Power :: essays research papers

Power. A word from which many meanings derive. To each individual, it means something distinct and it is how one uses their power that makes up who they are. Power does not come from the barrel of a gun. A gun can do nothing without someone there to pull the trigger. The power to take a life rests within the person, the gun simply serving as their tool. When groups protesting for a cause they believe in use violent tactics, do they ever accomplish anything? When we kill , what do we achieve? To say that power lies in the barrel of a gun is to say that the most effective way to get what we want, or what we feel we deserve is to murder. It is only those with no faith in their dreams, or belief in themselves who could make such a statement. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "If a man hasn’t found something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live." A leader in the Black community and the recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, King’s accomplishment of attaining civil rights for Blacks was a great one, but the road to achievement was long and full of sacrifices. It was a time when Blacks had no rights and most of them accepted this as the way it was and no one could do anything about it. Most of them, but not King. When the police arrested a black woman for sitting in the front of the bus and refusing to give up her seat to a white woman, King led a committee that organized a boycott of buses. The results were that on April 23, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that "segregation in public transportation is unconstitutional" and that South Carolina as well as 12 other states must remove the "whites only" signs that hung in the front of the buses. This was just the beginning, he vowed to continue his fight using "passive resistance and the weapon of love". He helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and became its first president. Then in 1957, King met with Vice-president Nixon in Washington to "discuss racial problems . He went on to lead protests, demonstrations and marches, making the non-violent resistance stronger than it had ever been before. He succeeded in making people aware that every human being is born equal

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu became one of South Africa’s most out spoken annotator of apartheid. His religious belief was based upon the biblical teachings of Christ. Tutu believed in the biblical teaching of Galatians 3:28, â€Å"There is neither Jew, nor Greek, slave nor free, male more female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus† (Gish 128). That particular biblical teaching taught of equality for all whites, blacks and colored people.Apartheid itself started off of as religion and that was the main reason why it was able to stand for so long was because of the Whites wrong interpretation of the Bible, that stated that : White people are superior to the Blacks but clearly it was not so in the eye’s of God. Being a Christian to him meant objecting to racial discrimination and prejudice (http://countrystudies. us/south-africa/53. htm ). Tutu believed in what the Bible said as being true and correct â€Å"I now realize that it the true that God treats everyone on the same basi s† (Act 10:34).It was the religious teachings in Christianity that motivated him rather than political hunger. As a priest Tutu felt that it was his responsibility to do what it was that God wanted him to do and racial segregation was not part of God’s plan for South Africa. Tutu would often describe the Apartheid as â€Å"evil and unchristian†. He was influenced in his views by white clergymen, who were also opponent of apartheid. (http://teacherlink. ed. usu. edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-famous/desmond. htm).Tutu frequently told the government of South Africa that apartheid was not part of God’s plan and that it was doomed for failure (http://www. sahistory. org. za/people/archbishop-emeritus-mpilo-desmond-tutu). What also motivated him was the fact that he too was also discriminated against for being Black, he was deprived the right to do basic duties of a citizen of South Africa (couldn’t vote, had to Carry a pass, etc) but he had the support of the Black and colored community which encouraged him to fight for equal civil rights for all, the abolition of South Africa’s passport laws, and a common education system (http://www. oreorless. au. com/heroes/tutu. html ), (http://teacherlink. ed. usu. edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-famous/desmond. htm ). While Tutu was in London, England he found a â€Å"new world† where there was respect for all people of every single skin color. The experience in London was exhilarating for Tutu’s family, after the oppression under apartheid. Tutu was able to dabble in his love for cricket. He even has the opportunity to preach to a white congregation. Those few years spent in London fuel his urge to fight apartheid even more. http://www. sahistory. org. za/people/archbishop-emeritus-mpilo-desmond-tutu ). He wanted to make that change in South Africa. A few years after returning to South Africa Tutu was appointed the first black Archbishop of Cape Town in the Anglican Church. With such prestige power he was vigorously promoted â€Å"speak truth to power†. He encouraged the use of non violent resistance by the blacks and also the world wide community by applying economic sanctions against the government of South Africa.As result of this the government threw him in prison for a short time frame and cancelled his passport (http://www. tutu. org/timeline/1976-1983/ ). Inevitably, Tutu began to speak out against the injustices of the apartheid system. He supported an international boycott to pressure his country into a peaceful reform; he was publically raising international awareness of what was really happening in South Africa. He tried to urge foreign companies to disinvest in South Africa particularly the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom.This was an effort to pressurize the government to break down and it soon succeeded (http://www. thefamouspeople. com/profiles/desmond-tutu-75. php ) (http://www. tutu. org/timeline/1976-1983/ ) (Gish 90) . Tutu tireless anti apartheid campaigning during the 1980 eventually won him the Nobel peace prize. The Nobel committee cited this â€Å"role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to resolve the problem in South Africa†.He was chosen by President Nelson Mandel to chair South Africa’s Truth and reconciliation commission, which was set up to investigate crimes that were committed during the apartheid regime. This committee acted as a healing body for all who was affected by the apartheid reign â€Å"people has been bottled up for so long that when the chance came for them to tell their stories, the floodgates opened† (http://www. tutu. org/peace-centre/), (http://www. justice. gov. za/trc/ ). Tutu used his faith in God, prayer, speeches, words, and non- violence to stand up for the rights of people in South Africa to fight apartheid.

Should Animals Be Placed On Animal Testing - 1513 Words

The only law that has been created to regulate animal treatment is the Animal Welfare Act, according to InfoBase learning, â€Å"the law does not, however, ban the infliction of pain on animal subjects outright. Additionally, the Animal Welfare Act covers only dogs, cats, primates, rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs. It does not cover mice, rats, or birds.† While this law does set restrictions on animal testing, it does not cover all species used for research. Through this act, select animals are provided minimal protection, while the other animals are excluded. The animals that do receive the protection are still mistreated and abused, while the animals that are unaffected by the law are still being mistreated, to a greater degree. The animals deserve much better treatment and unfortunately have no control over whether or not they will be tested on. Because of the problems surrounding animal experimentation, limitations should be placed on animal testing because of ethical st andards, unreliability, and existing alternative methods. Imagine Max, a helpless dog, is going to get tested today, however not with the usual sort of tests we go in for. Instead, Max will be used as an experiment, an examination to see how his body will react to pesticides. There is no guarantee that Max will live through this trial. This is the case for many dogs in laboratories across the U.S., is it ethical? Many will agree that if Max was a human, things would be very different in the face ofShow MoreRelatedAnimal Testing Should Not Be Banned1077 Words   |  5 Pages Did you know that in the United States alone 26 million animals are used in testing each year? Did you know the Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) does not protect 95% of animals in experiments and testing and that over 97 thousand animals that experience pain are not given drugs to ease the pain? That the United States and Gabon are the only two countries that allow testing on chimpanzees? Animal testing has been used worldwide and for many different matters, but does the use of it really help andRead MoreHave You Ever Seen A Cruelty Free Symbol In The Shape Of1430 Words   |  6 Pagescontents were made without it being tested on an animal first. But what if the symbol wasn’t on the bottle? Have you ever thought of what would happen to that bunny you would usually see in a pet store? To answer this question, commonly, animals put through experimentation are put through force feeding, food deprivation, and inflictions of wounds. That bunny probably is not okay right now. Cosmetic companies all over the world endanger the lives of animals to test toxicity and irritation of products.Read MoreAnimal Experimentation Should Be Eliminated1656 Words   |  7 Pagesabuse animals in medical research? People’s opinions on this topic will vary but as strong as an opinion can be, there is more to it than just that. After reading a lot of different articles on animal testing, it has not been as beneficial to humans as we think. People misunderstand the cruelty and torture animals are put through in their lives, and are unaware or just simply don’t understand the procedures and techniques that they endure. Animal experimentation should be eliminated. Animal testingRead MoreAnimal Testing in Cosmetics Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pagesinvolve the use of harmless animals. Several large commercial companies do not make products for animals; they decide that using these harmless creatures for the testing of their products, could be cause to be harmful to animals still go forward with these types of procedures on an everyday basis. Although these animals are unable to defend themselves or signs of any form of consent for the near death procedures, these companies find this as a cheap solution for testing their products before placingRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Inhumane For Diseases, And Development Of Medical Treatments983 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is animal testing ? Animal testing is when scientist experiment on animals to find cures for diseases, and development of medical treatments. Many animals die because of this. Majority of people don’t know what they go through and how the process is done. Animal testing is inhumane for the following: why it is done, how it is done, and when it is done. To begin with, why is it done? Animal testing is done to protect humans from bad products that may hurt them, also to find ways to cure diseasesRead MoreEssay about Animal Rights1553 Words   |  7 Pagesissue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. They support this position by stating that humans, instinctually, prioritize their own survival above other animals thus making any use of animals justifiable (Fox 5). The supporters of animal testing believeRead MoreAnimal Experimentation And My Personal Stance On The Matter1159 Words   |  5 PagesDo animals feel pain? Do they suffer when in distress? Almost all animal research is conducted for better understanding of human diseases and illnesses, rarely are animals used for the bene fits of animals. Is the pain felt by animals worth the advances in human understandings? I will discuss what animals are used for, why they are used, the ethical dilemma of animal research, laws relevant to the study of animal experimentation and my personal stance on the matter. Animal testing has many otherRead More Animal testing Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesUse of animals for Laboratory Testing There has been an on going debate on whether to use animals for laboratory testing. There are people now saying the use of animals in laboratory testing is not necessary and there are other alternatives. Many of these people claim the tests that are performed on the animals are not particularly valid. On the other hand, others claim that laboratory testing has been depended on animals to achieve medical advances. Whether or not the use of animals in laboratoryRead MoreEssay about The Cruelty of Animal Testing1245 Words   |  5 PagesThere are nearly 26 million animals in the United States who are tested for commercial and scientific use. The AWA- Animal Welfare Act- provides limitations on which animals institutions and scientists can use. Since 1850, the AWA protected about 1,134,693 animals, but has left about 25 million other animals to be scientifically and commercially used. The fact that there are about 25 million animal species not protected by the AWA has many people against animal testing. The AWA sets minimum housingRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned848 Words   |  4 Pages As a society we have failed to notice, it’s everywhere. The animal testing footprint. Aeroguard, Chapstick, Michael Kors, Palmolive and Dettol: these common household brands all have the dark footprints of animal experimentation embedded into it. Each year over 6.5 million animals are brutally tested, killed or harmed in Australia and New Zealand, for many brands across the nation. You may think that Animal Testing has nothing to do with you but the real truth is, it does. It’s unavoidable to