Effect of Major Events on Host Community

Effect of Major Events on Host Community Do major events bring lasting benefit to host community? Introduction Most promoters of bids for major events, such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games or the world cup, submit as part of the reasoning behind the decision to bid the lasting benefits that it will bring economic benefit to the host community in the short and long term. Furthermore, this argument is used as a justification for the considerable involved in staging such events. For example, as can be seen from the budget and capital cost reports from Beijing, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics Games, whilst the operation of the games itself is targeted to make a small profit (see appendix 1, table 1), the construction and infrastructure costs have been estimated at over $1.4 billion (see appendix 1, table 2), which the BOCOG[1] and Chinese government state will be recovered as a result of the longer term economic benefits that these costs will bring to the area, in terms of increased trade, employment, tourism, international and local trade and other local social community benefits. However, whilst researchers of this issue appears to agree, at least for the immediate area where the event is located, for example Beijing, there is an immediate economic benefit during the staging of the events, there is a significant difference of opinion as to a) whether there is a economic benefit for the wider geographical area and b) whether there is a lasting economic benefit for the host community subsequent to the event. Within this paper it is intended to concentrate upon the latter of these two questions in an effort to prove or disprove the following hypothesis: â€Å"Events provide no lasting benefit to the host community.† To assist with this analysis, it is intended to use data from the Olympics in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), together with brief references to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. To assess whether the case is true in relation to other major events, which may not have such a global attraction, the Manchester Commonwealth Games of 2002 have also been included within the selection. Overview of Events As can been noted earlier the operational costs of hosting a major event is sizable and, due to increasing concerns in areas such as security, which includes prevention of terrorism, these have increased significantly over the years (Baade and Matheson. 2002a, p.5). In terms of this expense Baade and Matheson (2002a, p.6) with Salt Lake City as spending $300 million, which must cast doubt on the appropriateness of the $50 million Beijing is planning to spend on this item (see appendix 1, table 1). Thus, it is not surprising that there has been a chequered history in terms of the profitability of staging such massive events. In recent history an example of these extremes can be foun, with Montreal recorded a $1 billion loss for the 1976 games whilst Los Angeles made a profit of $250 million for hosting the same event in the 1984. Nevertheless, in most cases the majority of these operational costs, with careful planning, marketing and promotion, are expected to be recovered from sponso rship and TV rights, which has the potential of bringing in over $1 billion in revenue in today’s terms, if measured against the past expectations CBS (1998). These figures pale into insignificance when compared to the capital and infrastructure cost, which runs into Billion’s of dollars, the return on which cannot be so easily calculated. Thus, in order to achieve a national government commitment to assist with the funding of the event, it is the task of the promoters to attempt to show that these costs will have long-term economic benefits for the community. The following is a brief overview of the capital and infrastructure costs incurred by the four locations chosen for analysis. Based upon 1996 prices, the total direct cost of the Sydney Olympics was calculated to be around A$8.4 billion, (Madden 2002, p.9), which relates to around US$4 billion, although when final figures were available this showed a similar increase against budget as Atlanta. In his study into these costs, Madden (2002, p.9), allocated them over a 12-year period from 1994/95 to 2005/06 as indicated in the following graph: As can be seen from this the majority of the monies post the event was spent on international tourism. Of these costs about $600 million was spent directly upon games visitors, and these would therefore have been recoverable from the games revenues. This leaves approximately $7.8 billion to be quantified as costs that should have a lasting economic benefit, in addition the benefits incurred during the event. Athens 2004 The cost of the games in Athens, originally budgeted to cost $5.6 billion, actually rose to over $8.5 billion Associated Press (2004). Part of this additional cost was caused by an exceptionally large security costs which, being the first games to be held post the 9/11 tragedy, soared to $1.5 billion. With Beijing budgeting to spend $14.25 billion on capital and infrastructure and $1.625 billion on operating costs making a total of just under $16 billion, although many experts are predicting that this figure will increase to over $20 billion, it is clear from the following graph that the costs of the games will have doubled with every staging of the event over a twelve-year period (see figure 1). In 2002 Manchester played host to the Commonwealth games. Originally the budget for this event was set at around  £25 (approximately $50), but the final amount climbed to between  £70-80 million ($140-160 million). Of this amount  £17 million was spent on a performance legacy programme, deliberately targeted to produce long-term benefits for the community. As the Olympic Games increases are significantly higher than the rate of inflation that any of these areas have suffered during the same period, it is apparent that the accuracy of forecasting the longer term economic benefits is becoming even more critical to both the organisers and the regional and national governments that are being asked to help fund these costs. Furthermore, as has been demonstrated with all of these events, the calculations of initial budgeting show considerable under-estimation when compared with the final costs, which suggests that the reliability of the organisers costs in relation to the longer term benefits Long-term Economic Benefits To determine whether the capital and infrastructure cost of an event has a long term benefit to the host community, the assessment of this process can only bet determined by the future economic development that occurs within that geographical location (Fort and Fizel 2004, p.91). Therefore to evaluate the hypothesis set at the commencement of this research, it is intended to use three of these factors, these being increase in GDP, employment and tourism activity. GDP Growth domestic product is an indicator that shows how well the economy is growing, usually based upon a per capita figure. One of the main arguments of those promoting the benefits of hosting an event is that it will contribute significantly towards improving that figure over future years. In reality, this does not appear to be the case when analysing the result for the events indicated. In all cases there were economic improvements in terms of GDP during the periods leading up to the staging of the events, although in some instances, these were not as high had been projected. Similarly, in the longer term, these increases were not sustained. For example, taking Sydney and New South Wales as an example, as can be seen from the following graph, whist there was a significant rise in GDP during the years from 1994/05 to 2000/01, immediately the games were over, this fell back sharply to a year on year decrease. Studies conducted by researchers into the Atlanta and Athens games, including Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002) and Gratton and Henry (2001) have shown a similar reaction in relation to the GDP in each of these cases, with rising levels during the build-up period to the games, but little to no benefit for the following periods. This position also appears to be relevant to the economic effects of lesser events, as can be evidenced by the research into the benefits of the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 (Eurotec 2007). The initial impact was encouraging, as was noted by one of the organisers at the time, who said: â€Å"We estimated that  £22m in business benefits across the northwest derived from the Games at the time,† says Rosin. â€Å"There was  £2.7m added value for every  £1m invested. There has been investment in the financial sectors, in the city centre and in particular in east Manchester. Associated retail development and the creation of employment for local people in this area can be directly attributed to the Commonwealth Games† (Editorial (2007). However, a graph of the impact on output of the games and legacy programme in this case (see figure 4) shows that, as with the Olympics, despite the initial benefits achieved prior and during the time the event was staged, in this case exceeding expectations, the longevity of this was short, with it falling away rapidly within one year. It is apparent from these findings that the significant improvement to GDP would only be temporary in nature and as a result contributes little to the long term improvement of the local community environment (Fizel et al 1999, p.75). Assuming that a study of other events of a similar magnitude to those identified operated upon a similar basis, it is therefore apparent that the GDP benefit would be condensed into the period of the event and limited thereafter, Employment Tourism Tourism is another area against which the success of the games can be measured. Whilst, in most cases there is an increase in the physical numbers of tourists visiting the area in the years leading up to the event and subsequently, the benefit of this has to be evaluated against the additional facilities that have been provided as a part of the capital and infrastructure costs. For example, if one looks at the Beijing games, the intention is to build sufficient hotels in the area to be able to offer 130,000 (BOCOG 2007). As this represents an increase of around 20% of the number of rooms that are available, whilst an increase in tourism will have an impact upon the local economy in some areas, unless it is in excess of 20%, it will have a detrimental impact upon the hotel and catering sector, which will either force down the unit price per room or result in a decrease in occupancy, either of which will reduce the fiscal benefit. Thus the measurement of costs can be evaluated by either their socio-economic, environmental or the estimated direct future impact they will have on a countries gross domestic product (GDP). For Beijing, all of these improvements will therefore provide a useful economic legacy of the games if managed correctly. However, in addition to the intangible benefits, there are the intangible costs that also need to be measured, both in real terms and potential. These can be defined into two main areas being, local but external to the event, future but unanticipated. In addition to the determinants outlined above, there are others than need to be taken into the equation to provide a more detailed analysis. For example, there is the potential displacement issue related to local residents at the time of the event, where homes are lost to make way for the additional infrastructure projects (Fizel 1999, p.72). Secondly, there is the long-term use of the facilities. In the case of Sydney, the authorities are still paying around $46 million a year to maintain facilities that have remained uneconomic since the event (Owen 2005). Finally, the impact that the event has on trade outside of the area also needs to be considered. Research has show that, whilst the immediately area businesses benefit from the event, others further away from its location tend to show a downturn during that period when events are being staged. (Owen 2005). These represent hidden costs that are a) not always taken into account by the bid promoters and b) difficult to quantify in terms of amount and the length of time that they should be calculated over. Conclusion The research conducted for this paper has been limited in terms of the events covered and the timescale over which these have been studied, being restricted to five events over a 12 year period from 1996 to 2008. However, from the analysis of the events used within this paper it can be seen that in the main, the hypothesis set at the commencement of this paper has been proven. Whilst most of the events showed an immediate economical benefit, this did not last for a significant period. Therefore, on balance of probabilities. we would agree with the statement made by Baade and Matheson (2002, p.28) which stated that the evidence suggests that the economic impact of the Olympics is transitory, onetime changes rather than a steady-state chane., Similarly, with the increasing costs of operating and staging these events showing every sign of continuing to escalate, the opportunity to reverse this trend will become even more difficult in the immediate to long term future, especially when on e takes into account the fact that even the cost of the London Olympics has exceeded the budgeted estimates. There appears to be two main reasons for the differential between the projected benefits and the actuality. The first of these relates to the accuracy of initial estimates, which as has been shown within the costings of the events studied, is significantly lower than they should be, which could be result from an effort to make the bids more attractive to the community and nation hosting the event or as a result of problems being experienced within the project management process. Secondly, it would appear that the economic determinants being used by the organisers are failing to pay enough attention to the results of previous events when creating their own model. All of these issues need to be addressed when making such projections and it will be interesting to revisit the issue following the Beijing games in 2008 to see whether any lessons have been learned in this respect. These issues have to be managed correctly if they are to stand a chance of producing a long term economic benef it (Humphreys and Hummer 1995, p. 6). References Arthur Andersen, Hospitality and Leisure Services, â€Å"The Sydney Olympic Performance Survey: The Sydney Olympic Games on the Australian Hotel Industry,† Mimeograph, November 2000, pp.1-7. Associated Press (2004). Games cost Athens over $8.5 Billion. Retrieved 30 November 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5761646/ Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002). Bidding for the Olympics: Fools Gold? In Transatlantic Sport, edited by Barros, Ibrahim, and Szymanski. Edward Elgar Publishing. New York, US. Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002a). Mega-Sporting Events in Dveloping Nations: Playing the Way to Prosperity. Retrieved 30 November 2007 from http://www.williams.edu/Economics/wp/mathesonprosperity.pdf CBS (1998). Television, sponsorship revenue could top $800 million. CBS Sportsline wire reports. Retrieved 27 November 2007 from http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/news/feb98/revenue2398.htm Country Update (2004). Practicality is the New Watchword as Beijing Olympics Projects Move Forward. Eunited Stataes Embassy, Beijing, China. Editorial (2004). Beijing Olympiad: Profit or Loss? China Today. 5th November. Retrieved 25 November 2007 from http://www1.china.org.cn/english/sports/111340.htm Editorial (2007). Glasgow 2014 – the bid legacy – after the event. Glasgow Business Guide. Retrieved 1 December 2007 from http://www.glasgowbusinessguide.co.uk/show_article.php?artID=156 Eurotec (2007) An Evaluation of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme. Retrieved 2 December 2007 from http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Evaluation_of_Commonwealth_Games_Legacy_programme.pdf Finance (2007). BOCOG Budget. Retrieved 26 November 2007 from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf Fizel, John., Gustafson, Elizabeth and Hadley, Lawrence (1999). Sports Economics: Current Research. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Fort, Rodney D and Fizel, John (2004). International Sports Economics. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Gratton, Chris and Henry, Ian (2001) Sport in the City: The Role of Sport in Economic and Social Regeneration. Routledge. London, UK Humphreys, Jeffrey L and Plummer, Michael K (2003). The economic impact of hosting the 1996 summer Olympics. Retrieved 1 December 2007 from http://www.selig.uga.edu/forecast/olympics/OLYMTEXT.HTM Humphreys, Jeffrey M. and Michael K. Plummer (1995). The Economic Impact of Hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Atlanta, US.. Madden, John R (2002). The Economic Consequences of the Sydney Olympics: The CREA/Andersen Study. Current Issues In Tourism. Vol 5, No 1, pp.7-21. Owen, Jeffrey G (2005). Estimating the Cost and Benefit of Hosting the Olympic Games: What can Beijing expect from its 2008 Games. The Industrial Geographer. Fall 2005 Appendices Appendix 1 Table 1 BOCOG operating Budget Source: from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf Table 2 BOCOG Construction costs Source: from http://images.beijing-2008.org/upload/lib/bidreport/zt5.pdf 1 Footnotes [1] Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games

Is America a Christian Nation

â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † Thomas Jefferson wrote those words to express the emotions of a nation that desired freedom, and to shake the foundation of the British Empire. However, this simple, but eloquent phrase has sparked one of the greatest debates in American history. Is America a Christian nation? One question has divided the nation and its politicians since the founding and forming of America.This fiery debate has sparked more controversy than any other debate in modern politics. When the facts are analyzed and examined it points to the side that America was not, and is not a Christian nation. It is not a Christian nation because the Founding Father’s ideas for this country were no meant to be entangled with a national religion. There are clear and precise arguments on both s ides, but one must put aside all biases and see that America’s founders had no intention of making America into a nation that was centered on one religion.Through their own writings, letters, and actions the founders have shown that creating a government that protected the rights and liberties of the people was the primary and fundamental goal. The War for American Independence was not fought because the colonists wanted to separate from England, which already had a national religion, to create another nation based on a religion. It was fought in order to free themselves from the tyrannical monarchs that lived hundreds of miles away. In order to discover the solution to this debate the founding of this nation must be analyzed in detail.Furthermore, it is important to look at this history because this debate deals directly with the founding principles, rather than the evolution of American government. The first question that must be asked is why the founders would be opposed t o a national religion (or Christian nation) if that is what they had before. For instance, one battle cry of the revolution was, â€Å"Give me liberty, or give me death! † It was not, give me religion or give me death, so it was clear to see that the people in America were not revolting because they felt their freedom of religion was in danger. It was an important part f their history though. As a matter of fact, the fear of religious persecution was not far removed from their memories. The men that had come to America had witnessed firsthand the results of a corrupt national church. They had come from the Anglican Church, which was created solely because Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife. Many came to the colonies of America because the corrupt church was challenging their beliefs and not allowing them to worship as they saw fit. These men and woman realized that having a national religion did not give more rights or promote religion, but simply corrupted it.The founders believed that religion should be left up to the people to carry out how they see fit, without interference from any type of government. Those who claim that America was a Christian nation often point to the phrase in the â€Å"Declaration of Independence† where Jefferson invokes the name of the â€Å"Creator. † Even though this seems like a valid point, the truth is that Jefferson and many of the other Founding Fathers were not Christians, but rather Deists. This worldview states that a higher power created the universe and all those in it, but then left it alone and does not care or pay attention to his creation.Jefferson may have been referring to god, but it was certainly not the Christian God of the Bible. Like many of the prominent statesmen of that day, Jefferson knew who he was addressing. In the colonies, the majority of people would be considered Christians. Whether or not Jefferson or the other founders believed in the Christian God, they knew they had to se cure the support of the people. People, would certainly be more likely to follow a plan to take on the greatest empire in the world if they believed their cause was supported by God.Secondly, when supporters of the Christian nation idea point to the Declaration as proof they fail to realize something. The Declaration is not law. Nothing in the Declaration legally guides the way American government or its people function. Even though it set up the foundation for this new nation, it cannot be regarded as any type of legal document that would give evidence of a Christian based nation. However, even if someone were to look at the Declaration as proof, there are more misconceptions. The idea in the Declaration of a government that derives its power from the people is adically different from the theory of divine rights that is seen in the Christian kingdoms of the past. The founder’s idea of a government by and for the people completely rejects the idea of a government where man de rives the right to maintain power from a divine being. Moreover, if the founders had wanted to remain in that type of society than they could have used much simpler terms, rather than using the confusing, vague terms such as â€Å"Creator. † Since the Declaration is not in fact a law, one must look at the actual document that guides the way American government is supposed to act, the Constitution.If the founders had intended to create a Christian nation, then it would follow that their laws would follow in that way. However, this is not the case. In reality, it could not be further from the truth. For example, in Article VI section 3 of the Constitution it states that will be no religious test for public office. If the founders intended for a national religion, then why not make influential, political figures be held to some religious standard? Once again, the evidence points to the founders trying to avoid the route of so many of the nations that came before them.In yet anot her attempt to make sure there was no national religion, the 1st Amendment to Constitution states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. † Clearly, the founders knew that establishing a national religion would result in the persecution of any other religion or belief system. Also, the establishment clause has been interpreted to mean there is a wall of separation between church and state, according to the Supreme Court. Even though this â€Å"wall† is not in the Constitution, it is implied through the 1st Amendment.Finally, the laws and fundamental beliefs were based off the ideas of John Locke and Greek philosophers. The argument that states that common law and the natural rights of man came from any type of religious belief system cannot be used. Therefore, the foundation of this country was not based on Biblical (or any other religious) standards, when it came to the policies and fun ctions of the US government. If the laws and history of the founders point to a rejection of national religion, what about how they lived out these policies? What did their actions and writings say about how they intended to run America?When one looks at the founder’s polices and laws, it is obvious that they never intended for America to have an established religion. Firstly, in 1779 Thomas Jefferson presented the â€Å"Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom† to an assembly in Virginia. This statute would greatly influence the 1st Amendment in that it was concerned with the corruption of national religion and the persecution of those who think differently. â€Å"Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or [burdens] or by civil incapacitations tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness. Clearly, the founders were aware of the eminent dangers that would follow creating an establishment of relig ion. Moreover, this statute was supported by James Madison, who is considered to be the author of the Constitution, and a group of Baptists that had been largely persecuted when there was an established religion. Furthermore, before the Constitution was ratified there was much debate over what type of government to have. â€Å"The Federalist Papers† were a series of essays defending the Constitution and a more powerful federal government than that of the Articles of Confederation.One of the main fears of the Federalists was the creation of factions. This meant groups, most likely political parties gaining control and causing a tyranny of the majority. Under the pseudonym â€Å"Publius† James Madison argued that even religious sects could become tyrannical when he wrote, â€Å"A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it must secure the national councils against any danger from that source,† Obviously, this is an argument for a Union rather than a confederacy, but it clearly shows the founders fear of a national religion.They believed, like they had seen in the past that an established religion would be nothing more than a corrupt, political faction. Moreover, the most glaring, apparent proof that the founders did not want a national religion was when they were dealing with foreign nations. After the War for American Independence, the former colonies had to deal with the Barbary pirates themselves as they no longer had protection from England or France. Therefore a treaty was signed at Tripoli, in order to ensure peace and friendship between the two battling sides.This document was signed and ratified by President John Adams and was unanimously voted through by the Senate. Article 11 of the treaty states that, â€Å"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in its elf no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the part that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. Even though this was a treaty it showed what the founders truly believed about the nation that they had created. Furthermore, according to Article VI section 2 of the Constitution all treaties made by Congress shall become the supreme law of the land. There is the idea that this article was merely added to please the Muslim nation, which is a valid point. However, because it was a treaty it became law after it was ratified by the Senate. Why would the founders make such a bold statement that would become the supreme law of the land if they did not really mean it?It is apparent that the founders were clearly stating, in this treaty, what the y had already considered to be true. The study of history is important because it allows people to learn from the mistakes and errors of those in the past. The founders were some of the most intelligent men that have ever walked this earth and were certainly scholars of history. Therefore, they saw the corruption and persecution that was brought upon by the establishments of national religions.In no way were the founders hostile towards Christianity, Judaism, Deism, or any other religious beliefs. If anything, when the arguments are analyzed the founders were trying to protect religions and peoples religious beliefs more than anything else. By not allowing the establishment of religion they ensured that, for example, Christianity would be handled by the different churches and denominations of that religion, and not by a unitary government figure.Through their actions, writings, and policies it was evidently clear that America was never meant to be a Christian nation. In order to mai ntain the principles of liberty, the founding fathers had to create a nation where religion could flourish without the flaws and corruptions that come with combining a source of power with religious belief. If they had not done this, history would have surely repeated itself and the corruption of the church and government would have been much greater.

Faith Based On Belief Of Religion - 1675 Words

Faith based on belief in the supernatural has been prevalent for the duration of mankind’s recorded history. Every culture around the world, past and present, has developed or adopted a dominant belief system. These belief systems could include the ancient traditions like Greek polytheism, Mayan ritual worship, or Hinduism as well as modern religions such as Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. By preaching goodwill and the golden rule religion has played a significant role in promoting ethics in society. Religion stimulates inner strength, confidence, and fosters a sense of purpose for many people. It is also hard to imagine a world without the incredible religious art and music. The teachings and culture can help lift up people to live a better, more fulfilling and more selfless life. Billions of people, around the world, practice a religion with the hope that they will reap the benefits of their devotion. There are many other reasons why people believe but truly the main reason s people are religious is due to the default way that they were raised, social reasons, fear, and to have an explanation of the world. Beliefs are passed down to children who are intrinsically disposed to trust their parents. This indoctrination, though, makes them vulnerable to misinformation and as a result there is a manifestation of belief systems into religion. Once religion has a hold on someone, its attribute of being against reason helps its own survival. Unfortunately, religious faith is aShow MoreRelatedIs Faith a Good Basis of Knowledge in Religion?1328 Words   |  5 PagesFaith in the context of religion is being used to identify a token of confidence. It is important to understand that faith is the source of religion and therefore can exist without religion however religion can certainly not exist without faith . 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What Does Being Alive Mean - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2088 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Philosophy Essay Level High school Tags: Value of Life Essay Did you like this example? What does being alive mean? I think being alive means going through challenging times and learning from them, maturing throughout your life time to ultimately come to terms with death. I value my family, and the time I spend here on Earth. Life is short. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "What Does Being Alive Mean?" essay for you Create order We cant predict what will happen tomorrow. No one surely knows what happens after death. So, value life by enjoying your time on Earth, keep your family close, and forgive. Hamlet values the battles people experience without any hope for victory. Lance Armstrong values the battles people go through but he also sees, beauty and triumph and truth. The Federal Government values every life in dollar amounts for the stability of the economy which benefits everyone. I agree with Hamletrs weary views of the after-life. I agree with Mr. Armstrongrs outlook of enjoying the struggles that life brings and ultimately benefits you. I agree with the writers of the What is Life Worth story. The writers teach us how the family of victims logical reasoning is affected by their loss of loved ones. Their pain drives them to innocently justify their greed without realizing the effect of the economic consequences that impacts us all. Hamlet feels that life is a difficult journey and that the value of oners life comes from facing all of the hills and valleys of the journey. He values not giving up. Hamlet begins his soliloquy wandering if he should continue facing the challenges of his life or avoid them by ending his life. He has found out that his uncle killed his father and married his mother. Hamlet wants revenge but is afraid of killing his uncle, the new king. The author best shows what Hamlet is thinking by these quotes. to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? Hamlet ponders if itrs worth continuing to endure the slings and arrows, the affairs in his life that has implemented the idea of suicide. Hamlet next explains why hers thinking about to be or not to be. To die: to sleep; No more; and by sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, ?tis a consummation Devoutly to be wishd. Hamlet is pondering if death will end all the heart-ache that he has succumb to. However, Hamlet knows that his suicide might create worse problems than he already has. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay therers the rub (the problem); For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil (human body), Must give us pause: therers the respect That makes calamity of so long life. Hamlet is pondering if there is life after death. And if there is and he kills himself, will he be in trouble? His religion believed that suicide was a sin and was punishable by being damned to hell for all eternity. Therefore, Hamlet was afraid of going to hell. Hamlet and all his friends have been through many trials and tribulations. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressorrs wrong, the proud manrs contumely, The pangs of despised love, the lawrs delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes Hamletrs uncle murdered his father and married his mother. Hamlet is tempted to give up because of this overwhelming knowledge of this. At the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet has, because he fears the unknowns of the afterlife, decided to keep living. The undiscoverd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Hamlet is so afraid of life in hell that he will not chance it. Instead, he will put up with the miseries and misfortunes in his life. Thus conscience does make cowards of us all. Lance Armstrong, like Hamlet, feels that the value of life is in facing challenges. He compares life to riding a bike, One minute you are pedaling along a highway, and the next minute, boom, youre faced down in the dirt. Armstrong values those people who get back up and continue riding the bike. Armstrong shows that he values getting up after a fall with his story about his cycling injuries. Cyclists fight an ongoing war with guys in big trucks, and so many vehicles have hit me, so many times, in so many countries, Ive lost count. Ive learned how to take out my own stitches ( paragraph 5) Ive got marbled scars on both arms and discolored marks up and down my legs (paragraph 6) One minute youre pedaling along a highway, and the next minute, boom, youre faced-down in the dirtall you can do is wave a fist at the disappearing taillights. (paragraph 7) These quotations shows that he values the idea of never giving up because every obstacle in life that he has faced, Lance always picked himself backup. His battle with cancer also shows that he values trying hard even if he might not win. He had only a 40% chance of beating his cancer, yet he prevailed. Therers a puckered wound in my upper chest just above my heart, which is where the catheter was implanted. A surgical line runs from the right side of my groin into my upper thigh, where they cut out my testicle. But the real prizes are two deep half-moons in my scalp Those are the leftovers from brain surgery. (paragraph 8) His battle with cancer shows what is important to him. Good or bad, the events in his life that he experiences are important to him. Armstrong further develops his idea that people need to try when he says, You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else. People die. And after you learn it, all other matters seem irrelevant. They just seem small. (paragraph 11) I have a tough constitution, and my profession taught me how to compete against long odds and big obstacles. (paragraph 12) His comparison to bike-racing to living with cancer develops his main idea that in good times and bad times we have to keep trying. Armstrongrs last idea is that the struggles each of us go through can make us better people. My illness was humbling and starkly revealing, and forced me to survey my life with an unforgiving eye. (paragraph 15) There are two Lance Armstrongs, pre-cancer, and post. (paragraph 16) The truth is that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to meWhy would I want to change, even for a day, the most shaping event in my life? (paragraph 17) People live. Itrs an equal and opposing truth. People live, an in the most remarkable ways. When I was sick, I saw more beauty and triumph and truth in a single day than I ever did in a bike racebut they were human moments (paragraph 18) I still dont completely understand it. (paragraph 19) All I can do is tell you what happened. (paragraph 20) Introducing these quotations about his weakness helped describe his main idea. Unlike Hamlet and Lance Armstrong, the Federal Government, looking at the value of the victims of Sept. 11, focused on the monetary value of each victim. Congress created the Victimrs Compensation Fund that would be a safety net for victims families, to ensure that they maintain something resembling their current standard of living. The task of deciding what each victim of 9-11 was worth was placed in the hands of Kenneth Feinberg who came up with formula that computed what each victim was worth. Each family of a victim received $250,000 and an additional $50,000 for each child of a victim for pain and suffering. Then they deduct life insurance, pension, Social Security death benefits and workers compensation. Now you have the total award the government is offering you for your loss. The governmentrs program of compensation is equitable and swift with minimal economic consequences. however , some families of the victims thought that the amount of pain and suffering was to low. Gerry Sweeney, whose brother died in Tower 2, Floor 105, points at Feinberg and explains why $250,000 is not enough for pain and suffering in the case of her now fatherless nephew. (page 23) If your wife was brutally raped and murdered and you had to watch and listen to it happen, what would you think the right amount would be? I just cant accept the fact that the Federal Government is saying my husband and my brother are worth nothing. (page 24) Kenneth Feinberg decided to chose the $250,000 figure because thatrs how much beneficiaries receive from the Federal Government when fire fighters and police die on the job. The amount of money for pain in suffering is fair. Letrs be realistic you cannot put a price on human emotion, it will never be enough and the government cant just hand out money. As awful as 9-11 was, people die tragically every day and comparing deaths with other deaths is just foolish. Some families of victims thought that they could receive more money as compensation for their losses. One example is the family of Cheri Sparacio and her two-year olds. She explains why $138,000 dollars isnt enough. She claims, the government isnt taking any responsibility for what itrs done Please come and step into my shoes for a minuteI am not looking to go to Tahiti. Cheri Sparacio was upset with the amount of money her family would receive because it wasnt her ideal compensation to live comfortably. Other families had a mor e acceptable value placed on their lost family member. Angelars estimated $444,010 award will probably be three times the size of Cherirs. some families will accept the governmentrs compensation because it allows them to get on with their lives. David Gordenstein, who lost his wife in the tragic incident, says he would rather devote his life to raising his two young daughters than spend time pursuing a lawsuit. I think David makes a smart choice putting his daughters who just lost their mother first before money, they all definitely need each other more than ever. I agree with Hamlet, Lance Armstrong, and the federal Governmentrs ideas on the value of life. I agree with several of Hamletrs ideas on the value of life. My first agreement is we should not kill ourselves because we really dont know what will happen in the afterlife or if there is an afterlife, but I cant help but disagree with the fact that if you kill yourself you suffer in hell for eternity. Its seems unfair to want to get away from misery only to find yourself in hell suffering even more afterwards. It seems so unfair because the punishment is so severe but im not saying there wont be a punishment. I agree with Hamlet that we should continue to struggle through life and fear the afterlife, itrs better not to chance it. I also agree with Lance Armstrongrs ideas on the value of life. I agree with Lance that you should never give up. I also agree with him that you should be thankful for the good and the bad experiences in your life. I think Lancers overall idea on why we should co ntinue to struggle in life because by going through these hardships we learn and understand the value of life. Finally, I agree with the Victimrs Compensation Fundrs overall idea on a personrs value. I agree that the compensation method was fair. I agree that the government isnt attempting to replace souls but to keep our country economically stable. I think our government felt obligated to compensate so they did and when they started handing out money it wasnt enough, even though it was plenty. Even if they were to compensate a million to each person, I believe it would never be enough for them because at the end of the day, their loved ones are still dead. Though it may seem harsh to some people to agree with the governmentrs ideas of compensation, never forget to look at the bigger picture and think reasonably. How does handing out large amounts of money affect the economy (all of us)? Isnt it wrong to compare death? By asking for more money arent they placing a price on a human life as well? Were any of these people in a reasonable state of mind at the time?