As I Lay Dying and The Odyssey Books of Epic Quests with...

As I lay Dying and the Odyssey As I lay dying and the Odyssey can both be considered books of epic quests with incredible odds. Faulkner takes the title of As I Lay Dying from a line spoken in the Odyssey by the Greek warrior Agamemnon. Agamemnon tells Odysseus when he travels to the Underworld, â€Å"As I lay dying, that woman with the dog’s eye would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.† Both books give off extraordinary characters, with what some may call outlandish behavior, to possibly throw off the reader from what was expected in such a quest or journey. These two novels seem as to begin in the midst of all the tragedy and situations, using flashbacks and stories of the characters to relate back and give the reader insight of†¦show more content†¦In another adventure, Odysseus lands on the island of the Greek goddess Circe who turns his men into pigs. Odysseus once again devises a way to cleverly defeat her, save his men, and return to the sea. After his encounter with Circe, Odysseus must journey into the underworld where he meets with his mother and some of his comrades from the Trojan War. ( Kleiner, David. The Odyssey. West Berlin, N.J.: Townsend Press, 2005. Print.) There are many different symbols that link both books together. For Faulkner in As I Lay Dying he uses the Love triangle as Homer did in the Odyssey. From Addie to Anse to Whitfield in As I lay Dying, to Agememnon, to Clytemnestra, to Odysseus in the Odyssey. Along with Elyptsu in the Odyssey falling off the roof and dying, Cash falls off the Church roof and breaks his leg. Not only does Clytemnestra betray him to die at the hands of her lover, she refuses him the mere dignity of proper burial rites. Faulkner uses this same concept in As I Lay Dying, where Addie is denied proper burial by her children and own husband. Along with the dangerous crossing of the proverbial river. Darl is seen as a sort of Cassandra from the â€Å"Odyssey†, blessed with a second sight which most dismiss as simply â€Å"queer,† foreseeing the disaster at the river yet unable to stop it or do anything about it. (Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. Ed. Noel Polk. New York: Vintage

Letter of Complaint free essay sample

Fast Food Company. 50 Lion road. Kampala 23330. Uganda. Dear Sir, I am writing to convey to you that the service your company has been providing has worsened substantially during the last three months. Firstly, the quality of the food has decreased considerably during this period. This fact has been noticeable since you change your main supplier. Over these three months, fruits and vegetables have almost been eliminated from the menu, including an important amount of frozen food instead. Not only have these facts undermined the quality of the food, but it will also affect the health of our personnel in the long run. Secondly, there have been several complaints regarding the cleanliness of the dining facility. These complaints were previously reported several times, but your company has always argued that it lacks personnel since some of them left the company. This seems to be a major problem, since it has been reported a plague of cockroach. We will write a custom essay sample on Letter of Complaint or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It can be argued that, had your company invested in personnel, these shortcomings would have been solved. It would have been desirable that you had hired personnel replacing those who left the company; this measure as well as a raise of the salaries would have prevented workers looking for another job, thus it would have enhance the standard of the service as well. I regret to inform that there has been a clear breach of contract; therefore, our agency has decided not to renew it. However, and in order to avoid a massive dismissal, employee would have been granted a job in the prospective food service company as long as they fulfill all the requirements. Thank you for your service. David Martinez

Dolphins Essays (746 words) - Oceanic Dolphins, Dolphin,

Dolphins Dolphins are one of the most beautiful animals in the word. Dolphins are mammals and are part of the Delphinidae family. This family contains various highly intelligent aquatic mammals. The name dolphin refers to the species that a have a beak like snout and a slender streamline body which helps them to swim at high speeds. Some species can swim up to speeds of 35 mph. Dolphins have a rubbery feeling skin that is hairless; this helps them swim through the water with little resistance. Their skin is very sensitive and has no protection from bumps or bruises. This is because the outer layer is made up entirely live cells. Since the outer layer is made up out of live cells it is shed every two hours to keep the cells fresh. Dolphins use their flukes to swim through the water by beating the flukes up and down. Men have studied dolphin's flukes on a dolphin to improve the effectiveness of submarine and boat propellers. The feeding habits of a dolphin vary; it depends on what is available at the time. A simple meal contains of small fish or squid. Many have to go where the food is and look to find their food. Dolphins use their teeth to catch the food, yet they do not use their teeth to eat the food because they swallow it hole. Dolphins do not have the best eyesight. They rely on echolocation to help them get where they are going. Echolocation is the use of using sounds to see what is going on up ahead. They make a clicking noise, which is used to find if objects are up ahead. This is because if the noise bounce back they know that there is an object up ahead. They also use this for communicating with other dolphins. Dolphins are found in many different parts of the world in various oceans and even in some freshwater rivers in Asia, Africa, and South America. The river dolphins are in danger of extinction because of pollution and dams. The main place to see dolphins is in the warm waters of the pacific area. The main dolphins seen are the White-bellied dolphins and the Bottle-nosed dolphins. The most common dolphin can be found in all temperatures and tropical sees. This dolphin is dark above, white below, and has bands of gray white and yellow on the sides. Dolphins sleep in a semi-alert. This is because they have to protect themselves for the dangers of people and other animals they do this by resting one side of their brain at a time. Dolphins usually stay in-groups of twenty when they are in the coastal areas. When they are out in the sea they are usually in bigger groups. This is because dolphins help each other. They communicate with one another and when one dolphin is sick or injured they help out that dolphin as much as they can. They also work as teams if danger is near by. Dolphins are very intelligent and can be taught to do many different tricks. Maybe one of the most dangers a dolphin has is a human. This is because of the ways of tuna fishing. Fishermen were aware of the fact that schools of dolphins and tuna move together. Tuna seem to follow dolphins very closely. Fisherman used to put down nets to catch the tuna, but they would also catch the dolphins. They would bring up the tuna and the dolphins in the nets. They then would separate the tuna from the dolphins and through back the dolphins no matter if they were injured or dead. This was not very good for the dolphins so the government has now stepped in and the dolphins are now safe. Dolphins may be neat to look at when you are out in the water and they are swimming freely but they shouldn't be bothered. These dolphins should be left alone; many people are feeding the dolphins junk food and swimming with them, which puts the dolphins in danger. The dolphins are eating food that they are not used to and when they have their babies the babies are dying. Many studies have proven that they are dying because of malnutrition the food that they are getting is not healthy for them to grow. Dolphins are loved all over the world. Hopefully they will be here for along time. People should stop hurting dolphins and let them do what they want freely. Bibliography Connor, Richard "The Lives of Whales and Dolphins"

Sonic Slippage Project

Sonic Slippage Project Sonic Slippage project of re-making videos and adding new musical and spatial dimensions introduces new trends and perspectives in perception of image and sound. The main idea of reinvented experimental videos is to rely on unconventional combinations of sound, image, colors, and silence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonic Slippage Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Various synergies of the enumerated components create distorted perceptions and sights of new media demonstration. Thus, the films under analysis reproduce new aesthetic dimensions and forms to engage into a new understanding of the purpose of filming. The short movie called Lossless #2 by Baron and Goodwin reproduces an interesting mixture of compressed digital image of another movie called Meshes of the Afternoon. While looking at the video, attention should be given to the way the distorted objects are accompanied by unusual sounds, which coul d not even called music. Indeed, the synergy of sounds and digital information provoke unusual and abrupt emotions, which differ from those when you watch a traditional video. New media characteristics of the movie provide a new materialistic dimension by means of digital disruption and removal of certain scenes. Though the plot of the movie is not understandable, it still attracts attention and makes the audience concentrate on making sense of the watched. Distortion of images and unusual submerge of two visual dimensions is represented in the video called Lilith. The film illustrates a complex unity of voice, mobile objects and silence. Special effects are also introduced to endow the picture with a new meaning. In particular, the author depicts a close confrontation between nature and technology, as well as what could happen if both collide. Apart from topic considerations, Lilith also demonstrates new approaches to depicting objects whose flexible nature influences the perceptio n of spatial dimension. Once again, the unusual application of media devices creates a new pattern of transformation experienced through synchronic distortion of video and audio channels. Both – Film #3: Interwoven and Looking for Mushrooms – experiment on combinations between colors, image, and sounds. In particular, Interwoven reproduces simplistic duet of music and colorful figure movements. The emerging figures move to the music and vice versa and, therefore, it is often hard which media device dominates in the movie.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In contrast, Looking for Mushrooms prioritizes the importance of music patterns and their influence on visual patterns. The point is that video images are almost identical, but they might acquire different meaning while being accompanied by various sounds. At the end of the movie, five musical frames are co mbined to create a continuous projection of both sound and images. While watching the movie Looking for Mushrooms, the sound patterns were especially intense in the middle of the plot. The sound of music pattern enhanced the depressed atmosphere of the images that quickly replace on another. In addition, Looking for Mushroom also rely on the play of colors in combination with music, which also creates a psychedelic atmosphere while watching. In conclusion, the experimental films under consideration do not adhere to traditional presentation of ideas, meanings, and fact. Their primary function is to emphasize how the connection of sound, silence, and distorted image creates a new perceptual dimension. Assemblage of music patterns engaged into speechless objects, as well as distorted images, contributes to creating new aesthetical meaning of media development. The emerged dissonance calls for the rejection of consistency and conventionalism of image and voice.

Effect of lowering temperature in tissue and organ preservation Research Paper

Effect of lowering temperature in tissue and organ preservation - Research Paper Example Enzymes in tissues and organs dissociate through inactivation because of cold-related propensities. Some enzymes are intrinsically affected by cooling. Reducing the temperature increases trans-membrane diffusion of solutes from minute ions to expanded molecules (Fuller et al., 2014). Hypothermic Machine Perfusion Preservation This preservation method was developed to enhance the quality and time of preservation of kidneys. The method allows the movement of oxygen to the tissues to enable ATP synthesis. The perfusion of the fluids aids in the transportation of oxygen through the fluids to essential areas of the organ (In Kirk, 2014). The perfusion process is positively impacted when the temperatures are regulated to certain limits. Even though the reduction of temperatures can have certain side effects, the preservation viability is immensely enhanced. Oxygen Persufflation The method employs gaseous oxygen in improving the viability of an organ for transplant. For instance, oxygen is bubbled through a vasculature that is then released through minute proliferations at the organ's surface. The method is effective in liver preservation because of its homogenous distribution of oxygen. The method has incredible capabilities of recovering the DCD organs (In Kirk, 2014). The two methods are critical in reducing the metabolic and chemical reactions that can otherwise affect the normal establishment of an organ. The flow of oxygen within the organ is the principal foundation of employed by the methods of preserving organs and tissues.

A Worn Path Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

A Worn Path - Essay Example The setting of the story as written by the author is based on the Natchez Trace as well as the town of Natchez. Phoenix who is the protagonist in the video is an elderly Black American woman who subsequently goes on a heroic quest to rightly procure medicine for her beloved ill grandson. Throughout the story, the author uses different literary devices in order to make the story interesting. The Video also delivers the unforgettable character in the Black American woman, who does not even know when she was born. From the video, critics are well evident throughout the storyline. The various literary devices that are highly used in the video include allusion, metaphor, imagery, Simile and alteration. Allusion is a literary device that is used in the main character of the story, Phoenix. The name of phoenix is the similar to the mythical bird that subsequently raises the air and eventually bursts into flames. This bird is consumed by fire and when it gets burnt, a new phoenix spring emerges from the ashes. The old black woman is also old to walk in the difficult on her way to Natchez to get the medicine for her grandson. However, her age does not matter as the only thing that she believes in is that she has to have his medicine or die while trying. Metaphor is another literary device that is used in the video. From the video, it is quoted that the black woman walked slowly, a little side to side with a well-balanced heaviness, and with the lightness of the pendulum in the grandfather clock. Through such use of literary device, the author makes the character as well as the story to come into life. The Black old woman ambles in the cold, while she walks on the path multiple times for the sake of her grandson. However, due to his old age, her footing is quite unsure and she is seen to waver from side to side while walking. Imagery is also evident in the video. Throughout the

Violence undermines Essay Example for Free

Violence undermines Essay Violence undermines the democratic reforms and the basic human rights implementation as it is the greatest threat to public safety in South America. Gun violence rose sharply especially after the internal armed struggles as well as the emergence of drug trafficking in the late 1970s and 80s. So far, Columbia is the only country that is engaged in a declared conflict in South America. Major causes of violence are the socio economic inequalities, corruption and easy availability of small and light guns and weapons. There are incidences of small arms proliferation and misuse in South America. Most of these small arms are produced in Brazil and Argentina. (countrystudies. us). Some states like Bolivia and Paraguay exercise laxity in terms of firearms regulation and this promotes or rather facilitates violence in the region. Weak border control as well as the constant failure to implement the existing legal procedures or instruments also perpetuates the violence instances in South America. There is increased illicit trafficking of illegal weapons which are used to practice criminality. Continued insecurity among the public necessitates the demand and the use of weapons in the society. The information that is available concerning the arms trade in most South American countries is quite unreliable making it difficult to develop programs that would be effective in ensuring public safety by the civil societies. The issue of weapons remains quite unpopular on the political agendas despite the serious implications they cause to the countries in question. (americas. irc-online. org). All in all there emerged increased efforts through campaigns to reduce the rates of demand that people have on firearms as well as advocacy ensured to promote the tightening and adherence of gun laws to reduce the flow of guns in the region. Effective research should be encouraged to ensure that the acquisition of correct data on gender victimization as well as routes that ensure illegal trafficking of drugs and other weapons are collected. More efforts need to be channeled into harmonizing gun laws in the region. There should be increased awareness regarding the risks that are involved or associated with firearms usage and possessions. Public gun destruction and the monitoring of the flow of weapons should also be encouraged as an effort to reduce violence. (www. iansa. org). Colombia’s political system is known for its long history on party politics, fair and regular elections as well as its adherence to the respect for political and civil rights. The major political parties are the liberals and the conservatives who compete and alternate as the governing party. Despite its increased popularity for democracy, Colombia is well known for its high instances of political violence. It is amazing how Colombian is capable of producing hospitable people who are dynamic and intelligent yet it also harbors a lot of violence. Peace is a rare but also a very precious commodity that is lacking in Colombia. Conservatives versus liberal political violence saw the once peaceful parts of Colombia soaked in blood. From 1899 to 1902 approximately 100,000 Colombians lost their lives due to inter party strife that lasted for over 1000 days. The La Violencia, another inter party war from 1948 to 1966 saw the death of approximately 200,000 Colombians. Guerilla warfare also saw the loss of lives of at least 70,000 lives in 1984. The violence entailed the left wing insurgence and terrorism, narcoterrorism and the right wing paramilitary activities. Since 1948 incidence that involved the death of Jorge Gaitan through an assassination as well as the loss of 2,000 lives Colombia was constitutionally authorized as a state of siege or estatuto de seguridad. It had to deal appropriately with its civil disturbances, rates of insurgence as well as terrorism. Jorge Gaitan was a liberal leader and a populist and he was against the Colombian Oligarch. His assassination resulted into a revolt that saw the death of many people. The revolt was known as El Bogotazo and it graduated into La Violencia. The state persecuted many people necessitating the liberal and the communists to hide in the remote areas that seemed inaccessible so as to resist the current predicament. This lasted for more than a decade and most of them regrouped to form FARC in 1966. Its main aim was to act as the armed wing of the communist party. Liberals in FARC created a distinction between it and other guerillas in South America. In the 60’s the combined liberal and communist guerillas were able to come together in liberated zones to form independent republics like the Marquetalia. They needed to defend or protect themselves from the rich land owners who had marginalized them and took their land forcing them away from fertile agricultural lands. Colombian guerillas were formed to act as self defense against violence from those who were in power. (americas. irc-online. org). May 1984 had much significance in Colombian history. The signing of a peace agreement by the president Betancourt led to a ceasefire as well as the creation of Unidad Patriotica (UP) that made it possible for all to participate in elections. Efforts of the UP were however curbed by the joint actions of drug dealers, paramilitaries as well as part of the state members or officials. They joined efforts and killed thousands of UP sympathizers and leaders. In 1986 there was a peace process where M-19, EPL, PRT and Quintin Lame Armed Movement as well as FARC and ERN formed the Simon Bolivar Coalition. However on the day that a constitutional assembly was to be convened as part of the peace process the army launched an offensive against the legendary Green House which was the secretariat of the guerilla group. In 1986 under president Andres Pastrana there was the creation of a new peace process. It ensured that there was the creation of a 40,000 km2 demilitarized zone. However this lasted for only 4 years as intensive accusation that FARC participated in drug trafficking and the forceful recruitment of minors saw its coming to a halt. President Pastrana in the meantime was negotiating the Plan Colombia which was geared towards empowering or strengthening the state to win the conflict. After the year 2000 when under Uribe’s rule or leadership the situation seemed to move from bad to worse. FARC was forced to retreat and it lost many of its members as well as the military and political initiative. It acquired most of its financing from drugs trade, extortion and kidnapping as well as through cattle rustling from the land owners. This means that to effectively survive they used criminal activities that entailed violence. According to Amnesty International, FARC is accused of violating many human rights. The average Colombians have in most cases had the perception that the wars and consistent conflicts are geared to benefit the rich and powerful in the society at their expense. (www. globalsecurity. or). FARC portrays itself as a revolutionary and popular organization but in the real sense it is surrounded by lack of decency and some countries view it as a terrorist organization that violates human rights and abuses women and hostages. The political violence has taken different perspectives in the sense that it has taken an ideological as well as an economical approach. Violence in the 50’s was to fight against the party’s in power but it later took a different perspective as both the left as well as the right wing groups were involved. A study conducted in 1988 by Columbian academic elites showed that it was quite clear that the Columbian government was losing focus in the fight against the rampant violence in the country. They had studied the killings that had been conducted by drug smugglers, guerilla wars and death squads. They noted that addressing one of the above mentioned issues in exclusion with the others would not see or rather result into the end of violence. They advocated for an all inclusive approach in ensuring that there was efficiency in eradicating violence. Important scholars worth mentioning include Robert H Dix and he attributed the violence trends to the political system that was elitist in nature. Traditional elites compete violently and with a lot of bitterness so as to control the government through liberal as well as the conservative parties. The parties rarely cooperate especially if there is no evidence that the upper class seems threatened. The Colombia Christian parties be they democratic, social democratic or Marxist proved to be weak and in most cases insignificant. However the constitutional amendments and the evolution of Columbia political culture saw to it that the government system was not only highly centralized but also elitist in nature. ( countrystudies. us). Control over the political system was done by the elites at the expense of the middle class, labor as well as the peasants’ classes. The existence of guerilla in the 1980s was a clear indication that the Colombia politics is elitist in nature. Guerilla insurgence in Colombia is the major problem in the country’s political system. The legitimacy problem could be reflected or seen in mass political apathy and increase the rates of voter absenteeism and decreased instances of voter identification with traditional parties as well as the increased urban swing vote. However to preserve and ensure stability, gradual changes were incorporated in the political system. This was more evident in the holding of the first direct and popular mayoral elections in the late 80’s. During this period there was a wide gap between the rich and the poor and the Colombian government failed to be competent enough to solve the issue amicably. The leftist guerilla groups had their leadership, structure and activities well known but on the contrast the rightist activities remains unclear regardless of the fact that it is known to be well organized and active. Almost all of the parties involved in the Columbian politics face violence or threats to violence. They include the elected officials, mayors and other politicians. Threats were also sent to priests, academicians, lawyers and even artists. Most people were threatened after denouncing the rightist campaigns but for others there were no clear motives behind threats. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) is known for its threats to municipal authorities. According to Gilberto Toro who heads the Colombian Federation of Municipalities approximately half of the total number of majors in the country receive threats from FARC. Tens of mayors and councilmen are assassinated across the country. The insecurity problem affects the manner in which business is conducted in the region as most business men opt to locate their premises near the capital centers where it seems safer or more secure and this hinders diversification. (Osterling J,1989). There are also many instances of unlawful and extra judicial killings. Politically motivated killings remain considerably high and most of them are not committed by state actors. However there are members of the state who or security officers who commit unlawful killings continuously for instance according to the Center for investigation and Popular Research there were responsible for 92 cases of intentional homicides in the first six months of 2001. Paramilitary forces are responsible for many politically motivated and unlawful killings. Such incidences are more prominent in areas where there is minimal or complete absence of a strong government and where their ideologies are refuted through guerillas. People who are most targeted by the paramilitaries include journalists, human rights activists, labor leaders, community activists, local politicians as well as indigenous leaders and all who seem to side with the guerillas. Journalists that seemed to challenge drug barons received threats or were killed. Again as most judges were intimidated or terrorized, gave up gearing their efforts in ensuring that the law was followed to the letter. Without the appropriate measures being taken by the criminal justice system the dug mobsters operated with ease. They intimidated the society in such a manner that the criminal justice system only acts as a toothless dog in fighting crime. Membership in the left wing or leftist political organizations ensures that individuals are killed, threatened or even harassed by the paramilitaries. Family members of known guerillas are also attacked. As the guerillas attack the military they are attacked together with their relatives and those who sympathize with them. FARC was against the election of president Uribe as the president and they conducted massive threats to many locally elected officials an act that saw the resignation of over 390 mayors across the country. City council members as well as municipal workers also resigned due to this. Some mayors were obligated on how to carry out their duties through phone calls as well as through the use of messengers from different departments that seemed secure. Although there are high incidences of insecurity and violence surrounding the Colombian politics there are high numbers of candidates who show their interests in politics. (www. acs-onweb). The conservative Roman Catholic has some significant role in the Colombian politics especially regarding the election of the president and also in political socialization of the Colombians. During Alvaro Uribe’s reign there were strict measures in fighting against drug trade and guerillas which resulted into intensive conflicts among the Colombian neighbors. The wide economic gap is evident from the fact that approximately 20% of the total population controls the Colombian economy and this attribute to the intensified conflicts in the region. The violence affects all people in the nation regardless of their racial, social, economical as well as political orientation. (Jorge Osterling, 1989). Although increased rate of violence have been subsiding since 2002, there are still constant attacks that against civilians and most parts of the country remain under guerilla influence. Conflicts are between the government and the non governmental forces. Uncontrolled violence in Colombia affects the country’s democratic institutions. There was well documented evidence that some army officers participated in the rightist death squads. Armed forces were accused of torturing suspected guerillas as well as killing innocent peasants. The rightist objectives were to drive other members out of the political arena forcing them to abandon the democratic struggle as well as to boycott the municipal elections. Rebel movements waged war against the police and army units. Violence then was linked to elections where some were not pleased with the fact that mayors were not to be appointed by the central government but would be elected through elections. Negotiations during the reign of president Belisario brought about the idea that through negotiations the crisis would be settled. It was supported by many as the constant wars had become tiresome. It was therefore agreed that the guerilla ought to join the country’s democracy. However there was need that all the relevant parties to be committed especially the government. As the insecurity rates worsened politicians and most senior officials were forced to use bullet proof vehicles and had heavily armed guards. More security officers were assigned the role of personal protection. This led to there having fewer officers to carryout effective investigations which is an important part in the criminal justice system. The paramilitary phenomenon has taken charge of the state enforcing their rule through bribery co-optation of politicians as well as many incidences of violence. Inefficiency in the fight against such groups is evident in the sense that even after showing their commitment through ceasefires it is still clear that the killings persist. A clear example is the United Self Defense of Colombia in 2002 which continued to kill those it perceived as its enemies. (americas. irc-online. or). As an effort to search for relevant measures to solve the current situation Colombia justice and peace law tried to ensure that justice prevailed and through it paramilitaries were to be sentenced up to eight years if they were found guilty. They were also expected to surrender all the possessions they had acquired illegally. Demobilization was backed up by many as a tool of ensuring that democracy and peace prevailed in the region. However this did not prove to be a sufficient way as the paramilitary kept influencing the country’s politics. In 2003 in Magdalena, Trino Correa became the governor and his opponents had been forced to pull out through paramilitary threats. He was later arrested in 2007 on alleged links with paramilitaries. The March 2006 congressional elections were also faced with much paramilitary intimidation and this saw the entry of several pro-AUC into the legislature. It is estimated that approximately 10 to 20% of the elected senators had paramilitary connections. It also became clear that the paramilitary still exerted much influence and this was revealed by a computer that disclosed how Jorge the AUC commander had authorized the murder of 558 Colombians in the Caribbean department of Atlantico a region where the paramilitary ceasefires were supposed to be in effect. Jorge had also used peasants as his fighters and had bribed the police to continue with the drug trafficking business. He had worked with local politicians and assisted them realize their electoral prospects. This scandal was very embarrassing to the president. (www. unhcr. org). Relatives of state leaders were also linked with paramilitary organizations. Senator Alvaro Araujo, a brother to the foreign minister was arrested on allegations that he had conspired with the AUC in kidnapping a political rival before the 2002 elections. This led to the resignation of the foreign minister. A president’s cousin, Mario Uribe was also accused of having dealings with the paramilitaries He was also a leader of the Colombia democratica a party they had co founded with the president. Some members of this party were accused of involvement with paramilitaries and some like Garcia Alvaro were accused of having orchestrated a massacre in 2000 as well as murder of an electoral official in 1997. (www. colombiajournal. org). To date there is clear indication that there is the existence of a sinister and anti democratic relationship between criminals and the country’s elected representatives. The crisis is a clear indication of the deep sense of the powerlessness that is prevailing.It is evident that violence affects or rather influences politics in South America and more so in Colombia. References: Global Security. Colombia. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/world/colombia/colombia_politics. htm Michael Walker. The Bush Administration’s Hollow Commitment to Colombian Democracy. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://www. colombiajournal. org/colombia271. htm Raul Zibechi. 2008. Americas Program Special Report Military Crisis in South America: The Results of Plan Colombia. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://americas. irc-online. org/am/5107 History of violence. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://www. acs-onweb. de/hd/content/pres_c2_the_media_and_the_internet/history. htm South America. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://www. iansa. org/regions/samerica/samerica. htm U. S. Library of Congress. Government and Politics. Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://countrystudies. us/colombia/78. htm UNHCR. Background on political violence in Colombia Retrieved on 9th April 2008 from http://www. unhcr. org/home/RSDCOI/414eef214. html