The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien Essay Example For Students

The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien Essay Tim OBriens The Things They Carried is not a novel about the Vietnam War. It is a story about the soldiers and their experiences and emotions that are brought about from the war. OBrien makes several statements about war through these dynamic characters. He shows the violent nature of soldiers under the pressures of war, he makes an effective antiwar statement, and he comments on the reversal of a social deviation into the norm. By skillfully employing the stylistic technique of specific, conscious detail selection and utilizing connotative diction, OBrien thoroughly and convincingly makes each point. The violent nature that the soldiers acquired during their tour in Vietnam is one of OBriens predominant themes in his novel. By consciously selecting very descriptive details that reveal the drastic change in manner within the men, OBrien creates within the reader an understanding of the effects of war on its participants. One of the soldiers, Norman Bowler, otherwise a very gentle person, carried a Thumb. . .The Thumb was dark brown, rubbery to touch. . . It had been cut from a VC corpse, a boy of fifteen or sixteen(13). Bowler had been a very good-natured person in civilian life, yet war makes him into a very hard-mannered, emotionally devoid soldier, carrying about a severed finger as a trophy, proud of his kill. The transformation shown through Bowler is an excellent indicator of the psychological and emotional change that most of the soldiers undergo. To bring an innocent young man from sensitive to apathetic, from caring to hateful, requires a great force; the war provides thi s force. However, frequently are the changes more drastic. A soldier named Ted Lavender adopted an orphaned puppy. . .Azar strapped it to a Claymore antipersonnel mine and squeezed the firing device(39). Azar has become demented; to kill a puppy that someone else has adopted is horrible. However, the infliction of violence has become the norm of behavior for these men; the fleeting moment of compassion shown by one man is instantly erased by another, setting order back within the group. OBrien here shows a hint of sensitivity among the men to set up a startling contrast between the past and the present for these men. The effect produced on the reader by this contrast is one of horror; therefore fulfilling OBriens purpose, to convince the reader of wars severely negative effects. In the buffalo story, We came across a baby water buffalo. . .After supper Rat Kiley went over and stroked its nose. . .He stepped back and shot it through the right front knee. . .He shot it twice in the fl anks. It wasnt to kill, it was to hurt(85). Rat displays a severe emotional problem here; however, it is still the norm. The startling degree of detached emotion brought on by the war is inherent in OBriens detailed accounts of the soldiers actions concerning the lives of other beings. OBriens use of specific and connotative diction enhances the same theme, the loss of sensitivity and increase in violent behavior among the soldiers. The VC from which Bowker took the thumb was just a boy(13), giving the image of a young, innocent person who should not have been subjected to the horrors of war. The connotation associated with boy enhances the fact that killing has no emotional effect on the Americans, that they kill for sport and do not care who or what their game may be. Just as perverse as killing boys, though, is the killing of a baby(85), the connotation being associated with human infants even though it is used to describe a young water buffalo they torture. The idea of a baby is abstract, and the killing of one is frowned upon in modern society, regardless of species. OBrien creates an attitude of disgust in the reader with the word, further fulfilling his purpose in condemning violence. Even more drastic in connotation to be killed is the orphaned puppy(39). A dding to the present idea of killing babies is the idea of killing orphaned babies, which brings out rage within the reader. The whole concept is metaphoric, based on the connotations of key words; nevertheless, it is extremely effective in conveying OBriens theme. .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .postImageUrl , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:hover , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:visited , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:active { border:0!important; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:active , .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8 .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub4d0c6ff1290a27490badede619d76a8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Business Plan Joe's Vinegar Essay We will write a custom essay on The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now OBrien makes a valid, effective antiwar statement in The Things They Carried. The details he includes give the reader insight into his opinions concerning the Vietnam War and the draft that was used to accumulate soldiers for the war. While thinking of escaping to Canada, he says: I was drafted to fight a war I hated. . .The American war seemed to me wrong(44). OBrien feels that U.S. involvement in Vietnamese affairs was unnecessary and wasteful. He includes an account of his plan to leave the country because he did not want to risk losing his life for a cause he did not believe in. Here OBrien shows the level of contempt felt towards the war; draft dodging is dangerous. He was not a radical antiwar enthusiast, however, for he takes only a modest stand against the war(44). While not condoning the fighting, he does not protest the war except for minimally, peacefully, and privately doing so. His dissatisfaction with the drafting process is included in his statement, I was a liberal, f or Christs sake: if they needed fresh bodies, why not draft some back-to-the-stone-age-hawk?(44). OBriens point of drafting only those who approve involvement in the war is clearly made while his political standpoint is simultaneously revealed. The liberal attitude OBrien owns is very much a part of his antiwar theme; it is the axis around which his values concerning the war revolve. The antiwar statement is enhanced by OBriens use of connotative and informal diction to describe the war, its belligerent advocates, and its participants. The connotation in the adjective American in describing the war seems as though OBrien believes the Americans are making the war revolve around themselves, instead of the Vietnamese. While also criticizing Americans, he manages to once again question the necessity of United States involvement in the war. Also connotatively enhancing the antiwar theme is the word bodies to describe draftees; while an accurate evaluation scientifically, it gives the reader the impression that the young men that are being brought into the war to become statistics, part of a body count. OBrien shows very effectively the massive destruction of innocent human life brought on by Vietnam. In contrast with his sympathy toward draftees, OBrien utilizes informal, derogatory diction to describe the wars advocates. He labels his stereotype belligerent a dumb ji ngo(44), or moronic national pride enthusiast. By phrasing his views in such a manner, OBrien is able to convey the idea that there is enough opposition to the war that a negative slang has been implemented frequently, hence the term dumb jingo. The skill with which OBrien illustrates his views is very convincing throughout their development in the novel; his antibelligerence focus is very effective. The social deviance that has become the accepted norm in The Things They Carried is brought out by OBrien in the form of the soldiers drug usage. OBrien wants to convey the idea of negative transitions brought about by the war with a statement about marijuanas public, widespread, carefree use in Vietnam. He includes several anecdotes that illustrate to which degree the substance is abused. A friend of OBriens, Ted Lavender, carried six or seven ounces of premium dope(4), which indicates not only the soldiers familiarity with the drug, but their acquired knowledge of the quality of the drug. The discouragement of marijuana, as well as other drugs, was previously the accepted view of Americans; however, according to OBrien, is has become the norm for Americans in Vietnam. The war has completely reversed their morals. Once they carried a corpse out to a dry paddy. . .and sat smoking the dead mans dope until the chopper came. Lieutenant Cross kept to himself(8). Even the squads superviso r, the platoon leader Lieutenant Cross, is unaffected by the soldiers blatant use of an illegal substance; he has become so used to the occurrence that he no longer condemns its use. For even a leader of men to be morally warped by the war is an effective idea in OBriens discouragement of war. .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .postImageUrl , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:hover , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:visited , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:active { border:0!important; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:active , .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u74998dbe377561f7bf36e31b629c168b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Microbiology EssayAs George Carlin once said to a New York audience, We love war. We are a warlike people, and therefore we love war(Carlin 1992). This view is common today among Americans since the advent of long-distance warfare and bright, colorful explosions; however, in the guerrilla warfare of Vietnam, the grudging participants loathed the idea. Tim OBrien very effectively portrays their hatred and the severe negative effects the war had on American soldiers in his excellent, convincing novel The Things They Carried. The skillful choice of details and several types of diction that reveal his theme of induced violence, his anti-war statement, and his view of the rever sal of morals among GIs are effective in presenting OBriens views in this, The Last War Novel(McClung 96).

Critique of Psychological Experiments and Subjects

Critique of Psychological Experiments and Subjects Amponsah 1Richard AmponsahProfessor PecqueurEnglish 12511 April, 2007Critique of Psychological Experiments and SubjectsThere are many problems left unsolved. I know you may be wondering and asking, what are some of these problems. Well, have you ever asked yourself why certain people are made prisoners and guards? From the past to the present, people still remained in correctional authorities. In America, for instance, we are spoiled by the individual freedom and this allows people to do things drastically. I am not saying that individual's right is totally wrong, but how can we understand why people dramatically changed when given certain power. Should we resist tolerable dehumanizing authoritarian and power left them unsolved? Well, at least this is what Zimbardo came to think of and tried to find the root to authoritarianism. He is a psychologist who did an ingenious experiment "The Stanford Prison Experiment" by making a significant approach to understand human behavior base on a uthoritarian situation in a prison environment.Monochrome portrait of American psychologist Diana...However, he made several mistakes by oversimplying many aspects of his experiment. Therefore his conclusion is invalid.The primarily goal in undertaking the mock prison experiment was "to study the effects of imprisonment upon volunteer research" (Zimbardo, 345). Zimbardo wanted to learn how prisoners and guards resist against one another. He further profiled that those called "prisoners' lose their liberty, civil rights, privacy while those called "guards' gain social power by accepting the responsibility for controlling and managing the lives of their independent charges" (345). With this in mind, Zimbardo placed an ad in a local newspaper to find subjects for his experiment. These subjects were sample of average, middle class, Caucasian, college-age males and one oriented Asian student. The above radical groups of ten prisoners and eleven guards were also emotionally stabled, physi cally...

Solve a Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Solve a Problem - Essay Example Although the entire job of banking has been carried out manually, the customers’ satisfaction has been the prime object of Vangi. A few years before, the operations were computerized in their main office and it did not lay any impact on the rural branches. Core Banking Solution (CBS) recently introduced by the Government among the Nationalized Banks currently covers Vangi also in its threshold. Vangi now faces the problem of meeting the challenges in connection with its sudden push into a national network of CBS. Entirely new and systematic conversion into the new system of CBS has put Vangi to cope with enormous pressure from all corners. The main problem faced by the Vangi is to hone the rural branches that were hitherto doing their jobs in a very limited sphere of their areas incorporating their accounts with Vangi. Although a specific time frame is allowed, Vangi considers the permitted time frame is not sufficient to actually plunge into the CBS network. When trying to untie the knots of problems encountered, a generalized thesis surfaces. Problems can be distinguished on any number of meaningful dimensions and the mental steps and solution processes we engage in may widely differ for different types of problems. (Frensch and Funke, ) All the above steps comprise two different ways to handle namely, convergent and divergent approaches. While the divergent approach covers all the possible and feasible findings in the course, the convergent approach facilitates fixing the hotspots thereby nearing the crux of any problem easy. The divergent thinking processes commonly lead to creative thinking. The process usually begins at a single point or with a single question but extend the search in many different directions generating a wide variety of new possibilities. (J. Treffinger et al, 2005) In the first step of Objective Finding, I come across some seven factors that are nearly related to the goal

Microsoft Wk 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microsoft Wk 2 - Essay Example This was followed by IBM which reported sales revenues reaching $22.485 billion; and Oracle in 3rd place at $20.958 billion (van Kooten, 2011). Despite the dominance of Microsoft, one strongly believes that competition within the software industry has been stiff, especially in the last decade, as evidenced by the increasing numbers of new and innovative software companies that enter and participate within this sector. From the information gathered and generated by Software Top100 and as reported by van Kooten and Verberne (2009), there has been fastest growing software companies that aimed to compete and even topple the leadership position nestled by Microsoft. From among the fastest growing software companies noted, Google (headquartered in the USA) topped the list with a remarkable growth rate of 455%; followed by Kaspersky (from Russia) at a growth rate of 177%; and the third by Nintendo (of Japan) with a reported growth rate of 113% (1). The table below would clearly support that competition within the software industry sector has reflected intense pressure: The lure for financial growth in terms of sales revenues, net profits and vast opportunities offered by the fast developments that technological applications and software development has reflected paved the way for the increased competition, as seen. Further, the report of van Kooten (2011) revealed that the number of entrants and also departures from this sector also prove that stiff competitive pressures either make or break the existence, sustainance and continued support for software companies. In addition, just like in other fast moving industries and sectors, especially within the technological development and applications industry, some industry players apply diverse corporate strategies to fight for market shares. Some large organizations decide to acquire other smaller companies to expand market share and improve

MGT wk9 ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

MGT wk9 ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Supervision can be described as the first level of management in the firm and is frequently apprehensive with inspiration of members of a work unit so that they can contribute positively towards triumph of the goals and objectives set by the firm (Rue & Byars, 2006). It means that the supervisor does not only do the operative work but sees that the duties assigned to the members have been accomplished through the efforts of others. This paper evaluates two best practices principles for the six different supervisory responsibilities. I hope that my contribution will help the new supervisors in our company. The drive of a best practice manual for supervisors is to make available reference guideline for new supervisors. As a reference, this handbook could help as a training aid for management and supervisors as a resource for routine assessments of employees. The handbook contains a synopsis of the best practices to use for the following supervisory accountabilities. This includes demonstrating communication skills, determining effective orientation, and training methods, improving productivity for teams, conducting performance appraisals, resolving conflict, and improving employee relations (Rue & Byars, 2006). This is the most important tool that a leader, manager, or a supervisor uses in dispensing duties. The supervisor should always be positive, enthusiastic and demonstrate open communications with the staff members. This will motivate the members and keep them engaged in the dispensing of their work duties. Motivated workers will then be instrumental in helping the organization achieve its objectives. In addition, the supervisor will then build trust through open and honest communication. To become a supervisor, listening, and speaking skills will be vital to effective communication. This is because they are important in team building and providing effective feedback during the performance appraisal evaluations. In addition,

Analysis The Three Sisters English Literature Essay

Analysis The Three Sisters English Literature Essay Review of Three Sisters Three sisters is a fictional Russian drama. The play was written and produced in 1900s.anton Chekhovs three sisters is produced specifically for Moscow art theatre .the writer has also written two other plays, the seagull and uncle vanya .the captivating drama has extra ordinary characters. The Three Prozorov sisters who are in their twenties namely Olya, Masha and Irina And their only brother Andrey .solders in a nearby camp are the supporting characters. Its about three unhappy prozorov sisters who despise the life of small town in Russia which is miles away from the nearest railway station .the town is enlivened by the presence of a military facility. The all yearn to go to Moscow where they previously lived. The fictional drama starts with commemoration of the sisters father first anniversary which coincides with Irinas baptismal day. Soldiers and the family members pay tribute to the late father. Olga the eldest sister gets elevated to a headmistress position. Olga is presented as a teacher in this act but later in the play shes is promoted to a Headmistress position. Masha, the middle sister, is a trained pianist married to a younger and witty teacher Feodor Kulygin.. Irina, the youngest of the three sisters is obsessed about to visit Moscow. Andrey is only boy in the family is in love with Natasha who is naive .the three sisters becomes unhappy with the marriage of their only brother who goes ahead and gets a child. In the twist of events Natalie is extra marital affairs with Andrey boss, Protopopov. Strong bond starts to form between Masha and lieutenant-colonel Vershinin secretly. Two solders, Tuzenbach and Solyony compete for Irinas love. Masha, Olga and Irina are angry with their only brother, Andrei, for mortgaging their house, spending money on gambling debts and relinquishing all his authority to his infidel wife Natasha. the eldest sister, Olga, is not interested with teaching career and longs quietly for an out, but her dreams for marriage are slowly fading away; Masha, the middle sister, so unhappy with her husband. She seeks extra marital affair from married soldier, the youngest, Irina, moves from one soul-crushing job to another. She resists getting married to noble man. More adrenaline is released in the climax the play. There are bloodshed and friendship bonds in this scene. Solders have created an everlasting bond with the three sisters. Aristocratic Tuchenbach is murdered by his lover Solyony competitor in a challenge. This section reveals that Masha and Vershinin get married after a brief stint of romance. Natasha maintains her hatred nature and Andrey is stuck in the maternal led marriage with two children. The play ends on a happy note. Olga embraces her two sisters as the band music is playing. She encourages her sisters. Anton Chekhov has managed to point out the major theme to his audiences. The Major theme that is emerging is the uncomplaining nature of women in the Russian society. The play brings out vividly the loneliness and desperation of the three sisters. They therefore, accept their situation without complaining. According to the play Moscow is symbolic to three sisters. Each of the sisters is yearning to go back to Moscow. The city is associated with happy and perfect life. However, their aspirations to go back to Moscow remain only mere dreams. Irina initially believes by going to Moscow she will get her true love there The play lacks a flowing story line at some point as an audience I got lost along the way. The story development is complicated such that audience can be confused. Conflict has not been maturely developed. On the first scene, a delicate tone is constructed as the three sisters celebrate the anniversary of their deceased father which coincides with Irinas baptismal day. Unfortunately, the tone is not maintained the rest of scene one. The play has been translated from Russian to English. Therefore, the rich meaning of the plot has been diluted by the translation. Three sisters is a story that cannot get old. This is because it echoes what is happening in the contemporary time. The very same issues such as infidelity, romance, gambling, and marriage are still happening in the contemporary times. The roles of Andrey and the three sisters are brought out clearly. Andrey is supposed to relinquish his intellectual ambitions. He is trapped in very complicated marriage. The three sisters yearn for Moscow is well introduced in the plot of the story. The costumes of the play are supposed to be a combination of military wear for the solders and the 1900 civilian clothes. This is well depicted in the play. However, the aristocrat Baron Tuchenbach costumes have no large difference with the other cast. The baron should have expensive clothes in order to bring out the issue of bourgeoisie and proletarians. The costumes did manage to convince the audience the play was a staged in 1900s.The lighting and sound of the overall play were excellent. the audience enjoys the band music that plays at the climax of the play. In my views, Anton Chekhovs three sister play is a very captivating. The play has managed to bring out the traditional picture of the modern day Russia. The choice of characters is excellent. They have managed to communicate the intended message from Chekhov. Symbolism has been brought forward as a tool to glue the audience to the play. The play should improve on conflict and flow of the storyline.

Abortion is Not Murder Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Topic

Abortion is Not Murder Is abortion murder?   Murder is defined as "illegal killing with malice aforethought." Abortion fails this definition for two reasons. First, abortion is not illegal, and second, there is no evidence to suggest that expecting mothers feel malice towards their own flesh and blood. Not all killing is murder, of course. Murder is actually a small subset of all killing, which includes accidental homicide, killing in self-defense, suicide, euthanasia, etc. When pro-life activists call abortion "murder," they are suggesting that abortion fits the definition of murder, namely, "illegal killing with malice aforethought." However, abortion fails this definition for two reasons. First, abortion is not illegal, and second, mothers hardly feel malice towards their own unborn children. Some might object the first point is overly legalistic. Just because killing is legal doesn't make it right. Exterminating Jews in Nazi Germany was certainly legal, but few doubt that it was murder. But why do we still consider the Holocaust murder? The answer is that we hold the Nazis to a higher law. When the Nazis were tried in Nuremberg for their war crimes, they were not accused of "crimes against Germans" or even "crimes against Jews." Instead, they were charged with "crimes against humanity." The reason is because there was no legal basis to charge them otherwise. The massacre of Jews was legal under German law. So in order to punish the German leaders for clearly wrong behavior, the Allies had to evoke a higher law, a law of humanity. (1) The Holocaust was condemned as illegal, and therefore murder, because it violated this law. Many pro-life advocates claim that the same reasoning applies to abortion. Alt... ...heir legal basis is still a matter of controversy. Germany never signed an agreement of international law prohibiting genocide -- indeed, genocide was declared a violation of international law only at the Nuremberg trials themselves. In other words, the Allies retroactively applied international law to the Nazi war crimes. Ultimately, the legal basis for the Nazis' prosecution rested on the law of world opinion, or even, many claimed, the law of God. This raises many thorny questions, such as: whose opinion? And whose God? When the criminals are as obviously evil as the Nazis, then world opinion tends to be united, and there is no controversy. But what about a subject like abortion, in which the majority of public opinion is pro-choice, and on which most religions have different teachings? In this case, evoking a "higher law" becomes problematic, to say the least.

Report: Comair Flight

My Summary Comair Flight 191, also marketed and know as Delta Connection Flight 5191, was scheduled to fly from Lexington, Kentucky, to Atlanta, Georgia, on the morning of August 27, 2006. Unfortunately the jet crashed while attempting to take off from Blue Grass Airport in Fayette County, Kentucky. There is a ton of information on this accident and numerous â€Å"mistakes† that possibly led to it but it seems that the majority of the blame was put on the captain. I find this accident had multiple people at fault, in that if any one person was able to do their job professionally and accurately, this accident would not of happened and those people would still be alive today. The Event The aircraft was assigned by the tower to the airport's Runway 22 for the takeoff, but used Runway 26 instead. Runway 26 was too short for a safe takeoff which was typically used for general aviation, causing the aircraft to overrun the end of the runway before it could become airborne. It crashed just past the end of the runway, killing all 47 passengers and two of the three crew. The first officer was the only survivor and not the pilot in command but was flying at the time of the accident. Matthew Kawamura 06/15/2013 Air Trans 1010 SM Errors Leading Some of these errors are of skill based, judgment and or perception based but some are a combination. 1. The flight crew initially boarded the wrong aircraft. A Comair ramp agent noticed that the accident flight crew had boarded the wrong airplane and started its auxiliary power unit. Another company ramp agent notified the flight crewmembers that they had boarded the wrong airplane. The flight crew then shut down the APU and proceeded to the correct airplane. I don’t know if this is a common mistake but shows me how easy the day can start off wrong. That’s 3 professional people that all walked on the wrong plane and did not notice. Should this have set off some alarms that something was not right? My question has no answers but am sure it may have caused them to be behind schedule and then add some sort of stress. 2. The LEX air traffic control tower was staffed with one controller at the time of the accident airplane’s preflight activities, taxi, and attempted takeoff. The controller was responsible for all tower and radar positions. I believe that if the tower did not check on the radar position and follow through on watching the aircraft. He was to make sure the aircraft was on the correct runway. According to the report, the tower was to be manned with two people. If this was enforced, maybe the controller would not have been so over worked and could have caught the mistake. I think also that the controller had assumptions that this crew knew what was going on and didn’t need to be babysat. There had not been any issues with any other aircraft getting on the wrong runway that we know of. 3. The first officer began the takeoff briefing, which is part of the before starting engines checklist. During the briefing, he had confusion as to what runway to use and stated, â€Å"he said what runway†¦ two four,† to which the captain replied, â€Å"it’s two two. † The first officer continued the briefing, which included three additional references to runway 22. This would lead one to believe that there was no more confusion about what runway to use and a second check could have saved them. 4. During the brief, the first officer also noted that the runway end identifier lights were out and commented, â€Å"came in the other night it was like †¦ lights are out all over the place. † This reflects the care of the airport fac ilities. Sounds like a simple task to replace lights but we have no answers to why this is allowed to go on. Having had been to this airport other times, I can see no concern for it as long as you are sure. Just because other planes are doing it doesn’t make it safe. I feel a lot of stuff is follow the leader or a check list mindlessly because that’s how it is and is the same result at the end†¦ Everything the same and ok. This brings in carelessness. Matthew Kawamura 06/15/2013 Air Trans 1010 SM Violations 1. During the start engines checklist, some shady stuff was going on. The captain pointed out that the before starting engines checklist had already been completed, and the first officer questioned, â€Å"We did†? The irst officer seems to be a little behind the curve, the captain is going to fast for him through the checks or just wanted to skipped it completely. Being only a first officer, who is going to argue and is just relying on the captain’s word or not doing checks properly. This also may be standard cheating around the industry. Who will blow the whistle? 2. The flight crew engaged in conversation that was not pertinent to the operation of the flight. This would be violating the sterile cockpit rules during critical moments. Matthew Kawamura 06/15/2013 Air Trans 1010 SM Maybe a sterile cockpit could of helped? Three people messing around sounds like fun but seem to forget about the other people on board who depend on them to be professional. Environmental The crew, tower, weather and plane all seemed to be good to go from the reports. The runway had lighting issues and the charts had some issues. 1. Runway 4/22 had high intensity runway lights that worked and also had centerline lights and runway end identifier lights, but they were out of service at the time of the accident because of a construction project. If more care would of been put in place to how this affects the pilots, and listened to pilot complaints this should not of been an issue. 2. The charts showed the taxiway configuration at the completion of the construction project that was not completed. I couldn’t figure out what all the before and after charts meant, but the bottom line is that the charts in use were out of date and or didn’t show proper information which could have caused more confusion for the crew. Supervision 1. The captain began a discussion with the first officer about which of them should be the flying pilot to ATL. The captain offered the flight to the first officer, and the first officer accepted. Matthew Kawamura 06/15/2013 Air Trans 1010 SM The captain delegated to the first officer and then seemed to rush through the check list and the first officer seemed to not be quite on the ball. The first officer let the captain take control of the check list, this in turn led to inadequate supervision and failure to correct. Organizational influence For the pilots, they seemed to be way relaxed not worried about what was going on around them. This was just another flight even though there was a lot around them going wrong to include the lights and short briefs. Seems that there is no checks to see how people work when no one is watching. For the tower, He seemed relaxed at his job also. He did some presuming and thought he didn’t have to babysit professionals. He saw the Comair airplane make a turn toward what he presumed to be runway 22, which was the last time he observed the airplane. The controller stated that, after he saw the airplane make this turn, he turned away and faced the tower cab’s center console so that he could begin the traffic count. Verbal guidance from the FAA’s vice president of terminal services, stated that facilities with radar and tower responsibilities were to be staffed with two controllers on the midnight shift so that the functions could be split, although both controllers could be colocated in the tower. There seemed to be checks and the tower continued how they wanted. Sounds like there should have been two controllers on duty so this puts people higher in the chain of command at being relaxed and not needing to worry cause it won’t happen to them. The Complete Chain IMO ( In my opinion) 1. I think the first link to the chain of events that led to this crash was when they boarded the wrong plane. This may have put them behind and then started the short cutting of briefs and procedures. Maybe it was just the beginning of their laziness and nothing cloud of have changed it. 2. The charts and lighting situation may have caused more confusion in the cockpit. 3. If the tower had two people, it may have helped out one of the controllers and allowed him the time to watch and make sure they were on the correct runway. The first two points being corrected still may not have prevented this accident but certainly the third would have prevented it unless they just didn’t listen. Solutions 1. Better taxi brief and follow. 2. Use check list and not shortcut. 3. Sterile cockpit. 4. Rest periods modified and day/night shift crews. 5. CRM training 6. Random safety checks 7. Fix lighting and make better 8. Look out the window for cues. Matthew Kawamura 06/15/2013 Air Trans 1010 SM NTSB determination â€Å"The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crewmembers’ failure to use available cues and aids to identify the airplane’s location on the airport surface during taxi and their failure to cross?check and verify that the airplane was on the correct runway before takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew’s nonpertinent conversation during taxi, which resulted in a loss of positional awareness, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to require that all runway crossings be authorized only by specific air traffic control clearances. †

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