Quiet Hero

Adel Torres Professor: De Palo December 8, 2012 Quiet Hero’s Crisis Intervention & Trauma Treatment 3:30pm – 5:20pm Quiet Hero: Secrets from my Father’s Past, written by Rita Cosby, is a story of war, a story of courage, and a story of a daughter finally getting to know her father. In this book, Rita speaks about her father’s childhood as well as her own; the difficulties she faced growing up with a strict father whom she felt she barely knew. Rita grew up in Greenwich Connecticut, with her Danish mother and her Polish father; a father she had a distant and unemotional relationship with.Growing up Rita knew very little about her father. She only knew that he had left Poland after WWII. When Rita was about eight years old, she saw that her father had scars on his back. When she build up the courage to ask what happened, her mother expressed to her that those were not questions she should be asking. Rita learned never to ask questions of her father’s past. When Rita was a teenager her father left her and her mother to start a new life. She had not spoken to her father in years. Rita began to discover who her father was years after her mother’s passing.In 2008, when she finally got the courage to look through her mother belongings, she came across a tattered, old suitcase. In the suit case Rita found a worn Polish-resistance armband, a rusted tag with a prisoner number, and an identity card from ex-POW named Ruszard Kossobudzki. After doing research on what she had found, she contacted her father and was ready to hear the truth of the life he had lived. Having her father see the items in the suit case instantly brought back many memories for her father which were visible in his eyes.At the age of eighty- four he was finally giving Rita what she longed for, an opportunity to know who Richard Cosby or better yet who Ruszard Kossobudzki was. Little by little Rita’s father began to disclose his life story and all the ho rrors he witnessed and endured while growing up. Rita’s father spoke of the last time he saw his family and of the last words that his mother said to him. He also spoke of a chain that his mother gave him because she believed it would protect him. Ironically enough, that chain would end up saving his life from a bullet.He left his family to join the Resistance during the Warsaw uprising, to fight for his country. The first time he fought for Poland was on August 1, 1944. Before joining the Resistance, Rita’s father was involved in the Young Eagles. At this camp young boys were taught to fight and survive combat. Mr. Cosby was about 10 to 13 years old when he was a part of the Young Eagles. This is where Mr. Cosby met an important man and mentor in his life; Lieutenant Stan. At the age of thirteen he had seen his hometown destroyed by the Germans.After being nearly fatally wounded by shrapnel, he was taken into captivity by the Germans and sent to a German POW camp near Dresden. This happened after he spent some time in a hospital. Once the rest of Poland was occupied, he was placed on a train and sent on his way to the German Camp. He was so injured that there was nothing he could do. After spending months in the camp and weighing in at about 90 pounds, he and a few prisoners decided to escape after planes started to drop bombs around the camp. The Germans were being attacked. Rita’s father and some prisoners thought this was the best time to escape.They escaped from the camp through the sewers. After a difficult journey they ended up near a camp that was set up by American Troops and they were rescued. When he arrived in America he met Rita’s mother and began a new life. These events happened to him while he was still in his teenage years. After hearing her father’s story Rita felt closer to her father. She came to understand the man she grew up with and understood his characteristics. Rita was able to arrange for her father to visit Poland and the camp where he was held prisoner. Through her journey with her father, Rita discovered that her father was a true hero.This book touched me profoundly. I grew up without my father and met him when I was 20 years old. Meeting him was very challenging for me because I was consumed with so much anger and I blamed him for not being there for me. In reading this book I am able to realize that we do not always get to choose the path we walk down and sometimes life’s circumstances shape the people we become, for better or worse. This book has made me want to give my own father a chance to explain to me what his life has been like, so that I might have a better understanding of who he is.As I continue my journey through school, I am better able to assess individuals and situations and have a level of empathy without being judgmental. As children we often feel like we know who our parents are but there are so many unanswered questions and hidden lives that it m akes it difficult for children to relate to their parents. Each of our paths has impacted us in both negative or positive ways and being able to understand that this affects the decisions that we make can make unpleasant situations a bit easier to digest.Seeing how Rita felt closer to her father as an adult once she got to know him, makes me feel like there is still hope for my father and I. If Rita’s father would have received help for the trauma he had gone through I believe he could have been a better father to Rita while she was growing up. Untreated trauma can affect a family on so many levels and negatively affect relationships with children, caregivers, partners, etc. , which in turn continues the cycle of trauma. If there is anything I take away the most from this text, it would be not to judge a book by its cover; one can never know the life that a person has lived.

Prehistoric Life During the Eocene Epoch

Prehistoric Life During the Eocene Epoch The Eocene epoch commenced 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago, and continued for another 22 million years, up to 34 million years ago. As with the preceding Paleocene epoch, the Eocene was characterized by the continuing adaptation and spread of prehistoric mammals, which filled the ecological niches left open by the dinosaurs demise. The Eocene constitutes the middle part of the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago), preceded by the Paleocene, and succeeded by the Oligocene epoch (34-23 million years ago); all of these periods and epochs were part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). Climate and Geography In terms of climate, the Eocene epoch picked up where the Paleocene left off, with a continuing rise in global temperatures to near-Mesozoic levels. However, the latter part of the Eocene saw a pronounced global cooling trend, probably related to decreasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which culminated in the re-formation of ice caps at both the north and south poles. The earths continents continued to drift toward their present positions, having broken apart from the northern supercontinent Laurasia and the southern supercontinent Gondwana, though Australia and Antarctica were still connected. The Eocene epoch also witnessed the rise of North Americas western mountain ranges. Terrestrial Life During the Eocene Epoch Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates, such as horses and tapirs) and artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates, such as deer and pigs) can all trace their ancestry back to the primitive mammalian genera of the Eocene epoch. Phenacodus, a small, generic-looking ancestor of hoofed mammals, lived during the early Eocene, while the late Eocene witnessed much bigger thunder beasts like Brontotherium and Embolotherium. Carnivorous predators evolved in synch with these plant-munching mammals: the early Eocene Mesonyx only weighed as much as a large dog, while the late Eocene Andrewsarchus was the largest terrestrial meat-eating mammal that ever lived. The first recognizable bats (such as Palaeochiropteryx), elephants (such as Phiomia), and primates (such as Eosimias) also evolved during the course of the Eocene epoch. As is the case with mammals, many modern orders of birds can trace their roots to ancestors that lived during the  Eocene epoch (even though birds as a whole evolved, perhaps more than once, during the Mesozoic Era). The most notable birds of the Eocene were giant penguins, as typified by the 100-pound Inkayacu of South America and the 200-pound Anthropornis of Australia. Another important Eocene bird was Presbyornis, a toddler-sized prehistoric duck. Crocodiles (such as the weirdly hooved Pristichampsus), turtles (such as the big-eyed Puppigerus), and snakes (such as the 33-foot long Gigantophis) all continued to flourish during the Eocene epoch, many of them attaining substantial sizes as they filled the niches left open by their dinosaur relatives (though most did not attain the giant sizes of their immediate Paleocene ancestors). Much tinier lizards, like the three-inch-long Cryptolacerta, were also a common sight (and food source for larger animals). Marine Life During the Eocene Epoch The Eocene epoch was when the first prehistoric whales left dry land and opted for a life in the sea, a trend that culminated in the middle Eocene Basilosaurus, which attained lengths of up to 60 feet and weighed in the neighborhood of 50 to 75 tons. Sharks continued to evolve as well, but few fossils are known from this epoch. In fact, the most common marine fossils of the Eocene epoch are of tiny fish, like Knightia and Enchodus, that plied the lakes and rivers of North America in vast schools. Plant Life During the Eocene Epoch The heat and humidity of the early Eocene epoch made it a heavenly time for dense jungles and rainforests, which stretched almost all the way to the North and South Poles (the coast of Antarctica was lined with tropical rainforests about 50 million years ago!) Later in the Eocene, global cooling produced a dramatic change: the jungles of the northern hemisphere gradually disappeared, to be replaced by deciduous forests that could better cope with seasonal temperature swings. One important development had only just begun: the earliest grasses evolved during the late Eocene epoch but didnt spread worldwide (providing sustenance for plains-roaming horses and ruminants) until millions of years later.

American Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Consumerism - Essay Example This essay shall shed more light on American Consumerism as described in the work of Dratch and Schor. A lot of Americans generally feel dissatisfied in terms of material possession. This is in relation with the interview of Schor (1). However, this does not mean that they overspend in purchasing goods to fulfill their needs but they purchase these goods because they want these goods to live comfortably. This explains why a lot of Americans work for longer hours as opposed to citizens in other countries. The need to satisfy this wish list, as well as work more to fulfill is one that leads to their being the best savers. A good example is how Americans purchase goods that relate to their own lifestyle. A great percentage of Americans will purchase a car that appeals to them, visit specific shopping malls, rent specific houses, and even dress in specific designer clothes. This explains that they wanted that particular type of good but did not need it. Such kind of lifestyle pushes them to get to that particular brand of product so as to retain their image and class in the society. Americans lead a rich lifestyle yet they spend very little amounts of money. This is from the compilation of Dratch (1). Americans have been said to be the best analyzers of their spending habits and do not purchase goods to please other people. Through the making of budgets just as Dratch recommends (1), Americans avoid being materialistic and making purchases to please other people. This means that they only purchase goods that are important at that particular time in their life or goods that will add value to their present life. The American consumer cannot be said to lack self discipline. This is derived from the interview of Schor with Soron (Schor 1). Additionally, the media through advertisements cannot be blamed for the consumer behavior of the Americans (Schor 1).

Banking and Finance Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Banking and Finance Law - Essay Example In the case at bar, the role of Bank A is an arranger as it is representing the borrower and not the participating banks, therefore, its obligations centered upon the borrower. Generally, the functions of the arranger starts upon its acceptance of the offer to arrange from the borrow and shall subsist until the time that the facility shall have been executed or in case of syndicated loan, its duties and obligations shall be deemed fulfilled at syndication when the participant banks are brought into direct contractual relations with the borrower2. Part of the duties of the arranger is to assist the borrower in drafting the Information Memorandum (IM), which will be circulated to prospective lenders/investors or in the case of syndication, to participating banks. Note that the IM is an instrument, which will be relied upon by the participating bank in assessing the nature of the investment and risk involved thereon. By this token, English law so for measures that will ensure that the p articipating bank will not be misled by unfounded claims set in the IM. The obligations of the arranger towards the participating banks in the case of syndication arise particularly during the negotiation stage and before the signing of the instruments of documents ratifying the facility. Breach of obligation to disclose the full state of the borrower or the misrepresentation of facts in the IM whether it is fraudulent or negligent in nature would give rise to both statutory breach and violation of established case laws. Fraudulent misrepresentation is the act of giving information knowing fully that it is not true. Fraud can also be deemed present where the arranger recklessly gives information without ascertaining its veracity and rending the facts disclosed as misleading. The key in this situation is that there is deceit in the act of the arranger as opposed to an innocent misrepresentation where the arranger believed in good faith in the truthfulness of the data disclosed.

Healthcare in the U.S .Health Literacy, public health messaging Essay

Healthcare in the U.S .Health Literacy, public health messaging project in which you have been involved - Essay Example Communication then proves to be vital in disseminating information that help reduce the transmission of the deadly virus while as this information also helps in reducing social stigma. Messages in HIV/AIDS campaigns are; creating awareness to the public on overall effects of HIV/AIDS, telling on the advantages of voluntary testing and counseling. Other messages include  encouraging the use of condoms to help curb the spreading of HIV infections and STD’s. As well as informing the public on the improvements and developments made on treatment of HIV/AIDS. Messages on voluntary testing and counseling and those of encouraging the use of condoms have proved to yield many positive results. These  process yield results  because the use interpersonal means of communication is incorporated. In interpersonal communication, one can relay message to the recipient on an individual basis or targeting of small groups of people. It is deemed to be the most effective way of passing the message since sensitive matters that relate to sexual behaviors  are  highlighted (Ruggiero, 2007). In addition, when relaying the message there is an easier harmonization of the content of the message considering the application of the existing traditions, norms, and values? These words became active because time does not bind the use of interpersonal means of communication. People who need tests or counseling can visit the relevant centers at their convenient time. These messages have proved also to be effective since the number of people who engage in irresponsible sexual acts that may lead to spreading of the virus has greatly reduced. Also according to recent research, the number of people who use condoms as a form of protection has increased (Singhal, 2003). However, messages on creating an overall awareness on the effects of HIV/AIDS and the developments on treatment did not seem to have been affected too many people. It  is

Why Our Troops Battle Essay Example for Free

Why Our Troops Battle Essay Along the span of time and history, there are several reasons why certain countries would commence a war against another. Scholars would often state it as an alter ego principle, which is possessed naturally by any form of government, given of course the real disposition of any individual. Even until today, there exists a raging war between the United States of America and Iraq (Price, 2003). Thus, unlike before where power and supremacy has been the explicit reason, the contemporary society caters mysterious facts on why one country would want to conquer another. 9/11, global warming, Kyoto Protocol, biological weapons—these are just a few examples of the events that shook the world, and apparently started the 21st century warm. However, a blunt question sprouts in the schema of such activity, when will the war end? What are they fighting for? Every individual is astonished. Dredged in a coat of defining the events during the nineteenth century, Michael Perman, world-renowned political historian who has made numerous books establishing the twists and the turns which took place during the time when the North and the South had a clash in ideas and on perspective during the period after the Civil War, creating a new world of prose historical writing in several renditions of his books. The whole package of the scholarly monographic masterpiece on the events and the instances that endured during that certain time had been wrapped into one book – Emancipation and Reconstruction. Perceivably one of the most accurate and precise elaboration of the realistic events when both poles of the North and the South, it catered what happened to those citizens as well as with the political situation of the country upon reaching the edge of struggles. It was mainly defined as to be â€Å"winning the war, but on the other hand, losing the peace† (Perman, 2003). Historians’ quest for defining historical icons Amongst those who have had huge enthusiasm on historical events, Perman’s indulgence on the role of the civilians anchoring the federal governments’ constant involvement in Reconstruction often created a conflict with regards to the concerns on the state relations. During that era, added disputes of such, Southerners depended on the support taken from the blacks and the whites on the participation of those who had been freed. On the level of distinguishing the form and the effectiveness of democracy, the book rendered the precise illustration onto the limits adhered by the Northerners, as well as with the Southerners (Pickering Kisangani, 2006). The North enjoyed more on their rights on democracy, which as a matter of fact was only inhabited by 5 percent of black individuals. But the main gist of the event for the South’s downfall laid on the matter that they were cohesively divided into two, making them formidable to be in unison (Miller, 2006). The British invasion on the United Arab Emirates began consequently after the ntervention of Europe in the budding years of the 16th century with Portugal. A century and a half later, Dutch and British conquests began to outdo one another in terms of dominating the UAE. In the closing years of the 18th century, Britain eventually became the major dominating force in the Arab territory (Schofield Zenko, 2004). Both the contemporary ruling clans of Ra’s al Khaymah as well as Ash Shariqah, known as the Qawasim back in the days, grew to a significant level of marine power in the lower gulf eventually raiding maritime vessels from the British colony of India. After routing the naval force of the Qawasim, the British forces mandated in 1820 a number of treaties that brought forth and maintained a maritime truce. This later paved the way for the creation of the United Arab of Emirates after being labeled with the name as Trucial States. Two years after, the external security issues as well as the foreign relationship of the state with other countries became absorbed by British responsibility. The British continued its protective control over the area of the UAE until 1971. Over the course of these years, the inner affairs of the UAE were devoid of British intervention as the latter was more after the protection of the maritime commerce in the area of the Persian Gulf (Price, 2003). Moreover, it has been observed that part of the British control of the UAE established overall peace as well as the Western notion of territorial states was also introduced. Far more importantly, the cooperative characteristic among the seven emirates was further amplified after the formulation of the Trucial States Council in 1952. The foundation of the UAE’s Supreme Federal Council is traceable in such council (Goodman, 2006). The dilemma may evidently the main reason of the wars, which transcribed in Iran and in Vietnam (Lovett, 1987). Given the fact that history relevantly established which countries are the culprits and which are not—it is under the conviction and understanding of those who live in the present era as to which story they believe is credible. These perspectives may not be considered in other culture, but then the rule of moral standards is what prevails in this story. For every country suspected to be making grave activities which will shatter the advent of peace and prosperity worldwide, then the United Nations—controlled and supervised of course by the general masses—will make a move to eradicate the unlawful deed an eventually take all means in doing so. Diversity and cultural beliefs are no longer considerable when it is the lives of many which will be compromised. Conclusions and further remarks Perhaps there is no definite answer to the question on â€Å"truth† and acceptability—since each race, class or culture have different views and perceptions in life or on any other form of belief. Some may regard these moves as unjust, but it is the society who needs to speak and it is the responsibility of the government to answer their call and act upon it. It is the main reason why the United Nations has been created, so that the power is not only vested on one country alone, or on the wealthiest, or the most popular. Without allies and without the help of the full force amongst all nations, one country will not be able to succeed. And so the blame on why these countries have been â€Å"controlled† is because they would not agree. References Goodman, R. (2006). Humanitarian Intervention and Pretexts for War. The American Journal of International Law, 100(1), 107-141. Lovett, C. C. (1987). We Held the Day in the Palm of Our Hand: A Review of Recent Sources on the War in Vietnam. Military Affairs, 51(2), 67-72. Miller, R. A. (2006). Democratic Accountability and the Use of Force in International Law by Charlotte Ku and Harold Jacobson. The American Journal of International Law, 100(4), 980-986. Perman, M. (2003). Emancipation and Reconstruction (American History Series (Arlington Heights, Ill. ) (Second ed. ). Wheeling IL: Harlan Davidson. Pickering, J. , Kisangani, E. F. (2006). Political, Economic, and Social Consequences of Foreign Military Intervention. Political Research Quarterly, 59(3), 363-376. Price, M. T. (2003). The Concept Culture Conflict: in What Sense Valid? Social Forces, 9(2), 164-167. Schofield, J. , Zenko, M. (2004). Designing a Secure Iraq: A US Policy Prescription. Third World Quarterly, 25(4), 677-687.

Nature and Extent of Domestic Violence

Nature and Extent of Domestic Violence It is important to point out here that an adult is classed as any person over the age of eighteen years old. Family members are said to include mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters or grandparents. It is also important to point out that using the term family members does not only mean that those directly related are included in this definition of domestic violence, as in-laws or step-family members are also defined as being family members (Home Office, 2010). The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also use this definition of domestic violence (ACPO, 2008). It is not uncommon, however, for various other agencies to have different definitions of domestic violence. This can prove to be a considerable problem when attempting to design and deliver services specifically aimed at tackling the problem of domestic violence (Humphries, Hester, Hague, Mullender, Abrahams and Lowe, 2000). This is a problem that will be considered in more depth in Chapter 4 when examining the implications of taking a multi-agency approach to tackling domestic violence. The extent of the problem According to the Home Office (2010): Domestic violence accounts for 14% of all violent incidents One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute One in four women and one in six men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime with women at a greater risk of repeat victimisation and serious injury Domestic violence currently claims the lives of around two women a week The victims The definition of domestic violence given by the government states that domestic violence occurs regardless of gender (Home Office, 2010; ACPO, 2008). This would suggest that victims of domestic violence are equally likely to be male as they are female. However, whilst it is true that both men and women can be victims of domestic violence, statistics show that in most cases of domestic violence the victims are women. On top of this, the government follow the statistic one in four women and one in six men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime with with women at a greater risk of repeat victimisation and serious injury (Home Office, 2010) but fail to point out that the former part of the statistic is based on one-off events (Womens Aid, 2010a). With women being at an increased chance of repeat victimisation, the gap between the extents to which women experience domestic violence compared to men is probably much wider than government statistics tell us. It is for this reason that the main focus throughout this piece of work is on violence against women. In addition to all of this, it is once again vital to stress that, given the hidden nature of domestic violence, it will always be difficult to know exactly how many people men or women are victimised in their lifetime because of domestic violence. The nature of the problem It is firstly extremely significant to point out domestic violence is rarely a one-off event and, as mentioned previously, women are particularly likely to experience repeat victimisation (Home Office, 2010). Secondly, in every case of domestic violence power and control over the victim are remarkably evident. These points alone stress the fact that domestic violence is a devastating problem; however, by looking further into the nature of the abuse it is clear that this devastating problem is also awfully complicated. It would be fair to say that physical violence is the first thing that comes to mind when considering the type of abuse that a victim of domestic violence may suffer. However, by looking at the Government definition of domestic violence it becomes clear that most cases are much more complicated than this, as physical violence is just one element of domestic violence and domestic violence can occur with or without it. Other attributes of domestic violence, as stated in the Government definition, include threatening behaviour and/or psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse (Home Office, 2010; ACPO, 2008). The Wheel of Violence (or sometimes referred to as the Wheel of Power and Control) reiterates this idea as it has been developed to show the different types of behaviour that constitute domestic violence (Womens Aid, 2007) and all of these behaviours are based on power and control. The Wheel of Violence suggests that there are eight different ways in which a perpetrator can gain power and control over their victim. These are: using coercion and threats, using intimidation, using emotional abuse, using isolation, minimizing, denying and blaming, using children, using male privilege and using economic abuse. A Wheel of Non-Violence (or sometimes referred to as the Wheel of Equality) has also been developed to show what a non-violent partnership looks like in comparison (Womens Aid, 2007). This wheel is also made up of eight components which include negotiation and fairness, respect and trust and support. Both of these wheels have been developed by the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project but are widely used by many agencies in the United Kingdom in an attempt to explain the nature of this complicated problem. During a three-day period of observing the work of the Sunflower Centre, a multi-agency support centre in Northampton, a copy of these wheels were provided and are included in Appendix 2. The point that is trying to be conveyed here is that in every case of domestic violence devastating harm is caused to the victim and when considering just how many victims there are, it is clear that something needs to be done to tackle this huge and complicated problem. However, because of the complicated nature of this problem, it often requires a response frequently involving more than one agency (Dominy Radford, 1996: 43). This is why, before discussing any multi-agency initiatives that attempt to tackle violence against women, it is important to consider which agencies come into contact with victims of domestic violence, why they may come into contact with them and how they, as a single agency, attempt to tackle the problem. Agencies concerned with tackling domestic violence Gill Hague, Ellen Malos and Wendy Dear (1996: 23-28) give an insight into who the major players are when it comes to dealing with domestic violence. They state that there are numerous agencies that come into contact with victims of domestic violence including those agencies who specialise in the issue and those in which domestic violence work forms only a small percentage of their duties (Hague et al, 1996: 23). The agencies listed in the work of Hague, Malos and Dear is provided here, however, a variety of sources will be used to explain why these particular agencies regularly come into contact with victims of domestic violence and how they attempt to tackle the problem. Womens Aid and local womens refuges Womens Aid are a core agency in attempting to tackle domestic violence as they are a national charity that specialise in violence against women. They work hard to help women who have suffered or are suffering violence in numerous ways. Firstly, they work hard to protect victims of domestic violence by ensuring that there are adequate laws, policies and practices in place for victims of domestic violence. Secondly, they try to prevent violence against women through their ongoing publicity campaigns and educational programmes and thirdly they provide numerous services for victims of domestic violence both locally (such as local refuges) and nationally (such as the National Domestic Violence Helpline). Womens Aid help approximately 250,000 women and children every year  (Womens Aid, 2010b)