Impact Of Korean War On China History Essay

Impact Of Korean War On China History Essay The Cold War was a struggle process between the two major world powers: the United States backed by Western nations and the Soviet Union and the socialist bloc, including China, Vietnam and Eastern European countries. Since then the struggle remained principally between the United States and the Soviet Union. China, despite being a communist, was kept in a forward position to the Soviet Union, there was no formal process of integration between them for their involvement in the Cold War, which had its episodes could say hot, the first was the Korean War, which confronted the two Koreas, North Korea and South Korea in 1952 when North Korea violates the limits existing border between the two countries, thus sparking the conflict, which the United States were active, then second episode as war is the Vietnam War and most other wars that ended up in, but that did not deal directly with the major powers, although the United States openly participated in almost all of them, always under the cover of which was representing United Nations (Kim, 1973). During the cold war era, an important sector of the nationalist movements was influenced by communism. The order criticized the colony, the exaltation of popular struggle and resistance to the colonial powers were opposed by nationalists elements used by the Soviet Union to undermine U.S. global power bloc. Since 1945, and especially after the triumph of the revolution in China, the communist guerrillas became a constant in the life of Southeast Asia (Choon-ho, 1993). The Chinese Civil War (1945-49) was the first conflict between the two dominating superpowers in East Asia. Although this contest, in which the Americans turned uselessly in support of the Kuomintang, should not be considered, in property, horn a typical episode of the Cold War, was the first defeat of the U.S. strategy in the war. It was a fact of incalculable consequences for the peoples of Asia and opened a new era in U.S. foreign policy. In the eyes of the world, the Soviet Union emerged as the big winner of the war. Although Stalin speaks to maintain his alliance with Chiang Kachek until the last moment and had refused any help to his fellows, who made a public profession of adherence to the Soviet leadership and stood openly in the socialist camp. The traditional balance of power has since experienced a transformation in the Far East. Convinced that the Russians would try to enlarge the gap in China to the Western bloc, Americans began to acquire military commitments in the Far East just started the Korean War and when the decolonizing process had not yet been closed (Goulden, 1983). In April 1951 the Philippines signed an agreement of mutual defense revalued important that Washington kept bases in the archipelago. In September of that same year was concluded in San Fran-cisco (California) a tripartite pact between Australia, New Zealand and United States (ANZUS), which included in its scope to almost all the South Pacific. Thesis Statement The history tells us that there are two events in the cold war era, the Korean war and Cuban Missile Crisis, when both the super powers, United States and USSR, were directly confronted each other and brought the world at the brink of a nuclear war. This paper tries to shed light on the issue that China has essentially in a defensive position before the start of the war, posture changes radically when the Chinese government decides to show its military force in Korea. The Korean War The output of the Communist bloc Yugoslavia (1948) was soon counterbalanced by the rise of Mao Tse-tung to the headquarters of China (1949). The Japanese withdrawal of Chinese territory after World War II led to a civil war (1945-1949), which pitted the Liberal Party Chinese Tang Kuo-Ming Chiang Kai-Check, with Maos communist. After the failed attempts of a coalition government, saw the first armed confrontation. The support of the Soviet Union since 1947 was critical for Maoà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s success. Chiang Kai-Check, defeated established a new state on the island of Formosa (Taiwan): Nationalist China, before the Republic of China was proclaimed on October 1, 1949. In 1950 the Soviet Union and China signed a dual economic and political pact. In the first, Mao returned Port Arthur Manchuria Railway to the Soviets and in return received financial and technical help, especially military. In the second they agreed with the nationalist movements in Korea and Indochina. The 38th parallel divided the Korean peninsula into two zones occupied by the Soviet Union on North and South America, after evicting the Japanese in 1945. The Soviets refused free elections, based on the unification of Korea. The occupant troops withdrew from both areas (Chen, 1994). The irreconcilability of these two schemes, led the Northern armys invasion the South in June 1950. Immediately, the Security Council of the UN condemned the attack and suggested sending a multinational force that would act under the banner of this organization. The North Korean invasion seemed unstoppable and Truman ordered U.S. forces displacing from Japan. Along with an army of fourteen countries landed near Seoul on September 15. The North Koreans forces began to retreat to the Chinese border. Mao seized the moment to intervene, claiming the defense and survival of their state, not recognized by the UN (1996). The Chinese had already come to the rescue of the remains of a North Korean Army which was put into crumbs, but observing their massive concentrations in Manchuria had been rendered impossible by their camouflage and dark nights, mainly because the unwillingness of politicians to allow UN reconnaissance flights over the Chinese territory. The UN forces which were pressing Manchurian border and Soviet turn incur the same risk of surprise attack that the North Koreans had known the side of PUSAN due to supply lines distended. But Mac Arthur made a report to Washington that he thought that the Chinese would not dare to risk a world war by intervening force in Korea. On the night of November 25 to 26, 1950, they convinced him that he was quite wrong in violently attacking the positions of the United Nations forces in the western mountains and those of X Corps in the east, with myriads of combatants. These soldiers armed with light equipment, sneaking through the deep forests, overflowed and easily overwhelmed positions of UN forces. In a flash, the program MacArthur issued was reversed. It was all the UN system he had to save now. He was forbidden to unleash an air strike on the bases of Chinese he called the Manchurian sanctuary, Truman did not want to take the risk of extending the conflict, even though China had already spread to his place. .. MacArthur ordered a retreat. More than 100,000 veterans of the United Nations from the East Coast to the South ebbed towards the ports of Wonsan and Hungnam with horrific loss of life and property. Their rescue by the U.S. Navy was among the most important and best executed of evacuation by sea of à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹massive military history (Malkasian, 2001). The popular Chinese military intervention pushed back the international forces, to the point that MacArthur proposed to Truman the atomic bombing of Manchurian strategic enclaves. MacArthur was dismissed. The Korean conflict had to be kept within the framework of a localized war (Lee, 1986). Peace negotiations began in 1951 but an armistice was not signed until 1953. The war left an overall balance of a million dead. The 38th parallel was again became the dividing line of two states today maintain a latent conflict. After the armistice in Korea, the efforts for the establishment of a regional defense system accelerated, encouraged also by the French disaster in Indochina (Reese, 1998). In October 1953, the South Korean government was linked to their protectors by a bilateral pact. A year later, in December 1954, was signed the Treaty of Manila, which was created by the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which joined the United States, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. Consequences of Korean War on China The in-depth analysis of Korean War revealed that the Chinese have actually warned Kim Il-sung against an American landing at Inchon because China did not want to be indulged in that war (Becker, 2005); but Kim II administration did not take into account the warning. It has been usually claimed that China used bacteriological weapons in Korea because United States has threatened to use atomic bomb but it was not true. However, the research depicted that it was primarily a propaganda tool. The Chinese had never really taken seriously the U.S. threat to use nuclear weapons. It is above all the fear of American amphibious operation in the Chinese territory which led Beijing to make concessions in Panmunjom talks (Zhang, 1995). In the context of rising of the Cold War, the United States was the main threat to the security of the two communist states. Also, the Sino-Soviet treaty of February 1950 intends to put in place a politico-military system implicitly turned against the United States. However, such an approach is less determined by the common fear of encirclement by American suspicions about Stalins policy led by Mao balance between the USSR and the United States. Anxious to preserve certain independence, the Chinese leadership was trying indeed to establish relations with the West. On December 31st 1950, Washington decided to unleash Chiang Kai-shek and to change its policy toward Communist China. The prospect of a Sino-American rapprochement heralding the rise of a pro-American China has anything to scare Stalin so he decided to proceed with the integration of China into the socialist bloc, agreeing to revise the old Sino- Soviet treaty of 1945. However, the signing of this defensive treaty proved that Chinas inclusion in communist bloc, was only one aspect of Soviet policy toward the Peoples Republic at the time (Stalin also considered as a mere formality) . To obtain total allegiance to Beijing by breaking all ties with the United States, the Soviet power exploited other cards also, i.e. the crisis created from scratch in Korea, while the treaty with China was still under negotiation. Since 1947, Kim Il Sung, driven by the desire to unify Korea and was keen to convince Moscow to maintain an action against South Koreas Syngman Rhee. However, this project had so far not received the backing of the Soviet leadership, fearing widespread conflict with the United States. In December 1949, the North Korean leader secretly visited Moscow for the unification of Korea. At the same time, Mao was also negotiating to the Soviet leadership. In light of new strategic considerations, resulting from the formalization of alliance with China, Soviet Union was eyeing a significant opportunity to expand the safe zones to the east coast. Indeed, the division of areas accepted in July 1948 provided China with the responsibility of promoting revolution in Asia. Therefore, when the Korean War was launched on 25 June and a few days later, the United States decided to intervene and threatened to reach the Chinese border, Beijing had no choice but to send its troops on October 15, 1950. Soviets Union had withdrawn from the beginning of the crisis. The Chinese intervention transformed the war into a Sino-American crisis and sealed irreversibly the dispute between Beijing and Washington. Of the war of resistance, China was isolated from the Western world: it then had no cho ice but to approach more closely to Moscow for its development. The alliance was established in February 1950 between the Soviet Union and Communist China which connected two protagonists who were not at the same level of development. Upon his arrival in Moscow, Mao had a delicate mission to household Soviet assistance while maintaining independence for China. Anxious to put an end to relationships governed by far the unequal treaties that China had signed with Imperial abroad, the goal of Mao over the long term was to initiate, through the signing of a alliance with the Soviet Union on new foundation the revision of treaties with the West. Aware of its own financial, material and technical resources, to deal with the post-war needs of Stalin for its part intends to exploit the issue of assistance to, on the one hand, to benefit from the Chinese resources and secondly, to limit the Chinese desire for independence and thus ensured the total allegiance of its leaders. In this sense, the Sino-Soviet treaty and more signed agreements and secret protocols in March and April 1950 were tilting largely in favor of the USSR and Soviet demonstrated their desire to pursue a policy of expansion in China and the inability of Chinese leaders to address it. The Korean War has only systematized these practices. Indeed, the outbreak of war in Korea has increased isolation and thus the vulnerability of China systematizing Western sanctions against it. These immediate consequences of the war had compelled China for the total dependence of China to the Communist bloc for its war effort. Far from providing assistance sought for the war effort of the Chinese volunteers in Korea, Stalin forced Chinese leaders to participate in the reconstruction of the Soviet Union by providing rubber. Aware of the power of the element in their economic relationship with China, the Soviet leaders worked to maintain the stalled Korean crisis.

Examining How Police Respond To Rape Allegations Criminology Essay

Examining How Police Respond To Rape Allegations Criminology Essay This briefing paper contains detailed information relating to police response to rape, it assesses whether things have improved in order to prevent rape or to help rape victims. Rape victims have different beliefs about the police response to rape cases based on what they believe to be discrimination. The main reason behind concealing rape incidents and not reporting to police service is the uncontrollable distrust of police as believed by the people based on the consumption that police officers are not able to provide support and protection. Another vital reason is the unsympathetic and harsh investigations which are currently carried out by police officers, which carry out a heavy trauma to rape victims, as they get questioned in a way that gives them the feeling of being the rapist not the victim. However these are not the only reasons why rape victims tend to conceal rape incidents to police. What is rape Rape in English law, was defined as; a penis entering a vagina, an anus or a mouth. Derived from Sexual Offences Act 2003 (c.42, S1) (see appendix5). Rape includes various types, under different circumstances such as; Date rape, Marital rape, Gang rape, Acquaintance rape, Spousal rape, Ancestral rape, Statutory rape, Institution rape, Communal rape, Male rape, Stranger rape and Revenge rape. Background There are numerous beliefs and wrong attitudes related to rape, which have been accompanied with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as women ask for it, is an example from a past perception which had various negative effects on the victims. Present myths and attitudes developed from the English Common Law system which had its roots from the Bible. In early recorded history, rape was a way which a wife could be obtained. Bride Capture, as it was termed, occurred when a man raped a woman and then was able to take her to be his wife. Rape was always defined in relation to marriage, and marriage was considered as an exchange of property, however, this is not the case nowadays, where a wife is not considered to be an object to obtain anymore. In 1975, Susan Brownmillers Against Our Will, illustrated extensive awareness to the matter of rape by examining the historical and cultural perspective in which women rape existed. The ten years following publication of this book witnessed large increases in public awareness of sexual violence as well as in the parliament, as new laws were introduced in order to prevent rapes, and the introduction of the marital rape. In 1980 the child sexual abuse was recognised, therefore, improvements to police response was vital, in order to prevent child sexual abuse, using the medias help in creating awareness. Analysis (both positive and negative aspects) There are various approaches to methods used by police in reaction and response to rape. Negative approach to rape is very common within the contemporary society, as media plays an extremely vital role in order to convey up the idea of negative aspects on the Police Service. A negative police response can compound the trauma suffered by a rape victim, making it less likely that she will decide to proceed with legal action and a strong possibility that her experience will deter others from even making the initial police contact in similar circumstances. If for no other reason, it is in the overall interests of law enforcement for the police to act in ways that are consistent with promoting the victims emotional well-being. (Jordan, 2001b, p75). According to Home Office 2008-2009 (see the graph in Appendix1) only 25% of recorded crimes of sexual violence have been brought to Justice, this illustrates that 75% of recorded rape cases are disregarded by Police Service, which confirms the negative aspects illustrated by the media. However in 2007-2008 only 22% of recorded crimes of sexual violence have been brought to justice, this exemplifies that there has been some improvements (3% Change) in the service within a year. Attrition; is the development process by which rape cases are withdrawn from legal process, therefore, they do not result in a criminal conviction. Some would argue that the first point of attrition is the failure to report the crime to the police service; this can be due to the lack of trust in the police service or fear of the offender. The graph (see Appendix2) revealed by BBC in 2010, based on Sterns review on rape convictions and attritions shows that 74% of the suspects were not brought to justice because of different reasons, such as not enough evidence, no further action is required, withdraw of victim complaint due to fear of the offender, lack of trust in the service or cultural backgrounds. Judges had also criticized police response in the rape case of a teenager who had been kidnapped, raped and forced to practice prostitution, as they had failed to provide assistance to the teenager when required, due to the lack of efficiency of the police when related to rape crime. (McCormack, H., 2005.). John Worboys case is another case where police was criticized by both members of the public and the media for unenthusiastic response to rape which had many impacts on the victim. In 2009, John Worboys was sentenced to go to prison for an indefinite period, for raping and attacking females in his black cab. In IPPC Report 2008 commissioners stated that lives were ruined in view of the fact that police officers failed to take the incident seriously and grimly, however all the police officers who were involved with this case were disciplined. Therefore to some extent, improvements were made in the form of disciplinary actions, to officers who dont take similar incidents if happened in the future seriously. (BBC., Casciani, D., 2010) In 1980s one in every three complaints of rape ended in a conviction. Today, it is one in twenty this illustrates that instead of improving the response to rape through convicting rapists, rapists are getting away with the offence they have committed (BBC., Geoghegan, T.,2007). Therefore the victims of rape are requesting protection and justice for the trauma they suffered. In result to these negative aspects of the police response to rape, parliament introduced Sexual Offences Investigation Trained Officers (SOIT, also known as Specially Trained Officers) who are fully trained and qualified officers who interview the rape victims in order to reduce the trauma and stress as well as collecting the required evidence without creating big impacts on the victims, as these officers have been trained in psychological effects of the crime. (McVeigh, K., 2010.) However the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) should expand a code of conduct for SOIT officers as there is no current code of conduct to control the actions of the SOITs. The police officers are trying to meet the requirements of male rape victims, however, by not having a database of the SOIT; officers reduce the effectiveness of response to the victims. In the case of a male rape victim, it may require the assistance of a male SOIT, to get the facts of the victim. Currently, it is very difficult to acc ess this data, to be able to request a specific officer in order to provide assistance, which is leading to miscommunication issues. Another development which has occurred in the MPS, is that Sexual Offence Examiners (SOE) were introduced in order to improve the quality of service provided and progress the response to victims of rape, as SOEs are exclusively educated in sexual offence examination. However there is no database of SOE relating to their availability, ethnicity, gender and level of skill which can also cause miscommunication with the victims, by dealing with them without consideration of certain requirements. Thus even though improvements are taken place within the service they are not fully developed to provide good response to the victims of rape. (Metropolitan Police Authority, 2002) Another positive step is made by the Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) as it provides guidance for the first response officers on the procedure followed when dealing with a rape report case; which contains clear and beneficial information to the first response officer on the actions to be taken following an initial deployment and scene attendance. Furthermore, in 2009 National Police Improvement Agency, provided briefing notes for the first responder to a rape case, however on the other hand, first response officers are unaware of how to approach victims and take an initial account from them, so this is considered to be a constraining effect. (NPIA., 2009) The interview of the rape victims is key to the investigation in order to provide efficient response to rape victims. A successful investigation is required by police officer and failure to deal with evidential weaknesses can only serve to challenge the victims account and thereby decrease the probability of successful prosecution. The rape reports should be investigated by chief officers in order to obtain reasonable evidence as chief officers are experienced in dealing and responding to any sort of crime including rape. Additionally Police officers are not victim trained in other words officers are unaware of how to response to all types of crimes which causes by response to any sort of crime reporters (victims). However MPS is bringing up measures to tackle rape to take place for instance introducing campaigns such as Police Rape Awareness Campaign which states that drinking is not illegal however rape is illegal (see Appendix4) therefore this is a vital improvement which is curre ntly taking place. Gang rape is a rising problem in United Kingdom, trepidation of the gangs ground the victims to not to conceal rape incidents to the Police service thus this illustrates that Police service is unable to provide protection and justice to rape victims as gang is an criminal thus this shows that Police service do not have good reputation for protection and justice as the issue of gangs are still not solved however minor information was considered by the MPS relating to this problem and to some extend measures are taken place to tackle this crime to provide better response to gang rape victims. (Longstaff, L., 2009) Within the contemporary society police officers are particularly at risk of being misinformed by stereotypes thus this makes them to be suspicious about any complaints they receive from the rape victims especially on victims who are unemotional or look calm. Thus the suspicion reduces the quality of the response provided to the rape victims as the investigation will be conducted in a way to test the explanation of the victim in an insensible and abusive way however this has extremely bad impact as it obstructs the best evidence to be taken from the victim for successful prosecution. The police officers also have the judgement and discretion to record primary information report under the category they think suitable. (Davies, M., 1997, p190-200) In United Kingdom police officers receive very little amount of training in law and practice to do with rape or sexual abuse. For instance Special Constables (voluntary police officers) get basic training of 18 days which doesnt include any knowledge or information relating to sexual offences even though they have the same power as a regular police officer, so this shows that if a special constable needs to deal with an sexual offence they do not have any knowledge of how to respond to rape however within the police service beginner police officers have someone experienced to assist them throughout their probation period for two years therefore police can always request assistance to respond efficiently to rape cases. Â   Conclusions The response of police to rape incidents are improving however these improvement are not at high-quality level to assist rape victims to overcome the trauma and stress the have suffered thus more development and improvements are required to create better environment for all members of the public and especially for rape victims thus the police service must improve their reputation to gain trust of the members of the public by providing better response to all sort of crime and offer protection. Another positive enhancement which can have constructive impact on the rape victims is through introducing a data base program to police officers with the details of SOIT officers and SOEs to supply the needs of these victims. The MPS already have briefing notes and guidance of how to take action while investigating rape incidents on the other hand it is not detailed sufficiently to support officers while dealing with rape incidents effectively therefore improvement on these guidance and briefin g notes will increase the quality of the response by police officers. Nowadays Police officers get basic training on rape response however this basic training does not include victim training which means police officers do not know how to treat or response to rape victims but if this training is added into the basic training then it will be easier on the police officers and the rape victims will receive effective response. Finally the most significant improvement which can occur within the Police Service to tackle unenthusiastic response to rape victims will be through taking the rape cases more seriously and prevent suspicious and unsympathetic investigations by the police officers.

Various Factors Explaining Why Boys are Boys and Men are Men :: Mens Health Male Roles Society Essays

Various Factors Explaining Why Boys are Boys and Men are Men This paper is going to describe various key factors explaining why boys are boys, men are men, and how boys adapt in this male dominant society to become men. Growing up in Pensacola Florida in a single parent home wasn’t something I wished are hoped for, but something I had to adapt to. My mother, even though she couldn’t be the male role model I needed, help me understand what roles I’m expected to take as a young man. â€Å"Let the boys be boys,† was a phrase used by hip hop legends â€Å"onyx† portraying a message that boys are going to be boys no matter what. So I ask my self what makes a boy, a boy? Rambo like characteristics? Muscles? Short hair? Wearing T-shirts and jeans or playing with sporting equipment? Well last I remember; the main characteristics that boys shared were penises. The role gender association play in the lives of our children can sometimes affect them negatively. The messages that gender roles send, is that in order to be part of society, you must fit into the norm trying to accomplish what society expects of you; But all the while, trying to incorporate individuality and establishing ones sense of self. Two conflicting ideas that can confuse a child and also alter the way they live their lives. There are two colors that are designated to babies that serve one purpose and one purpose only. Most infant boys were the color blue and girls wear pink. Seeing that it is difficult to determine the sex of an infant without general exposure to the genitals, most parents choose to clothe they’re young child in the respective colors so people will know whether it is a boy or a girl. After all, what male infant wears pink? When the children grow older, do they still continue the practice the color identification game? This is where it changes, When boys reach the age where they start dressing themselves and start buying their own clothes, they will continue to wear the blues and the greens and even yellows and reds, but not pink or violet, cause those are â€Å"girly† colors. Girls on the other hand, when they reach the same age still continue to wear the pink and violets and can even wear the blues, yellows, blacks, and greens. So why can girls make the â€Å"cross-over† without being teased or mocked but boys cant without being called a gay or a fagot.

Journalism and the American Renaissance Essay -- Literature Essays Lit

Journalism and the American Renaissance      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The period in American Literature known as the American Renaissance was a time of great change in our country. It was an age of westward expansion and social conflict. Americans were divided on such volatile issues as slavery, reform and sectionalism that ultimately led to the Civil War. Emerging from this cauldron of change came the voice of a new nation - a nation with views and ideals all its own. The social, economic, technological and demographic revolution that was taking place at this time set the stage for a new era of writers. The voice of the nation found a home, first, on the pages of the newspaper. It was there that the hopes, fears and political views of Americans were represented. The newspaper united Americans by giving them a vehicle to voice their opinions and concerns. The result was a newfound spirit of solidarity that opened the door to the first great period of creative writing in America known as the American Renaissance.    The ranks of Americaà ¢s greatest imaginative writers overflow with men and women whose careers began in journalism (Fishkin 3). The birth of the penny press created hundreds of new newspapers along with jobs that authors like Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain were eager to fill. The affect that journalism, with its respect for fact, had on the early authors of America was profound (Fishkin 4, 6). It fostered a style of writing that put truth above rhetoric and first hand knowledge above hearsay. Writing for a newspaper required that the writer be immersed in the events taking place in the world around him and report what he saw, heard and felt. It brought the writer into the realm of the everyday raw experiences of ... ...press. It was as poets and novelists that the American Renaissance writers challenged society to consider unfamiliar concepts - to move beyond their limited scope and embrace the unknown.    Works Cited Bell, Michael D. The Problem of American Realism: Studies in the Cultural History of a Literary Idea. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Fishkin, Shelley F. From Fact to Fiction. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985. Lauter, Paul The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Matthiessen, F.O. American Renaissance. New York: Oxford University Press, 1941. Reynolds, David S. Beneath the American Renaissance. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988. Robertson, Michael. Stephen Crane, Journalism and the Making of Modern American Literature. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997.   

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-five

WE COULD ALREADY HEAR footsteps thundering through the house and knew we were seconds from the army downstairs heading up to the second floor. The three of us backed away, and to my surprise, it was Sydney who reacted first. â€Å"Get out. I'll distract them.' Her distracting them would probably just mean momentarily blocking their way until they pushed her aside, but those extra seconds could make a huge difference. Still, I couldn't stand the thought of abandoning her. Dimitri had no such reservations, particularly when we heard feet on the stairs. â€Å"Come on!' he shouted, grabbing hold of my arm. We raced down the hall to the farthest bedroom, Victor and Robert's. Just before we entered, I yelled back to Sydney, â€Å"Get Jill to Court!' I don't know if she heard because by the sounds of it, the guardians had reached her. Dimitri immediately opened the room's one large window and looked at me knowingly. As always, we needed no vocal communication. He jumped out first, no doubt wanting to take the full brunt of whatever danger waited below. I immediately followed. I dropped onto the first floor's roof, slid down it, and then made the longer drop to the ground. Dimitri caught my arm, steadying my landing–but not before one of my ankles twisted slightly in on itself. It was the same one that had taken the brunt of the fall outside Donovan's, and I winced as pain shot through me, pain I then promptly ignored. Dark figures moved toward us, emerging from evening shadows and hidden spots around the backyard. Of course. Guardians wouldn't just come busting down a door. They'd also have the place staked out. With our natural rhythm, Dimitri and I fought back-to-back against our attackers. Like usual, it was hard to incapacitate our foes without killing them. Hard, but necessary if we could manage it. I didn't want to kill my own people, people who were just doing their job to apprehend fugitives. The long dress didn't do me any favors either. My legs kept getting caught in the fabric. â€Å"The others will be out any minute,' Dimitri grunted, slamming a guardian to the ground. â€Å"We need to move–there. That gate.' I couldn't respond but followed his lead as we made our way to a door in the fence while still defending ourselves. We'd just taken out the backyard squad when more spilled from the house. We slipped through the gate, emerging onto a quiet side road flanking the Mastrano house, and ran. It soon became clear, however, that I couldn't keep up with Dimitri. My mind could ignore the pain, but my body couldn't make my injured ankle work properly. Without missing a beat, Dimitri slid his arm around me, helping me run and take the weight off the ankle. We turned off the road, cutting through yards that would make it more difficult–but not impossible–for them to track us. â€Å"We can't outrun them,' I said. â€Å"I'm slowing us down. You need to–‘ â€Å"Do not say leave you,' he interrupted. â€Å"We're doing this together.' Snick, snick. A flowerpot near us suddenly exploded into a pile of dirt and clay. â€Å"They're shooting at us,' I said incredulously. â€Å"They're actually shooting at us!' With so much hand-to-hand training, I always felt like guns were cheating. But when it came to hunting down a queen-killing murderer and her accomplice? Honor wasn't the issue. Results were. Another bullet zinged by, dangerously close. â€Å"With a silencer,' said Dimitri. â€Å"Even so, they'll be cautious. They don't want the neighborhood thinking it's under attack. We need cover. Fast.' We might've been literally dodging bullets, but my ankle wouldn't last much longer. He made another sharp turn, completely immersing us in suburban backyards. I couldn't look behind us, but I heard shouting voices that let me know we weren't free yet. â€Å"There,' said Dimitri. Ahead of us was a dark house with a large glass patio reminiscent of Sonya's. The glass door was open, though a screen blocked the way inside. Dimitri tugged on its latch. Locked. But a screen was hardly a deterrent for us. Poor, trusting family. He took out his stake and slashed a long, vertical line that we hastily slipped through. Immediately, he jerked me to the side, out of view. He put a finger to his lips, holding me close to his body, shattering me in his warmth. Seconds later, we saw guardians coming through and searching the yards. Some kept moving on in case we'd run farther. Others lingered, investigating places that made good hiding spots as the evening grew darker and darker. I glanced at the screen. The cut had been clean, not an obvious hole, but it was still something our pursuers might notice. Sensing this as well, Dimitri carefully moved off into the living room, doing his best to avoid windows and keep out of sight. We cut through to the kitchen and found a door leading to the garage. In the garage was a red Ford Mustang. â€Å"Two car family,' he murmured. â€Å"I was hoping for that.' â€Å"Or they're out for a walk and about to come home when they notice a SWAT team in their neighborhood,' I whispered. â€Å"The guardians won't let themselves be seen.' We began searching for obvious key locations. At last, I found a set hanging on the side of a cupboard and scooped them up. â€Å"Got â€Å"em,' I said. Since I had the keys, I think Dimitri actually would have let me jump into the driver's seat. Thanks to my right ankle, however, I had to toss him the keys. The universe had a sick sense of humor. â€Å"Will they spot us in this?' I asked, as Dimitri opened the garage door and backed out. â€Å"It's, uh, a bit flashier than our usual stolen car profile.' It was also awesome. Sydney, car geek that she was, would have loved it. I bit my lip, still guilty that we'd left her behind. I tried to push the thought out of my head for now. â€Å"It is,' agreed Dimitri. â€Å"But other cars will be driving down the street. Some guardians will still be searching the yards, and some will be guarding the Mastranos. They don't have infinite numbers. They can't watch everything at once, though they'll certainly try.' I held my breath anyway as we drove out of the subdivision. Twice, I thought I spotted stealthy figures by the side of the road, but Dimitri was right: they couldn't check every car in a busy suburban neighborhood. The darkness also obscured our faces. Dimitri remembered the way we'd driven in because a few turns later, we were merging onto the freeway. I knew he had no destination in mind, except foraway. With no obvious indications that we'd been followed, I shifted my body and stretched out my throbbing leg. My chest had that light, nebulous feeling you got when too much adrenaline was pumping through you. â€Å"They turned us in, didn't they?' I asked. â€Å"Victor and Robert called us in and then took off. I should have kept watch.' â€Å"I don't know,' Dimitri said. â€Å"It's possible. I saw them just before I talked to you, and everything seemed fine. They wanted to go with us to find Jill, but they knew it was only a matter of time before we turned them over to the authorities. I'm not surprised they came up with an escape plan. They could have used the feeding as a distraction to call the guardians and get rid of us.' â€Å"Crap.' I sighed and pushed my hair back, wishing I had a ponytail holder. â€Å"We should've gotten rid of them when we had the chance. What'll happen now?' Dimitri was silent for a few seconds. â€Å"The Mastranos will be questioned †¦ extensively. Well, all of them will, really. They'll lock Sonya up for investigation, like me, and Sydney will be shipped back to the Alchemists.' â€Å"And what will they do to her?' â€Å"I don't know. But I'm guessing her helping vampire fugitives won't go over well with her superiors.' â€Å"Crap,' I repeated. Everything had fallen apart. â€Å"And what are we going to do?' â€Å"Put some distance between us and those guardians. Hide somewhere. Wrap up your ankle.' I gave him a sidelong look. â€Å"Wow. You've got everything planned out.' â€Å"Not really,' he said, a small frown on his face. â€Å"That's the easy stuff. What happens after that is going to be the hard part.' My heart sank. He was right. Provided the Mastranos weren't indicted by Moroi authorities for helping criminals, Emily now had no one forcing her to acknowledge Jill's heritage. If Sydney was being hauled back to her own people–well. She couldn't help either. I was going to have to tell someone else, I realized. The next time I made contact with Adrian, I'd have to divulge the truth so that my friends could do something about Jill. We couldn't sit on this secret any longer. Dimitri took the next exit, and I tuned back into the world. â€Å"Hotel?' I asked. â€Å"Not quite,' he said. We were in a busy, commercial area, not far from Ann Arbor, I thought. One of the Detroit suburbs. Restaurants and stores lined the road, and he turned us toward a twenty-four-hour superstore that promised to carry â€Å"everything.' He parked and opened his door. â€Å"Stay here.' â€Å"But–‘ Dimitri looked meaningfully at me, and I glanced down. I'd come away from our fight more scuffed up than I realized, and the dress had torn. My ragged appearance would attract attention, as would my limping. I nodded, and he left. I spent the time turning over our problems, cursing myself for not having found a way to turn in the brothers once Robert had restored Sonya. I'd been bracing myself for betrayal in the form of some magical attack. I hadn't expected something as simple as a call to the guardians. Dimitri, ever the efficient shopper, returned soon with two large bags and something slung over his shoulder. He tossed it all in the backseat, and I peered back curiously. â€Å"What's that?' It was long and cylindrical, covered in canvas. â€Å"A tent.' â€Å"Why are we–‘ I groaned. â€Å"No hotel, huh?' â€Å"We'll be harder to find at a campground. The car will especially be harder to find. We can't get rid of it quite yet, not with your foot.' â€Å"Those poor people,' I said. â€Å"I hope their car insurance covers theft.' Back on the freeway, we soon left the urban sprawl, and it wasn't long before we saw advertisements for campgrounds and RV parks. Dimitri pulled over at a place called Peaceful Pines. He negotiated with the man working in the office and produced a number of crisp bills. That was another reason we couldn't get a hotel, I realized. Most required credit cards, and Sydney had had all those (in fake names, of course). We were living off cash now. The clerk gave us directions along a gravel road that led to a spot on the opposite end of the campground. The place was busy with vacationing families, but no one paid much attention to us. Dimitri made sure to park as close to a cluster of trees as possible, in order to obscure the car and its plates. Despite my protests, he wouldn't let me help with the tent. He claimed he could do it faster without me and that I should stay off my feet. I started to argue until he began assembling the tent. My jaw dropped a little as I watched how quickly he put it together. He didn't even need the directions. It had to be some kind of record. The tent was small and sturdy, giving us both room to sit and lie, though he had to hunch just a little when we were sitting. Once inside, I got to see the rest of his purchases. A lot of it was first aid. There was also a flashlight he propped up, a kind of makeshift lamp. â€Å"Let me see the ankle,' he ordered. I stretched out my leg, and he pushed my dress's skirt up to my knee, fingers light against my skin. I shivered as a sense of deja vu swept me. It seemed to be happening to me a lot lately. I thought back to all the times he had helped me with other injuries. We could have been right back in St. Vladimir's gym. He gently tested the ankle's mobility and did a little poking and prodding. His fingers never ceased to amaze me. They could break a man's neck, bandage a wound, and slide sensually across bare skin. â€Å"I don't think it's broken,' he said at last. He lifted his hands, and I noticed how warm I'd been while he touched me. â€Å"Just sprained.' â€Å"That kind of thing happens when you keep jumping off roofs,' I said. Jokes were my old standby to hide discomfort. â€Å"You know, we never practiced that in our training.' He smiled and took out bandaging material, wrapping the ankle until it was supported and stabilized. After that, he produced– â€Å"A bag of frozen peas?' Dimitri shrugged and rested the bag on my ankle. The coolness instantly made me feel better. â€Å"Easier than buying a full bag of ice.' â€Å"You're pretty resourceful, Belikov. What else do you have stashed away?' The rest of the bags' contents turned out to be blankets and some food. I gave him a big grin when I saw he'd gotten me sour cream potato chips and a bar of chocolate. I loved that he remembered such little details about me. My smile faded when another problem quickly popped up. â€Å"You didn't buy any clothes, did you?' â€Å"Clothes?' he asked, like it was a foreign word. I gestured to my torn dress. â€Å"I can't wear this for long. What am I going to do? Make a toga out of a blanket? You're such a guy, never thinking of this stuff.' â€Å"I was thinking of injury and survival. Fresh clothing's a luxury, not a necessity.' â€Å"Not even your duster?' I asked slyly. Dimitri froze for a moment and then swore. He'd had no need to wear his coat indoors at the Mastranos'–honestly, he didn't need to outside either–and had left it there in the ensuing fight. â€Å"Don't worry, comrade,' I teased. â€Å"Plenty more where that came from.' He spread blankets over the tent's floor and laid back on them. There was a look of woe on his face that was almost comical. Raids, bullets, criminals †¦ no problem. A missing duster? Crisis. â€Å"We'll get you another one,' I said. â€Å"You know, once we find Jill, clear my name, and save the world.' â€Å"Just those things, huh?' he asked, making both of us laugh. But when I stretched myself out beside him, both our faces sobered. â€Å"What are we going to do?' I asked. Tonight's most popular question. â€Å"Sleep,' he said, clicking off the flashlight. â€Å"Tomorrow we'll get a hold of Abe or Tasha or †¦ someone. We'll let them handle it and get Jill where she needs to be.' I was surprised how small my voice sounded when I spoke. â€Å"I feel like we failed. I was so happy back there. I thought we'd done the impossible, but it was for nothing. All this work for nothing.' â€Å"Nothing?' he asked in astonishment. â€Å"What we did †¦ this is huge. You found Lissa's sister. Another Dragomir. I don't think you still really understand the weight of that. We had almost nothing to go on, yet you pushed forward and made it happen.' â€Å"And I lost Victor Dashkov. Again.' â€Å"Well, the thing about him is that he doesn't stay hidden for long. He's one of those people who always has to be in control. He'll have to make a move eventually and when he does–we'll get him.' The smile returned to my lips, though I knew he couldn't see it. â€Å"And I thought I was the optimistic one here.' â€Å"It's contagious,' he replied. Then, to my surprise, his hand found mine in the dark. He laced our fingers together. â€Å"You did good, Roza. Very good. Now sleep.' We touched in no other way, but his hand held all the warmth in the world. This was hardly a perfect moment, like in the library, but our familiar connection and the understanding between us burned brighter than ever, and it felt good. Right. Natural. I didn't want to sleep. I just wanted to stay there and savor being with him. It wasn't cheating, I decided, thinking of Adrian. It was just enjoying this closeness. Still, sleep was essential. We worked out a schedule where each of us took shifts. He would stay awake now while I rested, and I had a feeling if I didn't sleep, he wouldn't either when the shift change came. I closed my eyes, and it wasn't my heart I had to slow down this time. It was my mind, the hamster wheel that went nowhere trying to figure out what to do next. Just get Jill to Court. Just get Jill to Court. That was all that mattered. We'd contact someone who could reach Jill. Dimitri and I would lie low, everything would soon fix itself†¦. â€Å"Thank God.' I spun around, not even realizing I'd fallen into a spirit dream. I was back in Sonya's garden with all its sunshine and color, and she sat back in a chair, looking expectant. â€Å"I was afraid you'd be up all night, watching your back,' she continued. â€Å"I would if I had my choice,' I replied, strolling over to her. She wasn't quite whom I'd expected to see in my dreams, but at least I'd made contact with the outside world. I wore the black-and-white dress here, but unlike reality, it was clean and intact. â€Å"Dimitri thinks we're in a secure location–though he's awake, of course.' â€Å"Of course.' There was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, but it was brief. â€Å"Where are you?' I asked. â€Å"Did the guardians put you in holding?' â€Å"They didn't get me,' she said smugly. â€Å"You were their priority, and a little compulsion made sure they didn't see me. I took off †¦ I hated to leave Emily, though.' I empathized but was too excited at Sonya's escape. Good news, finally. â€Å"But you can get Jill to Court. You're free.' Sonya looked at me as those I'd just spoken French. â€Å"I can't get to Jill.' I frowned. â€Å"Is she under that much security?' â€Å"Rose,' said Sonya. â€Å"Jill isn't with the guardians at all. Victor and Robert took her.'

Hinduism: Monotheistic or Polytheistic

Is Hinduism monotheistic, or polytheistic? Polytheism is the belief in, and worship of more than one god. In monotheism, there is belief in and worship of only one god that is a separate entity. I have come to the conclusion that Hinduism is neither, but monistic. On a lower level of truth, there are many different gods and goddesses that are distinct in Hinduism. However, on a higher level of truth, Hindu’s believe â€Å"you and I and God [are] all one-and-the-same in the end† (Course Reader, p. 17). Therefore, in the highest level of truth, Hinduism is monistic—believing that All is One. Over time, Hinduism has evolved from a polytheistic religion to one that is widely monistic. Jews and Muslims would surely say that Hinduism is polytheistic—for them, worship of anything that is not the Supreme Being is a sin. They believe that God cannot manifest into physical form, and certainly cannot be personified. For a Christian, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is not a form or force of God, but is God. Hindus, they argue, commenced to personify the various forces of nature (e. g. , the stars, moon, sun, water, fire, etc. ) and worship them. In the Bible, Paul says â€Å"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator† (New International Version, Gen. 3. 15), clearly condemning the worship of his creation. It may appear that Hindus worship many separate gods and entities, but it is more complicated than this. They believe that All is One, and therefore worship of anything is ultimately worship of God. In the Rig Veda, every force of nature was personified and worshipped as separate entities—clearly indicative of polytheism (Course Reader 1, p. 25). There is no concept of a Supreme Being, only separate Gods that have separate roles. There is no god that is greater than another. In the Rig Veda, it states that â€Å"Not one of you, gods, is small, not one a little child; all of you are truly great. Therefore you are worthy of praise and sacrifice† (Course Reader 1, p. 26). This demonstrates that the devas are separate and equal entities. The warrior god Indra is eventually elevated to King of the Gods in the Vedic tradition. He is not identified as the Supreme Being however—he still requires sacrifice, and is therefore not omnipotent. Later in the Rig Veda, questions arise concerning creation and death. There are no definitive answers supplied, and no one god is credited with creation (Course Reader 1, p. 33). During this time, Hinduism was unapologetically polytheistic. With the revelation of the Upanishads, Hinduism began to evolve into a monistic tradition. It was revealed that there is one force in the universe, called Brahman, and that our Atman (spiritual self) is a part of this force (Course Reader 1, p. 52). We are not separate from Brahman; our Atman is Brahman. It is revealed that all things come from The One Source, known as Brahman. The One Source becomes an infinite number of things taking on numerous forms, but ultimately there is and always shall be only One (Course Reader 1, p. 59). There is no difference between the contents of the Universe, and the cause of the Universe. Recognition of Brahman is so important that it is the only way to escape samsara, and become spiritually liberated. Acquiring the sacred knowledge of Brahman is the way to salvation (Course Reader 1, p. 60). If we perceive the countless Hindu gods as separate and independent, we are not enlightened. In the early Upanishads, Brahman is neuter. It is the totality of everything, and is completely abstract and without qualities (Course Reader 1, p. 64). This soon changes, with the introduction of Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu and Shiva eventually become the most prominent gods in the Hindu tradition. They are both widely recognized as the Supreme Beings, but there are disagreements as to which is the most supreme (Course Reader 1, p. 3). The Vedic gods are still worshipped, but are nowhere near as powerful. It is now obvious to me that Hinduism will never me a monotheistic religion, there is far too much variation between its followers, and too many gods that are worshipped. Brahman is still the ultimate force of the universe, and Vishnu is a manifestation of Brahman, as are all of the gods. Brahman is the force that permeates all creation, including our Atman. Therefore, we are Brahman and the gods are Brahman. In this sense we are not separate from the gods, but the same. According to Hinduism, Brahman is the eternal and unchanging force that transcends time and space. The nature of Brahman is described as non-dual and both personal and impersonal. In the Puranas, this force is personified as the Creator God Brahma—while Vishnu and Shiva are being called Brahman simultaneously (Course Reader 1, p. 111). Since the force Brahman is considered to be anyone, whether it be Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma or even Jesus, Hinduism is monistic.

The Effects of Computers on Our Everyday Lives

Computers have changed the lives of people’s in many ways. Now sitting in front of the computer, peoples can easily get access to the Internet by a simple click of mouse. Over the entire world 80 percent of people use the Internet every day. On computer people can simply do anything such as, a slide show presentation, a good communication, creating your own assignment, music, or art etc. They can also get a useful information and media on the Internet. For these reason people deeply use computers at places such as schools, hospitals, offices, and at home etc.There are the lots of positive and negative effects of computers. Some of the positive effects are faster communication, an organization of data and information, computerization of tasks, and easier access to the information. Some of the negative effects of computers are human’s break their social interact with friends and families, cause back problem, depression, and poor health. One of the best effects of computer is helping students and workers to complete and ensure of their works. For example, most of the students can easily access to a wealth of information, study online, and translate words or texts on computers.Students can also easily find information for assignment with in a minute by the helping of wireless technology. There are many of social networking site of learning math’s, reading, history and science, and online learning language. And there are also some negative points of computers on learning. For instance, teachers give assignments to students for their knowledge but some students didn’t do by themselves they just research on net and do copy paste from the site and then they submit their assignment to the teacher this is not good for them.They should also use their brain. Moreover, computers give many opportunities to meet new people. There are many social networking sites in which people can interact with others as such Facebook, Skype, and my space etc. Whe n people use these sites they reconnect with old friends and classmates. They can share their pictures and songs with their friends. Wireless technology helps people to talk with friends anywhere easily. These are the positives effects of computers.Now negatives effects of computers are its can also damage people relationship with parents and friends by using too much computer, some people misuse pictures, videos of others on social networking sites, and some sites are not good for some kids. In case, a person who spends more time on a computer can also cause back problem, may complain about headaches, and pains in their wrists, arms and necks. These pains are often the result of a fixed position when people using the computer keyboard for a long amount of time. It’s better to take breaks when typing on the computer.Eye and other problems are the most common health complaints of computer users. This kind of health issue comes as no surprise to anyone a person who has worked f or long time periods in front of a computer. Of course, there are so many cause and effects of computer. A person who use computer daily for long time period, make sure you sit with your back straight and lower back should touch the back rest the whole time as well as your legs should bend to the knee. You can also support your back by pillow if needed. Keep your feet on the floor all the time or use something like box if your feet don’t reach at the floor.