Assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Assigment - Assignment Example She kills his new wife and kills the children. In Medea, a woman is seen as a complex being; as the writer was triggered by the unjust treatment of women during the era of Athens and the moral hypocrisy that it revealed. This is the intent why I deem the play Medea on an American plantation with respect to Euripides and the pressing matters that were contemporary to his life. The inciting incident in the play is where by Medea, decides to carry out revenge on her husband by killing his new wife and the children. After she is banished from the kingdom of Corinth, she begs for a day in the land. Medea then asks the chorus of Corinth women to help her carry out the revenge. The chorus tries to discourage her from carrying out the revenge, but she is set to go ahead with her plans. She poisons Jason’s new wife by poisoning her dress which she disguised it as a gift. She then poisons her children and kills them. Jason discovers this when it is too late. The writer displays the event in a fast manner to create anxiety in the audience. The events occur very fast in a manner that Medea would be caught in the act. This shows how women are forced by circumstances to take some harsh decisions. Women face a lot of mistreatment from the society forcing them to take drastic measures. Although it pains Medea to murder her children, she still goes ahead with the plan. This is because she feels betrayed by Jason and has the urge to revenge. The climax of the play is whereby Medea is banished from the kingdom. Her husband condemns her and accuses her of her downfall. He forgets that he was also part of some of the atrocities she committed. He forgets how Medea helped her to kill his uncle so as to take the throne. All this brings bitterness to Medea, which pushes her to plot a revenge mission against her husband. She decides to kill the wife, which could also hurt King Creon. The writer shows how Jason condemns Medea for her actions. This

Trench Life During World War One Essay Example for Free

Trench Life During World War One Essay The life of a soldier in the trenches during World War I was unimaginable to the people back home in Canada. Soldiers carried out their duty to their country in the most horrifying conditions. The trenches were rivers of mud and blood, food rations were very basic and designed only to keep the soldiers alive, hygiene was non-existent, and military direction was poor as these men fought for their country. Constant shelling and gas attacks made many soldiers feel that death was imminent and a great deal of men suffered from mental breakdowns due to the war. During World War I soldiers spent most of their time involved in trench warfare. A typical day in the trenches began at night when the sentry was relieved and replaced. This individual was responsible for watching No Mans Land and reporting changes to the man sitting with him. The companion of the sentry would then inform the platoon officer about changes in No Mans Land. Men in the trenches at night sat around telling stories, smoking cigarettes, and writing home. It was too uncomfortable and crowded to sleep wearing all their ammunition and clothes. When a soldier did doze off he was likely to awake startled as a rat passed over his face. When morning finally came rum was issued and then breakfast was served. The soldiers would try and sleep in the morning and then have dinner at 12:30pm. Four oclock was teatime and then it was night again. The days of the soldiers were filled with idleness if the men were not involved in combat. Every four days the soldiers were relieved from the trenches and sent to billets for four days of rest. A typical day in the billets would see the soldiers getting up at six oclock, washing, taking part in roll call and inspection, having breakfast, and then participating in drills with the company at 8:45am. At around 11:30am the soldiers were dismissed, had dinner, and were then on their own for the rest of the day if they had not signed up for a digging or working party. During the soldiers four days of rest they were sometimes ordered to visit the Divisional Baths. The Divisional Baths contained a bathroom with 15 tubs (barrels sawed in half) half-filled with water and containing a piece of laundry soap. The men were told they had twelve minutes to take their baths and then the water would be turned off even if the men were still soapy. After their baths the  soldiers were treated to clean underwear and sent back to the billets. The conditions that the soldiers had to deal with while living in either the trenches or billets were inhuman. Men in the trenches were surrounded by the horrific smell of death. Soldiers killed in the trenches would lie unburied for months and when they were eventually buried they had hardly enough earth over them to conceal their clothes. In some cases the dead were only covered by chloride of lime or became unearthed by shells. There were so many dead soldiers that eventually collection points were set up to collect the bodies. Wounded men in the trenches were given little time to recover and were then sent back to the front lines. Shelter from gunfire was hard to find. Sometimes the soldiers hid in holes with no overhead cover and when it rained the holes would fill up and the men would be flooded out. Even the trenches were waste deep in mud when it rained hard. The rain soaked everything including their clothes and their rations. Rats constantly scurried through the trenches an d lice plagued the soldiers. The soldiers equipment was heavy and poorly made. An ordinary pack was heavy to start with and even heavier when the soldiers were told to pack machine guns and ammunition. Bad shoes gave a lot of soldiers painful blisters. Their boots were so badly made that their toes stuck out and the holes had to be patched up with newspaper or cardboard. Moving from one area of engagement to another was very difficult. This was usually done at night and many soldiers got lost in the dark trying to relieve other soldiers. Moving to another trench was also life threatening due to the constant shelling. Sometimes the soldiers traveled from one place to another by train. Box cars, that had never been cleaned and had little protection from the elements, transported the soldiers for up to twelve hours. It was a very uncomfortable journey and the soldiers ended up stiff and wet. Nights in the trenches were spent repairing damaged trenches with barbed wire, filling sandbags, and digging new trenches, instead of sleeping. Soldiers were also sent out into No Mans Land, crawling about on their  hand and knees, to find out information about the enemies military plans. It was too cold for the soldiers to sleep with no blankets and they could not even try to keep warm by exercising. Exercising would have the soldiers moving around too much, making them targets for the enemy. When the men did try to sleep they often froze. Even though the soldiers were supposed to only spend four days at a time in the trenches it often ended up being longer. In fierce battles the men were sometimes in the trenches for up to twenty days with practically no food or water, and very little sleep. When the soldiers came out of the trenches they were enclosed in a practically bullet-proof casing of mud. The men then had to march from the trenches to the billets and were often shot down on their way. Life in the billets was not really much of a rest. Cleaning muddy clothes for inspection was not easy and in the evening the soldiers had to carry rations or mail up to the trenches. The men also helped the cook chop wood or helped the quartermaster draw coal. The billets were better then the trenches but still far from being luxurious. An old stable previously occupied by cows or tents with no floorboards usually served as shelter. These tents got very wet when it rained, making it difficult to get a decent comfortable sleep, and were very crowded. The camps were very untidy and littered with refuse. Food supplied to the soldiers was very basic. Rations were brought up to the trenches every night. These rations included all the bully beef a soldier could eat, biscuits, cheese, tinned butter (seventeen men to a tin), jam or marmalade, bread (ten men to a loaf), tea and stew when possible. Sometimes the soldiers made Trench pudding consisting of broken biscuits, condensed milk, jam, and water flavored with mud. This concoction was cooked over a spirit stove in a canteen until it became the consistency of glue. Soldiers also received parcels of foodstuffs, cigarettes, [and] candy from back home to add to their menu. In the trenches each soldier also carried emergency rations in case they were cut off from supplies. These rations included one tin of bully beef, four biscuits, and a tin containing tea, sugar, and oxo cubes. Rations issued while soldiers where stationed in the billets were a little bit better. Rations for nineteen men for one day would include six loaves of bread (loaves were of different sizes and usually at least one was flattened, possibly caused by someone putting a can of bully beef on top of it during transport), three tins of jam (one apple, two plum), seventeen Bermuda onions, a piece of cheese in the shape of a wedge, two one pound tins of butter, a handful of raisins, a tin of biscuits, and a bottle of mustard pickles. In the billets the soldiers also received spuds, condensed milk, fresh meat, bacon, Maconochie Rations (can filled with meat, vegetables and greasy water), tea, sugar, salt, pepper, and flour. Out of these rations three men shared one loaf of bread, seven to twelve men shared one tin of jam, nine soldiers shared a pound of butter, and each man got an onion and a small portion of cheese. The bottle of pickles was usually drawn for; everyone put their name in a hat and the last name left in the hat got the pickles. The soldiers were also issued between twenty and forty cigarettes every Sunday morning and paid twenty-four cents a day. This money was spent on fresh eggs, milk, bread, pastry, and an occasional tin of pears or apricots. Constant shelling at the front was one of the most difficult things for a soldier to endure. Shelling was especially dangerous during the winter when the ground was frozen. The shell[s] [would burst] on impact and the bits [went] out sideways and [were] very dangerous over a radius of a hundred yards or so. When it was muddy the shells would penetrate into the mud a ways before exploding, therefore they were not as dangerous. There was a constant threat from the shrapnel of shells that exploded very close to the soldiers. Flying shrapnel commonly killed wounded men carried out on stretchers. Attacks on the enemy were almost always preceded by artillery bombardments to try and get more soldiers out of the trenches and over onto the enemys side. Millions of shells were fired each day with thirty percent of the shells failing to explode due to poor manufacturing. About one out of every ten shells contained poisonous gas. Shells damaged wells, decreasing the amount of fresh water available to the soldiers, and partially buried people without killing them. Soldiers throwing bombs often held them for too  long, before throwing them, to make sure the bombs were not thrown back by the enemy. This led to many soldiers losing arms, hands or even being killed altogether. Shell shock was one of the most common ailments to affect soldiers during the war. For every one thousand men with physical wounds ËÅ"combat stress affected a further two hundred. Ninety-eight percent of fighting men cracked after thirty-five days of active front line fighting. Only two percent of soldiers enjoyed battle and did not crack; doctors considered these people to be aggressive psychopaths. Many men found it very difficult to bring themselves to fire a gun even when being fired upon. A lot of soldiers became sick to their stomach, felt faint, and lost control of their bowels in battle. Men sent to the base suffering from battle fatigue were often sent back to the front lines, by doctors who said they were fine. One example of this is a man who was mentally and physically unfit to be a soldier. He was just like an animal and had not even got the sense to take his trousers down when he needed to relieve himself. This particular man was sent down as mentally deficient three times and sent back to the front lines three times. Eventually he became so unstable that he killed himself. Many soldiers also died due to extreme exhaustion caused by lack of sleep and proper food. Going over the top and into No Mans Land was something every soldier dreaded. Before this event occurred, many men made out their wills or wrote letters home. If the letters reached their destination then that meant the writer had been killed. It was a nerve-racking wait for the bombardment to end so that the soldiers could run to their death. The shelling was so loud the soldiers had to yell [orders] using [their] hands as a funnel into the ear of the man sitting next to them. The soldiers went up scaling ladders, or Ladders of Death as they were called, and tried to make their way as fast as they could over the to the enemy trenches, while the enemy fired upon them. The whole situation was futile, as men running towards guns will surely die. Gas attacks were a common occurrence in the front lines. When a gas attack  was announced the soldiers only had between eighteen and twenty seconds to put on their masks and try to save themselves. The gas helmets carried by the soldiers were made of cloth treated with chemicals, had two glass windows to see through, and a rubber-covered tube on the inside through which the soldier exhaled (the tube was constructed so that the user could not inhale through it). The soldier inhaled through the nose and the gas filled air passed through the cloth helmet and was neutralized. Each soldier had to carry two of these helmets in a waterproof bag at all times in case one of them did not work. These helmets often gave the soldiers headaches and were only good for five hours of the strongest gas. When a gas attack did occur the gas quickly filled the trenches and lurked around for two or three days until the air [was] purified by means of large chemical sprayers. Animals suffered the most as they had no masks and had very little chance of outrunning a gas cloud. The soldiers in the front lines also had to deal with poor military planning. Few preparations were done before a battle and artillery bombardments were poorly planned. Orders were not promptly given to fill in the gaps of attack lines when men were killed and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost to capture a few square miles of mud. Weapons supplied to the soldiers were of poor quality and sometimes ended up killing the user. Orders were often given to retreat and hundreds of soldiers were left out in No Mans Land wounded. These wounded would try to crawl back to the trenches at night or be taken prisoner. Officers led men through shelling, causing casualties and deaths, instead of waiting for the shelling to stop and then continuing on. Officers also often got shot while guiding troops to their new location and then the soldiers were left to fend for themselves. Army discipline during the war was very strict. The punishments ranged from death to humiliation. The worst punishment was death by a firing squad. This punishment was given for desertion, cowardice, mutiny, giving information to the enemy, destroying or willfully wasting ammunition, looting, rape, and robbing the dead. If a man was executed the event was covered up and in the public casualty list their name would have ËÅ"Accidentally Killed or ËÅ"Died written beside it. Where there [was] a doubt as to the willful  guilt of a man who [had] committed an offence punishable by death the individual was given sixty-four days in the front line trench without relief. There were also several other punishments given to soldiers depending on the severity of the crime they committed. Field Punishment #1 included the soldier being attached spread [eagle to] a limber wheel, two hours a day for twenty-one days. During this time the soldier was only given water, bully beef, and biscuits for food. Field Punishment #2 confined the soldier in the ËÅ"Clink with no blankets. The soldier would be punished for twenty-four hours or twenty days with only water, bully beef, and biscuits as rations. Pack Drill was when a soldier was subjected to drilling for two hours wearing full equipment. The men tried to get away with filling their packs with straw, to make them lighter, but usually got caught and were then sentenced to the limber wheel. Confined to Barracks was when a soldier had to stay in his billet from twenty-four hours to seven days as punishment. The life of a soldier during the First World War was cruel and inhuman. The men lived in trenches drowned in mud, surrounded by rats and bodies, and infested with lice. The food supplied to them was barely palatable and the military command in charge was not always well informed. Death surrounded the soldiers as they were constantly fired upon and subject to frequent gas attacks. Although these men were fighting for their country, the high loss of life was hardly worth it.

Subversion of Women in A Scandal in Bohemia :: Scandal in Bohemia Essays

Subversion of Women in A Scandal in Bohemia Doyle's "A Scandal in Bohemia" follows the story of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes on his adventures to retrieve a damaging photograph. In the society Watson describes, the apparent role of women is miniscule for emphasis focuses on one woman who is the object of Holmes' detective inquiries. In "A Scandal in Bohemia," society places women at a subordinate level pushing them to the background therefore never allowing us, the reader, to know them. Watson describes women as second-class citizens at the start of the story without directly saying so. When Watson says, "My own complete happiness, and home-centered interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment were sufficient enough to absorb all my attention," (212) he declares outright that he wears the pants in the family, thus implying that his wife makes no important family decisions. Since Watson is the "master" or ruler of his own "establishment," he insinuates that the members of his family are his servants not his equals. Watson's wife is a trivial character, clearly evident because we never hear from her and never learn her name. On one occasion, Watson spends the night at Watson's house on Baker Street without once thinking to call his wife. Watson's behavior shows what little respect he has for his wife. This blatant disregard for his wife's feelings illustrates the insignificance of this woman. The King of Bohemia displays another example of the lack of respect given to women. His concerns do not center on his future wife becoming aware of this affair but rather tarnishing his own image. The King fears the revelation of this scandalous photograph for it lies on the hands of a woman. His interests to dominate this woman are evident in the callous actions the King directs towards Irene Adler. The King states, "Five attempts have been made. Twice burglars in my pay ransacked her house. Once we diverted her luggage when she traveled. Twice she has been waylaid. There has been no result" (218). This disregard for Adler's privacy questions the King's overall motives. Does he really want the photograph or do his actions focus on hurting Irene Adler? The King wants the upper hand on this beautiful, yet intelligent woman. The King's attitude towards his future wife and his former lover, Irene Adler fits into society's narrowly defined roles of women. In this society, women were the nurtures and the protectors of the children and what some deem as only monetarily valuable items. The female instinct to nurture reflects in the personality of Irene Adler.

Virtue Theory

A Necessary, Modern Revision Aristotle studied and explained a wide range of subjects ranging from science to politics and is widely recognized as one of the greatest philosophers of all time. One of his most important contributions to the study of humanities is his exploration and definition of moral virtue. In his book, The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains different views about the nature of life in order to allow the reader to find what the main function of life is and how to successfully perform that function.For example, Aristotle states in his first book, in article one, â€Å"every art and every investigation, and similarly every action and pursuit is considered to aim at some good. † Hence, Aristotle defines the â€Å"good† as that which all things should aim. However, what separates humans from other â€Å"things† is the fact that humans seek the good in order to achieve eudemonia, or happiness. In order to achieve this result, a human must functio n well, and would therefore be acting with rational activity.So, if a person performs the function of rational activity well, they have acted with moral reasoning, acting virtuously to achieve eudemonia. In summary, Aristotle believes the good, or virtue, is in a human’s self-interest because of the results it produces. However, I strongly believe that, to classical philosophers, achieving virtue was a broader concept that its modern connotation suggests.It is commonly known that certain theories can be considered obsolete over time if not restated in a modern day context, because as society advances, there is a need for theories and ideas to accommodate and make room for such changes in order to maintain their relevance So, in order to adapt Aristotle’s theory of the good, also known as Aristotle’s virtue theory, into modern day life, different theorists and philosophers became interested in reevaluating the theory and adding to it in order to achieve a success ful and newer theory for humans to consider.I want to discuss the most popular theories recreated from Aristotle’s virtue theory to prove that there is, in fact, a need to modernize and restate his original concept, there is not a need to disregard it or substantially add to it. I believe that his theory must simply be presented through a modern outlook to be used as a guideline as to how humans should act instead of a set group of rules that could possible contradict each other. There are many different theories to consider when trying to find the best adaptation of Aristotle’s virtue heory, they range from supplementary views to non-supplementary and non-criterialists. For example, Supplementalists such as James Rachels believe in supplementing Aristotle’s theory of the good with an independent theory of right action. Whereas, non-Supplementalists can be further split into criterialists such as Rosalind Hursthouse, who believes that happiness can be objective, and non-criterialists such as Julia Annas, who believes that virtue theory does not need any criteria of right action because a truly virtuous person would never get into a situation where a criteria of right action would be needed.These theories differ on core principles and methods of adaptation, some even disagree with parts of Aristotle’s theory; however, they all have some form of agreement with respect to Aristotle’s theory of the good and can be used to enhance it for its adaptation into modern day context. After my evaluations of each philosopher’s view points, I have found the most practical and least contradicting theory in Julia Annas’ essay, â€Å"Being Virtuous and Doing the Right Thing. † Her essay delves into not only the original concept of Aristotle’s virtue theory, but also discusses the consequences of abiding by those guidelines in modern day.Her theory allows Aristotle’s theory to remain intact, however she refre shes it to the modern connotation it needed to be more commonly accepted by today’s society. However, when looking at the other popular views, James Rachels’ provides a detailed argument vouching for his supplementalist view point on the theory of the good in his essay â€Å"The Ethics of Virtue. † In his opinion, Aristotle’s theory shows an excellent motivation for moral action and gives us a better perspective of our decisions by enabling a different method of weighing our action.Yet, he also states that through Aristotle’s theory alone, there would be no reason for individuals to think that characteristics are virtues rather than vices. For example, courage could be a vice because there is no basis for asserting that courage is a virtue. Second, he adds â€Å"it is difficult to see how unsupplemented virtue theory could handle cases of moral conflict† (Rachels 2). For example, honesty can conflict with kindness if a certain circumstance p resents itself. According o Rachels, a purely virtue-based morality must always be incomplete, since it could not by itself explain why certain character traits are not morally good and therefore, humans could never decipher if they are truly acting virtuously and experiencing eudemonia. In order to make such a distinction between what is and is not morally good, he concludes that a combined approach, supplementing Aristotle’s theory with an independent theory of right action, such as Kantianism or Utilitarianism, will allow for an adequate moral philosophy in modern day.However, there can be problems with supplementation because moral theories, such as Kantianism for example, suffer from the same problem of deciphering the conflict of virtues. Rachels evaluates a list of virtues such as benevolence, civility, fairness, justice and so on, describing them as traits of character that should be fostered in human beings. By doing so, he conveys to the reader the need for an indep endent theory of right action such as Kantianism to help distinguish whether or not it is a virtue or vice. However, he does not go into detail of the problems such independent theories of right action can run into.Say Rachels wants to supplement the virtue theory with kantianism, and a person posses the virtue of honesty, however, if that person were to be conflicted by Nazis asking where hidden refugees are, that person would have to tell the truth because that is what the â€Å"categorical imperative† deems. Therefore, supplementing the virtue theory proves unnecessary and contradicting when trying to maintain using the virtue theory in modern day. Next, I chose to compare a theory opposing the supplementalist view such as the non-supplementalist view that Rosalind Hursthouse agrees with in her essay â€Å"Virtue Theory and Abortion. However, she also adds a criterialist view point in that â€Å"an action is right, if and only if, it is what the virtuous agent would do i n the circumstance† (Hursthouse 225). In her paper, she primarily uses the example of abortion to demonstrate her criticism of the virtue theory and discuss what is needed to be applied to the theory for it to promote the correct virtuous answer in modern circumstances. She states that â€Å"virtue theory can’t get us anywhere in real moral issues because it’s bound to be all assertion and no argument Hursthouse 226),† therefore, she addresses the need for clear, virtuous guidance about what ought and ought not to be done when a person is stuck in a conflicting decision of virtues. In her example of a woman’s decision of whether or not to have an abortion, she emphasizes the necessity of that guidance. However, in the evaluation of Hursthouse’s paper, she states nine separate criticisms of virtue theory, demonstrating what she believes to be an inadequate grasp either of the structure of virtue theory or what would be involved in thinking abo ut a real moral issue in its terms.She clearly makes the point that Aristotle’s theory of the good does not allow for a blatant answer in circumstances in which a person could either only do wrong or face the decision of acting for the good of human kind or for their own self interest. But, what she does not grasp is the simple fact that a virtuous person would never be in such situations to begin with, as Julia Annas later states. Hursthouse’s example of abortion becomes invalid with the realization that a virtuous person would not have irresponsible sex to land herself in a situation of whether or not to have an abortion.She mostly disagrees with Aristotle’s overall concept; therefore, her need to recreate it in a more understandable method is diluted and consumed by her overall goal of asserting the need of a virtuous guidance for those stuck in unvirtuous situations. Julia Annas further addresses the contradictions Hursthouse makes in her essay â€Å"Being Virtuous and Doing the Right Things,† in that she does not follow the criterialist belief that Hursthouse believes is necessary to make the virtuous decision.As stated before, she uses the main contradiction that the circumstances where there is no right answer a virtuous person wouldn’t be in to begin with. Also, she believes that â€Å"we are not blank slates; we already have a firm views about right and wrong ways to act, worthy and unworthy ways to be (Annas 66),† and we become knowledgeable of what is right and wrong through a developmental process, not through some technical method of deciphering right from wrong. She believes that you become good at being virtuous the same way you become good in everything else, for example, in order be good at playing the piano, you must practice.Her statements help relate Aristotle’s virtue theory to those confused about how to apply it in everyday life. She is providing the excuse of instinct and development for the vagueness of his original theory in order to make it more practical and achievable for those wanting to act with virtue. Overall, Annas proves her view deliberately and assertively throughout her paper. It becomes apparent that becoming a virtuous person requires a developmental process much like other activities in life.Also, through defying other theories, such as Hursthouse’s, she shows how uncomplicated making a virtuous decision can be, instead of making such a decision seem unachievable and complicated in modern context. I agree with her statement that it is wrong to â€Å"force our everyday moral thoughts into a system of one-size-fits all kind, virtue ethics tells us to look elsewhere at what happens when we try to become a builder or pianist (Annas 73),† because I believe that is how I came to learn what was morally good, and how I am still learning what is right or wrong in today’s society.She revives Aristotle’s virtue theory for modern day by allowing its original vagueness to remain intact and not trying to rewrite the theory’s initial context, while at the same time describing it as more of a guideline for humans to live by and a way to improve practical judgment in everyday life. In conclusion, Annas’ non-supplementalist, non-criterialist outlook on Aristotle’s virtue theory provokes thought and consideration, but also relates to a reader, because if looked at closely, the virtuous developmental process can be easily recognizable in any reader’s childhood.Also, her analytical methods of revealing the problems in other theories help the reader to comprehend her theory easier. Annas leaves the reader stating â€Å"When it comes to working to find the right thing to do, we cannot shift the work to a theory, because we, unlike theories, are always learning, and so we are always learning and aspiring to do better (Annas 74). † Overall, Annas provides the best adaptation to Aristotleâ €™s theory of the good and provides a positive outlook on the methods of becoming virtuous without constraining the reader to believe that there is exact and deliberate steps a human must make in order to gain eudemonia.Her revision allows Aristotle’s concept to live on into modern day, and thus provides a well-rounded and current guideline to the betterment of today’s society. Works Cited Annas, Julia. â€Å"Being Virtuous and Doing the Right Thing. † Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association (2004): 61-75. Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. 325 B. C. Hursthouse, Rosalind. â€Å"Virtue Theory and Abortion. † Philosophy and Public Affairs 20. 3 (1991): 223-246. Rachel, James. â€Å"The Ethics of Virtue. † 1996. Norman R. Shultz. November 2010 .

Ralph and Jack’s Conflict between Good and Evil in Lord of the Flies

Ralph and Jack’s Conflict between Good and Evil in Lord of the Flies Over the ages, human behavior has shown that purity of thought leads to a similar action and ultimately to an outcome that is consistent with the original thought. Conversely, the history of man is tainted with his inherent lust for power and greed causing great conflict. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the author contrasts the moral thoughts and deeds of his flawed hero Ralph to the self gratifying motives and actions of his adversary Jack.The ebb and flow of good versus evil on the island is driven by the waves of positive and negative thoughts in the minds of the two main characters. Ralph and Jack’s continuous struggle of good versus evil is not only between the two of them, but is within their own minds as well. Jack shows his inclination towards selfishness and violence while Ralph keeps a caring and positive mind towards the group’s survival.The boys have a meeting on the top of the mountain to discuss what to do next concerning their survival, which gives jack the opportunity to bring up hunting: â€Å"’It broke away-‘ ‘Before I could kill it- but- next time! ’ Jack slammed his knife into a trunk and looked round challengingly† (31). Already Jack begins to reveal his aggressive and violent nature. Jack has the opinion that being dominant and seen as powerful is more important to his own survival, while Ralph thinks about the survival of the group as a whole. Jack’s hunting is more about a selfish need than about providing for others.During the first hunt, Jack goes to satisfy his craving for meat and power: â€Å"He swung his right arm and hurled the spear with all his strength. From the pig-run came the quick, hard patter of hoofs, a castanet sound, seductive, maddening- the promise of meat† (49). Jack’s hunt for meat has become an obsessive search for power and a way to demonstrate his strength to the boys. He believes that catching and killing a pig and bringing it back for the others is the ultimate way to show that he is dominant and better than them.Jack is now consciously embodying his evil thoughts into his physical appearance. After realizing his hunting methods are not adequate, Jack paints his face into a mask in order to hunt more successfully: â€Å"Jack planned his new face. He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from right ear to left jaw† (66). He is consciously using the colours black and red to demonstrate the darkness and thirst for blood inside of him. Jack also shows his evil and  anger in the way he aggressively slashes the charcoal onto his face.Ralph’s deeper level of thinking leads him to take positive action towards improving conditions on the island. Ralph walks along the beach and come to realization just how badly things have deteriorated on the island: â€Å"With a convulsion of the mind, Ralph discovered dirt and decay; understood how much he disliked perpetually flicking the tangled hair out of his eyes, and at last, when the sun was gone, rolling noisily to rest among dry leaves† (82).Ralph’s thoughts, while not entirely good, have helped him to realize how bad the actually situation is on the island and what he needs to do to stop the situation from getting worse. Ralph’s world of order is pitted against Jack’s world of chaos. At the meeting, Ralph tries to reestablish the rules and Jack is openly challenging his authority: â€Å"Ralph summoned his wits. ‘Because the rules are the only thing we’ve got! ’ But Jack was shouting against him. ‘Bullocks to the rules! We’re strong- we hunt! If there’s a beast, we’ll hunt it down!We’ll close in and beat and beat and beat- ! ’† (99) Ralph expresses his good thoughts in a way to keep justice and order on the island, while Jack tries to destroy any trace of this with thoughts of rebellion and power over Ralph’s law. When Ralph realized that he cannot win, he gives into the bad thoughts that consume the island. Ralph is the last one left who still has a sense of order and is being hunted by the others for not agreeing with their ways: â€Å"But then the fatal unreasoning knowledge came to him again.The breaking of the conch and the deaths of Piggy and Simon lay over the island like a vapour. These painted savages would go further and further† (204). He experiences bad thoughts regarding his survival and develops a sense of hopelessness and futility. Ralph, slowly losing his own sanity and at the loss of Piggy and Simon there to induce good thoughts, is left to hide and attack the others for his own survival. Ralph is entirely overwhelmed by the thoughts of good and evil. He flees from the savages onto the beach where he finds, standing before hi m, a naval officer with a ship at his back.â€Å"†¦ Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall though the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy† (225). All of Ralph’s thoughts crash down on him at this moment and he is overwhelmed by the truth of man’s inner evil and by the death of his loyal and good friend Piggy. The conflict between the two characters, Ralph and Jack, is underlined by the good and evil thought patters that directly lead to the actions they each take. While good thoughts bear good fruit and bad thoughts bear bad fruit, the potential for good and evil lies within all of mankind.

The Doctor will see you now Professor Ramos Blog

The Doctor will see you now The train comes to screeching halt. The screaming of steel is soon replaced by the wail of human voices. The train doors are ripped open and the human cattle within stumble out under the threat of death by soldiers screaming orders and waiving guns. â€Å"Schnell! Raus!† The soldier’s orders are brutally enforced with buttstock and bullet alike. Those who died in transit are unceremoniously kicked aside and trampled as frightened passengers struggle to follow orders. As you quickly shuffle outside, an assault of chaos batters your senses. Dogs are barking, soldiers yelling, passengers screaming, sporadic gunshots, and the blinding light as your eyes adjust from total darkness. Worse yet is the smell. Not the feces and urine from the train cars, but something worse, a sickly-sweet smoke that clings to your mouth and your nose. You don’t know where it comes from, and you’d rather not find out. It is then that you see him, a sharply dressed man walking briskl y through the masses as if he is looking for something. He is of average height with dark hair and a fair complexion, in a different setting he might even be considered a handsome fellow, but here he stands in disturbing contrast to what surrounds him. In his hand he holds a riding crop. He doesn’t strike anyone, he simply uses it to gesture left or right as if directing traffic in an intersection. As you get closer you hear a familiar sound, he’s whistling a song your grandmother used to play when you were a child, you can’t remember the name. As you approach, he gives you a kind smile and gestures you to the right, and your parents to the left, despite your parents best efforts to resist the soldiers enforce his command and you are ushered away to an unknown future. That is the last time you see your parents. This is the first, and most pleasant, time you will see the â€Å"Angel of Death†. Josef Mengele was a German born SS physician who would become one of the most infamous members of the German war effort and a symbol of the evils of the Nazi party. Throughout his time at Auschwitz he gained an unparalleled reputation of cruelty and sadistic tendencies towards the inmates. Surgeries without anesthesia, the purposeful infection of inmates with diseases, and the drowning of inmates in freezing water. Perhaps his favorite pastime, however, was the sorting of new inmates as they arrived aboard trains from across Europe. A survivor of Auschwitz recounts that of the twenty or so physicians at the camp, only Mengele and one other officer could stand to sort prisoners without being inebriated to some extent. Not only could he stand it, he seemed to relish in it. Deciding who would live and who would die soon became a favorite pastime for him. This â€Å"sorting† also afforded him the opportunity to search for exceptional â€Å"specimens†. Before the war, much o f Mengele’s research was based on the study of genetics, twins, and multiple births. His position at Auschwitz afforded him the opportunity to find unique individuals from across Europe and experiment on them as he pleased. So where does a man like this come from? What circumstances convince a man to treat others like this? The story of Josef Mengele has a surprisingly tame and uneventful beginning. He was born in Germany in 1911 to Karl and Walberga Mengele who raised their son with devout Catholic values. In his memoirs he reports the absentness of his father who was a successful producer of farm implements and the overbearing nature of his mother who enforced her Catholic views upon him. Aside from this he seems to have had, by all accounts, a relatively normal childhood. His father had done very well for himself in his business which afforded their family a relatively high standard of living for the time. He did very well in school and went on to study philosophy in Munich and eventually gain a medical degree from Frankfurt am Main. In many serial killers and school shooters we often see a troubled childhood or circumstances in their youth that cause them to begin down a certain path. In Mengele, however, it seems that this was not the case. Some sources claim that his overbearing mother was an indi rect influence on him as he started down this path, but it is unclear to what degree, that this was the case, if at all. Regardless of his mother’s influence, it was at his time at university that I believe began him down the path of a monster. At this time in Germanies history their was a dangerous duo in place. An enormous sense of national pride and a widely spread and accepted view of German and Aryan superiority. These views were proudly displayed throughout the country and there were even divisions of Universities that were dedicated to racial hygiene such as the one at Frankfurt that Mengele attended. It was here that Mengele would come into contact with his future mentor. The infamous Dr. Otmar von Verschuer. Verschuer was a human biologist and geneticist who was doing much research into twins, hereditary biology, and racial hygiene. He studied hundreds of pairs of twins to discover whether criminality, feeblemindedness, and cancer were inheritable. He even recommended the forced sterilization of those people who were seen as mentally or morally subpar as he believed that they were a waste of resources and they would pass on these inferior traits to others throughout the Third Reich. I believe that this was very muc h an sufficient cause for Mengeles actions. Despite Dr. Otmar never being tried or punished after the war, there is credible evidence that he kept in contact with Mengele throughout his time at Auschwitz and even had specimens sent back to his labs in Frankfurt from the camps. Some historians believe that Mengeles dedication and devotion to Verschuer is related to the lack of love he felt at home during his youth, leading him to try and please his mentor like a child would a parent. It is unclear if this was actually the case or not, but it is a definite possibility. What is clear is that Nazi propaganda and ideals had a tremendous effect on his way of thinking. We see the transition from a carefree happy youth to one of the worst war criminals in history. I believe that the immense Nazi propaganda machine and the Aryan supremacy theories that pervaded German society had a lasting and irreversible effect on young Mengele. Although I have no scientific evidence to back this up, I am a firm believer that racism is learned. Have you ever watched little kids at a park? theyll play with anybody thats the same height as they are, regardless of race or color. I believe that this may be what happened to Mengele. A survivor of Mengeles exploits, Alex Dekel recounts the attitude with which Mengele performed his experiments in an interview. I have never accepted the fact that Mengele himself believed he was doing serious work - not from the slipshod way he went about it. He was only exercising his power. (Douglas B. Lynott, Alex Dekel, pg. 13) This slipsho d method and the odd experiments he conducted lead me to believe he wasnt concerned as much with research as he was with extermination and power over the undesirable. While it is true that he was doing research on twins to help propagate more Aryan births and other experiments that had valid uses for the Nazis, I believe it was a sadistic sense of power and the belief in Aryan supremacy that fueled his research, not scientific discovery. I also have a personal theory that may or may not be valid. I believe that when Mengele looked at, and learned to hate the Jew, he may have hated a part of himself as well. His features are far from the typical Aryan and he, ironically enough, resembles a Jew. He was of average stature with a prominent brow and dark hair. This cognitive dissonance may have lead him to despise the Jews and Gypsies all the more as he realized that he could never fully become the very thing that he was trying to propagate. There is also evidence that his sexual attraction towards the female inmates may have something to do with his behavior. Douglas B. Lynott describes in his paper how he would often ask the female inmates about there sex lives, and have them paraded nude before him on multiple occasions (Douglas Lynott. pg.10). I believe the fact that these women were dubbed verboten or forbidden gave them a certain appeal to Mengele. Just as in the monster theory number six we learned that the monster is a type of desire, I believe that so to did Mengele see these monsters as attractive. I believe that the combination of both these aspects may have led him to experience a sense of self loathing that manifested as an increased urge to rid the world of the thing he most hated , yet was and wanted. Whatever his reasons, it is clear that when men are given power with no accountability, evil can abound. We must be careful to keep those in in power accountable to a higher standard lest we repeat the horrific effects of the Holocaust and men like Josef Mengele. Annotated Bibliography. 1.â€Å"When Medicine Went Mad: Bioethics and the Holocaust†; Arthur Caplan; July 17, 1992; The Humana Press Inc. This book is a compilation of expert opinions and survivor accounts of the Holocaust, its causes and effects. The author has a PhD in bioethics and the book itself is a compilation of survivor accounts and expert opinions on the subject of the holocaust and medical ethics. I plan on using this mainly for the firsthand accounts of Auschwitz and Mengele himself. 2.Bachrach, Susan. In the name of public health-Nazi racial hygiene. New England Journal of Medicine 351 (2004): 417-419. This a journal article on the policies and effects of eugenics and how the Nazis implemented them. The author is Dr. Susan Bachrach who happens to be a curator at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. I plan on using this piece to further demonstrate the evils of the Nazi’s eugenics policy as well as offer specific examples of its use. It also offers information about Josef Mengele’s mentor, Otmar von Verschuer. 3.Lynott, Douglas B. Josef Mengele. TruTV. com Online Magazine (2007). This is an article about the life of Josef Mengele and his slow descent into the monster of Auschwitz. Even though it is an article published on a rather â€Å"entertainment† based website, the sources for the article are from well known and researched books that look into Mengele’s life. I plan on using this article to describe Mengele’s upbringing and how it lead to the terrible acts he did in Auschwitz. 4. Deadly Medicine-Creating the Master Race-physician and scientist profiles; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; ushmm.com; https://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/deadly-medicine/profiles/ This is an article that describes the various Nazi scientists during and before the war that assisted in furthering Aryan supremacy and performing terrible experiments. The website is the official one for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which I believe is a very credible resource. I will use this to explain Dr. Otmar von Verschuers role in the Nazi empire and Mengeles life. 5. 5. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. Monster Culture: Seven Theses. From Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 3-25. This is a series of seven these that describe monsters, how their made and how they describe the culture they come from. It was written by the guy that literally wrote the book on monsters; he has studied them for many years and these theses are part of an original book further discussing monsters. I will use this to describe the monstrous nature of Nazis.

Early Jail Conditions †Criminal Justice Essay

Early Jail Conditions – Criminal Justice Essay Free Online Research Papers Until the 19th century, children were punished and confined in the same ways as adults. Early jails housed adult men and women, juveniles, sane and insane all together. In the early 1800’s reformers became concerned about the overcrowded conditions in the jails and the corruption youth experienced when confined with adult felons. The first House of Refuge opened in New York on January 1, 1825, as a facility exclusively for children. (Roffe) By the 1840’s, 53 more were built around the country. Houses of Refuge were not limited to children who had committed crimes. They were also homes for poor children, orphans, or any child thought to be incorrigible or wayward. The average number of children in any given house was 200, but some, like the New York House of Refuge, housed over 1,000 youths at any given time. In response to overcrowding, deplorable conditions, and reports of brutality in the Houses of Refuge, training schools were developed in the mid-nineteenth century. Massachusetts opened the first state-operated training school for boys in 1847 and for girls in 1856. (Roffe) Training Schools placed a larger emphasis on schooling and vocational training. Many of the new facilities were built outside cities. According to contemporary thinking, the city was the source of temptation and a rural setting would offer a more virtuous and simpler way of life. Training schools are still the models of juvenile incarceration today. While the 20th century brought some changes, like the evolution of individualized diagnosis and treatment, new kinds of rehabilitative therapy, and improved educational programming, the congregate model of concentrating large number of juvenile offenders in one institution has remained. Until the late 19th century, children were tried in criminal courts along with adults. Movement for juvenile justice reform was informed by the 16th century educational reform movement in England that perceived children to be different than miniature adults, with less than fully developed moral and cognitive capacities. As early as 1825, the Society for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and other reform organizations were advocating for a separate court system for youth. (Frontline) In 1899, the first juvenile court was finally established in Cook County, Illinois, and by 1925, all but two states had followed suit. (Frontline, Roffe) Again, borrowing from the British thinking, the doctrine Parens Patriae (the State as Parent) was the underpinning of the newly established right for the state to intervene and to provide protection for children whose parents did not provide adequate care or supervision, such as in the case of juvenile delinquency. The primary motive of the juvenile court was to provide rehabilitation and benevolent supervision for the child. There were significant differences in the juvenile and criminal court systems. The focus of the juvenile court was on the offender, not on the offense or rehabilitation. All crimes by individuals under the age of eighteen were adjudicated in a juvenile court, with rare exceptions (decided upon a case by case basis) when a waiver could transfer a youth to adult court. The juvenile court, with its rehabilitative mission, could be much more flexible and informal than the criminal court. Due process protections, an attorney for the state and the youth were deemed unnecessary. A range of dispositional options that were related to the child’s situation, and not only to the crime, was available to a judge. One of the big problems in juvenile justice is how long it takes to get an arrested juvenile tried and adjudicated as a delinquent. Only after they have been adjudicated, can they technically be placed in â€Å"rehabilitation† programs. Obviously this kind of delay exacerbates the problem of delivering psychological services in a timely fashion. Juveniles who are still in detention status can only receive substance abuse treatment, sex education, remedial education, and crisis intervention services. (Roberts) Some of the programs that are currently being used are Probation, Scared Straight Programs, Community Treatment, and Institutionalization. Probation is the most frequently employed sentencing option. Each year approximately 70% of the juveniles adjudicated delinquent by the juvenile justice system courts are sentenced to probation. (Connor) Scared-Straight Programs are when juveniles are taken to state prisons for intensive confrontation sessions with adult inmates serving long term or life sentences. Using there own experiences as examples. Inmates told juveniles of the harsh realities of imprisonment. The purpose was to scare the juvenile straight. Community-based treatment programs for probationers stand midway between the loose supervision of routine probation and the secure custody characteristic of most correctional facilities for juvenile offenders. Community based programs typically provide more extensive assistance and stricter enforcement of the conditions of probation. In stitutionalizing juveniles to public or private correctional facilities has been used to rehabilitate the young offender. Correctional facilities routinely offer academic and vocational instruction in hope that better-educated and vocationally skilled inmates will be less dependent upon release. Most institutions also supplement these routine efforts with special programs, such as alcohol and other drug counseling. There are also short-term facilities (detention centers), as well as shelters, reception and diagnostic centers. Long-term facilities include training schools, ranches, forestry camps, boot camps, farms, halfway houses, and group homes. (Connor) In addition, there are numerous private institutions and a number of psychiatric hospitals and treatment centers. The correctional landscape of juvenile justice is quite different from the correctional system in the adult world. There are approximately 7 different models of treatment for juvenile offenders. Not all of them are as successful as can be expected, but treatment programs for juveniles tend to take on a life of their own. The models only represent programs which have found some acceptance, usage, or recognition in forensic psychology. Group home models group homes are the most common type of semi-secure or insecure facility, and their existence is justified on the principle that the least restrictive alternative should be used, unless facts warrant otherwise. Multi-systemic models multi-systemic is a loosely used term for approaches based on the family systems theory, which in short, implies that the best approach is one which ignores the offender, and joins him or her in blaming their family, their peer group, their school, and their neighborhood. Substance abuse models these are generally relapse prevention programs that are delivered on an inpatient (avg. stay 6 months) or outpatient (twice weekly) basis where community meetings are held and clients set goals for themselves. Boot camp models these are faddish government programs, most popular from 1987-1997 which attempt to instill military-style discipline, respect for authority, and boost self-esteem. There have been highly publicized abuses and most research indicates a negative impact on recidivism and self-efficacy. Wilderness and adventure models these are (usually private) programs which take status offenders and non-delinquents, cherry-picked delinquents and a few delinquents given a last chance before going to a more secure facility. Besides the outdoor challenges programs typically represent a de-emphasis on traditional classroom models of learning. Violence unlearning models The most common approach here is Aggression Replacement Therapy which attempts to replace whatever status rewards the offender has received for being bad with rewards for pro-social behavior, like learning how to ask permission, havi ng a conversation, giving a compliment, etc. Sex offender treatment models although a few prisons may use pharmacological approaches to suppress libido (never under age 16 though), the most common programs involve peer groups which either focus on relapse prevention, social assertiveness skills, or the confrontation of thinking errors. (Siegel, Welsh Senna) It should be noted that diverse mixtures of components of various models can be found, and sometimes such mixtures or admixtures are called multimodal programs, especially when the components being mixed involve individual treatment, peer group treatment, and an attempt at applying some sort of family systems theory. Since the most common family systems theory is called multi-systemic, it is not uncommon to see juvenile correctional psychologists champion the cause of multi-modal and multi-systemic approaches to treatment which may very well qualify as the fanciest buzzwords in all of criminal justice. (Siegel, et. al) During the 1940’s and 1950’s reformers worked hard to improve the conditions found in most juvenile institutions. Probation camps emerged providing a structured setting for juveniles as an alternative to incarceration. Extensive use of probation was also another alternative to incarceration. The vast majority were coming to question the ability of the juvenile courts system in succeeding, or even making visible or tangible progress in the rehabilitation process. (Roffe) In the 1950’s and 60’s public concern grew about the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system, not because of the rehabilitative philosophy, but because of its perceived lack of effectiveness and the number of juveniles who were detained indefinitely. In 1967, it was recommended that alternatives to the incarceration of juveniles be developed. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act passed in 1974, provided funding to communities from federal grants that encouraged these alternatives to incarceration, creating more foster care, group homes and formal diversion programs. (Roffe) In the 1960’s, the Supreme Court made a series of decisions that formalized the juvenile courts and made them more like criminal courts. Formal hearings were required in situations where juveniles were waived to adult courts, juvenile facing confinement were required to be given the right to receive notice of charges held against them, and the right to have an attorney represent them. â€Å"Proof beyond a reasonable doubt† had to be established, instead of just â€Å"a preponderance of evidence† for adjudication. (Roffe) During the 1970’s, supervision and electronic monitoring were also introduced. By the 1980’s the public perceived serious juvenile crime increasing and the system was failing due to its lenient attitude in the juvenile courts. Laws were passed making the 1980’s a transitional period that led the juvenile justice system away from its original philosophy of rehabilitation, focusing now on punishment and the safety of the public. Juvenile crime had increased, faith in treatment was on a downward spiral, the courts were becoming more and more inept to realistically address and remedy social ills and political ideology rushing towards conservative trends caused a distinct change in the policies surrounding juvenile criminals. (Roffe) By the 1990’s legislation enacted by many states held juvenile offenders that were violent, serious, or repeat offenders, accountable for their actions. Five areas of change concentrated on by state legislature included: sentencing, transfer provisions, confidentiality, victim’s rights, and correctional programming. As a result of the many changes made by legislation, more secure facilities were built and more adequate solutions for rehabilitation were developed. (Roffe) Kent vs. United States, 383 U.S. 541 1966 This case involved sixteen-year-old Morris Kent who, in September 1961, raped a woman and stole her wallet. The juvenile court judge waived Kent to the jurisdiction of an adult court, but without a hearing, without having talked with Kents lawyer, and without having released a copy of the information contained in Kents social service file, upon which the waiver decision was partly based. Kent was convicted and sentenced in adult court to a term of thirty to ninety years in prison. On appeal, the case came before the Supreme Court in 1966. The Court reversed the conviction, holding that the District of Columbia Juvenile Court Acts waiver provisions were invalid. The ruling specified that prior to being waived to an adult court a juvenile had a right to (1) a hearing on the move, (2) access to social service reports, and (3) a statement of reasons for the waiver. In the decision the Court stated that a juvenile gets the worst of both worlds: neither the protection of the Constitution adults take for granted, nor the care and treatment promised by the juvenile court. (Frontline) In Re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967) The juvenile court system was revolutionized in 1967, with this Supreme Courts landmark case. In the Gault case, the Supreme Court found that the juvenile court, in spite of its best intentions, had not been adequately meeting the needs of children. The Court ruled that, under the Constitution, children in delinquency cases are entitled to due process rights. These include the right to a court-appointed lawyer, the right to be notified of the charges against them, the right to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and the privileges against self-incrimination. The Gault decision was a clear departure from the former view of the juvenile court as a benevolent system where judges had unlimited discretion to tend to childrens needs. Since Gault was decided, all juvenile court actions (not only delinquency cases) have become more procedurally technical. The rights of children and parents have continued to be expanded and redefined, both by judges decisions and by new laws. (Siegel, et. a l) In Re Winship397 U.S. 358, 90 S.Ct. 1068 (1970) Samuel Winship, age 12, was charged with stealing $112 from a womans purse in a store. A store employee claimed to have seen Winship running from the scene just before the woman noticed the money was missing; others in the store stated that the employee was not in a position to see the money being taken. Winship was adjudicated delinquent and committed to a training school. New York juvenile courts operated under the civil court standard of a preponderance of evidence. The court agreed with Winships attorney that there was reasonable doubt of Winships guilt, but based its ruling on the preponderance of evidence. Upon appeal to the Supreme Court, the central issue in the case was whether proof beyond a reasonable doubt should be considered among the essentials of due process and fair treatment required during the adjudicatory stage of the juvenile court process. The Court rejected lower court arguments that juvenile courts were not required to operate on the same standards as adult co urts because juvenile courts were designed to save rather than to punish children. The Court ruled that the reasonable doubt standard should be required in all delinquency adjudications. (Frontline) McKeiver v. Pennsylvania 403 U.S. 528, 91 S.Ct. 1976 (1971) Joseph McKeiver, age 16, was charged with robbery, larceny, and receiving stolen goods. He and 20 to 30 other youth allegedly chased 3 youth and took 25 cents from them. McKeiver met with his attorney for only a few minutes before his adjudicatory hearing. At the hearing, his attorneys request for a jury trial was denied by the court. He was subsequently adjudicated and placed on probation. The State Supreme Court cited recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that had attempted to include more due process in juvenile court proceedings without eroding the essential benefits of the juvenile court. The State Supreme Court affirmed the lower court, arguing that of all due process rights, trial by jury is most likely to destroy the traditional character of juvenile proceedings. The U.S. Supreme Court found that the due process clause of the 14th amendment did not require jury trials in juvenile court. The impact of the Courts Gault and Winship decisions was to enhance the accuracy of t he juvenile court process in the fact-finding stage. In McKeiver, the Court argued that juries are not known to be more accurate than judges in the adjudication stage and could be disruptive to the informal atmosphere of the juvenile court, tending to make it more adversarial. (Siegel, et. al) On March 1, 2005, marking a landmark decision for human rights, the United States Supreme Court abolished the death penalty for juvenile offenders. Relying on the opinions of international and domestic human rights groups including an amicus brief by Human Rights Watch the Court found that the death penalty was unconstitutionally cruel for people who were under the age of eighteen at the time of their crimes. Prior to the decision, the United States was one of only six countries in the world that allowed the juvenile death penalty. By a vote of 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court on March 1, 2005 held that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments forbid the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. (Richey) Justice Kennedy, writing for the majority stated: â€Å"When a juvenile offender commits a heinous crime, the State can exact forfeiture of some of the most basic liberties, but the State cannot extinguish his life and his potential to attain a mature understanding of his own humanity.† The Court reaffirmed the necessity of referring to â€Å"the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society† to determine which punishments are so disproportionate as to be cruel and unusual. The Court reasoned that the rejection of the juvenile death penalty in the majority of states, the infrequent use of the punishment even where it remains on the books and the consistent trend toward abolition of the juvenile death penalty demonstrated a national consensus against the practice. The Court determined that today our society views juveniles as categorically less culpable than the average criminal. (Richey) In recent years a great deal of interest has been placed on delinquent behavior and the causes that contribute to it. Media blames music, movies, games, and videos. T.V., Radio, Movies and Video games all reveal forms of violence, sex, drugs and crime. The more there is, the more it sells. A large majority of our youth form opinions and are influenced by the media. The Media encourages different ways and means to trigger violence among youth. Media is such a broad topic that I chose to narrow down to what I felt were the most influence on today’s youth; television and video games. Things that wouldn’t be your number one guess on where your child is learning things, but are two of the highest concerns society has for its children. We can see violence in almost all the media in today’s society, but does it really affect the way kids think? Video games look more real life and violent than ever. Over the holiday season this year, children age seven and up will be asking for the hottest video games of the year. The top five video games include violence, sex, nudity and the use of foul language. The top five most requested video games of 2007 are- Halo 3, Bio-Shock, Call of Duty 4, Assassin’s Creed, and Resident Evil. (Kwan) The Grand Theft Auto series is ranked the worst games of them all. These games are the most gory, graphic, and mature to ever come out. In the Grand Theft Auto game, the character steals cars, kills cops, picks up prostitutes and has sex with them, beats up pedestrians on the street and commits robbery. The rating is A for adult meaning that the game is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. If you go back ten years ago you will see a difference in the games that were played by children. The top five games wanted ten years ago were Star Wars, Diddy Kong Racing, Madden ’98, World Series Baseball ’98, and Tetris. (Rubenstein) These games were all rated lower than T for Teen because the games are not graphic. These are nothing like the games of today were you shoot something or someone and it shows everything that would happen in actual life. Statistics show on the ESRB website that 90 percent of children who play a violent video game are more likely to get into a fight then that of those who do not play the video games. Violence has always played a major role in entertainment in our society. However, in recent years there has been more, leading to higher violence crime rates. There is now solid evidence to suggest a relationship between exposure to violent television and movies and aggressive behavior. Researchers have found that children are more physically and verbally aggressive immediately after watching violent television shows than their less aggressive peers. A few studies have found that exposure to television and movie violence in childhood is related to increased aggression years later, but further research is needed in this area. (AACAP) In 1995, a small community in the Willamette Valley passed an ordinance which held parents responsible in just this way. The ordinance, No. 94-132 that was adopted in Silverton OR, charged parents with the misdemeanor of â€Å"failing to supervise a minor† when a child under the age of 18 years violates any provision of the Silverton Municipal Code. (Silverton, OR) Under provisions of the ordinance, if a juvenile commits a violation of law, his or her parent is served with a warning notice for failure to supervise a child. If the child commits a subsequent offense, the parents are issued a citation to Municipal Court for failure to supervise a child. The goal of the ordinance is to hold parents accountable for the actions of their minor children. Within a short time Mayor Ken Hector reported a significant reduction in juvenile crime and reduced levels of truancy. Furthermore school officials reported increased levels of involvement of parents with their children. (Silverton, OR) During the 1995 Oregon legislative session and after the enactment of the ordinance in Silverton, similar legislation was passed and made law. The Oregon law allows courts to order parents into education or counseling programs with the purpose being to improve parenting skills and the ability of parents to supervise the youth offender. (ORD 419C.573) An additional law â€Å"holds parents responsible for no minors being upon any street, highway, park, alley or other public place between the hours of 12 midnight and 4a.m.of the following morning.†(ORD 419C.682) At least 16 states have enacted similar parental responsibility laws. Caught somewhere between prevention and punishment for both children and parents, these laws attempt to involve parents in the lives of their children by holding them civilly and/or criminally liable for their childrens actions. Penalties for violation of these laws include increased participation by parents in juvenile proceedings; financial responsibility for restitution payments and court costs; financial responsibility for detention, treatment, and supervisory costs; participation in treatment, counseling, or other diversion programs; and criminal responsibility and possible jail time for parents found negligent in their supervision. (Yee) In some instances parental responsibility laws have been most effective with those parents that are humiliated by the process. What could be more embarrassing to an adult who is well known and respected in the community? In these instances appearing in Court and being held accountable for ineffective parenting and lacking supervision certainly could become incentive to pay more attention to a teen’s behavior. Nationally the support for parental responsibility laws remains controversial. Never the less, the potential these laws have in combating youth crime based on the increased parental involvement and attention given to their children has to be beneficial to society today. (Yee) Every town, village, and city has had to deal with adolescent substance abuse. The association between drug abuse and crime is staggering. Research shows that over half of all juveniles arrested test positive for cocaine. (Siegel, et. al) It is also shown that drug abusers are far more likely to become delinquents than non-abusers. The most frequently abused drugs for juveniles are marijuana, steroids, cocaine, designer drugs like ecstasy, and stimulants like crystal meth. The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research conducts an annual Monitoring the Future survey. This is one of the most important and most influential surveys regarding juvenile substance abuse, and has roughly 45,000 students and 433 schools that participate. In 1996 and 1997 the amount of juveniles using illegal substances was at its highest ever. So why do juveniles use drugs? Researchers say poverty, social disorganization, genetic factors, and emotional problems are all to blame. There are several treatment strategies available to juvenile users. Scott Henggeler created the multisystematic therapy (MST) technique which involves focusing on problem solving and communication skills. In his long term evaluation he found that juvenile substance abusers who went through his program were significantly less likely to recidivate than others who received traditional treatment services. Other programs like wilderness programs and after-school community programs have also shown positive results. (Siegel, et. al) Statistics and gruesome tales portrayed by the media make it tough for the average citizen to make a quality decision concerning youthful offenders. On July 28, 1999, 12 year old Lionel Tate was imitating professional wrestlers when he beat to death 6 year old Tiffany Eunick. (Courtroom Television Network) In June of 2005, a 7 year old boy was charged in the beating death of his 7 month old sister because he was jealous of the attention the baby received. Reports show he kicked, punched and beat the child with a 24. (Dennis) That same week in New York, a 9 year old girl fatally stabbed an 11 year old friend to death with a steak knife after an argument over a ball. (Dennis) These tragedies are only a few of the hundreds of stories heard on the news and read in the papers everyday. How does children ages 7, 9, and 12 come to decide when it is justifiable to take another’s life? How do these children even know how to take the life of another human being? Is it the television? How about the new onslaught of explicitly graphic video games, which are marketed at today’s youth? Though these seem to be plausible causes for the problems generating today’s juvenile delinquent, I think the solution lay a little closer to the home front. Maybe one real cause of the problem is that we allow anyone to breed. In our country today you are required to get a license to have a dog. You have to get a marriage certificate. Another certification to drive a car and you have to insure the car. However there are no restrictions or requirements concerning procreation and child rearing. When a couple decides to adopt a child there are extensive background checks done, months of waiting and yards of red tape before they are able to bring home a child. Would it not be productive to have requirements of people who wish to take on the great task of raising a child? At least we could insist upon mandatory classes teaching proper child development techniques. An excellent example of a program making a huge difference is the WIC program. In order for clients to receive vouchers for help with food and baby formula, they must attend classes every three months. The classes teach nutritional values, smart shopping, and an array of useful skil ls in raising healthy children with good eating habits while on a budget. It is pretty well known that money motivates Americans. A class or series of classes directed at teaching parenting and early childhood development skills could be required of any parent that wishes to claim the EIC (earned income tax credit) on their taxes. A three hour class on how divorce affects children should be required when a couple divorcing has children together, in order to be granted the divorce. Parents have been made responsible before for their children’s actions, but wait†¦ What if the parents were mandated to attend a series of classes or seminars that could help teach them to more effectively handle the situation, preventing future offenses? How can we address each child’s individual needs better than to encourage their own parents involvement? The parents live with them, are overall responsible for them, and may think twice about having any more if they are held accountab le for the actions of their children. Values and integrity are learned at an early age and in the home. Once upon a time in America, these were a priority in the home. Somehow we lost that, and need to get it back. The only way we can start is by forcing education on the parents of these children. This has to be our foundation to building a system that can effectively prevent and treat our youth. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology (AACAP). (2002, November 13). Children and TV Violence. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_tv_violence City of Silverton, OR. (n.d.). Title 9 Criminal Code. Retrieved December 5, 2007, from codepublishing.com/OR/Silverton.html Connor, T. O. (2005, November 30). Juvenile Justice Overview. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from http://faculty.ncwc.edu/TOCONNOR/111/111lect14.htm Courtroom Television Network, LLC. (2000, November 7). Where It All Began: 14- Year- Old Gets Life. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from courttv.com/trials/wrestling/background.html Frontline. (2005). Juvenile Justice Child or Adult? A Century Long View. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/childadult.html Howell, J. C. (2003). Preventing Reducing Juvenile Delinquency: A Comprehensive Framework. Sage Publishers. Kwan, M. (2007, December 12). Futurelooks Holiday 2007 Guide to Hottest Video Games. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from futurelooks.com/futurelooks-holiday-2007-guide-to-the-hottest-video-games/ Richey, W. (2005, March 2). Juvenile Death Penalty Abolished. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from csmonitor.com/2005/0302/p01s01-usju.html Roberts, A. R. (2004, March). Juvenile Justice Sourcebook: Past, Present and Future. New Jersey: Oxford University Press. Roffe, S. (1999). Juvenile Detention in New York: Then and Now. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/djj/djj20yrs3.htm#1800 Rosenheim, M. K. (2002). F. E. Zimring, D. S. Tanenhaus, B. Dohrin, Eds.A Century of Juvenile Justice. University of Chicago Press. Rubenstein, G. (1997, December 13). The Seasons 10 Hottest Video Games. Hearst Communications, Inc. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from sfisonline.com/cgibin/article/article?f=/e/a/1997/12/13/STYLE11080.dtl Siegel, L. J., Welsh, B. C., Senna, J. J. (2006). E. Howard, Ed.Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice and Law (9th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Yee, A. (1999, January). Parental Responsibility in Juvenile Justice. National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from ncsl.org/programs/press/schoolviolence/LEGIS73.htm Research Papers on Early Jail Conditions - Criminal Justice EssayThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenStandardized TestingPETSTEL analysis of India

6 Fabulous Hints to Become a Successful Writing Major

6 Fabulous Hints to Become a Successful Writing Major 6 Fabulous Hints to Become a Successful Writing Major There are several skills one must improve to be a truly great writer. Here we are going to name six key skills for excellent writing, as well as tips on how to acquire and improve these traits. 1. Knowledge of Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation You can have creative ideas and excellent writing abilities, but without proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation, you cannot communicate your ideas effectively. People do not want to read writings that are full of errors, and you lose credibility when you cannot spell or punctuate properly. The best way to improve your language is to read. Read books, newspapers, favorite blogs - read anything. The more you read, the more spelling and grammar become second nature to you. Another way to improve your grammar is to search the Internet any time you are uncertain about how to punctuate a sentence or which verb tense to use. There are many excellent grammar websites devoted to consult you. 2. Understanding Your Purpose There are different types of writing for different purposes: narrative, persuasive, literary analysis, etc. To write effectively, first you must understand the purpose of the paper you are dealing with. Are you analyzing literature? Are you telling an entertaining story? Are you persuading the reader to agree with your opinion? When you are writing a college paper, look through the restrictions carefully. If your professor provides you with the demands, read them a couple of times to make sure you have fully understood your task. If you thoroughly understand the purpose of each piece you handle, you will be on your way to a writing master’s degree! 3. Imagination Excellent writers have perfect imagination. It is a skill you cannot be taught of, but you can develop it. Go to different places, observe people, try something new. Write down your observations in a notebook. If you have a dream, you can record it in your journal as well. Open your imagination even further by reading novels that take place in fantasy lands, or by watching movies that explore unique topics. Imagination comes from exploration and experience, so cultivate your imagination by being open to different places, people, and adventures. 4. Discipline A guaranteed way to improve any skill is to practice, so the best way to become a better writer is to write. Even if you are not in the vein to do this, or you feel like you have a writer’s block, simply take the pen or start typing. Write something every day, even if it is a short entry about what you have experienced and thought that day. The more you write, the more you will improve. You even won’t notice how you have became a writing MFA. 5. Research Skills When it comes to academic writing, being a good researcher is a must. Who is a good researcher? Someone who can find convincing, valid evidence to support the claim in his/her writing. One way to improve your research skills is to evaluate the sources you have chosen. While choosing a source to use in your paper, ask yourself the following questions: Was this source recently updated, or it is outdated? Who wrote this information? Would this person or organization be involved to this topic? Is it a trustworthy source with credible information? Is this information relevant to my topic? Make sure you are getting your research from the sources that are credible, current and relevant. The most important item for an excellent research is to know which sources to use. You also should be able to synthesize researches from several different sources, instead of using only one and simply paraphrasing its information. 6. Ability to Take Constructive Criticism We are our own biggest critics, so we must criticize our writings. Take yourself through multiple drafts instead of deciding that the very first one you have written is the best. Focus on your spelling, grammar, word choice, and organization. Do you stay on topic? Do you use strong vocabulary? Moreover, you can ask others for feedback, and do not take their criticism personally. The only way to get better is to continue learning and improving your writing skills. No writer is perfect, so continue striving for constant improvement. If you follow these tips, you will be amazed how much your writing skills have improved!

Speech Analysis or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis - Speech or Presentation Example Opening. Realizing the primacy effect of the beginning (Murdock, B.B., Jr., 1962, p. 482-488), Mike Schroeder started his speech strongly, clearly establishing his ideas and focusing the audience to grasp the meaning of his message positively. In just a few sentences, Schroeder grabbed the attention of the academic audience with the importance of the topic for everyone, what increased listeners’ receptiveness to the providing information. From the beginning, the speaker cared about the speech to remain memorable for the audience. For this purpose, Mike represented a story of a man that suffered from heart disease that had been treated with stem cells. The story was connected to the main idea of the speech – the necessity to find the effective way to save human lives in the struggle against dangerous diseases threatening the mankind. The story of the real medication with the help of stem cells brought Mike Schroeder’s presentation to life from the beginning. It he lped Mike to connect with his audiences even more, making the speech to resonate in people’s minds long after the telling with power effect. Having started with the core of his message and providing a brief  speech outline, the speaker demonstrated his awareness of academic audience expectations as for logical and professional explanation of the topic. Being aware that persuasive speaking is very connected to audience, Schroeder paid extra attention to audience analysis. He watched attentively any nonverbal reactions and signals from the members of the audience (frown, nodding head, rolling eyes, significant smiles), which expressed listeners’ approval or objection of speaker’s viewpoint. Having identified the subset of the audience that agreed, disagreed, and that was undecided about the positive acceptance of his opinion, Mike primarily focused on the part of the audience that was undecided on the issue. Speaking more directly to the group of undecided liste ners allowed Schroeder to address his speech more towards their concerns, explaining in detail some certain points, which could influence people’s positive attitude. Realizing, the audience had not the same beliefs that he, the speaker used the tactic of Osborn, M., & Osborn, S. (2000) to establish good understanding with the audience. First of all, Mike emphasized what he had in common with the audience, accentuating people’s attention on the problem of dangerous diseases, which concerned everyone. He also stressed on the importance to care of moral values, which were involved in the topic. Thus, Mike started with the areas of mutual agreement before discussing the points of disagreement, taking in account that the audience was concerned with the problem of using stem cells in practical medicine, willing to discuss new information and listen to speaker’s arguments. In fact, Mike set the modest goal for changing his audience. His nearest purpose was to get audie nce’s passive agreement with the necessity to continue research in the field of stem cells and the practical realization of stem cells therapy. The speaker didn’t push his audience to accept his point of view just immediately. He compared his position with the beliefs of other people, showing respect to different opinions. Vocal variety. The speaker was great with his vocal variety, and he was aware of his audience in the back. Mike

Religion and Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and Ecology - Essay Example Finally, I will explore human nature and destiny as part of the natural world and how our actions and religions are important in development. Religion has almost certainly shaped our understanding of and our conduct towards nature and vice versa. For example, Judaism (one of the oldest religions), nature is presented as being something that â€Å"God created†1. Another ancient religion, Hinduism, has special Gods dedicated towards the worship of nature2, which suggest that nature is needing explain by the use of Gods and spirituality. Many of the tribal religions are based around nature-worship and a special symbiosis with environment3. Most religions state that there is a special relationship between man, nature and a spiritual being and that nature is something that need taking care of by man. This much is true. However, looking at state of world and impending environmental crisis, it not clear whether this encouragement to bond with nature by religion has had enough of an effect. Many people also feel that religion encourages people to think that they are better than other species or that humans are not part of the natural world. In Judaism, God has created man in his image4 suggesting that God has created a special place in the world for man. Man is more like God than the other creatures. However, in religious environmentalism we see that newer spiritual and religious movements are encouraging human race to see themselves as part of the environment and to take care of it like they would care for their own home5. Interestingly, the nature is a finite resource and seeing humans as part of that resource could help to encourage us to see ourselves within nature and to help us maintain it like religions so often encourage. Religions also help ask and answer the question â€Å"what is the place of humans in the non-human natural world?† There are two clear schools of thought. One, common in the

Youth Offending Essay Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Youth Offending Essay - Literature review Example Social exclusion refers to the lack of acceptance, belonging and recognition of an individual or a community by others despite the fact that they may be neighbours in a city or a country (Friedman, 1993). Studies have shown that Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) youths are the most affected by social exclusion in Wales and England. Interestingly, socially exclude youth are often found to be socially and economically vulnerable and have higher risks of living diminished lives in the eyes of the advantaged as well as in their own eyes (Applebaum et al., 2010). The social and economic changes in the free-market economies have been cited as the main causes of social exclusion of minority youths, more so in the Western countries. In addition, weaknesses and inequalities in government service provision have made socially excluded people rather vulnerable in many ways (Coker, 2003). For instance, in England and Wales, the socioeconomically deprived and socially exclude ethnic minority youths have been found to be at higher risks of being crime victims or offenders given their propensity towards committing crimes (CRC, 2008a). This paper thus explores the reasons youths from ethnic minority groups are over-represented in the criminal justice system of Wales and England and the possible approaches with which this trend may be addressed. The Criminal Justice System and Black Minority Youths Perhaps one of the most regrettable and enduring characteristic of the criminal justice systems is racial profiling and stereotyping of youths from minority ethnic groups (CRC, 2008b). Fortunately, there has been a considerable increase in the galvanisation of the link between minority ethnic groups and crime (University of Georgia, 2006). In worse cases, there have been so much racial stereotyping and crime profiling that black youths are referred to as ‘criminal predators’ (Silver, 1994). According to the Youth Justice Board (YJB), which reported that 1,822 young offender s were in custody in the 2010/2011 period, it is this profiling of minority youths that has subtly justified the over-representation of youths from minority ethnic groups and races in the criminal justice systems (BBC, 2011). Out of this population, minority ethnic youths constituted 39%, a 6% increase over the 2009/2010 period. However, the general figures of youth offenders dropped from 1977 of the 2009/2010 period (BBC, 2011). The Guardian also reported similar trends in both Wales and England, reporting that young black men accounted for nearly 40% of the population of youth jails in the two countries. Comparing the 2006 and the 2009/2010 period, the joint report with the Youth Justice Board (YJB) indicated an increase from 23% to 39% by young black youth composition (The Guardian, 2011). This over-representation is not only evident at the trial stages/courts but also in the correctional facilities such as prisons. Although, an unofficial policy, the tendency to racially and eth nically profile minority youths is so rampant that criminal justice practitioners openly practice it. Certain elements have been identified to be core to the culture of racial profiling and the emergence and practice of minority youth typification in the criminal justice system (Walker, 1977). While the number of minority youths incarcerated in the UK and Wales in the last three decades increased, the number of incarcerated white/majority has considerably gone down. Since historical times, youths from minority groups have consistently been over-represented at all the stages in the criminal justice system in the UK and Wales, the senior and the juvenile justice systems (Walker, 1992). In fact, this

Public Enemy's Can't truss it Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Enemy's Can't truss it - Research Paper Example Chuck D. one of the Public Enemy in an interview with Melody Maker in the year 1991 gave an insight to the song meaning or rather what their song was addressing by saying, the song was about how the corporate world of today had perfected the demoralizing act of slavery. In addition, he talked on how they cannot control what they create in the music industry and because of the presence of the media, they can neither control on how they run their lives or their state of mind-what they are thinking. Furthermore, that the various circumstances that they do not have power over force them to limit their working and restricts them from having ownership on any property or business. Consequently, there will be lack of jobs while the greater forces he identified as the white people had jobs because they owned businesses. He goes on to explain how the white people have put in place various institutions that that provides lessons on how to live in America when the blacks did not have any institu tions to teach them. He argues that the only institution that the blacks could turn to is their families but that too could not help as they were subjected to slavery. Chuck D finally remarked that the song was about the ongoing cost of the black holocaust which people choose to ignore while the others such as the Jewish holocaust was being addressed (Lemelle, p38). By the use of the term holocaust Chuck D referred to the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of the blacks who tried to stand up and make a change by denying them their rights. This has changed ever since through the years as an increasing number of rappers have taken control of their marketing and business opportunities. They have grown so opportunistic that by mentioning a product on their lyrics they would be paid. A good example is Jay-Z on his 2000 track â€Å"give it to me† where he gives a rap placement to Motorola, using a line in the lyrics â€Å"Motorola, two way page

Earthquake Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Earthquake - Research Paper Example Importance of the research topic Earthquake is one of the most significant risks to the safety of structures as well as of the occupants. Every year, millions of people around the world lose their lives and property in the earthquakes. Considering the gravity of the problem, there is dire need to make the structures resistant against earthquakes as well as to have an effective disaster management system in place to counter the effects of earthquakes. Contents of the paper This paper does a detailed analysis of the research topic i.e. earthquake and explores its various aspects. The aspects discussed in the paper include but are not limited to discussion of the engineering problem, its importance, its relation with geology and engineering, impacts of the engineering problem on the society, challenges associated with it, geological analysis of the problem, and strategies that may be employed to deal with this engineering problem. In addition to that, a case study is discussed in detail . The case study is about a real life earthquake incident that occurred within the last ten years, and that had huge implications on the society. The paper discusses ways in which effects of the earthquake were dealt with, and the potential strategies to avoid the effects of such incidents in the future. Relation between earthquakes and geology Earthquakes are fundamentally related to geology because they happen as a result of movement of the tectonic plates. There are four layers of earth, that include the inner core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust when arranged in an inside out fashion. Although the crust and the mantle constitute a thin layer on the earth’s surface, that is fragmented into different pieces that may slide past each other. An earthquake occurs when two blocks of earth slip across each other. The surface across which the slip happens is known as the fault plane. Earthquake starts at the hypocenter that is directly below the surface of earth where ea rthquake happens, known as the epicenter. Relation between earthquakes and engineering Earthquakes are related to engineering because their occurrence imparts the need to engineer the structures in such a way that they can resist the effects of earthquakes. Every structure has a different foundation design that is engineered in such a way that it can effectively transfer the load of the structure to the earth and can help the building withstand all external shocks and risk factors including heavy winds and earthquakes. Foundation designs of buildings if modified appropriately, make the buildings earthquake-resistant. Impacts of earthquake on the society There are numerous impacts of earthquake on the society that include but are not limited to disrupted normal life, loss of life, loss of property, loss of housing, breakdown of the social order, damaged infrastructure, loss of business, disrupted communication channels, loss of the industrial output, and disrupted marketing systems. â€Å"The effects of an earthquake can also cause dangerous landslides, fires, gas line and electric explosions, and floodwaters from collapsing dams† (Pollard). Earthquakes have numerous short term and long term effects. Many children get kidnapped during the earthquakes. Long term effects of earthquakes include decline in the socioeconomic system of the country. â€Å"Evidence points to elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and earthquake-related fears in children