More sports in school Essay

More Sports in School Did you know six of seven of the world population like more than one sport? Our school needs more sports. Some of the students like sports, but we do not have enough sports. Some students want to be a player when they grow up. Sports make your body stronger. We need more sports for the students, so they can become talented. Students can learn about teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. This can contribute to their development as solid citizens. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website, in two thousand eight between sixteen percent and thirty three percent of children and teens were considered obese. In organized team sports, students work together to accomplish a task and learn from their mistakes. Nicole M. LaVoi wrote school should have more sports to have fun, mastery, teamwork, and become professionals. There are a lot of sports like soccer, basketball, tennis, football, volleyball, hockey etc. Website: http://blogs. edweek. org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2013/10/ny_times_hosts_roundtable_ on_ pros_and_cons_of_youth_sports.html Academically weak students are able to excel in sports and are challenged to improve their abilities. Furthermore, D. E. builds teamwork and units thee class as a group, living cultural or social background behind. In doing sport on regular basis, students become fitter and thus. Their self-steam is increased, but most importantly, it is fun. Many students who do not have the opportunity to participate in physical activities outside of school are thankful to do sports in school. If student enjoy sports they are more likely to care about education in general and in doing so improve their schoolwork. Sports only keeps the students healthy, but also gives them a fun break of other schoolwork. That is approximately one in four children who is over the suggested body fat limit for their age. Anyone is able to participate in sports and since a D. E. program in school offer different kind of sports. Some students argue about the fact that school should only be and not fun, because they are two different things. The time should be used to study instead of doing D. E. just the contrary is true. There are schools where students have D. E. lesson every day. org/essay/sports-is-a-necessary-part-of-168936. html Sports can help the students to improve their abilities. Sports are fun and students were exercising while playing sports. Soccer is the most exercised sports, because you have so much running to do. If there are more sports in school, it will be easy for the students to become talented and to be professional players. If student enjoy playing sports their more likely to care about their education. Sports keeps you physically fit, mentally strong, builds characters, and it is a way to take your mind off of school and other things.

45 and 47 Stella Street and Everything that Happened

The children's novel '45 and 47 Stella Street and everything that happened' (Honey, 1995) written by Elizabeth Honey is a novel aimed at pre-adolescent girls. However in saying that boys around the same age would also find this book enjoyable. The story Is told from the perspective of Hinni who Is an 11 year old girl. It Is about her and her ‘Gang, which includes her best friend Zev, Her sister Danielle and Frank, Zev's 6- year-old next-door neighbour who resides at 47 Stella Street.The book tells of their efforts to expose the â€Å"Phonies† and their secret life. It Is evident through analysis of he book that there are sly Implications toward enforcing the concepts of mascullnlty and femininity on young readers using the strategies of narrative theory. Narrative theory consists of three key strategies, the point of vlew/focallsatlon, reader positioning and closure. The point of view or focalisation Is always biased. When watching a film or reading a book you are always watching or reading it from someone or something's perspective.In Stella Street it is Henni who is telling us what is happening, you only see things from her perspective and therefore you tend to ide with her. Reader positioning is very important and very similar to that of point of view and focalisation. Readers or viewers are positioned so that they have a positive response toward some characters and a negative response toward others even though both parties may be both in the wrong on some occasions. The readers of 45 and 47 Stella Street are positioned so that they hope for the Stella Street's gang to succeed over the Phonies.Closure is how the story concludes, who ends up succeeding in the end and who doesn't. Once again in 45 and 47 Stella Street it is the Stella Street gang who triumph over the Phonies. It is evident that the men in 45 and 47 Stella Street hold masculine qualities whilst the women hold feminine traits. In terms of power it is the men that hold this control a s decision making is all about power and throughout the book it is apparent that the men make majority of the decisions.For example it is ZeVs father that makes the Initial decision to move to New Zealand. When Rob and Donna are having trouble with Briquette escaping from the yard it is Rob who decides that they will do nothing† and when the gang are coming up with ideas on how to tackle a problem it seems as though at the end of the deliberation all members of the gang seek Zev's agreement or approval. The male figures also seem to come up with the good Ideas or ask relevant questions more so that the female characters.Throughout the book there are a number of characters that come and go that hold a form of power. For Instance the lawyers, Robert Smeeton, Mr J. D Perry, the Ombudsman Robert Cooper and Detective Sergeant Dave Watson are all very powerful In the positions they hold within society. From this you can see that a female represents none of these highly powerful char acters. I ne 000K Is Tocallsea tnrougn Hennl, sne explalns to readers wnat t I Is sne Ilkes ana what she doesn't like.Everything that she sees happening she interprets and it is all told from her perspective. In one particular part of the novel Henni is explaining how Donna has put up with numerous changes with the building, design and cost of the new fence that is to be erected between 45 and 47 Stella Street. Henni makes the statement that, â€Å"Donna never lost her temper. That's probably how she got the Job he has. She never loses her temper. Rob would have told the Phonies to take a long walk off a short pier. Mum would have gone quiet.She Just buttons up. Dad would have lost his temper, for sure, and called them inconsiderate pea brains. But not Donna. She Just keeps on keeping on. † (Honey, E 1995, pp 38) The way in which the characters mentioned compose themselves is interesting. Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective and decisive, whilst o n the other hand women are cast as emotional, irrational, weak, nurturing and submissive. Within the tatement that Henni makes it is evident that parts of the traditional gender roles exist.For example the way in which Henni's mum would have gone quiet illustrates a form of sumbissiveness. In Stella Street there is not a particularly strong sense of patriarchy. However there is some evidence of Patriarchy in some sections of the book for example when they are building the fence between 45 and 47 Stella Street Mr Nic and Zev carry the old posts to Henni's dad who is on the footpath cutting them up with a chainsaw. Danielle and Frank do the running around and fetching of stuff and there is no ention as to what the others are doing.The males are very affirmative and this is shown by Henni's dad and the way in which he says â€Å"right† she knows by the way in which he says it that something is going to happen there's no questioning or buts. The females show their more conservati ve side especially Donna with the way in which she potters around her gardens before she has to go to work. Elizabeth Honey has used strategies of narrative theory throughout her book 45 and 47 Stella Street. Many young readers would not be aware of the ideologies implied hrough this book.

Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay Animal Farm Essays

Animalism in many ways does symbolize Communism. Animalism for the animals would be a perfect land, no rich, no poor, and everyone is equal. They all would own the same amount of the farm. No animal would be above any other animal. As in a communistic society, they would all work the same and receive the same. The government would own everything and they people would own the government. In both Animalism and Communism, their goal was a society in which the workers, not the capitalists, owned all the means of production. To reach this ideal situation, a transition period was needed, during which the government controlled the economy. The government guaranteed hospitalization, education, housing, and pension plans, as well as jobs. In Animal Farm, the animals did receive some of those features while Snowball was with them. The people, as well as animals, in turn, gave up every indication of freedom. Thus, everyone would share equally in the benefits of production, and everyone would ha ve an equal share in the goods that were produced. The government (pigs), regardless of demand, determined supply. Everyone was forced to work...

Philosophy and the Next Generation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy and the Next Generation - Term Paper Example This is not a perfect situation for them to have faith in something or to follow the philosophies of religions. We have seen that when things are related to religions there is a big clash of opinions. The next generation will have a very promising life if they atheists. They can live in harmony even without religions. Religions hold a certain group of people together not everyone. This will avoid a lot of problems. Atheism will force the next generation to love people irrespective of religion. Religion is a very emotional thing. Religions were created for the purpose of keeping people united. For example a Christian might say, "I know Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. By following his teachings, I will live in heaven when I die." This is the same thing a Muslim would say. But the teachings in both the religions are almost the same. Both the religions ask people to live in love, harmony and peace. So why should the next generation be guided in terms of religions even after knowing t he basic motive of the religions. They have the support of technology, knowledge, education everything to live their life in a very effective way. Religions are here a big cause for fights and troubles. I personally believe that there is no need of a religion to do good things. Anyone can do it. Especially, when a person is not locked by religious beliefs his potential to do good things is really high. I want my children to grow up without being blinded by religions. Nobody will ever say, that a person was a good Christian or a good Muslim, they always say he or she was a good human being. So what is the significance of religion here. And also a lot of people are killing each other in the name of religions. They were created to educate people about living in harmony and peace. When that itself is creating a big problem, what is the use of being religious. Nobody will judge you on the basis of religion you belong to but they will definitely judge you on what you are and how you are w ith your life. Absolute truth is one main philosophy, which has been talked a lot about. An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact. The concept of absolute truths - what they are and whether they exist - has been debated among many different groups of people. Philosophers have waded in the muck of defining absolute truth for millennia. For example, Plato believed that absolute truth existed, but that truth on earth was merely a shadow of great forms of absolute truth existing in the universe. Alternatively, many believe in relative truths, where facts may vary depending on the circumstances. People often look to science to determine whether something constitutes an absolute truth, but science tends to avoid absolutism. Even when scientists reasonably believe an explanation, it is often couched as theory or proofs. However, as we advance in science, we often find ourselves disproving proofs. Yet a great deal of proof on a subject makes it more likely , but does not make it absolute truth. Many religions contain absolute truths. This is something which is very subjective. There are lots of arguments about it. For example, to the Christian the absolute truth is Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior. Imposing this statement, which is an absolute truth according the Christians, will pave way for a big argument because Jesus Christ is not everyone's lord. When a person's absolute truth is

SOCIOLOGY-- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SOCIOLOGY-- - Essay Example In my view the governments are not doing enough to make these people lead a good life and more should be done in accordance to the living standards of this world. This essay would further provide my views on the responsibility of the government and if it should help the people who are earning at a regular basis. As poverty is prevalent in this world, many people tend to work even at places where they are not getting a handsome amount of income. This results in the loss for these individuals as the earnings they are get are used up by them only for survival. Thus nothing more is left for these individuals to live on in accordance to the standards. The government should share a responsibility with both the non-earning and the earning members of the community. The earning members should be provided with basic sum of money which would help them to come to standards with other members of the community. The government should provide the non-working class of the community with more grants, however the working class should also be considered when paying out grants. In educational institutions the non-working class is offered financial assistance however the working class is not, the government should make the institutions change their policy as at times even the working class is need of such assist ance. Grant which is a sum of money granted to people who are needy should also be granted to the working class so they can easily survive in this world. The working class of this society may not be earning enough to live according to the standards thus they should be helped equally by the government. However in doing so the government should also take notice of the total earnings that a house gets in a month. Such action would allow the government to analyze as to if a family is in need of grants or not. Furthermore the government should allocate some budget to the need of the working families too i.e. they should be provided with low fares or low priced

Campaign finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Campaign finance - Essay Example Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney, forty-sixth vice president of the United States, has over three decades of experience in political service. Formerly a US representative and secretary of state, many saw Cheney as the ideal running mate for the relatively inexperienced George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election.Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 30, 1941, the son of Marjorie and Richard H. Cheney. He was raised in Casper, Wyoming, where the elder Cheney worked as a soil conservationist for the Department of Agriculture.After graduating from a local high school, Cheney earned a scholarship and traveled east to attend Yale University in Connecticut. He dropped out of school during his second year, due to his poor academic performance, and returned to Wyoming. Cheney went to work for a brief time before returning to school, first at Casper College and later at the University of Wyoming. In 1964, he married his high-school sweetheart, Lynn Anne Vincent. Cheney finally gradu ated two years later with a master's degree in political science.After graduation, Cheney received an educational deferment to avoid military service during the Vietnam War. He enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin, and launched his long political career in 1968, when he went to Washington DC to work for Representative William Steiger (R-Wisconsin) as a congressional fellow. Cheney was soon recruited by Representative Donald Rumsfeld, the head of President Richard Nixon's Office of Economic Opportunity, to work as his assistant. (Carney 82) Throughout the early 1970s, Cheney held a number of positions alongside Rumsfeld, who had become a mentor to the young political hopeful. He served as deputy White House counsel, assistant director of the Cost of Living Council, and deputy chief of staff for President Gerald Ford. To supplement his income, Cheney also served as vice president of investment group Bradley, Woods, & Co. Cheney's biggest break came in 1975, when he replaced his mentor as White House chief of staff after Rumsfeld was appointed as secretary of defense. At the age of 34, Cheney was among the youngest men ever to hold this position, which he held until 1976. During this time, he earned a reputation as a prominent player in the Republican Party. Washington Insider Beginning in 1979, Cheney served six terms in the House of Representatives, as a representative from Wyoming. Before his election to the House, he suffered a heart attack, the first of three coronary episodes he would endure before the age of 50. As chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee for most of his tenure, Cheney was known as a conservative, and voted strictly along party lines. When Republican Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, Cheney and his right-wing House colleagues were steadfast supporters of the new White House agenda. In addition to his vocal support for the "Star Wars" missile defense system, Cheney was in favor of military backing for the "Contra" rebels in Nicaragua, as well as for rebel fighters in Afghanistan and Angola. In the late 1980s, when he sat on the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Deals with Iran during the Iran-Contra scandal, Cheney defended the controversial actions of the Reagan administration and his fellow Republicans. On the domestic issue front, Cheney was opposed to gun control and abortion and in favor of prayer in public schools. He voted against the Equal Rights Amendment and re-funding the Clean Water Act. As a result of his loyalty to the party, Cheney became minority whip, the second-most influential position in the House, in 1988. His wife, meanwhile, served as the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986-1993. Under Reagan's successor, George Bush, Cheney served as secretary of defense, and played a key role in directing the nation's military during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The popular success of the

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

LAW - Essay Example (Melone and Kames, 64) Since actions were required to follow the specific form of the writ in invoke the courts’ jurisdiction, the common law courts could not provide satisfactory solutions in all cases. The writ system created a lot of confusion so that in some cases: â€Å"...forms of actions were pulled and stretched to cover a number of situations not originally contemplated when they were created. Yet many forms of action brought by plaintiffs were dismissed because they did not fit the narrow requirements of particular existing writs.† (Melone and Kames, 64) The writ system and within the common law system was devised during feudalism when the landed aristocracy were the ruling classes. However, with the emergence of the mercantile movement followed by industrialism the economic environment changed with greater demands on the courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) More and more disputants, essentially unsatisfied with common law courts began to petition the King â€Å"and his council† for remedies that were not provided for in the common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) the King’s Council would in turn remit these complaints to the Lord Chancellor, their highest ranking member. (Melone and Kames, 64) It was the Lord Chancellor’s office that had initiated the writ system that led to the creation of the three common law courts. (Melone and Kames, 64) Ironically it would be the Lord Chancellor himself who would influence the creation of the law of equity. The Lord Chancellor’s influence came via the petitions for remedies that were outside the jurisdiction of the common law courts. He would consider these petitions and make recommendations to the Kings’ Council. His recommendations were typically accepted without more. (Melone and Kames, 64) This practice carried on until the Court of Chancery, a court of equity was institutionalized in 1474. (Melone and Kames, 64) The Lord

Autobiographical Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Autobiographical Writing - Essay Example They do most of the housework and men rarely do any housework, but some of the men cook for their family. At a very young age adults told me that, â€Å"girls should be quiet and well-behaved†, â€Å"boys should be strong and they should not cry†, â€Å"girls should talk softly and behave gently†, â€Å"boys should protect girls and they should support of their family when they grow up†, â€Å"girls should keep their space clean and tidy†, â€Å"boys should take responsibilities of all things† and so on. Usually, in one relationship, men and women make decisions together if they are respect each other. Sometimes they make their own decisions without consulting their partner if the issue is not very big. However, in severe situation, men always have the decision-making authority in their family. For example, when I decided to study abroad, I knew my mother would support me, but the final decision was in the hands of my father. I believe that in a relationship my girlfriend should listen to me when we have to make a choice or decide an important i ssue. However, things were not practiced the same way in the past. At the time, when my grandparents were young, wives had to be obedient to their husbands. People thought men were superior to women. Families prefer sons to daughters, and they thought if a woman could not give birth to a boy, it was all her fault. When I was very young, I asked my parents how I was born but they never responded to this query. Chinese people are more conservative than Americans and Europeans. Some people think it is disrespectful and wrong to talk about sex and women’s bodies. So I think feminist movement is very necessary and important throughout human history and it should be continued now and in the future. As the reading â€Å"The Body Through Women’s Eyes† by Joanna Frueh says, feminist artists can â€Å"show that women could become makers of meaning, as opposed to being bearers of man’s meaning† (Broude 190). It also

Human Behavior in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human Behavior in Organizations - Essay Example The work environment at JetBlue was such that it espoused the importance of team culture within its environs. Ardently against the unionization of its employees because they believed this be divisive, they came up with employee packages that was tailor-fitted to the employee's needs but which still operated on the standard of equality. Having a varied workface and aiming to employ at least 5000 employees by 2004, the company works well within the statutes of the national labor laws by ensuring that its employees are not discriminated against by their gender, sex, color, religion or national origin in accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They have even gone the extra mile beyond what the Equal pay Act of 1963 was asking by ensuring that part-time employees received medical, 401K, profit sharing and double pay if they work on holidays (Gittel and O'Reilly, 2001, p. 11). In emphasizing safety as on e of the core values of JetBlue, they have assured that they work w ell within the standards set by the US Department of Labor in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) whereby the safety of employees are assured by following set standards to ensure that employers are providing safe and healthful workplaces. This is emphasized further in the company orientation where Ann Rhoades tells employees that to be safe and to provide safe service to its customers, employees should be free of drugs and alcohol. JetBlue's airplanes were also the first national carrier to install bulletproof, dead bolted cockpit doors on all of its aircraft, even before the Federal Aviation Administration mandated it after the aftermath of September 11 (Judge 2001). Because JetBlue is highly selective about its hiring process (they hired only 1,700 people out of the 100,000 that applied in 2003 (Salter 2004)) and also of the fact that at JetBlue, they value an individual's 'fit' within the company, promotions have to be done through the use of in-house talent. In fact, JetBlue's management team had been established with a modified from of internal recruitment in that Neeleman hired people who were already very familiar with the industry. Another example is when JetBlue's pilots, felt happy enough with their posts that they recruited their friends from other companies. However, like all other companies JetBlue still undergoes the regular hiring process of advertising for talent to join its pool of workers (external recruitment method). A single local advertisement for recruitment agents in Salt Lake City generated a waiting list of 2,500 interested applicants. These people, like the rest of the other applicants JetBlue screens, go through a thor ough process of interviews and a committee of these interviewers have to agree with one another before they hire someone. The effect of these internal and external recruitment methods of JetBlue is to thoroughly ensure that they find the right people for the jobs that they are offering. Hiring people from within the aviation industry as in the case of JetBlue's management team ensured that these people were already well versed with the industry's comings and goings. Dave Barger their

Personal aspect of your own Hero's Journey Assignment

Personal aspect of your own Hero's Journey - Assignment Example From the Hero’s journey, I believe ‘The Road of the Trials’ is aptly driven to make me understand the nuances that I had to go through. These essentially included the basis of a series of tests, tasks and ordeals that I had to undergo in order to start my transformation. The incident basically started from the ideology that all aspiring candidates were asked to give in their completed forms and thus finish the documentation process so that any issues that might arise within the future were tackled in an amicable fashion. Since I have always been one of those individuals who believe in getting their work done before time, I was astounded to know that I will not be allowed to take the test for the university that I was willing to be a part of in the coming times. This was a serious setback for me and I had to make amends for it at the earliest. I had to think and think fast because this was much needed. My actions were supposed to be based on pure logic because these were essential to reach a conclusion. I spoke to one of my good friends who were already a part of this university, advising me to get in touch with an individual who shall help me out. I did so without any hesitation, taking along the photocopied versions of my completed documentation fo rms for the university. This proved as the decisive blow because I was able to get in touch with the right person who would help me out. I told him the entire story and apprised him of the mistake that the university officials had undertaken. He went through my whole documentation process and asked me to get in touch with him the next day. I did so and was glad to know that he had spoken to the relevant people who would allow me to sit for the university exam because my documentation was correct and I had contacted someone who knew how things were conducted in a

Ethical dilemma Essay Example for Free

Ethical dilemma Essay In the following, ethical dilemma has been discussed and identified from the given case study. The background for the ethical dilemma has been explained. How the consultant has handled the situation of ethical dilemma and how a learner would have handled it differently, has been given below. ? Ethical Dilemma â€Å"Ethical dilemmas, also known as a moral dilemmas, are situations in which there are two choices to be made, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. In such cases, societal and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome or the chooser. Ethical dilemmas assume that the chooser will abide by societal norms, such as codes of law or religious teachings, in order to make the choice ethically impossible. † In the given case study, Kindred Todd is also in a situation which is an ethical dilemma. She had just finished her master degree and got a very company to join in. But she did not realize that she had been introduced as an expert on CQI to the potential clients which she discovers by the end of the meeting with the potential clients. She discussed with her boss about the need of the CQI expert but he did not give it an importance and indirectly pushed her to do what the company says. She has now a conflict between her own values(may be religious) which insist her on quitting the job and her personal materialistic needs which do not allow to leave such a good company for her career. Background for Ethical Dilemma â€Å"In a perfect world, businesses and their employees would always do the right thing. Unfortunately, in the real world, ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the orkplace. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the company succeed as well as personal temptations to take the easy way out. In the end, workers will likely face many dilemmas in their careers; companies should provide training and information to assist them in making the right decision. † There are many reasons which make the background or the reasons for the ethical dilemma. Employees in organizations undergo in such a situation when they are sometimes under the pressure from management . When they are particularly asked to do something which is un ethical but it goes in the company’s favor. In some cases, some employees become quite ambitious and want to succeed in their life at any cost without considering the concept of being ethical or un-ethical. They just do what akes them towards promotions or higher career. â€Å"Though diversity is an important part of business, some people may not be comfortable with people from different backgrounds and possibly be reluctant to treat them fairly. This kind of discrimination is not only un ethical but illegal and still remains common. † â€Å"Negotiators may also try to bribe their way to a good deal.  While this is illegal in the U. S. , it still sometimes happens; in other nations, it is more common, and sometimes even expected, which can put negotiators in a difficult position. † This means in organizations negotiating tactics are sometimes also the cause of ethical dilemma. ? How the Consultant Handled the Situation from Ethic View Point The consultant raised an objection before the president of the company instead of remaining uiet on the issue that why she had been introduced wrongly as a CQI expert. Moreover, she passed on the exact evaluation of her meeting about the potential clients and stress on the need of an CQI expert in order to deal with the clients. At least, in order to secure the job, she did not pretend that she can do anything they want. The best part was that she did her best to help the clients in the area of quality improvement by going through books and consulting her friends, so much so that she had a consultant behind her, unseen, to help sort out CQI issues. After the assigned work got over, she resigned the company, as she could’t trust the company for future. A View of How the Learner would have Handled the Situation Differently I would have not been, probably so daring to ask the president for the actual requirement of the clients or might not have resigned the job. ? Conclusion In a workplace, ethical dilemmas are quite common. There are different reasons for a worker to become ethical or un ethical. So, the important thing how you win the war between your values and materialistic needs.

Constitution in Kenya Essay Example for Free

Constitution in Kenya Essay 1.1 INTRODUCTION The agitation for a new Constitution in Kenya was informed by various past historical injustices ranging from economic, social, cultural and civil to political matters. At the political level, issues on centralized and ironfisted governance kept popping year in year out. The passage of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 on 4 August, 2010 and its subsequent promulgation on the 27 August, 2010 arguably ushered in a new dawn in Kenya not only in governance but also in the various sectors of the Kenyan society.1 Its adoption has been taunted as the greatest milestone Kenyans have ever achieved other than attaining independence in 1963. 2 The joy at the enactment of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 could not be captured in any other better words than as Justices J. W. MWERA, M. Warsame and P. M. MWILU did in Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA-K) 5 others v Attorney General another3 where they stated: Only last year and in our early maritime history we constructed a great ship and called it our new Constitution. In its structure we put in the finest timbers that could be found. We constructed it according to the best plans, needs, comfort and architectural brains available. We tried to address various and vast needs of our society as much as possible. We sent it to the people who ratified it. It was crowned with tremendous success in a referendum conducted on 4th August 2010. We achieved a wonderful and defining victory against the â€Å"REDS†. We vanquished them. The aspirations and hope of all Kenyans was borne on 27th August 2010. We achieved a rebirth of our Nation. We have come to revere it and even have affection for it. We accomplished a long tedious, torturous and painful chapter in our history. We all had extraordinary dreams. It is a document meant to fight all kinds of injustices. It is the most sophisticated weapon in our maritime history. As Kenyans we got and achieved a clean bill of constitutional health. However, the honeymoon is over, it is time to do battle with it.4 However, at the launch of the 2011/2012 Annual Report of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC),5 Mr. Charles Nyachae6 remarked : When Kenyans voted for the Constitution of Kenya 2010, they voted for change and transformation in  the way delegated sovereign power is exercised by government. To achieve good governance, there is need for respect for the rule of law and a leadership that meets the requirements chapter six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity. There is no person or institution that is above the Constitution or is excluded from its requirements. All persons and all state organs are bound by the Constitution and its principles. It is therefore disturbing and a recipe for crisis to have individuals and state organs that have failed to respect the Constitution or the law in any form including judgments of the court. The name for such conduct is impunity and impunity is the antithesis for good governance. Thus, this paper delves into how the National Assembly remains the most blatant manifestation of impunity and impediment to the implementation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. In this paper, the term Parliament and National Assembly will be used interchangeably to refer to one and the same institution. 1.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF CONSTITUTION MAKING IN KENYA One of the institutions that were created when individuals entered into civil society is the Constitution. Mr. John Mutakha Kangu7 succinctly explains that having invented a life of civic and or political society, the next realization was the need for some form of law and government to regulate the manner in which human beings dealt with each other.8 He further points out that there was need for rules of engagement which could be used to regulate how members of the society relate, not only with each other but also with the common power.9 The Constitution therefore gives the terms and conditions between the people and the government and the relationship between the people themselves. At independence, Kenya adopted the Independence Constitution under the leadership of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. The most striking feature of this Constitution was the centralized system of government vested in the Presidency. The Executive dictated what was to happen in the other arms of Government, be it the Legislature or the Judiciary.10 With respect to the Judiciary, the President had the discretion of appointing the Chief Justice and the other members of the superior courts of record.11 It is for this reason that some scholars have argued that the appointment of judicial officers was shrouded in mystery.12 The legislature acted as a rubber stamp for any executive action.13 The agitation for a new Constitution began in  earnest in the 1980’s with demands for expanded democratic space at a time when Kenya was a single party state by law. Most of the civil society and human rights groups demanded the repeal of section 2A of the Constitution that made Kenya a de jure one party state.14 Former president Moi’s government bowed to this demand and amended s.2A of the repealed Kenyan Constitution thus ushering in a new era of multipartyism in Kenya. In the 1992 elections, the opposition was di vided thus ensuring Moi’s retention of power by a simple majority. The Ufungamano Group of 1997 is indicative of a serious demand by civil society groups, human rights activists, opposition leaders and members of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) for a new Constitution in Kenya.15 The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the umbrella regulatory body advocates in Kenya, provided Kenya with visual aid and making of the Model Constitution in November 1994 and the government’s opposition to the re-writing of the Constitution became weaker. However, it did not make a concession.16 The government had no trust in the ability of Kenyan lawyers to draft a Constitution for Kenya. It was on 1 January 1995 that president Moi announced that he was inviting Western Constitutional lawyers to assist the country in re-writing the Constitution. The government however did nothing despite the fact that the pressure for the review to begin was mounting.17 The Western countries were also concerned with the blatant laxity in the government towards Constitutional review yet a lot of agitation for review had been made. In May 1996 when the then United States Ambassador to Kenya, Aurelie Brazeal visited the then Attorney General, the Honorable Amos Wako, he ably convinced the government into conceding that the country needed Constitutional review as a matter of urgency. However despite this concession, no step was taken towards the review process.18 It was in 2000 when the government formed the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) to spearhead the Constitution review process.19 The commission began its work in earnest going all over the country collecting and collating views of Kenyans on the Constitution review process. A National Conference was held at the Bomas of Kenya where a draft Constitution that was a product of intense deliberations, compromises and consensus was agreed upon. However, some persons in the Hon. Kibaki’s government retreated to Kilifi where with help of the then Attorney General, the Honorable Amos Wako, radically altered and mutilated the Bomas draft. In  the referendum carried out in November 2005, the government suffered a humiliating defeat as the proposed Constitution was overwhelmingly rejected. The impact of this development was a cabinet reshuffle that threw out all cabinet ministers who opposed the Constitution. These members formed a formidable opposition group preparing Kenya for the most hotly contested election in the Kenyan history. When elections were held in December 2007, very few Kenyans were anticipating the aftermath of that election. Violence engulfed the country immediately the result for the presidential election was announced on the 30 December 2007 leading to the death of more than 1000 persons and the displacement of thousands of others. Dr. Koffi Annan chaired negotiations aimed at reconciling the two warr ing parties, the Party of National Unity (PNU) led by President Mwai Kibaki and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) under the leadership of Hon. Raila Odinga. The negotiations yielded the grand coalition government. The government committed itself to the implementation of all the terms and conditions under which the coalition government was founded as dictated by the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008.20The most reformative of this was the Agenda Four that demanded of the government to carry out comprehensive reforms on land, the Constitution and other sectors of the Kenyan society. The adoption of a new Constitution was therefore top of the agenda of the coalition government. The Constitution of Kenya Amendment Act, 2008 was enacted creating a body called the Committee of Experts (CoE) to lead in the writing of a new Constitution. Participation of Kenyans was also comprehensively provided for in the Act. On the 4 August 2010, the proposed Constitution of Kenya was subjected to a referendum receiving an overwhelming endorsement of 67 % of the voters. The promulgation of the Constitution on the 27th August 2010 indeed ushered in a new dawn in Kenya.21 One of the institutions that were apparently aimed at being regulated is the National Assembly. This was informed by the fact that the institution had been used and by extension allowed itself to be used by the powerful Executive arm to rubberstamp actions that were aimed at either mutilating the Constitution or gagging the rights of Kenyans.22 Even as late as 2003, the National Assembly wanted to impose a Constitution on Kenyans yet the foundation of a civilized society is that sovereignty belong to the people.23 Were it not for the intervention of the High Court, the National Assembly could have arrogated to itself the  power to adopt a new Constitution way back in 2004.24 PART II IMPLEMENTING THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA, 2010 Many Kenyans sighed with relief when the Constitution was promulgated on 27 August 2010 but a few wise people cautioned that ‘adopting the Constitution is a move in the right direction, implementing it is the big deal.’25 It is noteworthy that one of the major players in the Constitution implementation is the National Assembly.26 The big question that this paper seeks to answer is whether the National Assembly has discharged that noble duty as expected. It will be noted that the National Assembly has confirmed the propositions of Karl Marx who in his theory opined that the rich uses the law to protect themselves. 27 WAYS IN WHICH PARLIAMENT HAS BEEN POSITIVE IN IMPLEMNTING THE CONSTITUTION It would be legally impossible if one was to argue that the National Assembly has done nothing in the implementation of the Constitution for to suggest so would mean the Constitution remains completely unimplemented. This part of the paper highlights the achievements of the said institution which have ensured that the letter and the spirit of the Constitution are effectively and faithfully implemented. 2.1 EXERCISING OVERSIGHT OVER THE EXECUTIVE One of the cardinal duties of the National Assembly is to exercise checks and balances over the other arms of the government in general and the Executive in particular.28 This follows from the foundation of a civilized society in which it was agreed that a government had to be formed so as to ensure protection of the welfare of all members of the society.29 It was however noted that if all the state power was left to be exercised by one person, then the said person was likely to be a tyrant.30 It for this reason that Baron De monthesque vehemently argued for a three-armed government so that each of the arms would be a watchdog over the rest.31 It is for this reason that the Constitution of Kenya provides that the National Assembly manifests the diversity of the nation and represents the will of the people.32 The will of the people is said to have been negated when one arm of government makes decisions that are tantamount to the spirit and letter of the Constitution.33 If there is one act by the Executive that generated more heat in the implementation of the Constitution is the President’s unilateral appointment of the Chief Justice (CJ), the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Controller of Budget (CoB) and the Attorney General.34 These appointments met strong resistance from the ODM side of the coalition which felt that the Prime Minister was not consulted. The press statement released by Hon. James Orengo tells it all.35 Hon. Orengo maintained that the Prime Minister had not been consulted and this amounted to a breach of both the National Accord and the Constitution.36 The bone of contention went from the legality of the appointments to a debate on the meaning of the word â€Å"consultation.† Those in support of the President maintained that consultations need not result in concurrence, whereas those in support of Hon. Orengo were of the converse position.37 The National Assembly through its chair, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Kenneth Otiato Marende, restored sanity by declaring that the appointments were unconstitutional as the President had not consulted the Prime Minister as required by the Constitution and the Accord.38 This marked a bold move from the legislature in reminding the executive that the law had to be followed. 2.2 VETTING CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICE HOLDERS It has been pointed out above that the people of Kenya exercise their sovereignty through representation by the legislature. Vetting involves interviews that are meant to ascertain if the proposed candidates satisfy both the professional and integrity thresholds set by the Constitution and the enabling laws.39 Public screening of such high ranking state officers40 such as the Chief Justice has seen improved confidence in the Judiciary. The vetting process has also reduced ethnic and regional imbalance in terms of appointments to public service. It has at the same time ensured gender equality in public appointments.41 Parliament’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) unanimously approved the nominations of Dr. Willy Mutunga and Ms.Nancy Barasa as the CJ and DCJ respectively.42 However, the committee faltered when it came to the appointment of Mr. Keriako Tobiko as the DPP. The Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs rejected Mumo Matemu, Prof. Jane Kerubo Onsongo and Irene Cheptoo keino as the Chairperson of the Ethics and Antic-Corruption Commission and deputies respectively and asked Parliament to do the same. The chairman of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Dr. Bonny Khalwale tabled documents claiming the Mr.Mumo Matemu had failed to collect sh.2.4 Billion in tax arrears from a company while at the Kenya Revenue Authority.43 This transparent process by the National Assembly marked a departure from the Opaque and non-accountable process of appointments in the past. 2.3 ENACTING LEGISLATIONS One of the major duties of the National Assembly is legislation. Implementing the Constitution demands the enactment of a number of legislations.44 One must give it to the National Assembly for having risen to the occasion and enacted laws at least at the right timelines. Questions have however been raised on the quality of some of those legislations.45 The point to note is the primary level is the enactment and the quality or otherwise of law is a secondary one depending on the lens of the critique. A key achievement of Parliament is the enactment of legislations required under the sixth schedule to the Constitution within the requisite timelines. These are legislations touching on matters of Election, security and devolution implemented according to their requisite timelines. However, the National Assembly extended the period prescribed for the enactment of the bills relating to Public Finance Management, Land and County Government. The extension of time was to allow time for more comprehensive public participation and to address what the respective ministries considered to be contentious issues. By 26 August, 2011 which was exactly a year after the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, under the fifth schedule to the Constitution and the agreed schedule of bills, the National Assembly had enacted the following pieces of legislation: the Supreme Court Act, 2011,46 the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act, 2011,47 the Industrial Court Act, 2011,48 the Urban Areas and Cities Act,49 the Environment and Land Court Act, 2011,50 the National Gender and Equality Commission Act, 2011,51 the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2011,52 the Elections Act, 2011,53 the Kenya Citizenship and Immigrations Act,2011,54 the Commission on Revenue Allocation Act, 2011,55 the Power of Mercy Act, 2011,56 the Vetting of Judges and Magistrate Act, 2011,57 the Judicial Service Act, 2011,58 the Independent Offices(Appointment) Act, 2011,59 the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Act, 2011,60 the Commission on Administrative Justice Act, 2011,61 the Political Parti es Act, 201162 and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission Act, 2011.63 PART III PARLIAMENT AS A MANIFESTATION OF IMPUNITY AND IMPEDIMENT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONSTITUTION While Parliament has been instrumental in the production of some key reports and holding the Executive to account, it has however been averse to the processes and institutions which seem to be a threat to their selfish political interests. Having given the achievements of Parliament, hereunder are its chief failures. 3.1 MUTILATION OF THE CONSTITUTION One of the sad stories of Constitution making in Kenya has been the blatant mutilation of the Constitution by the very same authority that is supposed to protect and defend it. Some have argued that the independence Constitution was one of the most progressive Constitutions of the time64 yet Parliament in its intention to amass power and please the Executive amended it severally.65 One of such amendments is the 1982 amendment to the Constitution that made Kenya a de jure one party state.66 The net effect of this amendment was decreased democratic space which subsequently led to curtailment of other rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of  speech, and freedom of association. It is noteworthy that Parliament allowed itself to be used by the executive to propagate the authoritarian agenda. It was a great expectation that the enactment of the Constitution of Kenya on 27 August 2010 would be an incentive to Parliament to live by the spirit of the law. It has however dawned on Kenyans that enacting the Constitution was just a single step in reforming Kenya. The bigger and challenging step is a comprehensive implementation of the Constitution. If the number of sub-standard legislations that have been passed by Parliament is to be used as a test on whether Parliament has truly lived up to its duty to protect and defend the Constitution, then Kenyans have been taken for a ride. For instance, when Kenyans found it fit to include a chapter on integrity in the Constitution, they expected that the Legislative arm of Government would actualize its implementation by passing laws on integrity that would satisfy the requirements of chapter six of the Constitution. However, as Karl Marx in his Marxist theory puts it: the ruling class has continued to use the law to propagate its dominance over the lower class; Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) gave a practical application of the Marxist theory67 by watering down the spirit and effect of the Integrity Bill.68 The spirit of the Bill was to ensure that only persons of unquestionable character and integrity are appointed or elected to public offices.69 It is a reasonable presumption that only persons of high integrity will respect, protect and implement the Constitution yet the current Kenyan MPs intend to preserve the status quo70 by ensuring that the law serves them.71 The other legislation that was meant restore sanity by bring discipline in the democratic space in Kenya is the Elections Act. In that regard, one of the historical injustices meted against Kenyans by politicians was the culture of party hopping.72 Party hopping not only encourages indiscipline in political parties but also constrains development of political parties in Kenya. As one of the roles of political parties is to nurture democracy, allowing politicians to join political parties and leave at will is a sure ticket to the road leading to death of democracy in Kenya. S.34(8) of the Elections Act, 2011, required that a member should be in the party list on which s/he intends to contest the elections three months before that list is submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties. In other words, one was to be in the party list by 3 October 2012. However, the amendments by the MPs to s. 34(8) of the Elections Act, 2011 now require parties to submit their lists not later than 4 January 2013. In essence, the amendment means that MPs are free to change political parties until 3 January 2013 which is two months to the elections. The chief mover and champion of the amendment to the Elections Act, Hon. Isaac Ruto, submitted flimsy arguments in support of the amendments. He is one record as having said restricting persons from changing their political parties was tantamount to their rights to freedom of expression and association and if the Elections Act was not amended it would affect MPs and Councilors.73 He stated : Considering the large number of legislators and councilors that may be affected, this provision left unamended is likely to distort if not paralyse these key institutions of governance.74 Reasonable as these arguments may sound, they reflect a failure to understand the import of restricting party hopping. It goes against the principle that one cannot have their cake and eat it at the same time. 3.2 ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE ELECTION DATE Article 101 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 expressly provides that a general election of members of Parliament shall be held on the second Tuesday in August in every fifth year. Kenyans unanimously voted for the Constitution of Kenya 2010 on the understanding that the first general elections under the new constitutional dispensation would be held on 7 August 2012. However, three groups emerged with different dates of the first general election under the new Constitution. The first group was of the view that the date of the election is in the year 2013 and specifically between 15th January 2013 and 15th March 2013.The second group was of the view that the  date of the first elections is on the second Tuesday of August 2012 while the third group favoured an election date between October 2012 and December 2012. Meanwhile, Parliament was in the process of enacting the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2011which inter alia sought to amend articles 101(1), 136(2), 177(1)(a) and 180(1) so as to alter the date of the next general elections from the second Tuesday of August to third Monday of December. Thus, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) filed in the Supreme Court of Kenya Re Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission75 seeking an advisory opinion on the date of the general elections under the new Constitution. The Supreme Court considered the matter before it and in its ruling delivered on 15th November 2011 stated, in part, as follows: We will be guided by certain principles which have clearly emerged from the submissions: the High Court is, by Article 165(3) (d) of the Constitution, entrusted with the original jurisdiction to hear and determine any question entailing the interpretation of the Constitution; it is the obligation of the Supreme Court, as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution to protect and reinforce the conferment of first-instance jurisdiction upon the High Court especially when the matter in respect of which an advisory opinion is being sought, is pending before the High Court; subject to those principles, the Supreme Court will exercise its discretion appropriately, on a case-to-case basis, in accepting requests for an Advisory Opinion. We hereby order and direct as follows: (1) We decline to declare that the Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to render an advisory opinion in the instant matter, but decline in exercise of our discretion, to give such an opinion with regard to the date of the next general election. (2) We reserve the reasons to be set out in a ruling upon notice. (3) Responding to the High Court’s request of 13th October 2011 for directions, High Court Petition Nos. 123 of 2011, 65 of 2011 and 185 of 2011 shall be placed before the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of that Court, for hearing on priority and on a day-to-day basis. (4) The aforesaid petitions shall be listed for mention and directions before the Head of the High Court‘s Constitutional and Human Rights Division on 18th November, 2011.† At the same time, three Petitions were filed at the Constitutional and Human  Rights Division of the High Court with the intention of having the High Court determine the date of the first general election under the new Constitution. The three Petitions were consolidated by the order of Honourable Justice Isaac Lenaola, the Head of the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court on 18 November 2011 into John Harun Mwau v the Honourable Attorney General and 2 others.76 The three Judge bench77 after considering the submissions of counsels for the petitioners, respondents and interested parties, held inter alia: The date of the first elections under the Constitution is determined by reference to section 9 and 10 of the Sixth Schedule as follows; (a) In the year 2012, within sixty days from the date on which the National Coalition is dissolved by written agreement between the President and Prime Minister in accordance with section 6(b) of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008; or (b) Upon the expiry of the term of the 10th Parliament on the 5th Anniversary of the day it first sat which is designated by Legal Notice No. 1 of 2008 as 15th January 2008. The term therefore expires on 14th January 2013. The elections shall be held within sixty days of 15th January 2013. (c) The body entitled under the Constitution to fix the date of the first elections within sixty of the expiry of the term of the National Assembly or upon dissolution of the National Coalition by written agreement between the President and the Prime Minister in accordance with section 6(b) of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008 is the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. In view of the court’s finding on the election date, the court did not find it necessary to express its view on the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill, 2011 as it also dealt with other issues that were not germane to these proceedings before the court at that particular moment. As legislature was seized of the matter, it would take guidance from the court’s decision or act within its constitutional mandate as it may lawfully wish to do. The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister accordingly withdrew the Constitutional amendments that were hoped to be achieved by the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill, 2011 given that IEBC had settled for 4 March 2013 as the date of the first general elections under the new  Constitution. 3.3REFUSING TO PAY TAXES One of the salient features and characteristics of the duties and obligations of Parliament before the coming into effect of the Constitution was the Constitutional right of MPs not to pay taxes.78 The Constitution has now done away with that scenario by expressly providing under Article 210 that every person in Kenya must pay tax.79 The Constitution further expressly prohibits any legislation that waives the duty of every person in Kenya to pay tax.80 Some of the proponents of the non-payment of tax argue that by demanding MPs to pay tax, it would be a violation of their rights under the Constitution. They are of the opinion that the National Assembly Remuneration Act81 had to be amended to obligate them pay the taxes. The Hon. Kenneth Marende, the chief proponent of this argument argued that the law was to be followed if MPs were to pay tax. The opponents of the Mps-crusade of non-payment of tax argued that the Constitution is as clear as a crystal with respect to MPs obligation to pay tax.82 The Government appeared divided on this as the then Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, the Hon. Mutula Kilonzo agreed with those who heckled the view that Mps had no obligation to pay taxes until after the first General election is held under the Constitution. Other lawyers such as the Supreme Court Lady Justcie Njoki Ndungu were of the view that Mps were not exempt from paying taxes. The blame must squarely lie on Parliament because they refused to provide leadership on this crucial issue. It is even disturbing because the Speaker joined the bandwagon of those opposed to MPs payment of tax. The refusal to provide leadership and by extension the failure to amend the relevant legislations to give effect to the provisions of the Constitution on payment of taxes amounts to impunity exercised against the Constitution and the people of Kenya. A sober reading and interpretation of the Constitution obligates every  person, MPs included, to pay taxes. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and all other laws must be consistent with it.83 Similarly, the transitional clauses under Clause 7 of the Sixth schedule which reads; â€Å"All laws in force immediately before the effective date continues in force and shall be construed with the alterations, adaptations, qualifications and exceptions necessary to bring it into conformity with this Constitution.† The effective date refers to the date on which the Constitution was promulgated, that is the 27th August, 2010. The National Assembly Benefits and Remuneration Act is subject to the Constitution hence the MPs have a duty to pay taxes. 3.4 ILLEGAL INCREMENT OF MPs SALARIES AND BENEFITS Parliament has for some time now been the only institution that can decide to hike their pay to preposterous amounts without consulting anybody. With the coming into effect of the Constitution, the power to decide the salaries and other benefits of all state officers has been given to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.84 Members of Parliament are classified as sate officers under the Constitution hence their salaries must be decided upon by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. The Mps decided early this year to award themselves with hefty send-off packages amounting to Kenya shillings Nine Million per MP with the pretext that they had the right to such monies as a way of thanking themselves for the good work they have done in the past five years.85 It was with the timely intervention of the President that the taxpayers were spared the burden of paying such lofty amounts of benefits to the Mps. 3.5 SUSPICIOUS REJECTION OF PARLIAMENTARY REPORTS The Kenyan Mps have perfected the art of either amending reports or rejection such reports provided those adversely mentioned in the reports either directly or through proxy give out handouts to the MPs. When Parliament debated on the Parliamentary Report on the Sale of Kenyan Embassy in Tokyo Japan, there were glaring accusations that some MPs had been bribed to kill the report.86 The MPs are said to have taken bribes to amend the Report of the depreciation of the Kenya shilling in which report the Governor of the Central Bank had been adversely mentioned.87 The demeanor of some of the MPs told it all as most of those who are normally perceived as talking on behalf the common mwananchi joined the bandwagon of those who supported the amendments to the Report. If the Mps can stoop low as to take bribes of Kenya shillings 5,000, it must be the worst betrayal of the Constitution. 3.6 DISREGARD OF THE MANDATE OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONSTITUTION (CIC) AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC)88 is a Constitutional mechanism established to monitor, facilitate, co-ordinate and oversee the implementation of The Constitution of Kenya 2010. As provided for in the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Act, 2010,89 the mandate and functions of CIC is to: monitor, facilitate and oversee the development of legislation and administrative procedures required to implement the Constitution; co-ordinate with the Attorney-General and the Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC) in preparing for tabling in Parliament, the legislation required to implement the Constitution; report every three months to the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee on progress in the implementation of the Constitution and any impediments to its implementation; and; work with each Constitutional Commission and Independent Offices to ensure that the letter and spirit of the Constitution is respected and; exercise such oth er functions as are provided for by the Constitution or any other written law. Regrettably, a number of bills were approved by the Cabinet and subsequently passed by Parliament without being reviewed by CIC. Also, some of these bills were not subjected to public participation as required by the Constitution. A number of Private Members Bills were also published and subsequently debated in Parliament without review by CIC yet they had a direct bearing on the implementation of the Constitution. 3.7 INCLUSION OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS IN PIECES OF LEGISLATION AND DISREGARD OF THE  DUE PROCESS There were instances in which Parliament introduced unconstitutional provisions in the bills. A case in point is the introduction of unconstitutional provisions in the County Government Bill 2012, which, subject to the operational command structure set out in the National Police Service Act90 or any other National Security legislation, purported to give the Governor the power to chair the County equivalent of the National Security Council as provided in Article 239 (5) of the Constitution.91 This provision contravened Chapter Fourteen of the Constitution, which places the National Security Council under the National Government. Further, National Security is not among the functions of County Governments as set out in Part Two of the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution, hence there is no County equivalent. PART IV 4.1 CONCLUSION From the introduction, parts II and III of this contribution, it can be deduced that the implementation of the Constitution is not just about the enactment of laws. The principle behind legislative oversight of Executive activity is to ensure that public policy is administered in accordance with the legislative intent, and by inference, the citizens’ aspirations. In this context, the legislative function does not cease with the passage of a Bill.92 It is, therefore, only by monitoring the implementation process that parliamentarians uncover any defects and act to correct misinterpretation or maladministration.93 Implementation involves the promotion of Constitutionalism94 and securing the observance by all state organs of democratic values and principles. The task of implementing the Constitution requires the collaboration and co-operation of state and non-state actors.95 Mr. Charles Nyachae at the launch of the 2011/2012 Annual Report of the CIC observed that the greatest danger to the Constitution is posed by Constitutional organs and state officers who ironically carry the greatest responsibility of implementing it.96 He further observes that it is a Constitutional organ and its individual state officers that seek to pass  legislations that clearly violate the Constitution that they swore to protect and some of the laws that they have passed are enemic to the Constitution. However, Kenyans should be cognizant the fact that article 1 of the Constitution of Kenya vests all sovereign power on the people of Kenya and the sovereign power is to be exercised only in accordance with the Constitution. Kenyans may exercise their sovereign power either directly or through their democratically elected representatives.97 No state organ especially the National Assembly should forget that sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Be that as it may, the implementation of the Constitution brought about increased transparency and accountability on the part of the Legislature as well as the Executive. Increased participation by Kenyans in the development of laws and policies marked a key milestone in the implementation process.98 Public participation in the formulation of public policies is a major gain and represents a paradigm shift from the previous dispensation where most public policies were formulated in a boardroom setup devoid of the people’s input.99 In conclusion, as observed by Mr. Charles Nyachae at the launch of the 2011/2012 Annual Report of CIC, even if we had the most perfect laws in the world, in the absence of a culture of constitutionalism, such laws would be rendered useless and become tools of oppression. All laws, regulations and guidelines on ethics and integrity are of little value if individual Kenyans as well as their leaders fail to ascribe in practical terms to ethical values and principles proclaimed in those instruments. He also observed that in the end, it is a sum total of our individual behavior and character that will reflect the nation’s ethics and integrity. 4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS Though Parliament remains the most blatant manifestation of impunity and impediment to the implementation of the Constitution, there are some steps that can be taken so as to ensure that the Constitution is faithfully and effectively implemented. These steps include: 4.2.1 CIVIC EDUCATION It is worth noting that a greater percentage of the Kenyan population is ignorant of the legislative process as well as the Constitutional implementation process. The same explains why some members of Parliament have on several occasions passed pieces of legislations which they later on admitted that they were not aware of what they were voting for. Civic education among the Kenyan citizenry as well as members of the Parliament will go a long way in creating and increasing public awareness on the opportunities, procedures and the rights relating to participation in legislative policy and other Constitution implementation processes. 4.2.2 INCREASING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES Public access and participation is envisaged in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Article 118 (1)(b) provides that Parliament shall facilitate public participation and involvement in the legislative and other business of Parliament and its committees. However, the clandestine manner in which Parliament has been conducting its affairs especially when it comes to increasing its salary and awarding itself hefty send-off packages is what has caused Kenyans to resort to the streets and camp outside the Parliament with a view of having Parliament change its view. Increased public participation in the affairs of Parliament will ensure transparency and accountability. It will also help in fostering confidence and acceptability of the legislations passed by Parliament. 4.2.3 ELECTING GOOD LEADERS The choice of electing leaders lies in the hands of Kenyans. The leaders that Kenyans should chose in the forthcoming elections so as to represent them should be leaders with proven track records. They should be devoid of corruption and unquestionable integrity. This is because it is only leaders of impeccable characters that will ensure the Constitution is implemented to its letter and spirit. 4.2.4 INCREASED VIGILANCE AMONG THE KENYAN CITIZENRY Kenyan citizens should rise to the occasion and promote a culture of Constitutionalism. They should be relentless in their quest of defending the Constitution. This includes the necessary vigilance which will ensure the faithful and effective implementation of the Constitution to the letter and the spirit. Whenever the citizens feel that certain actions of members of Parliament or pieces of legislations contravene the provisions of the Constitution, they should not hesitate to move to the Court to have such actions or legislations declared null and void. With the reformed and revamped Judiciary, the citizens are assured of a fair and just determination by the courts. 4.2.5 ENSURING ALL DRAFT BILLS ARE REVIEWED BY THE CIC At the launch of the 2011/2012 Annual Report of CIC, the Commission recommended that all draft bills are reviewed by the Commission. This is aimed at ensuring that the Acts of Parliament that are enacted conform to the provisions of the Constitution. It is at the same time aimed at ensuring unconstitutional provisions are not included in pieces of legislation as was the case in the introduction of unconstitutional provisions in the County Government Bill 2012. 4.3 REFERENCES 4.3.1 LEGISLATIONS 1. The Constitution of Kenya 2010. 2. The Repealed Kenyan Constitution. 3. The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Act No.7 of 1982. 4. The Constitution of Kenya Review Act No.5 of 2000. 5. The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Act No. 9 of 2010. 6. The National Accord and Reconciliation Act, 2008 7. The National Assembly Remuneration Act, CAP 5, Laws of Kenya. 8. The Constitution of Kenya Amendment Act, 2008. 9. The Political Parties Act No.11 of 2011. 10. The Elections Act No.24 of 2011. 11. The National Assembly Remuneration and Benefits Act, CAP 5, Laws of Kenya. 12. The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2011. 4.3.2 CASES 1. Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA-K) 5 others v Attorney General another [2011] eKLR. 2. John Harun Mwau v the Honourable Attorney General and 2 others (2012) eKLR. 3. Re Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Supreme Court Constitutional Application No. 2 of 2011. 4. Rev. Dr. Timothy Njoya 6 Others v Attorney General 4 Others (2004)1 KLR 261. 4.3.3 BOOKS 1. Baron de Montesquieu, (1748). The Spirit of the Laws. 2. Gibson Kamau Kuria, Building Constitutionalism: Defining the Jurists Province and tasks: How to Mobilize a Constituency of Citizens, pp 47 3. Paralegal support Network, The Paralegal’s Handbook. 4. The Kenya Human Rights Commission in Lest we Forget : Faces of impunity in Kenya (2011) 5. Lloyd of Hamsted Freeman, MDA Lloyds Introduction to Jurisprudence (8th ed, 1957) 1129-1199. 6. PLO-Lumumba, ‘Some Thoughts on Constitutional Principles in the Review Process’ in T.O. Ojienda (ed), Constitution Making and Democracy in Kenya, (2003). 7. Prof. Hamilton Okoth-Ogendo, H.W.O. (1996) â€Å"Constitutions without Constitutionalism: Reflections on an African Paradox†, in Zoethout, C.M. et al (eds), Constitutionalism in Africa. A quest for autochthonous principles, Gouda: Quint Deventer , pp 3-25. 4.3.4 JOURNALS 1. Korwa G. Adar and Isaac M Munyae, ‘Human Rights Abuse In Kenya Under Daniel Arap Moi, 1978-2001,’ African Studies Quarterly. The online Journal for African Studies. 2. Mutakha Kangu ‘Social Contractarian Conceptualization of the Theory and Institution of Law and Governance,’ (2007) 2Moi University Law Journal. 4.3.5 INTERNET SOURCES 1. Alphonce Shiundu and Peter Leftie Why Kenyan MPs will not pay tax on allowances yet September 24 2010 at 22:00 Daily Nation Online Edition. Available at http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Why-Kenyan-MPs-will-not-pay-tax-on-allowances-yet-/-/1064/1017710/-/item/1/-/14gkivv/-/index.html. . 2. Alphonce Shiundu , Shakir Shabbir: MPs were bribed to save CBK boss, Saturday Nation. Saturday, March 10 2012 at 22:30. Daily Nation Online Edition. Available at http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Shabbir-MPs-were-bribed-to-save-CBK-boss-/-/1064/1363750/-/item/1/-/x639yvz/-/index.html . 3. John Ngirachu, Vetting: Tobiko scrapes through Thursday, June 9 2011 at 15:02 Online Nation Edition. Available at http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Panel-clears-MutungaBarasa-and-Tobiko/-/1056/1177764/-/ioc088/-/index.html. 4. Justice Isaac Lenaola Public Participation in Judicial Processes .Available ata

Relationship between corporate social performance and firm financial performance

Relationship between corporate social performance and firm financial performance There have been many theoretical and empirical debates about the relationship between corporate social performance and firm financial performance. The debate on the relationship between CSP and CFP involves two important issues: direction and causality of the relationship (Preston OBannon, 1997). Based upon the literature review, the relationship between CSP and CFP could be positive, neutral, and negative. Preston and OBannon (1997) have distinguished between the direction of the CSP-FP relationship (positive, negative or neutral) and the causal sequence: does CSP in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence FP, does FP in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence CSP, or is there a synergistic relationship between the two? They have developed six possible causal and directional hypotheses: social impact hypothesis, slack resources hypothesis, trade-off hypothesis, managerial opportunism hypothesis, positive synergy hypothesis and negative synergy hypothesis. The social impact hypothesis is based on the stakeholder theory which suggests that meeting the needs of various corporate stakeholders will lead to favourable FP (Freeman, 1984). According to this hypothesis, serving the implicit claims of stakeholders enhances a companys reputation in a way that has a positive impact on its FP. Conversely, disappointing these groups of stakeholders may have a negative  ¬Ã‚ nancial impact (Preston and OBannon, 1997). The results also supported good management theory that states that good management practice resulting from engagement in social domains enhances the relationship with stakeholders causing better financial performance (Freeman, 1984). Preston and OBannon (1997) was one of the surveys that used the Fortune reputation index. In particular, this survey assessed CSP according to three variables: (1) rating of community and environmental responsibility, (2) ability to select and retain good people, and (3) quality of products and services. They found that a positive relationship existed between these variables and ROA. Preston, L. E. and D. P. OBannon (1997). The corporate social-financial performance relationship: a typology and analysis, Business and Society ,vol.36, no.4 419-429. The slack resource hypothesis predicts that better FP potentially results in the availability of slack resources that may increase a  ¬Ã‚ rms ability to invest in socially responsible domains such as community and society, employee relations or environment (Waddock and Graves, 1997). One of the essential aspects of CSR and financial performance is the direction of causality. Waddock and Graves (1997) studied the empirical linkage between financial and social performance and found out that CSR was positively associated with prior financial performance. The results were in line with the slack resource theory that supports that the existence of slack resources resulting from better financial performance made companies invest in areas that are related to social domains. The results also supported good management theory that states that good management practice resulting from engagement in social domains enhances the relationship with stakeholders causing better financial performance (Freeman, 1984). Waddock and Graves (1997) reported that CSP was positively associated with prior and future CFP. They concluded that these findings indicated that not only does CSP follow CFP but also CSP drives CFP. It is notable that they measured CSP by a constructed index based on five factors related to the stakeholder and three factors with responsiveness to significant external pressure. This index is provided by a rating firm-Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Co., Inc (KLD). Waddock, S.A. and S.B. Graves (1997). The corporate social performance-financial performance link, Strategic Management Journal, vol.18, no.4. 303-319. Waddock Graves (1997) and Dean (1998) put forward two theories to answer the question: slack resource theory and good management theory. Under the slack resource theory, a company should focus on its financial position, allowing it to contribute to the CSP. Conducting good social performance requires funds that might result from the success of fi-nancial performance. According to this theory, financial performance comes first. A good management theory holds that social performance comes first. Based on this theory, a company perceived by its stakeholders as having a good reputation will result in a stronger financial position (through market mechanism). The trade-off hypothesis supposes a negative impact of CSP on FP. This hypothesis deals with the neo classical economists position which holds that socially responsible behavior will net few economic bene ¬Ã‚ ts while its numerous costs will reduce pro ¬Ã‚ ts and shareholder wealth (Waddock and Graves,1997).This hypothesis re ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ects the classic Friedman position and is supported by the well-know nearly  ¬Ã‚ nding of Vance (1975) that corporations displaying strong social credentials experience declining stock prices relative to the market average(Preston and OBannon, 1997,p.421). Studies using measures of return based on the stock market also indicate diverse results. Vance (1975) refutes previous research by Moskowitz by extending the time period for analysis from 6 months to 3 years, thereby producing results which contradict Moskowitz and which indicate a negative CSP/CFP relationship. However, Alexander and Buchholz (1978) improved on Vances analysis by evaluating stock market performance of an identical group of stocks on a risk adjusted basis, yielding an inconclusive result. Alexander, G. J., and Rogene A. Buchholz (1978) Corporate social responsibility and stock market performance. Academy of Management Journal, 21 (3): 479-486. Vance, S. C.(1975) Are socially responsible corporations good investment risks? Management Review, 64: 18-24. According to the managerial opportunism hypothesis, corporate managers may pursue their own private objectives to the detriment of both shareholders and other stakeholders ( Weidenbaum and Sheldon, 1987;Williamson, 1967, 1985).In fact, when FP is strong, managers may reduce social expenditures in order to maximize their own short-term private gains. Conversely, when FP weakens, managers may engage in conspicuous social programs in order to offset their disappointing results (Preston and OBannon, 1997). The positive synergy hypothesis supposes that higher levels of CSP lead to an improvement of FP, which offers the possibility of reinvestment in socially responsible actions (Allouche and Laroche, 2005a). Indeed, favourable CSP leads to a surplus of available funds (social impact hypothesis) which is reallocated, in part, to the different stakeholders (slack resources hypothesis). There may then be a simultaneous and interactive positive relation between CSP and FP, forming a virtuous circle (Waddock and Graves, 1997). However, according to the negative synergy hypothesis, higher levels of CSP lead to decreased FP, which in turn limits the socially responsible investments. There may then be a simultaneous and interactive negative relation between CSP and FP, forming a vicious circle. While empirical results concerning the nature of the relationship between CSP and FP continue to be mixed, the largest number of investigations found a positive relationship. This tendency towards the positivism of the CSP-FP link is supported by subsequent Meta analysis (Allouche and Laroche, 2005b; Orlitzky et al., 2003; Wu, 2006). Another study was conducted by Orlitzky HYPERLINK http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1741-0401volume=59issue=3articleid=1846089show=html#idb45et al.HYPERLINK http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1741-0401volume=59issue=3articleid=1846089show=html#idb45 (2003) who found a strong correlation between corporate financial performance and corporate social/environmental performance. This relationship is more strongly pronounced for theaccounting based measures of performance than the market-based measures of performance (Orlitzky HYPERLINK http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1741-0401volume=59issue=3articleid=1846089show=html#idb45et al.HYPERLINK http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=1741-0401volume=59issue=3articleid=1846089show=html#idb45, 2003). Another vein of research focused on the causal relationship between CSP and FP. For instance, using traditional statistical techniques, Waddock and Graves (1997) and Hillman and Keim (2001)  ¬Ã‚ nd a positive synergistic relationship between CSP and FP showing the existence of a virtuous circle between the two constructs .McGuire et al.(1988)  ¬Ã‚ nd that lagged FP measures lead to improved current CSP measures, but the latter does not affect FP. In a more recent study, Nelling and Webb (2006) examine the causal relationship between CSP and FP by introducing a new econometric technique, the Granger causality approach. Their  ¬Ã‚ ndings suggest that, using ordinary least square (OLS) regression models, CSP and FP are related. In disagreement with prior empirical research, they  ¬Ã‚ nd a lower relationship between CSP and FP when employing a time series  ¬Ã‚ xed effects approach. The same result is found when introducing Granger causality models. Furthermore, by focusing on individual measures of CSP, they  ¬Ã‚ nd causality running from stock market performance to CSP ratings regarding employees relationships. In addition to those large-scale American empirical studies, Mahoney and Roberts (2007) have examined the relationship between CSP and FP in the Canadian context. This study has examined the relationship between these constructs using the CSID measure of CSP.1 Contrary to Waddock and Graves (1997), Mahoney and Roberts (2007) found no signi ¬Ã‚ cant relationship between a composite measure of a  ¬Ã‚ rms CSP and FP. However, using a one-year lag, their  ¬Ã‚ ndings indicate as igni ¬Ã‚ cant positive relationship between individual measures of a  ¬Ã‚ rms CSP regarding environmental and international activities and FP. This study has examined only one direction of causality: from CSP to FP. The latest study of corporate social and financial performance was done by Mahoney and Roberts (2007). They performed empirical analyses on a large-sample of publicly held Canadian companies. Based on tests utilizing four years of panel data they found no significant relationship between a composite measure of companies social and financial performance. However, they found significant relationships between individual measures of companies social performance regarding environmental and international activities and financial performance. Mahoney, L., Roberts, R.W., 2007. Corporate social performance, and financial performance and institutional ownership in Canadian firms. Accounting Forum 31, 233- 253. Rim Makni, Claude Francoeur Franà §ois Bellavance (2009). Causality Between Corporate Social Performance and Financial Performance: Evidence From Canadian Firms. Journal of Business Ethics 89 (3). This study assesses the causal relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and financial performance (FP). We perform our empirical analyses on a sample of 179 publicly held Canadian firms and use the measures of CSP provided by Canadian Social Investment Database for the years 2004 and 2005. Using the Granger causality approach, we find no significant relationship between a composite measure of a firms CSP and FP, except for market returns. However, using individual measures of CSP, we find a robust significant negative impact of the environmental dimension of CSP and three measures of FP, namely return on assets, return on equity, and market returns. This latter finding is consistent, at least in the short run, with the trade-off hypothesis and, in part, with the negative synergy hypothesis which states that socially responsible firms experience lower profits and reduced shareholder wealth, which in turn limits the socially responsible investments

Lumumba: Race and Revolution :: essays papers

Lumumba: Race and Revolution In the French film entitled Lumumba, director Raoul Peck recreates the revolutionary struggle of Patrice Lumumba, the newly elected Prime Minister of The Congolese Republic. In the movie, we do not see much of the independence struggle against the Belgian government, but we begin to see the reconstruction of the African state in African hands. While no one ever claimed that decolonization was easy, maybe this particular example can best be explained by Fanon’s simplified little quip â€Å"decolonization is always a violent phenomenon. † In this paper, I will seek to locate where this post-colonial violence is located in discourses regarding race, class and gender. Particularly, I will look at the representations of race and class, and the lack of the representation of gender, in order to draw conclusions about the nature of representation and the effects this has on anti-colonial film. Locating the violence within the anti-colonial struggle may be harder than it seems. One can easily note the physical and sexual violence brought upon the people (black and white) of Congo after independence, but we must locate the other forms of violence in order to bring the entire story of Patrice Lumumba to light. The director’s attempt at bringing the story of Patrice Lumumba to the â€Å"silver screen† had political intentions. It had intentions of breaking post-colonial hegemonic forces that portrayed Lumumba as a nationalist dictator. In regards to race and class in Congo, I will refer to the work of Franz Fanon, in particular his book entitled The Wretched of the Earth. In this book Fanon develops a theory of â€Å"dual citizenship† required by the colonizers in order to validate the colonization process. We have to view the movie Lumumba as being part of the anti-colonial discourse in the history of the Congo but also as a historical fiction produced in 21st century France. In viewing this movie, we must locate race and class and the intersection between the two, as this is constantly the case in post-colonial states. We must also understand the exclusion of gender from revolutionary discourses as being part of patriarchy that is not challenged in certain revolutions. The exclusion of gender equality from what Lumumba struggled for is where there is a certain patriarchy, and this kind of patriarchy is evident in almost all revolutionary anti-colonial writing.

ESL in DoDS Schools :: Free Essay Writer

Young Arzu Alp(not her real name), a ten-year-old military brat, is starting mid-semester at her third school in four years. Nervously standing before the American flag, she anticipates trouble understanding the teacher, hopes for just one new friend, and speaks English as a second language. Arzu need not fear. Her family has been stationed where the school she will attend instructs over 100 hundred English as a Second Language students by three specialized teachers and a competent faculty. Unlike her first year in the Department of Defense District School system when she spoke only Turkish, this semester she will test for Level Four and be very close to breaking her language barrier. She has seen others do this and excel in all other areas as well. The talented and gifted program at her new school is made up of 50% ESL students. In fact, the principal boasts that ESL students often finish high school as valedictorians or salutatorians. (M. Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). Immersion of ESL students in mainstream classes has its advantages and disadvantages. Beginning with enrollment to testing through four levels of English comprehension to graduation, the potential obstacles are unique to ESL students. As we journey through Arzu’s experiences in the ESL program at her new DoDDS’ school, we will assess its productivity and describe its methods of success. One teacher at her new school feels that having ESL students learn side-by-side American, English-speaking only students creates an environment of cultural diversity. Multiple beliefs, traditions, and allegiances adds spice and enrichment to classroom interactions. (M. Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). This is especially true at Arzu’s school where the different backgrounds pepper every classroom and there is no dominant one. Everyone is somewhat culture-bound. Within each culture, there is a unique coherence, integrity, and logic (Snowman, Biehler, 2000). These two statements and believing that one culture is not better or worse than the rest is the ideas on which cultural diversity, or pluralism, is based. One English/History/Humanities teacher articulates this attitude by commenting that relationships must be based on tolerance and mutual respect (M.Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). In response to the question, â€Å"Do cultural differences cause problems in the classroom?† twelve out of twelve teachers and both the principal and vice principal agree that they do not.

General George Meade :: essays research papers

General Meade   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do you know who was the general for the Second Battle of Bull Run? Everyone knows what the Second Battle of Bull Run is, but who was the general? Some people even know that the north won that battle. Most people do not know that General George Meade defeated General Lee at that battle. General George Meade accomplished much during wartime. Accomplishments General George Meade had many accomplishments during wartime. First of all, he defeated General Lee at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Why would not General Meade crush General Lee at this battle and end the war there? Facts say that heavy fog and rain forced Meade to stop. Likewise, on June 1, 1863 a surprised encounter forced his troops into the Battle of Gettysburg, the greatest battle on American soil. This battle came about when General Lee’s army needed shoes. The two forces met here on accident and fought to a victory for the North. Lee acknowledged his defeat and retreated to Virginia. Not only did Meade serve in the Civil War, but also served in the Mexican War. He served in the battles of Palo Alto, Monterey, and Veracruz. During these he served under General Zachory Taylor. To sum up, General George Meade accomplished many things during his time at war. Accomplishments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each of General Meade’s accomplishments had one major effect on how life is today. To start, if Meade had not defeated Lee at the Second Battle of Null Run the was would not have started off positively for the North. This was important because the soldiers gained their confidence when they won this battle. Secondly, Meade’s defeat of Lee at the accidental Gettysburg. This was a battle that turned the war around and gave the North the advantage. This was the North’s first victory in a long time. Finally, if the U.S. had not won the Mexican War, where Meade served as a soldier, the U.S. would not have gained the southwest portion of the country. This, as you remember, was where the gold rush took place that caused the country to spread out over the land. As has been shown, Meade’s accomplishments had many effects on how life is lived today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many things that would be different if General Meade had never lived. For one thing, the North might not have won the first battle of the war causing the soldiers to lose confidence and maybe lose the war.

A Critique on What Lips My Lips Have Kissed

Edna St. Vincent Millay’s What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, is an imagistic regression into the mind of a desensitized woman.   It grazes the mystic ideals held within intimacy and sexual intercourse, while also maintaining an underlying awareness of the author’s bisexuality.Though, the relationship stigmas she touches on still apply to human love affairs today, this poem can only be seen as revolutionary for its time period and the feminist movement.   In this essay I intend to show how this poem, among many of Millay’s other works, have attained cult status, due to their close correlation with her life.When Millay states What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, she is obviously referring to her past lovers (MIllay).   The ideal that gives more value to this statement is knowing that these lovers include men, women and highly acclaimed laureates.   She goes on to use very symbolic imagery to signify the presence of these lost lov ers.Terms like, ghosts, birds, and of course lips, are used to identify their presence throughout the poem.   Millay likens herself to a tree, whose birds have vanished one by one (Millay).   This human connection to nature adds to the poems intrigue and its mysticism.   The entire purpose of her sullen regression is summed up at the end of the poem when she says,These last three stanzas sum up the main premise of the poem and also resemble the feelings of a woman who has been desensitized to intimacy.   This is a very revolutionary position for a woman to be in during the 1930’s to 50’s considering that the cultural expectations of the American women were very strict.Men feared that women would become unruly and sex crazed if they experienced sexual intercourse with more than one partner.   Millay’s promiscuous nature and her edgy perspective definitely go against the grain of what society expected.   This rebellious nature in the poem can be direct ly correlated to experiences in Millay’s real life as a bisexual.

Athenian audience Essay

Athenian audience with the references made to Athenian hypocrisy and the challenges and questions he raised on some of the moral issues of the time and the questions that he asked in his plays were sometimes ill received such as the role of women etc. Despite this, Euripides did win the tragedy prize with ‘Hippolytus’ and is revered as a great playwright in present day drama. From some of the female characters that Euripides develops in his plays, one could assume that Euripides was a misogynist. However, it is wrong to say that all of his female characters are wicked and evil; Euripides has created some wonderful and interesting female characters as well as the wicked ones. Perhaps ‘The Assembly Women’ actually had wrong motive for their revolt! In ‘Alcestis’, the title character, the wife of Admetus (the King of Pherae) sacrifices herself for her husband’s life. A most noble act and Euripides portrays her character, as the model of what a Greek wife should be: completely and utterly devoted to their husband to the extent of dieing for the man that supports them. The Greek audience and modern alike will like Alcestis, as she is a sweet natured and noble woman. She most certainly would have won the hearts of the Greek audience. As she is such a noble character and the measure of her kindness toward her husband is so great, Euripides had to bring her back. So the heroic Heracles wends his way to Hades’ kingdom and brings her back. In ‘Electra’, again the title role, at the beginning of the play, comes across as a very sorrowful young woman. She has cut her hair out of mourning for her murdered father, Agamemnon. He was murdered by her mother, Clytemnestra, as he had to sacrifice their daughter and then brought home a concubine (Cassandra). When Agamemnon did get home, Clytemnestra had fallen in love with Aegisthus. Therefore, so far in the play, Electra comes across as a woman very much devoted to her father and hates her mother for murdering him. So far so justified. However, when she happens to meet her brother, Orestes, she convinces him to kill their mother. At this point she comes across as a very wicked conniving young lady. It seems as though she had been waiting for Orestes return to make him do this. When Orestes has doubts over killing Clytemnestra, she bullies him into doing it. She knew the result she wanted to get and she got it. Clytemnestra, if you haven’t read or seen Aeschylus’ ‘Agamemnon’, comes across as a less conniving woman than her daughter. She comes across as a very powerful and domineering woman. She arrives in the play in a chariot and commands the slaves to help her down. She is very aware of her class and position and will not back down from her decision to murder Agamemnon and regards it as the right thing to do. In this sense we must respect her for sticking by her decision and understand that Agamemnon did kill their daughter and come back with a concubine. In a very slight way, she is justified. Therefore, Euripides has created in Electra a very complicated character. We as the audience or readers assume that she had been planning her revenge on her mother for some time and was just waiting for Orestes return to enact it. Before this point however, we can sympathise with her loss of a father and the pain that she must be going thorough to have the knowledge that it was her mother who murdered him. Clytemnestra, from this play, comes across a woman who sticks by her decision and who in speech ha the capacity to justify and handle herself well. Euripides has created two complicated female characters and in his portrayal of them has shown no signs of his rumoured misogyny. Euripides creates one of the greatest roles for any actress to play in ‘Hecabe’. The title role is not the aforementioned feet of extraordinary characterisation. However, Hecabe as a character is very interesting. The audience comes away not knowing what to think of her. She begins the play as a woman who has endured such a lot of pain as the former Queen of the now sacked citadel of Troy. She has reached the limit of endurance and collapses in sorrow. She has lost her entire family to a war over one woman, the infamous Helen. At the end of the play, however, she literally snaps from a grief stricken widow to a raving savage. She has Polymestor blinded and enjoys the gruesome description of the event and the sounds. According to legend, Hecabe turns into a dog due to her extreme torment that results into madness. This is what Polymestor tells her at the end of the play when his blind by her decision. The character this section opened with by praising is Polyxena. She is Hecabe’s daughter and Euripides develops her character beautifully. Odysseus informs Hecabe that her daughter must be sacrificed to the deceased Achilles. Without shedding a tear, Polyxena, heroically goes with Odysseus to accept her fate. As she is taken to the tomb of Peleus (Achilles father), Greek soldiers hold her and Achilles’ son gets ready with his sword to kill or to sacrifice her. She asks not to be held and the soldiers are taken away. She then tears her clothes off to the wait and bravely speaks and awaits the sword to be thrust into her chest. Euripides in this play has created two memorable female characters. The brave and heroic Polyxena and the complicated Hecabe. Again, no sign of any misogyny on Euripides part here, in fact the opposite in Polyxena’s case. Creating a heroic woman is no mean feet in Ancient Greece and her character must have been received well as she is incredibly strong of character and of heart. Another great female character in Euripidean literature is Heracles wife Megara in the play ‘Heracles’. The play tells of how Hera (Queen of the gods, married to Zeus, who’s father to Heracles) turned Heracles mad and in his madness killed his three sons and his wife Megara. This then lead him to go to the Delphic Oracle that told him to be a slave to Eurytheus thus leading to his infamous twelve labours. Anyhow, Megara, at the beginning of the play, thinks that she is a widow and is a vulnerable woman who has to be strong for her three young sons. However, Heracles actually is not dead and comes home to them in Thebes. He is then turned mad by Hera and shoots two of his sons with arrows in his madness. Megara takes the last son and locks herself in room but Heracles breaks in and shoots them both with one arrow.