About the Folder

See "Takin' It Essay"  [13+].

One of my essays is public but not accessible from my portfolio; if you do not have a direct link handy, then you may search for its title on Writing.Com or with a general search engine.

To plug essays and/or find those written by others, please visit "Essay, You Say?"  [13+].



About the Items

"The Phoenix Program"  [18+]:
This is the side of the Vietnam War that most Americans didn’t see. Until recently, this information was kept classified. In fact, even while doing my research, CIA clearance was required to release some of my primary source information. The Provincial Reconnaissance Units were one particular type of unit in The Phoenix Program, and this paper focuses on why they were so successful.

"J. Edgar Hoover and McCarthyism"  [13+]:
Joseph McCarthy was, and continues to be, one of the most reviled men in the history of the United States. But who was really behind the so-called “communist witch-hunt”? McCarthy was a lost little boy who just wanted attention, and it was FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover who saw the opportunity to take advantage of McCarthy by using him as a puppet. This paper examines the bizarre relationship between these two prominent figures.

"Operation Moonlight Sonata"  [13+]:
Game theory, which studies strategic interactions among individuals or groups, is a topic most closely associated with economics, but has limitless possibilities for application, including war. This paper examines the story behind the city of Coventry, England, which Winston Churchill supposedly allowed to be massacred by Nazi Germany in World War II. How could he have made such a choice? Hopefully, I answer that question.

"Female Genital Mutilation"  [18+]:
Female genital mutilation, sometimes referred to as female circumcision, is a cruel practice that originated millennia ago but continues to this day. In addition to discussing the procedure and its effects, I mention some possibilities for decreasing the severity of the problem.

"From Lances to Light Sabers"  [ASR]:
I examine the relationship between fantasy and science fiction, as well as discuss what draws us to read and write in these genres. This was originally written as the editorial for the November 26, 2003, edition of the Fantasy Newsletter.