How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's Research Paper - 1

How Families Deal with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer's - Research Paper Example Mild cognitive impairment is viewed as a form of forgetfulness attributed to aging. While this disorder is a symptom of the AD it is not a must for people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment, to contract AD. The well-known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is old age, mostly when people hit the age of sixty years. It is not considered normal for aging people to suffer from the disease. It is also easier for one to have the disease if a close relative such as your sister or mother had suffered from the disease. One can also contract the disease if you happen to have certain genes that are linked to the disease. Other susceptible factors include suffering from blood pressure; however, this is yet to be proved. The disease is classified into two types which include the late and early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Late AD disease affects people who are at the age of 60 and above (â€Å"Coping with Alzheimers Disease†). The early onset of Alzheimer's disease is k nown to affect people before they attain the age of sixty. This type of disease has a fast rate of getting worse. The role of genes in this type of disease has already been established that is why it is prevalent among family members.The common symptoms of the disease are associated with the functioning of the brain. One of the symptoms of this disease includes the individual’s inability to communicate properly. The patient will forget how to read or write or even talk. They also are emotional, increasingly aggressive and paranoia. This is as a result of increased memory loss. When the disease has progressed Alzheimer's patients require assistance in almost all tasks which includes bathing and dressing. They will often forget their relatives’ names and forget occurrences that take place. Their judgments and thinking capacity reduces to a substantial level and will not realize they are in danger when something arises (â€Å"Alzheimers Disease & Dementia Alzheimers Asso ciation†).

Manifest Destiny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Manifest Destiny - Essay Example happy millions.†1 In 1845, O’Sullivan wrote yet another article entitled â€Å"Annexation† where he expounded the doctrine and used it to justify the annexation of Texas to the union and called it â€Å"the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence.†2 Since then the ‘imagined’ divine right has been used to justify American expansionism to the west by American politicians. Despite the fact that O’Sullivan first coined the term Manifest Destiny, expansionism however was not his original idea but has already been in practice since the dawn of the country’s history. English settlers first came to the New World, specifically along the eastern seaboard of the North American continent not as a divine right as O’Sullivan would have it but for more practical reasons. England was then at that time experiencing economic difficulties and settlers came to the New World for better opportunities, while others to evade political and religious persecution. The New World likewise became an imprisonment camp outside of England. 3 The first attempt of the English to establish a colony in the New World turned out to be a disaster. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh brought a company of soldiers and mercenaries to the outer banks of North Carolina to establish the first English colony in the New World. 4 In 1607, one hundred colonists established the first permanent settlement in the Chesapeake Bay and survived with the help of the Algonquians under the leadership of Powhatan, the father of Pocahontas. John Rolfe, an English settler who married Pocahontas, developed the tobacco Virginia became famous of – a hybrid of North American and Indian tobacco – and made the colony a success. However, the English colonists wanted more land from the natives, pushing the latter farther until the Algonquians revolted and launched an attack against the surprised colonists. The war dragged on for ten years but because of the success

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Astronomy - Essay Example Its birth pangs began some 4.6 billion years ago as rock and ice particles swirling around the young sun collided and merged, snowballing to produce ever larger planetary building blocks. In violent pileups, they smashed together to create planets, including the infant Earth. In the turmoil, another body, as big as Mars, struck our planet with the energy of trillions of atomic bombs, enough to melt it all the way through. Most of the impactor was swallowed up in the bottomless magma ocean it created. But the collision also flung a small world's worth of vaporized rock into orbit. Debris quickly gathered itself into a ball, and since then Earth history has unfolded beneath the blank stare of the moon. After the moon's fiery birth, the Earth's surface cooled. Even so, our planet remained an alien world for the next 700 million years; scientists call this time the Hadean, after the Greek underworld. Rafts of solid rock drifted in the magma like dark ice floes. Gases hissed from the cooling rock-carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, and others-enveloping the planet in a scalding atmosphere devoid of oxygen. As the temperature dropped further, the steam condensed into rain that fell in primordial monsoons and filled the ocean basins. These first oceans may have been short-lived. Space rubble left over from the birth of the planets-chunks of rock tens to hundreds of miles across-bombarded Earth throughout the Hadean. The greatest impacts might have boiled the oceans away, forcing the process of cooling and condensation to begin again. By 3.8 billion years ago the impacts relented. Liquid water could persist. About that time, perhaps in the oceans, lifeless chemical reactions crossed a threshold, producing molecules complex enough to reproduce themselves and evolve toward greater complexity. Life was on a road that led, as early as 3.5 billion years ago, to single-celled, blue-green cyanobacteria that flourished in the sunlit parts of the oceans. By the trillions, these microscopic organisms transformed the planet. They captured the energy of the sun to make food, releasing oxygen as a waste product. Little by little they turned the atmosphere into breathable air, opening the way to the diversity of life that followed. Those days are long gone, but the processes that turned our planet from a hell to a habitable world are still on view today, as the images on these pages show. Primordial heat left over from the planet's formation still bursts out in volcanic eruptions, spilling lava that exudes gases like the young, cooling Earth. In the planet's harshest environments today, cyanobacteria reign as they have for billions of years. And each time a plant gains a toehold on newly cooled lava, the victory of life over lifeless rock-won so long ago on the young Earth-is affirmed again. Subscribe to National Geographic magazine. The Earth began as a bleak surrounding where hot and fiery rocks and poisonous fumes existed. This is what the article from National Geographic Magazine, titled Earth in the Beginning written by Tom Appenzeller, illustrates. The article describes the early Earth

Canadian national identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canadian national identity - Essay Example According to public opinion polls, Canadians are proud of their diversity since it reflects the admirable qualities of caring, accepting, and tolerance. Canadians have developed a fairly intense complex about their national identity. Most Canadians share universal conceptions. The Canadian media has identified that 85 percent of Canadians identified their nation with typical behaviors and a typical accent language (Diakiw, 2011). There are numerous historical events that have shaped the current Canadian national identity. Some of the events include the participation of women in World War I, the creation of social welfare services and implementation of the third party system. Canadian political system has led to collective bargaining and equal rights for all workers (Diakiw, 2011). Immigration restrictions especially Asian immigrants and treatment of minority groups during the 20th century including residential schools, aboriginal issues and treaties led to emergency of shared values of tolerance and acceptance of diversity (Berdun & Montserrat, 2007). The Official Languages Act and Canadian role in international peacekeeping led to emergency of a culture of tolerance and caring attitudes among the nationals (Berdun & Montserrat, 2007). Canadians are proud of the cultural image. Canadian government has facilitated the strengthening of national identity and heritage. A unified and tolerant Canadian national ideology inspires many Canadian nationals. Canadian government has promoted cultural diversity and heritage through limiting the effect of foreign influence such an American influence. The official symbols such as the Flag of Canada was modified in order to align it with Canadian culture. Prominent symbols such as the loon, Canada goose, beaver and Canadian horse are some of the symbols that Canadian national identity with in the society (MacKey, 1999). The government has also changed the

Of mice and men - What u think happened in Weed Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men What u think happened in Weed Essay It was getting dark; the hot humid winds blew from the starless sky over the heads of exhausted ranch workers in the quiet town of Weed. George, along with the rest of his team headed towards the cabin as Lennie, the friendly giant followed behind. Today had been a long day; every worker had been on the field for over twelve hours. Working overtime was the only way to make an extra few dollars which was crucial to many of the men. As they arrived to the cabin, one by one the men washed and prepared for the next day. The clock hit nine and the cabin went silent, the sounds of George snoring echoed as the others slept in peace. The limited hours of sleep ticked by and were soon over. The next morning arrived as the alarms went off, the sounds of tired men yawning whizzed from bed to bed as the men got up for a hard day of labour. Once again one by one they lined up for a wash and set of for the fields. As usual Lennie was last to wash and so once again George had to wait as George and Lennie were as one force. George stuck by Lennie throughout his life as he was the only form of family he had. Lennies lacks of knowledge lead to him being Georges responsibility and so George stuck by him throughout everything. However both men left the cabin and set of for the fields. The sun was blazing down, droplets of sweat poured down their faces as they arrived to the fields. Both men had arrived late for the third time this week; they got straight to work as the boss walked by inspecting how everyone was getting onYou late again georgy boy, carry on this way and ull be hitting the road and that goes for the big one too pointing his short crooked fingers to the direction of Lennie Wont happen again boss replied George hesitantly. The ranch workers were terrified of the boss, he was a mysterious guy, no one actually knew anything about him let alone his actual name. He would spend his whole day walking through the fields looking for someone in the wrong for him to pick on. George just kept out his way as he didnt want no trouble just wanted to make the money and head off to buy a little farm house and live the American dream. The day finally came to an end, and on top of everything it was a Friday, looking forward to the two days off George and the boys decided to go into town. As the men headed of for the cabin Lennie followed walking half a mile behind the rest as usual singing to him self. Go straight back to the cabin and go to bed, me and the boys gonna hit inta town so dont stay awake instructed George to LennieOk George replied the big fellow, repeating quietly the instruction from George. Lennie made his way back towards the cabin strolling through the muddy fields all alone denting gigantic footprints behind him. As he arrived back to the cabin all alone, he watched George and the other men making their way for a night out. Although Lennie never asked to join them he felt left out, he felt different and less important as he was the only man left behind. Feeling sympathatic towards himself he decided to go off for a walk instead of going back to an empty cabin. He started walking through the dark muddy fields, his boots covered with large bulks of mud making it hard for him to lift of the ground to take the next step, lost in his own thoughts he carried on walking until his leg finally got stuck so deep in the mud he dropped, his large figure fell to the ground with an impact leaving the ground surface all uneven. He layed motionless on the ground for a few second before deciding to get up. Finally he made an effort to get back to his feet when to his shock he realised a young women standing above him looking down at him offering her hand to pull him up. He gazed into her eyes, his head started spinning her beauty was undescribable her red lipstick shone aginst the moonlight as her long silky hair ran down her back. Shocked by her beauty Lennie just carried on looking into her eyes, she looked back into his with a confused smile flashing off her face you ok there? the women asked politely you want a hand getting up big man, didnt you see th ea sign no walking through the fields at night! its there for a reason! Lennie was lost in her beauty, not listening to nothing she said he put out his hand to accept help from the women, she grabbed on to his enormous rough hand trying to pull him up using both her soft hands. She tried to pull the big man off the ground who made no effort to try get up himself, he just gazed into her eyes as if he was lost in them. She used all her strength to help him up but Lennie didnt move an inch. As she released the power, tired of pulling, Lennie gave a slight pull on her left hand. The women came flying down directly ontop of him but hitting her head against the mud. The women layed directly above him, Lennies heart beat increased as the women didnt move, he gently turned her of him to his left. While moving her body of himself he realised droplets of blood on her forehead. Lennies heart rate increased, he started to take long deep breathes and got to his feet instantly. He stood above her to realise she had hit her head onto a rock which layed on the mud. Lennies panic began to increas now that he figured out the women was dead, he was now going to get into trouble once again and let George down. Feeling terrified and confused, Lennie made a run, he ran through the fields falling after every few steps as he realised a light being shone in his direction, it was his boss. What you doing out here at this time big man shouted the boss curiously with his voice echoeing through the fields, however Lennies fear forced him to ignore the boss and carry on running. He ran and ran untill he finaly made it to the cabin. Lennie entered the cabin and went straight to his bunk where he sat up waiting for George. Hours went past and the men were not back, Lennie left the cabin and stood outside.The winds blew with force and a few minutes later Lennie saw George and the men walking back in the distance, George saw Lennie outside the cabin from a far distance and ran towards him. What you doing up awake at this time, I told u I was going to be latesaid George in a dim and tired voice and suddenly Lennie bursted into tears as he explained himself to George about what happened. After hearing the news George also began to panic we have to leave Lennie now both men packed their bags as the other men fell into their deep sleep and left as they had no other choice. Although Lennie had meant no harm on th women Lennies life would be at risk, he would be blamed for murder and with no evidence to prove his innocence he would most likely be killed. The only way to avoid this was to go on the run so both men set off for the woods to get as far away from the town of weed as possible.

Violence And Media Textual Analysis Film Studies Essay

Violence And Media Textual Analysis Film Studies Essay Textual analysis is crucial in film analysis of any kind. Almost all film studies module will always consist of textual analysis as the first assignment. Textual analysis is usually focused on sequences from film or television program. (Anon, 2011). Always stick to the specified text, ensure that the analysis is demonstrably relevant to the asked question. (Anon, n.d.). I am going to analyze the films un-forgiven and Seven in this article. Textual analysis of the film unforgiven Most of the information on the film Unforgiven attempts to examine several concerns. The concerns include generic issues pertaining to western world, such as violence, screen violence, heroism, justice and myth making, gender relation inequity, and social and political parallels. This criticism tries to identify the most important as the film as Clint Eastwood (nexus of most debates). Clint Eastwood finally becomes the measure of how the film succeeds in the topic. Despite the crucial role of this figure, the film tends to conflate the actor, the character and the director as a single Clint Eastwood. Early in the film, William Munny seems to be a family man and great farmer. He will only return to crime if he gets into financial constrains. William Beard suggests that the movie depicts that William Munny was forgiven by his dead wife, Claudia in a period that predates the opening. This led to Munny escaping the maelstrom of nihilistic compulsive violence and drunken self-obliteration. (Groves, 2001). Munny is only provoked back to violence by the humiliating death of his old partner, Ned Norgan late in the film. The film, however, indicates the gradual transformation of Munny. The confession of the criminal is heard without any judgement based on the argument his forgiveness did. Though the past is never forgotten, it is usually displaced. This creates a chance for psychological renewal as that experienced by Munny on marrying Claudia. Its though worthy noting the past is always present somewhere. It seems that if the criminal does lose or reject forgiveness, he is likely to commit to further crime. The Schofield Kid reaches at the Munnys farm to tell him that he was invited by the wronged prostitutes, the mise-en-scene and narrative look simple and clear. Munny is flailing around trying to save his dogs. He listens to the Kids story but refuses to accept the young mans plan. He returns to his dogs after the Kid leaves. We can accept his change and rehabilitation. He can be said to be living in self-imposed prison. He tells the kid that he thought he was coming to kill him for something he had done in old days. Before living for Big Whiskey, he tells his children that the dogs were getting even worse because of cruelty he had caused on other animals before he mate their late mum. In their discussion, the kid reminds them how their uncle Pete Sathau implicated Munny as the meanest goddamn sonofabitch alive. (Groves, 2001). Munny only replies, Pete said that, huh? At this point, Munnys children appear at the door and the conversation changes. Munny refers to Claudia, acclaiming her profound influence on him. The night scenes on the train still portray the divided character of Munny. He expresses his sorrow to the crimes he committed to Logan, insisting his redemption was never jeopardized. The only source of light is the camp lamb and the men are surrounded by darkness. The camera shot is taken at about 45 degrees at the time Buddy refers to his former associate, Eagle (Hendershot) who hated him . Munnys face is bathed in the lambs golden glow, but we can see little else of remaining body, his cloth blending into the darkness. As Logan goes to sleep, Munny remain seated in a rigid posture trying to keep warm with the overcoat. We have an impression that he is trying to protect himself from mental darkness surrounding him. Though the manner his face is illuminated is halo reminiscent, there is question on his forgiveness. This account is further reinforced next evening when the kid joins them. Munnys determination during this period implies internal struggle. The kid questions him about h is past deeds upon which Munny participates reluctantly. Munny remains stationery covered in a blanket throughout the whole scene. Though the lighting is brighter than the previous scene, his face is harder to see because of flickering light of the burning wood and his distance from the camera. It is hard to separate his forgiven present from damned aspects of the past. This is reinforced when they meet the prostitutes the following day. Munny gets a bout of fever and hallucinations which seems to be psychological: the threatening darkness now seems to overwhelm Munny. This is further emphasized by the mise en scene where Munny adopts a similar posture as the previous night. He seems to be hiding and his eyes are obscured by his hat and the fact that the scene is shot from above or face level. His face disappears; his halo has been replaced y shadow of darkness. The room has a smoky dim appearance and the characters seem to blend with the saloon surrounding- the brown color of the c ustoms clothing resembles those of the walls and fixtures. This depiction of saloon and Munny tries to imply the hardship in separating good from bad, aggressor from victim. In Greelys, Munny refuses Logans offer of whisky, he refuses to have coitus with a prostitute. He does not hit back soon when the sheriff attacks him. Little Bill Dagget implies that Munny belongs to men he refers: assassins and men of low character. There two camera shots when Logan asks Munny if he wants a prostitute. In the beginning, his face remains in darkness while in the second he turns little so that only one eye is in the light. He turns refusing the suggestion. However his longing may be shown by the way he gestures and silence which is echoed when he is taunted by Daggett. The sheriff rants at him: What if I was to say you were a no good, son-of-a-bitch and liar? (Groves, 2001). Three left profile camera shots are taken. Munny does not respond to this provocation with violence though, the glare on his face indicates he wanted to respond violently. This profile shots emphasize his conflicted personality. Notably, the shots prefigure him during the final shots as he confron ts and kills the brothel owner (Skinny Dubois) and the sheriff who ranted at him initially. (Groves, 2001). Film textual analysis of the film Seven Seven was released in the year 1995. It was written by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Fincher was the director. Its a horrifying, dark and intelligent thriller. As the film opens, veteran cop Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) is appalled by the society that embraces apathy as a virtue. After 35 year on the police force, he is six years from retirement when John Doe comes along. He meets David Mills (Brat Pitt), a young cop; together they investigate equally murders involving Greed, Lust, Gluttony, and Envy, sloth, pride and wrath. Seven takes place in an unnamed city which is rotting so fast, and places the detective in a stylized underworld. (Se7en opening scene: a textual analysis, n.d.) The film features many famous actors thus good acting skills make it somehow realistic story. Apart from what happens in the scenes, macro and micro elements, editing, sound effect, mise-en-scene and music make the scenes excellent. The camera shots, movements and angles used in the opening of the film have many extreme close ups, Dutch and high angles and still movement. The extreme close-ups show the details of torture and weaponry as emphasized during the shedding of the skin from the antagonist fingers. There images of badly mutilated people and corpses-disgusting to the audience. The Dutch angles and slanted angles emphasize the issue of spying to the audience. There is little camera movement in the beginning to ensure appreciation of what happening in the scenes by the audience which adds on the close shots. The editing of the introduction represents the characters feelings, it hides information from the audience, and it makes the audience understand what is happening in the scene. The rapid editing is to represent the characters thoughts. It implies the fact that a lot of ideas are going through his head. The use of red color overlay over the images to represent the macro element of blood, danger and death. Blurring has been made use of to hide the antagonist from the audience which creates the feeling of uneasiness to the audience. The antagonists feelings ahs also been expressed through one edit of two shots overlaid together. This idea of superimposition connotes that the character is either psychological or mental ill. Music has been used to create tension and feeling of romance by just variation in pace and tone. In seven, the music is industrial and tense with different sound effects added. This corresponds well with the editing as if things happening in the film are producing the sounds. Here is a high pitched scream that is used to show that he tortures people. We get the impression that he is feeling devious as the music becomes aggravating and jumpy. The mise-en-scene creates tension in the audience. There dull colors of brown, grey and white with no inviting colors like blue or pink. He however uses the color red which stands out among the other dull colors. Red shows blood or signifies death which is what the plot is all about. Though out the whole introduction, the character is making scrapbooks about the people he has tortured and killed. The whole idea of serial killer is quite disturbing as evidenced by the scrap book which contains sepia colors to make them look old. There element of weaponry as evidenced by use of scissors he uses to cut up his gruesome images, the books plus the needle he uses to attach the pages together. The extreme close up of tea bag dissolving in hot water like blood color gives the impression of danger and death. In one part of the opening, the word GOD is upside down to give the ideology of antichrist/ anti-religion. This is also seen in another seen where the word GOD is cut out. There is casts of shadows due to poor lighting and this creates fear- darkness. The idea of violence, death and suffering has been well illustrated in this film. (Se7en opening scene: a textual analysis, n.d.).

Should Forgiveness Be Conditional Philosophy Essay

Should Forgiveness Be Conditional Philosophy Essay The concept of forgiveness has been a central concern to individuals and communities throughout history. Present in theological ideas, the concept of forgiveness is widespread and has greatly influenced our moral attitudes towards one another and how we react when we have been offended . The standard definition in the Oxford English Dictionary for forgiveness states  ¿Ã‚ ½may be forgiven, pardonable, excusable ¿Ã‚ ½ (Hughes, 2010). However, by merely pardoning or excusing the offender, without them taking accountability for their action, can dismiss the moral significance and psychological emotions of the victim. I shall argue, with reference to Charles Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s book Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration, that the process of forgiveness is restorative. Forgiving has the ability to reunite a relationship disrupted by someone ¿Ã‚ ½s wrongdoing as well as aid in letting go ones negative feelings and hostility towards the offender. I will explore Bishop Butlers understanding of forgiveness, which is incompatible with my view of forgiveness. Thus I shall argue that forgiveness is only possible when conditional on repentance. I shall propose Professor Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s conditions which need to be fulfilled in order for forgiveness to be completely satisfied, whilst providing a counterexample in support of those who forgive unconditionally. Ultimately, I will conclude in support of conditional forgiveness as I would have demonstrated how unconditional forgiveness can understate the moral significance of the victim as well as the moral importance of the action. Bishop Joseph Butler understands forgiveness as the  ¿Ã‚ ½forswearing of resentment ¿Ã‚ ½ (Murphy, 1988, p.1). He treats resentment as indignation due to a moral wrong to oneself. According to Butler, forgiveness is compatible with some degree of continuous rage towards the wrongdoer for their action. Therefore, forswearing resentment does  ¿Ã‚ ½not require giving up every negative feeling associated with the injurious event ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold,2007,p.41) He argues instead, moderated resentment is necessary as it helps us to recognize the level of injury caused to us whilst also serving as a suitable response towards the wrongdoer for their action. For Butler, resentment is not inconsistent with goodwill and  ¿Ã‚ ½we may therefore love our enemy ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.36) despite their actions towards us. Thus it seems Bishop Butler does not require the offender to meet conditions to gain the victims forgiveness,  ¿Ã‚ ½Because we are in need of forgiveness, consistency de mands that we be forgiving of others. ¿Ã‚ ½(Griswold, 2007, p.36). However, claiming to have forgiven your wrongdoer whilst holding a proportionate amount of resentment towards them seems counter-intuitive. I feel that in order to fully forgive someone, resentment has to be overcome in order to rid any hostility, moral hatred, and negative feelings towards the offender. Forgiveness benefits the wrongdoers as well as the victim, helping them to alleviate guilt and blame, thereby helping them to move forward in their lives and not reoffend. If resentment is consistent with goodwill, as Butler argues it is, the process is compromised and forgiveness for neither persons cannot be achieved. Instead, the injurer should make a conscious effort to ensure forgiveness is fulfilled, which requires attempting to abolish any resentment the victim bears towards them. If not, the victim has to accept they have been wronged and begin to deal with the pain of their injury, psychologically and physically, without the satisfaction of knowing their offender has repente d for their action. Bishop Butler thus understates the importance of forgiveness as a process the victim must go through to overcome their resentment and psychological hostility. Forgiveness should require modifying and changing ones moral judgements about the offender, through a process which makes them deserving of the victim ¿Ã‚ ½s compassion. Without this process the emotional complexity of forgiveness is lost. Unlike Butler, Charles Griswold argues that forgiveness aims to relinquish resentment whilst ensuring the offender is held accountable. He believes that although forgiveness is generally good and admirable there are circumstances which prohibit giving forgiveness to the offender, especially when the offender is unrepentant of their sins. For Griswold, forgiveness is not meant as a  ¿Ã‚ ½therapeutic program ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.54) instead the conditions he outlines are  ¿Ã‚ ½conditions of a moral nature ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold,2007, p.54) meant to alter ones moral judgments of a person, and help to improve the victims view of the wrongdoer. Once these conditions have been met the offender is entitled to forgiveness from the victim (Griswold, 2007, p.47) On this view, forgiveness cannot be seen as a  ¿Ã‚ ½gift to the offender ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.67) which is given freely without having met certain criteria which repudiates ones wrong doing. Forgiveness is therefore condit ional on repentance otherwise it  ¿Ã‚ ½would collapse into forgetting, or excusing, or rationalisation. ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.46). Professor Griswold believes  ¿Ã‚ ½forgiveness requires reciprocity between injurer and injured ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p. xvi) which can be achieved through satisfying the six conditions he outlines.  ¿Ã‚ ½Firstly, it is important that the wrongdoer takes responsibility for their action, Secondly, ensure they repudiate the deed, Third, regret their action, Fourth, commit to being a better person, Fifth, show understanding from the injured person ¿Ã‚ ½s perspective, and lastly, offer a narrative of why they are worthy of the victims forgiveness by showing they are committed to changing their ways ,as well as committing to fully letting go of resentment ¿Ã‚ ½. (Griswold, 2007, pp.48 52) These conditions, when fulfilled, will reunite mutual respect and acknowledgment between the wrongdoer and aid in the return to the  ¿Ã‚ ½minimal state of civility before the injury was done ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griwold, 2007, p.49). However, Griswold argues forgiveness is only possible if the offender has become morally changed through meeting these conditions (Griswold, 2007, p.49). Conditional forgiveness is necessary as forgiving the offender without requiring anything from them conveys to them, and the rest of the public, they are not responsible for their action. If the offender is unrepentant of their sins, they have not been morally changed, and for that reason we would not know if the offender would recommit their wrongdoing in the future. Unconditional forgiveness denies all requirements for the offender to take responsibility for their action or try to repudiate their wrongdoing. Therefore I feel it downplays the moral significance of the event as it fails to endorse the extent of the offender ¿Ã‚ ½s moral wrongdoings. It also allows the offender to dismiss the harm to the victim which denies them respect for the wrongdoing against them. If the offender takes responsibility for their action and commi ts to becoming a better person, then they become worthy of the victims forgiveness. In agreement with Griswold, I feel forgiveness should only be given once the offender repents for their sins. Without doing so, it  ¿Ã‚ ½adds insult to the injury so far as the victim is concerned ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.49). In fulfilling the conditions of forgiveness, the offender comes to understand and accept what morality requires of him. If he does not, the wrongdoer may never understand the moral significance of the act, pretending the injustice upon the victim does not carry any importance. . The conditions Professor Griswold outlines aim to show that forgiveness should not be freely given as a gift. The conditions are important because a wrong should not be disregarded, and if forgiveness is unconditional, the offender carries no moral weight for their action. Overcoming resentment and being able to forgive the offender may end psychological discomfort the victim longed for, only achievable through the repentance of the offender. Katie Hutchinson from Victoria Island Canada finally found peace after her husband ¿Ã‚ ½s killer confessed to the murder 4 years later and apologised to her. Only then was she able to forgive him and begin her healing process which finally allowed her to let go of the moral hatred which grew inside her. Similarly, it allowed her husband ¿Ã‚ ½s killer to understand the extent of his crime as he had the opportunity to directly relate to his victims hurt and anger. Forgiveness was conditional on his apology and confession which due to this, bot h parties psychologically benefitted. Forgiveness said nothing less about her feelings towards her husband, or how profound his murder was, it  ¿Ã‚ ½became an opportunity to create a new and hopeful beginning ¿Ã‚ ½ (Hutchinson, 2011). The murderer was not let off the moral hook and the moral significance of the action remained a crucial feature in their lives. As the offender did not demand forgiveness or had been given it freely as a gift, the victims self-respect was maintained, which like Griswold, I feel is lost in unconditional forgiveness. On this account of forgiveness, the moral significance of the action was not downplayed, and the self respect of the victim was maintained. The offender takes responsibility for their actions but also begins to amend the harm caused. Giving up resentment through a process in which the perpetrator satisfy ¿Ã‚ ½s conditions seems a necessary requirement in achieving forgiveness as an end, especially if the offender is alive and willing to repent. Thus conditional forgiveness avoids the main objections which apply to unconditional forgiveness. But, what happens with the offender is deceased or unrepentant? Should forgiveness still be conditional? Professor Griswold argues that  ¿Ã‚ ½if the forgiveness is unconditional, the intrinsically interpersonal character of forgiveness is lost ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.64). I accept this assertion on the grounds that as there is no face to face interaction in the process, the victim may not gain full satisfaction from forgiving unconditionally. Yet Griswold allows forgiveness to be granted to the deceased without having carried out his six conditions. Forgiveness is possible if you are able to plausibly construct a scenario of what that person would do if you were to meet in the circumstances where they were repentant for their wrongdoing. Constructing a narrative on the reasons for forgiving the offender and why they deserve forgiveness may involve  ¿Ã‚ ½gathering data ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.120) of why that person acted as they had done or indicate issues in the offenders past which caused or influenced them to commit this offence. Once understood, the victim can come to feel respected and let go of any resentment they may have towards the offender (Griswold, 2007, p.121). Once the victim sees the forgiver in a new light, forgiveness can truly be fulfilled. Forgiveness, in this case, may be  ¿Ã‚ ½lacking or imperfect relative to the paradigm, ¿Ã‚ ½(Griswold, 2007, p. xvi) however, this does not rule out the central role forgiveness plays in letting go the negative feelings and resentment one may hold against the offender. On the contrary, there are several non-paradigmatic cases in which unconditional forgiveness is essential in the natural process of psychological recovery. A counter- example to Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s conditional forgiveness can be demonstrated through the unconditional forgiveness given by the Pennsylvanian community. On May 16th 2007, 32 students were shot dead by a former student whilst many others were severely wounded on the campus of Virginia Tech University, USA. Before committing suicide, the former Virginia tech student had sent a manifesto to NBC news which stated that he believed his injurious and merciless act was benefitting the community in some way. Shortly after the shooting ended, the hurt was felt universally. A candle lighting memorial ceremony was conducted and thousands of people flocked together in support of those who were killed. Shockingly, amongst the tears and sorrow, banners were held by parents and students stating  ¿Ã‚ ½we forgive you ¿Ã‚ ½. Surely this forgiveness would deny the self respect and moral dignity of the victims? I argue against Griswold, demonstrating that there are circumstances which unconditional forgiveness does not collapse into condemnation. Although not always desirable, it is possible to forgive someone whilst continuing to pronounce indignation towards the offender, especially if this gives them psychological tranquillity through doing so. The Pennsylvanian community should not be regarded as weak or mentally deficient for forgiving the killer, instead they should be appraised and admired for their love and ability to forgive in such difficult circumstances. Although Griswold suggests  ¿Ã‚ ½to forgive someone undeserving of the honour, under the banner of a  ¿Ã‚ ½gift, ¿Ã‚ ½ may condone the wrong-doer, and even provide encouragement to more offenses ¿Ã‚ ½ (Griswold, 2007, p.63) he fails to consider those who do not condone their actions and will continue to voice their anger towards such cr imes against humanity. Forgiving unconditionally may be a difficult thing to do, but letting go of psychological hatred whilst fighting for justice is possible. Unconditional forgiveness  ¿Ã‚ ½is compatible with outright condemnation of the wrongdoing and a determination to fight against it, and thus with maintaining self-respect ¿Ã‚ ½ (Gerrard and McNaughton, 2003, p.6) If the wrongdoing is not overlooked, and the full extent of the crime is widely understood and not downplayed, I feel no reason to contest against the satisfaction the injured party gains through forgiving unconditionally. It is a personal option, experienced by only the person giving it. Thus Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s argument is unsound. He cannot dictate to those who forgive unconditionally their forgiveness is flawed, as he does not know or understand their reasoning for forgiving. Whether someone  ¿Ã‚ ½deserves ¿Ã‚ ½ forgiveness is completely subjective and questionable. He makes a generalisation which is not n ecessarily true. If forgiving unconditionally allows the victim to overcome resentment and their negative emotions, then so be it. Forgiving the offender can sometimes only be possible if the forgiveness is given without requirements. In the previous example the killer thought he was doing good, so carrying out Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s six conditions in which a scenario with the killer is imagined, would in this case, lead to further anger, resentment and moral hatred, instead of abolishing these negative emotions. Unconditional forgiveness is needed for the same reasons Professor Griswold gives for reciprocal forgiveness. Without unconditional forgiveness how would we re-establish trust in man-kind, ensuring we do not lose hope or happiness for the future after such tragic losses? There are positive reasons for forgiving even the unrepentant. Vengefulness and moral hatred are minimised whilst a sense of human solidarity increases. Gerrard and McNaughton strongly endorse this view of unconditional forgiveness, arguing that as we are members of the same species, in a  ¿Ã‚ ½shared human community, like a shared membership of a family, provides reason alone for forgiveness ¿Ã‚ ½ (Gerrard and McNaughton, 2003, p.10). They defend their view by arguing that if we are to produce a sense of commonality, we have to realise that sometimes circumstances are difficult, and if  ¿Ã‚ ½circumstances would have been less favourableI might have become the kind of person who acted in this way ¿Ã‚ ½ (Gerrard and McNaughton, 2003, p.11) Monstrous as the perpetrators may be, they still share the same characteristics as us. The human condition is sometimes fragile, easily manipulated, or clouded by false information and judgments leading us to act in terrible ways. But in some cases it is possible to see how the offender came to be or act in that way. Griswold does, to some extent, endorse this view in his conditional forgive ness for the deceased. He suggests by constructing a narrative about the offender, it is possible to find an indication why they have committed the offence (Griswold, 2007, p.121). In the example of the University shootings, it was soon discovered that the student had several mental disorders which triggered him to act irrationally and violently. Although his actions should not be condoned, based on the presence of a mental disorder, it does somehow allow us to understand the killer, and alleviate some of the anger and resentment we have towards him. If we somehow put ourselves in his shoes, perhaps we can relate to his sorrow, misery and anger towards the world. We all have the capacity to morally wrong someone, and if circumstances were different we too would be in need of forgiveness. (Gerrard and McNaughton, 2003, 11) I do not deny the fact the killer was deceased played an important part in the community ¿Ã‚ ½s ability to forgive unconditionally. Had the killer been alive, I doubt they would have given their forgiveness so readily without his repentance. Nonetheless, unconditional forgiveness has allowed them to relieve hostile feelings, reconcile their trust in man-kind, maintain self-respect and ensure the moral significance of the action was maintained. If we take forgiveness to be a process which the injured party must go through in order to overcome negative emotions, then unconditional forgiveness has the ability to do so. To recall Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s argument, condoning the crimes of the unrepentant would demonstrate to others they are not accountable for their actions. By forswearing revenge and committing to let go of resentment, the Pennsylvanian community hardly demonstrated to others that by committing such crimes you will not be held responsible. They do not condone his actions and never will. If the killer were alive they would have demanded justice. Letting go of your anger does not let the offender off the moral hook. Thus, I have shown unconditional forgiveness does not necessarily collapse into condemnation. I shall note that Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s approach to the topic is secular. Although he focuses on secular forgiveness he does not deny the widespread role of forgiveness in Christian and Judaic narrative. For people who are religious, the process of forgiveness can be easier and less complicated as their religion requires they be forgiving no matter what. Religious forgiveness about believes, having faith in God, yourself and man-kind. It is difficult to interpret whether God ¿Ã‚ ½s forgiveness is conditional or unconditional as this view differs amongst spectators. I do however argue that whether forgiveness is conditional or unconditional, forgiveness is always good and admirable. The benefits one gains from forgiving are more important than the process one goes through in order to get to the desired end. Whether or not forgiveness should be conditional ultimately lies with the decision of the injured person. Both conditional forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness have benefits which help re-establish a relationship harmed by someone ¿Ã‚ ½s wrongdoing. However, I do support Professor Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s argument that when the offender is alive, and unrepentant, he is not worthy of your forgiveness. But, this does not mean that forgiveness should not be granted, if in doing so, allows you to let go of the psychological hatred which consumes you. Unconditional forgiveness certainly has the same benefits of reciprocal conditional forgiveness. It does however seem a common type of forgiveness given more readily when the perpetrator is deceased. Enmity and abomination are far worse than human solidarity and peacefulness. Generally speaking, if the offender is alive, forgiveness should be conditional on the offenders repentance otherwise it is possible the moral significance of the victi m and moral importance of the event is understated. If however, the perpetrator is deceased Professor Griswold ¿Ã‚ ½s argument no longer suffices. Everyone has their own reasons to forgive but if forgiveness is to be truly fulfilled and satisfied, the offender should, at the very minimum, take responsibility for their actions and try to repudiate their wrongdoing.