Themes The suffering body by compare the work 2 artist Louise Essay

Themes The suffering body by compare the work 2 artist Louise Bourgeois and Francis Bacon in different and similar approach under the theme of Suffering Bo - Essay Example Artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Francis Bacon (listed in their fields respectively) recognize and accept these changes and interpret them in their artworks. Art began around 15 000 BC, often favouring drawing over colour in forms such as cave paintings. There have been changes from emphasis on geometrical shapes such as mosaics and arches, religious and gothic-based, in which art evolved from it's two dimensions and was practised in sculpture format, the Victorian and art Nouveau-influenced craft movements in which art became decoration through to Dada in which the art was taken off the canvas - new materials and exhibiting practises were used to encourage stronger responses from the audience. Subject matter had changed from communicative, to aesthetic, to political, social and emotional. Dada was the jump-off point for performance art. The origin is said to be found in 1917 in Zurich, where several notable Dadaists, spoke nonsensical words to complement nonsense acts to protest the Great War and the importance f art in general: "...No more cute art in frames, no more static art that only makes the Philistines richer." An integral part f the ritual f performance art is it's ephemerality - it is not static like most artworks. After it is finished nothing will be the same again and nothing is left. Performance art is described as unprecedented and because f its originality, it is difficult to censor. It is very relevant to its time because f the short period f time needed between the process f conception and performance and political, social and philosophical views can be explored in-depth such as in the 1970's and in the 1980's in which "Queer Theatre" was founded in which homosexual issues were dealt with. It occupies an environment with specific objects and actions for a specific amount f time and because f the brevity and intent f the artwork, everything present has a meaning. Performance art also brings another change to the world f the artwork - the role f the audience. It is made to be watched and experienced in the moment specifically for those who witness it, therefore, the audience has a much more integral part. As the audience is generally small, there can be much interaction between them and the artist and the experience is much more direct and the message is more vigorously felt because f the proximity and actuality f the piece. What happens on stage can affect the audience and the artist more directly views their response. The audience can be loud, angry or irritating and what the audience does can affect the actors on stage unlike with other fixed artworks, whatever the audience does, (aside from vandalising it) the artwork will not change. Louise Bourgeois is a forerunner in performance art. His performance works are often structured around the confines f the artist's own body and often have a deeply impacting affect upon his audiences because f their graphically disturbing nature. For example, in 1977, he created the illusion f cutting off one f his arms with a small axe after stuffing meat into a shirtsleeve fitted with a prosthetic hand. In 2000 he impounded himself in a small cell-like confinement, without

Educational In Cambodia Essay Example for Free

Educational In Cambodia Essay Education is very important means to train and build up human resources for development of each country and it is also important for development of child as person. However, educational system in Cambodia has suffered too much during Khmer Rouge Regime from 1975 to 1979. After that period, the government has tried to improve it by cooperated and collaborated with external aid and non-governmental organization (NGOs). According to the Cambodian constitution, it states that â€Å"the state shall provide free primary and secondary education to all citizens in public school. Citizens shall receive education for at least seven years†. Nowadays, though the pupils have no pay the fee, they still have to spend money on other things such as stationery, textbooks, contribution fee etc. Moreover, some provinces students are asked to spent money to teacher for fee; this is the problem that prevent pupil from poor families from attending school. About a half a million Cambodian children from 6 to 11 years old have no access to school, then 50percent of those who entered grade one dropped out of school and had to repeat the class. Those problems are caused by video games, karaoke and the presence of brothel for the students in city, and for female pupils, they could not attend school because of many problems. First, parents are poor, so they cannot provide children to learn and sometime they need their children, especially the girls, to earn money to support the family. Second, the schools are located too far away from their house. Only boy can go to school at some distance from home because they have given accommodation in pagodas near the school. The last one is some parents do not understand about the important of education, so they do not allow their children to attend school. Moreover, the ministry of education has not provided adequate education for minority children. Many children cannot access to school, and there is no provision for schooling in minority languages except for classes provided by private ethic associations. Even though some organizations co-operated with government to provide school for those, this effort is not yet enough. Then, the quality of education in Cambodia is very poor, especially in remote area such as Kompongthom, Kompongcham, Ratanakiri province and so on.

MPLS-Traffic Engineering

MPLS-Traffic Engineering I. Webserver We will be using apache web server in our project. The Apache HTTP Server Project is a synergistic programming improvement exertion went for making a hearty, business grade, featureful, and unreservedly accessible source code execution of a HTTP (Web) server. The undertaking is together overseen by a gathering of volunteers placed as far and wide as possible, utilizing the Internet and the Web to convey, arrange, and add to the server and its connected documentation. This undertaking is a piece of the Apache Software Foundation. Likewise, several clients have contributed thoughts, code, and documentation to the venture. This record is expected to quickly portray the historical backdrop of the Apache HTTP Server and perceive the numerous donors. Figure 1. Apache General Structure. In Figure 1 we can see the general diagram of apache webserver that how it will work and how it is connected in our scenario. II. File Server We will be using Turnkey as a file server in our project. A simple to utilize file server that joins Windows-good system file offering to a propelled online file chief and incorporates help for SMB, SFTP and rsync file exchange protocols. The server is designed to permit server clients to oversee files in private or open stockpiling. In view of Samba and AjaXplorer. This machine incorporates all the standard gimmicks in TurnKey Core, and on top of that: 1. SSL backing out of the case. 2. Webmin module for arranging Samba. 3. Incorporates mainstream squeezing help (zip, rar, bz2). 4. Incorporates flip to change over content file endings in the middle of UNIX and DOS groups. 5. Preconfigured wordgroup: WORKGROUP 6. Preconfigured netbios name: FILESERVER 7. Configured Samba and UNIX clients/bunches synchronization (CLI and Webmin). 8. Configured root as managerial samba client. In Figure 2 we will show you that how file server is working in our project. Figure.2 Internal connectivity of file server III. Proxy server There are many proxy server to choose but we have chosen Squid linex proxy server because it’s fast and secure. The Squid Web Proxy Cache is a completely offered Internet storing server that handles a wide range of web demands for a client. At the point when a client asks for a web asset (website page, motion picture cut, realistic, etc..), their solicitation is sent to the storing server which then advances the appeal to the genuine web server for their sake. At the point when the asked for asset is come back to the reserving server, it stores a duplicate of the asset in its cache and after that advances the solicitation again to the first client. Whenever somebody asks for a duplicate of the cached asset, it is conveyed straightforwardly from the nearby proxy server and not from the inaccessible web server (contingent upon time of asset etc). Utilizing a proxy server can enormously diminish web scanning velocity if every now and again went by locales and assets are put away provincially in the cache. There are additionally monetary investment funds to be picked up in case youre a substantial association with numerous Internet clients or even a little home client that has a portion remittance for downloads. There are numerous ways a proxy can be advantageous to all systems. The squid proxy has such a large number of peculiarities, access controls and other configurable things, that it is difficult to cover the majority of the settings here. This section will give some fundamental setup settings (which is all that’s needed) to empower the server, and give access controls to keep unapproved clients from getting access to the Internet through your proxy. The design file has been archived greatly well by the designers and ought to give enough data to help your set up, however in the event that you dont realize what a setting does, dont touch it. Since you have effectively arranged your Squid proxy server, you will need to arrange the majority of your workstations on your inward system to have the capacity to utilize it; this may appear like a long errand relying upon how enormous your inner system is. It likewise implies that you will need to physically arrange the greater part of your applications that unite with remote web servers for data/ information trade, this incorporates all web programs, infection redesign applications and other such utilities. Hmm, this could take a while. One incredible gimmick of Squid is that is can be utilized as a HTTPD quickening agent, and when arranged in conjunction with an iptables sidetrack guideline, it will get to be straightforward to your system. Why? since we will no more need to setup the greater part of our applications on our workstations to utilize the proxy, now we can divert all HTTP asks for as they get through our firewall to utilize our straightforward proxy rather; less demanding organization. A critical point before undertaking, straightforward intermediaries CAN NOT be utilized for HTTPS associations over SSL (Port 443). This would break the server to customer SSL association dependant upon your security and classifiedness of the protocol, it could likewise permit a man in the center assault due to caught (proxied) parcels. Figure.3 Proxy server connectivity. IV. DNS Server At its most fundamental level, the DNS gives a dispersed database of name-to-address mappings spread over a progression Of nameservers. The namespace is apportioned into a chain of command of areas and subdomains with every area managed freely By a legitimate nameserver. Nameservers store the mapping of names to addresses in asset records, each having a related TTL field that decides to what extent the section can be stored by different nameservers in the framework. A vast TTL worth diminishes the heap on the nameserver however confines the recurrence of redesign engendering through the framework. Figure 4. Basic DNS operation Nameservers can actualize iterative or recursive questions. In an iterative inquiry, the nameserver returns either a response to the Inquiry from its neighborhood database (maybe stored information), or a referral to an alternate nameserver that may have the capacity to answer the question. In taking care of a recursive inquiry, the nameserver gives back a last reply, questioning some other nameservers important to intention the name. Most nameservers inside the chain of importance are arranged to send and acknowledge just iterative inquiries. Nearby nameservers, on the other hand, commonly acknowledge recursive inquiries from customers (i.e., endhosts). Figure 4 delineates how a customer commonly discovers the location of an administration utilizing DNS. The customer application utilizes a resolver, typically actualized as a set of working framework library schedules, to make a recursive inquiry to its nearby nameserver. The nearby nameserver may be designed statically (e.g., in a framework document), or rapidly utilizing conventions like DHCP or PPP. After making the solicitation, the customer holds up as the neighborhood nameserver iteratively tries to determination the name (www.service.com in this case). The neighborhood nameserver first sends an iterative inquiry to the root to determination the name (steps 1 and 2), however since the subdomain service.com has been assigned, the root server reacts with the location of the legitimate nameserver for the sub-area, i.e., ns.service.com (step 3)1. The customers nameserver then questions ns.service.com and gets the IP location of www.service.com (steps 4 and 5). At long last The nameserver furnishes a proportional payback to the customer (step 6) and the customer has the capacity interface with the server (step 7). V. VPN and Firewall We are using 2 types of VPN here.The first one is. 1. Site-to-site VPN A site-to-site VPN permits multiple business locales in altered areas to make secure associations with each Other over an open system, for example, the Internet. It additionally gives extensibility to assets by making them accessible to Workers at different areas. 2. Access VPN A remote-access VPN permits singular clients to build secure associations with a remote PC system. These clients can get to the safe assets on that system as though they were specifically connected to the systems servers. Gimmicks in VPN à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Provide broadened associations crosswise over multiple geographic areas without utilizing a rented line. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Improved security instrument for information by utilizing encryption strategies. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Provides adaptability for remote work places and workers to utilize the business intranet over a current Internet Association as though theyre specifically joined with the system à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Saves time and cost for representatives who drive from virtual working environments à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · VPN is favored over rented line since leases are extravagant, and as the separation between business locales builds, the Expense of rented line increment. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · IPsec VPN and SSL VPN are two arrangements of VPN which are broadly utilized as a part of WLAN. Figure 5. VPN connectivity with our router. As a firewall we are using IPtables. Iptables/Netfilter is the most prevalent order line based firewall. It is the first line of safeguard of a Linux server security. Numerous framework managers use it for calibrating of their servers. It channels the parcels in the system stack inside the bit itself. You can discover a nittier gritty diagram of Iptables here. Peculiarities of IPtables 1. It records the substance of the parcel channel ruleset. 2. it’s exceptionally quick on the grounds that it assesses just the parcel headers. 3. You can Add/Remove/Modify tenets as per your needs in the bundle channel rulesets. 4. Posting/focusing every standard counters of the parcel channel rulesets. 5. Helps Backup and reclamation with documents. X. Conclusion In this project there was so much stuff to learn about we have seen so many different kind of servers and it was difficult to decide what which server we should use Microsoft or Linux but we have seen in most of the cases Linux server were free and also very secure so we thought we will be using Linux server and In this project we have designed a perfect network design which is flawless. In figure 6 we have shown our whole network design. Figure 6. Complete Network Design. . Acknowledgment We are really grateful to complete our project with the time given by our professor Dr Hassan Raza. This project cannot be completed without the efforts and contribution of my group partner. We also thank our professor Dr Hassan Raza for his guidance. References [1] P. Mockapetris, â€Å"Domain names – concepts and facilities,† Internet Request for Comments (RFC 1034), November 1987. [2] Paul Albitz and Cricket Liu, DNS and BIND, O’Reilly and Associates, 1998 [3] Weili Huang and Fanzheng Kong. The research of VPN over WLAN. [4] CarIton Rà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ½Davisà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ½The security implementation of IPSec VPN [M] à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ½ [5] Baohong He, Tianhui. Technology of IPSec VPN [M]. Beijing: Posts Telecom press, 2008, 7. [6] NetGear VPN Basics (www.documentation.netgear.com/reference/esp/vpn/ VPNBasics-3-05.html)

Capitalism Essay -- essays research papers

By definition, Capitalism is an economic system controlled chiefly by individuals and private companies instead of by the government. In this system, individuals and companies own and direct most of the resources used to produce goods and services, including land and other natural resources labor, and â€Å"capital†. â€Å"Capital† includes factories and equipment and sometimes the money used in businesses (Friedman, 5). Capitalism stresses private economic decisions. People are free to decide how they will earn and spend their income. Companies may choose which goods and services to produce and how much to charge for them. They also compete with one another to sell products. Nations whose economies are based on capitalism include the United States, Germany, Canada, and Japan. Although a private individual or group of individuals may control their income and a large section of an economy, the government can control some aspects of the economy in every nation. Capitalism is some times called Free enterprise, despite its limits established by the government. Many organizations and businesses flourish from the existence of capitalism. Non-profit organizations prosper from capitalism such as: The Roman Catholic Church. As one of the largest and most common religions in the world, the Roman Catholic faith is sustained through capitalism, for it is a capitalist organization. It can be considered a Capitalist organization in the fact that income is freely given in return for nothing. One’s religion can definitely influence their economic decisions, lifestyle and social status. The Roman Catholic Church believes that capitalism can become a type of injustice. For example, some people in capitalist nations can afford many luxuries. But at the same time, others lack adequate food, housing, and other needs. This unequal distribution of wealth results largely from capitalism’s emphasis on individuality. The Catholic Church cites examples of inequality as incorrect. However, the church and other religious denominations thrive from others’ prosperity and income. Capitalism is a definite social justice issue. One reason why people do not necessarily feel obligated to help others less fortunate than him or herself is because the economy focuses on individualism, which leads to greed and hoarding. Another reason why capitalism is a social justice issue is that it deprives certain... ...ject to all kinds of taxation and regulation. Today in our society, we need government's permission to drive, to work, to open and to run a business, and even to own and hold property. The government is no longer our servant; it became our master. The government, once established to ban the use of force among men, now is the greatest aggressor of all. In the name of helping the needy, it assaults the productive and strips them of their rights and property. But if productive Americans have no rights then no American has them either. America, born as a free country, has been transfigured into a welfare state, where the needs of some became a blank check on the fortunes of others (Tate, 44,45). But we are still in time to regain our rights if only we understand better their meaning, their value and their power. If Americans are to be the free again, and America is to remain the greatest nation on Earth, we must hold sacred our individual rights to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." America was founded on the noblest of ideals: the right of every individual to his life. America will only live as long as its ideals live in our hearts and in our minds (kronen, 102).

Brainwashing in America

Television, religion, school system, politics, child rearing. Advertisement and media President Bush on October 7, 2002 at Cincinnati Museum Center – Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cincinnati, Ohio, The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime's own actions — its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror (WHPR1, 2002). Months before on February 13, 2002 during a Press Conference with President Musharraf of Pakistan, Mr. Bush declared: And I think that statement was clear enough for Iraq to hear me.And I will reserve whatever options I have, I'll keep them close to my vest. President — or Saddam Hussein needs to understand I'm serious about defending our country (WHPR2, 2002). And During his speech at the Virginia Military Institute on April 17, 2002, Mr. Bush made these claims: And, finally, the civilized world faces a grave threat from weapons of mass destruction. A small number of outlaw regimes today possess and are d eveloping chemical and biological and nuclear weapons. They're building missiles to deliver them, and at the same time cultivating ties to terrorist groups.In their threat to peace, in their mad ambitions, in their destructive potential and in the repression of their own people, these regimes constitute an axis of evil and the world must confront them (WHPR3, 2002). With all these statements made in the presence of media persons and the way it had been made that a major part of America and the world really believed that Saddam Hussein and the Iraq is the real threat to the civilized society. Despite the presence of law which prohibits the Bush administration from disseminating government propaganda at home.But in an age of global communications, there is nothing to stop it from planting a phony pro-war story overseas — knowing with certainty that it will reach American citizens almost instantly. This is the power of media and especially electronic media. It has the capability to make any one believe in what it wants to convey. The beautiful newsreader on a TV channel giving us the news. After that the news analysis program is aired. The program brings a battery of analysts to our bedrooms, drawing rooms or shops.These serious looking intelligent faces sitting in front of camera with a list of burning issues are giving their view on the issues. Their facial expression and smartness over words, language and the contents can make anyone feel ill informed. This makes us glued to the television screen. And once the program gets finished we have an unusual feeling that now we have gained great information on issues about which we were quiet ignorant few minutes or hours before. A single program made some change in our self and our personal database of information.This is the actual effect of one of the most popular form of media called the electronic media. But the point of concern is not its power or ability of influencing human psyche. The actual issue whic h has been raised this time is the way it makes an impact on our world views. The authenticity of the content which is aired is now being discussed. The focus is shifting towards the way it influences religion, culture and social belief. After all the US govt. , with all its efforts didn’t found a single weapon of mass destruction.The Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was defeated by the combined US and UK army. But the main issue that led to the war was the weapons of mass destruction which Saddam Hussein regime was allegedly possessing, was nowhere present. This means what the US govt. and its allies were telling the whole world was actually a farce. It was nothing more than a propaganda war against a nation which was adamant to pursue those policies which were not influenced by US. Things mentioned above are some of the many effects caused through electronic media.Moving on to its actual definition, electronic media are those communications mediums which are based on electronic or electromechanical means of production and most often distinguished from print media. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public worldwide include — radio, sound recordings, television, video recording, and streaming internet content. And this electric communication technology goes further than any of the previous products of man's skill. Earlier technologies extended the power of man's limbs, and with the invention of writing, man's memory in a sense could be placed outside of himself.Present communication technologies supplant man's external senses, and more recently, the internal senses of imagination and the most important, the central or common sense, which brings the various data of the external senses together into a cohesive unity (McDonald). The world of information, however conceived, may appear to exist in its own right by means of electronics, and the human user becomes a mere participant in that world. Let’s take the c ase of a farmer in South Western America. He was very happy with the money he was earning and was comfortably taking care of his family.The main worry for that man was nothing but the stem rust disease which causes great loss in wheat farming. But when he comes under the influence of electronic media, he sees that the condition is not as good as it appears and his problem is actually not a problem. The actual problem the country is facing is that of possible terrorist attacks and its war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. The news of slowdown in world economy and the rising of Asian economy giants like India and China and the job outsourcing makes the same guy more frightened.He feels threatened. And this perceived threat results in a physical reaction as much as actual physical injury. The same person in a large crowd sees perhaps twenty people around him, but a camera above the crowd reveals a crowd incomprehensible to human imagination. The widespread anxiety among people in the first world about there being too many people is an effect of them seeing thousands of faces on television, whereas someone may walk for hours on the streets of the suburbs without seeing a single person (McDonald).The reality is that the information beaming capability of the electronic media upsets normal community and family relations based on physical contact and proximity, leading to an ersatz community where people have the illusion of being angels. People in their relations are reduced to being pieces of disembodied information without context or substance. The level of sensation present in our lives affects our intellectual judgment. It’s not only that individuals re getting affected but whole social order is getting influenced by this stream of information supplied continuously through electronic media.If we talk about law and justice, information acts as lifeblood to it and media of communication are the veins and arteries that move the information through the system . And the same usually works not by exercise of force but by information transfer, by communication of what's expected, what forbidden, and what allowable, what are the consequences of acting in certain ways (Katsh, 1999). That is, law entails information about what the rules are, how they are applied, with what costs, consequences, etc.The changes in the means used to communicate information are important to law because law has come to rely upon the transmission of information in a particular form. The effectiveness and operation of law depends on controlling access to some information and highlighting or directing attention to other information. The electronic media are not to be considered merely as more powerful versions of print. They have different mechanisms for transmitting and processing information, some of which will pressure the law to change course and become a different and not simply a more efficient institution (Katsh, 1999).It’s not only the grownups who are actually getting influenced but also children as young as five years old. According to report, it has been found that there has been an explosion in recent years in electronic media marketed directly at the very youngest children in our society: A booming market of videotapes and DVDs aimed at infants one to 18 months, the launching of the first TV show specifically targeting children as young as 12 months, and a multi-million dollar industry selling computer games and even special keyboard toppers for children as young as nine months old.Their homes are packed with media options, including TVs, computers, DVD players and video game consoles. Nearly all children (99%) live in a home with a TV set, half (50%) have three or more TVs, and one-third (36%) have a TV in their bedroom. Nearly three out of four (73%) have a computer at home, and about half (49%) have a video game player. In some ways, new media is trumping old: nearly twice as many children in this age group live in a home with Internet access (63%) as with a newspaper subscription (34%).Nearly all of them (97%) have products—clothes, toys, and the like—based on characters from TV shows or movies (Rideout, 2003). But the point of concern is that this rapid changes in our media environment have not been accompanied by a similar growth in our knowledge of how new media may impact children’s cognitive, social, emotional or physical development. These issues are of deep concern not only to parents, but also to educators, health providers, policymakers and advocates.Many experts have argued that it is especially critical to understand media use by the youngest children, noting that because social and intellectual development are more malleable in these early years, media use at this age could have an especially significant impact. According to Valdemar W. Setzer (1993), some children addicted to electronic games spoke too fast with limited sense, feeling or contents in their speech. Th is suggests that those children spoke with a speed compared to the use they make of their fingers when playing the games.There is a correlation between speaking and gesturing, which may be explained by the close proximity of the motor and speech neurological centers in the brain. The fact that children do not have the fully developed, active thinking and consciousness characteristic of adults means they don't have to make any effort to â€Å"switch off† these inner activities when playing electronic games and are not â€Å"sidetracked† by outside influences that can act as a buffer to overdevelopment of or addiction to an undesirable trait.Finally, we can say that though our ability to gather information is enhanced by technology, we are placed under greater stress, and to maintain equilibrium we must find strategies to cope with it. One strategy is to withdraw from the flood of information and go for selected and conscious input. It is one of the ways but there is a n eed of finding more. References The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8. html The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020213-3. html The White House Press Release, http://www. whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020417-1. html McDonald, H. Asceticism and the Electronic Media: Technophilia and Technophobia in the Perspective of Christian Philosophy, www. rcp. net. pe/IAL/vm/bec/etexts/macdoeng. htm, 3. Katsh, E. (1989). The Electronic Media and the Transformation of Law, Oxford University Press. Rideout, V. J. & Vandewater, E. A. & Wartella, E. A. (2003). Zero to Six : Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers. , A Kaiser Family Foundation Report. Setzer, V. W. & Duckett, G. E. (1993). The Risks to Children Using Electronic Games, http://www. ime. usp. br/~vwsetzer/video-g-risks. html

Three Blatant Acts of Racism Against Obama

Three Blatant Acts of Racism Against Obama When Barack Obama became the first African-American elected president on November 4, 2008, the world viewed it as a signal of racial progress. But after Obama took office, he was the target of racist illustrations, conspiracy theories, and Islamophobia. Do you know the tactics used to attack him on the basis of race? This analysis covers three blatant acts of racism against Obama. The Birther Debate Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama was dogged by rumors that he was not an American by birth. Instead, the â€Å"birthers†- as the people spreading this rumor are known- say that he was born in Kenya. Although Obama’s mother was a white American, his father was a black Kenyan national. His parents, however, met and married in the United States, which is why the birther conspiracy has been deemed equal parts silly and racist. The birthers have also refused to accept as valid  the documentation provided by  Obama that proves he was born in Hawaii. Why is this racist? New York Times columnist Timothy Egan explained that the birther movement â€Å"has little to do with reality and everything to do with the strangeness of Obama’s background- especially his race. He continued, Many Republicans refuse to accept that Obama could come from such an exotic stew and still be ‘American.’ †¦So, even though the certificate of live birth first made public in 2008 is a legal document that any court would have to recognize, they demanded more.† When Donald Trump repeated the claims of birthers in April 2011, the president responded by releasing his long form birth certificate. This move did not completely quiet the rumors about Obama’s origins. But the more documentation the president released about his birthplace, the less ground the birthers had to suggest that the black president did not belong in office. Trump continued sending Twitter posts questioning the birth certificate authenticity through 2014. Political Caricatures of Obama Before and after his presidential election, Barack Obama has been depicted as subhuman in graphics, email, and posters. While turning politicians into caricatures is nothing new, the ones used to criticize Obama frequently have racial overtones. The president has been portrayed as a shoeshine man, an Islamic terrorist, and a chimp, to name a few. The image of his altered face has been shown on a product called Obama Waffles in the manner of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben. The depictions of Obama as ape-like have arguably sparked the most controversy, considering that blacks have been portrayed as monkey-like for centuries to suggest that they’re inferior to other groups. Still, when Marilyn Davenport, an elected official in the Republican Party of Orange County, Calif., circulated an email portraying Obama and his parents as chimps, she initially defended the image as political satire. Mike Luckovich, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, had a different take. He pointed out to National Public Radio that the image wasn’t a cartoon but Photoshopped. â€Å"And it was crude and it was racist,† he said. â€Å"And cartoonists are always sensitive. We want to make people think- we even want to tick people off occasionally, but we don’t want our symbolism to overwhelm our message. †¦I would never show Obama or an African American as a monkey. That’s just racist. And we know the history of that.† The â€Å"Obama Is Muslim† Conspiracy Much like the birther debate, the debate over whether Obama is a practicing Muslim appears to be racially tinged. While the president did spend some of his youth in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia, there’s no evidence that he himself has practiced Islam. In fact, Obama has said that neither his mother nor his father was  particularly religious. At the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2011, the president described his father as a â€Å"nonbeliever† whom he met one time,  according to the  Los Angeles  Times  and his mother as having â€Å"a certain skepticism about organized religion.† Despite his parents’ feelings about religion, Obama has said repeatedly that he practices Christianity. In fact, in his 1995 memoir Dreams From My Father, Obama describes his decision to become a Christian during his time as a political organizer on Chicago’s South Side. He had little reason at that time to hide being a Muslim and pretend to be a Christian as it was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and his entry into national politics. So, why do rumors about Obama being a Muslim persist, despite his declarations to the contrary? NPR senior news analyst Cokie Roberts faults racism. She  remarked  on ABC’s â€Å"This Week† that a fifth of Americans believe Obama’s a Muslim because it’s unacceptable to say, â€Å"I don’t like him ’cause he’s black.† On the other hand, â€Å"it’s acceptable to dislike him because he’s a Muslim,† she declared. Like the birther movement, the Muslim conspiracy movement against Obama highlights the fact that the president’s different. He has a â€Å"funny name,† a so-called exotic upbringing, and Kenyan heritage. Rather than  point  out their distaste for these differences, some members of the public find it convenient to label Obama a Muslim, This serves to marginalize him and is used as an excuse to question his leadership and actions in the war on terror. Racial Attacks or Political Differences? Not every attack against President Obama is racist, of course. Some of his detractors took issue with his policy alone and not with his skin color. When the president’s opponents use racial stereotypes to undermine him or accuse him of lying about his origins because he’s different- biracial, bred outside of the continental U.S., and born to a Kenyan father with a â€Å"strange name†- an undercurrent of racism is often at play. As former President Jimmy Carter said in 2009: â€Å"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators †¦begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler†¦people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American.†