What is a Nation? :: essays research papers

Essay 3: What is a Nation? A nation, as defined in Webster’s Universal College Dictionary, is â€Å"a body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own.† This definition is correct, but leaves so much unsaid. The word nation is actually derived from the Latin word natio that means birth. It represents the beginning of something. London had a miraculous â€Å"birth† in the year 0. This corresponds to the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus. When people speak of â€Å"country (nation) matters†, another Latin term comes into play, with matter meaning mother. A country must have a mother as a mother gives birth, which links back to a nation meaning birth. Now that the definition and meaning of a nation are provided, a common question comes to mind. What makes a territory a nation? A nation consists of three main items: documents, ideology, and language. Documents can be described as legal forms that state we are a nation, ideology includes a set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system, and language come from sharing the same â€Å"mother tongue†. â€Å"Mother tongue† is the language that belongs to one’s identity. People who share these common elements represent the same nation. People who do not belong in a nation are those who do not possess the same elements above with anyone. For example, in Beowulf, Grendel and his mother did not have a nation and were therefore, angry with those who did. They were on the outside looking in and because of this outcast feeling, were angry. Grendel was even angrier because he was still living with his mother. They are roamers who do not belong anywhere. This can also be linked to the dragon and the Spear Danes not being a part of a nation, either, at the beg inning. National identity is always linked to religious identity, as well. Although the United States has many different religions, they are all legal practices here. Other countries may have another, different religion, which is why the people live, and are a part of that nation. We are born into a nation, and therefore are molded in a certain way and our beliefs lean toward what we are taught. With these shared beliefs, we share a common interest with others which is another aspect that makes people part of a nation.

The Importance of Voice in Writing :: Essays on Writing

For my first paper I'll talk about voice, and how it affects the conversations that we have with other people, and how we perceive certain voices to sound in stories, and other works that we read. I think that in general voice is a type of mystery, and that it is one of those things that we really can't understand. When looking at a piece of writing I think that a clear and concise voice is one of the things that makes a piece work. This is my own feeling, and it might not agree with others, but when I'm reading a story, and it is full of good stuff like conversation, and heart felt feelings, I feel that the author is able to tell me what he/she is trying to say, I think that it has a better impact on the reader compared to the writing that goes on about nothing, and seems to only have one monotone voice. I think that one of the best ways to create a clear voice while writing is to pretend that you are talking to a friend, and having a conversation about what happened in one of your most hated classes. For me this is an easy way to create a voice that isn't to dull, and with any luck will hold the attention of the reader all the way to the end of my work. This type of voice isn't all that hard to create, but using it at the right time might be a little tricky. According to what Morgan said in class the last time we met, voice isn't used all that often in technical writing. This would explain why some of the texts that we are forced to read are so boring. The authors of these books aren't looking to entertain, they are looking to educate, and get a point across to the reader. This is true foe the most part, but wouldn't it be nice if we could pick up a text, or a manual for a new computer, and understand what is being said? I think that in the near future many of the books, and manuals that will be coming out will have a new voice of their own. I think that in general people find it easier to understand what is being said if the writing or instructions that they are reading seem to make sense, and don't sound like the author is trying to make them feel like an idiot.

Vancouver Essay -- British Columbia Canada

Location: Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest in the Pacific Northwest region. It is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of south western British Columbia, Canada. Population: The population of the city of Vancouver is 578,041 and the population of Metro Vancouver is 2,116,581. Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with 52% of city residents and 43% of Metro residents having a first language other than English. With a population of about 600,000 (BC Stats estimate), Vancouver lies in a region of more than 2 million people. Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia and the third largest in Canada. It covers an area of 114 sq km. History Archaeological evidence shows that coastal Indians had settled the Vancouver area by 500 B.C. British naval captain George Vancouver explored the area in 1792. Vancouver was founded as a sawmill settlement called Granville in the 1870s. The city was incorporated in 1886 and renamed after Captain Vancouver. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", Vancouver is also part of the slightly larger Lower Mainland metropolitan area which comprises a total population of 2,285,900. Vancouver was largest urban area. Western Canada was the third largest in the country. denoting somebody from (in Dutch: "van") Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands. Vancouver was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill ... ...Free Zone. Aviation Located in Richmond, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the principal international airport in western Canada and is the second busiest in the nation. As the premier gateway to Asia, it hosts many airlines' regional offices and their flights daily to Asia, Europe, and the United States. Vancouver is the closest air-link to Asia, offering the fastest North American airport with daily flights to the Republic of Korea's Incheon International Airport. Vancouver is also served by the Abbotsford International Airport, fast becoming a reliever to YVR convenient for the eastern suburbs and transborder United States. Operating from Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome on the Downtown waterfront, several floatplane operators support both tourist scenic flights and practical transportation, with extensive operations during daylight hours. Vancouver Essay -- British Columbia Canada Location: Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest in the Pacific Northwest region. It is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of south western British Columbia, Canada. Population: The population of the city of Vancouver is 578,041 and the population of Metro Vancouver is 2,116,581. Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with 52% of city residents and 43% of Metro residents having a first language other than English. With a population of about 600,000 (BC Stats estimate), Vancouver lies in a region of more than 2 million people. Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia and the third largest in Canada. It covers an area of 114 sq km. History Archaeological evidence shows that coastal Indians had settled the Vancouver area by 500 B.C. British naval captain George Vancouver explored the area in 1792. Vancouver was founded as a sawmill settlement called Granville in the 1870s. The city was incorporated in 1886 and renamed after Captain Vancouver. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", Vancouver is also part of the slightly larger Lower Mainland metropolitan area which comprises a total population of 2,285,900. Vancouver was largest urban area. Western Canada was the third largest in the country. denoting somebody from (in Dutch: "van") Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands. Vancouver was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill ... ...Free Zone. Aviation Located in Richmond, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the principal international airport in western Canada and is the second busiest in the nation. As the premier gateway to Asia, it hosts many airlines' regional offices and their flights daily to Asia, Europe, and the United States. Vancouver is the closest air-link to Asia, offering the fastest North American airport with daily flights to the Republic of Korea's Incheon International Airport. Vancouver is also served by the Abbotsford International Airport, fast becoming a reliever to YVR convenient for the eastern suburbs and transborder United States. Operating from Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome on the Downtown waterfront, several floatplane operators support both tourist scenic flights and practical transportation, with extensive operations during daylight hours.

The Story of Tom Brennan

After reading: Fear, drink driving, family relationships, friendship, conflict, grief and loss are all important themes of this book. Choose two themes and describe/discuss how they are portrayed in the book. (We will work through an example answer in class) THEMES How is the theme of fear portrayed in TSOTB? Sample Answer (Fear is a significant theme in TSOTB. Throughout the story we see many examples of character confronting and being challenged by fear. We also see the different ways that characters cope with fear.Tom Brennan is frightened of many things. He is frightened by the death of Nicole and Luke, the quadriplegia of Finn, the imprisonment of Daniel, the illness of his mother, the challenge of establishing himself in a new community. How does Tom confront his fears and cope with them? Tom initially feels guilt ridden by a number of the tragedies that had occurred. With support from people such as C,T and B, Tom starts to realise that these tragedies were not his fault. He c ould not control what had happened. Tom pays his respects to the families of N and L.He starts to visit Finn on a more regular basis and he acknowledges that things will never return to how they were. Tom â€Å"moves on with his life† and in doing so overcomes many of his fears. ) Character Analysis: Choose one of the following characters and provide a detailed character analysis of them: Tom Brennan, Daniel Brennan, Tess Brennan, Joe Brennan, Brendan, Gran, Finn, Kylie, Kath, Chrissie. Remember to follow the characterisation checklist. Characterisation Checklist: Name character Describe appearance Describe relationships with othersDescribe thoughts, words and actions Describe personality Describe goals, ambitions, regrets Describe how the character has changed/developed/grown throughout the course of the book. Sample Character Analysis: Kath O’Neil is Finn’s mother and an auntie of Daniel, Tom and Kylie Brennan. Kath is Tess’ sister. We don't know a lot about Kath’s appearance. She would most likely be a strong, capable woman who has a active life. Following the accident and the responsibility of caring for Finn. Kath has to get used to lots of physical lifting and work.Kath shares positive relationships with others, however, the nature of these relationships would have been significantly compromised by the accident and Kath’s feelings as to may have been responsible for her son’s quadriplegia. Kath appears at times to be very stressed and very angry. This of course would be a natural reaction to what has transpired in her life. She is also determined to what she can for her son. No doubt Kath’s goals, ambition and regrets would have changed significantly with the crash. Her life going forward was changed hugely and she would have had huge regrets at the loss of her family’s life as it had once been.

Can-can by Arturo Vivante and The Blue Film by Graham Greene

I have chosen to discuss ‘Can-can’ by Arturo Vivante and ‘The Blue Film’ by Graham Greene. I made this decision as I liked how both stories where about a married couple’s relationship which also involved another woman and yet whilst both stories appeared to end differently the overall meanings were in fact the same. When comparing both stories they showed multiple similarities as well as differences and I was interested in how both Vivante and Greene made use of irony, imagery and language to create an atmosphere and how both stories built up tension before reaching a climax. Arturo Vivante’s short story ‘Can-Can’ is about a husband who is having an affair with a woman called Sarah, who is also married. The story starts at the husband’s marital home, where his wife is playing with the children and does the can-can when one of them asks her to. It is at this point that the husband starts to question himself over his affair but still leaves and heads to a cafe, where he waits for Sarah. Sarah is running late and he hopes that she won’t turn up but she does and they head off to a lake house where the story ends with Sarah lying in his arms, however he is thinking of his wife doing the can-can. Whilst we initially do not know the story is about a husband having an affair, the first line in the story immediately arouses suspicion and raises the question that the husband might be up to something. ‘‘I’m going to go for a drive, he said to his wife. I’ll be back in an hour or two† (Vivante 1988:5). The husband doesn’t say where he is going or what he is doing or how long exactly he will be and the following line tells us that the husband disappearing for a few hours is actually quite unusual. He didn’t often leave the house for more than the few minutes it took him to go to the post office or to a store, but spent his time hanging around, doing odd jobs† (Vivante 1988:5). Vivante portrays the husband as being an ordinary, working class man who feels he is living a mundane life with his wife. However, his wife is described as being loving and playful, she laughs and dances and doesn’t question where he might be off to. The husbands mistress Sarah is the only character who Vivante gives a name to in the story, Sarah is described as being a middle-class woman who is in control of the affair and very formal with a good job and a car. â€Å"Phoning Sarah at her office†¦her asking him to call again next week, finally setting a date† (Vivante 1988:6). Vivante’s use of language in the story is very simple but he cleverly uses some French words to make things seem a bit more exotic and spicy, such as, ‘rendezvous’, ‘cafe’ and the ‘can-can’ itself. The imagery Vivante creates with the wife doing the can-can is a picture you take away with you and one that the husband clearly does. The husband doesn’t think his wife knows about his affair but we question that she might when she does this dance. â€Å"Her eyes had mockery in them, and she laughed† (Vivante 1988:6). Is the wife showing her husband what he is missing? The dialogue is scattered and ordinary, much reflecting the mundane mood and tone of the husband’s character yet the nervousness, guilt and uncertainty of the husband creates an atmosphere. Vivante uses a chronological narrative structure that is simple to follow and we know that the events are taking place according to occurrence. The plot is interesting and Vivante builds up suspense and tension whilst the husband is waiting for Sarah at the cafe with an increasing feeling of guilt. We wonder will he stay or will he leave, will Sarah turn up or won’t she? It reaches a climax when Sarah turns up and the husband almost appears disappointed. The husband doesn’t appear to know who or what he wants exactly. The novelty and excitement of the affair seems to have worn off and it has now become a chore, â€Å"The appointment was at three† (Vivante 1988:6) yet he can’t seem to walk away from Sarah. This reflects in the ironic ending when Sarah is lying in his arms but he is picturing his wife doing the can-can as she had been earlier in the day. The can-can appears to have had the effect that his wife wanted after all. Graham Greene’s short story ‘The blue film’ is about a married couple on holiday in Siam, now known as Thailand. Mrs Carter complains that the holiday is tedious, and urges her husband to take her to ‘Spots’. Mr Carter leaves the hotel in search of something. A little boy comes up to him and, after turning down his offers of a young girl and a boy, Mr Carter takes him up on the offer of a French film. Returning to the hotel, he picks up his wife and they set off together to watch the film. Mrs Carter finds the first film unattractive, but the second has ‘some charm’. It is not for some time, though, that Mr Carter realises that the film is familiar to him. When he does realise, he tries to get Mrs Carter to leave, but she refuses. It turns out that thirty years ago Mr Carter had been attracted to the young woman in the film. She had needed money, and he had helped her out by acting as her partner in the film. On the way back to the hotel, Mrs Carter professes herself shocked, but when they get back to their room she is in fact aroused, and makes love to her husband with a passion she has not known for years. Greene tells us straight away in the first line of the story that something is wrong with this couple and that they are not happy. â€Å"Other people enjoy themselves, Mrs Carter said† (Greene 1982:74). The couple would be from a middle-class background to be in Thailand and later in the story we are told that Mr Carter is a businessman. Greene portrays Mrs Carter as almost being desperate in wanting to please her husband Mr Carter, by wanting to be exciting and experiment but we learn that although Mr Carter quite likes experimenting himself, he simply doesn’t want to with his wife as he isn’t physically attracted to her and almost appears to want to get away from her. â€Å"When he looked at her neck he was reminded of how difficult it was to unstring a turkey† (Greene 1982:74). Greene uses a lot of dialogue throughout the story which plays an important role as Greene uses it to create building tension when Mr Carter realises it is him in the film and doesn’t want his wife to find out. Greene also uses the dialogue to create a picture of Mr and Mrs Carter, not only as individuals but what their relationship is like. â€Å"I’m sure we could find a better place than this. † â€Å"No†. (Greene 1982:77). Greene also uses a lot of description especially in regards to Mrs Carter, who he even unflatteringly compares to birds on occasion. â€Å"Her thin bare legs reminded him of a heron waiting for fish. † (Greene 1982:78). The story is narrated with the impressions that a woman’s worth is determined through her attractiveness and economic terms. For example Mr Carter compares his wife’s jewellery to slave’s bangles. Mr Carter wants to shock his wife in order to put her off, so that she doesn’t want to experiment but ironically it has the complete opposite effect. Another irony is that Mr Carter has gone to see something exotic and has ended up seeing himself. The ending has us realising that he has only ever loved the girl in the film and he has simply married his wife for business reasons, such as taking her to dinner parties. We know this as there are only two women in the story, the girl in the film and Mrs Carter, after Mr and Mrs Carter have made love, Mr Carter almost appears to feel abused and he feels lonely and guilty, so we can conclude it is not her that he loves. â€Å"It seemed to him that he had betrayed that night the only woman he loved. † (Green 1982:79) When comparing the two stories against each other we can see some noticeable differences. Can-Can appears to be set around the 1960’s-80’s in America, â€Å"going out to a call box† (Vivante 1988:6) and is about a young working class couple. The Blue Film however is set around the 1950’s, in Thailand and is about a middle-class middle-aged couple. It can be seen that whilst Vivante only names the mistress and not the husband and wife in Can-Can, Greene names the husband and wife but not the other woman in The Blue Film. Whilst in Can-Can Vivante uses minimal dialogue which doesn’t play much of a role, Greene’s use of dialogue in The Blue Film plays a very important part in establishing Mr and Mrs Carter’s relationship and their individual characters. The husband in Can-Can is seen as finding his wife attractive, â€Å"a smile that suddenly made her look very pretty† (Vivante 1988:5) and it is her he is thinking of at the end of the story however in The Blue Film, Mr Carter finds his wife extremely unattractive, â€Å"one so often mistook the signs of frigidity for a kind of distinction† (Greene 1982:74) and it is the girl in the film that he is thinking of at the end of the film. Greene creates a lot more imagery in terms of the setting, his wife, himself and the girl in the film whereas Vivante’s main use of imagery is his wife doing the can-can. In comparison whilst there are several differences there are also similarities. Vivante and Greene have written both Can-Can and The Blue Film in the third person and tell you what the husbands are thinking and feeling, guilt, tension, nervousness and uncertainty, both depicting the husbands as being in conflict with themselves and their decisions. Carter lay in the dark silent, with a feeling of loneliness and guilt† (Greene 1982:79). Both stories have lots of irony, â€Å"For a moment I was afraid you where thinking of your wife† (Vivante 1988:6) and the same theme of a husband having feelings for another woman outside of his marriage and the events that take place in both stories are that the husband makes love with this other woman. The openings of each story are similar and we know straight away that something isn’t right and whilst initially we believe that the endings are different, with Vivante ending Can-Can with the husband thinking of his wife and Greene ending The Blue Film with the husband thinking of the other woman, the prostitute, they are actually ending very similarly. Both husbands are thinking of the women they actually love and the ironic ending in both stories is that both are experiencing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Free Space Optical Communication Essay

Free space optical communication is the most growing communication because it is easy to install and has a high speed because the signal is transmitted in the air. So that will introduce the atmospheric affect in the optical wave propagation. Atmospheric turbulence causes fluctuations in both the intensity and the phase of the received signal. So we need to study the effect and the limitation if we introduce a free space optical communication system with dual wavelength (980 nm, 1550 nm). Also studying the effect of turbulence when using two different wavelengths. Introduction Free space optical communication is a kind of communication that use light propagation to send data between two points. Free Space Optics are capable of up to 2.5 Gbps of data, voice and video communications through the air, allowing optical connectivity without requiring fiber-optic cable or securing spectrum licenses. So we can use LED’s or Laser for transmission data. Free Space Optics (FSO) technology is relatively simple. It’s built on a laser transmitter and a receiver to provide full duplex capability. Each FSO unit uses a high-power optical source, a lens that transmits light through the atmosphere to another lens receiving the information. The receiving lens connects to a high-sensitivity receiver via optical fiber. Because the transmission in occurred in air it is easily upgradable. FSO send a light beam from one point to another using low power lasers in the teraHertz spectrum. This beam is transmitted by laser light focused on photon detector receivers. These receivers collect the photon stream and transmit digital data. If there is a clear line between the two point FSO can operate on a distance of several kilometers as long we have a powerful transmitter. Features of the laser communications system Information usually in the form of digital data, data is entered to be regulated by the laser source transmitting electronics. Coding techniques can be used directly or indirectly depending on the type of laser used. Output source passes through the optical system in the channel. The visual system usually involves the transfer, beam shaping, and the telescope optics. Beam receiver comes in through the optical system and passed to the detection and signal processing electronics. There is also a terminal control electronics that must manage gimbals guidelines and other mechanisms, and machinery, to maintain and track the acquisition of the operating system designed in the mass of the process. In order to communicate, you must have received enough energy by the detector to distinguish signal from noise. Laser power, optical transmission system losses, pointing out shortcomings of the system, transmitter and receiver antenna gains and losses, receiver, receiver and loss tracking, are all factors that force in the establishment of the receiver power. The required optical power is determined by data rate, detector sensitivity, configuration modes, noise, and detection methods. When the receiver is to detect the signals, it is in fact the decision-making regarding the nature of the signal (digital signal is sent when the distinction between the ones and zeros). There are two types of distributions: one when the signal present (including the amount of photocurrent due to the background and the current detector in the dark), and one when there is no signal present (including sources of no signal current only). A threshold must be developed to increase the success rate and reduces the error rate. Even when there is no signal present, the fluctuation sources of no signal lead periodically to the threshold to be exceeded. This is an error stating that the signal exists when there is no signal present. Distribution of signal may also fall on the other side of the threshold, so any errors stating that the signal is going to happen even when the signal is present. Security FSO systems work in the near infrared wavelength range slightly above the visible spectrum. So, the human eye cannot clearly see the transmission beam. The wavelength range is around 1 micrometer that is used in FSO transmission. The interception of FSO operating systems with narrow beam in the infrared spectral wavelength is by far the more difficult. Small diameter of the beam is usually only a few meters in diameter in the target site are one of the reasons that make it extremely difficult to intercept the communications of the FSO. Intruder must know the exact origin or target of the infrared beam and intercept only within a very narrow angle of beam propagation. Intercept packets directly from the FSO networks between remote locations is impossible mainly because the beam passes through the air usually at a higher altitude than at ground level. Due to the fact that the transmission beam is not visible, and that any attempts to block the beam can occur near the FSO point of acces s and the process of transition poses another obstacle. Capture the signal from the location that does not fall directly within the path of light with photons of light scattered from aerosols, fog, rain, or molecules that may be present in the atmosphere is almost impossible because of the energy levels are very low use infrared through FSO process transmission. The main reason for the exclusion of this possibility of intrusion is the fact that light is an ally and statistically isotropic in different directions from the path of the original propagation. This specific mechanism keeps the total number of photons or the amount of radiation that can potentially be collected on the detector that is not placed directly in the beam path beyond the detection level of noise. Atmospheric turbulence Atmospheric turbulence can destroy the performance of FSO systems. The changes in temperature and pressure in the atmosphere lead to changes of the refractive index along the transmission path. These changes can make the quality of received signal fade and causes fluctuations in the intensity and the phase of the received signal. These fluctuations can limit the performance of the system. The atmosphere is a viscous fluid and it has two state motions: 1) laminar (there is no mixing in the air molecules) 2) turbulent: (there is mixing that creates eddies). Atmospheric turbulence can be physically described by Kolmogorov theory. The energy of large eddies is redistributed without loss to eddies of decreasing size until finally dissipated by viscosity. The size of turbulence eddies normally ranges from a few millimeters to a few meters, denoted as the inner scale and the outer scale, respectively. So the index of refraction n is very sensitive to small scale temperature fluctuations (te mperature fluctuations are combined with turbulent mixing). So, the index of refraction is the most important in optical wave propagation. Because it behaves like a passive additive. So the spectrum of index of refraction can be described by Kolmogorove spectrum ÃŽ ¦n (ÃŽ º) = 0.033 Cn 2 ÃŽ º-11/3 , 1/L0

Effects of Divorce on Children Essay

A divorce is a law that ends all the legal relationship of married couple, except those that are written in the decree of divorce. Parenting arrangement, spousal support, financial obligations, payments of debts, division of property, and support of the children are the things that can be included in the divorce decree. (Divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A court of law should certify a divorce because legalities are needed to dissolve a marriage. The court decides on certain matters that can lead to years of hearing, as well as to a stressful and expensive experience. (Divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies show that 27 percent of Americans have been divorced and the term â€Å"till death do us part† is becoming less likely. 43 percent of first marriages also end up in separation within 15 years. Second marriages also have lesser chnace of survival than first marriages. It was also found out that couples who married early are less likely to survive the marriage than those who married at older age. (Divorce Doesn’t Last)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years, it has always been a debate of whether or not the parents should work out the relationship for the sake of the children. A lot of people stand by the fact that when a relationship starts to fall, there’s no other way but down. But is it really worth it to stay in a married life for the sake of the children? Or is it better to part ways instead of staying in a troubled relationship? According to Michael Cochrane, a lawyer specializzing in family laws, there are two reactions which the children fall into when it comes to the divorce of their paraents. The first one are the super-good children who believes that by showing a good behavior, their parents will finally be together again as a reward for them being good. The other one is the exact opposite, those that tries to get the attention of their parents by acting negatively. (Are Your Kids At Risk?)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When divorce enter into the married life, it will never be a question of whether the children will be hurt, but a question of how badly they will be hurt. (Are Your Kids At Risk)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced couples are often affected by the conflicts that the separation brings. Their physical, moral, spiritual, and social growths are affected by this vicious phenomenon that seems to be the trend among married couples nowadays. Their value formation and moral identity suffers the most and their fear of the future starts to develop. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fear, sadness, anger, confusion, worry, yearning, feeling of rejection, depression, conflicting loyalties, low self confidence, loneliness, high anxiety, and increased suicidal instincts are immediately felt by children upon the breakup of their parents. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies also show that if divorce occurs when the children are between 12 to 15 years old, their tendency is to react by attempting to speed up their growth, or to avoid growing up. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A national survey among 20,000 adolescents found out that those children with divorced parents did worse than those who came from an intact family when it comes to the sense of personal control, happiness, friendship, and trust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boys are are also more likely to show or feel depression than girls. Substance abuse dependence, earlier involvement in sexual activities, depression and hostile behavior are more likely to follow after a divorce. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce) Childrens of divorced parents also suffer from neglect or abuse. Child abuse is related to violent crime and deliquency, and divorce is germane in the background of an abused child. Mothers and fathers who are divorced tend to remarry but it can only worsen the problem because the step-parent usually continue abusing the children. The rate of sexual abuse among daughters and step-fathers are also very high, compared with biological abuse of fathers who are in intact families. Two professors from McMasters University in Canada, Professors Martin Daly and Margo Wilson, report that young children are more likely to be killed at the hands of step-parents. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents can experience varied effects. From short-term to long term, and from mild to severe. Although not all children of divorced parents experience difficulties, a lot of children are still negatively affected by the feeling of rejection. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over a million American children suffer their parent’s divorce every year. Furthermore, children with divorced parents experienced the separation even before they reach their 18th birthday. The effects of divorce can also be a lifetime experience for the children involved. It can last from the day their parents separated, to their adulthood. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to recent findings, children lose their contact with their fathers and are often not close with their mothers, and have difficulties adjusting with their step families. It was also found out that boys have a harder time in emotionally adjusting than girls. Studies also showed that 20-25 percent of children with divorced parents suffer more damage compared with the 10 percent from intact families. (We’re Successful and Hurt)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents suffer a great deal when it comes to their emotions. Emotional difficulties are experience by these children. Divorce leads a child in being self-destructive, therefore contributing to his poor image. Children of divorce develops very low self-esteem, anxiety, grief, and depression which can lead to an early loss of virginity, less desire to be a parent, and higher divorce rate when they enter marriage. This is now becoming a vicious cycle. Children of divorce also tend to be engage in divorce later in their adult life. Divorce also reduces the capacity of a child to be productive because of the lack of will to work. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Younger children, especially those below 5 years old, are more susceptible to emotional conflicts that occur when their parents separated. They are often associated with problems of younger children such as bedwetting. On the other hand, older children often try to look for love away from home therefore withdrawing themselves from home life. A study by Judith Wallerstein says that when divorce occurs on the parents of the children between six to eight, a huge segment of children experinece severe sadness and a constant need for encouragement in their everyday work. Anxieties for them are very high when it comes to personal commitment when they are older, especially when they enter into a maried life. Other studies suggest that college students with divorce parents have low self-confidence and low self-esteem. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Divorce can lead to increase rates of suicides and suicidal tendencies, increased risks for problems regarding health, and increased burdens when it comes to the emotional, psychiatric, and behavioral factor. The psychological stability of a lot of children can be chaotic when parents part ways. Suicide is very high on children with divorced parents. More often, these children feel alone and neglected and the only way to escape their depression is by killing themselves. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children of divorced parents are also having problems when it comes to their social role in the society. They tend to isolate themselves from other people because of the feeling of hopelessness.   They are very much concerned about the betrayal of the one they love when it comes to their romantic relationship because they fear that what happened to their parents can also happen to them. They worry about being hurt or abandoned by their partner in life. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The parent’s divorce has a very high impact on the learning capacity and educational performance of the children as well as with their capacity to be an achiever. Educational difficulties are also experience by children who have divorced parents. They often show a slow learning capacity, and they perform poorly compared with other children. They also tend to repeat a grade level and drop out rates among these children are also very high. Divorce hinders learning by distracting the children’s way of thinking. This is because children tend to think more of the problem of their parents than that of their schooling. Because of its neghative effect on a happy home life, divorce can weaken a child’s capacity to learn. According to a study by the Kent State University in Ohio, children with divorced parents often have difficulty when it comes to studying compared with those that have a two-parent family. Cognitive scores are low for young children and math scores are badly performed to those children who do not have a father. On the other hand, there is an increase in the verbal capabilities of daughters when they are with their fathers. And even the most deterrent work on math and readin skills cannot eliminate the low performance at school among children with divorced parents. Furthermore, these children also have difficulties in relating with their peers and teachers. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health problems are also experienced by children of divorced parents. The separation of the parents can also cause harmful physical health effects, and even worst, the length of a child’s life. A study shows that children whose parents parted ways before they reach their 21st birthday, can actually shortened the life sapn of those children by an average of four years. There is also a higher mortality rates for those children who have divorced parents than those who do not have. Another study also states that the mortality rates actually increases when the divorce occurs when a child does not yet reach his fourth birthday. Included in the health effects of of divorce during childhood are the larger increase in the rates of injury and higher asthmatic tendencies. Another study suggests that the negative effects of divorce on health did not subside even when a divorced parent remarried. Even Swedish researchers found that the differences in hospitalization rates and health risks are evident after they control for the social and family background. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Negative eveidences of divorce is indeed observable nowadays. And such indication of the negativity of divorce should be reason enough for the Americans to speak out and voice their views regarding this issue, or else, we will continue to experinec social putrefy.   Policymakers should never forget to always look at both sides of divorce and never forget to consider the welfare of the children because they are the primary victims of this social issue. Marriage education should be expanded as to help the couples to save their marriage. (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The family is indeed the basic unit of the society. It is where children first gain confidence and it is their very first school. The parents are their first teachers and their siblings are their first friends. The importance of a family is indeed very significant in contributing to the ddevlopment of the society. Intact families are more likely to develop productive citizens than those with parents who are separated. Although it is safe to conclude that intact families tend to develop good better children, it doesn’t mean that children of divorced parents cannot produce productive citizens. The growth of a child depends on the upbringing of a parent, divorced, or not. How the parents handle the issue of divorce is the most imporatnt factor when it comes to the betterment of the children. In conclusion, it is trenchant to say that divorce is really rampant nowadays, but people should always keep in mind that the children are the parents’ responsibility. It is up to them to let their children feel loved no matter what the marital situation is. Respect and understanding should also be observed in order to ensure a child’s bright future. Parents should also never understimate the importance of communication with their children because it is the only way to know what they feel. Parents should explain to their children the reason why the marriage did not work out. They should help their children realize how important they are for both parents even if they parted ways. They should also make them understand that instead of using the divorce as a way to destroy one’s life, why not take it as a challenge and find better ways to improve their life even without their parents being together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through the institutions of our society, we must teach the people that a home, with parents never fails to show love and respect for each other is the best environment to raise happy and healthy children, and that the family is the most important institution to develop the children’s social, emotional and physical well being.       Works Cited:       (Are Your Kids At Risk?) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.divorcemag.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?template=article&state=CA&article=children/kidsatrisk       (A Kid’s Guide to Divorce) Retrived on June 16, 2006 from http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/divorce.html       (Divorce). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce (Divorce). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.utahbar.org/bars/slcbar/html/divorce.html (Divorce Doesn’t Last). Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from   www.gallup.com/content/print.aspx?ci=11161    (Divorce. Josh McDowell’s personal notes on divorce) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.josh.org/notes/file/Internet8-Divorce.pdf#search=’divorce’ (We’re Successful, and Hurt) Retrieved on June 16, 2006 from http://www.americanvalues.org/html/c-we_re_successful_and_hurt.shtml