Three Musketeers

Sunday night as I was staggering down the street with blood dripping from the gashes on my head † Oh yeah by the way it was Halloween and I was dressed up as a zombie, anyway we were Like the 3 musketeers me as a zombie, Each as a mummy, and Cattail as a witch all strolling down the streets with pockets full of sweets and I mean full as we turned the corner to go down Casey avenue there It was the lonely house at the end of the street with the creaky gate here no one went, but you know Each wanting to get sweets from every house so we went, the gate creaked as it opened the dead rose trees in the front garden and the odd rat scattering across the path sent a shiver up my spine as we approached the door bats flew around our heads the thick old wooden door creaked open I knew this wasn't a good idea an old strange man staggered towards the door we could slightly see his face in the moonlight he had a pointy nose thick grey curly hair red eyes, a pale mouth and a face as white as snowMay 3, 1999 was a day l, and many other Oklahoman, will never forget. It was Friday afternoon and I had just got off a conference call around 4:30. I was tired after a long week so I flipped on the TV to take my mind off of work. Well, there were live news reports warning there was a tornado around 70-80 miles south-southwest of Oklahoma City. I had no idea this tornado was going to stay on the ground for hours and create the strongest winds ever recorded – Ever. It started out small, like an Fl, UT as it got closer to Oklahoma City the thing – this monster off storm – got bigger and bigger and bigger! I'll never forget watching this whole thing live as it happened from the eyes of the local TV helicopters.The most chilling moments that really haunt me were to see destroyed neighborhoods moments after the tornado tore through them In the Bridge Creek/Moore suburbs that were hit the hardest. People were coming out of an elementary school, where they had taken shelter, and they were just walking around in a daze among the total destruction of what use to be heir homes. Most homes were gone and destroyed beyond recognition. I knew if the helicopters stayed on the scene long enough we would see people who had died. It was really uncomfortable to see this horror unfold as it happened while sitting in the comforts of my family room. Oh, the smell of natural gas! I can still remember how strong it was.It hung in the air for the longest time after the monster destroyed most everything in its path. We were 15 miles away, too. In all, there were over 60 rondos that day that ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas.

Barack Obama`S Speech Analysis

INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to examine the strategies of President Barack Obama, and its ideological component, also why Barack Obama use exact words and how strong is the influence. The topic has been studied before by Juraj Horvath (2010),Jana Langrova(2010) and Junling Wang(2010). Therefore, the goal of the conducted research paper is to find out which of the political are used more often in the speech of Barack Obama, and what does it mean. The enabling objectives to get the research goal are the following: ) To read and analyze the secondary sources on the research topic 2) To collect the empirical data 3) To implement the necessary research method 4) To create a table, showing the most frequent terms. The hypothesis is that convinced political terms are used more often in the speech of Barack Obama than other terms. The research methods of research applied in the study: Library research: the study of the secondary sources on the research theme. Quantitative empirical research method: corpus-based quantitative research.The main research method applied in the study was quantitative frequency analysis. Chapter 1 is devoted to the secondary sources analysis on the research topic. Chapter 2 explains the research methodology applied in the study. Chapter 3 presents the research results and discussion on finding. Appendix contains the table presenting the most frequently used terms. Analysis of Secondary Sources (The Literature Review) Chapter I presents the literature connected with analysis of Barack Obama`s speeches.The power and influence of Barack Obama speeches are discussed in this text; also his expressed ideology and its manipulations are mentioned then. Opinions and thoughts of Juraj Horvath â€Å"Critical Discourse Analysis of Obama`s Political Discourse† and Jana Langrova â€Å"Ideology in Obama`s Prague Speech in the Mirror of Discourse Analysis† (2010) are presented and compared in Chapter I. Juraj Horvath used quantitative method to write his analysis, and when he counted all the words, what he were interested in, he expressed the ideas, which are very remarkable. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ new†, which characterizes the strategy and ideas of the newly sworn president and his administration†, this extract is about Barack Obama`s often used word â€Å"new†. Juraj Horvath`s opinion about the use of this word is very interesting. He considers that the fact of using the word â€Å"new†, so often as Barack Obama does, shows his ideological aspects and promptitude for the innovations. Jana Langrova looked for the rhyme, speed and phonetic features of Barack Obama`s speech, but her conclusion and thoughts are very similair to Juraj Horvath.Jana Langrova considered that his speech employs rhyme, repetition and stress. He also stresses the word â€Å"new† in his speeches very often, and Jana Langrova noticed it. â€Å"There is new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to b uilt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ,-these are Barack Obama`s words which were analyzed by two people. To summarize, Chapter I deals with the secondary sources concerned with previous analysis of the speeches of Barack Obama. Methodology This Chapter II will deal with the methodology used in this research.First the research method will be presented and then the research procedure will be described step by step. There are many methods to analyze the text, but theme of chosen paper will be analyzed by quantitative method. Quantitative research is used generally in social sciences such as political science. Qualitative methods construct information just on the particular cases studied, and any more main conclusions are only hypotheses. Quantitative methods may be used to verify, which hypotheses are true.Advocates of quantitative methods dispute that only by use of such methods can the social sciences become truly scientific, also advocates of qualitative methods argue that quantitative methods tend to obscure the reality of the public phenomena under the study, because they abandon the non-measurable issues, which could be the most valuable. In this paper the author was used to gather quantitative data —to deal with information connected with numbers and anything that is measurable. Statistics, tables and graphs will be presented as the results of these methods in appendix.The following chapter will be devoted to giving the results. Findings and Discussion The world of linguistics has been affected he and stimulated by Barack Obama`s individuality. Many new words have been created. Obamania, is linking with the passion and obsession he has been accepted and favored by many. Barack Obama`s ideology and philosophy have been referred to as one of the most confusing and difficult ideologies to analyze. In the speech of Barack Obama the strong religious content ideas can be found, for example: 1) â€Å"Thank you. God bless you.And God bless the United States of America. † 2) â€Å"This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. † 3) â€Å"†¦on the horizon and God’s grase upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. † 4) â€Å"†¦the God – given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. † That fact that he also uses the direct and indirect speeches from Bible can all help Barack Obama to win the supporting of audience.The fact, which was very interesting to find out was that Barack Obama uses the words â€Å"we†, â€Å"Americans†, â€Å"each of us†, â€Å"all†, â€Å"our† very often to his speech(1), and from the psychological point of view it is made to create a close relationship between the president an his honorable audience. ( From Barack Obama`s inaugural speech quantitative analysi s) In order to arrive at a more quantitative result of this analysis, a keyword analysis of the most frequently used words and nuances in Obama`s speech gave the following findings.His speech consisted of 2403 words, and the pronoun â€Å"we† – was repeated 62 times. It was the most frequently used word by Barack Obama,for example: 1) â€Å"†¦we must work together†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2) â€Å"†¦we are bound by shared values†¦Ã¢â‚¬  3) â€Å"†¦we will seek to include all nuclear weapons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  4) â€Å"†¦we believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  5) â€Å"†¦we cannot succeed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  6) â€Å"†¦we know the path†¦Ã¢â‚¬  7) â€Å"†¦we have to insist†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Also it is important to mention that it was very interesting to found that Barack Obama uses biblical language and quotations, non-traditional speech, and his position shows his liberal stand of him, what could be found in each speech of Barack Obama.Finally, the most imp ortant part, what I have found in his speeches is that Obama want to create a new nation which will be free from the war or other bad influence, and also he tries to get away from the old partisan divisions and looks for to be perceived as being above ideology. His thoughts and ideology about the better future without any bad elements in it show the hidden meaning of his ideas and promisses, which is logically followed from his ideas – â€Å"new† is always better, and for him the best nation is new = free nation.

Political Parties and Pressure Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Parties and Pressure Groups - Essay Example Political Parties and Pressure Groups However, some state officials use this power to fulfill their personal interest. The destructive activities were made possible by the use beyond the power vested upon these government officials. This is the greatest problem of governing. It is apparent that the state is now operating for their own benefits and disregarding the rights of the society. A criminal activity such as corruption which is stealing the money of the society is very visible, where politicians openly ignore their responsibilities as well as their sworn statement towards the public. This practice exhibits gross parasitism, malfeasance and criminality. While these practices were done by those government officials with whom the general public has elected, it has become a question as to why those criminal offences were committed by those "supposed to be" leaders. Are there other factors that greatly influence those practices Do these practices affect democracy Do these practices have any relation to political parties and pressure groups Are political parties and pressure groups a hindrance or an aid in democracy According to Jack L. Davies (2001), political parties can be organized by anyone, can select their own membership and leadership any way they want, and can define any political positions that they want without consulting with anyone else. However, they do not represent any citizens, other than the members of the party itself. They must then present their candidates for election and political positions for approval by referenda as appropriate before their political agenda has any real relevance. Political parties are groups or organizations which aim for certain goals and have their own political ideologies and policies. They seek to attain political power in the government by electing a leader and running in the election in order for these political ideologies and policies to be implemented. Though political parties' aids in democracy by giving the general public a lot of choices of what political party will best serve the nation, political parties have also its own strengths and weaknesses. The bright side of political parties, aside from giving the general public a lot of choices, by free and open competition, is also, as stated by Kenneth Wollack, President of National Democratic Institute, (2005) in new democracies, governments, political parties and civil society are finding ways to work cooperatively to construct and consolidate their nascent democratic institutions. Political parties train political leaders and educate the general public by explaining and defending the government policies. They give the general public some points to ponder by pointing out the weaknesses of the governing party's policies and other party lists' policies at the same time promote their own course of action. These happen during the election campaigns. During election campaigns, these political parties serve as a channel for the general public and the government as well repair damage roads and do other things that the government has recently failed to do that will give benefit to the general public. Political parties have also its own disadvantages. First is, the political leaders who

The effects that standardized tests have on america's students Research Paper

The effects that standardized tests have on america's students - Research Paper Example Consequently, many people and various organizations have used the term for a long time to advocate for as well as champion for their rights, thereby making the word very powerful. For instance, various women’s suffrage, Civil Rights movements, among others have fought for equality for the human race no matter black or white, male or female, rich or poor just to mention a few. In America, the standards – based educational reform introduced the standardized tests in order to raise America’s standard of achievement in the education sector. This has been part of American education system from the 1800s and its use increased in 2002 after enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that mandated yearly testing within the 50 states (McMeans 5). According to James Popham, former president of the American Educational Research Association, standardized tests refers to tests administered, scored, and later interpreted in a predetermined and standard manner (Higgins 12 ). The policy accorded high priority student performance with the aim of increasing student and school performance, thereby preparing American students to compete favorably for opportunities on the international stage. Proponents argue that standardized tests entail a fair as well as objective means of examining student achievement (Phelps 23). This makes schools and teachers more accountable to the taxpayers who are the parents. Therefore, standardized tests promote equality among students ensuring that all Americans pass a given tests in order to move to the next level. Despite the support and recognition given to standardized tests and the equality, it proves ambiguous since logically it is unattainable on earth. This is because when it is pursued beyond excellence or freedom, it can turn out to be very dangerous (Stahlman 242). The dangers of championing for equality beyond excellence are displayed in the story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, written by Kurt Vonnegut. However, opponents of standardized tests claim that the tests are neither objective nor fair and that their use encourages a narrow curriculum as well as drill like teaching to the test situation (Visone & EdD 95). Moreover, the tests compromise the ability of America to produce critical thinkers and innovators. Vonnegut in his story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† clearly dwells on the theme of the dangers of total equity. He asserts that absolute equality is not a perfect and worth striving for by human beings (Dougherty 176). This is because it is a misguided goal that proves dangerous both in the execution and in its outcome. Therefore, the search for equality above excellence or freedom is very dangerous. This is because application of equality in some situations and in areas that it cannot and should not exist might restrict excellence as well as liberty (Harris, Bruce & Harris 56). This is because in life human beings are not equal in some things and will never be. According to Abraha m Lincoln’s speech during the Declaration of Independence, people are not equal in size, colour, moral development, intellect, as well as social capacity (Crossley 2). Therefore, the fact remains that human beings are different in various things, in both physical and mental realms, and thus it is impossible to achieve total equality. Thus, just like in the Vonnegut’s story, standardized tests promote absolute equality. This is dangerous due to several

Final Class Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final Class Project - Assignment Example Another element of ethics that nurses failed to observe is the principle of Non-malfeasance, which means shying away from causing any harm to the patients (Guido, 2010). Nurses are expected to illustrate a high level of competence in order to avoid any injures or suffering to the ailing patients. This principle also comprises the reporting of the nurses that fail to adhere to the ethics and laws of nursing, and, those suspected of going against the nursing rules are nullified. Nurses also failed to adhere to the rules of Autonomy. This principle deals with independence and the capability to have self- direction. This means that patients are given the right towards self-determination. In this case, patients have a right to know how they are fairing and therefore, have a right to either accept or deny treatment (Guido, 2010). The rights of the patients must be respected. Finally, according to the principle of justice, patients should receive treatment fairly and equitably. This means t hat nurses should spend ample time with patients and offer absolute attention to the satisfaction of the patients. In addition to the ethical issues, nurses had a legal obligation to this patient. The presence of law in nursing practice is to ascertain that both the nurses and patients are protected from any victimization or malpractices that may compromise their profession or health respectively. In other words, nurses show competence, safety and holistic care towards their patients. In addition, they are expected to render absolute care through principles of reasonable and prudence and show some clinical competency (Guido, 2010). Was there a deviation from the standards of care in this instance? Explain It is the role and responsibility of the nurses to ensure that patients receive maximum care in terms of their health. Based on this case, nurses seem to have deviated from the standards as prescribed by the principles of nursing and care. These nurses failed to show any concern on the patient yet he had admittance in their clinic. It is the responsibility of the nursing profession to owe similar duties to self and to patients, including the obligation to maintain integrity and safety, in maintaining competence and endure with individual and professional growth. However, the nurses expected to demonstrate care to the patients failed to show any sign of integrity and due care when they left the patient unattended to, and this may have led to his death (Ganske, 2010, Sept.). Another standard of care that nurses failed to adhere to is the standard of moral self respect. Moral esteem accords value and self-respect to every human being regardless their individual attributes or even circumstances in their lives. Nurses should extend such esteem towards themselves and also to the patients. In our case scenario, nurses deviated from demonstrating any form of integrity towards the patient and instead abandoned him to die in agony. As much as denying them self-esteem, such a behavior demoralizes their personal values and integrity in the nursing profession. What elements of negligence/ malpractice are demonstrated in this case? Explain Malpractice comprises the wrongful conducts demonstrated by a professional person. It also involves discharge of unacceptable professional roles or even the failure to adhere to the principle of proper care which

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT - Case Study Example hat is also critical to note that management structure of the firm is largely de-centralized with Regional control exercised through regional hierarchy of management and structure is largely decentralized with strong delegation at the local level. Shell has extremely decentralized organizational environment wherein most of its subsidiaries work independently under the Regional control. As such the corporate governance issues that are faced by local subsidiaries of the firm. At the international scene, Shell therefore faced mostly the local corporate governance regulations and modeled itself according to the local regulations rather than forming a centralized corporate governance mechanism. It is however, also important to note that Shell has been criticized for the higher compensation of its executives and it was because of this reason that shareholders in 2009 rejected the executive compensation plan.(Lublin & Chazan,2009). Shell works in petroleum industry in which the overall cost of doing business is really high because of high cost of capital involved. Apart from this, the output in the industry is mostly dominated by the States wherein the direct control of oil resources is in the hands of the State. OPEC is the largest cartel in the world which controls the output of oil to be produced and as such industry is largely concentrated in nature. Shell Plc is the largest organization in the world in this industry however; major competitors included British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil as well as Total. (Hoovers, 2010). It is however, also important to note that competition is largely concentrated and firms are mostly price takers with little influence over the output as well as prices. Oil and Petroleum products are not manufactured rather they are minerals which are extracted from the soil. As such their presence depends upon the availability of reserves in any particular market therefore Shell has to operate at the international level in order to take advantage of

Critically discuss and analyse 2012 London Olympic play in their Essay

Critically discuss and analyse 2012 London Olympic play in their capacity to generate social, cultural, economic and tourism impacts - Essay Example Hosting the Olympic Games has also been something that many countries want to be associated with especially when it comes to hosting (Tcha 2004, p. 312). The history of the Olympics back to Athenian period, where they are thought to have originated from (Veraros, Kasimati & Dawson 2004, p. 749-50). Since then, the competitions have developed and increased in the number of sporting events and the manner in which the competitions are organized. The Olympic Games are usually held after every four years, compared to other sporting events that in most cases take place on a biennial basis. Organization of the Olympic Games is a mandate of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a body that was initiated in 1894 with current headquarters in Britain. Currently, many countries across the world dream of hosting the Olympic games after the time required, there is always a lot of bidding for hosting rights of the sporting event. The motivation to host these events is usually preceded by the thought of perceived benefits that the events pose to the state (Caporale, Economou & Philippas, 2008, p. 10; Berman, Brooks & Davidson 2000, p. 785). Previously, statistics and records compiled at the end of the Olympic Games show that in spite of the huge costs incurred in preparations for hosting of the events, there are huge benefits derived from successful Olympic Games. The 2012 Summer Olympics were also commonly referred to as the 2012, and were a major international multi-sport event that were held and celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic games. These events took place in the London capital in the United Kingdom in the 2012 and attracted more than 200 nations with over 10, 000 athletes taking part in the different athletics categories. Following a successful bid, London was able to outwit other fierce rivals in the hosting process that included Russia’s Moscow, the New York City of United

American Prison Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8250 words

American Prison Law - Essay Example Citizens, who had been wrongly accused or unjustly sentenced, could challenge such actions. It was the bounden duty of the federal government to implement a system of checks-and-balances in the system so that the correction department did not infringe the fundamental liberty of citizens. This endeavor was assisted significantly by librarians who acted in an unbiased manner within the purview of the standards established by the American Association of Law Libraries. This was to ensure that the policies of institutions and departments, and authorizations from the United States Supreme Court and local jurisdictions were observed2. In the 1977 case of Bounds v. Smiths, the right of an offender to access the judiciary was established by the US Supreme Court. Moreover, the court held that prison inmates should be provided with access to state and federal court systems. It also directed the correctional facilities to allow offenders to access law libraries and to provide legal assistance to their illiterate inmates, so that they could avail themselves of professional assistance while preparing their pleadings. The objective of this decision was to enable prisoners to access the court systems. However this ruling created a lot of consternation amongst the correctional personnel, librarians and library science professionals as it required them to implement new strategies in order to provide prison inmates with access to the appropriate legal documents3. The applicants in Casey v Lewis were prison officials of the Arizona DOC. The DOC had argued that the US District Court of Arizona had been mistaken in deciding that the department had breached Bounds. It also claimed that the court's order deprived the lawful remedies of the department. The respondents in the case were twenty - two inmates imprisoned in various correctional facilities of the DOC4. The respondents collectively filed a class - suit on behalf of all offenders who had been imprisoned and also on behalf of future offenders. In their application they have accused the DOC of depriving them of the right to access the courts and counsel. These provisions had been assured by the First, Sixth and Fourteenth Constitutional amendments. The district court held that the prisoners had a constitutional right of access to the courts and that such access was to be adequate and effective5. Moreover, the court held that the DOC had failed to act in accordance with constitutional standards. The court also found that the DOC was not in a position to meet the offenders' needs in areas such as providing the inmates with appropriate training so as to utilize the library. It also held that the library had failed to obtain updated legal materials and that it had not provided prisoners with photocopying facilities6. Moreover, the court observed that prisoners belonged to two groups and that these offenders had not been provided with adequate services. The first group was composed of offenders on a lockdown status or in other words it was composed of offenders who had been deprived of the bodily right of entry to the law library. Such offenders were on occasion denied access to the courts. The second group consisted of offenders who either could not speak English or who were illiterate7. The court accepted the

A SMALL PLACE JAMAICAN KINCAID Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A SMALL PLACE JAMAICAN KINCAID - Essay Example However, as I kept on reading, I figured that Jamaican Kincaid is about a journey of a tourist, who comes far away from his every day world to have a good time. It shows the ignorance we use as bliss in order to go through an ordinary life. Starting from the customs at the airport, writer Annie John has tried to show the difference the tourist is likely to notice once he/she arrives in Antigua. The cab ride, which starts with the driver quoting a high price than the one he would charge the local people. The writer shows here that people in these countries, especially cab drivers feel that their best chance of earning easy money is to quote a high price to a western tourist as the drivers would feel that these tourists would not mind spending these amounts of money since they do not have any idea about the regular charge. The ride to the hotel might seem dangerous if narrated, with nearly no traffic rules being followed and the condition of the roads giving you the feeling that you are in Disney Land and taking a ride in a roller-coaster. However, the writer says that the tourist would not feel much of a difference as the cab drivers in New York are also from these parts of the world and would have a similar style of dr iving. The writer talks about the possible confusion of the tourist when he sees expensive cars Made in Japan, he must wonder how can these people afford it, do these people have equally expensive houses to go with this car? The writer posing this question gets the chance to take a dig at the government of Antigua which owns two major car dealerships in Antigua. The government hence makes car/auto loans easier for consumers while home loans remain stringent. Describing the god awful look of the hospitals and the quality of the doctors, Annie John makes the reader think about the helpless condition of people in Antigua. As the writer said, the ministers can take a

Same Sex Marriage Essay Example for Free

Same Sex Marriage Essay Same sex marriage is a legally or socially recognized marriage between two people of the same biological sex or social gender. This topic is an issue in marriages and families today because there has been an ongoing debate, arguments and so much confusion involved with same sex marriage for a very long time. There are many reasons that are given as to why same sex marriages should be discouraged. Some of these include; others feeling that marriage is an institution between one man and one woman while others feel that this type of marriage is not a good environment to raise kids. Same sex marriage affects almost everybody, some people are unhappy while others are happy with lots of confusion that needs to be cleared and at the same time other people are dying due to the choices that they make. If one decides to go for same sex marriage, they are either shunned by family, friends and the society. Others might be beaten to death or even tortured. In other gay marriages, I feel that the children in the families might be going through a hard time in trying to fit in. Children have a hard time in school which might lead to more issues with the children and trying to fix the situation. In this course, one learns ways and means of dealing with all these issues and they can be in a better position to avoid some of them. Through this paper, I intend to explain the benefits of same sex marriage to those that are in this type of marriage and why it is essential to them; the children in these types of marriages and their living situations and at the same time, I will include some of the reasons why a lot of people are so much against this idea. Same sex marriage is one of the biggest debates that has been going on for a very long time since people can never come to a consensus about this whole issue with lots of different Same sex marriage3 reasons. People feel that churches would be forced to marry gay people against their will. If gay marriage is legalized, homosexuality would be promoted in the public schools. The 2000 United States Census revealed 594,000 same-sex couples nationwide, with 46,490 in New York alone figures that may undercount the true number of couples by as much as 62 percent. There’s a gay baby boom accelerating over the past decade, 34.3 percent of female same-sex households and 22.3 percent of male households have children nationwide (the figures for New York are 34.3 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively). These rates are not that much below the national rate for married opposite-sex couples of 45.6 percent and of unmarried opposite-sex couples of 43.1 percent. Using reasonable estimates, this would suggest around 400,000 children being raised by same-sex couples nationwide, and 31,000 in New York. Same sex marriage should not be encouraged because there’s so much controversy involved around it. There are different reasons given for the benefits for those in the same sex marriage. (www.religioustolerance.org) Examples include; the financial security, dignity respect and the equal rights. Denying one group the right to marry has many adverse emotional and financial consequences. Examples of these are Social Security, Medicare, medical leave, and other benefits; property inheritance; the right to visit their spouse in hospital, and make medical decisions if they are incapacitated; security of the couple and of their children. In todays economic environment, it often takes two incomes to live. A married couple shares rent, utilities, and other bills, which are often difficult for one person to take on alone. This is especially truly if a dependent person is involved such as a child. In addition, a married couple can often financially support each other when times get tough, such as when one of the two is out of work. The other can continue to pay the bills until the unemployed person gets back on his/her feet. Same sex marriage4 As for the equal rights, denying marriage to same-sex couples removes from one group a fundamental, important human right which is the right to marry the person that one loves and to whom one has made a commitment. That is unfair and unjust in a democracy. At the same time, The institution of marriage conveys dignity and respect towards a couple that make a lifetime commitment to support each other. â€Å"Same-sex couples deserve this dignity and respect. Another benefit is that it encourages people to have strong family values and give up high-risk sexual lifestyles. One of the main arguments against gay marriage is that it would further erode family values; however, the opposite is true. www.balancedpolitics.org. The problems related to sexuality in our society such as STDs stem from carefree, frivolous lifestyles; in other words, having frequent, unprotected sex with many partners. Marriage encourages people to settle down and to give up that type of lifestyle. Married people commit themselves to one partner and work to build a life together. Isnt that the type of behavior we want to encourage? (The marriage and family experience Bryan strong Pgs. 368-369); talks about the children in the same sex marriage. Aware of the social stigma and lack of support, gay and lesbian families face, there may be a tendency to minimize differences in the children’s behavior. In so doing, some differences that might be strengths of gay and lesbian families may go under-emphasized. According to (www.religioustolerance.org); those opposed to same-sex marriage (SSM) often point to studies which show that children raised in families headed by a father and mother fare much better, both in childhood and later as adults. But further examination shows that most of these studies are not applicable here, because they compare families with opposite-sex parents to single-parent families, not with those headed by same-sex parents. Of course, many perhaps most children in single-parent families will be disadvantaged because of Same sex marriage5 poverty and the lack of a second parent to give the children more care and attention than one parent can provide. Those who advocate same-sex marriage often point to studies which show that children raised in two-parent families do well, regardless of whether the parents are of the same sex or opposite sex. But most of these studies are deeply flawed because: They involve self-selected subjects, and/or, they do not study families over a sufficiently long interval, and/or they demonstrate bias on the part of the researchers. Children raised in families led by same-sex parents would be continually exposed to homosexuality. They may choose to become gay or lesbian at a higher rate than those raised by a father and mother. Men and women have very different personalities, brain structure, talents, etc. They are designed to fit into very different roles within the family. In order for children to be properly socialized, they need to be brought up by both a father and a mother. The long range effects on children who are brought up by two women or two men are unknown and can only be speculated upon. Children of same-sex couples will be exposed to a great deal of ridicule and hatred by their fellow students and this could negatively affect their development. The desire to marry and settle down with a companion for life is very strong in some adults. So is the desire to have children. Other people also believe that if same sex marriage is not allowed, then at least some homosexuals may well be motivated to marry a person of the opposite sex, to leave the homosexual lifestyle, and to become an ex-gay or ex-lesbian. Others feel like same-sex marriage would weaken the institution of marriage by creating a counterfeit version of marriage which will harm the entire population, including children. Some studies show that the incidence of Same sex marriage6 violence between same-sex couples is higher than that between opposite-sex couples. This may also be true of same-sex couples in loving, committed relationships. If so, then children are bound to be harmed by the presence of violence in the home. These are some of the more reasons why many people are against same sex marriage. www.bidstrup.com. Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually every religion in the world, including the major ones in this country, consider homosexuality unacceptable. It is offensive and a swipe to the religious freedom of the majority to have to recognize a relationship they consider sinful. The legal system in the United States evolved out of the laws contained in the Bible. We shouldnt go even farther to tear down those laws. It would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The 50 percent divorce rate has already weakened the definition of marriage. We shouldnt be taking further steps to define what marriage is. A law allowing gay marriage would increase the number of joke or non-serious marriages, such as a couple of friends who want to save on taxes. Marriage is the most sacred institution in this country, and every society considers it the joining of a man and a woman. It makes biological sense since only a man and woman can pro-create. It would further weaken the traditional family values essential to our society. The building blocks of our society and the thing that makes it strong is the traditional family of man, woman, and children. It is what has sustained us through two world wars, terrorist attacks, a Great Depression, and numerous other challenges over the centuries. While friends lovers come and go, your family is always there. The main reason our culture and values have started to crumble is the weakening of families. Introducing another form of family would only make the Same sex marriage7 situation worse. It could provide a slippery slope in the legality of marriage (e.g. having multiple wives or marrying an animal could be next). Gay rights activists claim that these marriages should be allowed because it doesnt hurt anyone, but it could start a chain reaction that destroys the whole idea of marriage. If someone wants to marry his dog, why shouldnt he be able to? What if someone wants to marry their brother or parent? What if someone wants to marry their blow-up doll or have 10 wives? Unless we develop some firm definition of what a marriage is, the options are endless. If these options sound absurd, remember that all it takes is a few activist judges to use the statute to open the door. It doesnt matter if 95 percent of the population disagrees with the policy; one judge can interpret the case the way he or she wants. Do you remember how two judges in California recently declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional? If the decision hadnt been overturned, it would have prevented millions of children from being able to say the pledge every morning, despite the fact that 95+ percent of Americans disagreed with the decision. A lot of people feel that same sex marriage is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems. Studies show that homosexuals, for a variety of reasons, have life expectancies of approximately 20 years less than the general population. Just like a lifestyle of smoking, drinking, unhealthy lifestyles should be discouraged. www.religioustolerance.org. Same sex marriage is a debate that will always be there no matter what happens but people should never judge the same sex couple who decide to come together and get married. So long as they are happy and the children are well cared for, we should be happy for them. Same sex marriage8 REFERENCES Bidstrup, Scott (2009, June 3). Gay Marriage, The Arguments And The Motives http://www.balancedpolitics.org/ same sex marriage The marriage and Family Experience http://www.ibiblio.org/gaylaw Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: Focus on the Facts Post-2004 Election Edition by Sean Cahill. You tube Video The ViewArgues over Gay Marriage www.religioustolerance.org

The Consequences Of Sri Lankas Civil War

The Consequences Of Sri Lankas Civil War The small island of Sri Lanka is a country rich with agricultural treasures from bountiful tea leaves to lush paddy fields. However, this country has a bloody past that still haunts its present economic and political state. As a Tamil Sri Lankan, I feel it is important that the future of Sri Lanka be analyzed to determine whether it can compete in the globalized world because of its choices with regards to the civil war. As a result of colonization, Sri Lanka was torn apart by two races which ultimately caused a civil war that lasted many years. In this essay, the effects of Sri Lankas civil war will be analyzed from an economic and political standpoint. Viewed from a modernization theory perspective, Sri Lankas costly civil war has caused much damage to the countrys economy and has hindered its progress in terms of its future development projects. This conflict has also created difficulties for Sri Lanka to develop when compared to first world countries because of the macroeconomic implications such as the repercussions of its military spending, its rising international debt, lack of investment, and the weaknesses seen in its political structure (BBC, n.d.). This topic is relevant because in the evolving world, Sri Lanka will find it very difficult to succeed in the international economy because of the choices implemented by the government during the civil war. This essay will argue that the Sri Lankan civil war, brought about by colonization, has diminished the countrys growth prospects and thrown the government into political instability resulting in a current futile attempt at modernization. Theoretical Framework The concept of modernization where third world countries follow the path of first world countries in order to reach their level of development is directly tied to the development theory postulated by Walt Rowle. Therefore, the main theory that will be discussed in this essay is the modernization theory of development. However, this theory will be critiqued as a development theory that cannot be used as a guideline for countries to follow because there is no mention of colonization (Chirot Hall, 1982, p. 84). Despite this, Sri Lanka still pursues this development theory because it desperately wants to adopt Western ideals of development. Because Sri Lanka wants to establish close relationships with the Western world, they are willing to put the impact colonization inflicted on the countrys two major races aside, and continue with their goals of development, ultimately leading to a civil war. Instead of attempting to fix the politics within the country, Sri Lanka continues to follow t he developed countries to an unreachable epitome of development. This theory holds that development is evolutionary and intervention from developed countries is acceptable in order to direct change; therefore, interference from the Western world in matters of the state is not criticized (So, 1990, p. 18). Rostows evolutionary ladder of development, which is composed of a traditional society, pre-conditions for take-off, take-off, the drive to maturity, and the age of high mass consumption, are deeply flawed (Rostow, 1964, p. 4). He does not take into consideration the effect colonization has had on the country because not only does it leave an impact on the colonized countrys economic and political situation, but it also leaves the colonizing country in a very advantaged position. While Sri Lanka hopes to achieve the ideal form of development from a modernization perspective, it will suffer greatly if it does not undergo an economic reform and change its political policies. Historical Context Since 150 B.C., the island of Ceylonrenamed Sri Lanka after gaining independence from the Britishhas had tension between the two largest ethnic groups in the country: the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 396). However, even though there was miscommunication from both parts for many years, they still lived in peace. Because of British intervention in the colonial period, an open conflict commenced in the 1980s between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil rebellion. One of the reasons for the conflict was identified before independence: the British introduced the idea of territorial representation as opposed to communal representation to the Singhalese people, who agreed to it because they would have more influence in government being the majority, while keeping the Tamil people as a minority in government (Managoran, 1987, p. 7). Because of the countrys poor choices in developing their government after independence, the minorities within the country had to suffer. The war lasted almost 30 years and finally ended in 2009 killing more than 70,000 people, damaged the economy and harmed tourism in one of South Asias potentially prosperous societies (BBC, n.d.). When granted independence from the British in 1948 (Tambiah, 1986, p.68), Sri Lanka was more prosperous than most of its Asian neighbours; it had a well developed infrastructure and a well functioning judiciary and democratic political system that was both efficient and productive. However, the decolonization process played a part in the civil war because although the British colonial power left the developing country with minimal economic damage and a fairly stable infrastructure, the ideology they professed continued in Sri Lankan tradition which proved disastrous because the citizens developed a superiority complex. Colonization had its both positive and negative effects within the country. For example, the economy was strengthening because colonization increased paddy production, and even afterwards, the country utilized most of their raw materials, such as tea (Peebles, 1990, p. 37). However, a negative effect of colonization was that ethnic politics and conflicts were beginning to emerge because the Tamil population believed they were being treated unfairly after the British left. During the British colonial rule (1796-1948), Tamil people received nepotism over the Sinhalese people because they were more willing to cooperate with the British (Peebles, 1990, p. 32). Because of this, Tamils had a greater advantage of the colonial dispensation, with its connections to the Western world of commerce, professional opportunity and governmental service (Rotberg, 1999, p. 5) leaving the Sinhalese people poor and neglected. This fuelled the aggravation between the Tamils and Sinhalese because the Tamil s, being the minority, were receiving better education and employment opportunities than the Sinhalese people. The Sinhalese believed that the opportunities provided by the state should be represented by the population. The Sinhalese people were not used to being subordinate to the Tamils in terms of their level of education and financial stability. As a result, the Singhalese people subordinated the Tamils and the Tamils eventually fought back. Once the war was in full force, the country was left in economic ruin because the government began spending increasing amounts of money on the military thereby diminishing future growth prospects (Grobar, Gnanaselvam 1993, p. 396). Macroeconomic Effects: Market Mechanisms The bleak future in the business sector of Sri Lanka is due to the development policy mistakes and social exclusion of the new generation (Abeyratne, 2004, p. 1300). Some of these poor development policy mistakes include the lack of consideration in long term investments, and growth in tourism. Because of the lack of worthwhile investments in the technological sector, Sri Lanka has nothing to put forth in the industrialized market which poses a problem when Sri Lanka looks toward a modernization development scheme. In order for countries to follow Rostows ladder of development, they must begin to expand their technological sector (Rostow, 1964, p. 9). As for the exclusion of the younger generation in the business world, a brain drain phenomenon has been a crucial problem because the war has caused educated citizens to leave Sri Lanka, resulting in the country having a weak base of skilled workers. Moreover, the war has killed more than 70,000 people, many of which were young adults, thereby slashing the working force and leaving a large displaced population of children and seniors (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). However, there is still hope for the country because the Sri Lankan rupee, its national currency, which has been gradually decreasing over the years due to changing commodity prices, has experienced a boost due to hopes of a post-war strengthened economy (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). However, the tourism industry, which once brought great profit to the country because it provided an important source of foreign exchange, has been largely affected by the conflict. This sector has suffered an 11.7% drop in tourists in 2007, compared with the previous year. The violence also caused a 31.4% year-on-year plunge in visitors for August 2008 and the country expected tourism to fall a further 10% in 2009 (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Because of the means the country deployed for the civil war, they lost the advantage in the global economy and are now left in a vulnerable situation. International Debt and Stalled Development Projects Economic growth in Sri Lanka is stifled because long term investment opportunities were not given money since government funding was fuelling the costly war effort. Sri Lanka has been heavily dependent on foreign savings to finance investment projects, and the availability of foreign savings have been a major constraint on Sri Lankas total level of investment (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 401). Whereas in 1982 government spending has increased in health, education and welfare, the spending on economic services that had the potential to make profit in future years have significantly decreased since 1986 (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 399). Sri Lanka is also sinking deeper into international debt and the large cuts in economic services ensure that projects such as the Mahaweli Dam will not be finished or maintained, resulting in a major opportunity cost to the country (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p.400). This Mahaweli Dam project is one of many examples of the investments Sri Lanka had to forsake to fund the war. According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lankas widening current-account deficit, a dependence on foreign borrowings and an overvalued currency pose a serious risk to the nations economic stability (Yong, 2008). The island also adopted a course of structural adjustment because the government found it necessary to develop close ties with Western countries and nongovernmental organizations (DeVotta, 1998, p. 458). Because of these policies, it will be doubly difficult for the Sri Lankan government to intervene in business matters because it follows a neoliberalism philosophy (The Social Consequences, 2005). As a result, the country will be taken advantage of by external sources because Sri Lanka will be unable to develop a technological sector due to their increasing debt and structural adjustment policies, and must constantly be relying on their raw materials for export (DeVotta, 1998, p. 461). Sri Lanka also lacks efficient capital markets to ef fectively progress in the business sector. The government has rationed investment resources; therefore due to low domestic savings, Sri Lanka has paid for its civil war by cutbacks in nonmilitary government spending and large reductions in investment. However, because of this, the long term economic implications of the war are very significant since there is no money being generated from any sources within the country and from external sources. Foreign investors were hesitant to dole money in a country with an unstable political makeup (Grobar Gnanaselvam, 1993, p. 404). Since Sri Lanka has no efficient capital flowing in from other countries, in order to progress, it must now rely on its own economic strength to alleviate its international debt. Military Expenses and Growth Prospects Currently, Sri Lanka hopes to put the civil war past them and continue in their hopes of achieving Western ideals of development. However, this will most surely not be the case when the country comes to terms with the amount of spending they have allocated for the cause. The cost of the long run civil war has significantly slowed down Sri Lankas economy and left it in a vulnerable position. For example in 2007, the government borrowed $181,449 worth of defense loans from international financial markets, which was double the amount from the year before (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Also, in 2008, the Sinhalese government designated $1.5 billion for the defence sector to strengthen the military, which was also a 20% increase from the budget in 2007. Finally, in 2009, Sri Lanka designated $1.64 billion to  the war effort, making it a 6.4% year-on-year increase (Asia Economic Institute, 2011).  These war costs have consumed approximately 30% of the governments budget, and has been estimated to have cost the country over $200 billion over the years (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). That money could have been used to fund businesses, build infrastructure, and even decrease the poverty rate in Sri Lanka. At one point, Sri Lanka was a nation that had a great advantage over other South Asian countries, but now it is delving deeper into a debt that will be very difficult for the country to repay. Political Instability: Intergovernmental Power Struggles The political instability of Sri Lanka is an important factor when determining whether the country can be a competitor in the global market. Although it is a nation that is filled with beautiful, tropical landscape, the political infrastructure within is composed of a clashing of views from government officials and separatists. The civil war was not a linear historical process where one event led to another (Perera, 1999, p.1), instead it was a civil war fuelled by competing conceptions of nationalism (Rotberg, 1999, p. 7). Neelan Tiruchelvam, who was a leading Sri Lankan constitutional thinker and Member of Parliament until his assassination in 1999, believed one of the major problems with Sri Lanka since 1948 was the definition of the state (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). The Sinhalese majority had always assumed a unitary entity, but something other than a unitary state truly matches the plural nature of the contemporary nation (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). Tiruchelvam states that Sri Lankans m ust recognize Sri Lankan Tamils as a distinct nationality, acknowledge and give lasting territorial integrity to a Tamil homelandand enshrine into law the right of Tamils to full citizenship and all democratic rights (Rotberg, 1999, p. 15). It will be impossible for the Sri Lankan community to move on in peace for future generations if the government of Sri Lanka does not represent the Tamil population in government. Tamils hopelessly pushed for a federal government as opposed to a unitary government, so that there would be a decentralization of power and a better representation of minorities in government, but failed and resorted to violent means to make their voice heard (Background Notes, 2001). For Sri Lanka to progress in the developing world, it must first establish a stable government so as to avoid further conflict in the future, and then it can take control of the nation so it can prosper in the business sector. Future for Sri Lankas Government The only path Sri Lanka must take to strengthen its government and in turn regain financial vigour is to comply with some of the needs from the Tamil population. Political solutions to the Tamil situation must be devised immediately because the Tamils are not content with the outcome of the war. The governments concentration purely on trying to set the economy on track, and its failure to consider any long-term reconciliation with the Tamil minority will ultimately result in long-term grievances within the countrys society. Even though the Sinhalese population is dominant on the island, 15% of the population are Tamil and 5% are not ethnically Sinhalese (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). After almost 30 years of this ethnic conflict, the nation lies divided as racism and mistrust takes over the population, hindering any hopes of unification (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). This is sadly the case since nothing was truly gained from the war. There was no economic gain and the Tamils have lost their last hope. However, if political solutions are not being implemented, there is a great chance of a Tamil guerrilla style uprising. Not only would this disturb the peace of the Sri Lankan civilians, analysts suggest that the Tamil minority will show their dissatisfaction by hitting economic and political targets, inflicting great damage in the countrys prospects of long-term stability (Asia Economic Institute, 2011). Before the war ended, Tamils who fled Sri Lanka during the war banded together to protest in major cities of many countries including Canada, the United States and Australia to request that the government of these countries help stop the Tamil genocide (Blanchfield, 2009). But since the war is now over, Tamils must now take action within the country in a peaceful manner and hope their voice will finally be heard. Conclusion Sri Lanka is a beautiful country that is scarred by a bloody 30 year war between the two largest ethnic groups in the country: the Tamils and the Singhalese. Unfortunately, because of this civil war, Sri Lanka is left in a vulnerable position in the global market. This essay proved that Sri Lankas gradual slide into international debt, its exclusion of the younger generation and poor development choices with managing investments and the tourism sector, create many problems for the country to progress economically. The political situation in Sri Lanka is also a hindrance to its growth because it needs to change its policies in order to represent the minorities or risk another uprising. This essay shows that development needs to come from within the country; Sri Lanka needs to completely solve its political differences before it can focus on economic expansion. However, is it possible to satisfy both ethnic groups when there is still animosity between them after the war? Ultimately, th e wider economic issue that this paper addresses is the pressure placed on third world countries to try to achieve Western ideals of development. By following a modernization perspective, this cannot be done. Sri Lanka needs to take charge of its own future and unify the country to make it a stronger force in the globalized world.

Analysis of Dickinson’s I heard a Fly buzz - when I died Essay

Analysis of Dickinson’s I heard a Fly buzz - when I died Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime that dealt with death. She seemed to have an almost morbid fascination with the subject. Her poem "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died" is one of the many poems she wrote about this ghastly topic. The symbols she used make this poem interesting because they can be interpreted on more than one level. The punctuation and capitalization used also give the poem an abstract quality. Like much of Dickinson's poetry, this poem is both startling and somber. One thing that stands out about this poem is that the word fly is capitalized throughout. It makes one wonder what the fly actually represents. Flies often gather around death and dead things, and on one level, the fly can be seen as a representation of death. Death, the perpetual fly on the wall, is finally making itself noticed. Although the speaker has always known that death is going to come, when it finally arrives, its modest appearance is disappointing. The fly can also be seen as an interruption in the narrator's process of dying. The fly can be heard buzzing above the "Stillness in the Room." The fly also comes between the speaker and the light in the last stanza of the poem, which is another disturbance in the speaker's dying process. The fly can also be seen in an ironic light. The speaker, like all of us, is expecting death to be an important, grandiose experience in our lives. Her own death, however, is interrupted by something as insignificant as a fly. The insignificant quality of the fly could represent the commonplace nature of death and the relative irrelevance of the death of one person. The fly is unimportant, an... ...e describing a sort of spiritual death, since she talks about the fly cutting her off form the light, which could represent God. This interpretation has some difficulties, however, since family members probably would not be present during a spiritual death. (Dickinson 1146) Dickinson's poetry is both thought provoking and shocking. This poem communicates many things about Dickinson, such as her cynical outlook on God, and her obsession with death. It is puzzling to me why a young lady such as Emily Dickinson would be so melancholy, since she seemed to have such a good life. Perhaps she just revealed in her poetry that dark side that most people try to keep hidden. Works Cited: Dickinson, Emily. "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 1, 2nd Edition. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1985

The Negative Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- essays researc

The 1920’s were a period or rapid growth and change in America. After World War I American’s were introduced to a lifestyle of lavishness they had never encountered before. It was a period of radical thought and ideas. It was in this time period that the idea of the Harlem Renaissance was born. The ideology behind the Harlem Renaissance was to create the image of the â€Å"New Negro†. The image of African-American’s changed from rural, uneducated â€Å"peasants† to urban, sophisticated, cosmopolites. Literature and poetry abounded. Jazz music and the clubs where it was performed at became social â€Å"hotspots†. Harlem was the epitome of the â€Å"New Negro†. However, things weren’t as sunny as they appeared. Many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasn’t so much a celebration of Black culture, but rather a regurgitation of White ideals. To these African-Americans, the Harlem Renaissance represented conformity and s ubmission to the White culture. Yet there were also those who were not even given the opportunity to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance. The poor Blacks in the South never received any of the racial tolerance up north. They lived in a world of racism and the Ku Klux Klan. The Harlem Renaissance did not redefine African-American expression. This can be seen through the funding dependence on White Americans, the continued spread of racism and the failure to acknowledge the rights of poor Southern African-Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harlem provided a source of entertainment for many people. With its Jazz Clubs and poetry readings it was the â€Å"hip† place to be. This was a shock to many African-American’s, who had never before had the opportunity to perform in such affluent surroundings. Oftentimes funding for these clubs or programs was provided by White Americans. This in itself was not a problem. However, the Harlem Renaissance became so dependant on the funding that when it stopped coming, there was no means by which to keep any of the clubs or literary cafes open. Some clubs in Harlem even discriminated against Black audience members. The popular Cotton Club, which featured solely Black performers, even went so far as to ban African-Americans’ from its audience entirely. Even in the Mecca of supposed racial equality, these sorts of discrimination were still prevalent. Advertisements for products produced by African-Americans were also skewed. Para... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth and development in for African-Americans. They wrote novels, performed in clubs, and created the genre of Jazz. However, the Renaissance was imprisoned by its flaws. Rather then celebrating the unique culture of African-American’s, it oftentimes catered to what the White Americans would want to see and hear. Although racism seemed to be lower in Harlem and the Northern states, for many Blacks racism was at all time high. The Ku Klux Klan reached membership of astronomical proportions. They marched on Washington DC and handed out membership cards bashing minorities. Less educated Blacks, or those who couldn’t make it to Harlem, were often deemed ignorant. There was a barrier built between those Blacks with an education, and those without. And when the Great Depression hit, African Americans lost their jobs at a rate almost triple that of White Americans. Where was the equality Harlem had fought so hard f or? The Harlem Renaissance, although it did achieve some remarkable things, did not redefine African American expression. That ideal, would take many more years of strife, struggle, and segregation to achieve.

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Essay -- essays research papers

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux 1827 - 1875 The son and grandson of stonemasons, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was born in 1827 in Valenciennes and moved to Paris at the age of eleven. Beginning in the early 1840s he studied at the Petite Ecole, the state school for training in the applied arts, formally called the Ecole Gratuite de Dessin, before entering the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1844, where he changed masters repeatedly, oscillating between typical student ambition (optimal credentials for the Prix de Rome) and his interest in more liberal approaches. Carpeaux moved from Ecole painter Abel de Pujol (1785-1861), to the independent sculptor Franà §ois Rude, and finally to the prestigious Ecole sculptor Francisque-Joseph Duret (1804-1865). After winning lesser competitions--despite being caught cheating--Carpeaux was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1854, but outstanding imperial commissions and illness delayed his departure until 1856. Once in Rome Carpeaux intensified his reputation as institutional bad boy, canny professional maneuverer, and provocative artist. As a pensionnaire he battled repeatedly with the Villa Medici authorities and flouted Ecole policy. Yet his major envois--the Neapolitan Fisherboy and multi-figural Ugolino (both begun 1857)--introduced his name in Paris and provided the artistic and commercial germs for his entire life. His pre-eminence, as the star among emerging sculptors, was established at the Salon of 1863, where he exhibited finished versions of those two works...

To What Extent Did the Bolsheviks Succeed in the October Revolution and the Civil War Due to Weakness in Opposition?

â€Å"To what extent did the Bolsheviks succeed in the October Revolution and the Civil War due to weakness in opposition? † The Bolsheviks were not a majority party in Russia, and it is therefore quite an achievement that they not only managed to gain power, but that they held on to it. On paper, you would not have thought the Bolsheviks would have been able to seize power or maintain it if faced with any substantial opposition, so does this mean that their success was dependant on the weakness of their opponents? The military support the Bolsheviks had in the October Revolution was not at all substantial. It took a mere 500 Bolshevik troops to storm the Winter Palace and overthrow the Provisional Government. It would seem that, despite the achievement the Bolsheviks has gained by creating any form of military help, the weakness of the Provisional governments own military protection was the reason why the Bolsheviks had such an easy time taking power. The Provisional Government's resistance was almost non-existent in terms of military, only a few Red Guard soldiers were wounded, most of which may have been from accidental friendly fire, and all of the Provisional Government's forces had completely deserted. In that sense, the success of their military assault on the Provisional Government was almost entirely dependant on that the Bolsheviks did not have to face any form of opposition with similar troops numbers. Even the famed ex-Menshevik turned Bolshevik Leon Trotsky admitted that 500 good men could have defeated the Bolshevik's force, but also asked the rhetorical question of where the Provisional Government was to get 500 good men. However, the Civil War was quite different in terms of military conflict. The Bolshevik's were not facing armies who put up virtually no resistance. The casualties for both the Red's and the White's were high, around 1. 2 million for the Reds and 1. 5 million for the Whites. The Bolshevik's also faced 2. 4 million white troops in opposition, an infinitely larger force than that which had been protecting the Provisional Government. The Bolshevik's however, had increased their own military size to an impressive 3 million. This was done through conscription, and the result was an extremely large army, made up mostly of peasants, with the more favourable troops coming from urban backgrounds. The creation of such a ast army was certainly a show of Bolshevik strength, but again, as with the October Revolution, the armies they faced were often of low morale and not entirely devoted to the cause. The 2. 4 million in White opposition came from an eclectic background of tsarists, western anti-communists and other armies with their own agendas, such as the Czech Legion who were only really interested in Czech independence, the Kubans, as we ll as a number of Generals who were seemingly all out to gain for themselves, such as General Kolchak who was elected ruler of Siberia, but also declared himself supreme ruler of Russia as well. These clashing ideals and the fact that the White forces were so scattered Geographically proved a major disadvantage, as although the Bolsheviks faced threats from all sides, these threats were part of seemingly very disorganised and uncoordinated attacks, which meant that the very centralised Red forces were able to deal with these attacks very efficiently as they were never facing large concentrated armies. Though the Bolshevik's advantages were not completely due to the weakness of White coordination. The Bolshevik's had decided very early on that in order to defeat the Whites, they needed to centralise their forces around Moscow, the major industrial city and new capital of Russia. Doing this allowed them quick and easy access to munitions and other military equipment, whereas the Whites were often waiting around for ammunition drops from the Western allies. As well as this, the Red Army had access to and control over the railways, which also helped to speed up the transportation of troops and munitions between the battles. With these advantages, the Red Army ended up being better equipped, more organised and were almost always in the most advantageous positions if it came to a fight. Another factor which can help us to understand the strengths of the Bolsheviks and the weakness of their opposition is the public support that they had. During the October Revolution, the public support that the Provisional Government had was, like it's military power, practically non-existent. The Provisional Government had never actually been elected, they had simply assumed power after the Tsar's abdication, and so had never proved to the public that they were the right people for the job. Under the provisional government, the country had become almost a law unto itself, with the peasants revolting in the rural areas, illegally seizing land from landlords. This was because the provisional government had failed to solve the land problems in Russia, and the peasants were getting so desperate that they resorted to the seizing of land, just like back in the days of the broken Tsarist system. In addition to this, there were numerous strikes in urban areas regarding the War. The War was, like the land problem, one of the primary reasons for the uprising against Nicholas II's rule, and that the provisional government had come into power yet seemed reluctant or were unable to solve these problems greatly decreased their popularity with the Russian people. As a result, their favour was leaning more and more towards the Bolshevik dominated Soviets. Though that is not to say the Bolsheviks didn't show the initiative to pounce on the problems the Provisional Government was facing and turn them to their advantage. The Bolsheviks themselves led a number of strikes, in which they promised they would end the war and they coined the phrase â€Å"Land to the peasants†. They also showed great insight in their dominating of the Soviets, which were really the more powerful of the dual authority. The Soviets had control of the army, and with the Bolsheviks trying their upmost and succeeding in gaining the most influence of all the parties in the Soviet, they were greatly strengthening their own position. But even then, their dominance could be put down to the weakness and lack of commitment of the other parties. As mentioned before, the Bolsheviks were not the majority party, the SR's and Mensheviks had substantially greater numbers, but the reason the Bolsheviks continued to influence the Soviets most was that the other parties became lazy, and often did not bother attending soviet meetings, whereas the Bolsheviks turned up as often as possible and had much more time to influence the Soviet. The Civil War was quite different. The Bolsheviks did not really have the majority of public support. The War Communism strategy that they adopted made them very unpopular with the general populace, and there were various uprisings and protests throughout the war, however, these were all quite easily quelled by the use of either the Cheka or the Red Army. As well as this, although not all of the people agreed with the Bolshevik's they managed to conscript a huge number of people into the Red Army, even ex-Tsarists, in fact, many officers were ex-Tsarists and were kept in check by the political commissars. They also took harsh steps, known as the Red Terror, which kept the public, for the most part, cooperative out of sheer fear of being killed by the Cheka or Red Army. The White Army cannot really be said to have had a huge amount of support either. They were a very mixed bunch, and nobody really knew what they were about, and so they had no more support than the Bolsheviks from the Russian population. Perhaps one of the most important things a government needs to survive is a driving sense of purpose. During the October Revolution, The Provisional Government were far from an inspiring government, they had of course, sort of had power thrust upon them, they had not gained power by any amazing feat or show of power. The Bolsheviks on the other hand, were led by Lenin and Trotsky, who were both very driven individuals. They both had a phenomenal sense of purpose, being international revolutionaries, they truly believed that what they were doing could shape the world for the better. Similarly, in the Civil War, the White forces did not have a single direction in which they were all aiming to do, besides the destruction of the Bolsheviks. Some wanted power for themselves, some were fighting for the promise of independence, but they were not a particularly unified force, and didn't really have a leader whom they were led by, there was no white equivalent to Lenin and Trotsky. On the other hand, the Red Army were led by the inspiring Trotsky, who, though he was a harsh leader, instilled a huge sense of belief in the Red Army that they would eventually emerge from the war victorious. In conclusion, I believe that the success of the Bolsheviks in both circumstances was not something which could have been achieved without both the strength and initiative the Bolsheviks displayed, or the weakness and lack of drive that their opposition showed, because, although the opposition in both cases had many problems, the Bolsheviks were able to take the upper hand by making sure that they were, by comparison, the stronger side, they were always just better enough so that they emerged victorious, whether they had 500 troops or 3 million, they always had the upper hand.

The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement

The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement Michelle Brown The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s were a profound turning point in American History. African American’s had been fighting for equality for many years but in the early 1950s the fight started to heighten, from Rosa Parks, to Martin Luther King Jr. , to Malcolm X, the fight would take on many different forms over the span of two decades, and was looked at from many different points of view. The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement For most historians the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement started on December 1, 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This is when the rise of the Civil Rights Movement began; however, there were several previous incidents which helped to lead up to the movement. In 1951, the â€Å"Martinsville Seven† were all African American men tried by an all white jury in the rape of a white woman from Virginia. All seven were found guilty, and for the first time in Virginia history, were sentenced to the death penalty for rape. Webspinner, 2004-2009). In this same year the African American students at Moton High decided to strike against the unequal educational treatment. Their case was later added to the Brown v Board of Education suit in 1954. (Webspinner, 2004-2009). In June 1953, a bus boycott was held in Baton Rouge, LA. After the bus drivers refused to enforce Ordinance 222, an ordinance which changed segregated seati ng on buses so that African American’s would fill the bus from the back forward and whites would fill it from the front back on a first come first serve basis, the Ordinance was overturned. Led by Reverend Jemison and other African American businessmen, the African American community decided to boycott the bus system. Later in the month Ordinance 251 was put in place, allowing a section of the bus to be black only and a section to be white only, the rest of the bus would be first come first serve. (Webspinner, 2004-2009). In May 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the following verdict on Brown v Board of Education. We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factor may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does†¦We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourtee nth Amendment. † (Webspinner, 2004-2009). Even though the actual desegregation of schools did not take place in 1954, this ruling was a major step in the Civil Rights Movement which took place prior to Rosa Parks. Nonviolent Protest Movement Martin Luther King Jr. went far in his belief and commitment to nonviolent resistance. King believed, and taught, six important points about nonviolent resistance. The first was nonviolent resistance is not cowardly, â€Å"According to King, a nonviolent protester was as passionate as a violent protester, Despite not being physically aggressive, ‘his mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade the opponent that he is mistaken. † (McElrath, 2009). His second point was that nonviolent resistance would awaken moral shame in a protestor’s opponent, which would then lead the opponent to understanding and friendship. Kings third point was nonviolent resistance was a battle against evil not a battle against individuals. His fourth point stated that su ffering was required in nonviolent resistance, â€Å"Accordingly, the end was more important than safety, and retaliatory violence would distract from the main fight. † (McElrath, 2009). King’s fifth point was, the nonviolent resister was on the side of Justice. His final point was the power of love rests with nonviolent resisters, this is the love of understanding not of affection, â€Å"Bitterness and hate were absent from the resister mind, and replaced with love. † (McElrath, 2009). King continued to preach nonviolent resistance through all the boycotts, sit-ins, protest marches, and speeches. After being arrested in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott of 1963, he wrote letters from the Birmingham jail about nonviolent resistance. Later in 1963 he led a massive march on Washington DC, this is where he delivered his I Have A Drams speech. In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Up until his assassination in April 1968, â€Å"he never wavered in his insistence that nonviolence must remain the central tactic of the civil-rights movement, nor in his faith that everyone in America would some day attain equal justice. † (Chew, 1995-2008). Malcolm X Malcolm X, whom at one time was a minister for the Nation of Islam, had a more militant style to attain rights for African Americans. After the Washington DC march he did not understand why African Americans had been so excited about a demonstration, â€Å"run by whites in front of a statue of a president who has been dead for a hundred years and who didn’t like us when he was alive. (Adams, 2009). Malcolm, to the protestors, represented a militant revolutionary who would stand up and fight to win equality, while also being a person who wanted to bring on positive social services and was an exceptional role model. In fact, it was the customs of Malcolm X which were severely rooted in the academic founda tions of the Black Panther Party. Malcolm X was murdered in 1965, but his beliefs lived on for long after. Conclusion While King and Malcolm X never shared the same platform, and had two very different beliefs in how to end segregation and racisms, they were both key players in the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. preached nonviolent resistance, and Malcolm X had a militant style to his beliefs. After Malcolm X was murdered, King wrote the following to his widow, â€Å"while we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence of the root of the problem. † (Adams, 2009). References: Adams, R. (2009) Martin and Malcolm, Two 20th Century Giants. Retrieved on September 27, 2009, from http://www. black-collegian. com/african/mlk/giants2000-2nd. html Chew, R. (1995-2008) Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil-Rights Leader, 1929 – 1968. Retrieved on September 27, 2009, from http://www. lucidcafe. com/library/96jan/king. html McElrath, J. (2009) Martin Luther King’s Philosophy on Nonviolent Resistance, The Power of Love. Retrieved on September 27, 2009, from http://afroamhistory. about. com/od/martinlutherking/a/mlks_philosophy_2. htm Webspinner. (2004-2009) We’ll Never Turn Back History & Timeline of the Southern Freedom Movement. Retrieved on September 27, 2009 from http://www. crmvet. org/tim/timhome. htm

Coca Cola Ad Analysis

For years, Coca-Cola has been one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of soft drink beverages and other various products. Over the course of time, the company has grown tremendously and has spread many of its markets to a variety of different places. Since it first began, nobody would have thought that it would be where it is today and how big of an influence it would have on the public. This can strongly be attributed to the company’s smart yet robust advertising and marketing policies, which have enabled it to promote its product to the consumers.In one of Coca-Cola’s advertisements, the company attempts to create a relationship between the product and consumer while displaying how the drink is a part of American culture. The idea that is being portrayed is meant to appeal to American interests by means of longstanding segments of American culture. In this advertisement, the logo at the very bottom reads, â€Å"A classic never goes out of sty le. † As we can see, the image of the coke bottle consists of many pictures pertaining to American history.Coke and PepsiRegardless of whether or not a person had ever purchased a coke product, the design of the bottle immediately grasps the consumer’s attention. This is mainly due in part by the bottle’s depiction of traditional themes that people can relate to. For example, the artist who created the image included The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, The American Flag, The Rolling Stones, Baseball, and a Cadillac, which can all be characterized as â€Å"American Classics†.Altogether, they represent some of the values that which America was built upon and what people have learned to love. Consequently, the assumption that is being made is that Coca-Cola is also an â€Å"American Classic†. It is quite clear that while the product may be considered just a drink, it is in fact more than that. By relating the beverage to some of America’ s longstanding roots, the company has without a doubt created a closer relationship between product and consumer.People can view the image of the bottle and automatically be inclined to buy the product for themselves due to the sheer fact that the pictures are of such great importance to our society. Additionally, it is essential to note another subtle yet key idea that is being portrayed in the advertisement. Firstly, something that is considered to be a â€Å"classic† has to be of great significance and influence compared to other subjects in its category. While â€Å"classics† may forever be a part of our culture, the impression given by Coca-Cola is that Coke will never go out of style.

Police Discretion

Discretion is defined as the authority to make a decision between two or more choices (Pollock, 2010). More specifically, it is defined as â€Å"the capacity to identify and to document criminal and noncriminal events† (Boivin &ump; Cordeau, 2011). Every police officer has a great deal of discretion concerning when to use their authority, power, persuasion, or force. Depending on how an officer sees their duty to society will determine an officer’s discretion. Discretion leads to selective enforcement practices and may result in discrimination against certain groups of people or select individuals (Young, 2011).Most police officer discretion is exercised in situational situations with individuals (Sherman, 1984). Discrimination can lead to legal problems for an officer of the law. If discrimination due to an officer’s use of discretion results in a violation of due process it is a violation of the law (Young, 2010). Due process is the constitutionally mandated pr ocedural steps designed to eliminate error in any governmental deprivation of liberty, life, or property (Pollock, 2010). One of the main concerns with using discretion is the possibility of it leading to a violation of due process by racial profiling.Types of Negative Police Discretion Racial profiling occurs when a police officer uses a â€Å"profile† as reasonable suspicion to stop a person with the intent to obtain consent to search their belongings (Pollock, 2010). These stops are usually traffic stops and the officer is looking to obtain consent to search the individual’s automobile. The â€Å"profile† used is based on race. In these cases, an officer is using their discretion to target minority groups because they believe they are involved in criminal activities.The concern with using this profile is that racial stereotyping of minority groups will lead police to crack down on minorities more than on other groups. While police see the action of racial pro filing as a normal police tactic, minority groups see the actions as racist (Young, 2011). Although most studies on police officer discretion is focused on racial profiling, it has also been shown that officers patrol hot spots. Hot spots are areas known to have a high rate of criminal activity. Focusing on hot spots is an officer’s discretion, because they are ignoring other areas that could potential produce criminal activities.All surveillance and enforcement efforts are focused on the â€Å"hot† area. Not only are officers ignoring other areas, but they have determined those areas are not as important as the hot spot. Hot spots can prove to be problematic if the criminal activity located in the hot spot before it was being patrolled is moved to a new location. The new location is prone to no police surveillance because all resources are focused on the old hot spot (Mastrofski, 2011). Discretion and the Use of Force Police have the uncontested right to use force whe n necessary to apprehend a suspect.If the force exceeds that which is necessary it is defined as excessive force and is illegal. An officer’s discretion on use of force is a based on judgment. They do not know if a judge will later rule an instance of use of force as excessive or not. There is a fine line between what is considered acceptable force and what is considered excessive force. All an officer can do is use their training to determine what is and what is not excessive force for the given circumstances (Pollock, 2010). The use of force is highly resistant to change, even after the Rodney King incident.Rodney King was a subject of police brutality. He was repeatedly beat with a baton by Los Angeles police officers, while other officers stood by watching without attempting to stop the excessive force. The pattern of excessive force may be so ingrained in some police department cultures that it remains unaffected by other high profile excess force cases, such as the Rodn ey King case. This pattern is termed the â€Å"culture of force. † The culture of force is also subject to an officer’s discretion. The culture of force is detrimental to a department.The Los Angeles Police Department in the 1980s and 1990s would act on a tip and destroy homes by breaking toilets, ripping sofas, and spray painting â€Å"LAPD Rules! † on the walls. These acts by the Los Angeles Police Department prove the culture of the department will have an influence on the individual officer (Pollock, 2010). Police departments have use-of-force policies that specify when force may be used and the proper level of force to be used under given circumstances. Most departments use a continuum-of-force approach that allows proportional force to the suspect’s resistance.The level of force by an officer increases in direct response to escalating resistance of the suspect. Policies such as this one have been put into place following many humiliating acts of exc essive force. The policies are in place in an attempt to prevent future acts of excessive force (Pollock, 2010). Studies on Police Discretion National studies on police behavior have failed to adequately address the issue of police discretion. Due to the lack of important research data, analysts have developed suggestions on how to improve an individual officer’s discretion by educating the entire department on proper use of discretion.The current suggestions are focused on officers in higher ranks developing an educational program for their department addressing areas of needs they have observed. They are the eyes of the department, and it is there job to know what their officers needs entail. Each department will have different needs based on the ethical viewpoints of their individual officers (Mastrofski, 2011). A study on police discretion conducted in Canada was implemented to try to eliminate negative police discretion. The study first mandated that all reported violati ons of the law be recorded.The results of the study had effective but temporary results. There were more records of assaults, robberies, thefts, and mischief. However, the study had no effects on reports of burglaries and car thefts. It is estimated that during the one year study police recorded 13,000 extra crimes. Although there was an increase in records, detection and reporting rates remained the same. The extra recordings were determined to be ineffective because the community reported that they did not notice a difference in the policing styles (Boivin &ump; Cordeau, 2011). Ethical Dilemmas in Police DiscretionEthical dilemmas are â€Å"situations in which it is difficult to make a decision, either because the right course of action is not clear or the right course of action carries some negative consequences. † Ethical dilemmas entail the individual struggling with personal decision making, and sometimes results in a personal dilemma. Departmental policy can lead to pe rsonal dilemmas as well if it means going against an individual officer’s ethical system beliefs. This can lead to the officer seeking a change in law to match their own person views on the issue (Pollock, 2010).Utilitarianism is â€Å"the ethical system that claims the greatest good is that which results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number. † Utilitarianism therefore argues racial profiling is ethical because the â€Å"end† of drug interdictions justifies the â€Å"means† of harassing and inconveniencing the group. An argument against this justification is that when an officer uses racial profiling in decision making, the officer’s motives obscured. They do not concentrate on what is important for investigations. Behavior is what is important, not demographics (Pollock, 2010).Ethical formalism states that â€Å"the only thing truly good is a good will. † This ethical system does not agree with the idea of racial profiling. Acc ording to Pollock, it would mean that everyone should be stopped in the same way, so everyone would have to agree to be stopped numerous times every week. Since society most likely will not all agree that everyone should be stopped the same, racial profiling would not be an accepted practice in the ethical formalism system (Pollock, 2010). It is difficult to apply ethical systems to the use of deadly force and tasers. This is because each situation involving the use of force is different.At times an officer may benefit from the use of a taser, but other times the use, or threat of use, of a deadly weapon is more effective. Officers may argue that tasers do not always benefit the suspect because tasers do not always stop people. Departmental policies usually overrule ethics in the use of force. This is because officers have a duty of protection, so if they can accomplish their task without hurting the individual their duty would require the lesser use of force. Every officer has a du ty to prevent crime. If they feel an individual is a criminal based on race, then formal policies are going to conflict with their ethics.In other words, if an officer believes racial profiling is an effective method of policing their ethics are going to conflict with formal policies. An effective method to correct this conflict has been to educate officers on evidence that proves stopping minorities based on their race are less likely to result in criminal activity than stops based on behavioral-based criteria. Even with education, an officer’s ethics can still prevail over evidence learned in training. This is because the officer’s ethical standards still tell them racial profiling is more effective (Pollock, 2010).Training to Eliminate Unethical Police Discretion Practices Efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in the police culture are in the form of new officer recruitment and training and taught through patrol work. These measures are taken to eliminate negat ive discretion, such as racial profiling, by developing better relationships with the community regardless of the racial composition. The goal is to make police-citizen interactions more frequent, varied, and dispersed throughout the community (Mastrofski, 2011). A suggestion was made on how to police hot spots by Mastrofski.He suggested that instead of having officers stationed in hot spots with full personal discretion on how they police the area, they should be told how long to patrol the area or told what tactics to use in the area. This will eliminate complete personal discretion by the officers patrolling the hot spot areas. The time limit of policing the hot spot is to reduce the amount of neglect other areas in the community experience due to the policing of hot spot areas. The goal of this plan is to continue with the crack downs in hot spot zones without neglecting other areas in the community (Mastrofski, 2011).Conclusion Although this research paper focused on the negati ve effects of police discretion, there can also be positive effects. Things such as giving offenders of minor traffic violations less of a punishment or giving first time youth offenders less of a punishment to let them learn from their mistakes are examples of what can be termed positive police discretion. However, what is considered positive discretion to one person could be negative discretion to another. Every person has their own opinions about how police discretion should be handled.Some may think police should not be entitled to use discretion and every department should have policies the officers should follow instead. Other people may like that police have the use of discretion which could lead to a warning for a minor traffic violation instead of a fine. The topic of police discretion in relation to ethical dilemmas is also a heated debate. Since people have different ethics; every police officer will patrol a little different. It has been suggested that police departments educate their officers to be more uniform in their policing.Not only would this eliminate some of the negative discretion practices officers may have developed, it would also put all the officers on the same page with the way the department would like to have the community policed (Mastrofski, 2011). The concept of police discretion is a large topic of conversation among researchers. The problem I see with the topic of conversation is there is not a lot of research done on the actual affects of the individual discretion of each officer compared to a department that has been educated in following policies more than personal discretion.In fact, from what I saw there is not much research on the effects of discretion at all. It seems like it is a topic that is overlooked when researching the effectiveness of a department. I feel like before more solutions are found on how to correct the problem of discretion, more research needs to be done on how discretion plays a role in every day po licing. Until this research is conducted, all the articles published are on theories of discretion causing problems, and all of the solutions mentioned are methods to correct a problem that has not even been proven to be an issue yet. Police Discretion Discretion is defined as the authority to make a decision between two or more choices (Pollock, 2010). More specifically, it is defined as â€Å"the capacity to identify and to document criminal and noncriminal events† (Boivin &ump; Cordeau, 2011). Every police officer has a great deal of discretion concerning when to use their authority, power, persuasion, or force. Depending on how an officer sees their duty to society will determine an officer’s discretion. Discretion leads to selective enforcement practices and may result in discrimination against certain groups of people or select individuals (Young, 2011).Most police officer discretion is exercised in situational situations with individuals (Sherman, 1984). Discrimination can lead to legal problems for an officer of the law. If discrimination due to an officer’s use of discretion results in a violation of due process it is a violation of the law (Young, 2010). Due process is the constitutionally mandated pr ocedural steps designed to eliminate error in any governmental deprivation of liberty, life, or property (Pollock, 2010). One of the main concerns with using discretion is the possibility of it leading to a violation of due process by racial profiling.Types of Negative Police Discretion Racial profiling occurs when a police officer uses a â€Å"profile† as reasonable suspicion to stop a person with the intent to obtain consent to search their belongings (Pollock, 2010). These stops are usually traffic stops and the officer is looking to obtain consent to search the individual’s automobile. The â€Å"profile† used is based on race. In these cases, an officer is using their discretion to target minority groups because they believe they are involved in criminal activities.The concern with using this profile is that racial stereotyping of minority groups will lead police to crack down on minorities more than on other groups. While police see the action of racial pro filing as a normal police tactic, minority groups see the actions as racist (Young, 2011). Although most studies on police officer discretion is focused on racial profiling, it has also been shown that officers patrol hot spots. Hot spots are areas known to have a high rate of criminal activity. Focusing on hot spots is an officer’s discretion, because they are ignoring other areas that could potential produce criminal activities.All surveillance and enforcement efforts are focused on the â€Å"hot† area. Not only are officers ignoring other areas, but they have determined those areas are not as important as the hot spot. Hot spots can prove to be problematic if the criminal activity located in the hot spot before it was being patrolled is moved to a new location. The new location is prone to no police surveillance because all resources are focused on the old hot spot (Mastrofski, 2011). Discretion and the Use of Force Police have the uncontested right to use force whe n necessary to apprehend a suspect.If the force exceeds that which is necessary it is defined as excessive force and is illegal. An officer’s discretion on use of force is a based on judgment. They do not know if a judge will later rule an instance of use of force as excessive or not. There is a fine line between what is considered acceptable force and what is considered excessive force. All an officer can do is use their training to determine what is and what is not excessive force for the given circumstances (Pollock, 2010). The use of force is highly resistant to change, even after the Rodney King incident.Rodney King was a subject of police brutality. He was repeatedly beat with a baton by Los Angeles police officers, while other officers stood by watching without attempting to stop the excessive force. The pattern of excessive force may be so ingrained in some police department cultures that it remains unaffected by other high profile excess force cases, such as the Rodn ey King case. This pattern is termed the â€Å"culture of force. † The culture of force is also subject to an officer’s discretion. The culture of force is detrimental to a department.The Los Angeles Police Department in the 1980s and 1990s would act on a tip and destroy homes by breaking toilets, ripping sofas, and spray painting â€Å"LAPD Rules! † on the walls. These acts by the Los Angeles Police Department prove the culture of the department will have an influence on the individual officer (Pollock, 2010). Police departments have use-of-force policies that specify when force may be used and the proper level of force to be used under given circumstances. Most departments use a continuum-of-force approach that allows proportional force to the suspect’s resistance.The level of force by an officer increases in direct response to escalating resistance of the suspect. Policies such as this one have been put into place following many humiliating acts of exc essive force. The policies are in place in an attempt to prevent future acts of excessive force (Pollock, 2010). Studies on Police Discretion National studies on police behavior have failed to adequately address the issue of police discretion. Due to the lack of important research data, analysts have developed suggestions on how to improve an individual officer’s discretion by educating the entire department on proper use of discretion.The current suggestions are focused on officers in higher ranks developing an educational program for their department addressing areas of needs they have observed. They are the eyes of the department, and it is there job to know what their officers needs entail. Each department will have different needs based on the ethical viewpoints of their individual officers (Mastrofski, 2011). A study on police discretion conducted in Canada was implemented to try to eliminate negative police discretion. The study first mandated that all reported violati ons of the law be recorded.The results of the study had effective but temporary results. There were more records of assaults, robberies, thefts, and mischief. However, the study had no effects on reports of burglaries and car thefts. It is estimated that during the one year study police recorded 13,000 extra crimes. Although there was an increase in records, detection and reporting rates remained the same. The extra recordings were determined to be ineffective because the community reported that they did not notice a difference in the policing styles (Boivin &ump; Cordeau, 2011). Ethical Dilemmas in Police DiscretionEthical dilemmas are â€Å"situations in which it is difficult to make a decision, either because the right course of action is not clear or the right course of action carries some negative consequences. † Ethical dilemmas entail the individual struggling with personal decision making, and sometimes results in a personal dilemma. Departmental policy can lead to pe rsonal dilemmas as well if it means going against an individual officer’s ethical system beliefs. This can lead to the officer seeking a change in law to match their own person views on the issue (Pollock, 2010).Utilitarianism is â€Å"the ethical system that claims the greatest good is that which results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number. † Utilitarianism therefore argues racial profiling is ethical because the â€Å"end† of drug interdictions justifies the â€Å"means† of harassing and inconveniencing the group. An argument against this justification is that when an officer uses racial profiling in decision making, the officer’s motives obscured. They do not concentrate on what is important for investigations. Behavior is what is important, not demographics (Pollock, 2010).Ethical formalism states that â€Å"the only thing truly good is a good will. † This ethical system does not agree with the idea of racial profiling. Acc ording to Pollock, it would mean that everyone should be stopped in the same way, so everyone would have to agree to be stopped numerous times every week. Since society most likely will not all agree that everyone should be stopped the same, racial profiling would not be an accepted practice in the ethical formalism system (Pollock, 2010). It is difficult to apply ethical systems to the use of deadly force and tasers. This is because each situation involving the use of force is different.At times an officer may benefit from the use of a taser, but other times the use, or threat of use, of a deadly weapon is more effective. Officers may argue that tasers do not always benefit the suspect because tasers do not always stop people. Departmental policies usually overrule ethics in the use of force. This is because officers have a duty of protection, so if they can accomplish their task without hurting the individual their duty would require the lesser use of force. Every officer has a du ty to prevent crime. If they feel an individual is a criminal based on race, then formal policies are going to conflict with their ethics.In other words, if an officer believes racial profiling is an effective method of policing their ethics are going to conflict with formal policies. An effective method to correct this conflict has been to educate officers on evidence that proves stopping minorities based on their race are less likely to result in criminal activity than stops based on behavioral-based criteria. Even with education, an officer’s ethics can still prevail over evidence learned in training. This is because the officer’s ethical standards still tell them racial profiling is more effective (Pollock, 2010).Training to Eliminate Unethical Police Discretion Practices Efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in the police culture are in the form of new officer recruitment and training and taught through patrol work. These measures are taken to eliminate negat ive discretion, such as racial profiling, by developing better relationships with the community regardless of the racial composition. The goal is to make police-citizen interactions more frequent, varied, and dispersed throughout the community (Mastrofski, 2011). A suggestion was made on how to police hot spots by Mastrofski.He suggested that instead of having officers stationed in hot spots with full personal discretion on how they police the area, they should be told how long to patrol the area or told what tactics to use in the area. This will eliminate complete personal discretion by the officers patrolling the hot spot areas. The time limit of policing the hot spot is to reduce the amount of neglect other areas in the community experience due to the policing of hot spot areas. The goal of this plan is to continue with the crack downs in hot spot zones without neglecting other areas in the community (Mastrofski, 2011).Conclusion Although this research paper focused on the negati ve effects of police discretion, there can also be positive effects. Things such as giving offenders of minor traffic violations less of a punishment or giving first time youth offenders less of a punishment to let them learn from their mistakes are examples of what can be termed positive police discretion. However, what is considered positive discretion to one person could be negative discretion to another. Every person has their own opinions about how police discretion should be handled.Some may think police should not be entitled to use discretion and every department should have policies the officers should follow instead. Other people may like that police have the use of discretion which could lead to a warning for a minor traffic violation instead of a fine. The topic of police discretion in relation to ethical dilemmas is also a heated debate. Since people have different ethics; every police officer will patrol a little different. It has been suggested that police departments educate their officers to be more uniform in their policing.Not only would this eliminate some of the negative discretion practices officers may have developed, it would also put all the officers on the same page with the way the department would like to have the community policed (Mastrofski, 2011). The concept of police discretion is a large topic of conversation among researchers. The problem I see with the topic of conversation is there is not a lot of research done on the actual affects of the individual discretion of each officer compared to a department that has been educated in following policies more than personal discretion.In fact, from what I saw there is not much research on the effects of discretion at all. It seems like it is a topic that is overlooked when researching the effectiveness of a department. I feel like before more solutions are found on how to correct the problem of discretion, more research needs to be done on how discretion plays a role in every day po licing. Until this research is conducted, all the articles published are on theories of discretion causing problems, and all of the solutions mentioned are methods to correct a problem that has not even been proven to be an issue yet.