catholicloserface86

Maria Pregler

Patrick Gagnon

History—495

December 8, 2008

Ancient Mesopotamian Culture

            When someone hears the word Mesopotamia, one of the more common thoughts is that it is the hot spot for culture. It is because of Ancient Mesopotamia that we have many of the things we do today; for instance, writing, law, and a government system.

“Mesopotamia is the area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, north or northwest of the bottleneck at Baghdad, in modern Iraq; it is Al-Jazirah ("The Island") of the Arabs” (Speiser). It is because of Mesopotamia’s position on the land that we had so many cultural advances. It is said, that because of Mesopotamia’s position between the two rivers, they had enough free land and water to make these cultural advances.

As mention before, “Mesopotamia gave us writing, metallurgy [the technique or science of working or heating metals so as to give them certain desired shapes or properties] (Oxford English Dictionary), law and such basic inventions as the wheel, and the true arch. From it also came such familiar things as the razor, the frying pan, and the 60-minute hour” (5). “The success of these and their agriculture freed some people in their population to focus on other pursuits. Storing extra food required a system for recording who had deposited, and who had withdrawn items. So the first-known writing was invented” (Barnes 28). Without these things, we would know nothing of Ancient Mesopotamia.

To date, numerous sites and artifacts have been uncovered that reveal a great deal about the culture of ancient Mesopotamia. One of the biggest culture finds, is the Sumerian King List, “which dates to approximately 2100 BC. This collection of clay tablets and prisms divides the Sumerian kings into two categories; those who reigned before the "great flood" and those who reigned after it. (Niles). “Around 2300 BC King Sargon united Sumeria to end the disputes and to defend against outsiders” (Barnes 28).

Another cultural find that helps understand the research being done on Ancient Mesopotamian is the Law Code of Hammurabi. Randall Niles describes the Law Code of Hammurabi as:

A seven foot tall, black diorite carving containing about 300 laws of Babylon's King Hammurabi. Dated to about 1750 BC, the Law Code contains many civil laws that are similar to those found in the first five books of the Bible [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy] . Another dig at the ancient city of "Nuzi" near the Tigris River uncovered approximately 20,000 clay tablets. Dated between 1500 and 1400 BC, these cuneiform texts explain the culture, customs and laws of the time, many of which are similar to those found in the early books of the Bible.

Hammurabi’s Law Codes state, “different rights, responsibilities, and punishments, depending on the gender, class, and slave or free status of the persons involved” (Craig 9).

            As anyone who studies Ancient Mesopotamian law might see, law seems very prestigious and centered around the ruler. According to Rhys Carpenter, “Law was accorded a place of special honor and prominence in the cultural structure of Mesopotamia. It was indeed in many ways the keystone in that structure. The legal code was the charter and the constitution that guided the ruler and safeguarded the subjects” (19-20). Carpenter continues to state that even though the king was of the highest power, he was still a servant, which is not a picture that is often painted in history. “Even though the kind became the head of a vast empire, he was still a servant, not the source, of the law, and was responsible to the gods for its enactments” (20).      However without writing, we would know nothing of the Ancient Mesopotamian developments that took place, including the installment of the Kings. The earliest form of writing that the Sumerians gave us, is called cuneiform. As Miriam Greenblatt explains, “The term cuneiform means "wedge-shaped." It was made up of hundreds of word signs that were "wedge-shaped" due to the shape of the reed pen, or stylus, that was used. The Sumerians wrote on clay tablets that would either be dried in the sun or fired in kilns to make the writing permanent.”

 According to Carpenter:

Writing promoted progress on a broad front, making life fuller and richer and causing the whole system to be widely copied by others. Even the earlier Sumerian documents contain lists of birds, fishes, domestic animals, plants implements and the like—all intended as aids to writing and reading. Such groupings imply careful observation and organization. They are in fact the first steps in a scientific approach to zoology, botany, mineralogy, and so on. (17-18).

Carpenter makes it evident that without the earliest forms of writing, we would have nothing to base our other areas of study from. Also with writing, the great leaders for the Ancient Mesopotamian world were able to record different developments within the government system.

            When studying Ancient Mesopotamia in history classes, we are often told about great rulers or Kings, that have complete ruler over his land and people. What is often left out, is why the Kings were put in place, or that they had assistance.

According to Diana Lin of the Indiana University Northwest:

Around 3000 BC the Sumerians began to form city-states in southern Mesopotamia that controlled areas of several hundred square miles. The names of these cities speak from a distant and foggy past: Ur, Lagash, Eridu, Uruk. Constant warfare for water led to growth of larger city-states. The states of Sumer seemed to have been ruled by a type of priest-king. Among their duties were leading the military, administering trade, judging disputes, and engaging in the most important religious ceremonies. Need to legitimize the authority of the king other than kinship and responsibility: divine selection or direct divinity.

However, it seems that these Kings were assisted. Lin further states, “A bureaucracy assisted the king. Consisting of priests, it bore all the responsibility of surveying and distributing land as well as distributing crops. Record keeping was a result of bureaucracy.”

Lastly, the Kings of Ancient Mesopotamia received assistance from elected officials who served in Assembly. This Assembly also helped rule the people. Much like our own President of the United States today, the ruling King in Mesopotamia also had to ask permission of the Assembly before he completed anything. Therefore, Mesopotamia was rule by both a monarchy and a democracy.

            As one can see, the ways of Ancient Mesopotamia have developed drastically. There are only a few countries still run by a monarchy, and hand-writing may soon be replaced with computerized documentation. However, studying the beginning of why our civilization was even able to develop in the ways we have is still a very important aspect of our own culture.  As Ruth Fulton Benedict once said, "No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking." Without those definite set of customs it is evident that one would not have any reason to develop further. Therefore, history would be at a stand still.

Philosophy of History

            I believe the definition of history is the study of human past, and possible future. History should be a tool to learn from, so that humanity does not make the same mistakes twice. I believe history is the search for truth; without truth we would not have historical fact. In this respect, it should also be a tool to record sequences of the past.  Therefore, history is a tool that helps us lean towards progression. History is not a perfect science. We are always learning something new, and working towards a goal. Without working towards a goal and fixing past issues, history would be a never ending, always repeating cycle.

            I also believe that everything happens for a reason; however, there is a higher power that does not control, but guides the leaders of humanity in the different directions that it takes. At the same time, I also believe in the Marxist and Hegelian theory of a dialectic; that with each progressive move one makes as a community, or a singular person, a new solution can rise to the challenges future; therefore, history is not cyclical. However, in order for this to happen, we have to pay close attention to the conditions of each challenge for the solution to be found. By studying history, one may also make the decision of whether he/she wants to have a certain event happen again, and the positive and negative aspects of that event.

            I believe history is continuous in the fact that historical argument changes constantly. There is new information found also daily regarding historical topics; therefore, history is not set in stone. There is always a lesson to be learned, whether it is a minute detail about something insignificant, or a major concept where everyone is affected. For example, last month there was a special on Yahoo news about the Auschwitz concentration camp building plans. For centuries it was thought that details of all the camps were basically the same; however the new discoveries proved wrong. In this article, they discussed that the plans for the concentration camp included more gas chambers and a corpse cellar. "The documents refute once and for all claims by those who deny the Holocaust even took place” (Lawrence).

At the same time, I do believe there is a déjà vu process in history or spiral effect in which different occasions such as wars and elections have occurrences that tend to be very similar; by having these processes, we can see how economy has taken to them and if they have hindered societal decisions in anyway. For example, the most recent war in Iraq has hindered our economy through fluctuating oil prices. By not being able to afford oil, many people have gone without vehicles, or even heat in their homes. By studying these effects, we are able to see what should try to be avoided in the future.

Ultimately, history is a series of events that are studied to find economical and scientific differences over time, and resolutions to past challenges. History is in theory a tool needed to survive the future.

The study of history can also be done through the studying of other areas as well. For example, literature. If one were to study written journals, they would discover an aspect of history told through a first person perspective instead of a narrative in a textbook. As written accounts of history are more personal, they display more understand of writers environment; therefore, we can grasp their intentions and the truth behind the writing.

Philosophy of English

            English is a study of development. It is the base of every area of study, including history and the sciences.  English is also a way in which to communicate thoughts and ideas on both paper, and orally. In my case, I have focused on an emphasis in literature during my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College. Literature is a way in which we learn about what’s happening, or has happened in our world through the eyes of many different cultures.

Being a history major my ways of studying have been trained to think historically; therefore, when picking up a piece of literature I look for historical fact or value so I can learn something new and apply it to my field(s) of study. For example, when learning about a new literary era, there are a number of historical facts discussed before delving into the literature. By doing this, I am able to grasp the concepts of what is going on in the author’s society. This in turn may help me understand why the author wrote what he or she did.

I also look at literature through a feminist lens. The changing treatment of women through history has always been of interest to me; therefore, when I read earlier pieces of literature from a woman, knowing that she should not have been writing, I always look for symbols to explain the treatment of women during the time period. In the end, I am able to assess the changes from the writers time period to now.

Throughout my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College, I have taken several literature courses . Though I enjoyed all of them, I have found that I enjoy 19^th century American literature the most. Some examples of my favorite literature during this time period are: The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe. I enjoy this literature the most, because it usually depicts a completely different lifestyle from which we can learn something.

However, the genre of literature that I prefer the most is fantasy literature, because of its use willful suspension of disbelief. The three fantasy writers that I enjoy the most are Stephanie Meyer, J.K Rowling, and C.S Lewis. In the spring of 2006, I was enrolled in Adolescent Literature. In this class, we were asked to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. At first, I did not think I would enjoy the book, as I knew there was no fact in the literature; however, after first picking up the novel, I could not put it down. The thought of a teenage wizard conquering anything he put his mind to made me realize that if Harry Potter can do it, I can too.

When taking into consideration my liberal arts education, there are many ways in which I have synthesized my literature courses with my other courses. For example, in the fall of 2006, I was taking both the Principles of Literary Studies, and U.S. History before 1865. Though it was not planned by either professor, the literature that we were reading in principles corresponded with what was being studied in History Before 1865. By this happening I was given two different ways to look at the same subject, which in turn gave me a richer understanding of what was happening. For example, in the literature class, we were reading Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and U.S. history corresponded by studying the Salem Witch Trials. By having this opportunity, I was able to use my critical thinking skills to connect ideas and view the Salem Witch Trials through both historical fact and creative fiction.

The Salem Witch Trials is one example of many of capital punishment, if one was convicted or thought to be using magic—otherwise known as witchcraft--they were put on trial. If found guilty they were then sentenced to death. This death usually entailed burning on the stake—innocent or guilty, the person would die.

Social Justice Issue: Capital Punishment

“Those who show no mercy should find none; and if Hanging will not restrain them, Hanging them on Chains, and Starving them, or… breaking them on the Wheel… should.”

 – A Balwin (1701).

As Balwin describes, the thought in the earlier 1700’s, was that even the pettiest crime deserved brutal punishment, even death. Though the issue of capital punishment is not as bad today as it was in the earlier years, the problem still exists. Capital punishment is the lawful infliction of death as a punishment, and since ancient times it has been used for a wide variety of offences. Many generations in the United States have been questioning, and will continue to question for centuries, if there should be anything that constitutes the right to kill a human being as a form of punishment.

            According to Hugo Bedau, “In more than three centuries since the earliest recorded lawful execution, on these shores—1622, Daniel Frank, Colony of Virginia, for the crime of theft—there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 persons lawfully put to death (1982). [Probably] an equal number of them have been sentenced to death, but died from natural causes before execution could occur” (3). Bedau also states, “Since the late 1960’s, the American public has professed support capital punishment by a majority of more than two to one. Such a remarkable shift in public attitude poses several different problems. Some for social scientist, educators and government”(65).

            When considering capital punishment, I believe that we need to abolish the practice entirely. However, I also believe that the United States needs a “scare tactic” in order to keep the rate of extremely violent acts from skyrocketing. Being a Catholic I agree wholeheartedly with the churches ethics regarding the death penalty, as Jacob Vellenga states in his essay, Christianity and the Death Penalty, “Capital punishment brutalized society by cheapening life. Capital punishment makes it impossible to rehabilitate the criminal”(123).

With this said, I should also state that I do not agree with the ideals of Hammurabi’s Code: An eye for an eye. I feel that by abolishing the capital punishment system, and letting the criminals sit in prison for as long as their term is set for, to ponder their wrong-doings would be punishment enough in the long run. After all, due to the appeals process, being put on death row is almost like serving a death sentence. It is said that most serious criminals commit more than one crime in their lifetime; yet, majority of these criminals do not serve their full term in prison.

I also feel that students in our schools should be more educated when regarding ways of punishment in the prison system. If given the chance, I would use my liberal arts education to appeal to high school students by using different materials. Some of the materials I could use are statistics regarding how much the death penalty costs for one person, journal articles from a person on death row or a list of chemicals used to end the criminals life. Growing up I personally knew nothing about capital punishment until I was a senior in high school. However that has changed.

One of my professional goals in life is to obtain a masters degree in political science. Growing up in a small town, I have noticed over the years, that majority of the people only think of two words; death, and politics when they hear the words capital punishment—I would like to change this. I feel that by going into educational government, I will gain the chance to educate the uninformed; therefore, when it comes time to vote for or against such issues, the now 70% of American supporters will hopefully decrease.

Having a liberal arts education has given me the opportunity to learn a lot about myself as well. It has taught me that leadership is possible is everything I do. For example, during the spring 2008 semester, I was asked to lead an all school reading that revolved around the issue of injustice. I didn’t realize how much goes into all of the work planning such an event entails. However, by my being the one asked to prepare the event, the responsibility was all on my shoulders. At first I did not think I could accomplish the task without the help of some professionals, however, I proved myself wrong. I believe that by being asked to coordinate this event, my leadership skills were only made stronger. During the 2007-2008 school year, I was elected Student Forum Treasurer. Now you’re probably thinking what does being Student Forum Treasurer have to do with capital punishment. Quite simply, being elected Student Forum Treasurer gave me the opportunity to experience social responsibility and accountability. As the treasurer, I was responsible for the funds that were being used for different events sponsored by Student Forum around campus. If someone wanted an event funded by the Student Forum, I was made responsible to decide if we had enough money to give the event. This position let me interact with the school, and students a lot more than I could on a normal basis; it also gave me a leadership, and servant position. Also during my time as treasurer, myself and another student rewrote the bylaws for Student Forum. This action made us responsible to decide what was deemed fit, and it also gave us the power to decide who had the last say in the decision making process. We were held accountable for any of the actions the members on the forum took.

During my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College, I have been taught how to think outside of the box and look at things for something other than their literal meaning. My history degree has also played a big role in how I look at situations. For example, I have learned how the death penalty has affected economy in the past, and how it can affect us again. By studying the history of a certain topic and how it has been evaluated in the past, I can form a possible solution for what can be done in the future. The history as well as the English aspect of my education has let me study many different angles such as: journal entries, newspapers, poetry, even mathematical formulation. Exploring these different areas has given me the chance to build on subjects of which I already had knowledge. When I get out into the professional world, I will know what to look for in a subject so that I can explain it in ways that everybody can understand. For instance, if someone is interested in literature, I can use writing to show them aspects of the death penalty, or if someone is interested in math, I can show them figures of cost for each time someone is punished by the death penalty. Essentially, my education at Silver Lake College has taught me how to synthesize various modes of learning to make one point while using different methods to get that point across.

My liberal arts education has taught me many things, that of which I hope to pursue onto others. For example, I have learned that in order to solve a problem, you cannot look straight into it, and find a solution. Instead, you have to look at all possible angles. By tying different ways of looking at one specific thing, therefore looking at the bigger picture through liberal arts, by knowing this I hope to lead the change in which small town living is assessed, and the education that high school students in all areas receive when regarding political and economical issues.

Philosophy of History

            I believe the definition of history is the study of human past, and possible future.  History should be a tool to learn from, so that humanity does not make the same mistakes twice.  In this respect, it should also be a tool to record sequences of the past.

            I also believe that everything happens for a reason; however, there is a higher power that does not control, but guides the leaders of humanity in the different directions that it takes.  At the same time, I also believe in the Marxist and Hegelian theory of a dialectic; that with each progressive move one makes as a community, or a singular person, a new solution can arise to the challenges beforehand; therefore, history is not cyclical. However, in order for this to happen, we have to pay close attention to the conditions of each challenge for the solution to be found. By studying history, one may also make the decision of whether he/she wants to have a certain event happen again, and the positive and negative aspects of that event.

            I believe history is continuous in the fact that historical argument changes daily. There is new information found also daily regarding historical topics; therefore, history is not set in stone.

            At the same time, I do believe there is a déjà vu process in history or spiral effect in which different occasions such as wars and elections have occurrences that tend to be very similar; by having these processes, we can see how economy has taken to them, and if they have hindered societal decisions in anyway.

 In the end, history is a series of events that are studied to find economical and scientific differences over time, and resolutions to past challenges. History is in theory a tool needed to survive the future.

           
Philosophy of English

            English is a way in which to communicate thoughts and ideas on paper, or orally. In my case, I have focused on an emphasis in literature during my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College. Literature is the way in which we learn about what’s happening, or has happened in our world through the eyes of many different cultures.

Being a history major my ways of studying have been trained to think historically; therefore, when picking up a piece of literature I look for historical fact, or value so I can learn something new and apply it to my field(s) of study. I also look at literature through a feminist lens.  The changing treatment of women through history has always been of interest to me; therefore, when I read earlier pieces of literature from a woman, knowing that majority of them should not have been writing, I always look for symbols to explain the treatment of women during the time period. By doing this I am able to assess the changes from then to now through a historical lens.

Throughout my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College, I have taken several literature courses . Though I enjoyed all of them, I have find that I enjoy 19^th century American literature the most. I enjoy this literature the most, because it usually depicts a completely different lifestyle that we can learn something from. However, the genre of literature that I prefer the most is fantasy literature, because of its use of transporting the reader out of reality. The three fantasy writers that I enjoy the most are, Stephanie Meyer, J.K Rowling, and C.S Lewis. In the spring of 2006, I was enrolled in Adolescent Literature. In this class, we were asked to read Harry Potter and the Socerers Stone. At first, I did not think I would enjoy the book, as I knew there was no fact in the literature; however, after first picking up the novel, I could not put it down.  The thought of a teenage wizard conquering anything he put his mind to, made me realize that if Harry Potter can do it, I can too.

When taking into consideration my liberal arts education, there are many ways in which I have synthesized my literature courses with my other courses. For example, in the fall of 2006, I was taking both the Principles of Literary Studies, and U.S. History before 1865. Though it was not planned by either professor, the literature that we were reading in principles corresponded with what was being studied in History Before 1865. By this happening I was given two different ways to look at the same subject, which in turn gave me a better understanding of what was happening. For example, in the literature class, we were reading Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and U.S. history corresponded by studying the Salem Witch Trials. By having this opportunity, I was able to use my critical thinking skills to connect ideas and view the Salem Witch Trials through historical fact, and creative fiction.

 Social Justice Issue: Capital Punishment

“Those who show no mercy should find none; and if Hanging will not restrain them, Hanging them on Chains, and Starving them, or… breaking them on the Wheel… should.”

 – A Balwin (1701).

As Balwin describes, the thought in the earlier 1700’s, was that even the pettiest crime deserved brutal punishment, even death. Though the issue of capital punishment is not as bad today as it was in the earlier years, the problem still exists. Capital punishment is the lawful infliction of death as a punishment and since ancient times it has been used for a wide variety of offences. Many generations in the United States have been questioning, and will continue to question for centuries, if there should be anything that constitutes the right to kill a human being as a form of punishment.

            According to Hugo Adam-Bedau, “In more than three centuries since the earliest recorded lawful execution, on these shores—1622, Daniel Frank, Colony of Virginia, for the crime of theft—there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 persons lawfully put to death (1982). [Probably] an equal number of them have been sentenced to death, but died from natural causes before execution could occur (3). Beday also states, “Since the late 1960’s, the American public has professed support capital punishment by a majority of more than two to one. Such a remarkable shift in public attitude poses several different problems. Some for social scientist, educators and government”(65).

            When considering capital punishment, I believe that we need to abolish the practice entirely. However, I also believe that the United States needs a “scare tactic” in order to keep the rate of extremely violent acts from skyrocketing.  Being a Catholic I agree wholeheartedly with the churches ethics regarding the death penalty, as Bedau states in his book, The Death Penalty In America: An Anthology, “Capital punishment brutalized society by cheapening life. Capital punishment makes it impossible to rehabilitate the criminal”(123).

With this said, I should also state that I do not agree with the ideals of Hammurabi’s Code: An eye for an eye. I feel that by abolishing the capital punishment system, and letting the criminals sit in prison for as long as their term is set for, to ponder their wrong-doings would be punishment enough in the long run. It is a proven fact, that most serious criminals commit more than one crime in their lifetime; however, majority of these criminals do not serve their full term in prison.

I also feel that students in our schools should be more educated when regarding ways of punishment in the prison system. I personally knew nothing about capital punishment until I was a senior in high school. However that has changed.

During my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College, I have been taught how to think outside of the box and look at things for something other than their literal meaning. For example, I have learned how the death penalty has affected economy in the past, and how it can affect us again. I have also learned how to explain it in ways that everybody can understand. For instance, if someone is interested in literature, I can show them aspects of the death penalty through writing, or if someone is interested in math, I can show them figures of cost for each time someone is punished by the death penalty. My education at Silver Lake College has taught me how to make one point while using different methods to get that point across.

One of my professional goals in life is to obtain a masters degree in political science. Growing up in a small town, I have noticed over the years, that majority of the people only think of two words; death, and politics when they hear the words capital punishment—I would like to change this. I feel that by going into educational government, I will gain the chance to educate the uninformed; therefore, when it comes time to vote for or against such issues, the now 70% of American supporters will hopefully decrease.

My liberal arts education has taught me many things, that of which I hope to pursue onto others. For instance, I have learned that in order to solve a problem, you cannot look straight into it, and find a solution. Instead, you have to look at all possible angles. By tying different ways of looking at one specific thing, therefore looking at the bigger picture through liberal arts, I hope to change the way small town living is assessed, and the education that high school students in all areas receive.

Social Justice Issue: Capital Punishment

“Those who show no mercy should find none; and if Hanging will not restrain them, Hanging them on Chains, and Starving them, or… breaking them on the Wheel… should.”

 – A Balwin (1701).

As Balwin describes, the thought in the earlier 1700’s, was that even the pettiest crime deserved brutal punishment, even death. Though the issue of capital punishment is not as bad today as it was in the earlier years, the problem still exists. Capital punishment is the lawful infliction of death as a punishment and since ancient times it has been used for a wide variety of offences. Many generations in the United States have been questioning, and will continue to question for centuries, if there should be anything that constitutes the right to kill a human being as a form of punishment.

            According to Hugo Adam-Bedau, “In more than three centuries since the earliest recorded lawful execution, on these shores—1622, Daniel Frank, Colony of Virginia, for the crime of theft—there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 persons lawfully put to death (1982). [Probably] an equal number of them have been sentenced to death, but died from natural causes before execution could occur (3). Beday also states, “Since the late 1960’s, the American public has professed support capital punishment by a majority of more than two to one. Such a remarkable shift in public attitude poses several different problems. Some for social scientist, educators and government”(65).

            When considering capital punishment, I believe that we need to abolish the practice entirely. However, I also believe that the United States needs a “scare tactic” in order to keep the rate of extremely violent acts from skyrocketing.  Being a Catholic I agree wholeheartedly with the churches ethics regarding the death penalty, as Bedau states in his book, The Death Penalty In America: An Anthology, “Capital punishment brutalized society by cheapening life. Capital punishment makes it impossible to rehabilitate the criminal”(123).

With this said, I should also state that I do not agree with the ideals of Hammurabi’s Code: An eye for an eye. I feel that by abolishing the capital punishment system, and letting the criminals sit in prison for as long as their term is set for, to ponder their wrong-doings would be punishment enough in the long run. It is a proven fact, that most serious criminals commit more than one crime in their lifetime; however, majority of these criminals do not serve their full term in prison.

I also feel that students in our schools should be more educated when regarding ways of punishment in the prison system. I personally knew nothing about capital punishment until I was a senior in high school. However that has changed.

During my last four and a half years at Silver Lake College, I have been taught how to think outside of the box and look at things for something other than their literal meaning. For example, I have learned how the death penalty has affected economy in the past, and how it can affect us again. I have also learned how to explain it in ways that everybody can understand. For instance, if someone is interested in literature, I can show them aspects of the death penalty through writing, or if someone is interested in math, I can show them figures of cost for each time someone is punished by the death penalty. My education at Silver Lake College has taught me how to make one point while using different methods to get that point across.

One of my professional goals in life is to obtain a masters degree in political science. Growing up in a small town, I have noticed over the years, that majority of the people only think of two words; death, and politics when they hear the words capital punishment—I would like to change this. I feel that by going into educational government, I will gain the chance to educate the uninformed; therefore, when it comes time to vote for or against such issues, the now 70% of American supporters will hopefully decrease.

My liberal arts education has taught me many things, that of which I hope to pursue onto others. By tying different ways of looking at one specific thing, therefore looking at the bigger picture through liberal arts, I hope to change the way small town living is assessed, and the education that high school students in all areas receive.

Dream Of the Rood

                   They insulted us both together; I was drenched in the blood

                   that streamed from the Man’s side after He set His spirit free.

                   “On that hill I endured many grievous trials;

                   I saw the God of Hosts stretched

                   on the rack; darkness covered the corpse

                   of the Ruler with clouds, His shining radiance.

Shadows swept across the land, dark shapes

under the clouds. All creation wept,

wailed for the death of the King; Christ was on the cross..

Yet men hurried eagerly to the Prince

from afar; I witnessed all that too (50-60).

          When sitting in church, many of us have probably never thought that the crucifix would have a story to tell.  However, as a mainly Christian nation, the crucifying of our Lord, Jesus Christ is a very powerful, and symbolic gesture, even centuries later. When reading Dream Of the Rood, I found many themes and messages that are still used, and thought about today.

          For instance, when the narrator in the poem stated, “They insulted us both together; I was drenched in the blood / that streamed from the Man’s side after He set His spirit free” (50-51). It reminded me of many stories that I’ve read, when a King and his knights go into battle together. The King is usually injured in some brutal way, and the depiction of blood from the wound is left for the reader to imagine. Also, If the king (in this case, Jesus Christ) was insulted, or injured, his knights also took offense to this; thus protecting him, as well as taking his honor to battle and possibly dying themselves. Lastly, Jesus Christ endured many battles during his lifetime, whether it was due to temptation, or trying to prove his leadership worthy of us. Like Jesus, many of us have our own personal battles that we have to endure that in the end, make us stronger.

          The poem continues, “On the hill I endured many grievous trials; / I saw the God of Hosts stretched / on the rack; darkness covered the corpse” (52-54). One of the symbols that is widely known within the Catholic church, is the host and wine, or body and blood of Christ. The two lines above suggest that the tree that is speaking in the poem saw a future vision of Jesus Christ becoming a holy figure around the world. At the same time, I also see a hint of the devil at work within the “darkness covering” of the Lord. However, one could also take the darkness covering as a symbol of our sins, and God is forgiving us through Jesus Christ.

To go along the lines of God forgiving us, the narrator of this poem also gives recognition to the devil, I believe they are saying that even though goodness may fall, in the end, it will always conquer evil. An example of this message within the poem is, “darkness covered the corpse of the Ruler with clouds, His shining radiance (55). The radiance of God shines through all of us, even after his son’s death; therefore, good still conquers evil.  This theme is also true with many King stories as well; even if they die, their kingdom will live on to reflect the glory of their ruling for many centuries. An example of this being in the stories that we hear of King Arthur; we don’t know if he, or his kingdom ever truly existed, but the legend of his rule is still heard about today.

          Another section that could be hinting toward the notion of sin is,

Shadows swept across the land, dark shapes

under the clouds. All creation wept,

Wailed for the death of the King; Christ was on the cross.

 Yet men hurried eagerly to the Prince

from afar; I witnessed all that too (56-60).

It is often said that the followers of Jesus never really knew what he had done for us until it was too late. With this passage, it is shown that the people realized what a great loss they had suffered. Therefore, the darkening of the clouds could be seen as a symbol of sadness, and loss, as well as true spirituality. God created the world, and named Jesus Christ its keeper; therefore, when Christ died on the cross, the whole world felt what he had done for us. With that said, it is also seen in these verses that the people are running towards their Savior for protection from sin, and evil.

Swift’s Position Regarding Women

When considering Satire, one of the more famous satirists comes to mind, Jonathan Swift. Swifts satiric views regarding women are often witty, and harsh. His views often leave the reader with the perception that he hates women. For example, in his poem, Strephon and Chloe:

Swift enters the poem himself to make a complaint on behalf of husbands of all ages. Women take possession of the Crown / And then throw all of their weapons down. Wives hide each blemish from their husbands. Women are at fault for exposing their blemishes, and destroying their husbands illusions” (Sitter).

Swift states that women are cunning, and secretive; therefore, the men who should fall for their trickery should be ashamed of themselves. Another example of the satire used against women is in Lady’s Dressing Room.

 Women during Swifts time period are pictures of perfection. Therefore, when a woman acts differently than society expects, she is seen as cunning and deceiving. by Celia is damned for her violation of romantic forms, and Strephon, who finds her is damned for resenting it.

The narrator claims that he can accept the Queen of Love, despite her origin in “stinking Ooze,” and that he feels only joyful amazement at a woman’s ability to transform her.

During his stay in London, for 1707 to 1709, Swift had become intimate with the second-best-known woman in his life, Vanessa Vanhomrigh.