Evil From Morals :: essays research papers

Evil From Morals By textbook definition, evil is "What is morally wrong, what hinders the realization of good" (Webster). If that is evil, then what is good? It's "what is morally excellent, virtuous, well behaved, dutiful." (Webster) Philosophers have argued over what evil is and why it exists for thousands of years. They have raised questions like ‘How can there be a God if there is evil?' These questions were raised due to God's nature: he is said to be all-powerful, all- knowing and all-good. If this is the case, why doesn't he stop evil? And, since people are supposed to be created in God's image, why are they capable of moral evil? If one believes that God exists, there can only be one answer: evil exists because God allows it, and moral evil exists because God has given us freedom of choice. Evil has been looked at in many different ways throughout the years. Philosophers like Socrates and Plato believed evil was a matter of ignorance. Ancient Persians saw good and evil as two principles, "engaged in a perpetual struggle."(Collier) In reality, evil is merely the absence of good. "The essence of all reality is good, evil is merely the faulty reflection of reality found in a world of particulars."(Funk & Wagnalls) There can be many different types of evil. Two of such types are moral evil and natural evil. Natural evil consists of things like pain and suffering, while moral evil consists of making ‘bad' decisions. "Moral evil depends on the exercise of human will; natural evil is independent of this." (MacGregor) The main difference between these two evils is that people are unable to control natural evil, while moral evil depends on their will. Some people even say physical evil is a human necessity; "Without the evil of pain, man would not be warned of illness and of danger". (Colliers) In life, there are times where ‘bad' people are better off than `good' people. Why is this? Some say it is a test for the soul, and rewards await us. "The human family is as one, and its members help one another by their good actions as the also cause suffering to one another for their faults"(Collier). As an example, take what happened to Jesus. He suffered for all sins of mankind, and through this saved them all. But what of moral evil, which consists of things like murder, which people can control? Why does God permit it if the consequences are undesirable? To understand why moral evil exists, the concept of free will must be understood. Freedom of choice, or free will is "the power and exercise of

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment Essay -- essay

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment This paper on equal opportunity employment will show a few different types of discrimination that would impede on a person from getting hired into an organization. It also shows some of the different Acts from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prevent discrimination when hiring workers into an organization. Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment Equal employment opportunity involves both workplace nondiscrimination and affirmative action. Equal opportunity has changed the way businesses and organizations recruit, hire, and even act in the working environment. These changes have been put in place due to the increasing numbers of women, people with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, persons of different ages, their able-bodied ness, and religion. In 1964 a change was brought about by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and education, to extend the commission on civil rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, to establish a Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). This Act changed they way women and people of different ethnic backgrounds voted for public office, worked in major organizations, and how they proceeded with other major daily activities. This gave the people more rights when it came down to applying for jobs or voting in schools or different organizations. This put everyone at the same level. No race, gender or ethnic power was higher ranking then the other. Most companies after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 employed the idea of affirmative action. â€Å"Affirmative action is legally driven by federal, state and provincial, and local laws, as well as numerous court cases. It requires written reports containing plans and statistical goals for specific groups of people in terms of such employment practices as hiring, promotions, and layoffs† (Hunt, Osborn, Schermerhorn Jr., 2003, pg.62). Equal Opportunity was mainly brought about due... ...oyment. Under this act Employees cannot be forced to participate, or not participate in a religious activity as a condition of employment. Employers may not treat employees or applicants less - or more - favorably because of their religious beliefs or practices. Managers must also reasonably accommodate employees' sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. If other employees’ do not like the person the manager must do everything in his power to prevent religious harassment in the workplace (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, there are many rights to the employees’ when it comes down to equal opportunity employment. In this paper you learned of a few different types of discrimination towards employees’ and how different acts protect them in the workforce. It also has shown what rights a person has as an employee in the working environment. References Schermerhorn, J.R & Hunt, J.G & Osborn, R.N (2003). Organizational Behavior Eight Edition. US Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). (2008, September 27). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/

The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay -- Papers Stero

The Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports dangerous? To what degree do these drugs really enhance strength, size, training ability, and muscular performance? Not only are the answers to these questions still unclear, they are the subjects of deep controversy. In order to understand why we are confronted with the problem of performance-enhancing drug use in athletics today, we must look at the history of the development of anabolic steroids: a group of powerful synthetic chemical compounds that resemble the natural male sex hormones (Schwarzenneger 722). Anabolic steroids were first developed in the 1930's as a therapeutic drug to treat growth hormone replacement in deficient children, menopausal symptoms, impotence, and the retardation of the effects of aging by stimulating the rate of synthesis of protein molecules (Biology 121 Web Project 1). These steroids are a simulated testosterone hormone of the ?steroid hormone? group. The steroid hormones (which are also produced naturally) are synthesized from cholesterol. Most simply understood, the hormones function by passing from the blood stream into individual cells where they bind to a receptor and activate certain genes that cause the production of a protein, especially muscle proteins (et. al.). By the late 1940?s, bodybuilders had discovered the effects of testosterone as a means to stimulate muscle growth and to make themselves train with more intensity and aggression (Schwarzenneger 723). In 1953, the first truly synthetic anabolic steroid was developed, having a strength-building effect three to five times higher than testosterone. From bodybuilders to other athletes, steroid use quickly gaine... ... in Sports: Side Effects and Links.? Biology 121 Web Project/Anabolic Steroids. 9 Nov. 2000. 6 Nov. 2000 *http://www.people.virginia.edu/ abs9f/*. Meoreira de Araujo, Mario Cesar and Marcelo R. Facio. ?The Use of Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids by Athletes.? Use of Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids by Athletes MEDSTUDENTS-SPC. 9 Nov. 2000. 6 Nov. 2000 *http://www.medstudents.com.br/sport2.htm*. Schwarzenegger, Arnold. Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. Vecsey, George. ?The Real Goal is Protecting the Children.? The New York Times 17 Sept. 2000, col. Sports of the Times: 1-3. 18 Sept. 2000 *http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?TS=969323324&RQT=309&CC=1&Dtp=1&Did=000000060561967&Mtd=1&Fmt=*.

Personal development in health Essay

1. How can you evaluate your own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards? So, how do you ensure you are working within up to date standards for health and social care? How do you check this? This is where you improve your performance with training and supervisions and I can check with the CQC to make sure I am doing things right if I was unsure or with my employer. 2. Can you identify your sources of support for planning and reviewing your own development? For examples, sources of support can include formal support, informal support, and supervision, appraisal, within the organisation or beyond the organisation. The code of practice would be my main support and guide lines for planning and reviewing my development or my employer would also help me plan my own development with keeping my training up to date. Also working by the company policy and procedures would keep me within the guide lines. 3. Can you evaluate how any learning activities you have accessed have affected your practice? I completed a fire awareness course and returned to work that evening when one of the clients set a pan on fire on the cooker, by doing the training I learnt to soak a t towel and pay it down from front to back of fire to suffocate it to put it out so was very useful and it worked as before I would have just wet a tea towel and just tried laying it on it no particularly way. So this is just one example of where the training helped with my job in caring for people. I also learnt the best way to deal with a burn is to keep it under cold water to take away the burning sensation, or to keep a cold wet dressing on it till we get to the hospital for treatment. These are just two examples from a first aid course and a fire awareness course. Unit 4222-306- promote and impement health and safety in health and social care 4. Describe the different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in your work own work setting. In my work place the most likely accidents is ware clients burn their self when cooking or when then fall over. Another is the self harming which we can in counter quiet regular when our clients are upset about things out of our control. The most often illness is coldsflu or sickness. Quiet often we have clients with breathing problems as well i.e. asthma 5. Explain the procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur. If a client had a fall I would check how they was but not move them, just try make comfortable then call a ambulance, I would then notify my employer and they would then notify anyone that needed to no. I would then document everything that happened in the accident book as well as the clients file and on my contact sheets as well. If a client had a problem with their breathing I would get them their inhaler to try and help it but if that didn’t work I would then call an ambulance to assist with a nebuliser or to take them to hospital. I would again notify my employer who would then contact the people who need to no. I would again make sure everything was documented. 6. Explain the main points of legalisation that relates to moving and handling The manual handling operations regulations 1992, which implement the manual handling of loads directive, came into effect on 1 January 1993 and apply to all manual handling activity with a risk of injury. The regulations impose duties on the employers self employed people and employees. Employers must avoid all hazardous manual handling activity where it is reasonably practicable to do so. if it is not they must assess the risk in relation to  the nature of the task, the load, the working environment and the capabilities of the handler and take appropriate action to reduce the risk to the lowest level reasonably The employer’s duties; Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling as far as is reasonably practible. Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided Reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, as far as reasonably practicable The employee’s duties Follow appropriate systems of work laid down for their safety Make proper use of equipment provided to minimise the risk of injury Co-operate with the employer on health and safety matters. If a care assistant fails to use a hoist that has been provided, they are putting themselves at risk of injury. The employer is unlikely to be liable. Apply the duties of employers, as appropriate, to their own manual handling activities. Taking care to ensure that their activities do not put others at risk 7. Explain principles for safe moving and handling There are some basic principles that everyone should observe prior to carrying out a manual handling operation: Ensure that the object is light enough to lift, is stable and unlikely to shift or move Heavy or awkward loads should be moved using a handling aid Make sure the route is clear from obstructions Make sure there is somewhere to put the load down wherever it is to be moved to Stand as close to the load as possible and spread your feet to shoulder width Bend your knees and try to keep your backs natural, upright posture Grasp the load firmly as close to the body as you can Use the legs to lift in a smooth motion as this offers more leverage reducing the strain on your back Carry the load close to the body with the elbows tucked in to the body Avoid twisting the body as much as possible by turning your feet to position yourself with the load. 8. Describe types of hazardous substances that may be found in the work  setting Bleach can be a hazardous substance if not used right and or enough ventilation is possible or many cleaning products. 9. Describe practices that prevent fires from- a) Starting Keeping things away from flames like tea towels and cloths when cooking. Being very aware and watch you’re cooking so it doesn’t burn dry and catch light. b) Spreading Keep all fire doors shut to try preventing from it spreading and contain the fire. Try to turn off the cause of the fire to try and kill the fire. c) Explain emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a fire in the work setting. To sound the alarm, to call 999, to evacuate the building with a register of who was in and who is out so you can inform the fire service when they arrive. Inform my employer and then when every is safe and fire is out, document it. Unit 4222-374-promote active support 11. Compare the characteristics associated with active support and hotel model in relation to an individual’s support. For guidance here, the ‘hotel model’ refers to institutional style settings organised mainly around staffing needs. They are not person centred and offer a poor quality of life for individuals. An example could be staff undertaking all the domestic tasks and not providing individuals with the opportunity to participate in construction activities. Active support is when you let a client do the things they need to do i.e. cooking, cleaning and self care but are there to assist them when needed. Hotel model is when you going in and do everything as it quicker and easier than waiting for them to do their self and by making them wait to curtain times or days to do some tasks i.e. every has times when they get help to use bathrooms or everyone has the same dinner time to eat or everyone has to go to bed at same time early as easier for staff to cope with if they all in bed. 12. Identify practical changes that could be made within a service setting- A) Promote an individual’s independence To help an individual to have independency could be a simple thing like making a flannel wet and handing it to them to wash their own face instead of you just washing their face, or cutting their food up so they can feed their self as they cannot cut their food up as cant use a knife and fork but could feed their self with a spoon. B) Support informed choices This could be when we go shopping and I suggest different foods for them to choose from or it could be not taking a library book back on time I would just make them aware they would receive a late payment fee that would mean they would then have less money to live on so they would then think about whether it was worth taking it back late or going back and getting it stamped so they can have it again instead of being charged for it. C) Improve quality of life. I could do a risk assessment on them and find they would benefit from some aids to give them a better life for example if they can’t read or see things properly I could arrange for them to see a optician and get glasses so they could see to read and would help with their balance and could lessen the amount of falls that they have had, or it could be someone is not hearing properly and is being a danger to their selves for example when crossing the road they are not hearing the traffic and what’s going on around them. A doctor could arrange a hearing test and a hearing aid which would be better for the client and he would be less dangerous. Unit 4222-325-support individuals during a period of change 13. Describe the types of changes that may occur in the course of an individual’s life. Types of change can include changes that are positive, negative, chosen ,unchosen, temporary or permanent A person could receive news of a death of a family member which they would then grieve. A person could have some good news like winning the lottery or could be their parent wants contact with them after she had put them in care or they got a job or they are clear of any health issues etc They could decide to make a change in their courses they are attending or choose to not have contact with curtain people or could simply be they have chosen to be a vegetarian ect You might have to move house when you don’t want to or move  area when you don’t want to but a family brake down is making you, it could be temporary until your house becomes available or it could be permanent because it wasn’t your house in the first place and you was living with someone. 14. Analyse factors that may make change a positive or negative experience. If someone was being abused but was then moved out it would be a positive move as client would not be being abused any more but the negative side would be the client would have been moved out of the family setting and might not like the idea of being away from family and rebel against it as much as they know it was the right decision they might be confused as to why the person did what they did and why have they been moved and look at it as a punishment as they had not done anything wrong. 15. Can you describe approaches that are likely to enhance an individual’s capacity to manage change and experience change positively? When our clients become 18 they are registered on to the council list for housing so leading up to their 18th birthday we will teach them to cook and clean and look after their selves and to budget and pay bills and how to ask for help when needed and where to go to access what help they need. This all prepares them for change when they have to do things on their own. Unit 4222-342- support positive risk taking for individuals 16. Explain ways in which risk is an integral part of life. Every day life is a risk, crossing the road, cooking, falling over Become ill; making decisions is a risk to weather you makes the right one. 17. Explain why individuals may have been discouraged or prevented from taking risks We may discourage some people of taking risks when they have no fear, like when they might just walk out across the road without looking to see if there any traffic coming, or they turn the cooker on and put a pan on and get distracted and walk away and forget about it until they smell burning, or it could be someone going to the cash point and draws a lot of money out and waves it around for everyone to see and then looses it. 18. Can you describe the links between risk-taking and responsibility, empowerment and social inclusion? The link is offering individuals the opportunity to achieve their goals and dreams of their own choice which empowers the individuals. The person in the support role is responsible for identifying the risks and hazards that come with the chosen activity and decide how the risks could be reduced or the activity adapted to make it less hazardous.

History of the Periodic Table Essay

Explain how scientific observations led to the development of, and changes to, the periodic table. -Dmitri Mendeleev- first periodic table, organized 63 known elements according to properties, organized into rows and columns and wrote name, mass, and chemical properties on each -Julius Lothar Meyer- independently worked in Germany, similar to Mendeleev -Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley- Worked with Ernest Rutherford, experimented with 38 metals, he found that the positive charge of each element’s nucleus increased by one from element to element as they were arranged in Mendeleev’s periodic table, lead to modern definition of atomic number (# of protons in atom’s nucleus) and the recognition the atomic number was basis for organization of periodic table. Describe the organization of the modern periodic table. Arranged from left to right in rows (periods) by increasing atomic number and top to bottom in columns (groups) based on similar chemical properties Lesson 03.02: Group Names and Properties Compare and contrast the properties of metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. -Metals- good conductors of heat and electricity and reflect light and heat, most luster (shine) and most are malleable (hammered or rolled into sheets) -Non-metals- poor conductors of heat and electricity, most are gas at room temperature, those that are solid are not malleable -Metalloids- a semiconductor (conduct electricity better than non-metals but not as good as metals), some characteristics of metals but more like nonmetals Identify groups and sections of the periodic table by group name and common properties. 3.02 notes Lesson 03.03: Periodic Trends Describe and explain the trends for effective nuclear charge, atomic radius, ionic radius, and ionization energy across a period and down a group. -Effective Nuclear Charge- the charge (from the nucleus) felt by the valence electrons after you have taken into account the number of shielding electrons that surround the nucleus. -Atomic radius- half the distance  between the centers of two atoms of that element that are bonded together -Ionization Energy- the energy required to remove one electron from an element, resulting in a positive ion. -Ionic radius- One-half the diameter of an ion. A positive ion is called a cation, and a negative ion is called an anion. Nonmetals usually become anions and metals usually become cations. Predict the properties of an element based on the known patterns of the periodic table. Use periodic table Describe and explain the periodic trends for electron affinity (honors). Electron affinity-The energy involved when a neutral atom gains an electron Becomes more negative (more energy is given off) for each element across a period from Group 1 to Group 17 because of an increase in effective nuclear charge. Becomes less negative (more positive) going down a group, because each electron is being added to a higher energy level farther from the nucleus. Explain the exceptions to the trend across a period for ionization energy (honors). Noble gases in Group 18 all have positive electron affinity values. The noble gases must be forced to gain an electron because they already have a full valence energy level. The alkaline earth metals in Group 2 and the nonmetals in Group 15 both have electron affinity values close to zero due to electron repulsion and effective nuclear charge. Nitrogen, in Group 15, does not form a stable -1 ion because when an additional electron is added to nitrogen’s valence energy level, it is added to a 2p orbital that already has one electron. The weak attraction between the added electron and nitrogen’s nucleus is why there is not much energy given off. Lesson 03.04: Valence Electrons and Bonding Define and compare ionic and covalent bonding. -Ionic Bond- A chemical bond that results from electrostatic attraction between positive and negative ions, electrons are given up by one atom and gained by another atom, and then those atoms are attracted to each other.  Between a metal and nonmetal. -Covalent bond- Electrons are shared between two atoms, neither atom completely gains or loses electrons. Between two nonmetals. Relate your knowledge of the periodic trends to the chemical bonding exhibited by various elements. Lesson 03.05: Ionic Bonding and Writing Formulas Determine an element’s ionic charge based on its location on the periodic table. Group 1- 1+ Group 2- 2+ Group 3- 3+ Group 4- 4+ Group 5- 3- Group 6- 2- Group 7- 1- Group 8- non-reactive noble gases Write the correct ionic formula when given two elements that bond ionically. Use question above and periodic table Lesson 03.06: Covalent Bonding and Lewis Structures Determine how many covalent bonds an atom needs in order to fill its valence shell, using the periodic table. Must get to 8 valance electrons. Ex. Group 17 needs one more valance electron; group 6 needs 2 more valance electrons Draw correct Lewis structures to model covalently bonded molecules when given the name or formula of the molecule. Describe your observations and conclusions from the virtual lab. Lesson 03.07: Intermolecular Forces Use VSEPR theory to predict the shape of a molecule based on its Lewis structure. The VSEPR theory is about geometry of compounds and electron location. Compare and contrast intermolecular forces (London dispersion, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, and ion-dipole). London dispersion forces occur between all molecules and particles but are the only force of attraction between nonpolar molecules or noble gas atoms. These forces are the weakest of the intermolecular forces. The London dispersion forces are caused by the motion of electrons. Dipole-dipole forces are electrostatic interactions of permanent dipoles in polar molecules. The attractive forces that occur between the positive end of one polar molecule and the negative end of another polar molecule tend to align the molecules to increase the attraction. Hydrogen bonding is a particularly strong dipole-dipole interaction in which hydrogen is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative element, and attracted to the very electronegative element in another molecule. It occurs only in molecules containing N-H, O-H or F-H bonds. Ion-dipole forces are attractive forces that result from the electrostatic attraction between an ionic compound and a polar molecule. This interaction is most commonly found in solutions, especially in solutions of ionic compounds in polar solvents, such as water. Identify the intermolecular forces experienced by different compounds. Intramolecular Forces: The forces of attraction that occur between individual molecules. Lesson 03.08: Naming Compounds Correctly name covalent compounds, ionic compounds, and acids when given their formulas. A metal forms a positive ion (cation) and a nonmetal forms a negative ion (anion). The cation and anion combine to form an ionic compound, more specifically referred to as a binary ionic compound. Write the formulas for ionic compounds, covalent compounds, and acids from their names. Name hydrates or write the formula of a hydrate when given its name (honors). Same prefixes Lesson 03.09: Molar Mass of Compounds Calculate the molar mass of compounds from the formula. Determine empirical formulas from percent by mass or mass data. Empirical formula: The formula of a compound in which the subscripts represent the lowest whole-number ratio of the atoms. Determine the molecular formula from the empirical formula and molar mass of a substance. No clue Calculate the molar mass of a hydrate and determine the formula of a hydrate from experimental data (honors). H2O- 18.015 Determine the empirical formula of a compound from the mass of the products  produced in experimental reactions (honors).

Tragedy in Waco Texas

Many people in this world tend to belong to a religious group. People feel that religion is a way to fill an emptiness they may be feeling inside. It is a way to comfort those who may have lost loved ones knowing that they are now in a â€Å"better place† and we too will join them there once it is our time. However, some people belong to either a religious sect or cult. These groups are not considered meet the standards of what it means to be a religion or they simply do not have enough people following them. In the early 90s, many people had a narrow-minded vision of what exactly the Branch Davidians were in Waco Texas.Stuart A. Wright presented an unbiased opinion in his book Armageddon in Waco so everyone could question what really happened and whether or not the government was justified in their actions. There are several differences between a religion, a sect, and a cult. According to our notes worldly religions meet a certain criteria to be known mainstream. Each religio n has a long history of existence and ancient texts. The religion has many people who follow it and elites that adhere and accept it (i. e. Emperor Constantine).The religion is normalized an influential; no one questions the faith. Finally, there is a cultural/social integration of the religion; for example, when someone new is being initiated into the presidency they must swear on the Bible. Some major religions are Christianity containing 2. 1 billion followers, Islam containing 1. 5 billion followers, and Judaism containing 14 million followers (class slide show dated 11/18). A religious sect has similar qualities of a religion, but they feel they have made improvements to older established religious.According to our notes, sects are a branch of previously existing religions; the group uses old ancient texts (like the Bible or the Qur’an) and mix new interpretations of that text. An example of this would be the book of Mormon. These sects are not fully accepted in mainstre am society and are considered to be â€Å"weird† by major religions. The sect usually contained a small number of followers who have a disdain for mainstream religions. Elites are not usually members of religious sects, but rather choose to attack them claiming they are blasphemers. Finally, many sects started to reform a much larger church.Some examples of religious sects would be the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Scientologists (class slide show dated 11/18). Although, I would argue that Scientology has more cult like qualities than sect like qualities; it is only labeled a sect because its members are people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. A group that is considered a cult usually does not have many members all of which are not dependent on orthodox religious beliefs. According to our notes, cults usually have many different ideas, a lot of which are about the end of the world.These groups are often hostile, but at the same time provide members with everythin g the group needs. Outsiders often view these groups as threats; this is why they are labeled a cult. Cults have deviant beliefs about sex, drug use, and other acceptable behavior (class slide show dated 11/18). Myths are also associated with cults and the media plays on these myths to present these cults as a threat to society. According to our notes from the slideshow, some cult myths are that members are brainwashed, they are sexual deviants, there is abuse among members, and there are strange acts like sacrificing animals etc.An example of a cult would be Jim Jones and the People’s Temple mass suicide. Jim Jones managed to create one of the largest mass suicides in history convincing 900 people to kill themselves by drinking poisonous Kool-Aid. In my opinion, the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas could be classified as a sect with cult-like characteristics. According to the documentary, â€Å"The Final Report: Waco Tragedy,† the Branch Davidian group is a branch of th e Seven Day Adventist Church. Their leader, David Koresh, taught his follows of many end time prophecies.Koresh was following the teachings of the founding Davidian named Victor Tasho Houteff. According to Stuart A. Wright, who edited the book Armageddon in Waco, â€Å"Houteff interpreted the Bible in terms of prophecy fulfillment†¦he reconstructed a history on the basis of mysterious and arcane passages recorded in Daniel, and interpreted signs in current events which suggested fulfillment of end times† (pg. 23). Many myths circling cults are about end times and the end of the world itself. Since that is the basis of the Branch Davidian group it is obvious why they were view as â€Å"different† or â€Å"crazy† when thinking the world will end.During the early 1990’s, the Davidians were a very closed off group living in their compound called Mt. Carmel; this played right into cult like myths presented by the media. It brought about questions like â⠂¬Å"What are they doing it there? † or â€Å"Why is everything secretive? It must be illegal. † It didn’t help that the Davidians had their own money system and educational system in order to design the culture for future generations (Wright pg. 27). According to the documentary â€Å"Waco: Rules of Engagement,† David Koresh had several children with various different â€Å"wives. All of said â€Å"wives† were in actuality the legal wives of his followers. This played right into another cult myth; the myth that the Branch Davidians had deviant beliefs toward sex. Although the Davidians have many cult-like myths circling them, the fact remains they are just myths not proof. The group did not meet any other of the criteria for being considered a cult. It was obvious that the government wanted to pose this little branch of the Seven Day Adventist Church as a threat because they did not meet social norms.Cults are said to be their own group entirely wi th new thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. The Branch Davidians share the beliefs of the Seven Day Adventists since that is the religion they stem from. This makes the groups more of a sect with some cult-like characteristics. David Koresh was also look upon as a threat because he was housing illegal firearms. According to the documentary â€Å"Waco: The Rules of Engagement,† Koresh was presented to the people as an insane cult leader who was in possession of illegal weapons.The media, BTAF, and FBI construed people into believing Koresh would use these weapons on people thus making Koresh a threat to the public. The ATF warrants against Koresh accused him of holding these illegal weapons as well as sexually abusing children (which still cannot be proven). To make the Waco group more of a threat to the public the media, former Davidians, and the government all make certain claims about the group and play into people’s fears. â€Å"Claims-making is more effective if the part icular issues target problems that reflect pre-existing or widespread social fears and apprehensions† (Wright 79).Claims making allows a small window for what they consider to be outside of the social norm; in other words you can be â€Å"weird,† but not â€Å"too weird. † The media presented David Koresh with the nickname â€Å"The Sinful Messiah. † The name itself sends out an alert in people’s minds; anyone who hears this derogatory name is now well aware this man must be a â€Å"weirdo. † On March 3, 1993, Mark England and Darlene McCormick released an article in the Waco Tribune-Herald Series called â€Å"The Sinful Messiah,† calling David Koresh by his birth name (Vernon Howell) and spreading rumors about various things he was accused of in the Mt.Carmel compound. England and McCormick claim they have interviewed several former Davidian members who said Koresh was guilty of abusing children physically and psychologically, having sex with underage girls, and had at least 15 â€Å"wives. † England and McCormick also make claims that Koresh (or Howell as they refer to him) fathered many children from his various â€Å"wives† while living in the compound. It says in the article, â€Å"County records show no birth certificates for many children whom former cult members said have been born to Branch Davidian women since the late 1980's.A former cult member once registered as a midwife in McLennan County said she delivered twin girls in 1991 to a young Branch Davidian woman living at Mount Carmel. The midwife said Howell ordered her not to register the babies with local officials, a violation of state law. † The problem with these accusations however, is that they are all from â€Å"anonymous† sources. It is almost like reading a tabloid magazine. If a tabloid is trying to make it seem like two people in Hollywood are dating they will write in the article quotes from these â€Å"anonym ous† sources that are proven false majority of the time.When I read this article I had the same feeling as if I were reading a bogus article in Star Magazine. I also feel the way England and McCormick refused to call him David Koresh seemed derogatory. The fact that the writers purposely called him Vernon Howell gave the article an air of sarcasm. It was as if they were saying, â€Å"Look at this crazy guy who thinks he’s the messiah; his name is Vernon Howell. † However, the article fails to mention Vernon Howell did in fact change his name legally to David Koresh. I do not think by any means that David Koresh was the messiah, but I think it was wrong to mock the fact that he changed his name.The media wanted to present him as some crazy man from Texas; the writers were clearly mocking him and wanted to let the public know it was allowed and encouraged to look at David Koresh as if he were insane. The only real source in the article seemed to be from a girl by t he name of Kiri Jewell. Kiri’s father and mother were divorced and had joint custody of her. However, her father rarely saw her when Kiri and her mother went to live in the compound. However, the child abuse thing was blown completely out of proportion.After the massacre occurred and the hearings were going on in congress in 1995, Kiri Jewell testified against David Koresh claiming he sexually abused her. According to footage shown in the documentary â€Å"Waco: Rules of Engagement,† Kiri went on record saying that when she was just 10 years old she was sexually assaulted by Koresh. However, Kiri Jewell is not a reliable source as well. In the documentary, after Kiri makes her statement, the Davidians defense attorneys show that Jewell has made several contradictory statements in the past. The documentary then flashes to an interview with the Sherriff of Waco.He explains that they are yet to charge Koresh of any form of abuse, but if there was anything like that going on with girls that were at least fourteen and had parental consent then it is not illegal. It may be morally wrong to outsiders looking in, but to them it was perfectly natural and acceptable (not saying I agree with that, but I’m not a Branch Davidian). However, I do think the media took one girl’s accusations and made a mountain out of a molehill. They knew people would respond poorly after hearing any form of abuse toward children, thus justifying the military actions towards the Waco group.In class we watched two documentaries; one was titled â€Å"The Final Report: Tragedy at Waco† the other titled â€Å"Waco: Rules of Engagement. † Both documentaries gave viewers extremely different feelings toward them same event in Waco, Texas. When watching â€Å"The Final Report: Tragedy at Waco,† the producers of the documentary purposely make the Branch Davidian group seem alien and obviously cannot be trusted since they were so closed off from everyone else. The documentary starts off by asking a series of questions like â€Å"Who are the Branch Davidians? and â€Å"Who is David Koresh? † There is music playing in the background almost comparable to that someone would hear in a horror movie. It is clear from the start the purpose of this documentary is to make the Branch Davidians seem like a menacing crazy cult from the Boondocks of Texas. This documentary also only seemed to present one side of the story. The made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world that the Davidians wanted to kill themselves in a mass suicide and therefore, when under attack by the FBI, started a fire.This documentary was shorter and did not present a fair amount of details from both sides of the story. This documentary even has the world â€Å"tragedy† in the title; right away people will play into the idea that the fire was just another mass suicide by some insane religious â€Å"cult† in the middle of no where Texa s. It played right into what the media stereotyped the group to look like. The second documentary we watched was titled â€Å"Waco: Rules of Engagement. † In my opinion this documentary was much more fair and presented both sides as best as it could.This documentary was done with a more unbiased eye, unlike the first one. However, this documentary did do a successful job of making the FBI look like screw-ups and this whole thing was just a big government cover-up. Maybe it just showed the incident at Mount Carmel for exactly what it was. Technically in the documentary the FBI did a good job of making themselves look like screw-ups because the documentary simply showed footage of thing various agents said. On some level this documentary did manipulate viewers; for example when they showed the dead bodies that were burned it gave the Davidians a sympathy vote.However, this documentary did not alter anything, but rather presented it as it was. I felt it allowed the people to get a clearer look at what happen and maybe see the media altered people’s perception of what really happened. It is difficult to say who started the fire. In my opinion this whole raid was a complete screw up. In the book Armageddon in Waco it says, â€Å"The BATF raid was a monumental failure. Subsequently, the April 19, 1993, FBI CS gas assault on the compound and the ensuing fire (whatever its cause) fulfilled only one stated objective—that of suppressing an armed group.The children who were to be saved from abuse died instead† (Wright pg. 229). There is no accurate cause of what started the fire. However, according to the documentary â€Å"Waco: Rules of Engagement† I have reason to believe it was started by accident from the FBI tanks. After the FBI released the gas that was supposed to be harmless and â€Å"nonflammable† into the compound it was shown by the person who invented infrared cameras and readings that several shots were fired from FB I tanks even though they went on record saying no shots were fired that day.During the trials they tried to present it like those flashes were light being reflected, however, these cameras only pick up heat so it would be virtually impossible to pick up a reflection; needless to say Congress and everyone in the courtroom were obviously stunned. In my own personal opinion I feel the shots from the FBI tanks mixed with the gas released into the compound were the cause of the fire. After seeing interviews with various Branch Davidian members who died on that day it was obvious they had no intention of this mass suicide.It doesn’t even coincide with their beliefs; they believed that there would be a final battle, which they would come out victorious. Although on some levels this was a battle I do not believe they would have given up and killed themselves. If there who belief system was based on this battle wouldn’t they fight back? When the fire started it looked like seve ral explosions were going off. That could only have occurred when the shots mixed with the gas that was spread throughout the building. The FBI did not want to admit they messed up big time so they formed an alliance with the media presenting a completely different story.If someone were to see a headline about the Branch Davidians they would see words like â€Å"cult† and â€Å"mass suicide. † The media presented the story as if the group started the fire themselves. Media groups claimed to have phone conversations indicating they had planned these actions; however, the phone conversations so no indication that the Branch Davidians had any intention of starting a fire to kill all its members. Most people even tried to escape the compound when it was in flames. If a mass suicide were really the planned course of action why would people be trying to escape?Although the media presents that the fire was entirely the Branch Davidians’ fault, other evidence can prove otherwise. We discussed in class that this incident at Waco was indirectly to the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh felt it would send a clear message to attack the groups involved in the trials of the Branch Davidians because of their greatest mistake and cover-up. McVeigh was so angered by this government cover up that he felt he should bomb the federal buildings where people like FBI and ATF agents worked.He realized after it was wrong to kill innocent people and said he should have only gone after those involved in the incident at Waco. Although very different, religions, sects, cults have lots in common. They each have a group of lost souls who are looking beyond this life in hopes of a better afterlife. The Davidian’s beliefs may have been questionable, but it is what they believed. This is America where in our first amendment we have freedom of religion. The Davidians were nice people and did not deserve they fate they were delt.

The Host Chapter 11: Dehydrated

Okay! You were right, you were right!† I said the words out loud. There was no one around to hear me. Melanie wasn't saying â€Å"I told you so.† Not in so many words. But I could feel the accusation in her silence. I was still unwilling to leave the car, though it was useless to me now. When the gas ran out, I had let it roll forward with the remaining momentum until it took a nosedive into a shallow gorge-a thick rivulet cut by the last big rain. Now I stared out the windshield at the vast, vacant plain and felt my stomach twist with panic. We have to move, Wanderer. It's only going to get hotter. If I hadn't wasted more than a quarter of a tank of gas stubbornly pushing on to the very base of the second landmark-only to find that the third milestone was no longer visible from that vantage and to have to turn around and backtrack-we would have been so much farther down this sandy wash, so much closer to our next goal. Thanks to me, we were going to have to travel on foot now. I loaded the water, one bottle at a time, into the pack, my motions unnecessarily deliberate; I added the remaining granola bars just as slowly. All the while, Melanie ached for me to hurry. Her impatience made it hard to think, hard to concentrate on anything. Like what was going to happen to us. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, she chanted until I lurched, stiff and awkward, out of the car. My back throbbed as I straightened up. It hurt from sleeping so contorted last night, not from the weight of the pack; the pack wasn't that heavy when I used my shoulders to lift it. Now cover the car, she instructed, picturing me ripping thorny branches from the nearby creosotes and palo verdes and draping them over the silver top of the car. â€Å"Why?† Her tone implied that I was quite stupid for not understanding. So no one finds us. But what if I want to be found? What if there's nothing out here but heat and dirt? We have no way to get home! Home? she questioned, throwing cheerless images at me: the vacant apartment in San Diego, the Seeker's most obnoxious expression, the dot that marked Tucson on the map†¦ a brief, happier flash of the red canyon that slipped in by accident. Where would that be? I turned my back on the car, ignoring her advice. I was in too far already. I wasn't going to give up all hope of return. Maybe someone would find the car and then find me. I could easily and honestly explain what I was doing here to any rescuer: I was lost. I'd lost my way†¦ lost my control†¦ lost my mind. I followed the wash at first, letting my body fall into its natural long-strided rhythm. It wasn't the way I walked on the sidewalks to and from the university-it wasn't my walk at all. But it fit the rugged terrain here and moved me smoothly forward with a speed that surprised me until I got used to it. â€Å"What if I hadn't come this way?† I wondered as I walked farther into the desert waste. â€Å"What if Healer Fords were still in Chicago? What if my path hadn't taken us so close to them?† It was that urgency, that lure-the thought that Jared and Jamie might be right here, somewhere in this empty place-that had made it impossible to resist this senseless plan. I'm not sure, Melanie admitted. I think I might still have tried, but I was afraid while the other souls were near. I'm still afraid. Trusting you could kill them both. We flinched together at the thought. But being here, so close†¦ It seemed like I had to try. Please-and suddenly she was pleading with me, begging me, no trace of resentment in her thoughts-please don't use this to hurt them. Please. â€Å"I don't want to†¦ I don't know if I can hurt them. I'd rather†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What? Die myself? Than give a few stray humans up to the Seekers? Again we flinched at the thought, but my revulsion at the idea comforted her. And it frightened me more than it soothed her. When the wash started angling too far toward the north, Melanie suggested that we forget the flat, ashen path and take the direct line to the third landmark, the eastern spur of rock that seemed to point, fingerlike, toward the cloudless sky. I didn't like leaving the wash, just as I'd resisted leaving the car. I could follow this wash all the way back to the road, and the road back to the highway. It was miles and miles, and it would take me days to traverse, but once I stepped off this wash I was officially adrift. Have faith, Wanderer. We'll find Uncle Jeb, or he'll find us. If he's still alive, I added, sighing and loping off my simple path into the brush that was identical in every direction. Faith isn't a familiar concept for me. I don't know that I buy into it. Trust, then? In who? You? I laughed. The hot air baked my throat when I inhaled. Just think, she said, changing the subject, maybe we'll see them by tonight. The yearning belonged to us both; the image of their faces, one man, one child, came from both memories. When I walked faster, I wasn't sure that I was completely in command of the motion. It did get hotter-and then hotter, and then hotter still. Sweat plastered my hair to my scalp and made my pale yellow T-shirt cling unpleasantly wherever it touched. In the afternoon, scorching gusts of wind kicked up, blowing sand in my face. The dry air sucked the sweat away, crusted my hair with grit, and fanned my shirt out from my body; it moved as stiffly as cardboard with the dried salt. I kept walking. I drank water more often than Melanie wanted me to. She begrudged me every mouthful, threatening me that we would want it much more tomorrow. But I'd already given her so much today that I was in no mood to listen. I drank when I was thirsty, which was most of the time. My legs moved me forward without any thought on my part. The crunching rhythm of my steps was background music, low and tedious. There was nothing to see; one twisted, brittle shrub looked exactly the same as the next. The empty homogeny lulled me into a sort of daze-I was only really aware of the shape of the mountains' silhouettes against the pale, bleached sky. I read their outlines every few steps, till I knew them so well I could have drawn them blindfolded. The view seemed frozen in place. I constantly whipped my head around, searching for the fourth marker-a big dome-shaped peak with a missing piece, a curved absence scooped from its side that Melanie had only shown me this morning-as if the perspective would have changed from my last step. I hoped this last clue was it, because we'd be lucky to get that far. But I had a sense that Melanie was keeping more from me, and our journey's end was impossibly distant. I snacked on my granola bars through the afternoon, not realizing until it was too late that I'd finished the last one. When the sun set, the night descended with the same speed as it had yesterday. Melanie was prepared, already scouting out a place to stop. Here, she told me. We'll want to stay as far from the cholla as possible. You toss in your sleep. I eyed the fluffy-looking cactus in the failing light, so thick with bone-colored needles that it resembled fur, and shuddered. You want me to just sleep on the ground? Right here? You see another option? She felt my panic, and her tone softened, as if with pity. Look-it's better than the car. At least it's flat. It's too hot for any critters to be attracted to your body heat and – â€Å"Critters?† I demanded aloud. â€Å"Critters?† There were brief, very unpleasant flashes of deadly-looking insects and coiled serpents in her memories. Don't worry. She tried to soothe me as I arched up on my tiptoes, away from anything that might be hiding in the sand below, my eyes searching the blackness for some escape. Nothing's going to bother you unless you bother it first. After all, you're bigger than anything else out here. Another flash of memory, this time a medium-size canine scavenger, a coyote, flitted through our thoughts. â€Å"Perfect,† I moaned, sinking down into a crouch, though I was still afraid of the black ground beneath me. â€Å"Killed by wild dogs. Who would have thought it would end so†¦ so trivially? How anticlimactic. The claw beast on the Mists Planet, sure. At least there'd be some dignity in being taken down by that.† Melanie's answering tone made me picture her rolling her eyes. Stop being a baby. Nothing is going to eat you. Now lie down and get some rest. Tomorrow will be harder than today. â€Å"Thanks for the good news,† I grumbled. She was turning into a tyrant. It made me think of the human axiom Give him an inch and he'll take a mile. But I was more exhausted than I realized, and as I settled unwillingly to the ground, I found it impossible not to slump down on the rough, gravelly dirt and let my eyes close. It seemed like just minutes later when the morning dawned, blindingly bright and already hot enough to have me sweating. I was crusted in dirt and rocks when I woke; my right arm was pinned under me and had lost feeling. I shook out the tingles and then reached into my pack for some water. Melanie did not approve, but I ignored her. I looked for the half-empty bottle I'd last drunk from, rummaging through the fulls and empties until I began to see a pattern. With a slowly growing sense of alarm, I started counting. I counted twice. There were two more empties than there were fulls. I'd already used up more than half my water supply. I told you that you were drinking too much. I didn't answer her, but I pulled the pack on without taking a drink. My mouth felt horrible, dry and sandy and tasting of bile. I tried to ignore that, tried to stop running my sandpaper tongue over my gritty teeth, and started walking. My stomach was harder to ignore than my mouth as the sun rose higher and hotter above me. It twisted and contracted at regular intervals, anticipating meals that didn't appear. By afternoon, the hunger had gone from uncomfortable to painful. This is nothing, Melanie reminded me wryly. We've been hungrier. You have, I retorted. I didn't feel like being an audience to her endurance memories right now. I was beginning to despair when the good news came. As I swung my head across the horizon with a routine, halfhearted movement, the bulbous shape of the dome jumped out at me from the middle of a northern line of small peaks. The missing part was only a faint indentation from this vantage point. Close enough, Melanie decided, as thrilled as I was to be making some progress. I turned north eagerly, my steps lengthening. Keep a lookout for the next. She remembered another formation for me, and I started craning my head around at once, though I knew it was useless to search for it this early. It would be to the east. North and then east and then north again. That was the pattern. The lift of finding another milestone kept me moving despite the growing weariness in my legs. Melanie urged me on, chanting encouragements when I slowed, thinking of Jared and Jamie when I turned apathetic. My progress was steady, and I waited till Melanie okayed each drink, even though the inside of my throat felt as though it was blistering. I had to admit that I was proud of myself for being so tough. When the dirt road appeared, it seemed like a reward. It snaked toward the north, the direction I was already headed, but Melanie was skittish. I don't like the look of it, she insisted. The road was just a sallow line through the scrub, defined only by its smoother texture and lack of vegetation. Ancient tire tracks made a double depression, centered in the single lane. When it goes the wrong way, we'll leave it. I was already walking down the middle of the tracks. It's easier than weaving through the creosote and watching out for cholla. She didn't answer, but her unease made me feel a little paranoid. I kept up my search for the next formation-a perfect M, two matching volcanic points-but I also watched the desert around me more carefully than before. Because I was paying extra attention, I noticed the gray smudge in the distance long before I could make out what it was. I wondered if my eyes were playing tricks on me and blinked against the dust that clouded them. The color seemed wrong for a rock, and the shape too solid for a tree. I squinted into the brightness, making guesses. Then I blinked again, and the smudge suddenly jumped into a structured shape, closer than I'd been thinking. It was some kind of house or building, small and weathered to a dull gray. Melanie's spike of panic had me dancing off the narrow lane and into the dubious cover of the barren brush. Hold on, I told her. I'm sure it's abandoned. How do you know? She was holding back so hard that I had to concentrate on my feet before I could move them forward. Who would live out here? We souls live for society. I heard the bitter edge to my explanation and knew it was because of where I now stood-physically and metaphorically in the middle of nowhere. Why did I no longer belong to the society of souls? Why did I feel like I didn't†¦ like I didn't want to belong? Had I ever really been a part of the community that was meant to be my own, or was that the reason behind my long line of lives lived in transience? Had I always been an aberration, or was this something Melanie was making me into? Had this planet changed me, or revealed me for what I already was? Melanie had no patience for my personal crisis-she wanted me to get far away from that building as fast as possible. Her thoughts yanked and twisted at mine, pulling me out of my introspection. Calm down, I ordered, trying to focus my thoughts, to separate them from hers. If there is anything that actually lives here, it would be human. Trust me on this; there is no such thing as a hermit among souls. Maybe your Uncle Jeb – She rejected that thought harshly. No one could survive out in the open like this. Your kind would have searched any habitation thoroughly. Whoever lived here ran or became one of you. Uncle Jeb would have a better hiding place. And if whoever lived here became one of us, I assured her, then they left this place. Only a human would live this way†¦ I trailed off, suddenly afraid, too. What? She reacted strongly to my fright, freezing us in place. She scanned my thoughts, looking for something I'd seen to upset me. But I'd seen nothing new. Melanie, what if there are humans out here-not Uncle Jeb and Jared and Jamie? What if someone else found us? She absorbed the idea slowly, thinking it through. You're right. They'd kill us immediately. Of course. I tried to swallow, to wash the taste of terror from my dry mouth. There won't be anyone else. How could there be? she reasoned. Your kind are far too thorough. Only someone already in hiding would have had a chance. So let's go check it out-you're sure there are none of you, and I'm sure there are none of me. Maybe we can find something helpful, something we can use as a weapon. I shuddered at her thoughts of sharp knives and long metal tools that could be turned into clubs. No weapons. Ugh. How did such spineless creatures beat us? Stealth and superior numbers. Any one of you, even your young, is a hundred times as dangerous as one of us. But you're like one termite in an anthill. There are millions of us, all working together in perfect harmony toward our goal. Again, as I described the unity, I felt the dragging sense of panic and disorientation. Who was I? We kept to the creosote as we approached the little structure. It looked to be a house, just a small shack beside the road, with no hint at all of any other purpose. The reason for its location here was a mystery-this spot had nothing to offer but emptiness and heat. There was no sign of recent habitation. The door frame gaped, doorless, and only a few shards of glass clung to the empty window frames. Dust gathered on the threshold and spilled inside. The gray weathered walls seemed to lean away from the wind, as if it always blew from the same direction here. I was able to contain my anxiety as I walked hesitantly to the vacant door frame; we must be just as alone here as we had been all day and all yesterday. The shade the dark entry promised drew me forward, trumping my fears with its appeal. I still listened intently, but my feet moved ahead with swift, sure steps. I darted through the doorway, moving quickly to one side so as to have a wall at my back. This was instinctual, a product of Melanie's scavenging days. I stood frozen there, unnerved by my blindness, waiting for my eyes to adjust. The little shack was empty, as we'd known it would be. There were no more signs of occupation inside than out. A broken table slanted down from its two good legs in the middle of the room, with one rusted metal chair beside it. Patches of concrete showed through big holes in the worn, grimy carpet. A kitchenette lined the wall with a rusted sink, a row of cabinets-some doorless-and a waist-high refrigerator that hung open, revealing its moldy black insides. A couch frame sat against the far wall, all the cushions gone. Still mounted above the couch, only a little crooked, was a framed print of dogs playing poker. Homey, Melanie thought, relieved enough to be sarcastic. It's got more decor than your apartment. I was already moving for the sink. Dream on, Melanie added helpfully. Of course it would be wasteful to have water running to this secluded place; the souls managed details like that better than to leave such an anomaly behind. I still had to twist the ancient knobs. One broke off in my hand, rusted through. I turned to the cupboards next, kneeling on the nasty carpet to peek carefully inside. I leaned away as I opened the door, afraid I might be disturbing one of the venomous desert animals in its lair. The first was empty, backless, so that I could see the wooden slats of the outside wall. The next had no door, but there was a stack of antique newspapers inside, covered with dust. I pulled one out, curious, shaking the dirt to the dirtier floor, and read the date. From human times, I noted. Not that I needed a date to tell me that. â€Å"Man Burns Three-Year-Old Daughter to Death,† the headline screamed at me, accompanied by a picture of an angelic blond child. This wasn't the front page. The horror detailed here was not so hideous as to rate priority coverage. Beneath this was the face of a man wanted for the murders of his wife and two children two years before the print date; the story was about a possible sighting of the man in Mexico. Two people killed and three injured in a drunk-driving accident. A fraud and murder investigation into the alleged suicide of a prominent local banker. A suppressed confession setting an admitted child molester free. House pets found slaughtered in a trash bin. I cringed, shoving the paper away from me, back into the dark cupboard. Those were the exceptions, not the norm, Melanie thought quietly, trying to keep the fresh horror of my reaction from seeping into her memories of those years and recoloring them. Can you see how we thought we might be able to do better, though? How we could have supposed that maybe you didn't deserve all the excellent things of this world? Her answer was acidic. If you wanted to cleanse the planet, you could have blown it up. Despite what your science fiction writers dream, we simply don't have the technology. She didn't think my joke was funny. Besides, I added, that would have been such a waste. It's a lovely planet. This unspeakable desert excepted, of course. That's how we realized you were here, you know, she said, thinking of the sickening news headlines again. When the evening news was nothing but inspiring human-interest stories, when pedophiles and junkies were lining up at the hospitals to turn themselves in, when everything morphed into Mayberry, that's when you tipped your hand. â€Å"What an awful alteration!† I said dryly, turning to the next cupboard. I pulled the stiff door back and found the mother lode. â€Å"Crackers!† I shouted, seizing the discolored, half-smashed box of Saltines. There was another box behind it, one that looked like someone had stepped on it. â€Å"Twinkies!† I crowed. Look! Melanie urged, pointing a mental finger at three dusty bottles of bleach at the very back of the cupboard. What do you want bleach for? I asked, already ripping into the cracker box. To throw in someone's eyes? Or to brain them with the bottle? To my delight, the crackers, though reduced to crumbs, were still inside their plastic sleeves. I tore one open and started shaking the crumbs into my mouth, swallowing them half chewed. I couldn't get them into my stomach fast enough. Open a bottle and smell it, she instructed, ignoring my commentary. That's how my dad used to store water in the garage. The bleach residue kept the water from growing anything. In a minute. I finished one sleeve of crumbs and started on the next. They were very stale, but compared to the taste in my mouth, they were ambrosia. When I finished the third, I became aware that the salt was burning the cracks in my lips and at the corners of my mouth. I heaved out one of the bleach bottles, hoping Melanie was right. My arms felt weak and noodley, barely able to lift it. This concerned us both. How much had our condition deteriorated already? How much farther would we be able to go? The bottle's cap was so tight, I wondered if it had melted into place. Finally, though, I was able to twist it off with my teeth. I sniffed at the opening carefully, not especially wanting to pass out from bleach fumes. The chemical scent was very faint. I sniffed deeper. It was water, definitely. Stagnant, musty water, but water all the same. I took a small mouthful. Not a fresh mountain stream, but wet. I started guzzling. Easy there, Melanie warned me, and I had to agree. We'd lucked into this cache, but it made no sense to squander it. Besides, I wanted something solid now that the salt burn had eased. I turned to the box of Twinkies and licked three of the smooshed-up cakes from the inside of the wrappers. The last cupboard was empty. As soon as the hunger pangs had eased slightly, Melanie's impatience began to leak into my thoughts. Feeling no resistance this time, I quickly loaded my spoils into my pack, pitching the empty water bottles into the sink to make room. The bleach jugs were heavy, but theirs was a comforting weight. It meant I wouldn't stretch out to sleep on the desert floor thirsty and hungry again tonight. With the sugar energy beginning to buzz through my veins, I loped back out into the bright afternoon.