How were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X different in their attitudes Essay

How were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X different in their attitudes to the United States and its political traditions How were they similar - Essay Example In America for instance, throughout the United States, there were numerous activism activities, especially by the black Americans in the early 19th Century, who felt segregated from getting an equal share politically, socially, and economically in the American soil. In this case, the essay evaluates approaches that were used by activist, Malcolm X and Martin Ruther King in the early 19th Century within the United States. Among the African Americans, there were numerous issues that were viewed as unacceptable to the American culture. This included the acts of discrimination on the basis of color, in the political arena, socially and in equal distribution of wealth among the whites and the black Americans leading to Montgomery Bus Boycott (Jo Ann, 1987, p. 44). In other cases, there were accusations against the police using force on the black Americans. Through numerous activists such as Malcolm X, there were efforts to change such situations by advocating for equality through different activist organizations formed by the black Americans. In 1964, there was an achievement by such groups when a law on civil rights was signed by President Lyndon Johnsons in presence of activist Martin Luther King, Jr. by the passing of the civil rights law, this promoted equality among all the Americans whether black or white. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both black American activists born and brought up in the United States in the early in 19th Century. Their contributions toward black America activism were exclusive, and their impacts are felt to date in the American soil. Their activism efforts, though, were different as they both used different approaches towards their activism activities. Malcolm X, for instance, based his activism activities on the Islam teachings, while Martin Luther King, Jr. based his activism activities on Christianity. Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. fought

Raymond Carver, Cathedral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raymond Carver, Cathedral - Essay Example Indeed â€Å"blindness and sight† is embedded within both the structure and the content of the story. The author essentially propounds that, though blessed with eyesight; the crust of individualism does not let modern man see what lies beneath the surface or appearance. Indeed Carver’s narrator is one of those commoners who never want to go through the stress to interpret mindfully what they are attached to. Ingenue Simplicity in the story’s Plot Indeed the plot of Carver’s story is ironically simple. It is endowed with a great fluidity of expression that enables the readers to read the story palatably. Apparently it details a homely dialogue between a narrator and his guest Richard, a blind man who is paying visit to Richard’s house. Like any other homely conversation the story’s plot also continues having no apparent predestined goal. But elements like the blind guest’s success in bonding a relationship, in opposition the narratorâ⠂¬â„¢s failure, etc make this apparent simplicity ironical and provoke Carver’s readers to delve deep in what lies beneath the surface level of the story. Regarding the ironical simplicity of the story, Carol Simpson Stern says that like other stories of Carver, the Cathedral’s plot is â€Å"about people who work mindlessly, drink, have broken marriages, and take in life, not directly, but through an immersion in mediated images† (1). Indeed the ‘blindness’ of the narrator has been used as an irony in the structure of the whole story. The narrator relates the story in his own way that provides the readers with the opportunities to look into the communicational incapability in his character. Analysis of Major characters All the two major characters of the â€Å"Cathedral† are those who do not stand alone in the society; rather they are submerged in the society and fraught with all the characteristics of a modern man. In the story, the unnamed narrator, the only developing character, is self-doubting, introvert, and self-absorbed. At the beginning of the story, he lacks communication skills. But as the story progresses, he, breaking his comfort zone of â€Å"nonchalant detachment†, gradually learns to decode the unfathomable meaning of the blind man’s long-lasting relationship with his wife and eventually forges a true connection with him. One of the stories’ themes is to unearth and uphold the root cause of modern man’s failure to forge a successful relationship and to perceive what lies beneath the materialistic existence, coming out the crust of individualism induced by materialism. This theme has prudently been applied in the literary relationship that exists among the three characters of the blind man, Robert and Robert’s wife who are the characters in focus. These three characters uphold the three themes of religion, public relations and composition. The author cautiously and sensi bly engages these characters to explicate and, at the same time, explain the theme. Internal and External Conflicts in the Story In the story the narrator is in conflict with his blind guest Richard. He is quite annoyed at the blind man’s visit and a bit jealous of his relation (Richard’

Mental Health of Geriatric Population Comparison

Mental Health of Geriatric Population Comparison AIM Mental health of Geriatric Population: A Comparative study between old aged living with family and in old age homes. OBJECTIVE To assess the dimensions of mental health of the old aged living with family and in old age homes. HYPOTHESIS There will be a significant difference in the mental health of geriatric population living in old age homes and with family. There will be a difference between anxiety of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between depression of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between loss of behavioural control of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between general positive affect of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between emotional ties of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between life satisfaction of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between psychological distress of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. There will be a difference between psychological wellbeing of old aged living with families and old aged living in old age homes. RATIONALE To study the impact of old age problems on psychological well being in Indian context because of different societal values they experience different kinds of psychological problems. Growing numbers of elderly in countries of the developing world presage an increase in those affected by organic, age-related mental diseases such as dementia. A simultaneous rise in the burden of non-organic mental disorders in elderly populations is likely because stressors in many countries are affecting the mental health of the elderly directly and/or indirectly by altering the ability of families to provide care for them. It is believed that in order to improve the conditions of the old aged around the world we need to address the issues of mental health. RESEARCH DESIGN The between groups design is used to conduct the research work. Variables Independent variable –the place of stay of geriatric population Dependent Variable – Mental Health SAMPLE To achieve the objective of the current study a sample of 30 old aged males females in old age homes and 30 old age man females living with family. Their socio demographic details were taken and it was seen that samples were distributed randomly to both the genders. The age group between 60- 80 was taken and it was found that the mean age came out to be 75. It was seen that half of the population belong to the urban area and had their education till 12th standard. The sample belongs to the middle class socio economic status. SAMPLING To achieve the above objective a technique of Purposive sampling is used. Type of the study Quantitative study is being used. INCLUSION CRITERIA Males and females Between 60-80 years of age Same geographical area i.e. Delhi/NCR Old age homes Aged living with their families. EXCLUSION CRITERIA Males who are above 80 years of age and who are below 60 years of age Females who are above 80 years of age and who are below 60 years of age People with physical problems. Patients having any other psychiatric or neurological disorder RESEARCH TOOLS Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Veit Ware, 1983) The MHI measures general levels of psychological distress and well-being. The MHI consists of 38 items that are scored on a 6-point Likert scale according to the frequency of its occurrence over the past month. The MHI has elicited reliably strong internal consistencies ranging from .83 to .96 (Veit Ware,1983). It is a Self Rated Questionnaire measuring 38 items which describe symptoms or states of mind. Items are rated in terms of frequency or intensity of symptoms or states of mind over the past month. All of the 38 MHI items, except two, are scored on a six- point scale (range 1- 6) Items 9 and 28 are the exception, each scored on a five- point scale (range 1- 5). The MHI may be aggregated into 3 types of summary scores: Emotional †¢ Six subscales – Anxiety, Depression, Loss of Behavioural/ Control, General Positive Affect, Emotional Ties and Life Satisfaction. †¢ Two global scales Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-being. †¢ A global Mental Health Index score Validity and Reliability Mental health inventory has a reported .93 Cronbach alpha rating whereas its abridged version has .82 rating. The test referred to herein have been field tested on large number of people and is a well known test. Further it is pertinent to note that the mental health inventory depicted high correlation rating with MSQLI or Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory. MHI has reported both internal reliability and Test Retest reliability which are highly acceptable. PROCEDURE The first step in the research required that permission be sought from the publishers of the selected questionnaire for carrying out the study using their questionnaire. Having obtained the permission from the publishers; permission was sought from old age homes and with family members for carrying out the study on the old aged. The study was discussed with them in detail. Participants for the study were selected randomly and they comprised a purposive sample. Consent was obtained from the participants and their family members by taking their signatures on the consent forms. They were duly informed that the information provided by them would be used for research purpose only and that it would not be misused in any way. Having obtained their permission the questionnaires were then administered on the old aged. STATISTICAL TOOLS T-test was used to assess the correlation among the variables of the study SPSS 17.0 was used for result analysis The data collected by the researcher on the questionnaire selected for the present study from each of the 60 participants was subjected t statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software Programme (SPSS 17.0) in order to test the suggested hypotheses. TABLE 1 The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of anxiety where group 1 indicates the lower mean (28.2000) than the mean of group 2 (34.9667) with the t-score of -3.123 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of depression where group 1 indicates the lower mean (12.4667) than the mean of group 2 (15.2000) with the t-score of -2.580 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of loss of behaviour/emotional control where group 1 indicates the lower mean (26.6333) than the mean of group 2 (33.9000) with the t-score of -3.701significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of general positive effect where group 1 indicates the higher mean (42.1667) than the mean of group 2 (26.9667) with the t-score of 7.106 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of emotional ties where group 1 indicates the higher mean (7.5000) than the mean of group 2 (5.3667) with the t-score of 3.560 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of life satisfaction where group 1 indicates the higher mean (4.3333) than the mean of group 2 (2.4333) with the t-score of 6.697 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of psychological distress where group 1 indicates the lower mean (74.0667) than the mean of group 2 (92.2333) with the t-score of -3.644 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of psychological well being where group 1 indicates the higher mean (57.2667) than the mean of group 2 (36.9667) with the t-score of 7.549 significant at 0.01 level. The above result table compares the mean and t score of the elderly living with families and old age homes at the scale of mental health index where group 1 indicates the higher mean (1.4707E2) than the mean of group 2 (1.1563E2) with the t-score of 4.252 significant at 0.01 level. TABLE 2 The above table suggest that Anxiety (with family) has a Positive Correlation with depression, LOS, Psychological Distress and ET which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that anxiety has a Negative Correlation with GPA, LS, Psychological Wellbeing and KMHI significant at 0.01 levels. Anxiety of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with depression, loss of behaviour/emotional control psychological distress which are significant at 0.01 level. Also, it has a negative correlation with General positive affect, emotional ties, life satisfaction being significant at 0.05 levels. The above table suggest that Depression (with family) has a Positive Correlation with Anxiety, LOS, Psychological Distress and ET which is significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that Depression has a Negative Correlation with GPA, LS, Psychological Wellbeing and KMHI are significant at 0.01 level and ET, LS are found to be insignificant. Depression of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with anxiety, loss of behaviour control which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it has a negative correlation with general positive affect, emotional ties life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing and mental health being significant at 0.05 levels. The above table suggest that LOS (with family) has a Positive Correlation with Anxiety, Depression and Psychological Distress which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that LOS has a Negative Correlation with GPA, Psychological Wellbeing and KMHI significant at 0.01 level and ET, LS being insignificant. Loss of behaviour control of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with anxiety, depression and psychological distress which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it has a negative correlation with general positive effect, emotional ties, life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing and mental health which are significant at 0.01 levels. The above table suggest that GPA (with family) has a Positive Correlation with LS and Psychological Wellbeing and MHI which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that GPA has a negative Correlation with ET, anxiety, depression, LOS and psychological Distress significant at 0.01 levels. General positive affect of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with emotional ties, life satisfaction and psychological well being which are significant at 0.01 level. Also, it has a negative correlation with anxiety, depression, loss of behaviour and psychological distress control which are significant at 0.01 levels. The table suggest that ET (with family) has no significant correlation with any of the dimensions mentioned above. Emotional Ties of the old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with general positive affect, life satisfaction which are significant at 0.01 level and psychological well being is significant at 0.05 levels. Also, emotional ties have negative correlation with anxiety, depression, loss of behaviour control being significant at 0.01 level and psychological distress being significant at 0.05 levels. The above table suggest that LS (with family) has a Negative Correlation with depression, Anxiety, LOS, ET and Psychological Distress which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that LS has a Positive Correlation with Psychological Wellbeing significant at 0.01 level and General positive affect, KMHI significant at 0.05 levels. Life satisfaction of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with General positive affect, emotional ties, psychological well being and mental health which are significant at o.01 level. Also, it has a negative correlation with anxiety, depression, loss of behaviour control which are significant at 0.01 level and psychological distress being significant at 0.05 levels. The above table suggest that Psychological distress (with family) has a Positive Correlation with depression, Anxiety, LOS and ET which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that Psychological Distress has a Negative Correlation with GPA, LS, Psychological Wellbeing and KMHI significant at 0.01 levels. Psychological distress of old aged living in old age hoes has a positive correlation with anxiety, depression and loss of behaviour control being significant at 0.01 levels. Also it has a negative correlation with GPA, distress and mental health significant at 0.1 level and ET, The above table suggest that Psychological Wellbeing (with family) has a Negative Correlation with Anxiety, depression, LOS and Psychological Distress which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that Psychological Wellbeing has a Positive Correlation with GPA, LS, and KMHI significant at 0.01 levels. Psychological well being of old aged living in old aged homes has a positive correlation with GPA, MHI significant at 0.01 levels and ET being significant at 0.05 levels. Also it has negative correlation with depression, psychological distress significant at 0.01 level and LOS being significant at 0.05 levels. The above table suggest that KMHI (with family) has a Negative Correlation with depression, Anxiety, LOS and Psychological Distress which are significant at 0.01 levels. Also, it shows that anxiety has a Positive Correlation with GPA, LS and Psychological Wellbeing significant at 0.01 levels. The above table suggest that MHI of old aged living in old age homes has a positive correlation with GPA significant at 0.05 level and psychological well being significant at 0.01 level.

Organizational Performance Management Essay

Each Learning Team member must select a different type of health care organization to study for the purpose of this group assignment. You are encouraged to select a different type of organization from the one chosen in the Week Three individual assignment but it’s not necessary. Group members compare their chosen organizations to complete the table and paper. Resources: Organizational Performance Management Table and Paper Grading Criteria and University of Phoenix Material: Organizational Performance Management Table Conduct a group discussion and address the following points:  · Summarize the type of health care organization you selected.  · Compare the main regulatory and accreditation standards that apply to each type of organization and identify standards that apply broadly to most or all types of health care organizations.  · Discuss the influence of regulatory and accreditation standards on performance-management systems.  · Discuss how the performance-management systems affect risk and quality management in each type of organization.  · Identify key areas in the organization that will have direct responsibility for carrying out the day-to-day responsibilities associated with the regulations or standards.  · Identify other areas in the organization that will be indirectly affected by the regulations or standards.  · Outline what oversight activities you could use to ensure that the regulatory and accreditation requirements are being implemented and are achieving the desired results. Collaborate to write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you address the following points:  · Address the similarities and differences among the types of organizations.  · †¦ Follow the link Now for full guide – https://bitly.com/1DNjhaY Look into attending community college for your first year or two. By taking your basic core studies at a community college, you can save a considerable amount of money. You can then transfer all of your credits to a university of your choice. If the cost of a 4-year degree is beyond what you can afford, this is a good option. General Questions – General General Questions Each Learning Team member must select a different type of health care organization to study for the purpose of this group assignment. You are encouraged to select a different type of organization from the one chosen in the Week Three individual assignment but it’s not necessary. Group members compare their chosen organizations to complete the table and paper. Resources: Organizational Performance Management Table and Paper Grading Criteria and University of Phoenix Material: Organizational Performance Management Table Conduct a group discussion and address the following points:  · Summarize the type of health care organization you selected.  · Compare the main regulatory and accreditation standards that apply to each type of organization and identify standards that apply broadly to most or all types of health care organizations.  · Discuss the influence of regulatory and accreditation standards on performance-management systems.  · Discuss how the performance-management systems affect risk and quality management in each type of organization.  · Identify key areas in the organization that will have direct responsibility for carrying out the day-to-day responsibilities associated with the regulations or standards.  · Identify other areas in the organization that will be indirectly affected by the regulations or standards.  · Outline what oversight activities you could use to ensure that the regulatory and accreditation requirements are being implemented and are achieving the desired results. Collaborate to write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you address the following points:  · Address the similarities and differences among the types of organizations.  · Propose how each organization will monitor performance, achieve regulatory and accreditation compliance, and improve overall organizational performance.

Humans Live in a World Where Everything Tries to Make You Something Else Essay

Identity is now so hard to define. No longer as simple as whom am I? Identity is it solid or fixed? Neither is it constantly changing from birth till death. In addition to the problems faced with growing a developing an individual also faces problems from ideas surrounding personal problems. These can be examples from the environmental influence, such as arriving into a new school or even a new culture. These experiences can be both positive and negative though, negative as they may leave an individual disillusioned with their direction and place in life, yet positive in the way that an individual may feel reinvigorated and their perception of personal boundaries removed. Growing up in Australia is a short collection of stories from various artists that entails their stories of being different to others and the challenges that they faced in order to fit in when their identities are so different. Sticks and Stones and Such Like by Sunil Badima is a story about How being different, can isolate an individual and make it difficult for them to belong. The main difference in this story is the name Sunil, it singled him out and showed his different nature compared to everyone else. The way that people couldn’t pronounce it only served to exacerbate his push for a more ‘western’ name, Neil. This changing of an identity, from the Indian Sunil to the Aussie Neil, represents how people are willing to change and conform in order to fit in and be accepted by others, even going so far as to forego cultural preoccupations. How to be Japanese by Leanne Hall is a story that Discusses the stereotypes that exist, the racial prejudices that those from a culture deemed the minority are subject to. An individual cannot control how they look yet they’re judged about this. The cultural differences usually hinder an individual, whereby once cultural values sporting exploits as that of success another views success educationally as high marks, yet it is the minority group which is subjected to being stereotyped. This stereotyping is an action that removes an individual’s identity, placing an individual into a wider group whereby they lose their identity, given a set of predetermined characteristics, which is extremely common amongst the racial groups, e. g. the Japanese love hello Kitty. Reveals how a loss of identity can occur as an individual is adjudged to be something else before qifference, alienating them, difficult to conform. A personal identity is impossible without belonging to a family, society and culture. Without Belonging to a group somewhere an individual cannot hope to find their identity, the two are inextricably linked. Without a place in the world, an individual is lost and cannot hope to find their place. This is shown progressively throughout the film of ‘Skin’. Because Sandra is coloured and her parents and brother are white, she is constantly confused about her identity and who exactly she is. rBelonging is an innate predisposition that majority of the populous seek the feeling of acceptance and a place in the groups ranks offers. Once Sandra relises she can’t find this within her family and the society she grew up in she looks to the Black people of South Africa to find a sense of belonging. Belonging to a group offers a sense of security and acceptance that people seek. It is through this environment that an individual will learn and their identity flourishes under the experiences of the group and that of their own, belonging to a group reaffirms our own identity. Whilst belonging to a group may culminate in the formation of an identity, this may not be the true potential of the individual. This influence may upon an individual’s identity may be detrimental, their identity a mere extension of the group’s prerogative. May also lead to an individual being stereotyped and/or alienating their past. Therefore those that cannot belong or alienate themselves from the rest of society struggle to find their place in the world, they are constantly drifting, the question of who am I, left unanswered. This is emphasised throughout the film Skin as Sandra is constantly changing her state as a white South African to a colored South African, so that she is able to find a sense of identity and belonging. People are put into groups, like family and school, and this is a struggle when it conflicts with identity. Whilst belonging to a group, the choice to conform is one that most people must make, we are all born into a group of some degree. Yet it is this place within a group, the arrangement of parameters that can lead to conflict surrounding an individual’s identity. When we are born, we are born into a family environment, born into a group already. Yet through this group, as individual’s we learn and model ourselves off the actions of those in the group, the decisions and perceptions of its members are reaffirmed onto our own. Yet this predetermined group can cause problems for our identity as individuals. This family whilst providing a base from which an identity can develop, also masks an individual’s identity, the individual may have of been raised in the interests of the group, unfulfilling their true potential. Moreover this placement of an individual occurs through other avenues of life as well. At school an individual may be labelled, stereotyped in a particular way based upon something as simple as they way in which they dress. This stereotyping and prejudice can breed only conflict within an individual as they struggle to determine who they truly are, are they the person they are perceived as? Or are they more? Furthermore in order to fit into a group, an individual’s conformity may be misaligned with the values and perceptions of this group, only giving birth to further conflict surrounding an individual’s identity. They struggle to find who the truly are, their true identity against the restraints that conformity offers them. There is conflict between identity and belonging. Where conflict is resolved it is good for the individual’s identity. The need to belong is an innate predisposition for most humans. As we are social creatures we seek a place in the world, a place where we can be accepted, a place of security. Yet in our willingness to conform, conflict can arise between an individual’s identity and that of the group. This discrepancy something that breeds only discontent as an individual discovers that the interest of the group may be misaligned to those of their own. Furthermore in a group the needs of the group are put before those of the individual, thereby stifling the true identity. Yet this creates further conflict as some of the decisions of the group, the choices that it makes may not be reflective of those of the individual. As the individual takes second wrung to the needs of the group, the individual may become discontent about where they are, questioning their own identity.

The Importance Of Ethnic Identity, Incumbency Advantage,...

Descriptive Representation: Factors that Contribute to the Underrepresentation of Hispanic-Americans in The U.S. House of Representatives According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population in the United States is fifty-four million. The 113th Congress, has twenty-eight Hispanic U.S. Representatives and only three Hispanic Senators (Green 2014, Class). The stereotypical portrait of a member of congress is a white, middle-age man, former attorney who was raised in a middle to upper class family. Earlier in the semester, as a class we acknowledged the fact that minorities, specifically African-Americans and Hispanics are still underrepresented in Congress. It takes time for members of these minority groups to get elected into office, especially Congress. African-Americans and Latinos have increased their congressional representation somewhat in the past two decades (Ginsberg 2013, 272). Compelling evidence suggests that particular socio-demographic groups are best able to rep resent the policy preferences of that group (Lawless 2012, 8). This paper will explore the factors of ethnic identity, incumbency advantage, and professional credentials that affect why it takes longer for majority Hispanic districts to elect Hispanic representatives to the U.S. Congress. For the purposes of this paper, I chose to research Latinos in the U.S. House of Representatives because historically there have been more Latinos elected to the House. Also House members are up for election

Cuban Revolution Assault on the Moncada Barracks

On July 26, 1953, Cuba exploded into revolution when Fidel Castro and about 140 rebels attacked the federal garrison at Moncada. Although the operation was well-planned and had the element of surprise, the higher numbers and weapons of the army soldiers, coupled with some remarkably bad luck afflicting the attackers, made the assault a near-total failure for the rebels. Many of the rebels were captured and executed, and Fidel and his brother Raà ºl were put on trial. They lost the battle but won the war: the Moncada assault was the first armed action of the Cuban Revolution, which would triumph in 1959. Background Fulgencio Batista was a military officer who had been president from 1940 to 1944 (and who had held unofficial executive power for some time before 1940). In 1952, Batista ran again for president, but it appeared that he would lose. Together with some other high-ranking officers, Batista smoothly pulled off a coup that removed President Carlos Prà ­o from power. The elections were canceled. Fidel Castro was a charismatic young lawyer who was running for Congress in Cuba’s 1952 elections, and according to some historians, he was likely to win. After the coup, Castro went into hiding, knowing intuitively that his past opposition to different Cuban governments would make him one of the â€Å"enemies of the state† that Batista was rounding up. Planning the Assault Batista’s government was quickly recognized by various Cuban civic groups, such as the banking and business communities. It was also recognized internationally, including by the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹United States. After the elections were canceled and things had calmed down, Castro tried to bring Batista to court to answer for the takeover, but failed. Castro decided that legal means of removing Batista would never work. Castro began plotting an armed revolution in secret, attracting to his cause many other Cubans disgusted by Batista’s blatant power grab. Castro knew that he needed two things to win: weapons and men to use them. The assault on Moncada was designed to provide both. The barracks were full of weapons, enough to outfit a small army of rebels. Castro reasoned that if the daring attack were successful, hundreds of angry Cubans would flock to his side to help him bring Batista down. Batista’s security forces were aware that several groups (not only Castro’s) were plotting armed insurrection, but they had little resources, and none of them seemed a serious threat to the government. Batista and his men were much more worried about rebellious factions within the army itself as well as the organized political parties that had been favored to win the 1952 elections. The Plan The date for the assault was set for July 26, because July 25 was the festival of St. James and there would be parties in the nearby town. It was hoped that at dawn on the 26th, many of the soldiers would be missing, hungover, or even still drunk inside the barracks. The insurgents would drive in wearing army uniforms, seize control of the base, help themselves to weapons, and leave before other armed forces units could respond. The Moncada barracks are located outside of the city of Santiago, in the Oriente province. In 1953, Oriente was the poorest of Cuba’s regions and the one with the most civil unrest. Castro hoped to spark an uprising, which he would then arm with Moncada weapons. All aspects of the assault were meticulously planned. Castro had printed copies of a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹manifesto, and ordered that they are delivered to newspapers and select politicians on July 26 at exactly 5:00 am. A farm close to the barracks was rented, where weapons and uniforms were stashed. All of those who participated in the assault made their way to the city of Santiago independently and stayed in rooms that had been rented beforehand. No detail was overlooked as the rebels tried to make the attack a success. The Attack In the early morning of July 26, several cars drove around Santiago, picking up rebels. They all met at the rented farm, where they were issued uniforms and weapons, mostly light rifles and shotguns. Castro briefed them, as no one except a few high-ranking organizers knew what the target was to be. They loaded back in the cars and set off. There were 138 rebels set to attack Moncada, and another 27 sent to attack a smaller outpost in nearby Bayamo. Despite the meticulous organization, the operation was a fiasco almost from the start. One of the cars suffered a flat tire, and two cars got lost in the streets of Santiago. The first car to arrive had gotten through the gate and disarmed the guards, but a two-person routine patrol outside of the gate threw the plan off, and the shooting started before the rebels were in position. The alarm sounded, and the soldiers began a counterattack. There was a heavy machine gun in a tower which kept most of the rebels pinned down in the street outside the barracks. The few rebels who had made it in with the first car fought for a while, but when half of them were killed, they were forced to retreat and join their comrades outside. Seeing that the attack was doomed, Castro ordered a retreat and the rebels quickly scattered. Some of them just threw down their weapons, took off their uniforms, and faded into the nearby city. Some, including Fidel and  Raà ºl Castro, were able to escape. Many were captured, including 22 who had occupied the federal hospital. Once the attack was called off, they had tried to disguise themselves as patients but were found out. The smaller Bayamo force met a similar fate as  they too were captured or driven off. Aftermath Nineteen federal soldiers had been killed, and the remaining soldiers were in a murderous mood. All of the prisoners were massacred, although two women who had been part of the hospital takeover were spared. Most of the prisoners were tortured first, and news of the barbarity of the soldiers soon leaked to the general public. It caused enough of a scandal for the Batista government that by the time Fidel, Raà ºl and many of the remaining rebels were rounded up in the next couple of weeks, they were jailed and not executed. Batista made a great show out of the trials of the conspirators, allowing journalists and civilians to attend. This would prove to be a mistake, as Castro used his trial to attack the government. Castro said that he had organized the assault to remove the tyrant Batista from  office and that he was merely doing his civic duty as a Cuban in standing up for democracy. He denied  nothing but instead took pride in his actions. The trials and Castro riveted the people of Cuba became a national figure. His famous line from the trial is â€Å"History will absolve me!† In a belated attempt to shut him up, the government locked Castro down, claiming he was too ill to continue with his trial. This only made the dictatorship look worse when Castro got the word  out that he was fine and able to stand trial. His trial was eventually conducted in secret, and despite his eloquence, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Batista made another tactical mistake in 1955 when he buckled to international pressure and released many political prisoners, including Castro and the others who had participated in the Moncada assault. Freed, Castro and his most loyal comrades went to  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Mexico to organize and launch the  Cuban Revolution. Legacy Castro named his insurgency â€Å"the 26th of July Movement† after the date of the Moncada assault. Although it was initially a failure, Castro was ultimately able to make the most out of Moncada. He used it as a recruiting tool: although many political parties and groups in Cuba railed against Batista and his crooked regime, only Castro had done anything about it. This attracted many Cubans to the movement who may have otherwise not gotten involved. The massacre of the captured rebels also severely damaged the credibility of Batista and his top officers, who were now seen as butchers, especially once the rebels’ plan – they had hoped to take the barracks without bloodshed – became known. It allowed Castro to use Moncada as a rallying cry, sort of like â€Å"Remember the Alamo!† This is more than a little ironic, as Castro and his men had attacked in the first place, but it became somewhat justified in the face of the subsequent atrocities. Although it failed in its goals of acquiring weapons and arming the unhappy citizens of Oriente Province, Moncada was, in the long run, an essential part of the success of Castro and the 26th of July Movement. Sources: Castaà ±eda, Jorge C.  Compaà ±ero: the Life and Death of Che  Guevara.  New York: Vintage Books, 1997.Coltman, Leycester.  The Real Fidel Castro.  New Haven and London: the Yale University Press, 2003.