The Olympic Games Essay Example for Free

The Olympic Games Essay There were many factors that helped shape the Olympic Games from 1892 to 2002. Originally, Olympic Games were conducted in Ancient Greece in hopes of uniting its city-states Athens and Sparta and to promote peace through sports activity. When Olympic Games were resurrected in 1892, they had the same goal of promoting peace in the world. Over time factors such as nationalism, The Cold War, changes in global economy and a rise in feminism facilitated changes in the Olympic Games. However, a great additional document to add would be a personal letter from one of the German athletes or a bar graph before the world wars had taken place. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, World War I and World War II occurred followed by The Cold War. Countries entered the Olympic Games in hopes of finding peace through friendly competition, while leaving their individual problems behind. In document 1, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement in 1892 thought, â€Å"Reduction of the chances of war helps promote peace†. This quote means that when the countries came together for friendly competition at the Olympic Games, wars weren’t taking place. Pierre de Coubertin also believed that the Olympics Games helped promote peace and as founder, he wanted everyone to feel a sense of unity within them. The author of document 6 shares the same belief. The Soviet Union committee believed that, â€Å"a consistent and peaceful foreign policy† had a dramatic influence on the 1980 Olympics. The Soviet Union/USSR believed this because in 1980 the pressure on Soviet Union to end the Cold War was increasing. By hosting Olympic Games in 1980, USSR was eager to show their will to come together with the world in a peaceful manner. Although Pierre de Coubertin and the Soviet Union Committee believed that the Olympic Games would help promote peace, some nations and countries just wanted to win out of pride and return home with glory. Nationalism is another factor that played part in shaping the Olympic Games. In document 3, Arnold Lunn, a British Olympic team official at the 1936 games believed, â€Å"The Nazis had to prove that they were the best at skiing† and that â€Å"Nazism is better than democracy. † However, because the 1936 games were held before World War II, it brought the conflict of various ideologies. Due to their belief in their supremacy, the German athletes were forced to cheat such as using closed course for practice. They just couldn’t afford to lose. Also, in document 4, Bob Matthias, a United States competitor from the 1952 games, expressed his point of view. Bob Matthias stated, â€Å"There were many pressures on the American athletes to defeat the Soviet team†¦ they were in real sense the enemy†. Because he was a USA competitor, it was the natural feeling of patriotism towards his country to feel this way towards the USSR, USA’s enemy. This also made the Olympic Games seem like a battle between countries, capitalist and communist ideologies, instead of a friendly competition between countries. In addition, document 10 expresses national pride. Ali Kabir, a sports writer for the newspaper Dawn states, â€Å"our team finished 2nd to India in the 1956 Olympics†¦ the current national team tarnished the country’s name†. Ali believed that the Pakistan’s men’s field hockey team won at the 1956 and the 1960 Olympics because they felt pride towards their country. He also believes that the current national team lost pride in their country, therefore they didn’t prevail. As you can see, documents 3, 4 and 10 show how nationalism affected the Olympic Games. Another factor that had major influence on the Olympic Games in addition to nationalism was the global economy. Many countries wanted to host the Olympics to attract visitors to their country and to demonstrate their power. The Olympic Games were also beneficial for the economy. Ryotaro Azuma, mayor of Tokyo and chairman of 1964 games committee stated, â€Å"Without the magic of the Olympics, we might not have gotten what we needed to rise as a world power†. Ryotaro believed this, because as a Mayor he saw firsthand the important role of tourism for the city of Tokyo, which has become one of the top economic cities in the world. Ryotaro Azuma also believed that the Olympic Games helped Tokyo achieve this economic success. Furthermore, document 7 was written from a Japanese economist stating his point of view. This person states, â€Å"Korea failed to display its industrial and economic power worldwide. † He believed that although Seoul was hosting the Olympics of 1988, they did not use the opportunity to benefit economically. He also believed that other countries such as Japan and USA dominant over South Korea on political, industrial and economic terms because they were actively sponsoring the Games. Yet another document, document 9, is a bar graph representing the amount of money spent for broadcasting different Olympic Games. Since it is clear that this amount increased by hundreds of millions from Game to Game, one could infer that the Olympic Games could be used by the host countries to â€Å"show off† through publicity and broadcasting and to also bring in huge revenues . Lastly, a major driving factor shaping the Olympic Games was the feminist movement. Document 2 is a picture of Sybil Newall, a British competitor in the 1908 games. At that time, only two percent of women were athletes. Sybil was one of the few women who was able to participate in the Olympic Games. In Document 8, a female Algerian athlete by the name Hassiba Boulmerka was greatly involved in the feminist movement. She participated in the 1992 games. Hassiba believed that all women were very capable of being athletes just as well as any other man even though at that time in her society women were turned down. She also believed women had potential; she wanted to see women rise up in the world and be equal to any man. Her belief materialized in the rate of participating female athletes, which grew to twenty-nine percent. This growth is ongoing as many more females participate in Olympic Games each year. Factors such as nationalism, a rise in feminism and the global economy allowed the Olympic Games movement to become what it is today. Today, the Olympics promote the importance of the feminist movement, importance of religious and national freedom and peaceful co-existence of various cultures. From Ancient Greece to modern day Olympic Games, the transformation is incredible!

The Invention of the World Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jack Hodgins

In The Invention of the World, Jack Hodgins invites us to consider an alternative dystopia in which fantasy and reality converge to create sense and constance in an otherwise chaotic existence. Unleashing an arsenal of characters in two parallel worlds, Hodgins attempts to uncover the mysteries of people, and he delves into the paradoxical genre of magic realism, a term coined by Franz Roh in 1925, to achieve this. Focussing on characterization, The Invention of the World offers sufficient surrealism to provide fictional entertainment, whilst cleverly grounding his mythical tale in a relatable reality inspired by history and realism. Specifically, Hodgins offers a lens into the lives of a number of characters. Arguably, Maggie Kyle and Wade Powers achieve contentment on their pilgrimage to Ireland through self-reflection and internal enlightenment; conversely, Kineally and Becker, seek to achieve their constance through the manipulation, exploitation and dependence on other people in their lives. Hodgin’s novel traces the journey of these characters and evokes consideration of the effects of our choices on the long-term equilibrium of our existence and self-enlightenment. From the beginning of the tale, the motif of travel predominates. As Becker â€Å"[waves] your car down the ramp onto the government ferry...† (vii) we are not only introduced to the setting, but also the idea that Becker has a certain authority and inclination to control that journey. As Becker researches, documents and attempts to quantify the tale of Donal Keneally and his rise as founder of the â€Å"Colony of the Revelation of Truth†, we learn of his dissonance and inability to find contentment. Becker’s energy on the pilgrimage â€Å"[was] wild with trying to take eve... ...17). With Wade’s turbulent waters eventually settled by Maggie, this resonating re-birth enables both characters to realize a happiness that can only be found within. To conclude, Hodgins’s entrancing tale merges fact with fiction, magic with reality, and chaos with romance. While Becker and Keneally ultimately fail in their attempts to create, using pride and ambition as fuel towards constancy, Hodgins creates a poetic final scene in which Wade and Maggie Powers symbolically unite in matrimony, ironically wed by Horseman, Wade’s sagely nemesis, amongst the chaos of thrown insults, wielded chainsaws, food fights and terrible music, Maggie is, significantly, able to â€Å"[stand up, beside her husband, ready† (353). Through the magic of myth, Hodgins teaches us to find a place where we can be satisfied, enjoy who we are, and appreciate the important people around us.

Legal Memorandum of the case of Griswold v. Connecticut

The appellants in this case are Griswold, the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut, and Buxton, the Medical Director of the Planned Parenthood League in New Haven.   They were charged of violating a Connecticut statute for giving information, instruction, and medical advice to married couple as means of preventing conception. Sec 53-32 of the Connecticut Statute states that : â€Å"Any person who uses any drug, medicinal article or instrument for the purpose of preventing conception shall be fined not less than fifty dollars or imprisoned not less than sixty days nor more than one year or be both fined and imprisoned.†Ã‚   Section 54-196 provides that â€Å"Any person who assists, abets, counsels, causes, hires or commands another to commit any offense may be prosecuted and punished as if he were the principal offender.† The appellants were found guilty as accessories for violating the said statute and fined $100 each.   They filed their appeal and argued that the said statute violated the Fourteenth Amendment.   The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court affirmed the judgment of the lower court. Issue: Whether the Connecticut statute forbidding use of contraceptives violates the right of privacy which is protected by the Bill of Rights Decision: The Supreme Court ruled that the subject Connecticut statute forbidding the use of contraceptive violates the right to marital privacy.   It is unconstitutional. Analysis: This is not the first time the Connecticut statute has been the subject of a controversy.   In the earlier case of Tileston v. Ullman 318 U.S. 44 (1943) the Supreme Court did not have the opportunity to rule the constitutionality of the said statute.   In this case, a doctor challenged the statute on the grounds that a ban on contraception may in certain situations threaten the lives and well-being of her patients. He argued that the statute would prevent his giving professional advice concerning the use of contraceptives to three patients whose condition of health was such that their lives may be endangered by child-bearing.   The Supreme Court declined to rule on this issue but dismissed the case on the ground that the plaintiff lacked the standing to litigate the constitutional question This is the first time that the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the statute.   According to the Supreme Court, though the US Constitution and the Bill of rights does not explicitly mention some rights, such as right of the people to meet and associate, or the right of the parent to educate a child in a school of their choice, or the right to study any particular subject or foreign language, the First Amendment has been construed to provide protection to these rights. Among these cases are: the Pierce v. Society of Sisters which affirmed the right of the parents to send their children to any school of their choice under the First and Fourteenth Amendment; the Meyer v. Nebraska case which affirmed the right of the students to study German language in a private school; the NAACP v. Alabama which protected the freedom to associate and affirmed a person’s privacy in one’s own association. These cases strongly indicate that the Bill of Rights have penumbras which emanate from the specific provisions of the US Constitution and its amendments.   These extended guarantees give flesh and blood to the various protections under the US Constitution without which the guarantees under it will merely be a useless formality.   Indeed, the various guarantees create zones of privacy. The relationship between spouses and their choice to procreate lie within the zone of privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.   The statute should therefore be struck down as unconstitutional. It is a well-settled principle that though the state may control or prevent activities that are subject to its regulation, it cannot exercise its power so broadly as to invade the areas protected by the constitution. The objective of the statute is laudable but means for its accomplishment seriously violates the right to privacy of the married individuals.   The objective of the statute could be accomplished by other means such as regulating of the manufacture, sale of the contraceptives. If the Supreme Court were to uphold the constitutionality of this statute, it is as if we are tolerating the law enforcement officers to search the sacred precincts of the marital bedrooms simply for the purpose of finding out if they are indeed using contraceptives.. Conclusion: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the trial court and the appellate court.   It also invalidated a Connecticut statute for invading the privacy of married couples.   Although the constitution does not explicitly mention the right to privacy of the citizens, this right is found in the penumbras of the other constitutional protections. This case is considered as a landmark decision in the sense that it established a basic sphere of personal privacy to which all people are entitled.   (Decision: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965))   It confirmed that marriage couples do have the right to privacy.   With this decision, our country took a giant leap forward finally recognizing the right of individuals to make their most private decision on planning their families, deciding the number and spacing of children.   (Elizabeth Borg, 2005) Further, this decision paved the way for another land mark decision which is the case of Roe v. Wade. (John W. Johnson, 2005) Bibliographies Borg, Elizabeth.  Ã‚   (2005) The Fight that Won Us the Right to Birth Control.   Star Tribune.   8 June 2005. Retrieved 11 September 2007 Decision: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) About.com.   Retrieved 11 September 2007 from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/privacy/bldec_GriswoldConn.htm Johnson, John W.   (2005) Birth Control and the Constitutional Right to Privacy.   Retrieved 11 September 2007 from: http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/johgri.html Tileston v. Ullman 318 U.S. 44 (1943)      

The Most Problematic Social and Economic Problem in...

Identity Theft might just be the most problematic social and economic problem in the US. Identity theft can cause many problems for the victim and the thief, obviously. One problem is the victims personal record, it is extremely important to have a clean one if you want to apply for college, buy a house, become a citizen, etc. Another problem is after the identity theft has taken their toll, the victim is suffering with trying to recover all the money that they have lost. And the most dangerous problem is victims can be accused of crimes that they have not committed. These are just a few reasons why Identity Theft is the most problematic social and economic problem in today’s society. Now a days, it’s important to own a clean personal†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Seniors have also spent their entire working life building a nest egg of retirement funds. Identity thieves know this and they target seniors to take their identity and their finances. Their preferred method is the telephone. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, senior citizens are more at risk to be targeted by telemarketing scams than other age groups† (Crimes). Elderlies are a lot more trusting of people and less probably to report fraud most likely because they don’t need members of the family to assume they cant lookout of themselves. Once the identity thief has taken their toll the victim is suffering with making an attempt to recover all the knowledge that they have lost. One of the most devastating effects of economic fraud is once the cash they’ve worked laboriously to save suddenly goes missing. Bank policies vary as to what proportion theyll replace, except for several fraud victims, this cash is gone forever. Erasing deceitful charges and correcting their credit record takes time and cash. â€Å"The average victim spends 500 hours and $3,000 undoing the damage from identity theft which just adds on how much money they’ve lost† (How do you help protect my identity†). 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