Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808–July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth president of the United States. He took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and was president through the contentious early days of Reconstruction. His vision of Reconstruction was rejected and his presidency was not successful. He was impeached by Congress, averting removal from office by one vote, and was not re-nominated in the following election. Fast Facts: Andrew Johnson Known For:  Seventeenth president of the United States, impeachmentBorn:  December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North CarolinaParents: Jacob Johnson and Mary Polly McDonough JohnsonDied:  July 31, 1875 in Carters Station, TennesseeEducation: Self-educatedSpouse: Eliza McCardleChildren: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew Jr.Notable Quote: Honest conviction is my courage; the Constitution is my guide. Early Life and Education Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His father died when Johnson was 3 years old and his mother soon remarried. Johnson was raised in poverty. Both he and his brother William were bound out by their mother as indentured servants to a tailor, working for their food and lodging. In 1824, the brothers ran away, breaking their contract after two years. The tailor advertised a reward for anyone who would return the brothers to him, but they were never captured. Johnson then moved to Tennessee and worked in the tailors trade. He never attended school and he taught himself to read. In 1827, Johnson married Eliza McCardle when he was 18 and she was 16. She was well-educated and tutored him to help him improve his arithmetic and reading and writing skills. Together they had three sons and two daughters.   Rapid Rise in Politics At age 17, Johnson opened his own successful tailor shop in Greenville, Tennessee. He would hire a man to read to him as he sewed and he took an increasing interest in the Constitution and famous orators. Showing political ambition from an early age, Johnson was elected the mayor of Greenville at age 22 (1830–1833). A Jacksonian Democrat, he then served two terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1835–1837, 1839–1841). In 1841 he was elected as a Tennessee state senator. From 1843–1853 he was a U.S. representative. From 1853–1857 he served as governor of Tennessee. Johnson was elected in 1857 to be a U.S. senator representing Tennessee. Dissenting Voice While in Congress, Johnson supported the  Fugitive Slave Act  and the right to own slaves. However, when states started to secede  from the Union in 1861, Johnson was the only southern senator who did not agree. Because of this, he retained his seat. Southerners viewed him as a traitor. Ironically, Johnson saw both secessionists and abolitionists as enemies to the Union. During the war, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln made Johnson the military governor of Tennessee. Becoming the President When President Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, he chose Johnson as his vice president. Lincoln chose him to help balance the ticket with a Southerner who was also pro-Union. Johnson became president upon Abraham Lincolns assassination on April 15, 1865, just six weeks after Lincolns inauguration. Reconstruction Upon succeeding to the presidency, President Johnson attempted to continue with Lincolns vision of  Reconstruction. To heal the nation, Lincoln and Johnson both prioritized leniency and forgiveness for those who seceded from the Union. Johnsons Reconstruction plan would have allowed Southerners who swore an oath of allegiance to the federal government to regain citizenship. He also favored a relatively quick return of power to the states themselves. These conciliatory measures were never really given a chance by either side. The South resisted extending any civil rights to blacks. The ruling party in Congress, the  Radical Republicans, believed Johnson was being far too lenient and was allowing former rebels too much of a role in the new governments of the South. The Radical Republican plans for Reconstruction were more severe. When the  Radical Republicans  passed the Civil Rights Act in 1866, Johnson vetoed the bill. He did not believe that the North should force its views on the South, but instead favored allowing the South to determine its own course. His vetoes on this and 15 other bills were overridden by the Republicans. These were the first instances of presidential vetoes being overridden.  Most white Southerners also opposed Johnsons vision of Reconstruction. Alaska In 1867, Alaska was purchased in what was called Sewards Folly. The United States purchased the land from Russia for $7.2 million upon Secretary of State  William Sewards  advice. Even though many saw it as folly at the time, it eventually proved to have been a very wise investment. Alaska provided the United States with gold and oil, increased the size of the country drastically, and removed Russian influence from the North American continent. Impeachment And continual conflicts between the Congress and the president eventually led to the impeachment trial of President Johnson.  In 1868, the  House of Representatives  voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson for dismissing his  Secretary of War Stanton  against the order of the Tenure of Office Act, which they had just passed in 1867. Johnson became the first president to be impeached while in office. (The second president would be  Bill Clinton.) Upon impeachment, the Senate is required to vote to decide if a president should be removed from office. The Senate voted against this by only one vote. Post-Presidential Period In 1868, after just one term, Johnson was not nominated to run for the presidency. He retired to Greeneville, Tennessee. He attempted to re-enter the U.S. House and Senate but lost both elections. In 1875, he ran for the Senate again and was elected. Death Soon after taking office as U.S. senator, Johnson died on July 31, 1875. He had suffered a stroke while visiting family in Carters Station, Tennessee. Legacy Johnsons presidency was full of strife and dissension. He disagreed with much of the population and leadership on how to administer Reconstruction. As evidenced by his impeachment and the close vote which almost removed him from office, he was not respected and his vision of Reconstruction was disdained. Most historians see him as a weak and even failed president, however his time in office saw the Alaska purchase and, in spite of him, the passage of both the 13th and 14th amendments: freeing the slaves and extending rights to the former slaves. Sources Castel, Albert E. The Presidency of Andrew Johnson. Regents Press of Kansas, 1979.Gordon-Reed, Annette.  Andrew Johnson. The American Presidents Series. Henry Holt and Company, 2011.â€Å"Life Portrait of Andrew Johnson.† C-Span.Trefousse, Hans L. Andrew Johnson: A Biography. Norton, 1989

Whole Foods Market, Inc. - 1304 Words

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFM) was founded in Austin, Texas and is a supermarket chain concentrating in organic and natural foods. John Mackey, Rene Lawson Hardy, Craig Weller. The first store opened on September 20, 1980. Whole Foods Markets are located in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Since 1980, Whole Foods Market has remained committed to upholding their missions and values within their company. Whole Foods Market’s motto—â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet—emphasizes that our vision reaches beyond food retailing† (Whole Foods Market, 2014). Whole Foods Market has committed as an organization in â€Å"helping support the health, well-being, and healing of both people—customers, Team Members, and business†¦show more content†¦Whole Foods Market believes that the operation of a company should exceed beyond profits and focus on creating values and relationships within their communities. Whole Foods Market is â€Å"currently the 8th largest public food and drug retailer in the U.S., ranking #232 on the Fortune 500† (Whole Foods Market Annual Report, 2013). Food retailing has gained more competiveness over the years. Whole Foods Market, has been awarded, â€Å"America’s Healthiest Grocery Store.† Whole Foods Market’s â€Å"seek out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture† (Whole Foods Market Company Info, 2014). They believe that providing customers with natural and organic products, they are giving customers the most nutritious food and the best tasty food as well. â€Å"The quality of their foods is measured by nutrition, freshness, appearance, and taste† (Whole Foods Market Company Info, 2014). The company strives to create relationships and values within their community and their Team Members. WFM allows their

Rightful Victims

Question: Is the law of rape sufficient to protect rightful victims, but prevent the misuse of the provisions? Answer: The recent cases in which, false allegations have been made the woman regarding rape have raised doubts regarding the view that women do not lie regarding being raped. At the same time, the opposing view according to which, the false allegations of rape are becoming common also needs to be questioned because such review also has very serious implications for the society as well as for public policy. Historically, the legal system has viewed the claims of rape skeptically. Generally the failure of the criminal justice system to adequately deal with rape as a criminal offense has been illustrated by the decline in the convictions in cases where allegations of rape has been made during the recent years. These figures reveal a steady decline, apart from a slight increase during the recent years and generally, these figures are compared with the conviction rate for the cases involving homicide and assault. At the same time, significant difference is also present between the convictions in the courts as a percentage of incidents that have been reported to the police (which is known as attrition rate) and the percentage of the cases that are prosecuted in the courts (called the conviction rate). In this way, when it comes to the successful conviction of the cases that have been brought before the court, rape is still significantly lower as compared to the violence that takes place against the person or burglary. There has been a major overhaul of the sexual offences legislation in the UK since the beginning of the 21st century. Before these reforms, the law related with sexual offences was primarily based on the laws that were based on the legislations that were implemented in 1956 and some of these legislations even dated back to the 19th century. However, these laws were not in tune with the requirements of the 21st century. Although several amendments were made to these provisions after the 1956 law which included the provisions related with marital rape and male rape that were introduced in 1994. But the result of these fragmentary changes was very confusing laws and the position was that many different acts had to be accessed for the purpose of deciding what the law was on a particular subject matter. It was also acknowledged by the Home Office that this situation resulted in a patchwork quilt of provisions. At the same time, these provisions were beset with several anomalies, discrimination as well as inappropriate language that can also be construed as a violation of the human rights legislation. Under these circumstances, the newly elected government in 1997 decided to help the victims of sexual offenses in obtaining justice and as a result, a lengthy and comprehensive process of review what initiated by the government in 1999 which was known as the Sexual Offenses Review. The result of this review was the Sexual Offenses Bill and in the end, the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 was introduced by the government and this legislation came into effect in May 2004. Before the introduction of this legislation, the feminist activists and academics have pointed out certain criticisms in context of rape law that are similar to the ones that are present in other countries where adversarial legal systems are present. They have particularly pointed out towards the difficulties that are present in proving non-consent, rape myths, cross examination, the use of sexual history evidence as well as the ruling given by the court in 1976 in Morgan v DPP in which it was stated by the court that an hon est belief it may be mistaken, regarding consent may result in the acquittal of the accused even if such a belief regarding the consent of the victim cannot be described as reasonable under the circumstances. At the same time, the considerably high rate of education in rape cases was also cited as a major cause of concern behind these criticisms and at the same time, it also provided a strong push for strengthening the law related with sexual offenses. Therefore, simply stated the position can be summed up that most of the victims of rape who had reported the offense to the police were not able to even see that the case has reached court, leaving aside any scope for the conviction of the perpetrator for rape. In this regard, a number of studies have been conducted which have documented the high rate of attrition and also how this rate of attrition has increased with the passage of time. Therefore the situation is that the number of men who are being reported to the police for the offense of rape is increasing and at the same time, the proportion in which the offenders are being convicted for rape is also falling steadily. At the same time, these studies have also established that the ratio of convictions for the offense of rape as compared to the reported instances of rape has also fallen at a steady pace from one in three in 1977 and it has come down to one in 20 in 2002. At the same time, it was also found after a comparative analysis that the highly rate of inflation in case of the offense of rape is not prevalent in England and Wales but similar trends can also be seen to some extent throughout Europe. At this stage, it is also pertaining to mention that in most of the cases, the offe nse of rape is not even reported to the authorities. Therefore the figure of one conviction out of the 20 reported cases is specifically alarming and there has been a significant campaign by the activists. In this regard, some experts have also given a warning that the rate of attrition may even be higher as compared to the figures on by the researchers to do the reason that these studies do not considered the instances of rape that are reported to the police but they are not recorded by the police and also the convictions that are overturned by the courts during an appeal. In this regard, it has also been found by the recent research conducted in this regard that nearly one out of 10 convicted rapists were successful in getting their convictions overturned from the court or having their sentences reduced after preferring an appeal. The process of reforms in this regard started in 1999 with the Sex Offenses Review and the purpose of this process was to achieve protection, fairness and justice by remaining within the overall theme of the home office to create a safe, just and tolerant society. The terms of reference of this review included, "review of the sex offenses in the common law as well as the statute law of England and Wales and also to make recommendations that are capable of providing covenants and clear sex offenses that can protect the individuals, particularly the children and the more vulnerable sections of the society from exploitation and abuse. It should also be capable to allow the abusers to be punished appropriately and at the same time, it should be fair and non-discriminatory, keeping in view the requirements of Human Rights Act and the ECHR. This last mention point is considered as a significant factor behind the need felt by the government to introduce legislative reforms. The Human Rights Act, 1998 came into force in October 2000 and encapsulates the rights that have been guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights in the domestic law of the UK. In this regard, it needs to be noted that although no new rights have been provided by the Human Rights Act to the citizens, still it has provided a power to the judges to make a statement regarding the incompatibility of a particular piece of legislation if such legislation does not respect the human rights enjoyed by an individual. At the same time, the European Court of Human Rights has also stated in the past that the states can be considered as accountable for any violation of the human rights if they fail to introduce appropriate legislation related with the offense of rape. At the same time, as a part of the review, and internal steering group as well as an external reference group was also established. The external reference group included well-known feminist academics, feminists who were campaigning for the reforms in rape law, the representatives of the organizations who were working with rape victims. The result was that intentionally or unintentionally this review had a very strong feminist influence. As a result, two very comprehensive documents were produced. These documents consisted of the literature reviews as well as the reports obtained from consultation seminars and recommendations. At the same time, as a result of this review, a white paper titled, Protecting the Public was also published which provide the details of the proposals made by the government in this regard. In his foreword, the home secretary described the present law on sexual offenses as being archaic, discriminatory and incoherent. Under these circumstances, in January 2003, the Sexual Offenses Bill was introduced in the House of Lords and certain amendments were made to it. In the same way, the House of Commons passed the Bill in June 2003 and the Home Affairs Committee also reviewed it. This review was published in July 2003 as well as the oral and written evidence that was submitted as a part of the inquiry that had taken place regarding certain sections of this Bill. In the end, the Sexual Offenses Bill received the Royal assent on November 20, 2003. Thereafter it was called the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 and this legislation came into effect in May, 2004. The effect of this legislation was that it replaced the Sexual Offenses Act as well as the amendments that were made to this legislation. It has been widely acknowledged that this new legislation is capable of representing the largest overhaul that has taken place in the law related sexual offenses for more than a century. The Sexual Offenses Act, 2004: for the purpose of securing a conviction for the offense of rape, it is required to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the act has been committed by the defendant which fulfills the legal definition of rape but at the same time, also needs to be established that the defendant was aware of the fact that the victim had not consented to such an act. These two requirements are called the guilty act (actus reus) and the guilty mind (mens rea). In the next part of this assignment, these two aspects related with the offense of rape will be discussed in detail in order to see if the current law of rape has been successful in maintaining a balance between the protection of our the rights of the victims as well as the rights that have been provided to the accused persons. Actus Reas (Guilty Act): in case of the offense of rape as prescribed by the Sexual Offenses Act, 1956, the actus reas has been simply described as an unlawful sexual intercourse that has taken place with a woman. Later on, it was amended in 1976 and therefore it stated it as an unlawful sexual intercourse that has taken place with a woman without her consent. However, two very significant changes were introduced in 1990s related with the actus reas of the offense of rape. First of all, after more than 100 years of campaigning by feminists, eventually in 1991 rape that has taken place within marriage was made illegal by the common law system and this was incorporated in the statute when the word 'unlawful' was removed from the definition of the offense as prescribed in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994. Before this change, it was stated in the common law that a married woman did not have the authority or capability to not consent. For example, it was stated by the court in R v Clarence, 1888 that the sexual communication between them is by virtue of the irrevocable privilege that has been conferred once for all on the husband at the time of marriage (R v Clarence (1889) 22 QB 23). The infamous statement made by Sir Matthew Hale also needs to be noted in which it was stated, But the husband cannot be guilty of rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for their matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given up herself in this kind unto her husband, which she cannot retract. However, within their legal circles, the criminalization of marital rape was considered as controversial. The reason was that when it was criminalized in 1991, it was considered as being criminalized by the judge made law instead of being done by the elected government. An important case in this regard was that of R v R where it was alleged that the husband had tried to have sexual intercourse with his estranged wife without the consent and has also physically assaulted by squeezing her neck with both his hands. The issue that was required to be decided in this case was not in the husband had tried to force his wife for having sexual intercourse without her consent but if this act can be considered as falling within the purview of the legal definition of unlawful sexual intercourse. In this regard, the defense relied on the above-mentioned statement and also argued that due to the reason that the acts of the husband were directed against his wife, it cannot be classified as unlawful. However, while discussing the argument forwarded by the defense, it was stated by Justice Owen that the statement made by Hale cannot be considered as valid any longer because the statement has been made in general terms and also at the time when marriage was considered as in-dissolvable. But in this regard, it needs to be noted that this dismissal of the statement made by Hale appears to be related more to the fact that physical force has been used by the husband while attempting to rape the wife instead of being concerned with the lack of consent. However, the court stated in its decision that the act can be classified as an attempt to rape and as a result, the defendant was sentenced for imprisonment of three years. However, in an appeal, it was argued by the defendant that Justi ce Owen had been wrong when he ruled that rape within marriage can be considered as being against the law when the marriage itself has not been revoked. However the court of appeal dismissed the appeal of the defendant unanimously and at the same time, the statement made by Sir Matthew Hale was also dismissed by Lord Lane when he termed it as a statement of the common law and that epoch, where the common law rule no longer remotely represents what is the real position of the wife in the current society. In this regard, the Court of Appeals stated that, We take the view that the time has now arrived when the law should declare a rapist a rapist subject to the criminal law, irrespective of his relationship with his victim. Later on, this judgment was also upheld by the House of Lords as well as by the European Court of Human Rights. In the same way, the second significant change was also the result of the 1994 Act. According to this change, it was acknowledged that a can also be a victim of rape and for this purpose, the actus reus of rape was amended so that it can cover vaginal as well as anal intercourse against the woman or against another man without the consent of such a person. In this way, although some other parts of the Sexual Offenses Act, 1956 have been revised during the period between 1995 to 2003, the actus reus of rape retain the definition that was provided by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994 until the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 came up with a new definition of rape. According to the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003, the actus reus of rape has been described as penile penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth of any other person without the consent of such a person. As a result, when it comes to the actus reus of rape, there has been a slow change for nearly half a century in which it transformed from unlawful sexual intercourse that has taken place with a woman to the penile penetration of vagina, anus or the mouth of another person without the consent of such a person. Therefore the actus reus of rape has been considerably widened as now it includes the penile penetration of mouth. This is based on the arguments that were forwarded in the Sexual Offenses Review according to which, other forms of penetration, like the penile penetration of mouth or the penetration of vagina or anus with another part of the body or an object, also needs to be considered equally serious as the penile penetration of vagina or anus is considered. In this regard, therefore a decision was made that the actus reus of rape should be extended so that it can include the penile penetration of mouth. In this regard, it was particularly stated that, forced oral sex is as horrible and equally traumatizing and demeaning as the other forms of penile penetration are. However this means that it is still a gender specific offense when it comes to the perpetrator because such an act requires the penis, however with regard to the victim, it is a gender neutral offence. At the same time, a new offense of assault but penetration was also created so that the instances of penetration by objects other than penis may be covered because the offense of rape carried the maximum punishment of life imprisonment. In this regard, it is also been stated by some experts that if the offense of rape is allowed to be committed by any other object, in such a case, even a woman may commit the offense of rape and such a provision may create issues according to the Human Rights Act, 1998. In this regard it needs to be noted that the second part of actus reus is related with a lack of consent. Generally, there are three lines of defense that are used in cases of rape. These are that the intercourse never took place, or that it took place but not by the accused or the defense that it took place but the victim had consented to such intercourse or that it was believed by the excuse that the victim has consented to it. Therefore, it has been pointed out that there are a few cases of rape where the question is, who done it? Similarly, the defense that the sexual intercourse never took place is also not very common. At the same time, the use of these defenses is expected to become further scarce in future owing to the developments that have been made in DNA testing. As a result, the issue of consent is used much more significance as compared with past and it is also the main focus of defense. Therefore, the issue of consent was also one of the main focus of the review of sex ual offenses so that the laws related with consent could be clarified. The basis of the problem that is based while dealing with the issue of consent in cases of rape lies with the requirement that the prosecution has to prove that the consent was not present, instead of a requirement on part of the defense that steps were taken by the accused to ascertain consent. In several ways, this problem is unique in cases of rape. For example, when it has been reported by a person that their car has been stolen, it is not required to be established that the car has been taken without the consent of such a person. In the same way when a person has been physically assaulted, such a person is not asked if they had agreed to be assaulted. Another problem that is generally faced in rape cases is that the only direct witness of the offense is the victim of the rape. This means that in these cases, generally there is the word of one person against that of the other. In such a case, if it is claimed by the accused that the victim had consented to the act and on the othe r hand, it is claimed by the victim that she had not consented to the act, in such a case it is difficult to validate the statement made by both of them (Kelly, 2002). The reason is that the nature of the offense is such that it is highly unlikely that any third party will be available to corroborate the statement made by the victim or the perpetrator. For the first time, the Sexual Offenses (Amendment) Act had used the term consent in the statute. Before this, there was a force that was called the relevant factor. However, the issue of consent has been present in the common law since 1845 in Camplin [1981] 3 All ER 443 where the woman was charged with alcohol and the court gave the ruling that although no force was used still it can be said that the act was against the will of the woman and under the circumstances, she was unable to consent to such an act. After this decision, there have been several other cases in which it was deemed by the court that consent was automatically absent, this is also known as the category approach. However it appears that the situation was changed with the decision given in Olugboja has changed the standards that were required to establish non-consent. Therefore the court stated in this case that consent is a state of mind and the jury needs to be directed to make up their own mind regarding the effect if the consent was present, keeping in mind the state of mind of the victim at the time of the rape. In this way, it appears to overturn the standards that were used under the category approach. But in this regard it is not clear and the situation was described as having a threefold uncertainty. The first element of uncertainty was related with the fact that there was no statutory definition of consent. Similarly, the decision given in Olugboja individualized cases regarding consent therefor it moved away from the idea of a legal standard of non-consent. In the same way, uncertainty was present regarding whether or not this decision has replaced the earlier category approach under the common law. With a view to deal with these uncertainties, the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 has defined consent. Therefore, section 74 of the Act provides that a person consents if he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. In this way, it has returned to the category approach as it has listed the categories in statute. However, the 2003 Act has maintained a distinction between 6 categories where it can be presumed that the consent is not present unless sufficient evidence to the contrary is present to suggest that it was reasonably believed by the defendant that the victim consented. Similarly, there are two categories where it can be conclusively presumed that the consent is not present. In this way, the issue of consent is still, at least to some extent, is dependent on the mental state of the defendant even in cases, for example where the defendant was asleep or unlawfully detained or has to face violence from the defendant, even if the burden of proof has been re versed in these cases and the responsibility is on the defendant to show that steps were taken to ascertain consent. Mens rea (Guilty Mind): it is the second part of the offense of rape which is known as the mens rea and it is based on the demise that an individual should not be punished for the act which was not known by the person to be committed by them. In this way, although actus reus and mens rea are present in case of war crimes, however mens rea is only relevant when the conduct in question has a certain level of ambiguity. There are certain other crimes apart from rape where it is required that both actus reus and mens rea should be proved to be applicable (Lees, 1996). The most common example in this regard can be given of the crime of trespass. The law prohibits a person from trespassing into the property of other person but the person cannot be convicted unless such a person knows that they are trespassing, for example where the private property has not been marked clearly. In this way, whether or not it was intended by the person to commit a crime is perhaps more important in case of r ape as compared to the criminal offenses when the question is of proving the guilty mind of the mens rea. While earlier, if a person committed the actus reus of the guilty act of rape, but it was honestly believed was such a person that the woman has consented regardless of the fact that how unreasonable such a belief was, the person cannot be convicted of the offense of rape because in such cases the mens rea of the guilty mind was not present. Formerly, it was called the mistaken belief clause while informally, it was known as the 'rapists charter' because the meaning of this provision was that a woman could be actively non-consenting, for example shouting 'no' or trying to free herself but even in such a case, a man can be acquitted of the charge of rape. In this way, it is very difficult, nearly impossible to disprove this defense because in such a case, the defense had relied upon the things that are going on in the mind of the defendant. The clause of 'mistaken belief was introduced for the first time in 1976 in Morgan when the husband colluded with three of his friends in raping the wife. It was alleged that the husband had told his friends that his wife will say no and struggle as if she did not want to have intercourse with them but in reality it turned her on as she was 'kinky'. It was claimed by the accused that it was honestly believed by them that she was enjoying it and consented to it and they did not have the intention of raping her or in other words, they did not have the intention of raping her. Although the men were convicted in this case and at the same time, the husband was also convicted for abetting and aiding rape, it set a new precedent. In this regard, the House of Lords stated that if it is honestly believed by a person that the women had consented, even if such belief was highly unreasonable, such person cannot be convicted of the offence of rape. Sections 41-43 of the youth justice and criminal evidence act, 1999 can be described as the most recent attempt to deal with the failure of section 2 of the Sexual Offenses (Amendment) Act, 1976. All this under the circumstances, the feminist groups have campaigned for several years that some test of reasonableness should be provided for the defense of mistaken belief or the mistaken belief clause should be completely abolished. Similar issues were also being debated in other common law countries. For example in Australia, the rape law reform campaigners were divided into two groups. While the first group wanted that the Morgan ruling needs to be upheld. This means that if it is honestly believed by a person that the woman had consented to sexual intercourse, irrespective of the fact that such a belief was highly unreasonable, the person should not be found guilty of the offense of rape. On the other end, there was the other group who believe that this belief regarding the consent of the woman should be reasonable. Therefore, although a number of piecemeal reforms have been introduced between 1956 and 2003, these reforms did not have any significant impact on the continuous decrease in the rate of conviction for the offense of rape. At the same time, it also needs to be noted that the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 now defines 'consent' but there are several issues related with consent that have not yet been solved. For example, it is still a problem that the law equates non-resistance or passivity with consent, particularly where no evidence regarding physical violence is present or in the cases where the victim had consented in the past. In the same bed while it is a significant step forward that the mens rea has been reworded and it requires that they should be reasonable belief in the consent of the woman, but it is not yet clear how this 'reasonable belief ' will be interpreted by the courts. Therefore, it needs to be saying that the belief should be reasonable to whom and under what circumstan ces. At the same time, initially there has been some skepticism regarding the impact of the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 even during the stages of consultation. For example, in 2001, some experts have warned that such a review may result in 'another false down' due to the reason that it only focuses on the black letter law. In other words, it was not likely that it will be decided by men that they should not rape only due to the fact that the law has been made slightly strict. In the same way, the high attrition rate in case of the offense of rape cannot only be related to the fact how the offense of rape has been defined by the law, therefore the impact in this case may also be marginal. At the same time, it has also been suggested by some other experts that the focus of the law reforms should be on the process of trial, particularly on how the rules of evidence and the way in which the cases of rape or constructed related with social perceptions of gender, sexuality and coalition. In this way, it suggests that it is required to look further than only the 'black letter law' and consider the process of trial in an effort to explain why there is a problem related to the prosecution of rape. At the same time, it also needs to be noted that while the campaign for the rape law reform is significant but it is not enough in itself. This fact has been acknowledged by the feminist activists for a long time. It is also believed that the reforms can only be implemented effectively if along with these reforms, there is also a transformation in the attitude of the men. Simply stated, it can be said that it is easy to change the law than the prejudiced attitudes. In this way, even after the reforms, there are still several issues related to the prosecution of the offense of rape but at the same time, it cannot be denied that these reforms in the rape law represents a big step forward. The same can be said regarding the other sexual offense laws that have been informed by the Legislature and also the new offenses that have been created in this regard. However, the consent of the victim and the sexual history of the victim are still relevant factors despite the introduction of signif icant reforms in this regard. Bibliography Baird, V. (1999) Changes to section 2 of Sexual Offences Act 1976, Medicine, Science and the Law, 39 (3), 198-208 Cook, K. (2004) Rape Appeal Study: Summary Findings, available at www.truthaboutrape.co.uk Hale, M. (1736, published in 1971) The History of the Pleas of the Crown, London: Professional Books Harris, J. and Grace, S. (1999) A question of evidence? Investigating and prosecuting rape in the 1990s, London: Home Office. Harris, L.R. and Weiss, D.J. (1995) Judgements of Consent in Simulated Rape Cases, Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 10 (1), 79-90. Henning, T. (1997) Consent in sexual assault cases: the continuing construction, Violence Against Women, 3, 4-10 Home Office Review of Sex Offences (2000) Setting the Boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences (Volume 2), London: Home Office Communication Directorate. Home Office Review of Sex Offences (2000a) Setting the Boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences (Volume 1), London: Home Office Communication Directorate Kelly, L. (2002) A research review on the reporting, investigation and prosecution of rape cases, London: HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. Kelly, L. (2004) Legal Reform, Sexual Autonomy and the Justice Gap: Sexual Offences Law in the 21st Century, paper presented at the European Rape Congress, Brussels, 1st 2nd April 2004. Kelly, L. and Regan, L. (2001) Rape: The Forgotten Issue? A European research and networking project, University of North London: Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit. Lea, S.J., Lanvers, U. and Shaw, S. (2003) Attrition in rape cases; developing a profile and identifying relevant factors, British Journal of Criminology, 43, 583-599. Lees, S. (1996) Carnal Knowledge Rape on Trial (1st edition), London: Hamish Hamilton. Rumney, P.N.S. (2001) The Review of Sex Offences and Rape Law Reform: Another False Dawn? Modern Law Review, 64 (6), 890-910 Temkin, J. (2000) Literature Review: Rape and Sexual Assault, in Setting the Boundaries, London: Home Office Case Law R v Kevin John Cartwright, unreported, (2007) R v A [2001] UKHL 25 Morgan v DPP [1976] AC 182 X AND Y v. THE NETHERLANDS. 8978/80 8978/80 Olugboja [1981] 3 All ER 443 Temkin, J. (2000) Literature Review: Rape and Sexual Assault, in Setting the Boundaries, London: Home Office Rumney, P.N.S. (2001) The Review of Sex Offences and Rape Law Reform: Another False Dawn? Modern Law Review, 64 (6), 890-910 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Home Office Review of Sex Offences (2000a) Setting the Boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences (Volume 1), London: Home Office Communication Directorate Lea, S.J., Lanvers, U. and Shaw, S. (2003) Attrition in rape cases; developing a profile and identifying relevant factors, British Journal of Criminology, 43, 583-599. Morgan v DPP [1976] AC 182 Kelly, L. and Regan, L. (2001) Rape: The Forgotten Issue? A European research and networking project, University of North London: Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit. Kelly, L. (2004) Legal Reform, Sexual Autonomy and the Justice Gap: Sexual Offences Law in the 21st Century, paper presented at the European Rape Congress, Brussels, 1st 2nd April 2004. Home Office Review of Sex Offences (2000) Setting the Boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences (Volume 2), London: Home Office Communication Directorate. X AND Y v. THE NETHERLANDS 8978/80 8978/80 Sexual Offenses Act, 1956 Baird, V. (1999) Changes to section 2 of Sexual Offences Act 1976, Medicine, Science and the Law, 39 (3), 198-208 Hale, M. (1736, published in 1971) The History of the Pleas of the Crown, London: Professional Books R v R [1991] 1 All England Law Reports, 747 R v R [1991] 1 All England Law Reports, 747 R v R [1991] 4 All England Law Reports 481 CR v United Kingdom (1995) 21 EHRR 363 Cook, K. (2004) Rape Appeal Study: Summary Findings, available at www.truthaboutrape.co.uk Harris, J. and Grace, S. (1999) A question of evidence? Investigating and prosecuting rape in the 1990s, London: Home Office Harris, L.R. and Weiss, D.J. (1995) Judgements of Consent in Simulated Rape Cases, Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 10 (1), 79-90. Henning, T. (1997) Consent in sexual assault cases: the continuing construction, Violence Against Women, 3, 4-10 Sexual Offenses (amendment) Act, 1976 Olugboja [1981] 3 All ER 443 Sexual Offenses Act, 2003 Morgan [1976] AC 182 R v Kevin John Cartwright, 2007

Similarities Between Tsar Nicholas II and Joseph Stalin free essay sample

A comparison of two opposite types of governments and how they enforced strangely similar tactics while ruling the country and the results that followed with each ruler. This paper examines the similarities between the tsarist system under Tsar Nicholas II and the policies of Joseph Stalin in the communist Soviet Union. The author examines the mishandling of the military, use of secret police, and exploitation of the peasant community. The author also compares the results of their similar policies. The political ideals of communist Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin could not be farther from those of Russia under Tsar Nicholas II. Yet, when analyzing the actions of each leader, the policies of each government and conditions of the country are strangely similar. Both leaders are known for their incompetent rule of unprepared militaries in the World Wars, their cruel treatment and exploitation of the peasant community, and use of force to instill fear and obedience throughout the country. We will write a custom essay sample on Similarities Between Tsar Nicholas II and Joseph Stalin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is intriguing how the Soviet communist regime could mirror the actions of the Russian monarchy, a system perpendicular to the Soviets, which they had overthrown.

Literary Devices of Prose Poetry Flashcard

Literary Devices of Prose Poetry

Ankgor Civilization, the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia

Ankgor Civilization, the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia The Angkor Civilization (or Khmer Empire) is the name given to an important civilization of southeast Asia, including all of Cambodia and southeastern Thailand and northern Vietnam, with its classic period dated roughly between 800 to 1300 AD. It is also the name of one of the medieval Khmer capital cities, containing some of the most spectacular temples in the world, such as Angkor Wat. The ancestors of the Angkor civilization are thought to have migrated into Cambodia along the Mekong River during the 3rd millennium BC. Their original center, established by 1000 BC, was located on the shore of the large lake called Tonle Sap, but a truly sophisticated (and enormous) irrigation system allowed the spread of the civilization into the countryside away from the lake. Angkor (Khmer) Society During the classic period, the Khmer society was a cosmopolitan blend of Pali and Sanskrit rituals resulting from a fusion of Hindu and High Buddhist belief systems, probably the effects of Cambodias role in the extensive trade system connecting Rome, India, and China during the last few centuries BC. This fusion served as both the religious core of the society and as the political and economic basis on which the empire was built. The Khmer society was led by an extensive court system with both religious and secular nobles, artisans, fishermen and rice farmers, soldiers, and elephant keepers: Angkor was protected by an army using elephants. The elites collected and redistributed taxes, and temple inscriptions attest to a detailed barter system. A wide range of commodities was traded between Khmer cities and China, including rare woods, elephant tusks, cardamom and other spices, wax, gold, silver, and silk. Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) porcelain has been found at Angkor: Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) whitewares such as Qinghai boxes have been identified at several Angkor centers. The Khmer documented their religious and political tenets in Sanskrit inscribed on stelae and on temple walls throughout the empire. Bas-reliefs at Angkor Wat, Bayon and Banteay Chhmar describe great military expeditions to neighboring polities using elephants and horses, chariots and war canoes, although there doesnt seem to have been a standing army. The end of Angkor came in the mid-14th century  and was partly brought about by a change in religious belief in the region, from Hinduism and High Buddhism to more democratic Buddhist practices. At the same, an environmental collapse is seen by some scholars as having a role in the disappearance  of Angkor. Road Systems among the Khmer The immense Khmer empire was united by a series of roads, comprised of six main arteries extending out of Angkor for a total of ~1,000 kilometers (~620 miles). Secondary roads and causeways served local traffic in and around the Khmer cities. The roads which interconnected Angkor and Phimai, Vat Phu, Preah Khan, Sambor Prei Kuk and Sdok Kaka Thom (as plotted by the Living Angkor Road Project) were fairly straight  and constructed of earth piled from either side of the route in long flat strips. The road surfaces were up to 10 meters (~33 feet) wide and in some places were raised to as much as 5-6 m (16-20 ft) above the ground. The Hydraulic City Recent work conducted at Angkor by the Greater Angkor Project (GAP)  used advanced radar remote sensing applications to map the city and its environs. The project identified the urban complex of about 200-400 square kilometers, surrounded by a vast agricultural complex of farmlands, local villages, temples and ponds, all connected by a web of earthen-walled canals, part of a vast water control system. The GAP newly identified at least 74 structures as possible temples. The results of the survey suggest that the city of Angkor, including the temples, agricultural fields, residences (or occupation mounds), and hydraulic network, covered an area of nearly 3,000 square kilometers over the length of its occupation, making Angkor the largest low-density pre-industrial city on earth. Because of the enormous aerial spread of the city, and the clear emphasis on water catchment, storage, and redistribution, members of the GAP call Angkor a hydraulic city, in that villages within the greater Angkor area were set up with local temples, each surrounded by a shallow moat and traversed by earthen causeways. Large canals connected cities and rice fields, acting both as irrigation and roadway. Archaeology at Angkor Archaeologists who have worked at Angkor Wat include Charles Higham, Michael Vickery, Michael Coe and Roland Fletcher; recent work by the GAP is based in part on the  mid-20th-century  mapping work of Bernard-Philippe Groslier of the École Franà §aise dExtrà ªme-Orient (EFEO). The photographer  Pierre Paris  took great strides with his photos of the region in the 1920s. Due in part to its enormous size, and in part to the political struggles of Cambodia in the latter half of the 19th century, excavation has been limited. Khmer Archaeological Sites Cambodia:  Angkor Wat, Preah Palilay, Baphuon, Preah Pithu, Koh Ker, Ta Keo,  Thmà ¢Ã‚  Anlong,  Sambor Prei Kuk, Phum Snay, Angkor BoreiVietnam:  Oc Eo,  Thailand:  Ban  Non Wat,  Ban Lum Khao, Prasat Hin Phimai, Prasat Phanom Wan Sources Coe MD. 2003.  Angkor and the Khmer Civilization. Thames and Hudson, London.Domett KM, OReilly DJW, and Buckley HR. 2011.  Bioarchaeological evidence for conflict in Iron Age north-west Cambodia.  Antiquity  86(328):441-458.Evans D, Pottier C, Fletcher R, Hensley S, Tapley I, Milne A, and Barbetti M. 2007.  A new archaeological map of the world’s largest preindustrial settlement complex at Angkor, Cambodia.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  104(36):14277-14282.Hendrickson M. 2011.  A transport geographic perspective on travel and communication in Angkorian Southeast Asia (ninth to fifteenth centuries AD).  World Archaeology  43(3):444-457.Higham C. 2001.  The Civilization of Angkor. Weidenfeld Nicolson, London.Penny D, Hua Q, Pottier C, Fletcher R, and Barbetti M. 2007.  The use of AMS 14C dating to explore issues of occupation and demise at the medieval city of Angkor, Cambodia.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Bà ‚  259:388–394.Sanderson DCW, Bishop P, Stark M, Alexander S, and Penny D. 2007.  Luminescence dating of canal sediments from Angkor Borei, Mekong Delta, Southern Cambodia.  Quaternary Geochronology  2:322–329. Siedel H, Pfefferkorn S, von Plehwe-Leisen E, and Leisen H. 2010.  Sandstone weathering in  tropical  climate: Results of low-destructive investigations at the temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia.  Engineering Geology  115(3-4):182-192.Uchida E, Cunin O, Suda C, Ueno A, and Nakagawa T. 2007.  Consideration  on  the construction process and the sandstone quarries during the Angkor period based on the magnetic susceptibility.  Journal of Archaeological Science  34:924-935.

Romanticism and Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Romanticism and Russia - Essay Example The basic premise of Romanticism is that everything cannot be explained by reason or logic. Romanticism also upholds the fact that the human emotion is pure and expressing it was important. This was a reaction to the previous movement which is Enlightenment. Enlightenment emphasizes the power of logic and the scientific method over anything else. The romantics, on the other hand, looked for deeper and more meaningful meanings other than numbers and the like. The romantics are more sensual and more rooted to conveying human emotion (Moscovici, 3). And in contrast with the Neo-Classicists, the Romanticists in not just an observer to the creations of the divine but now a creator of fragile meaning and beauty. Romanticists also point out the frailties of the human beings, hence, the common themes of depression and despair on romantic literature (Moscovici, 9). It also asserted the importance of the individual and personal experiences, making a unique hero, because promotes originality. E xamples of this would be Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Romanticism also posits relativism in all aspects. There are no absolute truths unlike in Classicism or Enlightenment. For romantics, there is no right and wrong, even in aspects of morality, but each society was encouraged to make their own sets of rules . According to the Romantics, the theories of Enlightenment prevent emotions and creativity, turning man into a robot and man must liberate himself from these chains – through romanticism. Romanticists are also socially involved, as well as politically (Melani). However, they were also a bit aloof as they often distance themselves from the public, preferring to live in far flung areas. As noted, these romanticists express their own thoughts and feelings and as noted earlier too, this period was happening almost in the same era when the French Revolution also took place (late 1700s). Many authors tried to uphold romanticism in the revolution and the revolu tion, also partly owes some of its principles on Romanticism. With this, artist took stands, wrote works with highly politicized subjects. In other countries, like Germany for example, romanticism boosted nationalism by letting nationalism have an intellectual anchor. Romanticism links various branches of knowledge, from art and humanities to social sciences, psychology, politics and in philosophy . II. Russian Revolution There are two Russian Revolutions. The first one was in 1905, but it did not really gain momentum and failed to revolutionize the government, so to speak. This essay will focus on the 1917 revolution. The 1917 revolution transformed Russia into the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic from monarchy. This had two phases, one led by the peasants and the other phase led by the Bolsheviks (Palmer, Colton and Kramer, 725). The 1917 happened during the last phases of the World War 1. The World War 1 happened in 1914 and Russia was in it. Most of their resources were put o n the efforts for the World War 1 and many soldiers died. On March of 1917, when it was said to be one of the coldest and snowiest winters in St. Petersburg, many people were starving as the weather kept them from city markets (Banks, et al, 535). Workers, most of them hungry, lined up for hours just to get bread. These workers are quite impoverished compared to the Russian monarchy. They have very little money and they hope to spend it on little loaves of bread out in the cold (Banks, et al, 535). The people protested yet again (just like in 1905, Bloody Sunday) when the skies cleared. For four days, people went out in the streets of St. Petersburg and shouted statements like â€Å"Down with the government!†, â€Å"Down with war!†

Case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Case study - Assignment Example There is also the possibility that the individual in question may be incapable of performing his or her responsibilities for one reason or another (Shaer 45). In such a case, the manager has to fire the incompetent employee because he or she refuses to take advantage of existing opportunities to increase his efforts on the job. When an employee chooses inaction, he or she makes a conscious choice to refuse to work (Shaer 44). He or she then has to be held responsible for this choice; and not the company. Another reason why it is easier to fire an incompetent employee than fix one is because it is both expensive for the company, and difficult to change long –held negative habits. Some individuals simply do not understand the importance of being responsible because they were coddled their whole lives (Shaer 48). Changing their personal habits, in such a case, would need much more than ordinary counseling- it would require deeper therapy. To be effective, a performance plan has to identify the main criteria required to attain job success, while also having clear benchmarks that managers can use to perform evaluations of employee performance (Shaer 41). Under-performing employees may rationalize their performance by claiming dissatisfaction with their current positions (Shaer 47). This causes them to act out like a spoiled child who ruins something, or tips something over in order to demonstrate his or her frustration. Under-performing employees may also have a secret desire to collect unemployment insurance; and so will set about sabotaging his or her own performance in order to be fired (Shaer 48). Another way in which under-performing employees seek to rationalize their performance is by coping inaction by refusing to take the advice that is offered to them about the best way to improve their performance (Shaer 48). Those who do this who do this are usually people who have never had any real demands made of their time or intellect. They

Movie The Marriage of Maria Braun Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Marriage of Maria Braun - Movie Review Example Maria's former life is non-existent. Her virginal entrance into marriage is an assumption. She is perceived as America unexplored. Where did she learn her "tricks of the trade" As Germany struggles to recapture some semblance of power in the late 1940's the film "The Marriage of Maria Braun" by Fassbinder, depicts the stages of war and a relationship that begs the question of her marriage; is it legitimate or indeed a farce Maria Braun played by a bountiful Hannah Shygulla represents a virginal America. Remember that America is pulled into the war predominantly by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. America, in all reality, played the role of maiden well, forgetting its previous conquests and meddlings all for the sake of democracy. In the first scene, the audience is asked to grapple with the destruction of the world around the young couple. There is destruction amidst babies crying, armory sounds, guns sounding and fires. Maria loses her husband to the war and America loses its oil. Both come out in bad shape. Maria gives away her most sentimental possessions to save her marriage as to America fighting for oil under the guise of democracy. Recalling once the olden days of George Washington, when the policy of neutrality was upheld, oil was an all encompassing monster of a thing to deal with considering embargos and such. Maria gives away her wedding dress to get a few potatoes literally, as she did in the movie, and ultimately the Germans end up "French fried". All this occurs in the second scene where she implies that rations during the war were as rare as the men. The nurse questions the validity of her marriage. Japan drops the bomb on Pearle Harbor. Is the America we know as strong as they boast How far will America go for oil and democracy. Mrs. Braun gives away everything to save her marriage until which point she resorts to giving away herself. The peddling and the hustling begins with a dress. She walks to a dark vestibule and negotiates for the purchase of a new fancy dress. Her German peddler is also selling books. She buys the dress. Is this dame sincere in her purchase. What is a dress to the viewer To the keen intellectual eye it is a treaty that works itself as the Allied Forces. She seals the purchase by bringing all her longtime friends and aquaintences along in her world who are not sure whether or not to believe that her husband will return. What is profound about Wildenhahn was that he tried to capture the "truth of the everyday" by using stereotypes as central characters. Where or what would America be without the element of racial division and the element of prostitution. These issues are touchy in Western Culture but still warrant delving into in conversations at forums, colleges and universities where change can start in America. Filmmakers such as he, rallied for the right to address sensitive issues and boldly at that. Wildehahn knew when pushing the envelope how far to go. His movie, set in post WWII Germany had not the censorship issues that others had. Such as was the case with Group 47 formed in protest to the liberal-left literary journal Der Ruf in 1947. And to boot he pursued the audiences point of view and not necessarily his own. In the movie "Who needs Whom," (1972) the filmmaker, struggling with issues of audience and participation devised a strategy of a cabaret show to propel the audience

Summary Of Guns Germs And Steel History Essay

Summary Of Guns Germs And Steel History Essay The Author of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond,  attempts  to  give  an explanation to a question posed by a friend of his from New Guinea. Yali wonders why the whites have been so  successful  compared  to  the rest of the world and why they  have so much cargo. We must remember that  intelligence  is not how much you know but what you are capable of learning. Obviously, other nations are just not exposed to quality education or other  advantageous  resources. White people, who were privileged with such, have been able to  conquer  others because of this reason. The real question is why do some people have advantages over others? and Jared Diamond will answer that question. The  novel  starts off with an  explanation  that our closest living relatives are the gorilla, the common chimpanzee, and the pygmy chimpanzee. Since these animals  are confined  to the continent of Africa and there is a considerable amount of fossil evidence concluding the evolution of  mankind  in that area, Africa is widely accepted as  mankinds birthplace. About 1 or 2 million years after humans originated one of our ancestors had  finally  traveled beyond Africa; Homo  erectus  fossils  had been found  in the Southeast Asian island of Java. About half a million years ago from the present, Homo  erectus  had evolved into Homo  sapiens  with their rounder, larger skulls. At that point in history, boat-building and surviving in  harsh  climates were  unthinkable  and  therefore  made it impossible  for Homo  sapiens  to inhabit the Americas and Australia.   After that, groups of Homo  sapiens  diverged into  separate  groups and eventually evolved into Neanderthals, whom surprisingly had larger brains then we do today.  Subsequently, the Great Leap Forward is where we saw the most  improvement  and  promising  development in human kind with the Cro-Magnons. Humans were then able to travel by boat to Australia and New Guinea, which caused a  major  complication in the environment: a mass extinction of many mammals. Soon enough, the Americas  were colonized, the last Ice Age ended, and we find ourselves here today. A natural example of why one group of people can conquer another could be shown with the situation between the Maoris and the Morioris. The Maoris were able to surmount the Morioris with their greater combat capabilities. Despite their common ancestors, the two groups diverged into different paths of development. The Morioris crops could not survive the climate in which they moved into, so they reverted back to hunter-gatherers. With everybody hunting and gathering food for themselves, they couldnt establish a government or militia; they simply did not have the extra resources. The Maoris, on the other hand, were able to accomplish all of the above. When the two groups met, the Maoris were inevitably victorious albeit they were outnumbered 2:1. With these basic principles in mind, we see that this can be applied to larger conquests. Francisco Pizzaro and his men were able to take down the Inca Empire, for example. As they mounted their horses, and equipped themselves with their far more durable armor, Pizzaro and company set off on a rampage- thrashing their steel weapons about whilst spreading disease. Mr. Diamonds chapter entitled Farmer Power discusses how the ability to domesticate animals and harvest crops increases a population. With stable food production, the population can grow and a government can be set up. The opportunities for development keep adding onto one another. Soon enough, we have specialized workers who can improve tools and weapons which will lead that society to supremacy. The probable origin of agriculture was the Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia in 8500 BC. Then we also have major agricultural sites such as New Guinea by 7000 BC, Sub Saharan Africa in 5000 BC, Mesoamerica in 3500 BC, The Andes and Amazonia in 3500 BC, Tropical West Africa in 3000 BC, And the Eastern US in 2500 BC. The Agricultural cores success then spread to nearby civilizations and constituted todays global economy. With successful population growth among nations, hunting subjects decrease in quantity, resulting in the gradual need to convert hunter-gatherers into farmers. With people who can take care of producing food for the rest of the population, this made the act of creating a hierarchy of occupations possible. Also, this resulted in everyone being slightly less nourished than before on account of the thinner distribution of provisions. As agricultural business became more popular, so did the need for plant domestication. For example, wild almonds are actually poisonous so we must harvest the edible mutants and keep growing that specific mutation. We first domesticated seeds due to their ease of growth and storage. Then, we advanced to fruits and nuts. Out of the two-thousand wild plants only two-hundred have been domesticated, wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, soybean, potato, manioc, sweet potato, sugar cane, sugar beet, and banana make up eighty percent of the worlds food cargo. Now, were going to need the help of animals to aid our development. Large animals that were used for military, transportation, and load carrying were all domesticated around 2500 BC. Only fourteen animals have been domesticated. These include the sheep, goat, cow, pig, horse, Arabian camel, Bactrian camel, llama and alpaca, donkey, reindeer, water buffalo, yak, Bali cattle, and Mithun/Gaur. Domesticated animals needed to have traits such as being an omnivore or herbivore, they need to be able to grow rapidly, they need to breed well in captivity, they must have an appropriate temperament, they must accept penning, and they should be able to accept a subordinate role. If all criteria are met, humans are able to domesticate them and use said animals for our own needs. Domesticated Animals have actually adapted to our utilization of them; better milk production and faster wool growth, for example. With the help of enslaved animals, humans are able to progress to higher means of living w ith ease. Even so, animals have also caused harm to humans. Many infectious diseases have derived from livestock. For example, the flu is said to have originated from pigs a ducks, tuberculosis from cattle, and AIDS from monkeys, to name a few. With farmers being around these animals so often, some may develop immunities to such ailments. Also, farmers with similar exposure to these animals had only interacted amongst each other, so there werent any major tribulations. Although, when interactions with foreign farmers occurred, the spread of foreign diseases were sometimes detrimental. In due course, humans were in need of a written form of language for records and eventually communication. The earliest forms of writing are said to have shown up in Southwest Asia, Mesoamerica, and China. The idea of writing diffused from these cores into their peripheries. The alphabet was the idea of the Egyptians, and was copied and altered to fit the needs of other societies. Eventually, the writing process matured and several nations had their own complex written form of communication. Usually, there were only a choice few who actually needed to use written language. Scribes, for example, needed to keep records while hunter-gatherers had no use for it. In regard to the original inquiry posed by Yali, the author explains that New Guinea wasnt a very popular choice to conquer due to its diseases and the low rates of successful livestock and crops. Australia, New Guineas neighbor, had been a lot more welcoming. Yet, Australia also became victim to foreign settlers along with the benefits and drawbacks. The answer to Yalis question is very simple. The first reason would be the availability and ease of crop and animal domestication. The second would be the ease of idea diffusion. Clearly, a small isolated island cant pass on ideas as easy as a country with booming trade markets could. Finally, the favorable environment of an area will attract a larger population in which a stable state may be founded upon.

Free Affirmative Action Essays - Affirmative Action is Discrimination :: affirmative action argumentative persuasive

Affirmative Action is Discrimination Affirmative action is a plan designed to end discrimination by guaranteeing minorities will be hired, regardless of race or gender. While our country hires such groups based upon these guarantees, the qualifications of such people are occasionally overlooked. Many believe that affirmative action is a very effective plan; however, the population which opposes such action frequently includes people of various minorities, as well as many others who have been wronged by this plan In several cases, this plan causes minorities to be perceived as being under-qualified when hired; in addition, it also causes a new minority, the white male. Our government must acknowledge the fact that affirmative action is not putting an end to discrimination; in all actuality, this plan has succeeded in creating new minorities, and more reasons for discrimination. Affirmative action frequently causes qualified employees to be looked down upon because some believe them to be "affirmative action hires". Two of my female relatives are currently on the police force; as a result, I have encountered many discriminatory comments pertaining to their positions. The first remark I usually receive suggests that they were hired for their position solely based on gender. Another comment which I usually receive is, "Well, being a woman probably didn't hurt their resume." Both of my relatives are very good at their jobs; one was even on the popular television show, Cops. Neither of them are "wimps", yet most males look down upon them as being hired because of affirmative action. This type of criticism is received by many minorities holding good jobs, whether they are qualified or not. To quote William Reynolds, assistant attorney general in the civil rights division: In many cases, affirmative action takes away from legitimate minority success. People look at the black banker downtown who has made it on his own and say, "He got his job because of affirmative action." Or, an employer hires a few talented minority people who would have succeeded anyway and says, "Those are my affirmative-action hires." (26) In this particular case, affirmative action may, or may not, have been the reason for hiring, yet that is what most perceive.

Definition of Data Warehousing Essay

Search any resource (Books, Web Sites, Papers, etc.) to find three definitions for Data Warehousing. Include the detailed information (Title, authors and the source of the definitions. For example: â€Å"Data warehousing is a collection of decision support technologies, aimed at enabling the knowledge worker (executive, manager, analyst) to make better and faster decisions.† An overview of data warehousing and OLAP technology by S Chaudhuri, U Dayal, from ACM Sigmod record, Volume 26 , Issue 1 (March 1997) Pages: 65 – 74. 1. â€Å"A data warehouse is an integrated and time varying collection of data derived from operational data and primarily used in strategic decision making by means of online analytical processing (OLAP) techniques.† from â€Å"Conceptual data warehouse design† by B. Husemann, J. Lichtenberger, and G. Vossen. Page 1. 2. â€Å"A galactic data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, non-volatile collection of data in support of management’s decision making process about any and all enterprise business processes and departments, and about the enterprise taken as a whole. A business process-oriented data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, non-volatile collection of data in support of management’s decision making process about any and all business processes and their interactions with one another and the external world. A department-oriented data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, non-volatile collection of data in support of management’s decision making process about any and all departments, and their interactions with one another and with the external world.† From DKMS Brief No. Six: Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and Data Warehousing: New Definitions and New Conceptions by Joseph M.Firestone. 3. â€Å"Physically, a data warehouse system consists of databases (source databases, materialized views in the data warehouse), data transport agents that ship data from one database to another, and a repository which stores meta data about the system and its evolution.† From Architecture and Quality in Data warehouses: An Extended Repository Approach by M. Jarke, M. A. Jeusfeld, C. Quix, and P. Vassiliadis. Provide a brief summary to compare the three definitions that you’ve found. Tell me which one is your favorite and why? The first definition explains the components of a data warehouse and also its functionality in a general way. The second definition explains the function of a data warehouse and its components specific to each kind of a data warehouse like decision making with respect to a business module. The third definition explains the components of a data warehouse but does not specify the functionality of a data warehouse. I prefer the second definition over the other two definitions.

Good Man Is Hard To Find Essays - A Good Man Is Hard To Find

Good Man Is Hard To Find Essays - A Good Man Is Hard To Find Good Man Is Hard To Find Flannery OConnor A Good Man Is Hard To Find A Southern American novelist and short story writer, Miss O Connors career spanned the 1950s and early 60s, a time when the South was dominated by Protestant Christians. OConnor was born and raised Catholic. She was a fundamentalist and a Christian moralist whose powerful apocalyptic fiction is focused in the South. Flannery OConnor was born March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia. O Connor grew up on a farm with her parents Regina and Edward O Connor. At the age of five, she taught a chicken to walk backwards. OConnor attended Georgia State College for women, now Georgia College, in Milledgeville, majoring in sociology. She had showed a gift for satirical writing, as well as cartooning since she was a child. By the end of her undergraduate education, OConnor knew that writing was her true passion. She spent two years at the prestigious School for Writers at the State University of Iowa on scholarship, receiving a masters degree of fine arts in 1947 (Candee 318). In 1950, she had a near fatal attack of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorder. that causes periods of joint pain and fatigue, and can attack the hearts, lungs, and kidneys. Her father died of the disease when she was fifteen (Blythe 49). OConnor would have to walk with crutches for the rest of her life. By her death at the age of 39, Flannery OConnor won a prominent place in modern American literature. She was an anomaly among post-World War II writers, a Roman Catholic from the BibleBelt South, whose stated purpose was to reveal the mystery of Gods grace in everyday life. Aware that few readers shared her faith, OConnor chose to depict salvation through shocking, often violent action upon characters who were spiritually or physically grotesque (Ryiley 334). Flannery OConnors significance as a writer is her original use of religion. Like no other short story writer, she dramatizes religious themes in her fiction stories. She is established as one of the most gifted and original fiction writers of the 20th century. Everything That Rise must converge, and Revelation won first prize in the O. Henry awards for short stories. The Life You Save May Be Your Own and A Circle in the Fire won second prize in the O. Henry awards. The Complete Stories of Flannery OConnor won the National Book Award in 1971 (Bloom 145-146). O Connors work is inspired by the sense of the mystery of human nature. She tends to use good vs. evil and death to shock and startle her readers into an awareness of the theological truth of faith, the fall, the redemption, and the judgment (Riley 367). Some critics describe her writing as harsh and negative while people in the religious community wanted a happier communication of the faith. OConnor described her characters as poor afflicted in both mind and body, with little or at best a distorted sense of spiritual purpose(Harris & Fitzerald 336). OConnor claims she understood the universe created by God as good and evil. In a letter to a friend, she complained about a review that called her short story collection, A Good Man is hard To Find, brutal and sarcastic. The stories are hard, she wrote. But they are hard because there is nothing harder or less sentimental than Christian realism(qtd. In Harris & Fitzerald 336). OConnor likes to focus on the rough, often ugly memories of t he place she knew best, the rural South. She saw her world as sacrament, brushed with grace, twisted, beaten, but still straining toward her belief in God. The settings of her stories and novels are either Georgia or Tennessee, often backwoods or rural areas. She gives her characters a southern accent because this is the area she knows best. O Connor uses common symbols, such as sunsets that resemble blood drenched Eucharistic host, preening peacocks that represent Christs transfiguration, and the trees themselves writhe in spiritual agony (Bloom 49). Some critics say that she is trying to convert her readers, whom she assumes are non-believers. The story A Good Man is Hard To Find begins with a family planing to

Definition and Examples of Diction in English

Definition and Examples of Diction in English In rhetoric and composition, diction is the choice and use of words in speech or writing. Also called  word choice.In phonology and phonetics, diction is a way of speaking, usually judged in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution. Also called enunciation and articulation. Etymology From the Latin, to say, speak Example The principal meaning of diction is the selection and use of words or the manner of expression. But this fact does not rule out, as some purists would like to do, the companion meaning of mode of speaking or enunciation.(Theodore Bernstein, Miss Thistlebottoms Hobgoblins, 1971) Concrete and Abstract Diction Concrete and abstract diction need each other. Concrete diction illustrates and anchors the generalizations that abstract diction expresses. . . . The best writing integrates concrete and abstract diction, the language of showing and the language of telling (explaining).(David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Diction and Audience Diction will be effective only when the words you choose are appropriate for the audience and purpose,  when they convey your message accurately and comfortably. The idea of comfort may seem out of place in connection with diction, but, in fact, words can sometimes cause the reader to feel uncomfortable. Youve probably experienced such feelings yourself as a listenerhearing a speaker whose words for one reason or another strike you as inappropriate.(Martha Kolln, Rhetorical Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1999) Levels of Language Sometimes diction is described in terms of four levels of language: (1) formal, as in serious discourse; (2)  informal, as in relaxed but polite conversation; (3) colloquial, as in everyday usage; (4)  slang, as in impolite and newly coined words. It is generally agreed that the qualities of proper diction are appropriateness, correctness, and accuracy. A distinction is usually made between diction, which refers to the choice of words, and style, which refers to the manner in which the words are used.(Jack Myers and Don Charles Wukasch, Dictionary of Poetic Terms. University of North Texas Press, 2003) Small Surprises Your diction, the exact words you choose and the settings in which you use them, means a great deal to the success of your writing. While your language should be appropriate to the situation, that generally still leaves plenty of room for variety. Skillful writers mix general and particular, abstract and concrete, long and short, learned and commonplace, connotative and neutral words to administer a series of small but telling surprises. Readers stay interested because they dont know exactly whats coming next.(Joe Glaser, Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve Your Writing. Oxford University  Press, 1999)Note the placing of the single low word in [Dwight]  Macdonald’s brilliantly high-flown definition of the academic prose that had already begun to jam the college libraries: The amount of verbal pomposity, elaboration of the obvious, repetition, trivia, low-grade statistics, tedious factification, drudging recapitulations of the half-comprehended, and generally inane and laborious junk that one encounters suggests that the thinkers of earlier ages had one decisive advantage over those of today: they could draw on very little research. The low word, of course, is  junk. But it helps to light up a bravura sentence full of useful noncolloquial phrases:  drudging recapitulations of the half-comprehended  is a permanently good definition of the danger posed by college courses without standards, and  low-grade statistics  has the merit of starting another discussion altogether.(Clive James, Style Is the Man. The Atlantic, May 2012) Exactness, Appropriateness, and Accuracy Word choice and usage come under the heading of diction. Some people seem to think that when it comes to word choice, bigger is always better. But using a word just because it is big is a bad idea. Youre better off using words for their exactness, appropriateness, and accuracy than for their size. The only time a bigger word is a better choice is when it is more accurate. In any case, the final decision to use this word over that should be based on the audience for whom youre writing.(Anthony C. Winkler and Jo Ray Metherell, Writing the Research Paper: A Handbook, 8th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Weasel Words One of our defects as a nation is a tendency to use what have been called weasel words. When a weasel sucks eggs the meat is sucked out of the egg. If you use a weasel word after another, there is nothing left of the other.(Theodore Roosevelt, 1916) T.S. Eliot on Words Words strain,Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,Will not stay still.(T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton) Pronunciation: DIK-shun

Diffrent options Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diffrent options - Essay Example In his opinion, firm strategy, structure and rivalry, factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries are the factors governments should control in order to manage the competitive power of nations. The following illustration provides a brief idea about the factors which affect the competitive power of nations. (Vision on Innovation: 2. Models on the dynamics of innovation, 2009). Michael Porter while teaching in Harvard University in the 70’s and 80’s has made lot of researches with the help of his associates formulated a frame work to assess the competitive advantages of nations which is illustrated above. Porter has introduced parameters such as clusters of companies, suppliers, related industries and institutions in particular locations as the factors which affect the competitive power of a nation in international market. This framework is known as Porter’s ‘diamond’ of National Competitive Advantage. This paper analyses th e competitive power of nations with the help of Michel Porter’s diamond model The competitive advantage of nations According to Porter (1990), â€Å"A nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the world’s best competitors because of pressure and challenge. They benefit from having strong domestic rivals, aggressive home-based suppliers, and demanding local customers† (Porter, 1990). It is difficult for firms to survive in the market without innovation. The market is changing rapidly because of the advancements in science and technology and the arrival of new products. Competition or rivalry in the market always forces nations and firms to innovate new products. Until the beginning of 2000, Nokia was the leader in the mobile phone industry. However, Apple Inc introduced the touchscreen mobile phones at the beginning of 2000 and the leadership of Nokia in the mobile phone indus try is slowly diminishing now. Apple controlled the mobile phone industry until recently. However, Samsung captured the leadership of this industry from APPLE at present with the help of innovative smartphones such as Galaxy S2, S3 etc. In short, rivalry and ability to innovate new products determine the success and failures of companies in the market at present. No organization or country can take the leadership for granted. For example the technological dominance of America is currently challenged strongly by Asian countries such as China, Korea and India. America maintained leadership in the technology market until recent times; however, their supremacy seems to be challenged by many other countries at present. The following table provides the strengths and weakness of America as a country at present in the global market. Strategic Issues For the United States Strengths Weaknesses Innovation Science, technology, R&D Entrepreneurship Free and open competition Capital markets (curr ent uncertainty) Economic decentralization Human resources challenges Need to restructure public education Access to higher education Training Americans vs. low skilled immigration Falling U.S. leadership in international economic development U.S. influence, authority, and focus has diminished Weak transitional â€Å"Security Blanket† Retraining system Pension security Health insurance access and mobility Unnecessary cost of doing business. Burdensome regulations Litigation costs High-cost / high complexity tax system Energy inefficiency High healthcare

Current Business Themes Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Current Business Themes - Dissertation Example According to the paper the two major natural disasters caused by these firms have been discussed here. Also the report states the corrective measures undertaken by these firms. It can be concluded from the study that the occurrence of oil spillage is fundamentally a subject highly dependent on probability. A probabilistic occurrence like oil spill incident or oil spill spreading and affecting the marine ecology as well as the human lives is a matter that can’t be anticipated; only an estimation of its possibility can be made.   When an organization takes steps for sustainability practices, it becomes essential for it to know the probable causes of risk. Thus considering the environment prior to the business objectives should be the main aim of every firm related to this industry.From this study it is clear that in the present corporate era, all the firms strive to gain the trust of its stakeholders so that a long term business relationship can grow between them. A long term relationship in business depends on product quality, customer service, and good reputation. Reputation is the concept that many successful firms fail to achieve. Business reputation is considered as an asset that is intangible which distinguishes a company from other firms and draws consumers to make them buy things again and again from the same company and at the same at time the consumers readily pay a top price for the goods and services.... Business reputation is considered as an asset that is intangible which distinguishes a company from other firms and draws consumers to make them buy things again and again from the same company and at the same at time the consumers readily pay a top price for the goods and services. However, in spite of the discerning involvement between financial performance and reputation, pragmatic studies account for questionable findings. Reputation is an exclusive element of a business that can be achieved by it through its good work and goodwill (Lee & Roh, 2012). One of the greatest sources of reputation is the sustainability framework practiced by the firm. Sustainability can be attained by the means of numerous activities that comprises of the reputation of the management. These activities comprises of the formation of the environment-friendly goods, motivating and retaining employees, saving energy etc. which aids the business to preserve value via return and growth on capital. The aim of the present study is to focus on the various facets of the oil exploration and production industry and the corporate social responsibility practice followed by the firms of this sector to maintain sustainability. The two main firms that will be covered in our study are BP and Shell. It will be a comparative analysis between the environmental policies of both the firms that will further discuss about the various measures taken by these firms to repair the damages. For the present study the research question happens to be, how do the oil exploration and production plants deal with the issues of environmental pollution and what are their approach to a sustainable environment? The topic in hand will be studied by the conduction

What evidence is there for dual route model in adult reading Essay

What evidence is there for dual route model in adult reading - Essay Example on the other hand, which is the route used by the brain to be able to read new words or words that the reader has no previous experience with, or non-words, that is a string of letters which are not actually words, the brain uses phonology or the sound system of a language based on the letters being read. The lexical route is necessary for the pronunciation of irregular words, such as the word colonel, which would be wrongly pronounced using the non-lexical route. For a non-word such as spint, the non-lexical route would be used to produce a pronunciation. This paper presents evidences of the dual route model in adult reading through a review of previous researches conducted involving the dual route model. These evidences lead the author to conclude that adult reading is accomplished primarily using this model, and variations and alternatives to the model warrant further study. In an article by Gurd and Marshall (1993), mention was included regarding brain lesions sustained by previously literate adults that could result in impairments of reading and writing in patients who were otherwise cognitively intact. It goes on to mention that the paper by Castles and Coltheart (1993) should lay to rest a number of controversies regarding developmental dyslexia. They have firmly established that the functional architecture of the normal adult reading system includes two routes for assigning sound and meaning to sequences of letters. The non-lexical procedure associates each letter or letter-cluster in a string with its regular sound-value, as in traditional phonics. This letter string may be a known word or a non-word. On the other hand, the lexical procedure uses the orthography of the known word, with its known meaning and pronunciation. It was also shown that the two routes can be independently impaired in previously literate adults who have suffered brain damag e. Damage to the lexical route allowed the reader to read aloud regular and non-words well but not so

Memory Management Essay Example for Free

Memory Management Essay The difference between Windows and Linux memory management starts with understanding the requirements of memory management in today’s multiprogramming systems. Memory management requirements are relocation, protection, sharing, local organization, and physical organization. These requirements play a vital role in the processing speed response when using the computer. Windows and Linux have several similarities in regards to memory management but also differ especially with Windows being a sophisticate system and Linux being open sourced. â€Å"Linux shares UNIX characteristics but has its own features and is very complex† (Stallings, 2012, p. 384). Linux virtual memory uses a three- level page structure. The first part is the page structure which is an active process having the size of one page. The entry goes to the page directory and the page directory must be in the main memory to be active. Next is the page middle directory which can span multiple pages. Each entry will point to one page of the table. Last is the page table and refers to one virtual page of the process. A virtual address is used consisting of four fields which are the index into the page directory, index into the page middle directory, index into the page table, and the offset in the selected page of memory. The table structure was designed for 64-bit Alpha processor and is independent. Linux uses the buddy system for efficiency of reading in and writing out pages to and from memory. The buddy system splits and merges pages which are allocated and deallocated in the main memory. The page replacement algorithm in Linux deals with a simple clock which gives each page an age variable. The more times the page is accessed, the age variable is increased. A page that is old would be replaced since it has not been accessed in quite a long time. Linux kernel memory allocation manages the main memory page frames which allocates and deallocates frames for the virtual memory management. When the minimum amount of allocation is less than a page, Linux uses a slab allocation for these smaller chunks making the system more efficient. Windows memory manager is designed to use 4 to 64 Kbytes page sizes and controls how memory is allocated. On 32-bit systems, the Windows process  shows a 32-bit address which allows 4 Gbytes of virtual memory for each process which half is for the operating system and half is for the virtual address space when running in kernel-mode. With the introduction of 64-bit, systems can run more efficiently with larger memory intensive programs. Windows paging can make use of the entire space which can then be brought into the main memory. The operating system manages the address in three regions; available references the address not currently used, reserved for setting aside the process through the virtual memory manager, and committed address for processes to access virtual memory page. When virtual memory is high, the processes increase, and when they are low, older pages are swapped out. In conclusion, Windows and Linux have a few similarities. Both swaps out older pages that are no longer needed to improve the processes Window memory management is more secure and performance orientated, but is more complex. Linux is simpler and easier to maintain but is not secured due to being open sourced and need improvement. Linux was originated in a hacker’s environment while Windows is in a commercial environment. Windows has more effort through design and Linus was favored for simplicity. Each one has their own positives and negatives and the final decision is what system is he and she more comfortable with. References Stallings, W. (2012). Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Nuclear Weapons are a Threat To World Peace :: Atomic Bombs

It is a well-known fact that the dropping of the two atomic bombs near the end of World War II in 1945 ushered in the dawn of the Atomic Age. For the first time in human history, the world was introduced to the awesome power of nuclear weapons. Since that time, there have been several different nuclear threats to the world, and one of those threats can be found along the Pacific Rim, in the country of North Korea. Like the dropping of the atomic bombs, it is also known that the North Korean government has admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, and in doing so, it stands as a silent, potential nuclear danger to the rest of the world. To understand this situation more fully, one must be given some background, starting in the early 1950s. Due to the harsh differences between the peoples of Korea, and especially due to the onset of Communism, the Korean War erupted and the nation split in half, with the Communist-supported Democratic People’s Republic in the north and those who favored democracy in the Korean Republic of the south (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000). The two separate countries of North Korea and South Korea went their opposite ways, and each has experienced different fortunes in the past half-century. The South Koreans managed to recover from the turmoil of the 1950s and 1960s to become an economic power and a democracy supporter. On the other hand, North Korea can be viewed as a retro country, based first on a Communist ideology, laid down by leader Kim Il Sung and inherited by his son, the current dictator Kim Jong Il, then evolving into a totalitarian state (Pacific Rim: East Asia at the Dawn of a New Century). Today North Korea holds the distinction of being one of the very few remaining countries to be truly cut off from the rest of the world. Author Helie Lee describes this in her novel In the Absence of Sun: â€Å"An eerie fear crawled through my flesh as I stood on the Chinese side of the Yalu River, gazing across the murky water into one of the most closed-off and isolated countries in the world.† (1)

Applying the Background and Methodology of the Research Process

Jonathan HoffsuemmerA serious problem seen by nurse practitioners that work in rural areas is teen pregnancy. A peer-reviewed research paper published by The Journal for Nurse Practitioners entitled â€Å"Who Will Listen? Rural Teen Pregnancy Reflections.† There are both medical and social concerns that occur with teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy statistic shows that teen mothers give birth to premature babies with low birth weight. The social aspect is teen mothers do not complete high school and lives in poverty. These situations rank high in abuse and neglect with teen parents.Definition of the ProblemRural areas show the highest rate of teen pregnancy compared to state rates, which produces a problem that researchers are questioning why this rate is higher in the rural areas. The Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making (TASDM) is the basis this research was conducted to resolve. This theory has two main objectives that include the risk-promoting environments teens experi ence and exposure to risky situation that create the situations teens use to justify sexual behavior (Weiss, 2012).The problem with teen pregnancy produces premature birth and low birth weight in the babies. A medical problem with teen pregnancy is the medical expenses incurred with both teenager and infant. These statistics indicate that teen pregnancy result from family with no insurance and no means to pay the medical expenses teen pregnancy incurs. The social problem teen pregnancy presents are that teen mothers tend not finish high school. Teen pregnancy results in low income rates, the need for higher public assistance, poor educational, behavioral, and health problem in children.Study PurposeThe purpose of the study is to understand the decision-making of teens and why teen pregnancy is higher in the rural areas of the country. The TASDM theory indicates that environment promotes the situation of peer influences, substance use, and media influences (Weiss, 2012). The study wi ll focus on the thought process of teens as to why teens make the choice become sexually activity and risk the consequence of becoming pregnant.Research QuestionThe researchers are studying the question of why teen pregnancy is higher in rural areas. Teen pregnancy occurs because of the lack of prevention that teens do not use and why teens make these types of decisions. The essay directions were for students to indicating if the teens thought there was a teen pregnancy problem in the community (Weiss, 2012). The researchers’ directions were only one question to determine the thought processes of both male and female teens regarding teen pregnancy.HypothesisThe study does not state a hypothesis, but strives to understand why there is a higher rate of teen pregnancies in rural areas. The study will evaluate the difference between boys and girls views about teen pregnancy. The study only has one main focus, but the study derives different variables of the hypothesis. The study reviews the thoughts as to how teens perceive sex as good, bad, or ambivalent.Study VariablesThe two variables in the study are independent and dependent variables. The independent variables in the study are the essays that the students wrote defining their views about teen pregnancy in rural areas. The dependent variables are the reasons teen pregnancies occur, which include the idea of  whether sexual activity is good or bad. The study reviews the conception teens have of sexual activities, which studies the prevalence regarding beliefs, consequences to actions, and consequences to others (Weiss, 2012).Conceptual Model or Theoretical FrameworkThis study uses the theoretical framework for the study. The theoretical perspective of study analyzes the answers obtained from participates against the Theory of Adolescent Sexual Decision Making theories. These theories measure the decision-making teens use in determining the risk of teen pregnancy. The theoretical framework weights the consequences associated with the risks and how teenage boys and girls perceive teen pregnancy. These perceptions that teens are reporting in the study are weighted against the two ground theories of risk-promoting environments and risky sexual behavior. â€Å"Using constant comparative methods, the data were analyzed using the MAX Qualitative Data Analysis © software† (Weiss, 2012, p. 805).Review of LiteratureThe literature review of the article addresses the issues of low parental guidance as a significant factor to teen making risky behavior decisions. The fact that rural areas indicate that teens view there is nothing much to do is a contributing factor to teen pregnancy. The education regarding sexual behavior and prevention methods were noted to be lacking in the rural areas. This factor indicates that financial support to provide for after school programs contributes to the notation that there is nothing to do for teens. This is a contributing factor to the higher rat e of teen pregnancy in rural communities.Study DesignThe study design was conducted in Florida involving 125 10th grade students. These students consisted of both male and female from age 15 to 17. The students were from an English class and were asked to write an essay on if they thought teen pregnancy was a problem in their community. The teens  wrote the essay during an English class in high school. This study was conducted with the approval of the institutional review board, teacher, and administrator.