Can War Ever be Justified?

Can War Ever be Justified? It is hard to think about the future of warfare without being terrified. The new weapons of war-nuclear, chemical, biological-will only get more lethal and more widely available. And the testimony of the worlds madmen and mad states suggests that once they possess such weapons, they will soon use them, or try to enslave the worlds free societies with their threats of mass killing. War inevitably brings death, destruction and suffering, which ruin lives and nations. Using, ethical theories religious guidance and general arguments to decide if killing and war can ever be justified. War in self-defence is an attempt to apply the philosophical principles of ethics to warfare seems, on the surface, to be oxymoronic. And yet, ethics do apply not only to the basis on which the conflict is waged but also to the policies that dictate how it is to be fought. The reasons why one nation enters into warfare with another reflect the ethics of the aggressor nation. The means by which a war is prosecuted by each participant is also established through decisions based on the ethics of the cultures of both nations at war.We must understand that a nations ethics in general, and any specific ethical position in particular, are an inescapable result of that nations worldview, of their epistemology (theory of knowledge) and, more specifically, of their understanding of the origin and nature of man. Just as everything else in life is affected by our worldview, our perspective on war and violence in general is likewise affected. A nation with a morality based on the perspective tha t man is made in the image of God would approach conflict differently than a  nation with a humanist worldview. For more than 17 centuries, the church and society in general have argued the validity of any specific conflict on the basis of several moral criteria. This concept, known by the Latin phrase justum bellum, has been debated in secular and religious circles. For instance, four of these criteria   were explored further in The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Using these criteria, the conflicts purpose is evaluated as to whether it represents a just cause. Wars fought for a just cause are considered valid and moral. Those that fail to meet the criteria are condemned as immoral. The criteria for declaring a just war are many and varied. Several criteria address the treatment of innocent individuals under the regime against which violence is being used. Protecting the lives of innocents is a worthy moral objective. Regimes that commit human rights vi olations of the most flagrant and egregious kinds are generally recognized as being immoral regimes and, consequently, violent conflicts against such regimes being aimed at bringing an end to these atrocities are seen as justifiable. Through related reasoning, wars designed to prevent the future occurrence of atrocities are also considered justified, although not all people agree on the kinds of atrocities that rise to this level of justification. Pre-emptive strikes against a nation on the verge of committing crimes against innocents fall into this area and are also considered just cause actions. This is, of course, as long as there is sufficient compelling evidence of such impending crimes.Causes for war that are considered just also include a nations attempts to protect itself from invasion or warfare declared to reclaim lands and people captured by an enemy through  force. The protection and reclamation of personal property is second only to humanitarian concerns. This inclu des the assisting of a friendly nation in its efforts to protect itself, its people or its property, especially when there is a   preexisting alliance with that nation. As already mentioned, the just nature of conflict involves not only the reasons for which a war is declared (jus ad bellum) but also the means by which it is conducted (jus in bello). A war that is declared for just reasons but is prosecuted by unjust means is still considered an unjust war. A Utilitarian approach is The greatest good for the greatest number. This can be applied to the theory of Just War. For Utilitarians the end justifies the means. In other words, a country would not need a just war cause other than having the right intentions and making sure the war would produce the greatest good for the greatest number (Act rather than Rule). The idea of jus ad bello is to make sure that less evil will come about if the war is fought. Utilitarians would agree with the just war theory as war may be necessary to make the world a better place as long as the war was justified through just war. However can war be justified, you must look ahead to see what the consequences of a war will be if the war will have a greater overall benefit, thinking of future generations. This rule will give a different answer to each case: If a wars outcome will cause more suffering than good, Utilitarianism would say that that war could not be justified; yet if a war, in the long run would bring greater good than harm, Utilitarian thinkers will say that that war and killing can be justified. Of course, there have always been those who feel that all violence is immoral, regardless of its purpose. Some have tried to base this belief on one of the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13). On this basis, several groups have developed convictions leading to a conscientious objection to all war. Others have taken positions against such things as capital punishment on the same basis, while still others have tried to apply this commandment to personal defense, claiming that the use of deadly force is never justified. ,To a large extent, these arguments are based on a misunderstanding of the commandment in question. Hebrew is the language in which the Ten Commandments were originally written. Of the several Hebrew words that communicate the concept of killing, the term used in this commandment refers specifically to the murder of innocents, as demonstrated by its use again in Numbers 35:16-21. There is no biblical prohibition against what we know as justifiable homici de. Capital punishment is not only allowed but specifically affirmed in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Analysis of The Astronomers Wife by Kay Boyle :: Astronomers Wife Kay Boyle Essays Papers

Analysis of The Astronomer's Wife by Kay Boyle In the "Astronomer's Wife" by Kay Boyle, something as simple as a conversation with a plumber about a stopped elbow is enough to trigger an awakening in Mrs. Katherine Ames. When Mrs. Ames realized that the plumber was talking about something she understood (the stopped elbow), she realized that her marital problems were not the result of a division betwwen the sexes; instead, she realized that some men, like the plumber, are as practical as she is, and that some other men, like her husband, scorn people like her because they are intellectually inclined. Previous to this discovery, Katherine did not realize that there were different kinds of men, and therefore she did not realize that she and her husband were mismatched. Furthermore, in her awakening, Mrs. Ames also discovers that she, like the plumber, occupies as valuable a place in society as the astronomer, for she does the "dirty" work to free people like her husband to have time to think and to discover. The scene in question takes place after Mrs. Ames has already noticed that the plumber has a few physical characteristics that match her own (such as blond hair), and she is talking to him as he descends into the earth. The scene begins immediately after the plumber says "I think something has stopped the elbow", because this phrase was one of the few things that a man has ever said that Mrs. Ames has understood. After the plumber has descended into the ground before the scene, Mrs. Ames is the only one left. She spends the entire duration of this scene sitting on the grass, silently thinking and revealing her thoughts to the audience. During her course of thinking, Mrs. Ames makes the important discovery that there is a whole race of practical people like herself, men and women alike. She knew that "when her husband spoke of height, having no sense of it, she could not picture it nor hear", but strangely enough, when another man who happened to be a plumer spoke of his work, "madness in a daily shape, as elbow stopped, she saw clearly and well". Mrs Ames finally realized during these thoughts that these were two men with two different ways of life, and perhaps her way of life suited the plumber's more than the astronomer's, in that she too could identify only with daily concerns. The division between people in her mind was no longer just between men and women; it was now the working and the thinking, those who "had always gone up, [and] others who went down, like the

How to Create a Smash Book Essay

How to create a smash book, not a scrapbook. A smash book is a place where you can place the little things in life’ ticket stubs, magazine clips, recipes, snapshots, love letters, design ideas, pictures, and notes to self. It is faster than scrap booking and is portable too. A smash book can be made from a ringed binder or a note book or you can buy a book from k and company at a craft store or online. They are personal on each page with picture design on each that makes it unique. Before creating your smash book, know the different styles of smash books. There are twelve: simple orange, cutesy, pretty pink, retro, and smart, couture, tasty, nostalgia, doodle red, mod, 360 folio, and eco green. The simple orange smash book pages are not like the others, there a lot more plain, and simple. You can do a lot more with the pages. You can chose your â€Å"theme† easier because of the graphic pages chosen for this book in particular. The Cutesy is as described, very cute looking pages. Each page is filled with cute simple little girly things. Such as flowers or pinks and innocent looking pictures. The pretty pink is very floral and girly almost like the cutesy but different in a way because it has a lot more flower prints in it. The retro blue is designed for a retro look. If you like typography you will love this one. If you can’t help to tap your foot to the beat you will love this one because that is what this smash book is all about. It has a sense of humor to it, and it is my personal favorite. The smart smash book is covered with school inspired images and graphics. In comes in a studious style. It is great for school related things. However, the couture smash book is fun, shiny and very fashion like, with lots of color. It is a lot of girl’s favorites. The Tasty smash book is covered with food inspired pages. Original illustrations and hand lettering design, you can make this in a snap. The nostalgia style is also filled with school filled original illustrations and hand lettering designs. However not as a clean slate of a look as the smart smash book. The Doodle red smash book is filled with an artsy enthusiasm. Mod smash book is a hip style. This smash book is covered with clean lines and patterns. The 360 folio is filled with pages for everyday of the year. Lastly, the Eco green smash book is filled with easy breezy graphics, and nature loving images. Nonetheless you can’t forget when you buy your book, you need to get things/accessories to decorate it. Next, you’ll need to have simple things to decorate your smash book, such as: decorative tape, chipboard pieces, letters, stickers, souvenirs, ribbon, sequins, pockets, envelopes, brads, scissors, glue, scrapbook paper, color pencils, and pens. None the less you will want to use 3d embellishments, alphabet stickers, glitter, stickers maybe by big ideas, paper studio, and k and company. Gemstone are great to use. Border punch, ink pad by color box, distressed ink, and stamp by stampabilities, and patterned paper. After you get the smash book accessories, decorate the cover- it is the best way to decorate the cover by putting your favorite saying on the front using chipboard pieces. You could put what your smash book â€Å"theme† is about if you have one. Or you can just decorate the front cover by doodling on it, if you desire just to do that instead. If you made your own smash book out of a three ring binder, add scrapbook paper to your book on every page. Make it creative. You don’t need to just have one color or design per page. Mix it up and use different sizes and different colors. Don’t worry about this if you bought your smash book though. Meanwhile, you will want to sort out all your stuff into desired categories. You might want to sort them out into categories such as: concerts, journals, notes, travel, friends, family, school, ideas, pictures, clips, whatever it may be, categorizing them will help you when smashing them in your book. Add photos to your page. Use decorative tape and then add your souvenirs. Pockets and envelopes are great for holding big things. Next you want to decorate the page. Don’t over decorate too much. Then it will look overwhelming. But if you under decorate it will look very boring. Very un-creative. Since smash products are the best thing when decorating your smash book; sometimes it’s all you need. Smash captions are ready to stick, all you have to do is write your caption in. Smash flag clips, clips to attach photos, notes and more. Smash pads allow you to voice your opinion or jot something down, then smash it in. Smash date stamp, is exactly what it says a date stamp but with sayings like â€Å"I’m a hot mess†, or â€Å"today is†, â€Å"I love this†! With the date next to it. Smash tape is tape with a design on it, so you can be creative. Smash tape can hold your photos in place or even a feather? Who knows? Next is smash pockets, which are great for holding the bigger things like brochures and things like that. Smash bands, hold your smash book together. And your pens even closer. Now take your desired category you want to smash, your glue and pen and smash it in. Use your date stamp and date it if you would like. Add a smash caption too, some smash tape to hold in a picture that is a memory you want to keep! Some stickers, and writings of your own even drawings will work too if your artistic. Remember, this smash book isn’t a scrapbook. It doesn’t have to be all clean and neat. It’s not just about the pictures. It about the thought, a jot a feather that’s caught, it’s the idea that matters! Everything you have been keeping in that junk drawer for years, let it come out. Have fun with it. Don’t let it hide, and smash it! . It is easy to take along, anywhere you go. It has to time limit. It doesn’t take hours. So smash away and have fun, just remember those steps . Just choose your smash book style, or create your own, have the simple things to create your own, get the smash accessories, sort out all your stuff into categories and then smash it in and decorate your page to your desire.

Deaf Culture in America - 972 Words

ASL-1 Thoughts on Voices from A Culture When I finished reading the book I realized that I had just learned way more than I had been expecting. Just reading the first chapter was enough for me to be awestruck by the intricacies of the Deaf culture, but as I continued reading I realized that the depth and many levels of social structure are so detailed that being able to fully understand them would be simply impossible. I was very impressed with the amount of respect that the word Deaf conveys among the Deaf community. The first chapter to me seemed to be the most interesting. The many stories about Deaf children meeting friends and interacting shed a new light on the way that Deaf people learn to communicate. The word Deaf itself is†¦show more content†¦The story about the football game where the one Deaf school played another shows the complexity of the deaf culture. Even though the both teams were Deaf teams, the one team called the other team hearing. Now whether or not this wa s intentional or not I do not know but if it was It shows that the one team clearly saw something about the other team that they could recognize as being foreign and maybe thats why they associated them with the hearing. The rest of the book goes into extreme detail about the lives of Deaf people and their living in the everyday world. Dealing with hearing people and other matters. The one story in chapter four about the bartender and the educated deaf man was funny to me. I read it and saw some characteristics of my group of friends. The educated man was out of place at the club and did not fit in into the Deaf culture; he was an outsider to the way of life and signing ability. His signing was more refined and noticeable to the people at the place. Similarities among some of my friends exist but in different context. The next chapter confused me a little with the songs and poems but I think that it was essential to have in the book in order to be able to more understand the thinki ng of a Deaf individual and how it can be different from a hearing individual. Sometimes the hearing people cannot understand the way in which a Deaf individual interprets things. All in all I believe that this book did a very good job ofShow MoreRelatedReflection About Deaf Culture1295 Words   |  6 Pagescame to America to explore hearing options. Before coming to America, I had no formal communication, I couldn’t speak or sign. My mom also wanted me to be a part of the hearing culture because I needed to learn English and Urdu so I can communicate with family members. My mom worked with our doctor and I received the cochlear implant. It was so I could communicate in the hearing world and be able to talk and hear. After I got my surgery, I began school and was isolated between hearing and deaf kidsRead MoreASL102 Deaf in America Book Report Essay625 Words   |  3 PagesLanguage Level 2 31 October 2012 Deaf in America Book Report In this book, Deaf in America, by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, the two authors wrote stories, jokes, performances, and experiences of Deaf people. They also wrote Deaf culture and Deaf people’s lives from various angles. This book is great navigator of Deaf world for hearing people and even Deaf people as me. There are several factors attracting reader. To begin with, I could learn about backgrounds of deaf people and hearing people. AuthorsRead MoreEssay about Deaf Culture1561 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Culture I may not be considered part of the hearing culture due to my severe to profound hearing loss, but some people might be surprised to hear that I am not considered a part of the Deaf culture. A majority of the Deaf culture is very critical of those who assimilate with hearing people and accept hearing culture as their majority culture. I believe that every hearing impaired and deaf person is an individual and needs to do what is best for them instead of being worried about followingRead MoreDeaf in America Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesDeaf in America: Voices From A Culture By Carol Padden Tom L. Humphries Copyright 1988 This book was mainly focused on looking at Deaf culture of today and comparing it to the culture of the past, and what kinds of struggles deaf people had to endure to get where they are today. The two authors of this book are deaf; one was deaf her whole life and the other became deaf as a child. In my opinion, that was a major contributing factor to why it was so interesting. The reader gets a chance toRead MoreDeaf Perceptions Of The Deaf1510 Words   |  7 PagesDeaf Perceptions of Animacy Deaf culture has long been misunderstood and misrepresented within America, in part due to the significant language barrier between the American Deaf and their hearing counterparts. Though it is often thought to be nothing more than an elevated form of charades, American Sign Language (ASL) is a language like any other- not only with its own grammatical syntax, phonology, and morphology, but also in its compliance to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Created by Edward SapirRead MoreThe Importance Of Deaf Culture1445 Words   |  6 Pagesoneself within a â€Å"culture† due to the unique social, behavioral, and physical traits each culture represents themselves with. As I began learning about the hallmarks of Deaf culture such as â€Å"language, heritage art and history†, I began wondering about how the historical significance of each one impacted the modern choices of Deaf individuals (Holcomb 17). Our textbook Introduction to American Deaf Culture makes references to how imp ortant American Sign Language is to define the Deaf community whichRead MoreInside Deaf Culture, By Carol Padden And Tom Humphries1228 Words   |  5 Pages What is culture? Culture reflects the customs of one particular nation or group of people. This term is often used to distinguish one societal group from another due to differences in beliefs, languages, traditions, arts, and behaviors. Throughout the world, there are many different cultures that play a variety of roles in various communities. In the 1980s, many people began to recognize Deaf culture and the unification of the Deaf community. Language plays an essential role in the development andRead MoreA Journey Into The Deaf World Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesbook â€Å"A Journey into the Deaf-World†, by Harlan Lane, Robert Hoffmeister, and Ben Bahan, is about the different people who are considered deaf: hard-of-hearing, deaf, and CODA. People who are hard-of-hearing are people who don t hear well; people who are deaf lack the power of hearing since birth; you can be born hearing and throughout time lose some or all of your hearing sense. People who are CODA (children of deaf adults) are often signing because their parents are deaf and CODA’s often are helpfulRead More American Sign Language Essay1675 Words   |  7 Pageslearning about the deaf culture I have taken on a new understanding about the people it includes. Through readings and the lessons, I have learned that being deaf has both its hardships and its blessings. The beauty of the language alone makes one want to learn all that he or she can about it. In this paper I will discuss the beauty of the language and the misconceptions the hearing world has about deafness. The deaf culture has often been labeled as the deaf- and- dumb culture. This is not onlyRead MoreThe National Deaf Education Project982 Words   |  4 PagesThe National Deaf Education Project was founded in 1998 by Lawrence Siegel. Lawrence M. Siegel has been an advocate and attorney for special education cases beginning in 1979 (National Deaf Education Project). He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of California at Berkeley (National Deaf Education Project). He has strong beliefs regarding the Deaf community and culture and the Deaf’s rights and liberties as Americans. Specifically, he believes that communication and language is