Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Example for Free

Biographies of Oneil and Adele Cannon Essay Oneil and Adele Cannon will be honored this year as they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage. The following is just a short summary of the many ways Oneil and Adele Cannon have contributed to the history of Los Angeles. The great French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) wrote in his work Emile: â€Å"there is no happiness without courage nor virtue without struggle†. This is a quote that certainly can apply to the lives of Oneil Cannon and his wife Adele. As they celebrate fifty years of an activist marriage, their life journey has exemplified the qualities of courage and struggle. The causes that they have fought together are a chronicle of the progressive movement over the last half century. Oneil Cannon was born in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on January 28, 1917. He attended grammar and high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. In his 20’s he was drafted into the Army in Louisiana. He first visited L. A. during his furlough from the Army, to visit his sister and younger brother. He met and married his first wife, Elizabeth, in New Orleans in 1939. After his discharge from the Army in 1945 he felt that Los Angeles would probably offer better opportunities for a man and his young family, so they moved to Watts. This was during the era of a large migration of African-Americans from the south to California and other northern states. In order to sustain an income in those beginning years, he had various jobs. In 1946 he obtained a position as an Insurance Agent with the historical Golden State Insurance Company (the first insurance company to predominantly serve the African American community in Los Angeles). As Oneil puts it: â€Å"My brother Fred and I had opened our own printing shop in Watts before either of us knew very much about printing. We were both just out of the Army (World War II) and after a time, we decided that I would go to school and learn printing. I studied printing at Frank Wiggins Trade School which later became Trade Tech Junior College in the years 1947 to 1950. Fred would stay and take care of the shop and then I would come home and teach my brother what I learned at school about printing. That was my job. That’s the way we did it. So we both became printers at the same time, but I became a printing teacher, the same day that I became a printing student. We ran the shop and studied between meetings and other community activities, which we were both involved in Mrs. Carlotta Bass, editor and publisher of the California Eagle Newspaper, (who also introduced Oneil to Paul Robeson) also had a printing shop needing someone to take it over at that time. So Oneil went in and made a deal with hershe rented him the use of the printing shop. Therefore Oneil was in business for himself as the California Eagle Printing Company (1950-55). Also, he still worked with his brother at the Quick Service Advertisers Print Shop on 111th and Wilmington. They printed signs, leaflets and advertisements for various funeral establishments, political causes and groups, and businesses in the community. One day Carlotta Bass came into the printishop with some people to talk to Oneil about the Printers Union. Because of his hands-on work and training as a printer, they invited him to join in starting a campaign to break the color line in the Printers Union. This was a significant point in continuing the struggle for equal opportunities for all, and shows his genuine concern and courage to bring justice to the community. Philip â€Å"Slim† Connelly from the CIO, asked if he could participate in this very important campaign. Prior to this time, the Union did not have any African American members. Considering Oneil’s history of activism, from the voting rights movement in the south in the 1930’s, to being involved in breaking the color bar in the International Typographical Union (ITU), this was one of the most important, telling and dramatic labors of his life. Oneil stated, â€Å"This is how I got started to working on getting into a printing union. After getting all sorts of â€Å"run arounds† from printing unions, somehow some of the Communists who were in the ITU came to me and offered to help, if I was really interested in breaking the Jim Crow status in the printing industry and unions in Los Angeles. I had absolutely no doubts that I was ready for this struggle; â€Å"a piece of cake†, after all, hadn’t I just come from â€Å"Jim Crow† Louisiana where I’d lived all my life, and hadn’t I just gotten out, after three years in a â€Å"Jim Crow† Army. I had been all over Los Angeles looking for, and working on different jobs. But you â€Å"ain’t† lived until you have to deal with well-organized trade union bigots. These dudes were really pros. Interestingly, I never once heard them attacking my desire for membership on the basis of race, but only because the people who advocated my membership were Communists. Incidentally, I never saw any membership cards, but saw that they knew of my efforts to become a printers union member, and that they were the ones who came to my assistance. Logic tells me that there was something strange about the Union’s argument, because if they hated Communists so badly, why were these white Communists â€Å"in the union†, and not one African American? This point was raised by one of the comrades on the union floor and he was roundly booed, but not put out of the union. † Oneil finally became a member of the Printers Union, but then was never sent out to jobs. When he went to the Union Hall, somehow there was no work for him. However, some of his friends benefited by Oneil breaking that barrier, and did get jobs. So the struggle continued. Meanwhile, Oneil continued operating his own â€Å"Union† printing business Fidelity Lettershop, which he continues to run today. â€Å"I ended up not only running my own printing shop, but also teaching graphic arts at S. T. E. P. ne of the â€Å"Poverty Programs† and eventually I retired as a California State credentialed graphic arts teacher in 1999. This is where he first met (now Congresswoman) Maxine Waters. I still teach on a volunteer basis at the Paul Robeson Center in south Los Angeles, of which I am the director. I’ve been teaching printing a long time. † Oneil and Adele met in 1947, while working together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace (who was running against Truman) and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the Ballot. Adele was also an activist, beginning with the Franklin Roosevelt campaign as a precinct worker. Adele Marx Rosenfield was born in El Paso, Texas in 1923. Her family moved to California in about 1936 and she graduated from Fairfax High School in 1940. She then attended UCLA to study Chemistry. After Pearl Harbor, she enlisted in the WAVES, but was discharged after only 17 days due to â€Å"political activities in civilian life†. It turned out the government had interviewed a friend of the family who told of her activities. She married and had two children—Jan and Dale Goodman. Adele and Oneil were married in December, 1954. When her youngest child, Jan Goodman, was in Junior High School she went back to school at UCLA Extension and then for her Masters of Business Administration at Cal State Dominguez, while working as an office manager, and raising a family. After earning her CPA and working as a full-time accountant, she served as the Peace and Freedom Party’s State Treasurer for 16 years and is still a State Officer of the Peace and Freedom Party. Since starting to work together as part of a political team in South Los Angeles during the campaign to put Henry Wallace and the Independent Progressive Party (IPP) on the ballot in the late 1940’s, they continued as a team when fighting to free the Rosenbergs and later Angela Davis. One fight always led to another, as they fought as part of the IPP to force employers to hire African and Mexican- Americans, where the slogon was don’t bank or buy where you can’t work. As part of the South-East Inter-Racial Council, they fought to end segregated housing and restrictive covenants and to bring Negro History Week into the Los Angeles City Schools. Always striving to bring peace, they gathered signatures to the Stockholm Peace Petition, fought and demonstrated against the wars in Vietnam and continue to fight for Middle East peace. As they raised their six kids, the Cannons fought to bring equal education to South Los Angeles, including the multi-years struggle led by Odessa Cox to bring a Junior college to South Los Angeles, which culminated in the establishment of Southwest Community College. They were also involved from the beginning to acquire a health facility of some kind in Watts, which ultimately came under the leadership of Ted and Bernice Watkins and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), a predecessor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital. Oneil Cannon is known to current activists as owner/operator/union printer at his print shop, Fidelity Educational Press. Oneil, along with his wife Adele and others co-founded the Paul Robeson Community Center in 1986. When they were thinking about a name for this Center, their daughter Jan Goodman suggested it be named in honor of Paul Robeson since their goal was to establish a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic community center. Therefore, who better to exemplify multi-culturalism than Paul Robeson. In the Cannons’ fifty years as a team, they have certainly lived their motto to improve our community. Instead of leaving when the kids were grown, they stayed to continue the fight for better schools and living conditions in South Los Angeles. In this way they have been able to truly contribute to a multi-cultural South Los Angeles.

History of Theatre: From Greek to Modern Day

History of Theatre: From Greek to Modern Day Modern American Theatre Modern American theatre has changed a lot since the time of traditional Greek Tragedies and Roman Theatrics. Technology changes have changed many of the different methods that we use to convey artistic styles and themes. Todays theatre has many contrasting and diverse styles; it contains both higher levels of musical and acting talent. The Broadway sensation Wicked for instance, is a great example of modern theatre. It contains a very interesting script, and the theme of the story is a combination of comedy and tragedy. Technology changes in costuming, prop building and even acting has changed everything about the theatre. Wicked also took on an international presence, unlike past theatre, which was isolated to regional performances and even seasonal performances, Wicked has been shown on every continent on the planet. Even though there have been a lot of changes in modern theatre, the core components of modern theatre are still the same as they have been in the past. Although theatr e has evolved a lot from historical theatre, many of the same themes, styles and developments are still consistent with the past. Theatre had its origins in the earliest parts of human history. Before there was actual theatre and actors, the first form of theatre can be found in the development of dance culture. Dances were originally performed in commemoration of major events, celebrations and religious ceremonies. At first, they were very informal affairs with little practice, but dancing as rituals evolved into very sophisticated forms of artistry by the 3000B BCE era. The foremost reason that dancing occurred was for religious rituals. The theme of religion that first originated in ritualistic dancing will continue in theatre for more than four thousand years. Famed critic Ellis Havelock explains, Religious dances, it may be observed, are sometimes ecstatic, sometimes pantomimic. . . . Pantomimic dances, with their effort to heighten natural expression and to imitate natural process, bring the dancers into the divine sphere of creation and enable them to assist vicariously in the energy of the gods. The dan ce thus becomes the presentation of a divine drama. As dancing became more sophisticated with time, and they were eventually performed at every level, especially before major events such as wars, seasonal changes, or religious celebrations. Eventually, rituals evolved further into sophisticated displays that took on themes and styles, this was the first development of drama as we know it (Bellinger, 1927). The evolution of dance from tribal and informal affairs into very complicated rituals can be seen in Persian and Asian early civilizations, they exhibited the most complex form of evolving dance culture. Despite the early development of dance, there are many similarities to modern theatre. First, ritualistic dances had heavy religious overtones and only performed during key periods of time. This was the foundation of Greek theatre, which directly evolved from these tribal dances and dramas. Another similarity is the development of story-telling through theatre, as dances took on more sophistication; they took on story-lines, complicated plots and a common theme that is carried in the dance. The emerging concept of stories through dance was very important because it led to the creation of theatre. This type of dance culture evolved slowly into a new type of theatre during the Greek era, this era saw the rise of theatre, not as a religious experience, but rather as an art form. Greek theatre is where modern theatre draws its roots from. It is the start of the Western tradition of theatre because not only did the Greeks enjoy theatre as part of religion, but also saw it as an art form. The first steps towards Greek theatre occurred when dances and rituals to the ancient Greek God of Win, Dionysus, became more and more sophisticated. The biggest change was the addition of style and theme that led to the development of plays, where spoken word was used rather than only song and dance. Formal Greek theatre is renowned for its style, themes and physical constructions. Every element of modern theatre can be traced to Greek theatre. The great Greek playwrights were very interested in the development of theme in their plays. They were the first to create category of themes suited for different plays. These themes included tragedy, comedy and satire. Tragedy was the most common element in Greek plays, in particular, the biggest development that the Greeks made as in the concept of a Tragic hero, or a hero who is ultimately defeated by their hubris (Bates, 45-47). Stylistically, Greek plays had a very specific structure; they were created primarily to be played once, therefore, they were often staged in a series of four plays. With the first three being tragedies and the final one a comedy that tied them all together to lighten the mood of the crowd. The development of style and a system for organizing plays along scenes and acts was very important and is still something that persists in modern theatre. Finally, the Greeks were also known for their actual physical constructions of theatre areas. Unlike, the previous era where rituals were performs at religious centers and in preparation for battles, the Greeks created amphitheaters within every city where they would hold yearly plays and contests. Amphitheaters were large central stages that are surrounded by raised stairs for seating. They became the popular form of theatre construction for the next thousand years. Greek theatre can be seen as the roots of all modern theatre because they added many of the different core elements that we see in theatre today. They were also the first to have professional actors and playwrights rather than religious figures. Greek theatre started the trend of having professional performers by introducing the actor’s guild where they trained very skilled troupes that would travel around Greece and perform for cities and rural areas along the way. Following Greek theatre, the next evolution of theatre occurred during the Roman era. Roman theatre was not extremely original because it took many of the elements of Greek theatre and made it their own. Many Roman plays were adaptations or even direct copies of Greek plays, so much of their architecture, styles and themes were the same. The biggest difference between the two is that Romans made theatre much more secular. Their plays did not focus on religion nearly as much as Greek theatre, which meant that they were more focused on the aesthetics and art of theatre. This led to the extended use of props to communicate different meaning. For instance, a black wig was used to mean that a character is a very young man. The use of props and elaborate backgrounds surrounding theatre made them more attractive and accessible to the masses. This meant that theatre was one of the main forms of entertainment during the Roman era. Because Roman theatre was less sophisticated than Greek theatr e in many ways, and it did not have a religious focus, they performed many more comedies than tragedies. Overall Roman theatre is important to the history of theatre because it represented easier access to the arts and a secular approach to theatre. Theatre during the medieval era however, took a very large step backwards. While the Roman era expanded on the Greek era, the Medieval or Dark Ages represented a period of chaos and seclusion. The fall of the Roman Empire meant that Europe became less focused in the cities and more agrarian. Without a large audience to appeal to, the concept of theatre almost died completely. During this era, theatre and plays were exclusively religious in nature and were performed by monks and priests as they traveled around the country. The only type of theatre that was available related strongly to the Bible. Rather than having props or physical stages, plays were performed by traveling monks as they moved from village to village, there ewes no formal staging areas. From a style perspective, plays were performed as if they were direct translations of the Bible and all of the different scenes and acts corresponded with Biblical stories. One of the most famous plays of this era was the English Cycle s, which portrayed the birth and death of Jesus. Theatre during this era took a very large step backwards from the advances made from the Greek and Roman era, however, the majority of theatre development did not die, but they were not explored until much later during the Renaissance revival period. The era that had the most influence on modern theatre was the Renaissance era. American theatre draws most of its influences from this era because it closely relates to the style, themes and structures that we are use to in our modern era. The Renaissance was a period of revival that took place across Europe as changes in technology, art, science and all aspects of life took place at the same time. There were many different theatre movements during this era; the two largest of these was the Spanish theatre movement and the English theatre movement. In Spain, theatre evolved during the Golden Age of around 1550 to 1700 when Spain was the most powerful country on the planet. During this era, theatre became divided into three areas, religious, comedic and musical. The greatest development in theatre occurred in England during this period, English theatre is best known for the Elizabethan period, where theatre as an art form flourished. English theatre is known for two areas, theatre construction and its famous actors and writers. English theatre was the first to construct very large theatres solely for the use of plays and musicals. These â€Å"hubs† were where the most famous plays were performed, and the most famous of these was the Globe theatre where Shakespeare held his performances. The construction of these theatres was very influential to modern theatre because it resulted in the development of standalone arenas for performances. This was a much bigger step towards more stylized displays, better props and most importantly, permanent actors. Elizabethan era produced the most well known and famous writer, William Shakespeare. During Shakespeare’s career, he almost single handedly propelled theatre to the top of entertainmen t and national attention. His Globe theatre would attract royal donors and he was sponsored by the Queen. During this era, English theatre took theatre to new heights of success and as a result, many of today’s conventions are adopted from this era. Even today Shakespeare’s plays are reproduced in theatres around the country. The neo-classic era was known for using very formal decorum around each performance, where every part of the display had to be picture perfect. Modern theatre is very hard to explain unless we can see it through the lenses of history. American theatre is very diverse, it contains many different styles of theatre that includes traditional theatre in the form of Shakespeare plays, but it also extends out as far as Cirque De Soleil and the modern Broadway musicals. All of these different forms of theatre have common similarities however that were inherited from the past. One of the major developments of modern theatre is the location of a central theatre â€Å"Mecca† in New York City. The development of Broadway, especially in the early 1900s made it one of the most prominent areas of theatre culture in the world. Broadway brought out a new culture to theatre because it created â€Å"theatre as art† to a new level; it also brought social distinction between classes. The theme that is consistent in American theatre is Realism, a concept that was developed as early as the Roman era, but only became mainstream during the Renaissance and beyond. Realism is theatre that depicts real life, both its pitfalls and its brutality. This is best seen in a classic American play, â€Å"The Death of a Salesman†. Which showed how the American dream can sometimes be only a dream for the majority of the American middle class? Theatre has now diversified to many different thematic focuses however. Musicals, theatre, and classical theatre are very different each with their own â€Å"Mecca† and focus. Another major development is in the educational system for actors and writers, within modern theatre it is no longer a guild system as in previous generations and eras, but now there are formal schools and colleges that teaches the art of acting and theatre. Actors and writers formed their own guilds that were able to leverage their talents to help increase theatre within the US in general. As technology increased, theatre is now more accessible than ever, stages are much easier to construct and skilled actors and writers can travel the world in order to stage their performances. Technology has also made it much easier to build props, so performances today are becoming more realistic with better props and better technology. Theatre has a very strong place in our society because of its culture and history. However, even with the success of theatre it has changed because of the emergence of television and radio, which compete with theatre in terms of entertainment venues. As a result, theatre has become a more upper class or â€Å"sophisticated† enjoyment, which has led to the emphasis on musicals. In the new millennium, theatre will change even more, this can already be seen with the new types of musicals such as â€Å"Wicked† that are being performed on Broadway, as well as new theatre troupes like Cirque De Soleil which are revolutionizing how we see theatre and theatrical performances. In both cases, theatre is very much alive, and many of the elements of today’s theatre can be seen throughout history. For thousands of years, theatre has developed and become a very important part of our society. Therefore it only makes sense that it will continue to be more important as time goes on. References Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. August Wilhelm Schlegel. London: George Bell Sons, 1904. pp. 200-12 Manual of Greek Literature from the Earliest Authentic Periods to the Close of the Byzantine Era. Charles Anthon. New York: Harper Brothers, 1853. pp. 160-174. The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 1. Ed. Alfred Bates. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1906. A Short History of the Drama. Martha Fletcher Bellinger. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1927. A Short History of the Drama. Martha Fletcher Bellinger. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1927. pp. 3-8. Book Title: The Dance of Life. Contributors: Havelock Ellis author. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin. Place of Publication: Boston. Publication Year: 1923. Page Number: iii.

Tar Baby Essay -- Essays Papers

Tar Baby It is often said that it is better to follow your heart instead of your mind because it will never lie to you. However, when you follow your heart you are not always prepared for what the outcome may be. This is proven in Toni Morisson's novel Tar Baby . Tar Baby is Morrison's fourth novel and it took three and a half years to write . The story was based on an old African American folk tale about Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby. This book is said by some to be an excess of what made Morrison's other books good but despite the criticism the book still made it to the best seller's list. The story takes place on an isolated island of L'Arbe de la Croix. this was purposely done by Morrison so that the characters would have no way to escape. There were no immediate policemen to call and no neighbors to interfere in the story . The characters were placed in a cage and left to see what would happen. L' Arbe de la Croix is the vacation home of Valerian Street a retired candy maker and his wife Margaret Street. The house is also occupied by a black couple, Sydney and Odine, who have been the long time servants of the Street's. During the time of the story the house is also occupied by Jadine, who is Sydney's and Odine's niece. Jadine was took in by the Streets and they paid for her to go to school and become a model. Jadine came down from Paris to contemplate a marriage proposal from a Frenchman and to spend Christmas with her aunt and uncle. Jadine can be considered the tar baby in this story. She was taken in by the Street's and opened up to the world that they lived in. She got a wonderful education and traveled all over. She had a sense of security and knew that anything she needed would be given to her by the streets. The streets get another unexpected guest during Christmas. One night when Margaret is up in her room she opens her closet and sees a strange black man sitting there. She becomes hysterical and runs down the stairs in a panic. Sydney goes upstairs and brings down the intruder everyone in the house is startled by his appearance and ready to call the police. Everyone except Valerian. He invites the intruder to sit down for a drink and this makes Margaret crazy. She runs up to her room and locks herself in her bedroom. We later find out that the intruder is the same man that we encounter in the beginning of the novel on ... ...sland but Gideon says that it is to late. Gideon's wife on the other hand offers to take Son. Gideon's wife is partly blind but she claims to know the sea well and Son takes her up on the offer. Gideon's wife takes Son to a part of the island that Son never ventured to. It is dark and Son does not know where to go. Gideon's wife says to trust her and just get out the boat and follow the path. The story ends there and we do not find out what becomes of Jadine or Son. Jadine and Son are a prime example of listening to your heart and not your mind. They rushed into their relationship and did not know enough about each other to make a reasonable decision. Jadine was trying to run from something and Son was not in love he was in lust. If they had taken the time to know each other better they might have realized that they were two different people. Just as in the folk tail of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby, Son (the rabbit ) was attracted to Jadine (Tar Baby ) and got caught in a trap. Jadine and Son were from two different worlds that could not come together. In the end Jadine realized that she made a mistake but Son still held on to the past and ended up right where he started. Lost.

A New Solution to Bring Back the Smile Essay -- Customer Service McDon

A New Solution to Bring Back the Smile Robert Liney is a divorced 34-year-old lawyer with four year old, a six year old, and an eight year old. Robert lives outside of Morristown, New Jersey and commutes an hour each way to his law firm. His law firm handles corporate mergers, and on average Robert works 60 to 70 hours a week. About two years ago, Robert and his wife, Marie, got divorced because of his busy schedule. On days when Bob gets custody of the kids, he does not have a lot of time to prepare dinner. McDonald’s fits well into his budget, is conveniently located on his way home from work, provides a great atmosphere for family dining, and, to top it all off, the kids love the Happy Meals. Robert and his children visited McDonald’s five to six times a month and spent around $18 dollars each visit. However, one day Robert and his children stopped in to McDonald’s before seeing the movie, Pokemon. First, the teenage cashier made them wait while he answered his cell phone and exchanged comments with the other workers. Then the cashier did not smile and warmly greet the family. He rushed through the order, placed it incorrectly, and undercharged him. Robert was happy to notice that he was undercharged, but then was completely disappointed to notice that he was given an incorrect amount of change back to make the meal an overcharged one. Due to this poor employee service, Robert and his family never come back to McDonald’s again. Robert and his family spent around a hundred dollars each month that McDonalds will now lose. What about all the other customers that this employee dealt with? How many other customers and how much money did the franchise lose from the rudeness of employees on that ni... ...several thousand dollars per unit in which McDonald’s will regain in a short period of time. In conclusion, the quality McDonald’s customer service is dropping and a new strategy is needed to bring a smile back onto customer faces. Customers such as Robert Liney should not have to face poor customer service at such a reputable restaurant chain as McDonald’s. By using technology as the intermediate between customers and employees, this will greatly enhance customer relations and lost profits. McDonald’s is the place that loves to see you smile. Works Cited Gibson, Richard. â€Å"McDonald’s Finds Angry Customers on Its Menu.† Wall Street Journal. 16 Jul. 2001 : A14 Reh, F. John. â€Å"Good Customer Service Is No Longer Enough. †About the Human Internet. 2001. http://management.about.com/library/weekly/aa042699.html.

Family vs. Society Essay -- Racism Racial Equality Essays

Family vs. Society As children, our parents instill in us beliefs that we carry with us throughout our lives. Many beliefs we are taught have been passed on through generations. One such belief is racism. Racism was widespread in the past, but is strongly discouraged in today's society. Perhaps it is our families, or perhaps it is society that teaches us racism. If we were to look at our families and the mixtures of cultures in our towns, maybe then we would get some sort of understanding as to why racism is so prevalent even today in the year two thousand. Many times it is through our parents and grandparents that racism is passed down to us. Perhaps they don't intend to teach us, but it is through subtle ways that we are taught this. Throughout history, many of us have been taught to look down upon those whom are different than ourselves. I personally wasn't raised this way, but my grandparents were. Many comments they have made throughout the years have often made me feel uncomfortable. I hate to say it, but I am often embarrassed by my own grandparent's ignorance. I've often wondered why they were raised like that. Only after reading Randall Bass's "Fear and Difference," could I get some sort of understanding. He states, "People are considered 'others' when they are perceived to be in competition with or threatening the very core of a culture's sense of self-identity" (210). This sentence made me realize that people feel threatened when another culture with different beliefs mixes with their own. It was then that I become conscious of the fact that my great-grandparents might have felt threatened by the actions of another person or ethnic group, therefore denouncing and condemning them in front of their own children. .. ...s diversity, yet in this day and age there is still widespread racism. "Why," is the question we need to ask ourselves? Why, if we are raised to believe that all of us are different and all of us are special, is there still the fight between races occurring? The answer to these questions might very well be answered if we look very close to home. The only way to solve this dilemma is to teach our children to look past color, creed, gender, age and religion with hope for a better and stronger society in the future. Works Cited Takaki, Ronald. "A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America." 1993. Border Texts: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 1999. 589-596. Bass, Randall. "Fear and Difference." Border Texts. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 1999. 205-210. Cose, Ellis. "What's White, Anyway?" Newsweek 11 September 2000. 13 pars. 15 September 2000. .

The United States Hypocrisy

The United States hypocrisy is evident when the â€Å"land of the free and home of the brave† came at the cost of Native American cultural genocide and near physical destruction. The term genocide was first used by Polish Journalists Raphael Lenin in his book â€Å"Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.† which was published in 1944. Lenkin defined genocide as the intentional mass killing of members of a nation and/or executing acts with the intention of destroying the basic foundations of life, aiming to destroy the group as a whole. The term â€Å"basic foundations of life† refer to the culture, language, religion, established public and social institutions, liberty and personal safety, health and dignity. After coining the term, Linken petitioned the United Nations to criminalize genocide, which they did in 1948. The United Nations coined their own term. Defining genocide as the intentional killing of or causing serious physical or mental harm to members of a group, deliberately inflicting life conditions calculated to bring physical destruction to a group, preventing births and transferring children forcibly from one group or another. Both definitions are broad, but the use of â€Å"intention† has lead to controversy regarding Native Americans and the atrocities committed by the United States and their government. Whether the U.S intentionally slaughtered Natives with the intention of extermination is of great controversy. Simply because there was no official decree passed by Congress calling for their demise. However, the US demonstrated genocidal mentality on multiple occasions that resulted in the massacre of hundreds of indigenous people. This mentality was exhibited by Secretary of War, Henry Knox in 1790 when he ordered the US army to â€Å"extirpate, utterly, if possible,† a group of natives refusing to cede their land in Ohio. President Jefferson also demonstrated the same mentality a few years later when faced with the altercations with different Indians. â€Å"If we are ever constrained to lifting the hatchet against any tribe, we will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated or driven beyond Mississippi.† Later adding â€Å"They will kill some of us, we will kill all of them.† Both the Secretary of State and President of the US made it perfectly clear extermination was the only option when Natives refused to give their land. But this was not the first case of a president exhibiting such intolerant views. In 1799 the US declared war on the Haudenosaunee tribe for raids that had set back colonial settlement. â€Å"The objective of this war was â€Å"the total destruction and devastation of their settlements. † – George Washington. In this war, the US directly murdered 200 natives (Natives). When the topic of settlers and native American interactions arise, the common legend of Smallpox infested blankets being distributed to Natives by the settlers is widely debatable due to lack of hard evidence. Some argue it never happened, but on June 23rd, 1763 Captain William Trent wrote in his journal â€Å"We gave them two blankets and a handkerchief out if the Smallpox hospital†¦ I hope it will have its desired effects. † As a result, 60-80 Native died of Smallpox (Smallpox). It is clear that from the early years' colonial settlement that the high ranking US officials possessed a genocidal mentality regarding the indigenous people who resided there first. On May 28th, 1830 Congress passed the Indian removal act. This policy, was vigorously promoted by Andrew Jackson, provided the opportunity for the US to negotiate with the natives for their land with the promise of compensation. Instead of buying the land, The US used brute force to obtain it. The five â€Å"civilized tribes', Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, creek, and Cherokee initially refused to negotiate. Many members of these tribes were trying to assimilate into American society. In 1835 self-appointed representatives from the Cherokee tribe drafted the Treaty of Echota. The treaty proposed trading of all Cherokee lands East of Mississippi River for five million dollars along with relocation assistance and compensation for lost property. The federal government agreed to these terms but most of the Cherokee felt betrayed. BY 1838 only two thousand had left for the reservation (Native), in response the government appointed General Winfield Scott and seven thousand other soldiers to handle the altercation. Their method of peace was to remove the natives and loot their homes. Afterwards, they forced the Natives to march 1200+ miles west, During this excruciating journey, they were not given food water or supplies. Over five thousand died from starvation, malnutrition and several flue epidemics including Whooping Cough, Typhus, Dysentery and Cholera. This journey was known as the Trail of Tears, and twenty-five per cent of these tribes died. Despite relocating the Native Americans and seizing land, the US still possessed presenting feelings towards natives. In the 1850s California Gold Rush natives were still being persecuted against and then enslaved. Should they not comply with treaties colonists would â€Å"make war..which must of necessity be one of extermination to many of the tribes.† stated by Californian Governor John McDougal in 1851 (Natives). A prime example of Native enslavement was exhibited on John Sutter's private mill, where gold was discovered. Sutter was one of the most influential landowners at the time, enslaving hundred of natives who resided on his property and controlling them with fear. The Natives were used for labour and as a makeshift militia to protect Sutter's 50,000 acres and trading centre. Sutter treated the native people horrendously. He was friendly at first but began to interfere with tribe customs and marriages. A former employee, Heinrich Lienhard accused Sutter of forming a Harlem and molesting young native girls. HIs method of control was fear. He was not hesitant to whip or kill noncompliant natives. Visitors noted â€Å"Sutter keeps 600-800 Indians in a complete stage of slavery†, feeding them leftover bread wheat from troughs while they slept in locked rooms without furniture. (Jeffery). The use of Native labour during the gold rush was common, even more so was the sale of indigenous people between farmers. Enslavement was a popular form of oppression during the gold rush, but it was not the only ordeal Native Americans faced. One particularly revolting act was Californian Governor John B Wells rendering funding for the Eel River Rangers. The Eel River Rangers was a group of twenty or so white men who hunted down and slaughtered Indigenous women and children. (Natives )The State government of California provided finances needed to take the lives of innocent women and children. Of course when discussing homicidal acts perpetrated by the United States one cannot forget the Indian Wars. The Indian Wars were U.S army campaigns that targeted smaller groups of tribes to send a message to the rest of the population. The U.S army intentionally slaughtered hundreds of Natives on three separate occasions. The first massacre occurred near Preston, ID in 1863. Named the Bear River massacre an estimated 384 Shoshone Indians were open fired on. The second massacre occurred January 28th,1870. Two hundred natives, mostly women and children, were murdered. The issue pertaining to their deaths was the altercation between Malcolm Clarke and Owl child when Clarke accused Owl Child of stealing his horses and whipping him brutally as a punishment. After the whipping, Owl Child gathered several allies and they murdered Clarke, fleeing afterwards. This issue led to a massive outcry and the federal government appointed Major Eugene Baker to retaliate. When looking for Owl Child and his allies, baker and his men came across a band of peaceful Indians. The band consisted of women, children and elderly men. When informed this was the wrong tribe Baker replied: â€Å"That makes no difference, one band or another, they are all Piegans (Blackfeet) and we will attack them.† On that day 37 men, 90 women and 50 defensless children were open fired on. Additionally, Baker captured 140 woman and children as prisoners. But when finding that the majority were infected with smallpox he abandoned them with no food or other supplies (Olster). Baker was clearly more focused on seeking revenge than bringing justice to the guilty. He was not concerned with what was right or wrong. He deliberately massacred defenceless people, knowing their innocence, because he despised natives. This genocidal mentality proceeded by Owl Child's cries resulted in their demise. As revolting as Baker's actions were, they were still considered mediocre to the Wounded Knee Massacre. On December 15, 1890, colonists attempted to arrest Cheif Sitting-Bull. A fight erupted and Cheif Spotted elk led the band of natives to the Pine Ridge Reservation. On December 28th natives encountered a US cavalry that escorted them to Wounded Knee Creek. After being disarmed the natives commenced a â€Å"Ghost Dance†, a ceremonial dance that they believed would protect them from the American's bullets. This agitated the US cavalry. Attempting to stop the natives resulted in a scuffle in which more than 60 women were killed. US cavalry suffered casualties of 31 dead, 333 wounded out of 500. (Olser). These massacres were messages to the larger population. Attempts to disrupt and destroy smaller members of a nation to cripple or at least communicate the homicidal intentions that would be met with further resistance or retaliation. The massacres exhibited the immense hatred the colonists possessed by slaughtering innocents as reparations for the guilty. In all cases, natives were disarmed, defenceless and completely innocent of violence against colonists. By attacking communities instead of armies the US army demonstrated intentions of destroying basic foundations fo life within the nation. When examining Native American oppression and the US government it is crucial to note the direct action US Congress took against the indigenous people. In this case, the United States established Native Americans on conditions precalculated to result in their deaths. On November 29th,1864 Cheif Black Kettle and Cheif Niwot led their band to Fort Lyon in compliance with provisions of a peace treaty established earlier that year in September. The Chiefs and their people were asked to relocate with the threat of their safety. To demonstrate friendliness to any Americans they may encounter the Natives hung a large American flag and a smaller white flag beneath it. John Chivington led the attack against the natives. Claiming â€Å"They were of the same tribes with those who had murdered many persons and destroyed valuable property on the Platt and Arkansas Rivers.† (Olster). Estimated casualties in this massacre vary, Chivington claimed â€Å"500 -600 warriors were killed.† But John S.Smith, an eyewitness general under Chivington's command estimates 135 deaths, 105 being woman and children. Smith also accounted for the scalping of women and infants and further mutilation fo the deceased. The Cheyennes lost many women and children. Chiefs White Antelope, Yellow Wolf, Big Man, and a number of others, many who advocated for peace with the colonists, were killed. Chivington had no legitimate reason to believe these natives a threat. They had flown an Amercian Flag and the universal flag for peace yet he still chose to slaughter them. his actions expose the premeditated murder of these people. Chivington had no intention of letting the natives escape, these conditions resulted in the inevitable deaths of innocent indigenous people. From scalping women and infants to completely abolishing their millage and even murdering Smith's â€Å"Hald breed † son Jack, Chivington displayed no compassion. Instead, he demonstrated brute force and barbarism towards natives. Unfortunately, the Sand Creek massacre wasn't the finale occurrence of premeditated lethal conditions. On September 28th,1862 the American Government tried 392 Idginieos prisoners, sentencing 303 to death and giving 16 prison terms. Because this trial was a military trial President Lincoln reviewed the commissioner's findings and found that 303 deaths seemed to genocidal. So he revised the criteria for the death penalty to those who had been convicted of rape, which lowered it to two. This number was still unsatisfactory so the criteria changed to those who had participated in the civilian massacres. December 26th, 1862 39 natives were sentenced to death. 38 were hanged and one was given a reprieve at the last minute. What makes this event so heinous was the conditions in which the trial was executed. The trial was conducted in English, the natives were unrepresented and unfamiliar with court proceedings. Also, the war that prompted these â€Å"war crimes† occurred in a sovereign state and those men who have surrendered were entitled to treatment of such. The disadvantages of the hearing completely abolished any chance of the natives having a fair trial and the possibility of them being found innocent. By placing them in that biased, tainted courtroom the American Government sealed their fate with no chance to defend themselves. The reason for the war? Two years prior to the trial the US failed to meet treaty obligations. In retaliation, Dakota warriors raided stole food and killed five settlers. After the sentencing and executions, it was found that two natives had been hung by mistake and a letter written by Cheif Wabasha stated the Americans had promised no innocent natives would be punished if they followed the advice of General Sibley (Trials). The Us clearly deceived the Natives, placing them in a premeditated, biased courtroom with less than fair trial conditions that would ultimately result in their deaths. In 1887, the American Government passed the Dawes Act. A policy that aimed to â€Å"safely guide natives from the night of barbarism to the fair dawn of Christian civilization.† Assimilation consisted of natives converting to Christianity, learning and speaking English, wearing western clothes and hairstyles, and living a typical American lifestyle. The act also stated that Indian Reservations were to be distributed to individuals and that land could not be sold for 25 years, land left over from distribution could be sold to outsiders. This allowed native land to be purchased by Americans as if Americans didn't have enough already. And it doesn't stop there. In 1930 the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could disperse native land without Indian consent. And in 1924 The Citizenship act was passed. This Act granted citizenship to all Native Americans. Unfortunately, the desired effects were not seen as natives were forced to send their children to boarding schools for their education. In these schools children are often taught false information and censorship reigns supreme. Other nasty consequences of this act were the denial of rights to vote and extreme poverty. Most Indigenous people residing in inadequate housing with limited healthcare. While the United States failed in completely exterminating all Native Americans, no one can deny they had the mentality to do so. And this mentality, combined with artillery support led to the demise of hundreds of Natives. But even the slaughter of their people wants enough. Not only did we take their lives and their land, but we also stole their culture. Demanding them to replace their customs with our own or face death and discrimination. The United States failed in physical genocide but was successful in the demise of a cultural genocide.

The Wholley Innocent Analysis Essay

Bruce Dawe one time said that. â€Å"we write out of a demand to come to footings with some concern. or something â€Å"bugging† us. † From this statement. it is blazing that he expresses his emotions and ethical motives through his poesy in effort to portion his positions and concerns on modern-day issues of the universe with the universe. act uponing readers to reconsider their values. The cosmopolitan entreaty of Bruce Dawes poems prevarication in the poet’s passion in talking for those who have no agencies of talking. In â€Å"The Wholley Innocent† . which is written in the 1980’s. Dawe. challenges his readers through a willful finding to end the gestation of a healthy fetus. Through the usage of poetic techniques such as character. graphic imagination. calculated repeat. and onomatopoeia Dawe reaches the moral scruples of his readers to the inappropriateness of ending life prematurely. â€Å"The Wholley Innocent† . through its usage of p oetic signifiers. efficaciously paperss the catholicity sing an highly controversial issue that is abortion. The rubric â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† . accurately reflects the capable affair. as the verse form involves an aborted fetus who has done no incorrect in this universe. and is hence â€Å"wholly innocent† . Consecutive. this places the reader in believing that the unborn fetus. which has done no unfairness to the universe. should be given the opportunity to populate. The foetus’s artlessness is once more reinstated in the line â€Å"Defenceless as a lamb. † . as lambs symbolise pureness. This induces the reader to sympathize with the guiltless fetus and therefore. places the reader to comprehend abortion as immoral. This besides suggests that the guiltless mustn’t suffer because person else someplace. the grownup. is guilty. On the whole troubled inquiry of when life starts and what we should make about when it has started. Dawe recognises that there is one thing which most people will profess. the point that those who are waiting to be born are holy inexperienced persons. in the dual sense of the word ; of being entirely guiltless because they don’t have any say in what happens to them. Dawe uses this to bring forth cosmopolitan entreaty as no 1 sympathises with the guilty but will nevertheless sympathize with the inexperienced person and defenceless. Through the usage of the poetic technique of repeat. Dawe establishes that the unborn fetus has the right to see these basic constituents of nature that we normally take for granted. The repeat of â€Å"never† and â€Å"Nor† in the first two stanzas describes the fact that the fetus has missed out on legion facets of life due to being aborted. In these stanzas the usage of repeat expresses the eternal list of things that the fetus has lost as a consequence of ne'er holding encountered life. This manipulates the reader into believing that abortion is unethical as you are non supplying person with the chance to see life. Further underpinning the poem’s cosmopolitan entreaty is word pick where Dawe foregrounds the subject of holding the right to life. The lines â€Å"Oh you within whose god-like power† â€Å"It lies to so make up one's mind. † establishes the fact that the female parent of this fetus has no right to take away his/her life as she possesses small power in comparing to that of god’s. The word pick in the last stanza of the verse form is besides effectual as it leaves the reader with a sense of guilt. The lines â€Å"Remember me the following clip you† . â€Å"Rejoice at Sun or star –â€Å"and â€Å"I would hold loved to see them. excessively. † reveal that the fetus is merely human and would hold besides enjoyed the things that other people take pleasance in. The concluding line of the verse form besides leaves anyone who has even undergone abortion experiencing guilty. â€Å"I ne'er got that far. † reinstates the act of corruptio n that has been committed further backing the construct of mindless life loss. a cosmopolitan subject. Dawe uses graphic imagination to underscore the fact that abortion is extravagant and unfair. The perforating imagination of a uterus that could go a grave if abortion is carried out in â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† will faze any reader contemplating ending a gestation. The lines in stanza five â€Å"For I was portion of that doomed race† and â€Å"Whose death–cell was the uterus. † uncover the fact that the unborn fetus is ashamed to experience a portion of its race which evokes untold commiseration for his/her defenceless life that is trapped. The fetus besides highlights that all he/she wants is to see the simple things in life like to â€Å"rejoice at Sun or star. † Most readers would hold that this is a cosmopolitan right for all persons to see these basic constituents of nature. In the line. â€Å"I ne'er cognize the autonomous touch of attention. † this suggests that he/she ne'er experiences parental love which in bend evokes untold feeli ngs of commiseration and understanding in the reader. A simile is besides used in stanza three that he/she will decease â€Å"anonymous as mud† if nobody protects him. The fetus besides compares itself to a defenceless lamb with surely evokes feeling of understanding in the reader. . Overall. Bruce Dawes â€Å"The Wholly Innocent† . which is an highly powerful verse form. successfully establishes the fact that the female parent of this fetus has no right to take away his/her life. This verse form besides establishes that there is perfectly no justness in killing a life and that the female parent has no entitlement in making so. as she possesses small power. With the assistance of the poetic techniques of repeat. word pick. and imagination he arouses understanding. carefully pull stringsing the audience to reflect upon his ain positions towards abortion. In this manner. Dawe has created a verse form that is non merely unambiguously Australian but presents issues of planetary concern which generates cosmopolitan entreaty.