An Argument in Opposition of Education Vouchers Essay -- Voucher Schoo

An Argument in Opposition of Education Vouchers Why would anyone wish to withhold support for a program that has the potential to revolutionize the, often, insufficient American education system? This question has undoubtedly entered the mind of proponents of education voucher systems across the country. However, despite the pressure placed on legislators everywhere, close scrutiny of the real issues should not be clouded by public fervor. It is my belief that, after a thorough examination of the merits of such programs, school vouchers would be a gross detriment to both the American education system and the nation itself. In an education voucher system, students are given "vouchers" for the tuition of any private or public school that accepts transfer students. Parents must pay the remainder of the tuition of the school to which they send their child if it exceeds the maximum amount of the voucher, which is usually around $3000. While the specifics of these programs vary, these statements hold true for the only two voucher programs currently in effect, in Cleveland and Wisconsin. Paramount of issues at hand is that of the constitutionality of voucher programs. The Establishment Clause prohibits a state religion and guarantees all the freedom to practice whatever religion they should desire. The Supreme Court, along with many lower courts, has held the Establishment Clause to mean also that neither federal, state, or local governments may support a religion, including financially. Voucher programs represent direct state financial support to private, often parochial schools. In fact, even the checks in Cleveland's program, while addressed to the parents, are currently mailed to the school first. Proponents of voucher ... ...ooking to be eligible for addition money. Some political leaders are also supporting voucher programs to please constituents who are, by no fault of their own, looking for immediate solutions to the problems they face. However, our society must be careful not to "bandage" the problem, but instead to fix it. The improvements made by public schools should not be discounted, either. While there are certainly schools and school districts that remain very troubled those administrators and schools boards are not standing idly by. There are continuous improvements in such schools, and there needs to be even more. Taking money from them when efforts are being made to improve their condition will clearly on hinder such improvement. Private schools are and should remain an option for all parents, but our society mustn't waver when it comes to supporting our public schools.

Nuremberg Laws against the Jews Essay

The Nuremberg Laws were aimed at preserving the purity of the German race. One of the intentions of the Nuremberg Laws was to provide for who was considered to be a Jew or what it meant to be a Jew. This paper therefore examines the Nuremberg Laws, with an aim of answering the comparative question of what it meant to be a Jew according to the laws. The Nuremberg Laws stemmed from the Nazi Racial Legislation of 1935, which was aimed at upholding the perceived Germanic racial superiority, and promoting it as such. According to Hoss (2013), the national identity in Nazi Germany was required to hold an extremely more superior race. As Stimson (2013) points out, the German racial superiority was expected to be free from the Jews’ contamination. Hoss (2013) points out that during Nazi Germany, the Germans were considered better than Jews, and so the former was required to act in a manner that annihilated the latter. It is for this reason that Nuremberg Laws were formulated to define the identity of the Jews and minimize their contamination of the perceived German racial superiority, all in the hope of safeguarding the German nation for the entire future and upholding the perceive purity of the German blood (Ward & Gainty, 2011). Article 5 of the Nuremberg Laws provided an elaboration of who was to be considered as a Jew. For instance, under Article 5(1) of the Nuremberg Laws, a person was to be considered as a Jew if he or she was a descendant of at least three grandparents who were racially full Jews. Article 5(1) was to be read together with the second sentence of part 2 of Article 2 of the Nuremberg Laws. Article 5(2) of the Nuremberg Laws also provided that a person shall be considered as a Jew if both of his or her parents were full Jews (Ward & Gainty, 2012, p. 332). Under the statute of these formed laws (i. e. the Nuremberg Laws), a person was deemed to have descended from two full Jewish parents, if (a) he or she was a member of the Jewish religious community at the time the Nuremberg Laws came to force, or joined the said community after the laws came into force; (b) he or she was in a marriage relationship with a Jew at the time the laws come into force or entered into such a marriage after the laws had come into force; (c) he or she was born to at least a Jewish parent in a manner provided under Section 1, and if the marriage from which he or she is an offspring was constructed consequent to the coming into force of the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor; and (d) he or she was an offspring an extramarital relationship, that involved a Jew, in the sense of Section 1, and was to be born outside wedlock after the 31st day of July, the year 1936 (Ward & Gainty, 2012). Section 1 of the Nuremberg Laws prohibited any form of marriage relationship between German nationals or kindred blood and Jew. Such marriages were to be considered illegal and against section 1 of the Nuremberg Laws even if, for purposes of evading the law, they were concluded outside Nazi Germany. An individual who happened to be a Jew as provided under Article 5 of the Nuremberg Laws, and as has been explained highlighted in the previous paragraphs, was prohibited, under Section 1 of the Laws, from contracting any marriage relationship with a German national or kindred blood, whether within Nazi Germany or overseas (Ward & Gainty, 2012,). Similarly, Section 2 of the said laws prevented any Jew from entering into any outside marriage with German nationals or kindred blood. According to Hoss (2013) this was aimed at protecting the superiority of the German nation and preserving the purity of the German blood by ensuring that no child of German origin was born outside wedlock, and worse still, with a Jewish parent, since the Jews were not expected to mingle with the German nationals. The Nuremberg Laws did not target the Jews within the context of marriage per se, but also sought to limit the rights of the Jews in terms of free and fair management of their households. For instance, under Section 3 of the Nuremberg Laws, no Jew was allowed to employ a female German national or kindred blood as a domestic worker (Ward & Gainty, 2012). This was construed by Hoss (2013) as a way of preventing incidents of master-servant abuses (e. g. sexual abuse of female German national domestic servants by their Jewish masters), and which could, in some cases, lead to the breach of Section 2 of the laws. The Jews were also prohibited from associating with both the Reich and the German national flag. For instance, Section 4 of the Nuremberg Laws prohibited any Jewish person from hosting the Reich and/or national flag as well as hosting the colours of the Reich (Ward & Gainty, 2012). The punishments that were to be meted against the Jews who were deemed to have acted in breach of sections 1-4 of the Nuremberg Laws varied in nature, and were provided under Section 5 of the laws. For instance, acting contrary to Section 1 of the laws attracted hard labour as punishment, whereas that who breached Section 2 of the said laws was liable for imprisonment or hard labour (Ward & Gainty, 2012). Similarly, Section 5 of the laws provided that whoever (i. e. any Jew) was found to have acted contrary to the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of the laws would be liable for imprisonment for a period of not more than 1 year, and with a fine or with one of the penalties provided thereof (Ward & Gainty, 2012). In conclusion therefore, the Nuremberg Laws, when viewed from legal and moral perspectives, appear to be both illegal (especially in the context of international humanitarian law) and immoral, as they aimed at legalizing open discrimination against the Jews and denying members of the Jewish community the right to freedom of association and expression of free will. In addition, the supposed punishments for acting in breach of the various Sections of the laws were controversial, and so depended on the mood and attitude of whoever was presiding over as the ‘judge. ’ For instance, Section 5(3) of the laws fell short of defining what constituted a fine as a punishment for acting in breach of Sections 3 and 4 of the laws. The implication thereof is that a ‘judge’ may sometimes impose a fine that is not commensurate with the offence committed. References Hoss, R. (2013). â€Å"Memoirs. † Swerdloff, Howard. The World since 1924. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press. Stimson, H. L. (2013). The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb. Swerdloff, Howard. The World since 1914. Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press. Ward. D. W. , & Gainty, D. (2011). Sources of World Societies vol II, since 1450. Second Edition (pp. 1-512). Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press. Ward. D. W. , & Gainty, D. (2012). The Nuremberg Laws: The Centerpiece of Nazi Racial Legislation (331-333), in Sources of World Societies. Volume 2: Since 1450 (2nd Ed). Boston: Bedford.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain - 1976 Words

Although Huckleberry Finn can be brutally honest at times, it still provides readers with outstanding teaching moments throughout. The book shows just how big of an issue race was at one point in the United States. It also effectively uses Jim to show just how severe the punishment for runaway slaves was, something that many children are unaware of to this day. Besides the conflicts, the story also shows how people from two completely different backgrounds can bond with each other. In the story, friendship is represented strongly between Huck and Jim, something that those who wish to ban the book seem to ignore. In the book, Jim is nearly killed after he escapes from slavery. At this point, Huck says, â€Å"They hain’t no right to shut him up! Shove! And don’t you lose a minute. Turn him loose! He ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!† (Twain 289). In this quote, Twain shows that Huck and Tom do have feelings for Jim, sho wing that they are very caring people. If Huckleberry Finn is banned or altered, students in schools will be unable to fully comprehend the foul treatment towards those of a â€Å"lower class†. This foul treatment towards others is a valuable lesson to observe throughout the story. It allows one to experience the cruelty towards others throughout the whole story, which can be a great teaching moment for young students. Offended readers seem to want to ignore this, which again causes one to question their credibility. These readers seem toShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain830 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is â€Å"A Great American Novel†, because of its complexity and richness. Twain writes dialogue that brings his characters to life. He creates characters with unique voice and helps the reader connect to the book. Anyone who reads it is forced to develop feelings for each character. Even though ther e is a great amount of controversy over the use of some choices, such as the â€Å"n word†, it makes the book more realistic. In the beginning of the novel Huck,Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1103 Words   |  5 PagesDmitri Van Duine Jr English Mr. Nelson November 27th The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Written by Mark Twain filled his stories with many examples of satire as to convey a message while also writing an interesting story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn revolves around the adventures of a young boy called Huckleberry Finn, who is about thirteen years old. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend and around the same age as Huck. He is onlyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Essay1055 Words   |  5 PagesZambrano Mrs. Patmor AP Lit-Period 5 28 September 2016 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1835 Mark Twain embodies realism in almost every aspect of his writing not excluding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which in he portrays such a lifelike setting that it almost gives you this sense of reality through the point of view of a young man that has an urge for freedom yet struggles to conform to society s norms due to his adolescence. Twain s ability to unmask the true identities of the charactersRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain931 Words   |  4 PagesWolski Mrs. Goska English 2H Period 3 22 October 2014 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn s protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels alongRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1375 Words   |  6 Pagesmention the years spent growing and maturing physically. Teenagers are stuck in an inbetween state where they must learn who they want to become and what they want to be when they grow older. The same is true for Huckleberry Finn, from the book â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain. This is a book that was written in a time of great confusion over moral codes and standards. It was a world split in half by two different worlds of people; those who opposed, a nd those who promoted slavery.Read MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead MoreMark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1575 Words   |  6 Pages Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Controversy Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is a highly recognizable figure in American literature. Born in Florida, Missouri Mark Twain and his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri where Twain discovered and fell in love with the mighty Mississippi River. The river and his life in Hannibal became his inspiration and guiding light in most of his writing. Although Twain loved the river and did a great deal of traveling, he eventuallyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1005 Words   |  5 Pages In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity. In the beginning of the book, Huck Finn clearly sees Jim as nothing more thanRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1335 Words   |  6 Pagesyear The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novelRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain810 Words   |  4 PagesBefore Mark Twain started to write two of his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark was known to use his characters to display his own thoughts and opinions. â€Å"This device allowed him to s ay just about anything he wanted, provided he could convincingly claim he was simply reporting what others had said.† (Twain, 1283). Mark Twain used this process to be a foundation of his lectures, by manipulating his popularly with his readers. During the story