The goal of an artist is to express his vision regardless of the Essay

The goal of an artist is to express his vision regardless of the publics reaction - Essay Example The first point that comes to mind is that the purpose of art is to give pleasure. At this juncture, a look in to ‘The nature of Art’ by Cothey will be useful. According to Cothey (21), a commonly used analogy is that ‘art is the food for the mind’. Now, one has to read the explanation provided by Tolstoy, the greatest artist of all times. In ‘What is Art?’, he says that ‘the satisfaction of our taste cannot serve as a basis for our definition of the merits of the food†¦. In the same way, beauty, or that which pleases us, can in no sense serve as a basis for the definition of art’. (Cothey, 21 ). Now, it becomes easy to have a clear idea about the purpose of art. It is evident that the quality of art cannot be measured by the extent to which it is pleasing to the general public. Instead, its nutritional value might lie somewhere else. To illustrate, the work â€Å"Loose Lips Sink Ships† by Peter Langenbach portrays forme r President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky in a bathtub. It is an admitted fact that neither Clinton nor his admirers would be able to enjoy the art though the artist hugely succeeded in creating humor, having both aesthetic and nutritional value. At this juncture, it seems beneficial to incorporate the Aristotle view that tragedy can result in a catharsis of emotions. Now, if someone analyses the controversial art works of the past, one can identify the fact that each of them, though presented in the most erratic, insane and inhuman way, has a social reality to say, either presented in a direct way or indicating to the issue subtly. To illustrate, Renee Cox, in â€Å"Yo Mama’s Last Supper† presented a nude African-American portraying Jesus. Though many find this highly offensive, for the sake of argument, one can say that the artist wanted to show the attractiveness of the Church, the alluring nature of Jesus, and so on. In other words, the beauty of art really lies in the eyes of the beholder. One cannot forget how Leonardo da Vinci still creates confusion in the ‘Last Supper’ through the presence of Mary Magdalene and how Dan Brown wrote ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Now, it seems evident that the beauty of art lies in vivid imagination that knows no boundaries. Erecting barriers in the name of social norms, religion, culture and ethics can only kill the essence of art. In other words, had there been strict imposition of rules on art, many of the masterpieces of the history would not have been developed. They all had their birth because of the intellectual freedom enjoyed by the artists. As V. S. Ramachandran and William Hirstein observe, â€Å"all art is caricature† (Ramachandran and Hirstein, 18). Their study points towards the purpose of art, according Hindu view, as conveying ‘rasa’ or ‘essence’ (17). To achieve this purpose, the artists often amplify the features they observe. As an exam ple, the researchers point out how artists amplify the feminine features of a female while portraying a female, and how they overemphasize the masculine features of a male to convey ‘essence’. In addition, the researchers point out the fact that if the purpose of art is to merely present a reality directly, it could be more easily done using a camera (Ramachandran and Hirstein, 16). Thus, the essence of art lies in enhancing, transcending, and even distorting reality. Artists, throughout history, were well

Expenses of an Adventure Recreational Activity Essay Example for Free

Expenses of an Adventure Recreational Activity Essay Abstract Estimates of recreation visitor spending provide inputs to economic analyses and help to identify the economic linkages between the recreational use of forest and its users. Using data collected through survey, this paper determines the type of expenditure of mountain bikers in Putrajaya Challenge Park (PCP). PCP is a recreation area that provides facilities for adventure recreational activities especially mountain biking (MTB). Food, petrol, toll charges and equipment constitute the main expenses for MTB in PCP. The study provides useful information with regards to the characteristics of users, pattern of use and user’s expenditure. It supplies the policymakers with information on the usage pattern that may help in developing the management plan to maintain or improve the quality of facilities provided in PCP. Keywords: adventurous recreation, mountain bike, recreational spending Introduction The Malaysian government encourages sports and recreation through the development of appropriate facilities and has launched many related events, including the adventure recreation. Ewert and Hollenhorst (1997) defined adventure recreation as recreational activities that contain structural components of real or perceived danger and usually involve a natural environment setting in which the outcome is uncertain but influenced by the participant. According to Arnold and Price (1993), adventure recreation activities are essentially non-utilitarian and provide intense, positive, intrinsically enjoyable experiences to participants. Putrajaya Challenge Park (PCP) offers customized facilities for extreme recreation in Malaysia. It was developed by Putrajaya Holdings with the cost of RM38 million and is currently operated by Putrajaya Corporation in collaboration with the Extreme Sports Association Malaysia (ESAM). PCP is well-equipped with facilities for adventure recreational activities particularly Mountain Biking (MTB). It covers an area of about 30.33 hectares and is located in Precint 5, Putrajaya. It has a network of MTB trails that passes through an oil palm and rubber plantation, secondary forests as well as bushes and grassy areas on hilly slopes. The establishment of PCP as an adventure recreation park has an impact on the economy. Estimates on the spending of forest recreation visitors provide the basis in estimating the contributions of forest recreation to local economy (Stynes and White, 2008). MTB contributes to economic growth through all the necessary expenditures to enjoy mountain biking. According to Chin Kriwoken (2003), the popularity of MTB has grown substantially over the last 25 years and continues to grow. Berg, Braun Otgaar (2000) found that sports events have become an important means for the economic development of local community, region or country. The expenses of these visitors support local businesses by bringing profits as well as creating professions for the region and the country (Stynes and White, 2008). Due to this advantage that comes along with MTB, it seems appropriate to develop an estimate of recreational spending by mountain bikers. The objective of this paper is to determine the type of expenditure incurred by the bikers of PCP for MTB activity. The potentials and benefits of studying Mountain Biking in PCP as one of the recreational attraction in Malaysia are also discussed as well as suggestions for the government or forest recreation authority regarding MTB activity. Findings from this study are hoped to provide the government with the information of how much PCP has economically contributed to the state. Figure 1: Location of Putrajaya Challenge Park Source: Putrajaya Corporation (2010) Methodology The data for this research were obtained from a series of on-site surveys conducted in PCP. The surveys took place at the access point of the Bike and Skate Complex in PCP from December 2010 to January 2011. The respondents were randomly selected among mountain bikers in PCP. Respondents were asked about their expenditures for MTB activity in PCP using a structured questionnaire. A total of 150 effective questionnaires were collected. Results and discussion Frequency of Mountain Bikers According to Residence All respondents were asked to specify their residence. The result shows that bikers in PCP came from various locations. Majority of the bikers were from Selangor (98), Kuala Lumpur (20), Singapore (14), Putrajaya (12) while other bikers came from Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang (Table 1). Expenditure of Mountain Bikers MTB expenditure consists of four categories; the cost for food, petrol, toll charges and MTB equipment. MTB equipment includes of bicycle, helmet, biking gloves and shoes, knee pads and elbow pads. It was estimated that the mean expenditure of MTB on food, petrol, toll charges and equipment was RM10.60, RM15.60, RM4.20 and RM1, 862.50 respectively (Table 2). Zero value indicates that there is no expenditure on food. This is because mountain bikers need to consume only a small amount of food which they brought from home for MTB activity. The highest expenditure (RM 1,862.50) was on equipment particularly the bicycle and its accessories. The apparently higher expenditure on MTB equipment compared to others expenses is due to the high initial cost required to involve in MTB activity. The lowest expenditure was on toll charges (RM4.20). It is because the majority of the mountain bikers came from Selangor and need not pay for toll charges. White and Stynes (2008) found that spending for any services and goods are mostly influenced by the type of recreational activity and the distance travelled. Other factors influencing the level of expenditure of mountain bikers include the size of the recreation group which means the number of persons in the group, the time spent at the recreation area, local prices and the opportunity to make expenditure on site. During the study, there was no shop or food stall in PCP. Although the mountain bikers normally come in group, the expenditure on food and/or drinks are low because they usually go to other locations for refreshment after MTB. Conclusion From this study, food, petrol, toll charges and equipment constitute the main expenses of MTB in PCP. Apart from MTB equipment, other expenditure remains low. It is proposed to PCP management to allow and encourage the local community to sell food and/or drink in and around PCP area by providing spaces for food stalls and souvenir shop. By having this, not only will it increase mountain bikers’ spending but at the same time generate economic return to the locals. Nevertheless, the study does not incorporate mountain bikers’ willingness to pay for additional recreational facilities in PCP. In estimating the expenditure for recreational activity and its local economic impacts, there might be difference in value between local and foreign mountain biker. This is due to longer length of stay of foreigner compared to local mountain bikers since they have to travel further from home. Longer stay would increase the expenditure, for instance for extra cost for accommodation and meals. In addition, the majority of the foreign mountain biker in this study came from Singapore. Since higher currency exchange of Singaporean dollars, the foreign mountain bikers have higher spending compared to the local mountain bikers. Hence, it is suggested studies on recreational visitor spending is further investigated in the future. Acknowledgements The authors owe thanks to Muhammad Firdaus Faisal and Muhamad Redzuan Abd Rani for their efforts during the data collection. A special thank also goes to the Manager of PCP Bazly Mohamad Najib, former manager, Mohd Asim Md Ali and the staff of PCP for providing the information and data of Putrajaya Challenge Park. This study was financed by a grant from Research University Grant Scheme (RUGS) Project Number 03-01-11 1158RU. All remaining errors and omissions in this paper are solely ours. References Arnold, E., J. Price, L., L. (1993). River magic: Extraordinary experience and the extended service encounter. Journal of Consumer Research, 20 (June), 24-45 Berg, L. van den, Braun, E., Otgaar, A., H., J. (2000). Sports and city marketing in European cities. Rotterdam: Euricur. Brymer, G., E. (2006). Extreme dude! A phenomenological perspective on the extreme sport experience. Unpublished Ph.D thesis. University of Wollongong Chiu L. Kriwoken L. (2003). Managing recreational mountain biking in Wellington Park, Tasmania, Australia. Annals of Leisure Research, 6(4): 339-361 Ewert, A.W., Hollenhorst, S. (1997). Adventure recreation and its implications for wilderness. International Journal of Wilderness, 3(2), 21–26 Stynes, D., J. White, E., M. (2008). National forest visitor spending averages and the influence of trip type and recreation activity. Journal of Forestry, pp. 17- 24

Tui tour operator environmental analysis

Tui tour operator environmental analysis TUI was established in 1997 and has grown to be one of the biggest tour operators in Europe. They have served around more than 30 million customers annually with a presence in around 180 countries. TUI started off as a transportation and industrial company but then diversified to concentrate only on tourism, shipping and logistics. They have a huge network of 3500 travel agencies, 285 hotels in 28 countries, 7 airlines, 10 cruise liners, and 79 tour operators. They have been unchallenged for most of the decade but then global environmental challenges have brought in its share of problems. Environmental Analysis Strengths The biggest strength of TUI is the fact that it is one of the biggest travel groups in Europe. They have a huge footprint which makes it easy for them to gain access to the market and to sell their products to a large cross section of the population. They are also able to maximise on their brands by making them work in conjunction with each other. They also do not have any dire financial problems as they sold off one of their major assets. TUI is also well known for its high quality customer services. Their huge network comprises of a large mix of tour operators, airlines, hotels, cruise ships, travel agencies and retail stores. There is a lot of brand awareness for their brand names such as TUI, RIU, Thomson Airways, 1-2 Fly. This has helped them a great deal as people are aware of it and there is a lot of good faith for these brands. Weaknesses One of the weaknesses of TUI is the fact that it has a very high level of debt it has to maintain which is (net debt/equity 2002E: 169%). This puts a lot of pressure on them to generate profits so that they can service their debts. They also have to contend with a lower margin of profits as there is a lot of competition within the market and they have no choice but to offer the best deals to everyone at the expense of a lower margin. The company also suffered from losses in 2008 due to the recession and other financial problems which created a major dent in travel packages. It is not feasible for them to sustain themselves for long if there is a huge drop in revenue. Opportunities There are plenty of opportunities for them to capitalise on looking at emerging markets in India and China which will give them opportunity for growth. The Indian and Chinese economies are growing very rapidly and there are people over there with money to spare on leisure activities. It would be a great idea to set up shop over there. They can also look at other business opportunities by looking at possible acquisitions or mergers with other companies. Threats There are still a lot of threats which can affect the business due to the recession. The recession may have eased a bit but then it has still affected how consumers buy products. If customers are tight fisted with their wallets then it can affect the bottom line of the company in the short term. There is also the threat that customers looking for savings can opt for cheaper packages such as the rail or bus for short trips and not to rely on airlines. This can also cause a major dent in their income. The money saving drive will also affect them as there are customers who are looking for budget packages and not looking for expensive packages with 4-5 star hotels in them. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY POLITICAL: The airline industry has had to bear a lot of high costs ever since 9/11 and 7/7 occurred since the government has refused to bear the entire cost of security. This charge has been passed on to the consumer since the airline has refused to take the whole responsibility. There is a lot of high security due to this reason and immigration laws have been tightened up as well as not to allow unscrupulous elements in. This has also resulted in some destinations being off the list for some travellers as they have been unable to get any insurance for that particular destination. This has a lot of consequences for TUI as they also own a few airlines. The Tourism industry is also affected by the fact that not all destinations are stable. There can be any sort of political instability in those places which can also affect tourism in that country. They are also troubled by the fact that there can be a different tax band for different countries. Some countries tax more while some provide benefits so that their tourism industry can benefit in the longer run. . ECONOMICAL The recession is one of the factors which can affect the Tourism industry gravely. It has already claimed businesses such as Goldline, XL leisure group and many others. Many of these companies rely on a low margin of profit and if there is not enough to go around then the smaller players go under while the bigger ones also suffer heavy losses. This means that once the recession gets over only the big strong ones will be able to capitalise on the opportunity and gain new customers. There are also factors such as oil prices which can also affect how consumers make their travel plans. Airlines always add a surcharge whenever there is an increase in oil prices. This can make it a bit expensive for the consumer to travel as well. The recession has also lead to a fluctuation in the exchange rate of countries. The current Euro currency crisis made it quite weak against the pound and US dollar recently though it has now made a sizeable number of gains. Tourism is such that tourists will go i n huge numbers to destinations with a weaker exchange rate as they can get more for their money. For example when the pound was at 1=$2 dollars there was a huge influx of British Tourists in the US to benefit from the weaker dollar. SOCIOCULTURAL People are always looking to move up the ladder and find ways of making changes in their lives. There have been a significant number of changes in the way people conduct their lifestyle these days. The internet has brought about a revolution in how people can go about and travel as they can use it to find the best packages to suit them. Companies such as TUI have websites which allow consumers to customize their travel plans. People are very conscious of which company they choose when they are on holiday as brand names matter a lot. A good brand name can guarantee a good holiday for them. However only those companies which have always provided good results in the past are the ones which can satisfy the needs of the customers. There is something known as brand loyalty which can guarantee that sort of experience. TECHNOLOGICAL Due to technological advances a lot of work has now been automated. People are relying on the internet for a lot of stuff. The internet has lead to a boom in the number of sales being conducted as people are able to do a lot from home. Consumers have been able to book a large number of holidays online as its quite easy to do that. The numbers have shown an upward trend ever since booking holidays online became popular. This is a double edged sword for big companies such as TUI because on one hand they can get rid of excess staff and relies on the internet for bookings etc but then the same model can be used by other competitors with lower reserves thus increasing competition. ENVIRONMENTAL There are a number of environmental problems associated with the tourism industry. Factors such as the environment have lead to the green culture. People are now always talking about their carbon foot print which is due to pollution. The UK government shot down plans for a third runway at Heathrow due to pollution and the fact that it would contribute to noise pollution. The government has also imposed a green tax to offset the effects of carbon emissions. There are also health factors which can affect tourism such as SARS (in the early part of the previous decade) which led to a huge decline in flights to the Southeast and more recently the Swine Flu pandemic. These are the reasons why tourism can be affected in certain areas. LEGAL There are always some sort of problems associated with the Tourism/Airline industry as it is governed by certain laws and regulations. There is always the need to have a permit of some sort for one thing or the other. All companies are aware of the legal repercussions if they do something which is against the rules. PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS POTENTIAL ENTRANTS: It is not easy for new entrants to come into this field as TUI and some of the other giants already have a huge stake in the market. There is also a very high cost associated with entering the market as it requires a lot of capital and the costs associated with it. People are also familiar with TUI and its brands. This is one reason why its not easy for new companies to come into this field. SUBSTITUTES: It is an obvious fact that people will never give up on leisure activities as they want an escape from home at times. There are cheaper ways of saving money such as activities at homes, local trips to town, video games but then it can never take the place of travel. This means that there will always be some demand for travel packages. Overall it means there is a low threat of substitutes. SUPPLIERS: The suppliers are the ones who can either hold a lot of power over the market or they are the ones who can be dictated to by the clients. However in the case of the Tourism industry they do not have much of a hold in the market as most of them already have a huge presence within the market and already have a lot of clout of their own as they have access to a lot of products they require i.e. TUI already has some hotels, airlines and their own travel agents so they do want need to take the support of others. The only chances of bargaining power are when there are some hotels or airlines which are not part of the group and TUI needs to sort out some travel package with them. BUYERS: There arent many substitutes in the market and the fact that price difference between products is too low to make a big difference. Customers are able to select their products online via the internet but then it wont make a big difference. Hence the reason why the buying power of customers is quite low. Competition TUI does not have to contend with much competition in the market as the only other big name out there is Thomas Cook and a number of smaller operators. However since TUI has a huge share of the market there is less competition within the market. MAINTAINING LEADERSHIP It has been mentioned earlier that TUI is the biggest tour company in Europe as it has a huge share of the market. They have been able to make a difference with the value and comfort them offer their clientele. This is the reason why they have been able to stay on top of the market for so long. They have a huge presence in a large number of countries and they are also able to serve millions of customers each year. One of the biggest reasons why they have been successful is the fact that they are that they have a huge presence in the market. They have interests in everything which is linked to tourism i.e. hotels, airlines, tour operators, retail shops, cruise liners, etc. They are able to spread value throughout their own interests and this is an added advantage as they dont have to give business to any other company as the money goes right back within the organization. They provide their own supply and can easily fulfil the demand as well. They also have all the channels of gaining access to their customer base may it be online or through the brick or mortar store format as not everyone likes to buy their packages online. One of their strongest points is the fact that they have also been able to get support from their share holders who have allowed them flexibility. The customer service and excellent operations is a notch above their competitors. They are also more financially solvent than some of the other operators who recently went bust due to the economic downturn. TUI also has a very diverse portfolio of services which allow them to achieve a sense of differentiation. Since they can provide all these services they get repeat customers, are able to attain their uniqueness and can build upon their brand. TUI has been able to provide value for the money as it strikes the right balance between profits and the needs of its customers. They are also able to adapt to drastic changes in the market by changing themselves as they have the experience to do that. They also are able to achieve more economy of scale simply because they are their own suppliers. FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR TUI The ANSOFF matrix can be used to find out what direction TUI can take in order to further develop itself. Diversification TUI can diversify by looking towards the rail, bus and ferry sector. There is a lot of potential in that sector mainly because of the fact that there will always be people who want to save money by opting for a cheaper mode of travel. They can start their own services to capitalise on that and gain a share of that pie as their primary mode of transportation is airlines followed by luxury cruises. Market Penetration TUI has the biggest market share in the whole area along with a huge presence in the European Market. They know that it will not be easy for new competitors to come into the frame but then they have to keep tapping the other corners of the market. They have to contend with the fact that other websites can offer the same deals without setting up shop. They can enhance their market standing further online so that they can gain more revenues. †¢ PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TUI has a lot of packages which are developed for specific locations. They can do a lot by looking for new destinations for its customers to give them a new taste. They can also create some budget packages for its customers so that they have more options if they are unable to choose from the expensive choices. Opportunities TUI has the biggest presence in the market and they have been able to market their product well. It is a good idea to move on to other markets so that they do not stagnate. They have pretty much cornered the market in Europe and need to find a new one. They can easily capitalise on the Indian and Chinese markets mainly because they have great economies and they have a lot of people with disposable income over there. They can find new revenues within those markets while the situation improves in the other markets. TUI has to also look at other factors which can affect them such as the fact that oil prices keep fluctuating. They need to buy oil prices at a lower price now by hedging their bets but then there is no guarantee if the price will go down or stay up in the future. It could be a safe bet if the prices go up in the future. This can prove to be a risk but then it wont be as big of a risk as buying oil at more expensive prices. For example if they buy oil at 75 dollars a barrel and it goes back to 65 then they will have paid more but not lost much. They also have to face the possibility that airlines may be taxed more for the green tax in the future in order to offset carbon emissions. They are already taxed a lot currently and there are also possible measures in the future where the number of flights will be capped in order to reduce pollution. USES AND LIMITATIONS OF TOOLS USED This report has used a number of tools to come up with an analysis. It would not be practical to do it without the use of the tools. There are however some limitations when it comes to the tools being used. PESTEL PESTEL is a great tool as it allows us to analyse the macro environment and get a better understanding of the industry and its environment. All these factors allow us to see the future threats. PESTEL also allows us to check out the key factors which can affect the strategy of an organization as well. They are brought to the forefront and can be seen. However it is just an understanding of the whole situation and does not provide any solutions. It also does not allow us to assess the level of the problem. It is also not feasible to analyse the entire macro environment because there are endless possibilities. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porters Five Forces allows us to understand what drives competitive behaviour and the factors behind it. It is a bit more detailed and can easily identify the reasons behind competitive behaviour. It can also check the advantages and disadvantages of the industry by analysing its profitability and competitiveness scale. It is also used to determine the feasibility of the industry and understand the fundamentals behind it. The only problem with it is the fact that the environment is always changing and it can never be used for a long term analysis. It also does not take the industry into segments and considers them to be a whole. It is flawed as it does not look at HR, culture and the management skills of an organization. SWOT ANALYSIS The SWOT analysis is to the point and focuses on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business. It takes into account both the internal and external aspects of the business. It is a great decision making tool and also understands which points of the business to take into account. It also addresses the key issues and identifies the relevant information. Despite all the strengths of the model it will still ignore some of the important factors of the business. It does not provide any solution to strengthening the business. ANSOFF MATRIX The ANSOFF matrix allows the business to check out its best options in different scenarios. This also allows them to explore how they can grow as a corporation. It is a bit limited as it only takes into account the fact that it only looks at growth and share and not other factors. It also uses a growth matrix to analyse the operations which is not sufficient. CONCLUSION TUI still needs to a do a lot to capitalise on its current position. They can make hay while the sun shines and gain as many customers as they can. If they diversify and start catering to people with limited incomes they can gain a whole new market. They only need to play their cards right and they can grow a great deal.

Essay --

I mere end hundrede à ¥r har byen optaget sociologer, lige fra Georg Simmel (1858-1918) til nutidens spanske sociolog Manuel Castells . Disse sociologer har anskuet byen med en modstridende fà ¸lelse. Storbyens fascinerende men pà ¥ samme tid, skrà ¦mmende stà ¸rrelse, komponeret med dens evne til, at udvikle fà ¦llesskaber men ogsà ¥ skabe fremmedgà ¸relse for det enkelte individ. Her vil jeg dykke ind og se pà ¥ de to sociologers teorier, Zygmunt Bauman og Georg Simmel. ZYGMUNT BAUMAN OG HANS TEORI Zygmunt Bauman er en polsk-engelsk sociolog, som blev fà ¸dt i 1925. Baumans teori er, at byens rum er et koncentreret billede, som er en afspejling af samfundets forandring. Hans interesse for byen kom virkelig i centrum, da han skrev bogen †Globalisering – de menneskelige konsekvenser† – hvori han skriver om rummets skiftevis globalisering og lokaliserende karakter, agorafobiens fremkomst og den urealistiske moderne aspiration . Bauman mener, at byens fysiske indretning og organisation afslà ¸rer de moralske và ¦rdier som samfundet har. Han er stor fortaler for det à ¥bne rum, det offentlige rum og inkluder...

Poverty in Philippines Essay

Life is a risking adventure. We commit a lot of obstacles and problems that sometimes pull our hopes down. Watching the documentary creates several feelings about the situations and it brings realizations after and while watching it. First of all, the documentary speaks about a family in Eastern Visayas wherein it reflects a serious poverty in the Philippines. The family experienced or still experiencing sufferings about their whole-life situation. The couples had ten sons and daughters all in all but only six of them were there current priorities. It must be easy for rich families to handle those six responsibilities but for them, it was a serious life challenge. Within a day, eating two meals is the best they can. Green vegetables with rice are considered a delightful meal for them. Because mostly, a piece of bread given by a neighbor or a soup considering rice mixed with water and salt was there food for breakfast while for lunch is still basing for the outcome of their unstable work. They are indeed suffering for poverty – or maybe beyond poverty. As an individual watching an uncommon documentary, I felt a lot of course. First, I felt pity for the whole family but mostly for the children. Children must be playing so free with a full tank – stomach with other kids, educating themselves in school, but what other children of their family do was working too, for the sake of the majority’s food. It was a punch on the heart to see those. Second, I feel so degraded yet fortunate. I am ashamed of myself because they really spend sweats and strengths for their daily benefits while most of us almost take spoon feed from our parents. But I felt so fortunate because even sometimes I feel so poor because of usual money-shortage; I realized how others’ seek hard for a one peso coin. Therefore, the documentary conscientisize most of us, but in a moral way I think. It aroused our conscience not to disgust ourselves because of realizations on mistakes but to change for the better. I am thinking that after watching the documentary, most of the viewer’s felt what I felt too, realized what I realized too, and will change as I’ll change. Starting now, I want to try giving importance with money. I want to encourage myself not to be hopeless in times of struggles. I’ll earn, try my best not to spoil and waste foods, and I will always ask for guidance to God for Him to help me conquer every obstacle. Because life is a risking adventure.

Jefferson’s Justification for the American Revolution Essay

Even after fighting in the American Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, most colonists still hoped for reconciliation with Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson saw a need to justify this revolution in the eyes of the people. He, and other founding fathers, knew that for this revolt to be successful, all thirteen colonies and their citizens must be united in a common goal. For Jefferson to achieve unity amongst the colonists, he had to show that violations of law and abuse of basic rights existed under the current British rule. Read more: Mini qs in American history essay The Declaration of Independence, written largely by Thomas Jefferson, is a statement of what government is and from what source it may derive its powers. It begins with a summary of those inalienable rights that are the basis for a free society and to protect those rights, what powers a just government may exercise. By Jefferson’s own admission, the Declaration of Independence contained no original ideas, but was instead a statement of sentiments widely shared by supporters of the American Revolution. As he explained in 1825: Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit  called for by the occasion. Jefferson’s most immediate sources were two documents written in June 1776: his own draft of the preamble of the Constitution of Virginia, and George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Ideas and phrases from both of these documents appear in the Declaration of Independence. They were in turn directly influenced by the 1689 English Declaration of Rights, which formally ended the reign of King James II. During the American Revolution, Jefferson and other Americans looked to the English Declaration of Rights as a model of how to end the reign of an unjust king. (Maier, 1997) â€Å"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Davenport, 2009) The Declaration then goes on to list specific violations against the colonists by the King. These â€Å"violations† made it clear to the population that they were being treated unfairly and that they had every right to revolt against the King, who Jefferson refers to as a â€Å"tyrant†. As the war was already raging, the Declaration of Independence gave further justification for America’s independence. There was clear separation amongst the states as to if the revolution was founded. Jefferson’s listing of abuses and violations of basic rights are clearly aimed at the King of Britain and his monarchy. The Declaration brought recognition of these injustices to every citizen, and hence, justification of the American Revolution. After the war, another challenge remained; how to prevent these abuses from occurring in the new republic? Enter the Constitution of the United States of America, 1788. The Constitution, by both its design and the terms used as written, limits government to the powers delegated. Our Constitution is a closed legal and logical system that declares itself and the laws made pursuant to it, to be the supreme law of the land, and that is the only law that it allows. There is no room in it for â€Å"inherent sovereign immunity†.  The purpose of government is to maintain a society which secures to every member the inherent and inalienable rights of man, and promotes the safety and happiness of its people. Protecting these rights from violation, therefore, is its primary obligation. (Maier, 1997) â€Å"The Supreme Law of the Land† is â€Å"The Constitution as it is written† and the laws made pursuant thereto. Its interpretations are not the supreme law of the land. They are mere interpretations that may or may not be correct, or may even be dishonest and treacherous to it. â€Å"Who will govern the governors?† There is only one force in the nation that can be depended upon to keep the government pure and the governors honest, and that is the people themselves. They alone, if well informed, are capable of preventing the corruption of power, and of restoring the nation to its rightful course if it should go astray. They alone are the safest depository of the ultimate powers of government. (Coates, 1999) I know no safe depositary of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power. — Thomas Jefferson to William C. Jarvis, 1820 In the Constitution and the first ten amendments, it is clear that the government remain, â€Å"of the people†. Also, that no state or local government shall supersede the authority of the federal government or revolt against it. By representation in the Senate and Congress, each state is given a voice in the federal government. The last hope of human liberty in this world rests on us. . . . If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, every one pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check. I repeat again, that we ought not to schismatize on either men or measures.  Principles alone can justify that. If we find our government in all its branches rushing headlong, like our predecessors, into the arms of monarchy, if we find them violating our dearest rights, the trial by jury, the freedom of the press, the freedom of opinion, civil or religious, or opening on our peace of mind or personal safety the sluices of terrorism, if we see them raising standing armies, when the absence of all other danger points to these as the sole objects on which they are to be employed, then indeed let us withdraw and call the nation to its tents. But while our functionaries are wise, and honest, and vigilant, let us move compactly under their guidance, and we have nothing to fear. Things may here and there go a little wrong. It is not in their power to prevent it. But all will be right in the end, though not perhaps by the shortest means. — Thomas Jefferson to Colonel Wm. Duane, 1811 Obviously, Jefferson and the founding fathers saw that too much power was given a monarchy and the Constitution clearly shows how power is to be divided in the new republic. Basic civil rights are also listed so that they cannot be infringed upon or abused. By declaring these rights and division of authority, the republic and its Constitution, ensures that these abuses will not happen again. As the Declaration of Independence united the colonies, so too did the Constitution unite the people’s rights. REFERENCES Coates, Eyler (1999). _Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government._ Retrieved May 4, 2009, from http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/ Davenport, Anniken (2009). _Basic Criminal Law – The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes._ Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Publishing Maier, Pauline (1997). _American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence._ New York: Knopf Publishing.