Seven Facts About the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Seven Facts About the Lincoln-Douglas Debates The Lincoln-Douglas Debates,  a series of seven public confrontations between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, took place in the summer and fall of 1858. They became legendary, and the popular conception of what happened tends to veer toward the mythical. In the modern political commentary, pundits often express a wish that current candidates could do Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Those meetings between candidates 160 years ago somehow represent the pinnacle of civility and an elevated example of lofty political thought. The reality of the Lincoln-Douglas debates was different than what most people believe. And here are seven factual things you should know about them: 1. They Were Not Really Debates Its true that the Lincoln-Douglas Debates are always cited as classic examples of, well, debates. Yet they were not debates in the way we think of the political debate in modern times. In the format Stephen Douglas demanded, and Lincoln agreed to, one man would speak for an hour. Then the other would speak in rebuttal for an hour and a half, and then the first man would have a half-hour to respond to the rebuttal. In other words, the audience was treated to lengthy monologues, with the entire presentation stretching out to three hours. There was no moderator asking questions, and no give-and-take or fast reactions like weve come to expect in modern political debates. True, it wasnt gotcha politics, but it also wasnt something that would work in todays world. 2. They Got Crude, With Personal Insults and Racial Slurs Though the Lincoln-Douglas Debates are often cited as a high point of civility in politics, the actual content was often pretty rough. In part, this was because the debates were rooted in the frontier tradition of the stump speech. Candidates, sometimes literally standing on a stump, would engage in freewheeling and entertaining speeches that would often contain jokes and insults. Its worth noting that some of the content of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates would likely be considered too offensive for a network television audience today. Besides both men insulting each other and employing extreme sarcasm, Stephen Douglas often resorted to crude race-baiting. Douglas made a point of repeatedly calling Lincolns political party the black Republicans and was not above using crude racial slurs, including the n-word. Even Lincoln, albeit uncharacteristically, used the n-word twice in the first debate, according to a transcript published in 1994 by Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Some versions of the debate transcripts, created at the debates by stenographers hired by two Chicago newspapers, have been sanitized over the years. 3. The Two Men Were Not Running for President Because the debates between Lincoln and Douglas are so often mentioned, and because the men did oppose each other in the election of 1860, its often assumed the debates were part of a run for the White House. They were actually running for the U.S. Senate seat already held by Stephen Douglas. The debates, because they were reported nationwide (thanks to the aforementioned newspaper stenographers) did elevate Lincolns stature. Lincoln, however, probably did not think seriously about running for president until after his speech at Cooper Union in early 1860. 4. The Debates Were Not About Ending Slavery Most of the subject matter at the debates concerned slavery in America. But the talk was not about ending it, it was about whether to prevent slavery from spreading to new states and new territories. That alone was a very contentious issue. The feeling in the North, as well as in some of the South, was that slavery would die out in time. But it was assumed it wouldnt fade away anytime soon if it kept spreading into new parts of the country. Lincoln, since the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, had been speaking out against the spread of slavery. Douglas, in the debates, exaggerated Lincolns position and portrayed him as a radical abolitionist, which he was not. The abolitionists were considered to be at the very extreme of American politics, and Lincolns anti-slavery views were more moderate. 5. Lincoln Was the Upstart, Douglas the Political Powerhouse Lincoln, who had been offended by Douglass position on slavery and its spread into western territories, began dogging the powerful senator from Illinois in the mid-1850s. When Douglas would speak in public, Lincoln would often appear on the scene and offer a rebuttal speech. When Lincoln received the Republican nomination to run for the Illinois senate seat in the spring of 1858, he realized that showing up at Douglas speeches and challenging him would probably not work well as a political strategy. Lincoln challenged Douglas to the series of debates, and Douglas accepted the challenge. In return, Douglas dictated the format, and Lincoln agreed to it. Douglas, a political star, traveled the state of Illinois in grand style in a private railroad car. Lincolns travel arrangements were much more modest. He rode in passenger cars with other travelers. 6. Huge Crowds Viewed the Debates In the 19th century, political events often had a circus-like atmosphere and the Lincoln-Douglas debates certainly had a festival air about them. Huge crowds, up to 15,000 or more spectators, gathered for some of the debates. However, while the seven debates drew crowds, the two candidates also traveled the state of Illinois for months, giving speeches on courthouse steps, in parks, and in other public venues. So its likely that more voters saw Douglas and Lincoln at their separate speaking stops than would have seen them engaging in the famous debates. As the Lincoln-Douglas Debates received so much coverage in newspapers in major cities in the East, its possible the debates had the greatest influence on public opinion outside of Illinois. 7. Lincoln Lost Its often assumed that Lincoln became president after beating Douglas in their series of debates. But in the election depending on their series of debates, Lincoln lost. In a complicated twist, the large and attentive audiences watching the debates were not even voting on the candidates, at least not directly.   At that time, U.S. Senators were not chosen by direct election, but in elections held by state legislatures. This situation would not change until the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution in 1913. So the election in Illinois wasnt really for Lincoln or for Douglas. Voters were voting on candidates for the statehouse who, in turn, would then vote for the man who would represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate. The voters went to the polls in Illinois on November 2, 1858. When the votes were tallied, the news was bad for Lincoln. The new legislature would be controlled by the party of Douglas. The Democrats ended the day with 54 seats in the statehouse, the Republicans (Lincolns party), 46. Stephen Douglas was thus reelected to the Senate. But two years later, in the election of 1860, the two men would face each other again, along with two other candidates. And Lincoln, of course, would win the presidency. The two men appeared on the same stage again, at Lincolns first inauguration on March 4, 1861. As a prominent senator, Douglas was on the inaugural platform. When Lincoln rose to take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural address, he held his hat and awkwardly looked about for a place to put it. As a gentlemanly gesture, Stephen Douglas reached out and took Lincolns hat and held it during the speech. Three months later, Douglas, who had taken ill and may have suffered a stroke, died. While the career of Stephen Douglas overshadowed that of Lincoln during most of his lifetime, he is best remembered today for the seven debates against his perennial rival in the summer and fall of 1858. Source Holzer, Harold (Editor). The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The First Complete, Unexpurgated Text. 1st Editon, Fordham University Press, March 23, 2004.

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia Essay

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia - Essay Example Also, the hospital must declare if it intends to be a General, Special, Nursing home, Outpatient, or surgical hospital, or combination of as defined by the regulations. Next, according to 12 VAC 5-410-140, a hospital must undergo an inspection, unless previously accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and certified for participation in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. If the hospital has already been approved by these two organizations, it can be assumed that it will fulfill all requirements of the Department of Health. Thus, it is easier if the accreditation and certification process is completed before applying for a license, but not mandatory. If the hospital has not already been accredited and certified, before obtaining a license then the hospital must undergo a rigorous inspection according to Part II of the Regulations for Licensure of Hospitals. Part II covers Organization and Management, Patient Care Services, Special Services, Environmental and Maintenance Services, and Physical Plant Requirements for existing Buildings. The differing parts of the inspection are not listed in detail, but it d oes list that the hospital has an opportunity to submit a plan of correction. (12 VAC 5-410-150) According to Part II of the Virginia State Board of Health's "Rules and

Online games Vs Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Online games Vs Violence - Essay Example Hollingdale & Greitemeyer found that the Chinese adolescents who prefer to play violent games against human opponents online tended to more aggressive and a greater tolerance for anger. This study was carried among 312 Chinese teens who play online video games. In most cases, it is noted that when video game consumers play against human opponents, the levels of gaming experience increases. Thus, the gaming effects tend to increase the gamers emotions and behaviors. Children who grow up playing violent games tend to develop thinking patterns that influence their behaviour. Many people become aggressive when the gaming controls become difficult. This is a reaction caused by the frustrations facing the gamer. Mothers in Hongkong share a different perspective concerning online games. To them, video games have created a modern form to foster child development (Yung). Kenix Chong Wei-peng believes that online games help her daughter burn up excess before retiring to bed (Yung). According to Chong, her daughter has the opportunity to experience different situations through the online games. Her daughter would be ready, and know what to expect when she has the real chance to face the same situations. Apart from the games being part of entertainment, the experts tend to make them educational too. Ann Chow, head of marketing consumer channels in Microsoft Hongkong, believes that the games would encourage kids to develop a positive attitude towards learning (Yung). Players could access the natural world and have a clear understanding of nature, and be conversant with the different languages and environment. In the gaming consoles, the player becomes the character chosen and assumes the skills of that character. As the levels increase, the games become tougher requiring the gamer to utilise and learn more tactics. Each challenge reinforces the player with new information, thus fostering learning (Yung). Most parents argue that

Experience in a Group Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Experience in a Group Project - Essay Example The Cardinal Newman College owns St Augustine Centre that is essentially is a leisure centre. Located in the heart of Avenham, the St Augustine Center has a lot of facilities to provide the community with that include but are not limited to sports, library and recreation. Newman College is one of the best colleges in the area and is for students aged between 16 and 18 years. St. Augustine’s Regeneration Trust (START) was the original owner of this building. The centre opened in 2005 with the aid of Diocese that loaned  £500,000 to START along with forwarding a Letter of Comfort to the bank worth 1.1 million. Unfortunately, money was used wrongly and the loan had to be raised to  £700,000. After some years, Diocesan Trustees resolved to give this building in the control of Cardinal Newman College and proposed that the local community secured the facilities. The Diocesan loan has been returned. Our goal was to enhance the use of this center by the local community. For that, we had to generate awareness among the community, increase center and gym memberships among the local community, improve the quality of fitness programs, and develop retention methods. In order to accomplish the task, five students were assigned to our group, me included. For the rest of the paper, I shall refer to them as A (me), B, C, D, and E. After our group had formed, the first challenge that we had to face was the selection of company with a problem that fell in the scope of our domain and was also worth spending the time finding solution for. Different members came up with different proposals, but either the problem was too aggravated to be solved in the time we had or else, the company was not willing to let us intrude into their business. After much search and days of uninterrupted struggle, we were able to find Newman College with the problem of church utility. Soon after we had found it, we conducted a thorough literature review of the college to see the origin of the problem, what events had happened since its formation till now, and the challenges that the college administration was facing with respect to the church. We approached the college administ ration for this, introduced ourselves and proposed to find a solution for their problem. They happily agreed to provide all assistance that we might need in our way of finding the solution for this long cultivated problem. The five of us took care of the different areas. I was chosen as the leader, so my task was to administer the project, enhance the coordination and cooperation among team members, keep the project on the track, and keep track of time and cost because we had time and cost constraints and could not spend beyond the amount specified by our college. I would provide all team members with the required equipment and facilities and would ensure their maximum utility. B took the charge of generating awareness. C was responsible to improve the center and gym memberships. D was to devise and improve the quality of fitness programs and E was supposed to develop the retention methods. Marketing, finances and human resources happen to be the key elements for success in any proj ect, so our first meeting with Cardinal Newman was about these elements. From our side, B met with Katie O’Reilly, the Director of Corporate Resources. This meeting was very useful and generated important information for us regarding the project. After the first meeting, B was assigned the task of conducting all correspondence and meetings with Katie. The meetings were not scheduled strictly. They were irregular in general but were conducted quite often.

The Work of Frida Kahlo Essay -- Self Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trots

The work of Frida Kahlo often labeled and defined as feminist art continues to describe and establish what feminist art is. Wife of the well known and highly regarded Diego Rivera, Frida struggled to become an artist in her own right. Her extremely passionate love for and devotion to her husband manifested itself in an unusual manner in their already unconventional and unique marriage. However it is partly this obsession with Diego that helped motivate her own success as a feminist artist. Her passionate political and revolutionary spirit resonates in the subjects of her paintings as she herself states, "I want my work to be a contribution to the struggle of the people for peace and liberty." (Herrera p.263). She confronts her pain and suffering and openly exposes herself in her work. Essentially Kahlo's work includes and encompasses all of the theories and themes discussed in Art History 466. Pain and suffering, active political and social awareness are present in her paint ings, and most importantly an acute awareness of the power of the feminine and of feminist art is prevalent as well. The passionate, seductive and exotic nature of Frida's work is used combined with humor, pain and endless emotion emphatically stating her awareness of the power she as a woman and an artist possessed, despite her unquestionable and undeniable insecurities, frustrations and suffering. She utilized these attributes to her advantage in producing some of the most astonishing works unarguably and undisputably renowned for their aesthetic and intellectual superiority. Despite its initial appearance of a simple image lacking the usual surreal qualities of Frida's work, her Self Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky is saturated in sensuality and mystery demanding further investigation. With her directed, seductive gaze Frida holds a private conversation with Leon as she presents herself as a gift to him. In her biography on Kahlo, Hayden Herrera notes Frida "was flattered to be loved by the Great Russian, fascinated by his mind and moved by his desire. Frida was delighted to have an affair with Trotsky" (Herrera p.212). Kahlo's portrait, while presenting a relatively small image, is monumentalized by the saturation of passion and emotion that she shares with Trotsky. The portrait, lacking the usual bloody and shocking imagery often seen in Kahlo's work, is not di... ... Numerous times of ill health in Frida's life coincided with times she felt more alone, depressed, upset and helpless as a result of present occuances. Thus, even Frida herself could not deny the effect Trotsky had on her and her life, as additionally evidenced in the monumental qualities of her image peaking out from "Behind the Curtains". Through her portrait Frida is saying thank you while still teasing her former lover with her seductive irresistible image. She is acknowledging Trotsky's's effect soon to be felt as the "bomb", being Frida, bursts through the "ribbon." The "ribbon" is the pain and suffering, the limitations and frustrations caused by Diego. The "ribbon" represents a Frida truly becoming an artist in her own right. She, of course, realizes the role Trotsky played in this revelation as evidenced in the Self Portrait she presented to him on the seventh of November, 1937, "with love." With girlish fascination Frida flirted with the political idol only to find it was she to be admired and idolized. Kahlo combats the struggle of a woman presenting herself as if announcing, "Yes, I am to be looked at, to be noticed, to be remembered and to be fantasized!"

Influences Woman

ence womanPlease discuss the relationship between desire and permission to have sex. Is desire necessary for permission? Is permission necessary for desire? What if someone is torn between having desire but not permission—what recourse does he or she have? To see the relationship between desire and permission to have sex I would like to start with ‘desire’, so what is desire – its sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. Desire is the fire that sets action aflame.When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of the item or person, and they want to take actions to obtain their goal. I think the relationship between desire and sex, is a sexual desire that involves the lustful, sexually passionate feelings people have for each other. Sexual desire is a very intense and powerful emotion; it can cloud one’s judgmental and prompt risk-taking. For example, man’s sexual desire is typically omnipresent, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of a sexual encounter.His desire is, for all practical purposes, an automatic response, requiring nothing more than suggestion. His goal is sexual gratification; most typically, self-gratification and his thoughts generally are of pleasure rather than intimacy and relationship. If to talk about women†¦we are complex beings. We differ greatly from men and even between ourselves when it comes to feeling and experiencing sexual desire. If we are to comprehend the true nature of our sexual desire, we must appreciate the role of the female sex standard.Our sexual desire lies deep within our souls; slumbering, awaiting an awakening that requires a specific degree of commitment and psychic receptivity on behalf of our partner. It is anything but automatic. Our goal is intimacy, relationship, and ultimately, transformation of our lover. Our thoughts too are of pleasure, but in a different contextà ¢â‚¬â€we relish pleasure, not so much for itself, but for the transformation it brings to our partner. In my opinion desire doesn’t need permission or permission for desire.Your desire†¦the longing to do and act†¦is all the permission you need. The moment that the wanting of a new, more delicious form of expression rears its glorious head, you have all the permission you will ever  need. Willingness and permission must be communicated clearly and unambiguously. Just because a person fails to resist sexual desires does not mean that s/he is willing, and that’s when the person have to find other resources like, fantasizing, masturbating or having a nocturnal orgasms (orgasm during sleep) .

The Impeachment Process in US Government

The impeachment process in U.S. government was first suggested by Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Noting that the traditional mechanism for removing â€Å"obnoxious† chief executives — like  kings — from power had been assassination, Franklin glibly suggested the impeachment process as a more rational and preferable method.   Key Takeaways: Impeachment Process The process of impeachment is established by the U.S. Constitution.The impeachment process must be initiated in the House of Representatives with the passage of a resolution listing the charges or â€Å"Articles of Impeachment† against the official being impeached.If passed by the House, the Articles of Impeachment are considered by the Senate in a trial presided over by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with the 100 Senators serving as the jury.If the Senate votes in favor of conviction by a 2/3 supermajority vote (67 votes), the Senate will then vote to remove the official from office.   Under the U.S. Constitution, the President of the United States, the Vice President, and â€Å"and all civil Officers of the United States† may be impeached and removed from office if convicted of â€Å"Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.† The Constitution also establishes the impeachment process. Presidential impeachment may be the last thing you would ever think could happen in America. In fact, since 1841, over one-third of all American Presidents have either died in office, became disabled, or resigned. However, no American President has ever been forced from office due to impeachment. Taking the vote on the impeachment of President Johnson. Historical/Getty Images Only four times in our history has Congress held serious discussions of presidential  impeachment: Andrew Johnson was actually impeached when Congress became unhappy with the way he was dealing with some post-Civil War matters, but Johnson was acquitted in the Senate by one vote and remained in office.Congress introduced a resolution to impeach John Tyler over states rights issues, but the resolution failed.Congress was debating his impeachment over the Watergate break-in when President Richard Nixon resigned.William J. Clinton was impeached by the House on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in relation to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was eventually acquitted by the Senate. The impeachment process plays out in Congress and requires critical votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is often said that the â€Å"House impeaches and the Senate convicts,† or not. In essence, the House first decides if there are grounds to impeach the president, and if it does, the Senate holds a formal impeachment trial. House Judiciary Committee Meeting in 1974 discussing Nixons possible impeachment.   Bettmann/Getty Images In the  House of Representatives The House Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to proceed with impeachment. If they do...The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will propose a resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the issue of impeachment.Based on their inquiry, the Judiciary Committee will send another resolution composed of one or more Articles of Impeachment to the full House stating that impeachment is warranted and why or that impeachment is not called for.The Full House (probably operating under special floor rules set by the House Rules Committee) will debate and vote on each Article of Impeachment.Should any one of the Articles of Impeachment be approved by a simple majority vote, the President will be impeached. However, being impeached is sort of like being indicted for a crime. The president will remain in office pending the outcome of the Senate impeachment trial. Bill and Hillary Clinton at the start of the Clinton Impeachment trial. David Hume Kennerly  /Getty Images In the Senate The Articles of Impeachment are received from the House.The Senate formulates rules and procedures for holding a trial.The trial will be held with the president represented by his lawyers. A select group of House members serves as prosecutors. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (currently John G. Roberts) presides  with all 100 Senators acting as the jury.The Senate meets in private session to debate a verdict.The Senate, in open session, votes on a verdict. A 2/3 supermajority vote of the Senate will result in a conviction.The Senate will vote to remove the President from office.The Senate may also vote (by a simple majority) to prohibit the President from holding any public office in the future. Once impeached officials are convicted in the Senate, their removal from office is automatic and may not be appealed. In the 1993 case of  Nixon v. United States, the U.S. the Supreme Court ruled that the federal judiciary cannot review impeachment proceedings. At the state level, state legislatures can impeach state officials, including governors, in accordance with their respective state constitutions. Impeachable Offenses Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution says, The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors. To date, two federal judges have been impeached and removed from office based on charges of bribery. No federal official has ever faced impeachment based on charges of treason. All other impeachment proceedings held against federal officials, including three presidents, have been based on charges of â€Å"high crimes and misdemeanors.† According to constitutional lawyers, High Crimes and Misdemeanors are (1) real criminality—breaking a law; (2) abuses of power; (3) violation of public trust as defined by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. In 1970, then-Representative Gerald R. Ford defined impeachable offenses as whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history. Historically, Congress has issued Articles of Impeachment for acts in three general categories: Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain. The impeachment process is political, rather than criminal in nature. Congress has no power to impose criminal penalties on impeached officials. But criminal courts may try and punish officials if they have committed crimes.