Censorship and Self-Censorship - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1733 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/06/12 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Censorship Essay Did you like this example? INTRODUCTION This paper will go over the issues Public Libraries have with censorship and a few of its forms. So who is censoring materials? The American Library Association (ALA) has done a study on just who is initiating the majority of the challenges to materials. Not surprisingly patrons and parents are the top contributors the results are as follows: 42% library patrons; 32% parents; 14% Board or administration; 6% Librarians and teachers; 3% political and religious groups; 2% elected officials; 1% students. (ALA, 2018). The study goes on to say that 56% of these challenges took place in public libraries followed by 25% in school classrooms. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Censorship and Self-Censorship" essay for you Create order WHAT IS CENSORSHIP Laurie Halse Anderson once said Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. According to Merriam-Webster, censor is to examine books, movies, letters, etc., in order to remove things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society, etc. (Merriam-Webster, 2003). There are many definitions of censorship; The American Library Association defines censorship as a change in the access status of material, based on the content of the work and made by a governing authority or its representatives. Such changes include exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes (Lili, pr. 5). Knox (2014) describes censorship as an amalgamation of practices, including the redaction of text in a document, cutting pages out of a book, or denying access to materials (p.741). The general sentiment behind most of these definitions is that something is withheld from access by another. WHAT IS SELF-CENSORSHIP One of the types of censorship is self-censorship. Merriam-Webster defines self-censorship as the act or action of refraining from expressing something (such as a thought, point of view, or belief) that others could deem objectionable (Merriam-Webster, 2003). For this paper self-censorship will be from the perspective from within the public libraries. Many libraries, without even knowing it use a form of self-censoring when picking out books. In an article by Jamison, she notes how library keep this little secret under wraps. a dirty secret that no one in the profession wants to talk about or admit practicing. Yet everyone knows some librarians bypass good books†those with literary merit or that fill a need in their collections. (Jamison, 2018, par4) Another way libraries partake in self-censorship is in vendor or publisher bias. I have seen this a time or two, a patron askes the library to order a book they want to read, the book is pretty inexpensive but itrs an independent p ublisher and so the library simply says they cant complete the order. CENSORSHIP AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM Challenging books and censoring material is most prevalent in young adult literature. This can be a problem for children who dont have the means to formulate diversified opinions. In fact, Hill (2017) pushes for libraries to have educational materials that cover topics that address diversity, inclusion and social justice available for young adults, this need is even more pressing since the last presidential election in 2016 (p. 337). The Public Library should put themselves in the line of fire by advocating the rights to Intellectual Freedom and knowledge of any subject and information. The ALA describes Intellectual Freedom as the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. (Oltmann, 2017:410) This would mean that all individuals have the right to read or view any and all ideas and should not be governed by censoring or challenging material. Some would say censorship is whatrs best for the good of the community, by helping to prevent conflict and allowing everyone to have a good feeling. Censoring things that may offend or anger entire groups of people can be left out of the collection and rid the library of the burden of upset patrons. With the growth of easily digital accessible pornographic and violent material, children can fall victim to becoming desensitized or confused on what is acceptable or not and so censorship would be welcome in this instance. The Childrenrs Internet Protection Act (CIPA) tries to detour this issue; we will discuss CIPA later. Other advocacies in favor of censoring is what companies can advertise, we can stop them from making false extreme claims. Although these things sound like they are helping the community, ignorance to the problems (by censoring) is not the answer; education is! CIPA Itrs no secret library budgets are being cut due to lower property taxes and penal fines. These revenues make up a vast majority of the funds for public (nonprofit) libraries who collect millages. To keep internet costs down many libraries are taking advantage of E-rate, a type of federal fund that cuts the costs associated with internet access. With E-rate the facility is required to filter material and comply with Childrenrs Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors) (FCC, 2011: par2). The problem with these filters is the mass generalization and over blocking of content that are legitimate and full of useful information (Batch, 2015:61). An ALA study has found that 10 years later CIPA has indeed created two classes of students: a class with unfiltered internet access at home to explore ethical choices about online interactions and a class of disadvantaged students who only have access to filtered internet at school (Batch, 2015:64). Librarians are expected to help children and teens learn to use/find correct and scholarly resources for school papers or homework. With mass filtering some of these resources become unavailable. Filters often come pre-configured with many categories and types of content already blocked by default. Even with careful review by library staff, many of the staff members dont completely understand what needs to be filtered and what is overdone. The very thing filters that are designed to protect children and teens from in libraries, ends up potentially doing more harm than good when it comes to education and intellectual freedom. CENSORSHIP AND MATERIAL SELECTION Material selection can be thought of as a type of censorship. It is easy to fall into the trap of only buying materials that will not cause a rift in the community one way or the other. One way to prevent this from happening is to enforce a collection management policy. Suppression of one text does not qualify as censorship. Selection becomes censorship when suppression or inclusion of certain types of materials happen. McMenemy (2008) notes on the subject of material selection: The selection of library materials is perhaps the most crucial aspect of the social contract between the librarian and the user. It is fundamental to our ethos and our status as a profession. In protecting and defending our role as selector of material, we need to take full responsibility for the collections we build. (p. 344) CHALLENGES AND CENSORSHIP As mentioned in the introduction to challenge library material is using a form of self-censorship. The ALA defines a challenge to material as an attempt to remove or restrict materials based on objections from a person or group. (ALA, 2018). This closly resembles the definition of censorship. It would go along with the thinking I am offended by this book, it is grotesque and therefore no child should ever read it! Gaffney (2014) explains that the reason so many young adult geared literature goes on the challenged or banned list is due to teenagers feeling raw emotions with issues such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, cutting, eating disorders and suicide (p. 732). These subjects still seem taboo for most adult patrons and parents who dont want their young adult getting ideas from these stories to confuse their moldable minds. In most cases when a teen book, item or material is being challenged it is because someone found the information upsetting and is trying to protect oth ers from being upset by it (Knox, 2017:269). To further drive the notation that teens dont simply follow what their favorite characterrs do, Kokesh (2015) interviewed a group of 15 to 18 year olds on the subject. During the interview the teens stated that if faced with similar issues that their favorite young adult characters faced they would use the lesson of what not to do, due to already reading that undesired scenario, to find a better solution (p. 154). CONCLUSION While most all librarians will tell you that they are opposed to censorship, many unconsciously partake to some form throughout their career. It is easy to allow a covert action, like not repairing that sex education book in the childrenrs section just because you are tired of seeing it out on the window ledge showing all the boy parts and phone calls. Some of the hard struggles are the ones we as anti-censorship advocates have to make internally. References ALA. (2018). Censorship by the numbers infographic text, American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/news/censorship-numbers-infographic-text Batch, K. R., Magi, T., Luhtala, M. (2015). Filtering beyond CIPA: Consequences of and alternatives to over filtering in schools. Knowledge Quest, 44(1),60-66. Document ID: 2db7f402-0644-0de4-7dcd-af78838b2db4 Censor. (2003). In Merriam-Websterrs dictionary (11th ed.). Springfield, MA Federal Communications Commission. (2011). Childrenrs internet protection act (CIPA). Washington, DC. DIO: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act Gaffney, L. M. (2014). No longer safe: West Bend, young adult literature, and conservative library activism. Library Trends 62(4), 730-739. Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved October 07, 2018, from Project MUSE database. Hill, R. (2017). Yes, we (still) can: Promoting equity and inclusion in childrenrs and young adult library services. The Library Quarterly, 87(4), 337-341 Jamison, A. (2018). Librarians beware: self-censorship. Intellectual Freedom Blog. DOI: https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=13550 Knox, E. (2017). Opposing censorship in difficult times. The Library Quarterly, 87(3), 268-276 Knox, E. (2014). The books will still be in the library: Narrow Definitions of Censorship in the Discourse of Challengers. Library Trends, 62(4), 740-749. Kokesh, J., Sternadori, M. (2015). The good, the bad, and the ugly: A qualitative study of how young adult fiction affects identity construction. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23(3), 139-158. doi:10.1080/15456870.2015.1013104 Libraries Linking Idaho. (2016). Intellectual freedom and censorship. DOI: https://lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course12/s2-if-8.htm Mcmenemy, D. (2008). Selection and censorship: Librarians and their collections. Library Review, 57(5), 341-344. Oltmann, S. (2017) Creating space at the table: Intellectual freedom can bolster diverse voices. The Library Quarterly 87(4): 410-418. Self-censorship. (2003). In Merriam-Websterrs dictionary (11th ed.). Springfield, MA

Choicepoint Case Analysys - 1748 Words

Choicepoint: A Case of Privacy in the 21st Century Introduction Since its founding in 1776, America has been a country where the rights of individuals are one of the most important issues. As time has passed and the country progressed, this issue has evolved and taken different forms; the Civil War was fought over whether people of all colors had the right to freedom, in the early 20th century women finally demanded their long overdue right to vote (Wikipedia, 2003), and most recently, in the 1960’s, people of color had to assert their right to equal treatment under the laws of this nation. As the 21st century begins, the citizens of this nation are facing a new and unique challenge to the rights of the individual, specifically, a†¦show more content†¦People should have more control over their personal information than a corporation because they will value and safeguard it better than a company out to make a profit. To address this issue, Congress should pass a major law banning the sale of any personal information without an individuals express consent, along the lines of the Federal Do-Not-Call list, but much more restrictive. This law would not prevent companies from sharing necessary information like credit history or criminal convictions, but it would ban selling things like addresses, phone numbers, mother’s maiden names, and other information companies have no good reason to possess. This would assure customers that their information was not being passed around to anyone who wanted it and it would make identity theft impossible unless the individual himself was conned into giving out the information. b.) The first alternative discussed would have a positive impact on Choicepoint, its customers, and the average citizen. Choicepoint would be correcting its databases at very little cost to the company by using voluntary submissions. This would help its public image and it could say it was giving people every opportunity to make sure information about them was correct. Customers of Choicepoint would have the dual benefit of doing business with a company no longer being

Global Warming Essay Free Essays

â€Å"Up and down, up and down – that is how temperature and climate have always gone in the past and there is no proof they are still doing exactly the same now. In other words, climate change is an entirely natural phenomenon, nothing to do with the burning of fossil fuels† – David Bellamy Global warming can be defined as the gradual increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and the question over what has been causing this increase in temperature has sparked many debates throughout the world. There is certainly evidence to suggest that global warming is a real issue, not just an urban myth. We will write a custom essay sample on Global Warming Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since pre-industrial times (i. e. before the industrial revolution in the late 1700s) global average temperatures have risen by about 0. 7 °C, with roughly half of this occurring in the past 30-40 years. Not only this but carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere have also dramatically increased since this time. But is this relatively recent rise in global temperatures down to human activities or is it just a result of the planet’s core temperatures naturally fluctuating up and down, like they always have, or is it a combination of both? The majority belief, particularly in the past few decades, is that climate change is solely a result of human activities putting a huge strain on the planet and it is these man-made issues that probably cause the most damage. Pollution is perhaps the biggest anthropogenic problem in terms of climate change and can come in many forms. A large Plan The case for attributing the recent global warming to human activities rests on the following undisputed scientific facts: †¢ Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere. †¢ Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) to over 380 ppm. Current concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are unprecedented in at least the last 650,000 years, based on records from gas bubbles trapped in polar ice. Independent measurements demonstrate that the increased CO2 in the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels and forests. The isotopic composition of carbon from these sources contains a unique â€Å"fingerprint. † †¢ Since pre-industrial times, global average temperatures have increased by about 0. 7? C, with about half of the warming occurring over the past few decades. †¢ The only quantitative and internally consistent explanation for the recent global war ming includes the intensified greenhouse effect caused by the increase in CO2 and other greenhouse gases. How to cite Global Warming Essay, Essay examples

The Essential Gandhi

The book, The Essential Gandhi, covers essential things about Mahatma Gandhi that one should know. It contains quotes from the writings of Gandhi that talks about his life, work and his convictions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Essential Gandhi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author presents Gandhi’s stand on issues like spirituality, suffering, poverty, politics, non-violence, and civic disobedience among others. Gandhi’s biographer, Luis Fischer, did this by collecting pierces of Gandhi’s work with some explanatory head notes on each of these works. The book shows Gandhi from his early life and talks about him in two parts: first, as the man; second, as the Mahatma himself. Gandhi married his wife at an early age of thirteen years and went to Britain to study law. When he finished and went back to India, Gandhi did poorly in his work as a lawyer. A group of Indian Muslims hired him to serve as a lawyer of their community in South Africa. It is here that Gandhi started undergoing transformation. The author says that â€Å"Gandhi was a self made man and the transformation began in South Africa †¦ His was a remarkable case of second birth in one lifetime† (Gandhi, pg. 32). Gandhi went through various forms of prejudice, harassment and beating but he held onto what he was convinced of as right. He also expressed his concerns and made known to people what he knew was right. He witnessed and experienced instances of racism and prejudice in his place of work, travel and even in his residency. While in South Africa, he learnt that the Indian merchants did not practice justice in their business deals. Gandhi believed that this was not true. He called a meeting of all Indians in the city of Pretoria on arrival where he presented his first public speech. In reaction to the beliefs and actions of the merchants, Gandhi said, â€Å"I strongly contested this position in my speech and awakened the merchants to a sense of duty† (Gandhi, pg. 33). The book also shows that Gandhi had compassion and determination. When a mob attacked him, he did not sue them, even though he had all the right to do so. He had compassion on this mob and was determined to let them learn their wrongs.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gandhi stated that he was sorry due to the Mob’s ignorance and narrowness. He argued that he was sure these people were convinced that what they were doing was right and he had â€Å"no reason therefore to be angry with them† (Gandhi, pg. 44). The book also addresses the issue of non-violence. Gandhi was a man of anger and he learnt, through biter experience, that trying to solve issues through violence out of anger was not good and sometimes could not bear fruit. He said that, â€Å"anger controlled ca n be transmuted into a power which can move the world† (Gandhi, pg. xii). Gandhi believed that it was not possible to change the convictions of a person by use of violence. He learnt this through his wife who resisted his constant verbal and physical abuses to force her to do what was against her convictions. Through this knowledge, he suggested that people could not force governments to change their policies through violence and power politics. This conviction also helped him to lead the people of India to resist the rule of the British by use of non-violence means. Through his message of nonviolence, Gandhi advised all people to embrace truth and oneness and seek this truth in other ways apart from violence. Together with nonviolence, courage and truth were important political principles of Gandhi. He called these principles Satyagraba. He learnt and practiced these principles throughout his life. When he came back to India, Gandhi applied these principles and led other Indi ans in applying them to exert civil disobedience against the British and thus gain their independence. According to him, national independence alone was not enough to give a person peace and prosperity. The Essential Gandhi also brings out the issue of religion and shows how Gandhi viewed its various forms. He did not despise any religion. He gave a deep discussion of many forms of religion and their defects. His view on religion helped him try to unite the Indian people who were being divided along religious lines.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Essential Gandhi specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This book also addresses other issues and ideas, which Gandhi not only believed but advocated for and encouraged people to embrace. The author argues that Gandhi believed that untouchability was evil against humanity. Even though this was the case, his view on humanity made him to live together with those the societ y considered as untouchables. He also argues that Gandhi’s claim of British citizenship shows that his move towards forming a movement to lead India to independence was not out of sheer patriotism. He valued humanity and considered it his responsibility to protect both camps of the British and the Indians. He said, â€Å"I felt that if I demanded rights as a British citizen, it was also my duty, as such, to participate in the defense of the British Empire† (Gandhi). Thus, what drove Gandhi to seek freedom for the Indians was not the desire for political supremacy or patriotism, but it was for humanity. Works Cited Gandhi, Mahatma. The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas. New York: Random House Inc., 2002. Print. This essay on The Essential Gandhi was written and submitted by user Caitlyn Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Writing Styles How to Find Yours With Writing Style Examples

Writing Styles How to Find Yours With Writing Style Examples Writing Styles: How to Find Yours With Writing Style Examples Writing styles as authors can differ from person to person. As a writer, you have a gift of creativity in using your art as something that can elicit feelings. Writing a book may make people laugh, take people on a journey or fill them with knowledge. Writing is and can be an art form if you use it to express yourself and learn the art of doing it well. Most writers will find themselves falling into a specific style of writing. That could be writing poetry, non-fiction, writing a novel, children’s literature or even screenplays. This will usually happen around your interests, your education, knowledge of writing and the books you read. Heres what youll learn about writing styles: What is writing style?Types of writing stylesWriting styles examplesHow to find your writing styleRead a lot to find your writing styleBe honest about yourselfWrite what comes with easeExpress yourself to show your writing style NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it here What is writing style? Your writing style is the way in which the narrative of your writing comes across to other readers, including your sentence structure, syntax, and overall voice in order to provide your writing with an overall tone or mood. Each writer has their own, natural style and this can change from project to project. However, you may find that certain authors typically maintain a cohesive writing style. Essentially, an authors writing style can be recognized from work to work. Types of Writing Styles There are a few different ways to think of writing styles as an author. Firstly, you have your personal writing style as an author, which is what we explained above; its the specific way your writing reads. Here are some examples of how an authors writing style may vary: Wordiness How much your narrative uses longer, run-on sentences versus short and choppy ones.Syntax The structure of your sentences, the emphasis, pauses, word order and general style of writing typical sentences.Word choice This can mean swearing or not, using more complex words versus simpler ones, and more. The word choice in your writing style can help readers understand the perspective of the narration.Tone The tone in writing is like the attitude the author has toward a subject matter. If they dislike something, the tone could be short and negative, the opposite if they enjoy what theyre writing about.Mood The mood differs from tone because its the overarching feeling readers take away through the writing. The mood can be altered through the use of tone, word choice, and other literary devices. However, writing style also refers to the intent of what youre writing. Here are the 4 main writing styles: Expository Writing This is the most common type of writing. This blog post is an example of expository writing, as Im explaining a concept and providing information. However, expository writing often doesnt include the authors opinions.Descriptive Writing Youll most often find descriptive writing in fiction (and creative non-fiction too!), as its when authors write in a more descriptive style, creating more of a visual rather than just relaying facts.Persuasive Writing This writing style is mostly used in order to persuade others to take some sort of action and includes cover letters, reviews, advertisements, web copy, and more. The goal is to convince the readers of something one way or another.Narrative Writing This type of writing style is usually exclusive to fiction and is when the writer is constructing a story and plot by using descriptive writing to help you visualize it. These different writing styles arent typically exclusive to one project. You can use various of them in a single work, which is often what books are. Well cover some specific examples to help you understand further below. Writing Style Examples Sometimes its easier to understand through examples than just simply reading a definition. Here are some examples of the different types of writing style to help you get the gist for understanding what writing style is and how you can use that to adapt and create your own. Expository Writing Style Examples: As stated above, expository writing is the most common type and basically just relays necessary information. Here are some examples of expository writing: TextbooksRecipesHow-tosInstructions Technical writingBusiness writingScientific writing Descriptive Writing Style Examples: You can write in a number of different ways with descriptive writing. Even expository writing can include descriptive within it. Here are examples of descriptive writing: Fiction novelsPlaysSongs PoetryJournaling or DiariesNature/Animal descriptions Persuasive Writing Style Examples: Remember when you had to write a persuasive essay in school in order to learn how to make an argument? Thats what persuasive writing is. You want your readers to leave agreeing with you on some matter. Here are examples of persuasive writing: Resumà ¨sCover LettersProduct/service reviewsLetters of recommendation Newspaper articlesAdvertisementsWebsite sales copyLetters of complaint Narrative Writing Style Examples: When you think of books, theyll typically fall under this writing style. If youre trying to discover your personal writing style, youll likely be writing in the narrative style. Here are examples of narrative writing styles: Short storiesNovelsPoetry AnecdotesOral historiesNovellas This writing style is the type were really going to focus on in this next section all about how to develop your own writing style and find your natural flow as a writer. How to Find Your Writing Style I myself, like to write in two different styles to express who I am as a person and access my creativity. For these two styles, I actually own two separate blogs; one on travel parenting and one on my faith. My travel/parenting blog allows me to express myself with humor. This allows parents to identify with me by seeing the lighter side of parenting. My faith blog is a more serious destination where readers can come to learn more about the bible. I enjoy writing in both styles. The two blogs allow me to enjoy these writing styles without confusing my readers. So how do you, as a writer, find your place in the writing world and develop a writing style that suits you? Here a four ways that you can find and develop your own writing style: #1 Read a lot Why is reading so important? Reading allows you to learn from other people’s knowledge and lets you immerse in their world. It allows you to develop your own writing style. Reading other people’s work will influence your own writing. This is because we tend to write in a similar way to what we read on a regular basis. If you aren’t currently reading every day I would encourage you to do so. Find something that interests you and start reading, whether it be in a book, via a website, or another place. Make it a daily habit to spend at least half an hour devouring someone else’s work. As you read more and more, your own style of writing will deepen. It will develop based on your own experiences and the influences you have had. You can broaden your own horizons as an author by reading various styles of writing. Reading will show you new ways of wording sentences and creative ideas you hadnt thought of. #2 Be honest to who you are When you write, remember to stay true to who you are. Writing is an art-form that allows you to express yourself from within. Trying to be someone you are not will hinder your writing journey, not help it. When I say be honest with who you are, I mean staying true to yourself. This will include your own values, your beliefs, your feelings and who you are as a person. Trying to write a comedic piece when you dont usually use humor will be difficult and often not read well. This is because you may be forcing this writing and the piece will not flow. When you write something that is not from who you are, it can confuse your reader. This is because it will be difficult to sustain your voice as a writer. When your style changes or doesnt flow well, it makes it harder for the reader to identify who you are. As a result they may not want to read more of your work. When you writes from within, the reader is able to see parts of who you are as a person and can get to know you better. I read a book a while back on business growth. It was a good book and I learnt a lot from it. As a result I then followed the author and starting reading her other books. Shortly after this she changed styles. The trend at that time was beginning to bring in swear words to make someone seem †kick ass†. This author jumped on that trend and began swearing through all her books. I don’t mean one or two swear words dispersed throughout. One of her books had so many swear words in it that her book would have been several pages shorter if she had left them out. This writer delighted in telling her readers that this particular book had only taken her four hours to write. The problem was you could tell that it didnt have the flow or content of her other books. It felt forced and more as if she created it to make money rather than give to the reader. To me as a reader I felt like she was trying to be someone she wasn’t and I lost interest in her work and didn’t bother after that. It felt a bit sad because she had some good information to share but appeared to lose sight of who she was as a writer. When you write from who you are you will not need to change your style part way through. Find your own style of writing and own it! #3 Write what comes with ease Writing as part of who you are should come to you naturally and not feel weird or be a huge struggle. You may have times that you feel like you have writer’s block, or struggle to come up with what you want to say but this shouldnt be the norm. If you find that writing in general is difficult it could be for several reasons: You have not created a writing habit to allow it to flow for youYou are lacking in inspiration for your topicYou are not writing in a style that is true to you If you have created a proper writing habit and you are stuck, try getting inspiration. This could mean reading other forms of writing to refresh you or taking a break from writing. A half hour walk while you listen to music may be all it takes to put you back on track. If you are still struggling, then chances are, you are not writing in a style that is congruent to who you are. #4 Express yourself naturally I’m an extrovert and I thrive from the people in my life who I spend time with. As you can tell I love to use a conversational writing style when I put pen to paper. For me it feels like I am able to share my thoughts and feelings with someone like I would if they were sitting next to me. That style of writing comes naturally to me and flows easily. When you write, choose a style that allows you to express yourself. That may be in expressing yourself through creative writing, allowing the poet in you to come alive or sharing your life experiences in a helpful how-to form. Whatever it is, it should leave you feeling like you have shared what you want to. You should feel energized and excited about your work, not drained and struggling to create more. Once you have found your style the only other thing you can do is write, write, and keep writing. The more you write, the easier it will come to you and the better you will become at expressing yourself through your words. You have a gift to write and you need to use it to share your message with the world. Today plan your daily habit of reading and writing and watch your life grow and move you to the next level of your writing career. Are you ready to find your style and finish your book? If youre ready to discover your writing style in your newest book, let us help you get it done better and faster With your FREE training!

USS Alabama (BB-60) in World War II

USS Alabama (BB-60) in World War II USS Alabama (BB-60) was a South Dakota-class battleship that was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1942. The last ship of its class, Alabama initially served in the Atlantic Theater of World War II, before receiving orders to shift to the Pacific in 1943. Largely serving as protection for American aircraft carriers, the battleship took part in all of the U.S. Navys major campaigns in the Pacific Theater. In addition to covering the carriers, Alabama provided naval gunfire support during landings on Japanese-held islands. In the course of the war, the battleship did lose a single sailor to enemy action earning it the nickname The Lucky A. Alabama currently a museum ship moored in Mobile, AL. Design Construction In 1936, as the design of the North Carolina-class neared completion, the U.S. Navys General Board gathered to address the two battleships that were to be funded in Fiscal Year 1938.  Though the Board was leaning towards building two additional North Carolinas, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William H. Standley preferred to pursue a new design.  As a result, the building of these vessels was delayed to FY1939 as naval architects began work in March 1937.   While the first two battleships were officially ordered on April 4, 1938, a second pair of vessels was added two months later under the  Deficiency Authorization which passed due to increasing international tensions.  Though the escalator clause of the Second London Naval Treaty had been invoked permitting the new design to mount 16 guns, Congress requested that the battleships stay within the 35,000-ton limit set by the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. In laying out the new South Dakota-class, naval architects designed a wide spectrum of plans for consideration.  A key challenge proved to be finding approaches to improve upon the North Carolina-class while staying within the tonnage restriction.  The answer was the creation of a shorter, by approximately 50 feet, battleship that utilized an inclined armor system.  This offered enhanced underwater protection relative to earlier vessels.   USS Alabama (BB-60) in Casco Bay, ME, during her shakedown period, circa December 1942.   US Navy History and Heritage Command As naval leaders called for vessels capable of 27 knots, designers sought a way to obtain this despite the reduced hull length.  This was achieved through the creative layout of boilers, turbines, and machinery.  For armament, the South Dakotas matched the North Carolinas in carrying nine Mark 6 16 guns in three triple turrets with a secondary battery of twenty dual-purpose 5 guns.  These were supplemented by an extensive and constantly changing array of anti-aircraft weapons.   Construction of the fourth and final ship of the class, USS Alabama (BB-60) was assigned to Norfolk Naval Shipyard and commenced on February 1, 1940.  As work moved ahead, the United States entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Building of the new vessel proceeded and it slid down the ways on February 16, 1942, with Henrietta Hill, wife Alabama Senator J. Lister Hill, serving as sponsor.  Commissioned on August 16, 1942, Alabama entered service with Captain George B. Wilson in command.   USS Alabama (BB-60) Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard: Norfolk Naval ShipyardLaid Down: February 1, 1940Launched: February 16, 1942Commissioned: August 16, 1942Fate: Museum Ship, Mobile, ALSpecificationsDisplacement:  35,000  tonsLength: 680.8 ft.Beam:  108.2 ft.Draft: 36.2 ft.Propulsion:  30,000 hp, 4 x steam turbines, 4 x propellersSpeed:  27 knotsComplement: 1,793 menArmamentGuns9 Ãâ€" 16 in.  Mark 6 guns (3 x triple turrets)20 Ãâ€" 5 in dual-purpose gunsAircraft2 x aircraft Operations in the Atlantic After completing shakedown and training operations in the Chesapeake Bay and Casco Bay, ME that fall, Alabama received orders to proceed to Scapa Flow to reinforce the British Home Fleet in early 1943.  Sailing with USS South Dakota (BB-57), this action was necessary due to a shift of British naval strength to the Mediterranean in preparation for the invasion of Sicily.  In June, ​Alabama covered the landing of reinforcements in Spitzbergen before taking part in an attempt to draw out the German battleship Tirpitz the following month.   Detached from the Home Fleet on August 1, both American battleships then departed for Norfolk.  Arriving, Alabama underwent an overhaul in preparation for redeployment to the Pacific.  Departing later that month, the battleship transited the Panama Canal and arrived at Efate on September 14. Covering the Carriers Training with carrier task forces, Alabama sailed on November 11 to support American landings on Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert Islands.  Screening the carriers, the battleship provided a defense against Japanese aircraft.  After bombarding Nauru on December 8, Alabama escorted USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) and USS Monterey (CVL-26) back to Efate.  Having sustained damage to its port outboard propeller, the battleship departed for Pearl Harbor on January 5, 1944 for repairs.   Briefly dry docked, Alabama joined Task Group 58.2, centered on the carrier USS Essex (CV-9), later that month for attacks in the Marshall Islands.  Bombarding Roi and Namur on January 30, the battleship provided support during the Battle of Kwajalein.  In mid-February, Alabama screened the carriers of Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force as it conducted massive raids against the Japanese base at Truk.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   USS Alabama (BB-60) en route to the Gilberts and Marshalls to support the invasions of Makin and Tarawa, 12 November 1943. US Navy History and Heritage Command Sweeping north into the Marianas later that month, Alabama sustained a friendly fire incident on February 21 when one 5 gun mount accidentally fired into another during Japanese air attack.  This resulted in the death of five sailors and wounding of an additional eleven.  Following a pause at Majuro, Alabama and the carriers conducted attacks through the Caroline Islands in March before covering landings in northern New Guinea by General Douglas MacArthurs forces in April.   Proceeding north, it, along with several other American battleships, bombarded Ponape before returning to Majuro.  Taking a month to train and refit, Alabama steamed north in early June to take part in the Marianas Campaign.  On June 13, it engaged in a six-hour pre-invasion bombardment of Saipan in preparation for the landings two days later.  On June 19-20, Alabama screened Mitschers carriers during the victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Remaining in the vicinity, Alabama provided naval gunfire support to troops ashore before departing for Eniwetok.  Returning to the Marianas in July, it protected the carriers as they launched missions in support of the liberation of Guam.  Moving south, they conducted a sweep through the Carolines before striking targets in the Philippines in September.   In early October, Alabama covered the carriers as they mounted raids against Okinawa and Formosa.  Moving to the Philippines, the battleship began bombarding Leyte on October 15 in preparation for landings by MacArthurs forces.  Returning to the carriers, Alabama screened USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Franklin (CV-13) during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and later was detached as part of Task Force 34 to aid American forces off Samar. Final Campaigns Withdrawing to Ulithi for replenishment after the battle, Alabama then returned to the Philippines as the carriers struck targets across the archipelago.  These raids continued into December when the fleet endured severe weather during Typhoon Cobra.  In the storm, both of Alabamas Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes were damaged beyond repair.  Returning to Ulithi, the battleship received orders to undergo an overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.   Crossing the Pacific, it entered dry dock on January 18, 1945.  Work finally was completed on March 17.  Following refresher training on the West Coast, Alabama departed for Ulithi via Pearl Harbor.  Rejoining the fleet on April 28, it departed eleven days later to support operations during the Battle of Okinawa.  Steaming off the island, it aided troops ashore and provided air defense against Japanese kamikazes. USS Alabama (BB-60) in Puget Sound, WA, March 1945. US Navy History and Heritage Command   After riding out another typhoon on June 4-5, Alabama shelled Minami Daito Shima before proceeding to Leyte Gulf.  Steaming north with the carriers on July 1, the battleship served in their screening force as they mounted attacks against the Japanese mainland.  During this time, Alabama and other escorting battleships moved inshore to bombard a variety of targets.  The battleship continued to operate in Japanese waters until the end of hostilities on August 15.  During the course of the war, Alabama did not lose a single sailor to enemy action earning it the nickname Lucky A.   Later Career After assisting with initial occupation operations, Alabama departed Japan on September 20.  Assigned to Operation Magic Carpet, it touched at Okinawa to embark 700 sailors for the return voyage to the West Coast.  Reaching San Francisco on October 15, it disembarked its passengers and twelve days later hosted the general public.  Moving south to San Pedro, it remained there until February 27, 1946, when it received orders to sail to Puget Sound for a deactivation overhaul.   With this complete, Alabama was decommissioned on January 9, 1947 and moved to the Pacific Reserve Fleet.  Struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on June 1, 1962, the battleship was then transferred to the  USS Alabama Battleship Commission two years later.  Towed to Mobile, AL, Alabama opened as a museum ship at Battleship Memorial Park on January 9, 1965.  The vessel was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Personal Profile Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Profile Paper - Essay Example I am Joshua Leung and I come from Hong Kong. Personality wise, I am a positive person who has a tendency to look for the good in everyone. In addition, I tend to look for the positive in each situation. This can be demonstrated by my persistent in studying irrespective of the fact that I am not very talented on academic matters. However, I still set goals and struggle to achieve them. This has enabled me to achieve quite a lot academically. Moreover, being a positive person helps me deal with difficult situations without giving up since I always hope that things will eventually work out for the best. I always avoid taking offense easily. This has helped me deal with people of different kinds. Sometimes, my friends and people I come across tend to criticize me for being too ambitious. However, I appreciate constructive criticism and make use of it to improve. I consider every situation to be a learning experience and ensure that I learn from it. Additionally, being positive enables me not to be easily irritated since I do not take everything personally. On the assessment score, I scored highest on being a friendly and open person. This is true is true since I manage to cope with people from varying background. This has enabled me live peacefully in United States. I cope well with people in US irrespective of the great differences in culture. Additionally, I take responsibility and accept deal with problems that my action may create even when the situation is not comfortable. I consider myself an extrovert. since I tend to be stimulated by events as well as other people. I tend to show my feelings and love working with people in groups. Additionally, I am inclined to using my senses to interpret the word by making use of my senses and prefer practical exercises. I realized I prefer dealing with practical situations involving problem solving as opposed to theoretical issues. On the personal assessment, I had a score of 135 on the type A person. Being a type A person means that I am aggressive and struggle to achieve more in limited time. This is true because I tend to be quite impatient and often find myself striving to achieve more things in a short period. Ever since I was young, I have always considered time to be an important factor that should be spent wisely. This can be demonstrated by the little time I spend on lei sure activities. Although I spend considerable time with my friend, I always ensure that am participating in something constructive. Another thing about me is that I am very concerned about the political matters. This is because I understand that organizations are political systems. Since I hope to run my own company in the future, I believe this important. The self-assessment proved this since I scored 91 on how good I am in playing politics. Additionally, I tend to monitor myself and love possessing power. Although I consider and show concern on how other people view me, I have a strong positive self-concept. This makes me confident. However, being self-confident does not mean I consider myself better than I consider others. I have a good opinion about myself but I still have great regard for other people’s opinions. How Other People see me After discussing with my friends on what they think of me, most of them though I am creative. When faced by hard situations, my brother always asks for my help since he believes that I am good at coming up