Media Management Towards National Security Media Essay

Media Management Towards National Security Media Essay INTRODUCTION War is fought with the will of the government, competence of the armed forces and the support of the nation Carl Von Clausewitz 1. A nations military security comes from the strength of its armed forces and the media is considered to be the watchdog of nation itself. With adequate knowledge of each others vulnerabilities and strengths, media and military can immensely benefit from each other. The fear of the military is that the media in their exuberance and hurry to take the truth to the masses might jeopardise their future operations. The main concern of the military is that of information, which could jeopardise a military operation or endanger the lives of the troops who have to carry it out, should not be published. The very first in any operation is to prevent any information of value falling in to the hands of the adversary, who in turn could utilize the same to his advantage. On the other hand, the media does not wish to be seen working under the influence of the armed forces and wishes to be totally independent in its reporting. The media play a crucial role in projecting images and moulding percepti ons in the realm of foreign and defense policies. It is through media that information is gleaned, perceptions shaped and policies articulated on such issues. Media continues to be a thermometer/barometer/ mirror of the society. Public support and national morale are powerful force multipliers in themselves which is moulded by the media. The impact of media, especially the visual media, on military operations is becoming increasingly important. Real time visual presentation can rapidly influence adversary, public and therefore political opinion. Thus media has a great role to play towards security of a nation. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY 1. Aim. To study analyse the role of media in war and internal crisis situations, media as a force multiplier for armed forces and their interoperability towards national security. 2. Statement of the Problem. This dissertation aims at an in-depth study of the role of media during war and towards growing internal security situations and the inter operability with the armed forces. 3. Justification of the study. As future military commanders why do we need to study role of media in todays context? The reason is that media plays an important role in the national security. It is the fourth estate which acts as a watchdog to the nation. The information generated by the media can influence the people of the nation and mould the perception of a nation. While being transparent the media may compromise on information leading to false sense of realism or jeopardise operations. Media being a strong pillar of the society can help towards the security of the nation simultaneously not compromising on its basic role of transparency. 4. Hypothesis. Sensible and responsible Media reporting will ensure media not infringing into national security. Media is a force multiplier for the armed forces during war, internal crisis and peace. Media invariably form a major player in the security situations and inter operability with armed forces which will ensure synergized effort towards national security. 5. Scope. Media is a vast subject and how it can relate towards the national security, this paper only gives a brief overview of the role of media in the internal crisis situation and the recent developments relating to the issue and how military and media can work towards the overall security situation. 6. Methods of Data Collection. The data for this dissertation has been collected from large number of magazines, books, periodicals journals which are available in the DSSC Library. In addition certain web sites related to the subject were accessed on the Internet. Lectures given by eminent speakers at DSSC have also been referred to. CHAPTER III (FINAL) MEDIA IN INDIA 1. Media in India has been established since long and their contribution to the society and nation as such is commendable. Media in India has evolved from humble news print to the modern cyber media. Before going on to discuss about the media management and using media as a tool towards military operations to ensure national security, let us examine the media in general in present day India. The issue of internet will be touched upon superficially as it is a vast subject in itself. Defence journalism Looking at the history of news coverage of the war and internal crisis situation, it is quite evident that the news from the area of operation has always interested the mankind. Media these days has now assumed a status which it had seldom enjoyed earlier. Starting as an institutionalized approach to generate awareness and inform masses, media has become an instrument to govern our lives. A close scrutiny and study of Mahabharata would expose to us the nuances of battle that went on between the two adversaries and till date it remains a great testimony to what the quality of battlefield reporting analyses was during the epic period in India. If we were to identify a war correspondent in correspondingly modern India, possibly William Howard Russells name could be the first one to be cited as he reported upon the first war of independence in India in 1857.The coverage of the war and internal crisis in present day scenario has taken an interesting turn with the near real time to live co verage of the events showing pictures from the crisis zone instantly. Media has been playing a vital link to the rest of India on the ongoing insurgency/militancy in Kashmir and North East. Media coverage took an upward surge almost nearing a deluge during the Kargil conflict. Twenty four into seven channels began churning the battlefield in a hunt for not only the latest stories but a series of stories eclipsing the previous one thereby arousing public interest and forming opinions. Never had there been so much support to the war effort in the recent history as was evident during the Kargil conflict. Why did it happen the way it did-did media play a role in it? Do we expect the media to be as supportive during future operations as it was during Kargil? Would the part of media that is controlled and financed by people from outside the country continue to play the ball the way it did during the Kargil conflict? Today, the images of war, for that matter peace, can decisively draw the contours of a nations public opinion even before the authorities can confirm or repudiate the authenticity. Therefore, it is all the more essential to critically analyse the role media can pl ay and how best can it be optimized without compromising any of its essential elements. Press council of India 1. Press Council is a mechanism for the pres to regulate itself. The raison detre of this unique institution is rooted in the concept that in a democratic society the press needs at once to be free and reasonable. If the press is to function effectively as the watchdog of public interest, it must have a secure freedom of expression, unfettered and unhindered by any authority, organised body or individuals. But, this claim to press freedom has legitimacy only if it is exercised with due sense of responsibility. The press must therefore scrupulously adhere to accepted norms of journalistic ethics and maintain high standard of professional conduct. Where the norms are breached and freedom is defiled by unprofessional conduct, a way must exist to check and control it. But, control by government or official authorities may prove destructive of this freedom. Therefore, the best way is to let peers of the profession, assisted by a few discerning layman to regulate it through a properly stru ctured representative impartial machinery. Hence, the Press Council. 2. The Press Council of India was first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission with the objective of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of press in India. The present Council functions under the Press Council Act 1978. It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press respectively. The Press Council is headed by a chairman, who has by convention, been a retired judge of Supreme Court of India. The council consists of 28 other members of whom 20 represent the press and are nominated by the press organisation/news agencies recognised and notified by the Council as all India bodies of categories such as editors, working journalists and owners and managers of newspaper, five members are nominated from the two houses of the Parliament and represent cultural, literary and legal fields as nominees of Sahitya Academ y, University Grant Commission and Bar Council of India. The members serve on the Council for a term of three years. The Council was last reconstituted on May 22, 2001. The Press Council of India has the following function:- To help the newspaper to maintain their independence. (ii) Medium of Media Role of Media 2. Role of media is that of mediation between the government and the people of the nation. Due to its responsibilities, media is the fourth pillar of the democratic India. After 63 years of achieving independence and quest towards becoming number one power of the world by 2020 through economic growth, the role of media is somewhat uncertain and putting a question mark on the Indian journalism. Before moving ahead we need to ask ourselves and think as to is Indian media playing the role for what it has been known that is the fourth pillar of the state? If not then what role media should play? The obvious answer to this question is that the media should be fair, reliable, impartial, accurate analysis/reporting and work in an integrated manner towards the overall benefit of the people of the nation. As far as news is concerned, media should analyse the news in a very rigid manner, how it has happened and what is the very existence of the news to go to the root cause of the problem inste ad of being biased to any facts and figures available of hand or floated by anybody. But the fact remains very often rather going deep into any problem, journalists are blindly accepting the news as truth which is being formulated and carefully manipulated by the evil elements and disseminate the same publicly. Well, the entire community of journalist s cannot be placed under suspicious category for the inappropriate reporting or misdeeds of few journalists. 3. Medias basic role is to inform, influence, entertain and help develop economy of state which involves news evaluation, analysis and assessment and finally dissemination. Newspapers have a dual role; it is a quasi public institution and a free enterprise and same holds good for the electronic media also. However when the media overlooks its responsibility to the people of a nation and lays more emphasis on being free enterprise that is the problem starts. Another problem is what news is worthy and what is not, and most important is what news need not be published or broadcasted is decided by whom? The journalist is neither to be considered as a detective nor a historian but as mediator in conveying its readers all about the event. Major General Winant Sidle of the US Army says, The appropriate media role in relation to the government has been summarised aptly as being neither a lap dog nor an attack dog but, rather, a watch dog. Apart from acquisition, interpretation and disseminat ion of news, role of media can be summarised as; to create public opinion and attitudes, act as watch-dog for citizens in terms of human rights issues and abuses by institution of power, inform public with events that are balanced and finally maintain national morale by responsible news coverage. The Constitution of India and Press Freedom 4. The Constitution of India, specifically in the chapter on Fundamental Rights, surprisingly, does not mention freedom of press. Later on, Dr. Ambedkar however had mentioned that being part of the guarantees of Freedom of Speech and Expression in Article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution it was not necessary to stipulate the freedom of press separately. Freedom of expression as mentioned in the Constitution implies all forms of opinions, thoughts, ideas and conviction and thus covers most of what is needed for the freedom of press. Censorship is no way covered in any provisions of the Indian constitutions. However during an emergency under the Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights including Freedom of Expression and Speech stands suspended. The Article 19 (2) of the Constitution of India states that the freedom of the press can be restricted for reasons of sovereignty and integrity of India, preserving democracy and the security of the state, besides some other contingencies. 5. Freedom of the media in actual facts is tempered by hard ground realities such as power and influence of the ownership on editorial policies, commercial orientation of the media, government control over key resources such as newsprint, communications and advertisements. Very often media misuses the freedom given to it and it is evident from a number of issues. Media these days are more engaged in dramatization of an event or news rather than reflecting the informative part. More often, unnecessarily intruding into private lives/personal matters of the people and especially focussing on the distress victims and their families. Media has been in highlight for being involved in corrupt practices and favouring the publishers, political parties, business houses, religious institutions to name a few. Biased publishing, journalist and editor block some news while highlighting others for the reasons of there own. There have been instances where media play up regional emotions leading to s trong appeal and wide spread commotion. During reportage of war or any operations related to internal crisis situation, many a times media has show immaturity and is irresponsible in its reporting by sensationalizing and escalating the conflict. Police, politician and corporate can still be considered for double standards, but how can we expect the same standards from our journalist community. When one pillar collapses, the whole building is likely to fall down. Media being the fourth pillar need to be strong enough in breaking the ice and put forward news and make the truth distinct from ambiguous or falsehood which will entail death of social evil and the people of the nation and the state itself will live in peace. This is the responsibility than needs to be understood and taken up by the Indian journalism. Now, how they are going to shape, direct and lead the new generation of India towards to a peaceful nation as a whole is matter of time and the self awakening. Media ethics 6. Media both print and more so the electronic media plays an important catalyst in shaping the public opinions, sentiments and dogmas by promulgating accurate and desirable information and knowledge. Due to the vast intrusion of television news in public life, it has the power and can create an enduring impact on society, culture and security of a region. These days media is generally facing a qualitative crisis pertaining to the news disseminated by it and it seems as the news channels in India have their respective doctrine charted out presenting anything as news which leads to an departure from the ethical issues of journalism. They have metamorphosed themselves towards packaging of information and have adopted a policy of corporate culture wherein their basic motto has transformed from disseminating information to earning television rating points. With numerous news channels being beamed to our houses the thirst for the actual news by the public is not met due to lack of content , quality and authenticity which have deteriorated over a period of time. Electronic media in India has been irresponsible in presenting news and sensitizing crucial events without understanding and realising the impact and implications on the people and security of the nation. Investigative journalism is the in thing now where in the channels has become a self proclaimed investigating agency which to some extent is instrumental in bringing out the truth but slowly the channels are being used as a means of personal vendetta or gains by insiders as well as outsiders. 7. Media used to be known as the voice of common people and a medium to grab knowledge of the world. Media had over a period of time had built some ethics which was appreciated but with the rapid development, mushrooming of news agencies and requirement of growth it is loosing its credibility. Print media compared to electronic media was known for its accuracy and its ethics and with passage of time everything has become part of marketing and news turned into commodity. The so called free media talks the language of the agencies they are benefited from. The ethics which is being talked about is what should be written or shown and what shouldnt be. The overall aim should to add to society, nation building for a better tomorrow. Contrary to this, media coverage includes matters which are of no use to the citizen but surely for their own mileage. News is supposed to connect the world and not a soap opera in which media ethics, duties and purpose is lost. Reach of mass media 8. It is important for a country like ours to know the capabilities of available mass media facilities, readership, listener ship and viewer ship habits of the people to gauge the reach of media. But do we know when it comes to the reach of various mass media individually and in combination among the diverse population in the country. There many question which arises like how many in the country are exposed to or read newspaper, view television, listen to radio, surf internet, etc? Which one of the available media and how frequently? How many and who all read more than one newspaper, which one and where in India? During what period of the day and how frequently do the people watch TV and listen to radio? What is the duplication/overlap of programmes between different media and many more intricate questions like such will determine the influence the media will create in the people of a nation and gauge its reach. 9. In the year 2006, National Readership was carried out in India which is considered the largest survey of its kind in the world, with samples from 2,84,373 house interviews to measure the media penetration and exposure in both urban and rural India and obviously the readership of publications. According to the survey, today average urban adult is spending 44 minutes per day reading magazines and dailies. Readership of dailies continue to grow as compared to the previous year however there is a decline in magazine readership both in urban and rural India. Satellite television has grown in leaps and bound and has a considerable reach: TV now reaches 112 million Indian homes. Internet has also spread predominantly with a reach now exceeding 12 millions. Resurgence of radio cannot be ignored as its reach has increased to 27% of the population tuning in to any radio station in the average week, almost equaling the number of readers. This boom in media reach and penetration will play a v ital role towards national perception and national security as such. Media Ownership and control in India 10. In February 1995 in a landmark judgement, Supreme Court of India ruled that the airwaves are public property and no longer under government control. In 1996 a Broadcasting bill was formulated and an autonomous Broadcasting Authority was vested with regulatory powers. The ministry of information and broadcasting in June 1998 allowed private Indian satellite channels to uplink from India. With the media being liberalised entry of foreign media was eminent, now the question which comes to mind is; do foreign media impact the policy decisions, a tool of cultural imperialism, western business and foreign policy interest in turn hampering national security. The positive side may be in favours of foreign media on the ground of plurality, competition and readers right to know. Their influence will mould the perception of the population as they wield through their agenda. 11. It is very interesting to know as to who controls the various media entity in India and obviously it will stem out from the ownership. A very popular news channel NDTV, is funded by gospels of charity in Spain which supports communism. CEO of this company is Prannoy Roy who is related to Prakash karat, the General Secretary of communist party of India. CNN-IBN is funded by Southern Baptist Church with its branches all over the world with its HQ in US. Times Group which includes Times of India, Mid-Day, Nav Bharat Times, Stardust, Femina, Times Now (TV news channel) and many more is owned by Benet and Coleman. Star TV is managed by an Australian, who is supported by St. Peters Pontifical Church, Melbourne. Birla Group owned Hindustan Times have changed hands which is presently owned by Shobhana Bharatiya and working in collaboration with the Times Group. English daily, The Hindu started over 125 years has been taken over by Josua Society, Berne, Switzerland. The Indian express in which ACTS Christian Ministries have a major stake. There are many other regional news print who are privately owned by Indians which have more reach and impact in the rural, semi-urban and to some extent urban population. Regional TV network like Enadu is controlled by Ramoji Rao who has connection in the film industry. 12. The ownership explains the control of media in India by external agencies be it foreigner or Indian. The news will be biased by their owners and the product that filters down to the common man will distort. The result is obvious; we are going to be fed with tailor made news by the companies who are holding the strings. Media responsibility 13. Freedom of press might have potential unintended effect while engaged in the internal crisis situation especially when considering modern media as a force multiplier. Many a times the media is in an awkward position when it is covering terrorist events. Medias role to protect the societys right to know comes in direct conflict with the states (military, law enforcement and investigating agencies) mission is to protect and serve, and maintain order when covering internal crisis situations. The precarious balancing act that the press faces while covering terrorist incidents is like having censorship on one side of the weigh scale and freedom on the other side. During internal crisis situations, press needs to be always vigilant about balancing their freedom relating protecting the peoples right to know against their responsibility to play a constructive role. The more the freedom and accuracy goes into reporting, the more the coverage favours the terrorists and vice versa. Issues f acing the governments and media outlets before, during and after a terrorist incident need to be closely examined by both the agencies towards dissemination of information which will strike a balance. The terrorist and governments agendas tend to dramatically oppose, while the media position is often judgment call. Media is a force multiplier stuck in between complete censorship and total freedom of the press. It is important that the media continues to play a constructive role during times of local and national crisis but it is also critical that the media be allowed to continue to provide a counterbalance. CHAPTER V MEDIA MANAGEMENT Embedded journalism 1. Before discussing embedded journalism it is important to expound upon the two categories of media reporters, embedded media and unilaterals currently present on the battlefield. Embedded media live with a military unit, only after undergoing training prerequisite to proceeding on to the area of action. The embeds are taught with the fundamentals of the armed forces and basic survival skills including donning of nuclear, biological and chemical protection suits and gas masks. On the other hand, unilaterals are those journalists who show up in the battle field without a military endorsement in order to get the so called real story and while doing some pay the ultimate price. Personnel who do not wield weapon on the battlefield are not assets but a liability. The seat which is occupied by the embedded media cannot be used by a trained soldier who can provide with firepower in the battlefield. The benefits some what outweighs the drawback or can be debated for a particular situation o r kind of operation. Since todays media is hi-tech and has the capability to transmit uncensored events as they occur across the globe real time, then it is prudent to integrate the medias involvement into the planning effort to accurately inform the public. Neglecting or delaying the medias integration into the planning process is liable to yield additional stories that produce a skeptical public. 2. A joint doctrine has been promulgated by the Indian armed forces to enhance war fighting capabilities one of which plans in co-opting media by creating a pool of embedded journalists. Select journalists who are trained in the environment and fit may be granted access to stay with armed forces units near the tactical headquarters where they would be able to move upfront having watched the action on screen. The promulgation of the joint doctrine by the armed forces will entail the document as standard text and form part of the training syllabus for all officers at all levels. The joint doctrine lays emphasis on increasing the situational ethics of the media person which means indoctrinating journalists to a level where they will appreciate the necessities and compulsions of a military action. The media plan in the joint doctrine burrows heavily from the US and its allies invasion of Iraq in the year 2003 where few media persons were trained and allowed to accompany military units. T his practice of attaching media with military gave rise to the phrase embedded journalism and the ethics of which is still being debated in the media circle. 3. Ground rules for any operation should intent to prevent publication of details that could jeopardise an operation or endanger the troops. Is there a possibility for military to review and censor articles emanating out of an operational theatre, well media is not likely to digest this fact. Reporters covering from the battle front via real time will transmit images which will be broadcasted to the whole world as the battle unfolds. This capability has the potential to affect tactical and operational plans of our adversaries as they will be witness to the same news. Social media management 4. A comprehensive strategy for using social media is the need of the hour to improve national security and the earlier it is adopted by the defence forces that much advantage it is going to pose for it. The use of social media can be broadly divided into four categories; firstly, the inward sharing which is sharing information within the department and agencies. Individual defence services need to share information intra-service as well as inter-service which will enable the defence forces with synergy in intelligence handling and operational orientation. Secondly, the outward sharing which is sharing information with external groups and other agencies. Thirdly, inbound sharing which is obtaining information and input from outside organisations and the public. Lastly, the outbound sharing in which information is shared with people outside the government including with the people of the nation and friendly foreign nations. Sharing of information avoids duplication of job like gatheri ng of information and analyzing the same. Well analysis can vary with department to department as to what is the requirement that needs to be gleaned out of the available data none the less, pre-analysed data from different agencies will enable in building the larger picture. CHAPTER VIII (FINAL) MEDIA AS FORCE MULTIPLIER 1. Today media needs to be used in a more pro-active manner to shape the operational scheme of a commander. This can be done by more integration and engagement of the media, public relations officer and the men in uniform into two way communication looking after each others needs at the same time. One very important aspect is the education of the staff and subordinate commanders at operational level to realise the need and advantage of engaging media towards military operations. 2. The fourth estate in this informational age gives commanders with vast opportunities to leverage towards own operations which should be exploited to the maximum. The media can be used as potent force multiplier in achieving the objective by boosting the morale of our own forces and people, as an agent of deception for the military, gathering valuable intelligence and enhancing better build up of situational awareness, sustained psychological operation and finally communicating the objective and end state to the international community. 3. Today the commander should know the fact that the thrust which comes from the people of the nation when any operation takes place is due to the instant relay of situation to the masses by the media. The military thus have an advantage in reaching to the people as fast as possible to generate and harness the support. Military being known for a respected institution and profession in the country, the image maintenance if not enhancing should be the prime concern of the commanders. During any conventional war or operation other than war, the credibility of military action is seldom questioned due to the trust, confidence and respect which the military enjoys. Commanders need to be proactive in engaging the press rather than being reactive and thus loosing the opportunity to use the media rather than being used by the media. 4. Inaccurate reporting and depiction of the operations will have a negative and devastating effect on the conduct of operation there on in terms of likely changed perception of our own people and international opinion. This in turn will effect the decision making cycle from tactical to strategic level. Apart from the people of the nation and high level decision makers, one very important factor which comes into picture is that of our own troops, who are exposed to the same news, be it at the air bases, ships, harbours, communication chains, rear areas, etc will have an impact on the psychi. This again is going to have a telling effect on the way the troops are going to fight subsequently. Commanders should to be concerned of the said fact in this information age to keep the morale of the troops high. In fact the operations where our forces have given a valiant fight should be projected to each and every possible people by the fastest means. Our soldiers are the best and to maintain the image of this potent force especially in this fast pace materialistic world, Commanders must take every opportunity to showcase our outstanding airmen, soldiers and sailors. Maximizing the fourth estate 5. Maximising and moulding the perception of the masses and adversary by the use of fourth estate and how the commander leverage the media to effectively achieve operational objective to his own advantage is what the commander should explore which obviously is the need of the hour. 6. Before employing the media, a brief review of the nature of the media would be required to better understand its potential. Media covering any military operation ranges from novice in the field to the seasoned veteran. Thus employment of media by the commander should be in a judicious manner like not allowing the media to wander in the battlefield at free will due to the wide spectrum of their work experience. At operational level coverage of media can be dived into three

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Transcendentalism

Romanticism was a movement of American literature that swept the country throughout the 19th century. Within Romanticism, was the Transcendentalist Era, which began in the early 1800s (Gura 4). Transcendentalism is difficult to define, but its core ideas are embodied in the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson is not only known as one of the most influential transcendental writers, but as the unofficial leader of the group of transcendentalists and the first to really create and express the ideas that this group of people shared (â€Å"Transcendentalism† 19). Simplicity, non-conformity and individuality over reasoning are only some of the ideas that make up Transcendentalism (â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson† 239). These fundamental beliefs of transcendentalism are evident in Emerson’s works, specifically â€Å"Self-Reliance,† and â€Å"Nature. † Emerson is a strong advocate for never changing one’s self for anyone else and always avoiding the temptation of conformity. As the title clearly states, â€Å"Self-Reliance† is one of Emerson’s essays that proposes the idea that one should rely on one’s self to gain knowledge and should not conform to the likeness of others (Koster 38). In February of 1833, Emerson began writing about many of these thoughts and ideas in his journal. In 1841, â€Å"Self-Reliance† was written and published based off of the topics written about in his journal, but was revised several times as Emerson expanded on this idea of relying on one’s self and being one’s own person (Koster 37). Within â€Å"Self-Reliance,† Emerson introduces the idea that â€Å"there is time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance and that imitation is suicide† (â€Å"Self Reliance† 267). This clearly portrays transcendentalism, as it states that once a person changes their personality, he is essentially losing himself and everything that makes him who he is. Emerson also suggests that even taking on the opinions of others, contradicts a person’s own thoughts and his abilities to speak anything true to just himself (â€Å"Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson† 317). Aside from conformity, Emerson also mentions that â€Å"envy is ignorance,† which continues to display transcendental ideas by stating that one should not be jealous of what others have. Emerson believes that would be wasting valuable time wanting what one does not have, instead of appreciating the simple things that one has already obtained (â€Å"Self Reliance† 276). Jealousy also does not allow time for one to strive to acquire other goals, if an individual is constantly wishing for things she does not have. Emerson further conveys transcendental ideas in â€Å"Self-Reliance† with the belief that a person must remain an individual to make an impact on the world and the lives around him (â€Å"Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson† 317). This idea is depicted in the quote, â€Å"to be great is to be misunderstood† (Emerson, â€Å"Self Reliance† 274). To support this quote, Emerson listed a variety of successful people of the past including Pythagorus, Socrates and Newton. He explains that they were all misunderstood at the time, but they chose to remain true to what they believed in and are now some of the most influential and inspiring people one can think of (â€Å"Self Reliance† 274). The final major aspect of transcendentalism within â€Å"Self-Reliance† is the concept of trusting one’s self. Although it is important to also trust others, â€Å"by trusting the self, man is but confiding himself to the all-embracing, benevolent universal being or the over-soul† (Koster 38). meaning that by trusting one’s self, one is essentially putting all her trust in this divine spirit, that cannot be physically seen, but can be understood and guide one through the challenges of individual life (Koster 38). In order to achieve all that one strives to accomplish, one must trust herself because â€Å"nothing can bring you peace but yourself [and]. . . the triumph of principles† (Emerson, â€Å"Self Reliance† 292). According to Emerson, â€Å"nature, in the common sense, refers to essences unchanged by man,† but he did not stop there with his analysis of nature and its effect on man and society (â€Å"Nature† 182). Within the essay â€Å"Nature,† Emerson clearly depicts transcendental beliefs concerning the way he believes people should embrace nature. Transcendentalists strongly believe in the concept of inspiration by nature, meaning that spending time in nature will inspire one to achieve new goals (â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson† 239). Emerson mentions that â€Å"in the woods is perpetual youth,† which describes the effect nature has on a person (â€Å"Nature† 184). He feels that when one spends time in nature, she feel as if she is eternally younger. Emerson believes this is true because once a person becomes an adult they are tired and weakened by all that is surrounding them and the commitments that must always be kept, but when one is only surrounded by nature, faith and reason can be restored (â€Å"Nature† 184). Emerson also mentions, though, that â€Å"the power to produce this delight does not reside in nature, but in man,† meaning although nature is capable of making one feel things that seem impossible, the drive behind making this happen, is still essentially one’s self (â€Å"Nature† 185). Within this essay, Emerson also enforces the point that nature is the center of human existence, which is another concept accepted by transcendentalists. He displays this idea in the first chapter of â€Å"Nature,† by discussing everything that nature offers to those willing to accept it. The key idea, though, is that one must be open to understanding nature in order to obtain its benefits. Emerson portrays this idea by stating that â€Å"all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence,† further demonstrating the transcendental idea that nature influences human existence (â€Å"Nature† 183). Not only does Emerson believe that nature is always available to influence one’s self, but he always believes that nature is in existence solely to aid a person in their life journey. This idea is described in the second chapter of â€Å"Nature† when Emerson states that â€Å"all the parts [of nature] incessantly work into each other's hand for the profit of man (â€Å"Nature† 186). This idea clearly relates to transcendental ideas, as transcendentalists firmly believed that one can be inspired by nature and that nature is essential to human life (â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson† 239). One final concept, depicted in â€Å"Nature,† that is understood by transcendentalists is the idea that God and divinity can be found in nature. Within the first chapter of â€Å"Nature,† Emerson states that he is â€Å"part or particle of God† when he is in the woods (â€Å"Nature† 184). In other words, Emerson feels that when he experiences nature alone, nothing else is important. He believes all other aspects of human existence seem foreign, but a person is able to feel that they have become one with God, to the point that they are a part of Him (â€Å"Nature† 185). Ralph Waldo Emerson not only wrote about the concepts he believed in, but also led a life that followed each and every one of these beliefs. He began his life as a teacher, followed by a pastor at his church, but was not satisfied with either of these career choices. He then began writing and speaking in front of crowds about the things he felt strongly about (â€Å"An Emerson Chronology† xvii). Emerson was not afraid to stand out from the crowd and always stayed true to himself, as he spoke out against slavery and supported the Emancipation Proclamation (â€Å"An Emerson Chronology† xix). He fully embraced his idea that one should trust himself and remain an individual. Emerson certainly spent enough time embracing the opportunities that nature made available to him, all ideas which he spoke about in his writing. Many people of his time did not agree with or fully comprehend the things he believed in, but this was essentially his goal because â€Å"to be great is to be misunderstood† (â€Å"Self Reliance† 274).

The Sobibor Death Camp

The Sobibor Death Camp was one of the Nazis best-kept secrets. When Toivi Blatt, one of the very few survivors of the camp, approached a well-known survivor of Auschwitz in 1958 with a manuscript he had written about his experiences, he was told, You have a tremendous imagination. Ive never heard of Sobibor and especially not of Jews revolting there.  The secrecy of the Sobibor death camp was too successful; its victims and survivors were being disbelieved and forgotten. The Sobibor Death Camp did exist, and a revolt by the Sobibor prisoners did occur. Within this death camp, in operation for only 18 months, at least 250,000 men, women, and children were murdered. Only 48 Sobibor prisoners survived the war. Establishment   Sobibor was the second of three death camps to be established as part of Aktion Reinhard (the other two were Belzec and Treblinka). The location of this death camp was a small village called Sobibor, in the Lublin district of eastern Poland, chosen because of its general isolation as well as its proximity to a railway. Construction on the camp began in March 1942, overseen by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Richard Thomalla. Since construction was behind schedule by early April 1942, Thomalla was replaced by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Franz Stangl, a veteran of the Nazi euthanasia program. Stangl remained commandant of Sobibor from April until August 1942, when he was transferred to Treblinka (where he became commandant) and replaced by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Franz Reichleitner. The staff of the Sobibor death camp consisted of approximately 20 SS men and 100 Ukrainian guards. By mid-April 1942, the gas chambers were ready and a test using 250 Jews from the Krychow labor camp proved them operational. Arriving at Sobibor Day and night, victims arrived at Sobibor. Though some came by truck, cart, or even by foot, many arrived by train. When trains filled with victims drew near the Sobibor train station, the trains were switched onto a spur and led into the camp. The camp gate opened wide before us. The prolonged whistle of the locomotive heralded our arrival. After a few moments we found ourselves within the camp compound. Smartly uniformed German officers met us. They rushed about before the closed freight cars and rained orders on the black-garbed Ukrainians. These stood like a flock of ravens searching for prey, ready to do their despicable work. Suddenly everyone grew silent and the order crashed like thunder, Open them up! When the doors were finally opened, the occupants treatment varied depending on whether they were from the East or the West. If Western European Jews were on the train, they descended from passenger cars, usually wearing their very best clothes. The Nazis had relatively successfully convinced them that they were being resettled in the East. To continue the charade even once they had reached Sobibor, the victims were helped from the train by camp prisoners dressed in blue uniforms and given claim tickets for their baggage. A few of these unknowing victims even offered a tip to the porters. If Eastern European Jews were the occupants of the train, they descended from cattle cars amid  shouts, screams, and beatings, for the Nazis presumed that they knew what awaited them, thus were thought more likely to revolt. Schnell, raus, raus, rechts, links! (Fast, out, out, right, left!), shouted the Nazis. I held my five-year-old son by the hand. A Ukrainian guard snatched him; I dreaded that the child would be killed, but my wife took him. I calmed down, believing I would see them again soon. Leaving their baggage on the ramp, the mass of people were ordered by SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Gustav Wagner into two lines, one with men and one with women and young children. Those too ill to walk were told by SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Hubert Gomerski that they would be taken to a hospital (Lazarett), and thus were taken aside and sat upon a cart (later a little train). Toivi Blatt was holding his mothers hand when the order came to separate into two lines. He decided to follow his father into the line of men. He turned to his mother, unsure of what to say. But for reasons I still cannot understand, out of the blue I said to my mother, And you didnt let me drink all the milk yesterday. You wanted to save some for today. Slowly and sadly she turned to look at me. This is what you think about at such a moment?To this day the scene comes back to haunt me, and I have regretted my strange remark, which turned out to be my very last words to her. The stress of the moment, under the harsh conditions, did not lend to clear thinking. Usually, the victims did not realize that this moment would be their last time to speak to or see each other. If the camp needed to replenish its workers, a guard would shout out among the lines for tailors, seamstresses, blacksmiths, and carpenters. Those who were chosen  often left brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters, and children behind in the lines. Other than those who were trained at a skill, sometimes the SS chose men or women, young boys or girls, seemingly randomly for work within the camp. Out of the thousands who stood on the ramp, perhaps a select few would be chosen. Those who were chosen would be marched off at a run to Lager I; the rest would enter through a gate that read, Sonderkommando Sobibor (special unit Sobibor). Workers Those selected to work were taken to Lager I. Here they were registered and placed in barracks. Most of these prisoners still did not realize that they were in a death camp. Many asked other prisoners when they would again be able to see their family members. Often, other prisoners told them about Sobibor, that this was a place that gassed Jews, that the smell that pervaded was dead bodies piling up, and that the fire they saw in the distance was bodies being burned. Once the new prisoners found out the truth of Sobibor, they had to come to terms with it. Some committed suicide. Some became determined to live. All were devastated. The work that these prisoners were to carry out did not help them forget this horrific news; rather, it reinforced it. All the workers within Sobibor worked within the death  process or  for the SS staff. Approximately 600 inmates worked in the  Vorlager, Lager I, and Lager II, while approximately 200 worked in the segregated Lager III. The two sets of prisoners never met, for they lived and worked apart. Workers in the  Vorlager, Lager I, and Lager II The prisoners who worked outside Lager III had a wide range of jobs. Some worked specifically for the SS, making gold trinkets, boots, clothing, cleaning cars, or feeding horses. Others worked at jobs dealing with the death process, sorting clothes, unloading and cleaning the trains, cutting wood for the  pyres, burning personal artifacts, cutting the womens hair, and so on. These workers lived daily amid fear and terror. The SS and the Ukrainian guards marched the prisoners to their work in columns, making them sing marching songs along the way. A prisoner could be beaten and whipped for simply being out of step. Sometimes prisoners were to report after work for punishments they had accrued during the day. As they were being whipped, they were forced to call out the number of lashes; if they didnt shout loud enough or if they lost count, the punishment would start over again or they would be beaten to death. Everyone at roll call was forced to watch these punishments. Though there were certain general rules one needed to know in order to live, there was no certainty about who could be a victim of SS cruelty. We were permanently terrorized. Once, a prisoner was talking to a Ukrainian guard; an SS man killed him. Another time we carried sand to decorate the garden; Frenzel [SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Karl Frenzel] took out his revolver, and shot a prisoner working at my side. Why? I still dont know. Another terror was SS Scharfà ¼hrer Paul Groths dog, Barry. On the ramp as well as in the camp, Groth would sic  Barry on a prisoner; Barry would then tear the prisoner to pieces. Though the prisoners were terrorized daily, the SS was even more dangerous when they were bored. It was then that they would create games. One such game was to sew up each leg of a prisoners pants, then put rats down them. If the prisoner moved, he would be beaten to death. Another such sadistic game began when a thin prisoner was forced to quickly drink a large quantity of vodka and then eat several pounds of sausage. Then the SS man would force the prisoners mouth open and urinate in it, laughing  as the prisoner threw up. Yet even while living with terror and death, the prisoners continued to live. The prisoners of Sobibor socialized with each other. There were approximately 150 women among the 600 prisoners, and couples soon formed. Sometimes there was dancing. Sometimes there was  lovemaking. Perhaps since the prisoners were constantly facing death, acts of life became even more important. Workers in Lager III Not much is known about the prisoners who worked in Lager III, for the Nazis kept them permanently separated from all others in the camp. The job of delivering food to the gates of Lager III was an extremely risky job. A number of times the gates of Lager III opened while the prisoners delivering food were still there, and thus the food deliverers were taken inside Lager III and never heard from again. To find out about the prisoners in Lager III, Hershel Zukerman, a cook, tried to contact them. In our kitchen we cooked the soup for camp No. 3 and Ukrainian guards used to fetch the vessels. Once I put a note in Yiddish into a dumpling, Brother, let me know what you are doing. The answer arrived, stuck to the bottom of the pot, You shouldnt have asked. People are being gassed, and we must bury them. The prisoners who worked in Lager III worked amid  the extermination process. They removed the bodies from the gas chambers, searched the bodies for valuables, then either buried them (April to the end of 1942) or burned them on pyres (end of 1942 to October 1943). These prisoners had the most emotionally wearing job, for many would find family members and friends among those they had to bury. No prisoners from Lager III survived. The Death Process Those who were not selected for work during the initial selection process stayed in the lines (except those who had been selected to go to the hospital who were taken away and directly shot). The line made up of women and children walked through the gate first, followed later by the line of men.  Along  this walkway, the victims saw houses with names like the Merry Flea and the Swallows Nest, gardens with planted flowers, and signs that pointed to showers and canteen.  All this helped deceive the unsuspecting victims, for Sobibor seemed to them too peaceful to be a place of murder. Before they reached the center of Lager II, they passed through a building where camp workers asked them to leave their small handbags and personal belongings. Once they reached the main square of Lager II, SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Hermann Michel (nicknamed the preacher) gave a short speech, similar to what is remembered by Ber Freiberg: You are leaving for the Ukraine where you will work. In order to avoid epidemics, you are going to have a disinfecting shower. Put away your clothes neatly, and remember where they are, as I shall not be with you to help to find them. All valuables must be taken to the desk. Young boys would wander among the crowd, passing out string so that they could tie their shoes together. In other camps, before the Nazis thought of this, they ended up with large piles of unmatched shoes, the pieces of string helped keep the pairs of shoes matched for the Nazis. They were to hand over their valuables through a window to a cashier (SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Alfred Ittner). Having undressed and folded their clothes neatly in piles, the victims entered the tube labeled by the Nazis as the Himmlestrasse (Road to Heaven). This tube, approximately 10 to 13 feet wide, was constructed of barbed-wire sides that were interwoven with tree branches. Running from Lager II through the tube, the women were taken aside to a special barracks to have their hair cut off. After their hair was cut, they were taken to Lager III for their showers. Upon entering Lager III, the unknowing holocaust victims came upon a large brick building with three separate doors. Approximately 200 people were pushed through each of these three doors into what appeared to be showers, but what were really gas chambers. The doors were then closed. Outside, in a shed, an SS officer or a Ukrainian guard started the engine that produced the carbon monoxide gas. The gas entered each of these three rooms through pipes installed specifically for this purpose. As Toivi Blatt relates as he was standing near Lager II, he could hear sounds from Lager III: Suddenly I heard the sound of internal combustion engines. Immediately afterward, I heard a terribly high-pitched, yet smothered, collective cry—at first strong, surpassing the roar of the motors, then, after a few minutes, gradually weakening. My blood froze. In this way, 600 people could be killed at once. But this was not fast enough for the Nazis, so, during the fall of 1942, three additional gas chambers  of equal size were added. Then, 1,200 to 1,300 people could be killed at one time. There were two doors to each gas chamber, one where the victims walked in, and the other where the victims were dragged out. After a short time of airing out the chambers, Jewish workers were forced to pull the bodies out of the chambers, throw them into carts, and then dump them into pits. At the end of 1942, the Nazis ordered all the corpses exhumed and burned. After this time, all further victims bodies were burned upon pyres built upon wood and helped by the addition of gasoline. It is estimated that 250,000 people were killed at Sobibor.

A Personality Of Maya Angelo - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 496 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/10/30 Category People Essay Level High school Topics: Maya Angelou Essay Did you like this example? You are Maya Angelo multi-talented. She was a writer, actress, screenwriter, dancer and poet. Margaret Ann Johnson. She lived a cruel childhood, separated her parents when she was a little girl and sent with her older brother Billy Bailey to live with their grandmother or their mother Anne Henderson Anne Henderson in Arkansas Maya Angelo connected her life to . In her poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings written in 1969. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Personality Of Maya Angelo" essay for you Create order As an African-American, Maya Angelo suffered from racial intolerance during her life in Arkansas. When she was seven years old, after a visit to her mother, she was raped by a friend of her mother. In response, her uncle killed her rapist. I could not speak with her shock and she returned to Arkansas after years of silence. During the Second World War, Maya moved to San Francisco, California after receiving a scholarship to learn to dance and perform at the California Labor School and got a temporary job as a driver in San Francisco. In 1944, when she reached the age of 16, Maya gave birth to a child after a short-term relationship with a young man in school, and then worked in several jobs to support herself and her young child. In the mid-1950s she began her career as an actress in the play Porgy and Bess, and in 1957 she took a role in the play Calypso Heat Wave and released her first album Miss Calypso. As a civil rights activist and a member of Harlem Writers Guild, Maya starred and helped organize the satirical musical Cabaret for Freedom. In 1961, Maya appeared in The Blacks and the play was very successful. She spent most of the 1960s abroad, in Egypt and then in Ghana, where she worked as an independent editor and writer, and at the University of Ghana for a while. In 1998, Maya performed her first directing experience in Down In The Delta. She has also written several important articles such as The Letter To My Daughter (1994) and Letter To My Daughter (2008), in which she directed several tips for young women. She has also published several books on cooking such as Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes 2005 and Great Food All Day LONG 2010.   The main point that Maya wants to send to people and let people know is that if you have something you have to try hard to get it , also she want to send message that if believe in something you have to change your attitude if you want to get it the change from inside you become first then you will change things around you . Maya Angelous life reflect on her writings . live a hard life as kid trying to change reality and then getting reaped by someone then working   and In the mid-1950s she began her career as an actress in the play Porgy and Bess, that was her life till she died in She died on May 28, 2014.