Gun Control versus The Right to Bear Arms Essay - 886 Words

With the topic of gun control comes a widely split crowd. There are those that believe that gun control is necessary for decreasing crime and making a nation a safer place to live. And on the other end of the spectrum, they are those that speak of how anti-gun control is what would make our nation a safer place to live. After all, ?Would a person be as likely to break into another familys home knowing that the family has means of personal protection (Warren 308). ?Most everyone will agree that felons, addicts, morons, juveniles, alcoholics, the mentally incompetent, and others in whose hands even an ice pick or a baseball bat becomes a deadly weapon, should be denied a gun.? (Selib 202) However, what about those individuals that are†¦show more content†¦This is simply not true. ?During the period in which the second amendment was written, ?regulated? was defined as ?properly disciplined(Gardiner) The creators of this amendment believed that those choosing to exercise th eir right to bear arms needed to be trained, and become experienced and competent in their usage. What is the Bill of Rights? The Rights of the individual, what we, the people, are allowed to do under these broad Amendment ?laws.? Let us take a look back at how the Bill of Rights comes into play with the second amendment. In 1689 the English Bill of Rights was passed, by Parliament in response to King James II trying to disarm his subjects. The English Bill of Rights allowed people to be armed ?suitable to their conditions? and ?allowed by law.? This right was then transferred to the American colonies, and after the American Revolution, our Bill of Rights of 1791, further strengthened the second amendment claim of the people?s right to bear arms, with the words ?the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.? The Bill of Rights limits the power of the federal government. How does it do this? How about an example? Can the federal government establish a federal religion that all must follow and have faith in? Most definitely not, the first amendment prohibits this from happening. The first amendment says, in part,Show MoreRelatedThe Freedom And Freedom Of The United States Of America1603 Words   |  7 Pagestaught to always respect and cherish the rights and liberties given to us, the people, that were earned and are still being bravely defended to this day. Our rights were earned and are defended by our courageous, gun wielding soldiers. Currently, in this turbulent time of politics in our nation, many of our rights and privileges are being aimed at for attack and infringement. In this case, particularly, it is the American citizen s right to bear arms. This right must be protected and preserved forRead MoreEssay on The Right to Bear Arms a Constitutional Conflict 1666 Words   |  7 Pagesbearing a firearm was initially represented as a duty in England, up until King Alfred converted this duty into a right. By doing so, individuals were allowed to use firearms for two purposes: self-defense and hunting. In time, â₠¬Å"kings chose to trust their subjects with arms and to modify and supplement the militia if need be† (Malcom 3). Individuals were given the right to bear arms in exchange for their participation in England’s militia, which consists of â€Å"able-bodied male citizens declared byRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Rights1092 Words   |  5 PagesGun Rights Even though congressional gun-related legislation remains stalemated, there is still a continued argument over whether laws should be enacted to restrict guns or not enacted to allow gun rights. Not allowing law abiding citizens, who support the constitution, to exercise their rights to obtain and own firearms is unjust. Not only does this lead to making all gun owners criminals, it also makes them easy targets. Citizens who pass background checks should be allowed to obtain and possessRead MoreGun Control Of The United States1501 Words   |  7 PagesSince ancient times a gun has been a tool created for the purpose of killing people, but now people used guns for protection. But the main purpose of a firearm remains, the purpose of to killing people. The government in America has created laws for the use of guns, but not all people follow them. Gun ownership is the most basic American right and also one of the most contentious social and political issues of now a days. There are almost 300 million of private-owned firearms in the US, in this nationRead MoreGun Control Versus Gun Rights1645 Words   |  7 Pages2017 Gun Control versus Gun Rights Gun control is a controversial topic that is widely discussed in the United States. The call for gun control came during the 1960’s when many famous figures were assassinated. Today Gun Right’s Activist believes we should not infringe on the Second Amendment. While Gun Control Activist believe we should take precautions to protect people from gun violence. The republicans typically are against gun control while democrats are for gun control. Gun control is a hotRead MoreGun Control And The Right State Of Mind1687 Words   |  7 Pages Gun control has been one of main debating topics for years. This particular subject is discussed frequently between our presidential candidates. How safe do citizens feel in the community knowing that it is not hard to obtain a concealed handgun and/or a handgun license? Citizens in some communities have to worry more about their lives rather than bills. It should never have to be that way for anyone. Some people are not in the right sta te of mind to have the privilege to carry a firearm. SanityRead MoreGuns : Danger Or Protection1593 Words   |  7 Pages GUNS: DANGER OR PROTECTION Sebastian Corona English II- 3rd February 19, 2016 â€Æ' Since ancient times a gun has been a tool created for the purpose of killing people, but now people used guns for protection. But the main purpose of a firearm remains, the purpose of to killing people. The government in America has created laws for the use of guns, but not all people follow them. Gun ownership is the most basic American right and also one of the most contentious social and political issuesRead MoreGun Control Is A Tough Business854 Words   |  4 Pages Gun control in America is a tough business. Second amendment advocates love to flourish their rights to bear arms. However, their stubbornness is causing many unnecessary complications that could be easily solved if they would cooperate more with legislators. The need for more a more thorough background check, more rigorous restriction on purchases and less selfishness is paramount to the evolution of our country. Of the many problems we face in gun control it is availability of guns to the veryRead MoreGun Control Laws Will NOT Reduce Crime Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesGun control laws aim to restrict or regulate firearms by selecting who can sell, buy and possess certain guns. Criminals do not obey laws and stricter gun control laws or banning guns will have little effect on reducing crimes. There are many myths about gun control reducing acts of gun violence, which are simply not true according to research. People are responsible for the crimes, not the guns themselves. Taking guns away from United States citizens that use them for many reasons, shooting practiceRead MoreGun Control731 Words   |  3 PagesGun Control Guns versus crime is the hot topic in America. Government officials are looking at how much crime has happened with firearms instead of also looking at how the American people will be able to defend themselves when need be if guns are fully taken away. Government officials are trying to find a solution to eliminate the percentage of deaths per year. Guns are dangerous when used inappropriately, especially when they get into the wrong hands. There just isnt a problem with adults handling

Adult Stem Cells - 1234 Words

Written Assignment 2: Biology and Technology in the Real World Addresses course outcomes 2 and 3: †¢ use knowledge of biological principles to ask relevant questions about the natural world †¢ make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations 1. Select one of the following topics below. 2. Find articles related to the topic. 3. Write two pages, double spaced, excluding references. You must read the articles that you find and summarize the information they contain briefly in your own words. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. This assignment demonstrates the acceptable, ethical, and academic method for citing information from a public source. You may not use online†¦show more content†¦A friend asks you. Whats all this controversy in the news about fracking and tar sands? Briefly explain to your friend how hydraulic fracturing and oil sands are used to obtain fossil fuels. Then, in more detail, describe the environmental problems involved in these processes and why they are controversial. Finally, give your opinions on possible solutions to the problems, with your reasoning backed by the references that you studied. Stem cells Stem cells are a special group of cells found in all multicellular organisms. What makes them unique and different from other cells is the fact that they are unspecialized and have the potential to differentiate into diverse cell types while still maintaining the ability to replenish themselves. Generally, these cells are divided into 2 broad categories – the embryonic stem cells that are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and the adult stem cells that are harvested from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood or the adipose tissue of an adult. Stem cell based regenerative therapies Because of their unparalleled ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, stem cells are an attractive subject in the field of medical science. Stem cell therapy explores the possibility of introducing stem cells intoShow MoreRelatedThe Cell Of Adult Stem Cells993 Words   |  4 Pagesproliferative cells that maintain their population size when they divide, while at the same time producing progeny that enter a dividing transit population within which further rounds of cell division occur, together with differentiation events, resulting in the production of the various differentiated function cells required of the tissue.13 This means that adult stem cells exist in small groups and are mostly undifferentiated, meaning the cells have the capability to change into one or more cell typesRead MoreCell Cells And Adult Stem Cells Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into other cells or divide to produce more stem cells. There are two main types: pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells. The adult stem cells only produce certain types of cells and are categorised as multipotent. In contrast, pluripotent stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any body cell (Stemcellfoundation.net.au, 2015); for example embryonic stem cells were first identified by Martin Evans in 1981 at The UniversityRead MoreStem Cells And Adult Stem Cell Research882 Words   |  4 PagesStem cell are cells with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells( Introduction [Stem Cell Information]., 2015). Stem cells, like any other cell divide, however, when stems cells divide they either remain a stem cell or become a specialized cell, for example, a neuron (Introduction [Stem Cell Information]., 2015). Stem cell research is nothing new; in fact the first bone marrow tran splant to successfully treat two siblings with combined immunodeficiencyRead MoreAdult Stem Cells Vs. Embryonic Stem Cell Research1108 Words   |  5 Pages4/4/16 Adult Stem Cells vs. Embryonic Stem Cells â€Å"The unspecialized cells are differentiated cells created are known as stem cells† (Miller Ph.D., Levine Ph.D., 2012). Embryonic and Adult stem cells are the only types of stem cells. Stem cell research shows a good deal of promise in the aiding of curing diseases. Both embryonic and adult stem cells show promise in curing diseases, but it is unclear which type of stem cell is more effective. The human embryo for embryonic stem cell researchRead MoreEmbryonic And Adult Stem Cell Research Essay1093 Words   |  5 Pages but he is unaware that the type of sickle cell disease from which he is suffering can be cured using stem cells. Scientists have recorded two types of stem cells – embryonic and adult. Stem cells can be retrieved not only from embryos, but also umbilical cords, the placenta, amniotic fluid, and adult tissues and organs (â€Å"Stem Cells,† 2011, p.12). Stem cell research is only a small part of a much larger field of regenerative medicine that includes cell-based therapies, gene technology, and tissueRead MoreAre Adult Stem Cells Are Been Curing Diseases?933 Words   |  4 Pagestreatable. However, the use of adult stem cells is proving to be an extremely effective method to cure a wide range of medical disorders. While little funding is available for stem cell research, the outcomes are beginning to look promising. In the article, â€Å" Adult Stem Cells Are Already Curing Diseases,† Jean Peduzzi Nelson, a stem cell researcher from Wayne State University, argues for more funding and research in the area of stem cells. She presents instances in which stem cells have worked to help cureRead MoreMedical Ethics : Adult Stem Cell Research Essay1565 Words   |  7 Pages Tennisa Saunders Medical Ethics Adult Stem Cell Research Professor December 2016 In this essay I decided to write on Stem. Initially, I began by defining what stem cell is and the different types of stem cell scientist work with. I include the medical scenario of a woman from Huston by the name of Debbie Bertrand who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. I also included Dr. Lall, discovery of stem cells in baby teeth, because I found the article to be very interesting. Philosophical questionRead More Embryonic and Adult Stem Cell Research Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesEmbryonic and Adult Stem Cell Research With the advent of a wide variety of scientific advances in the medical field, especially those improvements in health-related fields, the quality of life for the earth’s inhabitants has improved greatly over the past century. Scientists continue to improve upon current knowledge and expand the field of medicine. Over the past few years, scientists have performed significant research pertaining to the study of stem cells. Many researchers see potentialRead MoreEmbryonic And Adult Stem Cell Research2165 Words   |  9 Pagesthe discovery of stem cells in the 19th Century. Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). According to the National Institutes of Health, embryonic stem cells derive from four to five day old embryos, also known as blastocyst, that have been fertilized in vitro and donated to research purposes with informed consent from the donors. Adul t embryonic stem cells are found in differentiatedRead More Embryonic vs. Adult Stem Cells in Research Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic vs. Adult Stem Cells in Research    Why is the mainstream media significantly downplaying exciting scientific discoveries with adult stem cells? This essay hopes to adequately answer that question. Heres the scoop: As originally reported late last year in the medical journal Blood, Dr. Catherine M. Verfaillie and other researchers at the Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, have discovered a way to coax an adult cell found in the bone marrow to exhibit many of the attributes

The Hunters Phantom Chapter 31 Free Essays

string(80) " her lap as wel as her own; Stefan took Elena’s, and Alaric Matt’s\." Knowing he couldn’t perform the ritual on an empty stomach, Stefan hunted down several squirrels in Mrs. Flowers’s backyard, then returned to the boardinghouse’s garage. Meredith had parked Mrs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 31 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Flowers’s antique Ford out in the drive, and there was more than enough room to set up everything they needed for the banishment ritual. Stefan cocked his head at a skittering noise in the shadows and identified the fast-beating heart of a little mouse. The atmosphere might not be a comfortable one, but the spaciousness of the room and its cement floor meant it would be an excel ent place to work the spel . â€Å"Hand me the tape measure, please,† Alaric said from his sprawled position in the middle of the garage floor. â€Å"I need to get this line just the right length.† Mrs. Flowers had dug up a box of multicolored chalk from somewhere in the boardinghouse, and Alaric had the book propped open and was careful y copying the circles, arcane symbols, parabolas, and el ipses from its pages onto the smooth cement. Stefan gave him the tool and watched as he measured careful y from the innermost circle to a row of strange runes near the outermost edge of his drawing. â€Å"It’s important that everything be precise,† Alaric said, frowning and doublechecking the ends of the measuring tape. â€Å"The smal est error could lead to us accidental y setting this thing loose in Fel ‘s Church.† â€Å"But isn’t it loose already?† asked Stefan. â€Å"No,† Alaric explained. â€Å"This ritual wil al ow the phantom to appear in its corporeal form, which is far more dangerous than the insubstantial thing it is now.† â€Å"Then you’d better get this right,† Stefan agreed grimly. â€Å"If this al goes as planned, the phantom wil be trapped in the innermost circle,† Alaric said, pointing. â€Å"We’l be at the outermost edge, over there past the runes. We ought to be safe out there.† He looked up and gave Stefan a rueful grin. â€Å"I hope. I’m afraid I’ve never done any kind of summoning in real life before, although I’ve read a lot about it.† Terrific, Stefan thought, but he returned Alaric’s smile without comment. The man was doing the best he could. Al they could do was hope it would be enough to save Elena and the others. Meredith and Mrs. Flowers entered the garage, each carrying a plastic shopping bag. Celia trailed behind them. â€Å"Holy water,† Meredith said, lifting a plant mister out of her bag to show him. â€Å"It doesn’t work on vampires,† Stefan reminded her. â€Å"We’re not summoning a vampire,† she replied, and went off to mist the outer spaces in the diagram, careful not to disturb the chalk lines. Alaric stood and started very cautiously hopping out of the huge multicolored diagram, clutching the book in one hand. â€Å"I think we’re about ready,† he said. Mrs. Flowers looked at Stefan. â€Å"We need the others,† she said. â€Å"Everyone affected by the phantom’s powers has to be here.† â€Å"I’l help you carry them down,† Alaric offered. â€Å"Not necessary,† Stefan told him, and headed upstairs alone. Standing by the side of the bed in the little rose-andcream bedroom, he looked down at Elena, Matt, and Bonnie. None of them had moved since he had placed Matt there. He sighed and gathered Elena in his arms first. After a moment, he also picked up her pil ow and a blanket. At least he could try to make her comfortable. A few minutes later al three of the sleepers were lying in the front of the garage, wel outside the diagram, their heads supported by pil ows. â€Å"Now what?† Stefan asked. â€Å"Now we each choose a candle,† Mrs. Flowers said, opening her plastic bag. â€Å"One that you feel represents you in color. According to the book, they real y should be handdipped and special y scented, but this wil just have to do. I won’t pick one myself,† Mrs. Flowers said, handing the bag to Stefan. â€Å"The phantom hasn’t focused its powers on me, and I don’t remember being jealous of anyone since 1943.† â€Å"What happened in 1943?† asked Meredith curiously. â€Å"I lost the Little Miss Fel ‘s Church crown to Nancy Sue Baker,† Mrs. Flowers answered. When Meredith gaped at her, she threw her hands up in the air. â€Å"Even I was a child once, you know. I was strikingly adorable, with Shirley Temple curls, and my mother liked to dress me in fril s and show me off.† Putting the astounding image of Mrs. Flowers in Shirley Temple curls out of his mind, Stefan poked through the assortment of candles and chose a dark blue one. It seemed right to him somehow. â€Å"We need candles for the others, too,† he said. Careful y, he chose a golden one for Elena and a pink one for Bonnie. â€Å"Are you just going by their hair colors?† asked Meredith. â€Å"You’re such a guy.† â€Å"You know these are the right colors for them, though,† Stefan argued. â€Å"Besides, Bonnie’s hair is red, not pink.† Meredith nodded grudgingly. â€Å"I guess you’re right. White for Matt, though.† â€Å"Real y?† Stefan asked. He didn’t know what he would have chosen for Matt. American-flag patterned, maybe, if they had had it. â€Å"He’s the purest person I know,† Meredith said softly. Alaric raised an eyebrow at her and she elbowed him. â€Å"Pure in spirit, I mean. What you see is what you get with Matt, and he’s good and truehearted al the way through.† â€Å"I suppose so,† said Stefan, and he watched without comment as Meredith chose a dark brown candle for herself. Alaric shuffled through the bag and picked a dark green candle, and Celia selected one of pale lavender. Mrs. Flowers took the bag with the remaining candles and stashed it on a high shelf near the garage doors, between a bag of potting soil and what looked like an old-fashioned kerosene lantern. They al sat down on the garage floor in a semicircle, outside the diagram, facing toward the empty inner circle, holding their unlit candles. The sleepers lay behind them, and Meredith held Bonnie’s candle in her lap as wel as her own; Stefan took Elena’s, and Alaric Matt’s. You read "The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 31" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Now we anoint them with our blood,† Alaric said. They al looked at him, and he shrugged defensively. â€Å"It’s what the book says.† Meredith removed a smal pocketknife from her bag, cut her finger, and quickly, matter-of-factly, smeared a stripe of blood from the top to the bottom of her brown candle, then passed the knife to Alaric along with a little bottle of disinfectant. One by one, the others fol owed her lead. â€Å"This is real y unsanitary,† Celia said, wincing, but she fol owed through. Stefan was very aware of the smel of human blood in such an enclosed space. Even though he’d just fed, his canines prickled in an automatic response. Meredith picked up the candles and walked to their sleeping friends, crossing from one to the next and raising their hands to make a swift cut and wipe their blood against their candles. Not one of them even flinched. When she had finished, Meredith redistributed the sleepers’ candles and returned to her spot. Alaric began to read, in Latin, the first words of the spel . After a few sentences, he hesitated at a word and Stefan silently took the grimoire. Smoothly he picked up where Alaric had left off. The words flowed off his tongue, the feel of the Latin on his lips reminding him of hours spent with his childhood tutor hundreds of years ago, and of a period when he lived in a monastery in England during the early days of his struggle with vampirism. When the time came, he snapped his fingers and, with a touch of Power, his candle lit itself. He handed it to Meredith, who dripped a little of the melted wax onto the garage floor at the edge of the diagram and stuck the candle there. One by one, at the appropriate points in the ritual, he lit a candle and she placed it, until there was a little row of multicolored candles bravely burning between them and the chalk outlines of the diagram. Stefan read on. Suddenly the pages of the book began to flutter. A cold, unnatural wind rose inside the closed garage, and the flames of the candles flickered wildly and then blew out. Two candles fel over. Meredith’s long hair whipped around her face. â€Å"This isn’t supposed to happen,† Alaric shouted. But Stefan just squinted his eyes against the gale and read on. The pitch-blackness and the unpleasant sensation of fal ing lasted for only a moment, and then Elena landed jarringly on both feet and staggered forward, clutching Matt’s and Bonnie’s hands. They were in a dim octagonal room lined with doors. A single piece of furniture sat in the center. Behind the lone desk lounged a tanned, beautiful, amazingly muscular, bare-chested vampire with a long, spiraling mane of bronze hair fal ing past his shoulders. Instantly Elena knew where she was. â€Å"We’re here.† She gasped. â€Å"The Gatehouse!† Sage leaped to his feet on the other side of the desk, his face almost comical y surprised. â€Å"Elena?† he exclaimed. â€Å"Bonnie? Matt? What’s going on? Qu’est-ce qui arrive?† Usual y, Elena would have been relieved to see Sage, who had always been kind and helpful to her, but she had to get to Damon. She knew where he must be. She could almost hear him cal ing to her. She strode across the empty room with barely a glance at the startled gatekeeper, pul ing Matt and Bonnie along with her. â€Å"Sorry, Sage,† she said as she reached the door she wanted. â€Å"We’ve got to find Damon.† â€Å"Damon?† he said. â€Å"He’s back again?† and then they passed through, ignoring Sage’s shouts of â€Å"Stop! Arretezvous!† The door closed behind them, and they found themselves in a landscape of ash. Nothing grew here, and there were no landmarks. Harsh winds had blown the fine black ash into shifting hil s and val eys. As they watched, a strong gust caught at the light top layer of ash and sent it flying in a cloud that soon settled into new shapes. Below the lighter ash, they could see swamps of wet, muddy ash. Nearby was an ash-choked pool of stil water. Nothing but ash and mud, except for an occasional scorched and blackened bit of wood. Above them was a twilit sky in which hung a huge planet and two great moons, one a swirling bluish white, the other silvery. â€Å"Where are we?† said Matt, gaping up at the sky. â€Å"Once this was a world – a moon, technical y – that was shaded by a huge tree,† Elena told him, walking steadily forward. â€Å"Until I destroyed it. This is where Damon died.† She felt rather than saw Matt and Bonnie exchange a glance. â€Å"But, uh, then he came back, right? You saw him in Fel ‘s Church the other night, didn’t you?† Matt said hesitantly. â€Å"Why are we here now?† â€Å"I know that Damon’s close,† Elena said impatiently. â€Å"I can feel him. He’s come back here. Maybe this is where he began his search for the phantom.† They kept walking. Soon they were not so much walking as wading through black ash that stuck to their legs in nasty thick clumps. The mud underneath the ash clung to their shoes, releasing them at each step with a wet sucking sound. They were almost there. She could feel it. Elena picked up the pace, and the others, stil linked to her, hurried to keep up. The ash was thicker and deeper here because they were approaching where the trunk had been, the very center of this world. Elena remembered it exploding, shooting up into the sky like a rocket, disintegrating as it went. Damon’s body had lain underneath and had been completely buried in the fal ing ash. Elena stopped. There was a thick, drifting pile of ash that looked like it would be at least as high as her waist in places. She thought she could see where Damon had awoken – the ash was disturbed and caved in, as if someone had tunneled out of one of the deeper drifts. But there was no one around except themselves. A cold wind blew up a spray of ash, and Bonnie coughed. Elena, kneedeep in cold, sticky ash, dropped Bonnie’s hand and wrapped her arms around herself. â€Å"He’s not here,† she said blankly. â€Å"I was so sure he would be here.† â€Å"He must be somewhere else, then,† said Matt logical y. â€Å"I’m sure he’s fighting the phantom, like you said he was going to. The Dark Dimension’s a big place.† Bonnie shivered and huddled closer to Matt, her brown eyes huge and ful of pathos, like a hungry puppy’s. â€Å"Can we go home now? Please? Sage can send us back again, can’t he?† â€Å"I just don’t understand,† Elena said, staring at the empty space where the great trunk of the tree had once been. â€Å"I just knew he would be here. I could practical y hear him cal ing me.† Just then a low, musical laugh cut through the silence. It was a beautiful sound, but there was something chil y and alien about it, something that made Elena shudder. â€Å"Elena,† Bonnie whispered, her eyes wide. â€Å"That’s the thing I heard before the fog took me.† They turned. Behind them stood a woman. A woman-shaped being, anyway, Elena amended quickly. This was no woman. And, like its laugh, this woman-shaped being was beautiful, but frightening. She – it – was huge, more than one and a half times the size of a human, but perfectly proportioned, and it looked like it was made of ice and mist in blues and greens like the purest glacier, its eyes were clear with just a touch of pale green. As they watched, its solid, icytranslucent hips and legs shifted and blurred, changing to a swirl of mist. A long wave of blue-green hair drifted behind it, its shape like a gradual y roiling cloud. It smiled at Elena, and its sharp teeth shone like silvery icicles. There was something in its chest, though, that wasn’t ice, something solid and roundish and dark, dark red. Elena saw al of this in an instant before her attention was ful y riveted on what hung from the ice-woman-thing’s outstretched hand. â€Å"Damon.† She gasped. The ice-woman was holding him casual y around the neck, ignoring his struggles as he dangled in the air. It held him so easily that he looked like a toy. The black-clad vampire swung out with his leg, kicking at the ice-woman’s side, but his foot simply passed through mist. â€Å"Elena,† Damon said in a choked, thin voice. The ice-woman – the phantom – cocked its head to one side and looked at Damon, then squeezed his neck a little tighter. â€Å"I don’t need to breathe, you†¦ idiot phantom,† he gasped defiantly. The phantom’s smile widened and it said in a sweet, cold voice, like crystals chiming together, â€Å"But your head can pop off, can’t it? That’l do just as wel .† It shook him a little, and then transferred its smile to Elena, Bonnie, and Matt. Elena instinctively stepped back as the glacier-cold eyes found her. â€Å"Welcome,† the phantom said to her in a tone of pleasure, as though they were old friends. â€Å"I’ve found you and your friends so refreshing, al your little jealousies. Each of you with your own special flavor of envy. You’ve got an awful lot of problems, don’t you? I haven’t felt so strong or so wel -nourished for mil ennia.† Its face became thoughtful, and it began to shake Damon gently up and down. He was making a guttural choking noise now, and tears of pain ran down his face. â€Å"But you real y should have stayed where I put you,† the phantom continued, its voice a little colder, and it swung Damon casual y in a great arc through the air. He wheezed and pul ed at its huge hand. Was it even true that he didn’t need to breathe? Elena didn’t know. Damon wasn’t above lying about it if he had a reason, or even for no reason except to annoy his opponent. â€Å"Stop it!† Elena shouted. The phantom laughed again, genuinely amused. â€Å"Go ahead and make me, little one.† Its grip tightened around Damon’s throat and he shuddered. Then his eyes rol ed back until Elena could see only the ghastly, red-veined whites of his eyes, and he went limp. How to cite The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 31, Essay examples