The Best Friendships Essay Example for Free

The Best Friendships Essay Most people say that friendship is the most common relationship that each of us has. Each relationship that we hold in our lives has a common ground of friendship. However, the levels might differ in terms of our interaction and personal communication with them. In every relationship that we have, a part of us is also revealed as we try to perform the responsibilities in line with the friendships that we have with various people. As of today, I can identify five types of friendships which are currently active in keeping my life as meaningful as possible. Similar with the rest of the world, one of the friendships that I treasure is the one I have built with strangers I have met along my journey in life. These set of people consists of my childhood friends, classmates from previous schools, colleagues from different organizations, co-workers, and other persons whom I have shared myself with as a friend. They are the people whom I have laughed with in times of fun and cried with in times of woe. The second type of friendship that I have is the one that I secure with the person I intend to spend the rest of my life with. I consider this a special type, for I know that amidst the romance, intimacy, and further stages in a couple’s relationship, it is friendship that will most probably be left after a long time of companionship. That is why I do not treat my partner entirely as a lover but at the same time as a best friend whom I can always rely on even without the affectionate words or romantic stuff. The third type of friendship in my life is the one that I have with my family. I am of those few blessed people who have close-knit relatives and family. The friendship I have with them may not be similar with the first two friendships I have discussed. Ours is much understood and profound. They are the ones whom I know will stay with me despite my weaknesses and faults because I was born related to them. It is sort of permanent in nature that once damaged, the scars would always be traceable. The fourth type of friendship that I believe to be as important as the previous ones I have mentioned would be the friendship that I have with myself. It is equally important with the external friendships that I have because it is responsible for a person’s well-being and personal development. The ability to treat oneself as a friend produces a much better relationship and friendship with other people. It amounts to the idea that one must first love oneself before he/she can love others. The fifth and last but definitely not the least is my friendship with God. Without this type of friendship, how could one see the beauty of life and befriend it? One may probe how can I claim such if the existence of this â€Å"Friend† is even physically questionable. The strength of my faith is the sole proof of friendship that I have with Him. This may be quite hard to characterize, for only people with the same kind of friendship can comprehend what I am trying to explain. Presenting all these types of friendships also reveals the different characters that mold my personality. Each relationship illustrates a different definition and function that I must deliver. I am a friend, a lover, a sister/brother, and a daughter/son with responsibilities to fulfill in my attempt to develop myself as well as these friendships.

Three Different Types of Transition Essay Example for Free

Three Different Types of Transition Essay Transitions in life are a fundamental part of development in children and young people. From an early age a child will experience some form of transition, and how well they deal with these changes as they are growing up will be depend on their stage of development, their confidence and the support and positive relationships they may have. The affects of transitions vary from child to child, so it is important to consider them on an individual basis. That said, it is possible to gain an idea of how a childs social development may be influenced by a range of changes and the type of transition must firstly be considered. Emotional for example bereavement, the divorce or separation of parents Many children will have experienced warm, consistent, predictable care and will see adults as reliable, supportive and caring. But when there is a major change within the family unit such as parents separating or divorcing, it can have such an impact on the parents that the childrens emotions may be forgotten. This can have a traumatic affect on them and its likely that a childs emotional development will be affected. They may start to misbehave at home and/or at school to seek attention or become shy and withdrawn and lose confidence. It may cause a long-term problem as some children may find it difficult to form trusting relationships with adults. Physical for example moving to a new home or class room From something as simple as moving on to a new activity within the classroom to moving to a new home, a child or young person may find physical transition traumatic and unsettling and may affect their development. If for example a child is progressing with age to a new school or moving to the next year group within the same school, the transition may have positive effects as they wont be making the changes alone, they will be with their friends. They will be able to see their old friends in the new environment and the transition will seem a lot less daunting and they will feel comfortable of their new surroundings more quickly. However, if the move is to a new school where they are making the transition on their own where they wont know anybody they could become shy and withdrawn. They may not want to join in any of the activities and be socially awkward. Intellectual for example moving from nursery to school, primary school to secondary school, secondary school to college or college to university Some children are unable cope with intellectual transition even if there are some familiarities such as still seeing their old friends. Progressing from primary school to secondary school or secondary school to college may be difficult for some children and young people to cope with. After having familiar surroundings of the same classroom and teacher for a year it suddenly all changes and may cause some children to panic. They may become shy and withdrawn or start to exhibit antisocial behaviour. Whatever the change or transition is, children should be given the opportunity to talk about what is going on, what is happening and how they are feeling. In some situations it can be discussed prior to the event, such as moving class or moving up a year. Giving children and young people the warning of what the change will entail and the opportunity for them to ask questions can reduce the harmful effects the change or transition may have on their development. In some cases, such as bereavement, talking with the child or young person prior to the event may not be possible. However, the opportunity for them to discuss what has happened and how they are feeling should still be given. It is important that all children and young people have positive relationships during periods of transition.

A Short Biography Of Dr Jim Cummins English Language Essay

A Short Biography Of Dr Jim Cummins English Language Essay This paper will give a short biography of Dr. Jim Cummins, a well-known second language educator and a major contributor to the body of research driving TESL techniques. It will cover his more significant contributions to the field of bilingual education, and it will provide a more detailed and deeper look at his theoretical contributions to TESL. Dr. Jim Cummins: An Author Study In 1970, Dr. Jim Cummins earned his first college degree, a B.A., from the University of Dublin in Psychology. He then went on to earn a doctorate in Educational Psychology in 1974 from the University of Alberta. In 1997, he was also granted an honorary doctorate from the Bank Street College of Education in New York City. Dr. Cummins is currently a professor in Ontario, Canada at the University of Toronto where he works in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (Canadian Education Association, 2010). Dr. Cummins has an extensive list of published work relating to second language learning and literacy and is a seminar presenter. He is also known for being a prominent researcher in bilingual education as well as the effects of technology on instruction (Race, Culture, Identity, and Achievement Seminar, 2005). One of the main contributions to the TESL community which is credited to Dr. Cummins is the concept of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). BICS is the social aspect of language you would normally find in everyday situations like playgrounds, talking, playing sports, and the like. BICS develops more quickly than CALP, usually taking six months to two years to develop. CALP, by contrast, is harder to learn and takes longer to develop; it actually takes five to seven years to achieve proficiency. CALP is the style of language students need to succeed in academic areas and as students rise through higher and higher grade levels, the language gets harder to comprehend and context gradually reduces (Haynes, 1998). Although BICS and CALP are widely seen as established theories there have been some criticisms and contrary opinions. In a publication titled Putting Language Proficiency in its Place: Responding to Critiques of the Conversational/Academic Language Distinction, Dr. Cummins defends his position on BICS and CALP. He points out several key factors that indicate that second language academic language emerges slowly. First, in North America minority children have been given IQ tests in their secondary language after only two or three years in their new country. As a result, a higher proportion of ELL students ended up in special education services. Dr. Cummins points out that this calls the validity of the IQ test itself into question. Since the IQ test is based on the norms and experiences of the dominant culture, it would follow that the minority, or ELL, population might be at a disadvantage on this standardized test. Therefore, the test itself is probably not doing a good job of discr iminating actual special education students from normal students who lack the CALP to pass the thresholds on the standardized test. A second point by Dr. Cummins is that many ELL students are forced out of ELL services after three years. This arbitrary time limit goes against the idea that CALP takes five to seven years to develop, and what has been discovered is that many of these students who are forced out of ELL services end up experiencing academic failure. This seems to support the CALP theory. A third point he makes, answering critics, is that BICS and CALP are not meant to take into account all of the facets of sociolinguistic development; the theories are specifically meant to cover second language learners, not all language development of all learners. So the idea that BICS and CALP do not take into account all the myriad aspects of language is meaningless. A fourth point in Cummins rebuttal paper is that BICS, although basic in nature, will have some cognitive aspects; he makes the analogy of joke-telling. Telling a joke is a BICS activity, but it will have some cognitive elements. Basically his point is that if some BICS interactions have aspects of cognitive functions, then it does not negate the entire BICS/CALP theory. Furthermore, he goes on to clarify that CALP should not be seen as superior, just different. Finally, Cummins calls on the support of two fellow researchers, Biber and Corson, whose research generally supports his theory of BICS and CALP (Cummins, 1999). Cummins has produced many opinions and given much advice on the development of CALP in ELL students. One that is interesting is the idea that language is always considered to be an intervening variable rather than an isolated variable that stands on its own and causes some given outcome. Basically, language develops both in and out of school so it is not entirely under the control of the teacher. Another point Cummins makes is that reading is critical to the development of CALP; he points out that although the home life and home culture of students will, and arguably should, determine much of their language development, it is essential that they read books because this improves and embellishes their understanding of the fundamental parts of language, like syntax, which they otherwise might not encounter. Furthermore, he recommends reading a variety of text materials. The decline of reading proficiencies between fourth and sixth grades is another point Cummins has commented on; he att ributes this phenomenon to the simple fact that the reading material changes from familiar topics and text to more abstract or technical words and topics. Cooperative learning is also suggested by Cummins as a means to develop CALP because these interactive activities become more internalized. Writing is also suggested by Cummins not only as a means to develop CALP, but also as a means to expression in the ELL classroom (Grigorenko, 2005). Another large contribution that Dr. Cummins has made to the TESL academic community is the concept of Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP). CUP is a set of skills that a child learns while acquiring his or her first, or primary, language. This set of skills applies to the next language he or she learns. Thus, the CUP serves as a basis for learning any and all languages. Any growth of the CUP skill set will enhance learning in all languages. Furthermore, this explains why people find the second language, and subsequent languages, easier to learn than the first language. For this reason, mainstream teachers and ELL teachers must remember to encourage further development of the primary language as the children also learn a second language (Shoebottom, 1996). One interesting enhancement, or extrapolation, to the concept of CUP can be found in Dr. Cummins article Immersion Education for the Millenium: What We Have Learned from 30 Years of Research on Second Language Immersion. In this article he describes two principles that I understood to be related to the concept of CUP. First, he mentions the Additive Bilingual Enrichment Principle whereby bilingual students have been shown to improve their linguistic processing ability, somewhat due to the fact that the bilingual child has had more practice processing language. In answer to those who would deny students L1 development in conjunction with L2, Dr. Cummins states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the development of additive bilingual skills entails no negative consequences for childrens academic, linguistic, or intellectual developmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦evidence points in the direction of subtle meta-linguistic, academic and intellectual benefits for bilingual children. (Cummins, 1999). The second princip le illustrated in this article is the Linguistic Interdependence Principle which means that students will experience no loss of linguistic function in L1 as they study in L2 because the two are connected and interdependent in the learners mind (Cummins, 1999). A third main theoretical contribution made by Dr. Cummins is the concept of task difficulty. Tasks range in difficulty along one continuum from cognitively undemanding to cognitively demanding; and along another continuum from context-embedded to context-reduced (Shoebottom, 1999). This is a Cummins concept which is well-known to TESL educators whereby it becomes understood that a low-context, high-cognitive skill, such as conceptual mathematics, is much harder for a second language student to comprehend than a task or skill, like buying popcorn, which is high-context and low-cognitive in nature (Azusa Unified School District, 2007). On the topic of language as related to concepts like mathematics we may often notice that students will continue to speak in a BICS modality, even when a CALP modality would be more appropriate to the situation. Lloyd notes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Cummins observes that students are most likely to speak with each other in peer appropriate ways regardless of their second language proficiencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦this suggests that even when opportunities arise for students to engage in mathematical dialogues with one another, they may do so using primarily natural language or BICS and may not further develop their CALP (Lloyd, et. Al., 2005). The previous paragraphs of this paper have dealt with Dr. Cummins most popular and widely-respected theories in TESL. However, from reading and searching the internet I have found two other main themes in Dr. Cummins research that perhaps the novice TESL teacher may have missed or not experienced in the typical TESL course work. First, he seems to be driven to discuss and comment on the educational rights and socio-political atmosphere surrounding ELL populations. Second, he has done some work in educational technology that is not as pervasive in reviews of his body of work. In Dr. Cummins web publication titled The Ethics of Doublethink: Language Rights and the Bilingual Education Debate he makes several points that illuminate his core educational beliefs. First, his use of the Orwellian term doublethink points to a situation where two contradictory ideas exist in the thinkers mind at the same time. He uses the term doublethink with regards to three respected academic people whose comments helped to pass California Proposition 227. Using the term from Orwells well-known book 1984 paints a dark picture of the people in question, as if they were cold-minded bureaucrats. Proposition 227 was a step backwards for ELL opportunities in that state, and Cummins illuminates the fact that these three academics simultaneously spoke in support of Proposition 227 as well as having a record of supporting bilingual education. Cummins clarifies that bilingual education is heavily rooted in the L1 while also teaching English and was considered a positive idea, until the three researchers came out in support of Proposition 227. In his conclusion section Cummins tone is scathing and he calls into question the ethics of these three popular and respected academics. (Cummins, 1999). From the tone of his dialog in this article it becomes clear that Cummins is very passionate about the truthfulness in his TESL community, and he clearly has the students best interests in mind. He sounds like a very dedicated educator, rather than a pandering politician. Another publication by Cummins titled Rights and Responsibilities of Educators of Bilingual-Bicultural Children illuminates more clearly the beliefs held by this prominent educator. He argues that educators who deal with bilingual-bicultural students have the right and the responsibility to positively impact these childrens lives, and he goes on to illustrate the racism present in both the communities these children live in as well as the legislation that affects their educational experiences. As an example of a community turning against a minority group, he discusses a situation that got very heated in Pittsburgh. The school district, under political pressure from the dominant culture, decided to do away with a very successful bilingual program in favor of a more widely called-for, but less-effective, English immersion program. Cummins comments on how the dominant culture of the geographical region acted in a racially-charged manner to the detriment of the children in question. As a n example of legislative bias he again discusses Californias Proposition 227, of 1998, which limited severely the use of L1 in the classroom to assist with instruction. He discusses the xenophobic distortions of the media surrounding this legislative action, and the seemingly ridiculous assertions such as one year of English is adequate to get a child trained so that he can succeed in the regular classroom. After illustrating these two frightening examples of cultural bias, Cummins discusses some successful TESL programs and a concept called the Foyer model. The main aspect of the Foyer model that makes it successful is the idea that educators need to respect and tap into the primary, or former, culture of the ELL students. (Cummins, 2000). In this article we once again feel the dedication to the research, the decades of learning and the passion for TESL concepts held by Dr. Cummins. His tone in the article is frustrated and indignant at times. Clearly, he has nothing but distaste for the political situations which led to these two examples. One last contribution made by Dr. Cummins to consider in this paper is his work with technology in TESL techniques; this is perhaps a less well-known aspect of his work, and certainly it is much less pervasive on the internet. In his article titled e-Lective Language Design of a Computer-Assisted Test-Based ESL/EFL Learning System, Dr. Cummins elaborates on his use of technology to enhance ELL success. Using his theoretical system, which calls for a multimedia CD-ROM, as well as L1 to L2 dictionaries, students or teachers can import any text in electronic form and use the computer assistant program to help with comprehension. The computer program has several main features. First, it uses text in electronic form, and Cummins makes a point of saying that the name e-Lective is a reference to the term e-mail and is an appropriate name because the educator using it must realize that it is designed for use with electronic text only. Second, Cummins, in a very clever way, incorporates the root word lect into the name of the program. Lect, as he explains, forms the basis for several cognates that refer to reading. Third, the title has the word elective in it, and this implies that the ELL student will be able to m ake learning choices as learning progresses. Finally, Cummins explains that his program is different from most of the computer-assisted language learning programs because the learner is able to import the material he or she reads and works with; this is much different from the typical computer language program that has a pre-set, built-in curriculum, and the reading that can be imported is much more valid to the curriculum being taught and, perhaps, more interesting and valid for the learner. Essentially, students import and read any electronic text they want, and can pause as they read to get a definition, pronunciation, L1 equivalent of the unfamiliar L2 word, idiomatic expressions as needed, and cognates if applicable (Cummins, 1999). To conclude, this paper has reviewed in some depth the main theories of Dr. Cummins: BICS and CALP, CUP, and Task complexity with regards to level of context clues and severity of cognitive demands on the learner. Additionally, Dr. Cummins scholarly work as an advocate for equity issues, and educational morality, in TESL was examined. Finally, a description of his more-recent, and less-known, work with computer-assisted TESL education was described. Dr. Cummins has been shown to be a cornerstone of TESL research and techniques as well as a strong voice in political and academic circles who views TESL as a moral obligation of the educational establishment.

Fear of Fear Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for panic disorder but the mechanism responsible for the improvement are lacking. The reduction of fear of fear (FOF), or the tendency to respond fearfully to benign bodily sensations, is believed to underlie the improvement resulting from CBT. Research has provided evidence consistent with the FOF hypothesis. Descriptive studies consistently show that panic disorder patients score significantly higher on self-report measures tapping fear of bodily sensations. Those who score high on measures tapping FOF display heightened emotional responding to challenge compared with those who score low on these same FOF measures (M. Brown, Smits, Powers, & Telch, 2003; Eke & McNally, 1996; Holloway & McNally, 1987; McNally & Eke, 1996; Rapee & Medoro, 1994; Telch et al., 2003). Findings from several prospective studies suggest that people score big on the Anxiety Sensititivity Index (ASI) a re at greater risk for developing occurring panic attacks (Schmidt, Lerew, & Jackson, 1997;p Shmidt, Lerew, & Joiner, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Specific procedural components contained in contemporary CBT manuals for panic disorder include education about the nature and physiology of panic and anxiety, breathing retraining designed to assist patients in learning to control hyperventilation, cognitive restructuring aimed at teaching patients to identify and correct faulty threat perceptions that contribute to their panic and anxiety, interoceptive exposure aimed at reducing patents’ fear of harmless bodily sensations associated with physiological activation, and fading of maladaptive defensive behaviors such as avoidance of external situations (Barlow, Craske, Cerny, & Klosko, 1989; Clark et al., 1994; Telch et al., 199).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the basis of contemporary psychological theories of panic disorder, several findings implicate change in FOF as a mediator of treatment outcome. CBT results in significant reductions on measures broadly tapping FOF (Bouchard et al., 1996; Clark et al., 1997, Poulton & Andrews, 1996). Modifying patients; catastrophic misinterpretations of bodily sensations result in significant reductions in panic (Taylor, 2000). A clinical trial comparing cognitive therapy with guided master... ... to 5 being extremely frightened Likert-type scale. The total score is computed by averaging the responses to the 17 items.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hypothesis that the effects of CBT would be mediated by changes in FOF was tested in accordance with the analytic steps outlined by Baron and Kenny (1986). Step 1 is testing the effects of treatment on the proposed mediator by performing an ANOVA with treatment group (CBT vs. waitlist) as the grouping factor and FOF score as the dependent variable. Step 2 is testing for the presence of a treatment effect by performing the grouping factor and residualized change scores of the four major clinical status measures as the dependent variables. Step 3 is the relationship between the proposed mediator and the four major clinical status measures was examined. This step was tested by performing a series of analyses of covariance with treatment group (CBT vs. waitlist) as the grouping factor, residualized change scores of clinical status measures as the dependent variables, and the FOF score as the covariate. The final step is tested by comparing the effect of treatment in the third step with the effect of treatment in the second step.

Technology Increases Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Technology has changed our lives but, has it made our lives any better? Some believe technology makes people happier because, people always want to upgrade their electronics to new, more efficient pieces of equipment. People have been progressing for thousands of years, and we still are. Researchers are always looking to improve current technology and come up with modern, efficient devices to improve our lives. If society were to stop emerging with new inventions, I feel we would be very unhappy. I believe that the leading edge of technology is what makes us happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The microwave is a prime example of technology making us happy. If we were to get rid of the microwave, many people would be angry because it is a very helpful and time saving device. If there was no microwave people would not be able to defrost the ground meat they forgot to leave out, nor would they be able to cook a hot pocket for lunch when they were short on time. Some people believe that items that are efficient make society happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology is, in some forms, directly related to happiness. Simple devices have been developed to make almost every aspect of life easier. Remote controls, laptop computers, palm pilots, and cellular phones are just a few examples of how technology is able to make life easier. People who own a new high grade computers are glad to have them because computers make simple task in life easier, as a result taking away stress. A lot of modern technology is taken for granted, but without theses devices, people would surely feel the loss since their lives would be more stressful, so today's technological devices truly do make up happier, or keep us happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are hundreds of hobbies and jobs that exist because of modern technology. There are hobbies and jobs for all ages and taste that would not exist if it were not for the help of modern technology.

Life On Mars Essay -- essays research papers fc

Life on Mars If life ever evolved on any of the other planets, Mars is the likeliest candidate. After Earth, Mars is the planet with the most hospitable climate in the solar system. So hospitable that it may once have inhabited primitive, bacteria-like life. Outflow channels and other geologic features provide extensive evidence that billions of years ago liquid water flowed on the surface of Mars. Continuing changes is an accomplishment in modern American technology and it gives the world a step forward in finding the real truth about existing life on Mars. Hurtling in from space some 16 million years ago, a giant asteroid slammed into the surface of Mars and exploded with more power than a million hydrogen bombs. This caused huge quantities of rock and soil to fly into the thin Mars’ atmosphere. While most of the rocks fell back to the surface, some of the debris, fired upward by the blast at high velocities, escaped the weak tug of Mars’ gravity and entered into orbits of their o wn around the sun. Scientists believe that the earth’s gravity caught some of the debris and pulled it into the earth. Scientist Digregorio, Barry E (B4) stated that inside the debris of falling rock, were microorganisms. He notes that the microorganisms may have been the very start of life, as human civilization knows it. There is no way to prove his theory true, but it is a strong possibility. Similarities in planets led scientists to believe there is a common bond between Venus, Earth, and Mars. In August 1960 the new science of astrobiology was given the name â€Å"exobiology,† the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. Venus, Earth and Mars share similar amounts of carbon dioxide, indicating a similar origin for these worlds, even though much of Mars’ carbon dioxide mysteriously emerges from the soil and some from the polar ice cap. A theory is that â€Å"anaerobes† lived on all the planets. Anaerobes can only live without oxygen. When the Earth’s ozone started to form, over half the world’s organisms of anaerobes died off and later evolved to become aerobes, which can only survive with a constant supply of oxygen. Scientists believe that the high surface temperatures on the dark areas of Mars may be explained on the presence of living vegetation placed upon a dry vegetable mold. Coblentz, a scientist of physics and astrology, created a theory that ... ...is or ever was life on Mars. Bibliography Burgess, Eric. To the Red Planet. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978. Account of the Viking expedition. Chandler, David. Life on Mars. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1979. Explores the possibility of life on Mars. Gibbons, John, et al. Exploring Moon and Mars: Choices for the Nation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. A report by the Office of Technology Assessment. Matsunaga, Spark. The Mars Project. New York: Hill and Wang, 1986. Senator Matsunaga calls for a joint U.S.-Soviet manned mission to Mars. Miles, Frank and Booth, Nicholas. Race to Mars. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Mars mission concepts. Pittendrigh, Colin, et al, eds. Biology and the Exploration of Mars. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, 1966. Report of a study held under the auspices of the Space Science Board. Works Cited Dick, Steven J. Life On Other Worlds. Australia: Melbourse, 1998. Digregorio, Barry E. Mars The Living Planet. Califronia: Berkeley, 1997. Goldsmith, Donald. The Hunt for Life ON Mars. England: Middlesex, 1997 Jakosky, Vuce. The Search for Life on Other Planets. New York: New York, 1998.

Dr. Martin Luther King

I believe that history has re-shaped the truth behind Dr. Martin Luther King’s life as a leader of the anti-racism and anti-segregation movement. Although he had been given many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means, obviously after his sudden death, many of his radical ideas were omitted simply because they are not what the politicians wanted the public to know. I think Taylor Branch was right in saying that â€Å"our nation has slept for decades under the spell of myths grounded in race.† King had protested on the deliberate discrimination of blacks by policies that promote the whites. What King said in his speech â€Å"Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence† is to put equality among blacks and whites in the forefront of every US citizen. He may have gained awards but his more radical ideas were forgotten or were left behind, encapsulated in myths that were more appealing. And people only accepted what were told to them. An example of this deliberate downplaying of King’s radical ideas is written in Branch’s article. Blacks were recruited and sent to the Vietnam War together with the whites yet the ones who gained more popularity were the whites. The blacks were set aside. White supremacy is very evident. Again, this is the result of the dominating rule of racial discrimination. Work Cited: â€Å"Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.† 4 May 1999. 9 April 2008. < http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html> Branch, Taylor. â€Å"The Last Wish of Martin Luther King.† 6 April 2008. 9 April 2008. < http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/opinion/06branch.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin>