Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there were many lessons that were taught. Atticus was a lawyer who taught his son Jem and daughter Scout many different values. Atticus felt that one of the most important values was to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you judge them. He also taught them to respect others. Scout was a wild girl and always got into fights with other guys; Atticus showed her that fighting doesn't solve anything. Atticus showed the kids that you should not judge other people. You don't know how their life is unless you are walking around in their shoes. You have no clue on how they feel about things and what they see. They may have problems that you don't know about and they don't want you to see. They may act different because of the way they were brought up. You can never tell unless you see what they see. Atticus also felt that you should always respect others. He felt that you should always try to please other people even if it means holding in your opinion sometimes. Mrs. Dubose was a character in the novel who was very disrespectful to the rich. Atticus still made them be kind to her. Jem got mad one day and cut some of her bushes down. As a punishment Atticus made him read to Mrs. Dubose. Later, when they learned she had died, Atticus said: "...She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...son. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won...she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew." They learned that they shouldn't act mean-spirited just because of their feelings about someone. They might act out of anger and not really understand the person at all. In the beginning of the book, Scout had a bad temper. She got into a lot of fights over little things. Atticus would get very angry with her because he felt that fighting was very wrong. He thought that it didn't prove anything.

Autobiography: My inspiration

Inspirations come from many avenues. My inspiration came when I was 16 years old in the form of a 3 pound baby boy measuring the length of a ruler. Being a young adolescent myself, this was a very trying time for me. My son was born almost three months early and could very easily have not survived. The birth of my first child is what changed my life forever and shaped me into the person I am today. At the age of seventeen I was attending high school, being a mother to my son, and working away from home as a waitress; all the while missing my little boy beyond words.I knew right then what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to watch my son grow. I wanted to not only be his mother but also his teacher. As my life moved forward my family grew. I was lucky enough to have the privilege to stay at home with my children. During this time I decided that caring for children and helping them grow was what I wanted to do. I started doing child care for a few of my friend’s children and absolutely fell in love with it. This is what I have always done and is something that has always come completely natural to me.Being responsible for a child’s growth while watching them learn and mature right before my eyes is an amazing feeling and a blessing. My children are now all in school full time which has me feeling ready to share the passion I have in caring for, nurturing, and teaching children with others. After I complete my CDA coursework my goal is to become a preschool teacher. I feel with current education with child development and the love I have for watching children’s developmental growth this will be a great future for me.

Islamic State

Islamic Economics Institution Of Bait-ul-Maal By Muhammad Adeel Mian Sajjad Naqwi Sec-H Presented to: Miss Tahseen Lahore School of Economics BAIT-UL-MAAL Introduction The bait-ul-maal is a unique institute which was established for the economic prosperity of the people. As we all know in the Islamic system of life sovereignty belongs to Allah and man is His vicegerent on earth. Similarly the same concept applies to Bait-ul-maal, where Allah is sole master of this treasury while the caliphs are only the trustee of Bait-ul-Maal. In this sense the concept of Bait-ul-maal is different from the concept of public exchequer in un-Islamic systems.In an Islamic state Bait-ul-maal is Safeguarded and expenditures from it is made in the sense that it is a trust. Definition So how can we define bait-ul-maal? It is the place which is designed for keeping the spoils of war, charity, land tax and Jizyah (the tax which a free non-Muslim pays in Muslim countries in return for his protection), and thi s money should be in the hands of the caliph or a Muslim ruler who spends it in what Allaah has ordained. Historically, it was a financial institution responsible for the administration of taxes in Islamic states, particularly in the early Islamic Caliphate.It served as a royal treasury for the caliphs, managing personal finances and government expenditures. Further, it administered distributions of zakah revenues for public works. History Bayt al-mal was the department that dealt with the revenues and all other economic matters of the state. In the time of Muhammad (SAW) there was no permanent Bait-ul-Mal or public treasury. Whatever revenues or other amounts were received were distributed immediately. There were no salaries to be paid, and there was no state expenditure.Similarly Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh), established the common brotherhood of Muslims soon after the Hijrah to Medina from Mecca. Each resident of Medina became a helper (ansar) to each individual who migrated with Pro phet Muhammad (pbuh). The rich Muslims took charge of the poor ones and soon the economic disparity was removed with the interdependency. Hence the need for the treasury at public level was not felt. Abdullah ibn Abbas (R. A) states: â€Å"For me to fulfil the necessities of a Muslim family for a month or for a week or whatever period of time Allah pleases is more beloved to me than performing hajj after hajj.Buying a utensil for even a daaniq (one-sixth of a dirham) and giving it to my brother as a gift for the pleasure of Allah is more beloved to me than spending a dinar in the path of Allah. † – Abu Nu’aym in Hilya 1:328 But It wont be right to say that the concept of Bait-ul-maal didn’t exist at the time of last prophecy. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to have trustworthy people who kept these assets and they divided them with his order on those who deserved them. The mosque was the place in which the assets and belongings were exposed and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would divide them by himself.However, the camels and other cattle remained in the folds until it was time for their division. Even in the time of Abu Bakr there was not treasury. Abu Bakr earmarked a house where all money was kept on receipt. As all money was distributed immediately the treasury generally remained locked up. It was reported that at the time of the death of Abu Bakr there was only one dirham in the public treasury. After the death of 1st caliph things changes. Establishment of Bait-ul-maal In the time of Umar (R. A) things changed. With the extension in conquests money came in larger quantities, Umar also allowed salaries to men fighting in the army.Abu Huraira who was the Governor of Bahrain sent a revenue of five hundred thousand dirhams. Umar summoned a meeting of his Consultative Assembly and sought the opinion of the Companions about the disposal of the money. Uthman ibn Affan advised that the amount should be kept for future needs. Walid bin Hisham suggested that like the Byzantines separate departments of Treasury and Accounts should be set up. After consulting the Companions Umar (R. A) decided to establish the Central Treasury at Madinah. Abdullah bin Arqam was appointed as the Treasury Officer. He was assisted by Abdur Rahman bin Awf and Muiqib.A separate Accounts Department was also set up and it was required to maintain record of all that was spent. Later provincial treasuries were set up in the provinces. After meeting the local expenditure the provincial treasuries were required to remit the surplus amount to the central treasury at Madinah. According to Yaqubi the salaries and stipends charged to the central treasury amounted to over 30 million dirhams. Whereas a separate building was constructed for the royal treasury by the name bait-u-maal, which in large cities was guarded by as many as 400 guards.Finally in Hazart Umer’s regime the concept of Bait-ul-maal was implemented and strengthened. Zakat This is the most important source of revenue of the Bait-ul-maal. It is different from the other revenues because its collection, in regards of with its collected amounts and in regards with its spending. Islam restricted the sources from where Zakat is collected, it is collected from the wealth of Muslims only and not from the non-Muslims. It is, as well, not a general tax, rather one of the pillars of Islam. Besides this, paying Zakat achieves a spiritual value, like the prayer, fasting and the hajj.Holy Quran and Prophet (pbuh) has laid a great emphasis on the duty of paying sadqats. Once the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent Mu'az to Yemen and said to him: â€Å"Inform them that Allah obliged Sadaqah upon their wealth that is taken from their rich and given to their poor. † The Holy Prophet (S. A. W) fixed the rate on possession of wealth above a certain level and enforce its collection. There are different rates of Zakat on various pro perties such as zakat on 7. 5tolas of Gold, 52. 5tolas of silver etc. It is, as well, not a general tax, rather one of the pillars of Islam so of great importance to Muslim society.Jizyah Jizyah is derived from ‘Jaza’ which means ‘recompense’ or ‘compensation’. It is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens. From the point of view of the Muslim rulers, jizya was a material proof of the non-Muslims' acceptance of subjection to the state and its lawsIn return, non-Muslim citizens were permitted to practice their faith, to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy, to be entitled to the Muslim state's protection from outside aggression, and to be exempted from military service and the zakat taxes obligatory upon Muslim citizens.Allah said â€Å"Fight, with those from among the people of the book who do not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day; who do not make unlawful that which Allah and His Messenger has made un lawful and adopt the right way as their way. (Fight with them) until they pay Jazia with their own hands and are humbled. † [9:30] Kharaj Land of the conquered terrorities left by the reigning Caliph in the possession of the subjugated unbelievers and land of thoses countries which accepted the sovereignty of Islamic state by a treaty of peace are called kharaji.The revenue, tax, rent, rate, lease, produce, income, wages etc collected from these land owners is called kaharaj. This policy of collection was first adopted my Hazart Umer r. a but  sanction for the levy of Kharaj is also found from the practice of the Prophet of Islam who gave the conquered lands of Khaiber to the Jews (who were previous owners of these lands) on the agreement that they would pay half of the produce to the Islamic State. Now I will call upon Sajjad Naqwi to guide you through rest of the sources of revenue of house of treasury. SadqatLinguistically, sadaqah is derived from the root sadq or sidq, w hich means â€Å"to speak the truth, to be sincere. † It can also mean, â€Å"candor and efficiency. † Quran and Hadith laid emphasis on sadqat. It finds its origin in God's command to: â€Å"Take sadaqah (charity) from their property in order to purify and sanctify them. † (Qur'an at-Taubah:103) There are two main types 1- Sadqat-i-Wajiba(obligatory Sadqat) 2-Sadqat-i-Nafla( supplementary sadqat) Sadqat-i-Wajiba is the offering of Zakat while Sadqat-i-Nafla is distribution of charity according to your will. FaieIf overawed by the might of the Muslim army, the infidel forces runway without a fight leaving behind goods and property or after victory in battle the Muslim leaves the land of the unbelievers in their possession and ownership subject to a fixed tax, or a Kharaj or Jizyah all this gain sum up to FAIE. In this sense even kharaj and Jizyah become a kind of Faie. The Holy Quran declared the faie revenues as the right of bait-ul-maal. Faie is distributed am ongst the soilders of Islam but instead is kept for the poor and needy. Orders regarding the Faie have beed issued in Sura Al-Hashr: Whatever Allah restorted to His Messenger from the people of the habitants, belongs to Allah and the Messenger and the kinsfolk and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarers, so that it does not remain circulating among your rich people only. Take whatever you Messenger gives you, and refrain from whatever he forbids you. Fear Allah , for Allah is stern in inflicting punishment. †[59:7-10] Zaraib Taxes, apart from zakat and sadqat, which the Islamic state is constraint to rely on the rich to meet the emergencies are called Zaraib.Such emergencies include war, drought, carrying out of urgent public welfare works and alleviation of unemployment. Discussing the question of assisting the destitute, Imam Ibn-e-Hazm writes: â€Å"If the bait-ul-mal funds, and revenues of faie fall short of meeting the economic needs of the suppliants the Caliph can impose additional taxes on the rich. If they resist, the Caliph can use force to make them pay. † Kra-al-ard State lands leased out on fixed rent are called ‘Annual Rent’ kra-al-ard/lagan.No ushr or kharaj is levied on these lands. Lands which after war are denoted to a trust for the Muslims or ownerless tracts managed by Bait-ul-maal are called ‘Ard al-Mamlukata’ or Ard al-Hauza Ashur Import duty was collected only once a year from merchants who brought trade goods into the territory of the Islamic state. This custom or import duty is called Ashur. This duty was imposed fot the first tiome in the regime of Caliph Umer (R. A). Muslim traders who carried goods for sale to Rome or Iran paid custom on each consignment.As a reciprocal measure the Islamic govt also imposed a duty on incoming goods, but the duty was exacted only once a yr. Muslim, Dhimmi, or Non-Muslims, no one was exempt from this duty. However each of them had to pay different rates of As hur. Muslims being 2. 5%, Dhimmis 5% and Non-Arabs 10%. The minimum value of merchandise on which the duty was payable was 200 dirhams. Muslims who paid Zakat were exempted if they showed an affidavit. Waqf To transfer one’s property to the ownership of Allah, that is, to dedicate it to the cause of Allah is called Waqf(trust).The income from this property is deposited in the Bait-ul-maal. Amwal-i-fazla Other source of revenue includes: * The property of a deceased Muslim or Dhimmi with no heir becomes the the property of Bait-ul-maal * Secondly the property of an apostate is confiscated by the state and passed on to the ownership of Bait-ul-maal CONCLUSION Baitul Maal program is designed to  strengthen human resources, information technology, mentoring and facilitation of financing, and system management software technology-based and community empowerment in the areas of sustainable economic development.The master of the institution of bait-ul-maal is ALLAH and it is made to serve people and to maintain equality and brotherhood in the society. Tax system was designed in such a way that citizens did not consider it as burden and fail to fulfill it. Taxes which were imposed and collected were just for the prosperity of state and its citizens and to make the Islamic state a welfare state. Hence following the rules and regulations of Bait-ul-maal can help put an end to poverty THANK YOU!!!

Its All About Accuracy

Its All About Accuracy It’s All About Accuracy It’s All About Accuracy By Mark Nichol During my editing career, I’ve corrected some significant factual errors in manuscripts before they were published mistakes that would have compromised the authority of a book or a magazine or newspaper article, or at least embarrassed its author. (Aw, shucks, don’t mention it it’s my job.) I’ve also probably overlooked a few. And I’ve introduced some in my own writing: In one book review, I identified the author by the wrong first name. In another, I gave Canis domesticus as the scientific name for the dog. (It’s Canis familiaris, or Canis familiaris domesticus, or Canis lupus familiaris.) In a recent post, I relied on my very limited knowledge of French to address a comment to mon amis, rather than to mes amis. (My editor caught the two book-review errors, and a few of this site’s readers called me on the friendly faux pas, as some have done with other infelicities of mine.) So it is as a sympathetic peer, not as a sneering superior, that I entreat you to practice due diligence in optimizing the accuracy of your writing. Analyze Your Errors Do you consistently make the same types of errors? Misspelling of people’s names? Erroneous wording of lengthy job titles or organizational names? Math mistakes? Record and tally your errors, and resolve to triple-check every instance in your problem area(s). And don’t rely on the popular media for this information. Go to the source an individual’s or organization’s website or to a respected reference work. If you are math challenged, consult with a computationally adept ally. Keep a Checklist For every article or blog post or other piece of content you write, produce a checklist from a master template you keep on your computer or in your hard-copy files. On this list, direct yourself to check names and titles of people, names and locations of places, URLs, numbers and math, and definitions and explanations. Verify quotes, and check for spelling and grammar errors (and for spell-checking errors). When you interview or consult with someone, ask them to spell their personal information. (My surname is the least common of several variants, so I always spell it out over the phone without prompting. Many people with unusually spelled names do the same, but a surprising number don’t.) Confirm all other details and information with objective resources. Keep track of Web links and other access to information. And especially if you’re writing about recondite or controversial topics, ask people you interview to identify situations in which other writers introduced errors into their articles so that you can avoid passing fumbled facts along. Delete Your Ego How many of you have read an article about something you have inside knowledge about and noticed factual errors? I know I have. Understand that accuracy in reporting is a problem endemic to professional and amateur writing alike. But determine to be someone who does something about it. Acknowledge and correct your errors. If your sources are unreliable (facts or findings contradict the prevailing understanding) or subjective (an expert spins facts to support their viewpoint), jettison them and obtain more reliable ones. Always verify. (Follow the time-honored warning to reporters: â€Å"If your mother says she loves you, check it out.†) And cultivate your skepticism; don’t let impressive job titles or institutional names or other trappings of infallibility distract you from seeking the truth. 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 Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph Examples50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and FingersPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

The Astronomical vs. Meteorological Seasons

The Astronomical vs. Meteorological Seasons If someone asked you when each of the seasons occurs, how would you respond?  Your answer may depend on whether you think of the seasons  in a more traditional, or  a more weather-related way. Astronomical Seasons Change at the Equinoxes and Solstices The astronomical seasons are the ones most of us are familiar with because  their  start dates are  listed on our calendars. Theyre called astronomical because, like our calendar, the  dates of their occurrence are based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun. In the Northern Hemisphere: Astronomical winter is a result of Earths north pole being tilted its farthest away from the sun,  and the suns light aiming directly at southern latitudes. It begins on December 21-22.  Astronomical spring is a result of Earths north pole tilt moving from its maximum lean  away from the sun to one equidistant from the sun,  and of the suns light aiming directly at the equator. It begins on March 21-22.  Astronomical summer is a result of Earth being tilted its farthest towards  the sun, and the suns light aiming directly at north latitudes. It begins on June 20-21.Astronomical fall is a result of Earths tilt moving from its maximum lean  towards the sun to one  equidistant from the sun,  and of the suns light  aiming directly at the equator. It begins on September 21-22. Meteorological Seasons Change Every 3 Months Another  way to define  the seasons is by grouping the twelve calendar months into four 3-month periods based on  similar temperatures. In the Northern Hemisphere: Meteorological winter  begins on December 1. It includes the months of  December, January, and February (DJF)Meteorological spring  begins on March 1 and includes the months of  March, April, and May  (MAM).Meteorological summer  begins on June 1. It includes the months of  June, July, and August (JJA).Meteorological fall  begins on September 1 and includes the months of  September, October, and November (SON). Meteorologists didnt implement this classification just for the heck of it. Rather, they prefer to deal with data from whole rather than fractions of months, and align calendar dates more closely with the temperatures felt during that period, the scheme (which has been around since the early- to mid-1900s) allows weather scientists  to more easily compare weather patterns from one season to another something the astronomical convention makes cumbersome due to seasonal lag (the delay in seasonal temperatures settling in). Which Set of Seasons Wins Out? The astronomical seasons are the more traditional way of defining our four seasons. Although folks may not be used to the meteorological way, in a lot of ways its the more natural scheme for how we live our lives today. Gone are the days when we pore over the happenings of the celestial heavens and organize our lives accordingly. But organizing our lives around months and similar stretches of temperatures is more true to our modern reality.

American Governemnt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Governemnt - Essay Example On the other hand, the Federalists were comprised of people who were quite well educated and resided in the regions alongside the eastern coastline. Moreover, they were also quite wealthy, and it is possible that their main motivation was to protect their newfound leadership of the federation at all costs. On the other hand, the Anti–federalists represented the people who were not so well off as well as those who lived in the interior, away from the seaboard; these were campaigners for the ascendancy of the individual states over the federal administration. When one considers the different arguments put forward by these two factions, one realizes that the arguments made by the Federalists are much more convincing than those made by the Anti– federalists are. Therefore, in this paper we shall discuss some of the ideas proposed by the Federalists as opposed to those presented by their opponents. The Federalists believed that the power of the confederation was too weak to function effectively either domestically or when dealing with foreign powers. They felt that a strong federal government would be able to take care of the needs of all the states in matters of foreign policy and would be able to control the states from taking steps, which were deemed excessive. It can be argued that the stance of the Federalists was exceedingly much aware of the advantages that could be brought to the United States if it indeed had a strong national government. One of the benefits that happened in later years was when President Jefferson ordered the United States navy to deal with the Barbary pirates. Not only did the navy do so, but it also managed to break the power of these pirates, hence ensuring that the American trade in the Mediterranean was secured. The Anti vehemently opposed the proposal for a strong federal government – federalists who believed that the Federalists, who were made up of the propertied class, wanted to monopolize power in the new nat ion. Instead, they proposed that the power of the federal government be kept weak and that state power was to remain supreme (Howe 1383). If such proposals had been implemented then the United States would have been just a loose federation, without a single military force to defend it, and a leader who was not decisive because he would have been at the mercy of the state governments. Among the proposals made by the Federalists, concerning the new state was that it was to be governed by men who had talent and experience. They felt that if the government were to be placed in the hands of just anyone, then it would jeopardize the security of the state as well as the lives and property of those within it. Men with experience in governance would be more appropriate because they would know how to handle different situations as they occurred. It would therefore, be better that the government remained in the hands of the educated and propertied class because they had the experience to lead the nation wisely. This turned out to be a true assessment of the situation as the first presidents of the United States came from this class. The success of this young nation can be attributed to them for it is because of their strict management of its affairs that the foundation was set for its

The Failure of The War Powers Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Failure of The War Powers Resolution - Essay Example The joint resolution only allowed the president to take such an action, on the event that there is a war emergency that the army should respond to. Other instances include, should the US, its territories or its interests be attacked (David & Larry, 1996 p22). As the provision of the law, the president should notify the congress once his intention to place the armed forces into war, within a span of 48 hours. More to this provision is the fact that the armed forces are prohibited from remaining in the war zone abroad for a period exceeding two months. After the expiry of the first two months, the army is granted 30 more days within which all its soldiers and operations should be withdrawn for the territory (Gareth, 2007 p19). Since this joint resolution was passed by majority two thirds of the congress, then the president has no veto powers over the legislation and thus has just to agree with the terms as provided. However, some presidents of the US have superseded these provisions, a nd engaged in war, without strictly adhering to the legislation, under some circumstances. Notable are the examples of presidents Bill Clinton and Obama, whereby in 1999, Clinton authorized the bombing of Kosovo, in total disregard of these legislative provisions. In 2011, president Obama went ahead and approved to enforce a no-fly zone policy over Libya, as was required by the UN (Dinan, 2006 W6). While President Obama held the view that the legislation did not provide restrictions for such actions, many of the US presidents have also held the same viewpoint, arguing that the legislation is against the US constitution. As per the US constitution, the congress is mandated with the powers of declaring war, supporting the armed forces and also the budget for such wars, and making all the necessary legislations that oversees the execution of such wars. The institution of presidency on the other hand is mandated to lead the armed forces and repel any attack that may face the US (Glen, 2 011 p28). As a privilege added to this institution, the president can agree to or reject a declaration of war issued by the congress, as he deems necessary. Therefore, there has been a struggle between the congress and the US presidents on the constitutionality of such provisions, as provided for by The War Powers Resolution. This has seen the provisions undermined by the presidents, through taking such war actions without consulting the congress. Thus, a question arises as to which institution, among the congress, the Supreme Court and the president is responsible for this failure. The failure of The War Powers Resolution can be traced to the side of congress. These failures are both in the way the congress enacted the legislation and in its failure to enforce the enacted law subsequently, where it would be necessary to contain the actions of the presidents (Rumsfeld, 2011 p14). Though some US presidents have totally overruled the provisions of the legislation, there is a possibili ty that the congress could nave contained such undermining, through their legislative and consequent enforcement powers. Thus, even though the institution of presidency can be blamed for such failures through undermining the requisite laws, the congress bears the greater burden of failure. The major failure of the War Powers Resolution, as a legislation is in its objective, under section 2a, where the law meant to seek a collective judgment in matters pertaining to wars