Free sample - Decision Making. translation missing

Decision Making. Decision MakingPractically every day people are involved in thinking and making decisions, connected with different aspects of our life. We require decision making every day that is why it is very important not to make the mistake and make the correct decision. The process and result of making decisions depend upon different factors that are very important to take into account. Moreover, the ways of making decisions are also very diverse. For instance, someone make the decisions by flipping a coin, taking a guess, considering the thoughts and feelings of others, thinking about   values and beliefs, pros and cons, complying with an assignment declaration, or choosing a solution that has more positive and less negative consequences. In order to comprehend the decision making process, we should look at precisely what goes in that process and apply it to the situation in a real world.   While making the decision, we should always remember about the consequences and the effects it may have on the other persons surrounding us. When we are able peacefully look at all the reasons we have on both sides of the question, it will frequently become rather obvious which side really is accorded with our principles, what will be the best thing to do. Speaking about me, one of the most important decisions that I had to make in my life was entering a higher educational establishment and choosing the best university for me. In this situation, any person, as usual, faces up with the alternative, between entering university or looking for a job. Choosing a college or university is, probably, one of the most important decisions in life of every person, as it is connected with future of life and success. I had to spend a lot of time while picking up information about all the excising universities in the country and in the nearby districts. While making this decision I had to weight all positive and negative outcomes, results and consequences. In this case, assistance of the relatives can become very helpful, as they can give very useful pieces of advice and forward one’s thoughts in the necessary directions. Surely, this process was not lack of troubles and hesitations. First of all, I hesitated about the costs and price for educ ation and did not will I be able to pay my tuition. Then I decided to enter university in any case, whatever difficult it might be, as education is very important in our life. I have chosen the university that completely satisfied my needs and started working hard over the preparation to the entrance exams. Finally, I entered the university and at the moment, I think that it was one of the most successful decisions in my life. Critical thinking is a very popular and helpful way for making decisions. It involves several strategies. I used them while making my decision. The first standard of critical thinking is setting up the goal and the main objective. My main objective was entering the university and choosing the best variant for me. The main problem that I faced up was the cost of tuition. It was one of the main obstacles for me, but after long reflections made the correct decision. The next part of the critical thinking strategy that I used for making my decision is the collection of the information and data. Therefore, I had to make some investigations about the universities in our country to choose the most appropriate variant for me. Unfortunately, this stage takes quite a great amount of time, but it is necessary, as the most important decisions require time and in-depth thinking. Needless to say, that making the decision s the process that should not be conducted in a hurry, as it influences not o nly your life but the life of your surroundings. Finally, when everything was ready, I tried to evaluate all benefits and disadvantages of my decision, trying to foresee the way it can influence my life. To may mind, this is very important while the decision making process, that is why thinking of the consequences is very significant. Therefore, I think that my skills of critical thinking appeared to be very useful for me.

Basic Tenets of Animal Rights

Basic Tenets of Animal Rights Animal rights refers to the belief that animals have an intrinsic value separate from any value they have to humans  and are worthy of moral consideration. They have a right to be free from oppression, confinement, use and abuse by humans. The idea of animal rights may be difficult for some people to fully accept. This is because, throughout the world, animals are abused and killed for a wide variety of socially acceptable purposes, though what is socially acceptable is, of course, culturally relative. For example, while eating dogs may be morally offensive to some, many would react similarly to the practice of eating cows.   At the heart of the animal rights movement are two basic principles: the rejection of speciesism, and the knowledge that animals are sentient beings. Speciesism Speciesism is the disparate treatment of individual beings, based solely on their species. It is frequently compared to racism or sexism. Whats Wrong With Speciesism? Animal rights is based on the belief that treating a non-human animal differently just because the animal belongs to a different species is arbitrary and morally wrong. Of course, there are differences between human and non-human animals, but the animal rights community believes that those differences are not morally relevant. For example, many believe that humans have some cognitive abilities that are different from or higher than other animals, but, for the animal rights community, cognitive ability is not morally relevant. If it were, the smartest humans would have more moral and legal rights than other humans who were deemed intellectually inferior. Even if this difference were morally relevant, this trait does not apply to all humans. A person who is profoundly mentally retarded does not have the reasoning capabilities of an adult dog, so cognitive ability cannot be used to defend speciesism. Arent Humans Unique? The traits that were once believed to be unique to humans have now been observed in non-human animals. Until other primates were observed making and using tools, it was believed that only humans could do so. It was also once believed that only humans could use language, but we now see that other species communicate verbally in their own languages and even use human-taught languages. In addition, we  now know that animals have self-awareness, as demonstrated by the animal mirror test. However, even if these or other traits were unique to humans, they are not considered morally relevant by the animal rights community. If we cannot use species to decide which beings or objects in our universe deserve our moral consideration, what trait can we use? For many animal rights activists, that trait is sentience. Sentience Sentience is the ability to suffer. As philosopher Jeremy Bentham wrote, â€Å"the question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?† Because a dog is capable of suffering, a dog is worthy of our moral consideration. A table, on the other hand, is incapable of suffering, and is therefore not worthy of our moral consideration. Although harming the table may be morally objectionable if it compromises the economic, esthetic or utilitarian value of the table to the person who owns or uses it, we have no moral duty to the table itself. Why is Sentience Important? Most people recognize that we should not engage in activities that cause pain and suffering to other people. Inherent in that recognition is the knowledge that other people are capable of pain and suffering. If an activity causes undue suffering to someone, the activity is morally unacceptable. If we accept that animals are capable of suffering, it is therefore morally unacceptable to cause them undue suffering. To treat animal suffering differently from human suffering would be speciesist. What is Undue Suffering? When is suffering justified? Many animal activists would argue that since humans are capable of living without animal-based foods, living without animal entertainment and living without cosmetics tested on animals, these forms of animal suffering have no moral justification. What about medical research? Non-animal medical research is available, although there is quite a bit of debate over the scientific value of animal research versus non-animal research. Some argue that results from animal experimentation are not applicable to humans, and we should conduct research on human cell and tissue cultures, as well as human subjects who provide voluntary and informed consent. Others argue that a cell or tissue culture cannot simulate a whole animal, and animals are the best available scientific models. All would probably agree that there are certain experiments that cannot be done on humans, regardless of informed consent. From a pure animal rights standpoint, animals should not be treated differently from humans. Since involuntary human experimentation is universally condemned regardless of its scientific value and animals are incapable of giving voluntary consent to an experiment, animal experimentation should also be condemned. Maybe Animals Dont Suffer? Some might argue that animals do not suffer. A 17th century philosopher, Rene Descartes, argued that animals operated like clocks- intricate machines that have instincts, but do not suffer or feel pain. Most people who have lived with a companion animal would probably disagree with Descartes’ assertion, having observed the animal first-hand and watched how the animal reacts to hunger, pain, and fear. Animal trainers are also aware that beating an animal will often produce the desired results, because the animal quickly learns what needs to be done in order to avoid suffering. Isnt the Use of Animals Justified? Some may believe that animals suffer, but argue that animal suffering is justified in certain instances. For example, they may argue that slaughtering a cow is justified because that slaughter serves a purpose and the cow will be eaten. However, unless that same argument applies equally to the slaughter and consumption of humans, the argument is based in speciesism.

Understanding the Economic Impact prior to Wells Fargo Foreclosures Essay

Understanding the Economic Impact prior to Wells Fargo Foreclosures - Essay Example As a result of the crisis, many institutions, including those that are not directly involved in lending collapsed while others merged to stabilize amidst the crisisIn 2007, United States was hit by financial crisis, which emanated from a crisis in the subprime real estate loans (commonly called subprime crisis). One of the financial institutions involved in mortgage lending that stood the crisis is Wells Fargo & company, although its rating dropped since 2007, in the light of the financial crisis. In response to the crisis, Wells Fargo & company and other companies increased foreclosure filings by 2008 to the highest record in historical. This paper provides an overview of the subprime lending industry and state the economy in Wisconsin just prior to subprime crisis and the Wells Fargo Foreclosures. Discussion Prior to 1980s, people in Wisconsin, US, had only two choices for obtaining a mortgage. According to Knapp (2010), one could obtain a home loan insured by either the Department of Veteran affairs or by the Federal Housing administration. Borrowers with good credits histories would typically obtain new loans from a bank, saving and loan or any other financial institution. Knapp (2010) elaborates that obtaining mortgage loans became much easier with the deregulation of the lending industries in the beginning of 1980. For instance, the monetary control act and the deregulation of the Depository institutions in 1980 removed the restrictions that imposed a ceiling on the interest rates charged on mortgage loans. One remarkable impact of the deregulation is that it led to the introduction of new mortgage loans, which included ‘adjustable rate mortgages that were particularly favorable to mortgage borrowers who had their credit profiles impaired. However, according to Knapp (2010), these events did not lead to an explosive growth in the mortgage industry until the securitization of mortgage loans in the late 1990s. The securitization option encouraged the majority of the existing mortgage lenders to adopt a new business model which Knapp (2010) refers to as â€Å"originate to distribute† business model. This new model required that the credit risk posed by the mortgages loans was not exclusively to be absorbed by the lending institutions. Rather, it was to be shared with other investors in the world who purchased the Mortgage-backed securities. Knapp (2010) further argues that by 2006, approximately one-fourth of all new mortgage loans in United States were made to subprime borrowers while the other ratio was securitized and sold to investors in the United States and around the world. The increased demand for high-yield mortgage-backed securities among investors, including institutions such as hedge funds institutions and large banks, led the lenders to ratchet up their marketing efforts. They then came up with new products, which were designed specifically for the sector of the mortgage market in order to persuade individuals who were deemed to be of high credit risks to obtain mortgage loans. Among the most popular of these products were the stated-income† and the â€Å"interest-only† mortgages. The stated-income loan required an applicant to simply report his or her annual income during the application process of the loan (Knapp, 2010). The lender depended on the applicant’s self reported income in the determination of the size of loan that one could afford. According to Knapp (2010), many applicants for the Stated-income loans grossly overstated their annual income so that they could purchase a larger home than was economically feasible given their actual incomes. An individual who obtained the Interest-only mortgage loan was required to pay interests on his

Social Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Contracts - Essay Example As the discussion outlines Curwin and Mendler include six specific elements namely flag rules, negotiable rules, consequences, rules for the teacher, student-developed rules for students and a vote to determine which rules to enforce. Flag rules are minimum behavior requirements for efficient classroom management which are developed by the teacher and unquestioningly accepted by students even without their input. Examples of such logical rules are â€Å"No fighting and hurting anyone†. Negotiable rules are decided upon together by both teacher and students whether or not to adopt such rules. Democratic teachers allow some limits to be stretched without compromising order in the classroom. Consequences are teacher-determined without student input. Teachers need to be fair in setting down consequences for each rule depending on the severity of behavior. Positive consequences should also be included to reward students of good behavior. Consequences need to be instructional instea d of punitive and students regard them as natural and logical extensions of the rules. Rules for the teacher are determined by the students to give them the opportunity to set standards for the teacher. This is a way for them to feel a sense of commitment to all rules and consequences, thus make them more inclined to follow them. Examples are â€Å"the teacher will not yell at students in front of their classmates†.  

symbolism in bless the beast and children Essay -- essays research pap

Throughout the novel Bless the Beasts and Children, by Glendon Swarthout, symbolism is used frequently to show a weakness in a character or to fulfill a purpose in the novel. The most apparent weaknesses in the bedwetters was their need for radios to help them sleep. The hats portrayed each characters personality and background in some cases. Also, The Box Canyon Boys Camp is in itself a symbol representing American society in general. The radios are the first case of symbolism shown in the novel. They are used by each and every one of the bedwetters at night to help them go to sleep. To them it helps to imagine someone is right there with them when the radios are going. On some nights, like the one at the start of the novel each of them have their radios going full blast, this shows the fear each of them have at the beginning of the novel. The children aren’t afraid of being so far from home or from their parents because each of them are plenty used to that. All of their parents go on trips away from home for long periods of time or when they are home just simply neglect them. The radios help represent something being there for them when they are afraid because their parents never are. Towards the end of the novel when the boys are herding the buffalo out of the cages it is very easy for them to throw the radios at the buffalo without missing them. This was put into the novel to show to the readers that the boys no longer need the radios in order to sleep at night and that ...

Jane’s Asylum Memorandum and Elian Gonzalez Case Brief Essay

Question Presented Under the Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements for filing a petition for asylum in the U.S., can a relative submit an application on behalf of a minor? Short Answer No. Minors can submit a petition for asylum in the United States, because the Supreme Court feels that application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum. A third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. Statement of Facts Jane is 14 years old. She has Canadian citizenship and has no dual citizenship with any other country. Her father is a Canadian citizen and her mother is an American citizen. Her parents have been divorced for six years. Her father, John, has primary guardianship in Quebec. During the school breaks and holiday vacations, she lives with her mother, Anne, in New York. John is a high-level government minister, working on creating an independent French Canadian State. Under Canadian law, both Anne and John retained full custodial and parental rights following the divorce. Six months ago, Jane was living in New York during a school break. During the break, Jane telephoned her father asking to be allowed to return to Quebec. John advised her to stay the remainder of the break and try to get along with her mother. Two days later, at 6:00pm, Anne returned from work to find a message on her answering machine from Jane, saying that she was going to live with her uncle, Billy, in California. He is 21 years old. Jane’s message stated that she hated both of her parents and believed that neither of them cared about her at all. Her father received a similar message. Anne died on the way to the airport to catch up with Jane. Jane refuses to return to Canada. Billy wants to file an asylum petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Jane’s behalf since she is a minor. He claims that Jane is afraid to return to Canada due to propaganda issues. Jane claims that other rebellious children and adults who disagree with the goals of the government have been used for propaganda purposes Application The issue of asylum is not always easy and special notes are particularly made for asylum when it seekers involve minors. The United Nations General Assembly recognized and accepted international instruments and documents that contain provisions specifically relating to children. They recognize and promote the principle that children’s rights are human rights, and that children’s rights are universal. See, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (1948)(e.g., Article 14 provides for the right to apply for asylum, Article 25(2) refers to the special care and assistance required for children). Pursuant to 8 U.S.C 12  §1158 (2004), any foreigner physically in the United States, irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum. The Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General may grant asylum to any who have filed for asylum and has completed the requirements and followed the required procedures, Id.  § 1158(b) (1) (a). The next part of the issue is who can file for the minor. Jane would be classified as either a minor principal or an unaccompanied minor according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The difference between the two is a minor principal is a person under the age of 18 when filing for asylum by one’s own right, as opposed to as a derivative family member on a parent’s or spouse’s asylum application. An unaccompanied minor principal applicant for asylum who is under 18 years of age and who has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S. who is available to provide care and physical custody. This definition encompasses separated minors, e.g., those who are separated from their parents or guardians, but who are in the informal care and physical custody of other adults, including family members. See, Homeland Security Act 6 U.S.C.  §279 (2002). The latter is better fitting in Jane’s case. Because she is under the age of 18, she left the care of her parent, has no living parent in the United States, and in the physical care of an adult family member. The last part of issue one is the filing an application for asylum be a child. .In Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000), aff’d, the court found that a child with out mental capacity cannot file asylum against the wishes of parent. In Polovchak, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985). Jane has a particular fear of being used, as propaganda, in a province political issue will not affect her age to form a political opinion. Matters pertaining to persecution of political opinions of a minor differing than those of a parent cannot be a rejection due to age. See, Civil v. INS, 140 F.3d 52 (1st Cir 1998); Matter of S-P, Int. Dec. 3287 (BIA 1996)(stating that the Ninth Circuit has recognized imputed political opinion as a ground for satisfying the refugee definition). In 1994, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated, that children and adolescents are entitled to special attention because their needs, and their legal and social status, can be significantly different from those of adults, and from each other as well, due to age-related developmental differences†, Conclusion In conclusion, Jane’s uncle, Billy, cannot file for a petition for asylum on Jane’s behalf. Jane can seek and file a petition for asylum in the United States on her own. Since Jane is 14 years old, she has the mental capacity to file for asylum because the courts view mental capacity for petition of children asylum seekers be at the minimum age of 12. In addition, the claim of being used as propaganda tool to further her father’s actions to have the province become an independent from the Canadian government, allows Jane to have different political opinions of her father. Jane’s status would make her an unaccompanied minor. Her applicant status means that she is an applicant for asylum because she is under 18, has no parent or legal guardian in the U.S, has no legal parent living in the U.S., and is in the informal care and physical custody of an adult family member. It is my opinion that she would have successful results in seeking, filing, and receiving asylum in the U.S. CITATION: Gonzalez v. Reno, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (S.D. Fla. 2000) FACTS: The parties to this case are Elian Gonzalez with Lazaro Gonzalez and Attorney General Janet Reno. Six-year-old Cuban national Elian Gonzalez became the focus of international attention five months ago, on November 25, 1999, when he was rescued by two Miami anglers who found him floating on an inner tube several miles off Fort Lauderdale. Elian was transferred to a United States Coast Guard vessel so he could be transported to a nearby hospital for treatment for dehydration and hypothermia. Elian’s mother, Elisabeth Brotons, drowned during the voyage from Cuba. The INS temporarily paroled him into the care of Lazaro Gonzalez, his great uncle, in Miami. On January 19, 2000, Lazaro Gonzalez, instituted this action as next friend, or alternatively as interim temporary legal custodian, of Elian Gonzalez, a six-year-old child, against the Attorney General, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (â€Å"INS†), and other federal defendants. The complaint challenged the INS’s refusal to accept and adjudicate two asylum applications that Lazaro submitted with respect to Elian and an essentially identical application that bore Elian’s signature. On January 27, 2000, the government filed a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for summary judgment. The district court heard oral argument on the government’s motion on March 9, 2000. On March 21, 2000, the district court granted the government’s motion to dismiss or for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Plaintiff appealed. On April 19, 2000, this Court issued an injunction pending appeal, barring Elian’s removal from the United States during the pendency of this appeal ISSUE: 1. Whether the district court was correct in holding that Elian Gonzalez has no due process rights concerning the manner in which the INS considered the asylum applications filed on his behalf. 2. Whether the INS’s thoroughly considered and crafted approach to considering asylum applications submitted by a third party on behalf of a six-year-old child, against the express wishes of the child’s sole surviving parent. RULE: 1. An unadmitted alien cannot challenge decisions by INS officials with regard to their applications for admission, asylum, or parole on constitutional grounds 2. An application for asylum cannot be made against the wishes of a parent, if the child lacks the mental capacity to request asylum and a third person cannot speak on the behalf of a minor because it is the right of the parent to speak on behalf of his child in the court. ANALYSIS: The Court felt that the district court ruled correctly on its holding that Elian Gonzalez had no due process rights in the way the Attorney General considered the asylum applications submitted for him. The ruling on due process was found to lack merit because â€Å"aliens seeking admission to the United States . . . have no constitutional rights with regard to their applications†, Jean v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957, 968 (11th Cir. 1984). Although the statute requires the existence of some application procedure so that aliens may apply for asylum, section 1158 says nothing about the particulars of that procedure, 8 U.S.C.  § 1158. The matter for decision is not up for the courts to decide but for the agency to enforcing the statute, in this case the INS, to choose how to fill such gaps. See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984), 104 S. Ct. at 2793 The second issue was who could actually speak for Elian Gonzalez. The INS Commissioner reached a decision that a six year old is too young to file an asylum claim on his own. It was therefore the job of the Attorney General Reno’s job to determine who should speak for the child, and she found that the father, Juan Miguel, should speak for the child. In Polovchak v. Meese, 774 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1985, the court concluded the minimum age of 12 was the lowest for the age of majority needed to distinguish the child’s asylum interests that different from those of their parents. Lazaro Gonzalez application for guardianship was not allowed because the matter was with immigration lending it to be a federal matter. CONCLUSION: The courts ruled that an alien seeking asylum has no constitutional right to do so, thus removing the power to assert a right to due process under the law. Since Elian was an alien, the Attorney General had full custody over his status. On the second point was could Elian through a third party bring an application for asylum on his behalf. Because Elian was only six years old, he lacked the legal capacity to file for himself. The court felt that only the father could speak for his child. Since the application for asylum was in direct conflict with his wishes, the court saw no reason to reverse the lower court decision therefore sending the child back to his homeland. Had Elian been at least 12 years of age and could articulate the reasons for his fear of being returned to Cuba

The Color of Water a Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother Book Review - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1472 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/15 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? James McBride’s memoir The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother not only tells the story of his own life but also tells the story of his mother’s life. The book looks at the author’s life experiences as a person of mixed race, his struggle with his own identity, and the discrimination that his mother, Ruth, endured from individuals due to her religion, as well as the injustices she faced from her own father due to her relationship with men of a different race and religion. While the notion of discrimination based on race, religion, or ethnicity may seem simplistic, this memoir recounts the plethora of instances where mother and son were faced with great injustices. The title notes that the book is a â€Å"Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother† and that it is. While James McBride looks back on his own life, the book is clearly centered around the life of his mother and the impact that she has left on his own. At times, the book can be confusing as it jumps from time period to time period and from James’ point of view to Ruth’s. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Color of Water: a Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother Book Review" essay for you Create order While reading The Color of Water I was consistently looking at the situations in life of James and Ruth from a social justice perspective. However, before I discuss the complex issue of social justice and its relationship to the injustices of the book, I must first define what social justice is. Social justice essentially refers to the concept in which all individuals of a society are treated fairly and receive a proportionate amount of the benefits of society. To be precise, BusinessDictionary. om, cites social justices as â€Å"fair and proper administration of laws conforming to the natural law that all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race, religion, etc. , are to be treated equally and without prejudice. † As I will outline, there are countless instances in James McBride’s memoir in which the concept social justice was certainly not practiced. Looking at this memoir though the lens of social justice proved to be quite rewarding. The first chapter of the book is titled â€Å"Dead†, in reference to the disownment of Ruth by her own family. Not only did they disown her but they considered to her be dead in their eyes. The reason for this pseudo death was Ruth’s marriage to James’ biological father, a black man named Andrew Dennis McBride. It’s important to understand that Ruth came from a strict Jewish family; the main perpetrator of the discrimination against Ruth is her rabbi father, who is referred to as â€Å"Tateh† meaning father in Yiddish. In Contrast to her family’s staunch racist views, which were a reflection of societal views of the early to mid-twentieth century, the memoir shows Ruth as a woman ahead of her time who marginalized race and treated people equally, practicing social justice. This is demonstrated throughout the book, especially in chapter two when James asks Ruth â€Å"How come you don’t look like me? † and she simply responded by saying that she did look like him because she was his mother and drifted away from the topic by saying that he should focus on school. Furthermore, evidence of Ruth’s reluctance to look at people based on race is exemplified in chapter six when James asks her â€Å"what color is God’s spirit†, to which she replied â€Å"It doesn’t have a color, God is the color of water. † James’ confusion about his own identity is clear, especially in chapter four titled Black Power. James struggles with a desire to have unity with blacks at the height of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and the love that he has for his white mother. Another injustice exposed in the book is the arranged marriage of Ruth’s parents. Ruth states that their marriage had nothing to do with love. Ruth’s father basically exploited her mother due to her family’s relative wealth and the fact that she was his â€Å"ticket† to America to escape another injustice that he and other Jews in Poland were facing from Russian soldiers. However, the anti-Semitic injustices that Ruth’s family experienced in Poland did not end when they came to America, outlined in chapter five, especially when the family moved to Suffolk, Virginia after her father learned of the opportunity of an open synagogue there. Ruth describes that in Suffolk people loved anything new or different except for Jews. In school she was taunted and called â€Å"Christ Killer† and â€Å"Jew Baby. † She also noted the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in Suffolk on page 44 and the atrocities they perpetrated against blacks. Eventually, â€Å"Tateh† gave up on being a rabbi and opened at store in a predominately black section of Suffolk. At the store â€Å"Tateh† forced his children to work long hours. What is even more shocking is when Ruth describes in great detail the sexual molestation she endured from her own father, which caused her to develop of very low self-esteem and a hate for him. The second half of the book continues with more injustices faced by James and his family. In chapter ten, James’ brother Richie is arrested for a drug crime, that he did not commit and was haggled by the policemen because he had $90 of college money in his pocket, another example of the rampant racial profiling of the time period. Ruth’s father’s narrow-mindedness is shown again as she recalls her high school graduation that he forbid her to attended because part of the ceremony was to take place in a Gentile church. Ruth originally defied her father, but could not go through with it when she approached the threshold of the church. In the books final chapters, James talks about how he began looking into his mothers past; he went to Suffolk with the address of his mother’s old house and the name of her childhood friend. In Suffolk he spoke with this childhood friend and even entered the synagogue that his mother’s family attended. This shows me, that as he grew older James began to finally discover the heritage of his mother that when he had questioned her as a child about she ignored, shrugging it off as irrelevant. In between James’ chapters about his visit to Suffolk, Ruth discusses the harassment that she and James’ father were subject to as an interracial couple in 1940s Harlem. It was during this time that Ruth converted to Christianity and eventually established a church with her late husband. The Epilogue seems symbolic to me, since it involves James’ coworker who is the son of a Holocaust survivor, the Holocaust being a cataclysmic injustice, invites James and Ruth to a Jewish wedding. Ruth agrees to attend and enters a synagogue for the first time since being a child. It is here where it seems Ruth has embraced her own heritage, a heritage that her son had embraced soon before. It seems that by the end of the memoir everything has come full circle. Both Ruth and James, while still haunted with the injustices faced, have come to grips with their heritage, which has made them who they are. While, I personally can’t imagine the hardships that a multi-racial person faced not long ago in our country’s history, I can admire and appreciate the immense difficulty and struggle that a person has between two different groups of people that they love. While things in terms of racial and religious discrimination are less out in the open as they were just decades ago and progress has been made, people still face the injustices of being treated differently simply because they don’t look like the predominant group in a society. James McBride’s memoir shows that regardless of race or religion we are all people and we all have the same feelings and desires in life and that while being of multi-racial background may have been seen as a detriment to him in the past, it appears to me that it has enriched his life and made him a very strong willed individual. The Color of Water is about much more than one issue; rather it is a glimpse at the life of a son and his mother, the discrimination that they both faced from family and strangers alike, and a multi-racial man learning to come to grips with his identity as person of two ethnic backgrounds, which African Americans and Jews seem extremely different, they ironically both faced the same type of discrimination. While being of mixed race made life difficult, by the end of the memoir it became evident that James embraces both sides of his background because both have shaped the man he is today.