Blood Promise Chapter Seven

It was like Christmas morning. I wasn't usually big on God or fate, but now I was seriously reconsidering. After I'd passed out, Sydney had apparently made some frantic calls, and someone she knew in Baia had driven to us-risking the darkness-to rescue us and take us back where I could be treated. That was no doubt why I'd had vague sensations of being in a car during my delirium; it hadn't all been part of the dream. And then, somehow, out of all the dhampirs in Baia, I had been taken to Dimitri's mother. That was enough to make me seriously consider that there might truly be forces greater than me at work in the universe. No one told me exactly how it happened, but I soon learned Olena Belikova had a reputation among her peers for healing-and not even any sort of magical healing. She'd had medical training and was the person other dhampirs-and even some Moroi-went to in this region when they wanted to avoid human attention. Still. The coincidence was eerie, and I couldn't help but think there was something going on that I didn't understand. For now, I didn't worry too much about the hows and whys of my current situation. I was too busy staring wide-eyed at my surroundings and its inhabitants. Olena didn't live alone. All of Dimitri's sisters-three of them-lived in the house too, along with their kids. The family resemblance was startling. None of them looked exactly like Dimitri, but in every face, I could see him. The eyes. The smile. Even the sense of humor. Seeing them fed the Dimitri withdrawal I'd had since he'd disappeared-and made it worse at the same time. Whenever I looked at any of them out of my peripheral vision, I'd think I was seeing Dimitri. It was like a house of mirrors, with distorted reflections of him everywhere. Even the house gave me a thrill. There were no obvious signs that Dimitri had ever lived there, but I kept thinking, this is where he grew up. He walked these floors, touched these walls†¦ As I walked from room to room, I'd touch the walls too, trying to draw his energy from them. I'd envision him lounging on the couch, home on break from school. I wondered if he'd slid down the banisters when he was little. The images were so real that I had to keep reminding myself that he hadn't been here in ages. â€Å"You've made an amazing recovery,† Olena noted the next morning after I'd been brought to her. She watched with approval as I inhaled a plate of blini. They were ultra-thin pancakes stacked and layered with butter and jam. My body always required a lot of food to keep its strength up, and I figured as long as I wasn't chewing with my mouth open or anything, I had no reason to feel bad about eating so much. â€Å"I thought you were dead when Abe and Sydney brought you in.† â€Å"Who?† I asked between bites of food. Sydney sat at the table with the rest of the family, hardly touching her food as usual. She seemed clearly uneasy at being in a dhampir household, but when I'd first come downstairs this morning, I'd definitely seen some relief in her eyes. â€Å"Abe Mazur,† said Sydney. Unless I was mistaken, some of the other people at the table exchanged knowing glances. â€Å"He's a Moroi. I†¦ I didn't know how badly you were injured last night, so I called him. He drove down with his guardians. He was the one who brought you here.† Guardians. Plural. â€Å"Is he royal?† Mazur wasn't a royal name, but that wasn't always a sure sign of someone's lineage. And while I was beginning to trust Sydney's social networking and connections to powerful people, I couldn't imagine why a royal would go out of his way for me. Maybe he owed the Alchemists a favor. â€Å"No,† she said bluntly. I frowned. A non-royal Moroi with more than one guardian? Very odd. It was clear she wasn't going to say anything else on the matter-at least not for now. I swallowed another mouthful of blini and turned my attention back to Olena. â€Å"Thanks for taking me in.† Dimitri's older sister, Karolina, sat at the table too, along with her baby girl and son Paul. Paul was about ten and seemed fascinated by me. Dimitri's teenage sister, Viktoria, was also there. She appeared to be a little younger than me. The third Belikov sister was named Sonya and had left for work before I woke up. I'd have to wait to meet her. â€Å"Did you really kill two Strigoi all by yourself?† Paul asked me. â€Å"Paul,† chastised Karolina. â€Å"That's not a nice question to ask.† â€Å"But it's an exciting one,† said Viktoria with a grin. Her brown hair was streaked with gold, but her dark eyes sparkled so much like Dimitri's when he was excited that it tugged at my heart. Again, I had that taunting sensation of Dimitri being here but not here. â€Å"She did,† said Sydney. â€Å"I saw the bodies. Like always.† She wore that comically tormented expression of hers, and I laughed. â€Å"At least I left them where you could find them this time.† My humor suddenly dimmed. â€Å"Did anyone†¦ any other humans notice or hear?† â€Å"I got rid of the bodies before anyone saw,† she said. â€Å"If people heard anything†¦ Well, backwoods places like that are always filled with superstitions and ghost stories. They don't have factual evidence of vampires, per se, but there's always sort of this belief that the supernatural and dangerous are out there. Little do they know.† She said â€Å"ghost stories† without any change of expression. I wondered if she'd seen any of the spirits last night but finally decided she probably hadn't. She'd come outside near the tail end of the fight, and if past evidence was any indication, nobody else could see the spirits I saw-except Strigoi, as it turned out. â€Å"You must have had some good training then,† said Karolina, shifting so the baby leaned against her shoulder. â€Å"You look like you should still be in school.† â€Å"Just got out,† I said, earning another scrutinizing look from Sydney. â€Å"You're American,† said Olena matter-of-factly. â€Å"What in the world could bring you out here?† â€Å"I†¦ I'm looking for someone,† I said after a few moments' hesitation. I was afraid they were going to press for details or that she too would have blood whore suspicions, but just then, the kitchen door opened and Dimitri's grandmother, Yeva, walked in. She had poked her head in earlier and scared the hell out of me. Dimitri had told me that she was a witch of sorts, and I could believe it. She looked like she was a gazillion years old and was so thin, it was a wonder the wind didn't blow her away. She barely stood five feet tall, and her hair covered her head in patchy gray wisps. But it was her eyes that truly frightened me. The rest of her might be frail, but those dark eyes were sharp and alert and seemed to bore into my soul. Even without Dimitri's explanation, I would have taken her for a witch. She was also the only one in the household who didn't speak English. She sat down at one of the empty chairs, and Olena hastily jumped up to get some more blini. Yeva muttered something in Russian that made the others look uncomfortable. Sydney's lips twitched into a small smile. Yeva's eyes were on me as she spoke, and I glanced around for translation. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Grandmother says you're not telling us the whole truth about why you're here. She says the longer you delay, the worse it will be,† Viktoria explained. She then gave Sydney an apologetic look. â€Å"And she wants to know when the Alchemist is leaving.† â€Å"As soon as possible,† said Sydney dryly. â€Å"Well, why I'm here†¦ it's kind of a long story.† Could I be any vaguer? Yeva said something else, and Olena retorted with what sounded like a chastisement. To me, she spoke gently: â€Å"Ignore her, Rose. She's in one of her moods. Why you're here is your own business-although I'm sure Abe would like to talk to you at some point.† She frowned slightly, and I was reminded of the earlier looks at the table. â€Å"You should make sure you thank him. He seemed very concerned about you.† â€Å"I'd kind of like to see him too,† I mumbled, still curious about this well-protected, non-royal Moroi who had given me a ride and seemed to make everyone uneasy. Eager to avoid more talk of why I was here, I hastily changed the subject. â€Å"I'd also love to look around Baia. I've never been in a place like this before-where so many dhampirs live, I mean.† Viktoria brightened. â€Å"I can definitely give you a tour-if you're sure you're feeling okay. Or if you don't have to leave right away.† She believed I was passing through, which was just as well. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was doing anymore, now that it seemed likely Dimitri wasn't in the area. I glanced at Sydney questioningly. She shrugged. â€Å"Do whatever you want. I'm not going anywhere.† I found that a little disconcerting too. She'd brought me here as her superiors had told her to do-but now what? Well, that was a concern for later. As soon as I finished my food, Viktoria practically dragged me out the door, as if I was the most exciting thing that had happened around here in a while. Yeva hadn't taken her eyes off me for the rest of the meal, and even though she'd never said anything else, her suspicious look clearly told me she didn't believe a word I'd said. I invited Sydney along on the outing, but she declined, choosing instead to lock herself away in a bedroom to read about Greek temples or make world-controlling phone calls or do whatever it was she did. Viktoria said downtown wasn't far from where they lived and was easy to walk to. The day was clear and cool, with enough sun to make being outside pretty pleasant. â€Å"We don't get a lot of visitors,† she explained. â€Å"Except for Moroi men, but most don't stay long.† She added no more, but I wondered about her implications. Were these Moroi men off to find some action with dhampir women? I'd grown up thinking of these women, dhampirs who chose not to become guardians, as disgraceful and dirty. The ones in the Nightingale had certainly met the blood whore stereotype, but Dimitri had assured me that not all dhampir women were like that. After meeting the Belikovs, I believed him. As we approached the center of town, I soon discovered another myth shattered. People always talked about blood whores living in camps or communes, but that wasn't the case here. Baia wasn't huge, not like Saint Petersburg or even Omsk, but it was a real town with a large human population. Hardly a rural camp or farm settlement. The whole setting was astonishingly normal, and when we reached downtown, lined with small shops and restaurants, it too seemed like any other place in the world people might live. Modern and ordinary, just with a slight village feel. â€Å"Where are all the dhampirs?† I wondered aloud. Sydney had said there was a secret dhampir subculture, but I saw no signs of it. Viktoria smiled. â€Å"Oh, they're here. We have a lot of businesses and other places that humans don't know about.† While I could understand dhampirs going unnoticed in big cities, it seemed remarkable to pull that off here. â€Å"And lots of us just live and work with humans.† She nodded over toward what looked like a drugstore. â€Å"That's where Sonya works now.† â€Å"Now?† â€Å"Now that she's pregnant.† Viktoria rolled her eyes. â€Å"I'd take you to meet her, but she's grumpy all the time lately. I hope the baby's early.† She left it at that, and I again wondered about the dynamics of dhampirs and Moroi here. We didn't mention it again, and our conversation stayed light and even teasing. Viktoria was easy to like, and in only an hour, we'd clicked as though we'd known each other forever. Maybe my connection to Dimitri bound me to his family, too. My thoughts were cut off when someone called Viktoria's name. We turned to see a very cute dhampir guy crossing the street. He had bronze hair and dark eyes, his age falling somewhere between mine and Viktoria's. He said something chatty and conversational to her. She grinned at him and then gestured to me, giving my introduction in Russian. â€Å"This is Nikolai,† she told me in English. â€Å"Nice to meet you,† he said, also switching languages. He gave me a quick assessment in the way guys often do, but when he turned back to Viktoria, it was clear who the object of his affections was. â€Å"You should bring Rose to Marina's party. It's Sunday night.† He hesitated, turning a bit shy. â€Å"You're going, aren't you?† Viktoria turned thoughtful, and I realized she was completely oblivious to his crush. â€Å"I'll be there, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned to me. â€Å"Will you still be around?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said honestly. â€Å"But I'll go if I'm still here. What kind of party is it?† â€Å"Marina's a friend from school,† explained Viktoria. â€Å"We're just going to get together and celebrate before we go back.† â€Å"To school?† I asked stupidly. Somehow, it had never occurred to me that the dhampirs out here would be in school. â€Å"We're on break right now,† said Nikolai. â€Å"For Easter.† â€Å"Oh.† It was late April, but I had no clue what day Easter fell on this year. I'd lost track of the days. It hadn't happened yet, so their school must have their break the week before Easter. St. Vladimir's took its vacation afterward. â€Å"Where is your school?† â€Å"It's about three hours away. Even more remote than here.† Viktoria made a face. â€Å"Baia's not so bad,† teased Nikolai. â€Å"Easy for you to say. You'll eventually leave and go see new and exciting places.† â€Å"Can't you?† I asked her. She frowned, suddenly uncomfortable. â€Å"Well, I could†¦ but that's not how we do it here-at least not in my family. Grandmother has some†¦ strong opinions about men and women. Nikolai will be a guardian, but I'll stay here with my family.† Nikolai suddenly gave me a new appraisal. â€Å"Are you a guardian?† â€Å"Ah, well.† Now I was the uncomfortable one. Viktoria spoke before I could come up with anything to say. â€Å"She killed two Strigoi outside of town. By herself.† He looked impressed. â€Å"You are a guardian.† â€Å"Well, no†¦ I've killed before, but I'm not actually sworn.† Turning around, I lifted up my hair to show them my neck. In addition to all my regular molnija marks, I also had the little star-shaped tattoo that meant I'd been in a battle. They both gasped, and Nikolai said something in Russian. I let my hair drop and looked back. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You're†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Viktoria bit her lip, eyes contemplative as she groped for what she wanted to say. â€Å"Unpromised? I don't know the English word.† â€Å"Unpromised?† I said. â€Å"I guess†¦ but technically, aren't all the women here?† â€Å"Even if we aren't guardians, we still get marks showing we completed our training. No promise mark, though. For you to have killed so many Strigoi and have no loyalties to a school or the guardians†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Viktoria shrugged. â€Å"We call it being unpromised-it's a strange thing.† â€Å"It's strange where I come from too,† I admitted. Unheard of, really. So much so, that we didn't have a term for it. It just wasn't done. â€Å"I should let you two go,† said Nikolai, his lovesick eyes back on Viktoria. â€Å"But I'll see you at Marina's for sure? Maybe sooner?† â€Å"Yes,† she agreed. They said their farewells in Russian, and then he loped off across the street with the kind of easy, athletic grace guardians often acquired with training. It reminded me a bit of Dimitri's. â€Å"I must have scared him off,† I said. â€Å"No, he thinks you're exciting.† â€Å"Not as exciting as he thinks you are.† Her eyebrows rose. â€Å"What?† â€Å"He likes you†¦ I mean, really likes. Can't you tell?† â€Å"Oh. We're just friends.† I could tell from her attitude that she meant it. She was completely indifferent to him, which was too bad. He was cute and nice. Letting poor Nikolai go, I brought up the guardians again. I was intrigued by the different attitudes around here. â€Å"You said you can't†¦ but do you want to be a guardian?† She hesitated. â€Å"I've never really considered it. I get all the same training at school, and I like being able to defend myself. But I'd rather use it in defense of my family than Moroi. I guess it sounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused again to think of the right word. â€Å"†¦ Sexist? But, the men become guardians, and women stay at home. Only my brother left.† I nearly tripped. â€Å"Your brother?† I asked, keeping my voice as steady as possible. â€Å"Dimitri,† she said. â€Å"He's older than me and has been a guardian for a while. He's over in the United States, actually. We haven't seen him in a long time.† â€Å"Huh.† I felt horrible and guilty. Guilty because I was keeping the truth from Viktoria and the others. Horrible because apparently no one from back home had bothered to pass the news on to his family yet. Smiling at her own memories, she didn't notice my change in mood. â€Å"Paul actually looks exactly like he did at that age. I should show you pictures of him-and some recent ones, too. Dimitri's pretty cute. For my brother, I mean.† I was sure seeing pictures of Dimitri as a little boy would rip my heart out. As it was, the more Viktoria began to talk about him, the sicker I felt. She had no clue about what had happened, and even though it had been a couple of years since she'd seen him, it was clear she and the rest of the family loved him like crazy. Not that that should be a surprise. (And really, who couldn't love Dimitri?) Being around them just one morning had shown me how close they all were. I knew from Dimitri's stories that he was crazy about all of them, too. â€Å"Rose? Are you okay?† Viktoria was peering at me with concern, probably because I hadn't said anything in the last ten minutes. We had circled around and were almost back at her house. Looking at her, at her open, friendly face and eyes that were so much like Dimitri's, I realized I had another task ahead of me before I could go after Dimitri, wherever he was. I swallowed. â€Å"I†¦ yeah. I think†¦ I think I need to sit down with you and the rest of your family.† â€Å"Okay,† she said, the worry still in her voice. Inside the house, Olena was bustling around the kitchen with Karolina. I thought they were making plans for tonight's dinner, which was startling considering we'd just finished a huge breakfast. I could definitely get used to the way they ate around here. In the living room, Paul was building an elaborate racetrack out of Legos. Yeva sat in a rocking chair and appeared to be the world's most stereotypical grandmother as she knit a pair of socks. Except most grandmothers didn't look like they could incinerate you with a single glance. Olena was talking to Karolina in Russian but switched to English when she saw me. â€Å"You two are back earlier than I expected.† â€Å"We saw the town,† said Viktoria. â€Å"And†¦ Rose wanted to talk to you. To all of us.† Olena gave me a look as puzzled and concerned as Viktoria's. â€Å"What's going on?† The weight of all those Belikov eyes on me made my heart start thumping in my chest. How was I going to do this? How could I explain something I hadn't spoken about in weeks? I couldn't stand to put them-or myself-through it. When Yeva scuttled in, it made things that much worse. Maybe she'd had some mystical sense that something big was about to go down. â€Å"We should sit,† I said. Paul stayed in the living room, for which I was grateful. I was pretty sure I couldn't handle saying what I had to with a little kid-one who looked like Dimitri, apparently-watching me. â€Å"Rose, what's wrong?† asked Olena. She looked so sweet and, well†¦ motherly, that I nearly cried. Whenever I'd been angry with my own mother for not being around or doing a good job, I'd always compared her to some idealized image of a mom-a mom who seemed a lot like Dimitri's, I realized. Dimitri's sisters looked equally worried, like I was someone they'd known forever. That acceptance and concern made my eyes burn even more, seeing as they'd just met me this morning. Yeva wore a very strange expression, however-almost like she'd been expecting something like this all along. â€Å"Well†¦ the thing is, the reason I came here, to Baia, was to find you guys.† That wasn't entirely true. I'd come to search for Dimitri. I'd never thought much about finding his family, but now, I realized that it was a good thing I had. â€Å"You see, Viktoria was talking about Dimitri earlier.† Olena's face brightened when I said her son's name. â€Å"And†¦ I knew-er, know him. He used to be a guardian at my school. My teacher, actually.† Karolina and Viktoria lit up as well. â€Å"How is he?† asked Karolina. â€Å"It's been ages since we've seen him. Do you know when he's going to visit?† I couldn't even think about answering her question, so I pushed forward with my story before I lost my courage in front of all those loving faces. As the words came out of my mouth, it was almost like someone else was saying them and I was simply watching from a distance. â€Å"A month ago†¦ our school was attacked by Strigoi. A really bad attack†¦ a huge group of Strigoi. We lost a lot of people-Moroi and dhampirs, both.† Olena exclaimed in Russia. Viktoria leaned toward me. â€Å"St. Vladimir's?† I halted in my story, surprised. â€Å"You've heard of it?† â€Å"Everyone's heard of it,† said Karolina. â€Å"We all know what happened. That was your school? You were there that night?† I nodded. â€Å"No wonder you have so many molnija marks,† breathed Viktoria in wonder. â€Å"And that's where Dimitri's at now?† asked Olena. â€Å"We lost track of his latest assignment.† â€Å"Um, yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My tongue felt thick in my throat. I couldn't breathe. â€Å"I was at the school the night of the attack,† I reaffirmed. â€Å"And so was Dimitri. He was one of the leaders in the battle†¦ and the way he fought†¦ he was†¦ he was so brave†¦ and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words were breaking up, but by this point, the others were catching on. Olena gasped and again murmured in Russian. I picked out the word for â€Å"God.† Karolina sat frozen, but Viktoria leaned toward me. Those eyes that were so like her brother's stared at me intently, as intently as he would if pushing me to tell the truth, no matter how awful. â€Å"What happened?† she demanded. â€Å"What happened to Dimitri?† I looked away from their faces, my eyes drifting to the living room. On the far wall, I caught sight of a bookcase filled with old, leather-covered books. They had gold-embossed lettering on the spines. It was totally random, but I suddenly remembered Dimitri mentioning those. They were these old adventure novels my mother collected, he'd told me once. The covers were so beautiful, and I loved them. If I was careful, she'd let me read them sometimes. The thought of a young Dimitri sitting in front of that bookcase, carefully turning the pages-and oh, he would have been careful-almost made me lose it. Had that been where he'd developed his love of western novels? I was losing it. I was getting distracted. I wasn't going to be able to tell them the truth. My emotions were growing too powerful, my memories flooding me as I fought to think about something-anything-that didn't involve that horrible battle. Then I glanced at Yeva again, and something about her eerie, knowing expression inexplicably spurred me on. I had to do this. I turned back to the others. â€Å"He fought really bravely in the battle, and afterward, he helped lead a rescue mission to save some people that the Strigoi had captured. He was really amazing there, too, only†¦ he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped again and realized tears were running down my cheeks. In my mind, I was replaying that awful scene in the cave, with Dimitri so close to freedom and taken by a Strigoi at the last minute. Shaking that thought away, I took another deep breath. I had to finish this. I owed it to his family. There was no gentle way to say it. â€Å"One of the Strigoi there†¦ well, he overpowered Dimitri.† Karolina buried her face in her mother's shoulder, and Olena made no effort to hide her own tears. Viktoria wasn't crying, but her face had gone perfectly still. She was working hard to keep her emotions in check, just as Dimitri would have. She searched my face, needing to know for sure. â€Å"Dimitri is dead,† she said. It was a statement, not a question, but she was looking to me for confirmation. I wondered if I'd given away something, some hint that there was still more to the story. Or maybe she just needed the certainty of those words. And for a moment, I considered telling them that Dimitri was dead. It was what the Academy would tell them, what the guardians would tell them. It would be easier on them†¦ but somehow, I couldn't stand to lie to them-even if it was a comforting lie. Dimitri would have wanted the whole truth, and his family would too. â€Å"No,† I said, and for a heartbeat, hope sprang up in everyone's faces-at least until I spoke again. â€Å"Dimitri's a Strigoi.†

Rights of Passage - 917 Words

Rights of Passage Antonio, from Bless Me, Ultima, lives stuck in a world of in-betweens, a world of borders. He is forced to navigate this world and find his place within it, all while trying to please his parents. Tony’s surroundings and cultural background lead to this in between world and force him to pick a side before he has even began to grow up. In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima, Antonio is constantly searching for answers about his future and the world around him; he finds these answers through his family, environment, religion, and family friend, Ultima. The binary opposition of Antonio’s mother and father are one of the major central conflicts. Antonio is forced to battle the tradition of the Lunas and the Mà ¡rez, two families that see no common ground. His passage into maturity is one that forces him to decide between his mother and his father, the land and the sea. During one of Antonio’s dreams he sees his births. 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Pilgrims come from all over to see the holy site and will perform many tasks and actions to reach a state of enlightenmentRead MoreDantes Inferno, Up on Your Feet Passage Essay566 Words   |  3 PagesYour Feet Passage) As the great Norman Vincent Peale once said, â€Å"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.† In Dante’s The Inferno, he creates a vivid image of what his version of hell looks like. Hell isn’t the typical hell, which they talk about in movies. You have to put everything else away when you start to read about Dante’s The Inferno. In Canto XXIV, circle eight, the passage, â€Å"Up On Your Feet,† lives. This passage is a passage that isRead MoreThe Teachings Of The Buddha Give A Clear View Of What The1260 Words   |  6 Pageslife, according to the Buddha. Through the passage there is a list of important changes that someone can make in their life to completely eliminate suffering and possibly reach a higher mental state. Some questions that could be answered using this passage include: What was life like for people like the author? What is the purpose for writing these teachings? What was th e intended audience? What significance does this passage have? Within this passage there is a small amount of bias. The authorRead MoreOver the Rainbow1681 Words   |  7 Pagesparenthetical citations for each direct quotation make sure each quotation is placed within a paragraph introduce and provide context for each quotation How do you summarize a passage? borrowing the exact words from the source restating a section of text from the source expressing the main ideas of the passage in your own words restating at least five facts in your own words When using a direct quotation, how do you signify that the words are not yours? quotation marks in-textRead MoreWomen s Rights Of The Civil Rights Movement1619 Words   |  7 Pages Decades after the National Women’s Party pushed for the passage of their proposed Equal Rights Amendment, feminists of the 1960s and 70s rallied once again for this change in the Constitution. The amendment, simply stating that, â€Å"Equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex,† quickly gained popularity among activists in the 1970s. This support was not surprising, as this decade was a time of great change and protest. Feminist felt that

Racial Profiling - 1273 Words

Kim Johnson Johnson 1 Professor John Aveni English 102 September 26, 2011 Racial grouping and categories can be effective and not effective. In the article â€Å"Racial Formation in the United States† by Michael Omi and Howard Winant they discuss their views of racial groups in the U.S and their effectiveness on people. In the article â€Å"How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says about Race in America† by Karen Brodkin she discusses how in the past time Jews were considered something other than white, but now they are considered as very much white. Brodkin’s article supports Omi and Winant by addressing the same issues in a more detailed and specific way, they both talk about these racial categories and how it affects†¦show more content†¦Omi and Winant say that racial dictatorship has had consequences, one being their definition of American as only white. Also they created the color line, which they said was the fundamental division in the U.S society. Also, the racial dictatorship consolidated the o ppositional racial consciousness and organization (66). These consequences affected the minority races of course. Why was a â€Å"color line† needed? It is like the world just wanted this race to feel so unwanted or so different. Discrimination to minorities is expected back in time and currently. Brodkin says, â€Å"These views justified all sorts of discriminatory treatment, including closing the doors, between 1882 and 1927, to immigration from Europe and Asian (26). This is explaining how all immigrants were treated poorly including African Americans, Native Americans and Mexicans. These races are not any different from the white race. The only thing that can separate them is there skin color. Brodkin again supports what Omi and Winant say because the amount of discrimination placed on minorities. They didn’t do anything wrong in life but come out something other than white and because of that they had to face a lot of troubles in life. People viewed the minoritie s as if they were something other than human. They are all human beings with different upbringing. They can all be just as smart as the whites. Just as talented as the whites, just as anything as theShow MoreRelatedRacial Profiling1165 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Introduction What is racial profiling? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defines racial profiling as â€Å"the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin† (2005). Do not confuse racial profiling with criminal profiling; criminal profiling is usually practiced by police in which they use a group of characteristics that are associated with crime to target individualsRead MoreRacial Profiling1430 Words   |  6 Pagestwenty years the issue of racial profiling has become extremely combative with regards to law enforcement practices. A common misconception begins as some people are unaware of what racial profiling actually is. Racial profiling typically deals with incarceration, miss education, and to certain extent slavery. The topic of slavery is relevant in the conversation of racial profiling because like slavery, African Americans have suffered ju st due their own identity. Profiling is essentially the selectionRead MoreRacial Profiling And Criminal Profiling Essay1538 Words   |  7 Pages Racial Profiling Vs Criminal Profiling Camilo Paez Briarcliffe College Professor Keirnan 11/13/2016 â€Æ' Executive summary Racial Profiling is a big problem is society. Over time you become biased of certain groups which is good and bad. Criminal profiling helps keep the bad guys off the streets. This maybe be also linked with being racist according to the people stopped by police. As a police officer you never win because no one wants to go to jail. It is very hard to â€Æ' Racial ProfilingRead MoreRacial Profiling1056 Words   |  5 Pages There has always been racial profiling in our history. The problem here is that at some point the ones who are oppressed and discriminated sooner o later will claim why they are treated unequally. There are many examples around the world, but one only has to take a look at how the American society has been designed to realize the great difference between individuals. It was even normal and acceptable to see these differences during the creation of this nation because the ones who supposedly hadRead More Racial Profiling is Necessary1040 Words   |  5 Pagesunderstand racial profiling, it must first be correctly defined. Although different authors use different criteria for the term racial profiling, Merriam-Webster’s definition for the word racial is â€Å"of, relating to, or based on a race (Merriam-Webster, 2006; p.855).† The definition the dictionary puts forth for profiling is â€Å"the act of suspecting or targeting a person solely on the basis of observed char acteristics or behavior (Merriam-Webster, 2006; p.830).† Based on these definitions, racial profilingRead MoreRacial Profiling Is A Problem969 Words   |  4 Pages Racial profiling has been an issue in society for as long as America had a criminal justice system. Racial profiling is a problem because it refers discriminatory practice bye-law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. In 1868, the fourteenth amendment was ratified which states, No state. Shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, would have made racialRead MoreThe Good and Bad of Racial Profiling1250 Words   |  5 Pages It has been said that racial profiling has been used more than once as a way to detain suspects that arouse suspcion according to NAACP. Racial profiling is the suspicion of people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or other immutable charateristics rather than evidence based behavior. Eventhough statistics say otherwise racial profiling should not be used as a reasnoable right to detain an individual because it is unlawful, discrinmatory, and ineffective. Even though statisticsRead MoreRacial Profiling And Its Impact On Society1310 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is racial profiling. This issue, where authorities target certain individuals based on their racial characteristics, has never ceased. According to many influential claimsmakers, racial profiling has stained the United States by negatively affecting society and disturbing the certainty of justice. It is unconstitutional and leads to impactful consequences such as deaths, fear, and loss of trust in police officers, demoralization, and dehumanization of stigmatized groups of people. Racial profilingRead MoreRacial Profiling in Different Ways791 Words   |  3 PagesRacial Profiling has been used by law enforcement officials from early 60’s during the civil rights movement. The term â€Å"racial profiling† which was introduced to criticize abusive police practices against people of different race, ethnicity or national origin. One must assess how to understand the practice, and how to keep it distinct from other issues. Racial profiling is defined as â€Å"any police-initiated action that relies on the race, ethnicity, or national origin, rather than the behavior of anRead MorePersuasive Essay On Racial Profiling903 Words   |  4 Pagespolice. Racial profiling refers to the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individuals race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. This is similar to criminal or offender profiling, the analysis of a persons psychological and behavio ural characteristics, so as to assess whether they are likely to have committed a crime under investigation. Both seem to be similar, but make no mistake that racial profiling is illegal

Shakedown Case - 790 Words

CASE STUDY: SHAKEDOWN Statement of the Problem: What should Zhuk do to keep his business and to avoid extortion from government officials? Objectives: To provide solutions on how companies in Ukraine can fight corruption and face threats of extortion. To apply business ethics and corporate social responsibility Alternative Courses of Action: a) Pay – Extortion Zhuk can pay off the Ukraine Tax Authority officials. After all, he would not be breaking the law if he did so. He will be a victim of extortion and succumbing to it is not a crime. He will consider the bribes as additional tax he has to pay for doing business in Ukraine and carry on with his company. He will be able to provide jobs for locals as his employees and keep†¦show more content†¦Suggested Initiatives: 1) Improve regulation and inspection procedures. In order to increase confidence in the government’s regulatory role in the economy, efforts should be made to: simplify government regulations and inspections; systematize and unify the work of inspection agencies and the procedures for conducting inspections; publicize clear and understandable information on inspections and the rights and duties of inspection agencies, and make taxation bodies liable for unfounded verifications, or establish an agency that registers inspections and limits the number of inspections. Many businessmen believe this would discourage frequent inspections. 2) Unified business tax In order to keep businesses out of the shadow economy, urgent measures are needed to reduce the taxation pressure and replace at least a portion of multiple taxes with a unified business tax. The high cost of doing business in Ukraine also relates to the key objective of inspection agencies which is to extract the maximum amount of money from a company. In order to cope with this problem, tax compliance should be simplified, and control by inspection agencies should be made transparent. 3) Improve enforcement of â€Å"conflict of interest† legislation. Legislation that disallows conflicts of interest is already in place. These laws prohibit officialsShow MoreRelatedSoros Predicts China s Financial Bubble Bust837 Words   |  4 Pagesnew weak link as liquidity seems to be drying up. Over 40 companies reportedly canceled their scheduled issuance since March. This came as a surprise to many, provided that the year managed to begin with record-breaking domestic issuance. In any case, the most evident sign of financial stress could be observed in the currency market of China. The most recent financial decisions triggered substantial outflows of capital. This is because of the decision to go for an exchange rate driven by the marketRead MoreCritical Factors Of Erp Implementations1050 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Factors of ERP Implementations: Two Cases from Saudi Arabia Abstract Seven categories of critical success factors were identified from the ERP literature: â€Å"business plan and vision†; â€Å"change management†; â€Å"communication†; â€Å"ERP team composition, skills and compensation†; â€Å"top management support and championship†; â€Å"project management† and â€Å"system analysis, selection and technical implementation†. In this paper, a case study of two organizations in Saudi Arabia has been conducted, both organizationsRead MorePolice Misconduct And The Criminal Justice System1039 Words   |  5 Pagescorrupt behavior. When officers are presented with such stimulus (gifts) and they accept such stimulus (gifts), these interferers with the officer carrying out his or her duty in the appropriate manner. Another type or form of police corruption is shakedowns. This involves police officers extorting money or other valuables from criminals for traffic violations or holding â€Å"street courts†, where minor traffic violations can be avoided with cash payments. This can be linked to a police agency classifiedRead MoreCauses for Intense Competition in the United States Airlines Industry1654 Words   |  7 Pagespricing strategies. In the past few years, this industry has experienced a major shakedown that has significant effects on its operations. The shakedown has had wide effects on the industrys trend towards extending domestic and global services. While the airlines industry was partly owned by the government in the past, many established airlines in the United States have become privately held because of the shakedown (The Industry Handbook, n.d.). According to the United States Department of TransportationRead MoreCorruption Within The New York Police Department2504 Words   |  11 Pagesbad habits or fraud, where the officers would accept payments in return for letting the criminal go (Grennan, 2001). Between the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s, narcotic corruption developed as officers realized that drug shakedowns made much higher profits than regular shakedowns or fraud (Grennan, 2001). In the mid-1980s, the cocaine and crack trade exploded and created a greater number of opportunities for drug dealers and officers to benefit from one another. Twenty years before this, there wasRead MoreA Woman Doing Life : Notes From A Prison For Women1320 Words   |  6 PagesI thought I knew about the life of women in jails or prisons. Erin George , the main character , gives readers an ethnographic insight on the struggles women face in prison. The hardships women face in prison consist of, and are limited to harsh shak edowns, poor medical treatment, and changes within the prison system that intentionally dehumanizes women inmates. Erin George before prison was a middle class women who seem to live a decent life, she is a mother of 3 and had a great support system withinRead More Does the Media Encourage Terrorism? Essay527 Words   |  3 Pagesagainst a terrorist movement. The only problem with having the freedom of press that the United States enjoys is that everyone has a voice. When it comes down to an American killing an American, the media is not allied with the terrorist. In many cases the television and newspaper crews serve to work directly against the militia organization. Americans do not like to see fellow citizens die at the hands of a terrorist, especially by an American terrorist. Timothy McVeigh, probably unknowingly, helpedRead MoreDo the Media Encourage Terrorism Essay878 Words   |  4 Pagesthe freedom of press that the United States enjoys is that everyone has a voice. The press has been used sometimes in the past to try and deter governmental action against the criminal or as an avenue to spread the terrorists message. This was the case after the September 11th events when the American people were forced to watch Osama bin Laden talk about his views on Americans, and gloat over his victory while firemen were still trying to dig up American remains. The majority of Americans wereRead MorePolice Brutality And Its Effects On The United States898 Words   |  4 Pages Brutality, corruption, and misconduct in police, or people in high ranking organizations, can be backtracked all the way to early times. There was not a good way to keep record of these instances, but the earliest known case of police brutality happened on June 10, 1893 and was reported on by the New York Times. Officer McManus tried to subdue a suspect and when he the suspect did not comply, McManus used excessive force to subdue the man. This was seen and the New York Times was told and becauseRead MoreEssay on The Shakedown2506 Words   |  11 PagesCase Analysis: The Shakedown I. Introduction This case portrays the widely propagated and accepted phenomena of bribes and corruption in developing countries. Specifically how it affects every sector of the Ukrainian society, therefore making it difficult for the American investors to establish companies there and to prosper solely on doing good business. The case describes the types of obstacles and ethical dilemmas being created for the investors as a result of bribery and extortion. Situation

My Grub Box Free Essays

When Vivian Johnson decided to pursue a college education, it was not because her parents didn’t attend college, it was because she wanted to be in a position of control. She knew that college was her ticket to getting the qualifications needed for the career she envisioned. In â€Å"My Grub Box,† Vivian Johnson recalls her college experience moving from Emmonak, Alaska to the East Coast Ivy League School Dartmouth. We will write a custom essay sample on My Grub Box or any similar topic only for you Order Now Taken completely out of her native environment of the Yup’ik Eskimos, she details a certain adaptation to gain understanding of her perspective. Vivian Johnson’s â€Å"grub box† created a signpost for her way of life through the realization that culture is inseparable from being native. The main aspect that set Vivian Johnson apart from other students at Dartmouth is her experiences as a member of a native Eskimo family. Johnson begins her memoir with a description of the function of a grub box and what it has meant for members of her family. On hunting and camping trips she would use her grub box to pack food and supplies to survive, but her grub box that helped her through college contained much more than physical items. She used intangible things that were passed on from her parents, like a sense of identity and how to survive in different surroundings. (Johnson, 201) Another reason that Johnson didn’t fit into the â€Å"normal† student population at Dartmouth, was the fact that she didn’t come from a socially advantaged family compared to many of the other students. She could not relate to many of the other students experiences simply because her family didn’t take exotic trips or have fancy clothing, jewels, and cars. Not only was Johnson different from other students because of her possessions and experiences, but she also had a different perspective and was used to a different way of thinking. She found it difficult to understand her government professor because she had not been exposed to that way of thinking before. Also, she at first had trouble discussing certain topics with her classmates such as the â€Å"concepts of land, substinence hunting, and fishing. † Eventually, she had began to anticipate questions about why she didn’t fit in so she formulated answers to better describe her way of life. Johnson, 207) Upon her arrival at Dartmouth, Vivian Johnson realized that she was completely out of her environment. Her grub box helped her transition allowing her to adapt to college life and enabled her to slowly orient herself on her new landscape. She was outside her environment both physically and intellectually. Everything was foreign to her, from the smell and type of trees, w ildlife on campus, and formation of the stars, to riding in a taxi for the first time, Vivian needed to adapt to her surroundings in order to survive. The food she received from her grandpa helped her physically because she wasn’t used to the type of food served at Dartmouth, but the intangible qualities served a greater purpose. Those qualities formed a type of support system for Vivian that connected her to her roots as a way to remind her of her culture and heritage in order to combat the overwhelming pressures she faced in this cultural submersion. While Johnson described many of the hardships she had during her time at Dartmouth, she did manage to find a place where she was accepted for who she was and where she came from. When she joined Native American at Dartmouth, Vivian was helped not only academically, but also with small tasks that made her life easier, such as mail, food, and housing. She became part of a social network that appreciated her and considered her to be one in their group, even though she wasn’t Native American. By finding similarities between herself and the other members of Native Americans at Dartmouth, Johnson was able to connect with them because they had similar life experiences. She valued this support group of friends so much, that she credits them for her graduation from Dartmouth. (Johnson, 209) Upon graduation from Dartmouth, Johnson describes her exit â€Å"just as perplexing as her entrance. † (Johnson, 209) Adaptation plays a huge role in Johnson’s survival attending college with different cultures. In the end, Vivian Johnson’s experiences she gained at Dartmouth from adapting further adds to her â€Å"grub box† enabling her to branch out to individuals in her adult life. The adaptation in Vivian Johnson’s memoir made it easy for me to relate to her story of going away to college. When I arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Madison there was a sudden sense of culture shock. Also, being on our own when your parents were the ones to feed you, take you places, and lend you money when needed, definitely leaves you to fend for yourself. Adapting to my new environment was no fun but is definitely an experience of having to adapt in order to accomplish new goals and â€Å"fit in. † I realized that everyone has a different set of tools in their â€Å"grub box† from adapting to new experiences and when exchanged, form a more global perspective of race in the Unites States. Therefore, Vivian Johnson’s adaptation to reality serves as a launching pad for individuals to engage in difficult conversations about race. How to cite My Grub Box, Papers

Canadas Immigration From 1852

Canadas Immigration From 1852-1990 Essay Canadas Immigration From 1852-1990Canadas Immigration From 1852-1990 In 1852 many of Canadas immigrants were from Europe countries but many of these were being lost to the United states. This meant that the province of Canada was mostly French Canadians, this began the immigration promotion program in 1850s. In the 1840s the main problem was lack of control over the immigrants now the problem was getting immigrant particularly British ones to start small farms. Over the next 30 years John A. MacDonald did little to attract new immigrants to Canada. In about 1879 a new immigration law was passed that was designed to keep out paupers and destitutes. This would be the start to weed out the people that would live in Canada, and eventually become the laws we have today. In 1885 an act was passed that would restrict Chinese males from immigrating. This was done because of the large amount of young Chinese men that were coming to Canada to work building the CRP ( an estimated 15,701). Without these men most of whom lost their lives from injury or disease. During the 1890s a depression because of the very short growing season and very high cost of shipping the grains. This lack of rain caused many Canadians to immigrate to the U.S. for a better life. Not very attractive to immigrants to Canada. Around the beginning of the 1900s the economy was boosted by the increasing need for Canadian food products. Europe had a large population explosion and tax increase caused more and more to move to Canada. With the construction of the CPR it was much easier to go west and settle the land which was cheap or free. The Canadian government was promoting its self every where with its fur and grains to encourage new comers and settlers that moved to the U.S. back to Canada. With the out break of World War I tension was high. This was the lowest amount of people in years (although the amount of Americans was increasing with year of the war). Once desired immigrants were now enemy aliens. Also people from Germany, Hungry, Poland, Romania, and many others become the objects of hostility. After the war there was a huge boom in immigrants because of Canadas growing economy. But after all booms there is always the come down by 1930 Canada was in a bad depression people were also tense because word of another war. During World War II no Canadians had it worse than the Japanese Canadians. After the booming of Pearl Harbour all Japanese-Canadians were stripped of their homes and property. The Canadian government showed great sympathy for European refugees and homeless. The government donated allot of money to agencies involved in post war rehabilitation and the United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund. There was a also a change in the immigration barriers to allow war refugees into Canada. A pro-immigration lobby from the people of Canada lowered the restrictions more even though the government was against this. Without warning in 1959 the government made the laws much more strict to immigrants families coming into the country thus making residents of Canada unable to sponsor family members. The point system was introduced. This new type of system eliminated discrimination of race or nationality. It also reduced the amount of sponsorship immigrating. Robert Adras became a cabinet minister. He rapidly changed the rules of immigration. His new form of ruling lowered the immigration rates through out the 1970s. The 1980s Gave way to another increase in immigrants dew to many refugees, manly indochinese. .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .postImageUrl , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:hover , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:visited , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:active { border:0!important; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:active , .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987 .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc5a1893de31dc031c90742bb01587987:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Age Of Reason Essay Canadas current laws are fair and reasonable. Canada could not have been made if not for brave immigrants. History

The Landlady free essay sample

The Landlady had a round pink face and gentle blue eyes, one of the reasons that attracted Billy to stay and the Bed and Breakfast. The Landlady’s smile made Billy feel more at home and more welcome, however her behaviour was slightly strange. â€Å"She was about forty-five or fifty years old, and the moment she saw him, she gave him a warm welcoming smile†¦She had a round pink face and very gentle blue eyes†¦But this dame was like a jack-in-the-box. He pressed the bell and out she popped! The old girl is slightly dotty, Billy told himself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that a person should always trust their instincts and should not trust in anyone if there is even a shadow of doubt. The Landlady seems like a very nice and compassionate lady, however, she acts slightly strange. Her caring behaviour towards Billy builds his trust in her and her appearance also contributes to Billy believing and trusting in her further. We will write a custom essay sample on The Landlady or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Landlady’s embracing personality and demeanour convinces Billy to stay at the Bed and Breakfast. Billy notices her strange and queer behaviour but he dismisses it after considering the cost of staying at the Bed and Breakfast. The Landlady also emphasises certain words that cause us to suspect her. â€Å"†¦she gave him a warm welcoming smile†¦ ‘My dear boy,’ she said, ‘why don’t you come in out of the cold? †¦She seemed terribly nice. She looked exactly like the mother of one’s best friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays†¦ The old girl is slightly dotty, Billy told himself. But at five and sixpence a night, who gives a damn about that? †¦ ‘We have it all to ourselves’ †¦ ‘†¦and we don’t want to go breaking any laws at this stage in the proceedings, do we? † This shows that a person should always be alert and aware of his/her surroundings. Towards the end of the story, we discover that the Landlady is not as nice as she seems, but is actually a very cruel and harsh lady. The Landlady carries out acts of extreme cruelty by killing her pets and guests with bitter almonds (that contain cyanide) that is mixed in the tea. She then stuffs them, so they appear lifelike and keeps their bodies. This behaviour contradicts her personality completely as she is not the trustworthy and caring lady that was described earlier in the book. It also creates a sense of trepidation as she admits her previous two guests hadn’t left and were, in fact, living on the third floor. â€Å"I stuff all my little pets myself when they pass away†¦The tea tasted faintly of bitter almonds, and he didn’t care much for it†¦ ‘But my dear boy, he never left. He’s still here. Mr Temple is also here. They’re on the third floor, both of them together. † This shows that a person should not be judged by their appearance, and also that we shouldn’t trust a person instantly, from their first meeting. To conclude, the Landlady is an owner of a Bed and Breakfast who seems like a very considerate and caring woman, from the way she greets and takes care of Billy. However, her brutal and barbarous side is shown towards the end when she poisons Billy and suggests he will be stuffed as well. Bibliography; The Landlady by Roald Dahl