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alicedrawslesmis · 6 months ago

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The gossip who did this thing was a gorgon named Madame Victurnien, the guardian and door-keeper of every one’s virtue. Madame Victurnien was fifty-six, and re-enforced the mask of ugliness with the mask of age. A quavering voice, a whimsical mind. This old dame had once been young—astonishing fact! In her youth, in ’93, she had married a monk who had fled from his cloister in a red cap, and passed from the Bernardines to the Jacobins. She was dry, rough, peevish, sharp, captious, almost venomous; all this in memory of her monk, whose widow she was, and who had ruled over her masterfully and bent her to his will. She was a nettle in which the rustle of the cassock was visible. At the Restoration she had turned bigot, and that with so much energy that the priests had forgiven her her monk. She had a small property, which she bequeathed with much ostentation to a religious community. She was in high favor at the episcopal palace of Arras. So this Madame Victurnien went to Montfermeil, and returned with the remark, “I have seen the child."

I find Mme. Victurnien to be super interesting as a character and a sort of nuanced paychology. Especially since she was introduced right after Javert, and his distrust of Valjean and his insistence of following up on investigating and finding out the truth about him. She is someone who is ostracized from her community who then has to serve as a guardian of order even more strictly and religiously about it. Emphasis on the quote: "She was a nettle in which the rustle of the cassock was visible. At the Restoration she had turned bigot, and that with so much energy that the priests had forgiven her her monk."

Meanwhile about Javert:

As he grew up, he thought that he was outside the pale of society, and he despaired of ever re-entering it. He observed that society unpardoningly excludes two classes of men,—those who attack it and those who guard it; he had no choice except between these two classes; [...] He enveloped in a blind and profound faith every one who had a function in the state, from the prime minister to the rural policeman. He covered with scorn, aversion, and disgust every one who had once crossed the legal threshold of evil. [...] His whole life hung on these two words: watchfulness and supervision. He had introduced a straight line into what is the most crooked thing in the world; he possessed the conscience of his usefulness, the religion of his functions, and he was a spy as other men are priests. Woe to the man who fell into his hands!

There are even more similarities that I cut for length, his face and her face, his birth from a race of bohemians and her being married to a revolutionary. They have similar ages, she's only a little older than him but both middle aged, her persistence in being watchful, her whimsical mind and his melancholy dreaming. Both came from difficult backgrounds, she was married to an abusive husband and he was born in prison, his father in the galleys, he probably spent a lot of time in a foundling home.

They are both serving similar social roles of vigilance and maintenance of order. Gossip, as Victurnien doesn't have real autoritative power, is how she wields control. Javert has real, legal, authority given to him despite him being a lower end public official. She can get Fantine fired via gossip, a woman she can see has a secret and has no friends, so she exerts the power she can (pilf fully convinced me Fantine is neurodivergent and clearly socializes differently and this is fully supported by the text. She's considered odd, she doesn't participate in many unspoken social games, and it doesn't help that she's also pretty and a loner that people end up gossiping about behind her back).

These characters, introduced back-to-back, are clearly meant to form a kind of parallel to each other. Javert is to Valjean what Victurnien will be to Fantine. But Fantine, unlike Mayor Madeleine, has no wealtg protecting her or choice or whether to confess and take the fall. She is much more vulnerable. It's a testament to the power of how much being a social outcast ruins your life in that position and when there are no safeguards in place.

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dwellordream · 1 year ago

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“The instruction of girls was not meant to prepare them to take part in political life. Women were not citizens on par with men in the new United States. Except in New Jersey, they could not vote or hold public office. In most ways the establishment of a republic had left women’s political status unchanged. But in a few subtle areas, progress was made. Women’s work as mothers assumed greater purpose. Mothers were largely responsible for the early education of their children. They could rear either strong, virtuous children who would become valuable citizens or lazy, ignorant youngsters who could be corrupted easily and thus become undesirable members of society.

…For women to do their job properly, they needed to possess high moral standards. They could learn these standards best if they were educated and religious. Ideally, all women should be able to read, write, keep accounts, and think logically about current issues. They were also expected to attend church and heed the moral directions of their ministers. The middle and upper ranks of American society had even higher standards for women’s education by the end of the 18th century. Among wealthy women, poor reading, writing, and speaking skills became unacceptable. Elite men wanted their daughters to receive an education similar to that of their college-bound sons.

…The curriculum of female academies focused a great deal on subjects previously considered frills: rhetoric, grammar, geography, history, arithmetic, and oratory. Now the areas of study that once had been thought essential for elite women--music, dancing, and needlework--were regarded as recreational activities or not taught at all. Although many girls continued to study these subjects and to receive praise for doing so, intellectual development was regarded as equally or more important.

…Soon boarding schools for girls also opened. They appeared in rural areas as well as towns and answered a need for families who did not have relatives living in a northeastern city. One of the most successful was the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which had a reputation for strictly supervising the morals of its students while providing an advanced curriculum. …Parents were particularly concerned that their daughters receive moral instruction at boarding schools, where girls lived for extended periods of time. At the Moravian Seminary, for example, students stayed for a maximum of about three years, beginning when they were as young as 10 or 12 years old.

…When mothers wrote to their daughters at school, they frequently stressed the importance of diligence and urged their daughters not to waste their time. In turn, many girls recognized that they had been given a privilege their mothers had not enjoyed, and that their absence from home represented considerable maternal sacrifice. After all, during these years they could be of greatest help to their mothers in running their households. For some families, doing without a teenage daughter’s labor must have been as difficult as paying for the cost of her higher education.

…Although girls strove for academic excellence, they had nowhere to employ their education after graduation. Colleges were closed to women during this era, and so were the professions. Women might become skilled healers, but they could not attend medical school and become licensed physicians. They might offer religious instruction in their homes, but they could not serve as ministers for any congregations, except those of the Quakers. They might run successful businesses as single women, but when they married, the law demanded that they have their husbands’ permission to continue working outside the home.

…Under the laws of England as enforced in the United States, married women could not own property in their own name without special (and rare) contracts called marriage settlements. Everything a woman brought to marriage became her husband’s. Movable goods became her husband’s absolutely, and a man could sell or give away his wife’s movables at will. Men’s control over women’s real estate was restricted, however. A husband could not mortgage or sell his wife’s land unless the woman consented and signed deeds stating she did so of her own free will. But during marriage, a man could manage his wife’s real estate and take all the rents and profits for his own use.

…After the Revolution, all the new states made divorces easier to obtain. Some legislatures voted to allow both formal separations with property divisions, and absolute divorces that permitted remarriage. Others provided only for separations. But everywhere it was acknowledged that women and men needed legal recourse for disastrous marriages. …Freedom from English law allowed Americans to institute reforms in marriage that England adopted only in the 20th century. Both women and men benefitted from the new laws, which acknowledged male as well as female adultery and prohibited physical cruelty. American lawmakers congratulated themselves on their liberality to the female sex, but the courts still favored men. They routinely demanded more evidence of men’s wrongdoing than women’s and automatically gave men custody of their children.”

- Marylynn Salmon, “Independence Realized: New Directions for American Women.” in The Limits of Independence: American Women, 1760-1800

#marylynn salmon #colonial #american #history #gender #education #the limits of independence

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andersons-kilted-ass · 1 year ago

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According to the wording of the sokovia accords, he has to be registered with the government as a potential involuntary conscript regardless of age and the avengers are a military force controlled by the UN.

In fact, here’s what the wiki says:

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Governments are forbidden from deploying enhanced individuals outside of their own national borders unless those individuals are given clearance as described above. The same rule also applies to non-government organizations that operate on a global scale (including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers).

As a corollary, they will not be allowed to participate in any active missions undertaken by private or governmental law enforcement/military/intelligence organizations (such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers).

If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.

The use of technology to bestow individuals with innate superhuman capabilities is strictly regulated, as is the use and distribution of highly advanced technology (such as Asgardian and Chitauri weaponry).

The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is completely prohibited.

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

So a bunch of the accords actually go against the Geneva convention and cannot be enforced withought breaking the Geneva Convention’s laws.

Honestly, the movie could have been over in five minutes. All tony had to do was go “let me give this to the Stark Industries Legal Team” and let them tear apart the laws like a school of sharks in a period party.

Recruiting Peter in Civil War: a War Crime?

Today we are going to review this statement:

Tony “blackmailed a teenager to help fight his battles for him (Civil War) (which for the record, constitutes as a fucking war crime)”.

Part 1. Not a war crime: check my post about war crimes here. War crime is a crime committed during a war, by a party of the conflict.

MCU's “Civil War” was not a war. It was a conflict between a few people, that included one fight and a chase. The fight at the end of the movie between Tony and Steve with Bucky was not a part of this particular conflict, but a conflict on its own. From the government’s side, this situation was a law enforcement operation to capture a group of fugitives, where Tony’s side represented the law enforcement group under U.N. authority, not a nation’s armed forces.

The definition of Armed Forces: “the combined military, naval, and air forces of a nation”.

Source

In comics (Earth 616) it was indeed a war, but not in the MCU. That’s first.

Second, “Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, conscripting or enlisting children into armed forces or groups constitutes a war crime in both international and non-international armed conflicts (ICC Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxvi) and (e)(vii)).”

Tony did not enlist Peter in the armed forces or the Avengers.

And third, “The bans on recruitment of children below the age of 15 enshrined in Article 77 of Additional Protocol I, and in Article 4 of Additional Protocol II are also considered to prohibit accepting voluntary enlistment (P I, Art. 77 (2); P II, Art. 4(3)(c)).”

“2. The Parties to the conflict shall take all feasible measures in order that children who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in hostilities and, in particular, they shall refrain from recruiting them into their armed forces. In recruiting among those persons who have attained the age of fifteen years but who have not attained the age of eighteen years, the Parties to the conflict shall endeavour to give priority to those who are oldest.” (Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, Art. 77 (2)).

Here we got to an actual error from the SMFFH filmmakers’ side. Before SMFFH Peter’s age at the time of Civil War was planned to be 15 (see directors’ and screenwriters’ commentaries). In SMFFH Peter’s birthday was set to Aug 10, 2001, making him 14 years old at the time of Civil War. We cannot use random date placements made by SMFFH creators to define serious stuff, and also use another movie’s filmmakers’ decisions that were made after Civil War. So we must go with the fact that at the time of Civil War Peter was 15 years old, as was stated by the creators of CA:CW.

Conclusion: Peter was 15 years old, and if he were recruited to participate in a war, it would not be a war crime. But, he also was not enlisted in the armed forces. And Civil War was not an actual war, but a law enforcement operation under UN jurisdiction. So, yes, Tony is not a war criminal. Again. Very disappointing.

If you guys have any other ideas of how to accuse him of war crimes – go ahead. I’ll check them all.

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nataliaxalianovnaxxx · 3 years ago

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In response : Warning, lots of facts.

The Accords were most definitely created to take away rights. I don't know how whether or not someone is American has anything to do with their view point. How is the removal of due process not an infringement or the removal of basic human rights? So because they were made by the UN, they're safe? Didn’t the government try to nuke New York? Weren’t they the same ones with Hydra running around inside? The minute you start targeting a specific group of people, it's a problem.

Let me just break down the Accords real quick:

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples. Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations. Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks. Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Fingerprints? DNA? Tracking bracelets? How invasive.

I’m sure this can fall under the fourth amendment (the right of the people of the US to feel secure in their homes, and of possessions, without fear of ‘unreasonable searches and seizures’).

Any enhanced individuals who sign are prohibited from taking action in any country other than their own unless they are first given clearance by either that country's government or by a United Nations subcommittee. Governments are forbidden from deploying enhanced individuals outside of their own national borders unless those individuals are given clearance as described above. The same rule also applies to non-government organizations that operate on a global scale (including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers).

Any enhanced individuals who do not sign will not be allowed to take part in any police, military, or espionage activities, or to otherwise participate in any national or international conflict, even in their own country. As a corollary, they will not be allowed to participate in any active missions undertaken by private or governmental law enforcement/military/intelligence organizations (such as S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers).

Sounds like coercion to me.....which is illegal.

Any enhanced individuals who use their powers to break the law (including those who take part in extralegal vigilante activities), or are otherwise deemed to be a threat to the safety of the general public, may be detained indefinitely without trial. If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.

So, what exactly is defined as an extralegal activity? What if someone has it out for an enhanced individual and turns them in? Then what? This is a direct violation of the Sixth Amendment (The right of all citizens of the US to a speedy and fair trial)

It’s also in direct violation of the eighth amendment (A ban on extreme punishments for crime, with a focus on ‘cruel and unusual’, and on excessive fines or bail.

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

Tell me again how this isn’t a violation of human rights?

Just because someone is part of the majority, doesn't mean they're correct, some of ya’ll are way too old to not know that 🥴 Steve actually did read the Accords, in fact, in the movie, he's the only one who was shown to be reading them. Look below. I guess he’s reading the dinner menu from Olive Garden or something

Tony Stark was in charge of that company from age 21. He was responsible for what was happening and he should've been paying better attention to what was going on in HIS company. Why do Tony Stans feel the need to defend some forty year old man who should know better?

He DID manufacture weapons. He admitted to that over the course of his films, to claim otherwise is willfully ignorant.

War Profiteer - Any person or organization that derives profit from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war. Hmm 🧐, it seems as if you're the one who doesn't actually know the definition of the words. Because that's EXACTLY what Tony did. I mean, did you forget the big 'ol Stark Industries logo on the bomb that nearly killed him? On the one that killed Wanda’s parents? How do you think he made his fortune?

He never made fun of anyone's trauma? He was the same dude that called Steve 'Capsicle', Bucky the 'Manchurian Candidate', he tried to get Bruce to turn into the Hulk on the helicarrier... And he didn't create BARF, Quentin Beck did and he stole his work. Once again, explained in the movies.

Ultron was from the framework of Tony's mind, again, explained in the movies. The movie also explained that Thor allowed him to STUDY the mind stone, not USE it. Tony went behind everyone's back and coerced Bruce into helping him create Ultron. What did Thor and Wanda have to do with that? He's a grown man, he's responsible for his own actions. It upsets a lot of Tony Stans, but he was wrong. Get over it.

Are you a troll? Because none of what you're saying makes any sense. You know what they say about intentions? Tony was wrong to create Ultron. We're all willingly blind, but you're the one who isn't using facts.

Please do tell what laws Steve Rogers broke 🙄. Steve was an actual Captain as evident on his military uniform and how was he not a soldier? Because YOU said so? Dude fought in WWII and now he's not a soldier? Ha! Him refusing to sign the Accords was noble and in the end, the correct decision, there's nothing arrogant about protecting the little guy. I guess Peter Parker is arrogant, too. And by the way, the same Accords that you're backing, guess who actually broke them? Your golden boy, Tony ☺️ He wasn’t even supposed to be in Siberia, they should’ve thrown him in the Raft and ate the key. He's never been about accountability. Only arrogance, selfishness and greed. It's funny you say that Cap is the reason other countries fear the US, but actually, it's the billionaire, war profiteer that went over to Middle East and started murdering people because he wanted to. Oops. When Thanos came along, who did the people want help from? The same Avengers they wanted arrested two years prior.

Tell me, if he was so about accountability? Why isn’t he in prison? Why did he create these glasses (as seen above)? Why did he shoot Sam unprovoked? Why did he continue to make weapons? Why did he sit around for five years and do nothing? Why did he bring Peter to Germany? Why did he try to kill Bucky instead of finding Hydra? Why did he push his company off on Pepper? Why didn’t he call Steve before it was too late? Why did he expose Clint’s family?

Don’t come on here and swear at me and disrespect me. I don’t like it, it’s not cute. I am more than willing to have a discussion as long as it remains respectful.

#anti ironman #anti tony stark #anti tony stans #anti team ironman #anti sokovia accords #anti accords #anti irondad #pro Bucky Barnes #pro clint barton #pro steve rogers #pro captain america #pro team cap

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ask-the-clergy-bc · 4 years ago

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what did our ghoulies do for the clergy before they became band ghouls and why were they picked out?

Ooooooh, love this!! Love getting to explore different clergy roles! I love getting to play with the origins of Era IV!

Since I also make a LOT of references to my ideas of leader ghouls, I'm gonna go ahead and link that headcanon here to avoid confusion! --> [Link]

Era IV Jobs Before the Ghost Project

Aether: Aether was summoned when the ministry decided to start training successor ghouls to the current ghoul leaders. Air had finally stepped down as Beta ghoul, and the ministry was afraid others would do the same. Ather was summoned specially to become the next Omega ghoul. While Aether has his own powers of healing that took over as his main duties, he mainly shadowed the head quintessence ghoul. This included a lot of traveling, learning about Earth and human culture, and working with many different types of ghouls. There was also a lot of personal assistance to the Emeritus line, as aether ghoul healing is more effective for demon blood than normal human medicine.

When Omega was on his tours, Aether took care of his business in his stead to test how close he was to being ready. Aether was never originally meant to take part in the Ghost project until a few albums ahead. But with Omega’s sudden departure and being needed back in the Clergy, Aether was once again tested by being a band substitute. Luckily, he was a natural and has been proving himself as the next head ghoul! Handling both responsibilities and the pressure of being the Omega Ghoul.

Cumulus: Cumulus has been around for a few decades and has served enthusiastically. Her first decade was as an assistant to Papa I- her summoner. Namely as his ritual assistant and with his paperwork. She has always had a good eye for detail and organization, with a queenly air of authority about her. But Papa believes in letting his ghouls flourish to their strong suits. Until Copia’s ascension, Cumulus has been the lively and loyal personal ghoul to Sister Imperator. Serving as everything from bodyguard, personal confidant, and even enforcer to the Mother Superior. Cumulus was the very first selected for the job of band ghoul when it was Copia’s turn to head the Ghost project.

Imperator wanted a ghoul who was smart, capable, and with a good grasp of leadership to help supervise the other ghouls. Cumulus was also vouched for by Air. Her and Cirrus were both personally trained by the older ghoul when he was looking for a successor for the Beta ghoul position. While neither were chosen for that particular duty, Cumulus is happy to be a part of the band. She still keeps in touch with Imperator and sometimes acts as though she is Copia’s manager. If something goes wrong or needs to be done, Cumulus is the first to know.

Cirrus: Cirrus has gone back and forth between two duties. Serving the current Imperator and studying under the former Beta ghoul, Air. Cirrus is a tough cookie and has been a ghoulish enforcer for many abbies. Essentially keeping ghouls and siblings in line when it comes to fights or rule breaking. There are always ghouls who make sure the will of the clergy is followed and those who commit crimes are punished. This was her preferred job, rather than work with Air. Who tended to find stuffy, traditional research more important. Cirrus, as calm as she is, prefers hands on work. She’s also worked security detail for all of the Papas but most importantly, Grand Papa Nihil. Cirrus is a long time bodyguard (and baby sitter) for the Grandpapa and Sister Imperator.

Cirrus was recommended by both Cumulus and Air- since they were both practically raised by Air to be potential leader ghouls. Nihil was particularly sad to see Cirrus disappear from his entourage, but agreed she would be a wonderful fit. Also Nihil and Imperator can agreed that Cirrus keeps Copia in line by her sheer intimidating presence and powerful aura. Cirrus would be lying if she said she didn’t also enjoy the chance to do something more fun and get away from the clergy for a bit!

Mountain: Although Mountain was summoned by Papa II, he was never strictly a ghoul for the Emeritus. Personally summoned ghouls tend to be bodyguards or close entourage for their Papal summoners. For a couple of decades Mountain was an effective and reliable body guard for Papa II. But Papa eventually realized his ghoul’s talents were being wasted. Stone ghouls have been shown to have natural strength beyond most ghouls and a good eye for architecture. Mountain has been responsible for helping build new cathedrals, quarters, and even clearing land. His level headedness and bluntness have also been excellent when working with Papa II, who has supervised many of these new buildings.

Mountain being assigned to go with Copia was actually a sort of ‘good faith loan’ from Papa II. Don’t get me wrong, Papa II does NOT like Copia. He finds him opportunistic and a usurping leech… However, Copia IS chosen by Lucifer. Papa II cares about his ministry MORE than he hates Copia. Since he hasn’t had Mountain as a bodyguard for years he decides to recommend him. After all, it also looks good on him for being generous enough to support the newest singer of the band. The Ministry was happy, mainly to let the Cardinal practice working with ghouls of different types and skill sets to delegate. On tour he was accepted and chosen for both his natural talents but to help balance out all of the incredibly strong personalities of the current ghouls.

Rain: Rain was a very behind the scenes ghoul, and rarely worked in the public congregation. He was the archivist assistant to the current head water ghoul, Delta. Delta is one of the oldest serving ghouls who now takes care of the Ministry’s protected collections of records. Rain has happily kept a quiet existence processing old and new registrations for the entire ministry. At one point Rain had studied directly under Delta with Water and Mist- all powerful water ghouls who are being trained for greater works. Rain loved playing music but never considered himself one to be ever picked for anything but reorganizing entire archives and dusting off old books.

Rain was recommended by Mist after her short stint with the Ghost project and Papa III. While she wanted to go on tour, she was needed elsewhere to train. She could vouch for Rain’s hard work and need to open up and embrace his potential. Copia was happy to take the water ghoul, as was shown to have indelible talent and an agreeable personality. The touring has definitely made Rain want to be more active in the ministry and with his fellow ghouls.

Swiss: Swiss was actually pretty high ranked before he became a band ghoul! While not part of the leader ghouls for the entire ministry, Swiss was the top ghoul in one of the main cathedrals outside of the head abbey. This meant he directed, advocated, and watched over all of the ghouls a part of the cathedral. Making sure all duties were done and all ghouls were taken care of. Swiss is a pretty strong ghoul in his own right. While he is fire he was born from two mixed ghouls of different elements. So he is well versed in different elemental energies and knowledge. His easy going nature and quick wit makes him a favorite among siblings and ghouls alike. Higher Clergy also worked with him to make accommodations and holidays for the ghouls.

Swiss was hand picked by Copia who worked with him pre Ghost project. Copia has always valued Swiss’s hard work and ability to get along with everyone he met. Swiss was agreed by Imperator and the ministry to be a great ghoul. Not just in vocals but bringing everyone together and interacting with the fans and staff. Swiss accepted the position with glee. He loves doing ceremonies at his home abbey, and a Ritual is nothing different- just bigger! Plus, Swiss will never turn down a chance to sing.

Ember: Ember has been strong but an entire pain in the ass of the Ministry for a LONG time. There have been many times he was almost sent back to Hell because he was difficult to control. Ember has calmed down in recent years, but he can still be a bit of a thorn in everyone's side. But he has so much potential within the Ministry, he’s too valuable of an asset. At first he was summoned as the potential candidate to be the next Alpha ghoul, for when Alpha eventually steps down. But to help him adjust to the responsibilities he had been shipped to many places with many duties. He’s been everything from a guard, to ritual assistant, to attack dog.

Eventually he found a spot with Papa III right before he went on tour as his bodyguard. Their energies actually worked very well together and he was one of the few before Copia who was able to give him the right outlets he needed. Ember was hand chosen to be a bassist by Papa III when Alpha had to return with Omega to the Ministry. Ember had originally asked to be guitarist, but the Ministry was interested in testing Ifrit to be the next Alpha ghoul. Ember was just happy to play but was absolutely thrilled when Copia asked for him to play head guitar.

#the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost headcanon #world building #nameless ghouls #ghoulettes #ember #swiss #aether #cumulus #cirrus #mountain #rain

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merlin926 · 4 years ago

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What I have managed to find on the Sokovia Accords.

The only thing I have managed to find is on the MCU Wiki, and even it is not the full accords. It doesn’t even actually tell us whether this is an actual part of the document, or what the Avengers was told was in the document. I’ve put it under the break, for various reasons.

The currently known regulations established by the Sokovia Accords include:

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.

This one I kind of agree with. If you signed then you agreed to work for them, they maybe need to know your skillset and biological advancements in order to send the right people to the scene. Ex. You wouldn’t want to send someone who has a nut allergy to fight a giant peanut rampaging through New York.

Again, I kind of agree with this one. You shouldn’t be able to go into another country and cause damage because YOU think they need help.

Still agreeing. We don’t allow civilians to work police crime scenes, why would we allow them to participate in major battles.

This one is where it starts to get a little iffy. The reaction should suit the crime. Using your power of invisibility to steal candy should not receive the same penalty as using it to steal government secrets.

This one is good. That type of stuff should be regulated.

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

The Avengers should NEVER have been a private organization. When SHEILD fell they should have fallen under the command of the Armed Forces.

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

This one again is a bit iffy. Yes, they need some way of identifying them, so as to contact next of kin or medical POA in case of emergencies. But I can also see this being used against them.

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

Again, they need to know their power level. You don’t want to send a low level super after a high level baddie.

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Its a no for this one. Nobody should have that kind of authority over anyone.

Again. yes. You don’t want a country with say, 30, supers sending said supers to infiltrate a smaller country with less supers.

I'm not really going to get into this one, mostly because I’m not entirely sure exactly what they mean by this one.

If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.

Yes, if you signed and you break the contract you should be punished, but not imprisoned indefinitely without trial.

The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is completely prohibited.

How do they determine if an A.I. is self aware? The A.I. probably isn’t going to tell you, and if it’s illegal the creator isn’t going to tell you either.

For the purposes of the Accords, an "enhanced individual" is defined as any person, human or otherwise, with superhuman capabilities. This includes individuals whose powers are an innate function of their biology as well as individuals who utilize the highly advanced technology to grant themselves superhuman capabilities. However, individuals with advanced prostheses do not seem to be considered "enhanced", even if their prostheses give them capabilities beyond those of ordinary humans.

All members of the Avengers are subject to the same conditions as enhanced individuals, even if they are not enhanced themselves: Black Widow was required to sign so she could continue serving on the Avengers due to her previously being deemed a threat to world security by Nick Fury, and Hawkeye was incarcerated on the Raft after violating the Accords.

How do they define superhuman capabilities? Is someone with above average sight superhuman? Is someone with above average intelligence superhuman?

If prosthetics don’t count, what is to stop people from amputating limbs and getting them replaced with super strong prosthetics?

Black Widow is not considered enhanced but is required to sign as she was previously seen as a threat to world security. I can understand this, but what’s to stop them from declaring any average person as a world threat to force them to sign?

Hawkeye was incarcerated for breaking international laws, not for violating the accords. the accords were not yet ratified, and therefor could only be violated by those who already signed.

#anti accords #why did this make it so far?#this makes very little sense to me #anti steve rogers #that ones to keep the cap stans away

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aelaer · 5 years ago

Note

☕ I AM totally cooking you up in this ask on how much you know about the Accords and the way they relate to the US's federal law 👀👀👀

Ahhh, yeah, I was due an ask like this. It took a while to get to, so hopefully you eventually see it, md. Note that all regulations are directly from the Wiki, which drew from the canon of Agents of SHIELD, which had huge plot points around the Accords. Possibly the other old Marvel TV shows too, I’m not sure. And without this expansion, we’d know literally nothing about them, but they fit a lot of what was in the comics so I’m cool as accepting them as canon. Your Mileage May Vary.

This is super long so I put it under a cut.

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.

Nothing breaking current US law. You’re expected to get fingerprinted if you do certain things for the state in certain states in the US. For instance, when I took a tutoring job for underprivileged children in my early college years, I was fingerprinted. I wouldn’t be surprised if higher-security jobs also require something similar.

However, to my knowledge these are all state or nationwide databases, not international. There may be some argument to be made about which officials from which country have access to your fingerprints, as it is with the Accords.

In this fictional universe, DNA samples may be more of an issue due to how meta-humans may have altered DNA and we alllll know that of those 117 countries that signed, at least a dozen of them would try to weaponize it in some capacity. If I were a meta-human in the MCU, this would be my largest concern.

This makes complete sense and should have been established long ago. If it wasn’t already established, then the world governments of the MCU are... well, just as slow and dumb as the real world’s.

The UN does not have the authority to dictate what an individual country does or does not allow their population to do, for better or worse. The atrocities carried out across the world by various world governments against their people is the best evidence of that.

That said, in this case, I don’t think it’s any of their business to dictate this. If France wants meta-humans in their police force regardless as to whether they’ve signed the Accords or not, that’s France’s business. If Japan wants to bolster their army with meta-humans who didn’t sign, that’s Japan’s business. The rest of the world may not be happy with that, but the UN is not an elected ruling body and just doesn’t have the authority to make regulations like that. A lot of countries will play nice with sweeping calls such as that and go along with them, but they’re under no obligation to follow them (and certainly not with US law - the UN’s rulings have zero legal ramifications here until they’re passed in state or federal legislatures).

Hahaahahhahahahahah. No. Breaks the Fifth Amendment in the Bill of Rights, which is a part of the Constitution (which equals the backbone of American law -- things that go to the Supreme Court are there to basically see if something is constitutional or not. It’s a lot more complicated than it sounds, though).

Unfortunately this is a real situation that’s being dealt with now with specific people of the “aiding terrorists” category throughout the last 20 or so years of presidency (both the left and right with politicians signing it, and both the left and right with American activists opposing it, according to my brief study on the issue - you can look up indefinite detention if you want to read more).

Regardless, super super breaks the Fifth Amendment. While the amendments were written for specifically American citizens or folks on American soil, I personally think it’s important it’s a value that is upheld with everyone, no matter what they’ve been accused of. But that’s all I’ll say on that real world topic. This UN mandate hits very close to home - kudos to the writer who put that in for that touch of reality.

Doesn’t break any known laws to my knowledge. Regulation of dangerous things is pretty common.

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

I don’t think the UN has the legal ability to do that. The US government would need to do this as this is a private organization operating within the US on US soil. The US government has acquired private organizations in real life (like GM during the financial crisis of 2008), but they quickly find how much that sucks and sell them off as soon as they can, lol.

Again, the UN is operating under the supposition that they actually have the legal wherewithal to do this when, in reality, they don’t. There is no such thing as international law in the real world and I sincerely doubt in the MCU verse.

What would very likely happen, should Thanos not have ruined this exciting political drama, is that the US totally agrees to do this. Then a new administration or legislature comes in and reverses it 2-6 years later, assuming that all of the lawsuits from various countries didn’t cripple the Accords sooner.

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

Hahahahaha. Under whose authority? We’ve established there’s no international law. It’d be up to every single individual country to agree to not only do this, but *share* this list with every other country. If I was the decision maker in the US or China, there’s no way in fucking hell I’d do that. Israel or Iran? Fuck no! Do I *want* all my meta humans to be assassinated by other countries?

The MCU has this little fairy tale (that sometimes the real UN carries on with) that everyone gets along just great when, in reality, that’s really, really, really unlikely.

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

I could make an argument that this breaks the Fourth Amendment (unreasonable searches and seizures). You cannot forcefully take DNA from someone unless they’ve been convicted of a crime (and in, I think 20 states I just read, if you’ve been arrested, but even that’s been challenged under the Fourth Amendment in those various states the past decade).

If they’re already having a legal argument about this for DNA of people who were arrested, they’re going to have a hell of an argument for this requirement just for *existing*.

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Oh that’s nice, the UN thinks meta-humans are animals! Likely breaks the Fourth Amendment. Found an interesting article about Amazon and their little tracking bracelets from two years ago that is semi-relevant, and those are employees. Imagine if you required everyone of some minority race or nationality to wear a tracking device because they’re statistically more dangerous due to the prevalence of crime amongst them, or something inane like that.

Yeah, it’s something like that bad. Definitely breaks the privacy protection that previous rulings regarding the Fourth Amendment have established.

International law doesn’t exist. This is done via treaties and agreements, but again, the UN has no legal leg to stand on (and countries -- US included -- often just ignore them). If China wants to take over Nepal with meta humans, who the fuck is really gonna stop them? I mean, really? If the US wanted to take over Baja California from Mexico, same question. The UN just doesn’t have the authority (or frankly put, the manpower). Countries often play nice, but there’s plenty of times where they don’t, either.

(But you know who would try to prevent the US/China from taking over Baja/Nepal? Meta humans. That likely aren’t allowed to fight under Accords mandates but do so anyway, all the while flipping the bird towards their nearest UN building :D)

See “international law doesn’t exist and it’s up to each individual country to determine this for themselves” as explained in previous sections.

If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.

As established, breaks the Fifth Amendment of the US. And fuck, we saw this in action in Civil War-- or so it seemed. Ross definitely looked like he was leaning that way. I wouldn’t put it past Ross. He’s been bad news ever since he was hunting the Hulk.

The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is completely prohibited.

Heh, not really applicable to the current world, but not necessarily something I’d like to see in the real world either. I’m afraid we’re gonna get a Skynet or HAL rather than a JARVIS or WALL-E.

This was fun, in a weird way.

#mdcbd #ask #answered #sokovia accords #fictional law #mcu #real world law too #meta #long post

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pfandghoul · 6 years ago

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what the sokovia accords really are

a quick study bc what the fuck guys

(copied from the mcu wiki entry about the accords - all of it and not just parts of it)

here goes:

The currently known regulations established by the Sokovia Accords include:

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.

- Any who AGREE to sign. I dont think this is asking too much. If ur working for a government agency, if ur using force in any way during ur work, I think its fair to ask you to give them biometric data. And if its only so in case there is an investigation afterwards (which their always should be imo) its clear distinguishable who was where and did what.

- Also, what if someone suddenly decides "something happened, im changing sides, imma take revenge" (no matter if its a concious decision or brainwashing 👀)? Would probably be good to have some data and perhaps be able to track them. If its managable or not- hm. But theres no harm in giving that data if ur only goal is working towards a safer world.

-----

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

- Oh nooo, no unknown vigilantes that might make mistakes while fighting on their own and then cant be held accountable? No one is perfect, OF COURSE, but from a realistic pov I wouldnt feel safe with someone running around fighting whoever-

And I know we love the romantic comic fantasy of "everybody can be a hero", and I swear I love it as much as you! But imagine ur just a normal person while spiderman is swinging above ur head- or even imagine ur spiderman- and then one tiny thing wents wrong. The normal person is crushed, dead or paralysed- Spiderman is in shock because that was Not supposed to happen and he is so so sorry!- But what now?

- If enhanced people were to work under an organisation (that is ideally not as shady and riddled with Hydra as Shield was) then those incidents would be covered. Yes it would still be terrible but Spiderman would get mandatory therapy session to work through it and the normal person... well if theyre dead then i guess the organisation would at least pay for the funeral and compensate the family (like if they were the only one providing for partner and kids), additionally a conversation between both partys if possible.

-Basically: nothing can be swept under the rug. The enhanced people can be protected!!! PLUS they only have to reveal their identity to the UN and not the world.

---------

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

- This would benefit the person with power too, you realize that, dont you?

You cant possibly know how much power you actually have. Is there gonna be another level-up for you? Are you Jean Grey? We wouldnt want to repeat that specific clusterfuck, right?

But if you submit to an analysis it can help find ways to train you, circle ur weaknesses, etc.

Yes the UN would know ur threat level- and that would be bad why? Are you planning to attack Them? If not then no problem. Instead they would know if they should send you in or not- depending... you dont need a level 5 when there is a cat in a tree. We want to avoid unnecessary damage, thank you. If ur a level 1 you also dont want to be on the front lines against an alien invasion for example- better help evacuate non-powered individuals and not die immediately.

- Also worth mentioning: this is all still part of the "if you agree to sign" paragraph

-------

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

- Yes I admit this one sucks. I could argue the pros but I dont really want to because this one is literally just a "we want to control you" rule and should be scratched.

------- (new paragraph in the accords)----

Any enhanced individuals who sign are prohibited from taking action in any country other than their own, unless they are first given clearance by either that country's government or by a United Nations subcommittee.

- I really want to think I dont have to say anything here but I feel I do.

No I do not want a guy wearing an american flag running around in my country if my government didnt explicitely allow it. Same for a giant tin man or a creepy spiderlady.

- If anything then this paragraph would help improve the communication between countries. Yes people fear that in emergencies this will all take too long but 1) thats not the Accords fault and 2) I think we already have situations like this irl and most times it does work.

---------

Governments are forbidden from deploying enhanced individuals outside of their own national borders, unless those individuals are given clearance as described above. The same rule also applies to non-government organizations that operate on a global scale (including S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers).

- Same reasoning. I really really dont want Shield around with their shady everything.

- And always needing consent before weaking havoc in other countries? nice

--------(new paragraph)-----

- Basically if you dont sign up then you cant be a super-cop. Groundbreaking.

(This is very much explained in the first paragraph already.)

----------

- s a m e t h i n g

--------(new paragraph)-----

If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.

- Cancel the without trial part and then Id say its just. This way it stinks and I feel Ross had his hands in this. No, I am not defending this one. Its Not Okay.

------(new paragraph)-------

- You cant just experient and turn urself into the Hulk anymore??? Where is the fun in that?? //sarcasm//

- I dont need to go deeper into this, do I?

-------

The creation of self-aware artificial intelligences is completely prohibited.

- Here comes a problem. For Tony mostly.

- I can think of a few reasons for this but I dont think many people are even capable of doing this. I think it would bd enough to file a request if you want to try and build an AI.

--------(new paragraph)----

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

- See.. all of the above on why this is a good thing?

- The Avengers as a private organisation is actually a super scary thought. And if you arent at least a little freaked out about this (all from the point of looking at this as if it were real) then idk what to tell you.

---------(new paragraph)-------

For the purposes of the Accords, an "enhanced individual" is defined as any person, human or otherwise, with superhuman capabilities. This includes individuals whose powers are an innate function of their biology as well as individuals who utilize highly advanced technology to grant themselves superhuman capabilities. However, individuals with advanced prostheses do not seem to be considered "enhanced", even if their prostheses give them capabilities beyond those of ordinary humans.

- Basically just explaining what they mean by "enhanced individual": people with powers. Doesnt matter if you are born with ur power or built urself a supersuit.

-If you got leg protheses that are super bouncy you arent considered an "enhanced individual" (to put it as simple as possible).

-----

All members of the Avengers are subject to the same conditions as enhanced individuals, even if they are not enhanced themselves: Black Widow was required to sign so she could continue serving on the Avengers, and Hawkeye was incarcerated on the Raft after violating the Accords.

- I think this is fair because if you consider urself an Avenger and fight with them then you also should be held accountable.

- You wouldnt want a Someone to work in super-person capacity which both gives a great deal of responsibility and allows a high chance of fuck ups and destruction without them having any regulations, okay?

AND THATS ALL THERE IS

THATS ALL THE MCU WIKI SAYS THERE IS

Which is ofc bullshit because the Accords were thick and 117 countries worked on them for idk how long. Do you understand what that takes? The compromises and politic battles thats been fought over this document?

And yes it is still not perfect.

But who in the seven Hells said that this was the final draft? Who??

"I dont wanna sign away my freedom of choice" F you! What about my freedom of choice of having some costumed weirdos run around my town blowing stuff up killing people?

"We cant save everyone" yEAH but maybe just mAyBe if you werent a dumb cunt then mayyybe with some teamwork with the countries respective secrurity personell (as every fucking country does have) then maybe Kyle, Maria and Dembe would still be alive?? Who knows.

So what I hear is "I dont wanna give up my freedom and continue to do as I see fit. Because I think I am a better judge than a UN committee and 117 governments that dont want me breaking into their countries on a semi-regular basis."

and thats why im generally pro-Accords :)

#marvel #marvel civil war #civil war #captain america civil war #cacw #sokovia accords #iron man #pro accords #anti-steve rogers #no i dont wanna fight lma

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lovergurrl411 · 6 years ago

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In defense of Steve Rogers

I know a lot of people who are TeamIronMan in the Civil War debacle. However, I feel many have not actually READ the accords and have taken Ross's 10second explanation at face value.

The currently known regulations established by the Sokovia Accords include:

Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.

Those with secret identities must reveal their legal names and true identities to the United Nations.

Those with innate powers must submit to a power analysis, which will categorize their threat level and determine potential health risks.

Those with innate powers must also wear tracking bracelets at all times.

Any enhanced individuals who do not sign will not be allowed to take part in any police, military, or espionage activities, or to otherwise participate in any national or international conflict, even in their own country. [Dreamt of being a cop your whole life, but are a mutant? Guess you'll have to choose between keeping your natural American Rights and your dream job.]

Any enhanced individuals who use their powers to break the law (including those who take part in extralegal vigilante activities), or are otherwise deemed to be a threat to the safety of the general public, may be detained indefinitely without trial. [I.e. if you are a fourteen yr old mutant who steals a loaf of bread from a grocery store using, lets say, telekenisis, you can be detained without trial]

If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial. [So if you are a mutant who hasn't registered, and decide to become a cop (violating the accord), you can be arrested and help INDEFINITELY]

The creation of self-aware artificial intelligence is completely prohibited.

The Avengers will no longer be a private organization and will operate under the supervision of the United Nations.

Guys, this is so beyond the Avengers. Yes, after Sokovia, the question of accountability was important. But the accords weren't just about the Avengers. Signing it meant that you were okay with stripping people of their natural rights as human beings to trial, due process, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. Tony Stark had a lot of guilt, since Sokovia was mostly his fault, and he had to wrestle with his part in creating/enabling such destruction. Because of this, it's completely understandable that Tony would sign, as a way to deal with his culpability.

But Steve Rogers is man who spent his life fighting for what he believed was right, and in defense of the freedom of others. There is no way in hell he was gonna sign an accord that essentially took away his natural human rights and those of countless other people. It was never gonna happen, regardless of the consequences. And he was in the right to do so. Were there better ways to go about things, YES. Did both Tony and Cap make bad calls? Yes. But if there is one thing we should recognize it's that

In Civil War: Team Cap is about being morally right; Team Iron Man is about being legally right.

There's a difference.

#mcu #ca:cw #ca: civil war #avengers #oh captain my captain #steve and tony #steve rogers #tony stark #team cap #team iron man #marvel #captain america civil war

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plusultramontanecardinal-blog · 5 years ago

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Harangue 1.a: On Sex Education

Har. 1.a

In response to the Huffington Post Article: Schools Must Start Teaching Girls About Sexual Pleasure

This article on the education of young girls about sexual pleasure is nothing more than the consequence of a failure of mothers to educate their children on the topic, and instead advocating for the education of such delicate sand sensual matters in educational institutions. This, as I have observed many times in the people and similar situations around me, shows nothing but laziness and/or fear of speaking on such matters, which stem from an early-on emotional detachment and atrophy between the parent and child. this leads to public discussion about sex, and not sexuality as the politics around it suggests, but a vulgar and shameful discussion about sex- as the article makes so obvious- in around the presence of adolescents, administered by adults in the teaching profession. in this, I see nothing more than a political pervert's excuse to infect academia with innuendo and depravity.

In St. John Bosco's 1877, "The Preventive System in the Education of the Young", he speaks of a loving-kindness in teaching that a pedagogue of the preventive system tradition should aim to achieve between himself and his protegee. this loving-kindness, however, is strictly professional just as it is parent-like. There is that term- 'parent-like'; of that like a parent, but cannot and can never surmount to or even compare to that of a parent's.

Education, for as long as its tradition has stayed with mankind, was primarily the responsibility of parents towards their children. Historically, it started out as informal, simple, and demonstrative and topics were that of simple survival. The mode of education was that of observation and imitation. Soon, specialties in need, and then in luxury, bore the need for specialists to cater to them. When specialists grew old and their skill started to dull, this, in turn, bore the need for apprentices. It is in this time in history were in the responsibility of education was split between parents and another, secondary party. The secondary party, however, was only ever concerned about the education of the specialty in question.

And thus, such has been the tradition of education for most of civilized history, with the only difference in institutionalized education later on being that of class size and the introduction of the informal, then formal curriculum. other than that, not much has changed in terms of the structure. The responsibility of the education of essential values, virtues, and life-skills should always be that of parents. This is preferred and even important to ensure, for the only pedagogues on this earth that have seen you grow, know your nuances, and are accustomed to your subtleties, are your parents. The only reason that a portion of the responsibility of educating be taken away from parents is the case wherein the other topics essential are beyond their knowledge and expertise and require a second party. Educational Institutions merely enforce, or at least it should, values already taught by parents along with other specialty topics.

My main concerns with this radical education on sex are:

1.) It diminishes the role of parents in educating their children on such topics, weakening emotional relations between them. If sex education is to be implemented, its target should not be students, but rather their parents. A systematic learning program on discussing sexuality should be given to parents with the intent of effective education about sexuality to their children. This way, parents are more professional in their handling of such questions around their children.

2.) When essential values and an awareness of each individual child's nuances and personality are not present, education on sexuality is blunt and impersonal, reducing it to nothing but academic perversity and robbing it of the finesse and preventive caution that can only be achieved through the holistic education of such topic by an informed parent.

3.) Such a topic that is so connected to modern and inflammatory issues of gender and gender identity, where essential values are often ignored and void, is a component to a curriculum that is open and vulnerable to political interference. The modernist pedagogue, who by default lacks a parent-like loving-kindness as prescribed by the preventive system, carries agenda in teaching that is often political in nature and ignores its effect on the child- the focus being on the message. With sound-minded Christian parents, the loving-kindness aspect is intrinsic (given there is no emotional atrophy between them and the child so characteristic of modernistic family structures), and therefore it is second nature for them to consider the effects of what their children learn. Therefore, an effort towards holistic development, and not a political agenda, takes primacy- especially on a topic such as sex and sexuality.

In institutionalized education, subjects that are essential and are usually outside the expertise of parental education are hard to politicize- science, mathematics, languages, and arts are difficult mediums wherein any political message can travel through. Social studies, humanities, values education, and sex. ed. are subjects that require constant supervision, for they re easily politicized. The content of their curriculum should ideally be limited to bare basics- their initial purpose only being to enforce what should be taught to the child by their parents. Envision the responsibility of the education of sexual pleasure be given to a regressive or radical. All the students would ever learn is a political message- an excuse for whether to avoid or chase sexual gratification.

To conclude, sexual education is the responsibility of the parents, and if ever it is to be implemented, it should be implemented like a qualification test for those fittest and most ideal to speak about it- the parents of the very children who need to learn about it.

Ref;

"The Preventive System in the Education of the Young". Don Bosco Khmer, Phnom Penh. Retrieved 27 January 2015

Society of Saint Francis of Sales (1877). Regolamento per le case della Società di S. Francesco di Sales. Tipografia Salesiana, OE XXIX. pp. 3–13

Vial Jean, «L'éducation « primitive » », Histoire de l'éducation, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France , «Que sais-je ?», 2009.

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polhnitro · 3 years ago

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Apartments with no pet weight limit

It is recommended that water dishes and food dishes should be regularly cleaned. Food should be stored in airtight containers to ensure rodents/pests do not enter the facilities in search of animal food. They are only allowed outside the apartment/residence hall while there is human supervision – they may not be left outside unattended. Food and water dishes must be kept inside the apartment. Pets cannot be kept or left unattended on decks, porches, entryways, or elsewhere on WSU property outside of the Resident’s home. Pets are not allowed in complex shared access spaces such as laundry rooms, storage areas, community centers, or playgrounds. Dogs going in and out of the Apartment must be on a leash (no longer than 8 feet) and under the Resident’s control at all times. Pets are to be kept inside the Resident’s Apartment.In making a decision on whether to approve a Resident’s request to keep or obtain a puppy, Housing Services will further take into account the arrangements the Resident has made for care and training of the puppy. In making a decision on whether to approve a Resident’s request to keep a dog, Housing Services will take into account the dog’s temperament and the arrangements the Resident has made for care, training, and exercising the dog.Any breed or species of pets that are prohibited by WSU Housing or which increase the cost of WSU Housing’s insurance coverage will not be allowed. No individual Resident will be allowed more than one animal, and no apartment unit more than two animals total. Requests to keep a pet of any other species will be approved at Housing Services’ discretion. These include dogs, cats, fish, birds, and small caged animals, kept as companion animals. Only common, domesticated, household pets will be allowed.Resident must sign a Pet Agreement for approved pet. Resident will fill-out a Pet Reference/Resume and provide a photo of each pet. Any Resident who wishes to keep a pet will first obtain Housing Services approval. Permission to keep a pet is granted at Housing Services’ sole discretion and is subject to Resident’s strict adherence to all aspects of this Pet Policy.In the event of termination, Resident will be responsible for all associated fees. By agreeing to this pet policy, the resident agrees to abide by the terms of this agreement.įailure to adhere to the terms of this agreement will constitute a default under Resident’s Apartment Agreement and will give WSU Housing the right to initiate a proceeding to terminate the Apartment Agreement of the Resident. All residents may receive a copy of the policy. The policy applies to all pets kept in WSU Housing and will be strictly enforced. The pet policy is designed to protect both pet owners and non-pet owners, and to ensure that the animals themselves receive responsible care. WSU Housing has also considered the fact that there are people who wish to avoid contact with pets and other animals. In reaching this decision, WSU Housing has taken into account the important contributions that pets can make to the lives of people who value and appreciate animals. Keeping with this philosophy, we have decided to adopt a limited pet policy that will allow residents committed to responsible pet ownership to have a pet. The operation and Housing Services of the community depends on the cooperation of its residents. Since this is a long-term housing community providing homes for many students for years to come, the University must see that its interests concerning the property and reputation of its units are respected. We want you to have as much freedom as possible in your personal life, while assuring a satisfactory and comfortable life for the entire community. The staff of the WSU Housing Services works to provide you with a comfortable, safe and convenient apartment while attending the University. WSU Housing and Residence Life Apartments

#Apartments with no pet weight limit

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tinycrow · 4 years ago

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I don’t believe in miracles

Chapter 4: Show you how

:: Antarctic City, Antarctica ::

After Ray stepped through the ground bridge, she moved quickly to the set of consoles nearby to supervise. Greeting Max who was at the smaller console, she looked around to see a minimal number of humans and bots nearby. Only a couple of her children, Shawn, Max, and three other humans she recognized as part of the security team were present. The room was still partially filled with materials from the warehouse, as it was the middle of a workday. She sent a comm to the Autobots.

~ Ray to Autobots. We’re ready to receive you. ~

~ Acknowledged. ~

Sideswipe in bipedal form glided on through with grace but servos twitching by his sides. His optics swept around the room, looking for something. They paused on the small ‘bots standing near some armed humans before continuing. It seemed he had not found anything bad, seeing as he called the others through. Ratchet walked in next, and then finally Optimus entered the ground bridge. Not able to leave the NEST base empty without suspicion, the rest of the Autobots stayed behind.

Ray let Max know to close the bridge, and the glimmering portal dissipated. Her voice was serene as she welcomed the alien ‘bots.

“Thank you for allowing us into your home,” Optimus returned.

The motherly femme moved gracefully to behind her smaller-framed children, resting a servo each on their shoulder pads. Her demeanor radiated pride as she introduced the humans in the room, stopping briefly when she got to her children. All throughout the introductions, she could see the fascinated glances to her younglings.

“These are two of my older children,” she said with a smile. She patted the shoulder of the grey-plated one, calling, “Aries,” then patted the slightly bulkier red one, “and Red Alert. To my understanding, they’ve been helping out with security lately.”

The named younglings straightened as they were introduced. The only ‘adult’ they had ever known was Ray (or was a human), and she was small compared to the height of some of these new arrivals. The two felt the pressure of keeping their home safe from possible threats and being too young/underpowered to do so. With an intuitive squeeze of their shoulders, Ray silently comm’d them with reassurances. They visibly relaxed.

Ratchet stepped forward, and with a soft word to her children, Ray stepped back. To the younglings’ credit, they stood still for the scan that followed. They seemed uncomfortable with the attention, however.

“Amazing. They appear to be in their second frames already, though they can only be about five stellar-cycles old.”

Always willing to indulge the old medic whom she viewed as a kind friend, Ray commented, “Due to the dangers present on Earth, I’ve advanced their maturation cycles and tend to arm them at this stage.”

“Fascinating. It reminds me of the war-frames that were sparked on Cybertron before we lost the AllSpark, yet with a longer period of immaturity.”

Ray gave Ratchet a confused look at the mention of war-frames, but let it pass for now. There would be time for that later.

She said, “I believe Max has the tour planned out for us.”

Max spoke loudly to get their attention from his much lower height on the floor, “We have warned our people ahead of time to keep the streets clear of unnecessary foot traffic, but please be cautious.”

“We will,” Optimus promised. “Please, lead the way.”

Shawn stayed behind to return to work. The rest of the group along with the Autobots exited through the ‘bot-sized doorway. The door’s smooth and quick opening was a great improvement to the buildings they were used to on the Autobots’ current base... a little detail that reminded them of Cybertron.

When they got into the streets, the sudden chill made them shiver, but Sideswipe attempted to brush it off. “It’s not that cold.”

Ray sounded amused as she mentioned, “The streets are warmed to an extent. It’s still very cold, however. Humans tend to use the underground tunnel system where it’s warmer.”

Optimus sounded considering, “How big are the tunnels?”

“They would fit you in your alt forms, but not bipedal. We thought you’d get a greater idea of the city’s layout by taking the streets,” Max answered for her.

The thoughtful leader nodded in understanding.

In a whirl of metal, Aries and Red Alert transformed into small and plain grey/red cars. Popping their doors open, the younglings split the three of Max’s security team between the two. Ray transformed into a black Nissan and took Max. Taking their lead, Optimus was the first to transform, followed by Sideswipe and Ratchet.

Ray privately comm’d the Autobots with instructions on how to sign up for the communication service and how to enter a group conversation using the communication servers. A group chat was started, with Max as the host.

(The following conversations take place in the group chat but I won’t be using the ~ ~ )

The group, headed by Aries and Red Alert, drove from the Gate Room that straddled the Business and Residential sectors deep into Residential. They saw a motley of human and Cybertronian-sized apartments and were impressed by the construction. It was explained that construction was sped up with help from Ray, mostly for the doors and other electronically controlled systems that were present throughout the sector.

Taking a roundabout route as they allowed the Autobots to take in the sights, the group proceeded into Industrial. This sector was much busier. Residential had been empty with no foot traffic. Industrial, however, had bots of various—smaller—sizes walking the streets and carrying heavy materials. Feeling a wave of heat hit their alt forms, the Autobots turned their attention to their right where they in essence saw what was a forge. Metals were melted and alloys were created. They could see basic weapons being forged in this area alongside tools of all sizes. On higher platforms were heavily armoured humans overseeing the creation of smaller sizes of tools and human weapons.

Because of how busy it was, they went slower here, needing to stop more than several times to let workers through. Max apologized for this over the private channel shared among the group. Though, the Autobots seemed to be too interested in the goings-on to care. Optimus even stated something to that effect.

Sideswipe couldn’t help but comment, “Ironhide would love to see this.”

“He would be welcome, as long as certain rules are followed,” Ray indulged.

Sideswipe asked, “Rules?”

“We’ll get to that later,” Ray deferred.

It was in the stop-and-go of this sector that they got a better look at the Core, the main power plant that brought to life the entire city. It was huge, a main metal body with large cylinders and thick cables leading out from it toward the forge as well as other places. None of the Autobots were exactly specialized in this kind of engineering, but they understood it was a technological feat the humans didn’t have. It was worthy of some awe.

Eventually, they proceeded from Industrial into the last sector, Business. Business was... busy, but it had much less foot traffic than the previous area. Max took charge of pointing out human hangouts like the cafés, arcades, bars, and even the one large building that was ‘laser tag’. The Autobots’ attention diverted as they accessed the internet to look up what it was, as it sounded quite dangerous. They relaxed as they realized it was just like a fight simulation with nonlethal devices.

Ray in turn pointed out some important buildings such as Security HQ, the Finance Department, and other such things.

As they turned a bit closer to the center of the city, Ray pointed to a large building with an outside patio that was ‘bot-sized. “This is where you can get Energon. Because it draws a lot of power from the Core, it’s also closer to it,” she explained.

The Autobots seemed to perk up, or at least as much as their alt forms could express. Energon was a highly valued resource for trade as well as fuel for their kind of life. The fact that their power plant had the ability to support making Energon was exciting news, and something the Autobots were itching to get their hands on.

She felt their excitement and felt bad when she had to continue, “Because it’s a precious resource, it’s... discouraged to partake in overdrinking. There are daily and monthly caps that are strictly enforced.”

The alien ‘bots’ excitement lessened, realizing this meant they couldn’t immediately stockpile, but they understood why the measures were in place.

Ray tried to cheer them up, “Still, if you need some, you are welcome to enjoy it here.”

“Thank you,” Optimus rumbled, “We may just do that if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.”

Thinking about the younglings, Ratchet asked, “What grade of Energon do you serve the younglings?”

“We serve a ‘weak’ variety for my sparklings though that kind is made at... the Nursery,” Ray reluctantly admitted, and quickly went on to explain the different grades available, hoping to distract them.

“You said the Nursery,” reminded Ratchet, “Will we get to see it?”

There was a quiet “ooh” somewhere in the group chat. If Ray could glare, she probably would’ve done so to whoever did that. Obviously, her human crew thought that ‘mama bear’ would not want the aliens around her babies.

... Just because they weren’t wrong didn’t mean they could embarrass her like this.

As a low vibration shook his seat, Max seemed to sense where this was going and tried to soothe the bristling Ray, interrupting, “We already passed the Nursery. However, in a future visit, perhaps we could arrange something that won’t step on anyone’s toes.”

“You don’t honestly think we’re going to harm a sparkling,” Ratchet balked, feeling insulted.

Max was fast to deny that, “No, no, of course not. However, our youngest are highly protected.”

Ray, still bristling a little, shocked them with her defensiveness. She firmly denied, “No one that hasn’t been personally approved of by me and gone through the process of getting permits is allowed in the Nursery.”

“Ratchet,” Optimus warned.

“I don’t mean any harm, Ray. I would just like to ensure the health of the sparklings,” Ratchet argued.

Finding herself unable to articulate through group chat why she insisted on everyone following a certain process, she transformed to bipedal, caught Max, and set him down easily. A little winded but unharmed, Max complained weakly, and an equally serious apology was returned.

Everyone behind her braked hard, then transformed as well. The two younglings in the lead stopped slowly and unsurely, but didn’t feel comfortable transforming with passengers.

Ratchet stood his ground as Ray stepped up to him. Her now-seeing, green optics stared hard into his own blue, and he was taken aback at how much fire was in them. In their ‘care’ at the Autobot base, she had been so tranquil and seemed to avoid conflict to the point of self-sacrifice—they wondered how she had survived to this point. But the femme staring up at him now was combative and defiant.

She seemed to find her words, and the Autobots listened with slight apprehension, but no fear. Optimus stepped forward a little, ready to intervene.

She vented quietly, finding her inner peace, and said calmly, “Listen, I’m not being difficult for the sake of being difficult. I understand. You’re old, so old that I can imagine so many experiences have been gained, more than I could have possibly gained—magic artifact or not. And you, you no doubt have intimate knowledge about a Cybertronian’s physical well-being.

But I also know that it has been a long time since you’ve known peace. How long has it been since the war started? Since you’ve even been around a baby? How am I to know what your emotional state is and what your intentions will be once you have access to my babies? The problem is I don’t, and I have a responsibility to find that out before letting you or anyone touch my kids.”

Ratchet shuttered his optics, the questions hitting harder and making him feel very old all of a sudden. He may not agree with everything she was saying, but he understood the... reluctance, now. From her perspective, he was an almost stranger asking her to let him into her sanctum, so to speak. She let him into her home, showing she was willing to begin trusting him. Ratchet would have to work at it until she fully did.

Regretting that Sideswipe was in the vicinity, Ratchet did something he rarely did. He sincerely apologized. The gob-smacked look on Sideswipe’s face made him want to throw something, but for Ray’s sake he resisted.

Still, there was more that needed to be said. “I will endeavour to make myself worthy of your trust, for you and your sparklings.”

“I don’t doubt you will,” Ray admitted without hesitation, her dermas reluctantly turning into a smile.

Max let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and then checked his phone for the time.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s getting quite late,” the chief of security broke the silence.

“The humans will be wondering where we are,” Sideswipe remarked.

“I am sorry, but we must return before they realize we have left the base,” Optimus said, paused, and asked, “Will you be coming back with us? We would treat you as a comrade.”

Ray hesitated. She knew it would cause them trouble, but her place was here with her people.

“No. I’m sorry. If there’s something I can do to make up for the trouble I’ll have caused, let me know.”

“As the humans say, it’s no biggie,” the regal Autobot leader joked.

Or, at least, she thought he did. She laughed anyway, and the atmosphere brightened.

Ray smiled, and said, “You’ll always have a safe haven here.”

“Thank you,” the Autobot leader said simply.

The black-plated femme transformed back into a car, and Max got into her cabin. With a short word to Aries and Red Alert, they were off to the Gate Room.

#my fanfiction #i don't believe in miracles #greyscales #transformers

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rachelstaylor2 · 5 years ago

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First Reflection

First internship reflection (at 15 hours)

First Week Reflection 1. I’m currently a week into my internship, and I’ve accumulated a total of 16.5 hours work. So far, I’ve finished my orientation, watched a presentation and video, went over tasks and objectives with my supervisor, read the new volunteer packet, and completed my training. I’m now starting clinical screening with supervision. During my meeting with my supervisor (T*****) we went over a few additional subjects. MultiCare has closed their job shadowing opportunities for volunteers until 2021, but I was offered special projects if I needed extra work to reach my hours by the end of the quarter. She also let me know I would be acting as a trainer at some point for new volunteers. As a clinical screener, my duties include meeting and greeting visitors, providing information and directions to them, asking specific health screening questions, taking temperature readings, mask distribution, encouraging hand hygiene, and following MultiCare’s communication model. My first impression of MultiCare is that it is a much larger organization than my last internship site. The Tacoma location has 3 separate buildings. It’s easy to get lost. The facility is very nice and there are multiple departments across the site. MultiCare itself is a health system with many different locations. I can see that my site supervisor, as volunteer coordinator, is a very busy member of the staff. So far, she has been very cooperative over email and in-person. I won’t be seeing her much outside of meetings or when she’s directly observing me for evaluations. I’ve met with a few different coworkers so far. A few staff members have thanked me for my time. All the other volunteers seem comfortable with screening duties and my trainer (J*****) has been helpful in guiding me around the building. Most clients are appreciative of the work I’m doing and the extra level of safety I provide. From what I can observe, there are a lot of elderly patients visiting MultiCare. 2. At the start of the course, I didn’t have a complete picture of my duties and responsibilities. After going through the standardized orientation and filling out my learning contract, I now have a much better idea of my job. Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to complete all my hours by the 13th. I’m happy to say we’ve worked out a schedule and it’s been posted on VICnet for me. Overall, I feel more confident than the last time I took my Field Studies course because I know all of my upcoming assignments. Otherwise, my feelings about the internship haven’t changed too much. The work I’ve been assigned closely matches the job description provided online. Additionally, I can easily connect how my role as clinical screener helps improve safety and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply doing my work shows visitors that the organization is willing to make the extra effort. Enforcing masks is especially important when so many people at MultiCare belong to vulnerable groups. I do have some reservations with assisting wheelchair patients, but I’m sure I’ll grow more comfortable once I’ve helped a few people. 3. I’ve received a lot of new information, but it’s all information I would need to know if I was interested in working at a hospital in the future. I made sure to pay careful attention to hand-washing and hand-sanitizing instructions, as well as my screening script, since I will be using them very often. I felt the workplace violence module was mostly common sense, as well as the confidentiality agreement. MultiCare’s core principles are listed online, but the LEARN and AIDET models of communication are new to me. Since we’ve learned about value of communication in the HCML program, I feel prepared to apply them properly. Emergency codes, wheelchair escort, and injury protocols will take me longer to retain since I won’t be applying them often. 4. Aside from all the immunization requirements necessary to work on the site, the experience has been similar to my last internship. However, navigating the various buildings has made me realize that I’ve never worked at a place with over 20 employees on-site. Additionally, I’ve never needed to use a badge to enter staff rooms; my current workplace uses traditional metal keys. Since I don’t have experience working at a hospital, learning how to don a gown and identify proper cleaning supplies has been informative. I now realize that if I want to work outside the optometry field, I’ll need to earn a lot more experience before I think about managing. I think this internship will provide a good introduction to the wider health care system for me.

5. Based on our textbook, I can connect my initial experience with the “Developmental Stages of an Internship” (Sweitzer and King, 2013, pg. 32-33). Our textbook describes the developmental stages of an internship as being anticipation, exploration, competence, and culmination. Currently, I am transitioning from the anticipation stages to the exploration stages. Since my role was strictly defined during orientation, I have less exploration to do than at my last internship. I already have some familiarity with screening since most health care facilities have started to ask screening questions to visitors. Since I’ll only be at the organization a few weeks rather than several months, this prior familiarity means I can move into the competence stage more quickly. During the anticipation stage, an intern may experience concerns about their internship. Our textbook separates these concerns into “interest” and “worry”. I’m interested in applying concepts I’ve learned in effective communication to my internship. As a clinical screener I’ll be interacting with a large number of people. While these interactions are short, they set the tone for the rest of the patient’s visit. For managers, interpersonal skills are very important to achieving organizational goals (Celluci & Wiggins, 2010, pg. 19).

With this in mind, I do worry about interacting with uncooperative visitors. People, in general, are frustrated with the COVID-19 pandemic and many will see my questions as intrusive and excessive. These sorts of challenges are common when enforcing safety. I also worry that I might get sick or pass it onto others because I’ll be greeting so many people (especially if I’m not sanitizing properly for any reason).

At the anticipation stage, I can also expect to develop my initial relationships with my supervisor and co-workers. Many members of the staff will not be aware of who I am beyond the fact I have a volunteer badge. My closest relationships will likely be with my coworkers on the same assignment as me. We’ll be working closely together to cover the three entrances to building C.

Lastly, I look forward to soon increasing my capabilities and dealing with challenges I may encounter within the exploration stage. It can be difficult to use good judgement and discretion when you receive pushback from clients. Multicare has provided a list of scripted responses for these scenarios. At this point, Johnathan has already stepped in to help me with a few of these situations, but I hope to manage them on my own soon. _________________

References: Cellucci, L. W., & Wiggins, C. (2010). Essential techniques for healthcare managers. Chicago:

Health Administration Press.

Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (2013). The successful internship: Personal, professional, and civic development in experiential learning (4th ed). Cole Cengage Learning, Belmont.

#multicare reflection

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utopianatolia · 8 years ago

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Kitaplar...

228) Albert Camus - The Plague

"Ah!" Cottard sighed. "I only wish I had a knack for writing." When Grand showed his surprise, Cottard explained with some embarrassment that being a literary man must make things easier in lots of ways. "Why?" Grand asked. "Why, because an author has more rights than ordinary people, as everybody knows. People will stand much more from him." "It looks," said Rieux to Grand on the morning when the official notices were posted, "as if this business of the rats had addled his brain, as it has done for so many other people. That's all it is. Or perhaps he's scared of the 'fever.' " "I doubt it, Doctor. If you want to know my opinion, he—" He paused; with a machine-gun rattle from its exhaust the "deratization" van was clattering by. Rieux kept silent until it was possible to make himself audible, then asked, without much interest, what Grand's opinion was. "He's a man with something pretty serious on his conscience," Grand said gravely.

The Pretect sent instructions to Rieux, through Richard, asking him to draw up a minute to be transmitted for orders to the central administration of the colony. Rieux included in it a clinical diagnosis and statistics of the epidemic. On that day forty deaths were reported. The Prefect took the responsibility, as he put it, of tightening up the new regulations. Compulsory declaration of all cases of fever and their isolation were to be strictly enforced. The residences of sick people were to be shut up and disinfected; persons living in the same house were to go into quarantine; burials were to be supervised by the local authorities —in a manner which will be described later on. Next day the serum arrived by plane. There was enough for immediate requirements, but not enough if the epidemic were to spread. In reply to his telegram Rieux was informed that the emergency reserve stock was exhausted, but that

One of the most striking consequences of the closing of the gates was, in fact, this sudden deprivation befalling people who were completely unprepared for it. Mothers and children, lovers, husbands and wives, who had a few days previously taken it for granted that their parting would be a short one, who had kissed one another good-by on the platform and exchanged a few trivial remarks, sure as they were of seeing one another again after a few days or, at most, a few weeks, duped by our blind human faith in the near future and little if at all diverted from their normal interests by this leave-taking—all these people found themselves, without the least warning, hopelessly cut off, prevented from seeing one another again, or even communicating with one another. For actually the closing of the gates took place some hours before the official order was made known to the public, and, naturally enough, it was impossible to take individual cases of hardship into account. It might indeed be said that the first effect of this brutal visitation was to compel our townspeople to act as if they had no feelings as individuals. During the first part of the day on which the

Still, if it was an exile, it was, for most of us, exile in one's own home. And though the narrator experienced only the common form of exile, he cannot forget the case of those who, like Rambert the journalist and a good many others, had to endure an aggravated deprivation, since, being travelers caught by the plague and forced to stay where they were, they were cut off both from the person with whom they wanted to be and from their homes as well. In the general exile they were the most exiled; since while time gave rise for them, as for us all, to the suffering appropriate to it, there was also for them the space factor; they were obsessed by it and at every moment knocked their heads against the walls of this huge and alien lazar-house secluding them from their lost homes. These were the people, no doubt, whom one often saw wandering forlornly in the dusty town at all hours of the day, silently invoking nightfalls known to them alone and the daysprings of their happier land. And they fed their despondency with fleeting intimations, messages as disconcerting as a flight of swallows, a dew-fall at sundown, or those queer glints the sun sometimes dapples on empty streets. As for that outside world, which can always offer an escape from everything,

themselves for having troubled too little about this in the past, and for having affected to think that, for a lover, the occupations of the loved one when they are not together could be a matter of indifference and not a source of joy. Once this had been brought home to them, they could retrace the course of their love and see where it had fallen short. In normal times all of us know, whether consciously or not, that there is no love which can't be bettered; nevertheless, we reconcile ourselves more or less easily to the fact that ours has never risen above the average. But memory is less disposed to compromise. And, in a very definite way, this misfortune which had come from outside and befallen a whole town did more than inflict on us an unmerited distress with which we might well be indignant. It also incited us to create our own suffering and thus to accept frustration as a natural state. This was one of the tricks the pestilence had of diverting attention and confounding issues. Thus each of us had to be content to live only for the day, alone under the vast indifference of the sky.

people who are fond of each other?" Rieux was silent for a moment, then said he understood it perfectly. He wished nothing better than that Rambert should be allowed to return to his wife and that all who loved one another and were parted should come together again. Only the law was the law, plague had broken out, and he could only do what had to be done. "No," Rambert said bitterly, "you can't understand. You're using the language of reason, not of the heart; you live in a world of abstractions." The doctor glanced up at the statue of the Republic, then said he did not know if he was using the language of reason, but he knew he was using the language of the facts as everybody could see them—which wasn't necessarily the same thing. The journalist tugged at his tie to straighten it. "So, I take it, I can't count on help from you. Very good. But"—his tone was challenging—"leave this town I shall." The doctor repeated that he quite understood, but all that was none of his business. "Excuse me, but it is your business." Rambert raised his voice again. "

Toward the end of the month the ecclesiastical authorities in our town resolved to do battle against the plague with the weapons appropriate to them, and organized a Week of Prayer. These manifestations of public piety were to be concluded on Sunday by a High Mass celebrated under the auspices of St. Roch, the plague-stricken saint, and Father Paneloux was asked to preach the sermon. For a fortnight he desisted from the research work on St. Augustine and the African Church that had won for him a high place in his Order. A man of a passionate, fiery temperament, he flung himself wholeheartedly into the task assigned him. The sermon was a topic of conversation long before it was delivered and, in its way, it marks an important date in the history of the period. There were large attendances at the services of the Week of Prayer. It must not, however, be assumed that in normal times the townsfolk of Oran are particularly devout. On Sunday mornings, for instance, sea-bathing competes seriously with churchgoing.

After launching it he went on at once to quote a text from Exodus relating to the plague of Egypt, and said: "The first time this scourge appears in history, it was wielded to strike down the enemies of God. Pharaoh set himself up against the divine will, and the plague beat him to his knees. Thus from the dawn of recorded history the scourge of God has humbled the proud of heart and laid low those who hardened themselves against Him. Ponder this well, my friends, and fall on your knees." The downpour had increased in violence, and these words, striking through a silence intensified by the drumming of raindrops on the chancel windows, carried such conviction that, after a momentary hesitation, some of the worshippers slipped forward from their seats on to their knees. Others felt it right to follow their example, and the movement gradually spread until presently everyone was kneeling, from end to end of the cathedral. No sound, except an occasional creak of chairs, accompanied the movement. Then Paneloux drew himself up to his full height tnnk a deen breath and rnntinued his sermon in a vnire

"Yes, the hour has come for serious thought. You fondly imagined it was enough to visit God on Sundays, and thus you could make free of your weekdays. You believed some brief formalities, some bendings of the knee, would recompense Him well enough for your criminal indifference. But God is not mocked. These brief encounters could not sate the fierce hunger of His love. He wished to see you longer and more often; that is His manner of loving and, indeed, it is the only manner of loving. And this is why, wearied of waiting for you to come to Him, He loosed on you this visitation; as He has visited all the cities that offended against Him since the dawn of history. Now you are learning your lesson, the lesson that was learned by Cain and his offspring, by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, by Job and Pharaoh, by all that hardened their hearts against Him. And like them you have been beholding mankind and all creation with new eyes, since the gates of this city closed on you and on the pestilence. Now, at last, you know the hour has struck to bend your thoughts to first and last things." A wet wind was sweeping up the nave, making the candle-flames bend

most poignant were—anynow accoruing to wnat ne tom Kieux—those of Paris. There rose before his eyes, unsummoned, vistas of old stones and riverbanks, the pigeons of the Palais-Royal, the Gare du Nord, quiet old streets round the Pantheon, and many another scene of the city he'd never known he loved so much, and these mental pictures killed all desire for any form of action. Rieux felt fairly sure he was identifying these scenes with memories of his love. And when one day Rambert told him that he liked waking up at four in the morning and thinking of his beloved Paris, the doctor guessed easily enough, basing this on his own experience, that that was his favorite time for conjuring up pictures of the woman from whom he now was parted. This was, indeed, the hour when he could feel surest she was wholly his. Till four in the morning one is seldom doing anything and at that hour, even if the night has been a night of betrayal, one is asleep. Yes, everyone sleeps at that hour, and this is reassuring, since the great longing of an unquiet heart is to possess constantly and consciously the loved one, or, failing that, to be able to plunge the loved one, when a time of absence intervenes, into a dreamless sleep timed to last unbroken until the day they meet again.

"In the early days, when they thought this epidemic was much like other epidemics, religion held its ground. But once these people realized their instant peril, they gave their thoughts to pleasure. And all the hideous fears that stamp their faces in the daytime are transformed in the fiery, dusty nightfall into a sort of hectic exaltation, an unkempt freedom fevering their blood. "And I, too, I'm no different. But what matter? Death means nothing to men like me. It's the event that proves them right."

"So does every ill that flesh is heir to. What's true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps men to rise above themselves. All the same, when you see the misery it brings, you'd need to be a madman, or a coward, or stone blind, to give in tamely to the plague." Rieux had hardly raised his voice at all; but Tarrou made a slight gesture as if to calm him. He was smiling. "Yes." Rieux shrugged his shoulders. "But you haven't answered my question yet. Have you weighed the consequences?"

"You like being mysterious, don't you? Yes, fire away." "My question's this," said Tarrou. "Why do you yourself show such devotion, considering you don't believe in God? I suspect your answer may help me to mine." His face still in shadow, Rieux said that he'd already answered: that if he believed in an all-powerful God he would cease curing the sick and leave that to Him. But no one in the world believed in a God of that sort; no, not even Paneloux, who believed that he believed in such a God. And this was proved by the fact that no one ever threw himself on Providence completely. Anyhow, in this respect Rieux believed himself to be on the right road—in fighting against creation as he found it.

Rieux turned to the window. A shadow-line on the horizon told of the presence of the sea. He was conscious only of his exhaustion, and at the same time was struggling against a sudden, irrational impulse to unburden himself a little more to his companion; an eccentric, perhaps, but who, he guessed, was one of his own kind. "I haven't a notion, Tarrou; I assure you I haven't a notion. When I entered this profession, I did it 'abstractedly,' so to speak; because I had a desire for it, because it meant a career like another, one that young men often aspire to. Perhaps, too, because it was particularly difficult for a workman's son, like myself. And then I had to see people die. Do you know that there are some who refuse to die? Have you ever heard a woman scream 'Never!' with her last gasp? Well, I have. And then I saw that I could never get hardened to it. I was young then, and I was outraged by the whole scheme of things, or so I thought. Subsequently I grew more modest. Only, I've never managed to get used to seeing people die. That's all I know. Yet after all—" Rieux fell silent and sat down. He felt his mouth dry. "After all—?" Tarrou prompted softly. "After all," the doctor repeated, then hesitated again, fixing his eyes on Tarrou, "it's something that a man of your sort can understand most likely, but, since the order of the world is shaped by death, mightn't it be better for God if we refuse to believe in Him and struggle with all our might against death, without raising our eyes toward the heaven where He sits in silence?"

Tarrou nodded. "Yes. But your victories will never be lasting; that's all." Rieux's face darkened. "Yes, I know that. But it's no reason for giving up the struggle." "No reason, I agree. Only, I now can picture what this plague must mean for you." "Yes. A never ending defeat." Tarrou stared at the doctor for a moment, then turned and tramped heavily toward the door. Rieux followed him and was almost at his side when Tarrou, who was staring at the floor, suddenly said: "Who taught you all this, Doctor?" The reply came promptly: "Suffering." Rieux opened the door of his surgery and told Tarrou that he, too, was going out; he had a patient to visit in the suburbs. Tarrou suggested they should go together and he agreed. In the hall they encountered Mme. Rieux, and the doctor introduced Tarrou to her. "A friend of mine," he said. "Indeed," said Mme. Rieux, "I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance." When she left them Tarrou turned to gaze after her. On the landing the doctor pressed a switch to turn on the lights along the stairs. But the stairs remained in darkness. Possibly some new light-saving order had come into force. Really, however, there was no knowing; for some time

A faint smell of moisture rose from the lawns, parched though they were. Still masked by the eastward houses, the sun was warming up Joan of Arc's helmet only, and it made a solitary patch of brightness in the Cathedral square. A clock struck eight. Rambert took some steps in the empty porch. From inside came a low sound of intoning voices, together with stale wafts of incense and dank air. Then the voices ceased. Ten small black forms came out of the building and hastened away toward the center of the town.

Many centuries previously a profane writer had claimed to reveal a secret of the Church by declaring that purgatory did not exist. He wished to convey that there could be no half measures, there was only the alternative between heaven and hell; you were either saved or damned. That, according to Paneloux, was a heresy that could spring only from a blind, disordered soul. Nevertheless, there may well have been periods of history when purgatory could not be hoped for; periods when it was impossible to speak of venial sin. Every sin was deadly, and any indifference criminal. It was all or it was nothing. The preacher paused, and Rieux heard more clearly the whistling of the wind outside; judging by the sounds that came in below the closed doors, it had risen to storm pitch. Then he heard Father Paneloux's voice again. He was saying that the total acceptance of which he had been speaking was not to be taken in the limited sense usually given to the words; he was not thinking of mere resignation or even of that harder virtue, humility. It involved humiliation, but a humiliation to which the person humiliated gave full assent. True, the agony of a child was humiliating to the heart and to the mind. But that was why we had to come to terms with it. And that, too, was why—and here Paneloux assured those present that it was not easy to say what he was about to

"My brothers"—the preacher's tone showed he was nearing the conclusion of his sermon—"the love of God is a hard love. It demands total self-surrender, disdain of our human personality. And yet it alone can reconcile us to suffering and the deaths of children, it alone can justify them, since we cannot understand them, and we can only make God's will ours. That is the hard lesson I would share with you today. That is the faith, cruel in men's eyes, and crucial in God's, which we must ever strive to compass. We must aspire beyond ourselves toward that high and fearful vision. And on that lofty plane all will fall into place, all discords be resolved, and truth flash forth from the dark cloud of seeming injustice. Thus in some churches of the south of France plague victims have lain sleeping many a century under the flagstones of the chancel, and priests now speak above their tombs, and the divine message they bring to men rises from that charnel, to which, nevertheless, children have contributed their share." When Rieux was preparing to leave the church a violent gust swept up the nave through the half-open doors and buffeted the faces of the departing congregation. It brought with it a smell of rain, a tang of drenched sidewalks, warning them of the weather they would encounter outside. An old priest and a young deacon who were walking

#veba #camus #plague

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forsaking-serenity · 5 years ago