Ballads of Remembrance by Robert Hayden :: Robert Hayden

In 1962 Robert Hayden wrote a collection of poems entitled Ballads of Remembrance. This collection is comprised of 36 poems that are separated into 4 groups. Each group refers to a different focus of remembrance; for example, one group focuses on the struggle of African Americans in terms of finding identity and a sense of transcendence. "Those Winter Sundays" is part of the group of poems that focuses on remembrances of Hayden’s childhood, past, and personal struggles. Hayden had an extremely harsh and conflicted childhood. His parents were divorced at a young age, and his mother left him with a foster family in Detroit whose name, Hayden, he ended up adopting. He grew up in a very poor neighborhood called Paradise Valley, which was not a "paradise" at all. He had separate issues with his foster mother and father, who were both stern people. His father encouraged Robert to gain an education in order to lift himself out of poverty. Yet, at the same time, his father found it difficult to communicate with his foster son, who always had his head in a book or was constantly studying. The lack of verbal communication between his father and himself can be seen in his poem "Those Winter Sundays." The overall impression of the poem is that love can be communicated in other ways than through words; it can be communicated through everyday, mundane actions. For example, in the poem, the father awakens on "Sundays too" to warm the house with a fire and polish his sons shoes. There is a sense of coldness in the beginning of the poem through the lines: Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold. Hayden’s father is not only bringing physical warmth to him by making the fire; he is also bringing spiritual warmth to him. By the end of the poem, the reader feels an overall sense of warmth as the poet comes to a better understanding of his father’s unappreciated actions. In terms of Romanticism, the idea of transcendence seems to be present in the poem in regard to the fact that the father-son relationship is beyond words. The relationship exists, but it is difficult to articulate. Also the idea that Hayden is rising to a deeper understanding of his relationship with his father is present. There are lines in the poem that state: When the rooms were warm, he’d call, And slowly I would rise and dress.

Strategic Management Essay -- Business essays research papers

Strategic Management Introduction To deal effectively with the wide array of factors affecting the ability of a business to grow and prosper, managers need advanced processes they feel will facilitate the optimal positioning of the business in its competitive environment. Such positioning is possible with strategic management because this process improves preparedness for unexpected internal or competitive demands. Therefore, strategic management is an all-encompassing approach for formulating, implementing and evaluating managerial decisions in a way that permits the business to reach its objectives. For a strategic management plan to be successful, however, every manager should: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clearly see the need for change †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Be firmly committed to the idea of changing the business planning process †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Assure that the strategic management process has credibility with everyone involved †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Make sure that final plans are realistic and reflect actual resources and capabilities †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Train all participants in the procedures essential to the strategic management process †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Develop concise and well-organized plans One of the world’s best performing natural resources companies created a unique organizational structure that combines the advantages of small business units with â€Å"virtual structures† - groupings of these business units - that can address different strategic issues and competitive environments. Overview The formality of the strategic management process varies widely. Formality refers to the degree to which membership, responsibilities, authority and discretion in decision making are specified. It is an important consideration in the study and application of strategic management because the degree of formality is usually positively correlated with the cost, comprehensiveness, accuracy and success of planning. The requirements for small business indicate the need for a moderate degree of formality. This is consistent with the ability to communicate face-to-face (size) and the need for flexibility (changing demands). The important issue is involvement with the process, not generating reams of paperwork (Camerer, 195-219). Resistance to change should be reduced. Businesses vary in the processes they use to formulate and direct their strategic management activities. Many using sophisticated planning techniques have developed more detai... ...heir management of their organizations, due to their important role in the culture formation and preservation process. They need to be continually aware of the cultural values espoused through their behavior and actions. References Astley, W.G., and C.J. Fombrun, 1983, Collective Strategy:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social Ecology of Organizational Environments. Academy of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management Review 8: pp. 576-587 Burgelman, R.A. 1996, A Process Model of Strategic Business  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exit: Implications for an Evolutionary Perspective on  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategy. Strategic Management Journal 17: pp. 193-214 Camerer, Colin F. 1994, Does Strategy Research Need Game  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theory? In Fundamental Issues in Strategy: A Research  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agenda. Richard P. Rumelt, Dan E. Schendel, and David J.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teece (eds.). Pp. 195-219. Boston: Harvard Business  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School Press Galbraith, Jay R. 1995, Designing Organizations: An Executive  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Briefing on Strategy, Structure and Process, San  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers pp. 12-15 Harrison, Jeffrey S., and Caron H. St. John, 1998, Strategic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management of Organizations and Stakeholders: Concepts.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2nd Edition. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publishing, pp. 44-59

Environment and Race Essay -- Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

For many years now, environmental protection and regulation has been a moving force within societies, especially the United States, and has captured much support from many different people. The environmental movement has taken a stance against environmental degradation, depletion of natural resources, destruction of precious habitats, and the harming of endangered and non-endangered species. Emphasis on environmental quality has undoubtedly turned society a little greenerà ¤ and has made oneà ¢s quality of life a little better. However, not all areas of society have reaped the benefits of the environmental movement, a fact that may have to do with those populations being a little brownerà ¤. Despite efforts made to raise environmental standards, many in society, particularly minorities and low-income residents who live in urban areas, find themselves inhabiting areas where environmental quality is either neglected or abused, and problems are prevalent. This is a problem of environmental injustice. The right to equal environmental quality should be extended to all members of society. Environmental justice is important because it ensures that all citizens, no matter their ethnicity, income level, or other defining characteristics, receive fair and equal environmental quality. More importantly, it potentially combats the issue of environmental conflict that could arise between opposing sides (those affected, as well as surrounding industries and the government). For example, the construction of additional hazardous waste facilities in a poor minority community would be a potential conflict. Environmental justice is a fairly new concept within the environmental arena (its or igins can be traced back to the early twentieth century. It is c... ...e is green. References Baar, E., Greenbaum, A., & Wellington, A. (1995). Social Conflict and Environmental Law: Ethics, Economics and Equity: Volume I. Toronto: Captus Press. Glickman, T. & Hersh, R. (1995). Evaluating Environmental Equity: The Impacts of Industrial Hazards on Selected Social Groups in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Washington, D. C.: Resources for the Future. Have, S. (1976). Environment and Equity: A Survey of Metropolitan Issues. Washington, D. C.: The Potomac Institute, Inc. Hersh, R. (1995). Race and Industrial Hazards: An Historical Geography of the Pittsburgh Region, 1900-1990. Washington, D. C.: Resources for the Future. Hurley, A. (1995). Environmental Inequalities. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press. Mandelker, D. (1981). Environment and Equity: A Regulatory Challenge. St. Louis: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

The Importance of External Factors in Influencing the Conducting

The Importance of External Factors In Influencing The Conducting Of US Foreign Policy To answer the essay question, external factors are indeed important in influencing the conducting of American foreign policy, as they are for all countries. They are important because they determine the direction American foreign policy takes, and with it, can drastically alter the futures of entire countries (Iraq & Afghanistan post 9/11).This essay will devote itself to exploring and explaining how each external factor is important and influential, and proceed to back it up by providing historic and modern examples detailing its effect on US foreign policy, and the end results. These external factors that will be explored are (sequentially) strategic interests of other nations, geographically-based vulnerabilities of the USA in relation to economic and military interests and finally the successes of grass roots revolution in the Arab Spring in upending both long-standing allies and enemies, and it s effect on traditional US foreign policy stances.The first external factor is the strategic interests of both allies and enemies across the world. Due to the USA’s current position as a hyper-power with a global presence, its influence and interests often collide with those interests or spheres of influence of other nations, ranging from allies such as the United Kingdom, Israel and Poland, to long-time rivals such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China or find itself involved in a conflict between two different nations (such as the Falklands issue or the current Israel-Iran crisis).In such situations where the USA must interact with other involved nation-states, the USA has either attempted to compromise with the other parties involved in an attempt to reach an amicable solution or fully backed a local ally/pursued its own objectives to the detriment of local nation-states.One of the more notable examples of the first is in the long-running nego tiations with North Korea, where six-country negotiations (featuring Russia, America, China, Japan and both Koreas) have been ongoing since 2003, primarily concerning North Korea’s nuclear program but also the normalization of trade, demilitarization and normalization of diplomatic relations.In no less than six different rounds of negotiations (with a seventh one starting in 2012), the United States has sat down for talks with the isolationist North Koreans, attempting to reach an agreement to the satisfaction of all the regional powers involved, an agreement that would see international concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program addressed, as well as pave a way towards future reunification.While talks have continually broken down or bore little fruit, this is more so due to unrealistic North Korean demands and various violations than the USA negotiating under false pretenses or seeking personal advancement. The North Korean talks in particular stand as a specific cas e where the USA has and continues to work alongside regional powers for the benefit of all involved. The second approach taken by the USA is that of fully favoring one side or party in a conflict or situation (usually a long-term ally or one of more relevance) over the other side, sometimes to its own eventual detriment.A prime example of this would be the Israel-Palestine situation in the Middle East today. While the United States has several allies among the Arab nations (Jordan, the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, formerly Egypt†¦), it has always prioritized Israel as its main ally in the region, providing it with billions of dollars yearly in grants, equipping it with some of the most advanced military technology in the world and sharing intelligence since the 1950s.As a result of these incredibly close ties to the Jewish state, the United States is often viewed as responsible or linked to Israel’s actions, while at the same benefiting from its use as a local proxy . So mutually linked however are the two nation-states, that it has directly anchored the USA into the morass of the Israeli-Palestine situation, an action that has often invited Arab rage against the Americans, most infamously concerning Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attack.While pure political/strategic matters are a critical and pervasive external factor in US foreign policy, there is also a backdrop of geography-based concerns that are particularly dangerous to the US’s foreign policy aims. The first element of geographic factor is an economic concern relating the international shipping lanes such as those of the Persian Gulf, while the second element is a military one, involving the supplying of NATO military forces in the land-locked status of Afghanistan.The first element is the more globally threatening one, as shipping lanes such as those of the Panama Canal (Central America), the Horn of Africa (East Africa) and the Hormuz Straits (Persian Gulf) are economic chokepoints, im portant to not only a hyper-power as the USA but the entire world economy. They are important because they are integral waterways in the world economy, shipping massive amounts of Persian Gulf oil daily across the world to countries such as India, China and the USA (nearly 46% of the world’s seaborne petroleum is shipped through both areas together).For the US specifically however, the Persian Gulf is a life-line that cannot be severed, even for a brief period. In 2006 for example, U. S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2. 2 million barrels per day, accounting for 17 percent of the US total net oil imports. As such, oil-client states such as India, China, America, and Britain among others have warships detailed to the regions to protect and ensure safe shipping, as well as dealing with piracy.The USA specifically maintains its 5th Fleet in the area, being responsible for the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Gulfs of Aden & Oman. The second elemen t, the military one is far more US-centric, however. Ever since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, NATO forces in the country have been reliant on supply routes going through Pakistan in order to continue operating. As reported by CJ Radin, the supply route starts at the Pakistani port of Karachi, where ships dock and offload their supplies onto trucks.The trucks then drive through Pakistan and enter Afghanistan through either the Khyber Pass near Peshawar or through the Chaman crossing near Quetta. However, due to multiple incidents (the OBL Abbottabad raid, drone airstrikes killing Pakistani citizens, various cross-border raids, Pakistani covert support to Taliban cells, Taliban ambushes of supply convoys from the Pakistani border, etc†¦), the relationship between Pakistan and the USA has grown strained, first limiting and then stopping the supplies landing from Karachi.As a whole, the Pakistani route was quite crucial to the NATO military effort, being the closest and most developed friendly port/road network into Afghanistan. Without supplies, NAO faced a struggle to continue their operations against resilient Taliban cells, a struggle that was slowly relieved by the slow build up of a northern network over the course of the last four years through Russia, Turkey and various Baltic, Caucasian & Central Asian states.This network has two different routes, one starting at a Baltic port, then by rail through Russia, Kazakhstan, and then to Uzbekistan before reaching NATO, while the other brings supplies by ship or rail to a Georgian port on the Black Sea, then by rail through Georgia and Azerbaijan, by ferry across the Caspian Sea, and by rail again through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, though it is reportedly by far the most limited.Overall, nearly 35% of US supplies in April 2010, 50% in April 2011, and 55%-65% in July-Sept 2011 came from the new northern network, while other NATO forces received roughly 40% the northern network. These instances both ind icate the striking lengths that the USA is affected by such vulnerabilities, as well as how strongly they are tied to American economic and military instances. In discussing American interests in regions such as Central Asia and the Middle East, one cannot ignore the effects of the Arab Spring.While much ink has devoted to this subject since 2011, here in this essay I will only focus on its affect on traditional US foreign policy stances. To put it simply, since the Cold War, the United States has gained a habit of often backing authoritarian or despotic regimes, monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Iran (prior to the Islamic Revolution) or strongman republics such as Yemen and Pakistan.These countries repressed their citizenry, yet as long as they were American allies, they were celebrated, or even praised as loyal and as champions of stability and good, while other authoritarian regimes received lambasting and sanctions and other punishments. While Iraq received democracy and liber ation from Saddam, while Condoleezza Rice spoke of the violence wrecked upon Hamas-ruled Gaza and Hezballoh-influenced Lebanon as the â€Å"birth pangs of a new Middle East†, it was the Arab Spring that brought forth a new Middle East.Over a dozen homegrown instances of civil resistance, of rebellion, of revolution, successful or otherwise, all attempted and/or achieved without US prompting. In Libya, in Egypt, in Tunisia, Yemen, long-standing regimes have fallen. Authentic democracies are starting to develop, democracies with no inherent ties or links to the United States, with no reason to reach out to them directly. If I can quote Noam Chomsky on one thing, it’s that the USA cannot count on these new governments to be as friendly or welcoming as their predecessors.It can’t treat these new governments as their predecessors, it can’t control their opinions on Israel or Iran, it can’t easily buy their loyalties, not as things are still unfolding. I n effect, the United States now has to come up with new policies, new strategies to deal with these countries, to decide on continuing pre-existing deals or renegotiate new ones. In conclusion, there are several very important external factors that influence how American foreign policy is conducted, and they are truly important.Learning to how to recognize and compromise in order to accept the strategic interests of other nations, how to handle the geographic limitations and vulnerabilities that often define or control the options available in a situation, and how to adapt to dealing with lesser, developing nations that while democratic are not favorable to you or your interests. Bibliography CJ Radin, 2011, Focus ‘Analysis: The US-Pakistan relationship and the critical factor of supply’ [online] 4 December. Available: Daily Mail Reporter, 2011, Focus: ‘Pakistan gives US two week ultimatum’ [online] 8 November. Available: http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news /article-2066488/Pakistan-gives-US-2-week-ultimatum-abandon-secret-airbase-closes-border. html Cox, M. and Stoke, D. , 2008, US Foreign Policy, Oxford: Oxford University Press Lansford, T. , 2003, A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Policy & Afghanistan, Ashgate Holsti, O. , 2006, Making American Foreign Policy, Routledge DeAlkatine, N. , 2012, American Diplomacy: Interpreting the Arab Spring, Journal, Range 1996, Available from UWE Library

Politics of Backstabbing Essay

Due to the result of such illegitimate political approach, Mr. Rosen was demoted while his colleague was promoted. Shortly after the incident, Mr. Rosen resigned with many questions unanswered (Robbins and Judge, 2007, p. 497). Warning These types of incidents are very common in the workplace as some people would use political games to move ahead. In my opinion Mr. Rosen needs to communicate ith his colleague and solve this issue in a friendly kind of way, to avoid any complication in the future. Be straight forward about his concern and bring up the comments and the abnormal behavior that affecting him. During the conversation Mr. Rosen should offer his assistant if ever needed as a reminder of working as a team. Anyone should feel at peace and concentrate on doing their Job without feeling like being watched or being stabbed in the back. Be sure to keep a written record, dated, time, and every event for future need. Manager or criticize the view. If there was no improvement, Mr. Rosen should take the next step by talking to his manager about his concern and ask for his manager advice to appropriately approach the issue. To avoid the negative repercussions that can come from backstabbing and other illegitimate behavior, manager should research and verify the incident. Never by pass your manager by going straight to the next level, because this can be much more complicated. Present your manager, the fact with any supportive written records you might have and pressing on the fact that this causing your Job’s performance and stress, and would lead to health issues. Backstabbers often claim to be a friend with their victims and act, as if they are hesitant about sharing negative information due to the friendship. Backstabbers aren’t our friend and we should be cautious and prepared of their existent. H. R. Dept. and the Chain of Command The next level can be accelerated to the human resource department if there is no improvement after reporting to the manager. Explain the fact that he had already taken all the necessary actions before proceeding to the H. R. Department. Again, Mr. Rosen will need to press firmly that this dilemma is causing his Job’s performance nd stress that will hurt not only him individually, but this will also impact the company performance as a whole. At this point, human resource should gather any necessary information and take appropriate actions. Hopefully, this is your last stop and be prepared if this doesn’t work, then elevate to the chain of command. There is a reason to every problem, and every problem needs to be resolved. Be sure to keep a written record of all time during this dilemma, since it will be needed to go to the chain of command. Write a complain letter with supportive documents include ritten records and present it to the chain of command and explain that this behavior is causing a hostile work environment. Conclusion One of the most political actions in organizations has consistently found to be promotion decisions. The opportunity for promotions or advancement encourages people to compete for limited resources and positively influence the decision’s outcome. Threatened with the loss of resources people may engage in political actions to safeguard what they have. Certain personality traits, needs, and other factors have been found by some researcher that is likely to be related to political behavior. However, any changes, especially those that imply significant reallocation of resources within the organization are likely to stimulate conflict and increase politicking. Many researches focuses on backstabbing aimed at organizations, but most sabotage is intended to harm a colleague, and generally benefits the perpetrator. It’s not easy to identify back stabber’s motivation. Backstabbers are jealous and generally insecure in themselves. They are very cruel and enjoy hurting others. It is never Justifiable to partake in backstabbing or any other illegitimate political behavior as soon, or later they’ll be caught and suffer the consequences.

Cointelpro and the Assassination of Malcolm X Essay

During the early 1950’s, Malcolm X was the top spokesman for the Black Nationalist Muslim group called the Nation of Islam (NOI). As the national representative of the NOI, Malcolm X attracted the media spotlight by speaking out against the injustices that were being inflicted upon black Americans in the United States (Haley 225). Malcolm later separated from the NOI due to accusations of immoral behavior he made against his leader, Elijah Muhammad, and went on to form his own group called Muslim Mosque Inc. 323). Malcolm was assassinated February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem New York, by black gunmen who were alleged to be members of the Nation of Islam (442-443). According to the book â€Å"The Assassination of Malcolm X by George Breitman, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover made Malcolm the subject of an intensive surveillance investigation by the Counter Intelligence Program known by its acronym â€Å"Cointelpro† (13). Malcolm, as a Muslim minister in the NOI, had become a powerful speaker equipped with the oratorical skills which provided him the ability to attract large followings of black people into his new organization. However, Hoover had labeled Malcolm a â€Å"subversive† and a radical black nationalist whom he felt needed to be â€Å"neutralized† (14). What did Hoover mean by â€Å"neutralize†? And did the Nation of Islam assassinate Malcolm X, or was this a government conspiracy? These two theories will be addressed in order to answer these questions and others that have been unanswered for 48 years. Cointelpro was a FBI top secret and illegal political agency, the main agenda of which was to target specific individuals and organizations whose ideas Hoover did not agree with (Blackstock, preface vii). Even though the program was initially started in 1956 to disrupt the activities of the Communist Party of the United States, policies were secretly changed under the direction of its founder, Hoover in order to target other organizations (9). Even though the name â€Å"Counterintelligence† may imply opposition to anyone who threatens the security of the United States through espionage, the targets were not enemy spies (10). The FBI’s main objective under this program was to eliminate all â€Å"radical† political opposition inside the United States by any means necessary (10-11). When traditional methods such as harassment and prosecution failed, the Bureau resorted to illegal and unconstitutional methods by taking the law into its own hands (11). Methods such as intimidation, job loss, violence, and forging letters in order to frame members were just a few tactics used by FBI agents and police informants who had infiltrated targeted organizations (12-13). In instructions to his FBI field operatives, Hoover displayed the outright contempt that he held for the Civil Rights Movement and its black leaders (28). In one specific memo dated August 25, 1967, he explains that the purpose of the program was â€Å"to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize† the Civil Rights Movement (30). Even though the memo was revealed by Hoover in 1967, two years after Malcolm’s death, tactics had been put into action long before it was distributed as a memo to his agents (30). On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X prepared to give a speech to a crowd of approximately 400 at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York (Evanzz xiv). As he approached the rostrum, a scuffle began in the rear of the ballroom (xv). One of the men yelled â€Å"Get your hand out of my pocket. † Malcolm responded by telling the two individuals who were scuffling to â€Å"cool it† and to not get excited (xv). As Malcolm tried to calm things down, a large explosion in the back was heard from a smoke bomb, and a man sitting in the front row pulled out a double barreled sawed-off shotgun from under his long coat and fired at Malcolm, striking him in the chest (xv). As Malcolm was falling and clutching his chest, two more men rushed the stage, firing pistols at him (xv). Betty Shabazz, Malcolm’s wife, and Gene Roberts, his close friend and bodyguard came to Malcolm’s aid along with others close by (xv). Meanwhile, a crowd of Malcolm’s supporters had caught two of the fleeing assailants and were beating them until they were rescued by policemen (xvii). One of the men rescued by police was Talmadge Hayer, a black Muslim, who had a gunshot wound from one of Malcolm X’s bodyguards and was taken to the hospital across the street from the Audubon (xvi). Malcolm X was pronounced dead 15 minutes after they got him to the hospital (xvi). Who killed Malcolm X? Examine the following scenarios. Initially, it was reported by Malcolm’s guards, the New York City police and local newspapers that two men were taken into police custody (xviii). In later newspaper editions, it was changed from two men to one. No reason was given for the sudden change and no admission of a mistake ever mentioned (xv). Police vehemently denied that a second man had existed and that Hayer was the only person caught at the scene (xviii). Five days later, Norman Butler, and Thomas Johnson, two well-known Muslims were arrested and charged with the murder of Malcolm X, even though they had concrete alibis placing them elsewhere, evidence the prosecutor withheld at the trial (Evanzz xviii). Hayer had confessed to his involvement in Malcolm’s death and testified that Butler and Johnson were neither present nor involved in the assassination but that four other gunmen were involved (xviii-xx). The question remains to this day: Who was the mysterious second man? Why did the first police report and witnesses inside the Audubon say they saw five men who were involved in the assassination, yet only three were accused and convicted at the trial (xv, xviii)? It should also be noted that many of Malcolm’s bodyguards and aides were Muslim defectors from the Nation of Islam and would have recognized Butler and Johnson immediately and prevented them from coming in (xv). Roland Sheppard was a journalist who regularly attended Malcolm’s lectures and was also a witness to his assassination. In his article â€Å"The Assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. † he stated that he was told by one of Malcolm’s bodyguards, â€Å"You are not going to sit here today† and to move from the front row where he normally would sit. Sheppard, along with Malcolm and his group, always knew that there were police agents and informants in the audience. After Malcolm’s assassination, Sheppard was questioned at the Harlem police headquarters, where he saw a familiar face, obviously a police officer, walking freely around the office, whom â€Å"he had seen standing in the first row at the Audubon Ballroom, with other men, before the start of the meeting. This is where Hayer said he and his accomplices were sitting† (Sheppard). This was also the same row of seats Sheppard was told to move from. Sheppard also noticed that usually at Malcolm’s meetings, there would be somewhere between 30-50 uniformed police officers on site (Sheppard). But when Malcolm was assassinated, the police were nowhere to be found, even though Malcolm had warned them that an assassination attempt was imminent (Sheppard). Police officials claim that Malcolm had requested not to have police protection that day (Sheppard). However, when the police first spoke of this agreement with Malcolm, his wife, Betty Shabazz, stated that it was a lie, that Malcolm had not made the request for no police security (Sheppard). Malcolm knew from his experience with the Nation of Islam that his organization had been infiltrated by police agents who were undercover working for the government (Evanzz xxiii). But what would have shocked Malcolm the most is that his head of security and close friend Roberts, was one of them (xv). Roberts was a police agent working for New York Police Department’s Bureau of Special Services, also known as BOSSI (xxiii). This was the same bodyguard who told Sheppard to move from where he normally sits at Malcolm’s meetings. The night of the assassination, Roberts, as usual, posted guards in their proper positions and took his post as well (xv). Once Malcolm came to the rostrum and greeted the crowd with, â€Å"As-Salaam Alaikum,† Roberts subtly gave a signal that he needed to be relieved from his guard post (xv). As soon as Roberts walked away and stationed himself by the front entrance, the commotion started in the rear of the ballroom and shots were fired (xv). Is it just a coincidence that Roberts had himself relieved from the guard post and soon after, the shooting started? As Malcolm lay on the ground gasping for air, Roberts, who had changed guard post seconds before the shooting, rushed to the stage to Malcolm’s side and appeared to be administering mouth to mouth (Evanzz 295). Betty Shabazz, Malcolm’s wife, went his side and removed a piece of paper from Malcolm’s blood stained coat jacket, that had the names of the five men whom Malcolm believed were going to assassinate him (295). Finally, Malcolm was placed on a stretcher and as they started to take him to the hospital across the street, the police, who were not present during the shooting, appeared and took charge of Malcolm’s body (xvii). It is apparent to me that Roberts was there for the sole purpose of ensuring that Malcolm was dead. Was he actually giving mouth-to-mouth respirations to Malcolm? Or was he preventing him from breathing altogether? Why would Malcolm’s wife remove the paper with the names of her husband’s assassins on it and not reveal it to any of those present? Malcolm X had been under surveillance by the FBI since his release from prison in 1952 (Evanzz 28). Once Malcolm separated from Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, he started reaching out to other Black Nationalist organizations and civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. (266-267). Even though they had opposing views, both men realized they were after the same common goal but with different means of gaining it. In his letter â€Å"A Call for Unity† from Birmingham jail, King made it a point to his critics that the Negro in America had been caught up by the â€Å"Zeitgeist† (spirit of the age), and with his black brothers of Africa, and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America, and the Caribbean, the Negro in the United States is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice† (King 1303). Malcolm shared this viewpoint also, that injustice was universal, and Malcolm decided to take the plight of the American Negro to the United Nations (309). No one had ever brought the issue of racism to the United Nations before (310). This deeply disturbed Hoover and the FBI and gave them a definite reason to target Malcolm for â€Å"neutralization† (Evanzz 310). Malcolm’s fall out with Muhammad and the Nation of Islam was the catalyst needed to later help the FBI set the stage for Malcolm’s assassination (311). The question remains: who killed Malcolm X? Malcolm had initially and for good reason, thought that the Nation of Islam were plotting to take his life. After close analysis, he realized that this plot to kill him was deeper than the NOI. He expressed this to Alex Haley, who was in the process of finishing Malcolm’s autobiography, â€Å"†¦The more I keep thinking about this thing, the things that have been happening lately, I’m not all that sure it’s the Muslims, I know what they can do, and what they can’t, and they can’t do some of the stuff recently going on. Now, I’m going to tell you, the more I keep thinking about what happened to me†¦, I think I’m going to quit saying it’s the Muslims† (qtd. in Haley 438).

Love vs. Sex

Many people pair love along side of sex, thinking the two go hand in hand, when in reality, they don’t. Sex is an action out of lust, the fact that people can have casual hook ups, with no attachments illustrates this. Love is a deep emotion between two people, this leads to commitment, usually marriage, and sex, but a different kind, one that is purely an act of love. By combining the two in a literary work, it detracts from the aesthetic quality of it, undermining the message behind the poem, making it no longer about love, but lust.The poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is a perfect example of how placing love and sex together in a poem takes away from the work, leaving the reader less impacted by the poem as a whole. Love is an amazing emotion, something that no one can quite understand, and that never changes. Love has always been a large part of the human culture, something that will always be relevant, even in years to come. The need to be someone’s â€Å"on e and only†, what they live for from day to day, to have someone care about you that much is priceless.It is the need to be desired, and taken care of, that drives people to find love. You find someone with common interests, and you talk, you go out on a few dates, and then it happens– you begin to fall for that person, completely in love. Love leads to commitment, and then marriage, something that is so sacred, you promise to â€Å"love and cherish† that one person â€Å"’til death do you part†, never leaving their side, hurting when they hurt, joyous when they are joyous.An example of this from â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is found in the beginning of the poem, â€Å"for, Lady you deserve this state, nor would I love at lower rate†, this is stated after the narrator tells a young lady about how beautiful, and wonderful she is, trying to sweep her away with loving words, attempting to make her fall in love with him. Once you have this s ort of love, you can link sex with it, but only then. Sex is an act of love that has been reserved for a husband and wife, the marriage bed, this act of sex is not of lust, but out of pure feeling and trust for the other person.By you giving your body to someone, you are showing them that you are also giving them your heart, proving your love to them, in the greatest way possible. Without love, sex is nothing but an action, being caught up in the moment, taking advantage of an opportunity that has been placed before you. In the next stanza of â€Å"To His Coy Mistress†, Marvell states this â€Å"that long preserved virginity, and your quaint honor turn to dust, and into ashes all my lust. † Here, the narrator revels his true intentions, seeking only a one night stand, persuading the young lady to seize the opportunity, and spend the night with him.Sex is thought of so casually now a days, hardly having any meaning behind it anymore, with that being said, you can have s ex with anyone you choose to, obviously having no romantic emotions for the other person. Hooking up with someone after a night at the bar cannot be compared to the interaction between people who have been together for years, working on building their relationship and an emotional connection. To be able to take something so pure and sacred and make it apart of an interaction with a stranger takes away from the meaning of love and sex, you can no longer pair the two together.For an author to link sex and love together in a poem, story, or essay is undermining the meaning and value of love, and the role it plays in sex. Marvell begins the poem wooing the young lady, â€Å"an hundred years should go to praise, thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze, two hundred to adore each breast, but thirty thousand to the rest† such romantic words that hint at love. Then the idea of love is washed away with lines like â€Å"the grave’s a fine and private place, but none, I think, do th ere embrace†, making the narrator’s true intentions of sex known.By mixing love, and sex together, the poem’s meaning loses its impact, no longer being romantic, but only a well planned pick up line. â€Å"Let us roll all our strength, and all our sweetness, up into one ball and tear our pleasure with rough strife, thorough the iron gates of life† solidifies the narrator’s true intentions, separating love from sex. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† clearly shows that love and sex cannot be linked together in literary works without undermining the principle of love and taking away from the message the author is trying to convey.