Blood Justice :: essays research papers

How would you like to be accused of a crime and then be disenfranchised because of your race? Well this is what happened to Mark Charles Parker because he allegedly raped June Walters a pregnant white woman on February 23 1959. In Howard Smead’s historical nonfiction book Blood Justice he describes one of the most important investigations of a racist, motivated crime in the history of the United States. Blood Justice is about the killing of Mark Charles Parker and the investigation after his death. Mark Charles Parker was accused of the rape of June Walters which Occurred on March 1, 1959. R. Jess Brown a well-known African American lawyer represented Parker. On April 13th an all white grand jury indited Parker for rape and two counts of kidnapping. On April 17th Parker pleaded not guilty to each charge. Next Parker’s trial date was set for April 27th. Then Brown asked Judge Sebe Dale’s to drop the case because a black man was not on the grand jury. Brown did this because of a recent ruling made by the 5th U.S. circuit court of Appeals. The ruling stated that it was unconstitutional for a jury of an all white people to convict a black man. The ruling went on to say that one African American had to be on a jury when an African American was on trial. This defense tactic by Brown was a legally intelligent thing to do but this actually became the motive for the mob to kill Parker. On Friday April 24th J.P. Walker, Preacher Lee, Crip Reyer and L.C. Davis got into Reyer’s Oldsmobile and they took off on a mission to kill Mark Charles Parker. (3 other cars of men followed) They went to the courthouse/jail in Poplarville and they could not get in. So they went to Jewel Alford’s House (The jail keeper) to get the keys to the Jail. Alford went with the four men to the courthouse. When he got there he went in and down the hall to Sheriff Moody’s office and got the keys to the jail. He opened the door to the jail and Lee, Reyer, Davis, Walker followed Alford into the jail. Alford then opened Parkers cell and Lee and Davis pulled Parker out of the jail and courthouse to the Reyer's Oldsmobile. Alford then left and the men got into the car. The Oldsmobile sped away and the other cars followed.

Barbara Baynton †Squeaker’s Mate Essay

The marginalisation of the female protagonist begins with the title of the story and stays true until the end. For the majority of the story she is referred to as â€Å"Squeaker’s Mate†, â€Å"she†, â€Å"her†, and â€Å"his mate†. When she becomes gravely injured the men of the small outback Australian settlement caution Squeaker against informing her the injury is permanent, because it might to damage to her feminine sensibilities. A page later and Squeaker says to his prostrate partner when she says she will be up soon to help around the home again: †Yer won’t. Yer back’s broke,’ said Squeaker laconically. That’s wot’s wrong er yer; injoory t’ th’ spine. Doctor says that means back’s broke, and yer won’t never walk no more. No good not t’ tell yer, cos I can’t be doin’ everything’. † The Australian brush, always harsh, was particularly dangerous during the late nineteenth century, when Barbara Baynton’s story, Squeaker’s Mate, is set, and doubly or triply so for the women. It was a hard life, and if you survived the first few years, you were aged before your time. Squeaker’s days are filled with building his home and staking his claim on the land, and his nights are a swill of brandy and cheap(er) liquor from the store. His mate – who provided themoney to set up the property – is a burden except when she is working, and when she works, she works hard. The accident, which leaves her crippled, is a tough economic blow. Squeaker compensates by hiring a woman to assist around the place, which is short-hand, for those times as well as (too often) our own, for securing a new â€Å"mate†. At first, this new woman – who remains, it is important to note, unnamed throughout the text – is a help, but she soon becomes a rival. Too soon for the original mate’s liking, who doesn’t care much for the new girl: She was not much to look at. Her red hair hung in an uncurled bang over her forehead, the lower part of her face had robbed the upper, and her figure evinced imminent motherhood, though it is doubtful if the barren woman, noting this, knew by by calculation the paternity was not Squeaker’s. She was not learned in these matters, though she understood all about a ewe and a lamb. Squeaker is an unpleasant fellow, clearly unintelligent, clearly imperceptive to his mate’s needs. He is the prototypical stoic male, calm and selfish in the face of another’s adversity. In a noteworthy paragraph immediately following his mate’s crippling, upon asking for her pipe to calm her nerves, Squeaker retrieves, fills, lights and puffs on his own pipe before attending to her, all while she lies bleeding and paralysed on the ground. Moments later, he is annoyed when she refrains from moving her (again, paralysed) arm from the fire when her sleeve catches alight. Squeaker’s mate’s name is Mary, which is itself a reductive name as it carries little individuality, and there’s no last name attached to it. Mary is like John or Bob, it’s a featureless name, imprecise in its characterisation. Externally, she remains indistinct, with neither her hair colour, her body shape, her fashion sense, her physical mannerisms, ever described. She is quite simply Squeaker’s mate, and deserves no more or less than that. Or does she? In the world Baynton is describing, this is exactly how she would have been perceived. Many woman during that period in that area were considered to be factories for producing babies, and on top of that they were machines for cleaning and cooking. They were not an equal companion, and there was little expectation that a man or a woman had much to share with one another. It was not uncommon, as an example, for the man to leave for days and even weeks at a time, herding sheep and chasing down livestock, or following the weather in search of jobs on other farms both near and far. A healthy woman could take this opportunity to become quite entrepreneurial with the family home, haggling over prices and selling the farm’s commodities at a good price. But a crippled mate was a serious liability, virtually useless, and it is not surprising when Squeaker neglects to call the doctor until his hand is forced. While the outer life of a woman in the brush was not much, their inner lives could be very great indeed. The journals of Fanny and Bessie Bussell, to take one of many examples, were an account of their lives during mid nineteenth century Western Australia, and reveal these women as funny, creative, clever, playful, anxious, forthright, honest and open. Their journals were for them conversations with family back home, a way to connect with people they love. For us, they are historical artefacts and useful for their account of rural life during that period, but they are something more, too – they are living documents, pulsing with freshness and energy, marvelling at the wonder of the strange new land to which they had arrived. Squeaker’s mate – Mary – may not have written any letters, but her thoughts as described by Baynton show her to be resourceful and tough, and astonishingly perceptive in regards to the emotions and motives of others. She is a strong woman, undaunted by her injury though naturally affected by it, and she is aware that her fate is grim should the new mate be accepted wholly by Squeaker. Mary does what she can to turn the situation to her advantage, with surprising, violent and elemental results. Squeaker’s Mate comes from, I will freely admit, a literary lineage of which I am not particularly fond. The dusty, dry, poverty-striken, dialect speaking, naturalistic nineteenth and early twentieth century literature is an anathema to my tastes, and is, for the most part, terribly unreadable today. Far from just being unfashionable many of these stories are impenetrable, relying too heavily on the expectation that the reader will fully grasp the physical realities of the story and relying on local colour and descriptions of animals and dirt to carry the story along. Squeaker’s Mate rises above the muck thanks to its incisive examination of the gender issues surrounding this tumultuous period of Australian history, when men were forging new paths into the nation, discovering resources and establishing cities and towns and women, equally responsible, equally culpable, equally capable, and equally proficient, were dragged thanklessly behind, forgotten too often, their stories lost, lives vanished.

Present Continuous Worksheets for ESL/EFL

The present continuous is used to talk about what is happening at the moment, as well as for future scheduled events and takes the following forms: Present Continuous Positive Form Subject to be (am, are, is) present participle (ing form of verb) objects Peters working in the garden at the moment.Were meeting Tom at five oclock. Present Continuous Negative Form Subject to be (am, are, is) not verb objects Mary isnt watching TV now. Shes outside.They arent working at the moment. Theyre on a break. Present Continuous Question Form (Question Word) to be (am, are, is) subject present participle (ing form of verb)? What are you doing?Where is Tim hiding? No Present Continuous with Stative Verbs The present continuous, and continuous forms in general, are used with action verbs such as talk, drive, play, etc. The continuous form is not used with stative verbs such as be, seem, taste, etc. Some stative verbs can be used as action verbs so there are some exceptions. For example: smell - It smells good. (stative verb) / He is smelling the roses. (action verb) He seems happy.This tastes very sweet.It doesnt appear to be difficult. Time Expressions with Present Continuous for Present Action Now / At the Moment Now and at the moment refer to the moment of speaking. These two expressions are often used with the present continuous. Its also possible to use the present continuous without these time expressions depending on the context. Shes taking a shower at the moment.Were having dinner now.Daren is studying for the test. Currently / This Week - Month / Today Currently, this week / month and today are used to speak about what is happening around the present moment. These forms are often used in work to speak about a project in progress. Jasons taking the day off today.Theyre working on the Smith account.Are you developing plans for the new project? Time Expressions with Present Continuous for Future Scheduled Action Next / On / At The present continuous is also used for planned events in the future such as meetings. Use future time expressions such as next, tomorrow, at time, on day,  in month etc. Were meeting next Thursday to discuss the issue.Im presenting at two oclock tomorrow.Shes having lunch with Peter on Monday. Present Continuous Worksheet 1 Conjugate the verb in parentheses in the present continuous tense. In the case of questions, use the indicated subject as well. Alexander _____ (study) for his exams at the moment.Where _____ (you meet) Tim next week?She _____ (not play) Golf tomorrow.They _____ (make) dinner now.The company (not finish) the plans this week.She _____ (eat) oysters for lunch right now.David _____ (not fly) to Chicago next week.I _____ (work) on a special report today.We _____ (not cook) dinner this evening because were eating out._____ (Tom drive) to work right now?Alice _____ (read) a new book at the moment.They _____ (not prepare) for the science exam at the moment.When _____ (you have) lunch tomorrow?We _____ (joke)!_____ (they give) a party this weekend?Susan _____ (make) the decision at 3 oclock this afternoon.People _____ (play) tennis golf on a beautiful day like this!What _____ (you do)?!He _____ (bake) a cake at the moment.Which motel _____ (they stay) at now? Present Continuous Worksheet 2 Choose the correct time expression used with the present continuous tense. They are cooking dinner (on the moment / now).The company is preparing a report for their most important client (last / this) week.My sister is studying for a test (at the moment / in the moment).Were meeting Brian (on / at) three oclock.(Currently / Current) were working on the Anderson account.They arent coming for dinner (this / at) evening.Susan is playing tennis with Tim (now / then).What are you doing (this / next) afternoon?Theyre enjoying dinner (at / next) the moment.What are you doing (tomorrow / yesterday) afternoon?Henry is making the presentation (at / on) Wednesday.Our teacher is helping us with grammar (that / this) morning.My dog is barking (at the moment / in the moment).Were finishing the business report (today / yesterday).The clock is striking twelve oclock right (now / soon). Its time to go!Frank is flying to Chicago (this / that) morning.Were reading that book (at the moment / on the moment).Thomas is presenting at the meeting (on / in) April.Shes mowing the law n (now / moment).Theyre developing a new product (this / last) month. Present Continuous Worksheet 3 Decide whether the following sentences use present continuous for action at the moment (NOW), action around the current moment in time (AROUND), or for a future scheduled action (FUTURE). Were working on the Smith account this month.Just a moment, I think hes working out in the garden.Jennifers meeting with Tom later today.Im looking for a new job currently.Were discussing the issue on Wednesday.Jakes finishing his homework right now.Alans working with Tom later today.Theyre making dinner for us tonight.Im sorry I dont have time. Im mowing the lawn.Shes looking for a new home as shed like to move soon. Worksheet 1 - Answers is studying  are you meeting  isnt playing  are making  Ã‚  isnt finishing  is eating  isnt flying  am working  arent cooking  Is Tom driving  is reading  arent preparingare you having  are joking!Are they giving  is making  are playing  are you doingis bakingare they staying Worksheet 2 - Answers nowthis weekat the momentat three oclockCurrentlythis eveningnowthis afternoonat the momenttomorrow afternoonon Wednesdaythis morningat the momenttodayright nowthis morningat the momentin AprilnowThis month Worksheet 3 - Answers Around the moment  NowFutureAround the momentFutureNowFutureFuture / NowNowAround the moment