The Novel The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Was An Objective D

The novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was an objective description of the life of Hester Prynne, an adulteress. The novel does not go into specific details of the thoughts of the woman except to describe the tragic nature of her character. Tragedy faces the fact that not everything in life ends happily. Therefore, tragedy raises questions about morality; what is considered right or wrong, the meaning of human existence, and the control human beings have over their own actions. Hester is a person that has lead a very tough life for which she, herself is to blame. In examining the elements of Hubris, Magnitude, and Nemesis will answer that Hester is indeed a tragic character. Throughout the novel she faces humiliation by the other people of Boston, but never loses her sense of pride. Hester Prynne suffers enormously from the shame of her public disgrace and from the isolation of her punishment; however, she retains her self-respect and survives her punishment with dignity, grace, and ever-growing strength of character. From the moment Hester Prynne is introduced into the plot of The Scarlet Letter in chapter 2, The Marketplace, the reader realizes how prideful she is. As an adulteress, she is forced to endure ignominy by her peers and is doomed to have the letter A bound to her heart. When standing on the scaffold as punishment for her sins, she never truly falters. She holds a three-month-old infant in her arms and attempts to cover her brand with the child. However, she realizes that the baby symbolizes her sin just as much as the letter, and decides it's pointless. Hesters' pride is what keeps her from losing all that she holds dear; therefore it can b e said that her tragic flaw is her excessive pride. Throughout many years of her life, the people of her town considered Hester an outcast. Her daughter feels these repercussions, Pearl, as well, because she has no friends. They don't associate with others and some instances occurred when Puritan children would throw rocks at the two. During this time, Hester refuses to make publicly known the name of her child's father. To bear the weight of her punishment all alone made her even stronger. A point of magnitude that led Hester to realize that there is a future for Pearl and herself in Boston. As her life progressed, Hester became less of an outcast in the public eye. She was gifted at embroidery and was charitable to those less fortunate than she. (Although Hester was a talented seamstress, she did not make as much money as she could have because she was not allowed to sew wedding dresses. This is obviously because she had committed sins that were supposed to be confined to the sanctity of marriage.) Seven years after she had stood on the scaffold as a criminal, her letter was thought by the people to mean able as opposed to adulteress. Some time after that the public changed their views of her again and she was thought of as angel. Even though she wanted to rid herself of the letter, she knew she couldn't because she had to bear the consequences of her actions for the remainder of her life, or at the very least the rest of her life in the Puritan town. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, for her sins, received a scarlet letter, A which she had to wear upon her chest. This was the Puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery. The Puritan treatment continued, because as Hester would walk through the streets, she would be looked down upon as if she were some sort of demon from Hell that committed a terrible crime. This would give her much mental anguish and grief. On the other hand, God's treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester the punishment of a very unique child which she named Pearl. This punishment handed down from God was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong, and she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized God's way of punishing Hester for adultery.

College of Arts †Undergraduate Admission Essay

College of Arts – Undergraduate Admission Essay Free Online Research Papers Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study. (max 500 words) Peeking through the immense world with my miniature self, the world seemed so beautiful and adventurous. Many questions emerged in my head regarding this mysterious globe. My mom automatically became the source of the answers. â€Å"Why is the sky blue, mom?† â€Å"Because a big ball full of blue paint exploded in the sky.† â€Å"Why are there lightning and thunders, mom?† â€Å"Because a bad fairy with a flashlight is playing catch with a bad goblin with a hammer.† As I grew up, my curiosity became even more extravagant. Mom knew that she couldn’t concoct answers anymore. In order to shield away from my incessant questions, she came home with a huge encyclopaedia one day. This huge book of knowledge explained practically all of the phenomenon that I wanted to know. This book helped me begin my path of learning the interesting world of life. Whenever I found anything that I was curious about, I went straight to my treasure – the encyclopaedia. I was so ecstatic once when I found out that plants are green because they have a pigment called chlorophyll, not because the god is an impeccable stylist and thinks that the color green complements the blue sky, which was the answer my mom gave me. Some leaves change colors during the autumn because the enzymes that make up chlorophyll don’t work during the cold weather and not because god always becomes bored of green during autumn and wants more colors on Earth. Thus, I have continued gaining knowledge through that thick encyclopaedia. The event of my sister being sick and seeing such an incapable doctor changed my road of learning to the human body. I couldn’t believe that such a highly educated and respected being who has the art of healing could be so cruel and rude to people. From then on, I was extremely determined to become a caring doctor that could aid and heal people. All of a sudden, Gr. 11 biology class rolled around. I was extremely confident going into that class as I knew I already had more knowledge than most people in the room. I wasn’t nervous at all going into my first quiz in biology even though my teacher had notoriety for being the most difficult teacher in school. My confidence fell exponentially when I saw how difficult the test was. All of a sudden, I started to doubt myself. Am I really good at biology? Do I have what it takes to become a doctor? All of the worries and apprehension haunted me every night. For that while, I just lied awake in my bed at night, not moving, just contemplating about my future in biology. Doesn’t one have to be good at biology to call it an interest? A week, later, I received my test, the mark is even lower than what I expected the lowest mark that I’ve ever gotten in my life! At that time I really felt like that my interest for biology was futile. I’ve been moody for such a long time that my despondency had started to negatively influence my other subjects too. I lied on my bed without sleeping; I didn’t even have the energy to go on to that imaginary world. I realized one day that I couldn’t carry on like this anymore. I loved biology way too much to give it up for an insignificant quiz. I took action. I went to ask my biology teacher for help. We talked and I told her that I studied biology by myself and was shocked to find out that I was incapable of receiving a decent mark on the first quiz. She aided me a lot and told me what I should focus on when answering questions. I persevered and, in the end, received a 91% in that class. This grade eleven biology class made me love biology even more, and most importantly, taught me to take it more seriously. What makes biology so intriguing and fascinating to me is the fact that I can understand the human body much better. I become so excited when the television or the radio explains a theory, a disease or a function of a specific part that I already was familiar with. The most exciting part about biology is that people can have the ability to heal illnesses with the knowledge of biology. My goal in life is to help others and make others and myself happy. Biology is definitely the path that I can take to fulfill my goal. Unequivocally, the College of Arts and Sciences is the direction that I need to go in order to enrich my knowledge in biology. With the numerous experiments and lessons that I will be most fortunately to attend, my interest for biology would be expanding further away. I am excited to go to university, Cornell above all others, to embark onto the journey that will take me to happiness and fulfillment. Research Papers on College of Arts - Undergraduate Admission EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsStandardized TestingThe Spring and AutumnTrailblazing by Eric AndersonBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMind TravelHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Cold War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cold War - Research Paper Example Communist world except China polarised with Soviet Union whereas the most of the democratic countries tied up with United States during this period. Most of the Eastern European countries were under communist administration during cold war and Soviet Union succeeded in bringing all of them under their umbrella, forming an Eastern Bloc whereas the Western European countries were mostly democratic in nature and hence they joined hand in hand with America during the cold war era. Even though, the militaries of these superpowers never clashed directly each other, there were too many proxy wars, espionage, propaganda, conventional and nuclear arms races, appeals to neutral nations, rivalry at sports events, and technological competitions such as the Space Race etc between these superpowers during the cold war era. This paper briefly analyses different dimensions of cold war. The term â€Å"Cold War† was first used in 1947 by Bernard Baruch, senior advisor to Harry Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, in reference to the frequently occurring and exacerbating crises between the United States and the former Soviet Union, despite having fought side-by-side against Nazi Germany in the Second World War. ... Nuclear arms race and the struggle for domination in the space missions were too much during the cold war era. â€Å"In 1992, a Soviet defector revealed to Western intelligence that he had overseen an extensive, illegal programme to develop smallpox into a highly effective biological weapon† (Flight). Moreover, the secret agencies in these countries also played their role effectively to strengthen the cold war. During the cold war era â€Å"the KGB, the 'sword and the shield' of the USSR, pitted its wits against its principal adversaries - the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States (CIA) and the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)† (Knightley) Even though, Germany, Britain and France were major forces prior to Second World War, after the Second World War, only America and Soviet Union did emerge as the world’s superpowers. The friendship between America and Soviet Union during the Second World War was only to destroy their common enemy Nazi German y. â€Å"In fact, one of America’s leading generals, Patton, stated that he felt that the Allied army should unite with what was left of the Wehrmacht in 1945, utilize the military genius and fight the oncoming Soviet Red Army† (What was the Cold War?). In short, even though America and Soviet Union cooperated in the fight against Nazi Germany, they never wasted any opportunities to blame each other. It was difficult for other countries to stay alone without seeking help from any of these superpowers at that time. Some countries like India, Yugoslavia, Egypt etc were tried to form another political bloc in the name of Non Aligned Movement (NAM), in order to keep equal distance with the two major superpowers. NAM started its

Target Retail Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Target Retail Company - Research Paper Example This company was driven by the personal principles practiced by Dayton, whereby he believed in reaching higher grounds of stewardship and this made his store become known for dependable merchandise, generous spirit and fair business practices (Target Brands, Inc., 2011). In 1911, Dayton Dry Goods Company was named The Dayton Company so as to incorporate its assortment of goods and services that it had started offering and soon it is commonly known as the Dayton Store. In the year 1916, this company becomes part of the co-founders of Retail Research Association, which is a leading retailers’ cooperative which later expanded and was named the Associated Merchandising Corporation in 1918. In the same year, George Dayton creates a foundation, The Dayton Foundation endowed with $1 million with the aim of promoting human welfare across the world. This was later renamed the Dayton-Hudson Foundation in the year 1969 and later became the Target Foundation in 2000. Following stalling of shipments in 1920 due to a freight handlers strike, Dayton decided to use airplanes to ship goods throughout the country, an idea that was well received by the public following the effects of the crisis on the consumer market. A radio station was created by Dayton in 1922 with a massive influence on Minneapolis. The son of Dayton, George N Dayton, takes over presidency of Dayton Company in 1938 following his father’s death. This company came up with the idea of giving 5% of its pretax profits to the community as a corporate social responsibility strategy in 1946. A new generation of leadership is borne following the death of George N. Dayton, where the grandson Donald C. Dayton, takes over the running of the company in 1950, and this was followed by all the Dayton’s grandsons taking over leadership positions within the company. A commercial interiors department was opened

Environmental Effects of Pesticides Essay Example for Free

Environmental Effects of Pesticides Essay Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their target species, including nontarget species, air, water, bottom sediments, and food.[1] Pesticide contaminates land and water when it escapes from production sites and storage tanks, when it runs off from fields, when it is discarded, when it is sprayed aerially, and when it is sprayed into water to kill algae.[2] The amount of pesticide that migrates from the intended application area is influenced by the particular chemicals properties: its propensity for binding to soil, its vapor pressure, its water solubility, and its resistance to being broken down over time. [3] Factors in the soil, such as its texture, its ability to retain water, and the amount of organic matter contained in it, also affect the amount of pesticide that will leave the area.[3] Some pesticides contribute to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer.[4] [edit] Air Pesticides can contribute to air pollution . Pesticide drift occurs when pesticides suspended in the air as particles are carried by wind to other areas, potentially contaminating them.[5] Pesticides that are applied to crops can volatilize and may be blown by winds into nearby areas, potentially posing a threat to wildlife.[6] Also, droplets of sprayed pesticides or particles from pesticides applied as dusts may travel on the wind to other areas,[7] or pesticides may adhere to particles that blow in the wind, such as dust particles.[8] Ground spraying produces less pesticide drift than aerial spraying does.[9] Farmers can employ a buffer zone around their crop, consisting of empty land or non-crop plants such as evergreen trees to serve as windbreaks and absorb the pesticides, preventing drift into other areas.[10] Such windbreaks are legally required in the Netherlands.[10] Pesticides that are sprayed on to fields and used to fumigate soil can give off chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which can react with other chemicals and form a pollutant called tropospheric ozone. Pesticide use accounts for about 6 percent of total tropospheric ozone levels.[11] [edit] Water In the United States, pesticides were found to pollute every stream and over 90% of wells sampled in a study by the US Geological Survey.[12] Pesticide residues have also been found in rain and groundwater.[3] Studies by the UK government showed that pesticide concentrations exceeded those allowable for drinking water in some samples of river water and groundwater.[13] Pesticide impacts on aquatic systems are often studied using a hydrology transport model to study movement and fate of chemicals in rivers and streams. As early as the 1970s quantitative analysis of pesticide runoff was conducted in order to predict amounts of pesticide that would reach surface waters.[14] There are four major routes through which pesticides reach the water: it may drift outside of the intended area when it is sprayed, it may percolate, or leach, through the soil, it may be carried to the water as runoff, or it may be spilled, for example accidentally or through neglect.[15] They may also be carried to water by eroding soil.[16] Factors that affect a pesticides ability to contaminate water include its water solubility, the distance from an application site to a body of water, weather, soil type, presence of a growing crop, and the method used to apply the chemical.[17] Maximum limits of allowable concentrations for individual pesticides in public bodies of water are set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the US.[3][17] Similarly, the government of the United Kingdom sets Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), or maximum allowable concentrations of some pesticides in bodies of water above which toxicity may occur.[18] The European Union also regulates maximum concentrations of pesticides in water.[18] [edit] Soil Many of the chemicals used in pesticides are persistent soil contaminants, whose impact may endure for decades and adversely affect soil conservation.[19] The use of pesticides decreases the general biodiversity in the soil. Not using the chemicals results in higher soil quality,[verification needed][20] with the additional effect that more organic matter in the soil allows for higher water retention.[3] This helps increase yields for farms in drought years, when organic farms have had yields 20-40% higher than their conventional counterparts.[21] A smaller content of organic matter in the soil increases the amount of pesticide that will leave the area of application, because organic matter binds to and helps break down pesticides.[3] [edit] Effects on biota [edit] Plants Nitrogen fixation, which is required for the growth of higher plants, is hindered by pesticides in soil.[22] The insecticides DDT, methyl parathion, and especially pentachlorophenol have been shown to interfere with legume-rhizobium chemical signaling.[22] Reduction of this symbiotic chemical signaling results in reduced nitrogen fixation and thus reduced crop yields.[22] Root nodule formation in these plants saves the world economy $10 billion in synthetic nitrogen fertilizer every year.[23] Pesticides can kill bees and are strongly implicated in pollinator decline, the loss of species that pollinate plants, including through the mechanism of Colony Collapse Disorder,[24][25][26][27] in which worker bees from a beehive or Western honey bee colony abruptly disappear. Application of pesticides to crops that are in bloom can kill honeybees,[5] which act as pollinators. The USDA and USFWS estimate that US farmers lose at least $200 million a year from reduced crop pollination because pesticides applied to fields eliminate about a fifth of honeybee colonies in the US and harm an additional 15%.[1] On the other side, pesticides have some direct harmful effect on plant including poor root hair development, shoot yellowing and reduced plant growth [28]. [edit] Animals Pesticides inflict extremely widespread damage to biota, and many countries have acted to discourage pesticide usage through their Biodiversity Action Plans.[citation needed] Animals may be poisoned by pesticide residues that remain on food after spraying, for example when wild animals enter sprayed fields or nearby areas shortly after spraying.[9] Widespread application of pesticides can eliminate food sources that certain types of animals need, causing the animals to relocate, change their diet, or starve.[5] Poisoning from pesticides can travel up the food chain; for example, birds can be harmed when they eat insects and worms that have consumed pesticides.[5] Some pesticides can bioaccumulate, or build up to toxic levels in the bodies of organisms that consume them over time, a phenomenon that impacts species high on the food chain especially hard.[5] [edit] Birds Bald eagles are common examples of nontarget organisms that are impacted by pesticide use. Rachel Carsons landmark book Silent Spring dealt with the loss of bird species due to bioaccumulation of pesticides in their tissues. There is evidence that birds are continuing to be harmed by pesticide use. In the farmland of Britain, populations of ten different species of birds have declined by 10 million breeding individuals between 1979 and 1999, a phenomenon thought to have resulted from loss of plant and invertebrate species on which the birds feed.[29] Throughout Europe, 116 species of birds are now threatened.[29] Reductions in bird populations have been found to be associated with times and areas in which pesticides are used.[29] In another example, some types of fungicides used in peanut farming are only slightly toxic to birds and mammals, but may kill off earthworms, which can in turn reduce populations of the birds and mammals that feed on them.[9] Some pesticides come in granular form, and birds and other wildlife may eat the granules, mistaking them for grains of food.[9] A few granules of a pesticide is enough to kill a small bird.[9] The herbicide paraquat, when sprayed onto bird eggs, causes growth abnormalities in embryos and reduces the number of chicks that hatch successfully, but most herbicides do not directly cause much harm to birds.[9] Herbicides may endanger bird populations by reducing their habitat.[9] [edit] Aquatic life Fish and other aquatic biota may be harmed by pesticide-contaminated water.[30] Pesticide surface runoff into rivers and streams can be highly lethal to aquatic life, sometimes killing all the fish in a particular stream.[31] Application of herbicides to bodies of water can cause fish kills when the dead plants rot and use up the waters oxygen, suffocating the fish.[30] Some herbicides, such as copper sulfite, that are applied to water to kill plants are toxic to fish and other water animals at concentrations similar to those used to kill the plants.[30] Repeated exposure to sublethal doses of some pesticides can cause physiological and behavioral changes in fish that reduce populations, such as abandonment of nests and broods, decreased immunity to disease, and increased failure to avoid predators.[30] Application of herbicides to bodies of water can kill off plants on which fish depend for their habitat.[30] Pesticides can accumulate in bodies of water to levels that kill off zooplankton, the main source of food for young fish.[32] Pesticides can kill off the insects on which some fish feed, causing the fish to travel farther in search of food and exposing them to greater risk from predators.[30] The faster a given pesticide breaks down in the environment, the less threat it poses to aquatic life.[30] Insecticides are more toxic to aquatic life than herbicides and fungicides.[30] [edit] Amphibians See also: Decline in amphibian population In the past several decades, decline in amphibian populations has been occurring all over the world, for unexplained reasons which are thought to be varied but of which pesticides may be a part.[33] Mixtures of multiple pesticides appear to have a cumulative toxic effect on frogs.[34] Tadpoles from ponds with multiple pesticides present in the water take longer to metamorphose into frogs and are smaller when they do, decreasing their ability to catch prey and avoid predators.[34] A Canadian study showed that exposing tadpoles to endosulfan, an organochloride pesticide at levels that are likely to be found in habitats near fields sprayed with the chemical kills the tadpoles and causes behavioral and growth abnormalities.[35] The herbicide atrazine has been shown to turn male frogs into hermaphrodites, decreasing their ability to reproduce.[34] [edit] Humans See also: Pesticide residue Pesticides can enter the human body through inhalation of aerosols, dust and vapor that contain pesticides; through oral exposure by consuming food and water; and through dermal exposure by direct contact of pesticides with skin.[36] Pesticides are sprayed onto food, especially fruits and vegetables, they secrete into soils and groundwater which can end up in drinking water, and pesticide spray can drift and pollute the air. The effects of pesticides on human health are more harmful based on the toxicity of the chemical and the length and magnitude of exposure.[37] Farm workers and their families experience the greatest exposure to agricultural pesticides through direct contact with the chemicals. But every human contains a percentage of pesticides found in fat samples in their body. Children are most susceptible and sensitive to pesticides due to their small size and underdevelopment.[36] The chemicals can bioaccumulate in the body over time. Exposure to pesticides can range from mild skin irritation to birth defects, tumors, genetic changes, blood and nerve disorders, endocrine disruption, and even coma or death.[38] Some pesticides, including aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene, are considered POPs.[39] POPs have the ability to volatilize and travel great distances through the atmosphere to become deposited in remote regions.[39] The chemicals also have the ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify, and can bioconcentrate (i.e. become more concentrated) up to 70,000 times their original concentrations.[39] POPs may continue to poison non-target organisms in the environment and increase risk to humans[40] by disruption in the endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems; cancer; neurobehavioral disorders,[39] infertility and mutagenic effects, although very little is currently known about these chronic effects. Some POPs have been banned, while others continue to be used. [edit] Pest resistance

Doubling in Kyds The Spanish Tragedy :: Spanish Tragedy Essays

Doubling in Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The World's Classics version of Kyd's the Spanish Tragedy has more than fifty-three roles*. This number can go much higher depending on the exact number of plural parts the director decided to allot. In other words, the script may read simply "nobles," or "attendants" and the reader can not be completely sure of the number of people referred to. If the performing company was limited in players, there may be only two "knights" but if the director had a large cast he may send in six. This means, after working on the doubling possibilities for three weeks, I can not be one hundred percent sure of which characters were played by whom because I do not know exactly how many parts I am trying to fill. Add that to the fact that there are some parts which only show up once in the whole play and share the stage with only one person. These particular roles can be played by almost anyone in the cast. Therefore, I paired up as many roles as I thought were necessary and left the r est to find an available player to take them.    In order to pair up some of the parts, the minimum number of players needed to be known. This will determine how many cast members had to be available not just for doubling but for staging the scene with the most roles at one time. This would be scene four in Act one. There is a minimum of twenty-two roles that need to be filled. Minimum because there are three plural roles: Spanish nobles, Trumpeters, and Attendants (Kyd, 2), which means at least two of each, and sixteen roles with individual titles. Thirty-one roles were then left to be divided amongst the cast as double parts and, in some cases, triple parts.    These remaining roles can not just be handed out randomly though. There are two basic guidelines used to determine who gets what parts: (1) An actor must play the same role throughout the entirety of the play and, (2) Two characters meeting in a scene can not be played by the same actor since it is impossible for one player to be in two different places at the same time. (unixg.ubc.ca) The attached chart shows all the meetings of characters in The Spanish Tragedy.

Westboro Baptist Church

Persuasive opinion paper God hates fags, Thank god for dead soldiers, Thank god for Hurricane Katrina, Pretty harsh right? These are all common phrases publically protested by a church called the Westboro Baptist church. You would think such comments should be illegal to chant out in public considering that gay marriage is now legal in some states and also that soldiers are out fighting for us, however members of the Westboro Baptist church feel differently. Westboro Baptist church was established in 1955. Located in Topeka, Kansas, Their goal is  to â€Å"preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation†. They take on such goals by publically protesting these horrendous phrases on street corners, gay festivals, and more shockingly the funerals of dead soldiers. Sounds illegal and disrespectful however according to the first amendment, which is freedom of speech, they are within the words of the law. I am personally against the actions of the Westboro Baptist church. In my opinion it is downright disrespectful and should not be allowed. However in a legal aspect such protesting and picketing are done carefully within the law. According to the The Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act, you must stand at least 500 feet away, which is exactly what they do. Shouting phrases and holding up signs that would make anyone’s jaw drop, they have no shame. Soldiers risk their lives for us each and every day so we can enjoy the freedom we have and also to make sure we are safe. The argument that the Westboro Baptist church members are using their right to freedom of speech is almost ironic because had it not been for the courageous acts of our soldiers, they would not be granted the ability to publically protest they do. They are taking advantage of a right that would not be in place if it weren’t for the fighting of our soldiers. They should be awarding them not protesting at their funerals. They believe god loves dead soldiers because soldiers are out fighting for and condoning many of our rights; one specific right is the ability to be married to a person of the same gender. Secondly, God hates fags? This phrase insults Americans all over the world that have chosen to be gay. Members of the Westboro Baptist church refer to the bible for the reasons they feel sodomy – which defined by dictionary. com is the oral copulation with a member of the same sex- is filthy. However I believe that it is all about the interpretation of the bible that makes this excuse invalid. Many religious people read the bible and every religion interprets the word of God differently. So for members of the Westboro Baptist church to publically express their interpretations and what they believe is the real meaning of what’s written In the bible is absurd and a stain on their faith. The final thing done by the Westboro Baptist church that catches the eye of many Americans is the upside down flying of the American flag. According to the members, the upside down flag is a sign of distress. They feel that the entire country is in mortal danger and the upside down flag is a symbol that represents that. The American flag has such a significant meaning here in the United States. We cross our right arms over our chest to honor and respect this symbol of our country, so for the members of this church to hang it upside down is such a slap in the face to what it truly stands for. At this point nothing can justify the actions of the Westboro Baptist church. They are set in their ways and believe that God hates fags, God hates dead soldiers and that the nation is doomed. The only way to â€Å"save ourselves† according to the Westboro Baptist church is to repent and hope there is still time. Everything they stand for and believe in is all disrespectful to our country and what the united states in known for. While mourning the death of a soldier, the last thing any person related to that soldier would want to see is a huge group of people basically praising their death. Also, the hatred they have toward gays should not be publically protested. On June 26th 2003 the Supreme Court ruled that they must respect sodomy. This caused an outrage and only caused more picketing and protesting. In conclusion I believe that the actions of the Westboro Baptist church should not be allowed. They should be banned and made illegal. Although in violation of the first amendment, where will the line be drawn? I Westboro Baptist â€Å"Church† The pseudo-religious â€Å"ministry† of Westboro Baptist Church has been in existence since 1955. Based on its own propaganda, this group is anti-homosexual, anti-american, and basically anti-everything. Subheadings on this site include â€Å"God Hates The World† and â€Å"America is Doomed†. This organization has used the method of protest and public assembly to get their message out. This message combines typical elements for fear mongering, scapegoating and unsubtle calls to action that are endemic to hate groups of all kinds. The site uses provocative language and obnoxious methodology (such as picketing funerals) to call attention to their efforts. That the group uses the vehicle of Christian religion to frame their nonsense is offensive not only to those who would abhor an anti-gay message in general, but also to those who espouse true religion and, while they may not condone or agree with certain lifestyles, understand that it is, according to all Judeo-Christian doctrine, not their place pass judgment. Since the early 1990s, this group has been attempting to spread their â€Å"message† through protests (they claim 34,000 to date) that take place at any public situation that is subject to media attention. This includes funerals of military personnel, and openly gay citizens. They carry signs with provocative, insulting language, and personify hate and ignorance wherever they go. Interestingly, the focus appears to be on criticizing those things they disagree with (Homosexuality, War, etc. ) yet they offer no remedy or hope of salvation. They claim that their Church is that hope, but make no attempt to suggest a course of action that would mitigate the perdition to which they seem to feel the world is doomed. In sum, this group seems to be nothing more than an organization dedicated to the preaching of hate and condemnation of all things American. As is typical, while criticizing the United States for its tolerance of differing viewpoints, Westboro unashamedly takes advantage of the First Amendment to protect their right to spew such hatred in public venues. The reactions of individuals to this group’s methodology and methods seem to be universally negative. Even those who might agree with the sentiments do not condone the manner in which they are expressed. Those who disapprove of this group’s message fall generally into two groups: those who don’t condemn the gay lifestyle or U. S. War in Iraq, and those who may or may not so condemn, but abhor the manner in which their religious beliefs and holy book are misused to promote this group’s agenda. Of the two, religious people seem to have the strongest reaction against Westboro. The reason for this reaction is very simple. The group not only misrepresents Christian doctrine, is besmirches the reputation of all Christianity by painting the religion and its God as vengeful, hate-filled, and mean-spirited. Most Christians believe that their faith is founded fundamentally upon love and forgiveness, to elements notably absent from Wesboro’s philosophy. In fact, the very name of their website invokes an attitude that is contradictory to the teachings of most Christian churches. The idea that â€Å"God Hates†¦Ã¢â‚¬  anyone or anything other than sin is laughably inconsistent with the scripture from which adherents to Westboro draw their â€Å"inspiration†. The â€Å"saving grace† of this entire organization is their apparent lack of any goal at all. Other than shouting about whom and what God hates, the group suggests no specific action. They do not directly advocate violence (although they rejoice in it), they do not ask for repentance, they simply carry signs and tell us who God hates today. This group is as pointless as it is obnoxious. Comparisons to the KKK and other hate organizations fall short fort the simple reason that these other groups, no matter how loathsome and despicable, at least seem to have some purpose to their work. The Westboro group seems intent on doing nothing more that yelling about how terrible everything is, and suggesting that we have all brought these conditions on ourselves one way or another. The twisted use of scripture that this group utilizes is equally troubling. The passages used are taken out of context, and distorted in order to express a viewpoint. As an example, the website uses Romans 9:13 as a justification for hatred, while ignoring the context of the entire letter (from Paul to the Romans), which is a dissertation on God’s mercy. The use of provocative language, cited by one of the â€Å"feelings† reactions has, as was pointed out, no value beyond shock and marketing. The language of hate targets those who feel hate and desire a venue by which they can shout it for all to hear without fearing judgment from their social peers. The fact that they use this terminology merely broadcasts the notion that this group is convinced of its own righteousness, and that no amount of rational discourse can be employed to change their minds. The short response to this group is simple: â€Å"Never argue with crazy people. † As Mark Twain put it, â€Å"Don’t try to teach a pig to read. It wastes your time and annoys the pig. † Nobody on either side of the real issues that this group prates about pays any attention to what they say. As such, they are reduced to background noise, and serve as a representative example that no bottom has yet to be found to the well of human stupidity. They are obnoxious, but harmless.