Marvin Pickering was a high school science teacher from Will County, Illinois who was fired by the Board of Education for writing a letter to the editor. The letter was published in a local newspaper and contained many negative and inflammatory statements toward the school board regarding their use of taxpayer’s money. Specifically, Pickering was upset about the use of bond money to athletic programs, instead of fixing facilities and paying teachers. The Board of Education concluded that Pickering’s letter was “detrimental to the efficient operation and administration of the schools of the district” (Essex, 2012). Pickering argued that being fired for writing a letter as a private citizen violated both his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to Free Speech and Due Process under the U.S. Constitution.…
Fire is one of the many symbols represented in Fahrenheit 451. Fire can be observed as both renewal and destruction. The biggest reference to fire is at the end of the novel when Granger explains to Montag the meaning and existence of the Phoenix. Granger explains that every few hundred years, a Phoenix will appear and burn himself to ashes. The Phoenix would then spring out from the ashes to be born again. Granger compares this reference to mankind and how it destroys himself, only to be rebuilt. The Phoenix is a symbol of renewal.…
In the novel, Forgotten Fire, written by Adam Bagdasarian, the main culture presented to the reader is the oppressive Turkish culture. The idea of this culture being dominant can be identified through the distinctly negative behavior towards Armenians.…
In his article "Douse the Online Flamers" published in the LA Times in 2008, Andrew Keen discusses 3 major court cases in an effort to show just how backwards the legal system is when dealing with the anonymous people of the internet. People on the internet can ruin anyone's reputation or even their life without the fear of prosecution.…
An enthralling short story by Sherman Alexie, "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is rich in symbolism. Much of its appeal lies in its enigmatic usage of symbols. Sherman's tale of death and renewal relies on three key symbols: the Phoenix (a type of mythical bird which is found in the title), the number seven, and in the name of the protagonist's story-telling friend, Thomas Builds-the-Fire.…
The novel, A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester delves into the history of Europe’s dark ages through the early Renaissance. Three key figures constantly referred to within the novel include Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan. All three men are responsible for Europe’s entrance into a modern era of reformation, knowledge, and discovery, and are widely considered to responsible for the development of the humanist philosophy. When Manchester begins weaving his historical tale of the middle ages, he details how the dark ages witnessed very few inventive ideas and was dominated by the Catholic Church and its papacy. As each of the three men are introduced and their accomplishments explained, the story takes a turn and leads towards a modernized era. Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan all share a devotion to their religion which connects to their exploits, however, their overall contributions seem to somewhat differ.…
Des Moines court case was written by Justice Abe Fortas. Its contents contribute to the ideas of those who believe certain kinds of speech should not be prohibited within an educational setting. In this majority opinion statement, Justice Abe Fortas reveals that there is an “absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate [students’] speech” (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District by Justice Abe Fortas par. 9). Because of this absence of reason, students should be allowed to express their opinions and views on topics of their choice. Justice Abe Fortas justifies his statement by referencing another court case that says “school officials cannot suppress ‘expressions of feelings with which they do not wish to contend’ Burnside v. Byars, supra, at 749” (par. 9).…
A boy named Vahan Kenderian was a distinguished individual with moral strengths and high spirits. These qualities helped him endure, when he knew that each day could have been his last when living through the Armenian Genocide. In the beginning of the novel “Forgotten Fire”, Vahan is described as the youngest child of a wealthy, Armenian family. He was very careless and would always need guidance from his family who was afraid of Vahan’s lack of character and discipline. When the Armenian Genocide began, Vahan’s personality slowly started to change as he realized how much he had lost, in terms of love and security. Throughout the novel, Vahan…
Fire aids humans and helps them survive by providing important benefits. By producing heat and light, fire offers protection and the ability to prepare safe food and water. The gift from Prometheus, fire symbolizes raw power and offers proof of the human ability to shape the world. Although fire has no subconscious, it has a will of its own, and can therefore be considered human. In Lord of the Flies, Golding personifies fire as a figure of authority in order to demonstrate how power can be used to create chaos or achieve order. Fire transforms from a tool and emerges as a character with the authority to restore the boys to civility as well as the destructive capability to force the boys to regress to a savage state.…
I have chosen this particular website because it is relevant to me. TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) is a non-profit organization that specializes in support for those who have lost loved ones in the military. I have not lost anyone in the military, but I am a part of the U.S. Air Force. The website would be useful for my family, god forbid if anything was to happen to me during deployment. I have been serving for less than a year and so far have made the best decision ever in my life.…
What started as a small spark , possibly in a barn, ignited one of the most destructive and largest catastrophes, in Chicago’s history. The Great Chicago fire of 1871 is still a mystery. MAny have speculated, pointed fingers, and taken blame for the devastating fire that destroyed hundreds of acres, took many lives, and charred the Windy City to ashes. The truths to what really happened on that late night on the eighth of October may never be unravelled. Many do however feel that the evidence suggests that it was an accidental or a freak of nature and environmental conditions fueled the fire into rage letting it get out of control. The raging fire of almost 145 years ago still has scientists baffled, and remains a mystery today.…
Individual rights and liberties that each person has, for example the freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. This is demonstrated in our constitution amendment 1, which talks about how the government can not create laws or make decisions that limit or take away individual rights. An example of this is in the case of Tinker vs Des Moines, which is used in Document H stating, “ It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate” (10). This is a statement made by Justice Fortas talking about the rights that students and teachers, and how they should be able to keep and use these rights in and out of school. The principle of individual rights prevents tyranny from happening by allowing all citizens to be able to voice their opinion without…
In 1984 a case before the Supreme Court limited the scope of Title IX (King, n.d.). Grove City College (GCC), in Grove City, Pennsylvania, took pride in being a private, coeducational liberal arts school that refused state and federal financial assistance (Ware, 2007). This gave them independence from federal regulation (Ware, 2007). GCC did have a large number of students that received Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOG’s) issued through a Department of Education (DOE)-run program (Grove City, n.d). The DOE concluded these grants made GCC subject to Title IX (Grove City, n.d). When GCC refused to comply with the requirements of Title IX, the DOE attempted to terminate the student financial aid program (Grove City, n.d). GCC challenged the DOE’s actions all the way to the Supreme…
Students at academic institutions have the same rights and protections under the United States Constitution as other citizens. The Constitution applies to everyone, regardless religion, color, age or race. The…
Baldwin convinces blacks to ‘unmask’ themselves and develop their own individual consciousness rather than conforming to white society and the views that whites hold. Baldwin does this several ways in his essays in The Fire Next Time, most specifically being Letter from a Region in my Mind, by the promotion of black dignity and celebrating the minds of blacks. Especially in his essay, my dungeon shook, Baldwin emphasizes the idea that blacks become brought down when they begin to conform to white ideas and believe only in what the whites tell them. This ‘unmasking’ is one of the many driving forces Baldwin speaks about that is essential for social transformation in America. The promotion of blacks developing their own consciousness aside from…