The Killer Angels: an Inside Look at the Battle of Gettysburg

The Killer Angels: An Inside Look at the Battle of Gettysburg The Killer Angels written by Michael Shaara, is a historical fiction novel that describes in great detail the events that took place during the battle of Gettysburg. In the forward we are given an in depth view of each of the main characters and key figures of the battle. For instance, we are told that that General Robert Edward Lee is an honest man with no vices who does not believe in slavery, he is also suffering from heart trouble. He leads the confederate army. And then we have Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain who has a brother, Thomas, who serves in the Twentieth Maine as an aide to his brother. The story begins on June 29th, 1863 with the introduction of a spy for the Confederate army. He comes to General Longstreet with information about the whereabouts of the Union army, who to Longstreet’s surprise, are nearby. This causes the Confederate army to reposition at Gettysburg. The battle begins on July 1st when the Confederates attack some of the Union army in the hills nearby Gettysburg. General Lee believes that the Confederates should be able to win this battle and engages the union armies utilizing varying tactics, he attacks the Union army’s left and right flanks and then attempts to divide they’re central strength to win the battle that way. But this method fails, the Union Army gained the upper hand when during the first day of battle they retreated and secured most of the higher ground giving them a fatal advantage. The story mainly follows the Confederates and General Lee as the protagonist, and it tells us what went wrong for them during this battle. We are given a detailed depiction of war tactics used during this time, and how the Union Army was able to win the battle by taking a defensive position on the higher hills of Gettysburg. The fact that the Union Army had higher ground coincides with the weapons that were utilized by both armies. Because the key losses that occurred took place when Chamberlain’s men ran out of ammunition and were successful only by charging their enemy with bayonets and when Pickett’s men attempted to charge the center strength of the Union army, I would say that momentum and visibility were key factors in a battle with the weapons that were available to them. It is also apparent that Lee’s heart problems seem to be affecting his decision- making throughout the story. Perhaps he has become more foolhardy with his own mortality so tangible. The amount of death and losses that the Confederates suffer seem to echo the thoughts he has of himself. It becomes quite apparent that the Confederate army will fail after General Longstreet’s continual insistence that they should swing southeast towards Washington, D. C. and take a defensive position. If General Lee had heeded Longstreet’s advice, perhaps the Confederate Army could have won the Civil War. In conclusion, The Killer Angels is a book that uses great detail and epic dialogue to describe the events that took place at the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It gives us a closer look at the tactics and strategies utilized by our forefathers during that time period and not only allows us a glimpse of the personalities of some of the key leaders of the Civil War but shows us how these personalities influenced this battle.

It Is Better to Be Ruled by a Philosopher King Essay

If one wishes to perfect one’s soul and reach enlightenment, then it is definitely better for that one to be ruled by a philosopher-king; however, if one’s main goal in life is to live happily and securely without worries, then it is arguably better for that one to be ruled by a prince. One should, however, seek to perfect one’s soul rather than seek for happiness and security alone, hence, it is better to be ruled by a philosopher-king. This paper will first lay out the reasons why one should be governed by either a Machiavellian prince or a philosopher-king, and point out that the different benefits between the two rulers depends on the different sets of priorities in a citizen’s life. Then, the paper will argue why one should pursue the values under the rule of a philosopher-king rather than that under the rule of a prince. Finally, it will look at some counter argument, analyze and assert why the thesis is still superior. If one’s main wish is to live happily and securely, then it might be better for that one to be ruled by a Machiavellian prince, since a Machiavellian prince’s main goal as a ruler is to secure his state. The perfect prince would appear to be â€Å"merciful, faithful, humane, honest, and religious†, but â€Å"know how to enter into evil, when forced by necessity† to â€Å"maintain his state. † Consequently, the people living under this prince would benefit in the peace that comes with his reign. Moreover, the people are free to pursue whatever materialistic goals they want, so long as they do not violate the laws of the prince. The prince is also neither â€Å"rapacious and a usurper of the property and the women of his subjects† nor is he trying to â€Å"maintain a name for liberality† so much that he â€Å"burden the people extraordinarily, to be rigorous with taxes. † Hence, the people living under a prince’s reign will enjoy a sufficient life with stability, security and freedom to pursue their materialistic wants. If ones seek to perfect their souls, to come out of the cave and â€Å"into the sunlight†, then life under the rule of a philosopher-king is ideal. Under the rule of a philosopher-king, the king will try to â€Å"[turn] the whole soul until it is able to study that which is and the brightest things that is, namely, the one we call the good. † To do this, one must first â€Å"rid of [feasting, greed, and other such pleasures]† that one â€Å"had been hammered at from childhood†, and then â€Å"[turn] to look at true things. The philosopher-king, whose visions and knowledge is true and wise, will help educate the people by changing theirs desires, â€Å"[try] to redirect it appropriately. † A life under a philosopher-king will benefit one’s soul rather than one’s materialistic life. It is obvious as explained previously that the key to the desirability of the two different systems, one under the Machiavellian prince and one under the ph ilosopher-king, lies in how the people prioritize what they look for in life; hence, different sets of values will be satisfied by different political systems. Thus, at first look, it seems impossible to determine which system is better because they are based on completely different sets of values. However, as one set is arguably better to pursue than the other, consequently, one political system will be more desirable than the other. The set of criteria in question is that under the rule of the philosopher-king. It is better for a person to pursue a knowledgeable, true, and rational life that a philosopher-king promises to provide than a materialistic and secure life alone that the Machiavellian prince promises. First, it needs to be pointed out that Machiavelli also seems to see there is of little value for a prince to pursue materialistic desires, unless it serves a bigger purpose, such as the acquirement of â€Å"abundance of either men or money† serves to â€Å"put together an adequate army and fight a battle against whoever comes to attack them. † Machiavelli seems to imply that a prince seeks not just power, but also seeks to be more glorious, excellent, and virtuous than ordinary men. He states that as a commander, a prince should have â€Å"no other object, nor any other thought, nor take anything else as his art but that of war and its order and discipline†; and when a prince â€Å"have thought more of amenities than of arms, [he has] lost [his state]. † This seems to imply that a prince should not seek trivial contentment, but only that of commanders; and as a leader, a prince should desire to be esteemed, feared, and loved, and avoid to be viewed as â€Å"variable, light, effeminate, pusillanimous, irresolute. Hence, Machiavelli seems to say that even though not everyone has virtues, thus, those who do will rise and become princes while the rest will be ruled over, it is desirable that one should aspire to become a prince, seek virtues, prove one’s excellence with his prudence. Socrates, hence, also seems to agree with Machiavelli that one should seek more in life than the satisfaction of one’s instinctive desires. However, Socrate s disagrees with Machiavelli on two points. First, Socrates disagrees that only a few has virtues but everyone is capable of achieving more in life but rather everyone is capable of pursuing virtues. Second, he believes that there is only the â€Å"virtue of reason† that, unlike others that â€Å"aren’t there beforehand but are added later by habit and practice,† has always been there intrinsically inside of everyone. He states that this virtue â€Å"never loses its power but is either useful and beneficial or useless and harmful, depending on the way it is turned. † Socrates, thus, might argue with Machiavelli that the virtues that he assigns for the perfect prince are derivatives of this single virtue of reason, which is â€Å"forced to serve evil ends. † Hence, the perfect prince is capable of horrid things, but still very clever to maintain his image. Socrates perhaps can conclude that the prince described by Machiavelli is a case where the virtue of reason is turned to the wrong way. Thus, Socrates reasons that everyone is capable of pursuing this virtue of reason, and hence, capable of greatness, but they need guidance and education to â€Å"[turn] around from darkness to light. † Machiavelli then might agree that everyone might be capable of greatness, but he still disagrees as to why any person with the virtue of reason should not become a prince to dominate others, but agree to be governed by the philosopher-king. Now, assume that Socrates’ model of the human soul is correct and sufficient; it might give an answer to this problem. Socrates reasons that a human’s soul consists of three parts, a human who represents our virtue of reasons, a lion which represents our beastly power and aggression, also courage and nobility, and a multicolored beast with â€Å"a ring of many heads that it can grow and change at will† which represents our various desires, â€Å"some from gentle, some from savage animals. With the previously established argument that Machiavelli and Socrates may agree that the satisfaction of materialistic desires holds little value, hence, the scenario that the multicolored beast is in control can be eliminated, and so, the argument may be narrowed down to Machiavelli wanting the noble and courageous lion to dominate, while Socrates remains that the rational human should be in control. The initial description of the lion seems to match the dominant characteristics of that of the Machiavellian prince; however, as Machiavelli says himself, a prince needs both natures of man and beast, since â€Å"one without the other is not lasting. † The prince, hence, is still governed by both the man with virtue of reasons and the lion with courage and nobility. He uses the virtues of reason to acquire other virtues to become a prince, but he is still driven by the instinct of the noble lion to achieve glory and conquer others. As the human is the â€Å"best part of [a human soul]† it is still best to have the human part be in control over the bestial parts, because then, the â€Å"entire soul settles into its best nature, acquires moderation, justice, and reason. † Thus, people should seek to achieve this state of the soul where the human part is in control, it then takes care of the multicolored beast â€Å"as farmer does his animals†, and tends to the lion so that â€Å"the lion’s nature [becomes] his ally. This form of goodness of the soul is â€Å"the last thing to be seen, and it is reached only with difficulty. † Hence, the people will want and need the help of a philosopher-king. Since â€Å"a democratic man like a city ruled by a democracy, and similarly with the others†, the life under the rule of a philosopher-king will be similarly to the life which the philosopher-king rules himself. He will ensure by laws or otherwise, that his subject citizens will b e â€Å"the slave of [the philosopher-king] who has a divine ruler within himself. A philosopher-king does not wish to enslave the people to exploit from them, but only to help nurture and bring out the best of the people. When the people are ready, are equipped with â€Å"guardians and ruler similar to [the philosopher-king],† then the people will be set free. It will be ideal for everyone to be ruled by his own divine reason within himself. In conclusion, it is better to be ruled by a philosopher-king because one should goes after the values that the philosopher-king promotes. That is, one should find the virtue of reasons, and by the power of this virtue and the help of the philosopher-king, pursue the ideal balance of the soul, where the human part governs his consciousness and reins in the beasts. The Machiavellian prince is still governed by both the lion and the human, and he lets the people indulge themselves in their desires, hence, the prince is not the best choice of ruler, for himself and for his people alike.

Family Life Can Create Considerable Stress

How do know? Well let's just say experience has the best of me on this one. For example, the relationship with my parents I think broke my heart more than it did theirs. Although they weren't married, so I didn't experience the process of a divorced family they still separated. I was about four and lots of people don't remember that much when you're that young, but I did. I remember the bond me and my father shared, we were inseparable. Remember the bond me and my dad's mom had, she was my nana felt her love no matter where was. Subsequently my mother took me and left.That was family and she left without a problem. Was devastated, growing up that never left my mind, and how easy it was for her to just, leave. I let the stress build thinking of growing up without a father just got to me. Now I didn't go through divorce papers, courts and custody battles I could imagine that's a whole lot worse than what my situation was. But do know the feeling of separated parents, I do know how it f eels to think about having that family where everything was normal and you had them tot by your side, in one place you can really call home.Now being with divorced or separated parents is stressful just think you don't want to choose sides you love them both. They both love you as well, that why they've set up this arrangement so you can switch every weekend, summer and/or holiday. There's a plus you can have two rooms, two birthdays and so forth. On the contrary you have to deal with step parents, step siblings arguments with who gets you on Christmas day or who can keep you an extra day longer. The stress is just overwhelming don't you think?You love them both, so you don't want to say no to them, you don't want them thinking you are choosing sides, one over the other so what do you do. Then you have friends to deal with at both places and depending on how far apart your parents live from each other. Your friends at your dads are going bowling one weekend and your friends at your moms are going to the movies that same weekend and now you have to choose who you want to hang out with. Its just stressful. All they want is you, and all you want is stability.One home, one family, one life. Now there are those situations where you don't have two rooms, you don't have to deal with both parents and all the arguments and what not. You just have to deal with one parent. That sounds whole lot less stressful right? It can be, but then there are those people who aren't as fortunate as others. People who let their stress override them and their parent wasn't there to help. The type of residence you grow up in is critical to the process of a child who has divorced parents or only one parent.If no one is there for them and they onto know where to turn to the world we live in today can provide them with lots of things to turn to. All it takes is hanging with the wrong crowd. For instance I only had my mother and due to the fact that she was never home had no one to turn to, so started hanging out in the streets. One thing led to another and there was every day, every night in the street up to no good with the wrong people not going to school, fighting, doing drugs, drinking stealing and so much more that I know I will regret for the rest of my life.All of the drugs, drinking and fighting made me think it took the stress away it eloped me forget until was sober again, but that just gave me more of reason to do it more. This went on for about four years. While I thought it was taking the stress away it was really putting on more stress, if I didn't have what I needed to take the stress away I stressed about it, looking for whatever would take it all away. Now I'm not saying this is exactly what will happen everyone has their different ways of coping with things and it all just depends on what's in front of you at the moment. Its also about who you turn to.Whether they are there for you or for themselves. Not everyone can relate, but you would be surprise d on how many people do relate. Its tough when you don't have the proper people to turn to, or you have all of the bad choices sitting right in front of you. So much pressure, so much stress, it will never stop no matter how many times you tell yourself you got this, you can do it, it just won't stop. The stress just overwhelms you. But you can fight it, you know the bad choices the stress, you can override it, and all you need to do is talk to someone or have someone give you that push you need.

Alcohol : Alcohol And Nicotine Abuse

topic- I’ve decided to write about alcohol abuse because it has effected people in my family in many ways Definition - Alcohol abuse: Use of alcoholic beverages to excess, either on individual occasions (binge drinking) or as a regular practice. For some individuals, children or pregnant women, for example, almost any amount of alcohol use may be legally considered 'alcohol abuse. ' Heavy alcohol abuse can cause physical damage and death. Definition of Alcohol abuse (2016 MedicineNet). Retrieved september†¦ Alcohol Abuse Amber Wienberg Brown Mackie College- Lenexa, KS July 11, 2015 Alcohol Abuse Alcohol is the most abuse and widely used substance (Fortinash & Worret, 2012, pg. 333). According to Fortinash and Worret, 9.6% of American males and 3.2% of American females are alcohol dependent (2012, pg. 33). As stated by Psychology Today, alcohol abuse is defined by: failure to fulfill major school, work or home responsibilities, drink and driving, reoccurring legal issues related to alcohol†¦ Drug and Alcohol Abuse Drugs are not something that plagues the local area, it is all around the world. Drugs have been around for a very long time. Drugs have been hurting people mentally, physically, and emotionally for centuries whether illegal or legal. Some say that drugs are okay, it causes no harm, but the person taking drug. Taking a certain amount or the wrong drugs can get people in trouble or even kill them. Drugs can ruin peoples life’s. The average age of people who first†¦ Advocating for Prevention of Alcohol Abuse Advocating for individuals to reduce alcohol abuse and dependence is crucial to society’s well being. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between the years of 2006-2010 â€Å"excessive alcohol is responsible for 88,000 death annually and cost the United States an estimated $223.5 billion†(cdc.gov, 2016). The short and long-term health risks of alcohol abuse are significant and are estimated to shorten the life span of individuals by†¦ Alcohol dependence is a substance related disorder in which an individual is physically or psychologically dependent upon drinking alcohol. There are many reasons for why people develop alcohol abuse disorder and they can be explained through biological, psychological and social approaches to explain this complex disorder. Biological evidence shows us that certain people are more genetically vulnerable to drug abuse according to researchers conducting twin, family, and adoption studies. It is also†¦ also verified college binge drinkers are more likely to develop one or more alcohol related diagnostic criteria such as alcohol abuse and dependence in post college years compared to non-alcohol drinkers. In line with Jennison’s study, the research (National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse, 2002, cited in Doran et al, 2006, P.1920) depicted that the early starting drinking in adolescent is related to developing alcohol issues as well as trying other illicit drugs ( Barnow et al., 2004, Zeigler†¦ using alcohol is an abusing way (Ammerman, Ott, and Tarter). â€Å"It is a chronic and progressive illness that involves the excessive inappropriate ingestion of ethyl alcohol† (â€Å"Alcoholism†). Equally, it can be characterized as an emotional and many times, physical dependence on alcohol. It is thought to come from a combination of a wide range of physiological, social, and genetic factors (â€Å"Alcoholism†). Even though both are very similar, there is a difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence†¦ independence. â€Å"Alcohol consumption in humans is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States (McGinnis & Foege, 1993). A common abuse pattern called binge drinking contributes to a substantial portion of alcohol-related deaths (Chikritzhs, Jonas, Stockwell, Heale, & Dietze, 2001)†.Though with freedom comes responsibility. If not handled properly freedom can lead to bad decisions and the biggest mistake university students make are usually related to alcohol. According to the†¦ Definitions: alcohol abuse: it is the act of consuming alcohol containing products frequently or inappropriately (e.g. Binge drinking); which might result in short term or long term complications. It is often associated with addictive behaviors and it most likely interferes with person’s normal life balance, including the ability to work and interpersonal relationships. Alcoholism: it is the addiction to consuming alcoholic drinks or alcohol dependency. this condition is also classified as alcohol-use disorder†¦ The affect that alcohol has on an individual is dependent on the relationship they have with the substance. Alcohol use can be defined as having one drink or less per day for women and two or fewer drinks per day for men (Shari, 2011). An individual who is using alcohol safely maximizes the positive effects of drinking (Shari, 2011). Alternatively, alcohol abuse occurs when an individual who is consciously aware of the negative consequences of the substance, continues to consume excessive amounts†¦

Importance of community health nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of community health nursing - Essay Example Hospitals are mostly the place of being exposed at the bedside nursing but now community health nursing is a field that is as important to the society. Being in a baccalaureate program had given me intrigue and more opportunities to explore my career in community health nursing. The primary mission of community health nursing is improving the overall health of the population through health promotion, illness prevention, and protection of the public from a variety of biological, behavioral, social, and environmental threats (Clark, 2008). Community health nursing has contributed so much to the social and healthcare reform. Moreover, the importance of this nursing field has created great changes in how nursing is being provided to an individual. There are significant events that the community health nursing established, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Communicable Disease Center (CDC), and American Red Cross. Public health nursing has led to many of the policy revolutions that helped bring family planning, workplace safety, and maternal child health services to people in need(â€Å"Nursing,† 2008). The global impact of community health nursing is not only around the nursing aspect but also around the cultural side of the society. Access of healthcare for the population is very diverse and with the government assistance to fund such different outreach programs, the choices of which a community needs health services are easily available for them. The importance of which is that the person is being treated at the convenience of there home, there community or people around them. The increasing availability of health care services such as community health nursing contributes to a better society especially in the nonurban areas, and elderly population. With the rising increase in the elderly population, illegal immigrants, and uninsured individual in the United States, community health services has provided care in a way that health

A problem in civil engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A problem in civil engineering - Essay Example The effects of civil engineering to the environment start from its construction to its use i.e. the use of vehicles on the already built roads. All these have contributed to the environmental pollution. The most areas that civil engineering affects in the environment include the air, water and it defragments the habitats. All these effects are the main contributors of climate change (Moavenzadeh, 1994, p. 29). The main origin of this pollution is the construction sites. This is where all the activities take place. The main products in the construction site are the waste products. Construction is one of the economic activities that use natural resources but it produces wastes to the environment. These wastes are produced in very high quantities that cannot be disposed easily. There accumulation increasing in very short time. These wastes can be in form of gas, sand, stones, ceramic or glass. Other dangerous products include wood treated with metal oxides and the paints. All these wast es are produced in large quantities yet they cannot be recycled. This has given engineers hard times in trying to either to disposes or recycle them. Other products can be recycled but the problem is that they are already contaminated. Civil engineers have been forced to buy some landfills in order to dispose the wastes there. Deposition can be very hard more especially where some people refuse to sell their landfills for deposition (Moavenzadeh, 1994, p. 34). The construction wastes caused a lot of contamination on both land and the water. During construction, the fluids used are the main pollutants to the environment. At times, these fluids are pumped into the sewage but they also damage the sewage plants. For these plants to be repaired, they require high cost and this cause too much inconveniences to the authorities involved. To avoid all these problems, all waste paint used should be collected and recycled. Furthermore, water used for washing contains a lot of suspensions that may also cause some inconveniences in the sewage treatment. Construction also causes emission of dust and other gases into the air leading to air pollution. With increase in this air pollution, it leads to climate change. Dust can also cause visual impact. This leads to invisibility. Construction sites are also full of noise. Noise is air pollution. Noise is generated by the heavy machineries used for construction. However it is very important to research on the effects of civil engineering on the environment. The main objective of the research is to find the various ways in which the civil engineering activities affect the environment and the possible ways of reducing these effects (Moavenzadeh, 1994, p. 37). Task 2 Despite the positive impacts that civil engineering entails, there are also negative effects that the activity brings to the environment. These negative effects are increase as the civil engineering intensifies in most parts of the world. The need of more civil construc tions has made it difficult to reduce these civil engineering effects on the environment. However, there is a need to look at the way this civil construction affects the climate and to deduce the possible ways to reduce it. Research should be done to identify then factors that accelerate these effects and the ways of controlling the menace should be put in place. The hypothesis of this research is to identify how civil engineering affects the environment a

Macroeconomic Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Macroeconomic Coursework - Essay Example In other words what macroeconomic theoretical models seek to accomplish by way of controlling or stimulating variables such as inflation or/and growth are sought to be accomplished in a more articulate manner by these representative agent models. Representative agent models are in fact some efforts of economists to model and represent the macro economy as if it were a single unit. These representative agent models are based on the basic tenets of the original models. On the other hand stimulative fiscal policy measures are adopted by governments in response to recessions or economic downturns. A recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in a year, can be partially or wholly reversed by using a combination of macroeconomic measures or solutions such as fiscal or/and monetary policy measures. At least this is the belief among economists though there can be a lot of arguments to prove that it cannot be done as easily as it’s proposed. Representative agent models would necessarily require that some very stringent assumptions are satisfied before the model is adopted so that outcomes could be predicted with a degree of certainty. Thus all representative agent models based on classical/neoclassical, Keneysian/neo-Keneysian and monetary theories assume that fiscal stimulus programs could effectively boost economic growth during a recession or an economic downturn. However, those assumptions that they require as essential pre-conditions might be very difficult to fulfill though. Fiscal policy involves budgetary measures in which the government carries through a deficit budget in order to stimulate the economy by charging lower corporate taxes. In other words fiscal revenue in the given fiscal year will be less than government expenditure on projects. These projects are naturalluy intended to stimulate spending and subsequent economic growth (Ertl, 2008). When the government spends more than what it