The Good German :: essays research papers

"The Good German", by Joseph Kanon can be categorized by placement in a variety of genres, Thriller, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Love Story, and more. The work is certainly all of these, however I believe much more important is the study of twelve years of human behavior, presented within the context of events primarily following the close of The European phase of World War Two. I don't know that any other conflict has generated more literature than the one symbolized by the swastika, the word Holocaust, and the unprecedented Crimes Against Humanity Trials at Nuremberg. Superficially, the evil of the war is routinely placed with great ease. Even at this level it is hard to take issue with placing the blame on a man, the party he created, and the nation that joined that party, served in the SS, and made the crimes that took place possible. What happened when the fighting stopped, when the shooting war with The Axis ended, and the Cold War with The Soviet Union began? The latter had really begun prior to the first one ending. The shades of gray that dominated the conduct of The Allies immediately following the end of hostilities, and the repercussions that would follow for decades, is brilliantly set side by side with conduct during the war. Mr. Kanon never minimizes any of the horror that took place; he questions none of the atrocities that were committed. He does bring post-war reality to his tale that cannot be said to match the actions of The Third Reich; he does however absolutely portray conduct on all sides, which traditional history would rather marginalize. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems, and while there were episodes of good versus evil, and events that were black and white, inconvenient shades of gray were everywhere. Without exception all of the players in this book are guilty of some form of aberrant behavior, which outside of the circumstance of war would never be questioned as wrong. However when placed within the context of World War Two, which was unique for the range and intensity of the evil it spread, do the judgments and answers remain so clear? A person is put on trial at war's end for collaborating with The Nazi SS; let us say the person facilitated the capture of Jews for transportation to death camps. The jury would probably not spend a great deal of time deliberating this example. Same example with a bit more detail, the person is a Jew who was given the option of pointing out other Jews in exchange for their life and the lives of their

Lack of Education Due to Poverty

Poverty, as it is identified, in the grossly underdeveloped areas of Africa and other developing world countries cannot be compared in likeness to poverty situations faced by those in Canada and the United States. In these â€Å"rich countries† the poor are characterized as those who have a comparably low level of income, usually measured in the relative approach, one-half the median income whereas poverty as it is faced by those in developing countries is a matter of survival with little or no hope for escape. With this in mind, the only evidence of poverty being prevalent in rich countries can be found only in the minds of the establishment. In other words, those who may be materialistically rich still prove to be compassionately impoverished. The economic make-up of a countries† infrastructure like Canada†s or the United States† exemplifies not poverty in the sense real threats to survival, as in Africa, but can be better explained in terms of equality or better yet inequality. The terms equality and inequality for the basis of this essay can be applied to most aspects of what economists in â€Å"rich countries† term to be poverty. What is poverty to Canada and the United States are in fact blatant examples of inequality in education. When measuring inequality there are people in Canada and the United States, who are less monetarily fortunate than others. Over 30% of the entire United States† wealth is held by only 1% of its population (The Distribution of Wealth, in class lecture). There is no need for great concern with the extent of poverty in rich countries; nevertheless inequality is due to lack of education. Instead of offering what politicians term â€Å"band-aid† solutions to poverty problems they should look more at the source of the problem which is lack of education. Canada and the United States do not posses the realities of poverty as do other countries, inequality exists and the only way to eliminate inequality is to give everybody the same opportunity in education. Education is the key to a better standard of living, wiser decisions, and convalescent equality among all. On the Statistics Canada†s website, www. statcan. ca provides insight into the relative success of people possessing some level of education be it a degree, certificate, or diploma. It is suggested by Statistics Canada that those who could establish that they possess a certain level of education were percentage wise higher employed than those who were not as well educated. Statistics Canada further elucidates the benefits of education by stating that in Canada 15% of the total uneducated population is unemployed and over 50% of all the uneducated were not in the labour force. To compare with educated only 5. 5% of them were unemployed and only 17% of all educated were not in the labour force. If countries such as Canada and the United States centered more attention on education, people would become more equal and poverty would be eradicated. In rich countries like the United States and Canada poverty should not be an absolute measure, not a relative measure, but rather a measure of inequality. In these countries there is opportunity for everyone to better their way of life. There exist established social programs which aid people searching to progress. Again Statistics Canada states that three out of five people leave poverty within a year compared to only one in ten stay in poverty for longer than five years (Income Mobility, in class lecture). This statistic led to the belief that there are shifts in inequality and that most people do not continually suffer from it. There are places for the very poor to get food and shelter and support and help to those who want it. In conclusion it has been established, with the support of Statistics Canada, that poverty as it exists in Canada and the United States is nothing more than an example of inequality in education. Equal opportunity in education shall eliminate many of the countries' problems.

Essay about The Issue of Stricter Gun Control Laws

The issue of stricter gun control laws is an on-going battle that continues to be debated at both the local and federal levels. Regardless of one’s viewpoint on the matter, this subject makes for a very passionate debate on both sides. At question is whether or not stricter laws and regulations help reduce the number of gun-related crimes. Obviously, the answers vary greatly depending on the strongly held viewpoint of the responders. Often, horrible gun-related crimes are committed by people who do not value human life, which translates to mental issues. In these type cases, it makes no difference how many laws are on the books because if a mentally deranged person is determined to secure a gun to carry out his or her plan, a gun is†¦show more content†¦However, in 2010 the United States Supreme Court upheld the right of individuals to own guns, and that ruling applied to both the local and state levels (â€Å"Gun Control and Gun Rights†1). Thankfully, soc iety has come a long way since the days of the Old West, where many disputes were settled with a gun. In those days, it was common practice for men to take the law into their own hands and impose and carry out their own form of justice; fortunately for society that is no longer the case. American democracy boasts of the most humane justice system and, though it is far from perfect, individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Even though gun control continues to be a hotly-debated topic in the aftermath of numerous mass shootings, Congress has taken surprisingly little action on this issue. The Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 and no other changes occurred until 1934 when prohibition caused a great deal of gangster activity. The first major changes came on the heels of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, but it was not until the Assault Weapons Ban passed in 1994 that the country saw significant changes implemented. Although Presid ent Obama has asked for additional changes to existing gun laws (Gettings and McNiff 2). The lack of congressional action suggests many believe the answer is not more laws. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there were more than 250 million firearms inShow MoreRelatedBennett Dorton. English 11. 1-26-17.Gun Control In America.1270 Words   |  6 PagesBennett Dorton English 11 1-26-17 Gun Control In America Every time a gun injures or kills in self defense it is used seven times in a criminal assault or homicide; furthermore the main argument against stricter gun laws is the fact that they are needed for self defense. Gun control is a very controversial and debatable topic, and many people have different opinions. In the Constitution, The Second Amendment gives the right to bear arms, but there have been restrictionsRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Gun Control875 Words   |  4 Pagesyears the issue of gun control laws has become a prevalent topic of debate throughout American society. This debate stems from two opposing arguments over gun control. Some feel gun control laws are fair and not the contributing factor to these mass shootings, whereas, others feel that there is an urgent need for strict laws in order to end the problem of mass shootings. There are numerous pros and cons to the enforcement of stricter gun control laws but we must note a few things: stricter gun controlRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control Laws1701 Words   |  7 PagesA gun has the capacity to convert a conflict into a serious crime. The power of a gun is vast. But it the power of the gun is appreciated in right hands. The effects of a gun can be cherished when it is used by right hands and with the right intention. The effects of the gun are condemned when it reaches in wrong hands. A gun can protect as well as end someone’s life. When it ends the life of a criminal, it is a sign of bravery but when it takes the lives of innocent people it is condemned. ThereforeRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On The Gun Of The Teeth : The Worldwide Plague Of Small Arms1597 Words   |  7 Pagesis one gun for every ten people on earth today. The people who supports gun control believe that if we are trying to save the world, guns for wars should not be shipped around for individual uses. There have been around 400 million deaths due to small arms and conflicts since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Once a person owns a gun, it is very rare that they will be willing to give the gun up. In South Africa, guns have been melted down, blown up, and cut into pieces. If there were stricter gun controlRead MoreGun Control Laws And The Federal Firearms Act864 Words   |  4 Pagesthere are numerous of laws and regulations which put in place to control the use of guns and other firearms. Gun-control laws, bills, and acts manage the dealership, ownership and utilization of guns and different types of firearms. The following is milestone in gun control process in the United States. In 1934, United States President Franklin Roosevelt, signed the National Firearm Act. The main idea of this law was to increase the taxation on guns to lower the rate of gun ownership. Instead ofRead MoreSchool Shootings And The Shootings969 Words   |  4 Pagesshootings (Staff, Washington Times). Many injuries, deaths, and lives have been changed as result of school shootings. These horrible events have raised the topic gun control to the front line of controversy. After 2012, requirements were added to the background checks for purchasing guns. Twelve state legislatures expanded the background checks on gun purchases and five states tightened assault weapons restrictions (Sunburn, Josh). Some states allow immediate distribution at the time of sale with properRead MoreGun Control Laws And The Federal Firearms Act907 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control History From the start of the distribution of guns, there were many issues that arises for instance crimes involving shoot-outs and accidental fatalities. Due to these common issues, gun-controls laws and bills was established. Gun-control laws and bills manages the dealership, ownership and utilization of guns and different types of firearms. In the United States today, there are numerous of laws and regulations which put in place to control the use of guns and other firearms. The followingRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1089 Words   |  5 Pagesis quite a bit of prior research done on gender differences in regard to gun control. The following articles used all help to provide support for the hypothesis that in a comparison of individuals, women are more likely to support stricter gun control laws than men. Most of the articles use polling to help prove this hypothesis, and some even help explain what might cause women to be more supportive of stricter gun control and why this is signifi cant. One article that has research on the subjectRead MoreGun Control1724 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish 1302 5th march 2013 Sides of Crime Control Gun control laws have been surrounded by controversy since The Bill of Rights, including the Second amendment was passed in the congress. A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed, the founders wrote. Until recently there was considerable argument over just what the founders intended by their words. Did they mean to provide only for armedRead MoreStricter Gun Control Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesThe Need for Stricter Gun Control In the world we are living in today guns are a major issue for the general safety of people. No one should be nervous to go to large functions such as a concert or sports event but in the U.S. it seems like doing things like that are getting scarier and scarier each day. How much longer until people are scared to do everyday activities? At the rate things are going it seems like it might not be long. Stricter gun control is desperately needed due to the high amount