Didions on Morality Essay Example for Free

Didions on Morality Essay What is it that forms and drives our â€Å"moral behaviors†? Are we born with a basic sense of morality or do we develop a set of moral â€Å"social codes† to keep society from falling into chaos and anarchy? In her essay â€Å"On Morality,† Joan Didion dissects what lies beneath the surface of humanity’s morality. By recounting several stories and historical events, she shows that morality at its basic â€Å"most primitive level† is nothing more than â€Å"our loyalties to the ones we love,† everything else is subjective. Didion’s first story points out our loyalty to family. She is in Death Valley writing an article about â€Å"morality,† â€Å"a word [she] distrust more every day.† She relates a story about a young man who was drunk, had a car accident, and died while driving to Death Valley. â€Å"His girl was found alive but bleeding internally, deep in shock,† Didion states. She talked to the nurse who had driven his girl 185 miles to the nearest doctor. The nurse’s husband had stayed with the body until the coroner could get there. The nurse said, â€Å"You just can’t leave a body on the highway, it’s immoral.† According to Didion this â€Å"was one instance in which [she] did not distrust the word, because [the nurse] meant something quite specific.† She argues we don’t desert a body for even a few minutes lest it be desecrated. Didion claims this is more than â€Å"only a sentimental consideration.† She claims that we promise each other to try and retrieve our casualties and not abandon our dead; it is more than a sentimental consideration. She stresses this point by saying that â€Å"if, in the simplest terms, our upbringing is good enough – we stay with the body, or have bad dreams.† Her point is that morality at its most â€Å"primary† level is a sense of â€Å"loyalty† to one another that we learned from our loved ones. She is saying that we stick with our loved ones no matter what, in sickness, in health, in bad times and good times; we don’t abandon our dead because we don’t want someone to abandon us. She is professing that morality is to do what we think is right; whatever is necessary to meet our â€Å"primary loyalties† to care for our loved ones, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. Didion emphatically states she is talking about a â€Å"wagon-train morality,† and â€Å"For better or for worse, we are what we learned as children.† She talks about her childhood and hearing â€Å"graphic litanies about the Donner-Reed party and the Jayhawkers. She maintains they â€Å"failed in their loyalties to each other,† and â€Å"deserted one another.† She says they â€Å"breached their primary loyalties,† or they would not have been in those situations. If we go against our â€Å"primary loyalties† we have failed, we regret it, and thus â€Å"have bad dreams.† Didion insist that â€Å"we have no way of knowing†¦what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong,’ what is ‘good and what is ‘evil’.† She sees politics, and public policy falsely assigned â€Å"aspects of morality.† She warns us not to delude ourselves into thinking that because we want or need something â€Å"that it is a moral imperative that we have it, then is when we join the fashionable madmen.† She is saying this will be our demise, and she may well be correct. Hitler’s idea that he had â€Å"a moral imperative† to â€Å"purify the Aryan race† serves as a poignant reminder of such a delusion. In 1939 Hitler’s Nazi army invaded Poland and started World War II. World War II came to an end in large part due to the United States dropping two atomic bombs. If the war had continued and escalated to the point of Hitler’s Nazis and the United States dropping more atomic bombs we could have destroyed most, if not all, of humanity, the ultimate act of â€Å"fashionable madmen.† We may believe our behaviors are just and righteous, but Didion’s essay makes us closely examine our motives and morals. She contends that madmen, murders, war criminals and religious icons throughout history have said â€Å"I followed my own conscience.† â€Å"I did what I thought was right.† â€Å"Maybe we have all said it and maybe we have been wrong.† She shows us that our â€Å"moral codes† are often subjective and fallacious, that we rationalize and justify our actions to suit our ulterior motives, and our only true morality is â€Å"our loyalty to those we love.† It is this â€Å"loyalty to those we love† that forms our families, then our cities, our states, our countries and ultimately our global community. Without these â€Å"moral codes,† social order would break down into chaos and anarchy.

The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Essays -- History Cub

The Role of Afro-Cubans in the Formation of Cuba Introduction In the formation of the Cuban nation, the role of Afro-Cubans is undeniably of great importance. The success and riches obtained by Cuba as a Spanish colony would have been unthinkable without the exploitation of African slave labor. Even before emancipation, there were key figures in the Cuban independence movement, such as Antonio Maceo, who were free men of Afro-Cuban origin. After emancipation in 1886, Afro-Cuban ex-slaves showed their enthusiasm for their future in Cuba by volunteering in large numbers to fight in the Liberation Army. Yet in the victory over the Spanish in 1898, Afro-Cubans were given little recognition for their overwhelming support, and were bypassed for positions of authority during the American occupation. The Americans generally appointed white Cuban exiles or Spanish soldiers over Afro-Cubans, destroying the hopes many had of finally receiving their "rightful share", in the words of historian Aline Helg. Helg’s book Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuba n Struggle for Equality, 1886-1912, discusses these repeated disappointments felt by Afro-Cubans. In 1902 Cubans were at last free to govern themselves, and a constitution was drafted declaring all men equal, and granting universal male suffrage. Yet whites still dominated the positions of power in Cuba, and justified themselves by adhering to a myth that racial equality had been established (Helg, 70). Dissatisfied with their lot, Afro-Cubans again participated in large numbers in a revolution, this time under the liberal Jose Miguel Gomez, who promised them improved representation in government positions. Following the disappointment surrounding the 1908 elections, Afro-Cubans began to d... ...top sacrificing everything for the good of Cuba. They had to love themselves and recognize their personal value; then they had to love their families, then, their race; and then, only after all this, their homeland" (241). The myth, or maybe ideal of racial equality and unity had been forgotten. The failure of Afro-Cubans to attain equality in Cuba was the result of a racist societal hierarchy dominated by a white upper class. The more Afro-Cubans pushed for reforms, the more whites resisted. Eventually, Afro-Cuban tactics became more radical, which led to the violent response to the Partido Independiente de Color. The ideal of fraternity between the races, held by the Cuban revolutionary heroes Maceo and Marti, was not able to survive. Resources Helg, Aline. Our Rightful Share: The Afro-Cuban Struggle for Equality, 1886-1912. UNC Press, Chapel Hill, 1995.

How Did the Indsutrial Development Unite or Divide the North and the South Essay

During the Civil War, the advances of the Industrial Revolution introduced great changes in the industrial and technological development. Both the North and the South created many advances in railroad and water transportation. The Union, however, was far more advanced technologically than the Confederate states . Consequently, the North made greater and more effective use of progress in weapons, communication, transportation and medicine than South . Although the industrial development made the nation very widely known, both the south and the north were divided because their differences. The Civil War was the first modern war that helped strengthen the technology and industrial system. But their industry and technology distinguished the two sides, which represented different economic conditions. The North had developed a strong economy that was becoming day-by-day more industrialized. By the nineteenth century, large factories and organizations sprang up throughout the north. Also, the population of the country was increasing and immigrants from all over Europe came along. The North was becoming a huge success but the South was falling behind. The North was rising in a higher success rate than the South. The Union flourished more factories and more transportation. Canals were being handmade, there was an increase of labor force and there it was becoming more adequate to transport product through trains . Inventions were also becoming to life. For example, the Telegraph was becoming a extremely useful. Invented by Samuel F. B. Morse, the Telegraph was inexpensive to make and was ideal for long distance communication. The north had more advantages in growing the economy because it had twice as big as the population from the south. It had much greater man power and it had a better work force. Many factories from the north built war material to supply to the Union. However, slavery was decreasing around the 1860’s and factories were pouring in by the immigrants from Europe. In fact, seven out of every eight immigrants that traveled to the U. S. settled in the North rather than the South. The economy in the North was also increasing therefore immigrants settled there to establish their own business. Northerners were far more likely to have careers in business, medicine, or education . Also, children were slightly more prone to attend school than Southern children. As for the South, the warm climate and the fertile soil made it ideal for farmers to grow significant amounts of crops. There were more abundant natural resources in the south and because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development . There were no large cities aside from a few known places. Most of the known cities existed near shipping ports to send agricultural produce to Northern destinations. However, the South had difficulty with transportation and most products were sent by water. Only a few train tracks were located in the South. In the other hand, Southern children tended to spend less time in school and most Southern families based their teachings in gravitating toward military careers as well as agriculture . The first half of the nineteenth century was a time of expansion and improvement of transportation systems. States in the North and the Midwest chartered and built overland roads and turnpikes. The Turnpike Era† (1790-1820) consisted of Americans relying on roads for internal transportation. Canals, such as the Erie Canal, tied New York City to the Great Lakes. Steamboats and railroads improved the movement of goods and people, forging ties that served both sides well during the Civil War. The first federal charter corporation that created the dream of the transcontinental railroad was the Union Pacific Railroad Company and the Central Pacific Company . Both of these companies gathered many immigrants, at low pay, to work massive hours to construct the railroad. However, better transportation fostered an upgrade on trade within the country and dispersed new civilization to the west. The industrial revolution created many social problems. Poverty became a growing concern, especially the fact that factory wages were scarcely adequate for family survival . Most residents experienced hunger and destitution. Among the poor, child labor was very common. Most parents forced their children to look for jobs instead of going to school for survival. Southerners often cited these factors as crimes whenever the North challenged its institution of slavery. The Industrial Revolution brought Southern landowners an invention that they adopted and embraced: The Cotton Gin. Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin made slavery profitable and made cotton the nation’s number one export . The South also adopted the steam engine, mainly to aid the cotton gin and to use on steamships to transport cotton. Ironically, the success of the cotton gin, by fostering slavery, helped to separate the two sides of the country and bring about the Civil War. The pace of immigration also stimulated economic growth while increasing differences between North nd South. Immigrants, mostly from Europe at this time, were supplied with low-cost labor. Most immigrants lived in the North where jobs were constantly available but had no respect to the workers. The use of standard, interchangeable parts, especially the manufacturing of guns, clocks, and sewing machines , allowed the nation to advance technologically by using unskilled workers. During the Civil War, with Southern representatives of Congress gone and the Republican Party controlling the house of Congress and the presidency, â€Å"the government set about to aid business and technology†. In 1862, the Department of Agriculture was founded. It provided a national center to coordinate agricultural development and promote scientific farming. â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. † This quotation was from Abraham Lincoln in 1858. Abraham Lincoln did not want the North and South to separate but for the Industry to grow bigger . In the first part of the quotation, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand†, portrays that the United States needs to be UNITED not divided. A house needs to stand tall and not let anything else break it down. It is true that the â€Å"government cannot endue permanently half-slave and half-free† because this needs to be a united country not a haft this haft that country. Lincoln convinced others that the United States could not be this way. It had to bet glued together again and it had to abolish anything that was not right. However, throughout time, The Divided States of America was soon becoming the United States of America. After Lincoln’s death, three amendments were ratified that help America put back to place. The 13th amendment concluded that slavery was officially abolished . The 14th amendment granted â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States, â€Å"to be citizens which included former slaves that were freed . The 15th amendment granted African Americans the right to vote . These three amendment helped bit by bit to repair the United States. Even though today there is still a difference in the North and South, our nation will always be together. The United States grew tremendously during the Industrial Revolution. Inventions were made, transportation was spread out, new jobs were increasing and more knowledge was diffusing. Throughout time, our population was growing and our nation got to spread out to the west to expand our land and culture. Even though our presidents may have made mistakes, we get to learn what we have done wrong and use that in our future. Our nation may have been divided for awhile but we can always retain it back. Back where it always was, united.

Preventing and Recovering Lost Work on the Computer

Its a terrible sinking feeling that every writer knows: searching in vain for a paper that took hours or days to create.  Unfortunately, there probably isnt a student alive who hasnt lost a paper or other work on the computer at some point. There are ways to avoid this terrible plight. The best thing you can do is educate yourself and prepare ahead of time, by setting up your computer to save your work and create a backup copy of everything. If the worst happens, however, there may be some ways to recover your work when using a PC. All Your Work Disappeared! One problem that can startle a writer is seeing everything disappear instantly as you are typing. This can happen if you accidentally select or highlight any portion of your work. When you highlight a passage of any length—from a single word to a hundred pages—and then type any letter or symbol, the program replaces the highlighted text with whatever comes next. So if you highlight your entire paper and accidentally type a â€Å"b† you’ll end up with only the single letter. Scary! Solution: You can fix this by going to Edit and Undo. That process will take you backward through your most recent actions. Be careful! You should do this immediately before an automatic save occurs. If you cant locate the Undo button, try Ctrl-Z, the keyboard shortcut for undo. Your Computer Crashed Or your computer froze, and your paper disappeared! Who hasn’t suffered this agony? We’re typing along the night before the paper is due and our system starts acting up! This can be a real nightmare. The good news is that most programs save your work automatically about every ten minutes. You can also set up your system to save more often. Solution: It’s best to set up for an automatic save every minute or two. We can type a lot of information in a short time, so you should save your work frequently. In Microsoft Word, go to Tools and Options, then select Save. There should be a box marked AutoRecover. Make sure the box is checked, and adjust the minutes. You should also see a selection for Always Create a Backup Copy. It’s a good idea to check that box, as well. You Accidentally Deleted Your Paper! This is another common mistake. Sometimes our fingers act before our brains get warmed up, and we delete things or save over them without thinking. The good news is, those documents and files can sometimes be recovered. Solution: Go to the Recycle Bin to see if you can find your work. Once you locate it, click on it and accept the option to Restore. You may also find deleted work by finding the options to Search Hidden Files and Folders. Files that are deleted don’t really disappear until they are overwritten. Until then, they may be stored on your computer but â€Å"hidden.† To try this recovery process using a Windows system, go to Start and Search. Select Advanced Search and you should see an option for including hidden files in your search. Good luck! You know You saved It, but You can’t find It! Sometimes it can seem like our work has disappeared into thin air, but it hasn’t really. For various reasons, we can sometimes accidentally save our work in a temporary file or another strange place, which makes us feel a little crazy when we try to open it later. These files can be difficult to open again. Solution: If you know you’ve saved your work but you can’t find it in a logical place, try looking in Temporary Files and other odd places. You may need to do an Advanced Search. You Saved Your Work on a Flash Drive and Now You’ve Lost It! Ouch. There’s not much we can do about a lost flash drive or floppy disk. You could try going to the computer where you worked to see if you can find a backup copy through an advanced search. Solution: There is a better way to avoid losing work if you are willing to take preventive measures ahead of time. Each time you write a paper or other work that you can’t afford to lose, take time to send yourself a copy by email attachment. If you get into this habit, you will never lose another paper. You can access it from any computer where you can access your email. Tips to Avoid Losing Your Work Use an online backup like iCloud and save often.If you’re working on a lengthy paper, always send yourself a copy by email attachment every time you update it.Always save a few versions every time you stop working. Save one to an external drive and one to the hard drive.Get In the habit of choosing the Yes option when the computer asks if you want to save changes. There are very few reasons for selecting No, so think carefully about what you’re doing every time you shut down your program.Sometimes we accidentally save two versions of our work, so one will be more updated than another. This can cause serious confusion. Avoid opening an old version that hasn’t been updated by sorting your documents by Date when you open them.