The Pros and Cons of Fighting in a Relationship Essay

In response to George Bachs claim, I confute that fighting under any circumstance is unwarranted and unhealthy. In order to have a healthy sexual relationship, there must be conflict and there must be love. Love and war go together hand in hand. A healthy sexual relationship consists of many factors, such as communication, love, and sex. And with these factors, fighting would often transpire due to differences that people tend to view differently. Fighting can be healthy and beneficial in a sexual relationship, but an overabundance can be detrimental to its survival. According to George Bachs rules on healthy fighting, some rules to consider when fighting are to leave out physical and emotional abuse. Although both are†¦show more content†¦Without communication, there is no relationship. While some people have the exceptional ability to communicate with their partner, others are inept at this art. On a personal note, I consider myself to be a person who has the ability to communicate effectively due to my understanding that communication is key to a successful relationship. In regards to the relationship I have with my girlfriend, I consider us both to be strong communicators. If we were to be involved in an argument, we would make sure that we get all issues out in the open and not let it be bottled up which can lead to a more severe argument in the future. By bottling up frustration, an individual is not revealing how he/she feels, keeping feelings to themselves while building up on frustrations and emotions. Then at any given time, a tiny spark will ignite and all emotions come flying out of this bottle, having all hell breaking loose. Therefore, due to the great communication that I share with my girlfriend, feelings are said then and there, which in turn, helps us understand and get to know each other. Through this, we learn what irritates each other, what makes us mad, and what really makes us want to kill each other. Many people believe that with fighting, a couple can be brought closer together emotionally through resolution. Coming to a compromise after an argument can indicate how much you care for each other. It means you want to make your relationshipShow MoreRelatedFirst Nation Community : A Part Of The Community1552 Words   |  7 Pagesclients, if we know deeply about their culture, lifestyle, living standards and so on. In the case study, we discuss about the Hupacasath First Nation people, their culture, history, existing community issues, strength and weakness of the community, relationships and possible interventions for the issues. We hope this case study will help us to achieve the goals and objectives and make this a successful project. The Hupacasath consists of three different tribal groups Muh-uulth-aht, Kleh-koot-aht andRead MoreIdeas of Parenting1121 Words   |  5 PagesThere is often a lot of fighting in the household due to the constant pressure, as stated by Ms. Chua. In her own home, she was trying to get her daughter to play a hard musical piece on the piano, and it was not going well. She and her daughter ended up yelling at each other, and the mother threatened to give away her toys if she didn’t perfect the piece. In the end, the daughter perfected the piece, and was extremely happy with herself. Even with all of the fighting, tears, and disarray, theRead MoreShould English Be the Official Language of the Us843 Words   |  4 Pagesgreatest barriers today in the U.S. is the effectiveness of communication. Whether that communication is written or verbal there is a noticeable gap and is costly both in monetary and people. With many government challenges in the U.S.; it is still fighting the growing question, â€Å"should English be the official language of the United States†? With the increased in supporters of making English the official language; there are many supporting facts to substantiate this concern. The influx of the increasingRead MoreThe Is A Good Thing For Society?1019 Words   |  5 PagesIt seems that not a week can go by without one of these online incidents appearing on the news. With technology advancing, it raises the following question: Are hacktivists beneficial or detrimental to society? After a careful analysis of the pros and cons, one side of this question becomes increasing favorable. Hacktivism is a good thing for society. First, it gives individuals the power to speak their mind and be heard. With billions of people surfing the web, it can be hard to get a good opinionRead MoreEssay about Effects of Social Networking Sites730 Words   |  3 Pagesnine hours a week surfing and posting on social network sites (http://socialnetworking.procon.org/). In fact, using social networking sites has not only improved our communication skills, but has had a negative impact as well. One of the many pros and cons to communicating on a networking site is the ability to â€Å"stay connected.† When a student graduates, a loved one moves, or a career changes, everyone wants to keep up with people they have grown to care for. Being on a social networking site, youRead MoreShould Same Sex Marriage Be Legalized On The Federal Level?2100 Words   |  9 Pagesmust not be dictated between no state and / or county. As a nation people should stand up for what is right with personal feelings aside. Same sex marriage does not affect the heterosexual people personal life; so why do they care? Both arguments pro and con are debated below and hopefully all readers no matter what side they are on can just simply vote on love itself not the religious ideas or political stands. Keywords: love, same sex marriage, LGBTQ, heterosexual Over the years, manyRead MoreQuestions On Issues On Marriage Equality1324 Words   |  6 Pagesof marriage equality. Marriage inequality is an issue that effects the entire LGBTQ community because they are not given the constitutional rights due to their sexual preferences. The LGBTQ community is fighting for laws to fully legalize same sex marriage in the United States of America and fighting for the acceptance for their decisions. Today, although there have been a lot of progression in the state level, many same sex couples are not given the same rights as heterosexual couples. So far, thereRead MoreEssay on Gay Marriage 1616 Words   |  7 Pagesmarriage was â€Å"unconstitutional under both the Due process and Equal Protection Clauses.† May 2013 Gallup poll showing 53% of Americans supporting gay marriage. This percentage is getting higher and higher, if we keep fighting for this, we can evolve marriage once again. (pros and cons Arguments). For years DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) has been trying to remove the ban of same-sex marriage in California. DOMA was passed by Congress in 1996. It said that legally married same-sex couples cannot enjoyRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legal1434 Words   |  6 PagesThey are being looked down at and are feeling ashamed of themselves because of all the cruelty that they are receiving. Homosexual people haven’t been able to fully express themselves until it was legalized for them to fully do so. They have been fighting for the right to be married to their same sex for about a decade now, and they have finally met their goal. #Lovewins. In this paper my goal is to help open people minds up about gay marriage, especially those that are against it. My paper is toRead MoreAbortion : A Negative And Positive Word2072 Words   |  9 Pagesof an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival.(The Free Dictionary). For centuries women have battled with having control over their bodies and what they should do with it. Women who want to abort an unborn child always find themselves fighting or disagreeing with others about their choice. Background/ Statics Abortion dates back many centuries ago. â€Å"Official abortion laws did not appear on the books in the United States until 1821, and abortion before quickening did not become illegal

What Is the Essential Activity of Christian Ministry free essay sample

Written Assignment 1: What is the Essential Activity of Christian Ministry? _______________________ A Paper Submitted to TEACHER SCHOOL _______________________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course Discipleship Ministries DSMN500 _______________________ By XXXXXXX-XXXXXX XXXXXX ? CONTENTS INTRODUCTION1 EDUCATION, DISCIPLESHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION1 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES2 THE KEY PRIORITY IN CHURCH MINISTRY3 CONNECTION TO THE THREE AREAS OF WORSHIP3 CONCLUSION4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 5 ii Introduction The essential activity of Christian ministry is to know Christ and make Him known. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we are called upon to live a life worthy of bearing His name and to share the Gospel with those He brings us in contact with. Our purpose is three-fold: to teach the Bible for the listener to gain knowledge for the repentance of sins and spiritual growth, to nurture spiritual formation and to encourage service and ongoing discipleship. Education, Discipleship and Spiritual Formation Dr. Mitchell defines education as â€Å"the creative process of utilizing external and internal forces to facilitate the functions of teaching and training in promoting and attaining growth and development, enabling complete individuals to comprehend, contemplate, and contribute to their community and culture. † Dr. Dallas Willard, USC Philosophy professor, speaker and author describes being Jesus’ disciple in this way, â€Å"How the disciple lives naturally comes out of who the disciple is. As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be. † George Barna points out two critical elements of discipleship are becoming a fully committed follower of Christ and the desire to instill the passion and commitment for Christ in others. Spiritual Formation is best described in the tradition of Jesus Christ as the â€Å"process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ. † Similarities and Differences It is obvious that the language of Christian education has much in common with spiritual formation. Both explore the ways believers are drawn to Christ. â€Å"Themes such as revelation, the role of the Bible, an immediate encounter with the living God, experience, discipleship, remembrance through life stories, encounters and relationships through life in community, spiritual guidance, and a surrender to the authority of God’s representation on earth—the incarnate Jesus the Christ† are all mentioned in the writings for these disciplines. However, â€Å"the element of intentionality and purpose for teaching and learning is unique to Christian education while such themes as the awareness of the true self (Keating, 1999), mystical encounters, and spiritual practices are distinguishing themes in spiritual formation†. ? The Key Priority in Church Ministry When comparing the information it is clear that they are all connected and work in perfect harmony with one another. Attempting one without the others would be pointless as components of each are found throughout the Bible. Jesus taught the Apostles to â€Å"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all. † It is a command from Christ to make disciples. How do we do that? This is accomplished through Christian education and spiritual growth. The church needs to wake up and remember the command to make disciples and teach them is a commandment from God and not a suggestion of how to fill the boredom in our lives. The sad reality is most Christians feel their job is done when an unbeliever accepts Christ for salvation. This is only the beginning. Connection to the Three Areas of Worship Christian education is a great means for promoting discipleship and spiritual formation. At the heart of the mission for Christ is teaching someone new to the faith of all that God has done for them. This gives them an attitude of worship and love to devote their lives more completely to do His will. Meditation and reading the Word of God are essential for private worship. Paul said, â€Å"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. † Many people often say why should I go to church? I can worship God just as easy on a golf course or a fishing trip. We could, but we won’t. Given the distractions and other temptations that are around us, God would come last in that setting. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake â€Å" the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see he Day approaching. † Worship is a discipline and relates to what it means to disciple. We must beat the flesh into submission so we can seek things in the spiritual realm and no longer be bound by the chains of sin that holds us here. The Bible tells us it is impossible to please God in the flesh. No matter how hard we try, we will always come up short. It is only in our spirit; in our heart that we can worship God and He is pleased with our efforts. We must teach ourselves to continually seek the fellowship and strength of other believers in a corporate worship environment – church. The ongoing sanctification process draws us closer to Christ in that we conform more into His image. Conclusion The church needs to focus on discipleship through education and spiritual formation. When we identify ourselves as believers in the workplace, our community or through missions abroad, we put our lives under a microscope for ridicule and attack. To the lost in our lives, we are the presence of Christ and our lives need to reflect it. If we being the chosen of God would act ungodly, then where is their motivation to seek Christ for their salvation? When the church body reaches out collectively to aid in those that are struggling financially, hungry, worn and down trodden, we must be sure that our motives are pure that they see the heart of God in our actions. Christ tells us that if we are going to be one of His disciples, we must deny ourselves and take up the Cross and follow Christ. It is in this selfless way we make Him known to the entire world. If the lost can see the change in us, if they can see that part that is missing in them, then they will call upon the name of the Lord and ask forgiveness of their sins. Discipleship is not free, there is a cost associated with it. Let us go boldly into the devil’s playground proclaiming HE IS RISEN! That no longer will the devil lay claim on that which belongs to God and God alone! ? Bibliography Mitchell, Michael R. , Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples: World-Class Education in the Church, School, and Home (Bloomington, IN: CrossBooks, 2010), 233. Willard, Dallas: â€Å"How Does the Disciple Live? † Radix Magazine 34:3:2009 Barna, George, Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2001), 24. Willard, Dallas: â€Å"Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done† Previously unpublished. Accessed through www. dwillard. org July 2011 Stibel, Sophia R. G. : â€Å"Christian Education and Spiritual Formation: One and the Same? † (CEJ: Series 3, Vol. 7, No. 2 2010), 341. The MacArthur Study Bible: Nashville: Thomas, Nelson, Inc. 1982. Print. New King James Version.

Life and Death at the Indian Camp Essay Example

Life and Death at the Indian Camp Essay Hemingway assignment Life and Death One of the most prominent themes in Ernest Hemingway’s book of short stories, In Our Time, is the theme of life and death. In the short story entitled â€Å"Indian Camp† there was both a miraculous birth of a baby, and the sudden death of the father, who committed suicide during his wife’s labor. Interestingly enough, as Nick sits on the lake rowing with his father, he thinks of death, and feels sure that he will never die. In inter-chapter five, there are several similarities which can be compared to the story â€Å"Indian Camp. First of all, there is the recurrent theme of â€Å"life and death. † The officer in the story has the choice to live or die, like the father in the short story, however he chooses not to continue his life by allowing himself to be killed. In both stories, the conditions around both the Indian woman and the officer are somewhat morbid as well. The Indian camp came off as fairly dirty, with many other sick people around, and in the inter-chapter there were â€Å"wet dead leaves on the paving of the courtyard,† not to mention multiple other dead bodies. Minor details such as the setting and characters nearby helped to enforce the theme of life and death throughout the novel. Ironically enough as well, at the end of this story, as the officer is going to be killed, he is also sitting in water, similar to the way Nick was when he was contemplating death. Although the theme of life and death stands out strongly throughout the book, there are also multiple other themes, which cements the fact that these short stories were compiled to tell one larger story, not just as a compilation of short stories to be read separately. We will write a custom essay sample on Life and Death at the Indian Camp specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Life and Death at the Indian Camp specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Life and Death at the Indian Camp specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Poem convey their thoughts and feelings Essays

Poem convey their thoughts and feelings Essays Poem convey their thoughts and feelings Paper Poem convey their thoughts and feelings Paper We have been studying two poems from two different cultures, they are Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan and Search for my tongue. Both poems explore and explain the fact of coping with two unlike cultures.  We will be looking at how each poet conveys their thoughts and feelings about their culture through their poems. We will also explore the way the poets explore their roots. Our group will also attempt to look at the following points in the poems: the similarities and differences in the poems, the structural and presentational devices used and the poets use of language. Both poets show through their poems how problematic it can be to be from a different culture and live in a peculiar environment. In Sujata Bhatts poem, Search for my tongue she explains to the audience what it is like to speak and think in two languages and this leads her to losing her mother tongue whereas in Moniza Alvis poem, Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan she shows the audience how having parents from two dissimilar cultures can make life very confusing. But together the poems give a sense of incongruity and a feeling that you dont belong here. The poems also show your original culture is always there, and that it isnt completely lost, for example in Search for my tongue the poet is confident that the mother tongue is still with her and in Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan the poet shows your original culture can never be forgotten. The character in Moniza Alvis poem is shown as a person of no fixed nationality and someone who lives in two worlds, whereas Sujata Bhatt shows someone of a fixed nationality who has two tongues. On the other hand both poems talk about their cultural and personal identity. The poets use a wide variety of presentational and structural devices along with the interesting use of language to give us an idea of the difficulties and the problems they have by being bi-lingual and/or mixed race. Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan is written in loosely arranged in free verse using the line length for its emphasis on the fact that her culture hurts her and the stanzas in the poem have ranging lengths. The phrases are loosely arranged around elements that relate to the poets own experience and life or in other words autobiographical elements. This therefore leads us to suggest and associate images with the use of phrases and loose structure of the sentences. It is also a sequence of personal memories and the word I is repeated quite a lot this shows that the poet is recalling her memories. In contrast Sujata Bhatt has structured Search for my tongue into three sections which all show different ideas and images. The first section is up to line 16 where she talks about how hard it is for her to know two languages and neglect the one she feels that most belongs to her. The second section is from line 17 to 30 where she explains her ideas in her mother tongue which comes back to her in a dream, and the last section is from line 31 onwards where she translates her thoughts into English, where she shows her mother tongue dying during the day and coming back in her dreams. She also uses an extended metaphor of the tongue being a plant where she says in lines 31 to 35, It grows back, a stump of a shoot grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins, it ties the other tongue in knots, the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth, it pushes the other tongue aside. The repetition of the words rows and bud creates an exciting atmosphere, plus the use of the word grows three times in one line builds up speed and an anticipating atmosphere, making the reader think of what will happen next. The whole metaphor suggests that the tongue had rotted away but now it is growing back swiftly. The new tongue that grows at night is so strong that it overpowers the other tongue and ties the other tongue in knots and pushes it aside. The last line of the poem where it says, it blossoms out of my mouth shows that the mother tongue emerges as strong as ever and functions much better than the second language. In Moniza Alvis poem a lot of images are used to illustrate her feelings about her culture. She shows that her culture hurts her when she writes, glass bangles snapped, drew blood. She also seems to depict being from two cultures as going on a voyage from Pakistan to England, which the poet vaguely recalls. This shows her moving from one kind of life to another. The comparison between the western and Asian style of fashion shows the poets discomfort with her traditions and culture. The poet describes her traditional clothes as exotic and beautiful items but then she prefers the traditional western clothing than the traditional clothes because they made her feel out of place and different from everyone else at school or work, this can be seen when she says, My salwar kameez didnt impress the school friend. When we remember our past in our minds we drift from one image to another, the same happens with this poem, it sometimes happens with unusual things like a tin boat.  The other poem Search for my tongue also uses images to convey its point about the fact of having to speak two languages for example the extended metaphor can also be considered as an image showing the mother tongue growing stronger. But this poem also uses other language devices to help forward her point about her culture for instance she uses enjambment in her poem which means not that lines of poetry are not stopped at the end. This also builds up an atmosphere of anticipation and eagerness to know the outcome, like the use of grow three times in a line. Sujata Bhatt writes in first person and this can be seen when she starts the poem, where the speaker addresses you. This demonstrates that there is a conversation going on, as you have just asked a question to the poet. Where as Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan is written in first person, this can be seen when she starts her poem with I and also uses My. She is writing her own personal account of her experiences.

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art history - Essay Example Each of them had a specific view on the role of art within society, as well as its purpose and techniques. This is why, in my paper, I will study the most important artistic movements, starting with the 1800s and leading my analysis up to nowadays in order to understand how the definition of art has changed over the past 200 years and how can the term â€Å"aesthetic† be used in relation to contemporary art. The late 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century were intellectually and culturally defined by the virtuous and rational Enlightenment movement. The ideas that it advocated were fueled from a renewed admiration for antiquity that sprung among intellectuals and artists at the time. This also triggered the development of the artistic movement called Neoclassicism, â€Å"which incorporated the subjects and styles of ancient art† (Kleiner 766). For Johann Joachim Winckelmann, the first modern art historian, the â€Å"discovery of the beauty of Greek art was not of merely antiquarian interest: it was of vital importance to the creation of new beauty in the present and future† (Prettejohn 32). ... Representative artists for this period are Jacques-Louis David and Angelica Kauffmann who favored subjects inspired from the Roman ancient history. However, towards the middle of the 19th century, beauty in art slips from its neoclassical simplicity and rational purity towards mystic and subjective grounds. Even David’s students, Antoine-Jean Gros, Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, although pursuing the study of ancient Greek and Roman art, started to manifest interest in new, unexplored subjects that were a deviation from the neoclassicist principles: â€Å"the realm of the exotic and the erotic† as well as â€Å"fictional narratives for the subjects of their paintings† (Kleiner 781). These artists eased in the transition from Neoclassicism to a new artistic movement, known as the Romantic movement. Romanticism promoted the freedom of imagination and shifted art towards a strong emphasis on feeling, intuition and emotion. While neocla ssical artists were concerned to transmit an idea in a simple, yet perfect form, the romantic artists aimed to convey dramatic emotion through powerful images. For romantics, beauty was not to be found at the surface of forms, but in the deep human imagination; they were driven towards the occult, the fantastic and the deep, unexplored craters of human unconsciousness. If Neoclassicism found its inspiration in Antiquity, Romanticism found it in the Middle Ages, also known as, the Dark Ages. Important romantic artists are William Blake, Eugene Delacroix and Francisco Goya who depicted historical, heroic or extraordinary characters that were living an almost theatrical experience on the canvas. This Romantic explosion in emotion and

U.S. Consumer Wages, Income, Wealth and Savings Research Paper

U.S. Consumer Wages, Income, Wealth and Savings - Research Paper Example Wealth is the value of all assets owned by a person, household or nation net of all liabilities owed at a given point. Wealth can be in the form of real estate, businesses, liquid assets, money market funds, stocks, bonds and other securities. However, having great wealth is not an indication of great intelligence. A person, community or country is said to be wealthy if they posses more assets than liabilities (Wolff2 34). People often believe that it is not possible to accumulate wealth unless your earning is high. But in fact it is possible to create wealth on low income and not to have wealth despite a high income. The following are key ways of accumulating wealth (Marquis 14): Avoiding Debts In order to create more wealth one needs to have a net surplus each month. But when one borrows, he or she essentially uses his or her next month’s income to pay for this month’s expenses. Therefore, in order to get wealthy you must first clear your debts because once you are debt free, you can accumulate wealth. Diversification By putting all your shares in one company or even a single sector, you are likely to lose everything you have accumulated incase something goes wrong in that sector. Diversification makes it possible for individuals to have more than one source of income, and so they can have more wealth. Therefore to become wealthy, one must diversify across all categories of investment. Retirement funds It is very hard to work at an older age and make more wealth. Therefore to continue accumulating more wealth, one can save for his or her old age. Another ways of saving for pension is to open an individual retirement or a personal pension account. These may vary in rule but may come in tax breaks which will be a valuable boost for the funds. Emergency saving One should build up emergency savings to cover for any emergencies that may crop up in future. Even th e most prosperous people can hit a bad spell of bad luck such as illness or loss of a job and become in need of money. Therefore, to prepare for these cases one should aside some money that he or she can easily access. Monitoring your investments By monitoring your investments you are in a better place to recognize any losses that are likely to arise from the business you are engaged in. People who lose money that they have invested are those who do not monitor their investments but instead adopt an unthinkingly attitude to their portfolios. Consumer Wages and Income Income is the term that is used to describe the flow of money over a specific period and it is in the form of rates. Income is what people get through work, social welfare and retirement benefits. The United States Bureau of Census defines income as what an individual receives â€Å"on a regular basis before payments for personal income taxes, social security, union dues and medicare deductions†. Some of the fact ors affecting income levels in the US include: profession, education, wealth and race (Ryu and Slottje 67). Most Americans derive their incomes from their jobs. Professional earnings are normally determined by the law of supply and demand. Some professional specialties are normally in high demand but in low supply, thus making their income levels to be high. The complexity of a certain profession also determines the income for an individual. For instance, people who are involved in high-level complex Over the last three years, consumer price wages have had to deal with the issue of inflation, which

Country Music Essay Example for Free

Country Music Essay Country music is one form of music that has both an extensive history and also has a prominent place in the public consciousness right now. It is one of the most interesting types of music because of the fact that many people completely misunderstand where it came from and its roots. Though much of the history country music can be traced to many southern venues, it has since grown to be a much more â€Å"national† type of phenomenon, with influence stretching from Bakersfield, California to the Atlantic coast of the United States. Performers now come from all over the world to take part in the country music phenomenon and in recent years the, country music has gained a much more mainstream following than it had in the past. By both celebrating its roots and being willing to branch out to reach new listeners, country music as a whole has positioned itself for much greater success in the future, as well. In order to truly understand the origins of country music, one has to look as far back as the turn of the twentieth century. Though country did not truly get its start until later, the groundwork for the industry was being laid by musicians who probably did not even know what country music was. Old jazz musicians and church gospel singers provided the original motivation for what would become the country music movement. Singers would later draw influences from those old styles in order to develop the characteristic country sound that is so popular and prevalent in today’s music world. Country officially got its start in 1921 in Bristol, Tennessee. Before that time, people had been singing songs in order to pass down stories and to fill the idle time, but there had never been an organized country music industry. According to Roughstock’s History of Country Music, â€Å"Although musicians had been recording fiddle tunes (known as Old Time Music at that time) in the southern Appalachians for several years, It wasnt until August 1, 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee, that Country Music really began. There, on that day, Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to recording contracts for Victor Records† (Roughstock). Those two popular acts laid the framework for country to come, and they are both remembered for their innovation and their ability to connect with singers of that time. Over the course of time, country music has seen many different movements that have all helped to shape the sound that is prevalent today. The Bluegrass movement, headed up by the famous Bill Monroe of Kentucky was a type of music where people relied heavily on the banjo, the acoustic guitar, and the mandolin. Before Monroe starting experimenting with these instruments, people had never thought to use the guitar as a lead instrument before. This Bluegrass sound would prove to be a characterizing sound and it has influenced many of today’s most popular singers, including women like Allison Krause. According to Jeri Rowe of The News and Record, the Bill Monroe movement is something that almost all of the famous musicians have felt over the course of time. According to Rowe, â€Å"Ask anyone familiar with bluegrass music and theyll probably have a Bill Monroe moment† (Rowe, 1996). Other movements have become popular in country music, including the innovations that came along with the Bakersfield sound. Though country music had long had its roots in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, young people out in California changed the way that people thought about the country music industry by expanding the sound to include something of an â€Å"Outlaw† movement (Encyclopedia of Country Music). Among those people who led this popular movement were Merle Haggard, who became a spokesperson for the common man during his time. His songs like â€Å"Long Haired Country Boy† and â€Å"Okie from Muskogee† made him famous. Another famed musician that was a part of the progressive country movement, as it came to be called, was Willie Nelson. Nelson is known as a popular singer and songwriter today and he has worked alongside dozens of extremely popular musicians during his career. He sang songs like â€Å"Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain† and â€Å"Mommas, Don’t Let your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys† that were able to really connect to fans on a very personal level. One of the unique things about the country music industry is that all of these different movements have helped to create the sound that characterizes country music today. Starting with the Outlaw movement, the Bluegrass movement, and things like the Nashville sound, people have begun to combine all of these different elements to create a very real sound of today. The Nashville sound is something that came about, as one might guess, in the heart of country music located in Nashville. This came about when Roy Acuff made the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville a popular thing. It started out as just one of the many barn shows that played country music across the powerful radio airwaves. Over time, the Grand Ole Opry became much more than that. It came to characterize the Nashville sound, which was a new sound that included things like the old steel guitar and drums in the background. The Nashville sound changed the way people felt about country music, as musicians like Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs brought their unique methods to Nashville and gained popularity. All in all, the Nashville sound represented a brand new vision for country music, where people could experiment with different things on the highest level at the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry gave legitimacy to these acts and people began to quickly respond to the new techniques and new sounds that they were hearing up on the stage (Hemphill). Today, the country music world has moved even more into the mainstream than it was in the past. It is safe to say that widespread radio is what helped country music take off and now people are enjoying it in different ways. When things like TNN and CMT came about, country music was put on television for the world to see. Though this made some people in the country music world mad because the networks opted for the new styles and neglected some of the older heroes of country music, it helped the industry at large. People could not watch country music as much as they wanted and they could begin to put faces with the voices that they had heard on the radio. The innovation of music on television really helped the country music industry as much as it helped all of the other music industries. More records are sold today than ever before, as people like George Strait have sold hundreds of millions of records. Strait owns the record for most number one hits for a singer, while the South Carolina-based group Alabama owns the record for most number one hits for a group. Other acts that have become popular today are people like Garth Brooks, who helped change the way country music was looked at in a sense of live performances. Brooks turned the country music world into something of a rock show and made the shows more appealing to younger people. In the past, country music had been looked at as something that was a little bit boring when seen in concert. People went to see country music shows because they liked the sound of the music, not because they wanted to be entertained. This all changed when Brooks came about in the late 1980s. He added things like lights and great technology to his shows. The sound was impressive and finally the country music world was able to compete with the rock world at least on some level. This was a very important change for country music and predictably, more and more artists starting picking up where Brooks left off. It is fair to say that the country music world has not been completely embraced by the media at large, but the media has at least picked up on the national importance of some of the acts. In the past, the country music world might have been pushed off to the side with the rock and roll world taking center stage a little bit more. People are now coming to realize that rock and country are much more inter-connected than they might have originally imagined and that country music deserves to be recognized for its huge following. With country music selling at high rates in record stores and television channels getting great ratings, there is no choice in the national media but to pick up on the new and changing times, even if they do not totally believe everything that is being said. There is some perception out there that country music is a music based in the south and for southern people, though evidence has been provided to the contrary. One media controversy worth remembering happened with the popular group The Dixie Chicks, who were ostracized by the media and the mainstream country music world for their comments about President George W. Bush. Their political talk earned them a place on the proverbial country music blacklist. A Gazette Newspaper article speaks to the fact that the controversy may have been overblown by some media outlets, as country music singers are certainly not the first musicians to speak out in a political way. In fact, music has always been an avenue for this type of free speech. That article says, â€Å"Even entertainers have a right to say whatever they want to about U. S. foreign policy and politics and in fact, many have been doing so for decades, getting rich and famous while thumbing their noses at the nation that makes them so† (Gazette). One of the concerns of many country musicians today is that the media is willing to give time to the current stars, but no one will recognize the people who laid the framework for the country music movement. One People Magazine article quotes popular country music star Alan Jackson talking about living legend George Jones and how no one is willing to recognize him. The article writes, â€Å"Jackson spokeswoman Kay West said Alan was inspired by a visit to Jones earlier this year in the hospital after Jones was involved in a near-fatal car wreck. Alan said that had George Jones died there, there would have been a 10-minute tribute to him on the show, West said. But he lived, and they wouldnt give him three minutes† (People). All in all, country music seems to be growing at a faster rate than it ever has. Helped along by more coverage in the media and the fact that more and more types of musicians are currently getting involved in country music, the industry has taken off at a higher degree than most might have imagined in the past. Though the roots of country music are strong and many people seek to preserve and celebrate those roots, there is no denying that the industry in branching out in a desire to incorporate new fans and new acts alike going into the future. With that in mind, the future of the industry is strong and as stable as it can possibly be. Works Cited Hemphill, Paul. The Nashville Sound. 30 September 2005. Everthemore Press. Kingsbury, Paul. The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford: 2004. People Magazine. Country Music Controversy. 2008. http://www. people. com/people/article/0,,616549,00. html Roughstock’s History of Country Music. The Beginnings. http://www. roughstock. com/history/begin. html Rowe, Jeri. The News and Record. 12 September 1996. BILL MONROES INFLUENCE FELT BY MUSICIANS IN THE TRIAD; AREA BLUEGRASS FANS REMEMBER BILL MONROE, THE FATHER OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC. The Gazette. 7 May 2003. Whistling Dixie Freedom of speech not at issue in country music controversy.