The Evil of Bloodshed of Innocent People

By Gabriel Ama

Numbers 35:33

"So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the bloodshed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it."

Dear people of God, you can see from today's lead Holy Bible text that a country's land is defiled when there is bloodshed of innocent lives in it. Bloodshed is a very offensive act as far as God is concerned.

See what God says in Ezekiel 36:18, "So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for their idols with which they had defiled it."

Drawing from the above verses, it is therefore horrendous to see a nation like Nigeria treat with kid gloves people who shed innocent blood of people who have not committed any crime.

In almost every part of the nation, people are kidnapped and murdered almost on a daily basis. Ritual killers operate freely, terrorists are having a field day, kidnappers are rampaging and collecting ransom from their victims.

Women are raped and killed, spouses are killing each other over very flimsy reasons and no one is arrested or brought to book for these crimes.

To make matters worse, the government does not show any concern, neither are the security agencies bothered about investigating and bringing the culprits to justice.

Every one of them is only busy chasing money, money, money and power, power, power. Many at times, I just wonder what the workers of government and security agencies do when they resume at work from Monday to Friday, every month, all year round.

How exactly does the minds of these people work? Why aren't they just bothered about these avoidable incidents? Has it occurred to them that there is a spiritual implication to all these unchecked calamities befalling the land?

Why do they carry on as if it is not human lives that are being wasted day in day out almost on a daily basis? How do they sleep at night with these happenings that are within their authority to check?

How can a person receive salary every single month for work he never does and his conscience never bothers him?

Everyone is first a human being before belonging to any other group or association by whatever name. Human life is sacred to God.

This is a wakeup call to Christians of Nigeria descent living within and outside the country. Let us go on our knees sincerely and ask God to have mercy on this nation called Nigeria.

Let us ask God to intervene to put an end to the bloodshed. Let us sincerely repent of sin and evil. Let us as Christians amend our own ways and determine to conform to the standards of the Holy Bible. Let us stop bribery and corruption.

Let Christians wake up to their responsibilities and be the light of Christ wherever we find ourselves. Let us stop joining ungodly people to pollute the land through collusion.

Let us discard people's ethnic origin and see everyone first as a creation by God.

Please join me to pray this sincere prayer for this nation called Nigeria.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day and for our nation Nigeria. We thank You for the opportunity You have given us to witness all that is happening in this nation. We know evil does not come from You but from the devil and his agents.

We know You have stated in Your Word in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Father, please have mercy and forgive us Nigerians of our wickedness, selfishness and evil ways in this nation. Please forgive the insensitivity of our political leaders and security agencies at all levels towards the avoidable bloodshed of innocent lives that has polluted the land and incurred your wrath.

Please have mercy also and forgive those of our religious leaders and congregations who have refused to take a stand against the evil in the land but have rather chosen to join the ungodly to pollute the land by complicity.

Please come to our aid and put an end to all these atrocities being committed by agents of the devil. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we take authority over this nation and we rebuke every foul spirit that has been operating freely to promote evil and non-challance amongst those whose responsibility it is to put an end to these calamities.

We plead that You open the minds and eyes of the people in authority to see the spiritual implication of their non-challance in their work of protecting lives and property of the citizens so that they can repent sincerely and amend their ways to take full responsibility.

We humbly ask, dear Lord, that you raise up for us God fearing leaders and people who would do everything from the fear of You, Almighty God and would obey every commandment You have given to us in Your Word.

We humbly ask that You bring to justice everyone at every level who refuses to repent and amend his or her ways to confirm to Your Holy Word.

Thank You Father, for we have prayed in the Mighty Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word this day, act on it and share with others in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Article Source:  The Evil of Bloodshed of Innocent People

Is Cancelling NAFTA Bad for Canada?

By Joe Barbieri

The spectre of NAFTA being cancelled is on many people's minds since the election of President Donald Trump. Washington has pulled out of the TPP and wants a better deal for the U.S. in the NAFTA agreement. The recent possible tariffs coming from the Trump administration is also heightening trade concerns. Is cancelling NAFTA a bad thing for Canada? There are 2 ways to examine this question.

The Current State

The first approach is looking at how things currently are and what is likely to happen using this assumption. Canada is the U.S.'s second largest trading partner and the U.S. is Canada's largest trading partner by a large margin. The U.S. is Canada's closest trading partner by physical location. Much of the infrastructure that is already in place caters to shipping goods across the Canada-U.S. border seamlessly - bridges, railways, sea ports, shared production facilities etc. The culture of the U.S. is similar enough to Canada that doing trade is fairly easy. There are no language barriers, religion barriers, or culture barriers relative to other countries. Our currencies are closely aligned, making trade easier in terms of financing, terms of payment and currency exchange. It is fairly easy to obtain U.S. dollars anywhere in Canada. Comparing this to the Japanese Yen shows the contrast. Lastly, the assumption is that the U.S. will protect Canada militarily so Canada can focus on producing other goods.

Using this assumption, if NAFTA is cancelled, Canada may be a big loser in terms of trade. The fears are that Canada's goods will not be exported and economic activity will suffer. We do not have any other trading partners as large or physically close by as the U.S. The infrastructure and financing advantages also do not exist with any countries. Even Mexico who is part of NAFTA has a different currency, language, culture and priorities than the U.S. with respect to trade. Cancelling NAFTA looks like a disaster.

What are the disadvantages of NAFTA or trade deals in general? First, trade deals encourage specialization of industries in the lowest cost / highest benefit production of goods and services. All other production is reduced and or ceased. If you want to develop a new industry, you will have a small chance of success since your trading partners may dominate the industry or limit you from competing. If this is not the case, you may develop the industry on someone else's terms. Starting a business without free reign to experiment usually does not succeed because experimentation is necessary to optimize the market demand, efficiency and need for a given product. These limitations create a volatile economy based on a handful of sectors. In Canada, this means energy, commodities, banking and real estate. The second issue is negotiating power. Trade deals limit what you can negotiate after the deal is made, unless the entire deal is re-negotiated, which is what is happening today with NAFTA. This limits diversification of trading partners and new opportunities which may be present. Sometimes even within an established industry, different market conditions that would normally be taken advantage of would not be available because of the terms of the trade in a deal. As an example, the price of oil is fixed at $50 per barrel between two countries. The price of oil rises to $100 per barrel on world markets, but the seller will not benefit from this since they are selling the oil at $50. Should the price drop to $20, the seller would benefit, but then the question of "how often does this happen and is it worthwhile?" is going to come up. The last disadvantage is the negotiation itself. If you are negotiating with a much bigger, stronger trading partner, you will likely need them more than they need you. This means that they can argue for better terms of trade and if you want to make the deal, you will have to sacrifice more than you may realize. In the case of Canada and the U.S., the U.S. has a more developed economy than Canada, and much more influence on the world stage. If the U.S. wants to dump Canada and trade with someone else, they can do it more easily than Canada can for the U.S. This gives the U.S. more negotiating options than Canada - at least at the present time. The U.S. can offer more products for sale, more options for trade and more customized terms. Let's say that Canada went to a trade negotiation and said "I will offer technology expertise." Would that be possible? Not likely, but Canada can offer mining expertise. The U.S. can offer both.

The Opportunity

The second approach is assuming that cancelling NAFTA can be an opportunity, and changes can be made to benefit Canada more so than the current agreement. Why? Trade can be opened up to every country in the world and with open terms. Since the competition is much greater if all countries are available for trade, the opportunities may be greater. The flip side is that more competition may make it harder to trade for an advantage due to cheaper labour or better quality that may be available in other countries.

Cancelling NAFTA would make Canada more independent because we cannot rely on a specific trading partner to buy our goods. This will create more resourcefulness and entrepreneurialism among Canadians. When people have to find a way to survive, there is more effort expended. This effort will create more diversification among industries since we no longer can afford to specialize in certain sectors.

This scenario has started to play out with Canada negotiating more deals with Europe and Asia. Canadian firms have global expertise in certain sectors which gives them an advantage when creating terms of trade.

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Article Source:  Is Cancelling NAFTA Bad for Canada?

Hawaiian Music History - A Brief Overview

By Adrian Manuel

Music is a part of everyday life. We listen to it on the way to work, when we work out, while running errands; all too often in the background. Yet, music is a unique form of expression that charts history, tradition, and culture. Music is the very fabric of Hawaiian culture, its story interweaving through the centuries and evolving to the sound you hear today. European settlers may not have discovered the islands until the 1700s, but Hawaiians discovered the gift of song well before foreigners set foot on Hawaii's shores.

One of the more curious things about the Hawaiian language is that there is no word for "music," but its structure has been a mainstay of Hawaiian tradition. Mele, or chanting, was a ritual in ancient Hawaii, a means of preserving ancestral history. These chants chronicled stories of family lineage and legends of Hawaiian gods, tales visually told through the dance of hula. Rituals were guided by a drum beat and a small orchestra of stones, sticks, and rattles, laying the foundation for early Hawaiian music.

Contact with European settlers in the 1700s introduced Hawaiians to the cultures of the world. Missionaries brought Christian hymns and various European instrumentation such as the flute, violin, and the piano. But the Hawaiians were more fascinated with the guitar brought by Spanish cowboys, or paniolos. Hawaiians referred to Spanish music as Cachi-cachi because their fast and improvised style of playing quickly caught on. When the Spanish returned to their home countries, they left their guitars as gifts.

Keen on creating their own playing style, locals began slackening the strings, creating a distinct finger-picking style that suited their rhythmic sensibilities. "Slack-key" guitar became a local craze and encouraged the innovation of another playing style - "steel-guitar." This involved sliding a piece of steel along the strings, which gave off a soothing, dream-like quality that would soon become the sound representing Hawaiian music.

These innovations inspired locals to embrace other forms of instrumentation. The melody remained firmly in the vocals, an emphasis on language and culture, while the sound, just as ancient rituals had dictated, provided harmony and support. Many were discovering they had innate musical talent and Hawaii quickly garnered such talent for an orchestra. In 1915, the Royal Hawaiian Band was invited to compete at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. This was the first-time people had heard of Hawaii, a culture and a language being expressed through song. It painted a lush portrait of the islands, an impression that everything is as melodic and polished as the music they performed.

The Royal Hawaiian Band put the culture of Hawaii on the map and it was Tau Moe, a family of four also known as, "The Aloha Four," who popularized the steel-guitar. They were Hawaii's very own supergroup, touring across the mainland, then the world. Hawaii's island-born innovations and rhythmic harmonies had found a global audience.

The onset of recording made it possible for people to bring Hawaii home with them. In the 1920s, the radio programming of "Hawaii Calls" and live broadcasts of Hawaiian music made people feel as if they were truly there. Almost every hotel - the only venues big enough to house bands and orchestras - had radio equipment set up. A band that was entertaining guests was suddenly playing to the world. By the 1950s, Hawaii Calls was being broadcast to 750 stations.

Hawaiian music waned in the 60s. Local musicians like Don Ho and Joe Keawe still thrived, but mainland artists had flooded the scene, having tried their hand at the genre solely because of its popularity. Hawaiian music was in danger of becoming a fad had it not been for the next generation of musicians.

Gabby Pahinui put the emphasis back on culture. A slack-key and falsetto wunderkind, he had found inspiration through tradition. As Hawaiian music became more popular, it became increasingly about style. With mainland artists having moved on, the genre refocused on long-held cultural themes of sovereignty and national pride, thus spearheading a cultural awakening.

Hula was in the middle of a resurgence. The Merrie Monarch Festival, once a tourist-pageant, became a celebration of culture as hula groups, or halaus, were now required to create original chants for their routine. It was a license to create rather than repeat, introducing a new tradition to the festival by honoring those of the past. The Merrie Monarch gave rise to artists such as Keali'i Reichel and The Brothers Cazimero.

This renaissance ushered in an era of Hawaiian superstars. Sonny Chillingworth and Willie K were revered for their slack-key prowess, while Linda Dela Cruz and Amy Hanaiali'i Gillom's falsetto wonder made them overnight sensations. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, simply known as Braddah Iz, remains as the most renowned Hawaiian musician of all time. His medleys of "Starting All Over Again" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" are in syndication to this day, while "Hawaiian Supa' Man" is a suitably mythic representation of his talent and style.

Reggae didn't arrive in Hawaii until the 80s. Initially shunned by traditionalists, reggae's rhythmic wonder meshed well with Hawaii's similar music sensibilities. Hawaii has since adopted reggae and the larger Jamaican culture with open arms. The Rastafarian flag is a symbol of national pride alongside Hawaii's own state emblem. Reggae and Hawaii are inseparable on the radio today, breeding "Jawaiian" as a popular and meaningful subgenre in the canon.

What made Hawaiian music so pivotal was the culture. It made people stop and listen. Hawaiian themes, traditions, and the stories they tell are what define Hawaiian music as a genre. So long as artists take inspiration in the language and the culture, the music will remain essential to the world.

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Article Source: Hawaiian Music History - A Brief Overview

Titanic, a Great Tragedy: Marxist Criticism

By Krishna Guevarra

Being judged would never be fair. Being discriminated would never be fair. Being treated differently would never fair. It would never be fair nor right to be classified depending on your wealth, not even a single thing would be enough to be discriminated. But in the movie "Titanic", directed and written by James Cameron, it is clearly depicted how social class affects life. It has significant impact in the way of living. The movie is about the sinking of Titanic, an Olympic-class passenger liner, and is based on true story. It is mainly about the love of the two passenger, Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater. Through their story, we could witness the huge gap between the first class and the third class and the way they are treated.

Old Rose DeWitt Bukater, 100 years of age, tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Bobby Buell, Lewis Bodine and Anatoly Mikhailovich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th, 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fianc�, Caledon Hockley. At the same time, an artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. She narrates her experiences from the departure until the downfall of Titanic on its first and last voyage on the 15th of April 1912.

The titanic is divided into two parties. The lower part is allotted for the poor, the third-class passengers, while the upper part, the deck, is for the rich, the first-class passengers, it is just a concrete portrayal of social discrimination. They are having a so much different living. it primarily conveys how the third-class passengers value happiness while the first-class passengers only think about material things.

"Well, it's for royalty. We are royalty, Rose." says Caledon Hockley when he gave Rose a rare diamond necklace which was called 'Heart of the Ocean'. It is just a simple evidence how big deal for them to be rich, to be royal. They think that being wealthy makes them high as a person and being different and superior to the poor. Being high was really engraved in their brains.

Caledon Hockley is the man that Rose DeWitt Bukater's mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, wants her to marry, as she wants to save their depreciating family and to maintain their high family status. He is one of the hitch to Jack's and Rose's happy ending, together with Rose's mother and the fact that they are on different classes. Despite of these hitches Rose and Jack still manage to fight for their love.

Jack and Rose take all the chances that they have to be together then suddenly the Titanic hits an iceberg which leads the ship to sink. In this situation, most of the third-class passengers are deprived from getting into the lifeboats in order to survive, as they are locked because of scarcity. 700 first-class passengers, as the 'chosen people', have more chances to get a slot because of their location and especially because of their status. The passengers of the Titanic had their destinies decided through classes.

The author wants to convey how classes determine rights and living. He wanted to show the unending class conflicts, the inequality in the system, and the discrimination that is happening. He wanted to show the world how those who are rich vary from those who are poor, and how unjust it is. Through his masterpiece, the Titanic, he did open people's mind and made them realize the unrighteousness of this. He successfully delivered his message to us and encouraged us to make a change. He is successful to create an extraordinary movie, which is outstanding in every aspect. Cinematography, music, portrayal of the actor and other technicalities perfectly match with the story line. His success does not end with the excellent product but for the accomplishment of his objective, to make people learn something, to know that there is no harmony in a world where royalty and class defines being, and to know that inequality and unfair treatment between the bourgeoisie and proletariat must be corrected.

Article Source:  Titanic, a Great Tragedy: Marxist Criticism

Gaps Between Two Classes Shown in the Titanic Movie by James Cameron: A Marxist Criticism Approach

By Carla B Basilla

"I am the King of the World!," said Jack. Ironic as it is, having the third-class utter those words especially in our society of divisions and dying unity. Titanic by James Cameron is one of the most successful Academic Award-winning film and considered as the highest-grossing film since its release in 1997. It became a hit among viewers because of its cinematography and with the oozing chemistry between Kate Winslet (Rose) and Leonardo DiCarpio (Jack) portraying the tragic love story of a wealthy and a poor being separated by classes. The movie renders what happens if our society distinguishes people by their wealth and position. This is made evident through characterization of upper and lower classes and how the gaps affect the people and their survival.

It has been 84 years since the tragedy happened. Rose DeWitt Bukater, one of the survivors found out that American oceanic explorers were looking for details about the famous shipwreck that happened on the most luxurious passenger ship called RMS Titanic on April 10, 1912. She knew about the discovery of her painting and meets with the explorers. She then reminisced her experiences of being an upper class passenger of Titanic with her mother, Ruth De Witt Bukater and her fiance Caledon Hockley; also, her connection with a third-class passenger, Jack Dawson, who won a ticket to America before the ship started to sail. 1500 people were on the ship, some first class, others restrained to the lower decks where windows were limited. The passengers on board the Titanic held high hopes, not because it was deemed "the unsinkable ship" but because they were leaving their past behind them and preparing for a new life in America. Told to be a fine and decent lady, Rose cannot disagree nor share her thoughts. Rose was sick of the feeling that no one can hear her, until Jack came. Jack finally saved her from the thought of drowning herself and from the loneliness.They enjoyed each other's company even though being involved with each other seemed like a sin for others. Jack taught her many things: to be happy and contented with just small things. Rose adored Jack and couldn't deny her feelings for him. Their love arose when Rose asked Jack to draw her like one of his "french girls" wearing only the rarest diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. A romantic love affair between Jack and Rose couldn't be denied so Cal became jealous of Jack and searched for a way to keep them apart. He succeeded. It didn't take long when the Titanic then collides with a large iceberg and begins to sink. The boats aren't enough to rescue all the people and first-class people were prioritized. Rose thought of coming back for Jack. As the ship lowers itself into the depths of the ocean, Jack and Rose must fight death of the freezing water and await a rescue ship. They both got out of the ship but only Rose survived when Jack froze to death before the rescue boat came. Their love story started early but ended sooner than expected. Despite all that, Rose still cherish all the memories with him as she throws the "Heart of the Ocean" into the sea.

Since the beginning of the story, gaps between classes are depicted when Rose came out of the fancy vehicle preparing to go aboard while Jack, on the other hand, was still betting and wanting to win the ticket to America with her best friend, Fabrizio. Luckily, he won .Roaming the camera around showed the indoors of Titanic. It was too large and too fancy to accommodate all the passengers but since it is divided into classes, first-class passengers were their top priority. They have chaperone around the vicinity, expensive chandeliers, special gatherings and people in fancy dresses. Everything at Titanic seemed special, for first-class people, of course. Turning the camera on the third-class area made a lot different. It was nothing special but for third-class passengers, rattan beds and small spaces meant a lot. In the story, Jack and Rose symbolize the two classes, first-class (wealthy) and the third-class (poor) while Ruth and Cal were the forces that keep the two apart and main causes of discrimination. RMS Titanic symbolizes our society with divisions and the iceberg is the problem. The ship was deemed the "unsinkable ship" carrying the people filled with dreams and hopes for a new life. Having that label, Titanic ironically sank and didn't reach its destination. Believing that Jack saved her, Rose adored him and invited him for a dinner with the upper-class. Jack was happy to be in a gathering with Rose but joining the people in suits and ties that define their level of formality and their worth seemed quite unusual. Jack and Rose ditched the fancy gathering and goes with the party of the third-class passengers. It wasn't grand but the party was livelier and joy was true. Rose danced and giggled with them and felt the happiness that she never felt before. The movie showed that luxury cannot buy real happiness. But as the society is harsh and discriminating, Rose was told to avert her attention to Jack because he was just a third-class. Her mother Ruth, hates the thought of Rose being close to the third class. Consequently, the two cannot deny their feelings anymore and Cal being a wealthy and manipulative man, put a ploy to stop the love affair of her fiance and Jack. Jack, on the other hand, cannot do anything because he was powerless. The ship hit the iceberg and was about to sink, so as the humility and justice. The first-class passengers were prioritized, leaving the third class passengers locked and waiting for their turn. Other passengers were looking for the boat meant for first-class even though the ship was about to sink. The boats weren't enough but others sailed in few number of passenger in order to save the lives of the wealthy. In the end, from a distance, the saved passengers looked upon the "unsinkable ship" seeing many people drown into the sea. The iceberg was unexpected and sinking is surmised but if only people were treated fairly and others weren't selfish, many could have been saved and many dreams could have been pursued. The theme of the story is that differences in societies create gaps and gaps create inequity leading to a society drowning in selfishness. The position of the people determined their survival but we all know that rich ones weren't only the people deserving to live. In the movie, gaps between classes were demonstrated up to the very end.

Titanic was indeed a great story and no one could deny how it captured the hearts of many viewers. It wasn't only a powerful story of love and survival but also about the illness of our society-unfairness and division. Our society will never flourish and achieve our goals if we keep on dividing ourselves and weighing our wealth. Our dreams and hopes will just sank into nothing if we never unite. We will not triumph and our journey will end if we keep on discriminating and putting boundaries between each other. It is true that problems are inevitable, but if we are joined-up altogether, we can lessen the consequences and face the challenge whole-heartedly. We are all the Kings of the World, we can be the savior of our nations and lead to success. The story of Jack and Rose still goes on as it continues to be an eye-opener for us to cut off the dividing classes and to fill in the gaps with love and humility in order to have a wonderful journey towards success. Bon voyage to our society!

Article Source:  Gaps Between Two Classes Shown in the Titanic Movie by James Cameron: A Marxist Criticism Approach