Franklin D. Roosevelt Essay Example for Free

Franklin D. Roosevelt Essay Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of the most important and influential American political figures in the 20th century. Elected four times in office, his twelve years in the White House proved to be a testament to American courage, especially when faced with great challenges such as the Great Depression and the Second World War. Franklin D. Roosevelt, often called FDR, was born to James and Sara Delano Roosevelt in January 30, 1882 at Hyde Park, New York. (Potts, 5) The Roosevelt family was a rather affluent and Franklin was educated most of his younger years with tutors. In 1900, he enrolled at Harvard University and ended his college career at Columbia University Law School. (Potts, 7) On St. Patricks Day, 1905, Franklin married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a distant cousin and the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Roosevelt greatly admired his fifth cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt who ascended to the presidency during Franklin’s freshman year at Harvard. On several instances, Franklin visited the White House to discuss issues with his cousin Teddy. It is inevitable then that Franklin would have a growing interest in joining politics. He entered public service just as his cousin did, but as a Democrat in New York, a known Republican state. This proved to be a liability and problems arose but eventually, in 1910, Franklin was elected to the New York Senate. (Coker, 11) Three years later, in 1913, President Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy, something he had in common with his cousin Teddy. In the years that passed Franklin proved his mettle in politics and became the 1920 Democratic nominee for Vice President. Things went well in Franklin’s life until at age 39, in the summer of 1921, he got a stricken with poliomyelitis. This was a major setback but never deterrence to his courage. Franklin fought hard to be able to use his legs again through swimming. At the dramatic 1924 Democratic Convention, Franklin appeared, wearing crutches, to nominate Alfred E. Smith as the Happy Warrior. In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of New York. (Friedel, 69) By this time, the economy is collapsing and as governor, he retained his reformist stance pushing for the conservation of the state aid to the unemployed citizens. His political career eventually reached its culmination when he was nominated for the 1932 presidency by the Democrat party. In his acceptance of his nomination, he said â€Å"I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people.† This was what he came to be known for and in November 1932, Franklin was elected to his first term in as president of the United States. His administration became synonymous to the new deal he had pushed for in his campaign. (Heale, 3) It was not an easy term though. When he was elected for president, Franklin had inherited a lot of problems. This was the time when America was at the depth of the Great Depression and by March, four months into his presidency, 13,000,000 Americans were unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. The first hundred days of his office proved to be difficult. In these days Franklin had Congress implement a sweeping program to resurrect the ailing business and agriculture, to give relief to the unemployed and to those about to lose their homes and farms. He pushed for reform, especially through the Tennessee Valley Authority. Franklin Delano Roosevelt showed the people that something can be done. He gained immense admiration by helping the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought direction and hope as he assured prompt, vigorous action towards the depression. As Franklin asserted in his Inaugural Address, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This was precisely the attitude of his administration that created impact. In three years, the FDR administration led the United States to some measure of recovery, but the experimental and aggressive nature of Roosevelt’s New Deal program had turned up the noses of businessmen and bankers. They feared his ventures, were dismayed by the allowed deficits in the budget and being taken off the gold standard, and more so, the businessmen and bankers alike were hated the concessions to labor. Sensing this, Roosevelt created a new program of reform: Social Security, larger taxes on the wealthy, new controls over banks and public utilities, and a massive relief program for the unemployed. This new burst in legislation helped Roosevelt to a re-election in 1936. Roosevelt brought in more reforms to his administration. Feeling he had a favorable and popular mandate, he then sought legislation to enlarge the Supreme Court, which had been creating problems with his New Deal policies. Roosevelt lost the Supreme Court battle, but this sparked a revolution in constitutional law. Thereafter, the Government could legally regulate the economy. (Friedel, 69) During the latter part of his second term however, foreign crises loomed over domestic problems. In 1939 the war in Europe broke out and the fear that America would get entangled in this gave Roosevelt an opportunity to get elected again in 1940. This was defiance to what should have been a maximum of two presidential terms. (Heale, 4) Nevertheless, Roosevelt received strong support from big cities and on his third term as president, he pledged the United States to the good neighbor policy, transforming the Monroe Doctrine from a unilateral American manifesto into arrangements for mutual protection against assailants. He also struggled to keep the United States out of the war in Europe through neutrality legislation but at the same time he pledged to help reinforce nations in danger. In 1940, when France fell and England came under siege, he began to send Great Britain all possible aid except actual military involvement. Inevitably though, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. That day, Roosevelt directed all of the Americas resources and manpower and the nation plunged into global war. Roosevelt, in the years after, devoted careful thought in his dealings and strategies with other nations and allies. He was crucial in the planning of a United Nations, wherein, he hoped, international differences and difficulties could be solved. Roosevelt proved to be highly influential throughout the war but towards the end of the war, his health worsened, and on April 12, 1945, while at Warm Springs, Georgia, Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage, thus ending the longest presidential term in American history. (Friedel, 69) Works Cited Coker, Jeffrey W. Franklin D. Roosevelt: a biography. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005 Freidel, Frank. Presidents of the United States of America. DIANE Publishing, 1994 Heale, M. J. Franklin D. Roosevelt: the New Deal and war.   Routledge, 1999 Potts, Steve. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Capstone Press, 2006

I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is Essays

I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, I have chosen to study the poems 'Uphill' and 'Remember'. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, and symbolises this in 'Uphill'. The poem itself is written in a unique style. A style which I feel interacts the poet and the reader. The poem is an exchange of questions and answers that compares life to a journey. The journey is "Uphill all the way ".However at the end is an inn, a resting place that cannot be missed and which has a room for everyone! The poem is typical of Rossetti's religious beliefs; being part of an Anglo-Italian family which had strong religious convictions. Christina Rossetti's portrayed image of life being recognised as a painful task: "it's uphill all the way". Consequently it is the duty of mankind to undertake the trip in hopes of a peaceful rest in heaven as a reward, a reward for all obstacles that obstruct you in life. All the pain and suffering are to be expected, not resisted. One benefits from them in the end. I have noticed that particular words such as "road", "the days journey" have the same symbolic meaning in my opinion. As well as links between words like "resting place", "inn", "that door" and "beds" all interpret the same thing; death will come for all. Rich or Poor. From my previous statements I will say again that the poems perception; end of life, could well be saying that it is the end of all our work and problems that evolve or evolved around us. "Remember" is seemingly similar to uphill, but I think it illustrates a c... ...because she would rather know that he is happy than that he is, in a sense, dead while alive. We should all apply this message to our lives because it is truly the best way to deal with the death of one we love in my opinion. From comparing these two poems they both signify interpretations of her life but "Uphill" sounds like it is her own beliefs and ambiguous thoughts on what life beholds for everyone. Although she states that there are "beds" and "doors" free for opportunity. However she doesn't deliver us a true meaning which suggests everyone has a "door" at the end of life. Only for "those who come". From this point of view, the end of life is not seen as sending the believer to heaven and the unbeliever to hell. All it simply portrays is that it is the end of life's problems. Now this clearly reflects Rossetti's life, so on an overall I do agree.

It Takes Two to Tango- But Who Took the First Step Essay

It was a very controversial arrest that rang not just within the locality of Massachusetts but has echoed as an international dispute. What we are talking about in here is the contentious arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates by Sgt James Crowley together with other Cambridge police officers. The incident that relives the heat of the racism discussions happened 16th of July 2009 in Ware Streets, Cambridge, Massachusetts when a 911 call prompted the Cambridge Police Department about two males who seemed to be prowlers trying to break into one of the residences in the said place. The police officers responded to this alarming call from Lucia Whalen which led to the arrest of Professor Gates. (Trujillo) It is not surprising to hear two different tales from two different authors. What happened between police officers responding and the professor’s arrest is a story of a split version. In one hand Sgt Crowley and the rest of the team who responded to this very particular incident reasoned out that the detainment was due to â€Å"disorderly conduct† of Mr. Gates. For the party this would be sufficient enough to justify the arrest of the professor despite the fact that he was able to identify himself as the owner of the place he was reported to be breaking in. On the other hand Professor Henry Louis Gates strongly believed that a noticeable issue of racism was behind his arrest. This confrontation disturbed the public for several gray areas can be found in the story. People of course are divided by their own opinions regarding this matter. Who is right and who is wrong? Who acted accordingly and who delineated from what is proper? This issue reminds me of a cliche that is indeed of great value-it takes two to tango. Never was there an instance where a fire is ignited by a single force alone. What happened in Massachusetts in Professor Gate’s home shouldn’t have taken place if both of them analyzed the situation in the most critical manner. However even tough it’s true that it takes two to tango; we always have to remember that someone has to take the first step always. According to the news police officers reported that Professor Gates shouted at them and inculpated them with being racially biased officers. (Fox News) Moreover, police reports said that Gates displayed rough behavior with them with his strong belief that everything is all about his color and even warned the officers that they do not know who they are messing with. (Thompson) With these alleged display of behavior we definitely can say that Professor Gate really was moving and acting with his emotions in his head. It is always a weakness for someone to cling with his or her emotional outrages if he or she wanted to be critical in thinking for he or she demarcates him/herself from reason. Professor Gates is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor who is also cradling the responsibility of being the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. This highly-acclaimed cultural critic also is the editor-in-chief of the online magazine centering on the interests of African American people. Studies) Having these entire in mind we can say that professor Gates really must be sensitive about the issue of race and racial discrimination. Thus having a seemingly first hand experience of it would definitely ignite a hot temper. Maybe things would have gotten a different way if Professor Gates was able to recognize his own biases and assumptions in reference to the point of view of the cops. This is a prerequisite for self awareness that is nee ded for one to be critically mindful. Also weighing of the scope and gravity of evidences would have helped Professor Gates in handling the situation in a lighter way. The main concern that has led Sgt James Crowley and team to the doorsteps of Professor Gates was the alleged burglary and although it wasn’t a smooth flowing type of talking the fact that the professor was able to identify himself as the resident of the place should have ended everything. However, it did not. Being accused of stealing something that belonged to you wouldn’t make you feel okay. Instinct would definitely trigger a negative emotion that might lead to series of acts that aren’t mindful at all. Sgt Crowley could have saved a better encounter with the professor if he was able to control his seemingly egotistical judgment and if he has been open to several other ways of understanding the entire situation. Moreover, if Sgt Crowley was also able to recognize emotional whims before he acted upon the situation, things should have gone differently. It is the two sides of the coin that this article is looking at. If you ask me who between the two let their ego move them, well it’s both of them. And for who made the first step, maybe it doesn’t matter for they both let a disturbing dance reach the international stage that even President Obama have had something to say. In response to a question thrown on him regarding Professor Gate’s arrest, President Obama mentioned three interesting comments. â€Å"But I think it’s not fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry. No. 2, the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And No. what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that’s just a fact. † (Fox News) This comment also generated a controversy around the international arena. Cops not just in Massachusetts reacted negatively on what Obama said in the conference. Good thing the president knew what to do. The â€Å"beer summit,† which was a talk initiated by the President himself to end the dispute and issue for once has cooled both parties and solved the problems. Fox News) Both parties were held together after the conversation at the White House and Professor Gates who previously is planning a lawsuit against Sgt Crowley is no longer talking about this after being able to know Sgt Crowley better with the help of the invitation for a conversation by the president. Moreover in an email to Boston Globe, Gates stated that he was ready to move on pass that arresting experience. With a cooler head Gates even identified his experience to be adding up to the history of race relations in the entire America. (Fox News) Sgt James Crowley continued being silent about the issue even after the talk over beers in the White House. After the incident, all ends well. Everyone is back doing their own profession. It is really important to keep in mind that actions moved by emotional outrage wouldn’t serve anything nice at all. It is indeed being in the height of an emotion that we would least do decision making and talking. Self restraint will be the best guide if we know how to master it. People are certainly different creatures for two reasons; emotion and reason. Both are powerful thus it can make us or break us if we wouldn’t know how to control them. A person who can control his or her emotion and who knows how to use reason is unlikely to be involved in problematic situation such as this incident. I believe that both Professor Gates and Sgt Crowley know how to handle the situation. I think they both know what to do and what not to do in that very scenario it is just that the emotional height and egotistical concerns reigned more rather than reason. And there started the problem which actually could have been prevented if both take even just a few seconds to think before they have acted. This might be easier said than done but it is ideal. It is not perfection that we want; it is just all about maximizing the capability of man over his or her emotions. In every situation we always wanted to do the right thing, we always wanted to be critical so as to lessen any mistakes in the decisions we make or words we say or things we do. Being critical though is not an easy task; it takes a lot of maturity and open-mindedness, rationality and judgment. In addition to this, it needs practice-continuous practice for it to be a habit. Professor Gates and Sgt Crowley both have a contribution to why that incident occurred in the first place thus having an equal share of a kind of publicity whether positive or negative that would leave a mark in their lives as they leave marks in human’s history.

Abortion Essay - The Church Was Pro-Choice - 1132 Words

The Church Until Recently Was Pro-Choice From a sermon delivered on February 15, 1998 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, by the Rev. Elaine Gallagher Gehrmann: Most of us know that the Roman Catholic church teaches that life begins at conception, and yet most of us dont know that this is a relatively recent change. It wasnt until 1869 that Pope Pius IX decreed that ensoulment takes place at conception. Up until then, the Catholic church had taught that life begins at 40 days gestation for a male and 80 days for a female, and therefore abortions before those 40 or 80 day periods were not viewed as murder. (Gehrmann) The above claim that before 1869 the Catholic Church did†¦show more content†¦Where there are medicines of sterility? Where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well. Do you see from drunkenness comes fornication, from fornication adultery, from adultery murder? ... Do you make the anteroom of birth, the anteroom of slaughter? Do you teach the woman who is given to you for the procreation of offspring to perpetuate killing? (Homily 24 on the Epistle to the Romans) (Jurgens) The 1909 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia notes: The early Christians are the first on record as having pronounced abortion to be the murder of human beings; for their public apologists, Athenagoras, Tertullian, and Minutius (Eschbach, Disp. Phys. Disp. iii) to refute the slander that a child was slain, and its flesh eaten, by the guests at the Agape, appealed to their laws as forbidding all manner of murder, even that of children in the womb. The Fathers of the Church unanimously maintained the same doctrine. In the fourth century the Council of Eliberis decreed Holy Communion should be refused all the rest of her life, even on her deathbed, to an adulteress who procured the abortion of her child. 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