Sample Essay on Single Motherhood

Essay about Single Mothers

My decision to become a single mother has been hard for me because I have to take care of myself while caring for my two year old daughter at the same time, without that much help. Financially, I practically do it on my own. I do not receive child support or any assistance from the government. I work a full time job to provide for us, but no matter how hard I think it is I just look at her and I realize that I made the best decision for her.

It could be a lot harder than what it is if I did not have the help of my parents. My mom is great with Raelyn. She helps me out a lot. She baby sits her while I go to work and take my classes. I think she understands that I am doing the best I can and that I am trying to make something of myself so I can provide a better life for Raelyn, by giving her everything she needs and wants. There is so much I want to give her and I want her to make something of herself one day.

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I have felt no regret about deciding to have her. The only one regret I do have is the person I had her with. When she was born he was a part of our lives but since that time he has probably only seen her two or three times in a two year time period. Everyday I look at her I tell myself that I am glad he is not around because we deserve better. I just cannot understand how he lives with himself and wakes up every morning knowing he has a daughter that he knows absolutely nothing about. I could not imagine the feeling of not knowing what she is doing every minute of the day.

At the same time I have this hatred towards him. I try not to blame his family, one day I would like her to know that she has two half brothers, another set of grandparents and a lot of aunts and uncles. Honestly though I do not think I will take the initiative to take the first step to let her know that they exist, since they have not made any sort of attempt to contact us. The first attempt I did make to let his family get to know her was her first Thanksgiving. He had asked if I would take her up to his parent’s house, I said yes and when we arrived he was not there. His parents were telling me he would be coming at any time. We waited for him to show up and he never did.

At that time, I think that is when I realized if he cannot take an hour or so to stop whatever it was he was doing to see his daughter, then what would be different when she calls him and wants to see him? Will she be sitting around waiting on him to come get her? That is a question I do not want to have answered. I cannot put her through that.

I think the future for her and I will be a lot better without him in our lives, but I am not looking forward to the day she starts to ask questions about her father and what happened in the past that I won’t be able to explain. When that time does come I plan to be completely honest with her and hope she understands. I am afraid she will blame me for him not being apart of her life, and if she makes the decision to find him he can explain it for himself. Let him explain why he missed her first steps, her fist day of kindergarten and why he was not there to see her graduate high school.

By deciding to become a single mother, I hope I am saving Raelyn a lot of heartache in the future. Raelyn is my world. Everything I do now and every decision I make in the future will be for her benefit. I want her to know that she should never give up because good things can come out of things that started out bad. I realize that now and am glad that I made the decision to get rid of the bad and make it good for us.

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Essay on Moses

Moses was born into slavery in Egypt, 14th century B.C. When he was born his mother placed him in a basket and sent him down a river because the Egyptian ruler Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew babies to be killed. Baby Moses was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her own. As an early adult Moses accidentally murdered an Egyptian official who was treating a slave very badly. To escape certain death Moses fled the country. He fled to Arabia, became a Shepard eventually marrying a priests daughter in which he worked for named Zipporah.

At 80 years old, God spoke to him and told him to go back to Egypt and free all of the Hebrew slaves. As the bible tells it, Moses went back to Egypt and asked Pharaoh to free the Hebrews. When he refused, Moses and God put 10 horrible plagues upon Egypt. Pharaoh finally released the Jews, and they fled with Moses. After departing, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them.

Moses and the Jews came upon the Sea of Reeds, and Moses asked God to part the water allowing passage. God parted the water and Moses and the Hebrews went through. As the Egyptian military tried to follow, the water returned and drowned all of the troops.

Six weeks later, the freed Hebrews were hungry and thirsty. Moses told God and God covered their surrounding ground with food. He also made water flow from a rock, easing the Jews hunger and thirst.

Three months later, Moses and the Hebrews reached Mt. Sinai, and Moses went alone to the top for 40 days. He was given the Ten Commandments by God on stone tablets.

However, in doing so Hebrews fled, abandoning their faith and started to worship a Golden calf instead. To stop this, Moses destroyed the calf, and the Ten Commandments. God forgave the Hebrews and issued a new set of stone tablets.

Moses died at 120 years of age, trying to find the promised land on top of Mt. Pisgah.

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Essay on Courage in Novels

Essay about Courage

"Courage is measured by an individual's willingness to continue fighting even when the likelihood of victory is small". This quote implies that characters in the literature act by how they have courage at a particular moment, without a sense of purpose, social influence or pressure from their immediate environment.

I agree with this quote because courage can have a deep impact on how a character will act without a pondering. There are several plays and novels, including "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare and "Sister Carrie" by Theodore Dreiser , illustrate the depth of courage can affect characters' action even though the chance of winning is small.

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In the drama "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare gives us a window into the courage of several characters. Using asides and soliloquies, the audience is able to know exactly what the characters are thinking, and often what they are feeling. Those thought and feeling courage their action. For example, we see Romeo courageously on stage several times in the tragedy, during which the audience hears of his great feeling for Juliet. Romeo's great feeling for Juliet courage himself to be not afraid of death.

It is also these soliloquies that Romeo shows the audience just how profoundly these courage impact his characterization. Throughout the play, Romeo is motivated mainly by his great love for Juliet. This strong courage is most clearly illustrated in the last scene of the play when Romeo finds Juliet "dead" (although she has only taken a poison that makes her seem that way). He is so overcome by the apparent loss of his beloved that he takes poison and kills himself. Juliet, too, does a similar thing. Awakening shortly after Romeo dies, Juliet is completely distraught at the death of her loved one that she also kills herself. Obviously, Both of these were not motivated by necessity, but by courage.

In Dreiser's novel Sister Carrie, love is also a major courage of the characters. The book very often describes the courage of its characters, especially of its protagonist, Carrie. Carrie's dominant courage is that of love, which she feels for both Drouet, the man she lives with, and Hurstwood, a friend of Drouet's for who she also has feelings.

These feelings of Carries, as well as the courages of Hurstwood, dictate the actions of both of these characters. The plot proves that courage is measured by one's feeling. Carrie's love for Drouet motivates her to move in with him, and later her feelings for Hurstwood compel her to run away with him, even though Hurstwood is a married man. Shortly before this flight, Hurstwood is motivated to steal money from his company's safe. Before he met Carrie, Hurstwood was a completely logical and calculating man. However , his newfound love for Carrie caused him to take the money, even though he never would have in normal circumstance. Both Carrie and Hurstwood's action in Sister Carrie are clearly motivated by courage, not by thought.

The drama Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and the novel Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser both support the quote "Courage is measured by an individual's willingness to continue fighting even when the likelihood of victory is small." In both these works, characters' actions are driven not by reason, but by courage. This shows us that nothing is stranger than the strength of the human courage.

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The Effects of Borking Essay

The term "borking" originated during the Federal Judicial confirmation hearings for the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987. Largely opposed by the democrats, Bork’s nomination from Republican president Ronald Regan was rejected based on accusations of being a right-wing extremist racist and sexist and posed a threat of such opinions entering the courts. “Borking” has come to be known as a fierce campaign against nominees to reveal backgrounds that are often distorted or exaggerated in order to keep them off judicial seats.

The question remains whether “borking” and judging someone on their personal views is acceptable despite the fact that judicial power is assumed to be above “politics.” The arguments for and against borking ride on a thin line of opposition. Many of them interconnect and are uncertain.

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When voting for a nominee for federal judicial positions, the Senate must base their decision on the philosophy the candidate holds towards the court’s role in upholding the constitution regarding issues. However, though, senators often believe nominee’s personal views towards issues will affect the way in which they will preside over federal judicial issues. Therefore, the Judiciary Committee should interrogate and examine a candidate’s personal views closely. At the same time, judges are expected not to allow their personal opinions and politics enter into court cases or to influence their enforcing of the constitution. Most sitting justices do not involve personal views in the courts and hold the law to a higher position. Those in favor borking argue that the senators are voting on the projected judicial actions of future justices and knowing the standpoints of the nominees allows them to pre-establish the manner in which they decide certain issues. This, although a valid concern, does not in any way guarantee they will bring their personal views to the bench and take them into account when interpreting the constitution.

Often senators ignore nominee’s obvious attributes, which qualify them to sit on the judicial boards. Education, background, and experience are given minor consideration in favor of focusing unfairly on academic papers that reveal personal opinions. In the case of Luni Guinier, her personal attitudes towards affirmative action and women, led her to be labeled as a “dangerous radical” and “extreme liberal.”

Conservatives based their charges on opinions written in academic journal articles and papers early in her career. Nominated by Bill Clinton for the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in1993, Guinier lost the confirmation to the position. IN cases such as Guinier’s, The Judiciary Committee attacks nominees personally in order to lose the nomination when a candidate may be in slightest bit controversial or unconventional. However, being out of the mainstream of thought does not constitute an unqualified nominee. Rather, such a candidate could bring a broader perspective to the courts.

Nominees try to appear neutral regarding issues the Judicial Committee hurls at them, hoping that the inoffensive answers will please everyone. This works for and against borking. When candidates answer questions neutrally, the committee sometimes will not want to confirm a nominee that has not been candid with their opinions and therefore the committee cannot gauge how the candidate will think towards future critical matters. At the same time, nominees keep answers vague in order to keep the committee from attacking them. However, knowing a nominee’s explicit it personal opinions also helps predict how they will review judicial matters in the future, whether it be the candidate is overly conservative or liberal. At the same time, such probing is seen as unfair in judging a nominee’s ability to interpret the constitution and one having little to do with the other. Inevitably, the majority of senators confirm nominees within their own party lines. Often when the democrats have the House, and a Republican President nominates a justice, odds are that the democrats will not confirm the candidate.

Ultimately, borking destroys prominent academic reputations through distorting candidates’ prior records while exaggerated opinions on issues that are conveniently current such as abortion. Often the allegations against them are unproven accusations that nonetheless tarnish the character and professional name of the nominee. Numerous candidates for federal judicial positions have been victims of borking, however not in all cases have the nominees been unconfirmed because of the intense probing into their backgrounds. Robert Bork was not appointed to a seat on the Supreme Court, although Michael McConnell, considered an “extreme conservative,” was nominated by President George Bush and approved by Congress on September 18, 2002 to the Court of Appeals. Luni Guinier was rejected from the position of Assistant Attorney General by Congress on the basis of “extreme liberalism,” while Clarence Thomas was nominated by George W. Bush and approved by Congress to the Supreme Court in 1991, despite allegations of sexual harassment during his confirmation hearings.

In general, ‘borking” carries a negative overtone that should not find its place within the courts. However, there are those that argue that the courts are corrupted with politics as much as any other form of business and it is impossible to distinguish one’s personal views while attempting to uphold what is “constitutional.” “Borking” allows many a qualified and competent candidates for federal judicial position shamefully slip away, but it also can reveal valid and pertinent information, which is useful in voting on the confirmation of a future justice and predicting their projected actions.

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Essay on Assertiveness

I am so very thankful that I registered for this course because I have learned such a priceless amount of knowledge ranging everywhere from resolving.

Conflict, keeping calm, centering and relaxation responses to the therapeutic powers of the act of writing. All of us, as human beings and as citizens of a free country, have certain inalienable rights- from those guaranteed by law, such as freedom of speech and the right to a due process of laws, to the more subtle rights to stand up for our views or to act in our own best interest. In our everyday life, we are often confronted with situations that violate, or at least threaten, some of our rights.

Assertiveness is standing up for my own rights without infringing upon the rights of others. It is self-enhancing, generating positive feelings toward myself and others, and it leads to smooth interpersonal relationships. Personally speaking, being an individual in desperate need of assertiveness training, I am quite aware of the ramifications of non-assertive consequences. The inability to experience adequate assertiveness training skills prior to learning this course, I have experienced regret, guilt, sorrow, indecisiveness, in situations that did not call for such reactions. I found myself being victimized, manipulated into circumstances that if I had used the assertive techniques of standing firm in my responses, following my own inner intuition, the end result would have been that I would be a healthier, happier person.

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I found a great amount of personal achievement and satisfaction when we practiced our assertive techniques by role-playing various situations. It completely empowered me with the awareness that the shy, quiet, non-assertive behavior that I had become accustomed to was definitely ready to be terminated. I am now in the process of actively implementing and restructuring my attitude, correcting my ‘Old Habits’ of always giving up my rights, saying yes, (WHEN I MEAN NO!) , and giving up those negative self-defeating behaviors that prevent me from asserting my very own interpersonal rights.

I found this course to be extremely rewarding because it offered immediate relief to responding accurately, efficiently toward various changing circumstances. I discovered that I should not have to feel guilty if I feel that my rights, decisions, and opinions are being infringed upon because without learning the assertive techniques I many times find myself getting taken advantage of.

I particularly appreciate the positive reinforcement that it was perfectly normal to implement the various assertive skills necessary during conversation and communication.

By using the responsible behaviors as recommended in negative assertion, or agreeing to disagree, or perhaps, staying centered, calm, and relaxing during a confrontational circumstance, I have learned to find a workable compromise and resolve the conflict. I also discovered that by tentatively accepting constructive criticism with negative inquiry, I am capable of remaining calm, I avoid being defensive, and I avoid being manipulated by improving the communication. “

Perhaps, I am , working too hard, maybe, I might follow your suggestion and change the time schedule, by restructuring my routine.” The Book that I particularly enjoyed and discovered by studying this class was a new and updated edition of the classic self-understanding through journal writing. It has completely change my life (this past week) because I never heard about journal writing until I attended the assertiveness course. The author, Christina Baldwin, provides excerpts from her own personal journal entries that encourages the reader to build confidence in their own individuality and acquire self –knowledge without having to seek constant approval from others. She is the author of Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest.

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Essay on Ireland

The years leading up to the Easter Rebellion in Ireland in 1916 were marked by significant political, cultural and military developments. The Easter Rebellion was a complete failure but without it, Ireland might never have been free from British Rule.

Conflict between Ireland and Britain commenced in 1169, when Henry II attempted to invade Ireland and was unsuccessful. In the centuries that followed the British made many attempts to take control of Irish lands to build a superior empire. During the years of 1485 to 1603, when the Tudor monarchs were ruling Britain, Elizabeth I introduced a policy, the “Plantation Policy”. This policy seized land from Irish Catholics and redistributed it among Protestants. This policy initiated ‘sectarianism’ that would distress Ireland for hundreds of years. Sectarianism is the view that one religious belief has superiority over others. In 1800, the British Parliament passed the ‘Act of Union’. This Act removed Irelands right to have its own parliament.

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In Ireland in the 1890’s ‘new nationalism’ emerged. This was in view of the fact that in the period leading up to the First World War there had been a move towards Home Rule for Ireland. Home Rule would have given the Irish their own parliament that would have the capacity to make laws relating to domestic issues, issues that affected the Irish population. Major decisions regarding the economy and foreign affairs would still be made in London. But the ‘Act of Union’ prevented this.

During 1913, the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) was formed during the Great Dublin Lockout, as a result of police violence against striking transport workers protesting, by James Connelly a socialist with the aim of creating a socialist state independent of British Rule. Also in 1913 Irish Nationalist members of British Parliament created a campaign to have a Home Rule bill passed for Ireland. The two attempts at this made previously were unsuccessful. In 1914, the bill was passed in both houses of British Parliament and was predicted to become law by the end of that year. The Ulster Unionists were a group created to defend the interests of Irish Protestants and were distressed regarding this. Irish nationalist groups observed this distress and were prepared to defend their rights. Irish nationalists were people that were dedicated to gaining independence for Ireland. Consequently the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) came into action. The IRB was a nationalist movement founded by James Stephens in 1858 with the aim of overthrowing British Rule and establishing an independent Irish republic. The IRB members were also known as the Fenians. This group was a small, underground, revolutionary body that planned and directed the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Ireland in 1916.

In August 1914, World War I broke out. Britain, France and Russia went to war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Many Irishmen volunteered to fight for Britain in the cause that if they did, Home Rule would become inevitable. But in September of 1914, the British government suspended the decision of the recently enacted Home Rule Bill until the war had come to an end. This suspension stimulated the growth of the ICA. The IRB decided to take advantage of Britain’s involvement and preoccupation with the war. By the end of 1914 they had armed themselves and were prepared for a nationwide uprising in support of Irish Independence. The date set was Easter 1916.

In 1915 the IRB formed the IRB Military Council. It was composed of seven members – Thomas Clarke, Sean Mac Diarmada, Patrick Pearse, Eamonn Ceannt, Joseph Plunkett, James Connolly and Thomas MacDonagh. These men declared themselves to be the ‘Provisional Government’ of the Irish Republic when the rebellion began.

Sir Roger Casement was a dedicated supporter of Irish Independence and he was able to acquire German military supplies for the use in the uprising. He also obtained financial support from the great Irish population living within the United States of America. But the British caught Casement in April 1916 and the military supplies and was arrested and the supplies were seized. Even though this was a major setback, Patrick Pearse, the leader of the Irish Volunteers and James Connolly, leader of the ICA prepared to proceed.

Action began around 12:00 pm on Monday, April 24, a bank holiday in Ireland, when approximately 2000 men lead by Pearse gained control of the Dublin General Post Office (GPO) and other strategic points throughout the city. From their barricaded Post Office headquarters, the rebels proclaimed the Independence of Ireland with the creation of a provisional government with Pearse as president. Supplementary positions were occupied by rebels during the night and by the morning of April 25, they controlled a considerable part of Dublin. On this day, the British counteroffensive began. The British brought in heavy artillery and reinforcements. Martial Law was proclaimed throughout Ireland. Martial Law is brought into action when a situation arises when ordinary law is suspended and the military establish and enforce laws restricting people’s freedoms. As more than half of the rebels were unarmed the British forces began to steadily dislodge the Irish from their positions. By the morning of April 29 the GPO was under violent attack. Pearse surrendered unconditionally on April 29, seeing the futility of further resistance.

Casualties included about 440 British troops and about 75 Irish. Most of the leaders of the rebellion were sentenced to death, some were sentenced to life imprisonment. This rebellion was the first in a series of events that instigated the establishment of the ‘Irish Free State’. This Irish Free State was the predecessor of the Republic of Ireland.

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Essay on Asia

Essay on Southeast Asia

Contemporary Southeast Asia is what it is today rich in diversity of culture and achieving general economic and political stability due to a combination of factors. However to find out whether Southeast Asia would be different without colonialism, there is a need to examine the European role and the extent of their impact politically, socially and economically. Also there is a need to examine the pre colonial Southeast Asia and “have an awareness of the rich and important history of Southeast Asian states”.(Osborne : 1998: 61) .It is necessary to examine all these factors to determine whether there would be a significant change in Southeast Asia without colonialism.

The impact of colonialism in Southeast Asia before the nineteenth century was negligible. It was after the Portuguese conquered Malacca that the thrust of European imperialism in Southeast Asia was felt. Though Thailand is the only Southeast Asian state that is never colonized, it is still as competitive as the rest of the states in its economy and as modernized. However it must not be forgotten that it was still under pressure from colonial powers that it adopted policies of westernization and modernization to avoid being colonized. Though never under colonialism, it still experienced indirect colonial rule in this manner. It might be argued that colonial rule did not shape Southeast Asia significantly by using the example of Thailand since it has achieved a similar state of progress however it must not be forgotten that it was still under indirect colonial influence.

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What was most evidential in modern Southeast Asia that was established during colonial rule was modernization and westernization. It was possible that colonialism did act as a catalyst to modernization in these states. It must be noted that pre colonial Southeast Asia was not inferior to the colonial powers as by Osborne’s words ( 1998: 68), Vietnam was “unified and expanding” and other states also had organized political systems and peaceful societies. However colonialism saw an overhaul of the old village system to introduce more modern and westernized political administration as well as improvements to communications and economy. All in all, it introduced “a new framework to society”. New western concepts were introduced and economically, new mechanization techniques of agriculture as well as a sound communication system was established. This can be seen by the railway built across from Thailand to Malaysia greatly increased efficiency of transportation and trade even till present day. From this, we can speculate that perhaps Southeast Asia may not acquire such knowledge and technology that quickly and be less modernized if not for colonialism. As Sardesai (1997: 141) said colonialism “introduced far reaching changes in most walks of life and the impact surviving colonial rule itself”. The foundation of a strong and sound infrastructure in Southeast Asia may not exist today if not for economic reforms during colonialism.

By examining how Southeast Asia was affected by colonialism socio-culturally, we would be able to infer if Southeast Asian would be different without colonial influence. Though colonial language and culture were enforced during that time however few outlasted colonialism. As noted because the adoption of foreign socio-culture was strained and resented by the natives, countries like Indonesia and the Philippines still largely stuck to their native languages and beliefs. Also, the cultures in many countries are rich and deeply rooted and resisted assimilating into foreign culture and language. This saw limited dissipation of foreign influence. In fact Vietnam and Cambodia are more sinicised in clothing and architecture instead of influenced by the French. ( Osborne: 1998) However in Singapore and Malaysia, there is the usage of British English and laws which exist till present day.

Though not much success were gained in the spread of colonial socio-culture however education policies as suggested by Sardesai( 1997: 147) did “opened the minds of the youth to political ideas of the west” and boost literacy rates in the countries. A more lasting effect could be seen in the greater mix of ethnicity, higher literacy rates and liberalization in modern Southeast Asia. It could be possible that Southeast Asia could be less liberal and educated if not for the compulsory education system during colonial rule and the extent of western influence could be reduced greatly and perhaps only through trading. However this does not mean that Southeast Asians would not achieve literacy but perhaps would take a longer time to achieve the same progress.

Religion wise, Spain did successfully convert many Filipinos to become Catholics and Osborne (1998: 79 ) said there is a ‘profound effect inseparably linked with the experience of Spanish rule.’ Catholicism seems to lay the foundation of Filipino society and even up till today, Philippines is still a largely Catholic country. Also the Dutch did extend some form of religious influence as Osborne (1998: 74) mentioned “implantation of Christianity” in Sumatra and Ambon and there is some extent that Christianity still prevails in these areas though the rest of Indonesia is largely Muslim. However the natives “did not accept the alien rule passively” (Sardesai: 1997: 204) and had their own beliefs and culture. Southeast Asia was open to other form of religions as well due to influence of foreign traders as well as missionaries and it could be possible that they would adopt the same religion despite colonialism and it was more a matter of receptiveness by the people as shown above.

“Nationalism was one of Europe’s exports to the colonial world”. (Sardesai: 1997: 145) The “economic dislocation and distress caused by western rule” (Sardesai: 1995: 146) raised awareness and nationalistic feelings among the people. The development of a sense of loyalty and patriotism towards their country among Southeast Asians was definitely perpetuated by colonialism as seen by the widespread resistance movements and many came together to stand as one against colonialism. Pre colonial times saw many Southeast Asians only seeing their country as a means to survive and more individualistic behaviours of the people. Without the aggravation of colonialism, Southeast Asians might not develop such a strong sense of national identity and be as united as modern Southeast Asia today.

Historically, the colonial powers did make a lasting impact in a “revival of a glorious historical past” (Sardesai: 1997: 147) of Southeast Asia when archaeological excavations, temples were restored and arts were studied. Most notable are the efforts by “Thomas Stamford Raffles in Malaya and Java” (Sardesai: 1997: 147) and all these achievements is eminent in modern Southeast Asia.

Geographically, the colonial masters defined the boundaries of Southeast Asia existing today. Osborne said (1998: 77) “The importance of the European powers in the creation of new boundaries is abundantly apparent in relation to peninsular Malaysia.” as well as Philippines and without colonial rule, it could be possible that the boundaries of many Southeast Asian states with the exception of Vietnam may not be what they are today.

However, the modern Southeast Asia cannot be attributed to only one factor and factors like Japanese imperialism during World War two, the people of each individual country, their leaders and their culture and beliefs all played a part in making Southeast Asia what it is today. The combination of these factors help shaped the history of Southeast Asia. It is no doubt that colonialism did play an important role in that “it generated forces of industrialization, urbanization, modernization, intellectual ferment, and political ambition that inspired at least a small elite in each colony to abandon part of the traditional trappings” ( Sardesai : 1997: 141 ) however there’s only a limited extent to its influence in modern Southeast Asia. Although we will not know for sure whether Southeast Asia would be substantially different without colonialism however it is possible to speculate from all the above reasons Southeast Asia may not be what it is today- a competitive, educated people if not for formal colonial rule.

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