Racism And American History X Analysis Film Studies Essay

Racism And American History X Analysis Film Studies Essay Racism is one of the most revolting things within the vicinity of humanity. In the world today, the globalization process happen around the world and people come together to exchange the culture, information, technology, education and knowledge, however another side of society always try to ignore other people with different color by violent, the unawareness, and their behavior. Recently, 15 Jan 2011 ATHENS (Reuters) Far-right protesters threw stones at a pro-migrant march in Athens on Saturday before being dispersed by bursts of teargas, police said, in the latest sign of tension over the capitals growing immigrant population. Over 1,000 members of anti-racism groups, leftists and immigrants were marching in central Athens to protest against a controversial plan to build a fence at the border with Turkey to stop illegal immigrants from entering Greece. Over 100 members of neo-Nazi groups and about 200 local residents attacked the leftists and other protesters with stones. The poli ce used several rounds of teargas and flash grenades a police official said. According to Time magazine, from 2007 to 2009, in Australia, a series of brutal assaults and robbery happen to Indian students have sparked a wave of violence and protest group in Sydney and Melbourne. Violence is not the only one trouble that Australia concern, beside they are also struggling with a wave of extreme patriotism of a group of young Australia. The risk that the students from South Asian countries are faced not merely small attacks. There are some Neo-Nazi attacks around the world recently. ABOUT THE AMERICAN HISTORY X American History X is an American drama film which was named by Empire magazine in 2008 as one of the greatest movie of all the time (Wiki). The movie was a corporation of many talented people such as: Tony Kaye (the versatile director who won a Grammy Award), the film script was written by David McKenna; John Morrissey is the producer, music by Anne Dudley. This film was distributed by New Line Cinema. It is first debut in 1998. The 2-hour movie got a big number in cross revenue, $23,875,127. (Wiki) However, the movie was got an R because of many violence scenes with fighting, bad language (such as: f**k, what the hell, bullshit, etc . . . during the film). The background of it is Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California, USA with a strong actor force. ACTOR/ ACTRESS ROLE Edward Norton Derek Vinyard Edward Furlong Danny Vinyard Beverly DHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_DAngeloHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_DAngeloAngelo Doris Vinyard Avery Brooks   Dr. Robert BobSweeney Stacy Keach   Cameron Alexander Jennifer Lien Davina Vinyard Fairuza Balk Stacey Elliott Gould Murray Ethan Suplee Seth Ryan Guy Torry Lamont William Russ Dennis Vinyard Joseph Cortese Rasmussen Keram Malicki-Sà ¡nchez Chris Giuseppe Andrews Jason Christopher Masterson Daryl Dawson Paul Le Mat McMahon These actors and actress were working really hard to give a very successful movie about Neo-Nazi. Especially, Edward Norton got an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Derek in American History X. (Wiki) SUMMARY The American History X is one of the greatest movies ever. Throughout the movie, the past and present are mixed together. The past was in black and white. And the present was in color. My summary will be arranged by time line. The movie told a story with two main characters: Derek and Danny Vinyard. Their father was a fireman who was working their current city. Mr Vinyard was killed by a black addicted guy while he was fighting a fire in a black neighborhood. After that accident, Derek was frustrated about black communication. Therefore, he joined the D.O.C, a Neo-Nazi gang. Derek was the leader of that group. He used to lead his group to destroy and demolish a shop in the town. Derek also won a game with black group at local basketball court to own the play place. One night, two black teen tried to steal Dereks truck (which is given by his father). Derek used gun to shoot them and killed one of them. Danny looked at the terrible sense. Derek was judged to prison in 3 years. At this time, he met and was friends with a black inmate in the laundry room. And, he realized what he had done were absolutely wrong. He changed his mind and accepted black people. Danny tries to follow Dereks mistakes. Danny joined the Neo-Nazi group. After backing home, Derek tried to pull his younger brother out of the dark marsh (the Neo-Nazi group). After existing of the Neo-Nazi group, the two brothers backed home and threw away all the D.O.C stuffs. In the end of the movie, Danny was killed by a black student before giving his assignment (the assignment is about Dereks incarceration) at the restroom of Dannys school. ANALYSIS In the first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln said that: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. This lesson can be learned from the American History X which contains the differences in culture origin and the human fear of the unknown. The following paragraph below will discuss main theme of the movie. In the film, the main conflict of the story occurs because of the two different types of culture. Actually, culture can be defined in many ways. However, it can be known in three main ways. Culture is the taste of art and humanities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Culture is human knowledge, belief, and behavior. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Or, it is a set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture#Cultural_studies). Therefore, the different cultures can cause bad affect in communication. For example, Kissing on the cheeks of others is a kind action in western countries. However, in Vietnam, it is consider as an impolite type. During the two-hour of the movie, there are a lot of violence, dark, and terrible scenes. All of the main characters actions come from propaganda. When Derek was a kid, his father used to talk about the black communication. This makes his mind to contain a bad image about the color people in the USA. After the death of his father, he became a Neo-Nazi (his father death was caused by a black addicted guy when he was fighting a fire in the black neighborhood). That is one of the reason Derek joined D.O.C group. The leader of the group scatters thoughts about the color people. One time, Derek led a Neo-Nazi group who were fueled by drugs, beer, tattoos, and heavy metal attacked a small super market in the town. The violent and poignant scene scored a very sad motion for the viewers. The discrimination, racism, prejudice of the Neo-Nazi was built on different culture origin. Their thought is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief that his/her culture is superior to others. In interna tional business, it describes a company or individual so imbued with the belief that what worked at home should work abroad that it ignores societal differences (John, Lee H., and Daniel, 2007, International Business, 11th edition, Pearson, New Jersey Article: Charles Martin in Uganda, pp. 72) In another the scene at the play yard, Derek had a basketball game. Derek was fighting with the black guys to own the yard. During the game, there are many collisions between the black and white. This scene seems to be usual in the real life. The disruption of one group with others happens every day. It can be economic class, color skin, education, or many things else. The difference of opinion between Derek and his family can cause violence, swear worlds, etc. . . . At that point of time, Dereks attitude was totally different from his family. Therefore, he treated his family so badly. He heaped insults on his mother and her boyfriend. He blustered and hit his sister. The dinner was broken like the happiness of the family. The most terrible image of the American History X is the first scene. Derek shot the two black guys who tried to steal his truck in the night. After killing one of them, Derek was smile and satisfies. However, Danny who was standing behind felt wretched because of the Dereks action. It seems the racism is in every cell of Dereks body. The unknown of culture origin that make Derek and Danny cost a very high cost ever. Danny was shot by a black student in the end of the movie. The death of Danny will be the biggest lesson ever in the Derek life. THE CAUSES OF RACISM One of the causes for this event is stereotypes. Through media communication like television, radio, internet, book, movie, etc. which are the potential for mirror to build characteristics of the youth. When a person, especially one that is very young, is joined to stereotypes of a specific group for the first time, then that person will learn and get all knowledge by that way. Moreover, when a negative source is always displaying the perception of the youth about a particular race, then it will influence the thinking and opinions as well. Besides, Unfamiliarity is also the most common cause of racism. People concern what they do not know or understand. When people grow in one race of people, they will have a trend to join in the group of the same race or same color, because they dont know about another race, they afraid of other color skin who maybe effect them or do something harm to them, so they try to avoid, deny, ignore them. Selfishness is another obvious cause of racism. In c ase Australia, Indian students speak their language and they get a trouble with the local students because they dont speak English in public, besides the government also try to give more advantages for the local white skin students than the other skin, so they accidentally raise the racist in their community. Furthermore, the local citizen, especially white skin people, afraid of the position in society, job. They think the color skin people take their job, their money as well as their social position. They just want anything in their country belong to them. Family education is also a reason of racism. When parents and significant others have racism thinking, they almost express and teach it to their children, the child will incorporate those knowledge into their mind, cognitive, intellectual, emotional and frameworks of life. For that reason, children will grow up with the racism in mind and they never forget. Unless such the individual have experiences in living in many conditions living, spending time with many groups of race and understanding the difference of other race, they will change their mind like the content of film American History X below. Those are the 4 main reasons which cause racism. In general, racism is one of the most terrible things that will affect the characteristic of person and change the basic instinct of human. To avoid the happen of racism around the world, we must first solve the basic problems, which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and Family education. When we solve the problem, the racism will not appear anymore. CONCLUSION Racism happens in the world because of many reasons which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and Family education. They represent and fighting for their values, fear, norms and beliefs. Therefore, the most dangerous thing for mankind is a lack of knowledge. Address knowledge helps us understand the differences in culture, value, as well as beliefs. It is a premise to help us understand the different races of the world.

DNA Essays -- Biology Biological Essays

DNA "There is no substance as important as DNA," Watson, 1991. Gene therapy is a controversial issue in today’s science society. Debates in the United States are covering a wide range of topics. I will discuss just a few viewpoints from both sides. First of all, a little background on DNA and genetics. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a complex structure consisting of a double stranded helix made up of complementary base pairs. Adenine (A) pairs up with thymine (T) and guanine (G) matches with cytosine (C). They are held together with the help of hydrogen bonds. The helix is spiral shaped, and the outside of DNA is alternating sugar and phosphate groups. Watson and Crick presented this structure in 1953. "The genetic code is imprinted in the precise sequence of the nitrogenous bases running down the length of DNA molecule." Lee, 1993. A base triplet code is made up of three nucleotides. Each DNA triplet code is translated via a messenger RNA into a protein. DNA has a semiconservative replication process where the double strands unwind and serve as templates. A genome is a collection of DNA molecules that make up am organism. There is great diversity between different species and even between the same species. "The human genome contains up to three billion base pairs, the genetic difference among individual humans is as much as three million base pairs of DNA" (Davis, 1990). A mutation is where a gene is changed to another form. A mutation does not imply a bad thing happened. They can be deleterious, cause disease, reduce fitness or even be lethal. A mutation can also be beneficial if it increases adaptability or advantages in a species. Or a mutation can be silent and cause no apparent change in the organism. T... ...ecoming a safer, more efficient process that may some day cure the world of all genetic disease. Some day, being sick may just mean getting gene therapy. Bibliography Joel Davis, Mapping the Code: The Human Genome Project and the Choices of Modern Science, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. Thomas F. Lee, GENE FUTURE: The Promise and Perils of the New Biology, Plenum Press, New York, 1993. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, New Developments in Biotechnology— Background Paper, Pubic Receptions of Biotechnology, OTA—BBP—BA—45, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., May 1987 quoted by George J. Annas and Sherman Elias, GENE MAPPING: Using law and Ethics as Guides, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, page 144. Unknown author, Gene Therapy - An Overview, 1990, http://www.gene.com/AE/AB/IWT/Gene_Therapy_Overview.html

A Day in the Life of a Migraine Sufferer :: Biology Essays Research Papers

A Day in the Life of a Migraine Sufferer Each year over twenty-six million people nation wide are affected by migraines. Once thought to be a concentration of evil spirits in the brain, common cures consisted of everything from drilling holes in the skull, to inserting garlic cloves into the temples(4). Today however, scientists realize that this all too common occurrence is actually a neurological disorder, which can result in the disability of its victim for hours or even days. I myself have been a constant sufferer of migraines since the age of ten. The following is the day in the life of a migraine sufferer: myself. I believe that the most appropriate place to begin is a brief look into my medical background. Since the age of ten I have constantly been struck with migraines, occurring more and more frequently as I age. Migraines can strike children as well as adults, however; typically the migraines become less frequent after early adulthood(3).Ninety percent of migraine sufferers also report having a family history of migraines, suggesting a genetic link(5).I, for example, know that both my father and grandmother to this day frequently have migraines and have since a very young age. Furthermore, even though I typically have at least one debilitating migraine per week, I am otherwise in perfect health. This is common among migraine sufferers; they are entirely healthy and therefore, cannot understand why they are showing such painful symptoms(3).Each day that I have I migraine it is a struggle to work, to move, sometimes even to breath. If caught in time, I can typically medicate myself before a full- blown migraine occurs, but often I realize to late what will soon occur. This was the case on April 1, 2001, when I received a classic migraine that left me in a state of suspended animation for over twenty hours. The day began with stiffness in my neck and an ache around my temples and brow bone. Migraines are typically a long process, which begins slowly and climaxes in intolerable pain. The stiffness of my neck and facial muscles, as well as an irritated feeling in my scalp, are often the first warning signs of a migraine day. However, I chose to ignore the signs and à ¬tough it outà ® since I was late for class. Instead of my usual breakfast of dry cereal and water, I grabbed a cup of yogurt and a coke for the road.

The sport of Paintball Essay -- essays research papers

The Sport of Paintball There you are. You’re hiding behind a hastily constructed bunker made to protect yourself from enemy fire. You can hear the enemy firing on your position, and you can feel the shots screaming above your head. The firing ceases for a moment. You pop out, fire off a few rounds, and duck back in; but as you are going back in the shots start up again, and you feel the rounds whizzing past your head and ear. One catches your sleeve. You glance down. No damage. Suddenly you have a fellow fighter there in your bunker with you. He tells you he’s going to try to take the enemy bunker out. Before you can stop him, he charges out of the bunker, gun blazing. A burst of fire, and a cry. You glance out, and see that your teammate has been hit. Anger sweeps over you. You check your ammunition; close to full. You make a conscious decision to take them out. Taking a breath, you burst from your haven at speeds you did not know you could achieve. The enemy is surprised by this boldness. T hey doubted you, and are now caught off guard. You fire upon the exposed enemy. You see one of your shots find it’s mark, and he goes down. There is one more. Maintaining fire to keep him pinned down, you sweep past his bunker, and place three shots in his chest as you pass. You are victorious. Now, where are you? Are you in Iraq? No. Are you in Vietnam in the past? No. You are in the average American town, and you are out with your buddies live a game of paintball. You are still pumped up on adrenaline, and eager for the next game. One may wonder, what is paintball? Paintball is a sport similar to laser tag but with live ammunition. Players are given a paintball gun, a protective mask, a gas source, and usually some spare paintballs. A paintball gun, also called a marker, uses a pressurized gas source to propel a marble-sized ball out of the marker at anywhere from 250 to 300 feet per second (fps). This ball is fired at another player who is (or at least should be) similarly equipped. If the ball strikes the player, the ball breaks, and the gelatinous, colored filling leaves a bright mark on the player. This is called being â€Å"marked†. The player who was hit is usually out of the game at this point. Some people play multiple hit rules, such as three-hits-and-you’re-out, or scenarios like that. This is a basic overview of the sport of paintball. Now we shall look at the a... ..., country-boy Ritchie White, captured all twelve flags without firing a single shot! Paintball pioneer Bob Gurnsey saw the potential of what went on that day in the woods of New Hampshire, so he went on to secure direct sources of the necessary products from the companies that supplied paintballs and markers to forestry and agricultural markets. He then marketed the first paintball game field franchises under the banner of the "National Survival Game". In 1983, the first official N.S.G. Paintball tournament was held, and the die was cast. Some of the biggest manufacturers include companies like Tippmann Pneumatics, Smart Parts, Worr Games Products (WGP), WDP, Dye, V-Force, JT, and Brass Eagle. Most companies make a full range of products for the industry, as to be competitive. Paintball is the fastest growing sport in the nation. It is easy to see why. It is competitive, team-building, family oriented, athletic, fun, and first and for most safe. Paintball appeals to men and women, young and old. It began with a few friends in the woods, and now is a multi-billion dollar family worldwide industry. The sport of paintball is one that will be around for a very long time.

American Civil War Essay

From the start of the Civil War until the end of the Reconstruction period, America faced what can be considered a revolution. During this time, many social and constitutional developments emerged and brought great change to the country. Social developments that contributed to the revolution were the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Black Codes. Constitutional events that sparked dispute were the three civil rights bills, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the reconstruction. Between 1860 and 1877, both constitutional and social developments merged to created drastic changes that threatened the balance of life in the United States, causing revolt throughout many Americans and bringing about reform to the nation. Before 1860, the United States was split into two sides fighting for power: the North and South. Slave states and free states were constantly competing for representation in Congress. In order to reduce conflict, the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 were passed. Tensions lowered to a degree, but the compromises only delayed the inevitable discord. State’s rights was a critical topic during this time period. The south believed that they had the constitutional right to secede. After Lincoln was inaugurated in 1860, seven states seceded from the Union. Four more states followed after that. South Carolina, in particular, felt their rights had been stripped off of them, and challenged the Constitution of the United States. Document A) South Carolina feared the north would gain enough power that they would abolish slavery in the south, crippling their slave-based economy. This sequence of events induced the bloody Civil War, later leading to the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation, which meant the freeing of slaves that were still under possession in 1863. Eventually, the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed. The end of the Civil War meant the end of bloodshed but the start of reconstruction of the nation. Although slaves were finally freed, it was still rough life for the freedmen. Some blacks felt betrayed by their own government. They were baffled at the fact that they fought for their nation but could not vote for their representatives. In the petition to the Union convention of Tennessee, it is stated that blacks were treated unfairly in court, as the courts would not even receive â€Å"negro testimony. † (Document C) Gideon Welles, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Navy wrote in a diary that the Federal Government has no control of whether or not blacks can vote; he felt it was up to the states to decide. Document D) In attempts to unite the nation, several acts were put into effect. The Freedmen’s Bureau, for example, was set up to help blacks read and write in order to counteract their disadvantages in education. It also provided food shelter, welfare, and medical attention to those affected by the war. Unfortunately, some acts were not in favor of the blacks, such as the Black Codes. The Black Codes prohibited blacks from renting land or e ven borrowing money to buy land. It also forced them to sign working contracts, synonymous to slavery. President Johnson felt that the Black Codes were necessary because he did not want America becoming â€Å"Africanized. † In a petition to the commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, some African Americans felt their promised rights were being neglected. (Document E) On the other hand, political actions were taking place in the struggle for equal rights for all Americans. Republicans were taking control of government and were also ignoring the orders of President Johnson. Radical Republicans were struggling for equal rights throughout nation. In 1866, the Civil Rights Act was created. This act stated that African Americans were United States citizens, shielding them from the Black Codes, and essentially overriding the Dred Scott decision. Shortly after came the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The changing of the Constitution to include the 14th amendment was considered revolutionary. (Document F) President Johnson was impeached in 1868 due to 11 crimes and misdemeanors. He was the first president in history to get impeached. After his impeachment, blacks now started to receive more equal treatment. Blacks were finally able to vote in the 1868 election, which ended up giving the Republicans a victory. (Document G) The 15th amendment was also added to the Constitution, prohibiting any state from denying a citizen the right to vote. Although revolution was going positively throughout, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan was a negative addition. Their goal was to terrorize and scare blacks by force. (Document I) In 1870, Congress decided to ban these secret organizations and enforce the 14th and 15th amendments through the Force Acts. Document H) All in all, between 1860 and 1877, both constitutional and social developments caused great reform in America. Revolutionary ideas such as the freedom of slaves, anti-secession, and rebellion played a key factor throughout these years. The once estranged country was back on track as a unified whole. African Americans, as a result of constant struggle, gained their rights and freedom. It is safe to say that the United States faced a period of reconstruction, which amounted to the shaping of the country.

Historical Investigation Essay

â€Å"Assess the impact of the period from 1969 – 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland† â€Å"Assess the impact of the period from 1969 – 1982 on the IRA/Sinn Fein and their development into a significant political force in Northern Ireland† During the period from 1969-1982 both the IRA and Sinn Fein underwent significant change. Sinn Fein moved from a fringe role, in the nationalist movement of Northern Ireland, to a dominant political position. During a time of intense violence in the region an internal discussion was taking place, deliberating on the value of armed resistance versus political engagement. The ideals that rose out of this transformed the movement and laid the basis for the central role it would play in the eventual Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The re-emergence of the nationalist movement led to the rise and resurrection of groups such as the IRA. Naturally this caused much tension, and incidences of violence began to rise. Acts of exceptional protest showed the incomparable power of politics over violence and led to international recognition of the issue. Ultimately Sinn Fein developed into one of the most powerful political forces in Northern Ireland. After years in the dark the nationalist movement began to rapidly gain momentum when the Belfast Troubles began in 1969. The IRA had been deeply divided since 1921 when Dail Eireann chose to ratify the Anglo- Irish treaty. The treaty established the autonomous Irish Free State whilst the province of Ulster remained under the direct control of the United Kingdom. Despite the fact that IRA member Michael Collins had played a role in writing the treaty there was still a major difference of opinion between members of the IRA.1 They were divided between those who were for the establishment of the Free State and those who believed it was illegitimate and illegal. The Split over the treaty led to the Irish Civil War from 1922-3. Many of the opposing leaders had been close friends and comrades during the Irish War of Independence. The civil war split the IRA and this rift would continue to haunt Irish politics for many years to come. In the 1960’s the IRA was further marginalised as it came under the influence of left wing thinkers. This caused a split between the factions of the IRA based in Dublin and Belfast.2 In 1969 the wounds of old were once stirred again when Northern Ireland was rocked by bloody sectarian rioting. The bloodiest rioting was in Belfast where seven people were killed and hundreds injured.3 Violence escalated sharply after these events and new paramilitary groups came into existence on either side of the conflict. The Provisional IRA received an upsurge in membership. It was from here that ‘The Troubles,’ one of the most infamous periods in Irish history began. The violence was characterised by armed campaigns of paramilitary groups. Conflict hit the streets and many innocent people were often attacked. Alongside the violence there was deadlock between the major political parties of Northern Ireland over how the province would be administered and governed. 1972 saw an explosion of political violence in Northern Ireland in which many people lost their lives. The nationalist community saw the Provisional IRA as their defenders, who began an armed campaign in reaction to loyalist provoked violence. During this period the party Sinn Fein had no interest in electoral politics.4 They voiced the need for military opposition to British rule in Northern Ireland. They gained control of the Republican movement and began to focus on flooding nationalist propaganda throughout Northern Ireland. Membership began to skyrocket as anti-British sentiment ran rife. The Republican political party Sinn Fein built the foundations for a movement which in ten years would expand to have branches in every town in Ireland. Atrocities by loyalists and British forces themselves were used to justify the IRA as a movement and inspired many to stand up and fight for the cause they all believed in. On 30 January 19725 in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland border, perhaps one of the largest single atrocities of the ‘Troubles’ period occurred. During a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march in the bogside area of the city members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute regiment opened fire on many unarmed protestors. Twenty seven people are known to have been shot and fourteen of those were killed with at least five of the latter confirmed as being shot in the back. 6 Witnesses, including bystanders and British journalists, testify that all those shot appeared to be unarmed. Many individual atrocities occurred that day witnessed by hundreds of people. Eye witness Michael McCallion testified that â€Å"A fellow came out with a white flag, no sooner had he done this when the middle of three British soldiers pulled the trigger and shot him through the head†¦.I have witnessed this as God is my judge and I say that it was cold blooded murder.†7 Testimonies such as this confirm the extreme acts of violence the British committed unnecessarily on that day. One paratrooper who gave evidence testified that they were told by an officer to expect a gunfight and â€Å"we want some kills.†8 The reason for the uproar over such killings was the British soldiers were essentially not an occupying force but a measure of peace between nationalist and loyalist paramilitary groups. As Catholic Bishop of Derry Edward Daly commented â€Å"What really made Bloody Sunday so obscene was the fact that afterwards at the highest level British justice justified it.†9 Acts such as this by official British forces reaffirmed the belief of many that the British Government was still the real enemy and behind the problems that continued in Northern Ireland. This justified the cause of the nationalist movement and subsequently the IRA and Sinn Fein as well. Both organisations had now developed a strong following throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. Whilst such occurrences did cause much suffering and pain they proved useful to both the IRA and Sinn Fein in acquiring widespread support for the movement. Sinn Fein and the IRA were not officially linked but both strived for the same goal. The Provisional Irish Republican Army was a paramilitary organisation that considered itself a direct continuation of the IRA that had fought in the Irish war of Independence.10 Its stated objective was to end British rule in Ireland and withdraw Northern Irelands status as part of the United Kingdom. The Provisionals advocated for armed defence of Catholic communities in the north and an offensive campaign to end British rule. As the violence in Northern Ireland steadily increased the IRA began to call for a more aggressive campaign against British loyalists. Sinn Fein was a political party of the Republican movement. It was formed in 1970 but has traces back to the original party founded in 1905.11 The party is believed to be directly associated with the IRA. Both Sinn Fein and the IRA played different but converging roles in the war for liberation. Whilst the movements were not officially linked it was widely thought that they were different faces of the same movement. In 2005 the British Government stated â€Å"We had always said all the way through that we believed the IRA and Sinn Fein were inextricably linked and that had obvious implications at leadership level.†12 Throughout the early seventies there was much internal argument between factions of the IRA and Sinn Fein over whether their movement’s primary role should chiefly military or political, although both groups viewed Britain as a colonial occupier and therefore viewed the political process as illegal. Until 1973 Sinn Fein had little interest in politics as the party was still deemed illegal by the British Government. Political activity began in 1973 when Sinn Fein opened the Republican press centre on Falls Road. In 1973 the first attempt at negotiations to resolve the situation led to the Sunningdale Agreement, which devised a power sharing system in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Although this did no include Sinn Fein and quickly collapsed under pressure from loyalist strikes.13 In May 1974 British secretary of State Merlyn Rees legalised Sinn Fein as a political party.14 This was perhaps the beginning of tacit recognition by the British Government that negotiations were only meaningful if they were directly with the IRA. Whilst local politicians such as John Hume, of the Nationalist Party, were respected they did not command enough power to have any effect. Secret meetings between Provisional IRA leaders Ruairi O’Bradaigh and Billy McKee with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees resulted in a ceasefire which began in February 1975.15 The truce proved to be disastrous for the IRA; leading to infiltration by many British informers into their ranks. After a build up of tensions and a series of sectarian killings the ceasefire broke down in January 1976.16 It was clear that the original aims of the IRA leadership for a quick military victory were receding. It was acts of violence by British authorities that justified the military side of the movement and ensured tensions would continue for years to come. As Sinn Fein began to move into the political process so did many former revolutionaries and IRA members. One such person was Gerry Adams; after being in prison for alleged IRA membership17 he turned himself in a new direction a moved towards the political process. In 1978 he was elected as the vice president of Sinn Fein. This most likely came as a result of the realisation by many senior figures that it was becoming more and more unlikely that a military victory could be achieved. Whilst significant events such as Bloody Sunday lead to anti-British sentiment to sky rocket many turned away from violence and embraced the political system. Protests by a number of imprisoned IRA members in Long Kesh gaol showed the power of political tactics, leading to the dominance of Sinn Fein as a political force. The 1981 hunger strike was the climax of a five year protest by Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest originally began in 197618 when the British Government removed its special category status for convicted paramilitary prisoners. This status had provided them with Prisoner of War privileges as specified in the Geneva Convention.19 Prisoners did not have to wear prison uniforms, do prison work and were allowed to be housed within their own paramilitary factions. They were also entitled to receive extra food parcels and have extra visits. When these rights were removed by the British Government, as recommended by the Gardiner Committee20, the prisoners began a protest to gain them back. It started with a blanket protest in which prisoners refused to wear uniforms but instead wrapped themselves in prison blan kets; they stated that they were not criminals but political prisoners. In 197821 the dispute escalated into a dirty protest in which prisoners refused to wash and covered their cell walls with excrement. In 1980 the first hunger strike took place but to no avail ending after 53 days.22 The second strike in 1981 is perhaps one of the best know instances of protest throughout the campaign. The strike was lead by former IRA Officer Commanding in the prison, Bobby Sands.23 At the beginning of the strike there was little progress and it didn’t receive much outside support. But after five days the strike received a much needed boost; the Independent Republican MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone died and a by-election was called to appoint his replacement. It was decided that Bobby Sands would stand against the Ulster Unionist Party candidate Harry West.24 On 9 April 1981 Sands won a narrow victory and was elected to the British House of Commons.25 The victory attracted worldwide attention and thousands of media personnel descended on Belfast. On the six ty sixth day of the hunger strikes, May 5, Sands died causing riots across Northern Ireland. One hundred thousand people lined the route of his funeral a few days later.26 In the weeks after Sands death three more hunger strikers died,27 and another by-election had to be held for the seat of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Due to the fact that the British Government had rushed through the Representation of the People Act,28 which meant prisoners serving more than one year could not run for parliament, so Sands’ election agent Owen Carron had to run instead. He claimed a similar victory gaining a larger percentage of the votes. The success of hunger strike created a firm platform for Irish republicanism and paved the way for the formal entry of Sinn Fein into electoral politics the following year. It was also around this period that the British Government began reforming its policies in relation to the IRA and Sinn Fein. They now viewed Sinn Fein as a legitimate political movement who would be included in official negotiations. The achievements of the hunger strikers proved the power of political activism as opposed to violence; they also exposed the falseness of the British Governments claim that the Republican movement had no support. The events of 1969-82 transformed the Republican movement from a violence orientated force to a significant political force. As Sinn Fein began to grow as a political force the IRA slowly, and with considerable internal difficulties, changed its ways. This eventually paved the way for an official ceasefire in 1994. Their agreement to decommission their weapons meant that Sinn Fein was allowed to come to the negotiation table and play a significant role in the Good Friday agreement of 1998. That agreement resulted in a devolved power sharing structure of self government for Northern Ireland, whilst it still remained within the United Kingdom.29 In 2007 Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein was appointed deputy first minister and held equal power alongside Ian Paisely of the DUP in the Northern Ireland Assembly Government.30 From the split in the nationalist movement in 1969 to its reemergence throughout the seventies, alongside the IRA, there was much change. Events such as Bloody Sunday increased the military overtone of the movement but ultimately peaceful political power prevailed. Acts such as the 1981 hunger strike proved the power of political protest as compared to violence. Ultimately Sinn Fein grew into a legitimate political party and as of 2009 they became the largest party in Northern Ireland following European Parliamentary elections.31 _______________________________________________________ Bibliography Literary Sources English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books, Stuttgart, Germany ________________________________________________________________________ Geraghty, Tony (2000), The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Hastings, Max (1970), Ulster 1969 – The Fight for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland, Victor Gollancz LTD, London, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ McEvoy, Kieran (2001), Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom ________________________________________________________________________ Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books, New Jersey, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Mullan, Don (1997), Eyewitness Bloody Sunday – The Truth, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, Ireland ________________________________________________________________________ O’Brien, Brendan (1995), the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein, Syracuse University Press, New York, USA ________________________________________________________________________ Electronic Sources BBC (2009), on this day – 9 Decmeber1973 (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm (Accessed 26 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ BBC (2009), Profile: Martin McGuinness (online), BBC, London, United Kingdom. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ CAIN Web Service (2009), A chronology of the conflict (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm (Accessed 27 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Lord Gardiner (1975), Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland – Extract (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1 (Accessed July 28 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday – Extracts (online), University of Ulster, Belfast, United Kingdom. Available from http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm (Accessed 28 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ National Archives of Ireland (no date), Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty (online), Irish Government, Dublin, Ireland, Available from http://www.nationalarchives.ie/topics/anglo_irish/dfaexhib2.html (Accessed 1 August 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ Prime Ministers Office (2005), Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland (online), British Government, London, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148 (Accessed 29 July 20090 ________________________________________________________________________ Sinn Fein Official Website (2009), History made – Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties (online), Belfast, United Kingdom, Available from http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580 (Accessed 29 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ University College Cork (2009), Multitext project in Irish History – Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 – 1914 (online), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, Available from http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty> (Accessed 25 July 2009) ________________________________________________________________________ 1 National Archives of Ireland, Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Series: text of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, n.d, (1 August 2009) 2 Moloney, Ed (2002), A Secret History of the IRA, Penguin Books. p. 246 3 English, Richard (2003), Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Pan Books. p. 136 4 O’Brien, Brendan, the Long War, the IRA and Sinn Fein (1995) 5 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 80 6 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday – Extracts, 1997, < http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday/mcclean.htm> (28 July 2009) 7 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday – The Truth, Wolfhound Press 8 Geraghty, Tony, The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence, unknown p. 65 9 Mullan, Don, Eyewitness Bloody Sunday – The Truth 10 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA. p. 432 11 University College Cork, Multitext project in Irish History – Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870 – 1914, 2009, < http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics__administration_1870-1914#12TheFirstSinnFeacuteinParty> (25 July 2009) 12 Prime Ministers Office, Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Anti Terror Law, President Bush/EU, Foreign Doctors in NHS, Hunting and Northern Ireland, 21 February 2005, < http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7148> 13 BBC, On this day – 9 Decmeber1973, 2009, < http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_2536000/2536767.stm> (26 July 2009) 14 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 15 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA 16 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, p. 136 17 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 140. 18 McClean, Raymond, The Road to Bloody Sunday – Extracts 19 McEvoy, Kieran, Paramilitary Imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Resistance, Management, and Release, Oxford University Press 20 Lord Gardiner, Report of a Committee to consider, in the context of civil liberties and human rights, measures to deal with terrorism in Northern Ireland – Extract, 1975, < http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/hmso/gardiner.htm#1> (July 28 2009) 21 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict, 2009, < http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch76.htm> (27 July 2009) 22 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 23 English, Richard, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA p. 196 24 Moloney, Ed, A Secret History of the IRA p. 211 25 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 26 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 27 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 28 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 29 CAIN Web Service, A chronology of the conflict 30 BBC, Profile: Martin McGuinness, 2009, < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1303355.stm> (29 July 2009) 31 Sinn Fein Online, History made – Sinn Fein is now the largest party in the six counties, 2009, < http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/16580> (29 July 2009)

Israel Palestine Conflict

Israel-Palestine Conflict Two films, Zero and 5 Broken Cameras, explain the ideologies, policies, and practices in the OPT and Israel. These films show how these ideologies are perpetuating the Israel-Palestine Conflict and suggest ways to end the occupation and problem. Zero looks in depth at the Israel education system and society and 5 Broken Cameras looks at the nonviolent resistance movement in the OPT. Both films suggest that this conflict will be never-ending If something does not change soon.This Is because the films show what children learn from the conflict, and how It will continue on both ides because of what is seen and taught by and to children in Israel and the OPT. Zero teaches that ideologies in Israel need to change because children are taught that the violence is Justifiable. 5 Broken Cameras teaches that nonviolent protests and filming are productive ways to help end the occupation. These films together show that It Is extremely necessary for conditions to change because If they do not then the conflict will be carried on and Intensified by future generations. Zero, Slaves of Memory looks into the Israeli society.For a month out of the school ear children in Israeli schools are taught to remember their history. Children of all ages are taught about Passover, the Shoo, and Independence Day. They are taught that horrible things have happened to their people. Through this education all children learn the importance of the Israeli state, army, and a nationalist identity to prevent atrocities from happening to them again. The filmmaker suggests that educators In Israel focus too much on the Holocaust. At one point the Interviewer asks a teacher if Israelis are â€Å"slaves to memory' (Zero, Part 7, 9:20) because of the education system.The teacher vehemently opposes that statement but the footage speaks for itself. The children who are interviewed seem programmed to answer in certain ways, even though one student argues â€Å"It's not brainwash ing. It's more part of a tradition† (Part 9, 4:15). This film suggests that education in Israel Is perpetuating the conflict more than anything else. From kindergarten to the army, children of all ages are taught that it is their duty to be willing to die for their country. They are taught that Jews must have an army and independent and sovereign state to fight heir enemies (Part 6, 9:55).The problem with the ideology and education system in Israel is that the most important value taught to children is â€Å"Be a good soldier† rather than â€Å"Be a good person† ((Part 7, 8:12). Dry. Liability suggests that it should not be the Jews who are working hard to remember the tragedies that have happened to them. It Is those who committed the acts. If people define themselves as victims It diverts the mind from all responsibility. He sarcastically says, â€Å"We can kill Arabs in refugee camps because of the terrible things that were done to us† (Part 5, 1:33).Co mmitting so much education to victimized allows Israelis to justify the violence toward the Palestinians, thus allowing the conflict to continue. Billing. The footage shows the men of Billing nonviolently protest Israel's Wall. He is proof that not even Journalists are safe from Israeli soldiers. His camera was fired at and broken by soldiers multiple times. One reason his cameras are broken is because Israeli soldiers are very uncomfortable with Dam's filming. Deep down the soldiers seem to know that what they are doing is morally wrong, and so they don't want the world to see the violence.There is a lack of knowledge about the conflict around the world, and Dam's footage of tear gas, arrests, shootings, and even the murder of his friend Phil helps spread the truth of who the victims are. Edam parallels the protests with the birth and growth of his son, Gabriel. He shows how children in Billing are affected by the conflict and how they will carry it on when their fathers are gone. Gabriel says he wants to hurt the Israeli soldiers for killing Phil (Cameras, 13). Even after a violent act happens, the anger remains and the children will remember the injustices against their fathers (Cameras, 12).Because of the violence of Israeli soldiers against Palestinians who did not do anything wrong, the conflict is perpetuated by creating more anger and hate between the two sides. Many aspects of these films built on my understanding of what Eve learned about the conflict in class. Zero made me think of the Refusing, or the men who refused to join the army. They were seen as traitors but really they were some of the few who could see that they should be angry at the system for brainwashing children instead of angry with the Palestinians.The system â€Å"perverts the children† (Part 7, 6:57) cause it teaches that nationalism and violence in the name of protecting Israel is the most important value rather than being a decent human being. 5 Broken Cameras built on my understanding of life in the OPT. I have previously learned about and seen footage of the occupation and the horrors that come with it, but this film was the most effective. This is because Dam's footage lets the experiences speak for themselves instead of an interviewee sharing their political viewpoints. In this way, 5 Broken Cameras is about human beings rather than the politics of the conflict.I have learned many statistics about the OPT but it was instrumental to my understanding to see how a family lives and keeps moral up in the OPT. 5 Broken Cameras teaches that nonviolent demonstrations can be very valuable. It takes a lot of bravery to protest against people with weapons when you do not have a weapon, and it shows who the true victims are. Nonviolent demonstrations show that Palestinians are peaceful and willing to cooperate. It Just does not make sense to fight for peace by using violence. Violent protests by Palestinians allow Israelis to call Palestinians â€Å"terror ists† and make Israelis seem like the victims.If Israeli soldiers are harming peaceful Palestinians, it is more obvious to outsiders who the victim in the situation is. The â€Å"outsiders† aspect is why filming is an important model of nonviolent resistance. Filming is important because it gets the word out more and so more people are able to help and know the truth (Cameras, 15:20). Edam says that people come from all over the world to protest with them and they are treated the same way as Palestinian protestors. Filming does not only show the world the realities of life in the OPT; it also encourages more nonviolent resistance. When Edam shows the nonviolent ways too (Cameras, 34).Methods of nonviolent resistance such as peaceful protests and filming have a higher potential to help end the occupation than violent resistance, but they might not be enough to completely resolve the conflict. The best solution I can see to solving this conflict is to end U. S. Funding to Israel. However, because of Israeli lobbyists that does not seem to be a realistic possibility. Because of this, there needs to be something that forces the United States to end funding to Israel. The UN has not done anything that's worked for decades so Hereford it is the international community's duty.Public opinion in America and the rest of the world needs to be strongly anti-lesser funding. A way to do this is to spread the truth of the horrors committed by Israel. Articles written by Journalists visiting the OPT and films like 5 Broken Cameras that show what is happening in the OPT need to get more attention. However, because of American media it is difficult to spread the truth in these ways. Upon doing some research of 5 Broken Cameras, I was surprised to read that the Israeli co-director, David', said that he thinks that abbey more Israeli activist blood needs to be spilled by Israeli soldiers in order to get the point across.This shocked me because in general I think that nonviolent solutions are best, but it made me consider the validity of this idea. Israel values its own citizens and should not want to harm them. Maybe if more Israeli citizens opposed the wall then Israel would reconsider its practices. However, 5 Broken Cameras shows that the soldiers treat Israeli activists the same as they do the Palestinians. Because of this, I am taking Davit's idea a step further. When even one American tourist or Journalist dies abroad at the hand of another country soldiers or police, people know about it because it is highly publicized.If more activists from around the world and particularly from America went and protested with the Palestinians in the OPT then maybe the United States government would stop funding Israel because it is killing American citizens. If more Americans were dying at the hands of weapons funded by America, the public would be furious. I think the best way to help end this conflict is to end funding to Israel, and maybe the best w ay o force funding to stop is for tons of people to be really angry about it. It is not a pleasant solution, but highly publicized deaths of citizens of powerful countries could be a way to force the U.S. To stop Israel's violence. Another potential way to help end the conflict is Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. 5 Broken Cameras is co-directed by an Israeli, therefore making it a Palestinian-Israeli film. This film shows teamwork between Israelis and Palestinians. This makes the film successful because it shows that Israelis and Palestinians are not natural born enemies and that cooperation is Seibel and productive. If the two communities started working together and were willing to compromise then the conflict could be solved without outside influence.This solution would work in a perfect world but it is unlikely to happen. Zero and 5 Broken Cameras are very different films about the Israel-Palestine conflict but the theme is the same: something needs to change and soon. Actions n eed to be taken by both sides to help end the conflict. Palestinians in the OPT must focus on nonviolent resistance and filming their experiences to help bring an end to the hat â€Å"There is no lesson to be learned from the Shoo† (Part 8, 2:1 1) and that if Israeli education continues the way it is then they are headed towards destruction.Israeli soldiers are taught that they are doing the right thing in the name of nationalism, but violence by soldiers in the OPT promotes anger among Palestinians and a lessening chance of cooperation. Children on both sides will grow up and continue the fight of their parents. These films show that this conflict is a vicious cycle and if a solution is not found soon the situation will intensify and worsen.