Racism in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Racism in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and other black anti-racist leaders fought against discrimination. They fought a battle that has gone on longer than many people have been around, back in the 1800s. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, twain wants us to see how this battle rages on today, affecting many peoples everyday lives. The book itself is very racist toward African Americans in which the word nigger is used. Many people use this word today, but back when Huck was around using vulgar discriminating words was a regular thing. So the question is how is racism still shown today in the 20th century and the relationship in how Twain describes it in his book? First racial thing in the book is when Toms talking to Huck about breaking Jim out of jail. Tom says, Give a nigger a inch and he ell (88). When he says this he is saying that if you give a black person freedom, its giving them way too much. But Huck isnt fond of using such a poignant word to Jim. Racism plays a big part when the King and the Duke show up on the raft with them. When they stay with the girls in the house, the sophomoric type of Duke says I should ‘a reckoned the differences in the rank would sejested that a corn-shuck bed wont fit for me to sleep on . Your Gracell take the shuck bed yourself (126). This shows his destitute for taking Jim seriously as a person and not just some dumb slave. The use of racist and vulgar words was constantly heard from the white adults as well as the children in the novel. …was Jim a runaway nigger?(126). Out of all the pieces of literature this book is known by many people worldwide, not only does things in this book still happen today, we can all relate this book. The lack of care the whites had for blacks, thus, the whites have lost nearly all of their respect. This was Mark Twains indirect way of showing the whites inequality to the blacks. In todays age, the ideas of racism have definitely changed. Slavery is no more, and even the use of such language as nigger, is considered vulgar. But, as children such as Huck and Tom grew up considering slavery the normal, children today grow up learning the exact opposite.

The Night Of The Hunter: The Preacher Essay -- essays research papers

The Night of the Hunter: The Preacher   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When describing the preacher, John says, â€Å"His name is Harry Powell. But the names of his fingers are E and V and O and L and E and T and A and H and that story he tells about one hand being Hate and the other hand being Love is a lie because they are both hate and to watch them moving scares me worse than shadows, worse than the wind.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This description shows the absolute essence of the preacher's character in Davis Grubb's The Night of the Hunter. The preacher's real intentions are the hate of the left hand, and he rationalizes his evil through the false facade of the love of the right hand. Even though he may appear good and holy to some people, throughout the novel, he still has evil motives towards virtually everyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In one of the preacher's dreams while he is in prison, he recalls an incident in which he rationalized an evil act by claiming it was God's will. After being solicited by a prostitute in Charleston, West Virginia, with the intention of killing her because of her â€Å"unholy† vocation, he takes her up to a room to murder her. Just as he is about to whip out the switchblade and fulfill his holy mission, he suddenly hears â€Å"God's† voice telling him not to bother because â€Å"there were too many of them.† At the moment when this revelation takes place, the woman of the night sees the preacher in the midst of taking out the knife, and she screa...

Philosophy: What Is Justice

To answer this question I must first define what justice is. Justice is â€Å"the quality of being just, impartial or fair† in your dealings with others according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Keeping that definition in mind, I now must turn to the Voices of Wisdom in order to find an example of a situation in which all parties feel that they are being treated justly. After examining examples such as: Euthanasia, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and equal opportunity offered within the book, it becomes clear to me that there is in fact no possible way for there to be justice for all because everyone’s judgement is in some way or another clouded by their own self interests. Euthanasia, people can decide exactly how they want to live but should we as a society allow them the right to decide exactly how they want to die? On the one hand you have the question â€Å"is it just to kill someone or allow them to die when help is available? † The obvious answer is no of course not. This is a prime example of why there can be no justice for all, because on the other hand you have the question â€Å"is it fair to force someone to live through unbearable pain in anticipation of an agonizing death? † The obvious answer to that question is also no. This is where our self-interests come into play. It is in the patient’s own self interests to die because it will ease her pain, but is not in mine to alleviate her of her life â€Å"because death is final and irreversible†, and because â€Å"euthanasia contains within it the possibility that [I] will work against [my] own interest if [I] practice it or allow it to be practiced on [others]. (J. Gay-Williams, pp. 185). This is why our own self-interests unavoidably will not allow us to have a just society. A society is only as equitable as the treatment accorded its most vulnerable members. Therefore, discrimination against anyone based on his or her sexual orientation is a clear and incurable symptom of an unjust society. For example, should someone’s sexual orientation be grounds for restricting their rights? (Daniel C. Palm) The impartial answer would of course be no, everyone should be treated the same. But we still hear the chant â€Å"No gays or lesbians in the military†. This is because it is in the self interests of the heterosexual people in the military have homosexuals in the military. The injustice of this idea becomes crystal clear when we examine the opposite statement of â€Å"No heterosexuals in the military† an idea that is equally ludicrous. (Kessler, pp. 74) As a result of the way we instinctively treat those that are different because they are seen as a threat, our society is will remain perpetually unjust. (Richard E. Mohr) Because of widespread discrimination based not only on race, but also on sex, religion and sexual preference it is impossible for society to offer each and every individual a perfectly equal chance at opportunities such as hiring, promotion, housing, and educational practices that should be within their reach; as a consequence, it is impossible fo r society to be just for all. According to the formal principle of justice, it is required â€Å"that benefits and burdens be distributed fairly according to relevant differences and similarities. † (Kessler, pp. 175) Using this principle it would seem that affirmative action programs of preferential treatment are in truth unjust to white males in that such programs require that â€Å"all things being equal† preferential treatment should be given to minorities and females which violates the formal principle of justice by not treating equal people equally. On the other hand, â€Å"such preferential treatment programs are often justified by appeal to the principle of compensatory justice, which states that whenever an injustice has happened a just compensation must be made to those who have been injured. † (Kessler, pp. 194) According to that principle affirmative action should be considered just in relationship to minorities. As a result, because equal opportunity legislation is not in accordance with the best self-interests of most white males but it is in accordance with those of most minorities, this is another example of a situation in which injustice is inevitable. After closely examining these three specific situations in which injustice—because of our natural tendency to look after our own best self-interests—is certain, it can be concluded that it is hopeless to try to attain such an idea as a society that is just for all. Because these perpetually unjust situations such as euthanasia, discrimination based on sexual preference, ideas like affirmative action or situations similar to these will most likely permanently exist, a society in which there is justice for all is unreachable.

US Sub-Culture Report - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2827 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Culture Essay Level High school Topics: Subculture Essay Did you like this example? US Sub-Culture Report A disability is defined as an impairment that limits a persons ability to engage in certain tasks typical for daily activities and interactions (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). The term disability covers a wide range of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions that are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if they fit one or more of the descriptions associated with the legal definition. There were a reported 54 million people with a disability in 2005 (Carr-Ruffino, 2015). People can suffer in their own way through mental or physical barriers that others are sometimes not aware of, and those barriers can limit a persons life activities. Generally, these barriers are stereotyped or can create an unconscious bias in and out of the workplace. This is because they do not grasp the struggle of what Americans with disabilities can go through. Even though laws have been enacted to protect Americans with disabilities, it is up to the rest of us to change the perspective these stereotypes have created. Once we begin to understand Americans with disabilities, we can spread awareness that can lead to better inclusion opportunities. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "US Sub-Culture Report" essay for you Create order History Disabilities have been around since the beginning of time, and come in many shapes, forms, and severities. There are over 56 million people with disabilities in the United States, with roughly 18.3 million between the ages of 18 and 65 years old (HirePotential, Inc., 2017). About one out of every five people has a disability of some kind, and the disability may or may not be visible or apparent, and everyone has a 20% chance of acquiring a disability at any time (HirePotential, Inc., 2017). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services (United States Department of Justice , 2018). Cultural Overview Sub-Culture Profile and Characteristics Just about everyone will be disabled in some way at some point in their lives, and anyone can join this sub-culture at any time. To be protected under the ADA, people must either have a physical or mental impairment that significantly limits a major life activity, have a record of the impairment, or are regarded as having the impairment (Carr-Ruffino, 2015, p. 527). There are many types of disabilities that are covered under the ADA, and they include both mental and physical disabilities. According to Carr-Ruffino (2015), mental impairments and mobility impairments create the majority of the group of persons that have disabilities (p. 527). Many people with mobility impairments find that their disabilities make it difficult for them to find and keep a job. People who have disabilities in general find it more difficult to get hired, and they often earn significantly less than people who do not have disabilities Due to the employment and income gaps that they face, more people with disabilities may feel unsatisfied with their social lives than people who do not have a disability. Values and Views of Importance to Sub-Culture Group People who have disabilities want to be accepted and want to bring down barriers that may cause limitations. They want to be viewed as equals that have equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations, so they can lead normal lives. People who have disabilities value their individuality, and it is important for them to be seen as people rather than as being regarded as synonymous with their disability. They have many of the same values as any other American person, and want the opportunity to lead happy, normal lives. Another important value to people with disabilities is their independence. They would like to be as self-sufficient as possible and dont want to be portrayed as dependent or incapable. People with disabilities are usually fully capable of living independently as long as they have the necessary accommodations which allow them to do so. Common Stereotypes There are many stereotypes associated with people who have disabilities. Some common stereotypes are that people with disabilities are childlike, dependent, or less of a person, that they are limited and can only perform the simplest of tasks (if they even work), that they create safety risks or are a danger to society, that they are difficult to work with, and that they are unable to lead normal lives and are in constant sorrow (Block, n.d.; Carr-Ruffino, 2015, p. 519-520). These stereotypes are myths for most people with disabilities. People who have disabilities often learn to adapt and can live quite normal lives. Many people who have disabilities are successfully employed and can do most things as well as anyone else that does not have a disability. It has also been proven that people with disabilities have better safety records, are more productive, and have better attendance rates at work than people who do not have disabilities (Carr-Ruffino, 2015, p. 520). Court Cases Disability rights laws were introduced to prohibit discrimination of persons with disabilities in employment, state and local governments, public accommodations, telecommunication, etc. This was the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 which addressed these civil rights laws and allowed the authority of enforcing these laws to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC has had significant employment cases that were disputed or resolved over the years for people with disabilities. It is important for these cases to clearly promote an understanding to form a national mandate to ensure enforceable standards that address the discrimination towards this sub-culture. It shows that Congress recognizes though a person has a physical or mental disability, it does not eliminate their human rights as an individual for equal opportunity. EEOC v. AIC Security Investigations, Ltd., and Ruth Vrdolyak. The EEOC was litigating that AIC Security Investigations fired Charles Wessel because he had missed work at times due to having cancer. He was able to work but was fired when a new owner that had knowledge of his cancer took over the company. The jury awarded Wessel back pay, compensatory damages, and the maximum amount of punitive damages against both AIC and against the owner of the company (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). This was the first case ever to be tried before a jury and that makes it a significant case towards the voice of Americans with disabilities. The American jury trial is considered a constitutional right that highlights inclusion to the fullest extent because courts can overturn laws or acts of government depending on verdict. This means that Charles Wessel, the executive director who filed the complaint, was heard not just for himself, but for all people with disabilities in a court of law. The statement made is that Americans with disabilities subculture now had a voice. EEOC v. Sears, Roebuck Co. Sears was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act when they upheld an uncompromising workers compensation leave exhaustion policy where they fired employees without any compromise for their disabilities. This litigation declared that Sears terminated workers based in their impairments, without considering their ability to return to work or make any pursuit to return them to work. In 2009, the case resulted in a consent decree where both parties came to an agreement or settlement without admission of guilt or liability. The case resulted in the largest monetary recovery in a settlement of a single ADA lawsuit in EEOC history (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). This case showed that even after the ADA was enacted in 1990 that there still are disability biass. Despite the progress that has been made there is still discrimination of people with disabilities in the workplace. This is considered to be true due to the fact in 2010 only 46% were employed compared to 90% of the labor force (Carr-Ruffino, 2015). Issues Although the Americans with Disabilities Act has come a long way since it was signed in 1990, future ADA issues still arise in greater demand that requires more progress. Currently, the areas in demand and need improvement are: healthcare, housing, low employment rate, and community services and support (Great Plains ADA Center, 2015). It is apparent that many of the issues that Americans with disabilities face are connected. Healthcare Barriers to healthcare for Americans with Disabilities include health care insurance, as well as health programs and services. Health care insurance availability, affordability, and coverage for benefits, including medications, long-term care, durable medical equipment, mental health, rehabilitative and specialty care, and care coordination, are key issues for people with disabilities (Disability, 2009). Yet, people with disabilities often struggle with inadequate access to these resources. Medicare is reserved for people who have a severe disability, no matter their income. Individuals with low-income living with disabilities may use Medicaid. The nations primary health insurance program for people with disabilities and low-income is Medicaid (Disabilities, 2018). It may be challenging to obtain care and services under these health programs as it is difficult to find physicians who will accept Medicaid or Medicare payments. Other issues regarding these two programs are higher copayments, along with high cost to resources, such as needed equipment or short- and long-term care. Due to these issues, many are not able to afford these and go without. Furthermore, essential healthcare services, such as dental and vison care, are not affordable even under Medicaid. In addition, working-age individuals with disabilities may not get adequate resources from employer-sponsored group health insurance, as it typically only covers basic care, or they may not qualify as some may only work part-time not meeting the requirements to establish healthcare. Private insurance is a rarity as it can be un-affordable and may lack coverage for disability needs. Housing Living independently is an important value and goal for people with disabilities as it increases their self-determination and minimizes their dependence on others. With the help of housing programs, affordable, accessible housing needs may be offered, and many people with disabilities may utilize these programs to move towards independent living. However, challenges are still faced regardless of the resources available, and many may not be available depending on area of location. Approximately 4.9 million non-institutionalized Americans with disabilities solely rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), leaving them impacted with an affordability gap (Technical Assistance Collaborative, n.d.). Current data shows that the average income of a single person receiving SSI payments is $9,156, which is approximately 22% below the 2016 poverty level, thus making it difficult to afford the national average rent (in 2016, average rent was $752, or equal to 99% of monthly SSI payments) of a durable unit as it can exceed more than what they receive for monthly SSI payments (Priced out: Fact Sheet, 2017). Another issue facing the housing crisis are accessibility accommodations, which can be costly to rent or purchase. Homes may need accommodations for special features or technologies to make home living manageable, such as an entrance that has a ramp instead of steps for people who use wheelchairs. In addition, many individuals with disabilities are at risk to becoming either institutionalized or homelessness when their caregiver starts aging, making it more difficult to care for their needs. The shortage of housing and support services do not help this situation. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the buying, selling, renting or financing of housing towards federally protected classes, yet Americans with disabilities are still facing discrimination when seeking housing. According to 2017 Fair Housing Trends Report, persons with disabilities make up the majority of the complaints (National Fair Housing Alliance, 2017). Low employment rate According to Carr-Ruffino, person with disability report that their physical condition makes finding and keeping a job more difficult for them (Carr-Ruffino, 2015). In addition, workers with disabilities face substantial gaps in pay and compensation compared to employees who do not have a disability. Negative perceptions regarding productivity, social and interpersonal skills, and lack of ability to adjust to people with disabilities creates barriers that leave them finding it more difficult to get hired. Lower employment rates are found among people with disabilities than people without disabilities. According the 2017 Disability Statistics Annual Report, only 35.9% of working-age Americans with Disabilities were employed in 2016, compared with 76.6% of working-age Americans without disabilities (University of New Hampshire, 2017). Community services and support The previous three main issues are the pillars to the last issue that will be discussed lack of community-based service and support for people living with a disability. As mentioned, individuals with disabilities want to live independently, but some require assistance to the activities of daily life or personal care assistance. Services such as enabling community-based independent living to provide assistance with housing and home care can overcome these barriers. However, very little communities offer this service, ultimately resulting in many individuals ending up in care facilities or nursing homes. The biggest downfall to care facilities and nursing homes is that low-income individuals may see the amount of their SSI lowered for Medicaid to pay for their stay. Current Events The foundation to a majority of these issues to support the disabled community gave rise to the introduction of the Disability Integration Act of 2017 bill. This bill prohibits states or local governments that provide institutional placements for individuals with disabilities who need long-term assistance with daily living activities or health-related tasks, and prohibits insurance providers that fund such long-term services, from denying community-based services that would enable such individuals to live in the community and lead an independent life (Disability Integration Act, 2017). This bill does not amend the Americans with Disabilities Act and is only structured like it to ensure people with disabilities have the right to live an independent life without the alternative to unwanted initialization due to lack of resources, low-income, and un-affordable health care. Considerations for Managers and Leaders within the Workplace When the 1990 Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed, it helped provide opportunity, reasonable accommodations, and accessibility to people with disabilities. Despite this act being passed, management and leadership still have challenges and opportunities relating to working with people who have disabilities. A common challenge for leadership is to make the employee with a disability and their co-workers comfortable. Many people with disabilities must ask for specific accommodations to do their jobs, and accommodations can cost the company money or may impose a greater burden on others in the workplace. This can cause other employees to view the person with a disability in a less favorable light. It is managements responsibility to make co-workers aware of disability issues and train them in skills for working effectively with theses co-workers. Another challenge is getting technological support. Technology can substitute for sensory and motor disabilities, which opens options typically considered unavailable to those with certain other disabilities. These technologies, including internet applications, can make it so that many types of work can be done at home, eliminating the transportation barrier for those with disabilities. Finally, ongoing training and development is another challenge for leadership. Studies have shown that most organizations are less likely to provide training and development opportunities to employees with disabilities than to other employees. This can give those with disabilities more narrow career options as they do not have the tools to grow or get promoted within their company. Leadership needs to provide adequate training and development opportunities and help persons with disabilities to develop career plans. In addition to some of the challenges faced by leadership regarding persons with disabilities, there are also many opportunities that leadership have in order to build on their strengths. One such strength is when hiring a person with a disability, leadership should provide diversity training for all employees. When diversity training is implemented, it increases employee retention and morale, reduces workplace harassment, and improves recruitment efforts to create a more diverse workforce (Balle, 2018). Leadership can also adopt positive attitudes towards employees with disabilities, focusing on what people can do and move through fear of disablement to accept persons with disabilities as normal persons. Leadership and employees can change negative language that may normally be used towards people with disabilities. For example, instead of saying that Jim is wheelchair-bound they can say Jim is a wheelchair user. This can help stop people from focusing on the persons disability, which may make the person synonymous with their disability when using such language, instead of on them being a person. Successful companies such as Hewlett Packard actively recruits from a pool of disabled workers. Not only do they give these people opportunities that other companies may not, they also benefit from tax credit and write-offs such as the Disabled Access Tax Credit or Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Finally, leaderships teams stand to make a lot of money by making marketplace connections with workers with disabilities. The U.S. disability market is over 54 million people, and globally it is 1.2 billion people. In 2010 the disabled Americans spending power was $1.5 trillion a year (Carr-Ruffino, 2015). Many companies make no efforts to target this huge market. Hiring persons with disabilities is a valuable resource for understanding this market area and can help create communication bridges for marketing to persons with disabilities.