Flag Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Flag - Essay Example Jennifer de Poyen is both a writer as well as visual artist. She was a critic and journalist for the San Diego Union Tribune, writing about theater and dance. After graduating from McGill University, she studied journalism and finally graduated from Stanford University. In her book â€Å"Seeing Stars and Stripes† she criticizes the attitude of the Americans towards their national flag ever since the catastrophic incident of the 911. She explains how the American citizens treat the flag because of all the gruesome incidents that had taken place ever since. Jennifer de Poyen was triggered to paint the U.S. national flag for one of her painting assignments, but soon she realized that her interest in the flag was not academic but was more sentimental in nature. In her book â€Å"Seeing Stars and Stripes†, she recalls the days before the 911 incident when the U.S. national flag stood as a proud symbol of Liberty, Fraternity and Peace. The citizens respected and honored their flag and held it in high esteem by hoisting it on Independence Day and other important political holidays. The proud waving of flags was meant to show their love, solidarity and patriotism for America. However, Poyen states that a major reactionary shift or change in the American sentiment towards the national flag occurred ever since the catastrophe of the 911. She writes vehemently on the aftermath and states that though many people took comfort in the national flag after the 911 incident, she and many others view the flag from a different angle. According to Poyen, the fear of terrorist attacks and the helplessness to avoid such acts was brought on by the subsequent acts of the U.S. government. In particular, she makes mention of John Ashcroft’s vengefully repressive department of justice. The display of the stars and stripes evidenced a reactionary shift in sentiment of all Americans. Poyen recalls that horrendous day when thousands of innocent people lost their lives

Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Government - Essay Example Goodlad, or David Berliner and Bruce Biddle) questioned the majority of its findings, sometimes pointing at its logical or statistical inconsistencies (â€Å"A Nation at Risk†). According to Berliner and Biddle, for instance, the implementation of new academic-performance standards was ‘misdirected’, as this, and similar, reforms did not lead to any significant changes in the field. Nonetheless, despite such criticisms, numerous investigations and surveys published around 2003, the report’s 20th anniversary, purported to show that the progress done in the field of education was rather significant, with more rigorous course requirements being especially referenced (â€Å"A Nation at Risk†). To my mind, the problems that A Nation at Risk highlighted are still with us, as the public school system is often under-financed, a teachers’ shortage problem is not solved yet, and the education standards are somewhat lacking to face the shifting realities of the U.S. and world economy’s requirements. The conduct of educational reform is dependent entirely on the national and state institutions that are charged with the development of educational sphere. That is why the persistent delays in the conduct of necessary educational reforms point to the absence of political will on behalf of their