The Medias Role in Terrorism Essays - 2771 Words

â€Å"If the media were not there to report terrorist acts and to explain their political and social significance...terrorism as such would cease to exist† said John OSullivan, an editor of the Times of London.1 This is also the way many other people feel about the recent increase in terrorist activity; they feel that the media is causing it. The media is doing this by fulfilling the terrorists need for publicity.2 Terrorists need media publicity in order to get their views spread to the public.3 Because of this need for publicity, terrorists are committing their acts of terrorism in areas where a lot of publicity will be gained; the United States and Western Europe are the most recent targets. The bombings of the federal building in†¦show more content†¦The way in which terrorists have gained publicity is very different. Late nineteenth century Southern lynch mobs and Central American death squads did not even use the media to gain their publicity. They just used the ir victims as examples to others who might disobey their rules.9 As times changed, terrorists began to publicize their views in books, pamphlets, underground newspapers, etc. This technique allowed them to reach a bigger audience. It was mostly used by terrorist groups during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Terrorist groups often contained a printer and a writer who together would make sure their views were publicized; the groups did not have to rely on an outside force to publicize for them.10 As new media technologies were invented, the terrorist groups were able to publicize their views to a bigger audience than they had ever imagined possible.11 The only problem was that they could not rely on people in the group to publicize for them; it would be almost impossible for a terrorist group to own a television or radio station. The only way they could get a piece of the new technology was to quot;create news.quot; This is what most terrorists do today; they stage an event that will gain news coverage and then try to get their views publicized byShow MoreRelatedEssay on Terrorism in the Media1109 Words   |  5 PagesTerrorism in the Media Terrorism can be defined as the use of criminal violence to try to force a government to change. It can also be defined as the use of criminal violence that groups or individuals use to seek revenge and cause heartache amongst those that they want to hurt/threaten. Most terrorist groups prefer to target people for a more dramatic response and celebrate when the media broadcasts their violent acts on television and throughout the news. Lately, more and more deadly terroristRead More Arabs in the Media: Victim or Villain? Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Fawaz Gerges, terrorism has emerged as one of the most important political issues in the United States...[linking] it to Islamic militancy... (Gerges 79). Moreover, the medias skewed depiction of the Arabs and Muslims has perpetuated countless stereotypes that undoubtedly affect the American opinion. These stereotypes and misconceptions of the Arabs and Muslims clearly indicate a media bias provoked by ignorance and eth nocentricity. The elite medias role in the portrayal of the ArabRead MoreTerrorism : Terrorism And Terrorism1326 Words   |  6 Pagesallowing terrorism to be successful and continue. Terrorists gain power through the common, innocent people they attack. How the world responds to terrorist attacks determines whether or not terrorism will cease. The common people’s response to terrorism, the interest of the state, and the media’s role in terrorism all aide to terrorism’s success and its continuation in the future. How people willingly choose to respond to terrorist attacks defines terrorism and determines if terrorism will continueRead MoreThe Relationship Between New Media And Society1361 Words   |  6 PagesThe Relationship between New Media and Society: To Extent Does Media Influence the Society’s Prejudices? Introduction It is a well-known fact that the media has a strong hold over the society, and in this information age, it plays a more prominent role than ever before. The recent film, Spotlight shows the manner in which a group of investigative journalists in the Boston Globe made is known to the world that sexual exploitation and abuse was thriving in Churches across the globe. The movie itselfRead MoreMedia In Mass Media1555 Words   |  7 Pagesshare photos and videos at the click of a button. In the spreading the news of terrorist attacks, the mass media used these outlets in their best interest. What is terrorism? â€Å"Terrorism is characterized, first and foremost, by the use of violence†¦terrorism differs from criminal violence in its degree of political change†¦however, terrorism is the weakest form of irregular warfare with which to alter the political landscape†¦terrorist groups rarely possess the broader support of the population that characterizesRead MoreEssay on Terrorism: Paranoia and the Internet1243 Words   |  5 PagesTerrorism: Paranoia and the Internet My third edition American Heritage dictionary defines paranoia as a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of persecution or grandeur. Having looked that up, Im not sure paranoia is the right label for what Im about to write about; or at least, it is not the only label. I think, specifically regarding terrorism (by maybe more generally as well), the idea of paranoia blurs and blends at its boundaries between propaganda (the systematic propagationRead MoreAmerican Neo Orientalism And The Justification For The War On Terror 1426 Words   |  6 Pages‘War on Terror’ that institutionalized racially charged violence through the demonization of the Islamic ‘Other’. The US-led project to ‘save’ its identity serves to permanently etch within the American subconscious a false representation of modern terrorism in order to incite fear of the ‘Orient’ both abroad and within its borders. In the years following 9/11, the American contem porary security landscape has undergone a paradigm shift towards the adoption of neo-Orientalist ideals and the concomitantRead MoreMogadishu Mission and Foreign Interests of USA678 Words   |  3 Pagestenets that can be taken into consideration should be alert, warning, and execution among others. Because of disproportionate coverage media houses give to terrorists, they resort to bloodier violence to satisfy the medias appetite. Publicity is in fact, the lifeblood of terrorism (Nacos, 2000). Terrorists who are on international terror watch list would always want a deadliest terrorist attack before they are apprehended to satisfy the media appetite. This makes it pretty difficult to arrest themRead MoreIslamophobia: Muslims and Terrorism1162 Words   |  5 Pagesnegative attitudes towards Muslim peoples who tend to be strongly associated with any act of terrorism. The media has played a colossal role in developing such negative association wherein it constantly portrays Muslim people in combination with violent terrorist acts. It does so in a way that they both go hand-and-hand. In other words, it has made it as though the Islamic religion is synonymous with terrorism. The media has perpetuated Muslim stereotypes over the years that followed the 9/11 incidentRead MoreThe Stu dy Of Terrorism And Terrorism929 Words   |  4 Pages The study of terrorism is as complex as the problem itself. How the many factors of terrorism, such as fear and popular support, are interwoven make this a difficult problem to understand, let alone defeat. With this in mind it becomes clear that understanding the problem is, perhaps, the all-important first step to defeating it. To that end, the five most important things about terrorism and counterterrorism I learned from this course are: 1) Our National Strategy for Counterterrorism is

Argumentative Essay On Child Soldiers - 1461 Words

As previously stated, child soldiers are typically viewed as more easily replaced than other soldiers. In turn, this leads to more brutal punishments and a lack of consideration for their wellbeing. The punishments inflicted on the children are similar or worse than the ones inflicted on their adult counterparts which imposes damage that is more destructive to a child than to an adult (Sierra Leone’s Former Child Soldiers). Additionally, the Revolutionary United Front used drugs and alcohol in order to control children and increase their intensity and because of this, many children quickly became addicts. A former child soldier, Ishamael Beah spoke of his experience of cocaine and marijuana withdrawal after being taken off the battle field†¦show more content†¦These various physical difficulties contribute to the changing idea of what a childhood entails. The children abducted by the RUF had their childhood taken away through physical punishment, sexual abuse, and for ced drug dependencies. Continuously throughout the civil war, the Revolutionary United Front forced their child soldiers to terrorize communities of people. There are many known operations that caused devastation to Sierra Leone, all of which were headed by children. A few examples are â€Å"operation fine girl† where child soldiers were to ordered to find and abduct pretty virgins, â€Å"operation burn house† was an arson attack, and â€Å"operation pay yourself† was looting (Children: The New Face of War). The Revolutionary United Front would also coerce child soldiers to amputate and disfigure members of the villages they invaded in order to create a generation of victims. As time went on and these child soldiers committed more and more wartime atrocities the communities become increasingly weary and skeptical of the child. Stories are told of children being forced to kill members of the community, including their own family members. This fear caused by the actions of the abducted c hild soldiers has led to a changed image of the children in the minds of the community members. In a study done by Catherine Bolten 2002, the civilians living in Makeni, Sierra Leone, describe their relationship with the ex-combatants of the RevolutionaryShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Child Soldiers1291 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Over the last ten years, two million children have been killed in conflict. Over one million have been orphaned, [and] over six million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled† according to Children in Conflict: Child Soldiers. In poor, war-stricken countries, impotent children starting from the young age of 5 are being forcibly recruited, kidnapped, and inhumanly threatened into joining sanguinary, brutal wars. These impuissant kids are often appallingly injected with drugsRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN ESSAY Libre2222 Words   |  9 PagesOf Mice And Men Essay Of mice and men essay State of California. essay writers salt lake city research paper writing chattanooga buy college ruled paper. Of mice and men essay Metis-sur-Mer of mice and men essay Columbus, Leicestershire, Palmdale, Bakersfield of mice and men essay san antonio write essay for me, of mice and men essay Alexandria uploading essay to common app, Chester of mice and men essay Norfolk geometry and algebra 1 formula sheet Of mice and men essay State of Rhode Island andRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Donald Trump1278 Words   |  6 PagesBoone 1 Andre Boone Jones ENGL 103-008 11 Nov. 2016 Argumentative Essay Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946. He was born in Queens, New York. His father was a builder and real estate developer in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. Trump was an energetic, assertive child, and his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy at age 13, hoping the discipline of the school would channel his energy in a positive manner. Trump did good at the academy both socially and academically. He becameRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1591 Words   |  7 PagesJuliet did not live long enough to mature, the characters in Much Ado About Nothing did. A theme found within the pages of this play is maturity. The pairings in this tale are no experts at love; in fact, they are as experienced with love as a young child is. While reading this piece, I remember laughing at the inexperience! Although Leonato and Don Pedro are the eldest of the main characters, they do not exhibit to behave like so at the beginning of the play. This applies to all other charac ters, asRead MoreJake Carlson. Cullen, Engc 1101-33. Argumentative Essay.1370 Words   |  6 PagesJake Carlson Cullen, ENGC 1101-33 Argumentative Essay 03/19/2017 1376 word count The United States’ Admission of Guilt for the Invasion of Native American Land Americans hunted, imprisoned, raped, and murdered Native Americans. Cherokees surviving the onslaught were forced on a 1,00-mile march to the established Indian Territory with few provisions. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this â€Å"Trail of Tears†. (Library of Congress 1) In the 16th century Europeans began to make appearances in NorthRead MoreENC1102 SYLLABUS 8340511973 Words   |  8 Pageshttp://www.mdc.edu/kendall/english/  Ã‚      Course  Description      This  is  the  second  required  general  core  course  in  college ­level  writing.  Observing  the  conventions  of   standard  edited  American  English,  students  will  compose  informative  and  persuasive  essays,  write   responses  to  a  variety  of  literary  genres  and/or  non ­fiction,  and  produce  a  documented  paper  based  on   research.  This  course  fulfills  the  Gordon  Rule  requirement  that  students  demonstrate  proficiency  in   college ­level  writing  through  multiple  assignments  Read MoreAssignment For Capote s Cold Blood Essay5418 Words   |  22 Pagesis similar to that of an actual essay, with a beginning, middle, and end. The main purpose of paragraphing is to separate and arrange ideas. One paragraph is one point that the writer has made in the thesis. Students are advised to write â€Å"big† paragraphs because in a revision state, it is much easier to cut down your paragraph with the same strong ideas than to expand the paragraph. The structure of a paragraph includes a beginning, or the introduction in an essay. Moreover, the middle of the paragraphRead MoreFrancis Bacon15624 Words   |  63 Pagessaleable morality. He is a moralist-cum-worldly wise man. Bacon appears as a moralist in his essays, for he preaches high moral principles and lays down valuable guidelines for human conduct. Some of his essays show him as a true lover and preacher of high ethical codes and conducts. For instance, in â€Å"Of Envy†, he puts: â€Å"A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in others.† Then, in his essay â€Å"Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature† he says: â€Å"But in charity there is no excess; neitherRead More Shakespeare in Contemporary Movies Essay4875 Words   |  20 Pagesexample, she does not bother to study in her classes, but she knows how to argue and manipulate her teachers into acceptably high grades. Furthermore, her father, a high-powered lawyer, is as happy as if they were based on real grades because her argumentative skills are as useful in the world of modern, upper-class California as actually doing well in social sciences and gym. As in The Last Action Hero, school is presented as a place where learning is the last thing anyone is doing and rightfully soRead MoreNon Technical Topic6523 Words   |  27 PagesAnother aspect of authenticity to be considered is the bone of contention between the native and the NRI IWE writers. When the NRI tries to be authentic by typifying his Indian setting, he is accused of exoticising. (Vikram Chandra has devoted an essay to this debate.) Writers from both sides need to have a b alanced perspective. If a writer describes a cuckoo singing, or the process of making dal, it doesnt necessarily mean he is exoticising. He could honestly be laying out an Indian scene. At

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 24 Free Essays

Mom’s Handwriting Emerges The sun bursts through the attic window and lands on my face, warming it, until I open my eyes and greet the day with a squint. After a kiss, I return Nikki to my bedroom dresser and find my mother still asleep in my bed. I notice that the glass of water I left her is now empty, and I am glad to have left it there, even if I am mad at Mom now. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 24 or any similar topic only for you Order Now As I descend the staircase, I smell something burning. When I reach the kitchen, my father is standing in front of the stove. He is wearing Mom’s red apron. â€Å"Dad?† When he turns around, he has a spatula in one hand and a pink oven mitt on the other. Behind him, meat hisses – a thick river of smoke flies up into the exhaust fan. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Cooking.† â€Å"Cooking what?† â€Å"Steak.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I’m hungry.† â€Å"Are you frying it?† â€Å"I’m cooking it Cajun style. Blackened.† â€Å"Maybe you should turn the burner down?† I suggest, but he returns to his cooking, continuing to flip the sizzling cut over and over, so I go down into the basement to begin my workout. The fire alarm goes off for fifteen minutes or so. When I return to the kitchen two hours later, the pan he used is blackened and still on the now greasy stove; a plate and utensils are in the sink. Dad is watching ESPN on his new television, and his surround sound speaker system seems to shake the house. The clock on the microwave reads 8:17 a.m. My mother has forgotten my meds again, so I take out my eight bottles, remove all the caps, and search for the right colors. Soon I have a half dozen pills lined up on the counter, and I confirm that the colors are what I take every morning. I swallow all of my pills, thinking maybe my mother is testing me again, and even though I am technically mad at her, I am also now very worried about Mom, so I climb the steps to my room and see that she is still sleeping. Downstairs, I stand behind the couch and say, â€Å"Dad?† But he ignores me, so I return to my basement gym and continue my workout, listening to the ESPN commentators recap the college games and forecast the upcoming NFL action. Their voices arrive crisply through the floorboards above. I know from reading the paper that the Eagles are favored to win over San Francisco, which makes me excited to watch the game with my father, who will be in a great mood if the Eagles are victorious, and therefore he will also be more likely to speak with me. Midmorning, Mom descends, which is a relief, because I was starting to worry that she was really sick. I am riding the bike, and – after finding the â€Å"Pat† box last night – I just continue pedaling when Mom says, â€Å"Pat?† I do not face Mom, but using my peripheral vision, I see that she is showered, her hair is done, her makeup is applied, and she is wearing a pretty summer dress. Mom also smells really nice – lavender. â€Å"Did you take your pills last night?† she asks. I nod once. â€Å"What about this morning?† I nod again. â€Å"Dr. Patel told me I should have allowed you to take control over your meds when you first came home, that this was a step toward independence. But I was being a mom when you did not need me to be a mom. So congratulations, Pat.† â€Å"Congratulations† is a strange thing for her to say, especially since I have not won a prize or anything, but I am really only thinking about what happened last night, why Mom came home drunk. So I ask her, â€Å"Where were you last night? Did you go out with friends?† Using the corner of my eye again, I see her look down at the old brown rug beneath us. â€Å"I appreciate your putting me to bed last night. The water and the Tylenol helped. It was a bit of a role reversal, eh? Well, I appreciate it. Thanks, Pat.† I realize she has not answered my question, but I don’t know what to say, so I say nothing. â€Å"Your father has been a bear lately, and I’m simply tired of it. So I’m making some demands, and things are going to change a little around here. Both of my men are going to start taking care of themselves a little more. You need to get on with your life, and I’m sick and tired of the way your father treats me.† Suddenly I forget all about the â€Å"Pat† box and face my mother as I continue pedaling. â€Å"Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"I’m not mad at you, Pat. I am mad at your father. He and I had a long talk yesterday when you were running. Things might be a little rough around here for a few weeks, but I think we’ll all be better for it in the long run.† A wild thought leaps into my head and terrifies me. â€Å"You’re not leaving us, Mom, are you?† â€Å"No. I’m not,† Mom says, looking me in the eyes, which makes me believe her one hundred percent. â€Å"I would never leave you, Pat. But I am going out today because I’m done with Eagles football. You two are on your own for food.† â€Å"Where are you going?† I ask, pedaling faster now. â€Å"Out,† Mom says, and then kisses the little white scar on my sweaty forehead before she leaves. I am so nervous about what Mom has told me that I do not eat anything all day, but simply drink my water and do my routine. Because the Eagles are playing at 4:15, I get in a full workout. The whole time, I secretly hope my father will come down into the basement and ask me to watch the 1:00 NFL game with him, but he doesn’t. Midafternoon I climb up out of the basement and stand behind the couch for a second. â€Å"Dad?† I say. â€Å"Dad?† He ignores me and keeps watching the 1:00 game, and I don’t even look to see who is playing, because I am so nervous about what Mom told me. I put on my trash bag and hope Tiffany is outside, because I could really use someone to talk to. But after I stretch for fifteen minutes, Tiffany doesn’t show, so I run alone, thinking it funny that when I want to run alone, Tiffany is always there, but today she is not. I am very hungry, and the pain in my stomach increases as I run, which I relish because it means I am losing weight, and well, I feel as though I might have put on some extra fat in the past week, especially after drinking beer with Jake last weekend. This reminds me that I have not spoken with Jake since the Eagles lost to the Giants, and I wonder if he is coming over today to watch the game with Dad and me. Since the pain has sharpened, I decide to run farther than usual, pushing myself. Also, I am sort of afraid to go home, now that my mother has left me alone with my father for the day, and I am not sure what she meant by â€Å"changes† anyway. I keep wishing Tiffany was running with me so I might talk to her and tell her how I feel, which is a strange desire since she usually never says much in response, and the last time I tried to talk to her about my problems, she started cursing very loudly in a public place and said some really awful things about Nikki. Still, I am s tarting to feel as though Tiffany is my best friend, which is sort of strange and scary. At the end of my run, I jog down my street, and Jake’s silver BMW is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he took the train in from Philadelphia, I think. I am hoping not to be left alone with my father for the game, but somehow I know this is exactly what is going to happen. When I enter the house, my dad is still alone on the couch, wearing his McNabb jersey now and watching the end of the 1:00 game. A small collection of beer bottles stand at his feet like bowling pins. â€Å"Is Jake coming over?† I ask my father, but he ignores me again. Upstairs, I shower and put on my Hank Baskett jersey. When I reach the family room, the Eagles game is just coming on, so I sit down at the end of the couch my father is not occupying. â€Å"What the hell is that noise?† Dad says, and then turns down the volume. I realize my stomach is making crazy gurgling noises, but I say, â€Å"I don’t know,† and Dad turns up the volume again. Just as I had hoped, the new television is an experience. The players warming up on the field look life-size, and the sound quality makes me feel as though I am in San Francisco, sitting on the fifty-yard line. Realizing that my brother is not going to make it by kickoff, when a commercial comes on, I jump to my feet and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† but Dad only looks at me like he wants to hit me in the face again. So I sit down and do not say anything else. The announcers state that Donte Stallworth was a late scratch, so I start to hope Baskett will get a few more balls thrown his way, since the Eagles’ number one receiver is out of action. The Eagles set up a nice drive and score on their first possession with a shovel pass to Westbrook, at which point my father’s emotions morph. He reaches across the couch and repetitively claps his hand against my thigh, saying over and over again, â€Å"Touchdown Eagles! Touchdown Eagles!† I start to feel hopeful for my dad, but when the Eagles kick off, he resumes his negative ways and says, â€Å"Don’t celebrate too much. Remember what happened last week.† And it is almost as if he is talking to himself, reminding himself not to be overly hopeful. The defense holds strong, and tight end L. J. Smith scores a touchdown with only a few minutes left in the first quarter, making it 13 – 0. Even though the Eagles have blown big leads before, it seems safe to say the Birds are the superior team today. My thoughts are confirmed after Akers hits the extra point and my father jumps up and starts singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly.† So I jump up and sing with him, and we both do the chant at the end, spelling the letters with our arms and legs: â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† Between quarters, my father asks me if I am hungry, and when I say yes, he orders us a pizza and brings me a Bud from the refrigerator. With the Eagles up 14 – 0, he is all smiles, and as we sip our beer, he says, â€Å"Now all we need is your boy Baskett to get a catch or two.† As if my father’s words were a prayer answered, McNabb’s first completion in the second quarter is to Baskett for eight yards. Dad and I cheer so loudly for the undrafted rookie. The pizza arrives during halftime, and the Eagles are up 24 – 3. â€Å"If only Jake were here,† my father says. â€Å"Then this day would be perfect.† My dad and I have been so happy that I’ve forgotten Jake is not with us. â€Å"Where is Jake?† I ask, but Dad ignores the question. In the third quarter the San Francisco running back fumbles on the Eagles’ one-yard line and defensive tackle Mike Patterson picks up the ball and runs toward the opposite end zone. Dad and I are out of our seats, cheering on the three-hundred-pound lineman as he runs the whole length of the field, and then the Eagles are up 31 – 3. San Francisco scores a few touchdowns late in the second half, but it doesn’t matter, because the game is basically out of reach, and the Eagles win 38 – 24. At the conclusion of the game, my father and I sing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† and do the chant one last time, celebrating the Eagles’ victory, and then Dad simply turns off the television and returns to his study without even saying goodbye to me. The house is so quiet. Maybe a dozen or so beer bottles on the floor, the pizza box is still on the coffee table, and I know the sink is stacked full of dishes and the pan in which Dad cooked his breakfast steak. Since I am practicing being kind, I figure I should at least clean up the family room so Mom won’t have to do it. I carry the Bud bottles out to the recycle bucket by the garage and throw away the pizza box in the outside garbage can. Back inside, a few used napkins are on the floor, and when I reach down to pick up the mess, I spot a crumpled ball of paper under the coffee table. I pick up the ball, uncrumple it, and realize it is not one but two pieces of paper. Mom’s handwriting emerges. I flatten the papers out on the coffee table. Patrick, I need to tell you I will no longer allow you to disregard the decisions we make together, nor will I allow you to talk down to me any longer – especially in front of others. I have met a new friend who has encouraged me to assert myself more forcefully in an effort to gain your respect. Know that I am doing this to save our marriage. Your options: Return the monstrous television you purchased, and everything will go back to normal. Keep the monstrous television, and you must agree to the following demands: You must eat dinner at the table with Pat and me five nights a week. You must go on a half-hour walk with either Pat or me five nights a week. You must have a daily conversation with Pat, during which you ask him at least five questions and listen to his replies, which you will report to me nightly. You must do one recreational activity a week with Pat and me, such as eating at a restaurant, seeing a movie, going to the mall, shooting baskets in the backyard, etc. Failure to complete either option 1 or 2 will force me to go on strike. I will no longer clean your house, buy or cook your food, launder your clothes, or share your bed. Until you declare which option you wish to take, consider your wife on strike. With best intentions, Jeanie It does not seem like Mom to be so forceful with Dad, and I do wonder if her â€Å"new friend† coached her through the writing of the two-page letter. It is very hard for me to picture Dad returning his new television, especially after watching the Eagles win on the new set. His purchase will be considered good luck for sure, and Dad will want to watch next week’s Eagles game on the same television so he will not jinx the Birds, which is understandable. But the demands Mom made – especially the one where Dad has to talk to me every night – also seem incredibly improbable, although I do think it would be nice to eat dinner together as a family and maybe even go out to a restaurant, but not to the movies, since I am now only willing to watch the movie of my own life. Suddenly I need to speak with my brother, but I do not know his phone number. I find the address book in the cabinet above the stove and place a call to Jake’s apartment. A woman picks up on the third ring; her voice is beautiful. â€Å"Hello?† she says. I know it is not my brother on the other end, but I still say, â€Å"Jake?† â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"It’s Pat Peoples. I’m looking for my brother, Jake. Who are you?† I hear the woman cover the phone with her hand, and then my brother’s voice comes through loud and clear: â€Å"Did you see that ninety-eight-yard fumble return? Did you see Patterson run?† I want to ask about the woman who answered my brother’s phone, but I am a little afraid of finding out who she is. Maybe I should already know, but forget somehow. So I simply say, â€Å"Yeah, I saw it.† â€Å"Frickin’ awesome, dude. I didn’t know a defensive tackle could run that far.† â€Å"Why didn’t you come over and watch the game with Dad and me?† â€Å"Truthfully?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I can’t lie to my brother. Mom called me this morning and told me not to come, so I went to a bar with Scott. She called Ronnie too. I know because Ronnie called me to make sure everything was okay. I told him not to worry.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Should he be worried?† â€Å"No, why did Mom tell you and Ronnie not to come over?† â€Å"She said it would give you a chance to be alone with Dad. She said it would force Dad to talk to you. So did he?† â€Å"A little.† â€Å"Well, that’s good, right?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I found a note from Mom to Dad.† â€Å"Okay. What did it say?† â€Å"I’ll just read it to you.† â€Å"Go ahead.† I read him the note. â€Å"Shit. Go Mom.† â€Å"You know he won’t be taking the television back now, right?† â€Å"Not after the Birds won today.† â€Å"Yeah, and I’m worried that Dad won’t be able to meet the demands.† â€Å"Well, he probably won’t, but maybe he’ll at least try, right? And trying would be good for him – and Mom.† Jake changes the subject by mentioning Baskett’s catch in the second quarter, which turned out to be his only catch of the game. My brother doesn’t want to talk about our parents anymore. He says, â€Å"Baskett’s coming along. He’s an undrafted rookie, and he’s getting catches. That’s huge.† But it doesn’t feel huge to me. Jake says he’s looking forward to seeing me next Monday night, when the Eagles will play the Green Bay Packers. He asks me to have lunch in the city before we tailgate with Scott and the fat men, and then we hang up. It’s getting late, and my mother is still not home. I begin to worry about her, and so I do all the dishes by hand. For a good fifteen minutes – with steel wool – I scrub the pan my father burned. And then I vacuum the family room. Dad had splattered some pizza sauce on the couch, so I find some cleaning spray in the hall cabinet and do my best to remove the stain – dabbing lightly and then wiping a little harder in a circular motion, just like it says on the side of the bottle. My mom comes home as I am on my knees cleaning the couch. â€Å"Did your father tell you to clean up his mess?† Mom asks. â€Å"No,† I say. â€Å"Did he tell you about the letter I wrote him?† â€Å"No – but I found it.† â€Å"Well, then you know. I don’t want you to do any cleaning, Pat. We’re going to let this place rot until your father gets the message.† I want to tell her I found the â€Å"Pat† box in the attic, how hungry I was today, that I really don’t want to live in a filthy house, and I need to take one thing at a time – finding the end of apart time first and foremost – but Mom looks so determined and almost proud. So I agree to help her make the house filthy. She says we will be eating takeout, and when my father is not home, everything will be as it was before she wrote the note, but when my father is home, we will be slovenly. I tell Mom that while she is on strike, she can sleep in my bed, because I want to sleep in the attic anyway. When she says she’ll sleep on the couch, I insist she take my bed, and she thanks me. â€Å"Mom?† I say when she turns to leave. She faces me. â€Å"Does Jake have a girlfriend?† I ask. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I called him today, and a woman answered the phone.† â€Å"Maybe he does have a girlfriend,† she says, and then walks away. The indifference Mom shows regarding Jake’s love life makes me feel as though I am forgetting something. If Jake had a girl friend Mom did not know about, she would have asked me a million questions. Her lack of interest suggests that Mom is keeping another secret from me, maybe something larger than what I found in the â€Å"Pat† box. Mom must be protecting me, I think, but I still want to know from what. How to cite The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 24, Essay examples