Women in the police force

Women in the police force Chapter One: Introduction The role of the police in the society can neither be overlooked nor belittled; without the police force to enforce the law, which facilitates reduction of crime and disorders and to protect individuals as well as national property, human coexistence would be unbearable if not impossible. The police forces are divided into various arms according to the issues in the society and the structuring varies from one state to another as stipulated in those nations constitutions. For many centuries prior to the 19th, the police force was almost purely for men as it was argued that the job descriptions were not suitable for women. Law enforcement was traditionally perceived as male field; todays presence of women in this career is a product of countless legal battles. In many countries the tests for entry into the force were agility and strength. The gates of police work were not opened to those who did not meet the physical requirements. The battle had to be taken to the courtroom resulting to the Amendment of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The amendment prohibited race, sex, religion and color based discrimination (Seklecki Paynich, 2007). Problem Formulation:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The recruitment of women in the police force can be traced from the 19th century; nevertheless this recruitment has been found wanting. There has been an imbalance as far as the status and the number of women in the force is concerned. This paper aims at expounding on the conditions of women in police force; are the conditions fair? Does gender biasness prevail in the police force? What situations are women police forced to bear with in performance of their duties? The hypothesis of this literature review is, â€Å"does gender have an effect of how police officers are treated in the workforce?† Some of the challenges that have been identified as what women law enforcers go through include: Recruitment, Promotion, job description, affirmative action and gender, sexual harassment, self esteem, qualification requirements among many others. Some of the things that will be established in this paper include: Conditions to be fulfilled for recruitment in the force , challenges of promotion to higher ranks, affirmative action in the endeavor to better police women conditions in the force among other key issues that affect police women directly. Sexual Harassment: Theorists has posited that oppressions that are based on gender or/and sexual orientation are intrinsically linked. Harassing behaviors that are based on gender or sexual orientation are based on a common root that aims at maintaining a patriarchal society which stipulated gender roles. Sexual harassment in workplace was defined by Magley (1997, p. 15) as â€Å"unwanted sex-related behavior at work that is appraised by the recipient as offensive, exceeding [ones] resources, or threatening [ones] well-being.† This problem is very common in many nations USA having no immunity; its estimated that 35- 50% of all US women and 9-35% of all US men have been victims to sexual harassment. Shaw has observed that sexual harassment is not only physical, but also involves; comments, treatment in sexual nature, and any activity that is based on a persons gender and makes the person feel uncomfortable. Gender Bias: Sexism is a way of thinking about sexes; sexism is a form of discrimination, or gender based biasness. Gender roles emanate from having such a way of thinking. Many people are socialized to believe that there are chores for men while some others are for women, hence if one is seen doing what is culturally believed to be for the other sex, its perceived as ‘incorrect conduct. Gender biases are based on stereotypes, where people are judged according to their physical traits, physical abilities, interest, occupation attitudes and personality traits. Gender biases are the basis for maltreatment of female law enforcers (Shaw, 2000). Chapter Two: LITERATURE REVIEW Masculinity Culture:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Santos (2004) made observation of the challenges that Latin American (Brazilian) women police were going through prior to establishment of women police stations. The case study explained how the women police managed to overcome the masculinity culture that was dominating the police force and perceiving the women in the force as just items of showing gender concern for the nation but not for any â€Å"real work.† Santos has concurred with Conselho Nacional dos Direitos da Mulher (2001) observations that women police in Brazil were discriminated and accorded the light duties as such was the most rational approach to their role in the force considering their gender; women can not manage hard tasks. Indeed the very absence of institutionalized gender-based training for women police was a clear indication of the limitation of creation of womens space in the masculine and repressive arm of the state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Natarajan (2009) argued that there is a need to have a separate but an identical model of policing whereby men and women should have separate departments. The reason behind such an argument was based on Natarajan observations that despite the fact that the western countries had moved from what he referred to as â€Å"reluctant separate and unequal status for women police officers,† the police women remained to be numerically minority and demeaned in role playing within the police force. She pointed out that the women police were faced with barriers to equal access to diverse roles and tasks available in the police force as compared with their male counterpart. High integration is not an option if women will have equal opportunities as men in maintenance of law and order. His argument was that use of â€Å"back door† approach would facilitate recognition of women value as officers in police department. From a research conducted in among Indian police she argues that ineffectiveness in police department especially on gender issues result from men domination of police force, women are not free to express their challenges to men. Underground Discrimination:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Silvestri (2003) has noted that despite many nations removing barriers that were preventing women from entering to the male-dominated police career, the structures are yet to be fully transformed to warmly accept women in the field. He has pointed on the ratio in their leadership in police top positions as an open evidence of that fact. For example in Australia, they occupy just 6.3 percent of the top national policing while US top police leadership has 5 percent women representation. His argument is that discrimination of women policing is still on but less visible and more subtle and discrete, it operates from the underground and the police women experience it and are affected daily by it, no wonder have higher stress as opposed to male police. Women Integration: The integration of women in police force is far from being achieved. Natarajan (2001) has posited that in many countries if not all, women comprise of a very minute percentage of serving officers. He draws from many studies that identified that women are yet to be fully accepted as qualified candidates from the duties in police department. Barriers to full integration emanates from various circles, including: male officers prejudices, societal attitude and beliefs on police career and women, and inherent differences between both sexes in physical capabilities. The women law enforcers that were studied complained of; lack of promotion, family suffering because of tight work schedules, getting late for marriage which resulted to birth complication, and works that were physically draining. Natarajan stated that these reasons have used to justify lack of integration, for women were not fully contented with what the police career entailed. Leadership Imbalance:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Silvestri (2005) noted that in Wales and England glass ceiling has been cracked in the police force; however the number of women in the force and in high positions remains to be disappointingly low. Silvestri noted that a decade after Pauline Clare was appointed as first Britain woman chief constable, there was very little change in ratio of traditional men to women police amidst numerical increase of women in police force. He argues that myths of women as weaker sex and lacking ability to manage the heavy duties in the police force are still prevalent. Drawing from a research on what it takes to be police leader, he found out that police leaders are expected to be knowledgeable agents, of which stereotypes posits that women have lesser knowledge compared to their male counterpart. He noted that police force is faced with a challenge of long working hours which though unsuitable for both men and women, women suffers the more for they long hours are incompatible wi th womens family roles; consequently demeaning any hopes of rising up the leadership ladder. Women Stress: Stress Spillover   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thompson, Kirk and Brown, (2005) conducted a research on stress spillover among police women and how it affects their careers as well as their family. The high occupational demands in the police force acts as limitation to women advance in police career. They noted that women are known to reflect more workplace stress more than men, consequently women who are interested in making their marriages and families work find it hard to cope with police force work. They found out that emotional exhaustion act as a mechanism through which workplace stress spills over to the family, consequently reducing family cohesion. Thompson, Kirk and Brown, (2005) shared their findings with Morash and Kwak (2006) that the victims suffer interpersonal disorder such as withdrawal which affects women more than men. Women being more socialized to family hood resolve to giving in to their families than careers, this is taken as the base of women low ranks in the police force. The stereotyp e is used to abase the police women in their pursuit of senior positions. Rank and Stress: While conducting a research on the relationship between high ranking women officers and low ranking women officer among Greek officers, Antoniou (2009) identified high ranking officers were more stressed in comparison of low ranking. He pointed out the difference was as a result of the male bosses attempt to oppress women not to rise upper. This strategy was observed as having been employed in many states. He identified that women were intimidated through threat of their personal integrity, exposure to danger, and violence and rape threats by fellow officers or criminals. Stressor and Obstacles: Dowler and Arai (2006) conducted a study to identify how the male dominated field may increase stressors and obstacles among female police. They first noted that despite the steady growth of women in the police force, they are still by far under represented with 12.7% only of the entire body of large organizations lawn enforcers and 8.1% in small agencies. They noted that from time immemorial police work was perceived to be mens hence masculinity subculture is yet to be exited creating additional stressor for female officers based on male centered environment. The women experience significant resistance and resentment from male administrators, supervisors and counterparts, especially by the chauvinists who have grave reservations on women in relation to competency as law enforcers. The reservations and resentments are based on femininity stereotypes. Women police table men-colleagues attitude towards them and their career as the most significant setback that they face in doing their work. They identified that men and women police have divergent perceptions on gender discrimination, which acts as the source of conflict as women feels they are judged according to their gender. Dower and Arai concurred with McCarty, Zhao and Garland (2007) who argued that workplace stress is manageable if one had peer support to share challenges with. Police law enforcers have a low percentage of women hence in many places women have no one to share their pains with. Stress and Suicide: While reporting on a study conducted on the rates of suicides among police officers as compared with their respective genders Burke (2006), observed that the rate of male officers who committed suicide was lower than the total males who committed suicide, but police women suicide rate was four times more than all the women who committed suicide. The study therefore concluded that police women were subjected to more stress than male counterpart. Women Reactivates: Sun and Chu (2008) conducted a research in an attempt to identify gender differences in policing. The study was geared towards understanding what approach the police prefer as the most effective to law enforcement. The women respondents were more supportive to an aggressiveness approach as opposed to men. The researchers argued that the reason for women attraction to aggression was in an attempt to prove that they were capable and did not fear male criminals. This was perceived as a strategy to put off stereotypes against women law enforcers. In a study conducted by Seklecki and Paynich (2007) on police womens perception about their career as law enforcers, most of them felt that they were equally capable if not better than their male peers. Most the interviewees tabled harassment from their male peers and their husbands based on their career as the greatest challenge they face daily. Most of them were found to deliver better than men since they worked with an attitude of proving the allegations that they are lesser able wrong. Criminals also were easily caught by women for most perceived women as not being able to hand put them into trouble. Their greatest battle is fighting chauvinistic harassment. Public Perception:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yima and Schaferb (2009) conducted a research to identify how the public perception of police affects the officers job satisfaction. The research identified that the public perceptional image on officers influences their job satisfaction as well as delivery. Community perception of women law enforcers is that they are less capable as compared with their male counterpart, this demoralizes the officers and most of the time they do a duty to prove that they are able not to fulfill their duty. While not on duty they are esteemed for achieving â€Å"mens† career, but are not trusted as capable of delivering. Affirmative Action:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tougas and Beaton (2005) observed that were it not because of affirmative action in the United States, women would have remained to watch and admire the traditionally male-dominated careers. Nevertheless they did not fail to notice that change in workforce composition was still facing immense challenges. Police work was perceived as requiring males because of the physical strength required and the dangers police officers are exposed to. Women involvement in the work was perceived as challenging masculinity icon of the work. They shared the observations with Hunt (1990) in arguing that violence and criminal issues are not feminine, hence women should keep of and let those who are endowed for such (men) deal with them. They argued that this were the basis for harassment, exclusion from some tasks, and discrimination. Tougas and Beaton argued that as much as affirmative action has facilitated a great deal of women entry to the force, the numerical imbalance is still immensely visible. Perception of police women as lesser police is a prevalent form of sexual harassment. Collins (2003) conducted a research geared towards identifying why there was a significance increase in the harassment among female law enforcers despite having laws that are supposed to protect female officers from such harassment, from the public or their peers. The writer identified that Florida criminal justice standards were wanting as in many other states. The article writer noted that despite collecting enough evidence of pervasiveness related to sexual harassment, the number of sexual harassments were on the increase. He argued that the increase emanated from the minimal discipline that was imposed on culprits, it was substantial hence encouraging more men to do if not repeat such acts. Chapter Three: Conclusion- Seklecki and Paynich   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an attempt to find an answer to the hypothesis of whether gender have an effect of how police officers are treated in the workforce, Seklecki and Paynich (2007) conducted a national survey of female police officers. They pointed out that to have women in law enforcement was a battle that was won in courtroom through amendment of the constitution. They have noted that the police force was men workplace and women were expected to keep off for the duties involved required masculinity. Seklecki and Paynich identified that qualification to the police force required agility and physical strength.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seklecki and Paynich conducted literature review on the findings of various writers on women policing. They found out that the entry of women to law enforcement career has been very low with as little as 15% of the entire police force. They have observed that police force is still structured for men limiting women from joining and fully exploiting their potential in the career. They observed that discriminations against women are still prevalent. The behaviors of female officers such as excessive use of force were linked to the discriminations, in attempts to prove they were equal police to their male counterparts. Seklecki and Paynich observed that objection of women from joining law enforcement career was/is an attempt to maintain patriarchal society and roles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seklecki and Paynich observed that to ensure that women self-esteem in policing career was abased, male counterpart have created a negative work environment for women police. Female officers operate under pressure compared to male peers. References: Antoniou, A. (2009). Occupation-specific precursors of stress among Greek police officers: the roles of rank and gender. International Journal of Police Science Management, 11(3), pp. 334-344. Burke, R. Richardsen, A. Martinussen, M. (2006). Gender differences in policing: reasons for optimism? International Journal of Police Strategies Management, 29 (3), 513-523. Collins, S. (2003). Sexual harassment and police discipline: Whos policing the police? International Journal of Police Strategies Management, 27(4), 512-538. Conselho Nacional dos Direitos da Mulher, (2001). Pesquisa nacional sobre as condigoes defuncionamento das delegacias especializadas no atendimento as mulheres: Relatorio final. Brasilia. Dowler, K Arai, B. (2006). Stress, gender and policing: the impact of perceived gender discrimination on symptoms of stress. International Journal of Police Science Management, 10(2), 123-135. Hunt, J. (1990). The logic of sexism among police. Women and Criminal Justice, 1, 3-30. Konik, J. Cortina, L. (2008). Policing Gender at Work: Intersections of Harassment Based on Sex and Sexuality. Soc Just Res (2008) 21:313-337. Magley, V. (2002). Coping with sexual harassment: Reconceptualizing womens resistance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 930-946. McCarty, W. Zhao, J. Garland, B. (2007). Occupational stress and burnout between male and female Police officers: Are there any gender differences? International Journal of Police Strategies Management, 30(4). Morash, M. Kwak, D. (2006). Gender differences in the predictors of police stress. An International Journal of Police Strategies Management, 29(3), 541-563. Natarajan, M. (2001). Women Police in a Traditional Society: Test of a Western Model of Integration. Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, IJCS XLII, 1-2. Natarajan, M. (2009). Women Police in a Changing Society. Backdoor to Equality. International Journal of Police Science Management. 11 (4), 518-520. Santos, M. (2004). EN-GENDERING THE POLICE: Womens Police Stations and Feminism in Sao Paulo. University of San Francisco. Seklecki, R. Paynich, R. (2007). A National Survey of Female Police Officers: An Overview of Findings. Police Practice and Research, 8(1), 17-30. Shaw, F. (2000). Coping with Sexual Harassment and Gender Bias. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Silvestri, M. (2003). Women in Charge: Policing, Gender and Leadership. The Australian and New Zealand journal of criminology, 304-307. Silvestri, M. (2005). Doing time: Becoming a police leader. International Journal of Police Science Management. 8(4), 266-288. Sun, I Chu, D. (2008). Gender differences in policing: an analysis of Taiwanese officers attitudes. Police Practice and Research, 9(5), 431-443 Thompson, B, Kirk, A Brown, F. (2005) Work based support, emotional exhaustion, and spillover of work stress to the family environment: A study o f policewomen. Stress and Health, 21 199-207. John Wiley Sons. Tougas, F Beaton, A. (2005). Policewomen Acting in Self-Defense: Can Psychological Disengagement Protect Self-Esteem From the Negative Outcomes of Relative Deprivation? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 88 (5), 790-800. Yim, Y. Bryan, S. (2009). Police and their perceived image: how community influence officers job satisfaction. Police Practice and Research, 10(1), 17-29

The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative Persua

The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana When the religious leaders of Nicholas Copernicus' time excommunicated him for his radical studies, they ignorantly dismissed a brilliant idea. The idea that the earth revolved around the sun inherently brought controversy upon the traditional styles of science. A controversy our leaders need to examine is the medical use of marijuana. Instead of banning marijuana and ignoring the public voice, our representatives need to examine the facts and effects of marijuana for medical use. Like Copernicus' idea that revolutionized science, changing the way we treat our sick and suffering will benefit our society. The effects of legalizing marijuana for only medical purposes will stop unnecessary legal action and it will change the way doctors treat a number of serious ailments. At the turn of the century, rumors equated marijuana "as a substitute for the opiates and alcohol", thus leading to The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It was instated with little public notice and without research on the effects of the drug. The Act led to further myths such as the "gateway" term, which describes marijuana as a drug that leads to more dangerous drug abuse. Since the time our representatives took the uneducated initiative to ban the drug for medical purposes, it has been tested and found innocent of addictive qualities (Bonnie and Whitebread 4). "The best established use of smoked marijuana is an anti-nauseate for cancer chemotherapy. During the 1980's, smoked marijuana was shown to be an effective anti-emetic in six different state-sponsored clinical studies involving nearly 1,000 patients" (Randall 217-243). According to Peter McWilliams, an AIDS and cancer patient, marijuana gave him the most rel... ...nd Consulted Bonnie, Richard and Whitebread, Charles. The Genesis of Marijuana Prohibition. Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. Available: http:www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/vlr/vlr2.htm IOM report sends mixed signals on use of marijuana as medicine. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly: LEXIS NEXIS. Available: http:web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_ansset=GeHauKO_ Marijuana is a Medicine English Medical Marijuana Flyer. Avaliable: http://medicalmarijuana.org/engflyer.htm ON THE RIGHT; political update. National Review. Available: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_ansset=GeHauKO- The Medical Use of Marijuana NORML. Available: http:natlnorml.org/medical/index.html Woodward, Wc. C. American Medical Association Opposes the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Available: http://www.pdxnorml.org/AMA_opposes_1937.html

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 1

Prologue The angel was cleaning out his closets when the call came. Halos and moonbeams were sorted into piles according to brightness, satchels of wrath and scabbards of lightning hung on hooks waiting to be dusted. A wineskin of glory had leaked in the corner and the angel blotted it with a wad of fabric. Each time he turned the cloth a muted chorus rang from the closet, as if he'd clamped the lid down on a pickle jar full of Hallelujah Chorus. â€Å"Raziel, what in heaven's name are you doing?† The archangel Stephan was standing over him, brandishing a scroll like a rolled-up magazine over a piddling puppy. â€Å"Orders?† the angel asked. â€Å"Dirt-side.† â€Å"I was just there.† â€Å"Two millennia ago.† â€Å"Really?† Raziel checked his watch, then tapped the crystal. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"What do you think?† Stephan held out the scroll so Raziel could see the Burning Bush seal. â€Å"When do I leave? I was almost finished here.† â€Å"Now. Pack the gift of tongues and some minor miracles. No weapons, it's not a wrath job. You'll be undercover. Very low profile, but important. It's all in the orders.† Stephan handed him the scroll. â€Å"Why me?† â€Å"I asked that too.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"I was reminded why angels are cast out.† â€Å"Whoa! That big?† Stephan coughed, clearly an affectation, since angels didn't breathe. â€Å"I'm not sure I'm supposed to know, but the rumor is that it's a new book.† â€Å"You're kidding. A sequel? Revelations 2, just when you thought it was safe to sin?† â€Å"It's a Gospel.† â€Å"A Gospel, after all this time? Who?† â€Å"Levi who is called Biff.† Raziel dropped his rag and stood. â€Å"This has to be a mistake.† â€Å"It comes directly from the Son.† â€Å"There's a reason Biff isn't mentioned in the other books, you know? He's a total – â€Å" â€Å"Don't say it.† â€Å"But he's such an asshole.† â€Å"You talk like that and you wonder why you get dirt-duty.† â€Å"Why now, after so long, the four Gospels have been fine so far, and why him?† â€Å"Because it's some kind of anniversary in dirt-dweller time of the Son's birth, and he feels it's time the whole story is told.† Raziel hung his head. â€Å"I'd better pack.† â€Å"Gift of tongues,† Stephan reminded. â€Å"Of course, so I can take crap in a thousand languages.† â€Å"Go get the good news, Raziel. Bring me back some chocolate.† â€Å"Chocolate?† â€Å"It's a dirt-dweller snack. You'll like it. Satan invented it.† â€Å"Devil's food?† â€Å"You can only eat so much white cake, my friend.† Midnight. The angel stood on a barren hillside on the outskirts of the holy city of Jerusalem. He raised his arms aloft and a dry wind whipped his white robe around him. â€Å"Arise, Levi who is called Biff.† A whirlwind formed before him, pulling dust from the hillside into a column that took the shape of a man. â€Å"Arise, Biff. Your time has come.† The wind whipped into a fury and the angel pulled the sleeve of his robe across his face. â€Å"Arise, Biff, and walk again among the living.† The whirlwind began to subside, leaving the man-shaped column of dust standing on the hillside. In a moment, the hillside was calm again. The angel pulled a gold vessel from his satchel and poured it over the column. The dust washed away, leaving a muddy, naked man sputtering in the starlight. â€Å"Welcome back to the living,† the angel said. The man blinked, then held his hand before his eyes as if he expected to see through it. â€Å"I'm alive,† he said in a language he had never heard before. â€Å"Yes,† the angel said. â€Å"What are these sounds, these words?† â€Å"You have been given the gift of tongues.† â€Å"I've always had the gift of tongues, ask any girl I've known. What are these words?† â€Å"Languages. You've been given the gift of languages, as were all the apostles.† â€Å"Then the kingdom has come.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Two thousand years ago.† â€Å"You worthless bag of dog shit,† said Levi who was called Biff, as he punched the angel in the mouth. â€Å"You're late.† The angel picked himself up and gingerly touched his lip. â€Å"Nice talk to a messenger of the Lord.† â€Å"It's a gift,† Biff said. Part I The Boy God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh. VOLTAIRE Chapter 1 You think you know how this story is going to end, but you don't. Trust me, I was there. I know. The first time I saw the man who would save the world he was sitting near the central well in Nazareth with a lizard hanging out of his mouth. Just the tail end and the hind legs were visible on the outside; the head and forelegs were halfway down the hatch. He was six, like me, and his beard had not come in fully, so he didn't look much like the pictures you've seen of him. His eyes were like dark honey, and they smiled at me out of a mop of blue-black curls that framed his face. There was a light older than Moses in those eyes. â€Å"Unclean! Unclean!† I screamed, pointing at the boy, so my mother would see that I knew the Law, but she ignored me, as did all the other mothers who were filling their jars at the well. The boy took the lizard from his mouth and handed it to his younger brother, who sat beside him in the sand. The younger boy played with the lizard for a while, teasing it until it reared its little head as if to bite, then he picked up a rock and mashed the creature's head. Bewildered, he pushed the dead lizard around in the sand, and once assured that it wasn't going anywhere on its own, he picked it up and handed it back to his older brother. Into his mouth went the lizard, and before I could accuse, out it came again, squirming and alive and ready to bite once again. He handed it back to his younger brother, who smote it mightily with the rock, starting or ending the whole process again. I watched the lizard die three more times before I said, â€Å"I want to do that too.† The Savior removed the lizard from his mouth and said, â€Å"Which part?† By the way, his name was Joshua. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Yeshua, which is Joshua. Christ is not a last name. It's the Greek for messiah, a Hebrew word meaning anointed. I have no idea what the â€Å"H† in Jesus H. Christ stood for. It's one of the things I should have asked him. Me? I am Levi who is called Biff. No middle initial. Joshua was my best friend. The angel says I'm supposed to just sit down and write my story, forget about what I've seen in this world, but how am I to do that? In the last three days I have seen more people, more images, more wonders, than in all my thirty-three years of living, and the angel asks me to ignore them. Yes, I have been given the gift of tongues, so I see nothing without knowing the word for it, but what good does that do? Did it help in Jerusalem to know that it was a Mercedes that terrified me and sent me diving into a Dumpster? Moreover, after Raziel pulled me out and ripped my fingernails back as I struggled to stay hidden, did it help to know that it was a Boeing 747 that made me cower in a ball trying to rock away my own tears and shut out the noise and fire? Am I a little child, afraid of its own shadow, or did I spend twenty-seven years at the side of the Son of God? On the hill where he pulled me from the dust, the angel said, â€Å"You will see many strange things. Do not be afraid. You have a holy mission and I will protect you.† Smug bastard. Had I known what he would do to me I would have hit him again. Even now he lies on the bed across the room, watching pictures move on a screen, eating the sticky sweet called Snickers, while I scratch out my tale on this soft-as-silk paper that reads Hyatt Regency, St. Louis at the top. Words, words, words, a million million words circle in my head like hawks, waiting to dive onto the page to rend and tear the only two words I want to write. Why me? There were fifteen of us – well, fourteen after I hung Judas – so why me? Joshua always told me not to be afraid, for he would always be with me. Where are you, my friend? Why have you forsaken me? You wouldn't be afraid here. The towers and machines and the shine and stink of this world would not daunt you. Come now, I'll order a pizza from room service. You would like pizza. The servant who brings it is named Jesus. And he's not even a Jew. You always liked irony. Come, Joshua, the angel says you are yet with us, you can hold him down while I pound him, then we will rejoice in pizza. Raziel has been looking at my writing and is insisting that I stop whining and get on with the story. Easy for him to say, he didn't just spend the last two thousand years buried in the dirt. Nevertheless, he won't let me order pizza until I finish a section, so here goes†¦ I was born in Galilee, the town of Nazareth, in the time of Herod the Great. My father, Alphaeus, was a stonemason and my mother, Naomi, was plagued by demons, or at least that's what I told everyone. Joshua seemed to think she was just difficult. My proper name, Levi, comes from the brother of Moses, the progenitor of the tribe of priests; my nickname, Biff, comes from our slang word for a smack upside the head, something that my mother said I required at least daily from an early age. I grew up under Roman rule, although I didn't see many Romans until I was ten. The Romans mostly stayed in the fortress city of Sepphoris, an hour's walk north of Nazareth. That's where Joshua and I saw a Roman soldier murdered, but I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, assume that the soldier is safe and sound and happy wearing a broom on his head. Most of the people of Nazareth were farmers, growing grapes and olives on the rocky hills outside of town and barley and wheat in the valleys below. There were also herders of goats and sheep whose families lived in town while the men and older boys tended the flocks in the highlands. Our houses were all made of stone, and ours had a stone floor, although many had floors of hard-packed dirt. I was the oldest of three sons, so even at the age of six I was being prepared to learn my father's trade. My mother taught my spoken lessons, the Law and stories from the Torah in Hebrew, and my father took me to the synagogue to hear the elders read the Bible. Aramaic was my first language, but by the time I was ten I could speak and read Hebrew as well as most of the men. My ability to learn Hebrew and the Torah was spurred on by my friendship with Joshua, for while the other boys would be playing a round of tease the sheep or kick the Canaanite, Joshua and I played at being rabbis, and he insisted that we stick to the authentic Hebrew for our ceremonies. It was more fun than it sounds, or at least it was until my mother caught us trying to circumcise my little brother Shem with a sharp rock. What a fit she threw. And my argument that Shem needed to renew his covenant with the Lord didn't seem to convince her. She beat me to stripes with an olive switch and forbade me to play with Joshua for a month. Did I mention she was besought with demons? Overall, I think it was good for little Shem. He was the only kid I ever knew who could pee around corners. You can make a pretty good living as a beggar with that kind of talent. And he never even thanked me. Brothers. Children see magic because they look for it. When I first met Joshua, I didn't know he was the Savior, and neither did he, for that matter. What I knew was that he wasn't afraid. Amid a race of conquered warriors, a people who tried to find pride while cowering before God and Rome, he shone like a bloom in the desert. But maybe only I saw it, because I was looking for it. To everyone else he seemed like just another child: the same needs and the same chance to die before he was grown. When I told my mother of Joshua's trick with the lizard she checked me for fever and sent me to my sleeping mat with only a bowl of broth for supper. â€Å"I've heard stories about that boy's mother,† she said to my father. â€Å"She claims to have spoken to an angel of the Lord. She told Esther that she had borne the Son of God.† â€Å"And what did you say to Esther?† â€Å"That she should be careful that the Pharisees not hear her ravings or we'd be picking stones for her punishment.† â€Å"Then you should not speak of it again. I know her husband, he is a righteous man.† â€Å"Cursed with an insane girl for a wife.† â€Å"Poor thing,† my father said, tearing away a hunk of bread. His hands were as hard as horn, as square as hammers, and as gray as a leper's from the limestone he worked with. An embrace from him left scratches on my back that sometimes wept blood, yet my brothers and I fought to be the first in his arms when he returned from work each evening. The same injuries inflicted in anger would have sent us crying to our mother's skirts. I fell asleep each night feeling his hand on my back like a shield. Fathers. Do you want to mash some lizards?† I asked Joshua when I saw him again. He was drawing in the dirt with a stick, ignoring me. I put my foot on his drawing. â€Å"Did you know that your mother is mad?† â€Å"My father does that to her,† he said sadly, without looking up. I sat down next to him. â€Å"Sometimes my mother makes yipping noises in the night like the wild dogs.† â€Å"Is she mad?† Joshua asked. â€Å"She seems fine in the morning. She sings while she makes breakfast.† Joshua nodded, satisfied, I guess, that madness could pass. â€Å"We used to live in Egypt,† he said. â€Å"No, you didn't, that's too far. Farther than the temple, even.† The Temple in Jerusalem was the farthest place I had been as a child. Every spring my family took the five-day walk to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. It seemed to take forever. â€Å"We lived here, then we lived in Egypt, now we live here again,† Joshua said. â€Å"It was a long way.† â€Å"You lie, it takes forty years to get to Egypt.† â€Å"Not anymore, it's closer now.† â€Å"It says in the Torah. My abba read it to me. ‘The Israelites traveled in the desert for forty years.'† â€Å"The Israelites were lost.† â€Å"For forty years?† I laughed. â€Å"The Israelites must be stupid.† â€Å"We are the Israelites.† â€Å"We are?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I have to go find my mother,† I said. â€Å"When you come back, let's play Moses and Pharaoh.† The angel has confided in me that he is going to ask the Lord if he can become Spider-Man. He watches the television constantly, even when I sleep, and he has become obsessed with the story of the hero who fights demons from the rooftops. The angel says that evil looms larger now than it did in my time, and that calls for greater heroes. The children need heroes, he says. I think he just wants to swing from buildings in tight red jammies. What hero could touch these children anyway, with their machines and medicine and distances made invisible? (Raziel: not here a week and he would trade the Sword of God to be a web slinger.) In my time, our heroes were few, but they were real – some of us could even trace our kinship to them. Joshua always played the heroes – David, Joshua, Moses – while I played the evil ones: Pharaoh, Ahab, and Nebuchadnezzar. If I had a shekel for every time I was slain as a Philistine, well, I'd not be riding a camel through the eye of a needle anytime soon, I'll tell you that. As I think back, I see that Joshua was practicing for what he would become. â€Å"Let my people go,† said Joshua, as Moses. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You can't just say, ‘Okay.'† â€Å"I can't?† â€Å"No, the Lord has hardened your heart against my demands.† â€Å"Why'd he do that?† â€Å"I don't know, he just did. Now, let my people go.† â€Å"Nope.† I crossed my arms and turned away like someone whose heart is hardened. â€Å"Behold as I turn this stick into a snake. Now, let my people go!† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You can't just say ‘okay'!† â€Å"Why? That was a pretty good trick with the stick.† â€Å"But that's not how it goes.† â€Å"Okay. No way, Moses, your people have to stay.† Joshua waved his staff in my face. â€Å"Behold, I will plague you with frogs. They will fill your house and your bedchamber and get on your stuff.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So that's bad. Let my people go, Pharaoh.† â€Å"I sorta like frogs.† â€Å"Dead frogs,† Moses threatened. â€Å"Piles of steaming, stinking dead frogs.† â€Å"Oh, in that case, you'd better take your people and go. I have some sphinxes and stuff to build anyway.† â€Å"Dammit, Biff, that's not how it goes! I have more plagues for you.† â€Å"I want to be Moses.† â€Å"You can't.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I have the stick.† â€Å"Oh.† And so it went. I'm not sure I took to playing the villains as easily as Joshua took to being the heroes. Sometimes we recruited our little brothers to play the more loathsome parts. Joshua's little brothers Judah and James played whole populations, like the Sodomites outside of Lot's door. â€Å"Send out those two angels so that we can know them.† â€Å"I won't do that,† I said, playing Lot (a good guy only because Joshua wanted to play the angels), â€Å"but I have two daughters who don't know anyone, you can meet them.† â€Å"Okay,† said Judah. I threw open the door and led my imaginary daughters outside so they could know the Sodomites†¦ â€Å"Pleased to meet you.† â€Å"Charmed, I'm sure.† â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"THAT'S NOT HOW IT GOES!† Joshua shouted. â€Å"You're supposed to try to break the door down, then I will smite you blind.† â€Å"Then you destroy our city?† James said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"We'd rather meet Lot's daughters.† â€Å"Let my people go,† said Judah, who was only four and often got his stories confused. He particularly liked the Exodus because he and James got to throw jars of water on me as I led my soldiers across the Red Sea after Moses. â€Å"That's it,† Joshua said. â€Å"Judah, you're Lot's wife. Go stand over there.† Sometimes Judah had to play Lot's wife no matter what story we were doing. â€Å"I don't want to be Lot's wife.† â€Å"Be quiet, pillars of salt can't talk.† â€Å"I don't want to be a girl.† Our brothers always played the female parts. I had no sisters to torment, and Joshua's only sister at the time, Elizabeth, was still a baby. That was before we met the Magdalene. The Magdalene changed everything. After I overheard my parents talking about Joshua's mother's madness, I often watched her, looking for signs, but she seemed to go about her duties like all the other mothers, tending to the little ones, working in the garden, fetching water, and preparing food. There was no sign of going about on all fours or foaming at the mouth as I had expected. She was younger than many of the mothers, and much younger than her husband, Joseph, who was an old man by the standards of our time. Joshua said that Joseph wasn't his real father, but he wouldn't say who his father was. When the subject came up, and Mary was in earshot, she would call to Josh, then put her finger to her lips to signal silence. â€Å"Now is not the time, Joshua. Biff would not understand.† Just hearing her say my name made my heart leap. Early on I developed a little-boy love for Joshua's mother that sent me into fantasies of marriage and family and future. â€Å"Your father is old, huh, Josh?† â€Å"Not too old.† â€Å"When he dies, will your mother marry his brother?† â€Å"My father has no brothers. Why?† â€Å"No reason. What would you think if your father was shorter than you?† â€Å"He isn't.† â€Å"But when your father dies, your mother could marry someone shorter than you, and he would be your father. You would have to do what he says.† â€Å"My father will never die. He is eternal.† â€Å"So you say. But I think that when I'm a man, and your father dies, I will take your mother as my wife.† Joshua made a face now as if he had bitten into an unripe fig. â€Å"Don't say that, Biff.† â€Å"I don't mind that she's mad. I like her blue cloak. And her smile. I'll be a good father, I'll teach you how to be a stonemason, and I'll only beat you when you are a snot.† â€Å"I would rather play with lepers than listen to this.† Joshua began to walk away. â€Å"Wait. Be nice to your father, Joshua bar Biff† – my own father used my full name like this when he was trying to make a point – â€Å"Is it not the word of Moses that you must honor me?† Little Joshua spun on his heel. â€Å"My name is not Joshua bar Biff, and it is not Joshua bar Joseph either. It's Joshua bar Jehovah!† I looked around, hoping that no one had heard him. I didn't want my only son (I planned to sell Judah and James into slavery) to be stoned to death for uttering the name of God in vain. â€Å"Don't say that again, Josh. I won't marry your mother.† â€Å"No, you won't.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"I forgive you.† â€Å"She will make an excellent concubine.† Don't let anyone tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone. In those early days, before he had become who he would be, Joshua smote me in the nose more than once. That was the first time. Mary would stay my one true love until I saw the Magdalene. If the people of Nazareth thought Joshua's mother was mad, there was little said of it out of respect for her husband, Joseph. He was wise in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, and there were few wives in Nazareth who didn't serve supper in one of his smooth olive-wood bowls. He was fair, strong, and wise. People said that he had once been an Essene, one of the dour, ascetic Jews who kept to themselves and never married or cut their hair, but he did not congregate with them, and unlike them, he still had the ability to smile. In those early years, I saw him very little, as he was always in Sepphoris, building structures for the Romans and the Greeks and the landed Jews of that city, but every year, as the Feast of Firsts approached, Joseph would stop his work in the fortress city and stay home carving bowls and spoons to give to the Temple. During the Feast of Firsts, it was the tradition to give first lambs, first grain, and first fruits to the priests of the Temple. Even first sons born during the year were dedicated to the Temple, either by promising them for labor when they were older, or by a gift of money. Craftsmen like my father and Joseph could give things that they made, and in some years my father fashioned mortars and pestles or grinding stones for the tribute, while in others he gave tithes of coin. Some people made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for this feast, but since it fell only seven weeks after Passover, many families could not afford to make the pilgrimage, and the gifts went to our sim ple village synagogue. During the weeks leading up to the feast, Joseph sat outside of his house in the shade of an awning he had made, worrying the gnarled olive wood with adze and chisel, while Joshua and I played at his feet. He wore the single-piece tunic that we all wore, a rectangle of fabric with neck hole in the middle, belted with a sash so that the sleeves fell to the elbows and the hem fell to the knees. â€Å"Perhaps this year I should give the Temple my first son, eh, Joshua? Wouldn't you like to clean the altar after the sacrifices?† He grinned to himself without looking up from his work. â€Å"I owe them a first son, you know. We were in Egypt at the Firsts Feast when you were born.† The idea of coming in contact with blood clearly terrified Joshua, as it would any Jewish boy. â€Å"Give them James, Abba, he is your first son.† Joseph shot a glance my way, to see if I had reacted. I had, but it was because I was considering my own status as a first son, hoping that my father wasn't thinking along the same lines. â€Å"James is a second son. The priests don't want second sons. It will have to be you.† Joshua looked at me before he answered, then back at his father. Then he smiled. â€Å"But Abba, if you should die, who will take care of Mother if I am at the Temple?† â€Å"Someone will look after her,† I said. â€Å"I'm sure of it.† â€Å"I will not die for a long time.† Joseph tugged at his gray beard. â€Å"My beard goes white, but there's a lot of life in me yet.† â€Å"Don't be so sure, Abba,† Joshua said. Joseph dropped the bowl he was working on and stared into his hands. â€Å"Run along and play, you two,† he said, his voice little more than a whisper. Joshua stood and walked away. I wanted to throw my arms around the old man, for I had never seen a grown man afraid before and it frightened me too. â€Å"Can I help?† I said, pointing to the half-finished bowl that lay in Joseph's lap. â€Å"You go with Joshua. He needs a friend to teach him to be human. Then I can teach him to be a man.†

Theodore Roosevelt An American Author, Soldier, Explorer...

Bottari 1 Nick Bottari Professor Galgano American Lives November 23rd 2015 Theodore Roosevelt Essay Prompt #11 Theodore Roosevelt often known as Teddy or TR was an American author, soldier, explorer and reformer. He was the 26th President of the United States. He was the president from 1901 to 1909. TR was born on October 27th, 1858 in Manhattan, New York. He was one of four children. Roosevelt struggled as a young kid being that he had poor health and debilitating asthma. He repeatedly experienced sudden nighttime asthma attacks that caused the experience of being smothered to death. Although he had these struggles, he never let that stop him from being a kid, very energetic and mischievous. Roosevelt s father significantly influenced him. His father had been a prominent leader in New York s cultural affairs; he helped to found the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and had been especially active in mobilizing support for the Union war effort. Roosevelt wrote: My father, Theodore Roosevelt, was the best man I ever knew. He combined strength and courage with gentleness, tenderness, and great unselfishness. He would not tolerate in us children selfishness or cruelty, idleness, cowardice, or untruthfulness. On September 6th, President McKinley was shot by an anarchist acting alone while visiting Buffalo, New York. Initial reports suggested that his condition was improving, so Bottari 2 Roosevelt, after visiting the ailing president, embarked for the west.Show MoreRelatedRoosevelt Corollary Of The Doctrine1245 Words   |  5 PagesRoosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as â€Å"Teedie† (Watts 1) was an American statesman, explorer, naturalist, author, soldier, and a reformer who served as the twenty-sixth President of the United states from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt was born October twenty-seventh, 1858 in Manhattan, New York City and died January sixth 1919 Cove Neck, NY. (Watts 1) He was the second of four children, his father, Theodore Sr. was a businessman and philanthropist. His motherRead MoreRoosevelt Corollary Of The Doctrine1495 Words   |  6 PagesRoosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as Teddy was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. Born October twenty-seventh, 1858, Manhattan, New York City and died January 6, 1919 Cove Neck, NY. The second of four children, His father, Theodore, Sr., was a well-to-do businessman and philanthropist. His mother, Martha Mittie Roosevelt, was a SouthernerRead MoreEssay on Theodore Roosevelt1858 Words   |  8 PagesTheodore Roosevelt was an inspiring man; he was not just one of United States greatest presidents, but one of the most important in the U.S. history. His life was the most adventurous and interesting of all the presidents. He was an explorer, a hunter, a rancher, a naturalist, an author, and a soldier. He was the first president-reformer in the modern era. All the courage he had, helped him gain or capture the public’s imagination like no president had done before since Andrew Jackson. He was a progressive