A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr

A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. Kings letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymens and this direct response distinguishes Kings strong points through his powerful writing. Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotles three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing himself as The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. , [with] eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (Letter from Birmingham Jail 2). This credential not only puts King into a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this is on page seven of Letter From Birmingham Jail where King states that hes traveled through the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi, and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings. This quote defends his credibility further because not only did King travel once through these states but multiple t imes in different seasons, and even deeper- in different trials that may have been presented. Moreover, throughout the letter, King references the Bible, presidents, and writers to establish not only his educated mind, but also his passion for righteousness and his stance as a minister. The flawless flow of his passionate response to the Clergymen also presents support for his intellect and knowledge due to keeping a reasonable head and developed grammar while inhabiting a jail cell. Many of the Kings rhetoric used that convinced his credibility to the audience also demonstrated the logic in his counterargument. In a simple paragraph, he effectively proves his point that extremism for a proper cause isnt something to discredit and should not be looked upon as a negative thing, Was not Jesus an extremist for Love,Was not Amos and Extremist of justice, was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel, and Abraham Lincoln,and Thomas Jefferson,The Question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be (A Letter from Birmingham Jail 6). After thoroughly tying in many influential figures in history, King then goes on to question the argument of the Clergymen stating that the demonstrations are at fault in Birmingham and not the social situation already simmering. Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which,not a single Negro is register ed (Letter from Birmingham Jail 4) This direct attack on the truth of Alabama in this time brings a harsher light to what happens and what is overlooked to many. King then continues to state that it was his parading without a permit (4), that landed him in the jail and while it is completely fine to have such an ordinance,it becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest (Letter from Birmingham Jail 4). This direct reference to the constitution of the United States and just and unjust laws and ordinances proves a strong point for Kings Rebuttal, which helps to defend the equal rights movement even further. Throughout the passage, after King addresses his credentials and furthers I through his knowledgeable and strong rebuttals of logic, his argument plays further into the conscious of his audience through well put references and emotional instances. One powerful example of Kings pull on the readers consciousness in his letter is on page three when he refutes the argument of the Clergymen saying that Colored people should just wait. While many words truly stand out, Kings true effect was mastered by the appeal to the parents in the group, When you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: Daddy, why white people treat colored people so mean (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3)? Then again, humiliation day in and day out by nagging signs (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3) and even further, when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3). Another element that helps support Kings point in his letter is the fervent repetition o f his blatant disappointment in more than simply the clergymen, but their Christian faith and the churches in service within Alabama during this time. King repeats how disappointed he was in the common whites also and their bystander reactions to racial issues. The fact that this man, a minister, beneath the said extremist white clergymen, and inhabiting a jail cell during that time, who was disappointed in people showed a true depth which hit the audience profoundly. (King) These three elements to Martin Luther Kings letter aid it to be the most effective argument against the Clergymens rash and irrational spark of a letter. Because he sought to the demands and claims so logically, and rebutted with passion and clarity, Kings message was put across and he demonstrated what he needed to put his point across and defend his actions and ideals. The strength of this letter allowed a clear voice to hopefully change mindsets and common misconceptions within Birmingham, Alabama and did not allow the irregularities of the Clergymen to cloud minds with incorrect thoughts. Works Cited: King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1854-66.

hitler :: essays research papers

Adolf Hitler   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889. He was the son of a minor customs official and a peasant girl. He dropped out of high school and applied for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna but was rejected for lack of talent. Slowly he stated to develop anti-Jewish and antidemocratic convictions, an admiration for the outstanding individual, and contempt for the masses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hitler served as a German soldier in World War I. His commander made him an education officer, in order to immunize his charges against pacifist and democratic ideas. In September 1919 he joined the nationalist German Workers’ party, and in April 1920 he went to work full time for the party. The party was now renamed the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) party. In 1921 he was elected party chairman with dictatorial powers. In November 1923, a time of economic and political chaos, he led an uprising (Putsch) in Munich against the postwar Weimar Republic, proclaiming himself chancellor of a new authoritarian regime but he failed. Hitler was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment but only served eight months. During those eight months in prison he wrote his autobiography Mein Kampf(My Struggle). When the Great Depression struck in 1929, promising a strong Germany, jobs, and national glory, he attracted millions of voters. Hitler came to ab solute power in 1933.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When was in power, he took thousands of anti-Nazis off to concentration camps, gave jobs to everyone who was a Nazi, and managed to make German people believe in him to take control over all Europe. He negated the concept of human equality and claimed racial superiority for the Germans. As the master or Aryan race, they were told, they had the right to dominate all nations they wanted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As he started to build his empire he managed to ally with some great leaders. In 1939, he allied with Francisco Franco, who was dictator of Spain at the time. He also allied with Benito Mussolini, the Italian ruler at that time, and used Italy as his satellite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In September 1st, 1939, he invaded Poland starting World War II. He derided the concept of human equality and claimed racial superiority for the Germans. In World War II, Hitler’s empire included Austria, Czech Sudetenland, Holland, Greece, Yugoslavia Soviet Union, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and some of Northern Africa.

A Real Virtual End :: Matrix Virtuality Reality Essays

A Real Virtual End Whether you watch a science fiction movie, or read a science fiction novel, mother earth seems to no longer be a concern of the human race. The concern of humans has been shifted to a new medium, virtual reality. In the movie The Matrix, earth has been destroyed and people live underground. But, in the peoples virtual reality, where they plug themselves into called the matrix, everything that is desired can be downloaded for them in seconds. In the novel Snow Crash, earth is rapidly being destroyed by humans through negligence. Once again, the more important concern on the human mind is the virtual reality called the Metaverse. Just like the matrix, the Metaverse fulfills desires with a few strokes of the keyboard. What if reality didnt exist? Could there still be a virtual reality continuing on? It seems to me that these two science fiction stories promote laziness and to ignore our ongoing destruction of earth. The main character and hero in the movie The Matrix, Neo, is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of the matrix. What Neo thinks is the real world is no more than a computer-generated dreamscape, a virtual reality created by the artificial intelligence that really controls things to distract our human minds while our bodies are systemically plundered as an energy source to keep those machines up and running. The re al world has actually been destroyed by humans through nuclear warfare. Upon Neos enlightenment of the real earth, he is forced to make a decision to choose between the matrix and what is thought to be reality. Choosing the matrix, Neo has to re-think and re-learn his old ways and adapt to the new ways through which he will need to survive. Finding his niche in the matrix, Neo becomes god-like here. Although he was just a mere hacker whom had little power in reality, the matrix turns Neo into a force not to be messed with. Neos unbelievable hand-eye coordination and miraculous maneuvering separates him from the other humans that are locked into the matrix. Neo is filled with huge amounts of information at an alarming rate to help create him into being the One. The matrix allows you to receive anything you want, and to be downloaded any piece of information known to man. A Real Virtual End :: Matrix Virtuality Reality Essays A Real Virtual End Whether you watch a science fiction movie, or read a science fiction novel, mother earth seems to no longer be a concern of the human race. The concern of humans has been shifted to a new medium, virtual reality. In the movie The Matrix, earth has been destroyed and people live underground. But, in the peoples virtual reality, where they plug themselves into called the matrix, everything that is desired can be downloaded for them in seconds. In the novel Snow Crash, earth is rapidly being destroyed by humans through negligence. Once again, the more important concern on the human mind is the virtual reality called the Metaverse. Just like the matrix, the Metaverse fulfills desires with a few strokes of the keyboard. What if reality didnt exist? Could there still be a virtual reality continuing on? It seems to me that these two science fiction stories promote laziness and to ignore our ongoing destruction of earth. The main character and hero in the movie The Matrix, Neo, is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of the matrix. What Neo thinks is the real world is no more than a computer-generated dreamscape, a virtual reality created by the artificial intelligence that really controls things to distract our human minds while our bodies are systemically plundered as an energy source to keep those machines up and running. The re al world has actually been destroyed by humans through nuclear warfare. Upon Neos enlightenment of the real earth, he is forced to make a decision to choose between the matrix and what is thought to be reality. Choosing the matrix, Neo has to re-think and re-learn his old ways and adapt to the new ways through which he will need to survive. Finding his niche in the matrix, Neo becomes god-like here. Although he was just a mere hacker whom had little power in reality, the matrix turns Neo into a force not to be messed with. Neos unbelievable hand-eye coordination and miraculous maneuvering separates him from the other humans that are locked into the matrix. Neo is filled with huge amounts of information at an alarming rate to help create him into being the One. The matrix allows you to receive anything you want, and to be downloaded any piece of information known to man.

Personal Narrative: How I Became a Writer Essay -- Narrative Essay Wri

I have found becoming a writer every bit as much a process as writing itself. One does not become a writer overnight but over time, and I offer the following stories as examples of some of the steps I have taken in what is proving to be a life-long process. My initiation into writing was typical of the 1960s, when I began receiving a public education at Elementary School. Writing consisted primarily of penmanship, books reports and research papers, all with highly structured formats as designated by the teacher or by the textbooks the teacher used. Our schools days were equally as structured with class time divided by subject, the major ones being English, math, science and history and the minor ones being gym class, art and music. The terms â€Å"interdisciplinary and â€Å"cross-disciplinary† were not included in the vernacular at that time. English was one of the subjects that, for me, floated to top like cream, while history just didn’t churn my butter. I loved reading fiction and even devoured the rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation, but I detested dry history books and memorizing names, dates and places. When we were instructed to sit quietly and read our history books, I would hold mine standing straight up on my desk and hunker down with something more interesting hidden inside it, like Jane Eyre. Thus I came to appreciate those large history books. By the time I advanced to junior high, my dislike of history was as well-ingrained as my love of English. It seemed this would be the case for the rest of my life, had it not been for an English teacher at John Marshall Junior High. Although the Great Disciplinary Divide continued, as it would throughout high school, this teacher (whose name I don’t recall) chose to ignore i... ...eloped and taught, â€Å"Integrating Technology in the English Language Arts Classroom,† my syllabus stated that the final project and accompanying paper had to demonstrate a grasp of the theory and practice of integrating new technology. Yet such old standbys as grammar, spelling, punctuation and meeting the deadline counted, too. As an instructor, I want my students to appreciate the craft of writing as a serious art, but I also want them to have fun and feel accomplished doing it. Most of all, I want my students to see that there are endless choices available to them as writers and that at any time they can step from the well-worn path to the less-worn one and back again. Contrary to what Robert Frost says, I think it has been my travels on both kinds that has made the difference, thanks to those teachers who guided me along the way. And I am all the better for that.

European settling in America Essay

The discovery of the Americas was one of the biggest events in history. But some tend to look over the fact that the discovery of the Americas led also to the discovery of Native American groups who were already settled here. So did the Europeans really have the right to settle in the Americas? The Europeans had every right to settle in the Americas. They had this right because no nation or form of government had been established here. If a nation or government had been established, then it would be a different story. The problem with the Native Americans was that they were so sparsely spread out around the Americas. If they had all been in one large area things possibly could have gone better for them than they did. The Europeans did have every right to settle in the Americas, but they had absolutely no right to dispossess Indians of their land. The Indians had settled here years and years before the discovery of the Americas by the Europeans. The Indians had somehow ventured over to the Americas, just as the Europeans had done, and made a home here. Europeans had no right to take that away from them. The Europeans should have been more compassionate towards the Native Americans. They should have respected the fact that they had settled here first, but human pride got in the way and they wanted what they couldn’t have. The Europeans lied, cheated , and stole from the Indians making for a very confrontational accommodation. This is not the way they should have gone about this. Many things could have been done to aid in a more peaceful accommodation. First and foremost, the Europeans could have settled anywhere else in the Americas, whereas it is very large with plenty of land. If they really wanted the specific land the Indians were on they could have coincided with them. They could have lived in peace amongst each other. The two cultures could teach other new things, and help one another. If this still didn’t work, the Europeans could have peacefully negotiated with the Indians, no violence or deceit involved. Sadly, the Europeans hearts weren’t in the right place when they came across the Indians, and most of the Europeans wanted the Indians gone or exterminated. As Christians, we are supposed to help others and be compassionate. Had the Europeans approached the Indians with this mindset things could have been done more peacefully between the two cultures.

Chitizenship Coursework

On the Monday 19th January we decided to go to Meadow Primary School, which is mine and Katie's old primary school, to talk to a class of year 4 children about why we need trees. The group of children where specially selected by the Headmaster as they had recently been on a trip that had a lot to do with nature and involved many nature based activities. Our presentation included a short PowerPoint presentation on the topic we had chosen which was â€Å"Why we need trees†, and asking the children to answer some questions at the end on the topic, using the information that was provided in the presentation and some booklets that we had also made and provided. These included some information, questions and other activities, as well as a web site where they could get more information. We where originally going to plant a tree with the children as well, but because of unfortunate rainy weather we where not able to as the ground was to muddy and slippery. Describe your Role As my part I introduced who we where, why we where here and what we had come to talk about. I also talked about the contents of slides 1-8, as we decided to talk about the slides that we made, mine being about why trees are important to our and other animals survival. The slides did not only have information on but also some questions that I asked them to see how much they knew already and to get them involved to interests them more as I did not think they would be to interested with us just talking for about half an hour as the children between ages of 8 and 9. As we where early finishing I also took part in quizzing the children on the presentation, which was actually quite a good method to find out what they learnt, which in turn helped see how interesting and helpful our presentation was. Planning Stages We decided to do our presentation when we where looking through a booklet in our PSHCE lesson, that had suggestions in of what we could do for our coursework. We decided this could be fun for both the children and us and be an opportunity to see how well we can interact with children. We discussed a school that would be appropriate for us to go to and then got in contact with the head master by writing a letter. After he replied saying he would like us to go and see him, me and Katie went to see him to tell him in more detail about our intensions. After he said we would be allowed, we started preparing our presentation. We told him about the woodlands trust, and asked them if it would be ok to set up a school planting program. This would mean they would get tree, plants, and shrubs sent to them, which they could plant on the school grounds. This was also, where we got the trees that we would be planting from. After we finished the presentation and booklets, Katie and I went back to Meadow to arrange a date when we could go, and the group of students we would be presenting it to. Many different factors affected this as we where hoping to do it on a Monday afternoon when we had PSHCE as then we would not have to miss any of our other lessons, but it also had to be appropriate for the school, as we could not do it before Christmas as they had school plays and where doing other activities. The Headmaster also had important meetings, and wanted to see us do the presentation as well. My Contribution My contribution to the planning was helping to write the letter to the headmaster of Meadow Primary School telling him of our intensions and asking if we could go and see him to explain in more detail and hopefully get his permission to prepare and give a presentation on our chosen topic. When he replied I went to see him along with Katie to explain in more detail and get permission to give the presentation, and to arrange a group of children who we would be giving our presentation to. Once we knew this I started making slide 1-8 of the presentation. To do this I looked on the tree for all website to get some ideas and information about what I could include, along with various other websites that provided information about our chosen topic. Contribution of Others The rest of my group done very similar work to me as we wanted to make sure the work was split equally between us, and that we where all happy with what we where doing. As I mentioned before we all contributed to helping write the letter as we knew it would be important to get a reply. Katie came with me to see the headmaster to organise dates etc and explain in more detail about what we wanted to do. She also created the next part of the power point which was slides 9-16 which where about what problems where being caused due to there being less trees, and why they where being cut down. She also researched information on the internet a created slides 17-22 which where about what we could do to help and also a slide on the woodlands trust website as they played an important part I our talk. Kelly made the booklets that we gave to the children using the information that we put on the power point, and also finding pictures and activities that would help make the booklet more interesting. As we also wanted to plant a tree we got together to talk about where we could get one from, and decided that we talk to the headmaster of meadow about getting involved with the tree for all program which meant they would be sent boxes of trees, hedges, shrubs etc that would be at a suitable size to plant. He said that they where interested in doing this and was sent the box of plant life, and allowed us to plant one of them each instead of having to buy our own. Activity Log Activity Group/Individual Date Writing a letter to the headmaster Group 3/11/08 Meeting the headmaster to organise details Group 14/11/08 – 9/01/09 Researching information for the topics we where doing Individual 14/11/08 -06/12/08 Creating slides in the PowerPoint or booklets Group/Individual 14/11/08 -06/12/08 Talking about the presentation Group/Individual 19/01/09 Asking questions Group/Individual 19/01/09 We thought educating children about the value of trees would be a good idea because there where lots of things to talk about especially as issues such as global warming are now becoming a problem. We decided to talk to a group of younger children as we felt it would be more interesting for them and they would be more likely to listen and get involved. I also feel it is important to educate the children at an earlier age, so they will interested in helping by recycling, turning of lights etc at an earlier age, and get into a routine of it so it will carry on when they are older. Even though there was quite a bit of work involved I am still glad I decided to do the project because both the group and the children found it fun, although it was a bit disappointing that we did not get to plant the trees. When the headmaster replied to our letter, me and Katie went to see him which although was a bit daunting, it was also very helpful as he gave us some ideas and tips that could help us prepare the presentation and improve our work, which soon made us feel much better about going to see him again. Going to see the headmaster also helped me to see what it would be like in the future going to see an employer as I now know what its like to be questioned about what I want to do. I was so relived when he said yes because it was a school I was familiar with and also one of the easiest to get to, which made everything a lot easier to organise. It took quite a long time to prepare the presentation as we had to fit it all together, and find times when we all could get together at the end to edit the power point and make sure we all thought it was informational, yet not to complicated for the children to understand. We also had to make sure the booklets where informational yet fun so the children will take interest in them. A lot of the information we included we thought of ourselves, but researched facts that we could include to show them more clearly how bad problems like global warming and deforestation where getting, but telling them other things like what we can do to help we came up with ourselves from things we already knew. Team work played an important part in our project as we had to all do equal parts in order to make it fair, but we also had to be happy with the part we where given which we where. On my own it would have taken me much longer to do and also would have been more scary to do the presentation, so I'm glad I was able to work in a team as it made the experience more enjoyable. List of Supporting Evidence We have kept a copy the letter we wrote to the headmaster as proof of our visit, and we have also kept copies of the power point presentation and booklets. We where also given some copies of the letters that the headmaster sent out to the parents of the children to make them aware of our visit and our intentions, which has his signature and contact details of the school. There where also other documents that where created whilst organising dates etc which the headmaster, but we have not included them as they where just notes as a reminder of the date and time and other details like what age the children where. The power point was really just a background that would help us to give our speeches by showing facts and other details, and it also make the talk more interesting for the children, as we used bright colours and pictures. We choose a green theme as we thought that would be the most appropriate colour, and included pictures of animals as we told of how they could be affected if all the trees where cut down, because I think it is important the children know the effects global warming and deforestation has on the animals, as well as ourselves. I think creating the power point was the hardest part, because we had to make informational, but complicated to understand, which meant we had to be careful about what we talked about and our vocabulary, because if we mentioned something or said words that the children did not understand they would become confused, so we asked other people like our parents what they thought before we went back to tell him it was finished. The booklets where something we made as an extra for the for the children and consisted of activities like dot to sots and bullet pointed some information and facts that where mentioned during the presentation. We made them as an encouragement for children to do something more, like convincing their parents to recycle more etc, as they would be able to remember facts and what they can do to help better. We also included the Tree for All website on them, so they will be able to go on there and get more information and ideas. Use of Supporting Evidence I think writing the letter to the headmaster was the most important part of our work, because without it we would not have been able to do our presentation, and may have ended up doing something else, which would have been really disappointing. The power point was also important as it helped keep the children from getting bored, as well as reminding us what to say by showing facts and information, as without we would have had to memorise a speech which would have been hard to remember and probably quite boring for the children, which would have made it quite nerve wrecking and probably not as enjoyable. I also think it was better that we made booklets for them even thought they where not necessary, as it meant the children would be more likely to get involved as they had something that could tell them how, and them doing something like, turning of lights, recycling, etc would still be and achievement as our aim wasn't just to inform, but to try and convince them to get involved. Once we finished the presentation we questioned the children on what they had learnt, and this proved that we where successful in capturing their interest, as we where afraid of none of them getting involved and putting their hands up, but many of them did which was very pleasing as it meant our visit has had some kind of effect. Doing this presentation has also taught me some new things, especially when we where creating the power point, for example I now know that the Amazon Rainforest gives us more than 20% of our oxygen, and that nearly half of it has been cut down. I found this quite shocking, and it made me realise just how bad things are getting environmentally, and made me think more about what could be drastic effects that these damages could have, like more illnesses due to less trees removing the air pollution. I am really disappointed that we did not get to plant the trees as it would have been nice to give them and example, and it would have been a new experience for me, and a lot of the children who have never planted a tree before, although hopefully they will get chances in the future now that the school is getting trees to plant from the woodlands trust. I hope that they will enjoy doing this and that our visit will encourage them to do things outside of school and suggest ideas to any outer school clubs they go to, or get involved with activities and events that go on within the community. Evaluation of my Own Contribution I think I done my role within the group well because I created my faire share of slides for the power point, and helped organise the presentation, which meant going to meadow primary after school, as well as working on the slides. I also helped put the power point together and improve other slides that may have been a bit complicated. I think the amount of work we done was all fair and equal and I think we done it quite well, and I was especially pleased with how the presentation went as I was really nervous in case they found us boring or would not listen and where badly behaved, but luckily we managed t interest them as they where eager to answer the questions, although they could sometimes get a bit chatty when we started discussing things, although I am still really with how well behaved they where. Evaluation of Others Contribution I think everyone in my group worked really well, and I think we functioned well as a group, as we shared the work equally and had now arguments or disagreements about what we where doing , or over who was doing what. I think it was our good teamwork and cooperation that made everything go so well. I think Emma and Katie done a really good job of creating their slides for the power point and explained them in a calm yet interesting way. Kelly also did a really good job with the booklets and finding and creating activities for them. She was also very good with her timing during the presentation as she gave us enough time to do each slide, and also made sure we switched at the right point and stayed within time. I really enjoyed working with my friends and am really happy that everything went so smoothly because of our hard work and motivation. For my PSHCE project, me and my friends Kelly, Katie and Emma, wanted to do something to help the environment. We choose to do a project based around trees, as they are an important part to the survival of living things as they provide us with oxygen. They also provide homes and food for animals and resources for us. Due to the air pollution that is given off from transport vehicles, burning fossil fuels to make electricity, etc, as more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, and traps heat emitted by the sun. This is called the greenhouse effect, and trees reduce the problem as they take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and give off oxygen. Cutting down the trees therefore speeds up the process and can lead to devastating effects like flooding that will be caused by the sea levels rising from the polar ice caps melting from the hotter temperatures. We thought the best way to help, would be to inform younger people as hopefully it would interest them at an early age to recycle, turn off lights and electrical appliances when there not being used, etc, and they would also encourage their parents and brothers and sisters to do the same. We decided the best way to do this would be to go to a primary school and give a small presentation and give out some booklets about trees, why they are important, what is happening and what we can do to help. We also thought that planting a tree with them would be a fun example and reminder of what they can do to help, as they would then see the trees everyday. The school we decided to contact was Meadow Primary School because it was near by and mine and Katie's old primary school, so we already knew the headmaster and the contact details. We decided the best way to contact him would be through a letter so we wrote one together explain what we wanted to do, why and what it involved. I put my phone number on the letter, and a couple of days later, he phoned us saying that he would be happy to let us give our presentation, and that we should go and see him after school to arrange some details. Me and Katie went because it was inconvenient for Emma and Kelly as they lived quite far away. Once there we talked about the details like when we should visit, which was preferably Monday afternoon as that is when we have PSHCE and so we would not be missing any of our other lessons. We also discussed which class we would be talking to and decided that our talk would fit in best with a group of year fours who had recently been on a school trip which had involved them learning about nature. Over the next week we created a power point presentation and some booklets. We decided to split the power point presentation into three sections, and we would each speak about the part that we done. I would be talking about why trees are important and where they are being cut down. Katie was talking about the problems cutting down trees was causing, and why they where being cut down, and Emma talked about what can be done to help. I got information of various websites which helped me to include some facts and figures, like who the Amazon Rainforest gives us 20% of our oxygen. As we where talking to children between the ages of we had to be careful of the language we used and how we phrased things, as they would not know as many words as us, and so may not understand if we said something that we had been taught in our lessons at school. I found this a bit difficult as when I am usually describing something, I like to use a wider vocabulary and try to make it very detailed, but as I had to do the opposite of this, I found I had to keep asking people for their opinion of whether the children would be able to understand, as although we did want to teach them something new, we thought it would be difficult and confusing for them to learn too many new words. When everyone had finished their part, we fitted the power point together and changed everything so it matched. We also read through it editing and adding in bits, like questions each part offered ideas from all of us making it better. When we where finished we gave Kelly the presentation so she would have the information she needed to create the booklets, which I think she done really well, as she found and created lots of activities for the children to enjoy. When we where happy with our final editing, me and Katie went back to Meadow to arrange a date for our visit, but due to the time we had some trouble, as we where doing exams, and they had Christmas plays, so we went back after Christmas and arranged the date for the 9th January. On the day we left our fourth lesson early, to get to Meadow before half two so we could prepare the presentation. While we where talking, the children where very quite and didn't talk at all, which although this was really good as showed they where listening, I did worry that they may be too shy or uninterested to answer the questions, but this was not the case. We found the children answered the questions with a lot of enthusiasm which was really pleasing as it showed they where interested in helping the environment, and capturing their interest was something we wanted to achieve. As it was to wet to plant the trees, instead we decided to spend the last 15 minuets questioning the children about the presentation, which I think went really well as like before, the children where all enthusiastic to answer the questions we asked, and gave us many of the points that where included in the power point. This was great as it showed that they had been listening and showed they where interested in the environment. I think that everything was really well although it was really disappointing that we did not get to plant the trees as it would have been fun and a great experience for us and the children, but we did get the satisfaction of knowing that they would be planting them some other time, and that they had learnt something. They also seemed to be really interested in the booklets that we made which was pleasing as hopefully they will have taken them home and done the activities and even tried some of the activities we recommended. I also hope that they will have tried to influence their parents and their siblings to help by turning of lights and recycling, as this could spread out through out the community and encourage many more people to start helping, which could have an impact on the amount of trees that are being planted and cut down.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 46~48

46 Beans and Succubus Tuck's other partner showed up at his bungalow that evening as he was sitting down to a plate of pork and beans. She didn't knock, or call out, or even clear her throat politely to let him know she was there. One minute Tuck was studying a gelatinous white cube of unidentifiable carbon-based life-form awash in a lumpy puddle of boiled legumes and tomato sauce, and the next the door opened and she was standing there wearing nothing but a red scarf and sequined high heels. Tuck dropped his spoon. Two partially used beans dribbled out of his open mouth, tracing contrails of sauce down the front of his shirt. She executed a single flamenco heel stomp and Tuck watched the impact move up her body and settle comfortably in her breasts. She threw her arms wide, struck a pose, and said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess has arrived.† â€Å"Yes, she has,† Tuck said with the glassy-eyed stupifaction of a newly converted Moonie. He'd seen something like her before, either on the hood of a Rolls-Royce or on a bowling trophy, but in the flesh the image was much more immediate, awe-inspiring even. She pirouetted and the tails of the scarf trailed around her like affectionate smoke. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Tuck said, nodding. â€Å"Come here.† Tuck stood and moved toward her in the mindless shuffle step of a zombie compelled by the promise of living flesh. His brain stopped work-ing, his entire life energy shifted to another part of his body, and it led him across the room to within an inch of her. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him, but before he had always retained the power of speech and most of his motor functions. â€Å"What's wrong with you?† she said. â€Å"Bolts in your neck too tight?† â€Å"My entire body has an erection.† She took him by the front of the shirt and backed him across the room to the bed, then pushed him down and pulled his pants down to his knees. She vaulted onto him in a straddle and he reached up for her breasts. She caught his wrists. â€Å"No. You'll fuck up my makeup.† And he noticed – like an accident victim might notice a butterfly in the grille of the bus that is running over him – that her nipples had been rouged to an unnatural pink. He tried to sit up and she shoved him back down, then took him in her hand, nicking him with a red fingernail, making him wince, and guided him inside of her. He reached for her hips to drive her down and got his hands slapped for the effort. And she fucked him – precise and mechanical as a machine, a single pounding motion repeated and lubricated and repeated again – until her breath rasped in her throat like hissing hydraulics and she arched her back and stalled, and misfired, then dieseled for a stroke or two, and she climbed off. Somewhere in all that he had come and she had looked at him once. He lay there looking at the remnants of torn mosquito netting over the bed, breathing hard, feeling a little dizzy, and wondering what had just happened. She went to the bathroom, then returned a few seconds later and threw him a towel, which she had obviously used herself. â€Å"We're flying in three or four hours. Be ready.† â€Å"Okay.† Was he supposed to say something? Didn't this signify some sort of change that should be acknowledged? â€Å"I want you to watch me, but you can't let them see you. Wait a few minutes and go out by the hanger where you can see the airstrip. It's a great show. Theater makes it all possible, you know. Ask the Catholics. They survived the Middle Ages by putting on performances in a language that no one understood on grand stages that were built by the pennies of the poor. That's the problem with religion today. No theater.† This must be her version of cuddling. â€Å"Performance?† â€Å"The appearance of the Sky Priestess,† she said as if she was talking to a piece of toast. She walked to the door, then paused and looked over her shoulder. Almost as an afterthought she said, â€Å"Tucker,† and when he looked up she blew him a kiss. Then she was out the door and he heard her shout, â€Å"Cue the music!† A big band sound blasted across the island, sending a shiver rattling through Tuck's body as if a chill ghost from the forties had jitterbugged over his spine. 47 Grand Theft Aircraft The Shark men were breaking into their second jug of tuba when the music started. They all looked to Malink. Why hadn't he told them there was going to be an appearance of the Sky Priestess? Malink thought fast, then grinned as if he had known this was coming all along. â€Å"I wanted it to be a surprise,† he said. Why hadn't this been an-nounced by the Sorcerer? Was he still angry because Malink had not pro-duced the girl-man on demand? Was Vincent himself angry at Malink for something? Certainly Malink's people would be angry at him for not giving them the time to prepare the drums and the bamboo rifles of Vincent's army – and the women, oh, the women would be shitting coconuts over not having time to oil their skins and paint their faces and put on their ce-remonial grass skirts. As Malink trudged to the airstrip he tried to formulate some explanation that would work with everyone. As if it wasn't difficult enough being chief with no coffee to drink in the morning – he'd had a headache for two weeks from caffeine withdrawal – now his role as religious leader was giving him problems. Leading a religion is tough work when your gods start stirring for real and messing up your prophecies. And what if he did come up with an explanation, only to have the Priestess of the Sky say something that contradicted him? She was supposed to be Vincent's voice, but that voice had been angry lately, so he didn't dare ask her for help as he had in the past. Not in front of his people. He came out of the jungle just in time to see the flash of the explosions. The Sky Priestess walked out of the smoke and even from a hundred yards away, Malink could tell by her step that she was pleased. Malink breathed a sigh of relief. She was carrying magazines for them. If his people were happy with what she said, then he could use the old â€Å"will of Vincent† argument for not preparing them. He could have never guessed the real reason the Sorcerer had not forewarned him of the appearance of the Sky Priestess. At the time when he normally called the warning, the Sorcerer had been watching through the window as the Sky Priestess pumped away on Tucker Case. Tuck waited five minutes before he pulled up his pants and slid out the door of his bungalow, nearly running into Sebastian Curtis. The doctor, normally cool, was soaked with sweat and looked past Tuck to the clinic. â€Å"Mr. Case. I thought you'd be preparing the plane. Beth did tell you that you have a flight?† Tuck fought the urge to bolt. He hadn't had enough time to build up any remorse about having sex with the doctor's wife, and he didn't excel at remorse in the first place. â€Å"I was on my way to do the preflight. It doesn't take long.† The doctor didn't make eye contact. â€Å"You'll forgive me if I seem distracted. I have to perform major surgery in a few minutes. You should go watch Beth's little show.† â€Å"What's all the music and explosions?† â€Å"It's how we retrieve our donors. Beth will explain her theory of religion and theater to you, I'm sure. Excuse me.† He pushed past Tucker and looked at his shoes as he walked toward the clinic. â€Å"Aren't you going to watch?† Tuck said. â€Å"Thank you, but I find it nauseating.† â€Å"Oh,† Tuck said. â€Å"Then I'll go check out the Lear. Great game today, Doc.† â€Å"Yes,† Curtis said. He resumed his stiff-armed walk to the clinic, his fists balled so hard at his sides that Tuck could see them shaking. The guards were gathered at the edge of the hangar. Mato looked up quickly and made eye contact long enough for Tuck to see that he was nervous. Tuck wished he had asked him if the other guards spoke English. â€Å"Konichi-wa, motherfuckers,† Tuck said, covering his linguistic bases. None of the guards responded. Except for Mato, their eyes were trained on Beth Curtis dancing across the airstrip to Benny Goodman's â€Å"Sing, Sing, Sing.† One of the guards hit a button by the hangar and the music stopped as Beth Curtis stepped onto a small wooden platform on the far side of the runway. With the speakers silenced, Tuck could hear the drums of the Shark People. Some were marching around in formation holding lengths of bamboo painted red as rifles. Beth Curtis raised her hands, a copy of People in each, and the drums stopped. Tuck couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was waving her arms around like a soapbox preacher, and the crowd of natives moved, and flinched, and hung on her every word. She paused at one point and handed the magazines down to Malink, who backed away from the platform with his head bowed. Tuck didn't find anything about her performance nauseating, but it was nothing if not strange. Why all the pomp and circumstance? You have six guys with machine guns, you can pretty much go rip a kidney out anytime you want to. He needed to think, and he didn't particularly want to see whom she would pick. Whoever it was, their face would be in his head all the way to Japan and back. He went into the hangar, lowered the door on the Lear, climbed into the dark plane, and lay down in the aisle between the seats. He couldn't hear the sound of the Sky Priestess or the natives oohing and ahhhing, and here among the steel and glass and plastic and upholstery, it felt like home. Here he could hear the sound of his own mind; here in his very own Learjet, the weirdness was all outside. But for the lack of a key he would have taken the plane right then. The guard kicked Tuck in the thigh much harder than was needed to wake him. Tuck looked up to see the face of the guard who had beaten him on the beach. He had a scar that ran up his forehead tracing a bare streak into his scalp and Tuck had started to think of him as Stripe, the evil little monster from the movie Gremlins. Tuck's anger was immediate and white-hot. Only the Uzi stopped him from getting his ass kicked again. The guard dangled the key to the Lear's main power cutoff. It was time to go. Tuck limped to the cockpit and strapped himself into the pilot's seat. Stripe inserted the power key into the instrument console, twisted it, and stepped back to watch as Tuck started the power-up procedure. The other ninjas pulled the Lear out of the hangar by a large T-bar attached to the front wheel. When the plane was safely out of the hangar, Tuck started to spool up the jets. Stripe remained with the Uzi at port arms. Tuck made a big show of going though the checklist, testing switches and gauges. He frowned and clicked the radar switch a couple of times. He looked back at Stripe. â€Å"Go check the nose. Something's not right.† The guard shook his head. Tuck mimed his instructions again and Stripe nodded, then he motioned through the window for another of the guards to join them on board. Evidently, they weren't going to leave him un-guarded in the plane with the power key in. Stripe turned over the guard duty to the other ninja and appeared at the front of the plane. Tuck mo-tioned for him to get closer to the nose. Stripe did. Tuck turned on the radar. â€Å"And a lovely brain tumor for you, you son of a bitch.† Stripe seemed to actually feel the microwave energy and he jumped back from the plane. Tuck grinned and gave him the okay sign. â€Å"I hope your tiny little balls are boiling,† he said aloud. The guard behind him didn't seem to understand what Tuck was saying, but he nudged him with the barrel of his Uzi and pointed. Beth Curtis, in her dark Armani, was coming across the compound with briefcase and cooler in hand. She stepped into the plane and nodded to the guard. Instead of leaving, he took a seat back in the passenger compartment. Beth strapped herself into the copilot's seat. â€Å"We taking him in for shore leave?† Tuck said. â€Å"No. He's just along for the ride tonight.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Tuck powered up the jets and eased the Lear out of the compound onto the runway. Beth Curtis was silent until they were at altitude, cruising toward Japan. Tuck did not engage the autopilot, but steered the Lear gradually, perhaps a degree a minute, to the west. â€Å"So what did you think?† â€Å"Pretty impressive, but I don't get it. Why the whole show to bring in someone for surgery? Why not just send the guards?† â€Å"We're not taking their kidneys, Tucker. They're giving them.† Tuck didn't want to give away what he had learned from Malink and Sepie about the â€Å"chosen.† He said, â€Å"Giving them to who? A naked white woman?† She laughed, reached into her briefcase, and brought out an eight-by-ten color photograph. â€Å"To the Sky Priestess.† She held the photograph where Tuck could see it. He had to steer manually. If he hit the autopilot now, the plane would turn back toward Japan, the only preset in the nav computer. The photograph was in color but old. A flyer stood by the side of a B-26 bomber. On the side of the bomber was the painting of a voluptuous naked woman and the legend SKY PRIESTESS. It could have been a painting of Beth Curtis as she had looked when she arrived at Tuck's bungalow. He recog-nized the flyer as well. It was the ghost flyer he'd been seeing all along. He felt his face flush, but he tried to stay cool. â€Å"So who's that?† â€Å"The flyer was a guy named Vincent Bennidetti,† Beth said. â€Å"The plane was named the Sky Priestess. All the bombers had nose art like that in World War II. We found the picture in the library in San Francisco.† â€Å"So what's that got to do with our operation? You're dressing up like the picture on an airplane.† â€Å"No, I am the Sky Priestess.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Beth. I still don't get it.† â€Å"This is the pilot that the Shark People worship. The cargo cult that ‘Bastian told you about.† Tuck nodded and tried to look surprised, but he was watching his course without seeming to do so. If he had figured it right, they would be over Guam in fifteen minutes and the American military would force them down. The Air Force was very cranky about private jets flying though their airspace. â€Å"The natives on Alualu worship this Vincent guy,† Beth said. â€Å"I speak for Vincent. They come to me when we play the music and I give them everything. In return, I choose one of them for the honor of the mark of Vincent, which, of course, is the scar they get from the operation.† â€Å"Like I said, you've got armed guards. Why not just take what you want?† She looked shocked that he would ask. â€Å"And get out of show business?† Then she smiled and reached over and gave his crotch a squeeze. â€Å"When I met Sebastian in San Francisco, he was drunk and throwing money around. One minute he was so dignified and erudite, the next he was like a little native child. He told me about the cargo cult and I came up with the idea of not just doing this to support the clinic, but to get really filthy rich. We had to keep the people happy if we were going to do this in big numbers.† â€Å"So you thought all of this up?† â€Å"It's the reason I'm here.† â€Å"But Sebastian said you were a† – Tuck caught himself before he said â€Å"stripper† – â€Å"surgical nurse.† â€Å"I was. So what? Did I get any respect for that? Did I get any power? No. To the doctors I was just a piece of ass who could handle surgical instru-ments and close a patient when they needed to get to the golf course. Did Sebastian tell you I used to strip?† â€Å"He mentioned something about it in passing.† â€Å"Well, I did. And I was good.† â€Å"I can imagine,† Tuck said. A few more minutes and they should be joined by an F-16. She smiled. â€Å"Fuck nursing. I was just a piece of meat to the men I worked with, so I decided to go with it. I was pushing thirty and all single women my age were walking around with a desperate look in their eye and a bio-logical clock ticking so loud you thought it was the crocodile from Peter Pan. If I was going to be treated like meat, I was going to make money at it. And I did. Not enough, but a lot more than I would have made nursing.† â€Å"Do tell,† Tuck said. He couldn't remember ever saying â€Å"Do tell,† and it sounded a little strange hearing it. She looked out the window as if she had fallen into some reverie. Then, without looking back, she said, â€Å"What's that island?† Tuck tensed. â€Å"I couldn't say.† She sighed. â€Å"Islands are amazing.† â€Å"I always say that.† She seemed to come out of her trance and looked at the instrument board. Tuck acted as if he was concentrating on flying the plane. He glanced at Beth Curtis. Her mouth had tightened into a line. She reached into the briefcase and came out with the Walther automatic. â€Å"What's that for?† Tuck said. â€Å"Get back on course.† â€Å"I am on course.† â€Å"Now!† â€Å"But I am on course. Look.† He pointed to the nav computer, which still showed the coordinates of the airstrip in Japan, although it wasn't engaged with the autopilot. â€Å"No, you're not.† She pointed to the compass. â€Å"You're at least ninety degrees off course. Turn the plane to Japan now or I'll shoot you.† Tuck was tired of it. â€Å"Right. And you'll fly the plane? There's a difference between being able to read a compass and making a landing.† â€Å"I didn't say I would kill you. I'm good with this. You'll still be able to fly with one testicle. Now that would be a shame for both of us. Please turn the plane.† Tuck engaged the autopilot and let the Lear bring itself around to the course to Japan. â€Å"Sebastian said you might try something like that,† she said. â€Å"I told him I could handle you. I can, can't I? Handle you, I mean.† Tuck was quiet for a minute, berating himself for overestimating the efficiency of the military. Then finally he said, â€Å"You are a nefarious, diabolical, and evil bitch.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"That's all.† â€Å"I'm impressed. ‘Nefarious' has more than two syllables. I am a good influence on you.† â€Å"Fuck you.† â€Å"You will,† she said. 48 Too Many Guns Back at the drinking circle, Malink opened a copy of People reverentially and read by kerosene lamp while the other men huddled to get a look at the pictures. â€Å"Cher is worst-dressed,† Malink announced. â€Å"Too skinny,† said Favo. â€Å"I like Lady Di.† Malink cringed. In the picture Lady Di was wearing a string of pearls, obviously the reason for Favo's preference. Malink turned the page. â€Å"Celestine Raptors of Madison County is number one movie in country,† Malink read. â€Å"I want to see a movie,† Favo said. â€Å"You must tell the Sky Priestess to tell Vincent to bring a movie.† â€Å"Many movies,† said Abo. â€Å"And many delicious light and healthy snacks with NutraSweet registered trademark,† he added in English. â€Å"Vincent will bring many snacks.† Malink was turning to the moving story of a two-thousand-pound man who, after being forklifted out of his house, had dieted down to a svelte fourteen hundred when the sound of a machine gun rattled across the is-land. Malink put down the magazine and held up his hand to quiet the men. They waited and there was another burst of gunfire. A few seconds later they heard shouting and looked down the beach to see Sarapul running as fast as his spindly old legs would carry him. â€Å"Come help!† he shouted. â€Å"They shot the navigator!† The Uzi was pressed so hard into Tuck's side that he felt as if his ribs were going to separate any second. The guard crouched behind him in the cockpit hatchway, while out on the tarmac Beth Curtis exchanged the cooler for another manila envelope. She seemed to be in a much better mood when she climbed back into the copilot's seat. â€Å"Home, James.† Tuck tossed his head toward the back of the plane where the guard was taking his seat. â€Å"I guess you weren't taking any chances about me taking off while you were out of the plane.† â€Å"Do I look stupid?† she said. A smile there, no hint of a challenge. â€Å"No, I guess not.† Tuck pushed up the throttles and taxied the Lear back out to the runway. Again Beth Curtis reached over and gave him a light squeeze to the crotch. She put on her headset so she could talk to him over the roar of the engines as they took off. â€Å"Look, I know this is hard for you. Trust is some-thing you build, and you haven't known me long enough to learn to do that.† Tuck thought, It would help if you weren't changing personalities every five minutes. â€Å"Trust me, Tucker. What we are doing is not hurting the people of Alualu. There are people in India who are selling off their organs for less than the price of a used Toyota pickup. With what we make, we can be sure that these people are always taken care of, and we can take care of ourselves in the meantime.† â€Å"If people are selling their organs on the cheap, then how are you – we – making so much money?† â€Å"Because we can do it to order. Transplant isn't just a matter of blood type, you know. Sure, in a pinch – and usually it is a pinch – you can go on just blood type, but there are four other factors in tissue typing. If they match, along with blood type, then you have a better chance of the body not rejecting the organ. Sebastian has a database of the tissue types of every native on the island. When there's a need for an exact match, the order comes in over the satellite and we run it through the database. If we have it, the Sky Priestess calls the chosen.† â€Å"Don't the people have to be the same race?† â€Å"It helps, but it seems that the people of Alualu have a very similar genetic pattern to the Japanese.† â€Å"They don't look Japanese. How do you know this?† â€Å"Actually, it was figured out by an anthropologist who came to the island long before I did. He was studying the language and genetics of the islanders to determine where they migrated from. Turns out there are both linguistic and genetic links to Japan. They've been diluted by interbreeding with natives from New Guinea, but it's still very close.† â€Å"So you guys opened up Kidneys ‘R' Us and started making a mint.† â€Å"Except for the scar, their lives don't change, Tucker. We've never lost a patient to a botched operation or infection.† But bullets, Tuck thought, are another matter. Still, there was nothing he could do to stop them, and if he had to do nothing, a great salary and his own jet were pretty good compensation. He'd spent most of his life not doing anything. Was it so bad to be paid for what you're good at? He said, â€Å"So it doesn't hurt them? In the long run, I mean.† â€Å"Their other kidney steps up production and they never notice the difference.† â€Å"I still don't get the Sky Priestess thing.† She sighed. â€Å"Control the religion and you control the people. Sebastian tried to bring Christianity to the Shark People – and the Catholics before him – but you can't compete with a god people have actually seen. The answer? Become that god.† â€Å"But I thought Vincent was the god.† â€Å"He is, but he will bring wonderful cargo in the Sky Priestess. Besides, it breaks the boredom. Boredom can be a lethal thing on a small island. You know about that already.† Tuck nodded. It wasn't so bad now. The fear of being murdered had gone a long way toward breaking his boredom. Beth Curtis leaned over and kissed him lightly on the temple. â€Å"You and I can fight the boredom together. That's one of the reasons I chose you.† â€Å"You chose me?† In spite of himself, he was thinking about her naked body grinding away above him. â€Å"Of course I chose you. I'm the Sky Priestess, aren't I?† â€Å"I'm not so sure it was you,† Tuck said, thinking about the ghost pilot. She pushed away and looked at him as if he had lost his mind.