Jimmy Sevile: Icon in Life, Sexual Predator in Death Essay

Child abuse and pedophilia is absolutely rife, not just in Britain but all over the world and most people have no idea the kind of scale we are looking at. Perhaps equally as shocking, the people being exposed as ring-leaders in the abuse cases are often high profile celebrities and well known public figures. The information that becomes public over the coming weeks and months could shatter not just the BBC, but the whole country from top to toe, as entertainers, public figures and even former Prime ministers and current politicians are being exposed as child abusing pedophiles. This isn’t just a cover up, it is one of the biggest scandals of all time orchestrated by apparently respectable members of the British establishment. That a BBC children’s presenter, Sir Jimmy Savile, was also one of the UK’s most active serial pedophiles is still a shock that is reverberating throughout the United Kingdom. Sir Jimmy Savile, was a TV and radio presenter who fronted various kid’s shows for the taxpayer funded BBC. The most famous of his shows was called Jim’ll Fix It where kids all over the UK would write letters to him personally to ask if the show could grant their various childish wishes. This was allegedly comissioned after complaints about Savile’s sexual interest in children had surfaced. Savile is estimated to have raised ? 40 million for charity. One cause for which he raised money was Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he volunteered for many years as a porter. He raised money for the Spinal Unit, NSIC (National Spinal Injuries Centre), and St Francis Ward – a ward for children and teens with spinal cord injuries. Savile also volunteered at Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor Hospital. In August 1988, he was appointed by junior health minister Edwina Currie chair of an interim task force overseeing the management of Broadmoor Hospital, after its board members had been suspended. Savile had his own room at both Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor. In 1989, Savile started legal proceedings against News Group Newspapers after the News of the World published an article, in January 1988, suggesting he had been in a position to secure the release of patients from the Broadmoor Hospital who were considered â€Å"dangerous†. Savile won on 11 July 1989; News Group paid the legal costs, and he received an apology from editors Kelvin MacKenzie and Patsy Chapman. In 2012, it was reported that Savile had sexually abused vulnerable patients at the hospitals. It was reported that the civil servant who proposed Savile’s appointment at Broadmoor was investigated by police and prevented from working with children. From 1974 to 1988, Savile was the honorary president of Phab (Physically Handicapped in the Able Bodied community). He sponsored medical students performing undergraduate research in the Leeds University Research Enterprise scholarship scheme, donating more than ? 60,000 every year. In 2010, the scheme was given a commitment of ? 500,000 over the following five years. Following Savile’s death in October 2011, it was confirmed that a bequest had been made to allow continued support for the programme. The ramifications of the story are however far bigger than just another stomach turning media scandal. In his lifetime Savile had been embraced at the very heart of the British establishment. He was entertained by the Prime Minister Margret Thatcher at chequers, blessed by the Pope and Knighted by the Queen. It has recently come out that in the 1980? s he was taken on by the UK’s Conservative Government to look after a high security mental hospital, Broadmoor, where it appears he was given his own set of keys despite no related qualifications or training whatsoever. It remains a mystery to many why Her Majesty’s police never managed to catch the man. Scotland Yard now describe him as â€Å"one of Britain’s worst sex offenders†. Furthermore some people are saying his sexual predilictions were a bit of an open secret at the BBC in the 1960? s and 1970? s so it’s troubling to think that he was not screened out of the British Royal Family’s social circle by an organisation such as MI5. One thing is clear, Sir Jimmy Savile operated underneath the nose of the UK’s establishment and only in the aftermath of his death did anyone dare take him on. Jimmy Savile was at the centre of this Pedophile ring that procured children for well-known figures in the British Establishment, including former British Prime Minister, pedophile and murderer Edward Heath. The perverted life of Jimmy Savile was exposed as a pedophile and necrophiliac by researchers such as David Icke as far back as the 1990s, but, people just ridiculed the accusations and the police, media, politicians and of course the BBC have all covered it up. In August 1988, shortly before the publication of a highly critical report into its operating procedures, the entire management board of Broadmoor secure psychiatric hospital was suspended by the Department of Health, which at the time had joint responsibility for its direct management. The running of Broadmoor, the highest-profile facility of its kind in the country and the home to many of Britain’s most notorious criminals, was placed in the temporary control of a â€Å"taskforce† to be headed up by an unexpected figure, Jimmy Savile. West London Mental Health NHS Trust, which now runs the hospital, believes Saviles involvement as a volunteer began in the late 1960s or early 70s. He had his own office in the grounds of the hospital, a bedroom and his own personal set of keys to the hospital wards. Savile also has some ties with Peter Sutcliffe known as the Yorkshire Ripper. Jimmy Savile, became very good friends with the mass murderer while doing voluntary work at Broadmoor. The vast majority of the victims currently coming forward allege that Jimmy Savile abused them. But detectives announced that they were mounting a full criminal investigation after some of the hundreds of people who have come forward in response to the unfolding scandal made allegations that they were abused by other individuals who are still alive. It is understood that most of these claims of sexual abuse relate to people who were associated with Savile in some way. The Savile case is just the tip of the iceberg because pedophilia is widespread amongst the ruling class of the world but it’s easily covered up. If the police investigation gets too close to people at the top there will be another cover up. A few more celebrity names will be charged and that will satisfy the public’s demand for prosecutions but those at the top will once again escape justice. Ritualistic satanic child sex abuse is real. It’s widespread especially within the ruling elite and it’s up to all of us to expose it and put an end to it. If Savile had been exposed while he was alive he would have taken many famous people down with him including those within the British Establishment.

Achilles in “The Iliad” Essay

The telling of the Trojan War within the confines of the Iliad goes above and beyond great lengths to describe and portray many key players but a lot of the main focus was on that of who’s considered to be one of the greatest warriors who has ever lived. This warrior goes by the name of Achilles. The main logic and reasoning behind this key focus is to make sure that readers of the literature have a detailed description, physical or mental implanted into their brain so they can relate, regardless if the actions are positive and or negative. It gives the reader the chance to indulge themselves into the character like if they were at war fighting for what they believe in or what they were told to do. In the beginning Homer’s depiction of Achilles leads one to believe that he is a big bad hard ass that strikes fear in the hearts of many. Yes this is true but as the story unfolds, he is not only this cold blooded warrior, but one that has emotions and shows them. A prime ex ample of his feelings coming out is when he learns of his beloved friends Patroclus’ death. With him actually showing emotions, in contrast to the other warriors this made him well rounded. Homer starts out with a quick description of Achilles stating how he’s half man half god. This is all thanks to his mother for taking the correct measures and precautions when he was just a baby. By doing this she created a super human warrior of sorts without really even knowing Achilles possesses super human strength that gives him an advantage of most if not all of his competition. He is also described by Homer as having a very close relationship with the gods. No one really knows why, but one can only assume. Another point brought up is that he also has very deep seated character flaws that are always interfering and clouding his judgment so he may out with nobility, integrity, and common sense which makes him intellectually and morally cursed in a sense. A great example of his irrational decision making is when says to hell with this was and decides to abandon his comrades and puts victory in jeopardy all because he had felt the upmost disrespect coming from his commander Agamemnon. â€Å"Achilles is a man of noble principles all throughout the poem. His argument with Agamemnon is a testament to that.† He  pretty much turns into a spoiled brat because he can’t get his way and he doesn’t like what is being said to him. He is also very self-centered and egotistical. He wants to be the center of attention and be a part of the history books and with the pride he has and the tendency to follow that big ego of his is preordained. He eventually has to choose between fame and what comes along with it or being at a relaxed chill like comfort lever. He decides to go with the fame. Already considered by most to be blood thirsty, prideful, and full of wrath. It really starts to show once Patroclus is murdered in battles after the Trojans thought that it was Achilles that they were killing. Adhering to Patroclus’ pre death advice of patching up things with his commander he does so but in turns focuses all his hatred and anger towards Hector. You would think he was keep calm and so things a little different after his friends’ death but he learned nothing and seems like his friend died in vain in a sense. Achilles leads his men on what can be considered a suicide mission of sorts to kill Hector. Once that’s done he desecrates Hector’s body and slays 12 Trojans warriors and Petroclus’ funeral. These actions are the epitome of what Achilles stands for and represents. Under his blood thirsty and angry exterior, he has a break when King Priam pleads and begs for his son’s body back and by doing so something triggers in Achilles brain about his dad so he decides to return Hector’s body back to his father. Afterwards he’s back to normal in the proverbial sense and he has no idea that his prideful and egotistical ways will be the downfall and death of him. When he was dipped in the river Styx as infant, one vital part of his body was left venerable, his heels. After the Iliad concludes he was later shot in the heel by an arrow belonging to the brother of Hector, Paris. Even though Achilles doesn’t show growth throughout the epic, he is the epitome of a Homeric character because he lacks control, character, depth, and has a huge lust like appetite for fame. Works Cited â€Å"Analysis of Achilles’ Personality Growth in Homer’s the Iliad† StudyMode.com. 03 2007. 03 2007 . Character of Achilles in Homer’s Iliad.† 123HelpMe.com. 18 Jul 2013 .

Explanatory of The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Essay

Explanatory of The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - Essay Example Jemubhai Patel is an embittered judge, wounded by his past, which holds both hurtful and glorious memories. It is ironic how much love he can shower on an animal, his pet dog, while he regards other people with distrust. He has shut himself off from all human contact. Sai is the youthful granddaughter who somehow tames Patel’s otherwise dark persona with her feistiness and curiosity. She reminds him of himself when he was a youth. Sai is one person who gives hope that her grandfather will ultimately come out of the tough shell he has built around himself. The cook, Biju’s father is the traditional, superstitious and chatty helper awed by the allures of modernization and is bent on his son to realize the American dream. It is through this cook’s voice that the reader learns a parallel story about love and loss. Patel’s neighbors, Lola and Noni are Anglophiles who might be savvy readers of V.S. Naipaul but who are, perhaps, less aware of how fragile their own social standing is--at least until a surge of unrest disturbs the region. The title of the book is so intriguing. When one hears of an inheritance, it is usually something so precious, so cherished that the next generation anticipates it to be bequeathed with pride and honor. Desai’s Inheritance of Loss truly reflects her adeptness for irony. True, the pathetic state of loss can be inherited and may be passed on to future generations, but how can anyone anticipate such a dreadful fate? The story is delivered in such a compelling way that the reader understands the process of loss of cultural identity being passed on from the elders to the young. The book tells of different stories but anchors its base on Kalimpong in the at the foothills of Mount Kanchenjunga in the northern Himalayas, specifically in the decaying cottage named Cho Oyu, the household of Jemubhai Patel, who lives with his granddaughter, Sai and his beloved dog, Mutt. The

Continuos Professional Development for Nurses Essay

Continuos Professional Development for Nurses - Essay Example Increasing recognition of the need for continuing professional development or CPD for health professionals has created an inevitable expansion in course provision (Hicks & Hennessy, 2001). For a course to be successful, the particular CPD course must be able to meet the local health service needs, as well as the personal and professional development of the participants (Hicks & Hennessy, 2001). CPDs should also design methods and strategies that would encourage participation of professionals especially nurses for it to be successful. In the study conducted by McMullan, Jones and Lea (2011) entitled, â€Å" The effect of an interactive e-drug calculations package on Nursing Students' Drug Calculation ability and self-efficacy†, aimed in comparing an interactive form of CPD and the traditional type of providing hand-outs. Using the PEDro Scale Rating, the said study was good in terms that it was able to determine the significance of CPD in the life of nurses. Nurses need to be c ompetent and confident in performing drug calculations to ensure patient safety (McMullan, Jones & Lea, 2011). The study utilized a cluster randomized controlled trial comparing the e-package with traditional hand-out learning support (McMullan, Jones & Lea, 2011). The author of this paper believes that Randomized Controlled Trials or RCT should be conducted in determining the essence of CPD in the Nursing Profession for the reason that it limits bias and therefore provides reliability and validity of the findings. Moreover, the factors that may alter the validity of results are also given focus so as to promote precision and accuracy of results that will be obtained. Lastly, RCTs typically provide a clear picture of the answers to the inquiries posed by the issue regarding Continuing Professional Development or CPD for nurses. As a nurse, the said study was beneficial for it had proven the importance of undergoing Continuing Professional Development Courses in order to improve the skills and knowledge of nurses which is crucial in fulfilling the endeavor of providing quality care to patients. This study challenged nurses that they must continue to update themselves in order to keep at pace with the different demands or needs of their patients. It can also be concluded that learning does not stop after one has obtained his or her nursing license instead it is a continuous and lifelong process for one cannot learn everything in an instant. Moreover, a variety of updates and new discoveries are being divulged everyday in the field of nursing and for a nurse to competently play his or her role, he or she must continue to grow and mature in the profession by means of learning not only for professional enhancement but also for holistic development as an individual. II. Studying comprises a set of skills that can be learned, practiced and combined together as an overall procedure, and that this method will ensure the success of an individual (Mason-Whitehead & Mason , 2008, p. 1). Subsequently, being a student necessitates a mental attitude and a set of behaviors mandatory for the process of studying to be enjoyable and at the same time successful (Mason-Whitehead

Business Ethics - Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics - Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example To do this, the essay will start by describing a situation at my friend Mary’s former placement workplace that posed an ethical dilemma. Later, the essay will seek to explain why the situation proved an ethical dilemma, before coming up with an appropriate solution for it. Working for a few months at Sisto Mission Hospital as a content developer and data entry clerk, Mary came across some information that placed her in a dilemma ethically. As she was gathering information as part of her daily routine, her sister’s fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s name came to the screen. His information said that he had recently been tested for HIV and diagnosed to be positive. In addition, the information also showed that Michael was currently under treatment at a local facility, as well as counseling services, for HIV. Mary and her sister and are close, especially since their mother passed away from cancer early in their lives, which has meant that they always look out for one another. Having met her sister at least six times in the last month, Mary was sure she did not know about Michael’s condition. If she did, Mary or her father would have known about it by now. The information comes at an especially crucial moment because her sister is preparing for her wedding in three weeks. Mary am devastated by the information and torn between her sister and family on one side and her job on the other. If she elects not to give this information to her sister with regards to her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s condition, she can maintain my integrity and get a good reference from her boss. This is important, as this is a prestigious company, which will strengthen her CV significantly. However, telling her sister about Michael’s condition will inform her decision on whether to go ahead with the wedding. She could be able to evaluate her position alongside Michael and make a decision based on reality. Nonetheless, doing this could lead to termination from Mary’s current position and a poor report from her

Managerial account decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial account decision making - Essay Example st 2008 financial crisis, the company began focusing on lean practices reducing time and cost in several of its processes and its outcome, subsequently, reflected in its annual reports right from 2009 through 2013. Starbucks is facing stiff competition from McDonalds Corp and Dunkin’ Brands Inc. The paper aims at exploring how Starbucks has been able to carve a niche through lean approach in the market place. As such, lean production is a new buzz word among companies vying for a place in a highly competitive arena. Toyota, a popular Japanese auto manufacturer, is known to have pioneered the lean approach in their operations successfully. Taking clue from it, Starbuckss management focused on lean approach aiming at not only on waste reduction but also on how to reduce time on several processes. (Yunos, 2013). Carter(2014) argues that lean thinking firm focuses on customer value enhancement through carefully choosing work processes. That means lean thinking takes a diversion from the traditional approach eliminating non-value added activities such as procedures, policies in their work flow. In a lean company, the most important parameter to consider is time. That means the lean organization focuses on time reduction methodologies. Work must flow continuously and uninterruptedly so that the cycle time of the entire value stream is reduced and throughput enhanced. Traditional firms focus only on crucial operations – all hidden or less important operations are neglected. However, in this process, less important operations interrupt the flow of work increasing customer lead time. Not only more time is consumed but cost also increases. Lean organizations create and share information among employees and assess performance by measuring the cycle times and lead times of all activities. Jargon, (2009) argues that Starbucks Corporation began its business as the anti-fast food outlet. Scott Heydon, the Vice President of the company, is a major force behind lean thinking

Research Proposal for Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Research Proposal for Juvenile Justice - Essay Example Obviously, though, juvenile justice is more than just benevolent guidance f youths during adolescent development or family crisis. It is also a system for monitoring and controlling juveniles and their families who may be engaged presently in activities deemed dangerous or deviant. To make matters even more confusing, these two sets f system demands (despite their seemingly opposed natures) often become intertwined and sometimes nearly indistinguishable in practice, with clearly coercive tasks disguised in treatment metaphors. "Intensive treatment units" are often secure, locked institutions; "aftercare counseling" often means regular reporting to a probation officer. In practice, the multiple goals f juvenile justice become blurred and combined into singular activities. As a result, we are often left with the uncomfortable dilemma f not knowing whether we are doing something to a youth in order to do something for that youth (Allen, 1964) or whether we are doing something to a youth for justifiable retribution and deterrence. It is rarely a clear determination in juvenile justice. This blurred picture is the context in which prevention programming, research, and treatment must operate. It cannot be escaped; it pervades each step f applied research and professional practice in this area. Even a brief exposure to this seemingly sympathetic site will convince the prevention-minded researcher or practitioner attempting to improve service delivery in this system that even more or less "standard" ethical issues take on a distinctive quality when imbedded in the context f juvenile justice. Problem Definition The ethical issue f problem definition is a subtle but central one in juvenile justice research and practice. Because delinquency is a legal ascription rather than a behaviorally based description and local practices vary widely, a broad range f youths are classified as delinquents. This locally determined selection bias f any sample population makes it unwise to treat juvenile delinquents as a unitary class when constructing theories about adolescent antisocial activity (Reppucci & Clingempeel, 1978). Moreover, a consideration f case characteristics beyond the mere presence f delinquency is needed to accurately assess the impact f any intervention. The expected prevalence or progression f antisocial activities in the youths sampled must be considered in such assessments (Blumstein, Cohen, Roth, & Visher, 1986). Furthermore, researchers and practitioners working with a legally defined population f delinquents must be aware that they are accepting the values implicit in designating some youths as delinquent and others as merely undergoing normal adjustment problems. These professionals may even be furthering these values by focusing intervention efforts on the youths most troubling to authorities. Such involvement can lend professional certification to a system that could benefit from a critical appraisal f its values and practices (Rappaport, Lamiell, & Seidman, 1980). On an individual treatment level, dealing with a socially rather than personally defined problem

Human resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resource Management - Essay Example However, this paper has selected â€Å"work groups and teams† issue as the topic for discussion. Despite the fact that not much research has happened on groups and teams in organizations as challenge and issue for Human Resource Managers but it definitely is one of the challenges and issues. Human resource manager in most of the cases assume the responsibility of all the human resource of the organization. However, interestingly, they do not deal with each employee individually rather they also make their policies and strategies considering the work groups and teams (Mathis & Jackson, pp. 23-27). Therefore, it becomes extremely important for them to understand groups and work teams, behaviors of individuals in groups and other myths and variables associated with groups and teams. Often managers fail to understand that dealing with groups is an entirely different dimension and requires special attention and homework from the managers. This paper would now discuss all the important elements, variables, concepts and issues related to groups and individual behavior in groups, follo wed by providing with solutions and tips and tricks for managers to deal with problems and issues presented earlier. One of the biggest issues that the HR managers encounter with groups is of their productivity and activity levels. Groups that are temporary in nature always come into existence for achieving some goals or objectives. However, they HR managers while performance appraisals find out and complain about their inefficiency and tendency to avoid work. They always seem to be complaining that groups do not seem to be achieving their targets within the deadlines. This creates an environment of rift and tension and obviously leads to situations that are even more problematic and complex to handle. Important here to understand that research

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 132

Assignment Example Erb explains that Kilpatrick had been arrested thrice on different charges during his tenure as mayor. Kilpatrick’s corruption involved other people including his chief of staff and his father (Erb p1). Kilpatrick’s conduct was unethical because it involved behavior that did not match the expectations of his status and position. As a mayor, he was supposed to be a steward of public funds upholding accountability and responsibility but he spent public funds recklessly. The people of Detroit had entrusted him with the task of looking after their welfare but he did not live up to his mandate because he worsened Detroit’s economic crisis. The conduct was also unethical because Kilpatrick repeated crimes for which he was previously convicted thus showing lack of remorse. It was unethical for Kilpatrick to have used racialism as his excuse when he should have been taking responsibility of his mistakes. It is all the more unethical for him to have been spending public funds in the name of living up to his image as a hip-hop mayor when in the actual sense it appears like he was doing it selfishly (Erb p3). Kilpatrick was taken to court, several times, and tried for charges that were filed against him. Some of the charges included using public funds to pay expensive dinners, pay college expenses for relatives and leasing a Lincoln Navigator. In a 2007 lawsuit, Kilpatrick tried and convicted of having an illicit affair with his chief of staff, Christine Beatty and was found guilty. He was indicted for eight criminal charges and he agreed to serve one hundred and twenty days in jail and pay one million dollars as restitution to Detroit. In addition, the sentence directed that Kilpatrick give up his law license and that he should not seek public office for a period of five years (Erb p7). After this trial, a judge ordered Kilpatrick back to court for charges that he was hiding some of his assets in order not to make restitution. Kilpatrick faced

Stereotypes of women in the play Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes of women in the play Essay Woman in Aeschylus’s Agamemnon are perceived as untrustworthy and ignorant characters. The role of women in ancient Greek life, was considered to be insignificant compared to that of Greek men. And yet, in tragedies, women were often written as major characters, revealing insights on how women were treated and thought of in society. Many well-known Greek plays contain several well-written, complex, female characters. Each female character takes upon herself, the role of villain, the role of victim, and the role of heroine. Drama and theatre in the ancient Greek world expresses the communities’ concerns in regards to their ambitions, fears, hope and their deepest sympathy. In Greek drama, playwrights often included pivotal female roles, despite the fact that the cast was strictly male. The role of women in ancient Greek life is deemed irrelevant compared to that of Greek men, however, in tragedies, women are often written as major characters, revealing important insights on the perceptions and treatment of women in society. For a woman to possess qualities such as leadership and strength is not typical, in fact it is seen as masculine and un-ladylike. Many Greek plays contain several complex female characters; Aeschylus is a playwright whom incorporates a very complex female character, Clytemnestra in his play Agamemnon. Although Clytemnestra is one of the most recognizable and noted female villains due to her involvement in the murder of her husband and his concubine, one can argue that her actions are justifiable. Whether her vengeful actions are triggered by the death of her daughter Iphigenia, her love for Aegisthus or the jealousy of her husband’s mistress Cassandra, either is motive enough to make her turn to evil. There is a quote made by the chorus that suggest evidence that women are incompetent and over emotional for leadership, It is very like a woman in command to concede gratitude before the facts appear: too ready to persuade, a female ranges beyond her boundary, quick to move; but doom is quick for rumour when a woman spreads it, and it is destroyed. (483-487) With these words, the Chorus expresses a stereotyped view of women as emotional and irrational. From my reading of the play as a whole, I asked myself the question did the female characters in the play actually live up to this stereotype? As I pondered upon this I knew the answer was No. The women in this play are fierce and merciless, and do as they wish. Even though they have a dark cloud of gender prejudice overhead they go against this and stand above all. As for the male characters, their are clearly some who are very rational and dont get their hopes up too early; both the Watchman and the Herald seem to fit this description. Based on the way all of the characters in the play are depicted I personally think Aeschylus does not agrees with the Choruss opinion of women. Just like many explore argumentative themes, Aeschulus decided to explore gender inequalities and hierarchies in a time when this topic was importantly relevant. In a patriarchal society like that of ancient Greece, it would be pretty hard to have a play with a fearsome female villain like Clytemnestra and not have the issue of gender play a prominent role. At many points in Agamemnon, we hear characters utter stereotyped views about women, but it isnt clear how much Aeschylus endorses these. For example, the Chorus frequently remarks on how women are irrational and dont pay attention to the facts. The Chorus members intend this as a criticism of Clytemnestra, but do we really see her being irrational or making factual mistakes? Evil though it is, Clytemnestras murder plot definitely required careful (i. e. , rational) planning, and she was right about the signal fire from Troy, which the Chorus doubted. Also, the Chorus is majorly wrong in mistaking the appearance of Clytemnestra for what it really means, when they cant believe she will be Agamemnons killer. Clytemnestras actions do, however bear out another cultural stereotype in the play: that women are untrustworthy. (Of course, it could also be said that Agamemnon is untrustworthy, since he sacrificed his own daughter. ) At the end of the play, when the Chorus makes fun of Aegisthus by calling him a woman for not going to war and using deception to get back at Agamemnon, does this question or reinforce stereotypes? Absolutely. There is many similarities between Aeschules’s Play on gender inequality and stereotyping and experiences of those of the 1950’s. The role of women in the 1950 was repressive and constructive in many ways. Society placed high importance and many expectations on behavior at home as well as in public. Women were supposed to fulfill certain roles, such as a caring mother, a diligent homemaker, and a obedient wife. The mother was supposed to stay at home and nurture so society would accept them. The basics of the inept woman were: the woman driver, the over-spender who cannot budget, and the basic downfall of man. This all ties back to the women in Agamemnon, despite the male characters never ending humility and doubtfulness of intelligence the women, there is a strong prevalence and honor for the female sex among woman. Here is a poignant example of strong clystamnestras femininity†¦ I cried out my joy long ago, when the first night-messenger of fire came telling of Ilions capture and destruction. And someone said in reproof, Have beacon-watchers persuaded you to think that Troy is now ransacked? Truly like a woman to let her heart be lifted! Words such as those made me seem astray; nevertheless I went on sacrificing, and people in all parts of the city shrilled cries of joy in womens custom, in grateful triumph, lulling the fragrant flame that devoured their sacrifice at the gods seats. And now, for the longer account, what need have you to give it me? I shall learn the whole story from my lord himself; and I must hasten to give my revered husband the best of welcomes now he has come back. For what light of day is sweeter to a wife to see than this, with the gates opened up when god has brought back her husband safely from campaign? Take this message away to my husband, to come as soon as possible; he is the citys beloved darling. As to his wife, I wish he may find her when he comes just as faithful in his home as the one he left behind, the houses watch-dog to him while hostile to ill-wishers, and similar in everything else, with no seal broken in the length of time; and I know no more of pleasure from another man, nor talk of blame, than I do of dipping bronze. There you have my boast; its fullness with the truth makes it no shame for a woman of my nobility to proclaim. (587-614)| | I’ve quoted this entire long speech by Clytemnestra because of the sheer wealth of conflicting images of femininity it offers. At the beginning of the speech, we see her offering a counterargument to the sexist stereotypes presented by the Chorus in the previous quotation. Contrary to how they claim women typically behave, Clytemnestra says that she was right about the fact that Agamemnon was coming home, and so hadnt gotten her hopes up for no reason. She drives this point home by saying that she doesnt want to hear any more secondhand information, but will wait to hear what her husband has to say when he gets home. For the rest of the speech, she interweaves various ideas of traditional femininity, pointing out how much she loves her husband, and how faithful she has been to him while he was gone. Aeschylus’s Greek tragedy, Agamemnon stereotypes of women in the play are quite evident. There is no rug sweeping of this topic at all, instead the reader is greeted with this issue at the beginning of the play. It seems like every male character especially the chorus are brash on the females and encounter them is unworthy, unintelligent and forgetful subhuman. Male characters in Agamemnon do not in the slightest take anything women say seriously and believe the right place for them in caring for baby and the home, similarity to that of the stereotypical housewife of the 1950’s. To much astonishment the women in the play prevail against all preconceptions about them. Probably the most is Clytamnestra, who killed her husband because he sacrificed her beloved daughter to succeed his army. Clytamnestra was a strong woman and never apologized for what she did, but admitted to it with dignity and honor. Women of Agamemnon serve as a fine example to the idea that even though women might be placed in a situation that has placed in a unfair hierarchy of gender, we women must triumph and overcome biases just like our sisters have done for millenniums; we must be brave and endure so we can succeed and show that we can do and be just about anything.

Problems That Face Asians In English Pronunciation English Language Essay

Problems That Face Asians In English Pronunciation English Language Essay Speaking regarded as the most important and difficult micro-skill of the four skills in foreign language learning. Most adult non-native students of English in the UK particularly Asian students face a lot of difficulties when they speak English and they sometimes get frustrated when they could not understand or be understand by native speakers of English. Therefore, they encounter the same problems that confront any students studying in a foreign culture, such as grammar, pronunciation, listening comprehension and different cultures. Also, it is difficult for them to adjust to the English language especially when they speak it. They may have difficulty understanding class lecture, making them feel reluctant to participate in class discussion, seminars and tutorials. This essay will first explain and evaluate only one issue that face adult Asian students in UK when they speak English which is English pronunciation. Therefore, pronunciation is a difficult aspect in language learning f or adult Asian students which lead to real barriers to communication and can contribute to motivation with native English speakers. This essay also will examine what are the most frequent difficulties encountered them in English pronunciation, the factors that affecting the pronunciation of non native students of English , some solutions to surmount the difficulties of mispronunciation among Asian adult students and finally it will throw some light on the implications of language teaching. Literature review: Teachers of English as a FL or a L2 know so well how important pronunciation is. Nevertheless, sometimes it has been obvious that a teacher has been paid little attention to the students pronunciation in the process of second language learning and teaching. Celce Goodain(1991) states that over the past years, there have been different views about the value of teaching pronunciation in language teaching and they reported that the cognitive approach and grammar translation reading based method which used by teachers attach no importance to pronunciation. However, in the direct approach, pronunciation is considered important. In addition, Jack and William (2002) reported that pronunciation is no longer considered as an indispensable aspect in a foreign language teaching. According to Beebe (1984,51), `Most current textbooks in English as a second language either ignore the teaching of pronunciation or rely primarily on old stand-bys-to teach non-native learners to pronounce English accurately. Trammell (1993) also indicates that instruction in pronunciation has been deemphasised due to the new teaching methods like the Communicative Approach. Communication is an important need of in daily life and it should be the primary purpose of language learning and teaching . Therefore, teaching English speaking to non-native students of English how to speak English accurately and fluently with native speakers of English is one of the general objectives of the foreign language teaching. According to Yule (2006: 33), language is primarily speech and it is more basic to language than the written form. Knowles (1987) argue that written language is permanent and looks imperfect version of the spoken language whereas spoken Language is more elusive. It is clear that we all speak and hear the sounds spoken in our environment first before we write or read. For instance, child before goes to school, he will speak before write because he will acquire his first Language from his family when he imitates what they said. It is seem that as long as one can communicate with others in the second language, everything is fine but the questions is ,how can communicate with people fluently if your pronunciation is incorrect? Beebe (1984) insists that pronunciation always affect what we communicate and how well we communicate it, and therefore it should be take seriously. Weeren Theunissen(1987: 109) pointed out: Firstly, good pronunciation allows one to be better understood. It gives the speakers oral production a certain redundancy. And this can help to get a message across more effectively as a learning objective because of it is high pay off. The number of sound, sound clusters and intonation pattern in a Language is finite, as is the alphabet. Once the system has been mastered, it can be used, thus giving it fundamentally an infinite scope. Thirdly, a deviant pronunciation means that one is immediately marked as non-native abroad. Harmer (2007) suggests that if students want to be able to speak fluently in English, they need to be able pronounce phonemes correctly and appropriate stress and intonation. Pronunciations of students need to be good enough to communicate the message so that it is understood by other speakers of English. Therefore, most Asian adult students have difficulties to pronounce words or sentences correctly which can be a major cause of misunderstandings. They have difficulties in recognize sound of English, word stress( which part of a word are more heavily stressed that is spoken louder and longer), sentence stress( which part of a sentence can be more heavily stressed), sounds in connected speech( how to link the sounds together in a sentence),and finally in intonation(how our voice rises and falls at a certain point of the sentence).From my own experience as a teacher in a secondary school, most students have potential pronunciation problems when they speak English. They have problem wi th stress and intonation that they unable to put the right emphasis on the right part of the word. Also they have problems with vowels bends and consonants blends as well. For example, sounds likeea and ou can be confusing them because when they listen to the audio recordings, it can be very difficult for them to pick up the subtle blends of two or more vowels. Additionally, In consonants blends, they have problem with th sound because they are not accustomed to putting t and h together to form th sound to reproduce. It is clear that pronunciation is so difficult to learn. The first language of most overseas students effect on learning the second language. Problems that face Asian students in English pronunciation: Most Asian adult students work and study hard to become very fluent in English. However, there are many different varieties of spoken English and non-native students may have achieved fluency such as knowing correct grammar and knowing a large numbers of vocabulary especially when they have been taught by non-native speakers but they have a non-standard accent which make the use of English difficult for native speakers of English to understand. Vowels Celce-Murcia, Brinton and Goodwin (1996) states there are different types of vowel sounds in English pronunciation. Firstly, received pronunciation. It has twelve monophthongs (single or pure vowels).Secondly, eight diphthongs (double vowels) and two thriphthongs (triple vowels).therefore, some of in Asian students like Arabices , Japanese and Chinese have fewer vowels in their first Language which lead to have problems with hearing and pronouncing these distinctions of vowel sounds. For example, Japanese language has only 5 vowels /i/,/e/,/a/,/É‘/,/o/. According to, Kenworthy(1987) there are five vowels letters which are (a, e, i, o, u) .They map to 13 different sounds. For instance, the letter is pronounced differently in the words: boat, boot, out and hot. This is one of the problems that encountered by Asian adult students in pronunciation subject. They have problem with the /a/ sound (e.g. at) because it is not easy for them to hear and pronounce this sound. Also, they could not differentiate between the long sound/a/ and the sound/e/ (e.g. paper-pepper).They also have problems in differentiating between the long/e/ and the short /i/ (e.g. eat-it). Furthermore, diphthongs in English are difficult to learn and definitely tribal markers in English. .They are also very easy for native speakers of English to identify but not easy for non-native speakers of English. So, speech sounds which involve a slide from one vowel to another is the biggest problem which face Asian adult students when they speak English. For example, theou sound in the word out is a blend of /ah/ and /oo/. Several of diphthongs are quiet subtle .For instant the long /ee/ sound in the words feel and fear is a blend of /ee/ and /ah/ as (fee-ah). Celce-Murcia , Brinton and Goodwin ( 1996 ) 2- Consonants Kota(2006) stats that English consonants are less difficult than vowels. Most languages have the sounds which are represented by the letters d, t, s, and z .Nevertheless, some languages do not use certain consonants which can be difficult for non-native speakers of English. For examples, the r and l sounds are not used by Japanese and Korean native speakers. Then, the so- called ra-la distinction is especially difficult for them. They have also difficulty to distinguish between /b/ and /v/ sounds. The /th/ sound is not simply to use it in the naÃÆ' ¯ve language. It can be difficult for Vietnamese students. Therefore, they substitue a /zh/ instead of /th/ as in: /zh/ese problems may be caused by pollution. Also, he adds that there are more consonants in English than in Japanese language .Therefore, the /f/, /v/ /o/, A/, /s/,/3/,/ts/,/d3/ do not exist in the Japanese consonantal system. In addition, Munro((1993) states that some Arabic language do not make use of separate sounds for /b/ and/p/.then, they have difficulty to distinguishing and pronouncing b and p sounds as in : do not bark while I park the van. The difference is quite subtle. They may confuse z withj .These problems cause misunderstanding by native English speakers when they communicate with each other From my own experience as a Libyan student at Leicester University in the UK, I had a car accident in university road because the weather was slippery and snowing which cause that the brake of my car was out of the control. After that the police came to me and asked me some questions about the accident. I said to him I feel slippery. The problem here, the police wrote in the report driver feel asleep but he did not write what I said I feel slippery .I think that was a misunderstanding between the police and me because of my language. He misunderstand me because of his linguistic constraints particularly his heavily -accented English. Other problems which face Asian adult students, is dropping medical stopped consonants. Some of them tend o drop stopped consonants such as, sounds /p/ and /k/ from the middle of poly syllabic words. For example, Chinese students tend to drop the difficult c from the word of success. They say/ suhsess/.Also, some native speaker of English pronounce the word accessory as/ assess or ee/ instead of / ack-sess-or-ee/.(Dalton,1994) Syllable structure: According to Joanna Heather (2003), English allows for in syllable structure a cluster of up to three consonants before the vowel and four consonants after the vowel as in the words straw and glimpsed. Therefore, the structure of syllabus cause issues for speakers of many languages. For instance, Japanese students usually try to in between the consonants (e.g. desk-/desks/) becomes desukusu or in the word milk shake / mIlk ʃeIk/ becomes mirukushȆ¡ku.Kota(2006) there are two types of syllable in English which are open syllables( CV) and closed syllables( CCCVCC).On the other hand, Japanese only permit one type of syllable which is open syllable. For example, Word meaning syllable Ke hair CV Kare boyfriend CVCV So, Words in Japanese do not end with consonants and it Japanese does not allow both initial and final consonants. Knowles (1987) maintains that some Asian students who first languages end in vowels, they often tend to make all English words end in vowels. For example, they pronounce the word make as /meIkÉâ„ ¢ / instead of/ meIk/. Also, they sometimes find it is so complicated when native speakers of English may drop consonants in the more complex blends (e.g. the word months, they say /mɆ¦nÉ µs/ instead of / mɆ¦nos/. 4-Rhythm and Cadence: Brown (2001: 121) pointed out that cadence is the pattern of stresses within a sentence and rhythm refers to the beat syllabus. If each one were marked by tapping fingers on a desk: rat a-tat-tat-tat TAT of this. He adds that the main issue that trips up Asian adult students that British English are stress timed whereas most Asian languages are syllable timed. Stressed syllables are roughly equidistant in time and they like the sound of the mechanical tat-tat-tat-tat of gun machine with equal length to each syllable. However, native English speakers stretch syllables at the same time like putting emphasis on some syllables and not others. For instance,hi. Wonderful to see u again .They say this sentence like this hiiiii woooood fl to seeeeeee yu agaiaiainn. This mean, won- see- gain is both emphasized and lengthened but other syllabuses in the sentence are so lightly and shortened spoken. According to Kota (2006), stress time in English is one of the problem that encounter Asian students particularly for Singaporeans students. They speak in the way which is very difficult for English speakers to understand. 5- Intonation Roach, (2002: 50) defines intonation as the rising or falling pitch of the voice while pronouncing words or syllables. He believes that intonation enables speakers to express their emotions and attitudes when they speak. The most problematic area of pronunciation for most Asian students is intonation. They find it extremely difficult to hear tunes or identify the different patterns of rising and falling tones. Therefore, some Asian languages have less pitch variation than English especially Japanese language.They use pith changes to mark stress on the word level which result the so-called monotonous intonation. Wong(1987) suggests that English as a tonal language(not using tones).We can understand the words in isolation but if we put them together in sentences, the meaning of the sentence may change by a shift in tone. For example, Are you going to the library?(low-then-high on word library) but if u wondered which of two persons agreed to get the list of books, the same words would have a different emphasis Are you going to the library?, and the tone for you would be rather deep which is different from the first question. Jack and Willy (2002) introduce other problems in English pronunciation .Firstly, difference between spelling and sounds. There are lots of words in English language which have silent letters. Therefore, most Asian students specifically Pakistani students pronounce these silent letters unknowingly which make them mispronounce the words. For example, knowledge, kneel .These two word have k silent letter which they should not pronounce it at all. Secondly, multiple sounds of the same letters are also one of the issues that encounter Asian adult students. This mean there are many letters and combinations of letters which produce numerous sounds at different place. For instance, the letter c produces two sounds like s and k (e.g. circle, car) and also ch letter produce three sounds as ch,k andsh. Factors affecting the English pronunciation of Asian students: The effect of native language: Every language in the world has different accent and varsities is true that non native speakers speak the target language in a different way. Sometimes, they speak highly different than native speakers of English do. Avery Ehrlich (1987:9) calls the foreign accent the nature of which is determined to a large extended by a learners native language. Then, native language of speaker may influence on the pronunciation of the target language. Jack and Willy(2002: 184) states that the way we speak is a part of our identity ,that is, phonemic differences between language cause, a target language which will be spoken with a foreign language. Some Asian students specifically Turkish adult students have difficulty in some English sounds or words that are not exist in their first language. For example, the sounds/ÃÆ' °/ and / ÆÅ ¸/ are not exist in Turkish language which lead Turkish students to face difficulty to pronounce these sounds when they speak English. So they produce these sou nds under the influence of their first language. Then, the influence of native language is inevitable. 2-The factor of age: This is the most important factor in learning English pronunciation. If someone wants to pronounce a foreign language with a native like accent, he/she should start to learn it during his/her childhood. For example, children who start learn English language in foreign language speaking people environment. As a result, they have more advantage than the children who learn the second language in their motherlands. Krashen (1988) mentions that people who expose their second language during childhood, they achieve higher foreign language proficiency than those who beginning as adults. It seems that age is the main factor which effect on adults English pronunciation. They are difficult for them to learn English language after puberty. Therefore, it is better to learning it in short run and should be started in puberty. Phonetic Ability: According to Jack and Willy (2002) pointed out that some people who have a good ear, they have the ability to discriminate between the two sounds accurately. So, learners phonetics ability affects the development of their pronunciation. Kenworthy(1987) believes that the influence of age is an efficient factor for phonetics ability. Because it is so difficult for adult students to have more ability in pronunciation than immigrants children who start their learning process in a second language speaking environment. 3-The Amount Exposure: Many non native speakers have not opportunity to practice the English language in their motherlands. English also do not only used in the classroom. If the learners live in an English- speaking country, the learners will have opportunities to listen and speak with native speakers of English. Conversely, there will no advantage for learners if they live in a non English speaking country. Kenworthy (1987) insists that exposure can be a contributory factor but it is not necessary factor for developing adult learners pronunciation. Learners should make use of it is opportunities, if they are aware of the necessity of being exposed to the second language. If the learners do that, they will be more successful in case of improving their pronunciation. 5- Personality and Attitude This factor affect the pronunciation of most Asian adult students in a bad way if the learners have negative attitudes for the English environment .learners or they are introverted students. From my own experience as a student in the UK, I am one of the students who are introverted or shy. Therefore, I usually do not take part in classroom activities; seminars and tutorials .Whereas extrovert students have more chance to improve their pronunciation. Brown (2001) states attitude of the students toward the new language have an effective role in pronunciation learning. Also, if the learners have a good attitude for the target culture, they can develop their pronunciation accurately. If the learners have some prejudices on the second language and its society, this event will influence their approach to the language. It is clear that these above factors are effective in the learners pronunciation and also exert much influence on the adult learners. So, teachers play a significant role for helping adult learners to develop their English pronunciation. Also, they should pay attention to the students concern for pronunciation because they are not aware of the way that they speech. Therefore there are lots of methods and types of teaching English pronunciation which help Asian adult students to overcome the difficulties of it. They will also help them to acquire an accurate pronunciation and improve their speech. Solutions to surmount the difficulties of mispronunciation among Asian adult students:- Teaching pronunciation:- Jigsaw: Pennington (1996) maintains that jigsaw is a form of information gap. Students work in pairs or small group to exchange their information. They try to combine words with each other to create sentences. These sentences consist of words that the learners have difficulty to pronounce these words. For example, in the word rise which has the letters s that they must pronounce it as z and producing /raIz/ e.g. I was surprised that the raisings rise! B-Tongue Twister: This kind of activity helps adult Asian students to say difficult words and phrases so quickly. Celce-Murcia (1987:55) stress that there is a little transfer from practice to natural information. But, if it is needed and necessary, they can be used. Example: Paul piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. 2-Drilling Techniques There are lots of drills which helps adult Asian students to improve their English pronunciation. They are very useful for teaching the correct pronunciation of the words and sentences. A- Saturation drill Wong (1987) proposed it is vey suitable for all position of the problematic sound. For instance, the sound /s/ as a problem sound. It can be drilled in its three positions Initial media final See leasing peace Seem clinic purse Substitution drill Dalton (1994) says that this drill can be applied by substituting any sound instead of other sound. For instance,/t/ sound instead of /ÃŽÂ ¸/ and /d/ in place of /ÃÆ' °/( e.g. this is thin/tin.) It is clear that there are other ways helps learners to overcome difficulties of pronunciation .First, media which give to the students positive advantage especially when they watch standard English news channel like BBC. Second, is practice. Students should practise English with native speaker or non native speakers of English to improve their English speaking Conclusion: To sum up, teaching pronunciation is one of the important areas of foreign language teaching. Most overseas students especially Asian adult students encounter troubles when they try to communicate with native speakers of English. Then, communication should be the primary purpose of language learning and teaching. One crucial part of effective communication for Asian adult students to grasp is: comfortably intelligible pronunciation. They have certain difficulties such as produce correct sound and recognition of English sounds, understanding of stress and intonation, difference between spelling and sounds and other problems. Therefore, it should be studied in the early age (from puberty) to eliminate these problems and also to overcome the negative influence from the first language interference. Teachers must be a ware of the techniques which help students improve their pronunciation according to their age, ability, needs, attitudes and expectations. Count words (3200) Classroom Implications: Appendix I: Generally, pronunciation is really complicated process in foreign language teaching. There are some of sounds which have similar sounds but have different meanings. This can be causing much confusion to the learners. Therefore, most ESL students have problem with English pronunciation when they speak English. From my own experience as a teacher in Libyan secondary school, I used several ways to teach pronunciation which can be benefit all learners. Firstly, introducing phonemes .because the biggest problem that faces them is the distinguage between sounds. For example, in the words fat, mat, cat, sat, the letters /f/, /m/, /c/, /s/ are the phonemes which are the beginning letters of these words. Phoneme makes the distinct difference between similar words. After that, students listen and repeat these different sounds and then identify them. For the best result, I introduce phoneme in pairs. (e.g. the /f/ and/v/ sounds).They listen and speak them and also repeat simple words like( fat- vat)Secondly, practicing phonemes for making the sound accurately. I drew pronunciation diagrams on the blackboard because they help them to know how to hold the tongue and lips. For example, the sound /th/ in #the word this and thank. Anxiety is usually common among students when they lean pronunciation. Then, I usually use some verbal games such as, handclap rhythms and jazz charts which can help them to improve their speaking and relieve much of pressure. Appendix II: Students listen to audio recordings and they practice what they hear because recordings get them attuned to stress, intonation, pitch and phonological distinctions. For example: Listen and say what word you hear: is it from column (a) or column (b)? Some words are unusual. a b 1 Port Bought 2 Pack Back 3 True Drew 4 Fast Vast 5 Thank Than 6 East Easy 7 Please Pleasure 8 Ship Chip 9 Choke joke Appendix III Word stress and intonation Listen and mark the stressed syllable. Daughter- orbit-planet- computer- meaning- handle-homework- hospital derision. 2-Read these sentences and mark the pauses with / and mark the intonation pattern with à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å". 1- People who look different from others in some way are interesting. 2- The one who looks bored is my sister. 3- The latest design, with CD player is very expensive. 4-A tidy, conventionally decorated room with everything in its place is boring.

Using Biometrics for Security :: Technology Safety Essays

Using Biometrics for Security Today the protection of everything has become an important issue that affects everyone. Whether it’s protecting a cashier’s cash drawer or preventing a suicide bomber onto an aircraft. Either way there is going to be an increase and change in security. The advancement in the technology of computers has made it easier for people to get information. Today, a person can log onto the internet and view information on anything and everything. If an average person can do that then how secure is the internet? How much security should be placed on a computer or a website? For the average person, a password, personal identification number, or keys allow them to view information that only they can access. This form of security isn’t of high-quality because it can be forged. Over the years, many people have developed security systems that can actually authenticate a person. This report will be looking at these advancements as well as my thoughts of them. The improvement in security was developed on the bases of biometrics. Biometrics refers to the authentication techniques that rely on measurable characteristics that can be automatically checked. [1] Biometric techniques are divided into physiological and behavioral characteristics. Physiological characteristics include: the finger, palm, the face, and the retina and iris of the eye. Behavioral characteristics include: voiceprints, keystrokes and handwritten signatures. Fingerprints is the most commonly use of biometric today. It works great for the population between the ages of 18 and 40 because their prints are haven’t been effective by normal aging. In my view there are a few downfalls. The first on is due to aging. As we go through life our body changes. We lose fat on a fingers causing the image to become more difficult to read. The second one is due to the type of employment. A construction worker or a carpenter work with their hands all the time. Many of them get injuries on their hands causing a scar to alter the fingerprint. My final downfall is a bit distorted. A finger can be cut off. There are many people that will go to any means to get what they want. This includes cutting off a person finger and carrying it around till they get to what they need to access. Palm and hand scanner are less effective and more expensive then fingerprint scanners.

Kants Categories Reconsidered Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Paper

Kant's Categories Reconsidered ABSTRACT: Adopting a Quinean criterion of ontological commitment, I consider the question of the ontological commitment of Kant's theory of our a priori knowledge of objects. Its direct concern is the customary view that the ontology of Kant's theory of knowledge in general, whether a priori or empirical, must be thought in terms of the a priori conditions or representations of space, time, and the categories. Accordingly, this view is accompanied by the customary interpretation of ontology as consisting of Kantian "appearances" or "empirical objects." I argue against this view and interpretation. My argument turns on the opposition between the necessity and universality of the a priori and the particularity and contingency of the existent. Its main point is that the a priori can remain necessary and universal only if the existence of objects is kept distinct from it. I. Introduction To the extent that category theory, i.e. that there are certain predicates of things that are fundamental to our thought about objects in general, has been based on our thought of objects of possible experience, it has been highly suspect. This is the negative thesis of this paper. Over the years, philosophical inventiveness has produced various schemes of predicates which challenge the claims of necessity that have been made on behalf of the scheme we employ for such objects-a scheme of substances that are involved in causal action and interaction. If no particular scheme is necessary, perhaps it is not necessary that we employ any scheme at all. Kant's theory of categories is no different from any other category theory in this regard. Its dependence on what Kant calls the logical functions of judgment do... ...scussion. For an actual development of the proposal see Robert Greenberg, "The Content of Kant's Logical Functions of Judgment," History of Philosophy Quarterly 11 (1994): 375-92. (7) This interpretation of "transcendental content" seems to dispute that given by Darrell Johnson, viz., that it refers to the concept of an object in general. See his, "Kant's Metaphysical Deduction," Proceedings of the Eighth International Kant Congress (Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 1995) Volume II, Part I, p 273. (8) The by now widely accepted division of the B-Deduction into two steps was first introduced into the current commentary on the deduction by Dieter Henrich in his, "The Proof Structure of Kant's Transcendental Deduction," Review of Metaphysics 22 (1969): 640-59, reprinted in Ralph C. S. Walker, ed. Kant on Pure Reason (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982).

Zoe’s Tale PART III Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning I found out Dad was under arrest. â€Å"It's not exactly arrest,† Dad said at our kitchen table, having his morning coffee. â€Å"I've been relieved of my position as colony leader and have to travel back to Phoenix Station for an inquiry. So it's more like a trial. And if that goes badly then I'll be arrested.† â€Å"Is it going to go badly?† I asked. â€Å"Probably,† Dad said. â€Å"They don't usually have an inquiry if they don't know how it's going to turn out, and if it was going to turn out well, they wouldn't bother to have it.† He sipped his coffee. â€Å"What did you do?† I asked. I had my own coffee, loaded up with cream and sugar, which was sitting ignored in front of me. I was still in shock about Enzo, and this really wasn't helping. â€Å"I tried to talk General Gau out of walking into the trap we set for him and his fleet,† Dad said. â€Å"When we met I asked him not to call his fleet. Begged him not to, actually. It was against my orders. I was told to engage in ‘nonessential conversation' with him. As if you can have nonessential conversation with someone who is planning to take over your colony, and whose entire fleet you're about to blow up.† â€Å"Why did you do it?† I asked. â€Å"Why did you try to give General Gau an out?† â€Å"I don't know,† Dad said. â€Å"Probably because I didn't want the blood of all those crews on my hands.† â€Å"You weren't the one who set off the bombs,† I said. â€Å"I don't think that matters, do you?† Dad said. He set down his cup. â€Å"I was still part of the plan. I was still an active participant. I still bear some responsibility. I wanted to know that at the very least I tried in some small way to avoid so much bloodshed. I guess I was just hoping there might be a way to do things other than the way that ends up with everyone getting killed.† I got up out of my chair and gave my dad a big hug. He took it, and then looked at me, a little surprised, when I sat back down. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"I'd like to know what that was about.† â€Å"It was me being happy that we think alike,† I said. â€Å"I can tell we're related, even if it's not biologically.† â€Å"I don't think anyone would doubt we think alike, dear,† Dad said. â€Å"Although given that I'm about to get royally shafted by the Colonial Union, I'm not sure it's such a good thing for you.† â€Å"I think it is,† I said. â€Å"And biology or not, I think we're both smart enough to figure out that things are not going well for anyone,† Dad said. â€Å"This is a real big mess, nor are we out of it.† â€Å"Amen,† I said. â€Å"How are you, sweetheart?† Dad asked. â€Å"Are you going to be okay?† I opened my mouth to say something and closed it again. â€Å"I think right now I want to talk about anything else in the world besides how I'm doing,† I said, finally. â€Å"All right,† Dad said. He started talking about himself then, not because he was an egotist but because he knew listening to him would help me take my mind off my own worries. I listened to him talk on without worrying too much about what he said. Dad left on the supply ship San Joaquin the next day, with Manfred Trujillo and a couple other colonists who were going as representatives of Roanoke, on political and cultural business. That was their cover, anyway. What they were really doing, or so Jane had told me, was trying to find out anything about what was going on in the universe involving Roanoke and who had attacked us. It would take a week for Dad and the others to reach Phoenix Station; they'd spend a day or so there and then it would take another week for them to return. Which is to say, it'd take another week for everyone but Dad to return; if Dad's inquiry went against him, he wouldn't be coming back. We tried not to think about that. Three days later most of the colony converged on the Gugino homestead and said good-bye to Bruno and Natalie, Maria, Katherina, and Enzo. They were buried where they had died; Jane and others had removed the missile debris that had fallen on them, reshaped the area with new soil, and set new sod on top. A marker was placed to note the family. At some point in the future, there might be another, larger marker, but for now it was small and simple: the family name, the name of the members, and their dates. It reminded me of my own family marker, where my biological mother lay. For some reason I found this a little bit comforting. Magdy's father, who had been Bruno Gugino's closest friend, spoke warmly about the whole family. A group of singers came and sang two of Natalie's favorite hymns from Zhong Guo. Magdy spoke, briefly and with difficulty about his best friend. When he sat back down, Gretchen was there to hold him while he sobbed. Finally we all stood and some prayed and others stood silently, with their heads bowed, thinking about missing friends and loved ones. Then people left, until it was just me and Gretchen and Magdy, standing silently by the marker. â€Å"He loved you, you know,† Magdy said to me, suddenly. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"No,† Magdy said, and I saw how he was trying to get across to me that he wasn't just making comforting words. â€Å"I'm not talking about how we say we love something, or love people we just like. He really loved you, Zoe. He was ready to spend his whole life with you. I wish I could make you believe this.† I took out my PDA, opened it to Enzo's poem, and showed it to Magdy. â€Å"I believe it,† I said. Magdy read the poem, nodded. Then he handed the PDA back to me. â€Å"I'm glad,† he said. â€Å"I'm glad he sent that to you. I used to make fun of him because he wrote you those poems. I told him that he was just being a goof.† I smiled at that. â€Å"But now I'm glad he didn't listen to me. I'm glad he sent them. Because now you know. You know how much he loved you.† Magdy broke down as he tried to finish that sentence. I came up to him and held him and let him cry. â€Å"He loved you too, Magdy,† I said to him. â€Å"As much as me. As much as anyone. You were his best friend.† â€Å"I loved him too,† Magdy said. â€Å"He was my brother. I mean, not my real brother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He started to get a look on his face; he was annoyed with himself that he wasn't expressing himself like he wanted. â€Å"No, Magdy,† I said. â€Å"You were his real brother. In every way that matters, you were his brother. He knew you thought of him that way. And he loved you for it.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Zoe,† Magdy said, and looked down at his feet. â€Å"I'm sorry I always gave you and Enzo a hard time. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, gently. â€Å"Stop that. You were supposed to give us a hard time, Magdy. Giving people a hard time is what you do. Ask Gretchen.† â€Å"It's true,† Gretchen said, not unkindly. â€Å"It really is.† â€Å"Enzo thought of you as his brother,† I said. â€Å"You're my brother too. You have been all this time. I love you, Magdy.† â€Å"I love you too, Zoe,† Magdy said quietly, and then looked straight at me. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"You're welcome.† I gave him another hug. â€Å"Just remember that as your new family member I'm now entitled to give you all sorts of crap.† â€Å"I can't wait,† Magdy said, and then turned to Gretchen. â€Å"Does this make you my sister too?† â€Å"Considering our history, you better hope not,† Gretchen said. Magdy laughed at that, which was a good sign, then gave me a peck on a cheek, gave Gretchen a hug, and then walked from the grave of his friend and brother. â€Å"Do you think he's going to be okay?† I asked Gretchen, as we watched him go. â€Å"No,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Not for a long time. I know you loved Enzo, Zoe, I really do, and I don't want this to sound like I'm trying to undercut that. But Enzo and Magdy were two halves of the same whole.† She nodded to Magdy. â€Å"You lost someone you love. He's lost part of himself. I don't know if he's going to get over that.† â€Å"You can help him,† I said. â€Å"Maybe,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But think about what you're asking me to do.† I laughed. It's why I loved Gretchen. She was the smartest girl I ever knew, and smart enough to know that being smart had its own repercussions. She could help Magdy, all right, by becoming part of what he was missing. But it meant her being that, one way or another, for the rest of their lives. She would do it, because when it came down to it she really did love Magdy. But she was right to worry about what it meant for her. â€Å"Anyway,† Gretchen said, â€Å"I'm not done helping someone else.† I snapped out of my thoughts at that. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"Well. You know. I'm okay.† â€Å"I know,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I also know you lie horribly.† â€Å"I can't fool you,† I said. â€Å"No,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Because what Enzo was to Magdy, I am to you.† I hugged her. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"Good,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Whenever you forget, I'll remind you.† â€Å"Okay,† I said. We unhugged and Gretchen left me alone with Enzo and his family, and I sat with them for a long time. Four days later, a note from Dad from a skip drone from Phoenix Station. A miracle, it said. I'm not headed for prison. We are heading back on the next supply ship. Tell Hickory and Dickory that I will need to speak to them when I return. Love you. There was another note for Jane, but she didn't tell me what was in it. â€Å"Why would Dad want to talk to you?† I asked Hickory. â€Å"We don't know,† Hickory said. â€Å"The last time he and I spoke of anything of any importance was the day – I am sorry – that your friend Enzo died. Some time ago, before we left Huckleberry, I had mentioned to Major Perry that the Obin government and the Obin people stood ready to assist you and your family here on Roanoke should you need our assistance. Major Perry reminded me of that conversation and asked me if the offer still stood. I told him that at the time I believed it did.† â€Å"You think Dad is going to ask for your help?† I asked. â€Å"I do not know,† Hickory said. â€Å"And since I last spoke to Major Perry circumstances have changed.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Dickory and I have finally received detailed updated information from our government, up to and including its analysis of the Colonial Union's attack on the Conclave fleet,† Hickory said. â€Å"The most important piece of news is that we have been informed that shortly after the Magellan disappeared, the Colonial Union came to the Obin government and asked it not to search for the Roanoke colony, nor to offer it assistance if it were to be located by the Conclave or any other race.† â€Å"They knew you would come looking for me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"But why would they tell you not to help us?† I asked. â€Å"Because it would interfere with the Colonial Union's own plans to lure the Conclave fleet to Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"That's happened,† I said. â€Å"That's done. The Obin can help us now,† I said. â€Å"The Colonial Union has asked us to continue not to offer aid or assistance to Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"That makes no sense,† I said. â€Å"We are inclined to agree,† Hickory said. â€Å"But that means that you can't even help me,† I said. â€Å"There is a difference between you and the colony of Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"The Colonial Union cannot ask us not to protect or assist you. It would violate the treaty between our peoples, and the Colonial Union would not want to do that, especially now. But the Colonial Union may choose to interpret the treaty narrowly and has. Our treaty concerns you, Zoe. To a much lesser extent it concerns your family, meaning Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan. It does not concern Roanoke colony at all.† â€Å"It does when I live here,† I said. â€Å"This colony is of a great deal of concern to me. Its people are of a great deal of concern to me. Everybody I care about in the whole universe is here. Roanoke matters to me. It should matter to you.† â€Å"We did not say it did not matter to us,† Hickory said, and I heard something in its voice I had never heard before: reproach. â€Å"Nor do we suggest it does not matter to you, for many reasons. We are telling you how the Colonial Union is asking the Obin government to view its rights under treaty. And we are telling you that our government, for its own reasons, has agreed.† â€Å"So if my dad asks for your help, you will tell him no,† I said. â€Å"We will tell him that so long as Roanoke is a Colonial Union world, we are unable to offer help.† â€Å"So, no,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"We are sorry, Zoe.† â€Å"I want you to give me the information your government has given you,† I said. â€Å"We will do so,† Hickory said. â€Å"But it is in our native language and file formatting, and will take a considerable amount of time for your PDA to translate.† â€Å"I don't care,† I said. â€Å"As you wish,† Hickory said. Not too long after that I stared at the screen of my PDA and ground my teeth together as it slowly plodded through file transformations and translations. I realized it would be easier just to ask Hickory and Dickory about it all, but I wanted to see it all with my own eyes. However long it took. It took long enough that I had hardly read any of it by the time Dad and the others had made it home. â€Å"This all looks like gibberish to me,† Gretchen said, looking at the documents I was showing her on my PDA. â€Å"It's like it was translated from monkey or something.† â€Å"Look,† I said. I pulled up a different document. â€Å"According to this, blowing up the Conclave fleet backfired. It was supposed to make the Conclave collapse and all the races start shooting at each other. Well, the Conclave is starting to collapse, but hardly any of them are actually fighting each other. They're attacking Colonial Union worlds instead. They really messed this up.† â€Å"If you say this is what it says, I'm going to believe you,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I'm not actually finding verbs here.† I pulled up another document. â€Å"Here, this is about a Conclave leader named Nerbros Eser. He's General Gau's main competition for leadership of the Conclave now. Gau still doesn't want to attack the Colonial Union directly, even though we just destroyed his fleet. He still thinks the Conclave is strong enough to keep doing what it's been doing. But this Eser guy thinks the Conclave should just wipe us out. The Colonial Union. And especially us here on Roanoke. Just to make the point that you don't mess with the Conclave. The two of them are fighting over control of the Conclave right now.† â€Å"Okay,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But I still don't know what any of this means, Zoe. Speak not-hyper-ese to me. You're losing me.† I stopped and took a breath. Gretchen was right. I'd spent most of the last day reading these documents, drinking coffee, and not sleeping; I was not at the peak of my communication skills. So I tried again. â€Å"The whole point of founding Roanoke colony was to start a war,† I said. â€Å"It looks like it worked,† Gretchen said. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It was supposed to start a war within the Conclave. Blowing up their fleet was supposed to tear the Conclave apart from the inside. It would end the threat of this huge coalition of alien races and bring things back to the way it was before, when every race was fighting every other race. We trigger a civil war, and then we sweep in while they're all fighting and scoop up the worlds we want and come out of it all stronger than before – maybe too strong for any one race or even a small group of races to square off against. That was the plan.† â€Å"But you're telling me it didn't work that way,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Right,† I said. â€Å"We blew up the fleet and got the Conclave members fighting, but who they're fighting is us. The reason we didn't like the Conclave is that it was four hundred against one, the one being us. Well, now it's still four hundred against one, except now no one's listening to the one guy who was keeping them from engaging in total war against us.† â€Å"Us here on Roanoke,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Us everywhere,† I said. â€Å"The Colonial Union. Humans. Us. This is happening now,† I said. â€Å"Colonial Union worlds are being attacked. Not just the new colony worlds, the ones that usually get attacked. Even the established colonies – the ones that haven't been attacked in decades – are getting hit. And unless General Gau gets them all back in line, these attacks are going to keep happening. They're going to get worse.† â€Å"I think you need a new hobby,† Gretchen said, handing me back my PDA. â€Å"Your new one here is really depressing.† â€Å"I'm not trying to scare you,† I said. â€Å"I thought you would want to know about all this.† â€Å"You don't have to tell me,† Gretchen said. â€Å"You need to tell your parents. Or my dad. Someone who actually knows what to do about all this.† â€Å"They already know,† I said. â€Å"I heard John and Jane talking about it last night after he got back from Phoenix Station. Everyone there knows the colonies are under attack. No one's reporting it – the Colonial Union has a lockdown on the news – but everyone's talking about it.† â€Å"What does that leave for Roanoke?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"But I know we don't have a lot of pull right now.† â€Å"So we're all going to die,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Well. Gee. Thanks, Zoe. I'm really glad to know it.† â€Å"It's not that bad yet,† I said. â€Å"Our parents are working on it. They'll figure it out. We're not all going to die.† â€Å"Well, you're not going to die, at least,† Gretchen said. â€Å"What does that mean?† I asked. â€Å"If things really go swirling, the Obin will swoop in and take you out of here,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Although if all of the Colonial Union is really under attack, I'm not sure where you're going to end up going. But the point is, you have an escape route. The rest of us don't.† I stared at Gretchen. â€Å"That's incredibly unfair,† I said. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere, Gretchen.† â€Å"Why?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I'm not angry at you that you have a way out, Zoe. I'm envious. I've been through one attack. Just one missile got through and it didn't even explode properly, and it still did incredible damage and killed someone I care about and everyone in his family. When they come for us for real, we don't have a chance.† â€Å"You still have your training,† I said. â€Å"I'm not going to be able to engage in single combat with a missile, Zoe,† Gretchen said, annoyed. â€Å"Yes, if someone decides to have a landing party here, I might be able to fight them off for a while. But after what we've done to that Conclave fleet, do you think anyone is really going to bother? They're just going to blow us up from the sky. You said it yourself. They want to be rid of us. And you're the only one that has a chance of getting out of here.† â€Å"I already said I'm not going anywhere,† I said. â€Å"Jesus, Zoe,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I love you, I really do, but I can't believe you're actually that dumb. If you have a chance to go, go. I don't want you to die. Your mom and dad don't want it. The Obin will hack a path through all the rest of us to keep you from dying. I think you should take the hint.† â€Å"I get the hint,† I said. â€Å"But you don't understand. I've been the sole survivor, Gretchen. It's happened to me before. Once is enough for any lifetime. I'm not going anywhere.† â€Å"Hickory and Dickory want you to leave Roanoke,† Dad said to me, after he had paged me with his PDA. Hickory and Dickory were standing in the living room with him. I was clearly coming in on some sort of negotiation between them. And it was also clearly about me. The tone of Dad's voice was light enough that I could tell he was hoping to make some point to the Obin, and I was pretty sure I knew what the point was. â€Å"Are you and Mom coming?† I said. â€Å"No,† Dad said. This I expected. Whatever was going to happen with the colony, both John and Jane would see it through, even if it meant they would die with it. It's what they expected of themselves as colony leaders, as former soldiers, and as human beings. â€Å"Then to hell with that,† I said. I looked at Hickory and Dickory when I said it. â€Å"Told you,† Dad said to Hickory. â€Å"You didn't tell her to come away,† Hickory said. â€Å"Go away, Zoe,† Dad said. This was said with such a sarcastic delivery that even Hickory and Dickory couldn't miss it. I gave a less-than-entirely-polite response to that, and then to Hickory and Dickory, and then, for good measure, to the whole idea that I was something special to the Obin. Because I was feeling saucy, and also because I was tired of the whole thing. â€Å"If you want to protect me,† I said to Hickory, â€Å"then protect this colony. Protect the people I care about.† â€Å"We cannot,† Hickory said. â€Å"We are forbidden to do so.† â€Å"Then you have a problem,† I said, â€Å"because I'm not going anywhere. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it.† And then I left, dramatically, partly because I think that was what Dad was expecting, and partly because I was done saying what I wanted to say on the matter. Then I went to my room and waited for Dad to call me again. Because whatever was going on between him and Hickory and Dickory, it wasn't over when I stomped out of the room. And like I said, whatever it was, was clearly about me. About ten minutes later Dad called for me again. I went back into the living room. Hickory and Dickory were gone. â€Å"Sit down, Zoe, please,† Dad said. â€Å"I need you to do something for me.† â€Å"Does it involve leaving Roanoke?† I asked. â€Å"It does,† Dad said. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Zoe,† Dad said. â€Å"No,† I said again. â€Å"And I don't understand you. Ten minutes ago you were happy to have me stand here in front of Hickory and Dickory and tell them I wasn't going anywhere, and now you want me to leave? What did they tell you to make you change your mind?† â€Å"It's what I told them,† Dad said. â€Å"And I haven't changed my mind. I need you to go, Zoe.† â€Å"For what?† I said. â€Å"So I can stay alive while everyone I care about dies? You and Mom and Gretchen and Magdy? So I can be saved when Roanoke is destroyed?† â€Å"I need you to go so I can save Roanoke,† Dad said. â€Å"I don't understand,† I said. â€Å"That's probably because you didn't actually let me finish before you got on your soapbox,† Dad said. â€Å"Don't mock me,† I said. Dad sighed. â€Å"I'm not trying to mock you, Zoe. But what I really need from you right now is to be quiet so I can tell you about this. Can you do that, please? It will make things go a lot more quickly. Then if you say no, at least you'll be saying no for the right reasons. All right?† â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Thank you,† Dad said. â€Å"Look. Right now all of the Colonial Union is under attack because we destroyed the Conclave fleet. Every CU world has been hit. The Colonial Defense Forces are strained as it is, and it's going to get worse. A lot worse. The Colonial Union is already making decisions about what colonies it can afford to lose when push comes to shove.† â€Å"And Roanoke is one of those,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Dad said. â€Å"Very definitely. But it's more than that, Zoe. There was a possibility that I might have been able to ask the Obin to help us here on Roanoke. Because you were here. But the Colonial Union has told the Obin not to help us at all. They can take you from here, but they can't help you or us defend Roanoke. The Colonial Union doesn't want them to help us.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"It doesn't make sense if you assume the Colonial Union wants Roanoke to survive,† Dad said. â€Å"But look at it another way, Zoe. This is the first colony with colonists from the CU rather than Earth. The settlers here are from the ten most powerful and most populous Colonial Union worlds. If Roanoke is destroyed, all ten of those worlds are going to be hit hard by the loss. Roanoke will become a rallying cry for those worlds. And for the whole Colonial Union.† â€Å"You're saying we're worth more to the Colonial Union dead than alive,† I said. â€Å"We're worth more as a symbol than as a colony,† Dad said. â€Å"Which is inconvenient for those of us who live here and want to stay alive. But, yes. It's why they won't let the Obin help us. It's why we don't make the cut for resources.† â€Å"You know this for sure?† I asked. â€Å"Someone told you this when you went back to Phoenix Station?† â€Å"Someone did,† Dad said. â€Å"A man named General Szilard. He was Jane's former commanding officer. It was unofficial, but it matched up with my own internal math.† â€Å"And you trust him?† I asked. â€Å"No offense, but the Colonial Union hasn't exactly been on the up-and-up with us lately.† â€Å"I have my issues with Szilard,† Dad said. â€Å"And so does your mom. But yes. I trust him on this. Right now he's the only one in the whole Colonial Union I actually do trust.† â€Å"What does this have to with me leaving Roanoke?† I asked. â€Å"General Szilard told me something else when I saw him,† Dad said. â€Å"Also unofficial, but from good sources. He told me that General Gau, the Conclave leader – â€Å" â€Å"I know who he is, Dad,† I said. â€Å"I've been keeping up with current events.† â€Å"Sorry,† Dad said. â€Å"He said General Gau was being targeted for assassination by someone in his own close circle of advisors, and that the assassination would happen soon, probably in the next few weeks.† â€Å"Why'd he tell you this?† I asked. â€Å"So I could use it,† Dad said. â€Å"Even if the Colonial Union wanted to tell General Gau about the attempt – which it doesn't, since it probably would like to see it succeed – there's no reason to believe that Gau would consider it credible. The CU did just blow up his fleet. But Gau might listen to the information if it came from me, because he's already had dealings with me.† â€Å"And you were the one who begged him not to bring his fleet to Roanoke,† I said. â€Å"Right,† Dad said. â€Å"It's because of that we've been attacked as little as we have. General Gau said to me that neither he nor the Conclave would retaliate against Roanoke itself for what happened to the fleet.† â€Å"We were still attacked,† I said. â€Å"But not by the Conclave itself,† Dad said. â€Å"By someone else, testing our defenses. But if Gau is assassinated, that guarantee dies with him. And then it's open season on Roanoke, and we'll get hit, fast, because we're where the Conclave had its biggest defeat. We're a symbol for the Conclave, too. So we have to let General Gau know he's in danger. For our own sake.† â€Å"If you tell him this, you'll be giving information to an enemy of the Colonial Union,† I said. â€Å"You'll be a traitor.† Dad gave me a wry grin. â€Å"Trust me, Zoe,† he said. â€Å"I'm already neck-deep in trouble.† His smile disappeared. â€Å"And yes, General Gau is an enemy of the Colonial Union. But I think he might be a friend to Roanoke. Right now, Roanoke needs all the friends it can get, wherever it can get them. The ones we used to have are turning their backs on us. We're going out to this new one, hat in hand.† â€Å"And by we you mean me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Dad said. â€Å"I need you to deliver this message for me.† â€Å"You don't need me to do it,† I said. â€Å"You could do it. Mom could do it. It would be better from either of you.† Dad shook his head. â€Å"Neither Jane nor I can leave Roanoke, Zoe. The Colonial Union is watching us. They don't trust us. And even if we could, we can't leave because we belong here with the colonists. We're their leaders. We can't abandon them. Whatever happens to them happens to us too. We made a promise to them and we're going to stay and defend this colony, no matter what happens. You understand that.† I nodded. â€Å"So we can't go. â€Å"But you can, and secretly,† Dad said. â€Å"The Obin already want to take you off Roanoke. The Colonial Union will allow it because it's part of their treaty with the Obin, and as long as Jane and I stay here, it won't raise an eyebrow. The Obin are technically neutral in the fight between the Conclave and the Colonial Union; an Obin ship will be able to get to General Gau's headquarters where a ship from the Colonial Union couldn't.† â€Å"So send Hickory and Dickory,† I said. â€Å"Or just have the Obin send a skip drone to General Gau.† â€Å"It won't work,† Dad said. â€Å"The Obin are not going to jeopardize their relationship with the Colonial Union to pass messages for me. The only reason they're doing this at all is because I'm agreeing to let them take you off Roanoke. I'm using the only piece of leverage I have with the Obin, Zoe. That's you. â€Å"And there's something else. General Gau has to know that I believe the information I'm sending him is good. That I'm not just being a pawn again in a larger Colonial Union game. I need to give him a token of my sincerity, Zoe. Something that proves that I have as much to risk in sending him this information as he has in receiving it. Even if I or Jane could go ourselves, General Gau would have no reason to trust what we say to him, because he knows both Jane and I were soldiers and are leaders. He knows we would be willing to sacrifice ourselves for our colony. But he also knows that I'm not willing to sacrifice my only daughter. And neither is Jane. â€Å"So you see, Zoe. It has to be you. No one else can do it. You're the only one who can get to General Gau, deliver the message, and be believed. Not me, not Jane, not Hickory and Dickory. No one else. Just you. Deliver the message, and we might still find a way to save Roanoke. It's a small chance. But right now it's the only one we've got.† I sat there for a few minutes, taking in what Dad asked of me. â€Å"You know if Hickory and Dickory take me off Roanoke, they're not going to want to bring me back,† I said, finally. â€Å"You know that.† â€Å"I'm pretty sure of it,† Dad said. â€Å"You're asking me to leave,† I said. â€Å"You're asking me to accept that I might not ever see any of you again. Because if General Gau won't believe me, or if he's killed before I can talk to him, or even if he does believe me but can't do anything to help us, this trip won't mean anything. All it will do is get me off Roanoke.† â€Å"If that's all it did, Zoe, I still wouldn't complain,† Dad said, and then quickly held up his hand, to stop me from commenting on that. â€Å"But if that's all I thought it would do, I wouldn't ask you to do it. I know you don't want to leave Roanoke, Zoe. I know you don't want to leave us or your friends. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Zoe. But you're also old enough now to make your own decisions. If when all was said and done you wanted to stay on Roanoke to face whatever came our way, I wouldn't try to stop you. Nor would Jane. We would be with you until the end. You know that.† â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"There are risks for everyone,† Dad said. â€Å"When Jane and I tell the Roanoke colony council about this – which we will do once you're gone – I'm pretty sure they are going to kick us out as the colony leaders. When news gets back to the Colonial Union, Jane and I are almost certainly going to be arrested on charges of treason. Even if everything goes perfectly, Zoe, and General Gau accepts your message and acts on it and maybe even makes sure that Roanoke stays unmolested, we will still have to pay for our actions. Jane and I accept this. We think it's worth it for a chance to keep Roanoke safe. The risk for you here, Zoe, is that if you do this, you might not see us or your friends again for a very long time, or at all. It's a big risk. It's a real risk. You have to decide whether it's one worth taking.† I thought about this some more. â€Å"How long do I have to think about this?† I asked. â€Å"All the time you need,† Dad said. â€Å"But those assassins aren't sitting around doing nothing.† I glanced over to where Hickory and Dickory had been. â€Å"How long do you think it will take them to get a transport here?† I asked. â€Å"Are you kidding?† Dad said. â€Å"If they didn't send for one the second I was done talking to them, I'll eat my hat.† â€Å"You don't wear a hat,† I said. â€Å"I will buy a hat and eat it, then,† Dad said. â€Å"I'm going to come back,† I said. â€Å"I'm going to take this message to General Gau, and then I'm going to get back here. I'm not sure how I'm going to convince the Obin of that, but I'm going to do it. I promise you, Dad.† â€Å"Good,† Dad said. â€Å"Bring an army with you. And guns. And battle cruisers.† â€Å"Guns, cruisers, army,† I said, running down the checklist. â€Å"Anything else? I mean, as long as I'm going shopping.† â€Å"Rumor is that I might be in the market for a hat,† Dad said. â€Å"Hat, right,† I said. â€Å"Make it a jaunty hat,† he said. â€Å"I promise nothing,† I said. â€Å"Fine,† Dad said. â€Å"But if you have to choose between the hat and the army, pick the army. And make it a good one. We're going to need it.† â€Å"Where is Gretchen?† Jane asked me. We stood outside the small Obin transport. I had already said good-bye to Dad. Hickory and Dickory waited for me inside the transport. â€Å"I didn't tell her I was leaving,† I said. â€Å"She is going to be very upset about that,† Mom said. â€Å"I don't intend to be away long enough for her to miss me,† I said. Mom didn't say anything to that. â€Å"I wrote her a note,† I said, finally. â€Å"It's scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning. I told her what I thought I could tell her about why I left. I told her to talk to you about the rest of it. So she might come by to see you.† â€Å"I'll talk to her about it,† Jane said. â€Å"I'll try to make her understand.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"How are you?† Mom asked. â€Å"I'm terrified,† I said. â€Å"I'm scared I'll never see you or Dad or Gretchen again. I'm scared I'm going to screw this up. I'm scared that even if I don't screw this up it won't matter. I feel like I'm going to pass out, and I've felt that way since this thing landed.† Jane gave me a hug and then looked to my neck, puzzled. â€Å"You're not taking your jade elephant pendant?† she said. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"It's a long story. Tell Gretchen I said for her to tell it to you. You need to know about it anyway.† â€Å"Did you lose it?† Jane asked. â€Å"It's not lost,† I said. â€Å"It's just not with me anymore.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said. â€Å"I don't need it anymore,† I said. â€Å"I know who in this world loves me, and has loved me.† â€Å"Good,† Jane said. â€Å"What I was going to tell you is that as well as remembering who loves you, you should remember who you are. And everything about who you are. And everything about what you are.† â€Å"What I am,† I said, and smirked. â€Å"It's because of what I am that I'm leaving. What I am has been more trouble than it's worth, if you ask me.† â€Å"That doesn't surprise me,† Jane said. â€Å"I have to tell you, Zoe, that there have been times when I have felt sorry for you. So much of your life has been completely out of your control. You've lived your life under the gaze of an entire race of people, and they have made their demands on you right from the beginning. I'm always amazed you've stayed sane through all of it.† â€Å"Well, you know,† I said. â€Å"Good parents help.† â€Å"Thank you,† Jane said. â€Å"We tried to keep your life as normal as possible. And I think we've raised you well enough that I can tell you this and have you understand it: What you are has made demands of you all your life. Now it's time to demand something back. Do you understand?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said. â€Å"Who you are has always had to make room for what you are,† Jane said. â€Å"You know that.† I nodded. It had. â€Å"Part of that was because you were young, and what you are is so much larger than who you are,† Jane said. â€Å"You can't expect a normal eight-year-old or even a fourteen-year-old to understand what it means to be something like what you are. But you're old enough now to understand it. To get an appreciation for it. To know how you can use it, for something besides trying to stay up late.† I smiled, amazed that Jane remembered me trying to use the treaty to stay up past my bedtime. â€Å"I've watched you in the last year,† Jane said. â€Å"I've seen how you interact with Hickory and Dickory. They've imposed a lot on you because of what you are. All that training and practicing. But you've also started asking more of them. All those documents you've had them give you.† â€Å"I didn't know you knew about that,† I said. â€Å"I was an information officer,† Jane said. â€Å"This sort of thing is my job. My point is that you've become more willing to use that power. You are finally taking control of your life. What you are is starting to make room for who you are.† â€Å"It's a start,† I said. â€Å"Keep going,† Jane said. â€Å"We need who you are, Zoe. We need you to take what you are – every part of what you are – and use it to save us. To save Roanoke. And to come back to us.† â€Å"How do I do it?† I asked. Jane smiled. â€Å"Like I said: Demand something back,† she said. â€Å"That's unhelpfully vague,† I said. â€Å"Perhaps,† Jane said, and then kissed me on the cheek. â€Å"Or maybe I just have faith that you're smart enough to figure it out on your own.† Mom got a hug for that. Ten minutes later I was fifteen klicks above Roanoke and climbing, heading for an Obin transport, thinking about what Jane had said. â€Å"You will find that our Obin ships travel far more quickly than your Colonial Union ships,† Hickory said. â€Å"Is that right,† I said. I wandered over to where Hickory and Dickory had placed my luggage and picked out one of the suitcases. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Far more efficient engines and better artificial gravity management. We will reach skip distance from Roanoke in a little under two days. It would take one of your ships five or six days to reach the same distance.† â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"The sooner we get to General Gau the better.† I unzipped the suitcase. â€Å"This is a very exciting moment for us,† Hickory said. â€Å"This is the first time since you have lived with Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan that you will meet other Obin in person.† â€Å"But they know all about me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"The recordings of the last year have made their way to all Obin, both in unedited and digest form. The unedited versions will take time to process.† â€Å"I'll bet,† I said. â€Å"Here we are.† I found what I was looking for: the stone knife, given to me by my werewolf. I had packed it quickly, when no one was looking. I was just making sure that I didn't imagine packing it. â€Å"You brought your stone knife,† Hickory said. â€Å"I did,† I said. â€Å"I have plans for it.† â€Å"What plans?† Hickory asked. â€Å"I'll tell you later,† I said. â€Å"But tell me, Hickory,† I said. â€Å"This ship we're going to. Is there anyone important on it?† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Because it is the first time that you have been in the presence of other Obin since you were a child, one of the members of Obin's governing council will be there to greet you. It very much wants to meet with you.† â€Å"Good,† I said, and glanced at the knife. â€Å"I very much want to meet with it, too.† I think I actually made Hickory nervous right then.