Letter to Your Friend in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Letter to Your Friend in England - Essay Example My dear friend, you are right when you observe that we are living in a period of great political turmoil. I regret to tell you that here, in the colonies, public opinion continues to grow against controls imposed by the Mother Country. As a medical practitioner, I am exposed to a variety of views, ranging across the spectrum of political opinion: from those calling for peaceful negotiations to others calling for an outright revolution. I will attempt to address, to the best of my ability, your doubts on these issues. I think you will agree with me when I say that the cause of the present troubles can be traced to England’s state of near bankruptcy at the end of the French and Indian Wars. The first major irritant to hitherto cordial relations between the colonies and England was The Proclamation of 1763, preventing us access to the Western lands. In the light of an ever-increasing population, this appeared to be manifestly unwarranted. Of course, we chose to ignore the Proclam ation. At this juncture, The Grenville Program of 1764-1765, which we hear had great support in England, was salt to our wounds. The Sugar Act of 1764, imposing additional duties on sugar, and doubling the duty on imported goods, was manifestly unfair from our point of view: particularly as the taxable list included almost everything we produce. You can imagine the number of cases of confiscation and litigation arising from this! Matters were made worse by the changes to the Navigation Acts, giving a single Vice-Admiralty court in Halifax, Nova Scotia, jurisdiction over all of the American colonies in trade matters. The legal costs, and the cost of travelling from Boston to Nova Scotia, to say nothing of the cost in time, were a major cause of complaint among the traders here. I am sure that expecting the defendant to post a bond to cover all expenses for both sides, would not be acceptable in England! Boston witnessed many town meetings calling for a united opposition to these Acts . I must admit that I was a willing participant in these meetings. An additional benefit of my attendance was that we (a group of educationists and doctors) were able to pacify the hot-heads who kept calling for some violent action in protest against the Acts. My friend, surely you will agree that expecting us to house and supply British troops at our personal expense, as mandated by the Quartering Act of 1765, was manifestly unfair. When most of us consider ourselves to be loyal subjects of His Majesty, the presence of a significant number of troops is itself a sign of suspicion and unwanted tight control. The Act has turned our perception of control into that of repression. Of course, it was the Stamp Act of the same year which finally turned the tide of public opinion decisively against England, and alienated the majority of colonists against the Mother Country. The paying of a direct tax to England flies in the face of every legislative tradition. I support the colonial position that it is a form of ‘taxation without representation.’ A tax on all printed material: including playing cards and college diplomas! My friend, how could the British Parliament pass such an Act? The Act succeeded in creating a unified opposition, led by the influential lawyers, merchants and newspaper publishers in Boston, who were most affected by its terms. The popular anger aroused by the Stamp Act resulted in the beginnings of mob violence. The Sons of

Market plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market plan - Essay Example Thus, all in all, the Masafi Group has come up with a winner in the shape of the Masafi Natural Mineral Water. The Masafi Water Company is now trying to launch ABC aftershave company, for which they need to perform a step by step marketing plan, since it would assist them in knowing the need of this product, and assess it with respect to the environment in which the industry is thriving at this point in time. (Kerin, 2004) A market plan is basically an outline of the various environmental factors as well as the marketing dynamics that will be associated with the product, which is yet to be launched. (Larsen, 1997) It helps the organization to get an aerial view of the viability of the product idea that they have, with respect to the company itself, the target customers, the competitors present, the collaborators and the climate. The SWOT analysis also plays a vital role in telling the company about its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The market plan becomes further refined when portions for market segmentation, alternative marketing strategies and selected marketing strategy are added. (Luther, 2001) The Masafi group now plans to launch an aftershave company. Aftershaves are a health and beauty product and come under the sub-category of fragrances and perfumes. The aftershave market is quite saturated with many big perfume brands doing brand extensions into aftershaves, using their known and established brand names. Whether or not Masafi water should plan to invest their time, resources and energy in launching an aftershave company would be better decided if a marketing plan is made, and critically analyzed. (Stapleton, 1998) The marketing plan would consist of the following components: The SWOT analysis involves the analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company as well as the external opportunities and threats that the company is

The Positive Effects A Nuclear Reactor Politics Essay

The Positive Effects A Nuclear Reactor Politics Essay Providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. (Obama) This was the endorsement made by the President of the United States in January of 2010 during his annual State of the Union Address of adding more nuclear power facilities around the United States. Nuclear power is the energy source of the future, and Louisa County is on the cusp of becoming one of the frontrunners in the nation in this aspect with its partnership with Dominion Power Electric Company to add a third reactor to its nuclear power plant situated on the shores of Lake Anna. Lake Anna was originally built to fuel the nuclear reactors that began commercial use in 1978 (Unit One) and 1980 (Unit Two). The lake is used to provide the water necessary to fuel this power station and its use and output will soar to new heights in the com ing years. Already armed with two nuclear reactors on its power plant, the addition of a third reactor will only bolster Louisa Countys already advantageous position in the alternative energy game. In adding a third reactor at the Dominion Electric Power Plant on Lake Anna, Louisa County will put itself in a position to be the benefactor of numerous Federal aides, it will also create more jobs to be added to the local economic structure, and spark an influx of new businesses opening in the Lake Anna region as a result of this jump in population. More people will be attracted to the area, and more money will be brought into the county as a result, all of which will benefit the area while the recreational value of the lake and surrounding area will not be harmed, as some residents are fearful will happen. All of these factors bode well for the local economy and the citizens of Lake Anna and Louisa County. In times where oil and coal are insufficient in appeasing worldwide energy needs, nuclear power is an efficient alternative. They are often constructed in times when oil is in short supply. The below chart depicts the growth and addition of nuclear power plants [NPPs] worldwide from 1950 to 1997. The near bell-curve shape of the chart and the nuclear boom from 1970 to 1990 can be attributed to a worldwide oil crisis, forcing countries to find alternative energy sources to compensate for their deficit of oil. Nuclear energy was also the hot new form of alternative energy and there was an arms-race of sorts to have the biggest and best fleet of nuclear performance. Nuclear growth proved to be cyclical as it dropped and leveled off at the turn of the Century. Number of Reactors In the coming years however, another spike in nuclear production will be seen as military tensions in the Middle-East reach new heights. The addition to the North Anna power station, when completed, will be one of the first plants to lead in this upward trend. It can be predicted that the growth will peak again around the year 2014 as the world settles into using nuclear power as a safe and reliable alternative to coal and oil. As Americans, we will soon see more and more nuclear bases around the nation, as it has been proven and endorsed by the government that nuclear is the way of the future for America. With the recent fuel crisis that has hit the United States, a concentrated effort has been put into discovering and fostering alternative energy sources. Hybrid cars was the first alternative venture in which American citizens began to alter their buying habits, but it has since spread into all facets of American society, including power supplies as a whole. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the United States has allotted 2.4 billion dollars of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds [CREBs] to be given to local governments to fund mass projects that will promote or provide alternative energy for mass numbers of people. (Department of Energy, April 10, 2010) The funding Louisa County will receive through the Recovery Act will foot most of the construction bill for the reactor, leaving Louis a ready to profit off of the venture. Energy shortage is also hitting very close to home for Louisa County residents. The Commonwealth of Virginia itself is currently looking at an energy deficit that could reach 4,000 megawatts by year 2017. (Dominion Power, March 13, 2010) The demand for energy is heading in the opposite direction, growing by over 40% over the past ten years and can grow to almost 50% by the end of 2011. (Dominion Power, March 13, 2010) This can be accredited to growing populations and a large number of citizens that are not energy-conscious. The third reactor at North Anna Power Station is aiming to help appease these new demands while cutting into the deficit itself. With any great change will come those who are resistant, those who do not want to alter their ways from the status quo. There have been specific groups of people from the lake community who have been opposed to the expansion of the nuclear power plant. The Lake Anna Civic Association (LACA) is a group of lake residents who have served as the voice of the cautious opposition. Termed N.I.M.B.Y.s (meaning Not In My Back Yard) by colleagues in the area, this association stood in the way of county approval of the Dominion project by lobbying the local government and presenting reasons that the construction of the third reactor would be detrimental to the Lake. Though there are not many residents who feel that the extension of the nuclear power plant would be a negative addition to the lake judging by support for the project displayed at local governmental meetings, their arguments have been noted and studied by the authorities in charge of approval. They argued that with increased water m ovement and usage by the power plant will raise the water level an excessive amount. Though it is predicted by Dominion Power that the water line will rise two inches, it is expected that this will not affect property that shares a border with the lake by encroaching on the land. It has also been argued that some of the bridges that traverse the lake will be made unsafe for boat traffic due to the water level. This would be because the clearance would be lowered by two inches and boats with canopies or a second level may strike the bottom of the bridge when passing. Following a study conducted by the Lake Anna Advisory Committee that was presented on February 9, 2010 showed that the three bridges in question were already below safe boating conditions (the boat, operator, and passengers are not in immediate danger) even when the water was low. It was also argued that an increased water temperature will deter tourists from enjoying the lake and joining in water activities. Discussed e arlier, this slight temperature increase (two to three degrees) will not be physically troubling to lake-goers but will rather make it enjoyable for a longer period of time and will also not have any acute impact on the wildlife within the lake. Given Louisa Countys developmental support track record, a project with the magnitude that this one possesses would not be approved unless it was certain that it would not cause major harm to the environment or citizens around it. Those who oppose the power plant on the lake must remember that it was constructed in the first place to serve as a power resource for the power plant and it would not exist without it. In an interview with William Blount (telephone interview, January 4, 2010), a longtime resident and entrepreneur on the lake, when discussing the opposition, he remarked that complaining about the power plant would be like purchasing land near an airport and complaining about noise. Nuclear energy has been proven to be an effective and safe avenue for harvesting energy for a large number of people. Louisa County, through its construction and use of Lake Anna as a power source to fuel its nuclear combines, provides power to the city of Richmond and the Southwest region of Virginia, as well as other states both north and south of Virginia. President Obama has endorsed this method as being safe and logical avenue for providing power to a nation who has seen its population grow by 208 million people over the past 100 years [1900 to 2000] (U.S. Census Bureau, March 4, 2010). This is a significant step toward nuclear energy becoming more common and available. Being of the Democratic Party, this is a sign that the endorsement is no false advertisement because the Democrats have traditionally been the major stopping point for the implementation of nuclear power as a major source of national energy. Democrats, as well as millions of previously undecided citizens on the topic of nuclear energy are beginning to see nuclear power as a safe alternative to oil and coal, which there has been a recent shortage of, with no end in site as long as the war and associated long term conflicts in the Middle-East continue. With each crisis comes a solution and a benefactor; Louisa County will be a benefactor from our national oil shortage. In order to ensure and promote the further use of nuclear energy, a town such as Louisa County could be granted sums of money and credits reaching into the millions (U.S. Department of Energy, April 10, 2010) for using this energy source . The wealth accrued through these cuts can be spent on public utilities such as roads and offices, meaning the county as a whole will benefit and be more pleasurable for all citizens. Reputable people closely involved with the project feel as if it will be a positive for Louisa. Lifetime Louisa County resident and former County Administrator and Clerk of the Court Dean Agee feels as if the addition of the third reactor will only help Louisa County fiscally. The income from the projected boost in commerce and population will help to offset the cost of the influx of public school attendance this county has seen in the past decade. This was most recently illustrated with the construction of Moss-Knuckles Elementary school on Route 208 toward Charlottesville. Schools are being built to accommodate all of the new students being enrolled in Louisa County Public Schools each year, and funding is necessary to make this possible. A large portion of this money will come from County taxes on the construction projects and new businesses blossoming in the area. When discussing the economic benefits Louisa will experience, Agee revealed that the Board of Supervisors will increa se the value of the county to offset the State lowering its fiscal aid, which is taxing on its actual value, this will level off the overall fiscal value of the Countyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ combining that with the Federal incentives that we will receive, a substantial increase in overall value will emerge. The growth that will take place can be shocking. During the original construction of Lake Anna Mr. Boodgie Duke, a local businessman and prominent land owner in the area, was speaking to a construction official about the digging of the hole where Lake Anna was to go. He inquired about how such a massive amount of dirt was going to be displaced, and was told that over one hundred bulldozers would be utilized in the process, What? he exclaimed, There are only three bulldozers in the entire county! This is merely a small example of the growth that nuclear power stations can bring to an area. While the area has seen much greater growth since then, adding a third reactor will have similar effects. There will be an influx of new jobs created by this third reactor; construction, building parts for the reactor, shipping, workers, and security for the new component will be needed for completion and use. Different stages of the construction project will involve multiple businesses and contract ors, so exact numbers for each specific construction discipline will only be able to be seen with time. These jobs will not only attract workers, but also their families will move with them if they are to stay permanently, these numbers will add up quickly. To accommodate all of the new citizens and workers in the County, the local real estate market will also see a boost as it must provide both permanent and temporary housing for those working. Lake Anna Island has already taken measures of preparation for this by having a building project in the works to create over fifty new housing condominiums to complement the twenty it already has. This undertaking is projected to be completed by late summer of 2010, in time to advertise and sell to migrant workers who are helping in building the third unit. According to local businessman B.J. Blount, by completion of the project over 700 permanent new jobs will be brought in to Louisa County in addition to roughly 5,000 temporary jobs over t he next five to seven years, adding wealth and notoriety to the area. According to former Louisa County administrator and lifelong resident Dean Agee, Lake Anna is already by far the most powerful and wealthy market in Louisa County; it is projects and progressiveness such as the addition of a third nuclear unit that makes it such. With this influx of new jobs in the area, the arrival of a new reactor will establish the northwest area of Lake Anna as a jumping-off point for more businesses and development projects in the area. As is true with virtually all areas that feature a great density of corporate prosperity, there was a major project that served as a catalyst for the attraction of other businesses to establish themselves in the area. A prime example of that would be the Short Pump Town Center erected in 2003 in northwestern Henrico County, Virginia. As soon as that came to fruition, and even perhaps before, more businesses and companies were purchasing land and leasing buildings to establish themselves in and around. There are now over a dozen housing developments and apartment communities established in the general vicinity of the Town Center with more to come. The Short Pump area has also established itself as one of the main shopping and leisure areas in the state of Virginia and many high school-aged kids migrate there on weekends to spend time and money. There is a direct correlation of growth in population to growth in wealth in corporate areas, and this will occur in this region of Louisa County. When the tide comes in, all the boats rise; the growth of the nuclear power plant will serve as that tide in Louisa. More businesses will flock to the Lake Anna region to reap some of the benefits. An agreement has already been reached to have a Food Lion constructed on Route 208 in Louisa, located roughly five miles from the Dominion Power Plant. A grocery store such as this would not have signed on for development in the area without a projected growth in patrons that would shop there, so this would be a good indication of the projected growth in the immediate vicinity. Gary Griffith, owner of Dockside Realty, is developing Stonewall Town Center on Route 522 that will feature a restaurant and shopping opportunities. Lake Anna Island Realty was an early player in the race for position to attract business from the new growth. To go along with the covered boat slips that house the Lake Anna Island Yacht Club. Owner B. J. Blount and his partners have agreements and are in the process of building numerous other amenities on their property, located next to the 208 Bridge on New Bridge Road. There are b oat slips available for lease or rent for commuters or new residents to tie up their boats and access them at any time. As that project progresses, there is a potential for over 400 slips to be implemented, along with storage space for each purchased slip. There are the aforementioned housing units under construction that will be available for permanent or temporary use for specialized or contracted workers and their families. Buildings will be constructed to house a hotel and a restaurant, along with separate housing for a doctors office and two other separate restaurants. There is also now a houseboat available for rental on a weekly or weekend basis, with the opportunity for more boats to form a fleet that can turn into a steady source of income for the Realty. This is the sort of business plan and construction project that may well be seen blossoming in Louisa County with more regularity in the years to come. An effect the Power Plant will have on the environment will be the slight increase of water temperature on the lake due to the increased consumption of water by the actual units. It is predicted that the water temperature will rise by two to three degrees. While this is not a glaring difference from the norm, the newfound warmth can potentially extend the tourist season by an extra week. This is because the higher temperature will take longer to cool in the fall and the water will be warm enough for recreational activities for a slightly longer period of time. The increased amount of reactor output (predicted two to three inch water level increase) means that the larger amount will also take longer to cool. Though it is only one week, the collective wealth accrued by businesses of the area, be it restaurants, rentals or general boat activity will pay great dividends in the long run for the local economy. Multiple studies have been done to back up all of the claims made in favor of the third reactors positive impact upon Louisa Countys economy. From 1960 to 1976, sixty-four towns and cities that were located around any of four Northeastern U.S. power plants were observed and measured by their property market values. Positive growth trends in property value, listing and sale prices were seen across the board in these areas. (Downing, Gamble, Sauerlander, n.d.) Throughout the completion of the study the communities experienced positive growth. Furthermore, it was found that property market values increased at an inverse ratio to distance that they are situated from the nuclear power plants, possibly indicating that buyers specifically paid more to live closer to the plant. The municipalities that were in the general area of the plants also grew disproportionally to areas in the same state that were not near a nuclear plant. (Bezdek Wendling, 2006) In 1986, a study was conducted by a gr oup of college professors from Oakland University in Michigan that studied whether the federal policy to deter citizens from living near nuclear power plants had positive effects or not. In a study made of 204 local government that were situated within ten miles of any of the 49 functional nuclear power plants in the United States at the time, the governments were polled on their citizens feelings toward the plants and the physical plants public safety. (Folland Hough, 1999) The results showed that feedback was greatly in favor of living near the plants and it was suggested that governments should encourage migration toward the plants rather than discouraging citizens from living near them. Constructing a third reactor to add to the North Anna Power Plant in Louisa County will provide numerous benefits for everyone involved. Federal incentives will be sent the countys way, citizens will come pouring in searching for one of the multiple new jobs that will be created and numerous pre-existing and prospective businesses will be able to reap the benefits from all of this. All of these factors will culminate in making Louisa County a richer, more prosperous county. Resources Bezdek, R., Wendling, R. (2006). The Impacts of Nuclear Facilities on Property Values and Other Factors in the Surrounding Communities (Rep.). Retrieved January 10, 2010, from misi-net.com Dominion Power. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2010, from http://www.dom.com Downing, R., Gamble, H., Sauerlander, O. (n.d.). Real Estate Economics: Community Growth Around Nuclear Power Plants (3rd ed., Vol. 8). John Wiley Sons. Folland, S., Hough, R. (1999). On the External Effects on Nuclear Power Plant: Further Evidence (Rep.). Rochester, Michigan. Retrieved January 14, 2010, from Gale Group. Nuclear Waste Disposal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2010, from http://www.nei.org Number of Reactors Being Brought Online Number of Countries Bringing Reactors Online [Chart]. (n.d.). In TVA. Retrieved February 24, 2010. Obama, B. H. (2010, January 27). State of the Union Address. Speech presented at State of the Union Address 2010 in U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. United States, Department of Energy. (n.d.). Government Tax Incentives. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.energy.gov/government_tax_incentives.htm United States, Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://census.gov

Winter Olympics :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Welcome to the 2002 winter Olympics men’s bobsledding finals. We have gone though many icy events today but one of my personal favorites, bobsledding, is now ready to rumble. We will be going though three different rounds. All four competitors will race against the clock. The three teams with the lowest combined time will move on while the last remaining team will be eliminated. They will move on to two more final race which their scores will be combined to receive the metals. On track one is the Jamaican team coached by Lamar Dabua and is sponsored by the Coconut Canyon. On track two is the two time finalist the U.S.A team looking for that third chance for the gold and is coached by Bob Morin. On track three is a beginning team for Brazil that is coached by Travair Lapidaz which commented that the team feels they are lucky to have gotten this far and are still going to make this sport fun with a competitive attitude. And on the final track are Norway†™s finest bobsledders that are coached by Brillin Concoordz. These teams will be racing down an icy track at speeds well over 90 mph. All teams have a regulated sled for fair speeds. As we get ready to start we ask all contestants to have a good attitude and good luck to you all. The flag is now rising. And they are off. Down the tasks they go. Now zooming as fast as speeds of lightning. So far it is close. They still have mileage to go. Here they go rounding the biggest and the sharpest corner of them all. From here it looks like the U.S.A team is ahead but very close behind is the Jamaican team. The Norway team looks like they are getting off balance. Yes, they are. It looks like they are going to tip. They are! We are having paramedics down there right away. Now the three teams that are competing are getting more and more spread apart. With the U.S.A team still in the lead there is no question that things could go wrong and turn this race around. Speaking of that, it looks like the all teammates of Norway has successfully gotten out with no broken bones but I’m sure they will be a few cuts and browses. All teams that are still racing will move on and yes, Norway team is eliminated.

Extended Critical Response Final Draft

The amount of women who join or even are a part of science related fields, are few and the percentages are lowering over time. The question is why? Why aren't women pursuing careers in these fields? The combination of stereotypes in society and the lack of education on this matter is the answer. They get in the way of a woman's judgment and choices. This is the argument that the article ‘The Persistence of Gender Myths in Math† by Roseland Chat Barnett & Carry Rivers published in October 2004, in the newspaper Education Week supports.I reasonably am in favor of Barnett and Rivers position. Not only because they are against the stereotype which is implanted in our society, that math is only suitable for men but also because they believe that if women where properly educated without bias they could achieve things they are capable of instead of being discouraged. To support my views on this matter will be using evidence from other sources that will be presented later on. One reason I agree with Barnett and Rivers is because on one hand although they acknowledge the fact that â€Å"men far out number women in math related fields† (par. , on the other hand they argue that this has nothing to do with innate differences but rather with stereotypes. In other words the authors do not believe that genes are the reason why women do not choose to study math but are rather deterred from biased people and circumstances which discourage women in succeeding in these fields. When girls grow up in an environment which is biased and supports that men are better than women in jobs or math related studies and avert them from doing the same they will end up believing that men are better than them and that â€Å"erodes their confidence in their own ability to succeed† (par. . In plain English when a girl has been discouraged throughout her life from doing cometh inning that is considered unsuitable to her gender she will not have confidence in achieving a go al and she will believe that she IS not good. It will always seem hard, even if she has the capability of achieving it. Moreover, I could not agree more with Barnett and Rivers that ‘culture has convinced them that girls don't belong in these fields† (par. 0), because a biased culture and the influence of stereotypes may avert girls from choosing what they are good at but rather choose what they are mostly suited for. But doesn't culture consist of education and family? On one hand the article â€Å"Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes: How Our Schools Narrow Children's Choices† by Athena Donald published in January 2014 in the newspaper The Guardian the author supports that the reason girls are not interested in â€Å"manlier† subjects is not due to innate differences but propaganda in school.As Donald puts it â€Å"children learn sexism at school†. Barnett and Rivers are Of the same mind. They believe that teachers do not encourage girls in choosing cour ses that are more popular with boys. On the other hand, Steven Pinker the author of The Science of Difference† published in February 2005, in the newspaper The New Republic talks about this topic in a more psychological prospect and is a firm supporter that biology has to do with what we like (nature), but partly agrees with Barnett and Rivers that people's preferences are caused by their social environment (nurture).This is where family comes in. When the author says â€Å"children are born unisex and are molded into male and female roles by their parents† it shows us that children have the same abilities in achieving things but society is what teaches kids that humans are different due to their ex, which applies, to my beliefs as well as Barnett and Rivers. The authors of † The Persistence of Gender Myths in Math† offer a solution, which think is reasonable.A combination of teachers helping kids in the school environment and enhancing the girls' natural ta lents rather than eliminating them because they don't apply to their sex and the elimination of bias from our society, is what the authors believe to be the solution. Firstly, they believe that teachers can contribute to their female students and help them believe that they are equally likely to succeed in the fields of math. To do so, the educators need to â€Å"examine the degree to which they themselves may have – unconsciously- accepted the math-male equation† (par. 1). Agree with the authors because, since teachers are the ones who have a part of â€Å"molding† a child's personality they need to educate themselves too on this subject. Children cannot be trusted with a teacher who does not encourage them equally. Moreover, I could not agree more with Barnett and Rivers when they say that when we stop believing in the stereotype that men are better that women at math and finally see that it has nothing to do with innate differences (par. ) but rather judge co rrectly a human and his capabilities by â€Å"their individual merits rather than the statistics of their group† (Pinker par. 6) that is when we will have a clear idea of each individuals capabilities despite of their sex. TO sum up, I am a firm supporter of Barnett and Rivers, because they are of the same mind as me which is that achievement in math has nothing to do with sexual characteristics but this is our society's false belief that men can do better in math fields.The consequence of which, ends up affecting women negatively, it does let them acknowledge their own abilities and flourish in these fields. Moreover, the authors do not stand idly towards this topic but proceed in offering a solution in eliminating this bias specifically in the school environment, which is that educators should eliminate this inhabited stereotype so they can judge the abilities of their students in math, based on their performance and not according to their sex which will result in encouragi ng them equally.Finally, a stereotype cannot stand in the way of a woman's pursuit of her dreams just because her sex according to statistics does not do well in math. All humans despite of their ex, deserve the same encouragement and support in achieving their goals, so it's time for society to work off this bias and judge equally peoples' achievements rather than having a false idea of women's capabilities.

In what way is Dr. Faustus an Anti-Catholic Play? Essay

On the face of it, Dr. Faustus is not an anti-Catholic play. Yet, once you have read into it certain aspects of the play – there are many anti-Catholic notions and views that Marlowe has placed within the text. If the reader has no prior knowledge of how the world was in the Sixteenth century, then they would probably not uncover Marlowe’s hidden messages. There are many issues dealt with in the play, yet, they all follow a route to anti-Catholicism. All of the ideas dealt with are reminiscent of the period that Marlowe is writing in, when people did have quite ‘humanist’ views and were hostile towards the Catholic Church because of the lies that they had been telling.The main theme of anti-Catholicism is Dr. Faustus’ rejection of God. For a sixteenth century audience to watch someone reject God and sell their soul to the devil is the most anti-religious thing that they could do. They most probably would have been petrified of what the consequences o f his actions would be. Yet, at the same time, would most probably have admired his courage to stand against an establishment that had ruled their entire lives by preaching falsehoods and in effect stealing from them (through the sales of ‘indulgences’). Also, right from the beginning when we are introduced to Faustus, we find him in Wittenberg – the same place in which the monk Martin Luther lived – an anti-catholic statement in itself as Luther himself opposed the Catholic regime. I believe Marlowe has intentionally set the play in Wittenberg to make a statement right from the beginning that this play is set out to make anti-Catholic notions.The play deals with sin and damnation at the heart of Christianity’s understanding of the world. The play shows us that Faustus’ pride, which causes him to strive for knowledge, may have seemed admirable at the turning point in the Renaissance period, but that this pride and insolence to go against God makes him despaired of God’s mercy. Christian teaching at the time was that if you did not follow Gods rules, you ended up eternally damned to a place called ‘Hell’ – a place that Faustus both believes in and disbelieves throughout the play. Hell is represented as a rather psychological torture in the play rather than a physical one (as Mephistophilis puts it to Faustus). We can get an idea of the attitudes of the people in Faustus’ time by looking at how Marlowe represents Fau stus. We can guess that Marlowe has a negative view of what Faustus did because he compares him to ‘Icarus’ from Greek mythology when he says; â€Å"His waxen wings did mount above his reach, and melting heavens conspired his overthrow. For falling to a devilish exercise† By saying this, Marlowe is expressing that going against God and selling his soul was the ultimate sin that caused Faustus to be damned. The audience’s attitude towards Faustus may have been one of empathy rather than disdain for choosing to sin because at that time it was believed that it was our job to resist the temptations of the devil, like Christ did, but many people were tempted to go against God to find answers other than those written in the Bible, and would have understood his situation. It is not always certain if the play is a true representation of the attitude of a sixteenth century audience as Marlowe was a radical of his time and did have much more extreme views on Catholicism than his peers. Marlowe himself, spent time as a Cleric – even mocking religion and earning a reputation of being an atheist at a time when atheism was a state offence. This maybe being one of the reasons why the play is so anti-catholic because of his anti-religious views and as the most religious of all denominations, Catholicism was probably the easiest target.The first time we see the play’s anti-Catholic view is when Christopher Marlowe gives a sense of something wrong happening at the beginning of Scene III, when Faustus begins to conjure. We get this feeling that something is not quite right when Faustus describes the â€Å"gloomy shadows† and the â€Å"pitchy breath†, the image of darkness and night gives the impression that what Faustus is doing is dangerous and evil. Faustus practises the ‘Black Mass’, which was an anti-Catholic comment as it was praised by Satan worshippers, which would have made this scene extremely horrific for Marlowe’s audience, and definitely seen as a sinful act. Throughout the play, Faustus has doubts about what he is doing and thinks of repenting but it is his pride that keeps him from turning to God and asking for forgiveness. This happens throughout Scene V, where he doubts his actions, thinks of repenting and then because of his pride he becomes resolute again. The good angel tries to help him by saying â€Å"Faustus repent, yet God will pity thee† but he can’t face being humiliated and says, â€Å"My heart’s so hardened I cannot repent!† In the same scene, Faustus says that  he believes Hell is a â€Å"fable†, displaying yet again the anti-Catholic views of the play, as it is a direct comment from the Bible that here are two after-lives â€Å"Heaven† and â€Å"Hell†. By saying that there is no Hell, is saying that he believes that The Bible is lying – a sin against not only the catholic doctrine, but also all Christian religion. He is also writing off everything that he has ever been taught and in an indirect way, preaching to the audience that their whole religious life has also been a ‘fable’ in itself. Here, Dr. Faustus is taking empiricism to the extremes, as he honestly believes that he can sell his soul to the Devil and remain happily on Earth, this also shows Faustus’ extreme arrogance and the fact that he thinks he is superior to the rest of humanity. Scene V is an extremely anti-Catholic scene as it deals with the majority of subjects. One being the matter of the ‘Good Angel’ and ‘Bad Angel’; in this section of the scene, we ponder on the question ‘When is it too late to repent?’ – it is here that the divide in Christian denominations becomes apparent. Catholicism saying that after you have sold your soul, you are beyond the forgiveness of God. Then, the Protestant side, saying that in God’s eyes it is never too late to repent. The ‘Good Angel’ in the play is the one with the Protestant views – a blatant attack on Catholicism by labelling it ‘Bad’, then mocking it in the play. It is very possible that Marlowe wrote Dr Faustus in order to spite those around him – ‘those’ being the Catholics. Marlowe was not a religious man, let alone a Catholic and did not tolerate their beliefs, as evidenced by how clearly the play demonstrates the downfall of a religious man and reinforced themes of anti-Catholicism. It could be said that Marlowe created a man who would be considered an â€Å"ideal† Catholic – after we see him wanting to repent and the way in which he conforms to the people around him very easily, and then Marlowe damned him to eternal suffering; suggesting that during Marlowe’s life, he believed if you were a Catholic you were also damned to eternal suffering and saw no problem with this. Since reading between the lines and going into depth of some of the quotes that Christopher Marlowe so passionately wrote in 1550, it is acceptable to say that there are many aspects of the play that are either intentionally  anti-Catholic or unintentionally anti-Catholic. Yet it is also fair to say that Marlowe has deliberately put some comments into his play that are an attack onto the Catholic Church, its beliefs, practises and its followers.