Definition of Gerrymander

To gerrymander is to draw the boundaries of electoral districts in an irregular way so as to create an unfair advantage for a particular political party or faction. The origin of the term gerrymander dates back to the early 1800s in Massachusetts. The word is a combination of the words Gerry, for the states governor, Elbridge Gerry, and salamander, as a particular electoral district was jokingly said to be shaped like a lizard. The practice of creating oddly shaped electoral districts to create advantages has endured for two centuries. Criticisms of the practice can be found in newspapers and books going back to the time of the incident in Massachusetts that inspired the term. And while it has always been viewed as something done wrongfully, nearly all political parties and factions have practiced gerrymandering when given the opportunity. The Drawing of Congressional Districts The United States Constitution specifies that seats in Congress are apportioned according to the U.S. Census (indeed, thats the original reason why the federal government has conducted a census every ten years). And the individual states must create congressional districts which will then elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The situation in Massachusetts in 1811 was that the Democrats (who were political followers of Thomas Jefferson, not the later Democratic Party which still exists) held the majority of seats in the state legislature, and could therefore draw the required Congressional districts. The Democrats wanted to thwart the power of their opponents, the Federalists, the party in the tradition of John Adams. A plan was devised to create Congressional districts that would divide any concentrations of Federalists. With the map drawn in an irregular way, small pockets of Federalists would then be residing within districts where they would be heavily outnumbered. The plans to draw these peculiarly shaped districts were, of course, highly controversial. And the lively New England newspapers engaged in quite a battle of words, and, eventually, even pictures. The Coining of the Term Gerrymander There has been dispute over the years of who exactly coined the term gerrymander. An early book on the history of American newspapers stated that the word arose from a meeting of the Boston newspaper editor Benjamin Russell and the famed American painter Gilbert Stuart. In Anecdotes, Personal Memoirs, and Biographies of Literary Men Connected With Newspaper Literature, published in 1852, Joseph T. Buckingham presented the following story: In 1811, when Mr. Gerry was governor of the commonwealth, the legislature made a new division of the districts for the election of representatives to Congress. Both branches then had a Democratic majority. For the purpose of securing a Democratic representative, an absurd and singular arrangement of towns in the county of Essex was made to compose a district. Russell took a map of the county, and designated by a particular coloring the towns thus selected. He then hung the map on the wall of his editorial closet. One day, Gilbert Stuart, the celebrated painter, looked at the map, and said the towns, which Russell had thus distinguished, formed a picture resembling some monstrous animal. He took a pencil, and, with a few touches, added what might be supposed to represent claws. There, said Stuart, that will do for a salamander.Russell, who was busy with his pen, looked up at the hideous figure, and exclaimed, Salamander! Call it Gerrymander!The word became a proverb, and, for many years, was in popular use among the Federalists as a term of reproach to the Democratic legislature, which had distinguished itself by this act of political turpitude. An engraving of the Gerrymander  was made, and hawked about the state, which had some effect in annoying the Democratic Party. The word gerrymander, often rendered in hyphenated form as gerry-mander, began to appear in New England newspapers in March 1812. For instance, the Boston Repertory, on March 27, 1812, published an illustration representing the oddly shaped Congressional district as a lizard with claws, teeth, and even the wings of a mythical dragon. A headline described it as A New Species of Monster. In the text below the illustration an editorial said: The district may be exhibited as a Monster. It is the offspring of moral and political depravity. It was created to drown the real voice of the majority of the citizens in the country of Essex, where it is well known there is a large federal majority. Outrage Over the Gerry-Mander Monster Faded Though New England newspapers blasted the newly drawn district and the politicians who created it, other newspapers in 1812 reported the same phenomenon had occurred elsewhere. And the practice had been given a lasting name. Incidentally, Elbridge Gerry, the Massachusetts governor whose name wound up being the basis for the term, was the leader of the Jeffersonian Democrats in the state at the time. But there is some dispute whether he even approved of the scheme to draw the oddly shaped district. Gerry had been a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and had a long career of political service. Having his name dragged into the conflict over the Congressional districts seemed not to harm him, and was a successful vice-presidential candidate in the election of 1812. Gerry died in 1814 while serving as vice president in the administration of President James Madison. Gratitude is expressed to the New York Public Library Digital Collections for the use of the early 19th century illustration of The Gerry-Mander.

The Testament Of The Old Testament God Essay - 1207 Words

Throughout the Old Testament God continually manifests himself to humanity. When He is speaking to the prophets, leaders, or the nation of Israel, He presents opportunities for obedience in the form of covenants. Faithfulness is also needed to secure an association with God. Obedience is probably the most difficult aspect of mankind’s relationship with God. These covenants are the essential promises and pacts between God and humanity. I will present evidence from each of the Four Canons (Pentateuch, History, Poetry /Wisdom, and Prophets) from the Old Testament that our best is only possible by obeying God. [PENTATEUCH] The Pentateuch or otherwise known as the Torah is a five-part literary composition. These compositions contain the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The main story is about the founding of Israel and their exodus out of Egypt. In Genesis 9: 11-17, there is one of the covenants God made with man, Noah. First of all, what is a covenant? A covenant is an agreement and union between two individuals. Conditional and unconditional are the two basic types. In a conditional (bilateral) covenant, both parties need to fulfill it. An unconditional (unilateral) covenant only one of the parties must act, and nothing else is required from the other. This covenant was made after God had flooded the earth due to man’s wickedness and evil. God wanted no part of a relationship with mankind. Noah, who had been always humble and faithful, was sparedShow MoreRelatedThe Old Testament Of God868 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The Old Testament is set from the creation of the universe (roughly 4000 BC,) to the period of the Persian Empire and Cyrus who allowed the Jews to return from captivity and rebuild their temple, ending around 400 BC. It tells the story of God s chosen people, the Hebrews, who were later known as Israelites or Jews. The Old Testament presents their testimony and interaction with God during this time. Body In the beginning of time, God created the heavens and the earth and everythingRead MoreGod Is The Old Testament?1226 Words   |  5 PagesBrent DeShields Dr. Harper Old Testament 6, April 2015 How is God Represented in the Old Testament? In this essay I will discuss how God is represented from early on, to later in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, God acts many different ways. Each author shows us their own take on God and his actions, leaving him looking both good and bad. Compared to the New Testament, this God seems to be much worse. There are many examples of God being shown in both positive and negative lightRead MoreIs the Old Testament God Evil?600 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Is the Old Testament God Evil?† One of the oldest denunciations of the bible is that God of the Old Testament is murderous, demanding dictator that promotes genocide of races. As an individual reads the Old Testament, God does instruct Joshua and the Israelites to completely destroy the Canaanites’ nation in the land He has promised them, or where God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. Numerous other incidents in the bible that the carnal mind misconstrue as our Sovereign God as beingRead MoreThe Old Testament Is Not Inspired By God1741 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Many argue that the Bible especially the Old Testament is not the inspired word of God because of the command to destroy the Canaanites. Many use this as a basis of their argument that the scriptures are not inspired by God because they wonder how could God, a God of non-violence, mercy and goodness command such a thing. The focus of this paper will be â€Å"how is one to respond to this accusation that the Old Testament is not inspired because of commands to destroy people such as the CanaanitesRead MoreThe Word of God as Used in the Old Testament1508 Words   |  7 PagesWhen exploring the word of God in the Old Testament (OT), it is important to locate the texts into a social and historical context. It is in this context that the word of God is mediated by human expression. To deny the human expression is effectively to place a barrier between the word of God and it’s invitation to revelation. The OT can be seen as a â€Å"record of people’s experience of God†™s self-revelation† (Rohr Martos, 2011, p. 22). Thus the theology underpinning the OT meaning and understandingRead MoreBiblical Covenants Of The Old Testament God1799 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout the Old Testament God has picked His chosen people to guide and protect. God uses covenants with His people to hold them accountable to their actions. Covenants are agreements between two people that form a bond. To show how important covenants were in the Ancient times, an animal would be cut in half and both parties would walk between the halves implying that if the covenant was broken then the party that broke the covenant would be killed. God used this ideal of covenants to lead HisRead MoreThe Kingdom of God: The Old Testament Hebrew God as Hypocritical and Capricious1248 Words   |  5 PagesRegarded by his people as a merciful god, Yahweh, the Hebrew god, historically existed as a lawless entity before evolving into the merciful being, which Jews, Christians, and Catho lics alike worship to this day. In Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament in the Holy Bible, Yahweh (heretofore referred to as â€Å"God†) first creates humankind, and later establishes guidelines that his people must follow in order to avoid chastisement. It is arguable, however, that these guidelines are largely arbitraryRead More Anger of Gods Depicted in the Old Testament and Kafkas Book, Metamorphoses1048 Words   |  5 PagesThe anger of Gods throughout both stories leads you to believe that the Gods will not hesitate to take revenge on mankind for creating a world of evil in a world they created for good. The Gods from Metamorphoses and the God from the Old Testament create a world full of life, to live happy and full of grace. The destruction and recreation of the world by the Gods of each book, however similar they may seem, are full of differences as they both teach mankind lessons that should not be forgottenRead MoreAnalysis of O. Palmer Robertson ´s Wr itings Regarding The Old Testament Prophets and Their crutial Role in Leading Mankind Towards God768 Words   |  3 Pagespurpose and passion of the prophet’s calling, Robertson further outlines a chronological account of each prophet prior to Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Robertson says their â€Å"sense of calling from God dramatically affected their work†¦the prophet lived with a sense of compulsion to speak, and to speak only what God had revealed to him† (67). Robertson then begins a well defined summary of the message of each prophet in detail. It is easy to think of their messages to critical, harsh and negative for theRead MoreThe Old Testament And New Testament1373 Words   |  6 PagesThe names â€Å"Old Testament† and â€Å"New Testament† are inherently theological in nature. Because there is a difference distinctly built into giving them different notations, it implies that there are differences between each the Old Testament and the New Testament, whether it is subtle in nature or obvious in nature. To Christians, the difference means that the Old Testament contains dealings between God and the world and even some of the rules made are made irrelevant by the interactions of Christ Jesus

Diabetes Mellitus II Free Essays

Diabetes mellitus refers to â€Å"a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels that result from defects in insulin secretion, or action, or both. † (Mathur, 2009) This chronic medical condition occurs when the production of insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas in order to regulate the blood sugar levels, is absent or insufficient. Two major types of diabetes are 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Diabetes Mellitus II or any similar topic only for you Order Now ) type 1 diabetes which requires the affected person to be insulin-dependent as his pancreas has been damaged by auto-immune attacks, making it unable to release the hormone and 2. type 2 diabetes which is also called non-insulin diabetes mellitus as the patients who suffer from this disease can still produce their own insulin. As a matter of fact, for the latter, excessive amounts of insulin are produced by the body. This, however, damages the beta cell, the part of the pancreas that releases insulin, and causes the depletion of the production of insulin in the long run. This paper will focus on diabetes mellitus 2, the causes of this chronic disease as well as the physiological limitations that it can impose on a person’s exercise program. It will also include the symptoms that a fitness instructor must watch out for when training an individual suffering from type 2 diabetes. This information will be used to create an exercise program for a subject with this chronic disease. In this section, the intensity, frequency, duration and the method for determining how the program should progress will be identified. Any prescribed medication that may affect the person’s performance should also be considered in the creation of this program. Although diabetes mellitus II is coined adult-onset diabetes as it normally develops in adults who are forty years and above, the number of children who have been diagnosed with this disease has also increased in number. Although genetics or complications during pregnancy may play a role in the development of this disease, obesity is still identified as the major cause of this problem. An individual who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is 20% higher than the ideal has a higher chance of becoming diabetic. Other major risk factors associated with diabetes are age, family history, race, a history of previous impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), hypertension, a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and polycystic ovarian syndrome. (Votey Peters, 2009) In the past, people ages 40 and above are more prone to this disease. But, now, due to the sharp increase in the number of children with this disease, this might as well be considered as a pediatric disease. A person’s family history should also be considered when determining a person’s risk to acquire this disease. People with first degree relatives who are diabetic can have a higher chance of acquiring this disease. They may have acquired the gene that stimulates the production of a protein that inhibits the role of insulin in cellular glucose transport. A person’s ethnic group can also increase a person’s risk of acquiring this disease. Afro-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and Asians have a higher chance of becoming diabetic. A person’s blood pressure and cholesterol level can also determine if he is prone to diabetes. People with a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg and above, a cholesterol level of 35 mg-dL-1 or below or a triglycerol level of 250 mg-dL-1 will have a higher risk of becoming diabetic. (McArdle, p. 452, 2007) For people with type 2 diabetes, an increase in glucose levels occur because of relative insulin deficiency or the insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas, insulin resistance or the decrease in the effects of insulin on peripheral tissues, especially muscles, or a combination of these two problems. Of course, insulin resistance, doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has diabetes. This, however, can cause diabetes in the long run, especially if the person’s diet is rich in simple carbohydrates. Because of insulin resistance, glucose is converted to triacylglycerol and is stored as fat. Since fat cells have a tendency to be insulin-resistant due to its reduced insulin receptor density, the person’s insulin resistance can reach a level that exceeds the maximum output of the pancreas. Both resistance and aerobic training can help in the management of these factors by improving insulin are glucagon responses. Since skeletal muscles consume a lot of glucose, approximately 70 to 90% of the glucose present in the body, resistance training which increases muscle mass can increase insulin sensitivity, leading to better glucose control. Endurance training, on the other hand, â€Å"maintains the blood level of insulin and glucagon during exercise closer to resting values. † (McArdle, p. 451, 2007) Ideally, the management of diabetes involves dieting, exercising and taking in the prescribed medication, if there is any. There are, however, some cases when the blood sugar level of the patient is too high and exercise needs to be put off. At the same time, although exercise can be very beneficial to diabetics, it can be counterproductive if the condition of the client is not examined properly. Before a client is given a program, the instructor must first make sure that he has his doctor’s consent. The instructor should also know if the client has the following complications: retinal hemorrhage, increased proteinuria, acceleration of microvascular lesions, cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, excessive blood pressure during exercise, postexercise orthostatic hyerptension, increased hyperglycemia, increased ketosis, foot ulcers, orthopedic injury related to neuropathy and accelerated degenerative joint disease. The exercise should be adjusted based on these factors. Obese individuals, for example, should be given lesser weight-bearing exercises. At the same time, they should also be given longer rest periods in order to avoid increase in blood pressure. People with heart and blood pressure problems must not be allowed to exercise when the temperature is too high or the atmosphere is too humid. They should also be given ample rest in between sets. They should also avoid isometric exercises as well as exercises that involve raising the weight overhead or holding positions wherein the head is lower than legs. Aside from the risks caused by complications, the instructor should also pay attention to signs of hypoglycemia, especially if the client is taking in insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents. Mild hypoglycemia is characterized by trembling or shakiness, nervousness, palpitations, increased sweating and excessive hunger. People with moderate hypoglycemic reactions experience headaches, irritability and abrupt mood changes, impaired concentration and attentiveness, mental confusion and drowsiness. In severe cases, the individual becomes unresponsive and unconscious and experiences convulsions. For such instances, the instructor must be attentive to these symptoms so that he can react immediately. Since some patients take ß-blocker medication, hypoglycemic unawareness should be expected and it is up to the instructor to make the client stop exercising, measure his glucose level and have him eat some simple carbohydrates like hard candies and sugar cubes if hypoglycemia is confirmed. The client should then be asked to rest for ten to fifteen minutes. After that, his glucose level should once again be measured before allowing him to continue the exercise regiment. Another risk that should be avoided is late-onset hypoglycemia wherein the diabetic’s blood sugar remains low even after four to forty-eight hours has passed. This can happen if the client’s exercise is too strenuous for him. For this reason, high-intensity exercise should not be administered to a diabetic individual, especially if he has been prescribed some insulin or hypoglycemic agents. He should begin with a low-intensity program that gradually increases in intensity. Changes in intensity must be made after a period of three to six weeks so that the individual would be given enough time to adjust. According to Erikkson’s study (Janot Kravitz, 2009), doing some resistance training twice a week is enough to show results. Beginning with this frequency is also advisable as the instructor would be given the time to observe the client’s reaction to the exercise. He would also be able to clear him of late-onset hypoglycemia. The study done by Ishii and his colleagues (Janot Kravitz, 2009) shows that the range of the load given to diabetic individuals should be 40 to 50% of their 1 rep max. They should do around 2 sets of 25 repetitions. And, they should be given 30 to 120 seconds of rest in between sets. Based on the FITT principle, people with type 2 diabetes can have 3 to 5 times a week of aerobic exercise. The intensity should be 40 to 60% of the maximum HR and the duration should be around 30 to 60 minutes, unless the person is taking hypoglycemic agents or insulin. How to cite Diabetes Mellitus II, Papers

6 Characters In Search Of An Author free essay sample

? 6 Characters In Search Of An Author? Essay, Research Paper Pirandello # 8217 ; s play # 8220 ; 6 Fictional characters in Search of an Author # 8221 ; can in fact be interpreted as a calamity, with the tragic defect being destiny. The histrions are of a separate universe, they are non a portion of this calamity. It is entirely based upon all 6 of the characters who relive their written lives on phase. A drama, a film, a narrative will ever hold the same words and actions no affair how many times one sees it. Romeo and Juliet will ever decease, merely as Rhett Butler will ever go forth Scarlet O # 8217 ; Hara at the terminal of # 8220 ; Gone with the Wind. # 8221 ; The characters were written into this type of state of affairs and are fated to forever restage the same public presentation because of their fate. This is what is so tragic. In the concluding scene of Pirandello # 8217 ; s drama, the older boy wants urgently to go forth, to get away his world of the book but he can # 8217 ; t. We will write a custom essay sample on 6 Characters In Search Of An Author or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He must travel on to happen the immature girl drowned in the fountain. No 1 is allowed to go forth except the stepdaughter. One could state that the small boy # 8217 ; s decease was an flight from the drama. That H vitamin E felt so neglected by the remainder of his household that he had to get away his signifier. But so once more, his shot was written into the drama, it was meant to go on and there is no get awaying his destiny. It is rather tragic that they know their destiny and know that they can non get away it. At least Oedipus and Doctor Faustus kept hope that they could get away their destiny, though of class, fate led on. The 6 characters have been written into their book so good ; there is no flight, no loophole, no hope. The Mother is to forever weep with sorrow, as the Father must forever transport a face of guilt. The masks the characters wear besides signify calamity. The masks can non be taken off for they are the life and affair of the drama. They represent the character and the narrative. The manufacturer wants the Mother and the older Son to discourse about the narrative between them but that narrative had neer taken topographic point. If it wasn # 8217 ; t written into the book so the characters can # 8217 ; Ts make it up and travel on from at that place. It # 8217 ; s non allowed because their narrative, the book, is set in black and white with no alterations.