Essay on Assisted Suicide

The Ongoing Historical Debate Of Euthanasia The word euthanasia originates from two Greek words, meaning â€Å"good death†. In the most natural state, euthanasia defines a death positively sought after for mankind, in the act of dying and ultimately death. Unfortunately, the term historically and currently leads to debate and manipulation to insinuate a criminal act. World civilizations must remember the crimes of the past, and fear misplaced power as currently occurring in Darfur, however, the horror of genocide does not belong in the euthanasia debate.The arguments originate from cultural, religious and social values and dictate as well as interfere with the ability to experience a â€Å"good death†. For decades, the world has been experiencing a battle between the advocates and opponents of legalizing euthanasia. While the Euthanasia Act released November 2011 by the Royal Dutch Medical Association outlined new guidelines, there are histories and past cases that need to be studied to fully understand possible implications.The legalization of assisted suicide has increased debate regarding a slippery slope effect due to a turbulent history and the misguided dogma that it will lead to involuntary euthanasia. Historically, the ongoing controversy regarding the slippery slope effect and its pertinence to those who are curable, have surrounded euthanasia placing the experience of dying with dignity, for the terminally ill in jeopardy. An article titled, The Unleashing of the Destruction of Life Devoid of Value, categorizes people who are to be eliminated.The book written by two Germans in 1920, Carl Binding, a doctor of jurisprudence and philosophy, and Alfred Hoche, a medical doctor, labeled burdensome people as â€Å"incurable idiots, mere caricatures of true men whose death create no vacuum. † The book and its contentions are later exemplified, by both the defense and offense, as the origin for condoning the genocidal Holocaust of Nazi Ger many in the late 1940’s. Consequently, Nazi Germany proclaimed that the origins of humane euthanasia began prior to Nazi terrorism.Advancements in knowledge and strict guidelines have increased since the early 1900’s; therefore history will not repeat itself, and the original intent of euthanasia can be realized devoid of a slippery slope effect. Slippery Slope arguments have been on the forefront in the euthanasia decriminalization debate since the 1930’s. In the 1930’s, a prophesized slippery slope included the potential for a lack of medical advances to discover a cure for incurable diseases. The medical doctor pledges the Hippocratic Oath to protect and prolong life, but also to relieve suffering.Slippery slope controversies are based on the supposition that despite the fact the law mandates restrictions, parameters will be blurred based upon human nature. The concerns should be navigated and acknowledged, but not dictate the fear of change. Controver sies surround the act of dying. Currently, medical development in technology has been increasingly successful in the treatment to prolong life and perpetually relieve pain. The question arises concerning the patient’s rights in making life-sustaining decisions.Public support of painless euthanasia for the terminally ill has increased dramatically. A survey conducted by Blendon and colleagues illustrated that 34 percent in 1950 were in favor, 53 percent in 1973 and 63 percent in 1991. The contemporary issue of assisted suicide exposes deep historical roots by Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras. The philosophers maintained favor of merciful death, yet condemned murder and suicide. While Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras historically acknowledged support of euthanasia in the advent of a painful terminal disease, all condemned suicide for other reasons.A branch of Ancient Greece, the Stoics and Roman Philosophy, also accepted euthanasia when pain from a terminal illness became intoler able. However, the initial reign of Christianity in the Roman Empire dramatically altered these views and judged euthanasia intolerable, based upon the Sixth Commandment of, â€Å"Thou shalt not kill†. Saint Augustine’s religious belief dictated that the suffering of an individual as pre- ordained by God and to deny that divine power as an unpardonable sin.The Renaissance period, following the fourteenth century, experienced a softening of belief, the Catholic saint, Sir Thomas More, advocated voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill. He published, in Utopia, during 1516 that euthanasia as defined for the terminally ill would be a reality in an ideal society. Up until the end of the 1800’s and during the early 1900’s, physicians considered the discussion of euthanasia as a viable option for painful, terminal illness. Not until the advent and repercussions of Nazi Germany, Hitler and the Holocaust did the discussions concerning pro-euthanasia cease.The comfort of the term euthanasia and its intent became an evil crime of horror. The Holocaust claimed 6 million Jews and 3 million gypsies, under the erroneous premise of ethnic cleansing, forever altering the definition and intent of euthanasia. This act does not define euthanasia, it defines murder, yet has become a strong premise in the contemporary debate against humane euthanasia. The evil of Nazi Germany will not be forgotten and the fear of misplaced power should remain, however, it does not have a rightful position in the arguments concerning euthanasia for the terminally ill.The current contemporary issue regarding the Darfur Genocide profoundly illustrates misplaced power and genocide, not euthanasia. Tremendous medical and technological improvements during the late 1950s made it possible to sustain life in terminally ill patients and those in vegetative states for extended periods of time. These medical advancements brought quality-of-life issues to the forefront. The Patie nt’s Bill of Rights written in 1973 by the American Hospital Association grants the patient the right to reject medicine with informed consent.The United States Constitution also awards citizens the right of freedom of choice, and being in control of one’s life. Oregon became the first state to legalize assisted suicide through the Death with Dignity Act in 1998 and since then 460 people have died via this option. Washington passed the Death with Dignity Act in 2008 with 57. 91 percent approval under the voter initiative I-1000. As of March 4, 2010, 36 people have self-administered the lethal medication via physician’s prescription in Washington State. There have been 63 prescriptions filled, but some opted not to exercise this option, dying via their terminal illness.As of 2012 the only other state to legalize euthanasia for the terminally ill is Montana. The greatest misunderstanding relating to the Death with Dignity Act comes from a common misuse of the term â€Å"assisted suicide. † The power of language and the use of the word â€Å"suicide† exemplify a scare tactic used by those opposed to the law. Suicide identifies a desperate act and generally executed in secrecy. The connotations that are created in religion and moral values regarding suicide are not present. Suicide intentionally ends one’s own life, ending an open-ended life span.Death with dignity enables a choice to shorten an inescapable, impending and painful death of a person who desperately wants to live, but that option does not exist. The choice allows control and dignity in the process of dying. The Act provides a sense of peace, enables communication with healthcare professionals and loved ones; though there still will be sadness it can permit a celebration of one’s life. To support and legally allow a terminally ill person the option to choose the timing for the end of their life illustrates an act of humanity.The pain inherent in the ter minally ill is meaningless, eternal and doomed to dramatically increase. A valid measurement does not exist to determine the degree of pain experienced by an individual. Medications relieve a limited amount of the pain, however, medications have proven grossly inadequate in certain cases. A man suffering from prostate cancer said, â€Å"The medication puts me to sleep. As soon as I wake up there’s pain. If I can’t live free of the pain, I’m not living at all, simply existing. † Another patient suffering from pancreatic cancer stated, †I would never have believed that there could be such pain.I am a different person. It's like having a new set of neurons implanted in my brain, each one producing as much pain as it can. And here I am enjoying the best of American medicine. I am ready to go now. † Indisputably, there are increased advances in studies and medicine; however, there reaches a point when the excessive pain becomes unbearable for the p atient. Currently, the contemporary debate continues in the United States, especially amongst religious entities strongly opposing the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon and Washington states.Many religious traditions remain faithful to ancient teachings and beliefs concerning the physical side of life and death. Modern technology and science have discovered new insights and helped some leaders of faith to reconsider. Terminal illness and disease are no longer as large a mystery. Barbara Coombs Lee, President of Compassion ; Choices, a group for the advocacy of aid in dying, has fought against the Catholic Church and their staunch undermining of The Death With Dignity Act.The Catholic Church instigated a movement, To Live Each Day with Dignity; this movement’s intent aggressively increases the assault on end-of-life choices. For many Catholics, the Pope’s directive mandates the final word, a word that directs a judgment without introspection and self thought. Evangelical , Mormon, Protestant and unaffiliated religions also have profiles that dictate their vote. Religious proponents of The Death with Dignity Act religious proponents believe godliness does not exist in allowing a terminally ill person to experience needless suffering.The future of legalized euthanasia will be dependent upon the guidelines, boundaries and law in place to prevent the abuse of euthanasia and honoring it, as was originally intended, a â€Å"good death†. Euthanasia in its true form negates a criminal act as believed by certain cultural, social and religious entities. However, Scott Robinson states in, To Go Among the Saracens, â€Å"Yet the human situation is characterized, above all, by â€Å"forgetfulness,† or â€Å"heedlessness. † Historically, the criminal acts regarded, as euthanasia during Hitler’s reign must be remembered.The slippery slope effect concerning involuntary euthanasia exists as a misguided dogma in the historical debate of l egalizing assisted suicide. Consequently, an ongoing political battle will continue throughout the world concerning the contemporary issue of euthanasia. Scientifically, thorough research and philosophical analysis will progress, thus adding to the political dimension and enhancing a deeper understanding of the issue. Bibliography Admiraal, Pieter. â€Å"Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide. † Accessed November 12, 2012. http://biology. franklincollege. du/bioweb/Biology/course_p/bioethics/Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. doc. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. http://www. deathwithdignity. org/2011/04/25/death-dignity-isnt-suicide (accessed Novmeber 11, 2012). Simon, Rita J. â€Å"Euthanasia and The Right to Die: Overview. †Ã‚  ABC-CLIO Understanding Controversy and Society. http://issues. abc-clio. com/Topics/Display/913372? cid=41;terms=Euthanasia and the Right to Die (accessed October 1, 2012). Lafolette, Hugh. â€Å"Living On a Slippery Slope. † The Journal of Ethics. 9. no. /4 (2005): 475-499. http://www. jstor. org/stable/25115837? seq=1 (accessed October 1, 2012). McKhann, Charles F. Time to Die: The Place for Physician Assistance. Michigan: Yale University Press, 1999. http://washingtonstate. worldcat. org/oclc/47009260 Neumann, Ann. â€Å"The Nation: Keeping the Right to Die Alive. †Ã‚  The Nation, June 16, 2011. (accessed December 6, 2012). http://www. npr. org/2011/06/16/137217016/the-nation-keeping-the-right-to-die-alive â€Å"Religion and Spirituality. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center. http://www. deathwithdignity. org/historyfacts/religion (accessed December 7, 2012).Robinson, Scott. â€Å"To Go Among the Saracens: A Franciscan Composer's Journey into the House of Islam . †Ã‚  Cross Currents. ( 2007): 417, 420. https://lms. wsu. edu/section/default. asp? id=2012-fall-PULLM-HISTORY-105-28593-LEC (accessed November 11, 2012). S. Frileux, C. Lelievre, M. T. Munoz Sastre, E. Mullet and P. C. Sorum, . â€Å"When is Physician Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia Acceptable?. † Journal Of Medical Eithics. 29. no. 6 (2003): 330-336. http://www. jstor. org/stable/27719114? seq=3 (accessed October 1, 2012). Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, , sec.National, September 18, 2012. http://www. lexisnexis. com/lnacui2api/results/docview/docview. do? docLinkInd=true;risb=21_ (accessed November 13, 2012). â€Å"Washington State Transforms the Crime of Assisted Suicide Into a â€Å"Medical Treatment†.. †Ã‚  Patients Rights Council. . http://www. patientsrightscouncil. org/site/washington/ (accessed November 12, 2012). Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. †Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. http://www. nytimes. com/2010/03/05/us/05suicide. html? _r=0 (accessed November12, 2012). ——†”———————————– 1 ]. Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, sec. National, September 18, 2012. [ 2 ]. Schaab, Patrick. â€Å"Mercy killings or uncontrolled murder?. â€Å"The Timaru Herald, sec. National, September 18, 2012. [ 3 ]. Lafolette, Hugh. â€Å"Living On a Slippery Slope. † The Journal of Ethics. 9. no. 3/4 (2005): 475-499. [ 4 ]. S. Frileux, C. Lelievre, M. T. Munoz Sastre, E. Mullet and P. C. Sorum, . â€Å"When is Physician Assisted Suicide or Euthanasia Acceptable?. † Journal Of Medical Ethics. 29. no. 6 (2003): 330-336. [ 5 ]. Admiraal, Pieter. â€Å"Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide. Accessed December 6, 2012. [ 6 ]. Simon, Rita J. â€Å"Euthanasia and The Right to Die: Overview. †Ã‚  ABC-CLIO Understanding Controversy and Society. [ 7 ]. Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. à ¢â‚¬ Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. [ 8 ]. â€Å"Washington State Transforms the Crime of Assisted Suicide Into a â€Å"Medical Treatment†. â€Å". Patients Rights Council. [ 9 ]. Yardley, William. â€Å"Report Finds 36 Died Under Assisted Suicide Law. †Ã‚  The New York Times, March 4, 2010. [ 10 ]. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. 11 ]. McKhann, Charles F. Time to Die: The Place for Physician Assistance. Michigan: Yale University Press, 1999. [ 12 ]. Religion and Spirituality. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center. [ 13 ]. Neumann, Ann. â€Å"The Nation: Keeping the Right to Die Alive. †Ã‚  The Nation, June 16, 2011. (accessed December 6, 2012). [ 14 ]. Barber, Melissa. â€Å"Death With Dignity Isn't Suicide. †Ã‚  Death With Dignity National Center, April 25, 2011. [ 15 ]. Robinson, Scott. â€Å"To Go Among the Saracens: A Franciscan Composer's Jou rney into the House of Islam . †Ã‚  Cross Currents. ( 2007): 417, 420.

Blood Promise Chapter Two

He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they always were-but I was on my game tonight. A swift kick knocked him into a neighboring building’s wall and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on impact and slumped to the ground, stunned and surprised. It wasn’t easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his attention on me, red eyes angry and lips curled back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his fall with that preternatural speed and lunged for me. I dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His next blow caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, just barely keeping my balance. My stake was still clutched in my right hand, but I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would have angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy was only doing a so-so job, and if I could stay alive long enough, I’d likely get an opening. Just then, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasn’t a very strong blow, but it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full weight at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked out my stake once I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Just like with every Strigoi I’d killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitri’s face on this Strigoi, tried to imagine him lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a split second, the image was there. Then-gone. This was just some random Strigoi. I promptly shook the disorientation off and reminded myself that I had important things to worry about here. I had to check on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective nature couldn’t help but kick in. â€Å"Are you okay?† She nodded, looking shaken but otherwise unharmed. â€Å"Nice work,† she said. She sounded as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident. â€Å"I’ve never†¦ I’ve never actually seen one of them killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t imagine how she would have, but then, I didn’t get how she knew about any of this stuff in the first place. She looked like she was in shock, so I took her arm and started to lead her away. â€Å"Come on, let’s get out to where there’s more people.† Strigoi lurking near the Nightingale wasn’t that crazy of an idea, the more I thought about it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most guardians would have enough sense to keep their charges out of alleys like this. The suggestion of departure snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?† she exclaimed. â€Å"You’re just going to leave him too?† I threw up my hands. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can move him behind those trash cans and then let the sun incinerate him. That’s what I usually do.† â€Å"Right. And what if someone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?† â€Å"Well, I can hardly drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don’t you think?† Sydney shook her head in exasperation and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked down at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vial’s contents over the body and then quickly stepped back. Where the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly moved outward, spreading horizontally rather than vertically until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind. â€Å"You’re welcome,† said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?† She started to turn away. â€Å"Wait! I can’t call you-I have no idea who you are.† She glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å"Really? You’re serious, aren’t you? I thought you were all taught about us when you graduated.† â€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing†¦ I kind of, uh, didn’t graduate.† Sydney’s eyes widened. â€Å"You took down one of those†¦ things†¦ but never graduated?† I shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.† Did we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wanted to know why she thought I should have been in contact with her and how she’d dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we returned to the busy streets and walked toward a cafe she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew about the Moroi world, there might be a chance she also knew where Dimitri’s village was. Dimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no clue if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blurred Dimitri’s face with that of the Strigoi I’d just killed: pale skin, red ringed eyes†¦ No, I sternly told myself. Don’t focus on that yet. Don’t panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep brown eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace†¦ â€Å"Are you okay†¦ um, whatever your name is?† Sydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized we’d come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didn’t know what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she wanted to speak to me as little as possible. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,† I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And I’m Rose. Is this the place?† It was. The restaurant was bright and cheery, albeit a far cry from the Nightingale’s opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I mean fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried chicken. I was starving after not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonald’s. A waitress arrived, and Sydney ordered in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I expected her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, simply playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was definitely uncomfortable around me. Even with the table between us, it was like she couldn’t get far enough away. Yet her earlier outrage hadn’t been faked, and she’d been adamant about me following whatever these rules of hers were. Well, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation about busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my trademark. â€Å"So, are you ready to tell me who you are and what’s going on?† Sydney looked up. Now that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also noticed that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like gold, something I’d never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really visible when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light. â€Å"I told you,† she said. â€Å"I’m an Alchemist.† â€Å"And I told you, I don’t know what that is. Is it some Russian word?† It didn’t sound like one. A half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it you’ve never heard of alchemy either?† I shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of words came out. â€Å"Back in the Middle Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t. This didn’t stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did find something magical.† She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.† I thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, hiding out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became myth as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting. Sydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.† That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.† She touched the golden tattoo. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.† She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. It’s actually gold and†-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.† â€Å"What?† My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower and very bitter. â€Å"I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s our ? ®reward’ for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I’ll live a long life.† â€Å"I guess that sounds good,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"Maybe for some. We don’t have a choice. This ? ®career’ is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We’ve got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can-which is why most dhampirs aren’t told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.† She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over. My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I’d heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I’d never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have. This probably wasn’t an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn’t help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?† â€Å"Because there’s an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.† A charm that bound them from speaking†¦ that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries. I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. â€Å"Why†¦ why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I’m looking to become BFFs or anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it’s our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.† Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross. My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn’t very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? We’re all evil creatures of the night?† Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn’t respond. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi!† I snapped. Her face stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.† No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we’d been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,† I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.† â€Å"That’s true,† she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.† â€Å"Hey, that’s not what I-â€Å" The food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to distract me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had ordered a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately. After taking down an entire chicken leg, I was finally able to resume the argument. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi at all. Moroi don’t kill. You have no reason to be afraid of us.† Again, I wasn’t keen on cozying up to humans. None of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didn’t understand. â€Å"Any human who learns about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,† she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them. â€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.† Why the hell was I playing devil’s advocate here? She finished toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a lot of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. You’d be surprised at how a lot of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortality’s a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.† â€Å"That’s insane-† I stopped. Last year, we’d discovered evidence of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldn’t touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to shatter Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,† said Sydney, â€Å"that’s why it’s best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. You’re out there-all of you-and there’s nothing to be done about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and we’ll do ours and save the rest of my kind.† I chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied meaning that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasn’t possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was necessary for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would be able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying. I froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when I’d first come along with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Here’s a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, we’re sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.† That was almost crazier than everything else she’d told me, but I didn’t push it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?† She shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of high-ranking government officials-among humans and Moroi. If there’s been a vampire sighting among humans, we can usually find someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.† Track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment. â€Å"I’m looking for a village†¦ a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I don’t know its name.† Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and I’d forgotten. â€Å"It’s kind of near†¦ Om?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. I straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?† She didn’t answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"You do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.† She made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be†¦ one of those?† So Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, they’d know this too. â€Å"No,† I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Someone.† That almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as she munched on another fry. She’d only taken two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle. â€Å"I’ll be right back,† she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell phone from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the room and made a call. I’d polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, wondering if finding Dimitri’s town would really be this simple. And once I was there†¦ would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really drive my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Dimitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?† I blinked. I’d totally spaced out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-† She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?† I had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. I’d barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.† She frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. I’ve been there before.† I straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this horrible chapter in my life. â€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked. â€Å"But I’m not going to tell you where it is.† My mouth gaped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to take you there myself.† Blood Promise Chapter Two He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they always were-but I was on my game tonight. A swift kick knocked him into a neighboring building’s wall and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on impact and slumped to the ground, stunned and surprised. It wasn’t easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his attention on me, red eyes angry and lips curled back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his fall with that preternatural speed and lunged for me. I dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His next blow caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, just barely keeping my balance. My stake was still clutched in my right hand, but I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would have angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy was only doing a so-so job, and if I could stay alive long enough, I’d likely get an opening. Just then, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasn’t a very strong blow, but it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full weight at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked out my stake once I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Just like with every Strigoi I’d killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitri’s face on this Strigoi, tried to imagine him lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a split second, the image was there. Then-gone. This was just some random Strigoi. I promptly shook the disorientation off and reminded myself that I had important things to worry about here. I had to check on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective nature couldn’t help but kick in. â€Å"Are you okay?† She nodded, looking shaken but otherwise unharmed. â€Å"Nice work,† she said. She sounded as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident. â€Å"I’ve never†¦ I’ve never actually seen one of them killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t imagine how she would have, but then, I didn’t get how she knew about any of this stuff in the first place. She looked like she was in shock, so I took her arm and started to lead her away. â€Å"Come on, let’s get out to where there’s more people.† Strigoi lurking near the Nightingale wasn’t that crazy of an idea, the more I thought about it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most guardians would have enough sense to keep their charges out of alleys like this. The suggestion of departure snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?† she exclaimed. â€Å"You’re just going to leave him too?† I threw up my hands. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can move him behind those trash cans and then let the sun incinerate him. That’s what I usually do.† â€Å"Right. And what if someone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?† â€Å"Well, I can hardly drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don’t you think?† Sydney shook her head in exasperation and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked down at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vial’s contents over the body and then quickly stepped back. Where the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly moved outward, spreading horizontally rather than vertically until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind. â€Å"You’re welcome,† said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?† She started to turn away. â€Å"Wait! I can’t call you-I have no idea who you are.† She glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å"Really? You’re serious, aren’t you? I thought you were all taught about us when you graduated.† â€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing†¦ I kind of, uh, didn’t graduate.† Sydney’s eyes widened. â€Å"You took down one of those†¦ things†¦ but never graduated?† I shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.† Did we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wanted to know why she thought I should have been in contact with her and how she’d dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we returned to the busy streets and walked toward a cafe she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew about the Moroi world, there might be a chance she also knew where Dimitri’s village was. Dimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no clue if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blurred Dimitri’s face with that of the Strigoi I’d just killed: pale skin, red ringed eyes†¦ No, I sternly told myself. Don’t focus on that yet. Don’t panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep brown eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace†¦ â€Å"Are you okay†¦ um, whatever your name is?† Sydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized we’d come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didn’t know what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she wanted to speak to me as little as possible. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,† I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And I’m Rose. Is this the place?† It was. The restaurant was bright and cheery, albeit a far cry from the Nightingale’s opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I mean fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried chicken. I was starving after not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonald’s. A waitress arrived, and Sydney ordered in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I expected her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, simply playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was definitely uncomfortable around me. Even with the table between us, it was like she couldn’t get far enough away. Yet her earlier outrage hadn’t been faked, and she’d been adamant about me following whatever these rules of hers were. Well, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation about busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my trademark. â€Å"So, are you ready to tell me who you are and what’s going on?† Sydney looked up. Now that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also noticed that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like gold, something I’d never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really visible when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light. â€Å"I told you,† she said. â€Å"I’m an Alchemist.† â€Å"And I told you, I don’t know what that is. Is it some Russian word?† It didn’t sound like one. A half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it you’ve never heard of alchemy either?† I shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of words came out. â€Å"Back in the Middle Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t. This didn’t stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did find something magical.† She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.† I thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, hiding out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became myth as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting. Sydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.† That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.† She touched the golden tattoo. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.† She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. It’s actually gold and†-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.† â€Å"What?† My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower and very bitter. â€Å"I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s our ? ®reward’ for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I’ll live a long life.† â€Å"I guess that sounds good,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"Maybe for some. We don’t have a choice. This ? ®career’ is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We’ve got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can-which is why most dhampirs aren’t told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.† She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over. My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I’d heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I’d never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have. This probably wasn’t an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn’t help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?† â€Å"Because there’s an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.† A charm that bound them from speaking†¦ that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries. I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. â€Å"Why†¦ why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I’m looking to become BFFs or anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it’s our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.† Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross. My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn’t very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? We’re all evil creatures of the night?† Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn’t respond. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi!† I snapped. Her face stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.† No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we’d been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,† I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.† â€Å"That’s true,† she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.† â€Å"Hey, that’s not what I-â€Å" The food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to distract me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had ordered a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately. After taking down an entire chicken leg, I was finally able to resume the argument. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi at all. Moroi don’t kill. You have no reason to be afraid of us.† Again, I wasn’t keen on cozying up to humans. None of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didn’t understand. â€Å"Any human who learns about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,† she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them. â€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.† Why the hell was I playing devil’s advocate here? She finished toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a lot of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. You’d be surprised at how a lot of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortality’s a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.† â€Å"That’s insane-† I stopped. Last year, we’d discovered evidence of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldn’t touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to shatter Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,† said Sydney, â€Å"that’s why it’s best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. You’re out there-all of you-and there’s nothing to be done about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and we’ll do ours and save the rest of my kind.† I chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied meaning that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasn’t possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was necessary for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would be able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying. I froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when I’d first come along with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Here’s a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, we’re sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.† That was almost crazier than everything else she’d told me, but I didn’t push it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?† She shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of high-ranking government officials-among humans and Moroi. If there’s been a vampire sighting among humans, we can usually find someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.† Track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment. â€Å"I’m looking for a village†¦ a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I don’t know its name.† Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and I’d forgotten. â€Å"It’s kind of near†¦ Om?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. I straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?† She didn’t answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"You do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.† She made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be†¦ one of those?† So Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, they’d know this too. â€Å"No,† I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Someone.† That almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as she munched on another fry. She’d only taken two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle. â€Å"I’ll be right back,† she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell phone from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the room and made a call. I’d polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, wondering if finding Dimitri’s town would really be this simple. And once I was there†¦ would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really drive my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Dimitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?† I blinked. I’d totally spaced out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-† She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?† I had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. I’d barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.† She frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. I’ve been there before.† I straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this horrible chapter in my life. â€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked. â€Å"But I’m not going to tell you where it is.† My mouth gaped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to take you there myself.†

MIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

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Psychology of self esteem Termpaper - Essay Example To some extent self esteem is synonymous to confidence but in literal words it means a feeling of pride in one's self, in other words what do you think about yourself; if you think good about yourself then you have a high self esteem while on the other hand if you think low about yourself then you are suffering from low self esteem issues. Self esteem is crucial and a cornerstone of a positive attitude towards living. It is very important because it affects how you think, act and even how you relate to other people. It allows you to live life to your potential. Low self esteem means poor confidence and it causes negative thoughts, which means that you are likely to give up easily rather than face challenges. In addition, it has a direct bearing on your happiness and wellbeing. "What is the most important thing for a person starting out on the road to success?" "I would tell them the most important thing is to work on your self esteem, that's the best advice I can give" (Wagner, †Å"Larry King Live†) Hence here we know how important it is in character and lives building but what role can our parent's play towards it? how can a family contribute in developing their child's self esteem? Healthy self esteem is a child's shield against the challenges of life, kids who feel good about themselves end up handling their problems and matters in a much mature way because they believe in their selves and their capabilities but self esteem can also be defined as feelings of capability defined with feelings of being loved. A child who might have achieved something great but if their parents does not love them then they would feel that whatever they have achieved is in vain or maybe it was not enough to make their parents feel happy. Thus it is important for the parents to inculcate in them the feeling of being loved and even if the child cannot perform well at any platform that would not change the love they have for them. A child will thus feel confident that they have someone to love them forever and the same feeling of confidence and being loved develops in them a high sense of self esteem. Parents are a child’s role model. Children try to copy them and eventually become like them so a parent should always keep tabs on the fact that their actions influence the personalities of their kids. For example if one is pessimistic or unrealistic about oneself and one’s abilities and continues to confess this in front of one’s child, the child might end up believing that may be all individuals are like that. If a parent concentrates on their own self esteem, this act alone can greatly nurture the self esteem of their child. Here Seligman (Stepp 2) offers a great deal of practical advice, he says that according to his research children listen to how adults criticize them and absorb the style of the criticism as well as the substance. Parents should try to identify their child's beliefs and most importantly what do the children thi nk about themselves. Parents need to help kids set more accurate standards and be more realistic in evaluating themselves, this will help them have a healthy self-concept. Bad perceptions about themselves with regards to any aspect of their lives, may make them feel worthless for example if a child is

Muslim Empire In Spain ( Alandalus ) Research Paper

Muslim Empire In Spain ( Alandalus ) - Research Paper Example HISTORY In 711 AD, the Christian chief Julian went and appealed to the governor of North Africa Musa ibn Nusair for his assistance against the tyrannical rule of Roderick in Spain. The Moorish Umayyad army consisting of 7000 troops from North Africa under their Commander Tariq bin Ziyad crossed the state of Gibraltar and gained control over much parts of the Iberian Peninsula. Roderick was killed in the battle and his Visigoth army was defeated. It was the start of an eight year Islamic rule in that region. From the 8th- 15th centuries, various parts of the Iberian Peninsula majorly Southern Spain, Portugal and France were ruled by the Muslims; which were mostly Arab or Berber. PERIOD The Muslim empire in Spain was not under a single reign instead it was a series of different successions made by various Muslim rulers. From 711- 716, the military troops under their leader Tariq ibn Ziyad conquered the region. In 756, the Umayyad prince Abd ar Rahman.I establishes the Emirate of Cordoba. It was a blooming time of the Umayyad dynasty as well as for the Arab culture (BBC, 2009). Later Abd ar Rahman.III took over. The reign of Umayyad dynasty in Spain lasted from 756- 929. Civil wars in 1009 and 1013 totally collapsed the Emirate of Cordoba. As result of this various small states came into being. These states known as the â€Å" Taifas† were divided amongst Arabs, Berbs and Iberian Muslims. As they were weak in military power and thus asked the help of the North African warriors to help fight the Christian kings. From 1080- 1250 Almoravids and then Alhomads ruled. DECLINE In 1212, the Christian states united against the Alhomads . And till 1252 nearly all the Iberian Peninsula came under the three Christian states of Portugal, Aragon, and Castile. The reason of decline of the Muslim empire in Spain was not because the Christians were strong, but it was because the Muslim rulers were cutting each other’s throat and hence was becoming weaker. By the mid thirteenth century the Muslim rule in Spain was limited to a thin mountainous strip of land in the south. In 1230-40 Muhammed ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr founded a state centered around the city of Granada. Granada had a weak economy and had to face internal conflicts as well.Also the Muslims in North Africa at that time, went into decline and could no longer provide Granada their support (Islam & Islamic History, 2001). The Christian States of Castile, Aragon and Portugal united and grew stronger. In 1474, war started and one city after another came to the Christian artillery. In 1492, after an eight-month siege, Granada also became a part of Christian artillery. The Muslims in Spain finally lost all their in 1492.And by 1502, after 800 years the Christians gained power again and issued orders involving Muslims to convert to Christianity, otherwise imposing brutal limitations. The Muslim empire in Spain made various contributions in many fields. During Abd ar Rahman III reign, books from Baghdad (as it was the centre for research back then) were brought to this land. Libraries, hospi tals, Research centers and centre of Islamic studies were established. Scholars, historians, poets and researchers were invited to the region to make their contributions in their respective fields. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SCIENCE Science is a very vast field. The Muslim scientists and scholars contributed a

Business Law course---&gtAgency--&gtPrincipal and Agent relationship Term Paper

Business Law course--->Agency-->Principal and Agent relationship - Term Paper Example However, creating a relationship between two parties involve certain crucial points, which are significant to be considered when creating an agency. These points principally includes mentioning the authorities of the parties involved, duties of the both the parties and liability of the parties involved among others in the contract. In similar regard, it would be worth mentioning that an agency relationship between two parties (the principal and the agent) must be beneficial for both; that is the principal will enjoy the privilege of getting his/her work done by others, while the agent will receive a considerable amount for the same (Floyd & Allen 212-250). THESIS STATEMENT In this paper, emphasis will be laid upon investigating and postulating the provisions in respect to agency creation and the subsequent relation built there upon between an agent and the principal. The significance of having an agency relationship will also be depicted up to an extent in this paper. From a primary point of view, there are several components identifiable as involved with the creation as well as the legal execution of an agency relationship. ... In such relationship a legal contract plays a vital role to ensure legal and ethical conducts of both the parties involved. The rights as well as responsibilities of both the parties are therefore, postulated to be based in accordance to the terms and conditions mentioned in the contract. In regard to creating an agency, the free consent of the both the parties involved, i.e. principal and agent, is of prime significance and a necessary issue. The principal, in this context, must have the desire that the agent will act on his behalf with a particular transaction or negotiation. Similarly, an agent will also have the right to choose his desire or confirm his free consent to perform on behalf of the principal. The intentions and expectations of both the parties is also required to be mentioned in the contract to avoid any sort of miscommunications or frauds of any kind in the course of their relationship. Correspondingly, the contract law will be applicable in this regard. In case, if one party intends to exercise control over the activities of the other, no relationship will exist between the two. An agency can only arise by the will of both the parties. There are two kinds of agencies, which comprise of actual and apparent agencies [Carr v. Hunt, 651 S.W.2d 875] (US Legal, â€Å"Creation of Agency†). AUTHORITY It has been noted from the above discussion that the relationship between an agent and a principal, primarily forms an agency, where the former acts on behalf of the later. Both of them enter in a contract, which further ensures certain authoritative responsibilities and rights for both of them. The authority in an agency is divided into several types based on their characterizations. Primarily, the authority of an agent is his/her power to act on behalf of the