will praise G od’s name forever† (Isaiah 29: 18). The book of Isaiah presents many prophecies about this awaited kingdom. Chapters 44-66 describe how the current world shall be destroyed in order to give room for a new government. According to Hagerland, everything written in this book focuses on an eternal government led by God13. The whole world shall disappear and a new one will emerge. Every person in this new world will be blessed, happy, and successful. The above prophesies are relevant because they support the religious needs of every believer. Jesus Christ will come back in order to establish God’s kingdom. Human beings should therefore embrace these teachings in order to achieve their religious goals. Christians should also repent, forgive one another, and change their lives. These practices will make it easier for many believers to achieve their spiritual goals. Such individuals will become part of God’s kingdom. Bibliography Hagerland, Tobias. Jesus and the F orgiveness of Sins: An Aspect of his Prophetic Mission. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Peterson, David. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction. New York, NY: Wiley, 2002. Roberts, Jimmy. â€Å"Isaiah in Old Testament Theology.† Interpretation 36, no. 2 (1982): 130-143. Webb, Barry. The Message of Isaiah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997. Young, Edward. The Book of Isaiah. New York, NY: Longman, 2002. Footnotes 1 Edward Young. The Book of Isaiah, (New York, NY: Longman, 2002), 36. 2 Tobias Hagerland. Jesus and the Forgiveness of Sins: An Aspect of his Prophetic Mission, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 63. 3 Jimmy Roberts. â€Å"Isaiah in Old Testament Theology,† Interpretation 36, no. 2 (1982): 133. 4 David Peterson. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction, (New York, NY: Wiley, 2002), 22. 5 Edward Young. The Book of Isaiah, (New York, NY: Longman, 2002), 36. 6 Edward Young. The Book of Isaiah, (New York, NY: Longman, 2002), 36. 7 Barry Webb. The Message of Isaiah, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), 82. 8 Jimmy Roberts. â€Å"Isaiah in Old Testament Theology,† Interpretation 36, no. 2 (1982): 136. 9 David Peterson. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction, (New York, NY: Wiley, 2002), 22. 10 Tobias Hagerland. Jesus and the Forgiveness of Sins: An Aspect of his Prophetic Mission, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 69. 11 Edward Young. The Book of Isaiah, (New York, NY: Longman, 2002), 73. 12 Barry Webb. The Message of Isaiah, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), 86. 13 Edward Young. The Book of Isaiah, (New York, NY: Longman, 2002), 36. This essay on The Book of Isaiah was written and submitted by user Aryana P. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Using a Sample Essay Band to Make Your College Essay Compelling

Using a Sample Essay Band to Make Your College Essay CompellingThe Sample Essay Band is a great invention that can help you put together a complete essay for your next class. It has been developed to make writing an essay much easier and faster. Students can also learn the proper techniques needed to write and type their essay on their computer, which makes it even more convenient. The use of this essay help tool comes in handy for many people who have trouble writing their own essays.Most students prefer to write an essay than doing research for their essays. They believe that if they write their own essay they will feel as though they are better writer. However, doing research first can lead to a more thorough essay that they could have written if they had first written a few paragraphs for their essays.If you wish to write an essay, it is imperative that you give it more thought and research prior to the actual writing of the essay. The sample essay band is used to help students t ake their essays that have not had enough thought and research prior to them. A sample essay band can be an invaluable resource for students who want to get started with their own essays.You will find that the sample essay band comes in various forms. There are some that are used to compose essays on a particular topic. Other examples include essays that help students write letters of recommendation. The main difference between these two is that the former are used to compose an essay on a particular topic while the latter are used to help students write letters of recommendation.A student should always be reminded when they are taking an assignment that they are making an effort to remember this advice as they progress through the assignment. The same holds true for any assignment that involves writing. The good thing about using a sample essay band is that you can experiment with different subjects that are sure to have you writing interesting essays.The key is to ensure that stud ents understand that they are allowed to write and type their own essays and as long as they do not write an essay based on facts. Research is often times required when composing essays. In other words, a student is not expected to do research themselves.Students who are contemplating taking an academic essay may find the sample essay band helpful. It will help them to see what the entire essay will look like before they begin working on it. Additionally, it can also be used to help students in putting together an essay. By writing an essay on your own you will find that the time that you spend planning the project has actually been well spent.The most excellent technique when composing an essay is to organize the ideas that you are going to use before you begin writing. This allows you to have a plan before you begin thinking of the ideas. Furthermore, it will prevent you from running out of ideas during the essay writing process. Students can choose to do this by using a sample es say band.

Poetry and themes Essays

Poetry and themes Essays Poetry and themes Paper Poetry and themes Paper Essay Topic: Poetry Theme: This poem explores how a person could analyze a poem The Secret Levertov Theme: The speaker is literally saying what the title implies This is Just to Say Williams Theme: The form and diction of this poem relay its meaning The Red Wheelbarrow Williams Theme: A father recollects his daughters growth in writing. The Writer Wilbur Theme: A sons mother does so much for him and all he can do is give a lousy gift. The Lanyard Collins Theme: Isolation is explored. Acquainted with the Night Frost Theme: Permanent relationships can be terrifying. My First Poem for You Addonizzio Theme: A comparison between the permanence of stars and his love Bright Star Keats Theme: Old age and beauty do not correlate What Lips My Lips Have Kissed Millay Theme: Publications can be hard to make and must be cared for and well created The Author to her Book Bradstreet Theme: Swans are compared with rape Leda and the Swan Yeats Theme: The speaker dislikes the hypocritical Cambridge ladies The Cambridge Ladies Cummings Theme: A post-traumatic incident is explored from this fairy tale Gretel in Darkness Gluck Theme: Age is unfortunate and people see what they want in themselves Mirror Plath Theme: We shouldnt let our mistakes control our futures Icarus Field Theme: Risks are taken to do anything but its good to take risks To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph Sexton Theme: Losing stuff may seem little at first, but can be extremely challenging in the long run. One Art Bishop Theme: Difficult to find someone to love or for someone to love yourself Lonely Hearts Cope Theme: Death sucks Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night Thomas Theme: The speaker addresses his love Sonnet 73 Sheakespeare Theme: There exists no perfect woman; all woman are insane Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star Donne Theme: Dont be upset because our love transcends distance A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Donne Theme: This poem focuses on the valuability / invaluability of art Museum Piece Wilbur Theme: People can become accustomed to basically anything, including killing farm animals Early Purges Heaney Theme: The atrocities of war; war is not what you see on TV Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Jarrell Theme: Sometimes you have to do things that you dont want to do to protect others Travelling through the Dark Stafford Theme: warfare has gotten so destructive that Armageddon, the final battle at the end of the world, is at hand, and the dead are awakened for Judgment Day Channel Firing Hardy Theme: The statement it is sweet and fitting to die for ones country is undermined by showing the ignominy of death in modern war Dulce et Decorum Est Owen Theme: Poetry needs to be risky to be good Constantly Risking Absurdity Ferlinghetti Theme: Women are not something you can keep trimmed down; men hold women back A Work of Artifice Piercy Theme: Love is never what you think Porphyrias Lover Browning Theme: We should be led by our hearts and not our heads For the Sleepwalkers Hirsch Theme: Love is weird; love must be revamped from time to time and love is not what it seems Living in Sin Rich Q Q Theme: Your past lies with the people that have affected you in some way. The Albuquerque Graveyard Wright

Alfred Hitchcock - Profile of the Famous British Film Director

Alfred Hitchcock - Profile of the Famous British Film Director Known as the â€Å"Master of Suspense,† Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most famous film directors of the 20th century. He directed more than 50 feature-length films from the 1920s into the 1970s. Hitchcock’s image, seen during Hitchcock’s frequent cameos in his own films and before each episode of the hit TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, has become synonymous with suspense. Dates: August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980 Also Known As: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, Hitch, Master of Suspense, Sir Alfred Hitchcock Growing Up with a Fear of Authority Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899, in Leytonstone in the East End of London. His parents were Emma Jane Hitchcock (neà © Whelan), who was known to be stubborn, and William Hitchcock, a grocer, who was known to be stern. Alfred had two older siblings: a brother, William (born 1890) and a sister, Eileen (born 1892). When Hitchcock was just five years old, his strict, Catholic father gave him quite a fright. Attempting to teach Hitchcock a valuable lesson, Hitchcock’s father sent him to the local police station with a note. Once the police officer on duty read the note, the officer locked young Hitchcock in a cell for several minutes. The effect was devastating. Although his father was trying to teach him a lesson about what happened to people who did bad things, the experience left Hitchcock shaken to the core. As a result, Hitchcock was forever fearful of the police. A bit of a loner, Hitchcock liked to draw and invent games on maps in his spare time. He attended St. Ignatius College boarding school where he stayed out of trouble, fearful of the strict Jesuits and their public canings of boys who misbehaved. Hitchcock learned draftsmanship at the London County Council School of Engineering and Navigation in Poplar from 1913 to 1915. Hitchcock’s First Job After graduating, Hitchcock got his first job in 1915 as an estimator for W.T. Henley Telegraph Company, a manufacturer of electric cable. Bored by his job, he regularly attended the cinema by himself in the evenings, read the cinema trade papers, and took drawing classes at London University. Hitchcock gained confidence and began to show a dry, witty side at work. He drew caricatures of his colleagues and wrote short stories with twist endings, to which he signed the name â€Å"Hitch.† Henley’s Social Club magazine, The Henley, began publishing Hitchcock’s drawings and stories. As a result, Hitchcock was promoted to Henley’s advertising department, where he was much happier as a creative advertising illustrator. Hitchcock Gets Into Filmmaking In 1919, Hitchcock saw an ad in one of the cinema trade papers that a Hollywood company named Famous Players-Lasky (which later became Paramount) was building a studio in Islington, a neighborhood in Greater London. At the time, American filmmakers were considered superior to their British counterparts and thus Hitchcock was extremely excited about them opening up a studio locally. Hoping to impress those in charge of the new studio, Hitchcock discovered the subject of what was to be their first motion picture, bought the book it was based on, and read it. Hitchcock then drew up mock title cards (graphic cards inserted into silent movies to show dialogue or explain action). He took his title cards to the studio, only to find that they had decided to film a different movie. Undaunted, Hitchcock quickly read the new book, drew up new title cards, and again took them to the studio. Impressed by his graphics as well as his determination, Islington Studio hired him to moonlight as their title-card designer. Within a few months, the studio offered 20-year-old Hitchcock a full-time job. Hitchcock accepted the position and left his steady job at Henley to enter the unsteady world of filmmaking. With calm confidence and a desire to make movies, Hitchcock began to help out as a screenwriter, assistant director, and set designer. Here, Hitchcock met Alma Reville, who was in charge of film editing and continuity. When the director fell ill while filming the comedy, Always Tell Your Wife (1923), Hitchcock stepped in and finished the film. He was then offered the opportunity to direct Number Thirteen (never completed). Due to a lack of funds, the motion picture abruptly stopped filming after a few scenes were shot and the entire studio shut down. When Balcon-Saville-Freedman took over the studio, Hitchcock was one of just a few people asked to stay on. Hitchcock became the assistant director and screenwriter for Woman to Woman (1923). Hitchcock hired Alma Reville back for continuity and editing. The picture was a box-office success; however, the studio’s next picture, The White Shadow (1924), failed at the box-office and again the studio shut down. This time, Gainsborough Pictures took over the studio and Hitchcock was again asked to stay. Hitchcock Becomes a Director In 1924, Hitchcock was the assistant director for The Blackguard (1925), a film shot in Berlin. This was a co-production deal between Gainsborough Pictures and UFA Studios in Berlin. Not only did Hitchcock take advantage of the Germans’ extraordinary sets, but he also observed the German filmmakers using sophisticated camera pans, tilts, zooms, and tricks for forced perspective in set design. Known as German Expressionism, the Germans used dark, moody thought-provoking topics such as madness and betrayal rather than adventure, comedy, and romance. The German filmmakers were equally happy to learn an American technique from Hitchcock whereby scenery was painted onto the camera lens as a foreground. In 1925, Hitchcock got his directorial debut for The Pleasure Garden (1926), which was filmed in both Germany and Italy. Again Hitchcock chose Alma to work with him; this time as his assistant director for the silent film. During filming, a budding romance between Hitchcock and Alma began. The film itself is remembered for the myriad of troubles the crew ran into during filming, including having customs confiscate all of their unexposed film as they crossed the international border. Hitchcock Gets â€Å"Hitched† and Directs a Hit Hitchcock and Alma married on February 12, 1926; she would become his chief collaborator on all his films. Also in 1926, Hitchcock directed The Lodger, a suspense movie filmed in Britain about a â€Å"wrongly accused man.† Hitchcock had chosen the story, used fewer title cards than usual, and tossed in bits of humor. Due to a shortage of extras, he had made a cameo appearance in the film. The distributor didn’t like it and shelved it. Stunned, Hitchcock felt like a failure. He was so despondent that he even contemplated a career change. Luckily, the film was released a few months later by the distributor, who had been running short on films. The Lodger (1927) became a huge hit with the public. Britain’s Best Director in the 1930s The Hitchcocks became very busy with filmmaking. They lived in a country house (named Shamley Green) on the weekends and lived in a London flat during the week. In 1928, Alma delivered a baby girl, Patricia – the couple’s only child. Hitchcock’s next big hit was Blackmail (1929), the first British talkie (film with sound). During the 1930s, Hitchcock made picture after picture and invented the term â€Å"MacGuffin† to illustrate that the object the villains were after needed no explanation; it was just something used to drive the story. Hitchcock felt he didn’t need to bore the audience with details; it didn’t matter where the MacGuffin came from, just who was after it. The term is still used in contemporary filmmaking. Having made several box-office flops in the early 1930s, Hitchcock then made The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). The film was a British and American success, as were his next five films: The 39 Steps (1935), Secret Agent (1936), Sabotage (1936), Young and Innocent (1937), and The Lady Vanishes (1938). The latter won the New York Critics’ Award for Best Film of 1938. Hitchcock caught the attention of David O. Selznick, an American film producer and owner of Selznick Studios in Hollywood. In 1939, Hitchcock, the number one British director at the time, accepted a contract from Selznick and moved his family to Hollywood. Hollywood Hitchcock While Alma and Patricia loved the weather in Southern California, Hitchcock was not fond of it. He continued to wear his dark English suits no matter how hot the weather. In the studio, he worked diligently on his first American film, Rebecca (1940), a psychological thriller. After the small budgets he had worked with in England, Hitchcock delighted in the large Hollywood resources he could use to build elaborate sets. Rebecca won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940. Hitchcock was up for Best Director, but lost to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath. Memorable Scenes Fearing suspense in real life (Hitchcock didn’t even like driving a car), he did enjoy capturing suspense on screen in memorable scenes, which often included monuments and famous landmarks. Hitchcock planned every shot for his motion pictures beforehand to such an extent that filming was said to be the boring part to him. Hitchcock took his audiences to the domed roof of the British Museum for a chase scene in Blackmail (1929), to the Statue of Liberty for a free fall in Saboteur (1942), to the streets of Monte Carlo for a wild drive in To Catch a Thief (1955), to the Royal Albert Hall for an assassination misfire in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956),underneath the Golden Gate Bridge for a suicide attempt in Vertigo (1958), and to Mt. Rushmore for a chase scene in North by Northwest (1959). Other Hitchcock memorable scenes include a glowing poisoned glass of milk in Suspicion (1941), a man chased by a crop duster in North by Northwest (1959), a stabbing scene in the shower to shrieking violins in Psycho (1960), and killer birds gathering in a schoolyard in The Birds (1963). Hitchcock and Cool Blondes Hitchcock was known for engaging the audience with suspense, accusing the wrong man of something, and portraying a fear of authority. He also threw in comic relief, portrayed villains as charming, used unusual camera angles, and preferred classic blondes for his leading ladies. His leads (both male and female) portrayed poise, intelligence, underlying passion, and glamour. Hitchcock said audiences found classic blonde females to be innocent looking and an escape for the bored housewife. He didn’t think a woman should wash the dishes and go see a movie about a woman washing the dishes. Hitchcock’s leading ladies also had a cool, icy attitude for added suspense never warm and bubbly. Hitchcock’s leading ladies included Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, and Tippi Hedron. Hitchcock’s TV Show In 1955, Hitchcock started Shamley Productions, named after his country home back in England, and produced Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which turned into the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. This successful TV show aired from 1955 to 1965. The show was Hitchcock’s way of featuring mystery dramas written by various writers, mostly directed by directors other than himself. Before each episode, Hitchcock presented a monologue to set up the drama, beginning with â€Å"Good Evening.† He came back at the end of each episode to tie up any loose ends about the culprit being caught. Hitchcock’s popular horror movie, Psycho (1960), was filmed inexpensively by his Shamley Productions TV crew. In 1956, Hitchcock became a U.S. citizen, but remained a British subject. Awards, Knighthood, and Death of Hitchcock Despite being nominated five times for Best Director, Hitchcock never won the Oscar. While accepting the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1967 Oscars, he simply said, â€Å"Thank you.† In 1979, the American Film Institute presented Hitchcock with its Life Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He joked that he must be about to die soon. In 1980, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hitchcock. Three months later Sir Alfred Hitchcock died of kidney failure at the age of 80 in his home in Bel Air. His remains were cremated and scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

Race and power in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race and power in the US - Essay Example However, the measures taken by the government and its officials have raised questions and protests regarding violations on civil liberties. This paper attempts to answer the question: "In time of war or national emergency we respond too harshly in our restriction of position, grounding it in a discussion of post 9/11 events." Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United states Constitution states that: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." However, it seems that the restrictions imposed by the U.S. government in response to 9/11 and its war on terror, h as seriously infringed on the liberties of the very citizens which government seeks to protect. A majority of Americans (65.9%) are concerned that the war on terrorism has seriously affected civil liberties.1 Several instances support the claims of civil liberty advocates. The 9/11 detainees, 750 Arab residents in the U.S., were rounded up and were held by authorities for several weeks. Hundreds were deported after secret immigration hearings were held. All of them were never charged with any connection to 9/11. Congress and President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act which allows the government to expand its powers and conduct electronic surveillance and obtain personal records in criminal investigations and terrorism cases. The Justice Department also broadened the FBI's ability to conduct surveillance on domestic organizations despite the Patriot Act facilitating for the Bureau and other law enforcement agencies, access and share information from the CIA. Around 660 foreign nationa ls are being held without access to legal counsel or judicial review at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after being captured in Afghanistan. The U.S government is preparing military trials which have few procedural rights. Two "enemy combatants" are being held incommunicado at Charleston brig, one of them Yasser Hamdi a U.S. citizen, after their capture in Afghanistan. The imprisonment of foreign nationals especially Arabs and Muslims is becoming a condemnable pattern. However, those that support government actions say that the measures taken by the Bush administration are less severe than those in the past when people of German origin were harassed during World War I while American citizens of Japanese ancestry were herded into camps in the Second World War. However, post-war generations have condemned these injustices and if we know or even feel that what we are doing today is in the same although "less severe" track as what we had done in the past, I do not believe that it is enough justification. Any form of infringement on civil liberty is unacceptable. We should condemn the government's unilateral and covert actions which undermine judicial review. The basic rights of the accused, in this case the rights to a legal counsel and fair and impartial trial, long upheld by American jurisprudence and

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Personal Statement - Essay Example It will make me feel obliged with how I take up life’s different shades every now and then. These are very significant pointers that shall shape up my life without any doubt. As far as my educational domains are concerned, I have attained the same from the United States. Even though I was born in Indonesia, my education in the States has taught me to get acquainted with the norms of life in a very comprehensible manner. The adopted country has instilled in me a sense of confidence and fulfillment which I would not have learned had I been somewhere else. More so, I have always continued to follow the footsteps of my father which is something that remains very quintessential towards my domains. Since he has been a successful businessman, I aspire to be much like him and in fact even more at times. This gives me immense pleasure to know that my father is indeed my role model as far as my professional undertakings of life are concerned. seek to attain higher level education as university offers more deep knowledge than a college. I want to absorb the knowledge that has been imparted my way. My aim is to discern how well I become apt with the information, education and knowledge that come within my domains. It will only make me feel contented and satisfied with who I am and how I aspire to get the best out of my life in essence. One of the most important reasons behind transferring to the university is because I feel United States’ education is something to feel happy about. It offers a host of opportunities to the professionals all around the world and there is reason to believe such a dictum. This shall enable me to further my career within the field of business. It will also allow me to be at par with the business avenues and advancements that are happening on a continuous basis. I would request the authorities at the helm of affairs to kindly allow me a chance to showcase my true mettle as this will be the

The Drop Out Rate in Education in Cambodia

The Drop Out Rate in Education in Cambodia Introduction The number of students who drop out school in the basic education level is still very high although the government and the other stakeholders have been striving to cut down on number. It is very clear that there are number of things which cause those children to abandon their studies. It is, however, still a skeptical whether the demand side or the supply side which has the most influence on this phenomena. The government of Cambodia has considered the capacity building and human resource development as priority. In the Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia has emphasized several points related to the education quality improvement at all levels. Like stated in the policies and strategies in ESP (Education Strategic Plan) 2006-10, there are a lot of reforms have been made in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals. The six EFA Dakar goals: 1- Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. 2- Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girl, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality. 3- Ensuring that learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes. 4- Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults. 5- Elimination gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls full and access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. 6- Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuri ng excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. Source: UNESCO (2000 b), as cited in FE of IFL, pp 66-67 In those reforms, there have also been the strengthening tasks with other partnerships between the public and private sectors. These important tasks are really applicable for implementing the development goals for the betterment of the quality of education. Without doing the reforms, it is not effective form for the implementation because the concept or the social context does not respond to the strategic plan. The strategic plan and the resource of mobilization and utilization can not be cut off from the the understanding from the context or it will be failed to implement. (MoEYS, (2006) Education strategic plan 2006-2010). The objectives of the Ministry of Education, the implementers received the commands from the Royal Government of Cambodia, are to conduct the holistic development within the Cambodian youths. Young people are considered as bamboo shoots which can replace the old and dying bamboo, so building up the capacity among them is compulsory. The development of understanding among young people needs to be done for all sectors. In addition, the Ministry of Education attempts to contribute and engender a sense of nationalism and civic pride because it is really essential for them to determine their own identities. It also strives to upgrade the concept of high standards of morality and ethics in order to build up a good country that people can live in harmony. According to this stance, three main purposes have been set. The first purpose is the equitable access to education that indicates that all Cambodian children have right to receive education at least 9 years (finished grade 9). They receiv e education for free of charge in which the Ministry of Education calls for to promote this prestigious opportunity for all young Cambodians. Secondly, promote the service quality and efficiency of education; so for the Ministry strives to promote the quality of education in all levels especially the low level of education. It has created more supporting programs. In that the establishment of teaching materials is also paid the utmost care. Third, the Ministry intends to introduce the the idea of capacity building for decentralization in which new curricular has been put to manipulate this concept within young Cambodians through lesson of decentralization. The curriculum has been set by focusing much on the expansion of decentralization (Education strategic plan 2006-2010). According to the strategies and policies that the Ministry has set and determined above, it is not uncertain to fully understand what can be the things that have come as constraints to make students at basic level stop study. A long with the stimulants that the government have distributed, the families have to have some involvements to keep students remain in school. The government has continuously conducted reforms to find and to determine the weak points. Thus, this paper is to seek for the deep understanding on the hardships on the demand side and the capacity of distribution of the supply side. We also study to find out how the government of Cambodia manipulates with these challenges. Challenges That Lead to Dropping Out There are several significant challenges which lead to the dropping out among children. Some challenges are ignited by the supply sides while the other is caused by the demand sides. There have been several researches revealed the challenges that lead to the dropping out. The world Bank, in 2004, did stress the problems that lead to the drop out. Each year there is high rate of enrollment at basic level, but they eventually abandoned the school. These phenomena were caused by some factors. First, there is the increase of child labor at the very young age; children were exploited by several means without getting any care from the society or it is lack to be care by the related individuals. Second, there was late enrollment of the children and after a few years in school they felt embarrassed because they saw themselves as big; eventually, they quit. Third, there was lack of readiness for the enrollment; at the beginning of the enrollment the families seemed to have ability to send the m to school and later on it was impossible to do, so they stop. Fourth, there is the significant number of incomplete the low level school. Fifth, the lack of qualified teacher was identified as the ignition of the school abandon among the young children. Finally, the identification of the cause was the lack of health-environmental facilities such as playground and libraries (WB 2004). In fact the number of enrolment at primary level is quite big. The process of their studies can proceed only for a few years and after that the big number become smaller and smaller. There are numbers of complicated obstacles for these drops out. According to the data conducted by EMIS, only 45 per cent of children who start primary school can eventually finish grade sixth and among them, there are only thirty-eight per cent can go to lower secondary school; some of them didnt finish grade 9; in lower secondary school; there are three years which most students can only reach grade 8. It is such a big number of drop out which will be foreseen as number that will be much downgraded to reach grade 9. With this high percentage of drop out, it takes 10.8 years for a child to complete his or her education in primary school (EBEP 2006-2010). Recently, the Royal Government of Cambodia announced its practical way in improving the education system. Also it proclaimed the great achievements. In the contradict to this, there are still some big problems remain behind the achievement. The drop out rates is still high among primary school children and only small number that can accomplish grade 9. This phenomenon is a constraint for the Ministry in reaching its goal in stimulating the young people to receive basic education from grade 1 to grade 9 by the year 2015. Along with this, some constraints are identified by the Ministry of Education. In order to identify such problem, the Ministry created another department called Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) to detect and identify the problem. The challenges are found as follows: i) low access to basic education, particularly lower secondary schooling, among children from poor families, girls, ethnic minorities, children with disabilities, and children who are living in rem ote areas. ii) high dropout rates in basic education, with this most dropouts occurring in upper primary school before children have completed the full cycle. iii) uneven quality and standards in basic education (Benveniste 2008, p 15). In 2005 the World Band wrote that the transition period is another main cause of the drop out. The drop out occurs when they finished grade 6, and they are awaiting to pursue to grade 7. The number of children about 75 percent were able to go through from primary school and among that only 52 percent went on their studies to the secondary school and finished their basic education (from grade 1 to grade 9). During this interval, the decisions of the children as well as their parents are abruptly changed for some reasons (World Bank 2005). Supply-Side Factors So far the Royal Government of Cambodia that has the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports as an acting figure in implementing the educational policies has been working really hard to reduce the dropout rate among the basic education. The Ministry itself is looking for the the causes and it invests a lot of money in building facilities and instructional materials in recent years. Moreover, the government also set up policies to reduce the house whole financial burdens by letting children to enroll school for free. A long with this the necessity for the children to study is also supported. However, this support is still not enough for the children. The significant barrier for disadvantaged children is the direct cost. In recent year, the government commanded the removal of formal entry to enable them to enroll. Moreover, the Ministry strives to disseminate the information of free of charge enrollment for children. Some educational billboards about the importance of enrollment have been displayed in public to draw the understanding among parents. Unexpectedly, when students have already enrolled, some problems still occurred associated with the informal fees through providing the extra class to students or the like. This phenomenon should be combated for it functions as great constraint that lead to the drop out (Benveniste 2008). Another strategy to combat the dropout rate is to build up relationship with the community so that they can understand; they will support the enrolment and keep their children in school. In the citation of Education Strategic Plan 2006- 2010, there is the promotion of the relationship between homes and communities. The reasons of this expansion are to promote a shadow education which is considered as the important stimulant to achieve the objectives that have been launched. The campaign aims to disseminate the community- based information of holistic intervention at the early ages. The investments in early age among children has been increased from USD 0.19 million in 2006 to USD 0.3 million by 2010. The promoting program was supported by PAP (Priority Action Program) (Benveniste et al 2008). To ensure the stimulant package to upgrade within the children enrolment, the Ministry has also launched some other practical projects. In that, child friendly schools are seen significant to push the enrollment and to persuade children to remain in school. However, the campaign to spread the information about this project is not widely done so that parents do not fully understand the significance of it. If the parents know that they will value and help to encourage their children to remain in school. World Bank (2005) addressed other kind of constraints that lead to the dropout is the quality among teachers. The word quality in here does not really focus on the knowledge of the responsible subjects, but also the art or talent of teacher to harmonize with the students. Teachers need to have psychological knowledge to call for the interest among students. Qualified teachers can help students to stay in school more. In order to reform this, the project of quality improvement interventions program is also launched and a lot of money has been used to conduct this ability upgrading project. A long with student retention, promotion, and especially in student learning is done accompanying with teacher improvement. In the program of upgrading the quality of education, one dollar per pupil has been increased. The program also focuses on teacher training and this prestige implementation lead to the increase in points the students get between 0.70 and 1.05. After the implementation, there is the observation of increase in literacy as well; one dollar was invested in the upgrading policy, one percent was also excelled in student literacy. Another important task that the Ministry of Education pays its concentration in order to reduce the dropout is the investments in health care and skills training. Besides that, it goes to the the modernization of infrastructure.(World Bank: Quality Basic Education for All 2005) The followings are the components that can be used to stimulate the aspect of pushing the students to remain in school. The practical ways of encouraging students to remain are to enlarge the services to be available such as building up more school houses so that students are easy to get to school. This should be done in both primary and secondary school. Next, there should be the expanding of operating budget for these two levels. To do this can also lead to the elimination of gathering the illegal money. Thirdly, the development of remedial classes must be done. Fourth, the instructional material must be available to improve the quality of teaching and make the learning enjoyable for students. Sometimes it is hard for students to understand the abstract concept, so the use of teaching material can help students to form pictures in mind; they can understand better (World Bank 2008). Demand-Side Factors Elimination of unofficial fees. Unofficial fees are the significant constraint that make students families cant afford education for their children. In fact, under the support of the government, students do not pay for registration at the beginning of the new academic year. Surprisingly, students need to pay like bicycle parking fees; it is not a compulsory pay but students need to do unavoidable because they dont know where to park. The parking fees are thought to be too high sometime. Other unofficial fees are the fees students pay for the extra class. Students are not put pressure directly, instead they are put pressure indirectly through, for instance, giving low mark. Extra classes are reported in only 6-7 percent of small rural schools, but in more than 40 percent of large urban schools. Fees also vary considerably from less than R300 per class in small rural school to more than R500 in big urban schools (Araujo 2008. p. 58). Some other problems are identified for the demand side. These problems are the obstacle to miss persuading the students to remain in school. The primary education, especially the repetition of grade 1, 2 and 3 and the drop out of grade 5 and 6 still has some issues which have to be solved timely such as: a/Documents related to Child Friendly School program are not widely available. b/ PB budgets cannot be accessed at the start of the financial year, this impacts negatively on conducting activities and the achievement of targets. c/ The teaching hours and school calendar are often curtailed. d/ Insufficient access to textbooks reduces the quality of education and coverage of the curriculum. e/ Insufficient infrastructure, including: latrines, sources of water and sanitation, libraries in many schools in remote and disadvantaged areas impacts on students attendance and performance. f/ There are insufficient teachers in rural and remote areas undermining the quality of education and learning in these areas. g/ The capacity of District Training and Management Teams (DTMT) in all provinces and capital city is not strong enough to help the teachers and school directors improve school performance (National Education Congress Summary Report-Academic Year 2008-09 p.4) Work force The number of dropouts in the rural areas is higher than in the urban. In rural areas, children are subject to do works such as looking after cattle in the fields; besides that, those children need to do more chores like carrying water from ponds, wells nearby, and firewood to supply home. That is a great burden for them to manage time to study. When they are so busy with this kind of work, they seem to have no feeling to read books (Dy 2004). What the Government Should Do to Reduce the Dropout Rate In order to reduce the number of dropouts, the government should do several jobs such as staff training, financing, evaluating, facility providing, setting clear policies, and other program monitoring. As stated in the Congress Report (2009), staff training is important in reducing the dropout rate for it helps students to gain their knowledge quite well. It also relates to the quality of education. When students get good academic achievement, their families as well as themselves feel really proud so that they have strong commitment towards education. Sometimes, the academic achievement can insult students and their families and in the end student can quit their studies. Another important thing for the government to do is to finance especially on building more school building quite near to their home. The government has to ensure that one village there is one primary school. Besides the school buildings, financing on teaching materials is also important to achieve the effective academic result. Moreover, the government should provide more money for teachers. If teachers have high salary, it is clear that they spiritually have committed to their teaching and their teaching will have good result. Setting up clear indicators as well as other policies related education is extremely significant. Dy (2001) stressed the importance of clear policies making. Prioritizing the policies making is to pave the way clearly that the Ministry could access their goals. The Ministry of Education that has administrators to implement the policies should particularly focus on primary education by conducting special training for all teachers as well as the school principals. Conclusion It has been observed that the dropout rate is still remaining high even though the government has been striving its works to eliminate or to reduce. The areas that are considerably indicated as high are in rural. The problem is that in those remote areas really face many difficulties for children while the urban areas students seem to use most of their time in learning. In contrast to the city children, rural children use most of their time to do house work and other non-academic affairs. Although these problems occur, the government is the one which has significant function to stimulate the reducing process of the dropout among children in lower education.