Civil Society In Combating Terrorism And Extremism Politics Essay

Civil Society In Combating Terrorism And Extremism Politics Essay 1. The stalemate of terrorism has always been a threat to humans of this world in one form or the other, radiating from number of causes such as insensitive religious emotions, sectarian divergences, disparity of power among leftist and rightist schools of thought, communism vs. capitalism, exploitation of the ignorant and deprived ones and lust for acquisition of resources entailing in invasions etc. However, this problem emerged as a flash point after a tragic incident of 9/11 which drew attention of world towards uprooting this cancer by taking certain counter measures. Military solution, when crucial, plays its roles to some extent but cannot fully figure out the intricacies of terrorism without taking all the communities and nation onboard. This not only educates masses about issues in war against terror but plays a key role in boosting morale of forces on frontlines. These have included the introduction of anti-terror laws; changes in reporting requirements for civil society or ganizations; and the increasing use of new border security technologies. In many countries, the impact of these measures on civil society and on citizens has been a source of great concern. The meaning of involving civil society in a wide-ranging and multidimensional response to the threat of terrorism has been stressed by various international platforms. 2. Civil society stands for a vast range of social groups, interests, representations, inbuilt tensions and conflicts. It is most evident by a range of voluntary associations including political parties, trade unions and professional bodies, private foundations, educational and research institutions and think tanks, religious, faith-based, and community-based organizations, and womens, human rights, social and environmental groups. A vibrant civil society can play a strategic role in protecting local communities, countering extremist ideologies, and dealing with political violence. 3. Civil society gives a voice to different social groups and causes, which provides a channel of expression for the marginalized and can promote a culture of tolerance and pluralism. On a more practical level, civil society groups can play a significant role in building local support for counterterrorism through education, lobbying government authorities to adopt a holistic response that respects human rights, monitoring implementation of counterterrorism measures, investigating and publicizing abuses committed in the name of fighting terrorism, giving assistance and support to victims, promoting the importance of peace and security, and providing capacity-building training. This paper will address this aspect of countering the terrorism to see where and how civil society comes into action for countering terrorism. AIM 4. To carry out an in-depth study of civil societys role in addressing terrorism, so as to identify the shortcomings hampering its efficacy with the view to enable a way forward in short and long term perspectives to make it an effective tool for combating terrorism. SCOPE 5. The paper will focus on following:- a. To briefly highlight various terrorism facets for drawing their relevancy and genesis form civil societys standpoint. b. To ponder upon the essentials that the civil society can perform in developing its profile for handling terrorism. c. To highlight the limitations that handicaps our civil societys efficacy in playing its due role in addressing terrorism. d. To bring home an affect based approach focusing on immediate and long term actions to uplift our societys role against terrorism both in cognitive and practical domains. PART I DEFINING TERRORISM AND COUNTER TERRORISM 6. The word Terrorism is very much renowned and perilous to the global world. The modern world has made a number of counter measures to face this menace. Before defining the role of civil society in combating terrorism and extremism effectively; we must understand first about terrorism, its genesis types and causes. Since, solution to any problem will prevail only by knowing its basis and objectives. 7. What is Terrorism.  [1]  Terrorism is not new, and even though it has been used since the beginning of recorded history it can be relatively hard to define. Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter. 8. That is why pre-emption is being considered to be so important. In some cases, terrorism has been a means to carry on a conflict without the adversary realizing the nature of the threat, mistaking terrorism for criminal activity. Because of these characteristics, terrorism has become increasingly common among those pursuing extreme goals throughout the world. But despite its popularity, terrorism can be a nebulous concept. No universally accepted definition exists for the meaning of the word terrorism.Analysts examining the question have counted more than one hundred different definitions.  [2]  The lack of an agreed definition allows those in power to interpret the term for their own purposes. Political leaders often take advantage of the terms ambiguity to label their opponents terrorists. However, there are certain definitions related to terrorism exist in the world with different connotation to its application used by different countries are as:- a. United States Department of Defense. It defines terrorism as the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. Within this definition, there are three key elements violence, fear, and intimidation and each element produces terror in its victims. b. Federal Bureau of Investigation (United State). States that, Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. c. United State Department of State. It defines terrorism to be premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. d. United Nations. United Nation produced this definition in 1992; An anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby in contrast to assassination the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The most commonly accepted academic definition starts with the U.N. definition quoted above, and adds two sentences totaling another words on the end; containing such verbose concepts as message generators and violence based communication processes. Less specific and considerably less verbose. e. British Government. The British government definition of 1974 isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear. 9. Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim. The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. The terrorists plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. The effectiveness of the terrorist act lies not in the act itself, but in the publics or governments reaction to the act. There are three perspectives of terrorism: the terrorists, the victims, and the general publics. The phrase one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter is a view terrorists themselves would accept. Terrorists do not see themselves as evil. They believe they are legitimate combatants, fighting for what they believe in, by whatever means possible. A victim of a terrorist act sees the terrorist as a criminal with no regard for human life. The general publics view is the most unstable. The terrorists take great pains to foster a Robin Hood image in hope of swaying the general publics point of view toward their cause. This sympathetic view of terrorism has become an integral part of their psychological warfare and needs to be countered vigorously. 10. Historical Background of Terrorism. History of terrorism is as old as the human civilization. To overview the history of terrorism one will have to depend upon the history of violence that was given a new name in French revolution. In ancient times the terrorism manifested in the form of individual and tribal riots. Later the small states faced terrorist attacks by the bigger states as a foreign aggression. Human history has witnessed countless furious wars in which millions of people were massacred in dreadful terrorist acts. The series of human subjugation is still visible even in 21st century. The violence which has been present in the human history throughout the ages has been given new name terrorism after French Revolution in 1779. We see in the history that Alexander the great and other warriors continuously killed millions of people that can also be termed as the terrorists of ancient human history. The Roman Empire also contested several dangerous wars to establish their kingdom in the world. Even the people of God continued to fight with each other in the name of religion. 11. We have the example of crusades wars between the Islamic regimes and Romans which were fought to manipulating the name of religion. Those wars also resulted in the killing of thousand of innocents just for the quest of power. The earlier organization that exhibited aspects of modern terrorist organization was the Zealots of Judea, known to the Roman as sicarii, or dagger-men. They carried on an underground campaign of assassination of Roman occupation forces, as well as any Jews they felt had collaborated with the Romans. In ancient India many wars were fought among different groups or tribes. The European nations also fought wars with each other resulting in the deaths of several innocent people. The French Revolutionary Governments coined the word terrorism by instituting systematic state terror against the population of French in the 1790s, killing thousands of people. In 20th Century the world witnessed World War I and II as big showdowns of terrorism to achieve the goals of superpower. Later the incident of atomic bombardment on Japan and human conflict in Vietnam are big human destruction which shakes the conscious of the mankind. In the last decade of 20th Century the phenomenon of terrorism continued to occur in the world more prominently after the end of cold war. The incidents of September 11 and July 7 are the height of terrorist acts. It shaped the world in the new directions. In modern times we have seen the horrible wars in Persian Gulf, Middle East and Africa in which the violence was used to terrorize the opponent. The war between Iraq and Iran, Kuwait and Iraq and deadly killings in Rwanda, Zaire and Congo are the worst recent examples of terrorism. Even these days in many countries of the world the proxy and guerrilla wars are harming and killing innocent and irrelevant people. In short, it can be firmly said that terrorism was present throughout the human history but since few decades it has been given a new dimension. This phenomenon sho uld always be seen in historical perspective to understand the issue properly. 12. Types of Terrorism. The phenomenon of the terrorism is very complex on the whole in all aspects. There is disagreement among the scholars over the types of the terrorism unlike its definition. Various attempts have been made to derive the most common types of terrorism. However, the type of terrorism must be seen in socio-historic and politico economic perspective. Encyclopedia of Britannica describes the following types of terrorism: a. Revolutionary Terrorism. It is the most common form of terrorism to achieve certain political objectives radically. Practitioners of this type of terrorism seek the complete abolition of a political system and its replacement with new structures. Modern instances of such activity include campaigns by the Italian Red Brigades, the German Red Faction (Baader Meinhof Gang), the Basque separatist group and the Peruvian Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), each of which attempted to topple a national regime. b. Sub Revolutionary Terrorism. Sub revolutionary terrorism is rather less common. It is used not to overthrow an existing regime but to modify the existing socio-political structure. Since this modification is often accomplished through the threats of deposing the existing regime, sub revolutionary groups are somewhat more difficult to identify. An example can be seen in the African National Congress (ANC) and its campaign to end apartheid in South Africa. c. Establishment Terrorism. The Soviet Union and its allies allegedly engaged in widespread support of international terrorism during the cold war; in the 1980s the United States supported rebel groups in Africa that allegedly engaged in acts of terrorism, such as the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).These types are theoretical and directly related with nation state. The typology of the terrorism is very broad subject it can be further classified on the basis of motives, methods and subjects. Let us have a glance of some other types of terrorism for further understanding. d. Nationalist Terrorism. The aim of the nationalist terrorism is to establish a separate state or homeland for the certain ethnic, religious or tribal groups. This sort of terrorism has been popular among the most successful at winning international sympathy and concessions. It is very difficult to define terrorism because many practitioners of it claim to be the freedom fighters. They use violence to draw attention of the world to gain sympathy for their national cause. The most relevant examples of this type are the movement run by Irish republican Army in UK (IRA) and Palestine liberation organization (PLO) in Palestine. However, it is interesting fact that both of the groups renounced terrorism in 1990s and adopted the political means of conflict resolution. e. Religious Terrorism. Religious terrorism comes from many major faiths, as well as from small cults. This type of terrorism is growing rapidly and is discussed widely on the international media. Religious terrorists seek to use violence to further what they see as divinely commanded purposes, often targeting broad categories of foes in an attempt to bring about sweeping changes. f. State-Sponsored Terrorism. State-sponsored terrorism is one of the most controversial types of terrorism. In this category the state uses hidden groups to suppress anti state or anti government elements in the country. State-sponsored terrorist groups are deliberately used by radical states as foreign policy tools as Hoffman puts it, as a cost-effective way of waging war covertly, through the use of surrogate warriors or guns for hire. State sponsored terrorism is normally executed by autocratic to suppress the political opponents. The state sponsor terrorist groups are more effective, efficient and active rather than any group because of having moral, political and logistic support of the government or state. g. Inter-State or International Terrorism. This type of terrorism became evident in 20th century. Last century witnessed the events of insurgency and terrorism between two big powers in the guise of cold war. Although both the USSR and USA never confronted directly but no one can deny the proxy wars of these two powers in different parts of the world. Palestine is very clear example of the international terrorism where America supported Israel and USSR was giving backup to Al-Fateh a militant arm of Palestinian liberation organization (PLO). h. Group Terrorism. It occurs on the formation of various groups for common objectives in the society. Such groups are based on sectarian, linguistic, ethnic and tribal bases. When these groups work for the establishment of the supremacy and superiority for their own agenda it ultimately causes tension and clash with opponent groups. For example, Catholic and protestant conflict in Ireland, black white tension in US and South Africa etc. 13. Causes of Terrorism. To understand and solve the problem of terrorism it is essential for all to realize and identify the causes of terrorism. The terrorism is a complex phenomenon which has several reasons such as social, economic, religious and political etc. all these factors contribute in the enhancement and flourishing the terrorist activities. This global phenomenon has various causes and some of them are being spelled out briefly for the better understanding of the issue. This is also notable that the causes of terrorism may be different in various societies due to its religious, ethnic and political nature. a. Helplessness and Hopelessness. Helplessness which leads to hopelessness is the psychological state that enhances terrorism in the society. The society in which the people are ignored and have to suffer from socioeconomic and political injustice provide conducive environment to promote terrorism. When the people and their problem are neglected or kept aloof they ultimately express their resentment in the form of violent behavior to attract the attention of the state and the people. We can witness that in the long standing political disputes such as Palestine and Kashmir etc where the aspirations of the people were not heeded some of them started militant movements. Similarly, in communist regimes where the people were not given their socio-political rights they brought about even deadly revolution. b. Political and Economic Deprivation. Political and Economic deprivations are the main root causes of terrorism. When the political and economic rights of the certain groups are not granted it chooses the suitable method of terrorism to show their anger. This deprivation encourages the effected groups to adopt the violent ways to get their aspirations fulfilled. For example we can see that in northern states of India such as Assam, Nagaland, and West Bengal etc. the communists started guerilla war against the Indian Government. Charles Kegley while discussing the contemporary terrorism presents a root cause school of thought which asserts that political and economic deprivation are the main causes of terrorism. He views the advocates of Root Causes Theory propel that politically oppressed and economically deprived people are more prone to violent and terrorist behavior. They are deprived of their basic needs and this condition forces them to change their fate by hook or crook. c. Influence of Communist Regimes. At the end of cold war the influence of communist regimes inspired by Marxist and Leninist theories made a cause of escalation of terrorism in the world. Being influenced by such regimes many freedom movements adopted violence. We see in Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka communists and Tamales started violent movements in the last two decades of twentieth century for their freedom. d. Poverty and Economic Exploitation. In the society where there is illiteracy, hunger and economic disparity the terrorism flourishes rapidly. All these factors lead to increase in poverty which itself is the mother of terrorism. Famous philosopher Aristotle had agreed on the assertion stating that Poverty is mother of Terrorism and Revolution. We see for example in Muslim countries there is a huge amount of poverty and that is why, it becomes easier for the terrorist groups to find the interested persons due to their poor economic conditions. Daniel Pipes (2002) says that As long as there is poverty, inequality, injustice and repressive political systems, militant Islamic tendencies will grow in the world e. Easy Access to Weapons and Modern Technology. Due to incredible advancement in weapons technology and human knowledge it has become easy for the terrorists to get them easily. Hugh quantity of information about the arms manufacturing has been spread by internet which has made the access of the terrorists easy and they use weapons to get quick results the act of terrorism. f. Sheer Success of Terrorism. Terrorism is a short cut tactic for the terrorists to achieve their goals quickly. It is more result orientated rather than peaceful movement. That is why the terrorist groups adopt this for getting more results in shorter time. Easy access to weapons and widespread information of the arms technology is the cause of escalation of terrorism in modern times. g. Lack of Democracy and Dictatorship. Lack of Democracy is the main cause of terrorism in present times. The dictators and autocrat governments frighten opponents. They do it to create the fear among the masses to suppress any opposition against their governments. In undemocratic circumstances the people do not find ways to express their disagreement and as a result some of them turn to the violent means to submit their expression. We can see in many autocrat and communist states in Latin America and Africa the massive force was used against the political opponents such as in Cuba Zambia and Congo etc. h. Religious Extremism. There is a school of thought which considers that the religious extremism is the major cause of terrorism. Mark Juergensmeyer says that The religion is crucial for these acts since it gives moral justifications for the killing and provides images of cosmic war that allows activists to believe that they are waging spiritual scenarios. It does not mean that the religion causes terrorism but it does mean that the religion often provides symbols that make possible bloodshed even catastrophic acts of terrorism. As evidence we can observe that the majority of the terrorist movements are inspired by the religion or at-least it is claimed. i. Biological and Social Elements. Other than above mentioned causes sociologists have another point of view. A man is violent by nature. The sociologists present three hypotheses biological instinctual, social learning, and frustration aggression. Sigmund Freuds says that Man is embodied with an instinctive urge and appetite of attacking and subjugating others. It means that naturally human beings try to divert towards violence and terrorism by nature. The second point is that the social learning of the person also convinces him/her towards terrorism. If one grows and develops in the oppressed society one can be easily attracted towards violence and terrorism. Jean Jacques Rousseau presents the theory of social learning he says that human mind is like a blank sheet and whatever his society likes, paints on it. If one lives in violent society he/she would remain motivated towards terrorism. Theory of frustration aggression was coined by the psychologists of Yale University in 1939. T hey viewed that the aggressive behavior of a man reveals the existence of frustration in him. It means frustration produces the aggression and it is not sui genres. All above discussion does not encompass the causes of terrorism but provides view for the laymen. However, it is the common responsibility of all the stakeholders to contemplate on the issue to understand the phenomenon of the terrorism in religo-cultural and socio- economic perspective. In short, a sense of deprivation, sense of being exploited and sense of being cheated are important factors escalating terrorism in this modern era. Other than above discussion I would like to mention the causes of terrorism in the context of Pakistan as highlighted by the Gen. Pervez Musharraf President of Pakistan. He, while addressing in international seminar on Global Terrorism on August 29-2007 organized by institute of Regional studies (IRS) Islamabad pin pointed some noteworthy causes of terrorism in Pakistani and global perspecti ve. He described following causes which deserve due attention by the international community. Political deprivation and alienation are an arch cause of terrorism. This leads to hopelessness. The sense of powerlessness, which then leads to these terrorist acts. Lack of education and poverty are equally responsible for the increasing in terrorist activities. The illiterate are wrongly given the hope to go directly in to the heaven if he/she commits terrorist act for God or religion. Thus, in circumstance where there is lack of education and poverty it becomes easier for the master minds of the terrorist groups to launch the offences at the cost of the socio-economic compulsion and ignorance of the poor masses. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has rightly indicated that the wrong understanding and misinterpretation of the religion is the important cause of terrorism. He asserts that in Pakistan there are many clerics who have limited knowledge of the teachings and values of the Islam. T hey misguide the people for their vested interests in the name of religion. 14. Counter Terrorism. Counter terrorism is also a contested concept. The term embodies a wide range of measures with differing impacts, which can be loosely characterized as the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the bad and ugly categories are Counter Terrorism Measures (CTMs) that overemphasize security and distort development and aid priorities, and that lead to extrajudicial killings, greater state repression, and increased human rights abuse. Overly restrictive counterterrorism measures constrain the social, political, and operational capacity of civil society actors and impede the work of groups promoting improvements in governance, human rights, and development. These are all important elements for reducing conditions, such as political marginalization, repression, and despair that can fuel grievances and lead to expressions of political violence. On the positive side are cooperative nonmilitary measures that enhance the capacity of governments to thwart terrorist attacks while promoting and protecting human rights. Also in the good category are policies that encourage support for sustainable development and good governance, as recommended in the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. 15. The proposed categorization is figurative and not meant to suggest absolute judgments about particular policies. The range of counterterrorism measures is extremely wide, and specific policies can have differing impacts in varying conditions and settings. Strengthened law enforcement efforts are good when they prevent attacks and bring perpetrators to justice, but these same measures can be bad if they lead to abuses and increased repression. Efforts to prevent the financing of terrorism are positive, yet programs intended to interdict such funding often have negative implications for nongovernmental groups and charities seeking to overcome oppression. The evaluation of particular counterterrorism measures depends greatly on context and the way in which specific actors implement policies. Judgments about particular policies should be based on the degree to which they contribute to genuine security and democratic governance, while also upholding the rule of law and protecting the work of peace builders and human rights defenders. 16. Counterterrorism measures are usually weighted toward the executive branch of government, with little attention to enhancing judicial independence, legislative oversight, and citizen involvement. Emergency measures passed in the name of fighting terrorism have had the effect of undermining civil liberties, restricting the ability of civil society groups to operate, and impeding development and relief activities in marginalized communities. Repressive CTMs have reversed progress achieved in recent years toward the integration of human rights and accountable governance into development policy. Individual rights and political freedoms have eroded as states have accumulated greater security powers. The nongovernmental monitoring organization Freedom House has reported an alarming erosion of global political freedom in recent years. In its 2010 annual survey the organization noted intensified repression against human rights defenders and civic activists and reported declines for polit ical freedom in countries representing 20 percent of the worlds total polities. The last few years have witnessed the longest continuous period of decline for global freedom in the organizations nearly 40-year history of publishing annual ratings.  [3]  In 2011 Freedom House noted a further decline in political freedom and a reduction in the number of countries defined as politically free. The report highlighted the continued poor performance of countries of the Middle East and North Africa, although this trend may be partially reversed if the democratic revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and other countries produce freer societies and more representative governments. PART II ESSENTIAL ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY 17. Civil society can play a significant role in helping states increase awareness of the threat and the impact of an attack on local communities, and in deepening public support for government action to address it, which is an essential component of any effective long-term strategy. Terrorism is obviously the state of extreme in human conflict that occurs when the violence enters in the matter. The terrorism is the result of failure in conflict resolution which can occur anywhere in the world. It is the crucial social problem of the society as well. Every stakeholder should play its due role in combating the terrorism. In combating terrorism the role of the civil society is inevitable. The broadly classified and interrelated roles of civil society in regards to preventing and reduction of terrorism are as follows:- a. Advisory and Educational Role. b. Community Services. c. Advocacy and Research. d. Legal Aspects. Advisory and Educational Role 18. Civil society organizations can play a significant advisory and educational role. They can provide policy advice and expertise on aspects of preventing terrorism that is often not available within government. Equally importantly, civil society experts may provide alternative appropriate language and terminology to public officials in addressing issues related to terrorism and security. In order to strengthen their co-operation with governments and civil society may also find it appropriate to acknowledge positive steps or measures taken by law enforcement officials and government where they occur. In addition, they may have a positive advisory role in providing concrete alternatives to counter-terrorism policies and measures that they consider to be ill-conceived. It is important to recognize, however, that the non-state sector needs to be given relevant information in order to understand the real extent of the threat and to be able to provide adequate suggestions of a response  [4]

It is inhuman and offers no solution to unwanted pregnancies

Abortion is the act by which a pregnancy is prematurely terminated to result in the death of a foetus or unborn child. The life of the developing child is destroyed and the child therefore loses the chance of being born into this world.Various methods are used to perform or carry out an abortion such as use of medicine, surgery or any other methods of extraction some of which are very crude. Abortion dates way back into history and has been a social evil that society has had to put up with for a long time. In traditional society such methods as botanical products, exerting pressure on the abdomen and use of sharpened tools were used to perform abortion.With advanced civilization   these methods have changed to result to more modern methods that are medically safe. Crude methods however cannot be ruled as many women will tend to maintain secrecy about the whole issue or they may not afford to visit clinics (Riddle ,John M.).Several reasons lead to abortion but the most common one is unwanted pregnancies. Such pregnancies result from failed methods of contraception, rape, incest or even careless or unprotected sex.Special cases such as complications arising from a pregnancy also result in abortion where the urgency to save the life of the mother becomes inevitable. In the course of medical examination doctors may also detect complications in the development of a foetus and decide to terminate a pregnancy depending on the degree of destruction to the foetus.Pro-abortion activists argue that there is no need of bringing an unwanted child into this world. Children resulting from rape and incest for example come at a time when the mother is least ready for the responsibility. They are not conceived through a relationship and in the event of conception through rape the fathers may not even be known.Many people find it unhealthy to bring such children into the world because of the injustices they are likely to face in society.   Of all the injustices faced by child ren in the world however,   abortion is the worst of them all as it denies an unborn child the most basic human right; to be born and be raised in this world.Denying a child the right to live means that such a child loses the chance to be anybody in society and society has therefore been denied the services of great men and women through abortion (Edward Richards P, Katharine Rathbun C.).Despite rigorous campaigns against abortion, the evil has been on the increase in present day society.. This is due to advance in the field of medicine that has made abortion safer thus reducing the risk of death during the process.As a result, it has become an easy way out for many women especially young adults who engage in careless sex due to the promiscuous nature of society today.   But how safe is safe remains a topic of discussion regarding abortion.Though abortions carried out medically may be safe, the side effects may be far reaching and may not be realised immediately. The reproductiv e system of a woman for example may be destroyed and she may not be able to have children in future.This is traumatic as the woman is unable to overcome the guilt of contributing to her barrenness and the lack of children may lead to the break up of marriage where the woman is in such a relationship. The frustrations and psychological torment may be too much for the woman to bear (Edward R. P, Katharine R.C.).Due to increased number of abortions, a lot of people have come up with the argument that it should be legalised. They argue that legalising abortion will help to reduce abortion related deaths that result from crude methods because clinically induced abortion would now be accessible to those who wish to have it.

Children In The Novel Catcher in the Rye - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 799 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: Catcher in The Rye Essay Did you like this example? In Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, there are variations of symbols that are used to describe Holden Caulfieldrs agony which interconnects with children. Children for Holden is like a piece of happiness because of their innocence. One way this is unambiguous is by children in the novel. Holden positions himself as a protector of childrenrs innocence in the places they inhabit because he doesnt want society to corrupt the kids like how they did to him. Holden aiding the girl, by tightening up her skates, shows he has a soft spot for kids. Holden goes out in search for Phoebe but finds this girl, about Phoebers age, having a tough time tightening her skates. So Holden decides to help: She was having a helluva time tightening her skate. She didnt have any gloves on or anything and her hands were all red and cold(155). Holden sympathizes the girl when he saw her hands were all red and cold(155). This shows Holden sympathizes with the girl because he knows that society is insufficient in shielding her from danger. At the same time, Holden says, God, I love it when a kidrs nice and polite when you tighten their skates for them or something(155). The girl respected Holden for helping her tighten her skates proves that Holden wants to save that innocence before she has a problem rise up. Kids have an existing virtuous self which Holden likes and wants to stay that way. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Children In The Novel Catcher in the Rye" essay for you Create order In addition, Holdenrs response to inappropriate wall graffitis implies his concern for Phoebe and the children to losing their innocence. Holden goes to Phoebers school to give her note, so he could meet Phoebe in the Museum of Natural History, in order to return her lent money. Holden sits down after feeling nauseous, he finds a disturbing message: Somebodyd written, F You on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see ittheyd all think about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days(260). Holden says, theyd all think about it and maybe even worry(260) conveys a sign of fear in Holden about the aftermath of influence caused by that specific word, that will change their lives for good. Furthermore, Holden tries to erase the f-word in a different stairwell: I tried to rub it off with my hand again, but this one was scratched onIts hopeless, anyway. If you had a million years to do it in, you couldnt rub out even half the F you signs in the world. Its impossible (262). Scratched, a mark on a surface with a sharp object, which cant be removed. In this context even if Holden tries his best to remove all the ?F yous in the world, he cant, because some way or another the word can come back and influence the kids. This shows that Holden is fearful of society changing the fate of their children either way, which makes Holden position himself as a protector of childrenrs innocence. Lastly, the mention of ?The Catcher in the Rye fantasy proves Holden attempting to ?catch the kids before they lose their innocence. The time where Phoebe asks Holden what he wants to be, Holden says, What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff† I mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them(224-5). Holden says,I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff which proves that he makes sure that certain boundaries dont stop their innocence to flourish, that connects with the idea of society trying not to take away their childlike innocence. Moreover, Holden conversation with Phoebe reveals Holdenrs state of mind: It is ?If a body meets a body coming through the rye! I didnt know it by then, though. ?I thought it was ?If a body catch a body,(224). When holden thought it was If a body catch a body, Holden had this perception where ?catch meant saving someone, instead of holding something. This conveys that he wants to be a guardian of their innocence and not let it get takeover by society. It is all his distress which are caused by his own experiences. Overall, Holden sees himself as a savior of childrenrs innocence, which stems from how he is treated by society. Holden wanted to be a protector of childrenrs innocence because he doesnt want them to experience the same path which Holden ended up in. In the real world, such situations are common because some way or another there is a catcher in your life, where they guide you and support you on the right path.

The Film Prayer For Bobby - 1374 Words

The film Prayer for Bobby is based on a true story about a young man named Bobby. Bobby grew up in a very strict religious family that obeyed the bible word by word. On the outside Bobby seemed to be a perfect child, but he struggled with his own inner demons. Bobby knew that he was a homosexual, but he did not know how to tell his family because he knew that he would never be accepted by them because of their religion. After his family found out about his sexuality his family, especially his mother, believed that he could be cured and return back to his faith. Sadly, in the end Bobby took his own life because he knew he would always be seen as an outcast within his family and his church. The film hit many sensitive topics, but three stood†¦show more content†¦Bobby’s family was a devote religious family who obeyed the bible and believed it was the word of God. The family’s religion believed that homosexuality was a sin that can be punished by death and an eter nity in hell. Their religion believes that homosexuals are supposed to be saved and told that they are not really homosexual, that they are being tempted by Satan with sin. Another important problem that we see in the film is homophobia. Bobby’s family was uncomfortable with Bobby’s sexuality because they were homophobic. Bobby’s family was homophobic because of their religion telling them that homosexuality is a sin. They had a hard time accepting him as a homosexual because their religious background tells them that they are not supposed to accept homosexuals. Even Bobby’s church shows characteristics of homophobia. At Bobby’s funeral, the person giving the eulogy openly puts down Bobby for his sexuality and says that he fell to temptation and committed sin against God. Lastly, the problem of inequality comes about in the film. After Bobby reveals his sexuality to his family he begins to feel less than compared to his siblings. Bobby feels that e veryone is looking down on him and only sees him as a sinner on his way to hell. He begins to feel that he is just an experiment to his family and church to see if they can really cure him of this illness that he has. On many occasion, Bobby’s own mother has said offensive things to BobbyShow MoreRelatedFilm: Prayers for Bobby707 Words   |  3 PagesFilm: Prayers for Bobby Mary Griffith was devout Christian and mother, raising her children in the conservative teaching of her Church in the 1980’s in a small California town. Mary son â€Å"Bobby† confides to his older brother that there was something wrong with him and he thinks he is gay, many changes happen after that with the Griffith family. Bobby family accepted that he was gay, except for his mother who believed that being a homosexual is a sin and that God could cure him. Mary tried to changeRead MoreThe Sociology Imagination : An Awareness Between Personal Experience1566 Words   |  7 Pages7-8). In the film Prayers for Bobby we see the story a young man from a middle class American family who is the son of the local minister who is struggling with his sexuality and faith (Mulcahy, 2009). The film explores his life, the reaction of his family and church, and his community. His mother kept praying for God to cure him. Bobby sought solace by a community church. In the end Bobby took his own life, because he felt unloved by God, by his family, and by his community. The film then showedRead MorePerfect storm2728 Words   |  11 Pagesswordfish 575 miles (925 km) out. Also in the book is the story about the rescue of the three-person crew of the sailboat Satori in the Atlantic Ocean during the storm by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166). The book was adapted for the film of the same title, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2000. The Satori is renamed Mistral in the movie, and the since-retired USCGC Tamaroa is portrayed by a newer, 210-foot medium-endurance cutter. Contents [hide] 1 Plot 2 Crew membersRead MoreEssay on Sports and Politics1311 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Brooklyn Dodgers helped change those deep seeded racial stereotypes. Another athlete who took a political stance was Billie-Jean King, who fought for equal gender rights in sport. On September 20, 1973 Billie- Jean King took on men’s champion Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes tennis match. Riggs was known for criticizing women’s sports and female athletes . King stated, â€Å"I just had to play, Title IX (the ban on gender discrimination in federally funded educational program) had just passedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Cold Blood 2963 Words   |  12 Pageswrong, she says, â€Å"Well-Daddy. He’s been in an awful mood the last three weeks. Awful. At least, around me. And when I got home last night he started that again.† (Capote, 20). â€Å"That† means her father’s ranting about her love interest with a boy named Bobby. â€Å"‘And, anyway,’ Nancy continued now, ‘I’m not sure it’s me. That’s making him grouchy. Something else- he’s really worried about something.† (Capote, 21). The suspense is then heightened when Nancy starts to notice the smell of cigarette smoke aroundRead MoreThe Things they Carried by Tim O ´Brien1948 Words   |  8 Pagesto restore peace. He asserts, ‘war is hell (Brien 8).’This is an exhilarating story that brings to light the fact that, despite their participation in the war, soldiers are still human. Stanley Kubrick echoes Obrien’s sentiments in his award winning film the Full Metal Jacket. Both highlight the ugly truths of war as full of cruelties and absurdities. The experience of war for the soldiers shows that they are still human with feelings and emotions (Mazlish 11). For some, their emotions grow strongerRead MoreLgbt Community : The United States And The World Of The 21st Century8181 Words   |  33 Pageswhole attempts at accepting the difference and coming out. This kind of an acceptance becomes very important in cases where heterosexual parents come to know that their children are gay or lesbian. The film like â€Å"Prayers for Bobby,† directed by Russel Mulcahy, based on the real life story of Bobby Griffith, the gay man who killed himself because of his mother and the community’s sexual prejudices and religious beliefs shows us how important parental support becomes when children come out as homosexualRead MoreCase Studies13817 Words   |  56 PagesWidespread - But Why? What Does It Really Mean to Curve Grades? CASE STUDY #16 Rush When Bobby first arrived on campus, he didnt know a single person. Making an effort to meet people, Bobby went to a fraternity party where the members tried to convince him to come out for rush the following week. They seemed pretty cool, and Bobby was excited to have met some new guys who seemed to like him already. Bobby has heard all the typical fraternity stereotypes: heavy partiers, skirt chasers, users, etcRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesemotions have a trait component: most people have built-in tendencies to experience certain moods and emotions more frequently than others do. People also experience the same emotions with different intensities. Contrast Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight to Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. The first is easily moved to anger, while the other is relatively distant and unemotional. Knight and Gates probably differ in affect intensity, or how strongly they experience their emotions.33 Affectively intense