Elephant Essay Analysis Essay Example

Elephant Essay Analysis Essay Asian Elephant: An Endangered Species Abstract The Asian Elephant also known by its scientific name the Elephas Maximus is an endangered species. They occur in grassland, tropical evergreen forest, semi-evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forested and dry thorn forest, in addition to cultivated and secondary forests and scrublands. The Asian elephant is one of the last few mega-herbivores still in existence on earth (Owen-Smith, 1988). These elephants are highly intelligent and live long lives but due to loss of habitat and hunting their numbers have decreased. To help conserve the Asian Elephant it is protected under appendix I of CITES. The Asian Elephant has been worshipped for centuries and is still used today for ceremonial and religious purposes. Although honored for its role in Asian culture and religion it is also a key biological species in the tropical forests of Asia (WWF, n.d). This animal is threatened with extinction in the wild. While the human population is increasing the Asian Elephantâ„ ¢s habitat is shrinking fast. The Asian elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal in Asia. It is smaller than the African elephant, with relatively smaller ears. Asian elephants have a single finger on the upper lip of their trunk. Only some male Asian elephants carry tusks and females have small tushes, which rarely show. A significant number of adult males are tusk less, and the percentage of males carrying ivory varies by region, from only about 5% in Sri Lanka to 90% in south India (About Elephants, n.d.). Asian elephants keep their ears in constant motion in order to radiate the heat they generate and therefore cool themselves. The species are reported to have well developed hearing, vision, and olfaction, and are also fine swimmers. Their body length varies from 550-640cm, their shoulder height is from 250-300cm, and they weigh?  5,000kg. Their skin color is dark grey to brown, with patches of pink on the forehead, the ears, and the base of the trunk and on the chest. The Asian Elephant provides a vital role in the ecosystem that it inhabits. The Asian Elephant modifies their habitat by converting savannah and woodlands to grasslands. They also provide water for other species by digging water holes in dry riverbeds (ARKive, n.d.). Another factor that leads to their vital role in their ecosystem is that they act as seed dispersers by their fecal matter. It is often carried below ground by dung beetles and termites causing the soil to become more aerated and further distributing the nutrients (About Elephants, n.d.). Also an Asian Elephants journey through the high grass provides food for birds by disturbing small reptiles, amphibians or insects. About twenty percent of the worldâ„ ¢s human population lives in or near the present range of the Asian Elephant (WWF, n.d.). Asian Elephants are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation to illegal hunting and trade. With the human population growing rapidly, the Asian Elephants habitat is shrinking fast and wild elephant populations are mostly small, isolated, and unable to come together as ancient migratory routes are cut off by human settlements (WWF, n.d.). Large development projects, plantations, and spreading human settlements have fragmented what was once nearby elephant habitats into small fragments. Only male Asian Elephants carry tusks and therefore poaching is aimed exclusively at males. Poaching of Asian Elephants for ivory and meat remains a serious problem in many countries, especially in southern India and in north-east India where some people eat elephant meat (ARKive, n,d,). The capture of wild elephants for domestic use has also become a threat to wild popul ations where numbers have been seriously reduced. India, Vietnam, and Myanmar have banned capture in order to conserve their wild herds, but in Myanmar elephants are still caught each year for the timber industry or the illegal wildlife trade. Efforts are being made not only to improve safety but also to encourage captive breeding rather than taking from the wild (About Elephants, n.d.). Incidents of elephants raiding crops and villages are also on the rise. This causes losses to human property and sometimes human lives. Retaliation by villagers often results in killings of these elephants. Experts already consider such confrontations to be the leading cause of elephant deaths in Asia. In some countries, the government provides compensation for crop damage or deaths caused by elephants, but there is still often strong political pressure on wildlife authorities to eliminate elephants near populated regions (WWF, n.d.). To help stop the extinction of the Asian Elephant there are many efforts being made. For example The Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Federation have teamed up to formulate a strategy to conserve the Asian elephantâ„ ¢s preferred environment across the continent of Asia. Also local communities in Thailand have helped stop the deforestation of trees by putting their spiritual and superstitious to good use and by planting new hard woods ( Animal Adoptions, n.d.). It has also been made illegal to hunt the elephants but some people still do it. We will write a custom essay sample on Elephant Essay Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Elephant Essay Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Elephant Essay Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer References (n.d.). Animal Adoptions. In What is Being Done to Save the Asian Elephant. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://www.animaladoptions.org.uk/what-is-being-done-to-save-the-asian-elephant. (n.d.). ARKive. In Asian Elephant. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://www.arkive.org/asian-elephant/elephas-maximus/#text=All. (n.d.). Elephant Information Repository. In About Elephants. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://elephant.elehost.com/About_Elephants/about_elephants.htm. WWF. (n.d.). WWF Global. In Asian Elephants. Retrieved March 12, 2011, from http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/asian_elephants/.

The Flea Vs To His Coy Mistress Essays - The Flea, Free Essays

The Flea Vs To His Coy Mistress Essays - The Flea, Free Essays The Flea Vs To His Coy Mistress Seduction has been the game most played through out the centuries, as males attempt to convince and invite females into their beds. In Marvell's To His Coy Mistress and Donne's The Flea, the speakers, propose a peccadilloes offer, which is so cunningly backed up by a liberalistic argument and is presented to each female when the generous request has been declined. These arguments are designed to induce thoughts of a carnal nature. The persuasions used by each are completely different but are structured entirely for one purpose. To corner or trick the maiden into saying Yes. Though both arguements are supurb, Marvell's has a nicer, refined style to it. In To His Coy Mistress and The Flea, there is an exemplification of just how crafty men can be during the hunt. The speakers, in both poems, makes a modest but declinable offer for sex to their maiden of choice. And, upon rejection, each male begins a fluent yet rhetoric arguments on why the maiden should accept his simple offer of passion. For Marvell, the argument was that there wasn't enough time left in the world, and that the maiden should partake in indulgence before it is too late. But at my back I always hear/ Times winged Charriot hurrying near(lines 21-22). He also states the unpleasuarble thought of the worms enjoying her verginity instead of him. Suggesting that if she continues to waste time she will die a virgin. then Worms shall try/ that long preserv'd Virginity:(lines 27-28). Whereas Donne's argument revolves around a metaphorical flea. Which as claimed by the speaker, represents his union with the maiden in matrimony, since the flea has taken blood from them both.It suck'd me first and now sucks thee/And in this flea our two bloods mingled be(lines 3-4). And, since their bloods have already mingled together, intercourse with him wouldn't be a sin and no honor would be lost if she yields to him.Though know'st that this cannot be said/A sin nor shame nor loss of maidenhood: (lines 5-6) Though however similar the gist of the poems might be, the art of seduction used by each speaker is quite different. The speaker in To His Coy Mistress seems to change his tone of persuasion rapidly from stanza to stanza. At first he is sweet, comming across as a gentleman and overstating how many ages he would spent on a single part of her anatomy A hundred years should go to praise/Thine Eyes..Two hundred to adore each breast (lines14-15). Then he dramatically changes to say that the worms will take her in her grave and that she will loose her beauty and die. In The Flea, the speaker tries to convince the maiden that they are one, since the flea has sucked both their blood and if she were to kill the flea, she would commit three sins by taking three lives, refering to his, hers, and the flea.And sacrilege three sins in killing three(line18). This speaker is however quick on his feet and very slick. The maiden kills the flea, proving his convivtions to be false. He responds however, by telling her that she suffers from false fears, because if she looses her virginity to him, she still has her honor. Just so much honor when thou yield'st to me/Will waste as this fleas death took life from thee(lines 26-27). These two unique poems containing their differences but over all more similarities are entertaining pieces for any reader to view and listen to the cunning speaker attempting to get his maiden.

Mayahuel - The Aztec Goddess of Maguey

Mayahuel - The Aztec Goddess of Maguey Mayahuel was the Aztec goddess of maguey or agave (Agave americana), a cactus plant native to Mexico, and the goddess of pulque, an alcoholic drink made from agave juices. She is one of several goddesses who protect and support fertility in its different guises.   Key Takeaways: Mayahuel Alternate Names: NoneEquivalents: 11 Serpent (post-classic Mixtec)Epithets: The Woman of 400 BreastsCulture/Country: Aztec, Post-classic MexicoPrimary Sources: Bernadino Sahagun, Diego Duran, several codices, especially the Codex MagliabechianoRealms and Powers: Maguey, pulque, drunkenness, fertility, revitalizationFamily: The Tzitzimime (powerful destructive celestial beings who embodied creative powers), Teteoinan (Mother of the Gods), Toci (Our Grandmother) and the  Centzon Totochtin (400 Rabbits, Mayahuels children) Mayahuel in Aztec Mythology   Mayahuel was one of several Aztec gods and goddesses of fertility, each of whom had specific roles. She was the goddess of maguey, and patron of the 13-day festival (trecena) in the Aztec calendar that starts with 1 Malinalli (grass), a time of excesses and a lack of moderation.   Mayahuel was known as â€Å"the woman of the 400 breasts,† probably a reference to the many sprouts and leaves of maguey and the milky juice produced by the plant and transformed into pulque. The goddess is often depicted with full breasts or breastfeeding, or with many breasts to feed her many children, the Centzon Totochtin or â€Å"the 400 rabbits,† who were the gods associated with the effects of excessive drinking.   Appearance and Reputation In the existing Aztec codices, Mayahuel is depicted as a young woman with multiple breasts, emerging from a maguey plant, holding cups with foaming pulque. In the Codex Borbonicus, she wears blue clothing (the color of fertility), and a headdress of spindles and unspun maguey fiber (ixtle). The spindles symbolize the transformation or revitalization of disorder into order.   The Bilimek Pulque Vessel is a piece of carved dark green phyllite completely covered in complex iconographic signs, and in the collections of the Welt Museum in Vienna, Austria. Made in the early 1500s, the jar has a large head projecting out from the side of the vase that has been interpreted as the day sign Malinalli 1, the first day of Mayahuels festival. On the reverse side, Mayahuel is illustrated as decapitated with two streams of aquamiel squirting out from her breasts and into a pulque pot below.   Other associated images include a stele from the great classic period pyramid of Teotihuacan dated between 500–900 CE which shows scenes from a wedding with guests drinking pulque. A rock painting at the postclassic Aztec site of Ixtapantongo illustrates Mayahuel rising from a maguey plant, holding a gourd in either hand. Her head is crowned with the head of a bird and a feathered head-dress. In front of her is a pulque god and Pantecal, the father of her 400 children.   The Myth of the Invention of Pulque According to the Aztec myth, the god Quezalcoatl decided to provide humans with a special drink to celebrate and feast and gave them pulque. He sent Mayahuel, goddess of maguey, to the earth and then coupled with her. To avoid the rage of her grandmother and her other ferocious relatives the goddesses Tzitzimime, Quetzalcoatl and Mayahuel transformed themselves into a tree, but they were found out and Mayahuel was killed. Quetzalcoatl collected the bones of the goddess and buried them, and in that place grew the first plant of maguey. For this reason, it was thought that the sweet sap, the aguamiel, collected from the plant was the blood of the goddess. A different version of the myth tells that Mayahuel was a mortal woman who discovered how to collect aquamiel (the liquid), and her husband Pantecalt discovered how to make pulque. Sources Garnett, W. The Paintings at Tetitla, Atetelco and Ixtapantongo. Artes de Mà ©xico 3 (1954): 78–80. Print.Kroger, Joseph and Patrizia Granziera. Aztec Goddesses and Christian Madonnas: Images of the Divine Feminine in Mexico. Ashgate Publishing, 2012.Milbrath, Susan. Decapitated Lunar Goddesses in Aztec Art, Myth, and Ritual. Ancient Mesoamerica 8.2 (1997): 185–206. Print.Miller, Mary, and Karl Taube. The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion. London: Thames Hudson, 1993.Taube, Karl. Las Origines del Pulque. Arqueologia Mexicana 7 (1996) :71. The Bilimek Pulque Vessel: Starlore, Calendrics, and Cosmology of Late Postclassic Central Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica 4.1 (1993): 1–15.

Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Law - Essay Example It is significant to note that marriage will always remain a viable institution because it focuses on procreation, which ensures continuity of humanity. Further, marriage assists in nurturing stronger and intelligent communities that generates a more steady society (Statsky 16). As much as technology has helped marriages, its negative effects on the institution are far reaching. For instance, social networking has led to broke many marriages because of addiction to the internet in order to keep up with the current events. Some married couples are unable to stay away from the internet and in turn give little attention to their families. Some couple through social media sites like Face book and Twitter sends flirty messages to the friends that can affect marriage in a negative manner (Statsky 32). Technology has assisted married couples to connect with old friends. Such freedom of connecting with old friends may bring suspicion to one partner in the institution because they can think his or her husband is flirting past lovers and in turn it leads to mistrust which eventually break the marriage. Since social networking encompasses things such as photo, chats, comments and information sharing, sometimes one partner who engages in social networking may make unreasonable decision in how they socialize with other people online. Unwanted behavior may be seen in the nature of sending flirty messages and sharing unsuitable videos and photos. Divorce is the legal dissolution of marriage between involved couples. Divorce cases are increasing tremendously and especially in the United States. Since the 20th century, marriage breaks have been breaking up and the peak was in the 1970s with the institution of no fault divorce. In State laws, the divorce can occur if any form of abuse directed to one partner can cause a great deal in marriage break. Abuse may take many forms including emotional

CASE STUDY PHASE 3 - FINAL PHASE Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PHASE 3 - FINAL PHASE - Case Study Example Risk mitigation strategies are divided into four: Risk Acceptance, Risk Avoidance, Risk Limitation and Risk Transference. This is a kind of strategy where the owner of the Apple decides to accept that they are working under some risks and decided to live with it without doing anything. Accepting risks will not see to it that the negative impacts associated with the risks are reduced or eliminated completely. Risk acceptance strategy is usually a common option of choice when the calculated cost avoidance and/ or limitation as other strategies are deemed to be more than the cost of risk. Risks that don’t tend to happen frequently are always preferred to be accepted rather than being reduced or eliminated (Mark, Galai, & Clouhy, 2005). Apples outsourcing operation can therefore be only accepted since the cost of manufacturing these parts by itself, is much more expensive than the risk that accompanies it. The risks that are associated with the disruption of the other companies that Apple deals with also have a low likelihood of occurring. This is a strategy that sees to it that risk exposure is avoided at all costs. It is opposite to risk acceptance. In terms of cost of implementation, it is expensive than all the other three strategies of risk mitigation (Mark, Galai, & Clouhy, 2005). For the Apple scenario, an example can be Apple decides to manufacture its products so as to see to it that their fate does not rely on the functionality of other companies. This will be expensive in nature since it will mean that Apple will have to expand its size and bring more specialists in. Using this strategy will mean that Apple stops outsourcing for services and therefore come up with its own human capital which will be more expensive. The budget of apple will therefore shoot sky high but the risks related to reliance on other companies will have been avoided. Most businesses prefer the risk limitation strategy compared to other strategies

Terrorism and the Media

Terrorism and the Media Mass Media has always historically been recognised as newspapers, radio, and television, also dramatic arts, through film and theatre, and books. Since the advent of the Internet, global media has been revolutionised with new ways to broadcast information and the speed at with which that information is conveyed. Terrorism requires media publicity in order that the political message they wish to convey reaches the target audience thus influencing and swaying public opinion. The Media seek to provide information to their audience to meet their need for information and news stories. The more dramatic and spectacular the news coverage then the greater an audience the Media will attract. A greater audience brings intrinsic benefits to the Media. I will discuss the symbiotic relationship between Media and Terrorism and whether it exits and to what degree it is symbiotic. I will also examine how the internet has affected the symbiosis between Terrorism and Media. Introduction I am a passionate believer in freedom of speech. I would not support anything which would impinge on aggressive robust freedom of the British press. Nick Clegg, British Deputy Prime Minster (as cited in Chorley, 2012). Nick Clegg made this comment in the wake of the Leveson enquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press. Freedom of the Press has always been part of the foundation of a democratic society; however it is this democratic society that enables the terrorist to deliver their message through the media. democratic society make the tasks of terrorist propaganda, recruitment, organisation, and the mounting of operations a relatively easy matter (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 22). As Wilkinson rightly argues a democratic society is an enabler for terrorism to exist, especially in regard to delivering their propaganda and political message. In late March 2001, three simultaneous car explosions killed twenty-three and injured more than one hundred civilians in southern Russia. If this had happened in the old Soviet Union, the state-controlled mass media probably would not have reported the incident. (Nacos, 2007, p. 36). In the old USSR state-controlled mass media would simply deny the terrorists the propaganda of their attack. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had it right when she proclaimed the publicity is the oxygen of terrorism (Ibid., p. 36). Nacos correctly reminds us of what Mrs Thatcher said, and it is this oxygen that the terrorists seek to obtain when they plan an attack. without the medias coverage the acts impact is arguably wasted, remaining narrowly confined to the immediate victim(s) of the attack, rather than reaching the wider target audience at whom the terrorists violence is actually aimed. (Hoffman, 2006, p. 174). Hoffman reinforces that terrorists require publicity form the media. It is clear from the above that terrorism and the media are in some form of relationship. This essay discusses the interactions of the relationship between terrorists and media, if it is symbiotic, and how does advent of the internet affect the relationship. Definitions Defining terrorism has been difficult since it has first been studied. Laqueur states More than a hundred definitions have been offered (including a few of my own) for the phenomenon. (Laqueur, 1995, p. 5). There are characteristics that can be found in the majority of the definitions and these have been highlighted by Wilkinson: It is premeditated and designed to create a climate of extreme fear. It is directed at a wider target than the immediate victims. It inherently involves attacks on random or symbiotic targets, including civilians. It is considered by the society, in which it occurs as extra normal, that is, in the literal sense it violates the norms regulating disputes, protest and dissent. It is used primarily, though not exclusively, to influence the political behaviour of governments, communities or specific social groups.(Wilkinson, 2011, p. 1) These characteristics will define terrorism for the discussions within this essay and specifically the act being premeditated, designed to create a climate of extreme fear, and being directed at a wider target than the immediate victims. Wilkinson also comments on the meaning of symbiotic In sociology the term symbiosis is taken to mean relations of mutual dependence between different groups within a community when the groups are unlike each other and their relations are complementary (Ibid., p. 145). The relationship between terrorism and media will be examined and discussed to assess whether it is mutually dependent and complementary, and if so, does this remain true in the era of internet media. The mass media are taken to encompass newspapers, radio and television and other important forms of communications, including books, films, music, theatre and the visual arts. (Ibid., p. 144). Wilkinson defines the meaning of mass media, for the purpose of this essay and discussion For the purposes of this essay I will separate mass media from new media technology including the internet. Terrorist interaction with media The Assassin Sect of Shia Islam which attempted to sow terror in the Muslim world and Middle Ages, relied upon word of mouth in mosques and market places to relay news of their attacks (Ibid., p. 144). Wilkinson informs us that terrorists need to spread the news of their attacks is not a modern phenomenon, but as terrorism has increased, their need for publicity has also. Without being noticed, in fact, terrorism would not exist. The sheer act of killing does not create a terrorist act: murders and wilful assaults occur with such frequency in most societies that they are scarcely reported in the news media. What makes an act terrorism is that it terrifies. The acts to which we assign that label are deliberate events, bombings and attacks performed at such places and times that they are calculated to be observed. Terrorism without its horrified witnesses would be as pointless as a play without an audience. (Juergensmeyer, 2003, p. 141). Juergensmeyer states that the terrorists need to horrify witnesses, if the act is not sufficiently terrifying then it will not achieve the publicity any further than the initial audience. Schmid and de Graaf concur, the immediate victim is merely instrumental, the skin of a drum beaten to achieve a calculated impact on a wider audience. As such, an act of terrorism is in reality an act of communication. For the terrorist the message matters, not the victim (Schmid and de Graaf, 1982, p. 14). When transmitting this message what are the terrorists trying to achieve? Nacos argues that there are four media objectives that terrorists seek to achieve when they commit/threaten an act of violence. First, terrorists want the attention and awareness of various audiences inside and outside their target societies and thereby condition their targets for intimidation. Second, terrorists want the recognition of their motives. They want the media and the public to explore the question: Why do they attack us? Third, terrorists want the respect and sympathy of those in whose interest they claim to act. Fourth, terrorists want a quasi-legitimate status and the same or similar media treatment that legitimate political actors receive. (Nacos, 2007, p. 20) Nacos has neatly packaged the objectives, not all these objectives will be achieved in every attack by terrorists, but generally they will be trying to achieve the majority of them. On the 12 April 2010, the Real IRA attacked Palace Barracks in Northern Ireland, the Headquarters for the British Security Service in Northern Ireland. The date of the attack was not chosen at random, it was the day that justice and security powers were devolved from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Mark Simpson BBC Northern Ireland Correspondent stated On a day when a new political era is starting at Stormont, dissident republicans wanted to highlight one of the weaknesses of the peace process the threat of further violence. (Simpson, 2010). The Real IRA succeeded in achieving media coverage of the incident and took the headlines rather, than the devolution of justice powers. When we examine Nacos objectives we can see that the Real IRA achieved certainly the first three objectives, and the fourth being open to debate if whether it improved their claims to be legitimate political actors. On 14 June 1985 TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Lebanese Terrorist enroute from Athens to Rome. The flight contained a considerable number of United States citizens. This incident provides a good example of how terrorists optimise their media exposure and how perhaps unwittingly the media played into their hands. Schmid (as cited in Wilkinson, 2011. p. 155) Schmid observes that National Broadcasting Company (NBC) devoted no less than two thirds of their total news time to the crisis over the fate of the American hostages taken to Beirut throughout the 17 days of the hijacking. The US media brought its considerable might to bare upon the coverage of the drama. The focus of the coverage was on the hostages and their families, which proved detrimental to the Reagan administration A gross imbalance therefore emerged: soft, human-interest feature stories predominated (mostly interviews with the hostages and their families), accounting for slightly more than a third of all reports, with few er than half as many stories addressing real issues (Hoffman, 2006, p. 175). The media coverage achieved what the terrorists desired, in that the concentrated effort was the safe recovery of the hostages at any cost. The domestic demand for the release of the TWA Flight 847 hostages placed such pressure on the US government that it led them to press their Israeli allies to release over 700 prisoners demanded by the hostage-takers, thus conceding an enormous political and psychological victory to the terrorists (Wilkinson 2011, p. 106). The effect that transpired was that terrorism was seen to produce results. As Hoffman states the most pernicious effect of the crisis was its validation of terrorism as a tactic. (Hoffman, 2006, p. 175). The terrorist manipulation of the media was no coincidence. According to John Bullock, a British journalist who covered the story, throughout the crisis the terrorists knew exactly what they were doing. (Ibid, p. 176). It can be seen from the above how additional media pressure influenced US foreign policy and ultimately achiev ed the terrorists goals. Do all terrorists seek publicity? Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path, Peruvian Terrorist Organisation) long remained quite uncommunicative and seemingly uninterested both in the wider media and in creating an underground press through which to broadcast its ideology on a media level (Wieviorka, 2004, p. 43). Wieviorka argues that The Shining Path terrorist group had no expectation of any mediation whatsoever on part of the press (Ibid. p. 43). Wilkinson disagrees with Wieviorka assessment arguing This category is totally unreal because even for the purpose of creating terror in an intended set of victims, the perpetrator relies on some channel or medium of communication to relay the threat. If there is no aim to instil terror, then the violence is not of a terroristic nature. (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). Nacos further highlights that it doesnt matter if the terrorists do not directly seek media coverage But whether terrorists claim responsibility for their deeds does not matter at all with respect to media coverage. (Nacos 2007, p. 18). The media, if they become aware of the incident, will provide coverage to the public. Nacos further states that most terrorist groups dont just want their terrorist act publicised They typically want their political causes publicized and their motives discussed. For this to happen the perpetrators do not necessarily have to do the explaining themselves- the media do it for them. (Ibid., p. 21). It can be seen from the above analysis how terrorists use the media to their advantage and to convey their political message. In the vast majority of terrorist incidents the terrorists rely upon media coverage of their attack to ensure that they reach a wider audience. English aptly summarises the role of the media in the eyes of the terrorists media provide a crucial amplifier for the terrorists cause, case and deeds (English, 2009, p. 44). Media interaction with terrorists. I will now discuss why and how the media interact with terrorism. Why the media interacts with terrorism is relatively simple. a cynical aphorism in the newspaper business holds that if it bleeds, it leads.' (Mueller, 2006, p. 40), this holds true as the media require headline news to attract viewers. Media in an open society are in a fiercely competitive market for their audiences, are constantly under pressure to be first with the news and to provide more information (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 147). It is the drive to attract more viewers that places media under pressure to report terrorist incidents. A high drama incident is the ideal news story to attract a greater audience, in the first three weeks of the Tehran Hostage crisis in 1979 all the major television networks achieved an 18 per cent increase in audience rating. (Ibid., p. 150). According to Hamin Mowlana (As cited in Wilkinson 2011, p. 150) the networks were able to secure, in 1979, an annual increase of  £30 million for each percentage point of audience rating increase. From this argument we can see where the advantage for media is in covering such incidents, there is however no suggestion that the media are constantly hoping for a terrorist incident, as outlined by Nacos While I do not suggest that the news media favour this sort of political violence, it is nevertheless true that terrorist strikes provide what the contemporary media crave most drama, shock, and tragedy suited to be packaged as human interest news. (Nacos, 2006, p. 81-82). Laqueur further states It has been said that journalists are terrorists bes t friends, because they are willing to give terrorist operations maximum exposure. This is not to say that journalists as a group are sympathetic to terrorists, although it may appear so. It simply means that violence is news, whereas peace and harmony are not. The terrorists need the media, and the media find in terrorism all the ingredients of an exciting story. (Laqueur, 1995, p. 44). It has been shown why media pay so much attention to terrorist incidents, but is the coverage disproportional to the actual threat that the terrorists pose in comparison to other threats that the public face daily, and thus giving an uneven balance of threat to the public, which in turn may be assisting the terrorists? Jenkins argues it makes no difference that ordinary homicides vastly exceed murders caused by terrorists. The news media do not allocate space or air time proportionally according to the leading causes of death in the world. (Jenkins, 1981, p. 2). Jenkins further states Content analysis of coverage of terrorist incidents in The New York Times and the Times of London shows that the news media provide little context in which the public can judge the events Ibid., p. 2). Iyengar gives additional evidence Between 1981 and 1986, more stories were broadcast on terrorism than on poverty, unemployment racial inequality, and crime combined (Iyengar, 1991, p. 27). The media have the unhealthy habit of being anecdotal rather than factual, skewing reality and the threat. It is my opinion that this only aids the terrorist by inflating the threat that is posed. From the analysis it is evident that terrorism can be overrepresented and overemphasised by the media; this in turn only aids the terroris t in the broadcast of their political message. To additionally aggravate the situation is pressure upon media to get the Scoop before competing media channels. As Nacos states In this competition, terrorists seem to start out with a significant advantage because their violent deeds are a powerful message that commands the mass medias attention and thus that of their target audience(s). (Nacos, 2007, p. 198). Shpiro states Speed plays a critical role in global news coverage. While the newsreels of World War II could be edited and censored for several days or even weeks before being publicly screened, the audience of present-day con ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡icts demands media reaction time measured by hours and even minutes. Media outlets that, for technical, political or  ¬Ã‚ nancial reasons, cannot supply the most up-to-date news coverage lose out in a  ¬Ã‚ eld saturated by intense competition. (Shpiro, 2002, p. 77). Shprio points out that unless the media outlet gets the story out quickly they will lose to the competition, but does this then affect the coverage? Nacos argues Given the all-out competition between news organizations, the pressure to present breaking news, the determination to report some new angle although a terrorist situation has not changed, and the tendency to sensationalize even genuinely dramatic situations, the hastily reported and often unverified news is likely to contain inaccuracies, mistakes, and problematic features. (Nacos, 2007, p. 207). We can see from Nacos that there is the possibility of inaccuracies and mistakes to become apparent in the rush to release news, this can potentially influence the true perspective on the incident and ultimately may play into the terrorists hands. I have now discussed how terrorist interact with the media and in turn how the media interact with terrorist, I will now discuss whether this relationship is symbiotic. Is the relationship between media and terrorism symbiotic? If we take Wilkinsons earlier view of what a symbiotic relationship is then in order for it to exist the relationship must have mutual dependence between terrorism and media and the relationship is complementary. Hoffman notes that Clearly, terrorism and the media are bound together in an inherently symbiotic relationship, each feeding off and exploiting the other for its own purposes. (Hoffman, 2006, p.193). Wilkinson also comments that once terrorist violence is under way, the relationship between the terrorists and the mass media tends inevitably to become symbiotic (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). There is dependence in both cases, the terrorist dependence on the media to publicise the incident, and the medias desire for spectacular news stories to broadcast and attract viewers. Wieviorka offered a counter argument refuting that terrorism and the media are in a symbiotic relationship, stating that terrorists relate to the media in any of four different ways, from pure indifference to media, through relative indifference, then to a media-oriented strategy, and finally to coercion of the media (Wieviorka 1988, p. 43, as cited by Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). Paul Wilkinson questioned Wieviorkas four categories of the relationship, saying that channels of communication always are used by any terrorist. The first of Wieviorkas categories is pure indifference to any desire to terrorize a population beyond the immediate victim of violence. Wilkinson states that This category is totally unreal because even for the purpose of creating terror in an intended set of victims, the perpetrator relies on some channel or medium of communication to relay the threat. If there is no aim to instil terror, then the violence is not of a terroristic nature (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 145). In Wieviorkas second category relative indifference Wilkinson dismisses Wieviorkas argument that terrorists are disinterested with regard to communicating through powerful media when they have other channels already existing to communicate and explain their position. Wilkinson argues that The kind of channels he lists that already exist are a legal and relatively free press, radio transmitters and centres for free expression such as universities, churches and mosques. But what are these channels that already exist if not alternative media? (Ibid., 2011, p. 146). The third category media-orientated strategy is the only category the Wieviorka believes that terrorists are actively engaged in a relationship with the media. Wilkinson counter argues that this type of media-orientated strategy in reality it is intrinsic to the very activity of terrorisation that some form of media, however crude, is utilised as an instrument to disseminate the messages of threat and intimidation (Ibid., 2011. p. 146). The final category offered by Wieviorka, total break is described by Wilkinson Wieviorka is referring here to cases where the terrorists come to view the media organisation, editors, journalists and broadcasters as enemies to be punished and destroyed. Those working in the media have often been the targets of terrorist violence (Ibid., 2011, p .146). Wilkinson dismissed the total break category for the same reason as media-orientated strategy. It is clear that there is a relationship between terrorism and media, but is it always complementary? Wilkinson lists a number of incidents where the media irresponsibility aided the terrorists or came very close to aiding them with adverse coverage; Firstly the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, where a news team defied police instructions and filmed the SAS Assault, if this had been broadcast live in would have severely endangered the hostages and rescue team, Secondly the hijacking of a Kuwait airliner in 1988, whilst on the ground at Larnaca Airport, media coverage was so intense a rescue mission was impossible to launch, and finally the media coverage of an IRA trial in 1997 collapsed after media published material that prejudiced a fair trial. (Ibid., 2011, p. 151). The above examples are not to illustrate that the media consciously aid terrorists, Wilkinson further states There is no evidence to suggest that the Western-dominated mass media organisations share the political aims of the terrorist organisations, but sophisticated media-wise terrorists can certainly exploit and manipulate the power of the mass media for their own malevolent purpose. (Ibid., 2011, p. 151). Media attention also brings with it unpredictability for the terrorist organisation, as Wilkinson rightly states, Western-dominated mass media do not share the political ideals of terrorist organisations, therefore are unlikely to give positive coverage of the terrorist incident, Hoffman further points out While most terrorists certainly crave the attention that the media eagerly provide, the publicity that they receive cuts both ways (Hoffman, 2006, p. 188). Wilkinson notes Terrorists like to present themselves as noble Robin Hoods, champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. By showing the savage cruelty of terrorists violence and the way in which they violate the rights of the innocent, the media can help to shatter this myth. (Wilkinson, 2011, p. 152). If we break the symbiotic relationship down to the fact that terrorists require coverage and the media require an audience to produce revenue, it is my opinion the symbiosis does clearly exist. If believe this relationship can aid the terrorists, as the analysis has shown, unless the media report is more balanced and less anecdotal. I will now discuss how the internet may affect the symbiotic relationship. New media and the symbiotic relationship For the purpose of this discussion I will limit new media to terrorist use of the internet and the publicising of their attacks. Lumbaca and Gray define the internet as The internet is an information tool used in namely all parts of the world. The internet has made life a lot simpler for the average person who is looking to earn a degree, engage in commerce exchanges, make purchases, write friends and look up information. Unfortunately while it wields these benefits, this capability is a double-edged sword; these benefits are also open to terrorists. Whether right-winged or left, terrorists view the internet as a powerful too; it is inexpensive, easy to set up and can be found just about anywhere. (Lumbaca, Gray, 2011, p. 47). Hoffman informs us that Few technological innovations have had the impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Beyond any doubt, in a comparatively short span of time, they have revolutionized communications, enabling the rapid (often in real time), pervasive, and-most important-inexpensive exchange of information worldwide. (Hoffman 2006, p. 201). Weimann contends the internet is ideal for terrorists-as-communicators: it is decentralized, it cannot be subjected to control or restriction, it is not censored, and it allows access to anyone who wants it (Weimann, 2006, p. 25). Lumbaca, and Gray, Hoffman, and Weimann point out the distinct advantages the internet and World Wide Web offer to terrorists, namely speed, non-censorship and ready access to anyone who wants it. So does the advent of the internet and World Wide Web affect the symbiotic relationship between terrorism and media? As discussed earlier in the essay, the terrorists wish to garner as much publicity regarding their attack as possible, Hoffman reinforces this The overriding objective for the terrorists is to wring every last drop of exposure, publicity, and coercive power from the incident (Hoffman, 2006, p. 180). With regard to terrorist use of the internet Weimann correctly states that it can be accessed by anyone who wants to, this in my opinion is the key to how the internet affects the symbiotic relationship. In order for the terrorists to maximise the exposure of their incident they are still somewhat reliant upon mass media to pick up information they place on the internet, this practice by mass media is becoming known as information laundering for example, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was one of the first jihadist terrorists to optimise the use of the internet and World Wide Web Zarqawi went straight to the internet, which enabled him to produce graphic videos that would have never been shown on mainstream media Katz as cited in (Shane, 2006, p. 1). As these videos were breaking news they were picked up by the mainstream media, and reported upon, thus Zarqawi achieved his publicity. The symbiosis between terrorism and mass media is still apparent in the internet era although the balance is shifting in that the relationship is blurring from the traditional symbiosis in that terrorist can now influence and dictate what information they choose to be available and when. Conclusion Terrorists require publicity of their attack or incident in order to reach a wider audience. The wider audience is essential if the terrorist political message is to have any impact. It has been argued that not all terrorist groups seek publicity; however they have no choice if the media decide to provide coverage of it and thus the relationship is still present. Media is about revenue, it has been shown that terrorist incidents have all the human interest factors that attract a wide audience, with this comes additional revenue through advertisements. The detrimental effect of coverage is that it can skew public and governmental approaches to terrorism, disproportionately over emphasising the threat posed and undermining government policy. Media however seldom portray terrorists well, and this can readdress some of the detrimental effect. The symbiotic relationship is evident in that the relationship between media and terrorism is complementary, however with the advent of the interne t there is less of dependence by terrorist upon media to pick up incidents when the terrorist can publicise their own acts.

Creationism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Essay

The significant role of schools in teaching the population of students is one way to make sure that the society will have a bright future. However, in the cases wherein inappropriate teaching methods are used, this dream may be compromised. A very clear example is the teaching of creationism. Creationism is a perspective that identifies a certain supreme being to be the main perpetrator of the existence of the universe, including humanity (Ruse, 2007). There is an identifiable group of people who primarily believes in this notion. And because of that sectarian acceptance, there was a time when schools became a subject of intention in propagating this idea. In a much greater sense, creationism should never be taught in schools primarily because of the compromising effects it will bring towards the molding of the students. The topic is very much centered towards the philosophy of a person and do not provide any significant learning attribute. This is in direct contrast to the mission of the school to provide only the type of learning methods based on exact, credible and scientifically formulated aspects of knowledge. Creationism tends to be of religious in nature. It always inhibits the natural flow of scientific process to learn the observable and logical way of nature. As a result, it is very possible that students may get confused about their own perception about the universe and everything about it. They may leave the pre-conditions of scientific knowledge in favor of an easier to understand notion of creationism. Moreover, there may be cases in which some students may feel deprived of their rights to believe what they want to according to their respective philosophies in life. Creationism is a biased form of belief which only bases its ideology to a personal intuition. References Ruse, M. 2007. Creationism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/creationism/.