Colonial period from 1607 to 1750 Essay

During the colonial period from 1607 to 1750 an â€Å"American† way of life emerged, differing from Old World European culture. This new lifestyle developed from the interaction of five major groups, including the; Native Americans, Chesapeake colonies, New England colonies, Indentured servants, and African slaves. Each of these peoples contributed ideas, principals, practices, and beliefs to the melting pot that would later become the United States of America. Native Americans had a significant impact on Europeans as early as America’s discovery in 1492 (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 14), during which time, the Columbian Exchange occurred. This initial exchange had a larger influence on Native American life than European, as the Old World explorers introduced diseases to which the Indians had no natural immunity (Yazawa, Melvin 46). According to Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey (15), in the Centuries after Columbus’ landfall, as many as 90 percent of the Native Americans perished. When Europeans returned to America in the 1600’s to develop permanent settlements, Native Americans reintroduced to them planting techniques and crops, such as corn and tobacco, that would revolutionize the early colonies economies and diet allowing them to grow and flourish and making them an important aspect of â€Å"American† culture (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 15). Additionally, Native Americans shared in the celebration of the first Thanksgiving with the Plymouth pilgrims (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 52), a holiday still important and beloved today. Later interactions between the Native Americans and Colonists were mainly hostile, as a result of the European’s insatiable land-lust, evident in such conflicts as the Pequot War (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 52). The aid Native Americans provided to early settlers allowing them to sustain themselves would result in the downfall and destruction of numerous Indian tribes, who had already dwindling populations as a result of European diseases (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 31). However, conflict forced Native Americans to band together, displaying a way in which Europeans shaped Indian history in America as well (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 32). The Chesapeake colonies were another group that largely influenced the development of the â€Å"American† culture. Virginia was the first colony; founded in 1607 by a joint-stock company hoping to find gold and a passage through America to the Indies (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 28). This company, named the Virginia Company of London, received a charter from the King for a settlement in the new world (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 28). This charter was important to the formation of an â€Å"American† pride. The document guaranteed the New World settlers would be guaranteed the same rights of Englishmen at home. However, this document later fueled the colonists desire for independence from their intrusive and controlling mother country (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 29). The introduction of tobacco to early settlers played a large role in the growth of the Chesapeake colonies, especially Virginia. In fact, tobacco growth was so important to colonists they threatened themselves with starvation by choosing to plant the cash crop over food crops (Wheeler and Becker 29). Without tobacco’s economic contribution to the survival of Virginia, contributions made by the colony might not have been made. Virginia’s House of Burgesses was the first representative legislative assembly in British North America (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 33). This was the first of many parliaments to emerge in America, justifying the efforts of the Colonists to eventually breakaway from British rule, as they believed themselves fit to oversee their own nation. The other Chesapeake colonies also contributed to the formation of a uniquely â€Å"American† way of life. Maryland, founded in 1634 (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 33), was haven to Roman Catholics seeking refugee in the new world. Without a place for this minority religion to survive, it might not have been sheltered in the new world. The Carolinas were composed of large expanses of open land, resulting in a large plantation agriculture system in the south (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 38) that resulted in the use of indentured servitude and slavery throughout southern America. However, the colony founded last in 1733, Georgia (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 38), slowed the immediate development of slavery in the Chesapeake colonies. As Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey stated, Georgia was a religiously tolerant settlement, which was slavery free until 1750. The New England colonies were formed largely so those settling in the colonies could be free of religious persecution, especially in Massachusetts Bay (Wheeler and Becker 30). According to Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey, The Mass. Bay colony was formed in 1628 (37), although the puritans who merged into the Massachusetts Bay colony from Plymouth arrived in 1620 (37). The Pilgrims who arrived in Plymouth influenced â€Å"American† ideals of freedom from oppression, through the Mayflower Compact. This document became quintessential to the creation of later constitutions. It was an agreement to form a crude government and submit to the will of the majority ( Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey). The Massachusetts Bay colony contributed early concepts of a liberal government to America. Local affairs and issues were eligible for discussion by a large percentage of adult men, and voting was completed by majority rules (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 47). However, religious leaders held significant power in the lives of the settlers, influencing the beliefs of those residing in the Massachusetts Bay colony. As a result, those threatening Puritan views such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams, were banished (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 48). This was actually advantageous for the development of a diverse American culture, as those forced outside of Massachusetts Bay moved to more accepting colonies, such as Rhode Island. Rhode Island was a region of varying religious beliefs and ways of life as there was a lack of religious oath or taxation present in so many of the other colonies (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey). The Dutch contributed names and settlers to the renamed New York colony after it was surrendered to the Duke of York in 1664 (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey). Pennsylvania, founded in 1681 according to Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey (60), was home to the passive Quakers. Pennsylvania influenced American ethnicity, as the colony attracted people of various backgrounds (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 61). Indentured servants played a large role in the growth of an American lifestyle. Prior to the popularity of slavery in the South, colonies such as Virginia and Maryland utilized indentured servants to tend large plantations (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 33). Indentured servants supported the cash crops that helped the early colonies thrive financially, without which finances, the colonies might not have survived (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 67). Once indentured servants had completed their terms, they became freemen, but remained much in the same position as before. They were penniless and searching for land and a job. These freemen also contributed to a rebellious and headstrong American people, willing to fight for what they believed in. During Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676, a group of young freemen led by Nathaniel Bacon attacked Indians near jamestown in retaliation of Indian attacks on frontier settlements (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 68). African slaves during the colonial period influenced the development of the American way of life. Due to economic change in colonies in the 1680’s (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 70), it was financially possible for plantation owners in the south to purchase African slaves as opposed to using indentured servants. Additionally, by 1662, distinctions between a white indentured servant and african slave were made in Virginia (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 72), which made blacks and their children the property of their white masters for life. African slavery in America made it possible for southern plantations to truly develop, at the cost of a people’s rights. African slaves were subject to a plethora of harsh conditions, including harsh hours and intensive labor in the blistering heat (Kennedy, Cohen, and Bailey 72). This resulted in a large part of American economic success being reliant on the exploitation of a group of people. The American way of life developed as a result of the interaction of numerous groups including the Native Americans, the Chesapeake colonies, the New England colonies, the Indenture servants, and the African slaves. Native Americans contributed staple crops which would support the early settlers and modify the American diet permanantly. Chesapeake colonists, although originally settling the America’s in order to attain wealth, found a permanent home that they would later fight to rule. The New England colonists wrote up the Mayflower compact, a primitive agreement which would inspire later constitutions. The indentured white servants led to the eventual treatment of people solely as property in the case of African American slaves after indentured servitude ended. Slavery would prove to be a social barrier and issue for numerous years to come, as africans struggled to acquire the same rights as granted to white citizens.

Immigration Reform

Immigration and Immigration Reform Haley Johnson Axia College of University of Phoenix Thesis Statement: More and more immigrants are coming in to the United States each year, and we as a nation should truly reevaluate our immigration policies. Immigration and Immigration Reform The number of illegal immigrants who come into the United States each year is staggering, and the numbers just keep on increasing. Three million illegal immigrants come into the United States every year. (Bush 2009) This has been an increasing problem, and one that greatly affects the United States and its citizens. More and more immigrants are coming in to the United States each year, and we as a nation should truly reevaluate our immigration policies. [pic] Immigration has been responsible for religious changes, cultural change and population growth throughout the history of the United States. The political, economic, and social aspects of immigration have created much controversy in regards to religion, ethnicity, job security, job growth, economic benefits, where people live, not to mention impact on upward social growth, amount of criminal activity, moral values, and work habits. As of 2006, the United States has allowed more illegal immigrants to become permanent residents, more than any other country in the world. (Bush 2009) Some of these reforms can be clearly seen in a study performed by The Center of Immigration Studies. For example in â€Å"1995 immigration costs us a net $29 billion a year. That was more than the combined budgets of the Departments of State, Justice and Interior. ) Those costs include areas such as education, health care, and welfare programs used by immigrants. That estimate would be much higher today, because the wave of illegal immigration has continued unchecked, and legal immigrant admission has continued to grow to a historically high level. † (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) [pic] Illegal immigrants have also placed a strain on our educational system, according to the center of immigration studies (2005), a study was performed in 2004 that stated that taxpayers were spending $28. 6 billion dollars in school and school related coast â€Å"each† year. Costs Table from the October 1996 Huddle Study | |Program (amounts in billion $s) |Legal |Illegal |Total | |Public Education K-12 |$14. 38 |$5. 85 |$20. 23 | |Public Higher Education |$5. 55 |$0. 71 |$6. 26 | |ESL and Bilingual Education |$2. 82 |$1. 22 |$4. 04 | |Food Stamps |$2. 81 |$0. 85 |$3. 6 | |AFDC |$2. 71 |$0. 50 |$3. 21 | |Supplemental Security Income (SSI) |$2. 76 |n/a |$2. 76 | |Housing |$2. 37 |$0. 61 |$2. 98 | |Social Security |$21. 92 |$3. 61 |$25. 53 | |Earned Income Tax Credit |$3. 69 |$0. 68 |$4. 37 | |Medicaid |$11. 3 |$3. 12 |$14. 55 | |Medicare A and B |$5. 49 |$0. 58 |$6. 07 | |Criminal Justice and Corrections |$2. 32 |$0. 76 |$3. 08 | |Local Government |$15. 32 |$5. 00 |$20. 32 | |Other Programs |$18. 41 |$9. 25 |$27. 66 | |Total Costs |$111. 98 |$32. 74 |$144. 0 | |Less Taxes Paid |$82. 38 |$12. 59 |$94. 97 | |Net Costs of Direct Services |$29. 60 |$20. 16 |$49. 76 | |Displacement Costs |$10. 96 |$4. 28 |$15. 24 | |All Net Costs |$40. 56 |$24. 44 |$65. 00 | |Percent of Net Costs |62. 4% |37. 6% |100% | Table By (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) This and other forms of abuse on the U. S have been the topic of much controversy on how this problem should be dealt with. There has been a multitude of different opinions on, how and what we should do at the border. What we should do with immigrants who are currently living in the United States; and how all of these illegal immigrants have impacted the economy of the United States. These are a few of the reforms that former President Bush had proposed so as to slow down the number of illegal immigrants that come into the United States each year. The return and removal of illegal immigrants from the United States is one of the most widely discussed topics. Since 2007the United States Customs and Border Protection (ICE) has returned or removed over 1. 2 million illegal immigrants from the United States. ICE has expanded its Criminal Alien Program to included incarcerated criminal illegal aliens. In 2007, ICE identified 164,296 convicted criminals who were incarcerated in Federal, state and local penitentiaries (These are people who came into the United States illegally and committed a crime. These people were sent back to their native counties once there prison term was completed. There has also been an increase of fugitive teams from 15 in 2005 to 75 in 2007. These â€Å"teams† are sole responsible for removing fugitive aliens from the United States then transporting them back to there native countries. (Bush 2009) Improving border security is another important factor in the Country’s continued efforts in protec ting our borders. More than 85% of apprehended illegal immigrants are from Mexico, most are immediately returned across the border within 24 hours. But there are â€Å"non –Mexican† immigrants that are apprehended and cannot be immediately retuned, those people are given a court date to return (75 percent of those people failed to appear), this is a direct result of there simply not being enough bed space available in the detention centers. Out of 160,000 non-Mexicans last year only 30,000 were, in fact, sent home. (Bush 2009) The United States also faces other immigration challenges, like what to do with illegal immigrants once they are already â€Å"in† the country. After all most of our agricultural farming is done by illegal immigrants. Former President Bush came up with some procedures to regulate the influx of immigrants coming into the United States to perform these labor intensive jobs. By establishing these new persuaders and regulations the agricultural community will still receive the labor it needs to run effectively, thereby reducing the cost and helping our economy prosper. DHS is working on regulations to streamline H-2B Program and to allow X amount of green cards to be given to illegal immigrants and migrant workers, that way they could be more easily tracked. That way the government can collect taxes from them, which will improve our economy, while still allowing the agricultural community to still use seasonal or day laborers. (Bush 2009) Then there is also the fact of illegal immigrants who are already currently in the country. What should be done with them? Former President Bush came up with some more ideas. He had devised a revised Naturalization exam that was completed in September of 2007 and worked to get a free web-based program so immigrant can learn English. This is being completed by the Education Department) Also he had arranged for the Office of Citizenship to provide knowledgeable volunteers to assist illegal immigrants through the citizenship and naturalization process, free of charge. (Bush 2009) Even though all these measures have been put into effect so as to slowdown the amount of illegal immigrants that come in each year though our borders, there are still THREE Million people entering the United States illegally each year. Bush 2009) In 1986 Congress decided to amend the Immigration and control act of 1952. Congress felt the immigration was getting â€Å"out of control† and there needed to be a change, about thirty to fifty percent of the growth in the U. S was due to illegal immigration. So Congress felt that the best way to deal with the problem was eliminate the incentive for people to come into the country illegally, to make it harder for employers to hire illegal’s and for them to receive government benefits. But this tactic seamed futile, since then illegal immigration has just grown. [pic] So what should be done, to lessen the flow of illegal into the United States? And who should be held accountable? President Barack Obama has stated that he wants to improve our immigration System. One of the ways is by giving citizenship to illegal immigrants who have children born in the United States so to allow families to remain together. In addition President Barack Obama plans to remove all incentives for people to cross the borders. President Barack Obama plans to do that by cracking down on employers that are â€Å"knowingly† hiring illegal immigrants. He also has plans to work with Mexico so as to improve their economic growth, there by reducing the need for people to cross the borders illegally, so as to obtain jobs needed to support themselves and there families. (Obama 2009) Times are changing, our county is facing a financial crisis where we can no longer stand by and allow our countries money and recourses to be used up by illegal immigrants. We have to protect our borders; I propose that we spend less money on government â€Å"Bail of money† and we put more money and our recourses into protecting our country. In turn this will help our economic growth, by placing less of a strain on our hospitals ($250 million each year) and our education expenses ($28. 6 billion dollars annually). The government should make it a rule at â€Å"every† undocumented persons receiving these types of benefits should be sent back to their county. Let they own country of origin have to deal with these billion dollar expenses. New Jersey is considered one of the states that have the highest growth in illegal immigration. Every day there illegal’s waiting on the corners to be picked up as day labors. Why dose INS not check more frequently and pick up these â€Å"know† illegal’s? Instead INS and the local police department’s turn a blind eye. INS should make random spot checks in know immigrant communities and business so as to lessen the amount of illegal immigrants that come into the United States. Besides there being an economic drain of the United States illegal immigrants can be a â€Å"security risk† to the U. S. All of the billions of dollars that are being given out to these fortune five hundred companies should be redirected towards our countries security and financial stability. Each year more illegal immigrants come into this country taking away our jobs, not allowing our dollar to circulate within the country, there by not permitting the money to circulate through the United States, as well as placing a finical drain on our country. We as the people of this fine country need to reevaluate what we plan to do about this increasing problem. Decide what can be done and put those thoughts into action. Remember there are THREE million illegal immigrants coming into this country each year (Bush 2009) and over $28 BILLION dollars going towards illegal immigrants, education, medical expenses, and government programs. (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) References Page The White House  (2009) Website has many intrusting new policies about immigration reform. White House. (2009). Immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from http://www. whitehouse. gov The Website Barack Obama (2009) lays out what Barack Obama will do once he pronounced president. Obama, B, (2009). Plan for immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from http://www. barackobama. com Federation for American immigration reform (January 2009) provides statistical and legal issues regarding immigration in the U. S (2009) Immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 http://www. fairus. org/site/PageServer? pagename=research_research9605 NA. (2006, June) â€Å"Economy factors into immigration debate. †Ã‚  American City & County  121. 6  . Retrieved May 11, 2009 from General OneFile. Database Rytine, N. (2002, October) â€Å"Effects of Immigration Reform and Control Act legalization through 2001. † , â€Å"Exhibit 1-IRCA Legalization: Temporary Residence, Permanent Residence, and Naturalization through 2001,† in IRCA Legalization Effects: Lawful Permanent Residence and Naturalization through 2001, U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Retrieved May 11, 2009 Gale Virtual Reference Library Byram, J. (2004, March) â€Å"Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. †Ã‚  Major Acts of Congress. Ed. Brian K. Landsberg. Vol. 2. New York:  Macmillan Reference USA,   2004. 2  pp. 3  vols. Retrieved May 11, 2009 Gale Virtual Reference Library Immigration and Immigration Reform 11 References Page Holland, H. (2008, November)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Government contractors hiring undocumented workers: national security implications and solutions. †Ã‚  Public Contract Law Journal  36. 2  (Wntr 2007):  263(14). Retrieved May 11, 2009 from  General OneFile Database Fennelly,K. (2007, February)†U. S. immigration: a historical perspective. †National Voter 56. 2:4(4) Retrieved May 11, 2009 from General OneFile Database Immigration Reform Immigration Reform Team C – Sivi Contreras, Jenifer Navarro, Angela Hernandez BCOM/275 February 5, 2013 Gloria Flores ABSTRACT The debate over immigration has become one of the most heated arguments. Immigrants leave their home countries desperate need for food to feed their families, unemployment purposes, their poverty conditions environment, for those who are employed are tired of the below market wages, and the unequal treatment. Today they are about 11 million undocumented workers in the United States and Americans fear that because of this matter, immigrants will increase cost, overwhelm the country, and change American society.Immigration Reform Immigration statistics will prove how rapidly immigration is increasing, including the importance of the Dream Act, the Immigration reform, and its pros and cons. Systems that will help families that want to be in the United States, but in return help the economy. The purposes of the new Immigration reform are to accomplish a ne w economic picture, by creating ideas of improving our border security; workplace enforcement; to help those whom are seeking permanent residence; and new ways to improve the immigration system. StatisticsThey are about 12 to 15 million undocumented workers and families illegally in the United States and about 1,042,625 are obtaining legal permanent resident. California and Texas are the top states with the highest population of immigration. New York Times article included that this year’s cost of immigration was 13,000,000,000, including 52,000,000,000 for education, and 1,400,000 number of illegal immigrant households that use at least one welfare service. In a (2007) report the heritage foundation added that â€Å"For every $1 they contribute to Social Security, low-skilled illegal aliens withdraw $10 in total government benefits.Just looking at one federal benefits program, Social Security, is sure to lead a person to a wrong answer because there are more than 60 differe nt federal benefit programs. Their children born in the US are, or one person in the household is legal and can get benefits that help everybody in the household, or the individuals use fraudulent documents to obtain benefits. † What will charts look like in the future with this matter? Most of us that consider â€Å"green card† are a legal document allowing an immigrant to live and work in the United States.Another form for immigrants that does not require labor purposes is a Refugee. A Refugee is known as a form of protection for those whom cannot return to their original hometown because of fear of being harmed. In 2011 a total of 56,384 persons were approved to go to the United States as refugees. Part of the immigration reform is to bring a better life to any human who fears their country because of persecution of race, religion, and nationality. About 9,550 individuals who applied were approved for asylum with travel documents to enter the United States and 24,988 individuals were granted asylum.These statistics were based on 2011 reports and are rapidly increasing because of this matter we are starting to worry. The Heritage Foundation addressed that the illegal alien lobby frequently touts the statistic that illegal alien workers contribute $7 billion each year to Social Security. But it costs $14. 2 billion each year to imprison illegal aliens for other crimes they commit. It’s as if they are putting money into one of Uncle Sam’s pockets, while pilfering twice the amount from the other (2007 report). If this immigration continues to grow at this level nation's population will increase from 301 million today to 468 million.Dream Act What is Dream Act? It is the legislation that provides immigration status to undocumented immigrants who entered United States while being minors. During 2001 the original bill was called the development relief and education for alien minors act. The public engagement of the white House posted on their web 10 reasons why they needed the Dream Act. Summarizing argument's that two secretaries including other people have made for the act. The dream act will help our economy marketing easier for immigration enforcements efforts on undocumented immigrants â€Å"Who pose a threat to our country† (Zehr, 2010,).The development relief and education for aliens minors act or dream act provide a path for legalization for undocumented high school graduates who meet the requirements of completing two years of college, military service, have entered United States before the age of 16, must be between the age of 12 and 35 to complete the application, good moral character, and no criminal record. If the congress passed the dream act it would add $329 billion to U. S. economy impacting it by $181 billion creating 1. 4 million new jobs and more than $10 billion increase revenue by 2030.Many Dream Act opponents call it an immigration amnesty. They say the proposal would immediately rewar d immigrant children with conditional lawful permanent resident status – and, in just a few years, they would become U. S. Citizens. Their criticisms do not reflect how immigration agencies operate immigration reform will be addressed by the Obama administration this year. Republican senators they were ready to announce the outline of a broad immigration reform bill that would include a path to â€Å"earned legalization† for immigrants living illegally in this country.The pros of the dream act is that there are currently 13 to 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States we cannot deport them all but there is a solution The Dream Act will make a difference having a highest portion of graduates by 2020 increasing taxes and the service. Nelger Carrera is a writer of theroundupnews. com he is describing the con of Dream Act. â€Å"He thinks that President Barack Obama gain votes from Hispanics so he could win the presidency. † † (Carrera, 2011,) an arti cle online had a quote from columnist George Will saying that we are importing poverty from other countries.That is why poor people from other countries are coming to United States for the reason that the money they make here is a fortune compared to where they use to live. Illegal immigrants come to U. S. to make or ask for money example welfare, financial aid or any dream act benefits. We all are to benefit from The Dream Act for the reason that the economy will rise for everyone not just immigrants. The Dream Act is a common sense proposal that would benefit not just those who qualify for it but all Americans as these young people they can one day become leaders in our communities, churches, and Nation. â€Å"Five Moral Arguments Against The Dream Act†, Copyright  © Townhall. com. All Rights Reserved. ). Five moral arguments against The Dream Act were, The Dream Act fulfills the parents principle reason for breaking the law in the first place, The Dream Act would touch-o ff an even greater wave or illegal immigration, The Dream Act absolves illegal aliens of their fundamental responsibilities as parents, The absence of a reward or benefit is not the same as a punishment, and Adults have the obligation to do the right thing, even if their parents have done the wrong thing. (Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill. There will always be different points of views and opinions on any type of legislation especially when it comes to a controversial topic such as immigration. Pros and Cons to Immigration Reform. As with any debate there are pros and cons to this issue, and immigration reform is no different. According to â€Å"Procon. org† (n. d. ) website â€Å"The top ten areas that create a lot of debate are: Using the term â€Å"illegal alien†, Amnesty, Deportation, Mexican Border Fence, Civilian Border Patrols, Terrorist Threat, Economic Burden, Drivers licenses for Illegal Aliens, Using State and local Law Enforcement vs.National Only, and Border Milit arization. † Two of the areas that we will discuss are Amnesty and Deportation. Amnesty has been a sore spot for many Americans who feel that the undocumented immigrants would get a free pass to becoming citizens. Others feel that due to the volume of people that fit the category of undocumented immigrants, there should be a reform, and Amnesty is an option. On the PRO side of this debate, According to Thornburg (2007) â€Å"Whether you fine illegal aliens or stick them in English classes or make them say a hundred Hail Mary’s, at the end of the day, illegals would be allowed to stay and become citizens. â€Å"That's amnesty, and that's a good thing for America. Amnesty won't depress wages – globalization has already done that. Amnesty will not undermine the rule of law. It sounds counterintuitive, but with immigration, forgiving a crime may be the best way to restore law and order. † (Thornburg, 2007). Amnesty won't necessarily add to the social-services burden. Amnesty would offer millions a fighting chance at self-sufficiency and social mobility. † (Thornburg, 2007). On the CON side: â€Å"Do not grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Regardless of the penalties imposed, any program hat grants individuals who are unlawfully present the legal permission to remain here rewards illegal behavior and is unfair to those who obey the law and go through the regulatory and administrative requirements to enter the country legally. † (Heritage, 2007). â€Å"Those who enter the United States illegally should not be rewarded with permanent legal status or other such benefits, and they should be penalized in any road to citizenship. Those who enter and remain in the country illegally are violating the law, and condoning or encouraging such violations increases the likelihood of further illegal immigration. (Heritage, 2007).In regards to deportation we have heard many positions, especially during the Presidential debates. Governor Romne y wanted for illegal immigrants to â€Å"self deport† meaning make things so difficult for them that they have no choice but to go back to their country. Some of the views on the PRO side, According to (Guzzardi, 2007) â€Å"deporting aliens is as easy as one, two, and three. The next time you hear U. S. President George W. Bush or U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff say how impossible immigration enforcement is, remember this simple formula: one, go to where you know aliens are; two, arrest them; three, deport them.Don’t bother asking where aliens hang out. † The better question is where they aren’t hanging out. Go to a bus stop, a taco truck, a convenience store, the post office or an auto repair shop. (Guzzardi, 2007). â€Å"No need to round them all up at once. Just arrest one or two every day at different locations around town and the message will soon get out. † (Guzzardi, 2007). On the side of CON: â€Å"I have listened to and understand the concerns of those who simply advocate sealing our borders and rounding up and deporting undocumented workers currently in residence here.But that's easier said than done. † (McCain, 2005). I have yet to hear a single proponent of this point of view offer one realistic proposal for locating, apprehending, and returning to their countries of origin over 11 million people. How do we do that? It would take 200,000 buses extending along a 1700 mile long line to deport 11 million people. That's assuming we had the resources to locate and apprehend all 11 million, or even half that number, which we don't have and, we all know, won't ever have. † (McCain, 2005).The country has been divided for decades, however with the new Immigration Reform initiatives that have unfolded over the past two weeks, it is apparent that President Obama, wants to make a decision on this issue. The politicians are coming together to put a plan together and do what is right for the country. The teams consensus believes in Immigration Reform and we want to see something passed where those that are in this situation, can remain in the United States legally, and that will not tear apart families. We believe we all have the right to a better future and that our country was founded on immigrants.In the pros and cons, the human factor is what persuaded us to be in favor of immigration reform. References Balanced Politics. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. balancedpolitics. org/immigration. htm Carrera, N. (2011, September 28). Con: DREAM Act. theroundupnews. com. Retrieved from http://theroundupnews. com/2011/09/28/con-dream-act/ Department of Homeland Security. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. dhs. gov/immigration- statistics Dream Act 2013. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. dreamact2009. org Five Moral Arguments Against the DREAM Act. (Copyright  © Townhall. com. All Rights Reserved. ).Retrieved from http://townhall. com/columnists/iramehlman/2011/07/01/ five_moral_arguments_against_the_dream_act/page/full Guzzardi, J. (2007). Procon. org. Retrieved from http://www. procon. org Heritage Foundation. (2007). Retrieved from http://www. heritage. org McCain, J. (2005). Procon. org. Retrieved from http://www. procon. org Policymic. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. policymic. com/articles/21399/immigration ProCon. org. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. procon. org Thornburgh, N. (2007). ProCon. org . Retrieved from http://www. procon. org US Immigration Reform. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. usaimmigrationreform. org Immigration Reform Immigration and Immigration Reform Haley Johnson Axia College of University of Phoenix Thesis Statement: More and more immigrants are coming in to the United States each year, and we as a nation should truly reevaluate our immigration policies. Immigration and Immigration Reform The number of illegal immigrants who come into the United States each year is staggering, and the numbers just keep on increasing. Three million illegal immigrants come into the United States every year. (Bush 2009) This has been an increasing problem, and one that greatly affects the United States and its citizens. More and more immigrants are coming in to the United States each year, and we as a nation should truly reevaluate our immigration policies. [pic] Immigration has been responsible for religious changes, cultural change and population growth throughout the history of the United States. The political, economic, and social aspects of immigration have created much controversy in regards to religion, ethnicity, job security, job growth, economic benefits, where people live, not to mention impact on upward social growth, amount of criminal activity, moral values, and work habits. As of 2006, the United States has allowed more illegal immigrants to become permanent residents, more than any other country in the world. (Bush 2009) Some of these reforms can be clearly seen in a study performed by The Center of Immigration Studies. For example in â€Å"1995 immigration costs us a net $29 billion a year. That was more than the combined budgets of the Departments of State, Justice and Interior. ) Those costs include areas such as education, health care, and welfare programs used by immigrants. That estimate would be much higher today, because the wave of illegal immigration has continued unchecked, and legal immigrant admission has continued to grow to a historically high level. † (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) [pic] Illegal immigrants have also placed a strain on our educational system, according to the center of immigration studies (2005), a study was performed in 2004 that stated that taxpayers were spending $28. 6 billion dollars in school and school related coast â€Å"each† year. Costs Table from the October 1996 Huddle Study | |Program (amounts in billion $s) |Legal |Illegal |Total | |Public Education K-12 |$14. 38 |$5. 85 |$20. 23 | |Public Higher Education |$5. 55 |$0. 71 |$6. 26 | |ESL and Bilingual Education |$2. 82 |$1. 22 |$4. 04 | |Food Stamps |$2. 81 |$0. 85 |$3. 6 | |AFDC |$2. 71 |$0. 50 |$3. 21 | |Supplemental Security Income (SSI) |$2. 76 |n/a |$2. 76 | |Housing |$2. 37 |$0. 61 |$2. 98 | |Social Security |$21. 92 |$3. 61 |$25. 53 | |Earned Income Tax Credit |$3. 69 |$0. 68 |$4. 37 | |Medicaid |$11. 3 |$3. 12 |$14. 55 | |Medicare A and B |$5. 49 |$0. 58 |$6. 07 | |Criminal Justice and Corrections |$2. 32 |$0. 76 |$3. 08 | |Local Government |$15. 32 |$5. 00 |$20. 32 | |Other Programs |$18. 41 |$9. 25 |$27. 66 | |Total Costs |$111. 98 |$32. 74 |$144. 0 | |Less Taxes Paid |$82. 38 |$12. 59 |$94. 97 | |Net Costs of Direct Services |$29. 60 |$20. 16 |$49. 76 | |Displacement Costs |$10. 96 |$4. 28 |$15. 24 | |All Net Costs |$40. 56 |$24. 44 |$65. 00 | |Percent of Net Costs |62. 4% |37. 6% |100% | Table By (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) This and other forms of abuse on the U. S have been the topic of much controversy on how this problem should be dealt with. There has been a multitude of different opinions on, how and what we should do at the border. What we should do with immigrants who are currently living in the United States; and how all of these illegal immigrants have impacted the economy of the United States. These are a few of the reforms that former President Bush had proposed so as to slow down the number of illegal immigrants that come into the United States each year. The return and removal of illegal immigrants from the United States is one of the most widely discussed topics. Since 2007the United States Customs and Border Protection (ICE) has returned or removed over 1. 2 million illegal immigrants from the United States. ICE has expanded its Criminal Alien Program to included incarcerated criminal illegal aliens. In 2007, ICE identified 164,296 convicted criminals who were incarcerated in Federal, state and local penitentiaries (These are people who came into the United States illegally and committed a crime. These people were sent back to their native counties once there prison term was completed. There has also been an increase of fugitive teams from 15 in 2005 to 75 in 2007. These â€Å"teams† are sole responsible for removing fugitive aliens from the United States then transporting them back to there native countries. (Bush 2009) Improving border security is another important factor in the Country’s continued efforts in protec ting our borders. More than 85% of apprehended illegal immigrants are from Mexico, most are immediately returned across the border within 24 hours. But there are â€Å"non –Mexican† immigrants that are apprehended and cannot be immediately retuned, those people are given a court date to return (75 percent of those people failed to appear), this is a direct result of there simply not being enough bed space available in the detention centers. Out of 160,000 non-Mexicans last year only 30,000 were, in fact, sent home. (Bush 2009) The United States also faces other immigration challenges, like what to do with illegal immigrants once they are already â€Å"in† the country. After all most of our agricultural farming is done by illegal immigrants. Former President Bush came up with some procedures to regulate the influx of immigrants coming into the United States to perform these labor intensive jobs. By establishing these new persuaders and regulations the agricultural community will still receive the labor it needs to run effectively, thereby reducing the cost and helping our economy prosper. DHS is working on regulations to streamline H-2B Program and to allow X amount of green cards to be given to illegal immigrants and migrant workers, that way they could be more easily tracked. That way the government can collect taxes from them, which will improve our economy, while still allowing the agricultural community to still use seasonal or day laborers. (Bush 2009) Then there is also the fact of illegal immigrants who are already currently in the country. What should be done with them? Former President Bush came up with some more ideas. He had devised a revised Naturalization exam that was completed in September of 2007 and worked to get a free web-based program so immigrant can learn English. This is being completed by the Education Department) Also he had arranged for the Office of Citizenship to provide knowledgeable volunteers to assist illegal immigrants through the citizenship and naturalization process, free of charge. (Bush 2009) Even though all these measures have been put into effect so as to slowdown the amount of illegal immigrants that come in each year though our borders, there are still THREE Million people entering the United States illegally each year. Bush 2009) In 1986 Congress decided to amend the Immigration and control act of 1952. Congress felt the immigration was getting â€Å"out of control† and there needed to be a change, about thirty to fifty percent of the growth in the U. S was due to illegal immigration. So Congress felt that the best way to deal with the problem was eliminate the incentive for people to come into the country illegally, to make it harder for employers to hire illegal’s and for them to receive government benefits. But this tactic seamed futile, since then illegal immigration has just grown. [pic] So what should be done, to lessen the flow of illegal into the United States? And who should be held accountable? President Barack Obama has stated that he wants to improve our immigration System. One of the ways is by giving citizenship to illegal immigrants who have children born in the United States so to allow families to remain together. In addition President Barack Obama plans to remove all incentives for people to cross the borders. President Barack Obama plans to do that by cracking down on employers that are â€Å"knowingly† hiring illegal immigrants. He also has plans to work with Mexico so as to improve their economic growth, there by reducing the need for people to cross the borders illegally, so as to obtain jobs needed to support themselves and there families. (Obama 2009) Times are changing, our county is facing a financial crisis where we can no longer stand by and allow our countries money and recourses to be used up by illegal immigrants. We have to protect our borders; I propose that we spend less money on government â€Å"Bail of money† and we put more money and our recourses into protecting our country. In turn this will help our economic growth, by placing less of a strain on our hospitals ($250 million each year) and our education expenses ($28. 6 billion dollars annually). The government should make it a rule at â€Å"every† undocumented persons receiving these types of benefits should be sent back to their county. Let they own country of origin have to deal with these billion dollar expenses. New Jersey is considered one of the states that have the highest growth in illegal immigration. Every day there illegal’s waiting on the corners to be picked up as day labors. Why dose INS not check more frequently and pick up these â€Å"know† illegal’s? Instead INS and the local police department’s turn a blind eye. INS should make random spot checks in know immigrant communities and business so as to lessen the amount of illegal immigrants that come into the United States. Besides there being an economic drain of the United States illegal immigrants can be a â€Å"security risk† to the U. S. All of the billions of dollars that are being given out to these fortune five hundred companies should be redirected towards our countries security and financial stability. Each year more illegal immigrants come into this country taking away our jobs, not allowing our dollar to circulate within the country, there by not permitting the money to circulate through the United States, as well as placing a finical drain on our country. We as the people of this fine country need to reevaluate what we plan to do about this increasing problem. Decide what can be done and put those thoughts into action. Remember there are THREE million illegal immigrants coming into this country each year (Bush 2009) and over $28 BILLION dollars going towards illegal immigrants, education, medical expenses, and government programs. (The center of Immigration Studies 2005) References Page The White House  (2009) Website has many intrusting new policies about immigration reform. White House. (2009). Immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from http://www. whitehouse. gov The Website Barack Obama (2009) lays out what Barack Obama will do once he pronounced president. Obama, B, (2009). Plan for immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from http://www. barackobama. com Federation for American immigration reform (January 2009) provides statistical and legal issues regarding immigration in the U. S (2009) Immigration. Retrieved May 11, 2009 http://www. fairus. org/site/PageServer? pagename=research_research9605 NA. (2006, June) â€Å"Economy factors into immigration debate. †Ã‚  American City & County  121. 6  . Retrieved May 11, 2009 from General OneFile. Database Rytine, N. (2002, October) â€Å"Effects of Immigration Reform and Control Act legalization through 2001. † , â€Å"Exhibit 1-IRCA Legalization: Temporary Residence, Permanent Residence, and Naturalization through 2001,† in IRCA Legalization Effects: Lawful Permanent Residence and Naturalization through 2001, U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Retrieved May 11, 2009 Gale Virtual Reference Library Byram, J. (2004, March) â€Å"Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. †Ã‚  Major Acts of Congress. Ed. Brian K. Landsberg. Vol. 2. New York:  Macmillan Reference USA,   2004. 2  pp. 3  vols. Retrieved May 11, 2009 Gale Virtual Reference Library Immigration and Immigration Reform 11 References Page Holland, H. (2008, November)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Government contractors hiring undocumented workers: national security implications and solutions. †Ã‚  Public Contract Law Journal  36. 2  (Wntr 2007):  263(14). Retrieved May 11, 2009 from  General OneFile Database Fennelly,K. (2007, February)†U. S. immigration: a historical perspective. †National Voter 56. 2:4(4) Retrieved May 11, 2009 from General OneFile Database

Altered States of Consciousness

Altered States of Consciousness Essay Altered States of Consciousness Consciousness is a state of awareness. This includes a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas, and perceptions. There are many different states of consciousness. Sleep is a state of altered consciousness, characterized by certain patterns of the brains activity and inactivity. An altered state of consciousness is when a person is not completely aware of their surroundings. Some researchers believe that we sleep to clear our minds of useless information. Other people believe that it is a type of primitive hibernation: we sleep to conserve energy. There are four stages of sleep. In the first stage (10 min. into sleep), your pulse slows down and your muscles begin to relax. Your breathing becomes uneven, and your brain waves grow irregular. During the second stage, your brain waves occasionally shift from low aptitude, high frequency waves to high aptitude, low frequency waves. Your eyes then start to roll slowly back and forth. Thirty minutes into your sleep you enter stage three. In this stage, large-amplitude delta waves begin to sweep your brain about every second. Stage four is the deepest sleep a person gets into. Large regular delta waves occur about 50% of the time. This indicates a person is in a deep sleep. Talking out loud, sleepwalking, and bed wetting all occur during this deep sleep stage. Things that happen during this stage leave no trace on a person’s memory. While in stage four, a person goes through a stage of sleep called REM. REM sleep is a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement, a high level of brain activity, a deep relaxation of the muscles, and dreaming. Another state of consciousness is hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state of consciousness resulting from a narrowed focus of attention and characterized by heightened suggestibility. By allowing the hypnotist to direct them, people can be made conscious of things they’re usually not aware of. While a participant is hypnotized, they become highly receptive and responsive to certain internal and external stimuli. They are able to focus their attention on one tiny aspect of reality and ignore all other inputs. The hypnotist induces a trance by slowly persuading the participant to relax and lose all interest in external distractions. The participant is not under the hypnotists control but can be convinced to do things that he or she would not normally do. However, anyone can resist hypnosis by refusing to open his or her mind to the hypnotist. Another state of consciousness is meditation. Meditation is the focusing of ones attention to clear the mind and produce relaxation. There are three major approaches to meditation. The first approach is Transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation involves the repetition of a mantra, usually a Sanskrit phrase. The participant sits with his or her eyes closed and meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. The second approach, mindfulness meditation, was developed from a Buddhist tradition. Mindfulness meditation focuses on the present moment. For example, the participant might move his or her focus throughout the body, from the tip of their toes to the top of their head, and paying very close attention to areas that cause pain. The third approach is breath meditation. Breath meditation is when a participant focuses his or her respiration-the process of inhaling and exhaling in a rhythmic pattern. Most people believe that proper breathing can help one self to be stress free. Researchers agree that most people can benefit from some sort of systematic relaxation that meditation provides. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate. However participants only see the full affect of their cleansing meditation if the continue to practice it. Altered states of consciousness can be achieved many different ways. READ: Lessons John Griffin Learned In Black Like Me EssayOne way is through the use of drugs. Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness. A psychoactive drug can range from stimulants like the caffeine in your coffee or in cola drinks to depressants like alcohol to powerful hallucinogens like marijuana and LSD. Marijuana has increased throughout the 1960s and than most of the 1970s, but since then it has declined. The active ingredient in marijuana is a complex molecule called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which occurs naturally in the common weed Cannabis sativa, or Indian hemp. The effects of the drug vary from person to person and also depend on the setting in which the drug was taken and the users past experiences. In general, most marijuana users report hyperactive senses. To them, colors seem brighter, music sounds fuller, smells are stronger, foods have stronger flavors, and other experiences seem more intense than usual. To some, the world might seem more meaningful, and even the most simplest of tasks may take on an extraordinary significance in the participants day. However, as some users have come to know, the drug can instill or heighten a variety of unpleasant experiences. If the user is frightened, unhappy, or depressed to begin with, the chances are good that taking the drug will blow the negative feelings out of proportion so that their world, until the drug is worn off, becomes very upsetting. Cases have been reported in which marijuana appears to have helped bring on psychological disturbances to people who were already unstable before they used it. Although there is no direct evidence that marijuana causes lung cancer, the tar and other chemicals in marijuana smoke are drawn into the lungs and held for over 20 seconds, adding to the potential for hindering the lungs functions (Ray Ksir, 1993). Marijuana also disrupts memory formation, making it difficult to carry out mental and physical tasks. Some researchers believe that long-term use of the drug could lead to dependence. Also adults using marijuana scored lower than equal-IQ users on a twelfth-grade academic achievement test. References -Psychology Glencoe (Book) www. alteredstatesofconsciousness. org/ -www. skepdic. com/altstates. html -www. unexplainedstuff. com/ /Altered-States-of-Consciousness. html

Reflections Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Reflections - Assignment Example There are also other researches that have been recommended to be conducted in future about all the topics learned in the lecture. However, the lecture is quite wide thus lack of concentration could lead to an individual failing in the entire lecture. There are four projects that are presented in the transportation engineering lecture. The first one is travel behaviors that investigate the behaviors that individuals undertake in the course of their travelling. The second one is SUT RN, automated cars and finally in food deserts. Automated cars make it easier for individuals to drive than the manual cars. One of the engineering projects that I found interesting is automated cars. This topic is interesting since I was able to learn more about this self driving car. It is capable of fulfilling the capabilities of a manual car. I was interested in learning that this car is able to sense the surrounding environment and navigate without any human input. Overall, the lecture was an interesting one to learn. I was able to know new things and understand what happens in transportation engineering. The lecturer was able to ensure that all students understood what was being taught. In addition, the lecturer made the lecture more fun by ensuring that all students were thoroughly

Pro's of distant learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pro's of distant learning - Essay Example eo conferencing, and virtual mode) has been a mechanism that has been used to reach out into communities where individuals want to obtain an education but has not been necessarily easy to obtain using the traditional classroom setting. It has been geared to reach individuals that are at a distance and want to study but are not physically at the university campus and its surroundings and/or do not have time to take these courses using the traditional classroom setting. In today ´s day and age of information technology, distant education continues to exist and many more higher education institutions are offering these non-traditional courses. Information Technology is here to stay. There are different paradigms that are used by institutions of higher education (synchronous/asynchronous). There are forums where the students and the assessor discuss topics, ask questions, and make comments. This type of communication opened infinite possibilities in making distant education accessible to all of those individuals who want to obtain higher education recognition (diploma/degree). The visual mode within distant learning is a powerful asset. You not only communicate by writing and in some instances sound is included, but by having the visual mode incorporated into this virtual paradigm augments the possibilities given the different learning styles. According to Veenema & Gardner (1996) interactive technology could become a valuable tool in education if it takes into consideration how the human mind works. These authors stated that â€Å"†¦cognitivists argue that individuals do not just react to or perform in the world; they possess minds, and these minds contain mental representations-images, schemes, pictures, frames, languages, ideas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 70) They emphasized that some mental representations that individuals have are that they are born with them or are formed at an early age, have proven to be enduring but that others are created, transformed or dissolved over time

Western Site Visit and Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Site Visit and Paper - Essay Example My visit to this mosque was on a Friday. I prepared myself and arrived at about 11.00 a.m. Since I was new, I sorted to get some directions on what is required of me while in the mosque. So I went straight to the offices and I was welcomed warmly by the occupants who were in the office. Mr. Abdul, who introduced himself as a teacher for weekend Islam classes took the pleasure to show me around the mosque and to teach me the basic about Islam. Below is the conversation that followed between me and Mr. Abdul. Abdul: I am very pleased to have you here today. First and foremost, I will start with the basic things that you need to know about this religion. Islam is built on five pillars. The first one is Shahadah, where a believer expresses his commitment and acceptance of Islam. The shahadah is "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Abdul: And Prophet Muhammad is his Messenger. And you also go by the next pillars. The second pillar is prayer, commonly known as Salah in Islam. In prayer, a person communicates directly with God. A person is supposed to pray five times in a day and the prayers must be conducted while you are facing Mecca. Abdul: Because is the holiest city in Islam and also God instructed the Prophet Muhammad to pray while facing Qibla which is in Mecca. All Muslims in the world prays while facing Qibla. The third pillar is Zakat which means alms-giving or offering Muslims give to the needy. The fourth pillar is to fast during the holy month of  Ramadan, known as Sawm in Islam. The fifth pillar is visiting Mecca for pilgrimage. In Islam it is called Hajj. Abdul: Okay, the mosque or Masjid is the prayer house. It is a holy place and before entering, one must remove his or her shoes, clean him or herself with water. This act of cleaning is called tawadhah. The mosque is divided into two parts from

Deontological Versus Teleologica Ethical Systems Essay

Deontological Versus Teleologica Ethical Systems - Essay Example This is because the helper injected the patient out of good intentions and the overdose could just be a result of misunderstanding the instructions given or forgetting them. Since the consequences of an action are of less importance, the system is deontological. Utilitarianism Unlike ethical formalism, the utilitarian system judges the moral worth of an action basing on its consequences. Therefore, a good action is that which results in the greatest benefits for the greatest number. This system seeks consistency with the belief that human nature seeks to avoid pain while maximising pleasure (Pollock, 2004). Because of this, people should always act ways that yield the greatest good/benefits verses to evil for all persons concerned. A notorious thief can be hanged so that the residents of the place can learn from it and have peace as well. It is not justifiable to hang a thief but this injustice is outweighed by the positive consequences achieved by all the town residents. The system is therefore teleological. Religion In the religious system, the moral worth of an action is judged in relation to its conformity certain beliefs. These beliefs provide religious ethics that direct and guide on how people should live. The authority of these ethics, particularly among the Christians and the Jews comes from a wilful and a rational God. For the believers, God is perfect and thus his authority is unquestionable and is not subject to further examination. Therefore, a good action is that which conforms to the will of God. For example, one should not steal even if the food was meant to save a dying person. The similarity between this system and ethical formalism is that the consequences of an action bears little weight and therefore this system is deontological.

Dangers of wooden trusses to firefighters Research Paper

Dangers of wooden trusses to firefighters - Research Paper Example Fire-fighters risk their lives when putting off fires in buildings that have wooden trusses. This paper will discuss the dangers of wooden trusses to fire fighters. The paper will explore the various risks involved in putting off fires in buildings that have wooden trusses. The dangers of wooden trusses to fire-fighters There are a number of dangers that wooden trusses pose to fire-fighters; these dangers may be  experienced when the fire-fighters make attempts to put-off large fires. A notable danger that wooden trusses pose to fire-fighters is that they can trap the fire-fighters. In such cases, the fire-fighters find it difficult to leave the building. As a result, a rescue operation has to be initiated in order to find the fire-fighters and save them from the building where they may be trapped. Fire-fighters who manage to escape from a building that collapses may suffer numerous injuries, which may last for a lifetime or lead to significant impairment (Pollio, 2012). It is wort h noting that wooden trusses may not pose any risks to the people who occupy buildings. However, these trusses exhibit some form of weakness when there is fire, and they become extremely weak. When there is fire, there tends to be high temperatures that may cause damages to the truss (Pollio, 2012). Since the trusses are held together using fasteners, the high temperatures may weaken the fasteners, thus leading to the failure of the entire truss that may be damaged by the weight of the building. The trusses may fall on the fire-fighters while in their attempts to put off the fire (Dunn, 2010). Some of the features of wooden trusses raise critical concerns regarding the safety of fire-fighters. Wooden trusses tend to expose much of their surface to fire as compared to trusses made of metal. Since the wooden trusses comprise of less mass, there is a possibility that fire will consume them quickly. Moreover, wooden trusses also lose their capacity to carry loads whenever there is a fir e. This also affects the metal plates that may be holding the trusses together. Therefore, wooden trusses can easily collapse when there is a fire, thus putting the lives of fire-fighters at risk. Wooden trusses also pose immense dangers to fire-fighters since they spread fire a fast rate. When one wooden truss catches fire, there is a high probability that the fire will spread to the other trusses very fast. Thus, the spread of fire in the entire building will also be extremely fast, which means that fire-fighters may lose their lives while putting off fires (Brannigan & Corbett, 2007). The future of the materials used or change in fire-fighting tactics In the future, there should be a change in the materials used in constructing

Post Mortem Forensic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Post Mortem Forensic Analysis - Research Paper Example In order to initialize a forensic analysis, the first step is to determine the point of the breach to the network. Likewise, after identifying the point of the breach, a forensic examiner can evaluate its exploitation. Moreover, the examiners can also identify the source of the threat i.e. the Internet. As per the scenario, a large computer network is compromised by a threat that may have also exploited classified documents. The report will demonstrate the forensic analysis with the aid of FTK tools in order to identify the root cause of the threat. Overview If an organization is affected by a security breach, in some cases, it is complex to calculate risks related to information assets present on the network. Likewise, it depends on the severity of the threat that may have caused large disruptions in network-based services. This is the point where the digital forensic expert is incorporated for identifying the threat, impact and network incidents caused by it. Organizations experien ce new techniques and methods from an ongoing investigation by a digital forensic expert. Likewise, the point of interception, methodology, and protection etc. are considered to be critical. Moreover, financial institutions are keener to adopt forensic analysis, as this domain including business model and nature of the data, cannot compromise on security (Network postmortem: Forensic analysis after a compromise, n.d.). For instance, master card, visa, American express demonstrates a solid online security framework. In the current scenario, where a network is already breached by a threat, these forensic experts focus on three core factors i.e. (Network postmortem: Forensic analysis after a compromise, n.d.): A discovery process focused on understanding the application and network infrastructure, as well as the business information flow of the organization Interviews with key personnel to understand the facts of the case from the customer's perspective and identify suitable sources of forensics data Data collection to gather critical sources of evidence to support the investigation, followed by analysis Methodology Assuming that the threat has initially breached the application server that was serving as an intranet for the organization, forensic investigators construct a methodology that will monitor attacks from inbound and outbound networks. These three processes will be executed, in order to detect the cause and the source: pcap trace analysis that is initialized for server-side attack pcap trace analysis that is initialized for client-side attack Netflow analysis initialized for network flow monitoring In order to capture attacks, forensic investigators implemented a vulnerable HTTP server. The server will acts as an original server and address every query related to HTTP. However, for processing a ‘POST’ request the server will initiate a separate thread that will encapsulate a shell incorporated by a port 12345. The replicated fake web server will process the shellcode similarly to the original one. The tool that will be used for exploiting and capturing network traffic is ‘WireShark’(Cert Exercises Handbook – Scribd, n.d.). It is an open-source tool that is meant for capturing data packets and network traffic examination on wired and wireless networks (Wireshark Network Analysis n.d.).

Green revolution Essay Example for Free

Green revolution Essay This chapter of the reading deals with the introduction on what the â€Å"green revolution† is all about. Understandably, the major explanation of the matter is that the entrance of the 21st century in the human history brought about several advancements within the social system that involved environmental destruction. Understandably though, this destruction is something that cannot be easily seen by the human eye. Usually, it is even misunderstood as part of progress. So far, it could be noted that the most prosperous cities in the world today are noted for their huge buildings that bring commercial gains to the local government an not for the parks that could be seen around their territories. Although there maybe some parks with tress in it within their areas, it could be noted that such a structure of natural beauty could not cater to all the people that the city actually holds. This is the reason why there is a great need to return to the â€Å"green†. This means restructuring the ways by which humans recognize the importance of an environment that is characterized by the beauty of nature, which could be fulfilled through applying a new approach in creating architectural designs. This is called the â€Å"green building revolution†. This particular innovative approach in creating new functions for the newly established buildings today is aimed to make the said structures more open to becoming the new source of a new â€Å"breathable† ecosystem for the entire city. Summary: From this chapter, the questions, what, why and where were answered to be able to clarify what the â€Å"green revolution† is all about. From the discussion above, it could be noted that the primary source of this revolution is architecture and the new innovations that they are ready to share to be able to create a 21st century ‘breathable† environment in the middle of every progressive city in the world. CHAPTER 2: What is a green building? Is the color green? No, but its surroundings and even its rooftops are†¦ This is the main idea that the architects are aiming to apply in producing the green building designs. Canada has been among the first cities in the world who first embraced this particular thought. Considerably, as noted from the first chapter, the focus of the movement is to bring in some â€Å"green† environment amidst the tall buildings that embraces its territories. The proposal then entices every owner of building in the city to becoming more concerned of the environment and joining the revolution of making his or her establishment more environment friendly. More than just adding to the aesthetics of the building, the green revolution aims to make the establishments more conducive to work and life itself both in and out. This means that green buildings are also expected to handle interiors that are designed to attract occupants through the â€Å"green† environment that it offers. Undoubtedly, the â€Å"one with nature† theme of such buildings are designed to make life in the cities much better through the incorporation of nature. It is more of like a movement towards coming back to nature. Studies have noted that most health issues related to pollution and stress are reported from the residents of several large cities around the world. Apparently, the lost of trees and other â€Å"green† creations around their area becomes a toll to their health. Through research and continuous observation of the current situation in the metropolitan scene, architects were able to note that bringing back the trees and plants in the cities could reclaim the health of their residents. Summary: This chapter explains why there is the need to bring the large cities around the word back to the suburban lifestyle that welcomes nature as the largest part of the society. The green revolution is described in this chapter as the primary medium that shall bring back the color and breathe of life to the polluted cities of the world. CHAPTER 3: The business case for green buildings Yes it is innovative and environment friendly, but is it profitable? Would not the establishment of the said buildings hurt the finances of the business? These are the primary questions asked by owners of businesses and other owners of buildings [residents and other nonprofit organizations] who were primarily offered with the proposal of the green designs. Of course, being innovative as it is, the owners of buildings that are to be established want to know how much they are supposed to shed off their finances and supposedly â€Å"how much† could they expect in return. According to outstanding repots, a regular American resident spends at least 36% of his earnings and savings on healthcare needs alone. Some buy vitamins to keep their resistance to viruses strong and still they get sick because of the situation of the environments that they are living in. The pollution gets into their body everyday as they get out of their houses, and at times even when they are inside the premises of their homes. On the other hand, employers around the American region spend at least 54% percent of their profit in giving healthcare assistances to their employees every year. Why is this so? Most employees reported to be sick from work are affected by the kind environment that they are trying to live with everyday as they attend to work. This is the reason why a change of structural design has been called into the attention of the owners of the establishments. Summary: Considerably, everyone is expected to have some questions with regards the innovative approach to the new building design proposed. Understandably, this section of the reading tries to answer some of the said queries through the statistical reports gathered by the author himself from several studies that prove the need for having a revolutionary approach in changing the building designs into becoming more environment as well as people friendly. CHAPTER 4: The costs of green building Is it all worth it? To explain the matter further, Jerry Yudelson intended to present a list of benefits that the owners of the buildings and the occupants of the said areas could get from agreeing with the proposal. The said lists are as follows: 1. Better Health: this is primarily because of the wide-open spaces that the design suggests especially on work area designs as well as the home architecture approaches. As the spaces become much easier to move with, more air could come in and out of the area as supported by the greeneries both in an out of the stations making the said buildings more healthy to work with. 2. Better Performance at work: As they are healthier, occupants of the area tend to perform better at work. 3. Better moods and lesser tension: lesser clutter, lesser pollution, lesser stress and lesser tension, that is the math of lessening the sources of negative moods in buildings of work and residences to create a more easy to live with areas. 4. Enhanced aesthetics: of course, the green revolution beautifies everything. The areas are expected to become more livable and much enjoyable to see as well, making it a more relaxing area for those using it everyday. Obviously, as it could be noted from the list, the green revolution decreases the chances on people spending too much money for the unnecessary healthcare costs brought about by a less livable environment. Whatever the amount of money that was given out to be able to integrate the innovation within the design of the buildings could easily be gained back from the benefits that it gives to the occupants of the said establishments. Summary: This chapter shows that although there might be a considerable amount needed to integrate the green building system within an establishment, there are numerous benefits from the said structure that could equal or even outdo the expenses shed out by the owners of the buildings. CHAPTER 5: The future of green building IT is rather foreseen and hoped by the architecture society that the application of the green building design would be more accepted in the industry in the future. AS the need for more greens increase, the application of the system becomes more acceptable. Aside from that the researches conducted about the matter continues to flourish in an aim of developing lesser cost on the application of the suggested design and even increasing its capability of giving off higher benefits to the owners of the buildings. This chapter further notes the need for developing the system not only to become more attractive to the target market but also to become more functional within the system that it aims to penetrate. Summary: Like any other innovations applied today, the green revolution is expected to take several steps to improve more for the sake of implying development in the system that would make it much easier to comply with for the building owners in the cities. CHAPTER 6: The international green building revolution With the impelling warning of increasing global warming effects in the world today, it is highly essential that the systems of building go back to being â€Å"green† or environmental friendly. This would not only reduce the pollution present in cities and building congested areas, it will also increase the aesthetic value of several buildings that would create a homey atmosphere even within the cities. As noted earlier, green roof designs would actually give way to a cleaner air and better surroundings for people living within the city. It would also allow the people living within a building or those utilizing it for business purposes to appreciate nature again and be aware that they are all supposed to be concerned in caring for the environment. Health issues among the people could later on be reduced as well through the creation of the green roof designs. Obviously, the green roof is only a part of the green revolution’s picture. Understandably, many among the major cities around the world have already opened their minds towards the said suggestion. Among the said cities are Canada and Chicago, the entire proposal is now being presented to every target owner in an aim of enticing them into supporting the said project. Summary: The project of making more environmental buildings around the world is indeed a social aim that has been created to cater to the health needs of the people. Hence, an international approach to the said proposal had been proven worthy of consideration from owners of establishments. CHAPTERS 9-14 The revolution in commercial development The revolution in government and nonprofit buildings The revolution in education The revolution in housing The revolution in neighborhood design and mixed-use The revolution in healthcare This group of chapters discusses the suggested design for each kind of building based from the functions that they serve in the society. Likely, the consideration on the function of each establishment could give the designers an overview of what is needed from the area and how could the integration of the green building design could be integrated within the system. Assessing the process by which people are supposed to work around specific areas would give the designers an idea of where to place air ventilation, the green plants and the windows and screens that would intend to open the structure up to let the natural light of sun come in the establishment and create a more natural-themed work area. As noted, the primary aim of this particular proposal is that of protecting the health of the occupants of the areas. Most importantly, through the said approach, the design of the building aims to secure the financial sources of the occupants and the owners as well in an avoidance of spending too much money on health issues. Summary: as noted from this section of the reading, the author intended to outline the different ways by which the establishments are to be designed according to their functions. For offices, space area is a huge concern as well as the ventilation system and other area considerations within the said establishments. Furthermore, for residential areas, it is much better to consider air passage within the different rooms of the house and the arrangement of indoor plants that could get more oxygen in the said area. Green roofs could be applied in any kind of establishment as long as the owners approve of it. CHAPTERS 15-17: The revolution in workplace design The revolution in property management The revolution in building design and construction These chapters introduce to the readers the major designs to be used. As noted from the previous set of chapters, the revolution of the green design actually depends on the function that the area is supposed to handle everyday, In this section a picture of the actual designs is introduced. From the draft of the designs of both the outdoors (including the roof top) and interiors of the area towards the construction process had been carefully outlined within this section of the book. It also shows the different ways by which the design intends to protect the property for a long time in an A+ condition that could cater to its occupants needs and health concerns. Through the outlines posted by the author, an understanding of the focus of proposal could be made clear. It primarily aims to protect the health and finances of the occupants of the establishments as well as the owners at the same time.

Ethics and professional behavior

Ethics and professional behavior Ethics and professional behavior are an important part of criminal justice administration. Ethics is referred to as what is right or wrong and your moral principles. Criminal justice administration are faced with ethical issues every day and must deal with this ethical issues in a professional manner. The administration in criminal justice especially the policing administration struggle with ethics and professional behavior in certain situations and may find it difficult to handle. The criminal justice administration has the obligation of making moral judgments of what is right or wrong and must be done professionally and with the use of critical thinking. This paper will analyze the relationship between ethics and professional behavior and the role critical thinking plays in the relationship of ethics and professional behavior. Because law enforcement plays a big role in ethics and professional behavior I will propose a training seminar for law enforcement. Not only are the consequences of unethical acts by criminal justice professionals quite serious, but there are also many possibilities for conflicts to arise in the area of criminal justice, which can lead to unethical decisions and behaviors (Ozyasar, n.d.). Criminal justice administration is the influence in society and ethics and professional behavior must be practiced at all times. When criminal justice administration is unethical and lacks professional behavior society loses faith in the criminal justice system. Good ethics bring on professional behavior. Ethics and professional behavior are related because they both need each other. Without ethics there would not be professional behavior and professional behavior would not exist without ethics. Law enforcement plays a big part in criminal justice administration. Police officers must have good ethics and use professional behavior at all times. Society looks at police officers as the ones who protect and serve. Ethics are importa nt in law enforcement and usually good ethics brings on professional behavior from law enforcement as well as other administrations in criminal justice. Unethical behavior by the criminal justice system harms society weakening our beliefs in them. Members of the criminal justice system make extremely critical decisions every day and their choices have a profound effect on our lives (Ozyasar, n.d.). Critical thinking plays an important role with regard to ethics and professional behavior. In order for the criminal justice administration to use good ethics and professional behavior they need to think critically. Law enforcement, courts, and corrections rely on critical thinking to make good decisions. Law enforcement must use critical thinking to determine if a law has been broken, how to respond, and when to make an arrest (Ozyasar, n.d.). When law enforcement thinks critically this will bring out good ethics and professional behavior. When law enforcement does not first think critic ally they respond to quickly without first thinking about ethics and acting in a professional manner and may arrest the wrong person and let the real criminal go. The courts also rely on critical thinking to oversee legal proceedings and determine a final decision on a case (Ozyasar, n.d.). Prosecution and defense attorneys as well rely on critical thinking in preparing and arguing for or against the accused party (ozyasar, n.d.). Without critical thinking the courts may have a difficult time determining if the accused in fact really committed the crime. The court system administration takes in a lot of information and must first think critically before making a decision. Critical thinking must come first in order for the court system to act ethically and in a professional manner. Corrections and parole officers rely on critical thinking to evaluate the progress of individuals, sponsor reductions in sentences and maintain order within prison facilities (Ozyasar, n.d.). Corrections a nd parole officers are faced with dangerous situations many times and need to think critically in order to deal with the situation ethically and professionally. Criminal justice administration individuals all have their own ethics and behavior. Although sometimes everyone has different ethics they must set aside their beliefs and make the right decision regardless of their feelings in the situation. Good ethical and professional behavior is important in criminal justice administration and in order for this to happen critical thinking is needed. Law enforcement is faced with ethical dilemmas every day and it is important that they handles these situations by first thinking critically so that they can do their job ethically and professionally. I feel that law enforcement needs ethical training because they deal with so many different situations and how they react to these situations need to be done ethically and with professional behavior. Ethics training for law enforcement helps them to readily recognize an ethical problem or dilemma, identify various options to address the particular issue involved, make a rational and ethically sound choice of which option to choose, take prompt action based upon that choice, and accept responsibility for the outcome (Gleason, 2006). The seminar would stress some particular areas of ethical conduct that I feel are important. The first area of ethical conduct would be law enforcement using their authority ethically and professionally. I choose this particular area because it is very common for police officers to take their authority to extreme. Certain situations can cause law enforcement to act without thinking and they throw their ethics and professional behavior to the side. Training law enforcement to control their authority will help them uphold a good reputation for themselves as well as the agency and give the community faith in the officer and to not be afraid of that officer or any officer in the agency. Another area of ethical behavior that would be stressed is law enforcement performing their duties without the influence of a person’s sex or color. Regardless of a criminal’s race or sex law enforcement should treat them as they would anyone else. In certain situations a police officer needs to put their opinion aside and treat the person ethically and in a professional manner. Training the officer in this area will help them treat everyone equally and the community will feel like they have an unbiased law enforcement agency. Another area of ethics would be law enforcement should treat their fellow employees and the community with respect. Law enforcement should act ethically towards everyone and uphold professional behavior at all times. Training officers to do this helps them to be a role model for their agency as well as the community. Another area of ethical behavior I feel that needs to be stressed in the seminar would be that under any circumstances should law en forcement except gifts or bribes from anyone in the community or in the agency. It would be unethical and unprofessional for any police officer. In the seminar I would also stressed the importance of honesty by law enforcement. Honesty would consist of withholding evidence would be immoral and unprofessional. Our communities need to feel that they can trust our law enforcement and feel safe. Law enforcement effectiveness depends upon community respect and confidence (FDLE, n.d.). Therefore law enforcement must be proficient in ethical conduct and be professional at all times. Police officers are held to a higher standard of behavior by society, because they are stewards of the public trust and are empowered to apply force and remove constitutional privileges when lawfully justified. They take an oath of office, are expected to comply with professional code of ethics, and are subject to various laws, rules, and regulations (Gleason, 2006). Therefore I feel that my proposal for ethics training for law enforcement is necessary because of the expectations and requirements that law enforcement has to uphold professional behavior a nd code of ethics. In order for our criminal justice administration to function properly a clear understanding of ethics and professional behavior is needed. Due to the power and prestige and because of the nature of problems they must deal with, the members of the criminal justice system often face serious conflicts and need a guiding light, which is precisely what a code of ethics provides (Ozyasar, n.d.). In order for the criminal justice administration to display good ethics and professional behavior they must first think critically. The decisions that the criminal justice administration make are critical and they must first have to think about their decision and act ethically and with professional behavior. Law enforcement is faced with many dilemmas that require them to make critical decisions and must make these decisions ethically. Law enforcement training in ethical conduct can help officers do their jobs professionally and show the community they are doing their jobs ethic ally and with professional behavior. Ethics, professional behavior, and critical thinking are the most important roles in our criminal justice administration. References Ozyasar, H. (n.d.). Why is ethics important in criminal justice. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_6386561_ethics-important-criminal-justice_.html Baer, A. (n.d.). How critical thinking relates to criminaljustice. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7370099_critical-thinking-relates-criminal-justice.html Gleason, T. (2006). Ethics training for police. Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_archarticle_id=1054issue_id=112006 Florida department of law enforcement. (n.d.). officer requirements. Retrieved from http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/CJST/Menu/Officer-Requirements-Main-Page/LE-Ethical-Standards-of-Conduct.aspx

Cancer and the Immune System Essay -- Biology T Cells

Have you ever eaten something without washing your hands or been next to someone who sneezed? If you have then you've been exposed to millions of germs. The world is full of germs (microorganisms) - things like bacteria and viruses which can make us sick - and simple things like breathing and eating are constantly exposing us to them. Sometimes we get sick, but amazingly enough, most of the time we don’t. Our body’s ability to fight off disease is due to the incredible immune system. Several T cells (white) attacking a tumor However, at times something goes wrong with the immune system. Everyone gets sick once in a while, and beyond making us ill, there are still many diseases which can kill people. Cancer is a disease which manages to defeat the immune system. But how? For years cancer immunologists assumed that the cells of the immune system simply couldn’t recognize tumor cells. After all, if they could, cancer would be no more serious than the common cold. The many people who die each year from cancer seem to support the view that the immune system is blind to tumor cells. However, new experimental evidence indicates otherwise. As often happens in science the assumed or most obvious view is not always the correct one. In a study designed to investigate exactly how cancerous cells defeat the immune system, a collaborating group of scientists found some very interesting results. In a Nature Medicine journal article titled â€Å"Characterization of circulating T cells specific for tumor-associat ed antigens in melanoma patients† they discovered a phenomenon we have dubbed Dead Cells Walking. The first problem was to identify anti-melanoma T cells. To do this they first harvested lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of mela... ... be no cure. The fact that specific TAA cells are present in people with metastatic disease opens up a completely new realm for oncologists. Perhaps new cancer therapies will be aimed at reviving the anergic T cells. This would allow physicians to work with the immune system of their patients, and together, maybe the cancer can be defeated. In addition, the study showed that chemotherapy significantly decreased the levels of anti cancer TAA cells. If those cells can somehow be revived, than a standard anti cancer chemotherapy regimen may actually be doing more harm than good. Physicians treat disease with the knowledge they have about how it works. Their treatments then, can only be effective if their knowledge is correct. As a result, studies such as this one, which clarify disease mechanisms, are critical for the continued advancement of the medical profession.

Innocence of Children in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Scarl

Innocence of Children in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne does an admirable job of expressing the true nature of his characters. Nowhere in his story is this more obvious than in his portrayal of the children. Children, in their innocence will say or do anything, for unlike adults, they are not constrained by societal expectations. They are oblivious to most manners and politics and therefore, are less reserved than the adults when it comes to questioning things or speaking their mind. Pearl, the leading child in the novel, is an excellent example of childish innocence combined with almost preternatural perception. Her willpower and imagination make her a blessing and a curse to her mother, who has paid such a dear price for her child. "After testing both smiles and frowns, and proving that neither mode of treatment possessed any calculable influence, Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside, and permit that the child be swayed to her own impulses" (Hawthorne 82). Pearl could not be controlled by anyone, nor did she easily establish relationships with others. The other children in town would often tease her and gang up on her, berating Pearl and her mother. Pearl's anger, however, was released in fits of fury as she screamed and flung things at her opponents. These heathenish qualities and unintelligible screams made many of the townsfolk believe her to be a witch (Hawthorne 85-86). In one of the final chapters, Mistress Hibbins, a confirmed witch, proclaims Pearl to be the daughter of the Prince of the Air, another term for Satan (Hawthorne 222). Pearl is never, in the entire book afraid to speak her mind. Her mother, embarrassed by many of these outbursts, tries in vain to... ...t of humanity. Maturity and responsibility come with time, but so do the restraints that humans put on their actions, tongues, and hearts. Children, however, are very perceptive, and Hawthorne makes this very clear. Their eyes and ears are always open, yet no one notices a child. Pearl's wisdom and innocence are infuriating and lovable aspects of her personality, and in many ways, she voices what Hester only thinks. Adults in The Scarlet Letter, especially Mr. Dimmsdale, keep their thoughts, feelings, and emotions to themselves, sometimes with disastrous results. In truth, only children can be trusted to tell the complete and utter truth, for they do not understand the tact of white lies, the manners with which we must conduct ourselves, or the politics of society. Work Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: The Modern Library, 2000.

A Day with the County Juvenile Probation Officer Essay -- essays resea

A Day with the County Juvenile Probation Officer I followed employees of the County Juvenile Probation Department for a day. I spent most of the day with the Victims Information Coordinator (VIC), although I did get to speak with many probation officers as well as the drug counselor in the department. I learned many things while I was visiting the department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the better part of the day, I spent time with Pat, the Victims Information Coordinator. She is the person that explains the court process to the victims of juvenile delinquent crimes, as well as does all the side work. This work includes filing as well as taking many phone calls from concerned parents, confused kids, and people that just have general questions. This job also includes putting information into the computer for the probation officers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I got to speak with most of the officers that were there that day. They spend a lot of their own free time to help these kids better themselves. They drive all over the county to visit the kids and their families in their homes, as well as being available at all times of the day to meet with them in an office setting. These probation officers are very dedicated to what they do. Their job is very demanding, not only do they have their normal everyday appointments, but they get several phone calls an hour and people that stop in the office needing to see them immediately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have ...

The Odyssey and Propaganda

â€Å"Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid as Propagandistic Literature† Propaganda is a powerful social tool that influences audiences through manipulation and selective viewpoints and has been witnessed in history as far back as written records exist. It has been used to sanction the rise of new leaders, herald a society and its dominance, and push ideological agendas to audiences of all backgrounds throughout civilizations. The methods that propaganda has been used are numerous and include both written and spoken forms of communication to reach the audience.Literature is not exempt from the use of propaganda and Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s The Aeneid are two historical sources where it can be found. The propaganda seen in these texts share similarities and differences which can be compared and contrasted and include the values of the societies they represent, the destinies of the heroes and what each represents to the society, and how the backgrounds of the creators influence what occurs in the story with emphasis on politics and traditions.The Odyssey shares similar propaganda to The Aeneid, although it is not as immediately apparent given the historical backgrounds that led to the creation of each, in regards to the political and social changes being experienced around the time The Aeneid was written. The type of propaganda that is emphasized in The Odyssey is based around the dominance and traditions of Ancient Greek society and culture, the necessity of honoring the gods and goddesses, and maintaining virtues that are universal throughout society while emphasizing the importance of the individual.It is demonstrated through the journey of Odysseus, which begins with the Trojan War and follows with each adventure that he experiences on his return to Ithaca, ending on a message of the importance of homecoming when he reaches the shores of his island. The dominance of Ancient Greek society is displayed immediately i n the backstory of how the Achaeans overcame the city of Troy and won the Trojan War. It emphasizes the intelligence and cunning of the Achaeans through the example of the Trojan Horse which Odysseus thought of that was used to infiltrate the city. That the Greeks would emerge victorious at the end of a en-year siege over a powerful foe demonstrates the strength of the society militarily. Cultural influences that are affected by propaganda in The Odyssey demonstrate the achievements, values, and traditions of Ancient Greece through references to the ideal individual, proper hospitality, and the honoring of the gods and goddesses. The individual in Ancient Greek society was valued as a strong mental and physical person, who displayed cunning and strength, had a silver tongue and demonstrated articulate thoughts through powerful rhetoric, that could handle any challenge while creating an eternal legacy.The ideal individual was also loyal to his family and society, and was dedicated to the values and traditions instilled in them from birth. This is all demonstrated through Odysseus and his actions, from creating the idea of the Trojan Horse and displaying leadership in battle, to outsmarting the cyclops Polyphemus, to having an unfaltering love for his wife Penelope. Proper hospitality is explained through the suitors that have overrun Odysseus’s home, who slaughter his animals, drink his wine, and made themselves unwelcome guests. Homer is able to provide an example of how not to act when a person is a guest in another’s home.Conversely, he demonstrates proper hospitality by using the goatherd as an example when he takes a disguised beggar that is Odysseus into his home. The honoring of the gods and goddesses that were above all mortal men and women was important in the culture of Greek society, and this is demonstrated through the events of The Odyssey, whether it is praying to a god for safety and wellbeing, acting in a way so as not to anger a g od such as Poseidon, offering sacrifice to honor the legacy of a god or drinking to the honor of a god to gain their support.Homecoming is the destiny that is attributed to the story of Odysseus and his fate of returning to Ithaca emphasizes the importance of never leaving the place you were born or the ones you love, a value that was important to Ancient Greek society. These are all examples of propaganda that was used in The Odyssey, which was shared through a rich oral tradition that helped instill these ideals and virtues into the core of Ancient Greek society. Unlike The Odyssey, which began as an oral story and then written at a later date, The Aeneid was written from the point of its creation.It originated at a time of political and social change in Roman society, which influenced not only its creation but the characters and story in it. According to the â€Å"Vita Servii [which] states that the writing of the Aeneid had been undertaken at the express proposal of the emperor † (Avery 225). As it was commissioned by Augustus Caesar, this meant that it was rife with propaganda that emphasized the dominance of Roman society, its importance, and its values such as duty and honor.Caesar sought to restore tradition to Rome and remind its citizens of its history at a time when this was important to the continued prosperity of Rome under new rule. Aeneas was used a vessel for examining these functions of propaganda and his journey reinforced these virtues. In effect, Virgil â€Å"draws certain parallels to achieve one of his many political aims-constructing a national identity for Rome as glorious and ancient as that of Greece† (Bell 228). Virgil offered a new perspective on the Trojan War, immediately dispelling the Achaeans as scum for their trickery, which reinforced the dominance of the Trojans.He allowed Aeneas to survive the Trojan War, and used the gods and goddesses that were integral to Roman religion to create a destiny where it was his d uty to found Rome and bring about its prominence, despite not being entirely aware that this was his fate. Due to this, Aeneas embodies the ideal Roman citizen, much as Odysseus embodied the ideal Greek individual. He is filled with duty and honor and not giving up in a time of strife, as when he loses his home of Troy.This is compared to the society of Rome at the time of writing, which was under new leadership and government, and emphasized the importance of society remaining strong and prosperous. Duty to the gods was emphasized through Aeneas and his support from Juno, who reminded him that he has to continue on despite finding love in Dido. The importance of Roman society is examined when despite being injured in combat, Aeneas is able to recover due to the interference of Venus, and was gifted a shield that depicted the future of Rome.In the scenes on the shield, Julius Caesar can be seen, as well as the Battle of Actium, and several other key events known at the time of writi ng to be integral to the history of Rome and all of which would be a direct result of the duty that Aeneas was to serve through his piety. Virgil was effectively able to create a politically driven and supported example of propaganda through his writing of The Aeneid, and the significance of its creation led to a more unified Rome which benefited Augustus Caesar in his rule and cemented Virgil is the annals of history as a great epic poet.Propaganda was a useful tool for both Homer and Virgil, and both men were able to use it in effect to instill and remind the audiences of The Odyssey and The Aeneid of the dominance of the Ancient Greek and Roman societies as well as their values and traditions that remained deeply rooted in each society until the downfall of the respective civilization. Works Cited Avery, William T. â€Å"Augustus and the Aeneid. † The Classical Journal 52. 5 (1957): 225-29. Print. Bell, Kimberly K. â€Å"†Translatio† and the Constructs of a Ro man Nation in Virgil's â€Å"Aeneid†Ã¢â‚¬  Rocky Mountain Review 62. 1 (2008): 11-24. Print.