Richard Taylor - Civil War - Confederacy - Lieutenant General

Richard Taylor - Early Life Career: Born January 27, 1826, Richard Taylor was the sixth and youngest child of President Zachary Taylor and Margaret Taylor. Initially raised on the familys plantation near Louisville, KY, Taylor spent much of his childhood on the frontier as his fathers military career compelled them to move frequently. To ensure that his son received a quality education, the elder Taylor sent him to private schools in Kentucky and Massachusetts. This was soon followed by studies at Harvard and Yale where he was active in Skull and Bones. Graduating from Yale in 1845, Taylor read widely on topics pertaining to military and classical history. Richard Taylor - Mexican-American War: With the rise of tensions with Mexico, Taylor joined his fathers army along the border. Serving as his fathers military secretary, he was present when the Mexican-American War began and US forces triumphed at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Remaining with the army, Taylor took part in the campaigns that culminated in the capture of Monterrey and victory at Buena Vista. Increasingly plagued by the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, Taylor departed Mexico and took over management of his fathers Cyprus Grove cotton plantation near Natchez, MS. Successful in this endeavor, he convinced his father to purchase the Fashion sugar cane plantation in St. Charles Parish, LA in 1850. Following Zachary Taylors death later that year, Richard inherited both Cyprus Grove and Fashion. On February 10, 1851, he married Louise Marie Myrtle Bringier, the daughter of a wealthy Creole matriarch. Richard Taylor - Antebellum Years: Though not caring for politics, Taylors family prestige and place in Louisiana society saw him elected to the state senate in 1855. The next two years proved difficult for Taylor as consecutive crop failures left him increasingly in debt. Remaining active in politics, he attended the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, SC. When the party splintered along sectional lines, Taylor attempted, without success, to forge a compromise between the two factions. As the country began to crumble following the election of Abraham Lincoln, he attended the Louisiana secession convention where he voted in favor of leaving the Union. Shortly thereafter, Governor Alexandre Mouton appointed Taylor to lead the Committee on Louisiana Military Naval Affairs. In this role, he advocated raising and arming regiments for the defense of the state as well as building and repairing forts. Richard Taylor - The Civil War Begins: Shortly after the attack on Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War, Taylor traveled to Pensacola, FL to visit his friend Brigadier General Braxton Bragg. While there, Bragg requested that that Taylor aid him in training newly-formed units that were destined for service in Virginia. Agreeing, Taylor commenced work but turned down offers to serve in the Confederate Army. Highly effective in this role, his efforts were recognized by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. In July 1861, Taylor relented and accepted a commission as colonel of the 9th Louisiana Infantry. Taking the regiment north, it arrived in Virginia just after the First Battle of Bull Run. That fall, the Confederate Army reorganized and Taylor received a promotion to brigadier general on October 21. With the promotion came command of a brigade comprised of Louisiana regiments. Richard Taylor - In the Valley: In the spring of 1862, Taylors brigade saw service in the Shenandoah Valley during Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons Valley Campaign. Serving in the division of Major General Richard Ewell, Taylors men proved tenacious fighters and were often deployed as shock troops. Through the course of May and June, he saw battle at Front Royal, First Winchester, Cross Keys, and Port Republic. With the successful conclusion of the Valley Campaign, Taylor and his brigade marched south with Jackson to reinforce General Robert E. Lee on the Peninsula. Though with his men during the Seven Days Battles, his rheumatoid arthritis became increasingly severe and he missed engagements such as the Battle of Gaines Mill. Despite his medical issues, Taylor received a promotion to major general on July 28. Richard Taylor - Back to Louisiana: In an effort to facilitate his recovery, Taylor accepted an assignment to raise forces in and command the District of Western Louisiana. Finding the region largely stripped of men and supplies, he commenced work to improve the situation. Eager put pressure on Union forces around New Orleans, Taylors troops frequently skirmished with Major General Benjamin Butlers men. In March 1863, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks advanced from New Orleans with the goal of capturing Port Hudson, LA, one of two remaining Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi. Attempting block the Union advance, Taylor was forced back at the Battles of Fort Bisland and Irish Bend on April 12-14. Badly outnumbered, his command escaped up the Red River as Banks moved forward to lay siege to Port Hudson. With Banks occupied at Port Hudson, Taylor devised a bold plan to recapture Bayou Teche and liberate New Orleans. This movement would require Banks to abandon the siege of Port Hudson or risk losing New Orleans and his supply base. Before Taylor could move forward, his superior, Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, directed him to take his small army north to aid in breaking the Siege of Vicksburg. Though lacking faith in Kirby Smiths plan, Taylor obeyed and fought minor engagements at Millikens Bend and Youngs Point in early June. Beaten in both, Taylor returned south to Bayou Teche and re-captured Brashear City late in the month. Though in a position to threaten New Orleans, Taylors requests for additional troops were not answered before the garrisons at Vicksburg and Port Hudson fell in early July. With Union forces freed from siege operations, Taylor withdrew back to Alexandria, LA to avoid being trapped. Richard Taylor - Red River Campaign: In March 1864, Banks pressed up the Red River towards Shreveport supported by Union gunboats under Admiral David D. Porter. Initially withdrawing up the river from Alexandria, Taylor sought advantageous ground for making a stand. On April 8, he attacked Banks at the Battle of Mansfield. Overwhelming Union forces, he compelled them to retreat back to Pleasant Hill. Seeking a decisive victory, Taylor struck this position the next day but could not break through Banks lines. Though checked, the two battles compelled Banks to abandon the campaign begin moving downstream. Eager to crush Banks, Taylor was enraged when Smith stripped three divisions from his command to block a Union incursion from Arkansas. Reaching Alexandria, Porter found that the water levels had dropped and that many of his vessels could not move over the nearby falls. Though Union forces were briefly trapped, Taylor lacked the manpower to attack and Kirby Smith refused to return his men. As a result, Porter had a dam c onstructed to raise the water levels and Union forces escaped downstream. Richard Taylor - Later War: Irate over the prosecution of the campaign, Taylor attempted to resign as he was unwilling to serve with Kirby Smith any further. This request was denied and he instead was promoted to lieutenant general and placed in command of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana on July 18. Reaching his new headquarters in Alabama in August, Taylor found the department to possess few troops and resources. Earlier in the month, Mobile had been closed to Confederate traffic in the wake of the Union victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay. While Major General Nathan Bedford Forrests cavalry worked to limit Union incursions into Alabama, Taylor lacked the men to block Union operations around Mobile. In January 1865, following General John Bell Hoods disastrous Franklin-Nashville Campaign, Taylor assumed command of the remnants of the Army of Tennessee. Resuming his normal duties after this force transferred to the Carolinas, he soon found his department overrun by Union troops later that spring. With the collapse of Confederate resistance following the surrender at Appomattox in April, Taylor attempted to hold out. The final Confederate force east of the Mississippi to capitulate, he surrendered his department to Major General Edward Canby at Citronelle, AL, on May 8. Richard Taylor - Later Life Paroled, Taylor returned to New Orleans and attempted to revive his finances. Becoming increasingly involved in Democratic politics, he became a staunch opponent of the Radical Republicans Reconstruction policies. Moving to Winchester, VA in 1875, Taylor continued to advocate for Democratic causes for the remainder of his life. He died on April 18, 1879, while in New York. Taylor had published his memoir entitled Destruction and Reconstruction a week earlier. This work was later credited for its literary style and accuracy. Returned to New Orleans, Taylor was buried at Metairie Cemetery. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Richard TaylorGeneral Richard Taylor TSHA: Richard Taylor

La Politesse French Phrases of Politeness

When traveling in France, being polite is absolutely essential. Be sure you know how to say please and thank you at the very least. Click any link to hear that word pronounced. Please sil vous plaà ®t, SVP (plural or formal)sil te plaà ®t (singular and familiar) Please verb (for example, please excuse me) veuillez infinitive (veuillez mexcuser) Thank You merci Thank you very much merci beaucoupmerci bien Bless you! (thank you so much, thanks a million) mille fois merci  (literally, a thousand times thanks)​ Youre Welcome de rien  (literally, Its nothing) It was my pleasure je vous en prie (plural or formal)je ten prie (singular and familiar) Dont mention it pas de quoi Excuse Me! Pardon me, I beg your pardon pardon Excuse me excusez-moi Im sorry to disturb/bother you Excusez-moi de vous dà ©ranger Im sorry je suis dà ©solà ©(e) Niceties Cheers à   votre santà © (plural or formal)à   ta santà © (singular and familiar) Enjoy your meal bon appà ©tit ! Bless you à   vos souhaits (plural or formal)à   tes souhaits (singular and familiar) Sir, Mr. Monsieur Maam, Mrs. Madame Miss Mademoiselle

If Legislation Fails Who is There to Follow Free Essays

Judge Richard C Wesley, who had worked in the Legislature of New York, and subsequently, in its High Court, gave a speech in the Albany Law School, where in he discussed the technique of appellate judging in Common Law Courts. The second such exposition was at a seminar on the use of legislative history in interpreting New York State and Federal Statue, at the same venue. The discussion dealt with law making and the history of the legislature of this state. We will write a custom essay sample on If Legislation Fails Who is There to Follow? or any similar topic only for you Order Now In respect of Article III of the Constitution, he stated that Congress had limited the powers conferred by the constitution in respect of resolution of cases. With regard to judicial verdicts, he discussed the statutory interpretation in respect of several cases which had a bearing on the future of the State as well as the Courts. Further, he expressed his discontent in respect of the process of Judicial Review, which results in the failure of the Court in framing an opinion. In this context he cited the case of Majewski v Broadalbin – Perth Control School District. The issues discussed were whether the changes in the workers’ compensation law restricting third party tort-fea ·sor seeking contribution from an injured employee’s employer were prospective or retroactive. Though the statute did not provide a clear answer, the Bill’s sponsor in the assembly proclaimed that it was prospective, while the Governor announced at the Bill’s signing that there would be an appreciable reduction in the insurance premia being paid by employers. Based on this outcome, he opined that judges will have to decide what was intended by such legislation. In his opinion, Judicial Activism has been limited to querying the Congress to explain the meaning of the various statutes. In this connection, there are occasions where regulatory or legislative schemes come under scrutiny and come up short under Constitutional Analysis. Judges have to follow the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The Supreme Court has heard two cases, U.S.V Baker and U.S.V Fanfan, which more or less signals the end of the sentencing schemes under the Constitution. According to him, the will of Congress does not trump the Constitution. This results in Congress forsaking the guidelines as a discretionary sentencing guide and leaving the task to even up the range of sentences to a law based arbitraryness review. In another case, Campaign for Fiscal Equity V New York, the Constitutionality and Federalism of the State were challenged. In 1995, the Court had ruled that the plaintiff’s complaint did plead a cause of action on State Constitutional Grounds. The Constitutional Standard for that Mandate was that the State must provide a sound basic education to all New York Children. The outcome of this case was that the School funding is based on political expediency and not on educational necessity. According to him the Court had transposed the Constitutional Provision from a general commitment to public education into substantive policy – laden guarantee of educational proficiency that would ultimately drag the Courts into a resource allocation fight with the Legislature. Absence of a Legislative Response to a Judicial Decree, declaring the Constitutional shortcomings of a state education system, the Courts have to manage the State’s Education Funding System; this is a job, which the majority of the fiscal equity noted that the Court had neither the authority, the ability nor the will to do. Richard C Wesley expressed his view that the quasi – legislative/ executive role will strain the Courts’ own intellectual and institutional resources, while providing the Executive with an excuse to usurp the Courts’ Powers. He further, contended that Governing and Judging are two dissimilar things and that the public policy is best formulated by means of public debates. Though the Judiciary has been granted an independent existence by the Constitution, in reality the Legislature controls it. Since Legislature is the most powerful wing of the U.S.Government, according to Wesley if it fails, there is no further recourse. The foregoing discussion illustrates the penchant of the legislature to interfere with the functioning of the judiciary. Whenever, the legislature fails to resolve any problem, the judiciary steps in to rectify the same. However, with the legislature making all out efforts to subjugate the judiciary, there is nothing which can retrieve the situation once the legislation fails (Wesley, n.d). References. Wesley, Richard C. (n.d.). If Legislatures Fail, Who is there to Follow? How to cite If Legislation Fails Who is There to Follow?, Essay examples

Psychological perspectives for health and social care free essay sample

I am going to explain the different psychological approaches in health and social care practice. Firstly I am going to explain the psychological approach of the application of the behaviourist perspective which involves changing and shaping behaviour. By using positive and negative reinforcement, Skinner believed he could change/train any animal or human to change behavior patterns and this is achieved by changing or shaping behavior. Shaping behavior is achieved by writing a plan. There are four main steps to shape behavior which includes Identifying problem behaviors. But not all behaviors require a behavior management plan. Analyzing behavior. Behaviour’s do generally have a trigger or situation that causes the behaviorand a consequence. To develop an effective behaviour plan, you need to know what sets off the behaviour and what the behavior accomplishes. This means spending time watching the individual before even thinking as writing a plan. Then you need to select an approach because An effective behavior management plan must have positive reinforcement to support good behaviour, what reward would the individual wish to receive. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychological perspectives for health and social care or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then you need to develop clear goals/targets. A plan should have clear goals (and achievable ones) when the individual has mastered a skill or is behaving well they understand this (because they have had positive feedback) and can move on to the next goal/target. Secondly, I am going to explain the psychological approach of the application of the social learning theory. Bandura points out that we do not have to wait to receive positive or negative reinforcement in order to understand how to do things. Bandura argues that the society we live teaches us, we learn by watching and every one of us. For example television, magazines, friends and family then we copy them. The role models we are most likely to learn from are the same sex models, the same sex models showing gender appropriate behaviour, models who have reinforced their behaviour, high status models and significant models. The social learning theory can help us in every day situation by media campaigns or televisions advertisements or programs can be used to change behaviour. By using a powerful role model like a celebrity it is hope to change attitudes or behaviour. E. g. drug, cigarette or alcohol use. The third one I am going to explain the psychological approach of the application of the psychodynamic perspective to health and social care. Freud believed that our minds were made up of three different parts- id, ego and the superego. The id works on the pleasure principle, the ego works on the reality principle and the superego works on the mortality principle. Problems arise when there is a clash between these three different elements. The psychoanalysis is that many mental problems are caused by the unconscious factors and repressed material. So the main aim of the therapy is to uncover this repressed material. Once uncovered, clients are able to release the power it has over their behaviour (e. g. causes their mental illness). This is called catharsis. Free association, dream analysis, projective tests can be used. In the free association the client is encouraged to express their thoughts exactly as they come into their mind, even though they may seem irrelevant or inappropriate. The ego will attempt the censor what is said, but the free thinking allows previously unconscious thoughts to slip through and bring into consciousness memories what have been repressed. This releases the power it had over their behaviour- hence a talking cure. The dream analysis â€Å"the royal road to the unconscious†. The imagery of dreams is symbolic and the therapist identifies what the symbols mean and find out why they are causing anxiety. The fourth one I am going to explain the psychological approach of the application of the humanistic perspective to health and social care. This approach stresses the importance of how each individual views the world. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers’s are key people Humanists believe that everyone is born good and worthwhile. From early childhood we begin to evaluate ourselves and our actions. A child quickly learns what other people value as a positive thing. Within this approach there is a Client-centered therapy (CCT) which came out in the (1950s) and they say it is an unconditional positive regard. Rogers wanted the individual at the centre of the therapy. A therapist using CCT must be accepting and non-judgemental always offering support, regardless of what the client says or does. By doing this the client will come to accept their own distortions and denials and own up to them. This enables the client to move towards a healthier personality by valuing themselves and not relying on others to provide love and acceptance in a conditional way. There is also a Person-centred therapy (PCT) which came out in the 1970s. Today people tend to refer to Humanistic therapy as PCT . It is still based on Rogers work. Therapists are facilitators (guides) who offer an atmosphere of freedom and support for the individual to become whole. The goal of the treatment is to become independent, spontaneous and confident. If change occurs then it is the client who makes it happen not the therapist. There are three therapist attitudes and they are, Genuineness – you are helping a real person. Unconditional positive regard: Must deeply and genuinely care for the client. Empathic understanding: Must clarify the emotional significance of the client’s response, not just the verbal. Roger’s daughter Natalie has pioneered person-centered expressive therapy (Rogers 1993) which incorporates movement, art, music, pottery, and creative writing, as well as essentially non-verbal channels of expression. The fifth one I am going to talk about is the application of the cognitive perspective. This approach is interested in how and when we learn both facts and skills. This approach looks at the way we think. We all have our own points of view about the world and everyone in it including ourselves. Sometimes our thoughts can become very negative and this can cause problems. This approach has generated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The cognitive behavioural therapy was developed by beck and the aim of this was o teach â€Å"clients† to rethink and challenge their negative perceptions/ cognitions. Becks cognitive therapy was in two stages the first stage was to get the therapist and the client to agree on the nature of the problem and give goals on therapy. Then stage two was for the therapist to challenge the client’s negative thoughts then the client engages in behaviour between sessions in an attempt to challenge these negative thoughts. The aim of this is for clients to release thoughts are irrational which their homework was and a diary was kept. The most common features of CBT are Client monitors their negative, automatic thoughts (cognitions), Client recognises the connection between cognitions, affect (mood) and behaviour, Client examines evidence for and against their distorted thoughts, Client learns to Substitute unrealistic cognitions for more realistic ones and Client learns to identify alter their beliefs that predispose them to distort their experiences. This therapy is further developed to include challenging behaviour too. This therapy usually is over 20 sessions over 16 weeks and homework is set to be used as thought catching e. g. in diary. The four basic assumptions of CBT are Response to life is based on interpretations of self world rather than what the actual case is, Thoughts, behaviour feelings are interrelated influence each other – none are more important than the others, Must clarify change the way they think about themselves world around them and Need to change cognitions and behaviour. CBT can help post traumatic stress, people who suffer from depression and victims of crime/abuse. Finally I am going to talk about the application of the biological perspective. There are lots of ways the biological approach can help individuals: understanding a childs development, understanding sleep patterns to help shift workers and understanding if there are any drug or surgical treatments for certain genetic/biological based problems. Psychologists have done a great deal of research into understanding why we sleep, and what our bodies are doing during sleep. There is a Circadian Rhythm: The sleep-waking cycle A circadian rhythm repeats in a cycle of once every 24 hours. The 24 hour sleep-waking cycle is a good example of a circadian rhythm because it clearly illustrates that circadian rhythms depend on a interaction of physiological and psychological processes. Our fairly consistent sleep pattern suggests an internal mechanism – the biological clock. However, this can be overridden by psychological factors, such as anxiety or shift work. Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a sleep disorder that affects people who frequently rotate shifts or work at night. Schedules of these people go against the body’s natural Circadian rhythm, and individuals have difficulty adjusting to the different sleep and wake schedule. SWSD consists of a constant or recurrent pattern of sleep interruption that results in insomnia or excessive sleepiness. This disorder is common in people who work non-traditional hours, usually between 10:00 p. m. and 6:00 a. m. The symptoms of SWSD are insomnia and excessive sleepiness. Other symptoms of SWSD include: Difficulty concentrating, Headaches, Lack of energy. Not every shift worker suffers from SWSD. However, if you are a shift worker and experience any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. The Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia; Genetic Factors – Schizophrenia due to our genetic makeup (twin studies, family studies, adoption studies). Here is some evidence from Twin Studies. Looking at concordance rates, i. e. when one twin has schizophrenia what is the probability or the ‘concordance rate’ of the other twin developing schizophrenia? High concordance rates provide strong support for a genetic component. Gottlesman (1991) summarised 40 studies. Found the average concordance rate was 48% for Monozygotic or identical (MZ) twins and 17% for Dizygotic or fraternal (DZ) twins. As MZ twins share more alike genes than DZ twins, the difference in concordance rates gives strong evidence for a genetic explanation. Rosenthal (1963) studied the ‘Genain Quadruplets’. Genain is Latin for ‘dreadful genes’. 4 identical girls who amazingly, all developed schizophrenia. Strong genetic evidence, as they all shared the same ‘bad’ genes. But – they did suffer a dreadful childhood also so maybe that had some influence? Family studies show that Schizophrenia clearly runs in families and that the CR is higher for those with high genetic similarity. More support for the genetic argument. However, can argue that family members who are more similar genetically spend more time together in the same environment – so the environment has some influence also? When we looked at Gesell’s work, we learned that he had found evidence which showed we all follow a biological timetable. All psychologists, health care professionals and teachers accept this to be the case. Because young children/children/adolescents are expected to be able to thing at certain ages (approx) we are are to test and assess progress. The main developmental assessments are completed at the followings in a child’s life:- 2/2. 5 yrs – 6yr, 4 – 6yrs and 6 – 9yrs. These tests cover a range of issues, ability to follow instructions, perception, attention span, motor co-ordination skills and spelling, math’s It is important to check that all children are developing at the expected rate. It they are not, extra help/support can be offered to ensure they do not fall behind. PART B Now I am going to chose two psychological approaches and I will compare them both and evaluate. I am going to choose the humanistic approach and the cognitive approach. The humanistic approach is patient centred and understands all individuals have different needs and these can change depending on the individual’s characteristics, health state and their moods the humanistic approach shows a lot of individualised care and looking mainly at the individuals themselves and how the care is meeting their set needs. The humanistic approach suggests behaviour is determined greatly by internal factors such as our emotions. The cognitive approach is based around the notion that if we want to know what makes the human mind function and why certain behaviour is displayed and then we need to understand the internal process of the mind. Cognitive psychology bases its focus on the way the human process information, it looks at how we use the information that we receive and how this leads to our behaviour. The cognitive approach refers to the human body as a machine. The similarities are that these are alike in terms of both theorists focusing on the promotion of positive self- acceptance and trying to discourage the user from negative thoughts and not to judge themselves on past encounters. Both theorists want the user to accept any failures or mistakes as a part of their life and not to let it affect other situations, and to process their mistakes to improve their coping strategies and the both approaches try and promote their user’s acceptance of who they are.

The Raging Storm Essay Example

The Raging Storm Essay Example The Raging Storm Essay The Raging Storm Essay Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear. The rage of the storm moves closer, destroying everything in its path like a savage beast, relentless it moves closer to its target. The skies empty, as flocks of birds swiftly take refuge from the incoming terror. The wildlife escapes from the forthcoming violence with lightening speed, the sense of danger burning in their minds. Humans still oblivious to the danger continue with their work without the knowledge it will all be taken away from them in a fit of rage. An eerie silence hangs over the town, the calm before the storm, conning the inhabitants of our planet with the deadliest of consequences.  With a single flash of lightening the storm looms down on the small, unsuspecting town, like a general giving the signal for his troops to go into battle it marches past the weak defences of the Earth. With the force of ten thousand horses it rips its way through the countryside, cutting its way through power lines and trees like a knife through butter, effortlessly destroying the terrain. The rain begins to attack the ground as the storm descends. Within seconds, it engulfs the small community with devastating force. The torrential rain beats against the rickety window of a fragile house, trying to find a way into the fading security of a childs bedroom. Merciless the storm picks up, every minute its ferocity doubles, the disaster growing with the strength of the storm. Frightened onlookers gaze in awe as the storm tears through their once peaceful village, it seems like time stands still as a deafening explosion rocks the trembling Earth. A new weapon in the storms armament is used against the exposed inhabitants of the town, fire. The mighty force of the gale spreads the inferno faster than the escaping creatures can run. The storm that a small gust of wind has evolved into swallows the fleeing animals, they let out screams of pain that you can almost feel as they are thrown up into the gloomy sky. The code is cracked to get into the houses, what remains of the devastated community is finally worn down and reduced to piles of rubble. The terrified families flee into the ancient shelters, built by their ancestors after last time nature vented her fury. The rotting wooden door is torn apart by the malicious wind, slowly giving in to the onslaught from above. Inside the refuge the prisoners sit anxiously waiting for the storm to pass, every crack of thunder echoes around the room, reminding them of the danger lurking outside. The storm knocks against the door of the shelter, waiting patiently for the right opportunity to break in. Unsuccessful it moves on to the next target, undeterred by the resolute survivors of the tragedy. With the same flash of lightening that signalled the start of the storm it disappears, leaving behind a scene from a war zone. Houses demolished, trees uprooted, burnt-out cars and several bemused survivors helping the injured and trying to work out what just happened. A strange silence hangs over the town, sometimes interrupted by the screaming sirens of the emergency services. No dogs can be heard barking in the evening air, the sky is empty of all birds whose songs used to serenade the residents of the town, no children playing in the summers day, just the occasional call for help from the mountains of rubble. The calm after the storm, reflecting the tension in the air before the storm. Rescuers still wary of the Earth, now darkening with night fall, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.

Punctuating Subordinate Clauses

Punctuating Subordinate Clauses Punctuating Subordinate Clauses Punctuating Subordinate Clauses By Mark Nichol In each of the following sentences, omission of a comma between a main clause and a subordinate clause muddles the meaning. Discussion after each example describes the complication, and a revision demonstrates how to eliminate ambiguity. 1. The candidate’s supporters and protesters championing his rival violently confronted each other in the city’s downtown district leading to multiple arrests. The district did not lead to multiple arrests; the confrontation did. Separating the subordinate clause â€Å"leading to multiple arrests† from the main clause with a comma clarifies the relationship between cause and effect: â€Å"The candidate’s supporters and protesters championing his rival violently confronted each other in the city’s downtown district, leading to multiple arrests.† 2. The event did not turn violent as some media reports indicated. â€Å"As some media reports indicated† is a subordinate clause to â€Å"The event did not turn violent,† so punctuation between the two segments of the sentence is required: â€Å"The event did not turn violent, as some media reports indicated.† (Without it, the sentence might be misread â€Å"The event did not turn as violent as some media reports indicated.†) 3. Who will work in the transition management office charged with executing the transition? This sentence reads as if the transition management is one of two or more such departments, one of which has the stated task. But â€Å"charged with executing the transition† is a subordinate clause referring to the who of the subject, and inserting â€Å"which is† at the head of that clause makes the transition smoother: â€Å"Who will work in the transition management office, which is charged with executing the transition?† 4. The company has been our consulting partner of choice for the last four years having supported numerous projects during that time. The phrase that begins with having is a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses must be set off from main clauses with a comma: â€Å"The company has been our consulting partner of choice for the last four years, having supported numerous projects during that time.† The following revision alters the emphasis somewhat but reads more smoothly: â€Å"The company, which has been our consulting partner of choice for the last four years, has supported numerous projects during that time.† Another option is â€Å"The company has been our consulting partner of choice for the last four years, and it has supported numerous projects during that time.† 5. They steal diamonds and bags of cash only to send them raining down from the sky. Many writers refrain from inserting punctuation before a subordinate clause beginning with only, but this omission invites ambiguity- did they steal diamonds and bags of cash only, and not anything else?- so, for clarity, include it: â€Å"They steal diamonds and bags of cash, only to send them raining down from the sky.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business Letter7 Patterns of Sentence StructureWord Count and Book Length

Research Based Argument - The Necessity of Capital Punishment Essay

Research Based Argument - The Necessity of Capital Punishment - Essay Example The stunning revelation in the article is that in the State of California, the annual legal costs related to capital punishment are estimated at $184 million. Also, it is claimed that by replacing death penalty with life sentences, this amount can be brought down to just $ 11.5 million. Admittedly, this claim Fagan makes seems attractive only to some hardcore do-gooders. People with a sane mind will easily identify that the lives of the citizens in a country cannot be put into jeopardy for economic benefits. It can be admitted that capital punishment invites extensive legal jargons in the forms of appeals and reviews. However, one has to remember the fact that this delay and higher expenditure only shows the ineffectiveness of our legal system; not the ineffectiveness of capital punishment. So, it is evidently irrational to set serial killers free to save the money spent on legal works. Also, as Nugent argues, locking up such insane shooters in jails for the rest of their lifetime wi ll cost taxpayers millions of dollars. One is forced to think whether it would not be a better administration of justice if the killer is executed and this millions of dollars are paid as compensation to the next of kin of the victims. Moreover, as Nugent points out, it costs only ‘a 25 cent bullet’ to eliminate the criminal in cases like the Tucson shootout. If any money more than that is spent on legal battles, it is the justice system to be blamed; not capital punishment. Also, the figures put forward by Fagan are under criticism for lack of evidence. In fact, the work ‘Death penalty and sentencing information’ by Sharp points out that life without parole (LWOP) is nearly $1.2 to $3.6 million more expensive than death penalty. Another minor argument seen in the article of Fagan is that sometimes the society seems as guilty as the culprit in certain crimes. For example, the killer of a 22 year old female is found to be mentally unstable and brain-damaged. The investigation proves that the killer had a very horrible upbringing as a child as he had his birth as an impoverished Mono tribe American Indian. Also, he was taken away from his alcoholic parents at a very early age and was molested and abused in foster homes and other institutions. As a result, he was addicted to heroin and other drugs by the time he turned 5. Thus, Fagan argues that in such cases, giving capital punishment to the criminal is unjustifiable as the culprit is not guiltier than the family and society he lives in. It is with this insight that the article says that if capital punishment is replaced with life imprisonment, â€Å"you would also run no chance of executing an innocent person† (Fagan). However, the fact is that laymen or the citizens of a country cannot bear the brunt of setting mentally deranged people free. For example, Nugent writes in The Washington Times about the Tucson shootout which killed six and wounded 13. As Fagan argues in his artic le, in this case too, the culprit was mentally deranged. As a result, he is going to spend the rest of his life in the comfort of jail eating up the tax paid by obedient citizens. As Nugent argues, â€Å"you don’t need to be an overpaid prison psychologist to determine that (the criminal is mentally deranged) no