Free Essays on The Existence Of God

The argument of God’s existence has been going on from somewhere around early civilization. This argument has been raged between philosophers, scientists, and many others for centuries, but anyone making this argument clearly has little idea about what God really is. One thing I have noticed is that every philosopher argues for or against the definition of God given by Catholics/Christians. That is, God is a supreme spiritual being who is the creator of the universe, yet is everywhere, and can see everything; he is all knowing and forgiving. Plato definition of God is a craftsman that governs the universe. Aristotle’s version of God is not a personal being like we find in Christian tradition. His God performs no more acts of will or love than gravity. Aquinas’s God has inapprehensible divine essence, which is identical to his existence, and he directs all natural things to their end. Descartes God is an infinite perfect being that causes all effects including ideas. Hume on the other hand argues, that the cause of the finite world is unlimited, and only needs to be as great as it’s effect. Therefore, Hume does not believe there is enough evidence to conclude that there is a God. Throughout my life I have always questioned Catholicism, and what others take on as blind faith in God. We all know that someday we will die (physically), but we deny what may or may not happen to us after death. It’s far easier for humans to accept that we just die, or go to a safe place (heaven) than to question the existence of a superior being. Knowing all of this we still end up questioning the creation of humanity, the religious teachings provided by our parents, our church and our society. During this paper we will examine the many rational arguments for and against the existence of God. It is based on the views of some of the great philosophers of our world. COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENTS is that someone or something must h... Free Essays on The Existence Of God Free Essays on The Existence Of God The argument of God’s existence has been going on from somewhere around early civilization. This argument has been raged between philosophers, scientists, and many others for centuries, but anyone making this argument clearly has little idea about what God really is. One thing I have noticed is that every philosopher argues for or against the definition of God given by Catholics/Christians. That is, God is a supreme spiritual being who is the creator of the universe, yet is everywhere, and can see everything; he is all knowing and forgiving. Plato definition of God is a craftsman that governs the universe. Aristotle’s version of God is not a personal being like we find in Christian tradition. His God performs no more acts of will or love than gravity. Aquinas’s God has inapprehensible divine essence, which is identical to his existence, and he directs all natural things to their end. Descartes God is an infinite perfect being that causes all effects including ideas. Hume on the other hand argues, that the cause of the finite world is unlimited, and only needs to be as great as it’s effect. Therefore, Hume does not believe there is enough evidence to conclude that there is a God. Throughout my life I have always questioned Catholicism, and what others take on as blind faith in God. We all know that someday we will die (physically), but we deny what may or may not happen to us after death. It’s far easier for humans to accept that we just die, or go to a safe place (heaven) than to question the existence of a superior being. Knowing all of this we still end up questioning the creation of humanity, the religious teachings provided by our parents, our church and our society. During this paper we will examine the many rational arguments for and against the existence of God. It is based on the views of some of the great philosophers of our world. COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENTS is that someone or something must h...

Black Men and the Criminal Justice System

Black Men and the Criminal Justice System Is the criminal justice system hopelessly rigged against black men, leading to a disproportionate amount of them ending up in prison? This question surfaced repeatedly after July 13, 2013, when a Florida jury acquitted neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman of the murder of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman shot Martin after trailing him around a gated community because he viewed the black teen, who wasn’t involved in any wrongdoing, as suspicious. Whether black men are victims, perpetrators or simply going about their day, civil rights activists say they don’t get a fair shake in the U.S. legal system. Black men, for example, are more likely to receive stiffer sentences for their crimes, including the death penalty, than others do. They  are imprisoned at six times the rate of white men, according to the Washington Post. Nearly  1 in 12 black men  age  25-54 are incarcerated, compared to 1 in 60 nonblack men, 1 in 200 black women and 1 in 500 nonblack women, the New York Times reported.   In a number of the nation’s biggest cities, black men are more likely to be treated as criminals and  stopped and frisked by police  without cause than any other group. The statistics below, compiled largely by ThinkProgress, further illuminate the experiences of African American men in the criminal justice system. Black Minors at Risk The discrepancies in the punishments black and white offenders receive can even be found among minors. According to the National Council on Crime And Deliquency, black youth referred to juvenile court are likelier to be incarcerated or wind up in adult court or prison than white youth. Blacks make up roughly 30 percent of juvenile arrests and referrals to juvenile court as well as 37 percent of incarcerated juveniles, 35 percent of juveniles sent to criminal court and 58 percent of juveniles sent to adult prisons. The term â€Å"school to prison pipeline† was created to illustrate how the criminal justice system paves a pathway to prison for blacks when African Americans are still very young. The Sentencing Project has found that black males born in 2001 have a 32 percent chance of being incarcerated at some point. In contrast, white males born that year have only a six percent chance of winding up in prison. Disparities Between Black and White Drug Users While blacks make up 13 percent of the U.S. population and 14 percent of monthly drug users, they comprise 34 percent of individuals arrested for drug offenses and more than half (53 percent) of individuals imprisoned for drug-related offenses, according to the American Bar Association. In other words, black drug users are four times more likely to end up in prison than white drug users. Differences in the way the criminal justice system treats black drug offenders and white drug offenders became especially clear when sentencing laws required crack-cocaine users to receive much stiffer penalties than powder-cocaine users. That’s because, at the height of its popularity, crack-cocaine was most popular among blacks in the inner city, while powder-cocaine was most popular among whites. In 2010, Congress passed the Fair Sentencing Act, which helped to erase some of the sentencing disparities related to cocaine. A Quarter of Young Black Men Report Police Mistreatment Gallup interviewed roughly 4,400 adults from June 13 to July 5, 2013, for its Minority Rights and Relations poll about police interactions and racial profiling. Gallup found that 24 percent of black men between the ages of 18 and 34 felt they had been mistreated by police during the past month. Meanwhile, 22 percent of blacks from ages 35 to 54 felt the same and 11 percent of black males older than age 55 agreed. These numbers are significant given that many people have absolutely no dealings with police in a month-long period. The fact that the young black men polled had contact with police and roughly a quarter felt the authorities had mistreated them during these encounters indicates that racial profiling remains a serious issue for African Americans. Race and the Death Penalty A number of studies have shown that race influences the likelihood a defendant will receive the death penalty. In Harris County, Texas, for example, the District Attorney’s Office was more than three times as likely to pursue the death penalty against black defendants than their white counterparts, according to an analysis released in 2013 by University of Maryland criminology professor Ray Paternoster. There is also bias regarding the race of victims in death penalty cases. While blacks and whites suffer from homicides at about the same rate, the New York Times reports, 80 percent of those executed murdered white people. Such statistics make it easy to understand why African Americans in particular feel that they are not treated fairly by the authorities or in the courts.

The 4Ps of Marketing Used by Quiznos and Subway Research Paper

The 4Ps of Marketing Used by Quiznos and Subway - Research Paper Example Today, Subway has approximately 36,266 restaurants in 98 countries around the world (Subway, 2012a). Subway is a private company. Although the company does not give access to their current profits and revenues, the estimated annual sales of Subway restaurant was US$5 billion back in 2005 (Finance Investments, 2011). Quiznos was established back in 1978. Since then, the company managed to operate more than 4,000 stores throughout the United States aside from its stores in more than 40 countries and territories around the world (2010). Unlike Subway, Quiznos had to enter into a financial restructuring plan due to its inability to pay its debt (Bloomberg, 2011). As part of analyzing the differences in the marketing strategies used by these two companies, this report will apply the marketing mix or 4 Ps in the case of Quiznos and Subway. Differences in Marketing Mix or 4 P’s in the case of Quiznos and Subway With regards to product, the quality, and variety of food varies in the c ase of Quiznos and Subway. Even though both companies are able to offer a good taste of submarine sandwiches and salad, Subway is considered more competitive as compared to Quiznos in terms of its food variety. ... Â  In terms of pricing, the market prices of Subway’s food items are more reasonable as compared to Quiznos. In fact, it has been noted that the food prices of Quiznos are almost a dollar more expensive than Subway’s market prices. Despite the ability of Subway to offer more reasonable prices, the company also provides its valued customers with good ambiance, store cleanliness, and high-quality services in exchange for its food prices. The stores of both companies can be located in commercial areas like malls, offices, convenience stores, school vicinities, airports, truck stops, and military bases among others. This allows its target customers to have the convenience in locating both companies’ store outlets. However, the store designs of Quiznos and Subway are different in so many ways. In most cases, the store designs of Subway stores are more comparable to quasi-deli restaurants whereas Quiznos’ store designs are more suitable for casual deli restaura nts. This is the main reason why Subway is able to provide better store ambiance as compared to Quiznos. When it comes to promotion, both companies maintain their own official website where they can freely advertise their food products, news, promos, and franchising opportunities. Aside from YouTube, both companies are taking advantage of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, & MODES IN THE HUMANITIES Essay

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS, METHODS, & MODES IN THE HUMANITIES - Essay Example The artistic works of Giotto, Masaccio, Alberti, Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Raphael are among the most prominent ones in the Renaissance period. The principal characteristics of Renaissance art include development of a linear perspective, shadow and light, expressions and emotions, realism and naturalism, classicism, humanism and geometrical arrangement of figures. Renaissance artists particularly emphasized on the idea of linear perspective maximizing illusionist depth and space in their works to give it a more realistic and natural look. For instance, the famous painting Flagellation of Christ by Piero della Francesca has utilized linear of perspective beautifully. They studies classical concept in sculpture including human proportion and stance to express their work with weight and fluidity. Renaissance art depicts humanism addressing a number of human values and concerns. For instance, Raphael’s School of Athens shows humanistic interpretations. Moreover, the r enaissance artists mostly rejected the use of religious and supernatural themes. They preferred to paint liberal concepts in their works. The 14th century was a time of great crisis in Europe apparently unsuitable for any sort of innovation and creativity. The appearance of plague, continuing war, and turmoil in the Catholic Church were among the major catastrophic events faced by the Europeans following the decline of Roman Empire. In such a dark age Europeans sought a cultural movement for revival. Despite these discouraging factors, the culture in Italy was surrounded by the remnants of a once glorious Roman empire capable of supporting a rebirth. Renaissance artists took advantage of the emigrating Greek scholars bringing with them classical knowledge of the Greek civilization, high proportion of merchants patronizing artists, and greater political and religious liberty for translation of their ideas into practice. The Baroque Baroque meaning the pearl of an irregular shape mark s the style of art and architecture period during the 17th and early 18th century. Like Renaissance, baroque period started in Italy which later spread to the rest of Europe and America. Baroque art successfully flourished until the advent of Neo-classical art style in the 18th century. Early Baroque art was inspired by the works of other artist such as Correggio and Caravaggio and Barocci. However, later in the 18th century, it depicted less drama and color categorized as Late Baroque art period. The most notable of the Baroque period are the works of Rubens, Caravaggio, Carracci, Cortona, Bernini, Rembrandt and Flemish. The general characteristics of the Baroque art are depicted by movement, dramatic and emotional, tension and energy, theatrical, sensual, counter-reformation, exaggerated lighting, tenebrism, naturalism, spatial values and time. Baroque artists used circular or diagonal composition to depict motion for emotional effects. According to Wolfflin (1979), the Baroque wa s the age â€Å"where the oval replaced the circle as the center of composition, that centralization replaced balance, and that coloristic and ‘painterly’ effects began to become more prominent†. Baroque works of art usually imply irregularity, strangeness and extravagance. For instance, Bernini's Cornaro Chapel in Rome is regarded as a theatrical masterpiece depicting Baroque art. As new scientific concepts were being introduced by Galileo, Pascal and

American Civil War Essay Example for Free

American Civil War Essay From the start of the Civil War until the end of the Reconstruction period, America faced what can be considered a revolution. During this time, many social and constitutional developments emerged and brought great change to the country. Social developments that contributed to the revolution were the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Black Codes. Constitutional events that sparked dispute were the three civil rights bills, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the reconstruction. Between 1860 and 1877, both constitutional and social developments merged to created drastic changes that threatened the balance of life in the United States, causing revolt throughout many Americans and bringing about reform to the nation. Before 1860, the United States was split into two sides fighting for power: the North and South. Slave states and free states were constantly competing for representation in Congress. In order to reduce conflict, the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 were passed. Tensions lowered to a degree, but the compromises only delayed the inevitable discord. State’s rights was a critical topic during this time period. The south believed that they had the constitutional right to secede. After Lincoln was inaugurated in 1860, seven states seceded from the Union. Four more states followed after that. South Carolina, in particular, felt their rights had been stripped off of them, and challenged the Constitution of the United States. Document A) South Carolina feared the north would gain enough power that they would abolish slavery in the south, crippling their slave-based economy. This sequence of events induced the bloody Civil War, later leading to the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation, which meant the freeing of slaves that were still under possession in 1863. Eventually, the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed. The end of the Civil War meant the end of bloodshed but the start of reconstruction of the nation. Although slaves were finally freed, it was still rough life for the freedmen. Some blacks felt betrayed by their own government. They were baffled at the fact that they fought for their nation but could not vote for their representatives. In the petition to the Union convention of Tennessee, it is stated that blacks were treated unfairly in court, as the courts would not even receive â€Å"negro testimony. † (Document C) Gideon Welles, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Navy wrote in a diary that the Federal Government has no control of whether or not blacks can vote; he felt it was up to the states to decide. Document D) In attempts to unite the nation, several acts were put into effect. The Freedmen’s Bureau, for example, was set up to help blacks read and write in order to counteract their disadvantages in education. It also provided food shelter, welfare, and medical attention to those affected by the war. Unfortunately, some acts were not in favor of the blacks, such as the Black Codes. The Black Codes prohibited blacks from renting land or e ven borrowing money to buy land. It also forced them to sign working contracts, synonymous to slavery. President Johnson felt that the Black Codes were necessary because he did not want America becoming â€Å"Africanized. † In a petition to the commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, some African Americans felt their promised rights were being neglected. (Document E) On the other hand, political actions were taking place in the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. Republicans were taking control of government and were also ignoring the orders of President Johnson. Radical Republicans were struggling for equal rights throughout nation. In 1866, the Civil Rights Act was created. This act stated that African Americans were United States citizens, shielding them from the Black Codes, and essentially overriding the Dred Scott decision. Shortly after came the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The changing of the Constitution to include the 14th amendment was considered revolutionary. (Document F) President Johnson was impeached in 1868 due to 11 crimes and misdemeanors. He was the first president in history to get impeached. After his impeachment, blacks now started to receive more equal treatment. Blacks were finally able to vote in the 1868 election, which ended up giving the Republicans a victory. (Document G) The 15th amendment was also added to the Constitution, prohibiting any state from denying a citizen the right to vote. Although revolution was going positively throughout, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan was a negative addition. Their goal was to terrorize and scare blacks by force. (Document I) In 1870, Congress decided to ban these secret organizations and enforce the 14th and 15th amendments through the Force Acts. Document H) All in all, between 1860 and 1877, both constitutional and social developments caused great reform in America. Revolutionary ideas such as the freedom of slaves, anti-secession, and rebellion played a key factor throughout these years. The once estranged country was back on track as a unified whole. African Americans, as a result of constant struggle, gained their rights and freedom. It is safe to say that the United States faced a period of reconstruction, which amounted to the shaping of the country.

An Interpretation of Kant’s Metaphysical Deduction of the Categories Es

In what appears to be an important section of the Critique of Pure Reason, when Kant attempts to show the natural connection between the table of judgment and the table of categories, there is a cryptic little paragraph: The same function that gives unity to the different representations in a judgment also gives unity to the mere synthesis of different representations in an intuition, which, expressed generally, is called the pure concept of understanding. The same understanding, therefore, and indeed by means of the very same actions through which it brings the logical form of a judgment into concepts by means of the analytical unity, also brings a transcendental content into its representations by means of the synthetic unity of the manifold in intuition in general, on account of which they are called pure concepts of the understanding that pertain to objects a priori; this can never be accomplished by universal logic. A79, B105 This paragraph is purported to be the possible key to understanding the argument for the deduction of the categories, and is often referred to as the metaphysical deduction of the categories. Kant will attempt to use the forms of logical judgment to deduce the forms of cognitions in general. The passage contains two sentences, but is nearly unapproachable, even at the level of individual clauses. However, it contains an important step in the argument of the critique, one that not only allows Kant to move between the table of judgments and the table of categories, but also that indicates the transcendental role of the understanding; the way in which intellectual conditions operate to allow the possibility of experience, made manifest by an examination of logic. Points of Interpretation The ‘pu... ...lieve that the first sentence contains premises that imply a conclusion contained in the second sentence. Indeed they are premises about what is known about the understanding a priori, and lead to a conclusion that is not surprising, once the premises are properly understood. 3 I can see why someone might see the first sentence as containing the conclusion of the argument, but they could only be so motivated if they read 'the pure concept of understanding' as the categories in general, but they would seem to be committed to saying that the categories operate in general logic as the analytic unity, which, from my point of view, does not seem like the right reading. 4 The knowledge element of experience is given in judgment form, but I am not sure if Kant wants to admit non-knowledge elements into experience, passions, etc...

Smartie Lab Research

Smartie Lab Analysis: The total area of my ecosystem was six feet, but the area we sampled was four feet. We had six types of each smartie: 4 green, 5 orange, 10 purple, 7 red, 5 white, and 14 yellow. In our sampled area we had 3 green, 0 orange, 5 purple, 2 red, 0 white, and 7 yellow. We had 4. 25 organisms per total area that was the density. Our relative density was 8. 88% green, 11. 11% orange, 22. 22% purple, 15. 55% red, 11. 11% white, and 3. 45% yellow. The frequency of each organism was 75% green, 0% orange, 50% purple, 25% red, 0% white, and 75% yellow.The relative frequency of each organism was 33% green, 0% orange, 22% purple, 11% red, 0% white, and 33% green. The coverage of each type of organism was 18. 83%. The importance value of each organism was 34. 24 for green, 9. 98 for orange, 30. 35 for purple, 19. 79 for red, 9. 98 for white, and 32. 43 for yellow. The rank of my organism’s importance from highest to lowest is: green, yellow, purple, red, then white and orange. My population estimate for part II is 11. 66 yellow smarties. My % error for population estimate is 16. 71%.We used a line transect for this lab, and I think most of these calculations could be more applied to plants, since they are stationary and do not move, like smarties, which do not move. This is more difficult to compare to animals since animals move, and may react to being captured and recaptured. Conclusion: The results of my simulation show that around 12 yellow smarties belong to my population of smarties. However, we actually had 14. The results were pretty close, and this demonstrates that the capture and recapture system is a pretty decent system in obtaining population estimates.However it is important to keep in mind that smarties are not stationary and cannot react to being captured in ways that animals and some plants can. The importance values between my transect and my actual data are pretty close, however in actuality yellow was the most important, not gr een. A quadrat would be more advantageous over a transect in situations where there are more types of organisms, or the organism can move. I think there can be issues with marking organisms after capture, since the organism may react to being capture and seriously make a difference on the population estimate, leading observers to obtaining incorrect data.Suggestions for further investigations: I would change this lab to including more exact numbers for smarties, so that percentages could come out more clean and would be easier to add and divide and such. I would also use multiple trials, with different bags of smarties, and with different transects to have more broad data. I would use different kinds of transects, as well as a quadrat to see what kinds of results those give me too. Finally, I would compare all the results from each kind of trial and average them out.

Cultures and Practices Not Allowed in the Philippines Essay

Euthanasia Euthanasia is the legal term for a medically assisted mercy killing; however in most countries, euthanasia is illegal. The first form of euthanasia is the voluntary decision of a patient. This is when a patient asks a doctor to terminate the patient’s life if and when the patient suffers too much, the patient has no hope of recovery, the patient has no hope for a decent quality of life, or the patient wishes to relieve the financial or psychological burden on the patient’s family. The other form of euthanasia is an involuntary decision by friends or family of the patient to end the patient’s life. This is sometimes referred to as euthanasia without consent from the patient. Euthanasia is unethical. It is immoral. Even though a death of a person is given consent by himself, it is still murder, assisted suicide, or mercy killing, which is against the will of God. Abortion Abortion, though allowed in some other countries, is illegal in the Philippines. Under the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, any person who shall intentionally cause an abortion shall suffer reclusion temporal, prision mayor, or prision correccional. The only time abortion is legal is when the pregnancy of the expectant mother is beyond saving like in the case of fetal death, fetal deformity caused sickness while in womb, pregnancy post high risk to mother’s life. In all other circumstances, there is no exception. Abortion is more illegal in the eyes of God, because it is a mortal sin. Divorce Divorce, under the Family Code, is not allowed in the Philippines. Christianity is the largest religion in the Philippines, being that the Christian religion is strongly against divorce. The reason is the influence of Christianity in the Philippine culture. Under its teachings, only death can separate what God has put together. So even if under the eyes of the law, the marital bonds have been validly severed, the Catholic Church will still not honor said decree. Couple this with the fact that there is a stigma attached to broken marriages. Said stigma often develops feelings of insecurities and in some cases, rebellion on the part of the concerned parties. Polygamy Polygamy is the status or institution of simultaneous marriage of more than one woman to one man, or of several women to several men. The two forms are polygyny and polyandry. In ordinary use, the term is restricted to polygyny, where one man is simultaneously married to more than one woman. Catholic tradition has consistently interpreted Christ’s teaching as absolutely forbidding polygamy, and the prohibition was defined by the Council of Trent, pronouncing that it is unlawful for Christians to have several wives at the same time, and that it is forbidden the divine law. Marriage is a covenant between two people. In the Philippines, polygamy is not allowed because of the Christian influence in the Philippine culture. The only exception is when you are a Muslim living in the Philippines. Same sex Marriage Same sex Marriage is not allowed in the Philippines. Two people of the same gender having a relationship is somehow socially accepted nowadays. But when they are to be married, it is unethical. Even though there are some instances that these marriages occur, the couple could not include seeking legal protection and benefits that flow from marriage. Marriage is defined as a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.

Narcissism essays

Narcissism essays Narcissism is a pattern of traits and behaviors which signify infatuation and obsession with one's self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition. Narcissism is named after the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus who was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. In punishment of his cruelty, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, he pined away and changed into the flower that bears his name to this very day. Narcissism is a common disorder and appears in many families and relationships. Throughout this paper I will explain what the disorder is, the symptoms, the forms of treatment, and the effects it has on relationships. My first psychologist who is a major researcher and writer about Narcissism is Dr. Sam Vaknin. He explains that there is nothing wrong with loving oneself, but this goes to a certain extent. The popular thing that narcissists are known for is that they love themselves (but this isnt true). In reality, they get their love from other peoples impressions of them. But the narcissist does possess the to love and to be loved. If he cannot love himself then he cannot love his reflection. But for the person to love his reflection it has to be loveable. Then he is taken by his need to love (which we all have), and the narcissist is busy giving off a lovable image for other people, that fits with the way that he sees himself. The person then keeps the image that they have of themselves and puts a lot of their time and energy into it, sometimes it drains the person so much that they are vulnerable to other threats. The most important thing of this image is its lovability. To a narcissist, love is changes with other emotions, such as awe, respect, admiration, or even mere attention. This is known as the Narcissistic Supply. To him the image...

How Income Inequality Affects Minority Workers

How Income Inequality Affects Minority Workers It’s no secret that white households in the United States take in significantly more income than black and Latino households do, fueling racial inequality. What’s to blame for this discrepancy? It’s not just that whites work in higher paying jobs than their minority counterparts do. Even when whites and minorities both work in the same field- management, for instance- these income gaps don’t disappear. Women and people of color continue to bring home less than white men do because of the pervasiveness of income inequality. A vast amount of research indicates that minority workers are literally being shortchanged in their paychecks. The Effect of the Great Recession The Great Recession of 2007 had an adverse effect on all American workers. For African  American and Hispanic laborers in particular, the recession proved devastating. The racial wealth gap that existed before the economic downturn only widened. In a study called â€Å"State of Communities of Color in the U.S. Economy,† the Center for American Progress (CAP) pinpointed just how much minority employees suffered during the recession. The study found that blacks and Latinos brought in on average $674 and $549, respectively, per week. Meanwhile, whites earned $744 per week, and Asians earned $866 per week during the fourth quarter of 2011. Contributing to this pay gap is that higher numbers of African Americans and Hispanics than whites and Asians worked in jobs that paid minimum wage or less. The amount of black minimum wage workers rose by 16.6 percent from 2009 to 2011, and the number of Latino minimum wage workers rose by 15.8 percent, CAP found. On the other hand, the number of white minimum wage workers rose by just 5.2 percent. The amount of Asian minimum wage workers actually dropped by 15.4 percent. Occupational Segregation In February 2011, the Economic Policy Institute released a paper about racial disparities in income called â€Å"Whiter Jobs, Higher Wages.† The paper suggests that occupational segregation contributes to racial gaps in the pay scale. EPI found that â€Å"in occupations where black men are underrepresented, the average annual salary is $50,533; in occupations where black men are overrepresented, the average annual salary is $37,005, more than $13,000 less.† Black men are extremely underrepresented in â€Å"construction, extraction, and maintenance† jobs but overrepresented in the service sector. Turns out the former employment sector pays quite a bit more than the latter service sector. Disparities Remain When All Else Is Equal Even when African Americans work in prestigious fields, they earn less than whites. Black Enterprise magazine conducted a study which found that blacks with degrees in computer networking and telecommunications will likely earn $54,000, while their white peers can expect to take home $56,000. The gap widens among architects. African American architects average a salary of $55,000, but white architects average $65,000. African Americans with degrees in management information systems and statistics are especially shortchanged. While they typically earn $56,000, whites in the field earn $12,000 more. How Women of Color Are Shortchanged Because they suffer from both racial and gender barriers, women of color experience more income inequality than others. When President Barack Obama declared April 17, 2012, â€Å"National Equal Pay Day,† he discussed the wage discrimination that minority female workers specifically face. He remarked, â€Å"In 2010- 47 years after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963- women who worked full-time earned only 77 percent of what their male counterparts did. The pay gap was even greater for African American and Latina women, with African American women earning 64 cents and Latina women earning 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man.† Given that more women of color head households than white women do, these discrepancies in pay are truly worrisome. President Obama said that equal pay is not only a basic right but also a necessity for women who serve as the primary breadwinners in their homes. It’s not just women of color who suffer from wage discrimination, of course. The Economic Policy Institute found that in 2008, black men earned just 71 percent of what Caucasian men earned. While black men earned on average $14.90 per hour, whites earned $20.84 per hour.

The Matrix Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Matrix - Movie Review Example V. In conclusion, one may note that at the time of its production, The Matrix stood apart from other science fiction films in that the successful communication of the plot and story was inextricably dependant upon the formulation of such technologies as would do so. The Wachowski brothers' 1999 film, The Matrix, has been hailed by numerous critics as a revolution in cinematography. As the professor of film and cinematic arts, Adriana de Souza e Silva (2004) remarks, the use of revolutionary cinematographic techniques successfully allowed for the depiction of unreal' space as both real and material. Apart from the fact that the techniques used both communicated and served the plot, the fact is that they allowed the filmmakers to depict the worlds of cyberspace and the mind as if they were material realms of existence, even as they constantly reminded audiences of the hazy and ephemeral nature of that world (Silva, 2004). While the cinematographic effects and techniques in The Matrix have been dismissed as eye candy' by some critics, a discursive analysis of these techniques, with specific focus on bullet time, shall demonstrate the extent to which The Matrix, not only represents a revolution in special effects technology but has successfully emp loyed those effects to actualise and materialise an otherwise immaterial world and existence. The Matrix unfolds within the ephemeral landscape of a quasi-cyberspace, difficult to depict or define. As noted by the American and cultural studies scholar, Tim Blackmore (2004), the world of The Matrix is almost impossible to define, let alone depict in material fashion, insofar as it exists somewhere within the mind and is shaped by a cyberspacian high-tech existence which is simultaneously real and unreal. The storyline, inasmuch as it derives from the traditional evil versus good, light versus darkness theme, is familiar but the world in which it unfolds is highly unfamiliar and, as such, alien to the audience (Blackmore, 2004). Within the context of Blackmore's (2004) observations, one may define two challenges before the filmmakers. The first is to exploit cinematographic and lightening techniques to their limit for the explicated purpose of both visualising and rendering real, the unreal world of The Matri