Multicultralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Multicultralism - Essay Example As the first man found his way to the trunk, he stroked the beast, calming and reassuring it that they meant no harm. The others eventually found the animal, and they spent most of the afternoon stroking and feeling the pachyderm in order to determine just what an elephant is, and to build a clear image in their own minds. As the sun began to set, the animal meandered off, leaving the men to discuss their experience. The four were each excited, and burst into chatter as they found their way back to the path which led to their village. "What a majestic beast the elephant is," said the first. "An elephant is like a large tree, strong and unbending; only with skin hard and strong rather than rough bark." This man had been holding the elephant's leg, and could only visualize the creature in terms he could compare to a familiar object. "A tree, did you get lost in the forest again" asked the second. "An elephant isn't like a tree. It is long, and winding. An elephant has many rumples up and down its back, and when it breaths, the moist air is like a windstorm." This man had been grasping the elephant's trunk, and he was sure that his encounter with the beast was the correct one. The other two added to the argu... The fourth had encountered snakes before, and this elephant was no more impressive than these. The four men became so heated in their debate, defending their own positions rather than listening to the others that their conversation ended in stony silence. Eventually, as they came across different paths in the jungle the men separated. Each decided that he could better experience the jungle by themselves than to continue company with a group of blind and ignorant men. Sadly to say, none of the men made it out of the jungle alive. Blind and alone, they made easy prey to the land's natural predators. This fable is an accurate illustration of the current multicultural debate. The parties debate who social order should be arrayed as a result of a multicultural mindset. The factions fight over verbiage, stereotypes, and even the purpose of educational, political and social order in order to defend their own perspective. While each faction has its own piece of accurate truth, the idea of creating a culture together is quickly becoming lost in the disagreement. As a result, our culture is more at risk of loosing the strength and protective power it once had when all our citizens were working for a common good, for a common goal, for a strong and prosperous economic and social structure which provided opportunity for all its citizens. Defining the elephant Harrison gives this rather vague definition. "Multiculturalism...is a theory (albeit vague) about the foundations of a culture rather than a practice which subsumes cultural ideas." (Harrison, 1984) His input is about as helpful as asking directions from one of the proverbial blind men. But the idea is that a multicultural mindset is one which recognizes, and even promotes the

Air Travelers Profiling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Air Travelers Profiling - Essay Example Profiling systems are a part of the legal structure for security which has become an established part of what airport security and counter terrorism today has created for us. The Patriot Act and the Real ID act are just two examples of how civil liberties have become less important than the idea of securing a nation from its own citizens. Another negative aspect of the law is the ability of law enforcers to detain individuals without presenting them arrest warrants or allowing them to seek legal advice without granting them security clearance. Halperin (2003) reports exactly such an incident when he was held at gunpoint in a restaurant while federal officers checked for his legal status in the United States (even though he was an American citizen) and quizzed him about his out of state driving license.The law appears to have served its purpose in reducing attacks on American soil and American citizens. If simple safety is a measure of how successful the laws have been then there can be little argument that the laws have been largely successful in keeping us safe even though from the articles described by Hudson, it does not appear that Americans feel any safer. It must be remembered that the American governmental and administrative system is founded on the basis of checks and balances which control how much power the government can actually have.If the profiling rules are seen by enough people as being too harsh, or they are seen as being against the Constitution itself, I believe that we can trust the judicial system.