Abortion misc1 essays

Abortion misc1 essays Abortion, the ending of pregnancy, has been a very controversial topic for decades. Is abortion moral or immoral? People all over the world have different opinions. There are different ways that abortion can be performed: surgically or medicinally. The 1973 Supreme Court decision known as Roe vs. Wade marked an important turning point in abortion. This decision made it legal to have abortions. Different states have various laws on abortion. Abortion continues to be debated worldwide. Abortion is the ending of a pregnancy. It is the removal of a fetus from the uterus before the fetus is mature enough to live on its own. Abortion has been around for decades. Each year, more than 50% of all pregnancies among young woman are unintended. Half of the unintended pregnancies will end in abortion, which is 1.5 million each year. There are no specifications on who will have an abortion. Women who have abortions come from all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. Calculating abortion rates, older teenagers and young adults have the highest abortion rates. Young women between the ages of 11 and 19 account for about 21% of all abortions; women 20 to 24 account for another 34 %; and about 22% of abortions are brought about by women who are 30 or older. Over half of all abortions are obtained within the first eight weeks (Women who..., 1995). Is abortion moral or immoral? People who favor abortion most invoke the right to choose of woman who conceived the child. The people who oppose abortion focus on the right to life of the fetus. John Paul II, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, contends that abortion is a particularly heinous crime because it kills an innocent human being who has yet to be born. He feels that every human being has a sacred and inviolable right to life. New York Archbishop John J. OConnor linked abortion with the Nazi Holocaust. He stated Now Hit...

Bill Gates before Microsoft

Bill Gates before Microsoft I selected Bill Gates because he is a very important person today, and I didn't know much about him other than he was the richest man in the world. I wanted to know how or why he became so successful. Also, I wanted to know why he is such a controversial person.Facts in BriefBirth: October 28th, 1955 in Seattle WashingtonParents: William H. and Mary GatesEducation: Lakeside, a private high school, and a major of Prelaw at HarvardChildhoodBill was the second of three children. His father was a lawyer. His mother was very active in business, education, public service, and was on the board of United Way. Growing up, school was very easy for him and he learned very quickly. Most people who knew him say that it was impossible to win an argument against him because he knew so much. Socially, he was an outcast; his interests were very different from others.Bill Gates at the World Economic Forum ,2007.SchoolBy 1970, he was sent to a private school in Seattle called Lakeside because he was gi fted. There he discovered computers and fell in love with them. His school bought computer time for a year, but he used it up in a week. He was addicted.He became good friends with Paul Allen, another computer whiz. Pretty soon, they became very good programmers. To learn more about computers, they would sometimes climb into trash bins of local computer companies to find programmers' old notes.Finally, he got a job working out computer bugs. Soon, Paul and he also organized a company called the Traf-o-data; it recorded traffic data for his town and it was very profitable. He also developed some programs for his school. One kept track of pay roll, and the other kept track of class scheduling; it also put...

To What Extent is it appropriate or indeed possible to adopt a Dissertation

To What Extent is it appropriate or indeed possible to adopt a communicative language eaching approach in your current teaching - Dissertation Example to adopt a Communicative Language Teaching approach 1. Introduction The Japanese are well known for their poor achievement in English language education, especially in terms of oral proficiency. Even after six years of learning English as a compulsory subject at secondary school, few Japanese people can successfully communicate in English. However, English has now become an essential language for global communication. With this need in mind, the subject ‘Oral Communication’ began to be offered in 2003 in Japanese schools in combination with an implementation of the ‘New Course of Study’. This innovative new curriculum emphasises the application of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) methodology in the classroom in Japan in order to improve the communicative abilities of Japanese learners of English. However, most Japanese teachers of English (JTE) claim that they face some difficulties in implementing the CLT methodology into their current teaching env ironment. They attribute the difficulties mainly to external factors, such as large-class sizes, an over emphasis on college entrance examinations, and Japanese students’ passive attitude towards CLT. Studies (e.g. Li, 2001; Leng, 1997; Ellis 1996) show the difficulty of implementing CLT in non-Western countries, as in China, Korea, and Vietnam from the perspective of ‘cultural appropriateness’ in their teaching context. In Japan also, CLT is difficult to apply in the real classroom in the context of teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language). Stern (1992) points out that one of the most difficult of problems in making classroom teaching communicative based is the absence of native speakers. However, by utilising Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) allocated in every Prefecture in Japan together with the JET Program (the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program), a successful CLT class can be established in a Japanese high school teaching environment, especially in an ‘Oral Communication’ English class through team-teaching conducted by JTE and ALT. This study will discuss the current teaching environment in Japanese high schools and will try to identify possible ways by which a CLT approach can be successfully adopted. The sociocultural, educational, and student and teacher related factors will be considered for suggesting a ‘culturally appropriate’ CLT approach appropriate for the Japanese secondary education environment. 2. CLT: Definition and its theoretical background The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) methodology regards language as a means of communication and aims to develop ‘communicative competence’ in the language learners (Hymes 1971, 1972; Canale & Swain, 1980). The theory of language as a tool for communication is therefore central to the concept of CLT and the goal is also clear. As stated by Larsen-Freeman (1986), all the tasks that are undertaken during CLT have a ‘communicativ e intent’. The purpose is to enhance authentic and meaningful communication by providing comprehensive input and by using authentic language learning material (Kern & Warschauer,

Buisness law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Buisness law - Assignment Example Although the constitution is being enforced to push the section that permit one to be prosecuted once he/she burns the flag. The flag burning should be made unlawful. As many people designate it as a form of protest simply like boycott, it is not itself a speech but a symbol (Allport 98). Incident, at which the flag is burned to send a certain message to the government the act, does not support the civil obedience as a free speech (Allport 98). Whoever, uses a flag burning as an indicator of communicating a certain issue must be considered as a criminal consequently he/she ought to receive the punishment according to the law (Allport 98). This is because the disapproval of the first amendment law is not being categorized under unlawful act. The legitimacy is flag burning is a juvenile mechanism used to protest. Many suspects and victims of flag burning at the end of the day are sent to the penitentiary despite the fact that others think of potency and martyrs (Allport 98). However, the people of the state should respect the flag before supporting ridiculous decisions. The Supreme Court should address this issue and amend a constitution that prohibits freedom of speech through burning flag (Allport 98). The court should consider flag burning as a violation of freedom of

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - Interest Rate Assignment

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - Interest Rate - Assignment Example A developed money market is essential to the development of an economy as it provides the sources of finance to carry out the necessary business transactions. Firstly, it provides the cash required on a short term basis to finance the working capital requirements of businesses and entire industries. Lenders can borrow the money from financial institutions to finance their necessary transactions and thus the money market allows the economy to keep running. It also helps to keep the financial institutions self sufficient as the institutions can recall their loans at any point if they need it. Money market instruments are significant for the central bank because it regulates and controls its monetary policy by increasing or decreasing the money market rates. It also provides the finances to the government who may issue treasury bills in order to finance its spending. (Importance of Money Markets) The money market rate is called the federal funds rate in the USA which is the lending of a vailable funds from one institution to another on a short term basis. Q2) The above figure shows the graph of the U.S. Federal Funds rate and the Treasury Bill rate over a period from 1991 to 2009. The interest rates of money market funds usually tend to move in the same way as the future interest rates are based on the expectations. The year 1991 began with the federal fund rate and treasury bill rate set at 5.69% and 5.41% and was on a constant decrease until the year 1993, after which it began to rise and more or less maintained the same level until the year 2000. In the year 2001, the terrorist attacks in U.S. badly damaged the confidence in the economy and the people, both local and foreign, were not willing to invest in the U.S., therefore the federal bank and the government reduced the interest rates in order to encourage the spending. The interest rate encouraged the potential investors to increase the borrowing and the investments along with decrease the savings. The govern ment, in 2004, increased the interest rates gradually and increased it constantly on a quarterly basis. After the interest rates reached a point of 4.5% to 5% in the year 2006, the world was hit by the recession and the central banks had to lower the interest rates to once again encourage the spending and investments in the U.S. economy to limit the recessionary impact on the economy. The government and the central bank still had to decrease the interest rates due to the recession and reached a low point of 0.16% in 2009. Q3) The above graph shows the money market rate and the treasury bill rate in Bahrain over the time period from 1991 to 2009. Again both the curves move in the same direction as they are based on the same expectations. The interest rates of Bahrain move in a direction similar to that of the U.S. because the currency of Bahrain Dinar is pegged to the U.S. Dollar. The Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA) regulates the interest rates on a quarterly basis keeping the national and international indicators into consideration. The year 1991 began with a declining interest rate which was restored in 1993, similar to the case in the U.S. and the interest rates were more or less stable with only a few changes in it. This was the time when there was stability in the world throughout. However, in 2001 after the terrorist attacks, the economies throughout the world took a big hit especially the U.S. economy that had to lower the interest rates drastically until 2004. The same was followed by the Bahrain government

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Film Studies Essay

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Film Studies Essay In this analysis of the style and structure of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004), the following research question shall be addressed: how does filmic style and narrative structure evoke atmosphere, define character, and provide cues that generate audience reactions? It will be argued that the film constructs a bittersweet tale of love using an unconventional and fragmented narrative structure; portraying the effects of memory erasure by immersing viewers within the subjective world of the protagonists mind. Eternal Sunshine tells the story of Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynskis passionate, yet often painfully incompatible romance. From its humble beginnings at a beach party, their relationship blooms over the period of about two years, but ultimately fails. When Joel learns that Clementine has undergone a surgical procedure on a whim to remove all memories of him, he is so wounded that he tracks down the doctor and demands the same operation immediately. Midway through the procedure, however, Joel begins to regret his impulsive decision, realizing the importance of his past, as well as the inevitable loss of some of his most cherished memories with Clementine. The first five shots of Eternal Sunshine are highly significant in terms of both narrative structure and stylistic implications. The film begins by fading-in from black to a deep focus close up of an unshaven Joel, awakening the morning after the memory-erasing procedure (though this narrative information is not revealed until much later). The off-screen sound of a car door closing rouses him, and it is later discovered that this noise comes from the memory technicians departing after the operation. A variety of shot lengths are used in this opening sequence to communicate information about Joels facial expressions, body language, and surroundings. Ultimately, the act of waking coupled with the natural morning sunlight creates an atmosphere of a new beginning, although it is one tinged with a sense of loss. The use of hand held cameras simultaneously evokes the illusion of realistic footage, and viewers are invited to question why Joel awakens this way, establishing a narrative enigm a concerning past events. Joels waking expression is rather vacant, conveying the barren emptiness of his now spotless mind. The shot is illuminated from the right, and upon opening, his dark hazel eyes are drawn to this light source as he utters a sigh. The next medium shot is an eye-line match that frames Joels window, using an upward tilted perspective from his bed. The morning sunlight shines through, providing the only lighting for the scene and signifying a new beginning. The exclusive use of natural lighting additionally suggests an existence devoid of memories, as the atmospheric lighting techniques that accompany memory throughout the film are absent. Subtle, non-diegetic music; sound that does not have a source within the story world (David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, 330), also commences here, with a triple meter bass ostinato accompanying guitar chords. A straight cut introduces the next medium close up of Joel sitting up in bed, tracked by the camera. He sighs, rubs his forehead and begins to remove the bedspreads, which provides a match-on-action transition into the next shot a long shot of Joel moving towards the end of his bed. The dà ©cor of the space is very plain and uninspired, heightening the atmosphere of emptiness. A piano melody enters above the guitar as sunlight engulfs Joels darkened silhouette on the end of his bed. Before the next shot a short ellipsis is implied, and it commences outside as a medium long shot of Joel, now shaven and dressed in dull winter clothing. Sunlight momentarily shines directly into the lens before the camera tracks him to his car, revealing a large dint on its side. Confused and irritated, Joel thuds his briefcase upon the car bonnet as ambient background noises of children playing blends with the music. Although no dialogue is spoken in these shots, the sparse instrumentation and minimalist structure of the background music serves to heighten the mood of an existence that is somehow lacking essence. Hence, the opening shots be gin to define Joels character, whilst providing cues to evoke an atmosphere of a somewhat empty new beginning. Eternal Sunshine is essentially a love story, and a clear binary opposition a category with two mutually exclusive parts that depend upon each other (Graeme Turner, 104) is established between Joel, who is introverted and withdrawn, and Clementine, who is extroverted and eccentric. This opposition allows the characters to effectively compliment and conflict with each other, thus forming the basis of the narrative complication. Despite this somewhat traditional aspect of the story, the manner in which the narrative is structured is by no means conservative. In Film as Social Practice IV, Turner notes that conventional narratives begin in a stable point of equilibrium, which is then disrupted by some power or force motivating the protagonists quest, usually ending with the restoration of equilibrium (107). Eternal Sunshine, however, follows no such structural formula, and events are presented in a fragmented, non-linear fashion. Indeed, the film actually commences after the relations hip, moving from the present to a series of reverse order memory flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks, before finally returning to the present (whilst constantly interweaving secondary plotlines involving the Lacuna team). Another opposition of sorts is therefore established in the narrative itself between memory and present events, with the complicated structure serving to disorientate viewers and portray the complex nature of an individuals personal memories. In Postmodern After-Images, Peter and Will Brooker state that resistance to linearityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [is an] archetypal postmodern technique (58), and thus Eternal Sunshine uses a postmodern narrative style to communicate its story of memorys role in love. Throughout the film, myriad elements of the mise en scene evoke atmosphere, develop character and provide audience cues. Firstly, colour and costuming serve to accentuate the binary opposition between Joel and Clementine. Joel is only ever seen wearing very dull colours, foregrounding the reserved nature of his character, and he often blends into large crowds. On the contrary, Clementines eccentricity is revealed by her kaleidoscopic clothing choices. Also, the colour of Clementines dyed hair acts as a symbolic indicator of the state of her relationship with Joel, changing chronologically from green, to Red Menace, Agent Orange, and finally Blue Ruin. Green is traditionally a colour associated with new life, and it suitably marks the beginning of the relationship. The deep red dye appears to symbolize a climax of romantic passion, and indeed many of Joels best memories are from this colour stage. Orange perhaps embodies a diluted, fading version of this passion, while blue denotes an atmosphere of sadness and depression, appropriately appearing at the point of the relationships ruin. In one particularly symbolic scene, a crane shot frames Joel and Clementine lying together on the frozen Charles River. Some distinct cracks are easily observed in the ice beneath them, indicating the fractures that will inevitably appear in their relationship, and this notion of an intrinsically flawed romance adds to the bittersweet tone of the film. Finally, many elements of the mise en scene are skillfully utilized within subjective shots to portray the erasure of Joels memories: characters suddenly disappear, text on signs and letters fades or vanishes, objects are deleted from shots in fragments, and facial features are smeared. For example, in the beach-house scene, Joels memory of the event literally crumbles piece by piece in his mind. The use of atmospheric lighting is one of the most important filmic techniques employed by Gondry to construct the subjective memory scenes in Eternal Sunshine. In the present, lighting is generally either natural or realistic, but memory shots adopt a more unique lighting approach, emphasizing this narrative opposition. Firstly, low-key lighting and darkness often play a major role in such scenes, with lights either gradually fading to black or suddenly turning off to represent the removal of memories. The most prominent and effective use of atmospheric lighting, however, is a clearly recognizable spotlight effect that pervades memory scenes and becomes a lighting motif throughout the film. This peculiar device ranges from a small, torch-style light, through to a very large and powerful spotlight reminiscent of a helicopter searchlight (the best example being in the Charles River memory scene). The spotlight effect seems to serve a dual function: in one sense, it represents an intru sive, artificial intervention in Joels memory (implying the operation procedure), and he and Clementine are often trying to escape its glare. Also, especially in darkened scenes, the restricted glow of the spotlight could represent the limits of remembered detail in Joels mind, as is argued by Jason Sperb in his article Internal Sunshine: Illuminating Being-Memory in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, when he states: The spotlight signifies the limited perception of Joels remembering, which remains in and of the present. He cannot again completely experience the moments he thinks he remembers; Joel can only see limited illuminations, fragments in his imagination vaguely informed by his understanding of the past (7). The circular shape of the spotlight could also bear some importance, perhaps signifying the cyclic nature of Joel and Clementines relationship. Finally, throughout the film, this and other lights occasionally turn red to imply a state of urgency or alarm. Hence, the combination of the elements of the mise en scene succeeds in creating atmosphere and crafting the effects of memory erasure within Joels mind. Perhaps the most striking element of cinematography in Eternal Sunshine is the almost invariable use of hand-held cameras. This imperfect, sometimes clunky technique often creates the illusion of genuine home video footage an aspect that undoubtedly increases the authenticity of subjective memory scenes. As Ellen Kuras (the films cinematographer) stated in an interview, the camera movement is not always the most gracefulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with the entire film shot handheld, we ended up using sled dollies, wheelchair and chariot dollies, but no traditional dollies at all (John Pavlus, 2). In terms of movement, the camera often wanders freely, glancing around objects and tracking characters using mobile framing. Such techniques are most evident in memory scenes, and some scenes in the present utilize more conventional framing, perhaps serving to accentuate the stark juxtaposition between memory and the present. In the scene where Joel and Clementine meet on the train, initial long and me dium shots become more intimate medium close ups and close ups as the awkward tension between them reduces and they begin to feel more comfortable conversing. Similarly, clever tricks of size perspective are used in the childhood kitchen scenes to achieve the illusion that Joel is child-sized. Cinematography techniques are also exploited to convey the effects of memory erasure in subjective scenes, and the most notable of these are disorienting blurring effects and racking of focus, where the lensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [is] refocused at various planesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ adjusting perspective relations (Bordwell and Thompson, 243). Finally, speed of motion is also occasionally altered within memory scenes, with normal and reverse fast-motion effects used (for example, when Joel is sketching the skeleton picture) to suggest an atmosphere of distorted temporality. The soundscape throughout the film is similarly used with great effect to evoke atmosphere and provide cues that generate audience reactions. Firstly, an internal diegetic voiceover is sometimes used, with Joels diary entries narrating certain scenes from both the present and within memories, encouraging viewers to sympathize with his plight. Some clever sound-image relations are also present, for example, when Joel hastily decides to squeeze through the doors of a leaving train, his voiceover ironically declares that he is not an impulsive person. Similarly, in a memory scene, Joel yells, its all falling apart to Clementine, as a car actually falls from the sky in the background. Indeed, a series of interesting sound techniques are implemented within memory scenes. For example, off-screen voiceovers of the memory technicians working in the present are often heard, reinforcing the fact that certain scenes are occurring subjectively within Joels mind. Effects such as degrading the sou nd quality, slightly asynchronous sound, which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦occurs earlier or later than the events which we see in the image (Bordwell and Thompson, 337), and the use of a digital deleting sound-effect all serve to depict the erasing of Joels memories. Finally, in film, the rhythm, melody, harmony, and instrumentation of the music can strongly affect the viewers emotional reactions (Bordwell and Thompson, 325), which applies throughout Eternal Sunshine. For example, a playful woodwind scherzo accompanies Joel and Clementines meeting on the train, adding to the flirtatious tone of the scene. Similarly, a chromatically sliding cello often signifies disturbing moments, and the dissonant yet beautiful broken guitar chords in the beach-house scene serve to heighten the bittersweet atmosphere and affect the audiences emotions. The final stylistic element that requires analysis is the use of editing throughout Eternal Sunshine. Continuity, which is the style that generates the illusion of a smooth, unbroken continuity across cuts by focusing our attention on story and characters and away from style (Budd, Craig and Steinman, 112), is rather varied in the film, with certain memory scenes and most present scenes adhering to the conventions of this style. For example, in the dining dead scene, a series of shot-reverse shots and eye-line matches are used to depict Joel and Clementines tense conversation. Such techniques give the scene a paced interest and offer balanced character perspectives, whilst remaining easy and natural for viewers to follow. Also, a montage is used to convey a large quantity of information to viewers in a short amount of time when Joel goes home to gather all Clementine-related objects. Unlike scenes in the present, continuity is often radically altered in subjective scenes. For example , when Joel tries to turn Patrick around to face him in the bookstore, a series of quick jump cuts repeatedly prevent the action. Also, jump cuts are often used to suddenly change memory locations, or to entirely erase characters (especially Clementine) from scenes. Finally, it is necessary to examine the films closing scene and its implications. The ending, although slightly ambiguous, seems to be a rather tragic prediction of Joel and Clementines future. The final shots observe the couple walking away together along the snowy Montak beach, suggesting the possibly of a happy ending. Suddenly however, quick jump cuts loop and replay their actions multiple times, indicating that their relationship is destined to continually fail and recommence in an inevitable cycle of love and pain. Thus, with particular attention devoted to the opening shots, it has been argued that via its mise en scene, cinematography, sound, and editing, Eternal Sunshine successfully evokes atmosphere, defines character, and provides cues that generate audience reactions. Ultimately, these stylistic elements, in conjunction with the fragmented narrative structure of the film, subjectively portray the effects of memory erasure within Joels mind, whilst constructing a bittersweet tale of an inevitably failing romance. List of Works Cited: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir. Michel Gondry. Focus Features, 2004. Turner, G. Film as Social Practice IV. London: Routledge, 2006. Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K. Film Art: An Introduction. Fifth Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1997. Budd, M., Craig, S. and Steinman, C. Continuity Style Editing. Consuming Environments: Television and Commercial Culture. London: Rutgers University Press, 1999. 112-123. Brooker, P. and Brooker, B. Postmodern After-Images: A Reader in Film, Television and Video. Sydney: London, 1997. Sperb, J. Internal Sunshine: Illuminating Being-Memory in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Kritikos. 2 (2005):1-12. Pavlus, J. Forget Me Not American Cinematographer 85.4 (2004):1-3.

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Mara Salvatrucha Mara Salvatrucha, otherwise known as â€Å"MS-13,† is quite possibly one of the most well known and most notorious street gangs in the world. Beginning in the poor immigrant streets of Los Angeles in the 1980’s, the gang has spread like wild fire across not only the United States, but across the world, from Alaska to Spain (Tkach & Parker, 2006). Originating in Los Angeles, California, MS-13 was founded by refugees from El Salvador. â€Å"Mara† is a Central American term for gang; â€Å"salva† refers to El Salvador, â€Å"trucha,† meaning â€Å"trout† in English, for something that is clever, or sharp. MS-13 is also known as the â€Å"Salvadoran Army Ants.† After MS-13 spread from their birthplace in Los Angeles across countries, their activities helped make the infamous Northern Triangle: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, as the most violent place in the world that is not at war (Dudley, 2013). Mara Salvatrucha has been named one of the world’s most dangerous gangs due to their origins, growing population of the gang, the brutality of their crimes, the signs and famous tattoos Mara Salvatrucha is known for, the prison life hiding the leaders, and the evolution into organized crime. Starting with civil wars of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, refugees traveled northbound to Los Angeles. In 2012, the United States Treasury Department named MS-13 as a transnational criminal organization. The Treasury Department gave insight on details about how truly powerful MS-13 is, including that the gang is involved with â€Å"drug trafficking, kidnapping, human smuggling, sex trafficking, murder, assassinations, racketeering, blackmail, extortion, and immigration offenses† (Dudley, 2013). Mara Salvatrucha has been placed with the Zetas from Mexico, ... ... from Mexico, Italy’s Camorra, and the Japanese Yakuza, confirming that Mara Salvatrucha is one of the most dangerous gangs. When a member is sentenced to prison, it is beneficial for the member because they learn criminal and gang knowledge by the veterans of MS-13 that reside in prison. Learning the graffiti, the hand signals and stacking, the tattoos and their meanings, obtaining information from different cliques can all be obtained due to members of MS-13 going to prison. While America sits and continuously deports MS-13 gang members away from the States, they are spreading the terror to other countries. Now, in El Salvador, this country is seeing more violence now due to the gang violence than they did when they were going through civil war. Ironically, the civil war is what drove refugees up to Los Angeles and what became the birth place of Mara Salvatrucha.