Marriage Is The Most Important Act Essay - 1048 Words

Marriage is the most important act in the life of the majority of men and women. When it is a good marriage, it brings men and women to the fullness of the life God intended for them. The difference is this: in the first case, the existence of any contract is denied; in the second case, the existence of a contract is admitted, and the contract is made, even though at the very moment of making the contract one has every intention of violating it. Is it only a pleasant companionship which may not survive the trials and tribulations of family life? No one can hope to realize the full fruits of a good marriage without first understanding what marriage is. Many erroneous notions regarding marriage are still being circulated these days, particularly in reference to its permanence and its obligations. The reason for these errors is the failure to recognize the sacredness of marriage. Marriage is not, as some seem to think, a legalizing of sexual relationships between a man and a woman. It is, instead, a relationship established by God Himself primarily for the generation and education of children. The very name Matrimony signifies this: it comes from two Latin words. matris munus. meaning the office of motherhood or the duty of the mother, which duty is the generation and education of new life. What Is Marriage? Marriage is an institution as old as the human race itself. It started in the Garden of Eden with our first parents. God blessed Adam and Eve: Increase andShow MoreRelatedDomestic Partnerships Should be Legal Essay961 Words   |  4 PagesConstitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Gay rights groups are fighting for rights while religious groups are fighting against gay marriage. I do NOT believe it is fair to discriminate against gays for being together. America is a free country and people should be able to be in a relationship with whomever they desire. Gay marriage is only legal in a few states. In some of these states, the unitingRead MoreLocal Religious Freedom Restoration Act905 Words   |  4 PagesLocal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) are controversial in nature, because while they pretend to use the excuse to protect the free exercise of religion, intrinsical ly it is an avenue to attack same sex marriages which have been ruled constitutional by most circuit appellate courts in the United States. Currently the Supreme Court is hearing the cases that might ultimately decide the faith of marriage equality. United States v. Windsor opened the door for most federal appellate jurisdictionsRead MoreLegal Rights Of The United Nations Essay1397 Words   |  6 PagesThe most expected result of lack of ability to exercise one’s legal rights would mean that one has the rights but lacks the power to exercise them. Practically granting of rights is the law’s recognition of the validity of a person’s choices. Legal rights give authority for people to act within the framework of the legal system and makes a human being a subject of the law. Article 3 of the ICCPR mandates member states to promote the realization of the right to self determination and to respectRead MoreTradition And Culture, We Now Pronounce You Man And Wife1608 Words   |  7 PagesMan and Wife What is the purpose of marriage? Do we marry for love? Do we marry for benefits? Is it necessary? Or is it just simply a tradition that we follow because that is what we have been taught through our culture to do? Considering the divorce rate, it’s shocking how many people still get married. Marriage is the institution whereby two individuals are joined together in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (Meriam-Webster). Marriage has existed as one of the principalRead MoreThe Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman1134 Words   |  5 Pageslanguage is through various acts and experiments. Love and marriage are the primary topics of the book, and the author illustrates how to understand their construction, and how they function in society. Love is needed in all areas to fulfill the needs of a human and to succeed in marriage. Society plays a big role on ideal marriages and how it should be based on the defined responsibilities and rights of husbands and wi ves. Three articles were chosen based on love and marriage and analyzed to the bookRead MoreThe Legalization Of Gay Marriage1749 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization of Gay Marriage: A Step to Equality Imagine a world where heterosexuals are the minority. Straight people would be the ones fighting for the same rights as homosexuals. Same-sex marriages would be average and normal, while straight marriages would be frowned upon and considered unholy in the eyes of religion. Heterosexuals would be denied service at restaurants because of their sexuality, they would be called derogatory names while holding their partner’s hand and most importantly, theyRead MoreThe Right For Same Sex Couples Should Be Protected Under The Constitution1041 Words   |  5 Pagesright for same-sex couples to marry became protected under the Constitution, which marked the achievement of the Gay Rights Movement most important goal (Berman, 2014). Still, due to the bigoted qualities of our ruling class, and it’s intensifying defense of conservative social and religious institutions, there continues to be a heated debate about whether or not marriage should include the union of same-sex couples and if the rights of gay couples should be protected under the Constitution. Using KarlRead More`` Sula `` By Toni Morrison1367 Words   |  6 Pagesrounded motif, developed throughout the enlightening 1973 novel, ‘Sula’, by Toni Morrison. As an important motif, sacrifice can be a difficult concept for many people to do themselves and as shown in this novel, the audience is shown how the act of sacrifice has both good and bad consequences. How the act of sacrifice can be done through love and have a positive outcome, but more often than not and most common in ‘Sula’ there are either personal ramifications regarding sacrifice, or outcomes that doRead MoreA Brief Note On The Union Of Marriage1422 Words   |  6 PagesUnion in marriage has existed in our society for ages and is not a recent concept. It is also referred to as matrimony; it is a publicly recognized union throughout the society between two different persons. In fact, you and I are here because your parents and my parents decided to get married to each other and bear children. Marriage is a form of correlation that involves mutual duties and rights where individuals are communally or socially consented to and initiate a family. Thus, marriage is a worldwideRead MoreAthenian Marriage841 Words   |  4 Pages‘Athenian marriages were based on usefulness rather than affection’ How far do you agree with this statement? Give the reasons for your views and support them with details from the Athenian sources you have studied. Marriage was one of the key elements of an Athenian society, alongside the importance of children; the importance of marriage was just as valued and necessary for Athenians. The purpose of marriage in Athens was to represent a business arrangement between the fathers of the women and

My Leadership Experience As A Leadership Essay - 1462 Words

Introduction The reflective paper is about my leadership experience as I utilize Northouse’ Skills Approach to match my present style of leadership. The Skills Approach has three underlying skills for effective leadership namely: technical, human and conceptual skills. Through my discussion with the leadership approach, I further describe the manner on how I direct and lead my unit with my technical and human skills with lesser emphasis on conceptual skills. However, as I identify my strengths, I realize my inadequacies requiring the need for improvement. To resolve the shortcomings as a leader, I develop a leadership plan which includes enhancing skills and setting up goals in order to reach the objectives in becoming an effective leader and in aspiring for career advancement. . Leadership Approach In his textbook, Northouse discussed on the Skills Approach, that leadership is based on three skills which are technical skill that focuses on competence on working with things, human skill that emphasizes on working with people, and conceptual skill that concentrates more on working with ideas. The skills approach suggests that knowledge, abilities and skills are needed for leaders to be effective. To become effective managers or leaders it is important that I acquire the three skills: technical, human, and conceptual. Due to my role as a charge in our unit, I see myself utilizing the technical and human skills more than the conceptual skill. As charge nurse,Show MoreRelatedMy Experience At The Public Health Leadership984 Words   |  4 PagesReflection This paper discusses my experiences after attending the Public Health Leadership subject in 2015, reflecting on important lessons learnt, the relevance to my work and the support required for my improvement. When I enrolled in this subject, I was not sure that I will get the best out of the subject considering my experiences with many leadership courses where the presenters have focused on theories of leadership skills without giving practical insights. However, at the end of this subjectRead MoreLeadership Based On My Experiences As An Educator822 Words   |  4 Pagesuntrustworthy are to name a few. Now, of these adjectives, leadership remains to be a powerful attribute every individual must obtain. In this assignment, I hope to express some examples of leadership based on my experiences as an educator, according to assigned literature and how leadership shaped me according to my relationship with Christ. Throughout the span of my career, I’ve observed and witnessed some phenomenal examples of leadership. I’ve also fallen victim to some leaders, who’ve struggledRead MoreMy Catholic School Leadership Experience938 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership Experience My Catholic School leadership experience stems from years of being involved in my diocese, first as a student, then as an employee and then as a mother who raised and educated three children in that diocese. I am a firm supporter of Catholic education as I have experienced the benefits that only a Christ centered learning environment can provide as a student, parent and educator. Over the years, I have worn many educator hats such as a Director of Resource, classroom teacherRead MorePersonal Narrative : My Leadership Experience1556 Words   |  7 PagesReminiscing on my childhood, I recall many fond memories, but playing with Dominoes on the kitchen table stands out more prominently than the others. Contrary to their intended use, I did not actually play the real Dominoes game; instead, like most other children, I stacked them into lines. Tediously I balanced each porcelain rectangle upright, cautiously winding them around the perimeter of the round wooden platform until finally I could set the last one into place and complete the circle. IRead MoreA Transforming Experience At My Leadership Journey Essay3865 Words   |  16 PagesSLP: A Transforming Experience in My Leadership Journey According Clavel (1988), Sun Tzu wrote, If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles (p. 2). Leading a schools division is fighting battles against the enemy, and most often, against one s self. The position of a superintendent goes with exposure to the rudiments of the job: from planning, strengthening linkages, wise use of resources, innovating, to the trying times of a keen sense of selfRead MoreEssay on My Experience in the Student Leadership Program937 Words   |  4 Pages My experience in the student leadership program was interesting and informative. These are two descriptive words that stand out in my mind about the whole program. There were times in the student leadership program when I questioned myself about being part of the class, but I overcame this once I reflected on the many things that we have learned. From the guest speakers to the projects, the class has always kept me thinking. First, the program was very informative. I took in so much informationRead MoreMy Experience On Developing Skills For Business Leadership1512 Words   |  7 PagesREFLECTIVE ACCOUNT   During the 1st semester I was taught six different modules, but mainly I will focus my experience on developing skills for business leadership. In my Developing skills for business leadership, the first week the lecture was speaking about the six types of skills and how you should work to improve your skill as a leader or manage in an organization.   Our first focus was on time and stress management how to work on time and how to be efficient and effective on time and overcomeRead MoreMy Leadership Experience With German General Erwin Rommel1516 Words   |  7 Pagesperson’s leadership strengths and weaknesses are directly related to their individual experiences. Participating in sports, the Boy Scouts of America and the Corps of Cadets have all been activities that helped to shape me into the leader I am today. Leadership can be improved upon by studying previous leaders and learning from their mistakes and achievements. I will compare my leadership experience with Ger man General Erwin Rommel. I believe that I have quite a few of the same leadership characteristicsRead MoreFormative Experiences And The Formation Of My Self Leadership Model1175 Words   |  5 PagesFormative experiences and the formation of my self-leadership model Different experiences come a long way to form my model of self-leadership currently. During my first years of my employment, the dean in the department I worked in Vietnam was a transformational leader who motivated me significantly. Among senior faculties in the department, she was not evaluated as the best researcher or instructor. However, no one in the department rejected the fact that she was a very effective leader. She ledRead MoreMy First Leadership Experience : Varsity International Company Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pages My first leadership experience was with Varsity International Company, a book-publishing company in Oxford, MS, from May to August 2009. The company had a summer internship program in which qualified college students were recruited as independent dealers marketing educational books door-to-door. During summer 2008, as a sales intern, I generated $16,000 sales volumes and demonstrated proficiency in all business management activities, such as book-keeping, inventory audit, and weekly sales/expenses

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-seven Free Essays

string(102) " His lips were as soft and red as the worms you found after a rain, and his eyes were vain and cruel\." Sansa In the tower room at the heart of Maegor’s Holdfast, Sansa gave herself to the darkness. She drew the curtains around her bed, slept, woke weeping, and slept again. When she could not sleep she lay under her blankets shivering with grief. We will write a custom essay sample on A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-seven or any similar topic only for you Order Now Servants came and went, bringing meals, but the sight of food was more than she could bear. The dishes piled up on the table beneath her window, untouched and spoiling, until the servants took them away again. Sometimes her sleep was leaden and dreamless, and she woke from it more tired than when she had closed her eyes. Yet those were the best times, for when she dreamed, she dreamed of Father. Waking or sleeping, she saw him, saw the gold cloaks fling him down, saw Ser Ilyn striding forward, unsheathing Ice from the scabbard on his back, saw the moment . . . the moment when . . . she had wanted to look away, she had wanted to, her legs had gone out from under her and she had fallen to her knees, yet somehow she could not turn her head, and all the people were screaming and shouting, and her prince had smiled at her, he’d smiled and she’d felt safe, but only for a heartbeat, until he said those words, and her father’s legs . . . that was what she remembered, his legs, the way they’d jerked when Ser Ilyn . . . when the sword . . . Perhaps I will die too, she told herself, and the thought did not seem so terrible to her. If she flung herself from the window, she could put an end to her suffering, and in the years to come the singers would write songs of her grief. Her body would lie on the stones below, broken and innocent, shaming all those who had betrayed her. Sansa went so far as to cross the bedchamber and throw open the shutters . . . but then her courage left her, and she ran back to her bed, sobbing. The serving girls tried to talk to her when they brought her meals, but she never answered them. Once Grand Maester Pycelle came with a box of flasks and bottles, to ask if she was ill. He felt her brow, made her undress, and touched her all over while her bedmaid held her down. When he left he gave her a potion of honeywater and herbs and told her to drink a swallow every night. She drank it all right then and went back to sleep. She dreamt of footsteps on the tower stair, an ominous scraping of leather on stone as a man climbed slowly toward her bedchamber, step by step. All she could do was huddle behind her door and listen, trembling, as he came closer and closer. It was Ser Ilyn Payne, she knew, coming for her with Ice in his hand, coming to take her head. There was no place to run, no place to hide, no way to bar the door. Finally the footsteps stopped and she knew he was just outside, standing there silent with his dead eyes and his long pocked face. That was when she realized she was naked. She crouched down, trying to cover herself with her hands, as her door began to swing open, creaking, the point of the greatsword poking through . . . She woke murmuring, â€Å"Please, please, I’ll be good, I’ll be good, please don’t,† but there was no one to hear. When they finally came for her in truth, Sansa never heard their footsteps. It was Joffrey who opened her door, not Ser Ilyn but the boy who had been her prince. She was in bed, curled up tight, her curtains drawn, and she could not have said if it was noon or midnight. The first thing she heard was the slam of the door. Then her bed hangings were yanked back, and she threw up a hand against the sudden light and saw them standing over her. â€Å"You will attend me in court this afternoon,† Joffrey said. â€Å"See that you bathe and dress as befits my betrothed.† Sandor Clegane stood at his shoulder in a plain brown doublet and green mantle, his burned face hideous in the morning light. Behind them were two knights of the Kingsguard in long white satin cloaks. Sansa drew her blanket up to her chin to cover herself. â€Å"No,† she whimpered, â€Å"please . . . leave me be.† â€Å"If you won’t rise and dress yourself, my Hound will do it for you,† Joffrey said. â€Å"I beg of you, my prince . . . â€Å" â€Å"I’m king now. Dog, get her out of bed.† Sandor Clegane scooped her up around the waist and lifted her off the featherbed as she struggled feebly. Her blanket fell to the floor. Underneath she had only a thin bedgown to cover her nakedness. â€Å"Do as you’re bid, child,† Clegane said. â€Å"Dress.† He pushed her toward her wardrobe, almost gently. Sansa backed away from them. â€Å"I did as the queen asked, I wrote the letters, I wrote what she told me. You promised you’d be merciful. Please, let me go home. I won’t do any treason, I’ll be good, I swear it, I don’t have traitor’s blood, I don’t. I only want to go home.† Remembering her courtesies, she lowered her head. â€Å"As it please you,† she finished weakly. â€Å"It does not please me,† Joffrey said. â€Å"Mother says I’m still to marry you, so you’ll stay here, and you’ll obey.† â€Å"I don’t want to marry you,† Sansa wailed. â€Å"You chopped off my father’s head!† â€Å"He was a traitor. I never promised to spare him, only that I’d be merciful, and I was. If he hadn’t been your father, I would have had him torn or flayed, but I gave him a clean death.† Sansa stared at him, seeing him for the first time. He was wearing a padded crimson doublet patterned with lions and a cloth-of-gold cape with a high collar that framed his face. She wondered how she could ever have thought him handsome. His lips were as soft and red as the worms you found after a rain, and his eyes were vain and cruel. You read "A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-seven" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"I hate you,† she whispered. King Joffrey’s face hardened. â€Å"My mother tells me that it isn’t fitting that a king should strike his wife. Ser Meryn.† The knight was on her before she could think, yanking back her hand as she tried to shield her face and backhanding her across the ear with a gloved fist. Sansa did not remember failing, yet the next she knew she was sprawled on one knee amongst the rushes. Her head was ringing. Ser Meryn Trant stood over her, with blood on the knuckles of his white silk glove. â€Å"Will you obey now, or shall I have him chastise you again?† Sansa’s ear felt numb. She touched it, and her fingertips came away wet and red. â€Å"I . . . as . . . as you command, my lord.† â€Å"Your Grace,† Joffrey corrected her. â€Å"I shall look for you in court.† He turned and left. Ser Meryn and Ser Arys followed him out, but Sandor Clegane lingered long enough to yank her roughly to her feet. â€Å"Save yourself some pain, girl, and give him what he wants.† â€Å"What . . . what does he want? Please, tell me.† â€Å"He wants you to smile and smell sweet and be his lady love,† the Hound rasped. â€Å"He wants to hear you recite all your pretty little words the way the septa taught you. He wants you to love him . . . and fear him.† After he was gone, Sansa sank back onto the rushes, staring at the wall until two of her bedmaids crept timidly into the chamber. â€Å"I will need hot water for my bath, please,† she told them, â€Å"and perfume, and some powder to hide this bruise.† The right side of her face was swollen and beginning to ache, but she knew Joffrey would want her to be beautiful. The hot water made her think of Winterfell, and she took strength from that. She had not washed since the day her father died, and she was startled at how filthy the water became. Her maids sluiced the blood off her face, scrubbed the dirt from her back, washed her hair and brushed it out until it sprang back in thick auburn curls. Sansa did not speak to them, except to give them commands; they were Lannister servants, not her own, and she did not trust them. When the time came to dress, she chose the green silk gown that she had worn to the tourney. She recalled how gallant Joff had been to her that night at the feast. Perhaps it would make him remember as well, and treat her more gently. She drank a glass of buttermilk and nibbled at some sweet biscuits as she waited, to settle her stomach. It was midday when Ser Meryn returned. He had donned his white armor; a shirt of enameled scales chased with gold, a tall helm with a golden sunburst crest, greaves and gorget and gauntlet and boots of gleaming plate, a heavy wool cloak clasped with a golden lion. His visor had been removed from his helm, to better show his dour face; pouchy bags under his eyes, a wide sour mouth, rusty hair spotted with grey. â€Å"My lady,† he said, bowing, as if he had not beaten her bloody only three hours past. â€Å"His Grace has instructed me to escort you to the throne room.† â€Å"Did he instruct you to hit me if I refused to come?† â€Å"Are you refusing to come, my lady?† The look he gave her was without expression. He did not so much as glance at the bruise he had left her. He did not hate her, Sansa realized; neither did he love her. He felt nothing for her at all. She was only a . . . a thing to him. â€Å"No,† she said, rising. She wanted to rage, to hurt him as he’d hurt her, to warn him that when she was queen she would have him exiled if he ever dared strike her again . . . but she remembered what the Hound had told her, so all she said was, â€Å"I shall do whatever His Grace commands.† â€Å"As I do,† he replied. â€Å"Yes . . . but you are no true knight, Ser Meryn.† Sandor Clegane would have laughed at that, Sansa knew. Other men might have cursed her, warned her to keep silent, even begged for her forgiveness. Ser Meryn Trant did none of these. Ser Meryn Trant simply did not care. The balcony was deserted save for Sansa. She stood with her head bowed, fighting to hold back her tears, while below Joffrey sat on his Iron Throne and dispensed what it pleased him to call justice. Nine cases out of ten seemed to bore him; those he allowed his council to handle, squirming restlessly while Lord Baelish, Grand Maester Pycelle, or Queen Cersei resolved the matter. When he did choose to make a ruling, though, not even his queen mother could sway him. A thief was brought before him and he had Ser Ilyn chop his hand off, right there in court. Two knights came to him with a dispute about some land, and he decreed that they should duel for it on the morrow. â€Å"To the death,† he added. A woman fell to her knees to plead for the head of a man executed as a traitor. She had loved him, she said, and she wanted to see him decently buried. â€Å"If you loved a traitor, you must be a traitor too,† Joffrey said. Two gold cloaks dragged her off to the dungeons. Frog-faced Lord Slynt sat at the end of the council table wearing a black velvet doublet and a shiny cloth-of-gold cape, nodding with approval every time the king pronounced a sentence. Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. â€Å"Life is not a song, sweetling,† he’d told her. â€Å"You may learn that one day to your sorrow.† In life, the monsters win, she told herself, and now it was the Hound’s voice she heard, a cold rasp, metal on stone. â€Å"Save yourself some pain, girl, and give him what he wants.† The last case was a plump tavern singer, accused of making a song that ridiculed the late King Robert. Joff commanded them to fetch his woodharp and ordered him to perform the song for the court. The singer wept and swore he would never sing that song again, but the king insisted. It was sort of a funny song, all about Robert fighting with a pig. The pig was the boar who’d killed him, Sansa knew, but in some verses it almost sounded as if he were singing about the queen. When the song was done, Joffrey announced that he’d decided to be merciful. The singer could keep either his fingers or his tongue. He would have a day to make his choice. Janos Slynt nodded. That was the final business of the afternoon, Sansa saw with relief, but her ordeal was not yet done. When the herald’s voice dismissed the court, she fled the balcony, only to find Joffrey waiting for her at the base of the curving stairs. The Hound was with him, and Ser Meryn as well. The young king examined her critically, top to bottom. â€Å"You look much better than you did.† â€Å"Thank you, Your Grace,† Sansa said. Hollow words, but they made him nod and smile. â€Å"Walk with me,† Joffrey commanded, offering her his arm. She had no choice but to take it. The touch of his hand would have thrilled her once; now it made her flesh crawl. â€Å"My name day will be here soon,† Joffrey said as they slipped out the rear of the throne room. â€Å"There will be a great feast, and gifts. What are you going to give me?† â€Å"I . . . I had not thought, my lord.† â€Å"Your Grace,† he said sharply. â€Å"You truly are a stupid girl, aren’t you? My mother says so.† â€Å"She does?† After all that had happened, his words should have lost their power to hurt her, yet somehow they had not. The queen had always been so kind to her. â€Å"Oh, yes. She worries about our children, whether they’ll be stupid like you, but I told her not to trouble herself.† The king gestured, and Ser Meryn opened a door for them. â€Å"Thank you, Your Grace,† she murmured. The Hound was right, she thought, I am only a little bird, repeating the words they taught me. The sun had fallen below the western wall, and the stones of the Red Keep glowed dark as blood. â€Å"I’ll get you with child as soon as you’re able,† Joffrey said as he escorted her across the practice yard. â€Å"If the first one is stupid, I’ll chop off your head and find a smarter wife. When do you think you’ll be able to have children?† Sansa could not look at him, he shamed her so. â€Å"Septa Mordane says most . . . most highborn girls have their flowering at twelve or thirteen.† Joffrey nodded. â€Å"This way.† He led her into the gatehouse, to the base of the steps that led up to the battlements. Sansa jerked back away from him, trembling. Suddenly she knew where they were going. â€Å"No,† she said, her voice a frightened gasp. â€Å"Please, no, don’t make me, I beg you . . . â€Å" Joffrey pressed his lips together. â€Å"I want to show you what happens to traitors.† Sansa shook her head wildly. â€Å"I won’t. I won’t.† â€Å"I can have Ser Meryn drag you up,† he said. â€Å"You won’t like that. You had better do what I say.† Joffrey reached for her, and Sansa cringed away from him, backing into the Hound. â€Å"Do it, girl,† Sandor Clegane told her, pushing her back toward the king. His mouth twitched on the burned side of his face and Sansa could almost hear the rest of it. He’ll have you up there no matter what, so give him what he wants. She forced herself to take King Joffrey’s hand. The climb was something out of a nightmare; every step was a struggle, as if she were pulling her feet out of ankle-deep mud, and there were more steps than she would have believed, a thousand thousand steps, and horror waiting on the ramparts. From the high battlements of the gatehouse, the whole world spread out below them. Sansa could see the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s hill, where her father had died. At the other end of the Street of the Sisters stood the fire-blackened ruins of the Dragonpit. To the west, the swollen red sun was half-hidden behind the Gate of the Gods. The salt sea was at her back, and to the south was the fish market and the docks and the swirling torrent of the Blackwater Rush. And to the north . . . She turned that way, and saw only the city, streets and alleys and hills and bottoms and more streets and more alleys and the stone of distant walls. Yet she knew that beyond them was open country, farms and fields and forests, and beyond that, north and north and north again, stood Winterfell. â€Å"What are you looking at?† Joffrey said. â€Å"This is what I wanted you to see, right here.† A thick stone parapet protected the outer edge of the rampart, reaching as high as Sansa’s chin, with crenellations cut into it every five feet for archers. The heads were mounted between the crenels, along the top of the wall, impaled on iron spikes so they faced out over the city. Sansa had noted them the moment she’d stepped out onto the wallwalk, but the river and the bustling streets and the setting sun were ever so much prettier. He can make me look at the heads, she told herself, but he can’t make me see them. â€Å"This one is your father,† he said. â€Å"This one here. Dog, turn it around so she can see him.† Sandor Clegane took the head by the hair and turned it. The severed head had been dipped in tar to preserve it longer. Sansa looked at it calmly, not seeing it at all. It did not really look like Lord Eddard, she thought; it did not even look real. â€Å"How long do I have to look?† Joffrey seemed disappointed. â€Å"Do you want to see the rest?† There was a long row of them. â€Å"If it please Your Grace.† Joffrey marched her down the wallwalk, past a dozen more heads and two empty spikes. â€Å"I’m saving those for my uncle Stannis and my uncle Renly,† he explained. The other heads had been dead and mounted much longer than her father. Despite the tar, most were long past being recognizable. The king pointed to one and said, â€Å"That’s your septa there,† but Sansa could not even have told that it was a woman. The jaw had rotted off her face, and birds had eaten one ear and most of a cheek. Sansa had wondered what had happened to Septa Mordane, although she supposed she had known all along. â€Å"Why did you kill her?† she asked. â€Å"She was godsworn . . . â€Å" â€Å"She was a traitor.† Joffrey looked pouty; somehow she was upsetting him. â€Å"You haven’t said what you mean to give me for my name day. Maybe I should give you something instead, would you like that?† â€Å"If it please you, my lord,† Sansa said. When he smiled, she knew he was mocking her. â€Å"Your brother is a traitor too, you know.† He turned Septa Mordane’s head back around. â€Å"I remember your brother from Winterfell. My dog called him the lord of the wooden sword. Didn’t you, dog?† â€Å"Did I?† the Hound replied. â€Å"I don’t recall.† Joffrey gave a petulant shrug. â€Å"Your brother defeated my uncle Jaime. My mother says it was treachery and deceit. She wept when she heard. Women are all weak, even her, though she pretends she isn’t. She says we need to stay in King’s Landing in case my other uncles attack, but I don’t care. After my name day feast, I’m going to raise a host and kill your brother myself. That’s what I’ll give you, Lady Sansa. Your brother’s head.† A kind of madness took over her then, and she heard herself say, â€Å"Maybe my brother will give me your head.† Joffrey scowled. â€Å"You must never mock me like that. A true wife does not mock her lord. Ser Meryn, teach her.† This time the knight grasped her beneath the jaw and held her head still as he struck her. He hit her twice, left to right, and harder, right to left. Her lip split and blood ran down her chin, to mingle with the salt of her tears. â€Å"You shouldn’t be crying all the time,† Joffrey told her. â€Å"You’re more pretty when you smile and laugh.† Sansa made herself smile, afraid that he would have Ser Meryn hit her again if she did not, but it was no good, the king still shook his head. â€Å"Wipe off the blood, you’re all messy.† The outer parapet came up to her chin, but along the inner edge of the walk was nothing, nothing but a long plunge to the bailey seventy or eighty feet below. All it would take was a shove, she told herself. He was standing right there, right there, smirking at her with those fat wormlips. You could do it, she told herself. You could. Do it right now. It wouldn’t even matter if she went over with him. It wouldn’t matter at all. â€Å"Here, girl.† Sandor Clegane knelt before her, between her and Joffrey. With a delicacy surprising in such a big man, he dabbed at the blood welling from her broken lip. The moment was gone. Sansa lowered her eyes. â€Å"Thank you,† she said when he was done. She was a good girl, and always remembered her courtesies. How to cite A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-seven, Essay examples

Democratic Transition and Consolidation System †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Democratic Transition and Consolidation System. Answer: Introduction: All religions are equal. It is believed strongly by all the mmuslim clerics in this saying. They want the world to be a happy place. Being a Liberal Muslim Clerics, one is tolerant towards all regions and believe that there are some or the other kinds of hardships still going on around in different parts of the world. They embrace the Muslim religion but they are also of a very open-minded and try to keep a modern and liberal approach. As they are living in South East Asia they can very well see the atrocities that are being caused to people after the implementation of the Sharia law. A competitive democracy is something that allows all the individuals to use their voting rights freely. All the individuals will be given equal rights irrespective of their caste, social status, and religion. Indonesia has been chosen because there are still issues existing about the inclusion of the Islamic people in the process of voting. Many people were not registered as voters and so they could not vote. Many are of the opinion that Islam is no longer a major significant force in Indoneisa. The politics is really becoming very narrow. Many people fear that Muslims will become a minority. As a result of this the Sariah law has been adopted that will safeguard the interests of muslim people. Many clerics are a believer of the Sharia law but at the same time, they believe that the major concern of all religion including the Sharia Islamic religion must be to be compassionate towards people and promote equal rights for them (Hegland 2018). As the very beginning lines of the every Surah In the Quran, begins with the words in the name of the most merciful and the most compassionate, then It is my duty as a progressive or as a liberal Muslim to inculcate those qualities within myself and all the other fellow mates of my religion. Many liberal Muslim clerics are a follower of Sharia law like many others as there are some really very good aspects. The basic problem lies in the fact that people are not usually well acquainted with the exact tenets of the religious order and start using it in the wrong way. Sharia is a code of conduct that dictates the lives of each and every individual of the Islamic religion. It starts from how the Muslims must dress, how they must act in public and also in private. It also dictates the ways they interact with their friends and their colleagues. It governs the eating, dressing, fasting, praying and all the other normal activities of their lives. This religious order believes that each and every individual must lead their lives at every step by devoting themselves to the Almighty God or Allah. They embrace Sharia as it is a good and liberal, justified religious order. Being a Muslim cleric, they have studied the Sharia law in details and know what it actually means. Sharia is an Arabic word that implies a route to be followed and it is a road that leads to water. As water is the sustenance of life so Sharia is a particular road that will lead people to God. It is a purely religious path of making man attain Godliness (Mller 2016). Water is one of the basic necessities of human life and so is the blessing of Allah. It basically signifies the Halakhah, which is a path which is a path that one walks. Being a religious leader they always try to practice what they preach. They want the Sharia followers to know the actual meaning of this religious order and then try to follow them accordingly. They believe that it is essential for all the Muslims to follow this particular religious order as it dictates the overall routine of the life of the individuals (Griffith News 2018). One of the most important and the foremost things that the liberal muslim clerics follow are the five basic things of life that Sharia law mainly aims at protecting. They are life, honor, learning, property, and family. It is the act of saving and guarding these activities will surely require some strict laws that need to be followed. Many Muslim clerics have witnessed that some places in South East Asia have started following the Sharia law. One such province is Aceh. In Aceh, it was implemented in three phases. The first phase mainly tried imposing laws like paying fines and penalties for not following the Ramadan, the regular visit to Mosques, their prayers. The second phase had continued with the same and the third phase mainly talked about applying death penalties to those who were convicted of crimes like homosexuality, sex outside marriage, rape and other such cases. So, being Muslim clerics, one with liberal bent of mind had to be a part of the group that was helping in spreading these Sharia principles but they did snot somehow like some of these principles. As the muslim clerics are of a liberal and open mindset they cannot really withstand seeing the rights and the freedom of people being curbed only by the false name of religion (Rabasa 2014). Religion does not say that man has to be tied in chains. Re ligion must not really dictate on whom a person must love or marry. There are decisions that people must always be free to make on their own. As per this Sharia law, there has to be a strict ban on the drinking of alcohol. Strict punishments are to be given to people who consume alcohol. However, this must not be the case (Theaustralian.com.au 2018). Drinking alcohol has now become a part of life. People living in the 21st century have to live their lives as per the modern and accepted standards of living. Religion must not really interfere in the personal lives of the people. People often drink alcohol due to some sort of refreshments. Unless they are getting drunk to extreme levels, there must not be any ban or any restrictions on consumption of alcohol. There can, however, be some punishments for those people who get drunk to extreme limits and lose their self-control. If there are cases where people have committed crimes like hitting each other or abusing people after getting dr unk then there have to be some of the other penalties imposed on those people. There has been a situation where some people were sentenced to jail and also to whipping with lashes after they were found guilty of drinking alcohol. Sentencing people to jail for consumption of alcohol must not be the case. It has been reported that after the Sharia law was imposed in Aceh, fifteen men were beaten up mercilessly in front of a mosque for gambling (Church 2017). This is something that many liberal clerics could not really agree with. Being a clerical do not entertain the act of gambling but beating people so mercilessly in public front is not the best solution always. Liberal Muslim clerics think that people who have a habit of gambling must be arrested by the police and then they should be explained that they must not carry on this act of gambling. His only lead them to ruin. We have to remember that Sharia wants to govern the lives of Muslims so that they lead an organized life and they can slowly reach God through their activities. So, if they are beaten up in an open place in front of all people, then this might hurt their self-respect and might also enrage them. Rather than checking themselves from this activity of gambling, they might retire it even more. There are cases where a person who was convicted of gambling was sentenced to a punishment of getting 80 strokes as a punishment. Apart from this Sharia law is often harsh on women than men. So, Muslim clerics believe that there has to be a constitution that will be able to amalgamate the Sharia law and the democratic rights of individuals in a way that would be very beneficial for all people. So, there have to be some tenets that will not breed violence but justice (Miaari et al. 2018). People found drinking in any social gatherings or in any official friendly outing must not be subjected to harsh extreme punishments like getting beaten up publically. Punishments are to be used only when people drink in uncontrollable amounts and behave in an insane manner that harms the social decorum. People drinking in and around the drinking prohibited areas like mosques, schools, and the localities must be subjected to punishments. However, the nature of the punishments must not be too harsh. There can be some monetary penalties or fines. In extreme cases, those found guilty can be imprisoned for a certain time period (Ethier 2016). However the motif the law is good it thinks that alcohol drinking has to be banned so that people can abstain from all sorts of addictions and stay fit and healthy. The method of implementing this law has to be good and in a proper manner. Sharia law must be implemented to protect women from all minds of harms and not for bounding them in chains. They must not be kept confined within their houses. They must be given proper rights to study and to choose their dresses and their life partners as per their choice. So, women must not be arrested for wearing trousers in place of hijabs. There must surely be this rule that women will be wearing hijabs while they are going to any religious ceremonies. However, there must be no strict rules imposed on them to wear some particular kinds of clothes that are accepted by the religion or by the Sharia society. There have been many instances where Sharia law said that a man can keep multiple wives but a woman has to lead a very organized and strict life with only one husband, even if they know that the husband is dishonest and is torturing them. The law must be flexible enough for the women as well. There must be this flexibility allowed for both the husband and the wife to get a div orce from each other and remarry the partners of their choice (Means 2017). There must be laws implemented for men who think that their wives are their properties and they can handle their wives just the way they want. There have to be laws against the domestic violence. Husband trying to follow polygamy have to be punished and they are to abide by the code of law. They are to be sentenced to life imprisonment or they will have to pay the lifelong expenses of all the women that he has married. He can keep only one wife at a time and has to follow the legal procedure for a divorce. Extramarital affairs cannot be entertained. If one partner registers a complaint against the other, the police have to investigate the matter and then make sure that the one who wants to come out of the marriage has a valid reason for it. If the husband enters into any extramarital affairs by ditching his wife he has to pay a huge sum of money as a penalty and also has to make sure that they are paying the ransom or the security money that the wife claims. He also has to pay for the educational and other expenses of his children if any (ucanews.com 2018). Sharia law cannot dictate the sex life or the conjugal life of people. Aceh are free countries and people must be able to lead their lives as free and independent individuals. However, there had to be a law regarding the minimum age bar for both a girl and a boy getting married. They can get married and lead a normal conjugal life after becoming adults and after reaching a certain age. However, if some teenagers are caught having some intimate moments with their partners in any closed rooms, they must not be subjected to extreme punishments like lashes or whipping in public. However, they must be taken under arrest and explained this entire matter by any adult members with patience. They must be dealt with care and understanding and not by physical violence (HuffPost India 2018). However this ban on engaging into sexual intercourse is also required in some places because the adolescent individuals are often very desperate and they lack the quality of judging skeptically what is wrong or what is right for them. So, if there is a strict law then they will be checked from committing any blunders at an early age. Homosexuality has to be recognized by Sharia law. It must not be seen as a crime. If Sharia is aimed at uniting man with God then, man cannot be tortured because of his sexual orientation. If a man has been created by God or Allah, then sexual orientation is also something that has been made by God. If people are not blind towards science and biology then they must at least keep faith in God and believe that homosexual people are normal human beings just like all others. Staying with a partner of the same sex does not make a person a criminal. Crimes like rape and murder must be treated very carefully. If the victim is killed in this act then the guilty must be subjected to a dealt penalty. No one has the right to hurt and kill other lives that have been created by God (Acharya 2014). Theft is also a crime and needs to be checked at the root levels itself. However, there has to be a proper investigation. Shariah law sees theft as a serious crime and dictates huge punishment for the same. This is indeed a good practice because theft makes people lazy and people actually develop into serious murderers and criminals from small crimes like theft. If it is not checked strictly right at the grassroots level, then people will not fear the law and will freely continue committing such crimes. A child might be very poor and hungry for days. So, he might steal food from a shop. In such cases, he must not be whipped publically. People must show affection and not anger. That child must be given food immediately and must be taken proper care of. However, if some young boys are stealing money or jewelry from any houses or from passengers on street, then they must be arrested and sentenced to imprisonment. There must be a proper trial for each and every case (Ethier 2016). Thereby, It is believed that the Sharia law is good and has a positive motif. It mainly tries to make man lead a healthy life free of all sins. This law wants man to abide by the rules that would prevent him from going onto any wrong paths like that of addiction and theft. However the methods of implementing the laws have to be changed. People must be given a free and healthy life. They must be made to abide by the laws through a changed vision and affection and not violence. It has to be implemented in such a way that the democratic rights and the freedom of people are not hindered. This law must promote the freedom and the equal rights for people rather than tying them in chains. References Acharya, A., 2014.Constructing a security community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order. Routledge. Americanthinker.com. 2018.Top ten reasons why sharia is bad for all societies. [online] Available at: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/08/top_ten_reasons_why_sharia_is.html [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018]. Chin, J., 2016. Malaysia: Heading for Sharia Domination?.The Round Table,105(6), pp.737-739. Church, P., 2017.A short history of South-East Asia. John Wiley Sons. Ethier, D. ed., 2016.Democratic Transition and Consolidation in Southern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Springer. Formichi, C. and Feener, R.M. eds., 2015.Shi?ism in Southeast Asia: ?Alid Piety and Sectarian Constructions. Oxford University Press. Griffith News. 2018.The troubling reality of Southeast Asias democratic recession. [online] Available at: https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/news/2017/12/07/the-troubling-reality-of-southeast-asias-democratic-recession/ [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018]. Hegland, M.E., 2018. Gender and religion in the Middle East and South Asia: Womens voices rising. InA social History of Women and Gender in the Modern Middle East(pp. 177-212). Routledge. HuffPost India. 2018.5 Things You Need To Know About Sharia Law. [online] Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/5-facts-you-need-to-know-about-sharia-law_us_5788f567e4b03fc3ee507c01 [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018]. McGee, R.W., 2016. Do Views toward Homosexuality Differ based on Income Level? An Empirical Study of United States Opinion. Means, G.P., 2017. The role of Islam in the political development of Malaysia. InReligions and Missionaries around the Pacific, 15001900(pp. 11-31). Routledge. Metcalf, B.D., 2016. Islam in contemporary Southeast Asia: history, community, morality.Defining Islam: A Reader. Miaari, S., Khattab, N. and Johnston, R., 2018. Religion and ethnicity at work: a study of British Muslim womens labour market performance.Quality Quantity, pp.1-29. Mller, D.M., 2016. Paradoxical normativities in Acehi Darussalam and Malaysia: Islamic law and the ASEAN human rights declaration.Asian Survey,56(3), pp.415-441. Rabasa, A., 2014.Political Islam in Southeast Asia: Moderates, Radical and Terrorists(No. 358). Routledge. Theaustralian.com.au. 2018.Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone Android apps. [online] Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/what-exactly-is-sharia-law/news-story/4e3c627f248841b46d465b4c79dec59a [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018]. ucanews.com. 2018.Where is Shariah law enforced in Southeast Asia? - ucanews.com. [online] Available at: https://www.ucanews.com/news/where-is-shariah-law-enforced-in-southeast-asia/77399 [Accessed 3 Apr. 2018].