Sandra Day OConnor First Female Supreme Court Justice

Sandra Day OConnor, an attorney, is known for the first  woman to serve as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. Appointed in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan, and known as often exercising a swing vote. Early Life and Education Born in El Paso, Texas, on March 26, 1930, Sandra Day OConnor was raised on the family ranch, the Lazy B, in southeastern Arizona. Times were hard during the Depression, and young Sandra Day OConnor worked on the ranch – and also read books with her college-educated mother. She had two younger siblings. Young Sandra, her family concerned that she get a good education, was sent to live with her grandmother in El Paso, and to attend private school and then high school there. Returning one year to the ranch when she was thirteen, a long school bus ride dimmed her enthusiasm and she returned to Texas and her grandmother. She graduated from high school at 16. She studied at Stanford University, starting in 1946 and graduating in 1950 magna cum laude. Inspired to take up the law by a class late in her studies, she entered Stanford Universitys law school. She received her LL.D. in 1952. Also in her class: William H. Rehnquist, who would serve as chief justice of the US Supreme Court. She worked on the law review and met John OConnor, a student in the class after hers. They married in 1952 after she graduated. Looking for Work Sandra Day OConnors later court decisions against sex discrimination may have had some roots in her own experience: she was unable to find a position in a private law firm, because she was a woman – though she did get one offer to work as a legal secretary. She went to work, instead, as a deputy county attorney in California. When her husband graduated, he got a position as an Army attorney in Germany, and Sandra Day OConnor worked there as a civilian attorney. Returning to the US, near Phoenix, Arizona, Sandra Day OConnor and her husband started their family, with three sons born between 1957 and 1962. While she opened a law practice with a partner, she focused on raising the children – and also served as a volunteer in civic activities, became active in Republican politics, served on a zoning appeals board, and served on the governors commission on marriage and the family. Political Office OConnor returned to full time employment in 1965 as an assistant attorney general for Arizona. In 1969 she was appointed to fill an empty state senate seat. She won election in 1970 and reelection in 1972. In 1972, she became the first woman in the US to serve as majority leader in a state senate. In 1974, OConnor ran for a judgeship rather than for reelection to the state senate. From there, she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. Supreme Court In 1981, President Ronald Reagan, fulfilling a campaign promise to nominate a qualified woman to the Supreme Court, nominated Sandra Day OConnor. She was confirmed by the Senate with 91 votes, becoming the first woman to serve as a justice on the US Supreme Court. She has often cast a swing vote on the court. On issues including abortion, affirmative action, death penalty, and religious freedom, she has generally taken a middle road and has narrowly defined the issues, satisfying neither liberals nor conservatives completely. She has generally found in favor of states rights and has found for tough criminal rules. Among the rulings on which she was the swing vote were  Grutter v. Bollinger  (affirmative action),  Planned Parenthood v. Casey  (abortion), and Lee v. Weisman (religious neutrality). OConnors most controversial vote may be her vote in 2001 to suspend Floridas ballot recount, thus ensuring the election of George W. Bush as US President. This vote, in a 5-4 majority, came just months after she publicly expressed her concern that Senator Al Gores election could delay her retirement plans. OConnor announced her retirement as an associate justice in 2005, pending appointment of a replacement, which took place when Samuel Alito was sworn in, on January 31, 2006. Sandra Day OConnor indicated a desire to spend more time with her family; her husband was afflicted with Alzheimers. Bibliography Sandra Day OConnor. Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest. Hardcover. Sandra Day OConnor. Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest. Paperback. Sandra Day OConnor. The Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice. Paperback. Joan Biskupic. Sandra Day OConnor: How the First Woman on the Supreme Court Became Its Most Influential Member.

All Quiet On The Western Front - 2471 Words

All Quiet on the Western Front 1. Paul Baumer and his friends, as German soldiers in World War I, collectively fight any who oppose the German army. However, Corporal Himmelstoss is an enemy whose transgressions are taken far more personally by Paul and his friends. Himmelstoss often torments Paul and his comrades for the sake of doing so, as he is power-driven and tries to exert control over others whenever he can. It is never stated that the soldiers hate or even dislike the enemies that they fight daily on the battlefield; yet they disfavor Himmelstoss openly. In addition, they all begin to harbor distaste for their former teacher, Kantorek, for encouraging them to join the army. All of the men also struggle against the knowledge that†¦show more content†¦3. At one point, Kropp and Kat place bets on an air fight happening above them. The German plane is eventually shot down, but neither of the men seem to care. Kropp regrets only that he lost the bet. This shows the desensitization that the soldiers f eel towards who wins the war, and the war as a whole. They don t care who lives or dies; they only know that their job is to fight, kill, and die for their country. The loss of life is less important to Kropp than the loss of his money. 4. Men of Paul s age group fear the end of the war because the war has taken up so much of their lives and personalities that they wouldn t know how to function in a world without the war. They were conditioned to violence and battle. Moreover, they spent quite a few of their formative years in the war, and essentially grew up in combat. Older men in the war have jobs and families to which they can return; Paul and his friends have nothing of the sort. They often joke about becoming postmen like Himmelstoss, solely because they want to best him in his own field. In reality, though, they have no idea how they will operate in the world, even if they escape the war alive. 5. The war enables small-minded, controlling men like Himmelstoss because they lived insignificant, tiny lives before the war. They were often unrecognized in their daily lives, so when they are afforded the kind of control that a position of authority gives them, they often become intoxicated with

Enlightenment Of 18th Century The enlightenment wa Essay Example For Students

Enlightenment Of 18th Century The enlightenment wa Essay s a great time of changein both Europe and America. Some of the biggest changes, however, happenedin the minds of many and in the writings of many philosophers. Theseincluded some of the beliefs of David Hume, JeanJacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, and Francois Voltaire. Writers during thistime focused on optimism, which is the opinion to do everything for thebest (Chaney119), and the best for these philosophers was to stretch the minds of theordinary. David Hume was Scottish and was born on April 26, 1711 and diedin1776. He states that he was not born into a rich family and was born intotheCalvinist Presbyterian Church. However, after being influenced by the worksofIsaac Newton and John Locke he began to draw back from the Church. Hewrites inEnquiry, The idea of God, as meaning an infinitely intelligent, wise andgood Being, arises from reflecting on the operations of our own mind, andaugmenting, without limit, those qualities of goodness and wisdom.(Pomerleau214) The questions he brou ght up against religion were that concreteexperiences must lead us and that we must think about the quality of thestories that were handed down to us. He wanted everyone to only believe theactions that one experienced, there has to be proof. He also believed thatthere were four basic problems to the stories that we hear. First of all,the facts to the stories are never the same to everyone. Second, we stretchthe truth to make everything interesting. Third, people who do notunderstand these stories tend to make things up. Finally, not all of thereligions agree. Therefore, the stories conflicted each other leaving aperson to not know what to believe. He believes that Our most holyreligion is founded on Faith, not on reason; and it is a sure method ofexposing it to put it to such a trial as it is, by no means, fitted toendure. (215) Hume also believed in the social contract. This is thatkings are in power because of luck and citizens should have control overtheir own power. During Humes lifetime a representative government was notsomething that countries thrived on. He also thought that the duties of menwere to love children and to pity those that are less fortunate. He alsothought that one should respect others properties and keep our promises. Hume argued that we are born into our family with the knowledge passed onto us, from this pointHume says that government is only an interference in the lives of people. He uses the example of American Tribes where no one needs a government tokeep peace within the group (Pomerleau 222). These are the two main pointsthat Hume tried to make. They are the basis of what got people to thinkabout their lives and decide that what they have now might not be the bestthing that their life can accomplish. From his points of view, we can moveon to another influential philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau. Jean JacquesRousseau was born in Geneva in1712. His first years in his life were very hard because his mother diedshortly after birth and he was sent to live with his aunt. However, hislife turned around and he married and began his life as a philosopher. Rousseau was involved with the social contract like Hume. His book,however, did not become popular until after the French Revolution becausethese were the conditions that the revolution was based on (Chambers 669). .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .postImageUrl , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:hover , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:visited , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:active { border:0!important; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a { 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; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:active , .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .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; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc72e6c0f53a1c2e333f6b9b24ac1ce6a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: MUSIC IS EDUCATION EssayHis ideal government would contain a small state, prevention ofoverpowering businesses, and equality in rank and fortune (Castell 419). Hedistrusted the aristocrats because he believed they were drawing away fromtraditions that were once held very high (TheEnlightenment, http). To him kings are just concerned with themselves andwhen one dies, another one is needed. None of these people ever take in toconsideration the less fortunate. Everyone has to move to the beliefs ofone man. Rousseau felt that the government should be in the hands of many,not just one. Ideally, everyone in a society needs to be in agreement withone another. Another belief that Rousseau represented was deism, which is that godcreated the universe and then allowed it to run according to natural lawand not interfering with it anymore. Again, these questions began to bedisputed and the people began to realize that their lives could mean morethan just what the higher officials might say. They began to think aboutwhat life and the world is really about. This brings us to the nextphilosopher, Immanuel Kant. ImmanuelKant was born on April 22, 1724. Kant studied both Hume and Rousseau andrethought his aspects of science and shifted a little towards philosophy. In addition to his thinking, he also spent a lot of time lecturing atKonigsberg,Martin Knutzen. His two main scientific questions dealt with how far canthe scientific method be applied to everything and how to explainscientific knowledge. He realizes that both of these cause the mind tostart with some given information and an answer is then given for humans tounderstand (Stumpf302). Kant was firm in his belief on a priori knowledge, which is theknowledge that is prior to experiences, but he also states that noteverything can be based on experiences since we cannot experienceeverything. From these beliefs, he also believed in two realities,phenomenal and noumena. Phenomena, derived from a Greek word meaning thatwhich appears, (Castell 599) is the world as we experience it and noumenais intelligible or nonsensual reality. In the world we only experiencephenomena because noumena is present but it is external from us and onlyappears as it is organized by us (Stumpf 312). From a social st andpoint,Kant believed that as long as a man could support himself and ownedproperty he should be qualified as a citizen. He states that if everyone isrequired to pay for public welfare then everyone should have his or herfreedom guaranteed. If this if present then there is no need for arebellion, which will lead to a stronger government. Kant feels that thisis hard to obtain because people need a political balance but at the sametime they need to be able to keep their freedom. A type of freedom that hefeels should be held by all is the freedom that everyone is punished thesame and the death penalty should only be carried out only when anindividual is proven guilty (Stumpf316). Kant believed in God because he felt that if one would deny allexistence that did not support any logic, then nothing at all would existto anyone. He also states that it is morally necessary to assume theexistence ofGod. (Stumpf 319) From this he also realizes that one does not necessarilyneed to believe in G od, but one needs to respect the beliefs for dutyssake. When thinking about God, according to Kant, it is an experience thatwe can not experience. Kant takes us to the last of the four majorphilosophers on the enlightenment period, Francois Voltaire. He based a lotof his thoughts on the three previous philosophers but did not speak tothem directly. His writings are fewer but more radical that the others. .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .postImageUrl , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:hover , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:visited , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:active { border:0!important; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df { 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; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:active , .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .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; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8dbc16f910461e218dda8aa5515120df:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Is artistic judgement merely subjective opinion? EssayFrancois Voltaire lived from 1694-1778. To most he was known as the mostvigorous antireligious debater. He was the philosopher that was favoring deism the most. He wished thateveryone would stop Christianity and follow his beliefs. One reason that hefelt this was because from his experiences, bad things came from religion(Chambers 660). Voltaire, unlike Rousseau, favored the aristocracy and was often invited totheir parties to talk about some of his ideas. From this Voltaire, unlikemany of the philosophers of his day, was often left to think about thingson his own (The Enlightenment, http) and another reason for this isbecause for twenty eight years he was held in succession from Paris forsome of his extreme writings. One of the most disturbing things inVoltaires life was from the earthquake in Lisbon on Nobember1, 1755. Thiswas one thing that Voltaire could not understand and thought about forever. He did not want to turn to God as everyone else did, nor did he want to beon the side of the atheist. He was stuck in the middle and only left withthe thought of the innocent people that were killed (Gay 52). For most ofthe philosophers during the time of theEnlightenment, things were bad. Most of them had to publish their books insecrecy and still had to deal with them getting burned as officials foundout. This would be a very big disappointment, but they later prove that some oftheir beliefs are right when people begin to rebel because of the dramaticmessages that they sent to people. Whether philosophy, religion, orpolitics were the basis of ones reading they were generally flippedaround. It is said that educated people have the power to do anything, andduring the Enlightenment this source of power is obvious and is carriedout. Whether the readers believed the philosophers or not, it got thereader thinking and he talked to his friends and the revolts began. TheEnlightenment was a time of change but it was also a time that dealt withthe unreality that some thought could be but never were because some wereso extreme or contradicted each other from philosopher to philosopher.