The Grapes of Wrath and California History Essay Example for Free

The Grapes of Wrath and California History Essay I. The Joad Family is the main character in the novel of John Steinbeck entitled The Grapes of Wrath. The said novel was published in the spring of 1939 during the Great Depression. The Joads in the novel portrayed the migrants of California. From Collins and Steinbeck point of view, the migrants of California can be compared to â€Å"Jeffersonian yeomen† who aspire to gain their respective small farms. Jeffersonian Yeomen, historically, however, did not succeed in their goal. It was the farms owned and mange by the businessmen of San Francisco that ruled the rural economy of the state. Its big agricultural output was favored by the â€Å"goldrush† which permitted the growing of â€Å"cash crops† in the urban markets and the mining camps of San Francisco (David Igler Davis, 2002). It was in 1935 and 1939 when the great depression happened in California. The migrants came from Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma; the lower Plain states of the southwest. The number of migrants by that time was about 300,000. They were caked â€Å"Okies†. In the Grapes of Wrath, it was the Joads who migrated to California. The thirteen members of the family rode in one vehicle which includes even the grandparents and their grandchildren. Along the way the grandparents as well as the in-laws and uncles died. It was the fifty-year old Ma Joad who was left to lead the group in their journey. Tom Joad, son of Ma Joad and an ex-convict also played a significant role in the story. They join the thousands other migrants in their quest for better opportunities in California. II. In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads migrated to California to seek for employment. They left the almost â€Å"perfect† and â€Å"peaceful† Weedpatch Camp because of the misfortunes that happened in their homeland. Dust storms occurred in Oklahoma and they had suffered financial crisis. Based on California history, the migration can be explained by several factors. The farms in Oklahoma and other states affected by the depression became unprofitable due to drought that happened in their land. There was low economic activity and widespread unemployment by that time. Tenant farmers were evicted by the landowners as a consequence of the New Deal Agricultural Adjustment (AAA). These programs had forbidden farmers to plant grain or cotton in exchange of cash. New Deal Programs inevitably had effects that went beyond the farm economy, through the recovery of the agricultural sector was the administration’s primary aim. Some agencies attempted to reorient the rural social structure, making it possible for laborers and tenants to live with dignity and even become landowners. Relief agencies operating in rural America improved public buildings and transportation facilities, hired unemployed people, maintained institutions, and enriched lives. And the New Deal undertook a revolutionary-and successful- effort to electrify the countryside. More federal activities were undertaken in response to the Dust Bowl, an ecological crisis that beset the Great Plains with especial severity. Government agencies promoted conservation, retired highly erodible acres from farming, resettled some victims on more viable lands, and provided sustenance for others (Danbom, 2006). The use of machinery which produces greater efficiency also contributed to the said eviction. Moreover, a big percentage of farmlands was destroyed by the great dust storms that occurred in the mid-1930s. Since then, poverty stroked Oklahoma. The Okies decided to move to California to be able to survive. They were encouraged by the â€Å"word-of-mouth campaign† by their friends and relatives. They were inspired by the information from other people that they could earn high salary in California by simply picking cotton and fruits. Moreover, transportation from Oklahoma to California was not a problem by that time (Orsi, 2001). III. The migrants moved to California because they believe that they will be able to find a brighter future there. Aside from the effect of the Great Depression in the life of the Okies, the mass migration was also brought by false advertising. In October 1929, the stock market of the United States fell and California was affected. This incident had caused California to suffer acutely because California oil shares which are the most active sectors in the 1920s had collapsed and many investors suffered. The depression also hit California but the economy recovered in the year 1934 and 1937 (Eymann 2004). It was then when California needed many laborers in the cotton fields. Indeed California offered high salary during those times when the number of cotton plantation in California was multiplied. A need for thousands of harvesters of crops had commenced especially in San Joaquin Valley. They had a problem of labor shortage not unemployment that is why high salary was offered to those Okies who were employed to pack meat, cement clay, railroad and even ice manufacturers. The salary that California offered was twenty to fifty percent higher than the salary of Okies in their homeland. Due to the nature of their work, the migrants had chosen to settle in one place with their children. IV. In the novel and in historical reality the migrants are hoping to find a better life in the fertile fields of California. They are expecting that when they reached â€Å"the promised land† they will be employed and earn high wages. They had believed that when they reach their destination, life will become easier. They will â€Å"simply† work in the cotton fields and harvest fruits and earn a big amount of money. They will raise their children there and all of them will not starve and will be able to gain bright future in California. They hoped to revitalize their wealth and recover their source of revenue on the land V. When they had reached their destination, they found themselves as victims there. Work was inadequate, salaries were small, and they were disliked, refuse to be accepted and suppressed by the residents. Their endeavors to upgrade their lives were branded as Communism, a system much disliked and feared by many Americans of the time. (John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath By Lee Cusick) Agricultural workers were not covered by Social Security, unemployment insurance, the minimum wage and the National Labor Relations Act. The New Deal was primarily a political response to the Depression, and unlike farm owners, the migrants had little political influence. While California Growers obtained federal price supports for some products, legally enforced marketing orders for others, and massive government expenditures for irrigation projects, migrant laborers received a small, poorly funded camp program that never got beyond the â€Å"demonstration† stage (Harvest of Gypsies). Grower satisfaction with the Okies was short-lived. The flood of migrants in 1937 had created an embarrassing oversupply of labor, and the squalor of their camps refelected on the industry. In 1938 it became apparent that the Okies were politically embarrassing as well. They were democrats, supported Culbert Olson, and displayed firm loyalty to the New Deal. They also disrupted the strong Republican hold on rural communities, a fact that led to the formation of the California Citizen’s association (CCA), which, like the Associated Farmers, fronted for banking, oil, railroad, real estate, and insurance interess allied with the agribusiness community. The CCA, detrmined to attack the New Deal and Olson through the migrants, launched a publicity campaign that, as Walter Stein has pointed out, went a long way toward creating a popular view of the Okie in California as â€Å"degenerate, degraded loser in the American struggle for survival. † Like migrants of the 1920s, nearly half settled in metropolitan areas, primarily Los Angeles, the Okies were quickly absorbed. The rest, however, turned north to the San Joaquin Valley where they sought work in the complex, industrialized agricultural system. Ineligible for relief for a year because they were new to the state, they accepted the low wages that the Mexican work force would not, and in a short time almost completely displaced the Mexicans as California’s harvest laborers. When the Okies became eligible for unemployment relief, the state relief administration under Gov. Meriam cut off relief payments if work was available in an agricultural harvest, forcing them into the old relief, harvest labor, relief cycle that essentially subsidized low farm wages. Important distinctions between the Okies and traditional harvest labor were not only that the migrants were white Anglo-Saxon Protestants but also that they sought permanence. They settled in Central Valley towns, sent their children to the local schools, and registered to vote. Their poverty could not be ignored. Living in shocking conditions in tent camps along irrigation ditches, they exposed the exploitation of farm labor in California’s peculiar agricultural system and became a highly visible burden in local communities, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley (The Great depression Chapter 21). A year later, the labor surplus of the Depression had been transformed into an extraordinary wartime shortage of workers. Migrants who were not subject to military service found well-paying jobs in California’s booming shipyards, aircraft factories and other defense plants. The Joads and their fellow Okies ultimately found economic salvation, not on the small farms they dreamed of owning, but in urban industry fueled by billion of federal defense dollars (Steinbeck, 1988). VI. The story of the migrants fit California History due to the efforts of Steinbeck and Collins who â€Å"actually lived† at California gathering information to capture â€Å"true scenarios† in California. Steinbeck stayed at Weedpatch Camp for several days, talking to residents, attending camp committee meetings and dances, and watching Collins tactfully promote his concept of limited and guided elf-government. Steinbeck and Collins travelled in the old bakery truck to nearby farms and ditch-side migrant settlements, and the author read the manager’s regular reports to the Resettlement Administration’s regional office in San Francisco. The reports, which included social and cultural observations on migrant life and individual anecdotes sometimes told in Okie dialect, were extraordinary documents. The News had already published excerpts from them, and Steinbeck eventually mined them for the material for The Grapes of Wrath. In 1936 he used them to get beneath the surface of migrant life, to understand the deep despair and hopelessness that poverty and homelessness had created (David Igler Davis, 2002). References: Danbom, D. B. (2006). Born in the Country: A History of Rural America Johns Hopkins University Press. David Igler, C. , Davis. (2002). The Human Tradition in California: Rowman Littlefield. Eymann, M. , , C. W. (2004). Whats Going On? : California and the Vietnam Era: University of California Press. Orsi, R. R. W. B. a. R. (2001). The Elusive Eden McGraw-Hill. Steinbeck, J. (1988). The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath Heyday Books.

Causes and Effects of Mental Illness

Causes and Effects of Mental Illness Depression (major depression) is a common mental disorder characterized by a period of intense and negative emotions, lack of interest, anhedonia (lack of pleasure), guilt and low self-esteem feelings, sleep disorders and normal appetite, loss of energy and difficulty in concentration. People who suffer from depression usually they have not presented the same symptoms and even if they have the same symptoms, their intensity varies. Depression can transform from a transient to a chronic condition, preventing the steady mental functioning of people and -in extreme cases even lead to suicide. The social and economic impact of depression usually is difficulty in maintaining close relationships, alcoholism, accidents, misuse of health services, reverberations the whole family and more on children, early retirement, and substance abuse. The depressed person suffering from the disease thus transformed and expressed in many ways such as hypochondriacal symptoms, impotence, insomnia or hypersomnia, poor appetite or overeating, and offending behavior. Moreover, depression can occur in various forms such as with most physical illnesses. However, in these types, there are several variations in the number and severity of symptoms. The following three types of depression frequently arise in people who suffer from this disease. The major depressive episode is manifested by a combination of symptoms and affected significantly the functionality of the individual. An incident such as this episode may occur once, or more frequently, several times during the life of the individual and ordinarily lasts around 6-8 months. A less severe form of depression, dysthymia, is a milder side of symptoms, but more chronic disorder. In this form, individual generally retains much of the functionality but however, there is a danger to drop back into a major depressive episode. Bipolar disorder or manic depression is otherwise a severe mental disorder characterized by cyclical swings of emotion, where in that period of intense elation (mania) alternate with periods of depressive episodes. The person in the manic episode shows hyperactivity, socially inappropriate, shows cheerful, with large energy reserves, but has impaired judgment and impaired social behavior which can be fatal for the person himself but also for those around him. Various theories have been developed by several scientists are unable to determine the exact etiology of depression. There are some factors that contribute to either the start or the most intense manifestation of the disease. Many scientists have studied the depression generating mechanism based on an individuals behavior. Ferster (1973) indicates that the depressed person may have the disease at intervals, during which accepts negative stimuli and isolation from the social environment without corresponding positive stimuli which could maintain his mental balance. Additionally, starting from childhood where negative stimuli are unable to meet the individual needs (such as the mothers indifference towards the child) cultivate the belief that the environment has grown not to offer anything on the person who is pessimistic. Also, Ferster, comments on the role of anger in depression, as psychoanalysts recognizing that anger is a component of the emotional disorder but explains that the angering event often avoided by the sufferer due to the negative reaction of the environment to anger. Therefore held that feeling and the result is the further isolation of the patient from the community and lack thereof supporters. The Rado (1964), Bibring (1953) and Jacobson (1964), completing the classic analytic interpretation pointed out that it is not necessary to have an objective loss to occur depression. They outline that, something negative relative to narcissism, the love and appreciation that nourishes everyone about him, a frustration or failure would seriously undermine the feeling of self-esteem, can paralyze a persons ability to act, resulting in a recall depression. Mendelson (1967) believed that depression is due to the collapse of ego and self-confidence because of a loss or disappointment. O Schneider (1958) described the people suffering from depressive psychopathy as follows: quietly, constantly gloomy, serious, without the ability to have fun. The peace and calm seen as something meaningless and pain and suffering as a virtue. They give great importance to the operation and are oppressive but also sensitive individuals. Schneider made a distinction between depressive personality and endogenous depression which more correlated with phases of mania and depression thus rejecting the idea that a depressive personality is an extreme form of depression expression. This personality is due in early irritation predisposing the individual to become negative and pessimistic On the other side, the forms and effects of depression differ by gender. Women are 2 to 3 times more susceptible to this disease than men. Some researchers such as Hauenstein (1991) have suggested that this is due to the fact that women express more easily and more intensely their feelings, from the opposite gender, is more large percentage of the female population that will seek medical care in relation to the male gender, women affected, think and imagine different scenarios and versions if concern for a problem, leading to cause the beginning of an emotional disease while men distract their attention from the problem and focus on their goals. However, the difference is quite large, so it is believed that a combination of biological and psychosocial factors contribute to a higher frequency. The causes that can lead an individual to depression vary depending on the evolution of his life. More specifically, it is clear that there is no single reason to explain this disorder (as usually happens with many other illnesses in general). Surveys have identified several factors that appear to contribute in varying degrees to the illness of depression. We can consider the depressive disorder as the final common result of a variety of factors which act on the constitution of each individual and the specific social context. If we look at depression in this way then the various interpretations of the ground, either purely biological or purely psychosocial cease to seem to contradict each other, but rather that they complement each other.

The Place of Humanities in University Studies :: essays research papers

The Place of Humanities in University Studies This is NOT an essay - it is a collection of notes which are the foundation of an 800 word comparison of two articles regarding the place of humanities in university studies, and the roles of mass communication.Part 1 (800 words - 30%)You will be given two short readings by the end of Week 3 of the Semester. Identify the approach or approaches used in each, and with reference to the features and examples of the identified approaches as presented in Subject materials, justify your answer.Andrew Riemer's article, "Cannon or Fodder?" (The Weekend Australian, 16-17 November 1996) can be identified as having both Idealist and Leavisite approaches within the text. This is indicated in several passages of the text:"My colleagues in the Department of English were irresponsible...They were trivialising the discipline...by allowing undergraduates to sidestep the so-called canonical writers...in favour of whatever transient phenom enon or writer of small talent happened to be their latest obsession.""They were reprehensible ... in encouraging their students to impose simple sub-Marxist, sub-feminist templates on complex and mysterious works of literature ... Milton's Eve reduced to a mere victim of the patriarchy.""Alluring though it might be, we cannot recover intellectual integrity by turning back the clock.""Cannon or Fodder?" (The Weekend Australian, 16-17 November 1996)When looking at the approaches as they are presented in the Subject Materials, one is able to identify them as clearly being both Idealistic and Leavisite. Our Subject Book indicates that the Idealistic view of culture has been "conceived in the humanities and in journalism and popular social commentary ... a realm of moral, spiritual and aesthetic values which exist largely independent and above society". Further, this view states Culture was isolated from society - autonomous because it had to be abstracted from one way of life (pre-industrial) and then transmitted and extended to another (allegedly inferior) way of life to 'save' that society.The Leavisite concept of culture is still common and is firmly bound up in the theory of mass society and mass culture.Mass communications are seen to hold a crucial and privileged place in mass society, taking over the role of creating and distributing the values and information common to a society.Mass culture, unlike high culture, is unable to transcend its time and place and offer any kind of lasting truth to its audiences and, at worst, positively damages them.

Poetry appreciation of Death of a naturalist Essay -- English Literatu

Poetry appreciation of Death of a naturalist This poem ‘Death of a Naturalist’ by Seamus Heaney is about the lifecycle of frogs and a child’s interest in nature. As the child grows up he looses interest in all aspects of nature. It is as if ‘Death of a Naturalist’ was referring to the loss of innocence of the child and the love of nature he once had died inside him. Not only that, he now has respect for nature but not necessarily disliking it; nor loving it either. The atmosphere of the first stanza is quite positive. A phrase such as ‘There were dragon-flies, spotted butterflies,’ suggests a happy mood and refers to pleasant memories to Heaney as a child. Diction such as the ‘warm thick slobber’ indicates to me the child-likeness theme of this poem. Which proves that it is from an adult’s perspective looking back at his childhood. Heaney has done this by using the ‘child-like’ vocabulary as well as a more complex and mature tone to the poem. He has done this so that we as the reader can recognise the difference of the fascination of a child and a simpler explanation of things from an adult. For example as the first stanza draws to a close we learn that by frogs we can tell the weather ‘For they were yellow in the sun and brown/in rain.’ This is the typical child learning something new in school, and then assuming they know it all. From that I get the image of the child telling its mother ‘mum did you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Where as an adult would dismiss it as merely a fact. By the second stanza the poem takes a rather dark turn. All the positivity in the first stanza has been replaced with a sinister and morbid tone. The beginning of the stanza ‘ Then one hot day†¦fields were rank’ suggests the dramatic change in ... ...ts changed and I realised that the poem was not all about frogs. It was a case of reading between the lines. Heaney’s overall message fascinated me and urged me to delve more into the subject of ‘loss of innocence’. Which set me on a train of thought. One thing in particular that made the poem more enjoyable for myself was Heaney’s flair for style. The way in which he concentrates on the onomatopoeia in the poem is very effective. As I had not previously read any other of Heaney’s poems this immediately drew my attention. Another thing I liked was the images he created in my mind. One of those images were (in the second stanza); a battlefield where the child is on one side and the frogs are his opposition and the frogs are invading the land-similar to a war scenario. Therefore I would highly recommend this poet simply for Heaney’s unique style of writing.

Three Solutions to Deforestation Essay -- environment green global war

Three Solutions to Deforestation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does it make a sound? Or rather, if a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does anybody even care? This saying epitomizes the world's current view on deforestation, most notably in the Brazilian Amazon, which is known as 'The Lungs of the Earth.' Deforestation is defined as the long-term or permanent removal of forest cover, usually accompanied by burning, which is then converted to a non-forested land use. Deforestation doesn't just affect the indigenous people living in the Amazon or on a grander scale, the people of South America; rather, it arguably affects the entire world. More than 12 percent of the 2 million square miles of Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, which produces one-fifth of the earth's oxygen, has been deforested and converted to farmland or grazing for cattle (www.rainforest.org). This may not sound like that large of a problem, but as a result of deforestation, Brazil now accounts for nearly 10 percent of the world's greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. "Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earth?s land area? they now amount to less than 6 percent" (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996). Basically, if something isn't done soon, then the world won't have enough oxygen to support itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some would argue that there is nothing that they can do or that they?re only one person. But one person can save one tree, and that?s one more tree that won?t be cut down. Some also argue that there are no solutions to deforestation when in reality there are; people just don?t realize that they?re there. Here is a list of three possible solutions that could curtail any more careless logging of the Brazilian Amazon. First, people around the world could ?buy? acres of rainforest. The Adopt-An-Acre Program, which was started by The Nature Conservancy and Earth's Birthday Project in 1990, has combined their efforts to educate children all over the country about the conservation of rainforests. Because of their diligent efforts, $5 million has been raised and 150,000 acres of rainforest saved (www.savenature.org). These facts alone show that the adoption program works, but the downside is that many underprivileged children and schools won?t be able to finance this kind of endeavor. Many people also d... ...n Amazon had been deforested. By 2000 almost 15 percent had been destroyed. This means a forest area the size of France was lost in only thirty years? (www.greenpeace.org). This illustrates how dangerous and threatening deforestation to the Brazilian Amazon truly is. Until the United States and the rest of the world comes to their senses and realizes that in their haste for wood products they?re, in reality, reducing the amount of breathable oxygen that they have, then by the year 2050, that same oxygen will be cut by one-fifth. Deforestation is the second-hand smoke of the world. Within fifty years, how breathable will our air really be? Unless people everywhere start to realize how detrimental deforestation really is, then we will leave nothing to the next generation except a tainted, asphyxiated planet. Works Cited Effects and Solutions to Deforestation. www.greenpeace.org. 3 Nov. 2001. Effects of Deforestation in Brazil. www.rainforest.org. 2 Nov. 2001. Revington, John. ?Stopping Tropical Deforestation.? New Renaissance. November 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 3, 2001 http://www.ru.org/stopping-deforestation.htm. Adopt-An-Acre Program. www.savenature.org. 1 Nov. 2001.

The Adulteress & adulteress order

Because this portion of the gospel of John (John 7:53-8:11) does not appear in many ancient manuscripts, many scholars regard it as highly questionable (i.e. whether inspired and therefore must be included in the whole gospel of John) as to its place in the New Testament canon. Moreover, the so-called church fathers, in their writings, did not have comments for they did not, in the first place, refer to this portion of the currently widely accepted as John’s gospel.And so, early manuscripts’ (the copies of the original) forms do not include 7:53 to 8:11. If ever this periscope appears in some of the early copies, it is there in a special position, and just like many scholarly journals today, it has asterisk markings at its opening and also at its ending.Some even believe it to be Luke’s writing rather than John’s because of its structure, of which, obviously very unlikely. When one will just read through before and after, without any hunch regarding these scruples among scholars, one will not sense any inconsistency nor anything different in this contested portion.It is as much the writing of John like all of the other parts and chapters in the gospel (Constable, 2000). The pertinent question now which bears upon the readership of the gospel of John is whether this portion to be taken as authentic part of the whole (i.e. part of the inspired word of God) or not.Well, it is now beyond any shadow of doubt that the gospel of John is without a doubt the gospel of John. 1) Why was this small portion contested among scholars, 2) Why is it now well-established as authentic part, and 3) What spiritual truths is John 7:53-8:11 conveying to its readers, are the issues which will be dealt in what follows.John 7:53-8:11 – A Contested PortionAs what has been said above, scholars debate relentlessly over this portion ever since the canonicity of the New Testament scriptures has been studied. And so, because this issue has been put forth, th e concerned matter must be settled once and for all for the benefit of those who are/would be affected by it.Those who have been, at least, given the background of the gospel of John, know that the basic truth about this gospel is that it, like all the rest of the books of the canonized scriptures, was a product of the process of numerous copyings of the original autograph of its author. In the ancient biblical times, there were no publishing companies nor printing machines, and computers, as what modern day world has for its use today.Hence, the way that a manuscript was made public in those days was through the then called copyists. These professionals (they were also called â€Å"scribes†) would copy the original copy; and most of the times, because certain materials were fragile (like the papyrus) and would not last for long periods of time, these scribes would recopy the â€Å"copies† of the original.The copies nevertheless were received as good as the original by the recipients. The trustworthiness of the scribes were a given and beyond doubt in those days. The same is the case with other non-biblical writings. Such classics as the Iliad by Homer, Socrates’ Apology, Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, and others like the historical accounts written by known ancient Roman historians, etc., were all copied and recopied.The only marked difference these ancient manuscripts have which is in total contrast to the manuscripts of the Bible is that they (i.e. non-biblical classics) are received today without cynicism by the critics. This is very much unlike any biblical manuscripts. And so, John’s gospel as it is today is a copy of many copies. Before it reached its current forms with its many translations in many different languages, it had undergone numerous recopyings.When early Christian scribes were in the process of putting together the inspired books, and when they go through John’s gospel (like perhaps the translators w ho were commissioned by King James in 1600), they incorporated the parts which they saw were rightfully belonging to John. Some of them, as was mentioned in the Introduction portion, expressed their misgivings by making this portion of John (7:53-8:11) appear like an appendix or footnote.The whole background of this pericope has made it to be irresistibly taken as it actually is (whether it was then a well established oral tradition or something else), a narrative which is to be taken as real incident which actually happened at certain point in the life of the Savior.However, in any ways, this questionable portion (for definite reason of providence) has eventually become part of John’s gospel and not anywhere in the so-called synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). And so, the gospel of John is like it is today because of careful and responsible consideration on the part of the translators (McArthur, 2009).Beyond Reasonable Doubt – A Part Of John’s GospelThe re are practical considerations which can be helpful to anybody considering the issue of authenticity of John 7:53-8:11. First to be considered is the fact that it does not interrupt the flow of John’s style of writing. It actually fits his writing style.It would be observed that from chapter 5 through chapter 8, John’s pattern has been presenting a scene or incident and then proceed to Jesus’ teaching or elaborating spiritual truths. John 7:53-8:11 flows out of the same said pattern of the author. Another thing to be considered is the fact that it never (the truths taught in this pericope) contradicts the teachings of the whole Scripture.In fact, it reinforces the well-established truths about God and Jesus in the entire inspired Scripture. Being thus (John’s original writing and God’s authentic revelation), why should it be left out or considered not a genuine part of the revelation God is giving to humanity.To excise this important portion from the gospel is to deprive many of a very important account in the life of Christ which reinforces the fact of his grace towards sinners and the reality of hypocrisy which so often illusively deceives and eats the best of the religious sector of the human populace. It ought to be studied and meditated and benefited from as much as the other portions of the Bible.Apostle John wrote it to point out an occasion in the life of Jesus while ministering and backs his claims of Jesus’ divinity, it supports the whole biblical revelation, and it is legitimate part of the gospel and important part of God’s revelation.The attitude therefore among its readers should be an attitude of trust and assurance (and without any hint of a doubt) that the story of the adulteress and those Pharisees who caught her in an actual adulterous situation (probably, she’s a prostitute), who then brought her to Jesus interrupting his discourse in the temple, was a historical and inspired narrativ e of John.Spiritual TruthsOne more note as to its questionable legitimacy. Veteran pastor and scholar in his own right, John McArthur critically observed that probably the reason for early scholars hesitation to include John 7:53-8:11 was its seeming contradictory presentation of the Old Testament’s treatment of adultery (McArthur, 2009).The story appears to be condoning the adulteress for her sinful act. It seems to violate the holiness of the Savior himself. Well, it only appears to be when looked at superficially. Actually, there’s a lot to be seen and discovered in this passage. When it is treated properly, important truths about God and his redemption would surface and become obvious to the observant eyes.The scenario presented here does in no way introduce Jesus as one who disregards the issue of the woman’s life of immorality. John’s intention was not to put Jesus in a bad light. He was upholding as he writes all along the fact that God hates all f orms of sin – adultery included. The issue, however, that was pertinent to John at the moment of his writing, was not whether adultery should be tolerated or not.The issue being treated here was the Pharisaic attitude of hypocrisy. What really was happening at this point of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry was that the religious sector of the Jewish population were getting incensed at him, more especially, the Sanhedrin (this political group consisted mainly of the Pharisees).At this particular point in time, there was already a plot to assassinate Jesus. And so, speaking in context, John was highlighting at the background of his presentation of Jesus as God in the flesh, the fact that there was already a very serious hostility building among the religious and political leaders of Israel. John was trying to convey here this reality of the whole situation (7:53-8:4).This arrangement has supposed to have prepared everyone who has been following the narratives in this gos pel to the spiritual truths and lessons it is conveying.1.) Christ’s Wisdom & Humility. The first to note here about Jesus is his incredible wisdom. He knew full well what was going on in the background. He knew the Pharisees’ true intentions. Yet, in spite of this, he was able to compose himself in genuine humility. Remember that Jesus was introduced by Apostle John as God the Creator.God himself incarnated in human flesh. Look at how Jesus responded to the whole thing – the evil scheming and maneuvering all directed against this God who became flesh. If   this truth about Jesus is upheld at this junction of his life in this occasion involving all these characters in this narrative while reader reads, a deep and profound awe and admiration would inevitably overpower him/her.It’s difficult to comprehend and unbelievable to see God in the flesh in such humble attitude enduring unjustifiable hostility in the midst of the people he created. Jesus’ p rofound wisdom and humility cannot be elaborated nor will ever be explored completely in its full sense in any study of the Scripture.His wisdom and humility as they were both revealed can only be benefited from through the profound lessons they exude as they come from the fact that God the Creator showed them in his humanity.2.) Christ’s Forgiveness. This narrative shows how much God can forgive. It also shows the fact that God is not impressed with hypocritical observance of his laws and cannot be swayed by man’s superficial understanding of his commands.God who planned redemption understands in the first place the sinfulness of man – how sin has actually corrupted the entire human race. And so, in his incarnation, he knew the deception of Israel’s spiritual leaders. He knew they were self-deceived.The lesson then being conveyed in this story of the adulterous woman is the fact of humanity’s deluded perception of itself; even the best of its repr esentatives – the religious Pharisees. No one here in this incident is sinless in the eyes of Jesus.Yet, as the story unfolds, he was seen forgiving even the obvious adultery of this woman. As was noted earlier in this paper, this passage of John is not meant to condone adultery. The passage is critical of hypocritical righteousness as well as it condemns the sin of adultery in the life of the woman. Overruling all these sins is the fact that God forgives.THE STORY OF THE ADULTERESS (7:53-8:11) INTERERRUPTS THE TABERNACLES DISCLOSURES BUT HAS THEOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS WITH IT. HERE IS A CASE WHERE MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE IS SIGNIFICANT. THIS IS PROBABLY A FLOATING GOSPEL PERICOPE WHICH ENTERED JOHN (AND LUKE) LATE.References:1. McArthur, John. John Volume 3 (12 Part Series) Jesus Confronts Hypocrisy: A Study of John 7:53-8:11 Code: 1519. Date Accessed: May 12, 2009 at http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/15192. Constable, Dr. Thomas L. Notes on John. 2000 Edition. Published by DTS Publications.

Canadian Briefing Note (LCBO) Essay

1. Introduction The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is a Crown Corporation established in 1927. It operates nearly 600 stores across the province and has a monopoly on the sale of spirits in Ontario.1 LCBO generated nearly $2.9 billion annually for the people of Ontario – including $2 billion in taxes and another $900 million in profits each year, making it the second largest government liquor distributor in the world.2 The former Tories planed to sell the board’s revenue stream while retaining actual ownership. Now, Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals was handing out a workbook to focus groups it had convened, saying that the 600 stores could be sold as franchises. There’s something about the prospect of a $5.6-billion deficit that has encouraged the government to obtain funds from selling its prime asset. However, the Ontario Liquor Board Employees’ Union has been running a successful campaign against privatizing the LCBO, and at same time, National Union of Public and General Employees threw its full support behind a campaign to stop government of from privatizing the phenomenally-profitable Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Should LCBO be privatized now? In this report, first of all, the importance of the issue is discussed, then a detailed analysis of the interests among government, business and public is presented, finally I will draw the conclusion and make a few of recommendations for privatization of LCBO. 2. Importance of the Issue 2.1. Revenue The LCBO is a highly profitable business owned by the government of Ontario. It is also a significant component of the economy of the province. It generates $2.9 billion a year in taxes and profits. The LCBO also contributes to the economy of Ontario in salaries, rents, and the purchase of various goods and services. This sum of money has a multiplier effect on the provincial economy, larger than the original amount injected into the economy. 3 2.2. Pricing and Marketing The LCBO carries a very wide selection of quality-tested products throughout the province at uniform prices. The liquor control boards can, as single buyers, bargain for lower prices and greater special discounts from suppliers and carriers. The privately-owned outlets are fragmented and multiply rapidly and are therefore not centralized in their operations and distribution network. Privately-owned retail outlets also require higher rates of return on their capital costs than control boards, and these higher costs, among others, lead to higher alcohol prices under privatization. 2.3. Employment The LCBO is a progressive employer of a committed and customer oriented workforce who are classified as permanent (amount 3362) and casual, and full-time and part-time.4 LCBO privatization means the laying off of LCBO employees that will lead to huge losses to the treasury and economy of Ontario. Thus the union struggles to organize campaign against the privatization. 2.4. Society Influence Privatizing the LCBO would likely lead to increased access to alcohol, increased consumption and therefore more alcohol-related costs. The significant potential consequences of the privatization of alcohol monopolies include: increased overall population consumption; increased sales to under-aged and intoxicated patrons; increased problems with monitoring and enforcement. 3. Analysis of Privatization 3.1. Government From the aspect of government, it is a current trend that government should not put more intervention in business. Tory said in throne speech: â€Å"The government will sell businesses it should not operate and assets it should not own.† 5 Thus it is reasonable that the former and current minister planned to sell off or partly sell the LCBO. Another reason for privatization may attribute to fiscal deficit, because ministers want to cut its deficit during their terms. The sale of LCBO will obviously resolve its financial problem in short term. However, if we consider it as a financial decision in the long term, it may not be a good choice. Because LCBO is running very well now, it brings an annual dividend of $975 million to government or people of Ontario in 2002-03.6 3.2. Business Many private investors would prefer to buy the franchise of LCBO or directly buy its retail shop. Because LCBO has already established its stable customer base, and have its brand recognizing advantage, it will be a little easy to develop their business in such situation. But due to limit of small scale, its operating cost would be higher than the LCBO, this may lead to high sale price of liquor. And at same reason, it may not control the quality of product as LCBO does. Until now, too many small towns didn’t get LCBO service because they couldn’t support the overhead of a full-sized LCBO store. Sterling, the former minister of consumer and business services, told reporters. â€Å"With our go-ahead to offer franchises to existing retailers in very small markets, we’ll improve service for residents and visitors, while preserving the LCBO’s social responsibility standards.† 5 3.3. Public Most people are satisfied the LCBO’s product and service, and support the board control. Alcohol is special commodity, thus government intervention is needed at this situation, even though LCBO has monopoly status in Ontario area. All LCBO retail employees are trained to Challenge and Refuse service to anyone who appears underage and cannot provide valid ID or appears intoxicated. Last year, LCBO frontline staff challenged 1.2 million would-be customers and refused service to nearly 70,000, about two-thirds of whom appeared underage and could not provide valid ID.7 It is difficult to imagine what will happen if all these retail shops are sold to private investors, they may consider more on their own economic benefit and neglect social liability. Increased alcohol problems such as sale to under-aged and intoxicated patron are very likely happen. 4. Recommendation and Conclusion The privatization of LCBO is a complicated issue, because we should consider the relationship and interests among government, business, and public. On one hand, normally government should not act as a policy decision maker and business operator at same time, which will easily lead to monopoly and against good faith.8 On another hand, we have to consider that alcohol is special commodity, which should be effectively controlled by government based on public interest. Therefore my suggestion is to partly privatize LCBO, it will decrease business monopoly in the market, but government could still occupy large part of share, so it can effectively regulate the operation of business. There are many methods of privatization, and some ideas had been mentioned by government in LCBO history, such as franchise store in rural area, merge with Beer Store, and income trust. The main concern is to find an appropriate way to balance the interests of all parties, and make the privatization go smoothly during a period, not suddenly hit some party’s interests, and untimely be accepted by all groups. In order to achieve this goal, the LCBO and ministry must be more transparent in their decision-making, and more open to consideration of public health interests. From this point of view, government could organize a board which has enough members from different stakeholders, such as employees of LCBO, representative of Ontario citizen, expert of public health and safety, economists, private investor and government officer. They could regularly meet together to discuss the possible method of privatization and collect all kinds of opinion and feedback from society. Although this method may spend more time during policy-decision process, only when the issue is thoroughly discussed and known by public, the rational policy could be made to reflect all party’s interest and untimely encounter less resistance while it is applied. Endnotes: 1. LCBO, â€Å"Business Information†, http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/businessinformation.shtml (accessed 16 October 2004). 2. LCBO Annual Report 2003, 44, http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/annualreport2003.shtml(accessed 17 October 2004). 3. Ontario Liquor Boards Employee’s Union, â€Å"LCBO Revenues†, http://www.ourlcbo.com/revenues.htm (accessed 18 October 2004). 4. LCBO Annual Report 2003, 44, http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/annualreport2003.shtml (accessed 18 October 2004). 5. The National Union of Public and General Employees, â€Å"Ontario opening 150 private rural liquor outlets†, http://www.nupge.ca/news_2001/news_se01/n26se01a.htm (accessed 19 October 2004). 6. LCBO Annual Report 2003, 11, http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/annualreport2003.shtml (accessed 19 October 2004). 7. LCBO, â€Å"Today’s LCBO†, http://www.lcbo.com/aboutlcbo/todayslcbo.shtml#social (accessed 20 October 2004). 8. Glen E. Randall & David S. Barrows, Business P700 Lecture (McMaster University, 15 October 2004). Bibliography: 1. Daniel Girard. â€Å"Liquor stores could still be up for sale, Harris says†. The Toronto Star, 27 May 1999. 2. Ian Urquhart. â€Å"McGuinty puts controversial Tory ideas into play†. The Toronto Star, 2 Oct. 2004. 3. Nuri T. Jazairi. â€Å"The Impact of Privatizing the Liquor Control Board of Ontario†. http://www.yorku.ca/nuri/lcbo.htm (accessed 18 October 2004). 4. Robert Benzie. â€Å"Eves talked of selling LCBO, insiders say†. The Toronto Star, 31 Oct. 2003. 5. Robert Benzie. â€Å"Eves sought list of assets to be sold†. The Toronto Star, 2 November 2003.