Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Accident Victim Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2
Accident Victim Interview - Essay Example The accident victim is one of the 112 workers on the site when the accident happened. The explosion occurred in the center of the refinery, a place where bagging took place. In this place, a network of conveyer belts and elevators fed the storage facilities with the complete work. The explosion came from sugar dust explosion. He onlookers and witnesses of this fateful night explosion reported seeing flames of fire rise as high as the height of the nearby story buildings. The workers present in the building were going about their duty when the explosion occurred. Sugar dust was the explosive substance as identified by OSHA, who came into the site of the accident after two hours. The explosion weakened the entire structure especially the packaging area, which was completely dismantled by the explosion. After putting out fire, sugar that had now melted in the silos remained alight and required specialized equipment to smolder it to recover some bodies still missing. The company was shor tly shut down as heavy fines from OSHA were placed on the company because of safety violations. In addition, the company incurred heavy insurance costs and other medical bills. The accident victim sustained fatal injuries on the legs because of stepping on the molten sugar as he ran away from the explosion sight. Luckily, he fell into the river and was able to swim his way out of the river and get help quickly. His legs had to be operated on, which means that he was hospitalized for three months. After leaving the hospital, he stayed on a wheel chair for six months before he could walk again. It was only after two years that he could find a new job to do as the former company closed down. OSHA circulated some regulations to make workers aware of the risk associated with working in sugar refineries to protect them from dust explosions. Although he works at the same capacity, this victim is a changed person. He understands the regulations
Monday, October 28, 2019
Case Study Gamestop Digital Firm Essay Example for Free
Case Study Gamestop Digital Firm Essay 1. à «GameStopà » Digital Firm ââ¬â Overview In my research I would like to point out gaming industry as a very profitable e-commerce sphere and as an example present a company named à «GameStopà ». à «GameStopà » was originally founded in 1984 in United States of America, as a small software retailer in Texas region. In 2009, à «GameStopà » took a major step by initiating a digital growth strategy that incorporated a Nov. acquisition of Jolt Online Gaming, an Ireland-based publisher of free-to-play titles. In 2011, the company again carried out on its digital expansion strategy, obtaining streaming technology company ââ¬Å"Spawn Labsâ⬠and digital sharing service ââ¬Å"Impulseâ⬠. At the moment the company operates around 6,700 retail shops around the world and is commited to distribute great video games to customers, despite of how and where they play. à «GameStopà » is ranked as one of the worlds largest multichannel game retailer. This organization offers consumers the most up to date hardware, game accessories for next generation video game systems and the PC. In addition, their buy, sell, trade politics creates value for customers while recycling products no longer being played. The motivation on why and to which extent the chosen firm is considered to be digitally operated is due to the fact, that à «GameStopà » reported $290 million in sales from its ââ¬Å"digital offerings,â⬠which it said was up 61% year-over-year. That total, which includes sales of subscription cards for online video game services like Xbox Live, as well as PC downloads, still pales in contrast to the companyââ¬â¢s general sales, which were around $9.47 billion. 2. Data stored in à «GameStopà » database. CRUD model. Data that is stored in à «GameStopà »s database contains following information: * Partners and contracts ââ¬âgaming industry companies that sell their products throught the website * Projects ââ¬â game concepts, ideas and future development. * Financial records ââ¬â transactions between customers, partners etc. * Employee records ââ¬â human resource information. * User/Buyer records ââ¬â recordings of customers information, their transactions and searchings throughout the website. * Branch records ââ¬â data about shops and servers that are located in other countries. The part that could be used to power a database enabled website of ââ¬Å"GameStopâ⬠may contain following data: financial records, projects, partners and contracts, because through these data company is gaining most of its profit and opportunities for future development. Financial records, contracts and employee records are better to stay internal as they refer more to confidentiallity and most probably it is not needed to be shown on the website. On the Table 1, main users that have certain rights in ââ¬Å"GameStopâ⬠are shown. It is necessary to point out the top management, it has all rights that could be engaged in the companyââ¬â¢s database, in comparison with guest users, who has the right to read only. Employees have the right to create, read, update. IT technologists are provided with the same rights and gamers who a registered in the website are able to read and update information on the website of ââ¬Å"GameStopâ⬠. 3. Two possible computer crimes affecting à «GameStopà » digital company. Protection strategies. Two computer crimes could be identified affecting à «GameStopà » company. The first and the most dangerous crime that could be pointed out is theft of identity. The second computer crime is Theft of Data. I would like to put emphasis on the fist computer crime ââ¬â theft of identity. This crime could cause following security threats for the company, which is intrusion by hackers, phishing, spyware and social engineering. Hackers could intrude into the computer network of à «GameStopà » and harm the content provided by the web site. Phishing is another threat that can occur; users might receive fake emails that seam to come from the company and try to capture private information about a specific account. Information about users might be secretly gathered while they are surfing the website, that would be a type of malware ââ¬â spyware. Although the spyware does not specially suppose to to be dangerous for user, because cookies are used to remember infromation automatically by a brwoser and make it easier for customer to login into the website. Social engineering is a possible threat that is represented as shoulder surfing in this case. Someone can stand behind a user and secretly look at the password that he/she is typing. In order to protect its database, à «GameStopà » various kinds of strategies and software: * Passwords ââ¬â a strong 8 characters password that contains not only symbols, but also numbers and head letters. It is also necessary to change it once a month. * Firewall ââ¬â a standard protection that combines hardware and software, that acts as a filter between private network and external computers. * Antivirus/Antispyware ââ¬â a software that checks computers for presence of malware and viruses and often elimates it. * VPN ââ¬â virtual private networks provide a secure channel through the Internet for transmitting messages and data using a private network. * Data Encryption ââ¬â secure socket layer (SSL) manages secure transmission of transactins through the Internet. * Awareness ââ¬â employees and users have to be aware of all possible dangers that can occur when using the database. Trainings for employees and warnings for users have to be in place. 4. Sources http://paidcontent.org/2011/02/01/the-most-successful-digital-companies/13/ http://www.gamestop.com/
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Character of No-one in Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Essay
The Character of No-one in Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea à à à à à Alan Quatermain, sitting hunched over and delirious from opium withdrawal, has been taken aboard a huge submersible vessel.à The aging adventurer says, "P-please.à I feel so sick.à Need my medicine."à A cold voice answers him, "You are aboard my ship, sir, and my remedies are bitter."à Quatermain turns, with his eyes rolled back, teeth clenched, and streams of sweat rolling off of his face, and he says, "Who said that? ... I see you only dimly, sir.à If you are real and not some opium djinn sent to torment me, tell me who you are!"à A turbaned man with a long beard and curled mustache, his eyes dark with the weight of years of exploring the depths of the oceans, exploring the unknown, and seeking vengeance with a hate that consumed him but that he controlled, looked down upon Quatermain and answered, "No-one." à à à à à à Captain Nemo truly is no one.à He expresses no nationality or loyalty but to himself and the oceans.à In the original novel, Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, written by Jules Verne, Nemo says, "Professor, I am not what you call a civilized man!à I have done with society entirely, for reasons which I alone have the right of appreciating.à I do not therefore obey its laws, and I desire you never to allude to them before me again!"à The narrator, Professor Aronnax, states, "This was said plainly.à A flash of angerand disdain kindled in the eyes of the Unknown, and I had a glimpse of a terrible past in the life of this man" (73).à Captain Nemo is outside of society, living deep in the oceans; he is the terror of the unknown.à His ship, the Nautilus, is thought to be a sea monster, and the legend is talked abo... ...best of humanity, and he showed the worst that the best of us can do. à Bibliography Allott, Kenneth.à "Chapter III:à 1863-1870."à New York:à The Macmillan Co., 1941.à Buzard, James, Linda K. Hughes.à "The Victorian Nation and its Others" and "1870."à A Companion to Victorian Literature and Culture.à Ed. Herbert F. Tucker.à Malden:à Blackwell Publishers, 1999.à 35-50, 438-455.à Cappetti, Diana, Julie Lewis, Michael Mullen.à "Late Nineteenth Century Poets."à Diss. FGCU, 2001.à Moore, Alan, Kevin O'Neill.à The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.à Canada:à America's Best Comics, L.L.C., 2000.à Verne, Jules.à "Captain Nemo."à New York:à Vincent Parke and Co., 1911.à Verne, Jules.à Twenty-thousand Leagues Under the Sea.à Cleveland:à The World Publishing Co., 1946.à "Island of Dr. Moreau, H.G. Wells."à Diss.à FGCU, 2001.Ã
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Can Classical and Operant Conditioning Account for the Development of Phobias?
Can classical and operant conditioning account for the development of phobias? Classical conditioning involves pairing an unconditioned stimulus with a conditioned stimulus. The conditioned stimulus then produces a conditioned response. Operant conditioning then refers to associations between the response and the outcome. The following essay will examine evidence supporting classical and operant conditioning as a cause of phobias.Other theories, such as biological and evolutionary, will also be taken into account, as conditioning theory is criticised for a number of reasons. Psychologists have suggested phobias develop as a consequence of conditioning, and many phobics can remember a specific episode which caused the onset of their phobia (Freud, 1909; Ost and Hugdahl, 1981). However, research suggests it is not necessary for a specific episode to occur to change behaviour. Kirsch et al (2004) studied rats in a maze.They were left to explore before food was introduced, at which point errors in the rats' route through the maze were reduced significantly. This suggests the rats learned to navigate when they were not reinforced for learning, and they formed cognitive maps without reinforcement. This evidence of latent learning suggests learning can occur without classical conditioning. Davey (1992) also found many phobics do not remember a particular aversive conditioning episode, claiming they have had their phobia since they could remember.This suggests their phobia may have developed without conditioning. Instead there may be, for example, a biological aspect of developing phobias. There are certain phobias, such as for snakes and spiders, which are more common than others. Mineka and Ohman (2002) suggested primates and humans can quickly associate these objects with frightening events because they have evolved to do so; these objects posed a threat to their ancestors.To support this evoluntionary theory, Cook and Mineka (1989) exposed monkeys to various object s, and found they easily acquired new fears of toy snakes and crocodiles, but did not develop fears of flowers. They suggested this is because they had no prior exposure to flowers in a frightening episode. While this research may still suggest conditioning theory is a factor in the development of phobias, as the primates still learnt to fear the object, evolution may also be a factor of phobia development.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
The Strange Ride of Morrowbie
In Rudyard Kiplingââ¬â¢s story ââ¬Å"The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukesâ⬠there are many aspects of the Indiaââ¬â¢s traditions and customs. But one custom that is strongly present though out the story is the role of the Indian caste system. Within each character you are taken into the five levels of the caste system. The caste system has been present in Indian culture for as far back as their history can be traced. The five levels that are present with in the characters in the story are Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans (www. suchico. edu) According to Indianchild. com the India caste system is a hierarchical society. In the Indian caste system, no matter where you live or what religion you are everybody is ranked into one of the five levels. The caste system is respected and followed by all who live within the system. No matter where you live everyone knows their caste ranking, and they behave towards each other according to their ranking. We are first i ntroduced to Morrowbie, who is a man that is placed in the caste system known as Vaishya.According to Caste System, the Vaishya are known as the Krsi (who are the people for grow the food grains), the goraksha (who are the cow protection), the vanijyam (who do the trading), the Vaisya karma (people who work), and svabhavajam (are the people who are born of his own nature). The Vaisyas were known as the land-owners, money-lenders and influential traders. Morrowbie is known as a man with an education and career as a civil engineer. Due to his successful career he is known as a land-owner. It is evident though out the story that Morrowbie knows of his high class level and the caste level of the people around him.When he first falls into the hole he finds himself in the middle of a crowd. He states that the people are scantily clothed and can be associated with the Hindu mendicants (p. 24). According to the Indian caste level the merchants are considered to be one level below Morrowbie Jukes. You can tell from the way that he speaks about them, that he believes them not to be worthy to be in his presence. Morrowbie goes on to say how the merchants should show him respect and give him recognition of his presence there. In the story, Morrowbie is shown to treat the lower caste levels as second class citizens to him.While Morrowbie is trying to buy food and shelter from Gunga he once again refers to the lower class of merchants that surround him. He states ââ¬Å"One does not protest against the doings of a den of wild beasts; and my companions were lower than any beasts (p. 28). We are then introduced to Gunga Dass as a man of power and status in the purgatory of the dead. Gunga Dass is considered to be the highest class of the Indian caste system. According to www. csuchico. edu, Gunga Dass is in the caste level of Brahmin. According to Gnome Research Brahmin are members of the priestly class in the Indian system, and belongs to the upper caste society.The Brahmins as described by Indianchild. com is ââ¬Å"Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity. Gunga Dass claimed that he no longer lived his life as a Deccanee Brahmin, but he does still maintained his status in the land of the living dead. Even though Dass states that he renounced the Brahmin life, he still is living the role of his caste system. Gunga becomes the guide to Morrowbie, showing him the ways of the new land and the laws that he must follow. Gunga takes the role of protector just as he was in his time on earth. Morrowbie states ââ¬Å"Gunga Dass, whom I had begun to regard as my natural protectorâ⬠(p. 7). It is Gunga who nourishes the people, protects the land, just as he was during his life as a Brahmin. He gave Morrowbie shelter and food when he was asked. He also had the knowledge of the land, giving Morrowbie the answers that were proper for his own caste level knowledge. When Dass is requested by Morrowbie to get the white boyââ¬â¢s body, he state s to Morrowbie ââ¬Å"But I am Brahmin, Sahib- a high caste Brahminâ⬠. Even though it seems that Morrowbie has over stepped his caste position, it is Dass who is always in control. He is the protector, guide, nourishes, and all knowing of the land of the living dead.We are then introduced to the white boy that is killed by Gunga. The unnamed boy is considered to be a Harijan in the Indian caste system. According to Caste System in India the Harijan or untouchables; was the lowest class of the Indian caste system. They were called the outsiders of the system, the people who were too low on the level to be considered part of the system. They were traditionally sweepers, washers of clothes, leatherworkers, and those whose occupation it was to kill animals (indianchild. com). The murdered white boy was described as wearing an olive-green hunting suit that was much stained and worn (p. 5). This description gives a clear indication that the murder boy is a hunter, this is thought by the Indian caste system as a person who deserves no ranking or rights. The boy is never given a name, which indicates the unimportance of his position. Also it is his body that is drowns in the quick sand for no clear reason. His soul and body are not given a second thought about, he is treated like a dried up piece of meat, just as he would have been treated during life on earth. We are finally introduced to Dunnoo, a boy that lives in the Indian caste system called Shudra.The Shudra are traditionally people that work in service as slaves or practitioners of unskilled trades. Dunnoo is in unskilled tradesmen who work as Morrowbieââ¬â¢s dog boy. He is a worker at Morrowbieââ¬â¢s farm that tends to his collies. Even though Dunnoo is considered to be in the lower class of the caste system, he is thought to be above the untouchables. That is why he is used as the person who saves Morrowbie, but it is never mention of any gratitude from Morrowbie for saving his life. In ââ¬Å"The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukesâ⬠it is evident that the Indian caste system is used in each characters actions and manners.The Indian Caste system is a system that till this day, has been the back bone of the Indian society. The characters of this story displayed not only the attitudes of each caste system, but also the beliefs of how each caste level associated with each other. Each character from Morrowbie to the white hunter established themselves in the undead world the same as they lived above ground. They did not care where their bodies were, for living in the caste system you live your full life even after death in the same caste system.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Water Wars in Bolivia
Water Wars in Bolivia Modernization and development experts in the early 1950s predicted the possibility of future water wars (Rapoport, 1974). Since then, the experts have been on the forefront supporting governments in developing and implementing resource management policies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Water Wars in Bolivia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the aim of enhancing human-environment relations within their regions, most countries have developed and implemented appropriate measures (Rapoport, 1974). However, it is disappointing to note that most governments in the developing countries have paid little or no attention to avert the looming dangers. With regard to the recent resource protests in Bolivia, this paper details the progress achieved in the case study, and outlines recommendations based on modernization theories. Problems In the year 1999, human-environment conflicts broke out in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The conf licts involved water customers, private water service providers, and International Waters Company (Perrault, 2006). We noted that towards the end of the 20th century, Bolivian government was under hyperinflation (Carlos, 2006). To ease the situation, Bolivian government requested for a financial aid from the World Bank (Perrault, 2006). The World Bank accepted their request, and in turn mandated its government to abide by the bankââ¬â¢s provisions. To achieve its development independence, Bolivian government was required by the World Bank to privatize most of its state owned industries (Carlos, 2006). To comply with this requirement, Bolivian government privatized its telecommunication, railways, and hydrocarbon industries.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the year 2000, the World Bank advised the Bolivian government to privatize its water service system. Th ey had to abide by the World Bankââ¬â¢s directive to qualify for the 25 million US dollars they had requested from the institution (Perrault, 2006). Through this directive, the World Bank aimed at improving the Bolivian water systemsââ¬â¢ effectiveness. They were to achieve it through the introduction of new investors and replacement of corrupt individuals in the water service systems. Upon privatization, the new water service provider, Aguas Del Tunari, raised the water rates to finance the construction of a stalled dam (Perrault, 2006). As a result, some poor people were unable to pay for their water bills. At the beginning of the year 2000, the peasant farmers initiated protests against the water prices (Perrault, 2006). By mid February, demonstrations had attracted factory workers, street children, and state employees. As a result, the Cochabambaââ¬â¢s economy stalled for several days led to massive financial losses. At the beginning of the case study, we identified sev eral causes of Bolivian water and natural gas crystalline protests. We noted that the Water wars in Bolivia were the product of human-environment conflicts. These conflicts depict Boliviaââ¬â¢s weak environmental management systems and corrupt institutions (Perrault, 2006). So far, we have identified that Bolivian environmental management systems and institutions are not only ineffective but also ill equipped. For the last two decades, the countryââ¬â¢s environmental authorities have followed the neo-liberal path (Perrault, 2006). In the case study, we noted that the past corrupt Bolivian environmental authorities were not appropriately centralized.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Water Wars in Bolivia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, farming organizations and community associations were formed to manage the countryââ¬â¢s water service distribution services (Carlos, 2006). Through the studies, we discovered that NGOs, bilateral agencies, and multilateral agencies were involved in the distribution of water services from rural to urban areas. With all these players in the water service system, it became very difficult for the country to appropriately manage and regulate its water service industries (Perrault, 2006). Upon privatization, Bolivian water systems re-scaled and re-institutionalized Bolivian natural management organizations leading to resource related struggles (Perrault, 2006). We identified that during the Bolivian privatization processes, they excluded the public from participating in important decision-making processes. As a result, the public were convinced that their resources were being taken over by the private companies. Through this, the citizens were motivated to fight for their property rights through strikes and demonstrations. Similarly, the public believed that privatization of public natural resources was going to restrict their access. As a result , they resorted to demonstrations witnessed during the beginning of the year 2000 (Carlos, 2006). Similarly, the studies revealed that Boliviaââ¬â¢s dependence on foreign aid, weak political and economical stability rendered their legal and institutional frameworks ineffectively. Equally, we have noted that the countryââ¬â¢s dependence on foreign aid led to the reorganization of the countryââ¬â¢s resource management systems to suit the foreign interests rather than the countryââ¬â¢s interests.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, we identified that Bolivian human-environment conflicts were triggered by concerns over control of resources and implications of scarce natural resources on their livelihoods (Carlos, 2006). By conducting the case study, we noticed that in the last two decades the Bolivian government has been infamous for disrespecting social justice. Bolivian consumers expected their government to shield them from exploitation from local and international firms (Perrault, 2006). Similarly, as noted through Bolivian water wars, Bolivian citizens were concerned with the countryââ¬â¢s lack of transparency in handling and distributing its natural resources. For instance, in the protest the demonstrators called on their government to improve its distributive justice (Perrault, 2006). Solutions As we have argued, developing nations require massive investments to expand their water services. In this regard, the World Bank and other international financiers should note that the cost of e xpanding these services is too enormous for most private companies to manage on their own (Bruce, 2011). Similarly, we noted that in some countries the World Bank has subsidized cost recovery to enhance privatization of more state companies (Funder, 2012). Instead, the World Bank should help Bolivia and other developing nations in enhancing their natural resource institutionsââ¬â¢ efficiencies rather than subsidizing and expanding their private sectors (Bruce, 2011). Similarly, we urge Bolivian private and public sectors to work together to ensure that water and other natural resources are equally distributed. Similarly, Bolivian government should ensure that its citizens have access to natural resources at fair prices. As witnessed in Bolivia, human competition over scarce resources triggers most human-environment conflicts (Bruce, 2011). To reduce competition over these resources, we urge all Bolivians to adopt responsible behaviors. According to the World Bank, people should a ppropriately utilize natural resources by minimizing their wastage. Similarly, Bolivians should adopt modern scientific technologies that minimize the usage of natural resources. Through this, agricultural farms should use the modern scientific methods of irrigation rather than the rudimentary technologies currently used across Bolivia and other developing nations. Similarly, Bolivian government should improve its economic state. Through this, the government should create more employment and investment opportunities. We believe that with an improved economy, most Bolivians would stop depending on their natural resources as their source of livelihoods, thus reducing cases of human-environment conflicts. By acknowledging the modern thinking concepts, Bolivians should analyze current social factors influencing human-environment conflicts. By doing so, we believe that they would be able to discover the means to avoid and solve these challenges. Bolivian authorities should ensure that ap propriate laws and authorities are put in place to regulate the involvement of the private sectors in participating in the management of the countryââ¬â¢s natural resources (Scott, 1998). Similarly, Bolivian government should adopt and develop alternative economic development models. After analyzing the Bolivian economic history, we noted that neo-liberalism has not only enhanced poverty and insecurity, but also resulted in increased social injustices. To solve these issues, the Bolivian private and public sectors should do away with neo-liberalization policies (Scott, 1998). Equally, we urge the countryââ¬â¢s resource authorities to outlaw the neo-liberalization of the countryââ¬â¢s natural resources. Instead, the resource authorities should acknowledge that they have failed in the distribution of the countrys resources. Thereafter, they should distribute all natural resources fairly focusing more on the previously neglected areas (Scott, 1998). Conclusion Generally, we no ted that the current Bolivian human-environment conflicts might persist for the next few decades. Thus, Bolivian government must acknowledge its citizens grievances. By acknowledging these grievances, government officials should realize that the citizens expect their help in developing political and social systems. Similarly, the government, NGOs, and the private organizations should realize that they have a role to play in the formulation of appropriate educational policies used in public education (Scott, 1998). By adopting the use of modern technologies, Bolivian government can significantly reduce cases of unrests and human environment conflicts previously witnessed. References Bruce, R. (2011). Rights to water and privatization. Environmental Forum, 28(1), 2. Carlos, A. (2006). Crisis in Cochabamba.. Alternatives Journal., 32(4), 2. Funder, M. (2012). Strategies of the Poorest in Local Water Conflict and Cooperation ââ¬â Evidence from Vietnam, Bolivia and Zambia. Water Alte rnatives, 5(1), 17. Perreault, T. (2006). From the Guerra del Agua to the Guerra del Gas: Resource governance, neoliberalism and popular protest in Bolivia. Antipode, 38(1), 12. Rapoport, A. (1974). Conflict in man-made environment. Harmondsworth, Eng: Penguin Books. Scott, J. C. (1998). Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Foraging Essays
Foraging Essays Foraging Essay Foraging Essay Foraging (Deut 23:24-25) What did it mean to the powerful landowners who viewed the powerless widows who would forage his property (Deut 23:24-25). Explain how widows are allowed to eat their fill of grapes but they cannot put any into a container, and they can pluck the grain with their hand, but they may not harvest it with a sickle. What would motivate the powerful landowners to only allow the powerless widow to only eat so much from his property and not take enough to eat later, or to plant and harvest in another field, and what were the consequences if the powerless widow did take some? : In one aspect, a powerful landowner would not want any vagrants to be on his property foraging his harvest. At the other end of the spectrum, Hebrew men wanted the recognition as a man who gave to those in need, showing a sense of superiority especially over the powerless widow. Yahweh gave instructions for caring for the oppressed and for the powerless widow. (Exodus 22:21-23) Yahweh also said that after the harvest the powerful landowners were to leave a little extra for the powerless widow (Leviticus 23:22). Deuteronomy seems to be proposing the idea of not letting the powerless widow take advantage of the powerful landowner as if the powerful landowner was watching her making sure she did not take more than required. Don C. Benjamin, The Book of Deuteronomy, a feminist commentary According to Don C. Benjamin, The Book of Deuteronomy, a feminist commentary, those who owned land were supposed to view foraging and gleaning in their farms by widows and the poor as the little amount of compensation that they were paying to Yahweh. According to the laws, widows benefited most from gleaning while those who were traveling were the ones to profit from foraging. However, according to the rules, widows, the poor and those who were traveling were restricted from exploiting this kindness offered to them. They were to eat only to their fill but avoid harvesting for later use. The landowners were seen as agents of Yahweh in his quest to help a section of His people who could not support themselves.[1] It was a belief that upon helping others, God would help such compassionate individuals in acquiring more property, referred to as blessings, so that they would continue helping the people of God. 1. Explain How Widows Are Allowed To Eat Their Fill but They Cannot Put Any into a Container This was meant to make the widows to understand that as much as they were being helped, they had to leave some behind for the property owner since he had put in work and money to maintain his plantation. Widows had to understand that they had to respect those who were being compassionate to them. In addition, this measure was put in place to remind the widows that they also had to work hard to provide food for themselves and not just depend on the kindness of others. They were to leave some behind so that in case they did not find food elsewhere the following day, they could come back to the farm and get food. Such a law was also to guard against people harvesting too much food that would later on go bad and go to waste. 2. What Would Motivate the Powerful Landowners to Only Allow the Powerless Widow to Only Eat So Much from His Property and Not Take Enough to Eat Later? By helping the widows in this way, the powerful landowners saw their influence over the people as growing. The widows who had fed on their farms would go and tell others of how generous the landowner was in helping them. This would in turn earn the landowner more respect from the people. The landowners also wanted such poor people to be dependent on them so that they would use them in some of their activities. According to the law, those who fed on these farms were expected to come and help in tilling the land in case the landowners needed such help. This means that come the next planting season, the landowner would just call on the poor who had fed in his farm to assist him. Normally, there were several people who owned such farms; therefore, the widows would go around several farms before coming back for food in a farm they had eaten from earlier. For those landowners who were religious, they perceived feeding the widows and poor people as a way of acquiring Yahwehââ¬â¢s blessi ngs. For them, they were only carrying out Yahwehââ¬â¢s orders. 3. What Were The Consequences If The Powerless Widow Did Take Some? There were consequences if the widows and the poor harvested food from the farms of the landowners. The scribes who made these laws stated that those who harvested from the farms of landowners without their permission would be treated as thieves and would be punished by Yahweh. However, women were to be treated a little differently from men as they were seen as more vulnerable than men are[2]. Despite this perceive need for some sense of kindness towards women, if found in violation of the law, they were to be punished just as the men were. In the documents prepared by the lawmakers, the scribes and the Pharisees, it was stated that the punishment of such an act was not to be dispensed by men but by Yahweh Himself since he was trying to help his people by urging other people to be compassionate to them. That apart from Yahweh punishing such an act of violation of His laws, those found harvesting were not to be helped by anyone again in case they asked for food again. He or she who t akes for granted the compassion Yahwehââ¬â¢s agent extends to them was to be punished by Yahweh Himself. The ancient Israelites were compassionate people who cared for the less fortunate members of their community, especially the widows and the poor. Foraging was one of the ways through which the Israelites provided food for the less fortunate. Land owners were supposed to see forging as way of paying rent for the land they had to Yahweh while widows and the poor were to avoid exploit the kindness of land owner[3]. Violation of foraging rules was tantamount to punishment y the laws and by Yahweh Himself. Bibliography Benjamin Don.C. The Book of Deuteronomy, a feminist commentary. Don C Benjamin, PhD, Biblical Near Eastern Studies. doncbenjamin.com/books#ots Benjamin Don C. Matthews Victor Harold. Old Testament parallels: laws and stories from the ancient Near East. New York: Paulist Press, 2006. Benjamin Don.C. The Old Testament Story, an Introduction. 2004. Minneapolis. Fortress [1] Don.C.Benjamin. The Old Testament Story, n Introduction. 2004. Minneapolis. Fortress.
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