Mark Danner, an editor for the New York Times magazine, recounts in The Massacre at El Mozote a horrific crime against humanity committed by a branch of the Salvadorian army. He gives multiple points of views and cites numerous eye witnesses to try and piece together something that has been tucked away by the government at the time. In December, of 1981, news reports were leaked to major newspapers in the united states about an atrocity committed and a total massacre of a hamlet in El Salvador, known as El Mozote, or the Thicket. At first, the account was of over a thousand civilians, women men and children with no guerrilla affiliation were massacred. Danner pieces together the testimonies of the survivors, and interviews with officers in the Salvadorian army.
El Mozote was not affiliated with the guerrilla uprising at the time. It was a town that was seen as a last resort for fleeing civilians. There was supposed to be safe harbor there, as the rebels and army would be doing their fighting in the woods, away from civilians. On December 8th, peasants were straggling one by one into El Mozote, and were stretching the limits of the small town (Danner 34). Even the town mayor was under the impression that the citizens of El Mozote would be given clemency. They were instructed to keep off of the streets, to stay inside to avoid the fighting. Marcos Diaz, the mayor, recounts his seeming betrayal, “Wait!, he pleaded, They promised me nothing would happen to the people here. The officers told me so” (Donner 64). he was correct, the citizens of El Mozote were supposed to have clemency, they were not to be harmed.
A supposed “elite, American trained” arm of the Salvadorian army, Atlacatl were acting on their own. They had basic training from the Americans, but their extensive training came at the hands of Monterrosa (Donner 50). These seemingly advanced troops were anything but. They “shot animals and smeared the blood all over their faces, they slit open the animal's bellies and drank the blood”(Donner 50). So, a renegade unit led by a renegade general were supposed to show mercy to a guerrilla infested hamlet? The answer would become obvious.
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I believe that Donner does an excellent job in presenting the facts as plainly as possible. He cites a number of sources from a first hand account of the facts by Rufina Amaya, to a number of documents presented by both the Salvadorian government and the American government. He has a collection of front page stories from major newspapers such as the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Also are the interviews with Domingo Monterrosa and soldiers that were part of Atlacatl. Based on such a wide variety of published sources, i think that Donner did an excellent job at presenting the information so that the reader could decide as to what really happened on that December in northern El Salvador.
Before reading this, I, like I am sure so many others, had no idea of the magnitude of injustices that can occur during these conflicts. Also, this was not very long ago, nor far away, and it speaks volumes of the differences in government ideology and politics. El Salvador is an extreme case of how a government will treat its citizens. Massacre at El Mozote truly was an eye-opener and I doubt I will soon forget it.
The first important scene in The Scarlet Letter is when Hester is released from prison and is forced to
“Florida, for example, spent between $25 million and $50 million more per year on capital cases than it would have to if all murderers received life without parole.” (Fagan 3) The comparison of how much money just the state of Florida could be saving if they opted out of capital punishment is astounding. If that is just how much money could be saved per year in one state, the entire country could benefit from stopping executions over a long period of time. It is obvious the US could save much more money by getting rid of capital punishment vs keeping it. The national debt is always a huge hot topic, and this offers a real solution to a part of that problem. This claim shows my thesis is correct because this article shows how much of an impact (money wise) capital punishment is causing by costing the states in America so much tax money. The millions that would be saved by abolishing this outdated punishment could be put to much better use, for example, things like “education, roads, police officers and public safety programs, after-school programs, drug and alcohol treatment, child abuse prevention programs, mental health services, and services for crime victims and their families.” (The Death Penalty
Dimmesdale is to deliver this sermon, and it is a very big event in Puritan society. Hawthorne’s goal in this chapter is to relate the idea of things that happen in the past will almost always catch back up to you. Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl almost had a perfect escape until they found out that Chillingworth would be joining them. Dimmesdale has now been forced into a position where repenting his sins would be a better option than running away from them, and I believe he will do so during his
Author Steve Lopez persuade his readers to accept his idea of finding the brutally beaten victim that many witness during the riot, the author does so by finding Fidel and having his story told, which in my perspective was a success, because Fidel was meant to have his story told so a great outcome would occur. In addition as the reader it kept me alert and curious to know more. Fidel Lopez argument was to remain undiscovered as a victim of the LA riot which persuade me because Fidel’s daughter Vanessa stated in the article “ He does things his way, doesn’t like asking for help and is more interest in providing for his family than revisiting the past” (Lopez, pg. 5). This statement was well brought out because Fidel did not do it for his family, the fame, nor for the sadness people would feel for him. Article “The forgotten victim from Florence and Normandie” brought well life learn lessons that are relevant today as many are still able to forget those who need to be remembered most as time passes, because we can easily forget, but once it is gone, sometimes we cannot bring our memory back, memories are always with us lets not take that away from
... stand. You give a sideways glance to the balding man in front of you. Jose Efrain Rios Montt. Oh, how you hate that man! After all, the things he has done to you, your brothers, and your sisters are unspeakable! You take a deep breath and begin to speak. You answer all the questions with a complete feeling of appreciation. Appreciation fueled by the fact that people want to hear your story. You tell them about the day the soldiers marched in to your village, murdered your people, and walked away as if nothing had happened. You tell them about the days of fear. People stare at you in amazement. You see their eyes gleaming with tears and—suddenly—you break down too. It’s all too much. The man that caused you pain is going to get punished! In the back of your mind, you are thinking that the Guatemalan genocide was a terrible tragedy that cost many people their lives.
For example, the death of Ophelia struck him without notice, especially for being blamed for her death by her brother, Laertes. Readers can see this when Hamlet says “Hear you, sir, What is the reason that you use me thus? I loved you ever.” (V.i.307-309). Later, Hamlet overhears Claudius about his plan to ship Hamlet off to England, but immediately upon his arrival, will be killed. Now knowing that, Hamlet decides to go but only for readers to know that he switched ships to one that will be going home rather than England. Then only to surprise Claudius and avenging his fathers death.With Claudius now stabbed deep enough from Hamlet, Laertes comes in to finish the task. With Claudius soon to be dead, Laertes punctures Hamlet with a poisoned sword only for Hamlet to stab Laertes. Before Laertes dies he says “ Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee, Nor thine on me. (Dies)” (V.ii.362-363). Right after Laertes dies, Hamlet is close to death as well., with Hamlets last words being “So tell him, with th’ occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited—the rest is silence. (O, O, O, O!) (Dies)” (V.ii.394-396). This Act shows readers specifically the superego element by showing exactly who he motivation was from (the spirit) and his only goal was to kill Claudius.
The government changed its tactics to end the rebellion, resorting to low intensity war. Paramilitaries with differing levels of tacit and explicit support terrorized Zapatistas and their sympathizers. The killings in Acteal in 1997 that claimed the lives of 45 innocent people remains a particularly gruesome example of paramilitary massacres.
In chapter two Hawthorne writes, “It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself” (Hawthorne 480). The scarlet letter “A” is like magic and it takes Hester out of this world and places her in her own world where she is alone. From R.V. Young’s “Individual and Community” he writes “Hester's story shows that the longings of the heart will inevitably conflict with the order of society—even a society established to resolve such conflicts” (Young 39). Hester is set apart from the rest of society and has her own longings and wants such as a family with Dimmesdale and Pearl. Hester’s longings go against the colony and their morals. Young goes on to say “that tension between the individual and the community can never be resolved, nor should it be” (Young 39). Young is conveying his thoughts that there will always be individuals in communities, because it is those individuals that set themselves apart from the norm of society. Hester is the individual in this novel who sets herself apart from the rest of the characters in the novel. Hawthorn writes it this way because Hester’s life reflects his own personal life. During the preface of the novel Hawthorne discusses his time at the custom house in which he later loses his job. Hoffman analyzes this and argues that “[t]he publicly punished Hester plays out this aspect of the author's life”
The Scarlet Letter is a unified, masterfully written novel. It is structured around three crucial scaffold scenes and three major characters that are all related. The story is about Hester Prynne, who is given a scarlet letter to wear as a symbol of her adultery. Her life is closely tied to two men, Roger Chillingworth, her husband, and Arthur Dimmesdale, her minister and the father of her child. Her husband is an old, misshapen man who Hester married while still in Europe. Chillingworth sends her ahead of him to New England, and then does not follow her or correspond with her for two years.
One of the most repetitive and controversial topics discussed in the criminal justice system, is the death penalty. Capital punishment has been a part of our nation’s history since the creation of our constitution. In fact, as of January 1st, 2016, 2,943 inmates were awaiting their fate on death row (Death Penalty Information Center). Throughout my life, I have always been a strong advocate for the death penalty. During the majority of my undergraduate degree, I was a fierce supporter of capital punishment when discussing the topic in classes. However, throughout many criminal justice courses, I found myself in the minority, regarding the abolishment of the death penalty. While debating this topic, I would always find myself sympathetic to the victims and their families, as one should be, wanting those who were responsible for heinous crimes to
It seems as if Hawthorne wrote this scene for the purposes of exhibiting the harshness of Puritan society, and to allow the reader some insight into Hester's thoughts. Hawthorne places the focus onto Hester at this moment. The reader observes her before the full effect of the scarlet letter has had a chance to take hold of her. The reader is also able to see the cruel and judgmental behavior of the crowd through their language, such as when they call her a hussy. "This women has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it?"
Author Mariano Azuela's novel of the Mexican revolution, The Underdogs, conveys a fictional representation of the revolution and the effects it had on the Mexican men and women who lived during that time. The revolutionary rebels were composed of different men grouped together to form small militias against the Federalists, in turn sending them on journeys to various towns, for long periods of time. Intense fighting claimed the lives of many, leaving women and children behind to fend for themselves. Towns were devastated forcing their entire populations to seek refuge elsewhere. The revolution destroyed families across Mexico, leaving mothers grieving for their abducted daughters, wives for their absent husbands, and soldiers for their murdered friends. The novel's accurate depiction also establishes some of the reasons why many joined the revolution, revealing that often, those who joined were escaping their lives to fight for an unknown cause.
The Atlacatl were an elite unit of the Salvadoran Army. They were a response force started in 1980 who were involved in some of the most infamous events of the Salvadoran Civil War. The unit was named after Atlacatl, a person in Salvadoran history known for his defiance to the Spanish conquest in Central America.
The protection enhances the ability of sustaining a business in a competitive marketplace for the long run. A firm should also undergo the DYB strategy to get rid of business units and other resources that do not add value to the company 's performance. It should adopt the GYB strategy, in which it would utilize the business opportunities lying at its disposal to its advantage. As a direct result of these two strategies, the company would gain a substantial competitive edge against rivals, as well as boost its profitability in the long run (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2010). Knowing that today 's business environment is characterized by heightened competition that has led to extensive gaps between industry leaders and laggards, and that there are greater churns among the industry rivals, the GYB and DYB strategies are essential for any modern company. More importantly, the GYB strategy should be focused towards the increase of
...cibly take back what a robber took by force. It would be wrong to imprison someone that illegally imprisoned someone else. It would also be wrong for the police to drive over the speed limit to peruse someone who was speeding. The death penalty is a deserved and just punishment for murder. It does deter some murders, which saves an unknown number of innocent lives. These reasons are why, through all the controversy, three-quarters of Americans continue to support capital punishment.