The Blue Sword CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The next morning they left the Madamer Gate, to go back down the mountain as they had come. The little troop was less than half what it had been the morning before, and it moved more slowly, from weariness, wounds and †¦ a slight feeling of anticlimax, Harry thought. She had a foul headache. Every step Sungold took struck like a mallet behind her eyes, and her vision sparkled with it. â€Å"Does one always feel a bit lost, the day after a battle?† she asked Jack, who was riding somewhat stiffly at her side. Draco had suffered a cut over his poll, and the headpiece of the bridle was paddled with a bit of blue cloth. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"Even when you win.† They rode gently but steadily all that day. That evening Harry said to Kentarre: â€Å"You may leave now, if you wish, to go home. I – we're all grateful for your help. It's very likely we would not have held them off even long enough for – for Gonturan to drop the mountains on them, without you. And,† Harry said more hesitantly, â€Å"it is also good to find another friend and ally.† Kentarre smiled. She smiled much more easily now than she had when she and her archers first stepped out of the trees to pledge to Harimad-sol; and Harry didn't think it was only because the threat of the Northerners had been halted. â€Å"It is good to find a friend, lady, as you say, and it is ill to lose one too soon. We would follow you still, and see your king, and give you a little more glory at your return. I think perhaps we filanon have held alone in our woods too long; and without you, Harimad-sol, we would have no homes now to go back to. We were Damarians not so very long ago, and our fathers called Corlath's fathers king. We would go with you.† Four of her archers had materialized out of the firelight to stand beside her when she began to speak, and they nodded. One wore a white rag around his forehead, and it covered one eyebrow, which gave him a puzzled uncertain look; but there was no uncertainty in his sharp nod. Harry looked unhappily at her hands. â€Å"I – I'm not sure it would be wise of you to come to Corlath on my heels, calling me sol. I came here – left him and his army and his battle plans – expressly against his wishes, and I think it more than likely that I'm riding into trouble, as I choose to go back. I – er – applaud the idea that you should declare yourselves as Damarians again, but I – well – highly recommend that you make your own path to Corlath, without me.† Kentarre did not seem surprised by Harry's words; but then Terim or Senay must have told her the story. â€Å"Your Corlath I think is not a fool, and it would be foolish to treat with less than great honor the one who buried Thurra and thousands of his army. We will come with you, and if he turns you away, we will still come with you. You are welcome here,† Kentarre said with a wave of her hand and a faint musical clatter of the blue beads around her wrist. â€Å"You need not go into exile homeless.† Harry said nothing. She found that she was too tired to argue, and too grateful for their loyalty, for she was simply afraid of what she was returning to – afraid mainly because she realized how desperately she wanted to be able to go back. It was true, Corlath would be forced to honor her as the cause of Thurra's downfall, for he was no fool and he was a very honorable king; but she did not want him forced. â€Å"Very well,† she said at last; â€Å"let it be as you wish.† Kentarre bowed, a brief graceful sweep. â€Å"Thank you,† said Harry. â€Å"It is my honor to follow Harimad-sol,† said Kentarre. Jack smiled at Harry as she knelt down again by their fire, and was swarmed over by Narknon, who seemed in her own way to be as shaken by the mountains' falling as the human beings had been. â€Å"We cling to you like leeches,† he said, and she looked at him in surprise. â€Å"Or so I believe was the gist of your conversation just now.† Harry nodded. â€Å"So perhaps this is a good time to warn you that Richard and I and our lot are planning to come too – throw ourselves at the mercy of your Hill-king. There's nothing at home for us. And um – † he turned his hands over to warm the backs of them by the fire, and stared at his callused palms – â€Å"we'd like to.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"You'll only be able to talk us out of it with an extraordinary amount of effort, because any reason you may come up with we will immediately assume has to do with your praiseworthy desire to spare us pain or trouble, and we are quite selfishly set on riding east on your heels. And we none of us have the strength for protracted arguing anyway, yourself included. And I may be old and stiff and sore, but I'm wonderfully stubborn.† There was a pause. â€Å"Very well,† said Harry. Richard, at Jack's left hand, poked the fire with a stick. â€Å"That was easier than I was expecting,† he said. Jack smiled mysteriously. They came to Senay's village the next day, and they were met with a feast. Senay's father explained: â€Å"We felt the mountain fall three days ago, for the earth shook under us and ash blew over us. The air felt brighter afterward, and so we knew it had gone well for you.† â€Å"The dust was blue,† said Rilly. â€Å"And it is a three days' ride to the Gate from here, so we expected you,† the young woman, Rilly's mother and Senay's father's second wife, explained; and Senay's father, Nandam, said: â€Å"Hail to Harimad-sol, Wizard-Tamer, Hurler of Mountains.† â€Å"Oh dear,† said Harry in Homelander, and Jack snorted and coughed, and Richard demanded to be let in on the joke. But when the platters, heavy and steaming, were passed, she decided that fame had its advantages. She had not eaten so well since she had sat at the banquet that made her a Rider †¦ with Corlath †¦ The next morning, to her dismay, Nandam appeared with a tall black horse with one white foot. â€Å"I will come with you,† he said. â€Å"This leg has made me useless in battle, but I am not without honor, and Corlath knew me of old, for Senay is not the first to ride to the king of the City from my family and my mountain. I will ride in your train too, Wizard-Tamer.† Harry winced. â€Å"But – † It was her favorite word of late. â€Å"I know,† said Nandam. â€Å"Senay told me. It is why I will come.† They avoided the fort of the Outlander town, lying peacefully in the sun, untroubled by the tiresome tribal matters of the old Damarians. The Outlanders had known all along there were too few of the Hillfolk to make serious trouble; and if the earth had shivered slightly underfoot a few days ago, it must be that the mountains were not so old as they thought, and were still shifting and straining against their place upon the earth. Perhaps a little volcanic activity would crack a new vein of wealth, and the Aeel Mines would no longer be the only reason the Outlanders went into the Ramid Mountains. Jack looked rather broodingly toward the iron-bound wall inside which he had spent most of the last eighteen years. He caught Harry looking at him and said: â€Å"Anything there waiting for me is something on the order of ‘Confine yourself to quarters while we decide what to do with you – poor man, the desert was too much for him and he finally went bonkers.' I'm not going back.† Harry smiled faintly. â€Å"I botched it, you know. If I'd known what I was doing, I could have gone alone, quietly dropped half a mountain range where it would do the most good – â€Å" â€Å"And ridden off into a cloud, never to be heard of again,† said Jack. â€Å"I sometimes think the blind devotion – or the press of numbers – of your loyal followers is all that is sending you back to your king at all.† Harry stared unseeingly at the horizon of her beloved Hills, and she remembered Aerin's words, and that Dickie had called her back to this world just a little too soon. â€Å"Is he really such an ogre?† Jack went on. â€Å"Don't you want to go back?† Harry turned and looked back at the smudge on the golden-grey sands that was Istan. â€Å"No, he is not an ogre. And, yes, I want to go back – very much. That is why I am afraid.† Jack looked at her; she could feel his gaze on her, but she would not meet his eyes. The trip back, Harry thought unhappily less than three days later, seemed a lot shorter than the trip away; and this in spite of the fact that they were moving slowly for the sake of their wounded, who had resisted staying in Nandam's village to be healed and demanded to come with them. â€Å"They don't want to miss out on any of the fun,† Jack said apologetically, as if it were all his fault. â€Å"Fun?† she said, exasperated. â€Å"Your attitude is perhaps a little unnecessarily rigorous,† suggested Jack. Harry muttered something that was better not said aloud, and added, â€Å"They take honor and loyalty very seriously here, you know, you Damarian-mad Homelander.† Jack shrugged. â€Å"And if they throw us out on our collective ear – even that is fun of a sort, I believe.† He paused, and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"But I'm afraid I have the same optimistic outlook as the rest of Harry's bandits.† Harry protested, â€Å"But I know more about it!† â€Å"Ignorance is bliss,† replied Jack. They had no difficulty finding their way to the camp of the Hill-king. Harry never thought about it, beyond the simple word â€Å"east.† But although â€Å"east† covers a great deal of territory, she had pointed Sungold's nose as surely as if she were a route-rider, covering the same path she had traveled for years. She wished now she weren't quite so accurate. She could see the king's tent looming in the twilight before them, the sunset fading behind them, and their long shadows beginning to dissolve in the ripples of the grey sand underfoot. She knew that they were marked by the king's guard, but no one hailed them. She could well believe that she and Sungold and Gonturan were immediately recognizable, but she was surprised that even if she were not to be taken prisoner on sight the very obvious presence of twelve armed Outlanders in her train was exciting no comment. Since she did not know what else to do, she rode reluctantly but directly to the king's tent; it rose from the center of the other tents, the black-and-white banner flying from its peak. Still no one stopped or questioned her; but several offered her silent hand greeting, the kind a king's Rider might expect, and this comforted her a little. But she wished she would see someone she knew well enough to talk to – Mathin or Innath by choice – to ask what sort of welcome she might expect. There was little sign that this army had fought a desperate battle against the odds only days before; and she suddenly realized that it had never occurred to her that Corlath might lose. She was learning to believe what the backs of her eyelids told her. The tents were all neatly and precisely pitched, and the horses she saw were sleek and fit. There was a hum of tension about the camp, though, which she could feel; the silence had a stretched quality to it, and those people she saw hurrying from tent to tent looked as though their errands might be about life and death. Sungold's steps fell too quickly. She saw no other Rider, and at the door to the king's tent she paused, and her company came up behind her, and fanned out into a little court around their captain. The gold-sashed guard saluted her, just as he had done half a year ago; she thought it was even the same man, although he looked much older, almost as old as she felt. She stayed in the saddle; she wanted to stay there forever; at very least it made her taller than a man on foot – even Corlath. What was she to say? â€Å"The prodigal has returned? The mutineer wishes to be reinstated? The subordinate, having gone to a great deal of trouble to prove her commander wrong, has come back and promises to be a good little subordinate hereafter, or at least until the next time?† Then Corlath put back his golden silk door and stood before her, and she stared down at him, and she could not have gotten out of the saddle then even if she had wanted to. She realized why, when her kelar had shown him to her in battle some days ago, she had not at first recognized him, that his sash was the wrong color. He was wearing her sash. â€Å"Hari,† he said; then â€Å"Harimad-sol,† as he walked to Sungold's side; stiffly he moved, she thought, and her heart failed her at the thought that he might have been wounded. She stared down at him still, and could not move, and then, shyly, he put his hand around her dusty leather ankle and said, carefully, â€Å"Harry.† She pulled her leg over the withers and slid down Sungold's shoulder as she had once slid down Fireheart's, and put her arms around her king and hugged him fiercely; and his arms closed around her and he murmured something, but her blood was ringing in her ears, and she could not hear what it was. It is not very comfortable, holding someone close who is wearing a sword and various unyielding bits of leather armor, and it is less comfortable yet if both parties are so accoutered. Harry and Corlath dropped their arms after a short time and looked at each other, and each distantly thought that the other one was wearing a rather silly smile, and Harry noticed that Corlath's eyes were the color of gold. â€Å"You are unhurt?† she said; her voice sounded tinny in her hot ears. â€Å"I am unhurt,† he said. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, still looking at his golden eyes. â€Å"Or no. I am not hurt.† â€Å"I am glad,† her king said, and his voice was still low and shy, â€Å"to see you – here – and still – † he hesitated – â€Å"still of the Hills?† Harry took a deep breath. â€Å"I will be of the Hills till I die, but what are you going to do to me for going off like that? And it's not their fault,† she went on hurriedly, gesturing behind her, â€Å"but they would come with me even though I warned them how it was with me. Whatever you say, I will obey, but – what is it?† She stopped, for as she tried to make her apologies, or her amends, or whatever they were, she remembered that she and Corlath were not alone, and that she was a deserter. She looked up and around, but her company were only dark figures to her, dim in the fading light. â€Å"I will return to you your sash,† Corlath said, but his hands did not move to untie it from around his waist. â€Å"You should not have lost it – for I assume you lost it. If you had not, but flung it away deliberately, it would be a sign that you denied me, and Damar, and were making yourself an exile forever.† â€Å"Oh no,† said Harry, horrified; and the slightly foolish and uncertain smile on Corlath's face grew into a real smile, one unlike any Harry had ever seen on the Hill-king's face before. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"I hoped not.† Harry whispered: â€Å"You have done me much honor – since the beginning.† Corlath replied: â€Å"I did only what I must, for the kelar gave me no choice; but I – I came to believe in you, and I did not care what the kelar said.† â€Å"Did you believe in me then, when I rode away and left you, my king, and I a king's Rider, against your orders?† The smile faded, but his eyes were still bright yellow. â€Å"I did,† he said. â€Å"Luthe †¦ warned me you would do something mad – and I †¦ feared something else, for thus a man makes a fool of himself, and will not accept the wisdom the gods send him. I did not realize what Luthe had told me – I had forgotten what the kelar had told me – till you had gone.† â€Å"Something else?† said Harry. â€Å"What did you fear?† Her heart beat more rapidly as she waited for his reply, and she hoped he would ask her such a question, that she might answer it as her heart bade her. But Corlath looked around them. â€Å"The Outlanders you bring to my camp are not your escort home?† Harry shook her head violently. â€Å"They are my escort home only insofar as they would bear me company in my home, in the Hills, if you will have them.† â€Å"I will have them, and be honored,† said Corlath, and his eyes lingered on Jack, who sat Draco quietly between Richard and Terim, â€Å"they who stood at Madamer Gate and watched the mountain fall on Thurra. This tale they will tell, I hope, and tell often.† â€Å"And I hope I will never have to do anything like that again,† said Harry, and for a moment she could not see Corlath's yellow eyes, but a demon-thing that had once been human on a white stallion with the teeth of a leopard. Corlath looked down at the top of her bent head. â€Å"For you I hope that you do not either; the kelar strength is not a comfortable Gift. â€Å"I saw – I watched the mountain fall. I heard you call me and knew then who it was you faced – and thus why it was that I had not seen him before me: why we were able to throw the Northerners back, for all that they outnumbered us. They did not, I think, expect us to be so strong, or Thurra would not have divided his army as he did; for Thurra's demon blood had told him that only the demon Gifts are strong. â€Å"I was proud of you – and I was glad that it was I you called upon.† His voice died away to a murmur, but then he spoke loudly: â€Å"There is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years, to Aerin and Tor, that we do not often see today, for there have been few women warriors of late, till Gonturan rode to battle again. But tradition is that a betrothed pair may exchange sashes, and thus they pledge their honor to each other, for all to see. I will return you your sash if you choose, for I have no right to wear it, as you have not granted me the right. But I have been honored to wear it, in my people's eyes, till you returned – for as I had had so little faith in you despite Luthe's words to me, so I decided to have faith that you would return, to the Hills and to me, and to hope that your answer might justify me.† Harry said clearly, that all might hear: â€Å"My king, I would far rather you kept my sash as you have kept it for me in faith while I was gone away from you, and gave me your sash to wear in its place. For my honor, and more than my honor, has been yours for months past, but I saw no more clearly than did you till I had parted from you, and knew then what it would cost me if I could not return. And more, I knew what it would cost me if I returned only to be a king's Rider.† Then a cheer went up from many throats, and not only from those of Harry's company; for many of the camp had gathered in the center court before the king's zotar to hear how this meeting would go, for they had seen Harimad-sol's sash around their king's waist, and those who remembered the tradition had told of it to those who did not. And there was no surprise, in those who had followed Harry or in those who had fought with Corlath, and there was much joy; and the echoes of those cheers must have come even to the city boundaries of the Outlander town called Istan, and the barred gate of the General Mundy. And the Outlanders who had followed Jack Dedham when he decided to follow the young Harry Crewe, who had become Harimad-sol and the Hill-king's Rider, and who did not know the Hill tongue, looked around them, and at the two tall figures before them standing beside the chestnut stallion, and they cheered too; and Jack, in a lull, said to them: â€Å"In case you would like to be sure what you're cheering, our Harry is going to marry this chap. He's the king, Corlath.† Under the cover of the shouting Corlath drew Harry closer to him and said: â€Å"I have loved you long, though at first I did not know it; but I knew it when I sent you into the Hills with Mathin and Tsornin for your teachers, for I saw then how I missed you. And when in the City I found that Narknon had followed you, I was jealous of a cat, who could go where she wished.† Harry said, softly, that only his ears might hear: â€Å"You might have spoken.† Corlath smiled wryly. â€Å"I was afraid to tell you, for I had stolen you from your people, and the awakening of your kelar might make you hate me, for she whose blood gave you the Gift left the Hills long ago. When you knew what it was that this heritage gave you, it might drive you back all the more strongly to your father's people, to a fate the Hills had no part of. The Gift is not a pleasant burden. â€Å"But when I saw you were gone I looked to the west, for I knew where you must be going, and I vowed that if we both lived, when we met again I would tell you that I loved you, and ask you to stand by me not as Rider but as queen; for suddenly it seemed worth the risk, and I could not bear it that you might never know.† Harry said: â€Å"I love you, and it has haunted me that for my disobedience I would be exiled, not from the people I have claimed as my own, though this were punishment enough, but from you that I loved best of anything and best of all. I think I knew you could not exile me, for the victory Gonturan had won for you and your Hills; but I knew that for you to have turned against me for leaving as I did, it would have been the bitterest exile, even if I sat at your left hand as Rider all my life.† It was Innath who grabbed her away at last and danced her around, for Innath had no dignity, and Corlath and Harry seemed able to ignore the tumult around them indefinitely. Then Jack took her away from him, and then she was embraced and knocked about and swung back and forth till she was dizzy; but she laughed and was happy, and thanked everyone who touched her. But there was one face in particular that she looked for and could not find, and its absence troubled her. At last they let her go to Corlath again, and her happiness was shaken for the face she could not find, and she seized his arm anxiously and said, â€Å"Where is Mathin?† Corlath, who had been dancing too, went very still. â€Å"He is not dead?† she said, and her voice rose till it broke; but when he shook his head it gave her no comfort. He took her hand in his and said, â€Å"Come,† and led her away, through the tents. Now she could see the traces of battle, for by lantern light she saw blood-stained gear and unidentifiable bits and tatters moving mournfully in the evening breeze, and some few people, bandaged, limping, or lying by campfires, gently tended by those who were unhurt. Corlath led her to a long low tent and drew her inside, and the smell of death struck her at once, although the figures lying on rugs and blankets and cushions were well cared for and cleanly bandaged, and their chests still rose and fell with breathing, and there were many nurses watching over them and bringing drink and thin invalid food. Corlath brought her to the far end of the narrow tent, and the figure there turned its head toward them. Harry threw herself on her knees, weeping, for here was Mathin. â€Å"I knew you would return,† said Mathin, and one hand moved a few inches to close weakly around Harry's; and Harry gulped and nodded, but still her tears flowed and she could not stop them. â€Å"And you will marry our king?† he went on, in what would have been a conversational tone if it had not been so faint, and Harry nodded again. â€Å"I wanted you to toast us at the wedding, my old friend and horse-breaker and teacher,† she said. Mathin smiled. â€Å"I leave my honor in good hands, best of daughters,† he said gently. â€Å"No,† said Harry, and while her tears still fell her voice gained strength. â€Å"No.† As she knelt, Gonturan dug a hole between her ribs, and she stood up impatiently and unbuckled her and let her fall; and as she bent down again a few of her tears fell on her own hand, and they were hot, scalding hot, and left red marks where they touched the skin; and she realized that her eyes and cheeks burned with them. She drew the blanket away from Mathin's chest and belly, where a long mortal wound oozed through its wrappings; the blood was almost black, and green-tinged, poisoned, and there was an unhealthy smell. â€Å"In Aerin's day,† murmured Harry, â€Å"kelar was good for things. It didn't only hurt things, and make trouble.† Corlath came to stand behind her. Mathin looked up at his king and said, â€Å"Aerin – â€Å" Harry felt Corlath's hands on her shoulders, and twisted where she knelt, and seized his hands. â€Å"Help me,† she said. â€Å"You helped me on that mountaintop. It was as though you held me up, held me by the shoulders as you did the first evening when I tasted the Water of Sight.† Her eyes, wide open, were going blind; it was like the golden war-rage, only worse; it would split her skin, she would wither and blacken in the heat of it. Corlath said, as if against his will, â€Å"Mathin fell, guarding me, while I was far away on a mountaintop; if it had not been for him, I would have had no body to return to.† Harry shivered and the heat plucked at her nerves and ate up her strength, and blindly she reached out one hand to touch Mathin, and her fingers touched the bare skin of his upper arm, and she felt him shudder, and his breath hissed between his teeth. Whatever it was thundered through her veins and filled her lungs and stomach, her hands and mouth; and she let go of Mathin and turned to the next bed, and scrabbled with the bedclothes, for she could see nothing but the golden storm and feel nothing but one of Corlath's hands tight in one of hers, and she touched the throat of the occupant of the pallet next to Mathin. She groped her way down the long length of that tent, stumbling, almost crawling but for Corlath, touching foreheads and hands and shoulders, and the nurses turned back the bedding, and the eyes of the dying looked into her blind eyes and hoped for her touch but feared it, and none but Corlath who were themselves whole came near enough even to brush the hem of her tunic, for it was hard just to breathe if she, with the power that was in her, was too near. The fire rose through her and crackled in her ears, so that she was deaf as well; but at last they came to the door, and Corlath led her out, her feeble feet not sure where they would find the earth with each step; and she felt the evening breeze, and the fire began to subside, reluctantly at first. But as it drained out of her, back to where it had come from, it took with it the marrow of her bones and the elastic of her muscles, for such was the fire's fuel, and she leaned against Corlath. He put his arms around her, and when the fire flickered at last and went out and she crumpled, he picked her up and carried her back to his zotar, and she lay in his arms as limp a burden as when he had put the sleep on her, the night he stole her from the Residency. Harry woke up feeling as if she had been sick for a year and was now approaching convalescence. She stared at the peaked roof of the zotar and slowly realized where she was. Even her thoughts were too weak to entertain the idea of moving. Narknon, by some extra feline sense, knew when she opened her eyes, and without moving from her sprawl across Harry's legs, began to purr. With the purr came Corlath, who had been sitting just beyond the curtain that had been hung by Harry's bed to give her peace from the comings and goings of the king's tent. He put back the curtain when he heard Narknon. He was himself weary, for much of the strength Harry had used the evening before was his; and he had not been able to sleep that night for watching her. He watched her sleeping, hoping only that she would awaken and still be Harry. His heart was in his mouth as he dropped down beside her. The look on his face brought Harry more strongly back to herself, and she sat shakily up; and he put an arm around her shoulders, and she was happy to rest her head against his chest and be silent. She did not want to ask, but she could not help herself, so at last she said: â€Å"Mathin?† His voice sounded deeper than ever with her ear against his chest when he spoke. â€Å"He will carry a handsome scar, but he will carry it lightly, and he will be strong enough to sit on Windrider when we leave this place to return to the City, in a few days' time; although his right arm still pains him somewhat, from the long raw burn near the shoulder, as though a fire had scorched him.† Harry remembered how she had known the fire was eating her, that it would leave nothing of her; and she opened her right hand, the hand that had touched Mathin. It looked as it always had, but for the small white mark across the palm, which was only two months old. â€Å"And the others?† â€Å"None will die, and while none is as quick to recover as Mathin, none either bears the mark of where Harimad-sol touched them.† â€Å"And – my people? Jack, and Kentarre, and those who follow them? And Nandam, and – and Richard? Have you met my brother Richard?† â€Å"Your Jack has introduced us.† Corlath had remembered Colonel Dedham when he saw him standing in the twilight behind Harry; remembered him as the one man who had seemed to listen to what Forloy said, and believe that the men of the Hills might be speaking the truth, even to Outlanders. It was that sight of the man who had offered the Hill-king his loyalty while standing on the Residency verandah that had given Corlath the courage to declare his love for Harry the night before. It had seemed a fine bold thing to him at the time to bind her sash around himself and wear it openly; it hadn't occurred to him till he saw her with her company at her back, and her pale eyes fixed on him with an expression he could not read, that it would force him to face her with it and what it meant immediately, whenever he saw her again – if he saw her again. It would doubtless have been kinder or more courteous – and less dangerous – to choose his time and place; and not make such a public display of it. But then, without the sash around his waist and his people watching eagerly for the outcome, it was so extremely possible that his courage would have failed him again, for all his noble words about risk-taking. All these things he would tell Harry later. â€Å"But Richard has the face of your family, though he has not the eyes, and I would have guessed who he must be.† â€Å"Jack would like better than anything in the world to ride a Hill horse.† Harry heard the beginning of his laugh far inside him before it burst out into the air; and she raised her head and looked inquiringly into his face. He shook his head at her and said, â€Å"My heart, your Jack shall have a hundred of our horses, and welcome,† and then he bent his head and kissed her, and she drew him down beside her. A few minutes later Narknon, with an offended growl, climbed off the bed and stalked away. Mathin was a trifle paler than usual when Corlath's army mounted and set their faces to the east, but he sat easily on Windrider and looked all around him as if reminding himself of what he thought he had lost; but most often he looked at Harimad-sol, riding at the king's right hand. The army moved slowly, for there were litters to carry, and they need not hurry. Even the desert sun overhead seemed glorious rather than relentless, and their king was to marry the damalur-sol who bore Gonturan the Blue Sword, and the Northerners had been defeated, at least for their time, and probably for their children's time, and perhaps even their grandchildren's; and Damar was still theirs. And it was as well also that the army was moving slowly for the sake of Jack Dedham and Richard Crewe, who were riding Hill horses, and finding Hill horsemanship a little more difficult than Harry had, and were dismayed at the idea of being able to stop a horse at full gallop simply by sitting down a little hard er in the saddle. Harry, when she was not with Corlath, rode circles around them and teased them and made Sungold do all sorts of fancy passes and turns, not really to annoy them but only because she could not contain herself for happiness. Sungold bucked and bounced till even Harry had to clutch at his mane to stay on – Jack had the temerity to laugh – and behaved not at all like a well-schooled war-horse, and seemed just as happy as she.

Arab Americans

The biggest consideration in any effort to infiltrate the community is the legal and ethical issues that would govern those actions. Immigrants have rights and they must be respected in the country. It’s important that these people would know that the government respects them as persons and as citizens of America. There are constitutional rights that must not be broken; otherwise, no immigrant in the country would ever feel safe. There are already many crimes against their race and I wouldn’t want to add to that list. I believe in getting their trust in order for them to cooperate and become loyal to the country.Loyalty can’t be bought nor can it be forced. It has to be their decision to express loyalty to a country that treats them well. Ethical issues need also be taken into account. For instance, would it be right for me to tap into people’s conversations even if those persons are exemplary citizens and have been positive contributors to the community? If there are times when it is absolutely necessary to spy on every person in the immigrant population, then, it will be done so long as needless deaths will be prevented. As for sending agents, I believe it is a must to have undercover people among them in order to filter out the rotten tomatoes.The undercover work’s goal is to identify, without a doubt, who are propagating extremist ideas in the community. Once identified, these people will be given the appropriate punishment under the law. The most important role I could play in the community is to make sure that even the immigrants and the Arab Americans will not become unwitting tools of terrorists. 2. Based on the reading assignments, what status, rights and protections would you afford someone who was an American citizen captured in the United States in the act of terroristic violence?How about someone who was a foreign national engage in terrorism in the United States? An American citizen fights American forces abroad? A foreign national, but not a member of a nation's military, fighting American forces abroad? Would torture of any of these subjects ever be justified if it could save lives? American Citizen An American citizen captured in the country committing terroristic violence will be captured and imprisoned under the rules of law. Since it can be considered treason to commit acts of terror in one’s country, then that person will not have the rights of a common prisoner.Foreign National A foreign national committing terroristic activity in the country will be detained depending on the Attorney General’s mandates, and will be tried either inside the country or outside it. The hearing would likely be before a military tribunal. American Citizen Fighting American Forces Abroad If the American citizen fighting American forces abroad will be captured, he will be treated as a prisoner of war provided that he meets the criteria provided for in the Geneva Convention. He will have the r ights of a POW and will be treated accordingly.Foreign National Fighting American Forces Abroad A foreign national who is not a member of a military unit will be accorded a prisoner of war status until such time that his status will be determined by the appropriate tribunal. If the foreign national turns out to be a terrorist, then, he will be punished the way terrorists should be punished in accordance to law. 3. What are the different perspectives concerning Just War? Can the war on terror be properly characterized as a just war? Under what circumstances would fighting terrorism cease to be just?Why? The different perspectives of Just War are: †¢ Just War is only permissible as a last resort when all other non-violent means have been exhausted. †¢ A war can only be just if it is conducted by who society deems to have the authority to do so. †¢ Just war happens to remedy the wrong committed against society. †¢ To fight a war that does not have a chance of succee ding is not just. †¢ The ultimate goal of just war is the re-establishment of peace. †¢ It is just war if the violence in the war is proportionate to the injury endured.†¢ A just war does not target civilians and all efforts must be made so as not to harm civilians. The war on terror can be considered just because the proper authorities are out to get the villains in order to make the society safe for the citizens. Terrorists do not discriminate between military and civilian targets, as such, they must be stopped to avoid the killings of civilians. Fighting terrorism ceases to be just when the country has endangered citizens in the process. For example, if the U. S.will engage the whole of Afghanistan in war just because the Al Qaeda had its beginnings in that country won’t be just. It’s not fair to generalize that every Afghanistan is a terrorist. Also, war will become unjust if the wrong people are targeted by the authorities. Say for example that ever y person coming from the Middle East and who looks like Osama bin Laden will be detained by authorities because of how they look, then, that action is not just anymore. It is already a discrimination against individual persons. 4. How serious is the problem of anti-Americanism here at home?Should people be accountable for inciting violence when they glorify violent acts against America but themselves do not engage in it? What remedies are available to the government, if any, to deal with schools, mosques, and charities that indirectly support terrorism while not actually engaging in it? What should the remedies be? Anti-Americanism in the United States is often on issues that involve the presence of troops in Iraq, the operations in Afghanistan and global warming. Many Americans do not want the American troops to continue being in Iraq.There are constant protests and demonstrations asking the government for the troops’ withdrawal. At the same time, the government’s cam paign in Afghanistan is viewed by many citizens to be unreasonable and should be stopped. Many American Muslims believe that putting all of the blame on Osama bin Laden and his group is not right. There are also a lot of demonstrations and protests calling for the government to do something about global warming. Meanwhile, Pipes (2005) reports that some American Muslim schools have been teaching things that tantamount to being anti-American.As an example, an American-Muslim student told the Washington Post in 2001 that for him, being American is just about where he was born, and it does not define him. Some schools are also teaching things against the Jews, while promoting the supremacy of Islam. Pipes relates that a textbook in a Muslim school in Virginia has stated that only Islam is the true religion, and all others are false. First graders are easily influenced and reading this text would make them believe that people who are not Muslims are inferior to their race.The government , especially the education ministry, has to take a direct control over what materials are being taught in schools. The schools must not be allowed to focus too much on religion. There must be a law prohibiting minority schools to engage in activities or teach lessons that would indirectly support and promote terrorism. 5. Give your overall assessment of the USA PATRIOT ACT. Do you think it has contributed to the lack of terror attacks in the United States since 9/11? If you were in Congress, would you vote to renew the act as is?Would you change anything? Why or why not? Before the USA Patriotic Act was passed into law, electronic surveillance had to undergo a lot of red tape before it can be approved. Sharing of information between intelligence units and law enforcement agencies was very limited because the law does not say to what extent should information be shared. This could have resulted to missed opportunities to prevent acts of terror in the country. When the Patriotic Act w as enforced, every ground rule was established on how information will be obtained and shared.Surveillance of every information, financial or otherwise, became permissible. Even phone conversations can be tapped into. Because of this, the terrorist groups have to devise new ways of communicating, which possibly thwarted further acts of terror after 9/11. In this sense, the Patriotic Act is able to curtail further terroristic activities in the country. There are, however, some parts of the Act that speaks of human rights violations. For instance, indefinite detention of immigrants is not reasonable. It would strike fear in the hearts of those who are being loyal and good citizens of America.While the innocent would fear the Act, it would make terrorists wary of committing acts of terror. They would have to be very clever to go unnoticed. Overall, the Patriotic Act has served its purpose despite flaws in some of its contents. If I were a member of Congress, I would vote to renew the P atriotic Act. It may not be perfect but it has kept the country relatively free of terror attacks after 9/11. However, there would be some changes on the Act, which addresses controversial issues like indefinite detentions, secret trials, and giving vast powers to the executive branch.As a democratic country, it is important that the laws of democracy would not be forgotten in the quest to end terrorism. References Ferraro, V. Principles of the Just War. Mount Holyoke College. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. mtholyoke. edu/acad/intrel/pol116/justwar. htm Pipes, D. (2005, March 29). What Are Islamic Schools Teaching? New York Sun. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. danielpipes. org/article/2489 USA Patriot Act (H. R. 3162). Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. personalinfomediary. com/USAPATRIOTACT_Text. htm

Moral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting

Moral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 3 Historical perspective on the evolution of journalistic ethics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 4 Deontology and Utilitarianism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 5 Ethical Dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments in favour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ page 5 Ethical dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments opposed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 6 Applying principles of Deontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 8 Conclusion†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 10 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ page 11 Introduction Journalists covering wars and conflicts are faced with numerous ethical dilemmas regarding professional codes of conduct, laws regulating national security and personal commitments to ideals such as the public’s right to know, and acting as the fourth estate (with the first three estates being the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government). Of the ethical theories we studied in the Communication Ethics course, I chose to compare and contrast Deontology and Utilitarianism, describe how they apply to a specific moral difficulty, and detail what conclusions can e drawn. For brevity sake, I have left out such theories as Justice and Fairness, Care Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and Moral Intuition as described by Jordin and Beaken (2009). I have also left out numerou s other dilemmas, such as the role advocacy or bias plays in the journalism profession as it relates to war and conflict. Here are just a few of the contemporary moral difficulties that could be examined: 1. Should reporters use neutral labels to describe terrorists? When is a terrorist a terrorist? 2. When can wartime photos and video incite violence? What are the journalist's responsibilities? 3. Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? 4. Can (and should) news media be used for war propaganda or censorship? 5. What would public support have been like for WWI, WWII or Korea if there had been unlimited and unregulated scrutiny as there is today with broadcast and digital media? The conflict I am specifically examining, and the moral difficulties it presents, involves the current conflict in Iraq. To thoroughly examine one dilemma within this paper’s space limitation, I have chosen number three: should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in time of war? It is in this area that, while researching the above moral difficulties, I found a significant variation in attitude from war to war. Historical perspective on the evolution of journalistic ethics I found it is useful to place this examination within the historical context and journalistic attitudes of just a few of many past conflicts reaching as far back as the American Revolutionary War period. Ben Franklin was one of America’s earliest and most influential journalists (Burns 2006). Burns says (p. 91), â€Å". . . he was as ethical a journalist as America produced in the eighteenth century. Yet, he deceived on occasion, but only because he thought it was a better way to tell a story, and only because he believed his readers were sophisticated enough to know the ruse and understand that it served a deeper purpose. † Franklin’s newspaper, magazine, and others he inspired covered political and foreign news and wars. War reporting of the French and Indian War of 1754 to 1763, which began in Europe as the Seven Years’ War, provided exciting reading to colonists. Reports were common of troop movements, battles and scalpings. Advocacy journalism was in full flourish, and readers were encouraged (Burns 2006, p. 121) â€Å". . . o resist their French and Indian attackers. † As taxes were increased in the colonies, newspapers began to encourage disobedience and a boycott of British goods. Franklin summarized the state of ethical journalism of the American Revolutionary War when he wrote that â€Å". . . the press not only can ‘strike while the ir on is hot,’ but it can ‘heat’ it by continually striking. † Richards (2005) states the prevalent newspaper partisanship of 17th and 18th century began changing in the 19th century to a more neutral position. This was due to the increasing dependence on advertising revenue, and the need to appeal to the broadest market possible. He also identifies news coverage of the Spanish-American War and the circulation wars between Hearst and Pulitzer as a low point in American journalism, and providing impetus to a call for more objectivity and defined standards. That came in 1910 when the first code of ethics was created by the Kansas Editorial Association and in 1923 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Covered in these and subsequent books and codes were such ethical topics as reporting on national security, fairness and accuracy. The Hutchins Commission in 1947 (Richards 2005, p. 8) â€Å". . . ntroduced two key notions – the ‘public good’ and the ‘greater responsibilities’ of the press. † He adds, â€Å"According to this theory, the responsibilities of the press . . . were to be emphasised over its freedoms, and the press was to be considered subject to moral and ethical restrictions. † During the second half of the 20th century there was considerable critic ism of this social responsibility theory. For instance, Richards queries to whom are the journalists responsible, what should the media be free to do, and why are they watching the government rather than the governed? Also, how does the journalist determine the public good and of which of many potential publics are we speaking? To summarize, there have been times throughout journalistic history when deception and taking sides was acceptable, but objectivity and responsibility were largely considered to be professional standards as we entered the 21st century. Deontology and Utilitarianism Of the many methods for applying ethical theories to war reporting, I narrowed the choice down to Deontology and Utilitarianism as referenced in the introduction. Deontology involves applying a universal set of principles (Jordin 2009, p. 15) â€Å". . . which makes the duty or the obligations we owe other human beings the fundamental principle of ethics. † Doing our duty is not based on a particular set of circumstances. Since acts are judged only by their consequences, the means justify the ends. Utilitarianism is defined by the consequences of actions, not the act’s moral or intrinsic value. Jordin (2009, p. 17) states, â€Å"Where deontological theories thus talk more in terms about what is right, consequentialist theories are more concerned with the good. Moral worth is determined by its ability to produce the most amount of good for the greatest number. Here, the ends justify the means. How can these two standards help answer our ethical dilemma? We can answer this question by examining a few cases from the current Iraq conflict and others. Ethical Dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information i n a time of war? Arguments in favour: Former Pentagon aid Daniel Ellsberg leaked a highly classified study, subsequently called The Pentagon Papers, claiming the U. S. government deceived American citizens about the country’s involvement with Vietnam. Mitchell (2008) refers to Ellsberg as establishing the precedent for when the public’s right to know outweighs claims of national security and secrecy. Ellsberg argued that the ends justify the means since journalists sometimes do not question government war statements and do not delve deep enough. In a U. S. Supreme Court ruling on Ellsberg’s case, Justice Hugo Black wrote (Bauder 2009, p. 110), â€Å"The government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Alterman (2003) concurs, maintaining that humans are flawed and abuse authority if they believe no one is watching. He speaks not only of politicians and policy makers, but military leaders as well. Alterman concluded it is the journalist’s role to hold political and military leaders accountable. Dean Baquet and Bill Keller (Bauder 20 09, p. 111) say â€Å"Our job, especially in times like these, is to bring our readers information that will enable them to judge how well their elected leaders are fighting on their behalf, and at what price. † They add that the White House never intended for the public to know classified secrets about faulty intelligence that led to the current war in Iraq, about prisoner abuse, alleged torture, or about electronic eavesdropping without specific warrants. They claim Americans have a right to know how the war is being waged. Others maintain that denying the public’s right to know amounts to censorship, and sometimes this censorship is not used to protect troops and prevent operational information from helping the enemy (Williams 2009), but is used to promote support for the war effort and sanitize its brutality and human cost. Williams cites as an example that the often promoted â€Å"smart† weapons in the Iraqi Gulf War, which supposedly reduced civilian casualties, comprised only seven per cent of the bombs used. â€Å"The rationale for this policy was that the public will no longer support any war involving a large number of civilian casualties. † (Williams 2009, p. 159). He added, â€Å"When the flow of information in a democratic society is controlled by the authorities and when military considerations take precedence over all other considerations then democracy itself is threatened. (Williams 2009, p. 167). To summarize, some believe it is ethical to expose government wrongdoing and deception because the public has a right to know how its government behaves behind closed doors and in foreign conflicts. Ethical dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments opposed: At the beginning of WWII editor Tom Hopkinson withheld the truth fr om his British readers regarding the military disaster at Dunkirk, believing (Williams 2009, p. 154) â€Å". . . he truth would demoralise people and make them less able to resist an invasion. † Williams goes on to explain that similar restraint in revealing brutal photographs during the Korean War was so they would not â€Å"give aid and comfort to the enemy. † Williams (2009, p. 156) explained the distinction as to when it might be acceptable to withhold classified and potentially damaging information to a war effort: â€Å"The Second World War was a matter of national survival. There was a direct threat to Britain’s way of life. Defeat would have resulted in subjugation. The Korean War, on the other hand, at least as far as the British public was concerned, was in essence a police action happening on the other side of the world. There was no national emergency. There was no direct threat to national life. It is only when the very survival of a society is threatened that the truth can be interfered with. † During the early stages of the first Gulf War in Iraq, detailed classified information regarding the extent and effectiveness of bombing raids was withheld and restrictions placed on a reporter’s ability to interview pilots and troops (Hatchen 2000). Interviews conducted by pool reporters were subject to censorship. The U. S. Pentagon had decided there was a high priority assigned to the dismantling of the communications and military command structure in Iraq. It was vitally important that the enemy could not anticipate coalition force intentions, targets, troop strength or movements. U. S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that making classified information available to people who are not cleared for it makes finding and dealing with the responsible terrorists much more difficult. Rumsfeld added (Tapper 2001) that â€Å". . . the inevitable effect is that the lives of men and women in uniform are put at risk. † President Bush concurred (Berkowitz 2003), stating â€Å"Our nation's progress depends on the free flow of information. Nevertheless, throughout our history, the national defence has required that certain information be maintained in confidence in order to protect our citizens, our democratic institutions, our homeland security, and our interactions with foreign nations. † James B. Bruce (2007) argues that nothing is more important than national security. He believes leaks forewarn and forearm the enemy and allows them to develop countermeasures, thus placing national welfare and our citizens at home and abroad at risk. He adds in an article published on www. cia. gov that, â€Å"The US press is an open vault of classified information on US intelligence collection sources and methods. This has been true for years. But the problem is worse now than ever before, given the scope and seriousness of leaks coupled with the power of electronic dissemination and search engines. He states that press leaks allow the enemy to see how secret intelligence works, and how to defeat it. Schoenfeld (2006) rails against newspaper leaks that exposed the classified network of CIA prisons in Europe holding al-Qaeda captives, the disclosure of government surveillance of al-Qaeda suspects, and the monitoring of Al-Qaeda financial transactions. He adds the most serious leak was of a classified memo raising serious USA administration doubts about Iraqâ€℠¢s Prime Minister. He states, â€Å"At a moment when the United States faces the present danger of assault by Islamic terrorists and is struggling to protect itself from falling victim to a second September 11, a murmuration of overzealous, self-interested, and mistaken advocates is striving to shield the press’s freedom of movement at the expense of many if not all of the competing imperatives of a system based upon the rule of law. † To summarize, some believe the test for publishing any kind of information, whether classified are not, is as follows. Will publishing the information: 1. provide aid and comfort to the enemy? 2. threaten the safety of our troops and allies engaged in the conflict? 3. threaten our safety as a nation? Some believe if the answer is â€Å"yes† to any of the above, than the material should not be published or distributed. Applying principles of Deontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma Universalists, and in particular consequentialists (Jordin 2000), would argue that the greater good is served by releasing secrets during a time of war. Withholding secrets could threaten the very foundation of democracy, and the principles we are fighting to defend. If revealing a secret exposes inhumane treatment of prisoners or casts doubt on intelligence gathering which led to the current Iraqi war, then the ends justify the means. A Deontologist would say releasing secrets would destroy the right of a government to possess information that might prove harmful in other people’s hands. The duty to protect state secrets in a time of war is reflected in the â€Å"universal human right to life† as described by Jordin (2009, p. 6), and life, whether it be a citizen’s or the nation itself, might be endangered if secrets were revealed. The means (keeping classified information secret) justify the ends (national security and public safety). How then can a reporter decide when confronted with this ethical dilemma? One approach would be to answer the general questions from the URJC model (Jordin 2009, p. 29). URJC stan ds for Utilitarianism, rights and duties, and justice and care ethics. For the purpose of this discussion, I am employing only the Utilitarianism and rights and duties (Deontology) standards: . â€Å"Does the decision optimise the welfare and satisfaction of all the stakeholders? † No, it would satisfy stakeholders such as crusading journalists opposed to the war, freedom of speech and public right to know advocates, but not necessarily the government, military or intelligence personnel whose lives may be placed in danger, and not the stakeholder citizens who support the war. 2. â€Å"Does it respect the rights and duties of the individuals involved? † No, for the same reasons as stated above. 3. â€Å"Is it fair and consistent with the norms of justice? Yes, government leaks in Iraq and prior wars have rarely resulted in government prosecution or professional censure. 4. â€Å"Does it arise from and reflect an impulse to care? † Yes, acting as the fourth estat e and holding the government accountable and responsible for its actions is an altruistic goal. We can see from this exercise that the answers are evenly split: two â€Å"no† and two â€Å"yes. † A further approach might be to use the modified URJC model as developed by Velasquez et al and described in Jordin (2009, p. 29) by answering the following questions: . â€Å"Who will be affected by each possible course of action and what benefits and harms will be derived from each? † The publication of classified information in time of war could provide aid and comfort to the enemy and potentially endanger public officials, military and intelligence sources both at home and abroad. However, there are situations when governments may wish to cover up embarrassing or potentially illegal activities, and the only way to shed light on the situation is by publishing secret information. Therefore, each situation would need to be reviewed in a case-by-case analysis; weighing the potential for harm against the greatest good. 2. â€Å"Does the course of action respect everyone’s rights to choose freely how they will live their lives, to the truth, to privacy, not to be harmed or injured, to what has been promised or agreed? † No, revealing secrets during the time of war may result in harm and injury to its citizens and to the security of the government, even while promoting truth and democracy. 3. â€Å"Does the course of action treat everybody in the same way or does it show favouritism or discrimination? No, selectively choosing which laws to break and which secret data to reveal does not treat everyone the same way and can show favouritism to a particular point of view, course of action or even a political party. The only way not to discriminate would be to blanketly publish all available leaks or secret data a reporter comes across, or to publish non e at all. 4. â€Å"What kind of person do I aspire to be? Which course of action promotes the development of that character within myself and my community? † The decision is up to each reporter. Speaking from personal experience as a professional journalist I can answer that adherence to the principles of democracy, freedom of the press, and the public’s right to know are of highest importance. Yes, it may be acceptable in some circumstances to leak or publish classified material in a time of war. In reviewing the previous four questions there was one â€Å"maybe†, two â€Å"no† and one â€Å"yes† answers. Conclusion By answering the previous eight questions in the context of Deontology and Utilitarianism theories, it can be concluded that leaking and/or publishing classified information in a time of war is not acceptable. Therefore, it is possible to solve this specific moral difficulty concerning war reporting. Though it is possible to determine a course of action by applying these theories to such an ethical dilemma, the final result is not clear cut. The outcome was decided by a single â€Å"no† answer out of eight questions. Due to such a close margin, I believe these two basic theories can benefit from further modification and application of other ethical models to help find a solution to moral difficulties in war reporting. Bibliography ALTERMAN, Eric (2003). What liberal media? New York, Basic Books. BAUDER, Julia (2009). Media ethics. Michigan, Greenhaven Press. BERKOWITZ, Bill (2003). Escalating secrecy wars. WorkingForChange. com, 9 July. [online]. Last accessed 21 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. alternet. org/story/16369/ BRUCE, James (2007). The consequences of permissive neglect. www. cia. gov, May. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: https://www. cia. gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/docs/v47i1a04p. htm BURNS, Eric (2006). Infamous scribblers. New York, Public Affairs. HATCHEN, William (2000). Reporting the Gulf War. In: Graber, Mark A. , Media Power in politics. Washington D. C. , CQ Press, pp. 304-312. JORDIN, Martin. Ethical Theories. In: Communication ethics, Revised (2009) by Beaken, Mike. Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, pp. 14-30. MITCHELL, Greg (2008). So wrong for so long. New York, Sterling Publishing Co. , Inc. RICHARDS, Ian (2005). Quagmires and quandaries: exploring journalism ethics. Australia, University of New South Wales Press Ltd. SCHOENFELD, Gabriel (2007). Why journalists are not above the law. Commentarymagazine. com, Feb. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. commentarymagazine. com/viewarticle. cfm/why-journalists-are-not-abo ve-the-law-10827 TAPPER, Jake (2001). Bush scolds Congress. Salon. com, 9 Oct. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. salon. com/politics/feature/2001/10/09/bush/index1. html WILLIAMS, Kevin. Something more important than truth: ethical issues in war reporting. In: Communication ethics readings. Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, pp. 154-171.

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Auditing - Essay Example An auditor who works for a mid size firm takes on the assignment of auditing Telechubbies for the first time based on information that is provided to the auditor by Rachel Jones, the financial controller of Telechubbies. The basic information given to the auditor is that there is a requirement to maintain a 2:1 debt to equity ratio based on a loan contract. The provision for inventory obsolesces is 10% which is was cut 100 per cent from the previous year’s levels and the company wants another 100 per cent reduction this year to bring it down to 5%. A third piece of data given is that the long term receivables in the books belong to an R&D company owned by one of the directors. The auditor would start this audit by inspecting the balance sheet, income statement, annual report, code of ethics, and physical warehouse of Telechubbies. The balance sheet requires special attention. This financial statements has the data to calculate the debt to equity ratio. The auditor needs to inspect that the company is complying with the 2:1 requirement. After verifying the metric the auditor should go back a few years and compare the current debt to equity ratio level to the last three years results to find any tendency in the metric that might place the contract at risk in the near future. The company recently changed its inventory obsolescence provision to 10%. The auditor has to immediately verify if this changed was notified to the shareholders in the financial statements in the form of a note to the financial statements. This change represent a new discrepancy in the way the accounting methods thus it must be notified for purposes of following the accounting principle of consistency. The desired to cut the provision down to 5% requires certain numerical and physical auditing procedures. The long term receivable information is a worrisome sign since lending money to a company that is owned by a company director

Courage at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Courage at work - Essay Example Though the task was monumental for me at that early age, I gained courage and effectively rose to the big task that awaited me. I perfectly run the hospital well for two consecutive years. After completion of my first two years, an extremely critical decision that I have never faced in my entire career faced me. Overreact senior member in the ministry of health came knocking at my door with a hefty offer. The gentleman wanted me to append my signature as a sign of acceptance for the ministry to import Anti-revival drugs from United State. The deal showed that the government was importing first class drugs from United State. So the gentleman wanted to collude with me as a senior doctor so that he could import counterfeit drugs from China. There stood a conflicting situation on whether to agree to deal or to follow my conscious and act on the welfare of the patients. Luckily the urge inside me to protect the patient welfare won. I gained courage and disagreed to the deal. Luckily I tricked the officer, and I managed to record the conversation on my computer. After reputing the deal, I got demoted. I was transferred, to an exceedingly local dispensary in extremely remote area. However I did not regret my courageous action to protect the innocent patients who in the beginning of my professional I swore to. They successfully managed to forge their way though and luckily succeeded in importing the counterfeit drugs. Before they got distributed to relevant hospitals, the quality department issued an order to stop the distribution of drugs. A thorough research followed, and drugs were found to be counterfeit. I was asked to testify. I used the recorded conversation with the senior guy who had made me got demoted. The senior gentleman and his puppet who was appointed after my demotion lost their job. They were held by police for further investigation and prosecution.

Summary of NY Times article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of NY Times article - Essay Example This includes the local immigrant community and government officials Mexican families are exceptionally closely associated with each other according to the article. It is a cultural reality which is well demonstrated by this network of people and agencies that ensure the bodies of immigrants are buried in their Mexican homeland. It seems that any family in any country would want the remains of a family member to be returned home from a foreign country, that this is not unique to Mexican families. The government of Mexico, through agencies located in the U.S., assists with paperwork and some or all expenses in the transport of the deceased but most countries do the same. In addition, it seems that the Mexican community, family and friends in the U.S. help out less because of the traditionally strong family bonds present in Mexican society but more so as a result of the new bonds that were generated as a result of being part of a small group of immigrants. They speak the same language thus are drawn tightly together in the unfamiliar new culture. The article suggests that most Mexican immigrants to not intend to stay in the U.S. permanently which is evidenced by the fact that they are sent home to be buried after they die. This may be true but the reasoning given lacks credibility. The tradition of being sent home when one dies does in no way indicate that this was their intention when alive. Many would argue that most immigrants have no intention of crossing back over the border as evidenced by the 12 to 20 million people who are living in the U.S. illegally at present. Measuring intent is difficult at best but the latter argument is more substantive. The ‘industry rising’ Porter refers to in the headline of the article suggests that a new economic opportunity has arisen from transporting the bodies of deceased immigrants back to Mexico yet no where in the article is this inference substantiated. The Mexican

Older Adults in Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Older Adults in Society - Assignment Example According to the study ageism â€Å"legitimates the use of chronological age to mark out classes of people who are systematically denied resources and opportunities that others enjoy, and who suffer the consequences of such denigration, ranging from well†meaning patronage to unambiguous vilification’. They further state that it may also give rise to various inherent negative beliefs concerning older people as well the whole process of ageing in general, beginning with well-intentioned benefaction to unequivocal disparagement.From this paper it is clear that  the concept of Ageism, contrary to popular beliefs is a far wider concept and encompasses wider range of issues as compared to mere discrimination on the basis of age. Such beliefs are created socially, which are then reinforced and assimilated within our societies, and are experienced in our social lives.  The term ageism is mostly used to describe the various prejudices and stereotypes which exist in our socie ties today, with regard to older people on the grounds of their age. It also describes the behaviour which is directed towards the older population either directly or indirectly.  The author has identified various types of age related discrimination. While differentiation on the basis of age is a consequence of deep rooted understanding and perception of individuals and mostly occurs as a result of a considerate acknowledgment of the age-related differences.   ... It also describes the behaviour which is directed towards the older population either directly or indirectly (Ray et al., 2006). The author has identified various types of age related discrimination. These include under representative i.e. passive or indirect form of discrimination; positive or protective discrimination which includes giving extra or special treatment to the said age group; and negative or overtly harmful discrimination, which is also known as direct discrimination. Direct discrimination occurs when any individual is given differential treatment on the basis of his/her age, while in case of indirect discrimination although care is provided it is offered in such a way that the older people cannot exploit the services offered for their ultimate benefit, and instead have to suffer due to disproportionate provisions of services (Roberts and Robinson, 2000). According to Adams et al (2006), indirect discrimination occurs when the medical practitioners or organizations res ponsible for providing health care services adopt ageist attitudes with respect to decision-making and service provision. The policies thus implemented in such a way have little or no regard to the needs and requirements of the older section of the population, as their health care needs are given lower priority than required. Thus, due to such an attitude of the health care providers, the aged people find themselves with very few alternatives to seek health care. Such type of ageism, although quite common and rampant, is difficult to challenge and address, especially given its discreet or covert nature. According to Hagestad and Uhlenberg (2005) ageist attitude is related to various factors

The Potential for Energy Savings Firms in Singapore Essay

The Potential for Energy Savings Firms in Singapore - Essay Example Singapore is one of the largest oil refiners in the world. It has a distinction of being the world’s busiest bunkering port and the world’s third-largest oil trader. The Asia Pacific oil prices are set by the Singapore oil price. Singapore has to buy all the oil resources needed for the country from abroad. Like any other country, Singapore is also facing the challenge to the sustained energy resources supply. Since the country depends solely on imported oil and gas for its energy needs, Singapore is highly vulnerable to the risk of loss of supply. The competition for energy resources between nations is tightening day by day. Hence the requirement of energy security is very crucial for the country. In the national energy policy report, Lim HNG Kiang, the Minister for trade and industry of the Singapore Government, says that â€Å"Moving forward, we need a holistic national energy policy framework to meet our objectives of economic competitiveness energy security and environmental sustainability. As a small island state with limited indigenous resources, a strong and growing economy is our best defense against high energy prices and climate change.†Ã‚   The Singapore’s energy system is largely based on imported oil and natural gas. In order to sustain their economic growth and support civilization, Singapore must take serious consideration of their energy sector and should have a clear view on energy security. There is a need to become more energy efficient. Alternative resources for energy can be utilized by Singapore, but the resources are limited. Turning to nuclear energy like major countries in the world is not easily possible for the small island city nation. For that, they should consider oceanic nuclear power plants in international waters. Biofuel and solar energy are the other two alternatives for Singapore’s energy sector.

Operations management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations management - Coursework Example Moreover, if a company does not take care of variability the customer may not get everything he or she expects in every purchase. Most businesses that perform several activities such as offering goods on credit, advising customers, providing debt solutions and lending money to customers will in general be practicing what is referred to as customer credit activities. This for instance includes credit card issuers, log book lenders, debt management and collection firms, Payday-loan companies, pawnbrokers, offering hire purchase agreements, peer-to-peer lenders and credit brokers businesses. It is important to note that companies will lose more money by providing more than the product specification needs (Binder 67). Of late, software has become a key asset for various competitive products. This is practical in the general overview of every industry. This has become a concern for various companies due to the competitiveness in the software development. However, there two ways of dealing with this concern. The first way can be by increasing the competitiveness internally (Binder 67). This is through the large-scale reuse of existing software assets. The other ways is by externally outsourcing the software development activities to third party merchants. The first strategy is mainly focused of although the other strategy is not always completely ignored. Software product line engineering is different from a single systems engineering in two main ways. First, software product line engineering needs two different development processes. These two processes are domain engineering and application engineering. The domain engineering first defines and acknowledges the common invariant artifacts importantly the variability of basic software product line. In simple terms, it means establishing a common platform for software development and mass

Tourism marketimg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism marketimg - Essay Example These breaks supplement the main holiday. Athens too has become a city break destination because of the numerous attractions it offers. There are various reasons why city break tourism has been growing. There is increased holiday and leave entitlements apart from rising prosperity from double income families leading to higher disposable income (Dunne et al). The perception of travel has changed and besides low cost airlines has played a major role in promoting short city breaks. Motivations to travel is governed by the push and pull factors where the push factors refer to the desire to travel and the pull factors depend upon the choice of destination. The seven push motives were, escape from a perceived mundane environment, exploration and evaluation of self, relaxation, prestige, regression, enhancement of kinship relationships, and facilitation of social interaction while the two pull factors include education and novelty. As far as the push factors are concerned, the perceptions and preferences of people have changed. There is move away from mass consumption of standardized holidays and towards weekend and short break holidays. As far as the pull factors are concerned, Athens has many attractions to offer. Athens, the capital and the largest city in Greece is one of the world’s oldest cities. Athens can take the tourist back to the dawn of civilization. Known as the cradle of civilization and the seat of western philosophy, Athens brings together wisdom, art and culture in its attempt to meet the demands of the modern tourists. It is a city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens. The city epitomizes epic beauty and is a magnificent classical testament to ancient grandeur (OT Beach, 2007). About half of Greece’s population lives in

Final Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Project - Assignment Example that has to be carried out in detail, and the effectiveness of the intervention method weighed using relevant data collection methods to ensure its effectiveness. Most companies with the right approach to QI have been able to claim a competitive edge in the market and achieve major benefits raging from reducing costs, to increasing the quality of goods, adding value of the entire process in goods or service manufacturing. Therefore, QI is a value proposition approach aimed at satisfying customers and facilitating effective business operations. In any organization, continual improvement in systems and process to ensure quality has to be made part of the organizational culture. Continual improvement requires management to determine the problem in an organization, seek ways to solve the problem, plan implementation of the plan, and then ensure system checks to uphold quality in systems and processes. This leads to the principles of quality improvement. Quality improvement story may be described as systematic plans and procedures taken by a company with an aim of improving quality in goods production or services, to offer more value proposition to customers, while at the same time reducing costs to the company. An example of this is the Just in time (JIT) system, which is a Japanese quality improvement process that reduces inventory costs, resulting in reduced operating costs to the company, increased efficiency, and more value to customers. The quality improvement process as defined by Omachonu & Ross (2004) involves seven s ystematic steps that have to be taken to solve a specific problem. These are identifying a problem, planning how to solve the problem and putting long term measure to ensure the problem does not reoccur in the process again. Quality improvement story involves the use of the quality improvement wheel that requires checking, doing, planning, and acting as a continuous process aimed at improving systems and ensuring quality (Dessler & Farrow,

Faith Diversity Essay Example for Free

Faith Diversity Essay This paper will look and examine four diverse faiths: Christianity, Buddhism, Rastafarianism and Islam spiritual perspective on healing. In Christianity, prayer is a way that a person can stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Health is viewed by having a strong spiritual relationship with the Lord and living ones life by the word of God. Buddhist need a balance of health both mentally and physically in order to achieve optimal health. They way that they are able to restore health would be by practicing healthy dietary habits or meditation. Rastafarianism view on health as a balance of the mind, the body and the soul achieved with a more holistic approach like prayer and herbal treatments. Lastly, Islam reaches ultimate purity by having a clean body and soul. They must cleanse often and pray often. Religions differ in many ways; they could have a different sacred books, have different deities, or have different views on how to live a full life, ultimately they want the same thing, to have their faiths respected and incorporated into the care they are receiving. Introduction Throughout the world, there are thousands of distinctly different religious affiliations. In the United States alone, there are approximately 313 religions and denominations (All Religions and Denominations in the US, 2008). This paper will examine four diverse faiths Christianity, Buddhism, Rastafarianism and Islam. It will look at the philosophy of these four faiths when having care provided to them. It will specifically look at the spiritual perspective on healing. It will examine the critical components of healing for these faiths. Along with looking at these diverse faiths, this paper will look at what is important for people who are receiving care from health care providers whose views differ from their own. Christianity The Christians were the first people to start the worlds first voluntary charitable institutions which were hospitals (Trangelder, 2007). The reason that they started these hospitals is because they wanted to help the poor and those that were sick and dying (Trangelder, 2007). Health care and Christian belief go hand in hand. One of the most crucial components in healing is prayer. The Christians hold prayer in very high regard. They feel that prayer has the ability to make them better. In the book James 5:14-15(English Standard Version) it states, Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up(Biblegateway, 2001). Along with prayer, the bible mentions many ways that a person can stay healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. Ultimately, the way to stay healthy is by having a strong spiritual relationship with the Lord and living ones life by the word of God. Buddhism The Buddhist has a different holy book then the Christian faith. There sacred book is called Tripitaka. This holy book mentions that the only way to be truly healed is to be healthy in mind and body. Western medicine focuses on curing symptoms to treat medical problems, but the Buddhist see this only as a short term fix. In order for one to be healed one must also treat the spiritual aspect of the disease and its mind-based causes and remedies must be the primary considerations(Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). Buddhist feel that possible reasons for illness or disease would be 1) an imbalance of the four elements (earth, water, fire, and wind), 2) irregular dietary habits, 3) incorrect meditation methods, 4) disturbances by spirits, 5) demon possession, and 6) the force of bad karma (Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). They way that they are able to restore health would be by practicing healthy dietary habits, meditation, paying respect to the Buddha, repentance, reciting mantras, reciting the Buddhas name and using the dharma as medicine (Buddhism, Medicine, and Health, n. d. ). By doing this they would be able to find a balance physical and mentally and find long-term health. Rastafarianism Like the Christians, the Rastafarians sacred text that they pray to is the Bible, but the difference is how it is interpreted. The Rastafarians also feel that the head or God incarnate is Haile Selassie. He was a former Emperor of Ethiopia (Griffith, 2009). In Rastafarianism health care takes a holistic approach to healing; they believe that the concept of health extends to three spheres: the mind, the body and the soul (though sometimes the psychological and spiritual can sometimes be categorized together)(Rastafari and the Environment, 2012). They cure illnesses by use of home remedies or tonics rather than visiting a doctor. Rastafarians disown western influences of ideology, diet, lifestyle and religion in favor of belief systems and practices of African origin, which emphasizes the use of natural ingredients and tools(Rastafari and the Environment, 2012). Islam For the Islam, their sacred text is the Quran. In the Quran, unlike the Christians, Muhammad is the prophet sent to Earth to pass the word of the Lord, Allah. The Muslims feel that good health is one of the ways to get to heaven. In the Quran, it has teachings that show people how to protect his or her health and live life in a state of purity (Muslim Health Network (n. d). The single most important thing for this faith is prayer. Muslims perform it five times a day. The obligatory prayers provide a good means for the circulation of blood, breathing and general suppleness of joints (Muslim Health Network (n. d). Along with prayer they must cleanse after prayer, have a healthy diet, fast and refrain from intoxicates. Despite these religious differences in the United States, peoples only wish is to have their religious views respected and honored if possible. No matter if healthcare providers spiritual beliefs differ from those in their care, patients want their faith to be incorporated into the care that they are receiving. The Christian philosophy as written in the book of Luke 6:31 (English Standard Version) And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them(Biblegateway, n. d. ). This goes in line as all people would like to be treated, no matter how different spiritual views might be. In conclusion, the author learned that although many religions differ ultimately they want the same thing, to have their faith incorporated into the care they are receiving. Religions differ in many ways, they could have a different scared book, have different deities, or have different views on how to live a full life. Medication, chanting or prayer can help achieve inner peace to ultimately reach health inside and out. ? References Biblegateway (2001). James 5:14-15 ESV Is anyone among you sick? Let him call Bible Gateway. Retrieved from http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=James+5%3A14-15version=ESV Biblegateway (n. d. ). Luke 6:31 ESV And as you wish that others would do to Bible Gateway. Retrieved from http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=Luke%206:31version=ESV Buddhism, Medicine, and Health. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. blia. org/english/publications/booklet/pages/37. htm Griffith, J. K. (2009). THE RELIGIOUS ASPECTS OF NURSING CARE (4th ed. ). Vancouver, B. C Muslim Health Network (n. d. ). Islam Health. Retrieved from http://www. muslimhealthnetwork. org/islamandhealth. shtml Tangelder, J. D. (2007). A Christian Perspective on Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www. reformedreflections. ca/faith-and-life/chr-perspective-healthcare. html Rastafari and the Environment (2012). Natural Healing and Medicine. Retrieved from http://caribbeanreligionuvm. wordpress. com/category/natural-healing-and-medicine/

Agricultural Pollution In The United Kingdom Environmental Sciences Essay

Agricultural Pollution In The United Kingdom Environmental Sciences Essay The global human population doubled from less than 3000 million to 6000 million during the latter half of the twentieth century. The demand for food increased as the global population increased. This resulted in the intensification of agriculture to meet the higher food demand which placed an increasing demand on the natural environment. This has lead to the United Kingdom now having more than 76% of land being used for agricultural production. Since the 1930s the UK agriculture industry has undergone a major revelation. The productivity levels have considerably increases due the progress in crop and animal breeding, the accessibility of pesticides and fertilisers and the fast and advancing technology.  [1]   The move to more intensive farming methods has led to a marked increase in the amount of pollution incidents recorded (Pollution can be described as the unwanted environmental effects of human activity) .Figure 1 show that the pollution incident levels are constantly changing, this if reflected by the dynamic moves and the progress the agriculture industry make. Fig 1 taken from : G. Merrington , l . Winder, R. Parkinson, and M. Reedman , Agricultural Pollution: Problems and Practical Solutions, Taylor Francis, 2002. Agricultural processes can pollute in many ways, these include; deliberate pollution (the introduction of pesticides, fertilisers, genetically modified crops and sewage sludge into the environment). Agricultural processes and wastes (silage effluent and live stock waste) and the enhancement of natural processes from agulcultural activity (increased nitrous oxide emissions and soil erosion). Fertilisers can cause problems in agriculture. Fertilisers are used in agriculture to promote plant growth. Fertilizers are combinations of the nutrients that plants must have to grow, in a form they can use. Fertilisers are used because as plants grow, they absorb and deplete nutrients from the soil. Farmers harvest those same nutrients when they harvest crops meaning the nutrients that are need are lost and need to be reapplied in order to achieve a successful crop year after year if crops are to be grown and harvested continually.  [2]   If the applied fertilisers or raw sewage ends up reaching rivers and lakes, they increase the levels of nitrate and phosphate them. This causes Eutrophication and can end up in the mass death of organisms in the water. The steps of Eutrophication are as follows; the growth of algae and other plants is increased due to higher levels of nitrates and phosphates that have entered the water. These form algal blooms and mean there are a larger than usual amount of producers and they become overcrowded and being to die quicker than they are consumed. The dead producers provider food (energy) for the decomposers. This causes the amount of decomposers to increase quickly and they use up large amounts of the oxygen in the water. This increases its biological oxygen demand (BOD) and this change causes a lack of oxygen in the water and leads to the death of aerobic organisms. In cases with raw sewage, which is full of bacteria, the BOD is even greater.  [3]  Also if Ammonia (90% of ammonia e missions in the UK is from agriculture  [4]  ), pesticides, oil, degreasing agents, metals and other toxins from farm equipment ends up in rivers and lakes they can harm and kill aquatic life. They can also cause health problems when they get into drinking water. Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of water pollution in the UK (see figure 2) and in 2001 had the second largest water pollution incidents from a range of economic sectors. Fig 2 taken from : G. Merrington , l . Winder, R. Parkinson, and M. Reedman , Agricultural Pollution: Problems and Practical Solutions, Taylor Francis, 2002. Organic waste is another big polluter from agriculture. Although the number of pollution incidents due to organic wastes is declining in the UK, the Environment Agency spends approximately  £5 million pound per year on river pollution incidents caused by agriculture. This is because the production, storage and disposal of animal wastes (pigs, cows) and silage effluent present major risks to streams and rivers including the aquatic life. A result of the intensification of livestock production in the UK has caused a large increase in the amount water pollution incidents as a result organic wastes. 90% of all farm pollution incidents are a result of organic pollutants. Incidents are mainly in areas that have a high livestock production. In the UK the highest water pollution incident occur in the south west, midlands and west of the country. Gaseous emissions from UK agriculture are responsible for approximately 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrous oxide and methane are two of the biggest polluters from agriculture with over 50% of nitrous oxide resulting from agricultural activities and 37% of methane emissions in the UK from agriculture. The causes of Nitrous oxide to be released into the atmosphere in agriculture are during the application of nitrogen fertilisers. The effects of Nitrous oxide are global and include the eroding of the earths ozone layer (which can cause problems including an increase in the risk of skin cancer) and causes the greenhouse gas effect. The greenhouse gas effect is the heating of the surface of the earth due to the presence of an atmosphere containing gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation.  [5]   Nitrates from fertilisers can also soak into the ground and eventually end up in drinking water. This is dangerous and can cause health problems such as methemeglopbinemia or blue baby syndrome which causes death in infants.  [6]   The cause of Methane release in to the atmosphere in agriculture is mainly due to livestock, most commonly from ruminants due to enteric fermentation. Enteric fermentation is fermentation that takes place in the digestive systems of ruminant animals. Both nitrous oxide and methane both have a high global warming potential, methane can absorb 21 times more infrared radiation than carbon dioxide and is an important greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide emission from agriculture can come from a number of sources, whether it from fossil fuel combustion or land change. The use of fossil fuel production in agriculture is wide spread, whether its direct from farming machinery or from the transport of goods from the farms to other company or to the supermarkets. However, there is more carbon in the worlds soil than in the atmosphere and plant biomass put together. This means that land use change intended for greater production can increase the amount of carbon dioxide being released. The turnover of biomass and land change responsible for 5% of the total carbon dioxide emissions alone in the UK. The loss of soil carbon due as a result of degradation of land is also another contributor to carbon dioxide due to agriculture. Soil is an important carbon sink and acts as a transfer store for carbon. Agricultural practices that reduce soil carbon levels by methods that degrade organic matter reduce the capacity of the of the car bon sink. The release of carbon dioxide can have a global effect as carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas and is a big contributor to the greenhouse effect. The reduction in soil also causes a reduction in the infiltration rate, this increases soil run off and erosion which can lead to the deposition of sediment onto roads and into drains, this can also cause damage to the quality of water in lakes and rivers due to an excess inputs of chemicals and other substances. The increased run off and sedimentation can cause a greater risk of flooding further downstream.  [7]  The effect of carbon solubility in water also means exchanges of carbon can occur in the worlds oceans causing a wider spread effect. Changes in carbon between the atmosphere and land are dynamic and can be shown in the carbon cycle (figure 3). Figure 3 show the carbon cycle of a farm. Changing the inputs and outputs, or removing stores can drastically change the amount of carbon in the atmosphere or in the land. Figure 3 taken from http://www.farmingfutures.org.uk/Images/Carbon-Cycle-2306.gif Pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides and fungersides) are another pollutant from agriculture that can cause problems for the environment. Pesticides use has become an integral part of modern farming in the UK, with most crops having at least one and usually many more applications, with Cereal crop being sprayed around six times on average in the UK. More expensive crops such as vegetables and fruit can be sprayed over 15 times. The crops are sprayed to kill organisms such as pests, diseases and weed as they are unwanted in agriculture production as they would lower yield size.  [8]  However pesticides can cause point source or diffuse pollution in a number of ways. Pesticides can cause direct contamination of ground and surface waters. They can contaminate soil and leach into ground and surface waters. Pesticides also disrupt food chain and food webs as they can affect non-target organisms, whether by direct contamination or by accumulating further down the food web. Th is is a high occurrence as less than 0.1% of pesticides reach there target organism.  [9]   The movement of pollutants between the land, water and atmosphere can be summarised in figure 4. Figure 4 shows the relationship between pollution coming from a farm and the cycle it takes between the land, water and atmosphere .The pollutants could come from a number of the sources and examples that have been mentioned. Figure 4 taken from http://www.ecifm.rdg.ac.uk/farm_waste.htm original by R. Cook 2000. The effects of the agriculture pollution may be accounted for in two ways by the assignment of monetary value. The cost may be financial, for example incurred in water treatment or economic for instance due to the loss of a landscape feature valued by people which can be classed as visual pollution. The cost of agricultural in the UK is high and in 1996 the total external cost of UK agriculture was  £2343 million (range for 1990-1996:  £1149-  £3907 million). This is the equivalent to  £208 per hectare of arable and permanent pasture. Significant costs occur from pollution due to agriculture, whether direct from point source pollution or from non point source pollution costs in the UK include; the contamination of drinking water with pesticides ( £120 million per year), from emission of gases ( £1113 million per year), soil erosion ( £106 million per year) and food poisoning ( £169 million per year), from damage to wildlife, habitats, hedgerows and dry stone walls (visual pollution) (125 million per year).  [10]   Pollution control and solutions should take into account the external cost or externalities caused by economic activity. For example a side effect or by product of agricultural practice which is unpriced within the farming economy may be incurring a cost for someone else by reducing their profits or welfare.  [11]   Solutions to agricultural pollution can include; Government action through changes in policy and law; this could mean that farmers are forced to cut down the pollution they are causing. Research and development, including training and information programs and economic instruments such as financial subsidies and taxes could help reduce pollution, as alternative methods of farming that pollute less may be offered to the farmers with money incentives, while heavy polluting techniques and methods may be taxed. Other methods can include the modification behaviour by farmers, including changes in the use of agrochemical inputs, and other farm management practices. Practical solutions too many pollutants can be achieved through good agricultural practice (GAP). GAP is a well established approach in Morden farming to reduce environmental pollution and is supported with national and international legislations. The UK has published guidelines on pesticide usage which along with GAP is intended to both minimise their impact on the environment and allow safer usage. Practical solutions regarding gaseous emissions in agriculture are controlled with the support of legislation such as the Kyoto Protocol, which the European Union is committed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The UK is looking to reduce the level of emissions in 1990 by 12.5% before 2012.  [12]  To achieve this reduction the UK will need to cut its carbon dioxide in most of the economic sectors including agriculture. Pollution management can be achieved in two ways. An attempt to cure the problem by acting against the pollutants themselves, for example water treatment, or by preventing the cause of the pollution by encouraging alternative agricultural practices that are less polluting such as organic farming. Organic farming would reduce the number of pollution incidents due to agrochemicals, for example pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides  [13]  . However many farmer may be apposed to a move in organic farming, as it may result with a decreases yield of crop and an increase in labour outputs. A move to organic products may also reduce the target market for the food buyers, as higher labour and growing costs general mean the final product is more expensive than intensively grow products. This could limit the number of buyers this could result in a significant reduction in profit. In conclusion pollution can arise from agriculture in a number of ways. The effects of the pollution can vary drastically, from affecting only a small localised area through point source pollution such as a single farm, or by having a wider effect, sometimes on a global scale, such as non point source pollution. The pollution from agriculture can also effect both the environment, including the animals and nearby residents, but also the economy. Reducing pollution in agriculture can be difficult and have knock-on effects on both the environment and the economy. Many farming techniques rely on high polluting intensive farming methods to simply meet the demand of the population. Methods like these can be degrading to the environment, but vital for the farming economy to survive and meet there demand. However this can cause huge amounts of money to be spent by other organisations to clean up the pollution that they are causing. On the other hand many farming techniques designs to reduce the amount of pollution being caused from agriculture rely heavily on government funding in the form of incentives, which may reduce the environmental impacts but cost the country money. As conflicts can occur between the management of pollution issues there are many policies and legislations designed to minimise the effects of agricultural pollution and many try and find a balance between economic activity and the environment, such as the press ure-state-response frame work.  [14]  The best way to manage the pollution incidents I believe is through the prevention rather than cure. I believe that encouragement and search of practical solutions to reduce agriculture pollution is the best way to combat the problem. I also feel that compromises will have to be made both financially and environmentally to achieve the best result.