Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay Martin Luther King Jr.s revealing, Letter from Birmingham Jail, delves into the segregation, injustice and violence of Birmingham, Alabama, probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States(Inquiry, p.#391, paragraph 6) In response to criticism from eight clergymen of Birmingham, King details the process of preparation for the nonviolent protest that took place in Birmingham. Imprisoned for protesting without a license, Dr. Kings words continue to reach far beyond the bars of his prison in his letter from Birmingham jail. Martin Luther King addresses the concerns and criticisms of his fellow clergymen, explaining why the African-American population of our nation cannot always be expected to wait for a more appropriate time to voice their concerns. Justice too long delayed is justice denied.(Inquiry, p. #393, paragraph 13) Dr. Kings wisdom is a well-known and well-cherished part of American history. Reading his words have cemented my admiration for his methods and his ideas. In Letter from Birmingham Jail he exposes the hypocrisy of the South and expresses his willingness to break an unjust law to pave the way for a just one. In case peacefully going to jail for his protests isnt a loud enough demonstration, his letter, specifically addressed to eight fellow clergymen but meant for the nation, gets the message across. Reading this letter has made me wonder how an eloquent, charismatic and just man such as Martin Luther King could be criticized, imprisoned and eventually assassinated. I question whoever cannot see the reason in Dr. Kings words. The issues of prejudice and segregation have been well worn since Martin Luther Kings time, but his words still hold passion and wisdom. His work on these issues was ground breaking, and I doubt our country would be as it is today if Dr. King had never spoken out in a time of injustice and inequality.

Rips Character and Symbolism in Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle Ess

Rip's Character and Symbolism in Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" has been a well-known story told throughout time. There is not a doubt that as a child, many of you heard the words of Washington Irving's famous tale of the man who slept for twenty years. Nor can one forget the "elves" that Rip Van Winkle spent the night with in the amphitheater. Like many stories, Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" has been told so many times throughout American history that it has lost its original purpose. The story is now remembered for its fairy tale like quality and its appeal to the children and the young at heart. However, when given the chance to delve into the depths of what Irving was trying to portray, one may see the symbolism that played a hand in Irving's development of Rip's character throughout the tale. In writing this tale, Irving compares the character of Van Winkle and his wife to that of Great Britain and the Colonies. Rip Van Winkle was Irving's portrayal of the American colonies. Rip's character was described by Irving as a "simple, good-natured fellow; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor, and an obedient, hen-pecked husband." This description fit the ideal of what American colonist wanted to be. The colonist came over to the colonies to gain freedom from the crown of Great Britain, and in doing so, sought the life full of peaceful things. However, still being under the rule of Great Britain many of the colonists felt that they were still being pecked away by the hand of the crown. Although in a new country, they were expected to follow the rules and the ways of their countrymen over seas. However, by coming to the Colonies, these individuals as portrayed in Rip's character, although... ...ence a freedom that their parents only knew for the last part of their life. Irving does state that Rip had a flaw within the composition of his character. He defines Rip's character as easily distracted and averted from any sort of profitable labor. However, Irving does mention that it was not from want or perseverance. In other words, Great Britain would love to believe that because the colonists want to diverge from the rule of Great Britain that they are lazy and undisciplined. Unfortunately for the Great Britains this was not the case for the colonists. Since the American colonies were such a new entity profitable work was hard to come by. Therefore, many of the colonists found it beneficial to help others along he way. This unselfish attitude aided one's neighbor in getting one step closer to a goal of independence from the rule of the crown.

Organic Food Research Essay

When it comes to the food that you put on the dinner table, it is extremely important to understand how the food is grown and how nutritious it is. Some foods are grown using synthetic fertilizers, while others are grown using natural fertilizers. There are foods that are grown using chemical weed killers, while other foods are grown using crop rotation and mulch to help control weeds. You can buy meat that has been raised with antibiotics, growth hormones, and medications. On the other hand there is meat that has been raised using more humane methods. These animals are fed an organic diet as well as given access to the outdoors and raised in cleaner housing to help reduce disease. Organic foods are healthier because they use fewer preservatives and chemicals; therefore they are extremely important in the growth and development of your family. Every parent wants to put the best food on the table for their family. However, it takes an amazing amount of resources and is costly to our planet. The way that food is farmed has changed more over the past fifty years than it did in the previous ten thousand years (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). The industrialization of our society has forever changed the way farmers grow crops and raise livestock. Farmers are using man-made chemical fertilizers and pesticides to control their crops. While you may think that the beautiful fruits and vegetables in the local supermarket’s produce section are impressive, it might surprise your what you are putting in your body. There are not seasonal fruits and vegetables any more in the supermarket. Tomatoes are picked green from half way around the world and ripened with ethylene gas during shipment (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). It’s astonishing how many chemicals a farmer uses to grow their crop. The average apple has been subjected to twenty-seven chemicals and the average peach has twenty-two chemicals used throughout its growth cycle (Juad & Juad, 2008). What is surprising is that when tested, a conventional piece of fruit or vegetable has positive results for lead and pesticides (Juad & Juad, 2008). When it comes to the livestock that we are consuming, it used to take a farmer nearly three months to raise a chicken. Tyson has perfected this science with the help of growth hormones and antibiotics. They are now are able to raise a chicken that is three times as large in less than half of the time (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). The cattle farmer is now raising their cattle on mainly corn feed and antibiotics (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). According to Kenner & Kenner (2008), farmers now have to use so many antibiotics mainly due to the fact that the livestock is being raised in a manner that was not intended. Cattle are not supposed to eat an all corn diet and chickens are not supposed to be raised in a chicken house without ever seeing daylight until they are on the truck to be processed (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). There are more humane ways of raising livestock and it makes for a much healthier meal at the dinner table. It is simply amazing how far food travels to make it to your local supermarket. On average, food travels over fifteen hundred miles from the time it leaves the farm until it reaches its final destination (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). Another amazing statistic is that the transportation of our nutrition accounts for nearly thirty percent of global warming (Juad & Juad, 2008). This is because there are only a few multi-national organizations that actually control the industrial food chain. It might be surprising to find out that the largest purchaser of ground beef and potatoes in the United States is McDonald’s (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). They are also one of the largest purchasers of pork, chicken, and apples as well (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). The largest producer of chicken in the world is Tyson (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). The side effects of these monopolies is that you, the consumer, get what the few powerhouse food corporations want you to have and you are left with very few choices. All of these amazing changes would not be possible without modern science. One of the biggest players behind the scenes and the supplier of the herbicides and pesticides is an organization by the name of Monsanto. Over the past few decades, Monsanto has had several groundbreaking developments in the area GMO’s or genetically modified organisms (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). Over seventy percent of the items in the local supermarket contain one form of GMO (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). There are several unintended side effects to all of these chemicals being used to grow our food. One is that the soil that farmers are using is literally being killed (Juad & Juad, 2008). The outcome is that the farmers are becoming more and more dependent on the chemicals to produce food (Juad & Juad, 2008). Another environmental issue is that a percentage of this chemical ends up in the water supply and it is simply impossible from preventing this from happening (Juad & Juad, 2008). The amount of chemicals that are finding there way into our food is simply amazing. There are health side effects from all of the growth hormones, chemicals, and genetically modified organisms. Studies show that the current generation is the first in history that is predicted to live a shorter life than their parents (Kenner & Kenner, 2008). Cases of obesity and diabetes have tripled in the past two decades (Juad & Juad, 2008). Type-two diabetes used to be only found in adults in the previous generation and now we are seeing it in our children (Juad & Juad, 2008). In Europe, seventy percent of cancers have been linked to the environment (Juad & Juad, 2008). When that seventy percent is broken down, thirty percent is linked to pollution and forty percent are linked to the food (Juad & Juad, 2008). Also, 100,000 children every year die from diseases caused by the environment (Juad & Juad, 2008). If that is not amazing enough, cancer in males has increased ninety-three percent over the past twenty-five years and their sperm count has decreased fifty percent over the past fifty years (Juad & Juad, 2008). Top that with the fact that cancer in children has increased one percent a year for the past twenty-five years (Juad & Juad, 2008). There are studies that show that fifty percent of all cancers worldwide are linked to the environment and that in certain cancers that ninety percent of the cause is the environment (Juad & Juad, 2008). It does not take a Doctor to figure out that all of these chemicals are making their way into our food and they are extremely bad for us. With all of these overwhelming statistics, there is hope for the food that we are eating. According to Duram (2008), â€Å"Agriculture is a highly effective means of converting solar energy into food and fiber. Given sufficient water, and properly managed, the system can operate provided with nothing more than sunshine. But modern agriculture technology has disrupted this efficient relationship. † Thankfully, there are still farmers out there that believe in the organic way of raising their crops and livestock. â€Å"Products must be at least 95 percent organic to use this term† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). Organic farmers are supplying local restaurants and families through their local farmers market (Siegel & Taylor, 2008). They control weeds and disease within their farm with crop rotation and treat their livestock in a humane manner. According to Danford (2010), â€Å"mainstreaming of eating locally and organically grown fresh food is almost complete. † The demand for organic food is growing at a rate of twenty percent annually and the major food organizations have taken notice (Danford, 2010). â€Å"For the past fifteen years large multinational food corporations have been buying up organic producers of food in an effort to enter the profitable niche market† (Hauter, 2012). The Demand is extremely obvious and that is why major food corporations are jumping on the bandwagon. In summary, there are two ways to put food on the table. A consumer can purchase conventionally grown food or they can purchase locally grown organic food. Organic foods use only natural fertilizers, mulch, and crop rotation while traditional foods use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to control disease. There have been numerous studies that link multiple health issues to our food and the environment that it is grown in. As a consumer, society has a choice of how to put food on their dinner table and the smart choice is to choose organic. References: Danford, N. (2010). Vegetable vs. Meat, And Everything in Between. Publishers Weekly, 257(9), 19-26. Duram, L. A. (2005). Good Growing: Why Organic Farming Works. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. HAUTER, W. (2012). BIG ORGANIC. Boston Review, 37(6), 5. Juad, J. (Producer) & Juad, J. (Director). (2008) Food Beware [Motion Picture]. France: CTV International Kenner, R. (Producer) & Kenner, R. (Director). (2008). Food Inc. [Motion picture]. United States: Participant Media Mayo Clinic Staff (2011) Organic Foods: Are they Safer? More Nutritious? Retrieved on May 5, 2013 from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/organic-food/NU00255 Siegel, A. , Taylor, C. (Producers),& Taylor, C. (Director). (2008). Food Fight [Motion picture]. United States: Positively 25th Street.

Economic Disparities Of The United States - 1176 Words

What Are Some of the Economic Disparities in the United States That Occur Along Geographical, Gender, and Ethnic Dimensions The United States is a vast, diverse region that offers a wide range of economic opportunity. Since the United States is so big, there are a lot of differences between the economy in various regions, genders, and ethnic groups. Some of these variations in the economy are good creating a diverse economy with many different kinds of resources and goods. Some differences, however, are gaps between the poor, the rich, and different ethnicities that create economic gaps in the population. These gaps and diversities creates the United States fast-pace forever changing economy. First, the United States is about 3,806 million square miles. This vast land mass differs in all parts; whether its mountain ranges, raging rivers, dry deserts, or green fields. The U.S. economy still uses natural resources for about 3% of its economy. Even though the U.S has a large amount of oil, they still have to import roughly ten million barrels a day. Domestic oil production as well as natural gas production can be found in the Alaska’s North Slope, the Central Interior of the U.S., and the Gulf Coast. The extraction of natural resources creates more jobs and money for the U.S. but creates dangers for the environment. Natural resources aren’t the only part of the economy that varies regionally. Agriculture differs throughout every part of the country. In the Northeast, dairyShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Disparities Between The United States And Other Nations1033 Words   |  5 Pagesof many countries. The economic disparities between the United States and other nations are extensive. Outsourcing American jobs are still not enough for struggling nations, but why? The conditions in peripheral countries on things such as roads, vehicles used, and the homes broadcast are just a few of the images continuously televised on a nightly basis. With this in mind, what is it that makes our condition differ from the others? As a core nation, the United States appears to have the bestRead MoreThe New Eldercare Service Model Must Be One Of Inclusion1293 Words   |  6 Pages Chapter Health Disparities in America The new eldercare service model must be one of inclusion. We can no longer afford to marginalize any group of seniors. –Author Introduction I n the United States, wealth is the strongest determinant of health; and the strength of this relationship is profound and continues to increase. Wealth confers many benefits that are associated with health and quality of life outcomes. Wealth creates disparities in high quality education, employment, housing, childcareRead MoreHealth Disparities Within Dekalb County1709 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on health disparities seen within DeKalb County. The residents of DeKalb County are diverse in race, ethnicity, and income. Since the county is so diverse there are many health disparities seen amongst its residents. Health disparities occur within a county when one group of a population has noticeably better or worse health than another group within the same population. These groups of people can differ by income, education, sex, raceRead MoreMeasuring Racial And Ethnic Inequality1508 Words   |  7 PagesPresenting, and Interpreting Social Science Data, â€Å"Numbers never speak for themselves.† Klass’s purpose for this chapter is to demonstrate the range of data that is derived from social indicators and that can be used to analyze racial and ethnic disparities in different spheres such as income and wealth, health, education, and criminal justice. After summarizing the content covered in the chapter, Klassâ€℠¢s methodology and findings can be discussed and evaluated. Klass introduces the chapter by tellingRead MoreOrder in Society1253 Words   |  6 Pagesthe United States moves away from racial issues and towards economic disparity, police brutality will become less of a factor of race and more dependent on the apparent economic status of citizens. As the big social issue of the mid-to-late 19th century can be said to have been racism, it is clear that economic disparity and financial problems have come to dominate voters’ minds today. Race has largely stopped being a social issue, since, while still decades away from a ‘colorblind’ state, theRead MoreEconomic Inequality And Its Effects On Economic Growth1709 Words   |  7 Pagestopic of economic inequality. Over the past decades, economic inequality has been rising and at an increasing rate, expanding the gap between the rich and the poor. The direct relationship between inequality and poverty has shown that while inequality increases, so too does poverty. Increased inequality is harmful for economic growth and its effects also bear social implications. Although there are arguments on the consequences of wealth redistribution and its unintended impact on economic growthRead MoreHealth Status Of Minority Group Essay623 Words   |  3 Pagesreduce and e liminate health disparities between non-minority and minority populations experiencing disproportionate burdens of disease, disability, and premature death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ~  Guiding Principle for Improving Minority Health Health Status of Minority Group Medical advances and new technologies have provided people in America with the potential for longer, healthier lives more than ever before. However, persistent and well-documented health disparities exist between differentRead MoreThe Future Challenges Facing Health Care in the United States1299 Words   |  6 PagesChallenges Facing Health Care in the United States Liz M. Santiago Dr. Watson HSA 500 March 11, 2012 Identify and describe at least three of the most difficult issues facing health care in the United States today.   Our health care system is complex in the way it is setup and the way it operates. There are many key issues that face the health care system in the United States today. Three of the most difficult issues include diseases, health disparities and paying for health care. Read MoreThe Election Of Obama Into The Highest Political Office1728 Words   |  7 PagesObama into the highest political office may have created a great euphoria that the United States had moved past the racism that weighed heavily on the country’s history. Today, after the end of his two-term presidency, it is clear that this elation was substantially unfounded as racism is still an adverse reality that confronts minority groups in the society. The disenfranchisement of racial minorities in the United States is traceable to the onset of the institution of slavery, and its alleviation remainsRead MoreAfrican Americans Face With The Issue Of Economic Justice812 Words   |  4 Pages while each state within the United States provides its own minimum wage. Low wages equals no healthcare, which in turn equal’s to individuals being sick and not being able to receive the help they need. Low wages also equals mass incarceration which in turn equals to high crime. The hi gh crime usually involves low income neighborhoods, which in more than one way effects minorities. The system has also privatized the school and prison system, which go hand in hand with the economic reality of today