The Devils Highway free essay sample

Urrea is an author who wrote a book based on an investigative report concerning the twenty six men who attempted to cross the Mexican border in 2001. This deadly desert and fascinating book is titled â€Å"The Devil’s Highway†. Many souls that attempted to cross this died whether it was for pleasure or for opportunity. Both intentions ended in tragedy. The Devil’s highway is known to have evil spirits known from the Indian culture such as the coyote spirit and the evil witch. The desert contained nocturnal animals that are â€Å"poisonous and alien† such as: sidewinders, rattlesnakes, coral snakes, Gila monsters, killer bees, scorpions, giant centipedes, black widows, tarantulas etc. The main obstacle that stood in all the illegal immigrants way was the heat. The heat most definitely killed almost anyone who stepped foot on the desert. They never had enough water. Even the people who went to the desert just to sit and relaxed were cooked up in the heat because they didn’t have enough water with them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Devils Highway or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this deadly dessert, the border lines are observed, inspected and secured by the border patrol. The border line is divided into sectors known as Tucson and Yuma. Urrea’s view of the border patrol is not so much as negative or positive. He describes it in a way where he portrays that they’re â€Å"just doing their job†. The border patrol played cruel jokes on the illegal immigrants such as: throwing the dead snake to scare them. Illegal immigrants made the choice to cross the devil’s highway because they believed it wasn’t as highly patrolled as other areas are. The process of crossing this desert is actually more than you think. A group who decides to go all at once meet with the person of their hometown who obviously has knowledge about crossing the border. This man’s name is Don Moi and he is known as a recruiter. He will gather information and contact and recruit more people. The immigrants who want to cross are guided by people who know the route and the process and these people are known as coyotes. Before most of this process takes place, immigrants gather most of their money and even take out loans to pay the coyotes to guide them through the deadly desert. The coyote who led the twenty six men in 2001 is Jesus Ramos (a. k. a. Mendez). Fourteen of the illegal immigrants he led died in the desert in attempt to cross the border. These men were known as Yuma 14. Who is ultimately responsible for the death of Yuma 14? Urrea creates a balance of blame on the Mendez and the desert itself. If Mendez hadn’t drifted into a different route, the Yuma 14 could’ve possibly survived along with the other twelve. But the desert’s heat is what killed all fourteen. Dehydration had gotten to them all. Mendez in the end did not give a good impression at all. He had taken all the money of the ones who had survived along with him. He reassured that he would get them their water and that they could wait where they were for him. Instead he took one person along with him and all of the money and that portrayed the selfishness he has within. He was willing to risk other’s lives just so he can survive. I think Urrea believes it is Mendez’s responsibility for the men who died known as Yuma 14. Towards the end of the chapter, Urrea adds in Mendez’s letter. In the letter, he states, By way of this letter, I ask forgiveness and pardon for what happened in the Arizona desert, because I really am sorry from the bottom of my heart for what happened and it honestly wasn’t my intention to lead those people to their deaths. (Urrea 188) [quoted by: Mendez] This quote in Mendez’s letter is an apology. Therefore he already takes fault in the deaths of the Yuma 14. He led them in the wrong direction for a long time and they ran out energy and water. I don’t think Urrea would put the blame one the border patrol because he believes that the border patrol is just doing their job. The border patrol’s main focus is to save the people who are suffering trying to cross the desert. I believe the desert holds a lot more responsibility than the Mendez and the border patrol. Urrea goes into detail about hyperthermia. Hyperthermia has six stages—heat stress, heat fatigue, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. These stages most likely lead to the death of immigrants trying to cross the boder. Urrea also proves that even people who go there to relax end up dying. Urrea’s focus on the desert showed how frightening and deadly it can be. He has provided facts and stories about the desert. He describes the disturbing details of the men’s bodies after it’s been in the sun for so long. He tells us the cruel games the border patrol play and yet he tells us about how they want to save the lives, too. He even says that the border patrol is afraid to travel through the desert. He provides stories of other people who have crossed the cruel dessert and he tells about the lives of the people involved in this incident. I believe that it is the desert that holds responsibility for the lives of Yuma 14. The Devils Highway free essay sample Urrea is an author who wrote a book based on an investigative report concerning the twenty six men who attempted to cross the Mexican border in 2001. This deadly desert and fascinating book is titled â€Å"The Devil’s Highway†. Many souls that attempted to cross this died whether it was for pleasure or for opportunity. Both intentions ended in tragedy. The Devil’s highway is known to have evil spirits known from the Indian culture such as the coyote spirit and the evil witch. The desert contained nocturnal animals that are â€Å"poisonous and alien† such as: sidewinders, rattlesnakes, coral snakes, Gila monsters, killer bees, scorpions, giant centipedes, black widows, tarantulas etc. The main obstacle that stood in all the illegal immigrants way was the heat. The heat most definitely killed almost anyone who stepped foot on the desert. They never had enough water. Even the people who went to the desert just to sit and relaxed were cooked up in the heat because they didn’t have enough water with them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Devils Highway or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this deadly dessert, the border lines are observed, inspected and secured by the border patrol. The border line is divided into sectors known as Tucson and Yuma. Urrea’s view of the border patrol is not so much as negative or positive. He describes it in a way where he portrays that they’re â€Å"just doing their job†. The border patrol played cruel jokes on the illegal immigrants such as: throwing the dead snake to scare them. Illegal immigrants made the choice to cross the devil’s highway because they believed it wasn’t as highly patrolled as other areas are. The process of crossing this desert is actually more than you think. A group who decides to go all at once meet with the person of their hometown who obviously has knowledge about crossing the border. This man’s name is Don Moi and he is known as a recruiter. He will gather information and contact and recruit more people. The immigrants who want to cross are guided by people who know the route and the process and these people are known as coyotes. Before most of this process takes place, immigrants gather most of their money and even take out loans to pay the coyotes to guide them through the deadly desert. The coyote who led the twenty six men in 2001 is Jesus Ramos (a. k. a. Mendez). Fourteen of the illegal immigrants he led died in the desert in attempt to cross the border. These men were known as Yuma 14. Who is ultimately responsible for the death of Yuma 14? Urrea creates a balance of blame on the Mendez and the desert itself. If Mendez hadn’t drifted into a different route, the Yuma 14 could’ve possibly survived along with the other twelve. But the desert’s heat is what killed all fourteen. Dehydration had gotten to them all. Mendez in the end did not give a good impression at all. He had taken all the money of the ones who had survived along with him. He reassured that he would get them their water and that they could wait where they were for him. Instead he took one person along with him and all of the money and that portrayed the selfishness he has within. He was willing to risk other’s lives just so he can survive. I think Urrea believes it is Mendez’s responsibility for the men who died known as Yuma 14. Towards the end of the chapter, Urrea adds in Mendez’s letter. In the letter, he states, By way of this letter, I ask forgiveness and pardon for what happened in the Arizona desert, because I really am sorry from the bottom of my heart for what happened and it honestly wasn’t my intention to lead those people to their deaths. (Urrea 188) [quoted by: Mendez] This quote in Mendez’s letter is an apology. Therefore he already takes fault in the deaths of the Yuma 14. He led them in the wrong direction for a long time and they ran out energy and water. I don’t think Urrea would put the blame one the border patrol because he believes that the border patrol is just doing their job. The border patrol’s main focus is to save the people who are suffering trying to cross the desert. I believe the desert holds a lot more responsibility than the Mendez and the border patrol. Urrea goes into detail about hyperthermia. Hyperthermia has six stages—heat stress, heat fatigue, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. These stages most likely lead to the death of immigrants trying to cross the boder. Urrea also proves that even people who go there to relax end up dying. Urrea’s focus on the desert showed how frightening and deadly it can be. He has provided facts and stories about the desert. He describes the disturbing details of the men’s bodies after it’s been in the sun for so long. He tells us the cruel games the border patrol play and yet he tells us about how they want to save the lives, too. He even says that the border patrol is afraid to travel through the desert. He provides stories of other people who have crossed the cruel dessert and he tells about the lives of the people involved in this incident. I believe that it is the desert that holds responsibility for the lives of Yuma 14.

buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay

buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay The article Effects of Immigration on Jobs; Wages Is Difficult for Economists to Nail Dow explains on the effects of the people who migrate and decide to stay in America. It indicates that the people have assisted in economic growth though there are some side effects. The people who migrated to America have displaced the workers from America. Those without high school diploma have entered the working in casual jobs hence reducing the wages. The manufacturing jobs have declined, and this made more citizens to remain jobless. Despite the side effects, immigrants have assisted a lot in the growth of economy, because they provide service with cheap labor. They pay for government taxes, and this assists in growth of economy of some state. Many immigrants join social unions, but they go back before retiring and they do not claim for their dues. The article, Defying Trends, Canada Lures More Migrants explains that Canada has benefited from immigrants. Those under Manitoba provide casual services like driving, carpentry, plumbing, and weaving among others. They provide the service at cheap price and this makes Canada safe. Those pay rent and other bills and this increases government revenue because of huge tax. Immigrants also determine the political wave because about 20% of Canadian voters are foreigners. Canada needs more foreigners to provide casual services with low wage. The immigrants have improved Canadian economy. Opinion The immigrants add value to the economy, because they make the country more congested. Some of the immigrants leave their country due to bad record, and when accepted to stay in foreign country, they may later develop criminal behaviour and become a threat to security. Countries should resource the citizens and train them to provide all services. When a terrorist enters a certain country, he can bring more loss than 100 immigrants bring. Each country should handle immigrants with great care. Buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay

Basic Argument for Fatalism

He thinks it is not up to him what will happen a thousand years hence, next year, tomorrow, or the very next moment. † (52) â€Å"A fatalist thinks of the future in the way we all think of the past, for everyone is a fatalist as he looks back on things. † (52) We all think of the past â€Å"as something settled and fixed, to be taken for what it is. We are never in the least tempted to try to modify it. It is not in the least up to us what happened last year, yesterday, or even a moment ago, any more than are the motions of the heaves or the political developments in Tibet. We say of past things that they are no longer within our power. The fatalist says they never were. † (52-53) Theological Fatalism According to the main versions of Western Monotheism (e. g. traditional Christianity), God is omniscient. To be omniscient is to have (in some important sense) unlimited knowledge. It’s hard to say what this amounts to, but let’s use the following defin ition (since it’s common) x is omniscient = for x knows every true proposition and x does not believe any false propositions. Many people think that omniscience is incompatible with human freedom, because it implies the doctrine of theological fatalism. Theological fatalism is the view that all human actions are unavoidable (and we are powerless to do anything other than what we actually do) because God has exhaustive foreknowledge of all future human actions. Here is an important statement of the argument for theological fatalism from Augustine (On Free Choice of the Will, Book III) I very much wonder how God can have foreknowledge of everything in the future, and yet we do not sin by necessity. It would be an irreligious and completely insane attack on God’s foreknowledge to say that something could happen otherwise than as God foreknew †¦ Since God foreknew that [Adam] was going to sin, his sin necessarily had to happen. How, then, is the will free when such inescapable necessity is found in it? Surely this is the problem †¦ How is it that these two propositions are not contradictory and inconsistent: (1) God has foreknowledge of everything in the future; and (2) We sin by the will, not by necessity? For, you say, if God foreknows that someone is going to sin, then it is necessary that he sin. But if it is necessary, the will has no choice about whether to sin; there is an inescapable and fixed necessity. And so you fear that this argument forces us into one of two positions: either we draw the heretical conclusion that God does not foreknow everything in the future; or, if we cannot accept this conclusion, we must admit that sin happens by necessity and not by will. The Basic Argument for Theological Fatalism Where S stands for any person whatsoever and A stands for any action, Augustine’s argument can be stated as: 1. For any person, S, and an action, A, that S performs, God knew in advance that S will do A. 2. If God knows in advance that S will do A, then it necessary that S will do A. 3. Therefore, it is necessary that S will do A. 4. If it is necessary that S will do A, then S is not free to refrain from performing A. 5. If S is not free to refrain from performing A, then S does not freely perform A. 6. Therefore, no person ever acts freely. Evaluating the argument Premise 2 is ambiguous †¢P2a: Necessarily, If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A (De Dicto) †¢P2b: If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then necessarily S will perform A (De Re) P2a is true but the resulting argument is invalid P2a is true. It says that the proposition â€Å"if God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A† is necessarily true and this just means that it is impossible for God to know in advance that, for example, I will raise my arm at some time and I fail to raise my arm at that time. We can put this by saying that God’s knowing in advance that I will raise my arm at some time logically entails that I will raise my arm at that time. P2a is a way of expressing this truth. The resulting argument is invalid. Using P2a as the key premise, the argument is: 1. Necessarily, if God knows in advance that S will perform A, then S will perform A. 2. God knows in advance that S will perform A. 3. Therefore, necessarily, S will perform A. But this argument is invalid (the conclusion doesn’t follow from the premises). We can show this by means of a counterexample (an argument of the same form with true premises and a false conclusion). The form of this argument is: 1. Necessarily, If p, then p. 2. P 3. Therefore, necessarily q. To see that the argument is invalid, use the following substitutions: p = K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs, q = K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. . Necessarily, If K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs, then K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. 2. K. Sharpe weighs over 200lbs 3. Therefore, necessarily K. Sharpe weighs over 199lbs. The premises of this argument are true but the conclusion is obviously false (I could go on a diet and successfully lose some weight). I weigh over 199lbs but not essentially. I could weigh less than 199lbs and, i n fact, I did weigh less than 199lbs at one point. All that follows from the first two premises is that, in fact, I in fact weight more than 199lbs. It doesn’t follow that it is impossible for me to weigh less than 199lbs. Just in case you are not convinced, here is a second counterexample (Plantinga’s) 1. Necessarily, if I know that George Clooney is a bachelor, then George Clooney is a bachelor. 2. I know that George Clooney is a bachelor. 3. Therefore, it is necessarily true that George Clooney is a bachelor Again, the premises are true but the conclusion is false. George Clooney is a bachelor but he is not essentially a bachelor. He could get married, he just chooses not to. All that follows from the first two premises is that George Clooney is in fact a bachelor (not that he is essentially a bachelor). P2b renders the argument valid but it is obviously false 1. If God knows in advance that S will perform A, then necessarily S will perform A. 2. God knows in advance that S will perform A. 3. Therefore, necessarily S will perform A. This argument is valid (it’s just modus ponens) and so if the premises were true then conclusion would be true as well. But P2b is false. Given the de re reading of P2b, it says that whatever propositions God knows are necessarily true or, to put the point in terms of properties, if God knows that some object has a property then the object has that property essentially. Taken in this way, P2b is obviously false (nor does it follow from omniscience). Since the basic argument has to rely on either P2a or P2b, the argument is either invalid or relies on a false premise. Either way it’s unsound. Here is a way of thinking about this criticism of the argument. From the fact that God knows that Paul will mow his yard on July 7, 2015 it follows that, on July 7 2015, Paul mows his yard and that he does not refrain from mowing his yard on that day. But, it does not follow that it is metaphysically impossible for Paul to refrain from mowing his yard that day (that Paul does not refrain from mowing and it is impossible that Paul refrain from mowing are two very different things). All that follows from the fact that God knows in advance that Paul will mow is that Paul will not exercise his power to refrain not that he lacks the power the power to refrain. The basic argument for theological fatalism needs the later inference, but that inference is not a good one. Thus, the basic argument fails.

Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Questions - Essay Example The religious paradigms and strong ethical and moral values are intrinsic to the academic curricula that motivate students towards academic integrity and empathy towards others. The value based education in PLNU is one of the most cherished factors that would help me to fulfill my long term goals of serving community with high degree of commitment and in promoting ethically delivered objectives and goals. In the current environment of fast paced life, the PLNU helps one to be grounded in the reality of human relationship that transcends social barriers of class, creed and region. The value based educational programs would hugely help to overcome the challenges of life. I believe that diversity is hugely important on the college campus mainly because the globalization has ushered in the multicultural society that includes people coming from diverse background of culture, race, color, class and nationality. Diversity within the campus would equip students with unmatched understanding of cross cultural values and help develop mutual respect and love. These would hugely help them in their professional lives when they are working across the globe and interact with people from different culture. (words:

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden - Essay Example Shin Dong-hyuk has undergone these horrors, which has made him unprepared to live in the contemporary world, finding it difficult to adjust to a totally different environment with freedom. Being psychologically free refers to freedom from attachment and from identifying with anything. In addition, psychological freedom also refers to when an individual is a being, rather than a knowing or a doing. Because of his experiences in prison camp 14, which have resulted in classical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and Stockholm syndrome, Shin has been unable to gain psychological freedom. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a North Korean prison camp and lived under harsh and inhuman conditions for the first twenty-four years of his life. This was a period material, physical, and emotional deprivation for Shin, who underwent physical abuse and torture before making a successful escape from the prison camp (Harden 12). However, he escaped with scars consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks, nightmares, and panic attacks, which have denied him psychological freedom. Although he has received treatment for his posttraumatic stress disorder, he still finds himself in the grip of anger and fear, while he does not want to be alone with his thoughts for a long time because they trouble him (Harden 14). Shin has been unable to attain psychological freedom because of his trauma’s fundamental psychological effect, which is the shattering of his innocence. His experiences in prison camp 14 have led him to lose faith in any meaning, predictability, and safety in the world or any safe place that he can retreat to, including his family, which reinforces his feeling of isolation (Harden 167). His body or mind did not process his traumatic experiences at the prison camp, unlike other experiences. This is most likely due to their shocking and overwhelming

Public Education Essay Example for Free

Public Education Essay Public education has been an important part of our country throughout history. After the Declaration of Independence, fourteen states had their own constitutions by 1791. Seven of those states had specific provisions regarding education. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first American leaders to suggest a public school system. He believed that education should be under the control of the government, available to all people regardless of their status in society, and free from religious biases. Before the 1840s, the education system was only available to the wealthy. However, many reformers wanted all children in the United States to receive the benefits of education. Two reformers, Horace Mann and Henry Barnard created the Common School Journal, which was a newspaper that brought the issue of education out into the public. Because of their efforts, free public education at the elementary level was available for children by the end of the 19th century. Throughout the 1900s, many schools were created due to increased demand for skilled workers. As the 20th century progressed, many states began to enact legislation requiring people to go to school, and enrollment soared. That is how our public education system got to where it is today. There are still many issues regarding our public education system, such as some areas teaching better than others, and some classrooms having better materials than others. Local and Federal governments have always been involved in schools, making sure that they teach to their full potential. There are many congressional bills that have been passed, and many that are fighting to be passed. A very important bill that is out there today is the Student Bill of Rights, or H. R. 1295. The Student Bill of Rights is a congressional bill regarding education. It was introduced on March 31st, 2011. It is sponsored by congressman Chaka Fattah. The Student Bill of Rights basically makes sure that schools are providing their students with a proper education. It especially helps the disadvantaged students. Disadvantaged means the students who are falling behind in academics, as well as the handicapped. It allows the secretary of education to annually determine whether each states public school system provides all its students with the educational resources they need to succeed academically and in life. The main idea of this bill is that it requires all education to enable students to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship, meet challenging academic achievement standards, and compete and succeed in a global economy. It does this by requiring each educational system to satisfy certain criteria. One of the criteria is that the schools must satisfy certain Opportunity To Learn (OTL) indicators for all its schools, including effective teachers and resources. Opportunity To Learn indicators are strategies introduced several decades ago, and they are defined by a narrow set of instructions. Many educators and policy makers use the Opportunity to Learn concept, ensuring that all students receive an equal education, especially or disadvantaged and minority students. It helps schools, especially poor ones, educate all their students, and it makes the schools that are worse off a priority. Another criteria is that it provides educational services in local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive funds for disadvantaged students. There are local educational agencies that receive funds from the government and some that do not. Generally speaking, the ones that do not receive funds usually have a better educational program, because that educational agency has more money. This criteria makes sure that the educational services given to funded local educational agencies are equivalent to the educational services given to local educational agencies that do not receive funds from the government. This means that the schools that are better off will not get as much help as the schools that actually need help. This will make sure that the education that both these local educational agencies provide is similar. The final criteria is that it requires each educational system to comply with any final state or federal court order in any matter concerning the effectiveness or adequacy of the system. That means that the government will have the final say. So if a school feels that it is providing adequate education and the state feels that it does not, then the school will have to submit to the state and comply. This will make sure that all schools live up to the state and federal standards, ensuring that all students receive similar education. The Student Bill of Rights also allows students or  parents who are aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. That means that if students or parents feel that the educational system under the Student Bill of Rights does not meet those criteria and are violating the bill, then they are allowed to take this to court to ensure that the bill is not violated. The Student Bill of Rights also allows the federal government to withhold portions of an educational systems funding for administrative expenses. The criteria for this to happen is if the school fails to meet a yearly goal. Another criteria is if the school does not remedy a failure to provide educational services that are comparable to the services that other schools offer for disadvantaged students, after two years. This means that if there are violations and those violations are not fixed within two years, then the school will have funds withheld from them. The last criteria is if the school does comply with a court order. There are many pros and cons of this bill, but the pros will definitely outweigh the cons. There are two goals of every school, and that is to produce workers and create citizens. A pro of this bill is that it will make sure that schools are able to do this. It will make sure that schools are able to create a pool of workers with at least minimum competence and attitudes from which businesses can select employees from. This bill will help the disadvantaged learn many skills that are necessary to succeed in the working world. Those basic skills should be achieved by all students, as they are needed in most jobs. This will also increase the number of students meeting competence in basic skills, thereby increasing the pool of workers from which employers can select from. More students will have the opportunity to enter the work force, and the better ones will be selected, providing businesses with better workers. Keep in mind that opportunity doesnt mean that the students will get a job, it just means that they will have a chance to get it. That leads to another pro, which is competition for jobs. The competition for jobs allows businesses to get better workers and keep their wages lower, decreasing costs and increasing profits. However, this means that it may be harder for others to find jobs due to the competition. With more available workers in the workforce, there will be fewer available openings for jobs. So this bill actually helps the employers more than the workers, but it is still beneficial for all students. This bill will help schools create citizens because it will educate and teach many students the skills necessary to become productive citizens in our society. It helps students achieve personal excellence. It will nurture students to become adults who have the skills, attitudes, and knowledge to become productive community members, leaders, parents, and workers. It can help students identify their interests and abilities, help set goals for them, teach them responsibility and decision making, teach them how to work as a group, and make sure that every student reaches his or her full potential. This bill is fairly new. It was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and it has yet to pass. There hasnt been much action on this bill. This bill would be very effective if passed because it will help many students, mainly disadvantaged ones, achieve their full potential. Congress, the White House, and the U.S Supreme Court hasnt done much for this bill, nor have non-profit or non-governmental organizations. However, if this bill is passed, the potential outcomes will be great. There will be many students that succeed as citizens and workers. The standard for learning will go up, and students will be more knowledgeable overall. Eventually, our society will become much more smarter in the future, raising the standard of living for all Americans. Our brains should be considered the most important part of our bodies, because if we all train our brains, the possibilities are endless!

I Am Norman Rockwell :: Art Theory Essays

I Am Norman Rockwell Two weeks ago my family and I walked the three miles from Michigan Avenue in Chicago up to the Historical Society to see the Norman Rockwell show. I've been thinking about it ever since: Although the week before had been unseasonably warm and the trees budding, this day was in the 20's and a cold wind was blowing straight from the north, the direction we were walking. My family walked north through the cleaned up Rush street where my wife had secretly gone during high school looking for a safe kind of danger. There were ghosts of buildings no longer there: Gino's Pizza, the Jazz Showcase, and more. Just down Wabash my father, more than 20 years ago had taken me to Jim Diamond's steakhouse and bought me my first glass of wine, lying about my age. It's gone too, like my father. I was overcome with the tyranny of signs, in particular, Peirce's triadic model of representamen, object, and interpretant. Seamus Heaney writes about the ghost of a tree cut down when he was a boy, and says that this space has come to represent his umphalous, his world center. The empty or replaced buildings were ghosts mostly not of the dead but of the living, of the living who had moved on and changed. But the signs, the private set of signs my wife and I knew were there. I used to think that Peirce was talking about the physical presence of a representamen, a stop sign in the most used example, or a stone wall, or a river. I know now that when Chandler in his explanation of Peirce says cryptically a representamen is the form the sign takes and is not necessarily material. What does this have to do with