Homosexual Couples Essay Example for Free

Homosexual Couples Essay Children adopted by homosexual parents will become targets of homophobic bullying. According to a teacher’s association in the United Kingdom specializing on teaching issues, homophobic bullying â€Å"can affect any young person, for example, someone with gay family members† (Association of Teachers and Lecturers, 2006). The teacher’s association points out that having homosexual parents is enough to engage homophobic behavior. This form of bullying not only persists but worsens throughout the child’s schooling because it is one of the most difficult forms of bullying to notice. The effects of bullying are well known. Leading psychologist Victoria Clarke, among others, notes that homophobic bullying in particular â€Å"is a serious problem that carries many severe psychological consequences† (Clarke, 2006). Victims of teasing and bullying often are often shy and keep to themselves. Most victims of bullying have a hard time communicating to others and have many relationship problems, as a direct result of the the violence that they experience. What these children actually learn from their experiences is that self-expression can lead to actual physical harm. This necessarily puts a financial strain on the family of those suffering from bullying. It frames the self-esteem of these victims to such an extent that they fail to overcome a mindset where they think that they are victims. They then fail to take positive control of their lives and often spiral into depression. Those who support adoption by homosexual parents center their argument on studies that show that homosexual parenting has no negative effects on children. These arguments overlook the fact that what is important is the best interest of the child. These studies do not take into account the other indirect negative effects of being raised by homosexuals, like being more vulnerable to sexual abusers – not that the parents themselves would abuse their children – but these children are more likely to come into contact with other homosexuals who are sexual predators. According to the Family Research Institute, â€Å"all to almost all childhood molestations of boys are made by adults of the same sex with homosexuals accounting up to more than one third of the pedophiles under studies made as early as 1948† (Cameron, 2006). It is not far to imagine that of the many homosexuals that these children may be exposed to, at least one may try to sexually abuse them. This is a scary number that should not be ignored. Although I do not suggest that all homosexuals are pedophiles, it cannot be ignored that these pedophiles are almost entirely gay. This link between homosexuality and sexual abuse is well-documented by critics such as Charles Coughlin, who claims that â€Å"[a]s early as 1948, the Kinsey survey revealed that 37% of homosexual men admitted to having sexual relations with underage boys; and if gay men were admitting these crimes in 1948, when society was far more conservative, what would the numbers be today when people are more tolerant of gay relationships? † (Coughlin, 2006). The increasingly liberal attitude society has taken since 1948 points toward an even larger number of sexual predators who come into contact with our children. Thus, more lives are at stake than what we realize. We have to remember it only takes one encounter with a sexual predator before an innocent child’s life is changed forever. It is clear that allowing homosexuals to adopt children is not in any child’s best interest and should be disallowed. In no instance should a child be exposed to sexual predators. Children deserve to be brought up in a home environment where there is a balance of male and female influences. Finally, being adopted by homosexual parents exposes the adopted child to homophobic bullying which is not only traumatic, but harmful to a child’s proper physical, emotional, and psychological development. Sources:Hayton, Bradley, 1993. To Marry or Not: The Legalization of Marriage and Adoption of Homosexual Couples at http://radiance. m6. net/myrrh/doc-samesx. html Cameron, Paul, 2006. Child Molestation and Homosexuality. at http://www. familyresearchinst. org/FRI_EduPamphlet2. html Coughlin, Charles, 2006. 37% of Gay Men Admit Molestation at http://www. whitecivilrights. com/37-of-gay-men-admit-molestation_611. html Dailey, Timothy. â€Å"Homosexual Parenting: Placing Children at Risk,† Insight 238, Family Research Council, http://www. frc. org/get. cfm? i=IS01J3. Wardle, Lynn D. 1997. â€Å"The Potential Impact of Homosexual Parenting on Children. † Universityof Illinois Law Review 1997:833–919. p, 860 cited in (How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter? † Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz at http://www. e-noah. net/ASA/MO/articles/stacey. pdf Sotirios Sarantakos. 1996. Children in three contexts: Family, education and social development, Children Australia, Vol. 21, No. 3, (1996): pp. 23-31 at http://www. acl. org. au/pdfs/load_pdf_public. pdf? pdf_id=586from=SEARCH Clarke, Victoria, et. al. 2004. Kids are just cruel anyway: Lesbian and gay parents talk about homophobic bullying. British Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 43, Number 4 Association of Teachers and Lecturers, 2006. Different forms of bullying. http://www. new2teaching. org. uk/tzone/Behaviour/pupil_bullying/different_forms. asp

Fear in Wordsworths My heart leaps up when I behold, We Are Seven, Tin

Fear in Wordsworth's My heart leaps up when I behold, We Are Seven, Tintern Abbey, and Resolution and Independence Fear in Wordsworth's "My heart leaps up when I behold", "We Are Seven", "Tintern Abbey", and "Resolution and Independence" Romantic poetry conjures in the mind of many people images of sweet, pastoral landscapes populated by picturesque citizens who live in quaint houses in rustic villages, with sheep grazing on green-swathed hills, while a young swain plights his troth to his fair young maiden, who reclines demurely amidst the clover and smiles sunnily. William Wordsworth is perhaps the archetypal Romantic poet; his most famous poem, "I wandered lonely as a cloud", would seem on first reading to support the traditional, one could say stereotypical, image of a Romantic poet. Even his name, Words-worth, reinforces that image. And yet, upon looking more closely and carefully at his works, it becomes clear that the emotions which motivate his creativity are not solely a love of nature and pastorality. Let us consider Wordsworth's "My heart leaps up when I behold". The poem can be interpreted on a very simple level as a typical Romantic poem: there is the glorying in and of nature that most people immediately think of when Romantic poetry is mentioned. The speaker is thrilled when he sees a rainbow, he was thrilled in his youth when he saw a rainbow, and when he is old he will continue to be thrilled by seeing a rainbow; if he cannot be thrilled, he would rather be dead. The speaker's life has a kind of continuity, of stability, through the process of memory. The reader can wipe away a tear and mumble "Isn't that nice?", and switch on Three's Company; this interpretation affirms our sense of what poets should fee... ...rom finding "In that decrepit Man so firm a mind" (line 145), finding, however temporarily, a source of courage against his fears (lines 146-147): 'God,' said I, 'be my help and stay secure; I'll think of the Leech-gatherer on the lonely moor.' Works Cited All quotations are taken from the following book, references given parenthetically within the text: Stephen Gill, editor. The Oxford Authors: William Wordsworth. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. o "The Idiot Boy", pp. 67-80 o "Michael", pp. 224-236 o "My heart leaps up when I behold", pp. 246-247 o "Resolution and Independence", pp. 260-264 o "Tintern Abbey", pp. 131-135 o "We Are Seven", p. 84 except, where indicated by "Coleridge", from: Donald A. Stauffer, editor. Selected Poetry and Prose of Coleridge. Random House: New York, 1951. o "Dejection: An Ode", pp. 78-82

The Darker Side of Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare’s play, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, the audience is spectator to a much darker Shakespearian comedy than many of Shakespeare’s other works. The play begins with a young woman by the name of Hermia is torn between marrying the man that her father has chosen for her or facing death for defying her father’s wishes. The audience sees dark humor through Puck’s antics in pleasing his Oberon. The two enjoy playing mean tricks on innocent characters they come across, obviously exhibiting a dark sense of humor. Shakespeare also incorporates dark magic into â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† with the fairies in the forest. Whereas fairies are typically portrayed as helpful, innocent creatures, Shakespeare’s fairies seem only to create mischief and chaos. Also portrayed in this play is the dark side of love and romance. The darkness of the play is obvious from the first page through the last page, obviously displaying Shakespeare’s darker intentions for this play. The most obvious element of â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† is the element of dark humor. Oberon’s mignon, Puck, is constantly entertaining Oberon in any way possible. In most cases, this entertainment incorporates playing tricks on unsuspecting characters. Puck and Oberon seem to have a darker sense of humor, enjoying seeing others in states of confusion or embarrassment. Early in the play, Puck talks about the pranks that he has been known to play, telling the audience that, â€Å"†¦ sometimes lurk I in a gossip’s bowl, in very likeness of a roasted crab, and when she drinks, against her lips I bob and on her withered dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, sometimes for three-foot stool mistaketh me; then slip I from her bum, down topples she, and â€Å"tailor† cries, and falls into a cough† (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 47-54). By turning himself into a crab and lurking in a bowl of ale to scare a woman, and making himself appear to be a stool so that when a woman sits on him, he can make her fall, Puck makes it obvious that he cares about nothing but entertaining himself and his king. One example of this darker humor is when Puck changes Bottom’s head into that of an ass. As if this single trick isn’t entertaining enough, Puck then casts a spell over Titania causing the fairy queen to fall in love with Bottom. When Puck tells Oberon how the trick played out, Oberon is obviously happy with the results, telling Puck that, â€Å"This falls out better than I could devise† (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 35). The relationship between Oberon and Puck is one similar to a King and Court Jester during medieval times. Puck exists only to entertain Oberon, and it is very obvious that the two have a much darker sense of humor than others. The second element of â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† that exhibits an obvious darkness is the magic and fairies within the play. Typically, fairies are thought to be good creatures who are helpful and innocent. However, the fairies that Shakespeare has envisioned are a much darker breed than what the audience would normally expect. The fairies that exist in this play are more known for creating a sense of chaos. The most prominent fairy in the play is Puck, the trickster of the forest. We see the darker side of the magic that Puck practices on several occasions throughout the play. One of the more obvious examples of Puck’s dark magic is when he decides to relinquish the Athenian youngsters of their relationship troubles. Puck uses magic to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. This is a darker spell because it interferes with the ability of Demetrius to truly exhibit free will and love who he wants. Puck tracks down the Athenian he is to cast the spell upon in the forest, â€Å"When thou wakest, let love forbid; Sleep his seat on thy eyelid: So awake when I am gone† (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 67-68). In the process of â€Å"helping† the young lovers with this love triangle, Puck casts the spell on the wrong Athenian man. The plan backfires, and it is Lysander who is made to woo Helena. As Puck and Oberon watch their antics unfold, Puck is obviously entertained by the confusion that he has caused. Puck tells Oberon, â€Å"Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be!† (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 115-116). The third element of Shakespeare’s play that incorporates a darker feeling is that of love and relationships. This is most evident in the relationship that exists between Titania and Oberon. While most comedies are full of love and passion, Shakespeare places a dark emphasis on relationships in â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†. The marriage of Titania and Oberon is thrown into chaos over a changeling that Titania has taken under her care. Because of Titania’s actions, Oberon is in a rage and essentially trying to get revenge on her. This takes on a dark element when Oberon encourages Puck to play a trick on her, resulting in Titania falling temporarily in love with Bottom. Unfortunately for the fairy queen, Bottom’s head has been transformed into that of an ass. Puck takes great delight in his bizarre love connection, however, saying, â€Å"When in that moment, so it came to pass, Titania waked and straightway loved an ass† (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 33-34). The audience sees a different kind of relationship between Titania and Oberon – one in which Oberon obviously must always be â€Å"in charge†. By not allowing Oberon to have control of the changeling, she has obviously thrown their relationship out of balance. It appears to the audience that Titania is expected to bend to Oberon’s wishes at all times. The audience is exposed to the darker side of Titania in her battle with Oberon. When the two meet by accident in the woods, Titania is furious with Oberon for interrupting the fairy dances that Titania and her fairies partake in. Titania’s darker side is uncovered in her accusations to her husband, â€Å"The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain; The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn; Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard; The fold stands empty in the drowned field; And crows are fatted with the murrion flock† (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 78-82). Titania’s word choice alone has a dark connotation, and she makes it clear that the disturbance of the fairy dance will have dark consequences for others. Shakespeare’s comedy, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† leaves the audience reeling from a sense of darkness within the play. This play is not a typical comedy in that many of the comedic elements are darker than other plays in the same genre. Shakespeare shows the audience the darker side of humor through the interactions between Oberon and his servant, Puck. The element of dark magic also makes its way into the play, through the chaotic realm of the fairies in the forest, changing the typical role of a fairy in writing. Lastly, Shakespeare makes his audience aware of the darkness that exists within the various relationships in the play. Almost all of the lovers in this play have a darker element to their relationships. Shakespeare, through diverse characters, intrigues the audience with an obvious fascination with the darker side of the most common elements of his play. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1980.   

“the Horrifying Effects of Child Labor During the...

The world has had many great accomplishments but what people often fail to think about are the consequences of these great accomplishments. When the Industrial Revolution came to Britain, there was a high demand for labor to work in the various mills and mines because of the demand for production. Chimneysweepers also became common during this time. Because of this, families fled from their rural farms to industrialized cities in search of work. Children were often the workers of choice because they were easily controlled, they were small and able to get into smaller places and because they were easily forced to work long and grueling hours. The Industrial Revolution was responsible for advancements in technology because production†¦show more content†¦The wrists became so swollen and appeared to be skeletons. Surgery was very common and would often result in amputation up to the elbow. Poetry during the Industrial Revolution often was brutally honest because many of the poets personally experienced the callousness of child labor. The Golf Links is a poem written by Sarah N. Cleghorn in 1917. The golf links lie so near the mill That almost every day The laboring children can look out And see the men at play. The poem has a sad ring to it but also tends to be ironic because the working children are watching the adult men play golf. The wording was chosen carefully to add more pronunciation that is more dramatic and emphasize the long, hard and tedious work these children were required to do. This behavior is reversed from the norm because usually it would be the children playing while the men were hard at work. The food these children ate also affected their health. The owners of the factories were responsible for providing their food, however they would not allow them to take a break to eat. They were expected to work and eat at the same time. â€Å"We had to eat our food in the mill. It was frequently covered by flues from the wool; and in that case they had to be blown off with the mouth, and picked off with the fingers, before it could be eaten† (Crabtree). They were usually fed oatcakes and soup and would have to try to pick the dust offShow MoreRelatedMary Shelley s F rankenstein, And The Modern Prometheus3901 Words   |  16 Pageshis creation that is obviously there. If Dr. Frankenstein is the monster s God then the monster is literally Godforsaken. Considering the situation, the monster reacts in a very human way. It is largely agreed in American society today that a child who is isolated from human interaction cannot be blamed for his/her actions, and that neglect is one of the worst forms of abuse. In the same way Frankenstein s monster is not at fault for his acts of destruction but is actually the victim. In factRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages2008) when one could quite plausibly argue that a new era had begun. A compelling case can be made for viewing the decades of the global scramble for colonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial and political revolutions of the late 1700s. But at the same time, without serious attention to the processes and misguided policies that led to decades of agrarian and industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as wellRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesorganization theory Introduction Conceptualizing management The historical origins and development of management 382 382 384 385 . xii Contents Technological change and the factory system The impact of scientific management The managerial revolution and the origins of managerialism Redefining managerialism Leadership and managerialism Diffusion between institutions: the case of the UK public sector New public management Diffusion within organizations: the infiltration of the rank and file OrganizationalRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesapproaches?† â€Å"How can I invigorate those who feel outdated and left behind?† â€Å"How do I help the ‘survivors’ of a downsizing pick up the pieces and move on?† â€Å"How do I help people with very different agendas and philosophies work together, especially during periods of high stress and uncertainty?† Anyone tempted to dismissively argue that the answers to these questions are â€Å"common sense† would do well to recall Will Rogers’ pithy observation: â€Å"Common sense ain t common.† In a ddition, the research reported