Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Russi A Tier 3 Source, Transit, And Destination Country

Russia is a Tier 3 source, transit, and destination country. The dominant form of trafficking is forced labor but sexual exploitation and begging is also pronounced. Men, women, and children are among the exploited both inside and outside of the country. Russia’s Tier 3 status is due to its refusal to meet the minimum standards to prevent, investigate, prosecute, or convict those involved with trafficking including government officials. It also provides no funding for counseling or rehabilitative services for victims. There are no private shelters available for victims due to a lack of funding. There is no widespread program to identify victims of trafficking. Russia continues to deport forced laborers with no screening in place to identify victims of trafficking. The government did offer work permits to laborers, but charged upfront fees which excluded those migrants most vulnerable to trafficking. Many of Russia’s women and children are sexually trafficked in Russia a nd to Northeast Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Africa, the United States, and the Middle East. Many women and children are trafficked into Russia for sexual exploitation from the Ukraine, Moldova, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia for forced prostitution in brothels, hotels, and saunas. Child sex is openly advertised on the internet. Labor trafficking is prevalent in Russia especially from North Korea with whom it holds a bilateral agreement for labor in its construction, manufacturing, agricultural,

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Persuasive Speech - Original Writing - 1024 Words

Shoved away at the back of the cupboard on the highest shelf I lay there waiting to be unexpectedly found by the wrong person or to be used to make people happy. Either way results in the end of my life. Bundled away where no one can see, Richard is the only one who knows where I am. I play with his thoughts and guilty conscious everyday making him fear every knock at the door. Richard continues to hide me from his wife; all I am to him is a bit of fun and extra income. I wish I had a helpful purpose in life but I am what is known to many as nothing but a â€Å"life destroyer.† The popular opinion towards me is a negative one to say the least. I’m not much to look at plain, white and simple but I have an unimaginably wild effect on people. Mind numbingly magic. I’ve been in this cupboard for about two months now; occasionally I am treated to the sight of daylight, usually on a Thursday night as that’s when Richard parties. His wife is away at work all week and does not return until the Friday night which leaves her to clean up his mess when she comes home. I see the sick and tired look on her face as she walks through the door to the mess that has been left by care free Richard. She’s fed up with his thoughtless actions. I’ve seen her deteriorate over the past few weeks, I don’t know if she’ll put up with it any longer. But then again what do I know; I ruin people’s lives all the time. I’m a useless piece of filth. She was too good for Richard though, everybody seen this exceptShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech - Original Writing1241 Words   |  5 PagesStates Hispanic Leadership Institute, where I changed my perspective of how I was dealing with my situation. I knew after graduating from GDLP, I learned the skills to become a good leader. I met a great speaker who was really inspirational and his speech really helped me create a new mindset in my head. I have experienced being a leader through playing on the Bryan High girls soccer team as a team captain, being a part of groups for class presentations, and being a youth leader in my church. ThisRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing933 Words   |  4 PagesAfter we got everything situated for the strip club, Grip said he had to go take care of some stuff and left. Death looks at me wanna grab some dinner with me? I was starving, so why the hell not. We headed out in separate vehicles towards the pizza parlor, Death walked up to my truck, when I parked, opening my door for me. As we walked towards the building you know you are going to be getting looks because you re with a D.C. member right? I smiled at him, I don t care, I m used to beingRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1132 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å" No my dear,† she said. â€Å" Only you.† I guess that I should be heading to my room now, I have work early tomorrow.† Billy said a little startled. â€Å" Would you like another cup of tea?† she said ignoring that Billy wanted to leave. â€Å" No thankyou, I am going to go to sleep now.† Billy said even more uneasy. Billy went upstairs just a little bit faster than a walk. He found the room that she showed him when he first got there. He recognized the room, and walked in. He then noticed a white sheet of paperRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1489 Words   |  6 PagesI sat down in my own chair, my hands folded in my lap. My legs were crossed and were swaying back and forth below my seat, sort of like a swing wistfully blowing in the wind. So, how do you feel? she asked, concerned. I m okay now, I whispered, looking down at my hands. Did Victor do anything to do when you were with him? No, not at all. I was just worried about being able to see him... he isn t doing well, you see... he... he could... She looked mournful, and tears were at the cornersRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1562 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Have you ever noticed when something goes horribly wrong there is someone offering tea and sympathy?† I was standing in the kitchen; hand on the faucet, when the phone started ringing. A sense of dread passed through me. No one called my house at this hour of the morning before I had coffee and cleared the fog from my mind. Time froze, as I heard my husband say hello, I thought this is going to be a long and bad Monday. I hated Mondays. I heard him say, â€Å"Hello, this better be good† and then thereRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing912 Words   |  4 PagesArguments were usually my aunt’s stronghold, whenever she confronts an opponent she could argue them to shame. There isn’t an argument that she couldn’t win or derail not until she met my father who was equally matched and just as determine to prove a point. I vaguely remember at the age of five when she and her family use to visit us back in New York. Almost every day my father and aunt had some kind of argument. Sometimes it s over pointless little things, the color of the neighborsâ€⠄¢ car or someRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing843 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Frederick Plezno that is your LAST warning!† â€Å"Whatever.† I say with a snicker. Mrs. Smith, the literacy teacher, always checks her phone at 3:45, like clockwork. Probably checking to see if anybody is trying to get ahold of her. Ha, yeah right. Lets try to sneak out. â€Å"Frederick, I know your tricks.† She says with a smile of proudness. â€Å"Has anybody been unfortunate enough today by getting ahold of you?† I already start walking out the door because I know that remark deserves a detention. Sorry, thatRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1477 Words   |  6 Pagessomething. I stool in front of their door room and heard they was talking about the draw was open and somebody took the money. I was shaking, I thought I’m done, my parents was going to kill me if they know that I took that money. Suddenly, my grandpa put his hand on my shoulder a nd opened my parent door room. He said: (4) â€Å"I took that money to pay for gas and electric this month.† He took my breath away, I did not know how he knew that I took the money and he stood up for me. I was so embarrassedRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1523 Words   |  7 PagesHave you ever noticed when something goes horribly wrong there is someone offering tea and sympathy? I was standing in the kitchen; hand on the faucet, when the phone started ringing. A sense of dread passed through me. No one called my house at this hour of the morning before I had coffee and cleared the fog from my mind. Time froze, as I heard my husband say hello, I thought this is going to be a long and bad Monday. I hated Mondays. I heard him say, â€Å"I’ll tell her, one of us will call you backRead MorePersuasive Speech - Original Writing1311 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Beep,Beep, Beep, Beep,† was the sound that played over and over at 6:30 A.M. On September 11th, 2001. I started to toss and turn, finally I realized my alarm was making that obnoxious beeping sound, so I rolled over and hit the snooze button. At that time I realized the time was nearly 6:45 A.M., the bright red numbers pointed directly into my foggy, awakening eyes. As I rolled out of bed my feet hit that same chilled floor as they do each morning. At that time I knew it was time for a shower

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Walk a Talk Free Essays

Walk and talk is a distinctive storytelling-technique used in film and television in which a number of characters have a conversation en route. The most basic form of walk and talk involves a walking character that is then joined by another character. On their way to their destinations, the two talk. We will write a custom essay sample on Walk a Talk or any similar topic only for you Order Now Variations include interruptions from other characters and walk and talk relay races, in which new characters join the group and one of the original characters leaves the conversation, while the remaining characters continue the walking and talking.The technique is frequently used as a means of emphasizing how busy the characters are. It suggests that there is so much to do and so little time to do it in that even traveling time must be used to serve additional functions. It also serves the purposes of smoothing transitions from one location to another and adding visual interest to what might otherwise be static â€Å"talking heads† sequences.All three Law Order series have used the technique to this purpose occasionally, plus all three shows in the CSI franchise use this frequently. Moreover, it has been used as a prominent story-enhancer in numerous episodes of The West Wing, The Bill, House M. D. , Ugly Betty, and ER. The Walk and Talk technique is also often used as a way of combining exposition with a visual introduction to major areas (and their locations in relation to one another) that will be used in a production.Examples of this can be seen in both film (the opening conversation between Mal and Simon in Serenity) and television (the similar conversation between Sinclair and Lyta in the pilot episode of Babylon 5, â€Å"The Gathering†). This use of the technique is regularly seen in opening scenes in the UK series Hollyoaks as a way of recapping current story lines and showing how the plot streams interrelate with the characters. How to cite Walk a Talk, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Childhood of Rizal Sample Essay Example For Students

Childhood of Rizal Sample Essay In the film Dr. Jose Rizal is a funny child. the 7th kid of Francisco Mercado Rizal and Teodora Alonso y Quintos. was born in Calamba. Laguna. on June 19. 1861. Francisco Mercado was 43-years old when Rizal was born. holding more than mean tallness ; his face was serious and baronial. He was a adult male of few words. dignified and hospitable. Having studied in the Colegio de San Jose in Manila. he possessed an simple instruction that was sufficient to successfully transport out the direction of the big agricultural belongingss that were leased to him. He was the first Mercado from the neighbouring town of Binan to settle in Calamba. Teodora Alonzo. who doubtless was the most dramatic personality in the household circle. owing to her intelligence. civilization and temperament. A well-read individual. She knew how to appreciate literature. corrected her son’s poetries and guided him in his survey of rhetoric ; she had a good cognition of mathematics. His parents had 11 kids: Saturnina. Paciano. Narcisa. Olimpia. Lucia. Maria. Jose. Concepcion. Josefa. Trinidad and Soledad. When he was merely a child. his brother Paciano told him about the GOMBURZA. Barely three old ages old. Rizal learned the alphabet from his female parent. His female parent taught him how to read and compose. I think Paciano played a immense function in Jose Rizal’s personality. Paciano. keeping up the sacred fire of nationalism. was able to convey this fire to the psyche of Jose. The shadow of Paciano may be clearly visualized in the image of Rizal. In his kernel of the highest and purest of ideals. He studied at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and he graduated from Ateneo Municipal de Manila. In the film. when Dr. Jose Rizal was analyzing he was fearless. he asks his instructors bold inquiries although he was a Indio. and he besides protected other Indios when Spanish pupils bullied them.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Anit Gun Control Essays - Gun Politics, Firearms, Politics

Anit Gun Control Should there be gun control? Do we the people need help from the government to set guidelines and bans out to keep us safe? If we did, would the prices we pay surmount the desired results. No, gun control is not a constitutionally sound device nor does it protect us. Gun control is not a new tool. In the past century it was used repeatedly by great rulers/dictators. However, these rulers used it as a tool to manipulate and de-power a nations people. Before Hitler took over and began his quest of racial cleansing, he banned guns from all citizens. Do you think that the stories of 2/3 of euro-jews being led to death like sheep would have been the same if they were armed? I do not. Mass gun control was also used by Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao Tse Tung to de-arm and put entire nations to sleep. However, this could never happen to the United States. Our founding fathers foresaw this and enplaned a precautionary amendment into our constitution. Thomas Jefferson had one of the most intelligent views on gun control, he said Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants. This is why we have a second amendment that gives us the right to bear arms. But have steps to violate this right already been put in motion? I think so. Waiting periods on buying guns are ridiculous. If someone who raped and beat you was getting out of jail, and that person promised to re-visit you, would you not like to aquire a gun the night you found out they had been paroled? I would. Also, should large and sophisticated assault weapons be available? Absolutely, yes. Weapons of this caliber are close to never used for criminal acts. Also, could Sharon Tate have fought off the Manson Family with a small 5 shot pistol? No, any means we need to protect ourselves should be available, encouraged and without a doubt legal. For example, Switzerland has introduced laws requiring every house hold to contain at least one fully automatic assault rifle. To everyone's surprise, the murder rate of Switzerland in substantially lower than that of the United States. Should we adopt such a radical life style? No, but would something less extreme be bad? Another myth on gun control is the false study stating that statistics show that a household gun will more likely be used to kill a family member than defend your home. This test is an embarrassment to modern statistical studies, it is deceptiveand downright poorly executed. This test only counted the number of family members shot to that of burglars shot to death. It conveniently neglected to count criminals wounded by these firearms, criminals scared of by the crack of the shot, or even potentially targeted houses left alone due to the acquisition of knowledge that the home contained a firearm. When it all boils down, gun control is just a bad idea. It doesn't even effect criminals who's access to guns will never be infringed upon. How can we prevent potential law breaking people from getting guns with such a large black market for firearms and such a great availability in Mexico and other nations of the world. Even if you did take away all the guns of the world, people would hold up banks with bombs, knives, bow's and arrows, baseball bats, or even an long stale piece of French Bread. The way to prevent such crimes is find jobs for those people, and give them role in society. Are such laws needed when more people will die by drowning each year that death by a firearm? (4,100 drowning lost lives to 900 gun related tragedies) Should we out law all liquids? Of course not, gun control is wrong, and should be promptly abolished. Anti-Gun Control Essay By Gabriel Ullrich Period #7 Bibliography none Speech and Communications

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Most Spoken Language In The World essay

The Most Spoken Language In The World essay The Most Spoken Language In The World essay The Most Spoken Language In The World essay  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Ethnologue(17th Edition.), Chinese (Mandarin) is the most widely spoken language in the world. Because of the large population, there are more than one billion people speak Chinese as their first language. Besides, Chinese beating the second most spoken language, English, by two to one ratio. However, Chinese is not easy to learn. Honestly, it is really difficult to learn whatever to speak or write.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, there are four tones to speak Chinese. First tone is like a high level, and second tone is like rising, the third tone is more difficult, it is like falling first and then rising. The last one is falling. Many people who learn Chinese at first always mix up these four tones. Besides, there are many kinds of dialects in China. Sometimes people come from north of China even cannot understand the dialect in the south. There are two maj or variants in China which are Mandarin and Cantonese, and there are about 55 million speakers speak Cantonese. (Alison, 2010) Also Mandarin is considered as a native language to most of Chinese people. The most reliable reason of people speaks different Chinese may due to the geography of China. (Alison, 2010) However, Chinese people speak different dialects but share one writing system. (Johnson, 2011) This might increase the difficulty to learn Chinese.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, Chinese is not a just one language; it is a language that combines many of dialects. It is also a very difficult language for people who speak Chinese as a second language. Due to the long history of China, Chinese also is an amazing language in the world and has a long history that needs people to study.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

'The global financial crisis (2007-2009) is an evidence of the Essay

'The global financial crisis (2007-2009) is an evidence of the weaknesses of the existing international and national regulator - Essay Example The excessive spending and the systemic risk associated due to the fluctuation of macroeconomic factors in the world economic environment exposed the investments and the subsequent lending by the financial institutions to high risks which was slowly growing into a large bubble1. Before the global financial crisis that started in US during 2007 and rippled throughout the world, the prices of the real estate was soaring very high. Thus, people could make huge profits in the short run by investing in US properties which was unmatched with any other investment in the US and the international markets. Apart from this, the national government in US also adopted the policy of property holding right for the US citizens that encouraged the financial institutions and their intermediaries to lend for the purpose of purchase of property2. However, due to the lack of tight regulatory framework, there were cases of lending and investments that could be identified as risky due to several factors li ke repayment capability of the investor, feasibility of the investment returns, regulatory compliance, etc3. The heavy bubble of bad lending by the financial institutions burst into a global financial crisis which was an evidence of the weakness of the national and international regulatory frameworks that were put in place for avoiding the systemic risk and the excessive risk taking of the financial institutions. Systemic risk The systematic risk is explained by the risk that arises due to the fluctuation of the macro economic factors like export-import, appreciation of depreciation of currencies, economic performance of developed countries, changes in international investments, fluctuations in the financial return and risk, etc. The global financial crisis brought out the systemic risk that started in the US and melted down globally to international economies across the world4. The inter-linkage between the houses of production, markets and the financial intermediaries led the plat form where the manufacturing and the production units suffered a slowdown in the production level due to the loss of the financial intermediaries which in turn was affected due to the default risk of the borrowers who invested in the US real estate and properties5. The lack of tighter regulatory framework fuelled the investments in the US real estates. The regulatory framework for the financial institutions is also liable of not putting checks when the financial institutions relaxed their approaches on due diligence and compliance checks to find the default risk in case of lending6. The business houses were also granted loans for increasing the supply to match the rising demand. The systemic risk exposed the weakness of the regulatory frameworks when the household and the businesses defaulted in paying back the borrowed money to the financial institution and there was financial catastrophe in the US economy7. Excessive risk taking by financial institutions The global financial crisi s in 2007 to 2009 could be attributed to excessive risk taken by the financial

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Smucker's case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smucker's - Case Study Example They make use of digital marketing initiatives such as search-based ads, banner ads on websites and mobile phones, and ads on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In terms of their acquisition strategy among product lines, they practice the horizontal acquisition which is they acquire companies in the same industry segment. The Smucker’s brands exhibit a strategic fit because they all belong to the processed food industry. Furthermore, their brands have the same distribution network and target markets. Their products are all sold at supermarkets. Even the manufacturing and operations of their various products have a strategic fit, creating economies of scale. One believes that it only makes sense for Smucker’s to expand their business line-up within their core businesses. Expanding beyond their core businesses would be difficult because the marketing strategies that they need to implement might need to be different. Moreover, expanding beyond one’s core of business would mean extensive research on their part and they might not have the competence in that business. 2. Use the appropriate course models to (1) identify at least four major macro-environmental trends and issues in the geographic domains where J.M. Smuckers operates, and (2) indicate the level of strategic attention each of these should be given. The first major macro-environmental trend that affects Smucker’s is the growing trend of women working outside the home; thus, an increase in the number of meals eaten out. This means that the household budget for processed foods and beverages, like those sold by Smucker’s will decrease and will be redirected to the budget for eating out. The level of attention that must be given to this should be minimal. Another macro-environmental factor that affects the industry is the current recession and economic slowdown experienced

Monday, November 18, 2019

ASSIGNMENT Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASSIGNMENT - Annotated Bibliography Example two years revealed that the students had higher achievements in comprehension reading, vocabulary reading, and computation of mathematics, language expression and better interaction with other students. The handicapped students were more accepted than it was in the tradition school. The gifted students are also seen to perform well than it was before the project. The physically handicapped students are more appreciated by their peers and this helps them to explore their potential. They can do a lot of work and achieve more than their peers who are not handicapped. The author research clearly depicts that cooperation amongst teachers, parent, and children influences positively on the development of the child and their achievement. The author has also pointed out that the physically handicapped students can do well if they are not isolated fro others. There is no difference between the physically challenged student and the normal students when all are treated equally. The research is s ignificantly practical since it use the students as the subject as well as the audience. The second article was looking into the effects of peer collaboration on children arithmetic and self regulated learning skills. Peer collaboration groups were compared using the traditional method and the independent method to assess the changes amongst the children. The progress of the students was determined by their calculations, ability in arithmetic, self regulated learning in mathematics, as well as quantitative concepts. The outcomes of the test reveal hat there is no significant change in assessing between teaching methods when assessing arithmetic in calculation and total. Peer collaboration is effective than independent and traditional work for students’ intrinsic motivation. In the research, the author has concentrated on the interaction of the peers in their studies. Peer groups motivate each other, and most school should adopt group learning systems to motivate their students. The

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Economic Overview Of The Maldives Economics Essay

Economic Overview Of The Maldives Economics Essay There are many factors in the macro analysis environment that will effect the decision of the managers of any organization. The macro change includes such as tax change, new laws, trade barriers, demographic changes and government policy changes. To identify and analyze distinguish between these factors executives be able to categorize the factors that impact such as: Political factors- which refer to government policy such as degree of intervention in the economy and what goods and service does a government wants to provide. Economic factors- which includes interest rates, taxation changes economic growth, inflation and exchange rate. Economic change can have major impact to the country. For example: A strong currency may make importing goods more difficult as it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency Inflation may incite higher wage demands from employees and raise cost Social factors- change in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and ease of use and motivation of individuals to work. Technological factors- new technologies create new products and new process. Example: when organization advances in technological, the staffs skills and knowledge have to improve quality and guide to innovation. These developments can benefit government as well as the organization. Environmental factors- include the weather and climate change. Change in temperatures can impact on many industries including tourism, fishing and import and export of goods to and from country. Legal factors- these are related to the legal environment in which organization function. Introduction of new system and procedures such as staff development policy that affect organization action and change will have some costs to the government and the organization. This chapter is based on government economic policies, fiscal policy and moreover it talks about the Maldives Customs Service (MCS) role and relation to government policies and mission, goals and objectives of the MCS and the SWOT analysis of the organization. Furthermore this chapter mentions the key issues which related to the policy implementation. Government economic policies The Maldives has exclusive economic rights over some 859,000 km ² of surrounding the islands, which contains vast fishery resources. The islands are an attractive tourist destination due to their sandy white beaches and clear lagoons. Land mass is limited to 300 km ² and dispersed over an 850 km ² North-South fairly narrow stretch. This peculiarity of land mass and its distribution is a server constraint to the development of local markets, increasing transport costs with implication for the competitiveness of the economy. Direct Foreign Investment The government has adopted a reasonable foreign climate the result, the result has been not enough in the sense of that most foreign direct investment (FDI) is tied to the tourism sector. In regard of this only very little FDI is seen in other sectors. For example the domestic market opportunities, given the restrictions of a population of 300,000 approximately. Therefore FDI has been drive in the direction of sectors reaching international market. Tourism is one of the best examples in the country. The investment establishment consent to free currency exchange rate and repatriation of profits and capital assets. The financial sector 30% profit tax is collected and there is no corporate tax. At present the government there is improper practice of integration of investment promotion and regulation as both roles are hand over to the Foreign Investment Services Bureau (FISB) of the Ministry of Economic and Development and Trade (MEDT). Therefore the existing legal frame work of Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) is inadequate to provide self motivated investment environment to the investors. Other than tourism investments all other sectors all the responsibility takes FISB and tourism investments Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MTC). Hence it is vital to revise and modernize current DFI guide line policy to more conducive to large scale investment. The financial sector of Maldives is still in its immaturity. There are five international bank operators in the capital city Male but all this banks are branch offices of their parent organization and take on only financing of commerce. At the present time there is no investment bank in Maldives, but a private firm, the Maldives Finance Leasing Company (MFLC) that provides capital financing for only small and medium scale operators. At present the Bank of the Maldives has locate more than 12 branches in different islands in the country. Export promotion In the existing regime Maldivian exporters invite in accessing world markets comparative to competitors in other countries. The rules of origin governing preference, when defined as a value-added obligation for the most part difficult to satisfy country like Maldives facing extremely far above the ground priced imported inputs and with limited relative advantages on labour cost. As mainly Maldives depend on imports for consumption, the lack of import substituting industries and industrial capability for export outcomes in existing account deficit of the country. The deficit for 2008 made known at US$651.3 million and 2005 it was US$273.0 million, which means compare to deficit in 2005 it has increased 139 percent. The present account deficit averaged in the order of 40 percent of GDP between 2004 and 2008. In 2008 more than 98 percent of Maldives commodity export well thought-out of fish and its related products amounting US$125.9 million, when compare to 2005 it has increased 29 percent The total export of Maldives rise in 2008 by MRF 384 million to MRF 617 million a growth of 16.8% over the year 2007. The past years average growth rate is 18.8% and marine products are the main exports with 98 percent. On the other hand due to tsunami disaster there was a minor downturn in the exports in year 2005. But starting from in the year 2006 there is rise and fall trend until 2008, with an approximate of 16.8% increased. In the existing situation of Maldives it is vital to have regional integration initiatives that value to the country through the help of key issues that affect trade, including the cost of transport and customs clearance issues. Regional institutions provide a vital support in the development of a system of standardization in Maldives, with the cooperation along with official recognition bodies on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and agreement on the application of sanitary and phyto sanitary measures (SPS) agreement issues. Social protection At present Maldivian social protection is very much favoritism in the direction of government employees who constitute around a quarter of the working population of the country. The government has priorities to achieve universal primary education and develop a national health care system. The health expenditure has accounted for 10-12 percent of GDP over the last ten years. The government is aware of the social protection issues and is keen to develop an effective social protection system consistent with the level of income and implementation capacity. The government intention for restructuring civil service is not only to grow macroeconomic stability but also is vital to sustaining the countries impressive progress in human development. Poverty rates, as measured by the headcount ratio, have fallen steeply, from 40 percent in 1997 to 16 percent in 2005. To maintain this trend in poverty reduction, improvements in existing social protection programmes and development of new programmes will go together with the fiscal hardship measures Cultural heritage The Maldives is prosperous in heritage sites, although in the earlier period of few decades the significance of safeguard Maldivian cultural heritage has been completely understood by Maldivians. On the other hand research and documentation of Maldivian cultural heritage and history is still developing in the country. At present the country also lacks the legal framework to regulate problems coupled with heritage management in the country. The heritage Act is vital for a better protection of the Maldivian cultural heritage. A book providing a tentative list of heritage sites in the Maldives has been recently published. There is an ever-increasing propensity to promote heritage values surrounded by Maldivians as a value of a heritage site forms the central core of its management. Thinking globally, Maldives is gearing to step into the world heritage arena and almost immediately will have a tentative list submitted to the world heritage committee. Trade Facilitation In the Maldives today, there has been a change from the Profitable protection function of customs to an extended protection of community. That is, trade facilitation effects more than just customs facilitation; it includes all the contributing factors of the international supply chain. As a result, stakeholders usually comprise those government and business entities that are entailing in the administration or guide of international trade. In other words, in the style of early 20th centuries role of customs as the gatekeepers has now been becoming different by the new and more demanding role that is based on three decisive concepts: trade facilitation, border protection, and revenue collection. The MCS is keeping up a conscious of international issues and their ability of strong effects on the nation, and it must be well-informed about national constrain power of a law to trade and transport treating and conventions. In many ways, customs organizations are connected with their counterparts in other countries that they do with agencies in their own government. They often look to customs administrations internationally and in neighboring countries for assistance and for ideas on how to improve operations trade facilitation, border protection, and revenue collection. Revenue Collection The Maldives experience move backward and forward in economic activity that are wider than those of the region overall. When economic times are good, economy outperforms the average of the region and when economic times are bad, economy legs behind. Although countries revenue collection are not only the means of comparing economic activity, that provide snapshot of the health of economy in a particular atoll or island. Generally stronger economies with greater economic activity produce increase in the rate of the growth of revenue collection at the country level. An examination of the subsequent time series of revenue change make known that, in terms of revenue collection of the country go one better than the region overall in times of economic growth and retained strength revenue collection of the country began to experience downturns between 2007 and 2009. Hence the government aims to reduce the reliance on import revenue as an income source for the government expenditure and in recent times projected to a great extent and large tax reform proposal. In this regard, in June 2009 government proposed modifications to the export-import law to eradicate import duties on food items and lower it for other commodities. This plan is an element of much wider amendments government resolve brings to the export-import law in the next two to three years. This proposal is part of a much wider amendments government will bring to the export-import law in the next two-three years, where government intends to bring down all applied rates to a level which have a positive impact on the economic development needs of the country and in accordance with international obligations including World Trade Organization (WTO). Border Protection Tariffs are the major instrument of border protection in the Maldives. With the exception of in the case of cigarette, on which has precise duty of MRF.0.30 per stick and all the other duties are ad valorem tariff levied on CIF (cost, insurance and freight) import value. In the current structure of applied ad valorem tariff have ten bands such as duty free, 5 percent, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 50, 100, and 200 percent. The three main staple foods such as flour, rice and sugar and all other imports intended for commercial re-export come in the country free of duty. Maldives has increased its maximum tariff on all goods (excluding alcohol and tobacco) from 112 to 142 percent. In 2006 this maximum tariff was applied to plastic packaging materials. The trade policy space, as measured by wedge between bound and applied tariffs has decreased slightly since 2000, now standing at a relatively low 16.8 percent, compared with 54.8 percent on average for its regional neighbors and 29.5 percent for lower-middle-income countries. Regarding the extent of its trade liberalization in services, the Maldives ranked 142nd out of 148 countries according to the GATS Commitment Index. The discussion on the upcoming direction of tariff restructuring is much in line with expected view. It simply call attention to the need for enlargement the internal tax base to diminish the government weighty dependence on border taxes which would facilitate further tariff reduction, without examining revenue effects of tariff reduction. Enlarging the internal tax base to diminish the governments weighty dependence on border taxes would, obviously facilitate further tariff reduction. Fiscal policy The Maldives has neither a corporate tax not either a broad based sales tax arrangement in the country. The bank profits are subject to profit tax of 25 percent. In the highest degree recent year largely tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 20.5 percent. Revenues are collected from customs duties. Conversely, the worsening fiscal signs are worrying as huge budgeted deficit stems not only from renovation, however more over from long standing structural issues such as growth of the civil service, large pay rises and subsidized social services. Therefore, if not the government attend to these subjects earlier than its debt get to unsustainable levels, far above the ground economic growth cannot be sustain. Broadening the tax base The government is planning to increase revenue by broadening the tax base. Government revenue is expected to increase 33 percent of GDP in 2010, 37 percent of GDP in 2011 and 36 percent of GDP in 2012. Currently the government revenue generation bases are mainly import duties, tourism tax, dividends from state-owned enterprise and resort lease rentals. The government has argument of implementation of the business profit tax and goods and service tax is look forward to bring in early 2011. The government expects to increase the revenue with reference to the impact of new taxes; it would be 15 percent of GDP. Rationalization of import duties In the Maldives government revenue connotations are a main alarm over and over again voiced as an argument further rationalized of import duties. It is argued that import duties are a vital source of government revenue and the speed with which customs duties are reduced needs to be resolved in harmony with the speed and effective of domestic tax reforms at thoroughly examined the condition of the revenue structure to compensate lost revenue. If not the look forward to economic gains from reform could well be erased by adverse budgetary arising from revenue shortfall. Over view of the Maldives Customs Service (MCS) The MCS plays vital role in protecting and enhancing Maldives economic prosperity, security and unique way of life. The border management has an effect on economic performance and the well-being of community and MCS is committed to ensuring that Maldives entry points actively supports government priorities. In order to achieve MCS vision of achieving excellence in contributing to the social and economic well-being of the nation by providing professional, quality assured customs service. MCS has to be ready for the future and to be able to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected situations and conditions, and have to ensure the effective ongoing stipulation of service. In order to support the social and economic well-being of Maldives, MCS continue to work in coordination with other agencies, and maintain relationship with customs administration, international organization and industry stake holder. It is important to continue deepen understanding of MCS partners priorities and to ensure that how MCS objectives and those of partners in the public and private sector can best aligned. Mission and Vision TO ENSURE that persons, goods and conveyances enter and exit the Republic of Maldives in accordance with national laws, and that such function is carried out while protecting the state revenue and the rights of the members of the society and in a manner that safeguards the integrity, esteem, dignity and honour of our Maldivian Nation. ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE in contributing to the social and economic well-being of the nation by providing professional, quality assured Customs service towards the protection of the society and revenue collection, through optimal Information Technology mobilization Goals and objectives To achieve the national goals MCS has to provide staff with relevant academic competency and skills training so as to create conducive work environment for generating inspiration and motivation amongst them; by inculcating and promoting required ethical standards in order for them to become professional Customs officers. To facilitate and provide trade-related customs services in a customer-friendly environment, in accordance with the laws and regulation of Maldives To protect State revenue through extensive participation in implementation of export/ import policies, strengthening customs control mechanism, and post clearance audit procedures. To be a world-class customs service that complies with all pertinent international conventions, articles thorough cooperation and coordination between Customs of other countries, customs- related international organizations and other international NGOs Objective Protect and collect revenue on dutiable goods. Detect and deter narcotics. Detect and deter smuggling of goods, pornography, and banned articles. Protect and facilitate legitimate trade and industry to uphold Republic of Maldives trading integrity. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threat Maldives customs service (MCS) is longest serving organization in the Maldives. Therefore customs has good reputation of among all other organization and the customs has brought a valid changes Government gives full support to the MCS to maintain its service. Example if customs submit a project for increase revenue the government approves easily Provide professional training for the officers for their daily work environment which has huge advantages to perform best of their knowledge and experience Lack of Act the most weakness of the organization as there are many improvements which need to bring with the help of act Action and words are not align which causes a huge weakness of the organization as the supervisory level action which makes different ways in same situation MCS gets many opportunities from the government to improve trade facilitation and control illegal activities which enter the country MCS is the WCO member and many other international authorities such RILO and WTO and other countries provide international training and equipments Political Influences is one of the difficult things MSC faced today, as the political influence is taking part in some decision making and many political posts in top level Traders do not keep their business records, so it hides the way for their negotiations, transactions and other records that need for their business background Key issues related policy implementation Corruption and low integrity Corrupted environment Unethical behaviour Revenue leakage Compliance not measure Ineffective decentralization Decentralized areas staff not empowered Partially decentralized without uniformity Lack of border control Incompetent staffs and stakeholders Policies for rotation Competency level of staffs Lack of technical skills Poor communication with the stake holders Absence of Carrier path No succession plan Human resource plan De-motivation Knowledgeable staff turnover Performance appraisal not based on objectives Inappropriate recruitment and selection Chapter summery The Maldives still face a range of development limitations distinctive to small island nation. These take in a small export market, narrow resource base, and shortage of skilled work force, difficult transportation, high unit cost of social, health and economic infrastructure condition and high propensity to external and natural disasters. To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the revenue collection and trade facilitation it is vital to implement modern techniques to minimize the illegal offences which are carried out through in the Customs control area and prevent the importation and exportation of restricted and prohibited goods and conveyances into and from the country, while providing an excellent service. In addition there are special require developing the quality of the limited human resources. It is apparent that legislation, systems and procedures need to be enforced and implemented by experienced, professional and dedicated people. The commitment, loyalty and integrity of staff are particularly important to an organization in tackling challenges, making changes and introducing reforms. Human resources require to be developed on a continuous and long-term basis with an analysis to promoting and enhancing staffs qualification, professional ability, management techniques, morale and integrity. In this respect, well planned programmes with an eye on the future for staff training, career development and integrity promotion are essential to the well being of any administration and to serve and protect countries economy

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Writing Persuasive or Argumentative Essays :: Writing an Essay

In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something. Persuasive writing is often used in advertisements to get the reader to buy a product. It is also used in essays and other types of writing to get the reader to accept a point of view. In order to convince the reader you need more than opinion; you need facts or examples to back your opinion. So, be sure to do the research! Persuasive writing follows a particular format. It has an introduction, a body where the argument is developed, and a conclusion. After writing an essay, like any other piece of writing, you should read, revise, conference and revise, before publishing the final product. Before starting, check the rubric to see how you will be evaluated, as well as, all the ingredients required to write the essay. Introduction The introduction has a "hook or grabber" to catch the reader's attention. Some "grabbers" include: 1. Opening with an unusual detail: (Manitoba, because of its cold climate, is not thought of as a great place to be a reptile. Actually, it has the largest seasonal congregation of garter snakes in the world!) 2. Opening with a strong statement: (Cigarettes are the number one cause of lighter sales in Canada!) 3. Opening with a Quotation: (Elbert Hubbard once said , "Truth is stronger than fiction.") 4. Opening with an Anecdote: An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the point. 5. Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or interest to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source. 6. Opening with a Question. (Have you ever considered how many books we'd read if it were not for television?) 7. Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. (The whole world watched as the comet flew overhead.) The introduction should also include a thesis or focus statement. There are three objectives of a thesis statement: 1. It tells the reader the specific topic of your essay. 2. It imposes manageable limits on that topic. 3. It suggests the organization of your paper. Through the thesis, you should say to the reader:

Monday, November 11, 2019

Aztec Human Sacrifice – a Detached View

In searching for a thesis for this paper, I was faced with a singular problem. With the ghastly subject of human sacrifice, what could possibly be argued and defended? During my reading and research, the stark and horrible reality of a butchered, battered, or burned human being slain in some grisly, weird ceremony for some equally weird gargoyle-like idol nearly caused me to choose another subject. Yet, years ago, when I read Gary Jennings' novel Aztec, I was fascinated with his description of the Aztec's sacrifice of prisoners during the dedication of the great pyramid in Tenochitlan: â€Å"The hearts of †¦ perhaps the first two hundred of them, were ceremoniously ladled into the mouths of Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli until the statues' hollow insides could hold no more, and the stone lips of the two gods drooled and dribbled blood†¦ Those who have read Jennings' novel know that the foregoing is but a mild example of some of the graphic barbarism he describes. During my first reading of that novel, I would have never believed that I could come to the conclusion of my thesis. My thesis is this: There appears to be an intolerable paradox between the barbarous religious practices and the rather high state of civilization in the Central Valley of Mexico. This paradox undoubtedly led the early Spanish missionaries to regard the conquered Indians as devil worshipers. However, I believe that it is possible to regard the Aztecs as civilized people who also happened to perform human sacrifice. They performed human sacrifice in reaction to their view of the world and how they cope within it. Maintaining those two opposing viewpoints requires an understanding and a detached view which may have more to do with the study of history than the study of human sacrifice. The Aztecs, of course, had no monopoly on the practice of human sacrifice. Earlier cultures (the Maya, the Toltecs and others) provided the cultural base for human sacrifice upon which the Aztecs took to new heights. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, excavations in Egypt and elsewhere in the ancient Middle East have revealed that â€Å"numerous servants were at times interred with the rest of the funerary equipment of a member of the royal family in order to provide that person with a retinue in the next life. The burning of children seems to have occurred in Assyrian and Canaanite religions and at various times among the Israelites. Rites among the ancient Greeks and Romans that involved the killing of animals may have originally involved human victims. † The Aztecs, as previously stated, took the practice to new heights. In 1487 (five years before Columbus arrived to the East and two years after Henry VII began the Tudor dynasty in England) the greatest orgy of bloodletting of human sacrifice occurred during the fierce rule of Ahuizotl. I have already quoted Gary Jennings' description of the carnage, and I will quote one more passage to illustrate how the Aztecs in a ceremony lasting four days sacrificed at least 20,000 prisoners to their insatiable god Huitzilopochtli: â€Å"The prisoners endlessly ascended the right side of the pyramid's staircase, while the gashed bodies of their predecessors tumbled and rolled down the left side, kicked along by junior priests stationed at intervals, and while the gutter between the stairs carried a continuous stream of blood which puddled out among the feet of the crowd in the plaza†¦ Although Jennings' Aztec is, admittedly, a work of fiction, I have seen his descriptions corroborated elsewhere; for example, G. C. Vaillant's The Aztecs of Mexico describes the scene: â€Å"†¦ At the start of the dedication, the captives stood in two rows, and (they) began the grisly work of tearing out the victim's hearts†¦ † Returning to my thesis, how could the practice of human sacrifice be looked upon as anything less than barbaric, even to the point where Aztecs could be regarded as uncivilized? The answer, in my opinion, arises from their view of their creation, their position in the world, their relative importance therein, and how they were only holding on by a thread. If the Judeo-Christian God took only six days to create the heavens and earth (and rested on the seventh day), the Meso-American deity took awhile longer to get it right. The Aztecs believed that the sun and earth had been destroyed in a cataclysm and were regenerated four times. They believed that they were living in the fifth, and final, stage of creation, and (according to Meyer and Sherman's The Course of Mexican History) â€Å"that in their age of their fifth sun, final destruction was imminent. † Meyer and Sherman also point out another interesting (and revealing) aspect of how the Aztecs regarded themselves in the cycle of their cosmology. The accepted view of â€Å"a natural cycle† was that humans occupied a rather lowly position in the food chain of the gods. The cycle held that since the sun and rain nourished plant life and sustained man, man should give sustenance to the sun and rain gods. One might infer from the foregoing view that the Aztecs placed a low value on human life. To add to the paradox of sacrifice versus civilization, the evidence is that the Aztecs regarded the individual human as â€Å"a most significant locus of the meditation of the human and divine. † In Aztecs – An Interpretation by Inga Clendenin, the author focuses in on the actual meaning of the word â€Å"sacrifice. In her analysis of the Nahuatl linguistic iterations covering the separate meanings of death and sacrifice, she (gradually) comes to the conclusion that Aztecs regarded sacrifice as a payment of the debt incurred and only fully extinguished by death, â€Å"†¦ when the earth lords would feed upon the bodies of men, as men had perforce fed upon them. † What I liked most about Inga Clenninden's writings on the Aztec was her m ixture of sometimes excruciating detailed scholarship (I had to have a dictionary handy at all times) along with her eventual arrival at the exquisite truth of the matter. Concerning debt of humans to the gods she states the truth of the matter in two exquisitely perspicacious sentences: â€Å".. (T)he Mexica knew that all humans, unequal as they might be in human arrangements, participated in the same desperate plight: an involuntary debt to the earthly deities, contracted through the ingestion of the fruits of the earth†¦ It is that divine hunger which appears to underlay the gross feedings of undifferentiated mass killings. While everyone in Aztec society had the same debt, Aztec religion and its black-robed, blood-caked priests served to pay everyone's daily dues for continuation in humanity's last Tonatiuh yet a while longer. Through obeisance and observance of the needs of the pantheon of gods and with the complicity of the Aztec society at large (and often even with the active cooperation of the victims), the priests performed their killings, according to Clendinnen, openly and everywhere: â€Å"†¦ not only in the main temple precinc t, but in the neighborhood temples and on the streets. The Aztecs believed that without human sacrifice and the offering of the most precious and sacred thing the human possessed (blood), the sun might not rise to make its way across the sky. This rather strange and naive belief was supported by a mythology in which Huitzilopochitli, their fierce bloodthirsty god played a central part. But first, an explanation of the Aztecs' beliefs regarding the creation of their current age does shed some light on the role of sacrifice and Huitzilopochitli's cult, which later ran rampant and reached its zenith in the sacrifice of 20,000 at the dedication of the temple in 1487. A succinct description of Meso-American mythology appears in The Daily Life of the Aztecs by Jacques Soustelle. The ancient Mexicans believed that the two parent gods lived at the summit of the world. Their â€Å"unending fruitfulness† produced all the gods, and from it all mankind was born. The sun was born when â€Å"the gods gathered in the twilight at Teotihuacan and a little leprous god â€Å"covered with boils,† threw himself into a huge brazier as a sacrifice and â€Å"rose from the blazing coals changed into a sun†¦ † This sun was motionless and it needed blood to move. So the gods â€Å"immolated themselves, and the sun, drawing life from their death began its course across the sky. † To keep the sun moving on its course, â€Å"so that the darkness should not overwhelm the world forever, it was necessary to feed it every day with its food, ‘the precious water'†¦ human blood. † Every time a priest fed the gods at the top of a pyramid, or in the local temple, the disaster that always threatened to fall upon the world was postponed once more. About the time of the Crusades in Europe, the Aztecs migrated from the west into the Valley of Mexico. They brought with them their strange hummingbird god Huitzilopochitli, who, according to Victor W. Vonhagen in his The Aztec Man and Tribe gave the Aztecs some rather sound advice: â€Å"†¦ wander, look for lands, avoid any large-scale fighting, send pioneers ahead, have them plant maize, when the harvest is ready, move up to it; keep me,†¦ always with you, carrying me like a banner, feed me on human hearts torn from the recently sacrificed. † †¦ all of which the Aztecs did. The mythology surrounding Huitzilopochitli's origins was also revealing. The Aztecs believed themselves to be the â€Å"people of the sun. † This god's fierce preeminence is surpassed only by the Aztec view of his mother Coatlicue. Victor Von Hagen describes the Aztec sculpture of this powerful and awesome goddess: â€Å"†¦ her head of twin serpents, her necklace of human hands and hearts, her arms claw-handed, and her skirt a mass of writhing serpents†¦ † The Aztecs believed that Huitzilopochitli sprang alive and fierce from his mother to vanquish his brothers, the stars, and his sister, the moon who had conspired to kill his mother. Coatlique, an earth goddess, conceived him after having kept in her bosom a ball of hummingbird feathers (i. e. , the soul of a warrior) that fell from the sky. His brothers, the stars of the southern sky, and his sister, a moon goddess, decided to kill him, but he exterminated them with his weapon, the turquoise snake. The Aztecs followed the hummingbird's twittering and became the dominant culture of a civilization that by the time Cortes and his group of scruffy adventurers landed in 1517 numbered in the millions. It is difficult to imagine an ancient, complex civilization like the Aztecs with a daily life that centered around the grisly practice of human sacrifice. The average Aztec only had to look at the stone idol of household god to be reminded of what nourished that particular deity. Deities other than Huitzilopochitli had their own feast days in the Aztec calendar and, accordingly, demanded their own sustenance. Slave children were drowned as an offering to the rain god Tlaloc. The fire god's victims were given hashish and thrown into the blaze. Those who represented the god Xipe Totec were fastened to a frame, shot with arrows, and then had their corpse flayed (the priests dressed themselves in the skin representing the â€Å"new skin† of spring). Here we have the phenomenon of how the person being sacrificed was symbolically transfigured into the image of the god and his own temple. In most cases the victim was dressed up so as to represent the god who was being worshiped. Just as the gods of old had accepted death, the person reenacted and became that sacrifice. Moreover, according to Jaques Soustelle in The Daily Life of the Aztecs, â€Å"when ritual cannibalism was practiced on certain occasions, it was the god's own flesh that the faithful ate in their bloody communion. † As the Aztec cycle continued and a shortage of â€Å"god food† occurred, the Aztec â€Å"Flowery Wars† replenished that supply. Militarism, elevated to a virtue, became ever intertwined with Aztec society. In fact, a warrior's status was determined by the number of captives he delivered to the sacrificial altar. Whether as a battlefield casualty or ending up as a captive on the altar of an enemy tribe, this â€Å"flowery death† was desirable and noble, and a place in the clouds was reserved for that warrior. Returning one last time to Gary Jennings' graphic description of the prisoner sacrifice on that day in 1487, when long lines of captives shuffled along the avenues toward Tenochitlan up the pyramid staircase towards the twin temples of Tlaloc and Huitzilopochitli: â€Å"†¦ any prisoners, however complacently they came to their fate, involuntarily emptied their bladders or bowels at the moment lying down under the knife. The priests – who†¦ had been clad in their usual vulturine black of robes, lank hair, and unwashed skin – had become moving clots of red and brown, or coagulated blood, dried mucus, and a plaster of excrement†¦ † It is indeed difficult to read of such gore and barbarism without relegating the Aztecs to the level normally reserved for far less developed and organized societies. Although the Aztec period is considered by historians as not having reached the heights of civilizations of the classic period, it is clear that the Aztecs and the cultures of the Central Valley were sophisticated and well organized. There may have been as many as 30 million inhabitants of that area (although some scholars believe that count is somewhat exaggerated), and the breathtaking sight of Tenochtitlan must have impressed Cortes beyond words. The question remains: Does existence and abhorrent (to us) practice of human sacrifice disqualify the Aztecs from full membership in the â€Å"club† of civilizations? Apparently, the Spanish felt that the answer to the question was an unequivocal yes. The horror and disgust that newcomers must have felt may have helped the Spanish convince themselves that the native religion was another form of devil worship and provided subsequent justification for destroying their culture. Jaques Soustelle gets to the heart of the matter in The Daily Life of the Aztecs. He says that the Aztec practice of human sacrifice was a great factor in making the two religions which confronted one another totally irreconcilable. In the early battles, some conquistadores ended up as captives and sacrificial victims of the Aztecs themselves, and this practice lent a particularly remorseless attitude on each side of the struggle between the Aztecs and the Spanish invaders. If we can understand the motives and the religious and cultural perspective of the Spanish, who massacred, burnt, mutilated and tortured their conquered natives, it is likely that the definition of cruelty differs from culture to culture. It follows, therefore, that it is possible to use the same perspective towards human sacrifice on the part of the Aztecs. Works cited: Jennings, Gary, 1980, Aztec Von Hagen, Victor W. , 1958, The Aztec, Man and Tribe Vaillant, G. C. , 1944, The Aztecs of Mexico Clendinnen, Inga, 1991, Aztecs An Interpretation Meyer, Michael C. , and Sherman, William L. , 1995, The Course of Mexican History Pre-Columbian Civilizations: MESO-AMERICAN CIVILIZATION: Postclassic Period (900-1519): AZTEC CULTURE TO THE TIME OF THE SPANISH CONQUEST: Aztec religion. Britannica Online HUMAN SACRIFICE: Britannica Online XIPE TOTEC – Britannica Online â€Å"Tlaloc† Britannica Online.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Kingdom of Numbers essays

The Kingdom of Numbers essays This Mathematical story is about a large, flat land called Cartesian Plain, which a group of numbers lived in. However, the problem that they had was that if one number thought that they where big a bigger number always appeared. So, it was impossible to rule for a long time, the time limit would be only a few seconds. Therefore, the reason for this is that numbers are endless. This land had different social curriculums. This means that the positives were considered aristocracy, while the negatives were the peasants of the kingdom. The positives were very unhappy because they didnt want the negatives to be around. This was because they say that they cant add anything to society. The negatives worshiped their own God, while the positives believed it as an anti-God. As the conflict over who is to be king continued, the negatives plot was to take over. However, a mutant was born; the mutant was just more than a number. As the mutant became older he showed no tendency toward the negatives or the positives. Since he never amounted to anything he was called 0. The older he got the more interest he had in politics. He would attend the negative and the positive get-togethers, which where dangerous because the negatives meetings where illegal. Suddenly, thats when his dilemma begins. He was caught and brought to trial for treason and heresy. He had a lawyer named 1,800,000, and the prosecutor was named Pie. However, one of the witnesses said that he saw 0 going to the negative meetings. The lawyer tries to defend 0 by claiming that the square root of 2 is irrational and radical. The judge says that the square root of two is positive, and that he must be heard. The courtroom was in deep silence. .438 presented their demands as negative numbers. He desired an equal right with the positives. They didnt want to be judged by their outward signs, but by their absolute value. If they are rejected th...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors

3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors 3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors 3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors By Mark Nichol Errors of faulty parallelism in sentences in which â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also† help delineate complementary phrases come in three general categories, as shown, explained, and corrected below. 1. This problem not only relates to accessibility but also to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data. In a simple sentence employing â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also,† a verb that applies to both phrases must precede â€Å"not only†: â€Å"This problem relates not only to accessibility but also to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data.† (Otherwise, the assumption is that a verb distinct from the one following â€Å"not only† will appear after â€Å"not also† in parallel to the first one, as in â€Å"This problem not only relates to accessibility but also applies to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data.†) 2. This step presents not only a technical change, but introduces risks associated with migrating to the cloud. In this example, parallel verbs should follow the respective setup phrases â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also†: â€Å"This step not only presents a technical change but also introduces risks associated with migrating to the cloud.† (Note, too, the deletion of the comma and the introduction of also.) 3. In this way, the courts have been central, not only to the preservation of American freedom, but also to its expansion. In â€Å"not only . . . but also† constructions, a comma is often inserted before â€Å"but also† (or before but alone when also is not included, as in the example above), but the punctuation mark is unnecessary because what follows it is not an independent clause or a parenthetical phrase. Here, the first comma is correct, the second one (assuming the third is omitted) is defensible for emphasis but is extraneous, and the third is a mistake, as explained in the first sentence in this discussion: â€Å"In this way, the courts have been central not only to the preservation of American freedom but also to its expansion.† Furthermore, the appearance of the second and third commas together is a double error; the inclusion of this pair of punctuation marks erroneously implies that what is contained within is parenthetical. (To test for the validity of the punctuation, view the sentence without the intervening phrase: â€Å"In this way, the courts have been central but also to its expansion† is ungrammatical, so the commas are incorrect.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†A While vs AwhilePreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Monday, November 4, 2019

Customer Relationship Management in the University Essay

Customer Relationship Management in the University - Essay Example There are frequent meetings that are always held to ensure that emerging issues are solved amicably to avoid problems that may arise between the organization and the students.The university leadership is always keen on the needs of the students and quick decision-making on matters that affect both students and the staffs is always a priority. The customer relationship management applied in the university provides the opportunity to develop and preserve the relationship between the students and the rest of stakeholders of the university. The application of CRM has made the university to be unique and emerged the best among its competitors. Sharing of helpful information with the students on how the institution can nurture and place us for victory in the coming days is important to all students.The frequent communication with parents concerning students’ performance is also another way that my university implements customer relationship management. The outcome of the communicati on has been positive since students are retained while many are recruited. Apart from communicating with parents, the university is also in frequent contact with the alumnae that has enable the institution get donations from different donors, hence the continuous development of the university. The rules and regulations of the University have been given to students to ensure that all students follow the policies of the institution. There are better ways that the university applies in disciplining the students with indiscipline cases.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Real world business issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Real world business issues - Assignment Example It is vital for business manager to anticipate and identify them so that they can be exploited as new opportunities of growth. Thus, business managers are important linkages that integrate external opportunities and organizational growth by identifying themes and concerns for the benefit of the organizations. The paper would be discussing four major themes that have emerged as critical external factors which considerably influence the productive outcome of the firms and help it to maintain market leverage. The characteristics of emerging external and unstructured issues are essential paradigms that need to be identified and evaluated for evolving effective strategies so that issues can be resolved early and turn impending failure into stepping-stones of success. The tangible and intangible elements of external environment often create hassles that adversely impact organizational growth. They become major contributor for its deteriorating performance. Slater and Narver (1995) believe that firms which constantly make efforts to acquire, process, and circulate information across the organization about markets, products, technologies, and business processes etc., tend to succeed in anticipating changes and meeting them with creative and flexible approach. Consequently, managerial leadership of business managers become key enabling element that helps firms to maintain its leverage in the market against all odds. The following four themes are critical factors that influence organizational p erformance. Globalization has emerged as one of the most important external issues that has long term cascading impact on the organizational processes and performance. Globalization can be broadly defined as ‘the diffusion of goods, services, capital, technology, and people (workers) across national borders’ (Sirgy et al., 2004: 253). Technology has been major

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Environmentally-focused law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Environmentally-focused law - Essay Example As a person with environmental awareness, I propose that production companies should go back to the use of glass bottles which can be reused and recycled. Since plastic bottles and plastic bags are easily discarded, people tend not to worry about where these wastes go to. Therefore, the plastic materials pile up in the ocean and the unsuspecting sea animals consume the garbage, resulting to their extinction. It is also known that plastic materials do not decompose until hundreds of years. Thus, if companies cannot use glass bottles, at least they should resort to biodegradable materials. In addition, their advertisements of any form should always advocate environmental awareness to consumers so that they will become responsible in their waste disposals. As producers, companies should not simply aim for high earnings but they should also take part in the preservation of the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Impact of escalating gas prices on the U.S. Essay Example for Free

Impact of escalating gas prices on the U.S. Essay The oil prices have been creeping higher in the recent past and the current gas market conditions in the United States of America are very uncertain as well as unstable which has further led to a lot of negative effects on the gas consumers. The gas prices have been rapidly escalating in the American markets which have led to the amplification of the medium term economic effects. The American economy’s prosperity remains at risk for as long as the oil prices in the country remain very high and also unstable. The increasing oil prices in America also quantitatively affect the country’s macro economy. The impact of the escalating oil prices on the US economy The oil prices in America remain a very important determinant in the overall performance of the country’s economy. It is also important to note that the overall increase in the oil prices in America has further led to a transfer of income from the American economy to the exporting countries through a trade shift. In America the degree of the direct effects of a specified gas price is highly determined by the share of the oils’ costs in the income of the country and also the ability of the gas users to reduce their personal consumption and wholly change from the gas to other alternatives. The increasing gas prices in America has also highly affected the rate of inflation since in most of the times the consumer price index has been on the increase and this clearly shows that there is a correlation between the oil prices movements and the changes which occur in the rate of inflation. This then clearly stipulates that the increasing oil prices in America further drive up the imported oils costs and in general terms the rate of inflation. (Anne, 2007) With the worlds demand for oil rapidly increasing and the oil supplies very limited, then the American economy is more likely to suffer the damage in the short as well as long-term. The high oil prices in America are amongst the key factors which have made many economists to scale back their predictions for the country’s economic growth in the present year. The country’s economic growth rate has highly reduced because of the increasing oil prices and this has resulted to a growing rate of unemployment in America. (Brown, 2004) The gasoline prices in America are expected to even hit new highs since the American refineries are currently producing as much gasoline as they can include other oil products. In the larger picture the American authorities have not built any new refineries or even upgraded the old ones because of the environmental and the regulatory concerns. If the oil supplies were to greatly increase then the supplies of the major oil products would not substantially grow and thus the gas prices and the other refined products would stay very high. (Harvey, and Ted, 2007) The higher oil prices in America also highly spurs inflation and this further leads the federal reserves to push the interests rates up and this in turn causes the car loans the mortgages and the credit cards to become much more expensive than they already are. This whole issue sends a lot of ripples through the financial markets in America. The rising rate of inflation tends to highly affect the bond prices which further reduces the economic growth that could help in keeping the interests rates down. When the gas prices go up then the bond prices also go up because the economic growth rate is very slow but this does not similarly apply to the stock markets. On the other hand the high gas prices have a negative impact on the stock markets as this leaves the consumers with very little monies to spend as this also undermines the corporate earnings which are key to the prices in the stock markets. The depreciating US dollar has contributed to the escalating gas prices which are partly based on the dollars value. Source: Anne, F. (2007): Comparison of US gasoline Vehicle Fuel prices in the U. S. Pedant Centre on Global Climate Change, Washington In America the hurricane threats to the oil platforms, the labor strikes, the terrorist threats and the fires at the oil refineries and also other problems which are short lived they all are not wholly responsible for the escalation of the gas prices. They however push the gas prices higher but they are not the fundamentals in causing the high escalating gas prices. (Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of the Chief Counsel 2006) Currently there has been an increasing speculation in the oil market globally and therefore there is an increase in the American gas prices and this could extend into the long term. America has the highest and the largest oil demand so far in the world and therefore the depleting domestic production and also the expanding demand by the oil consumers in the US further leads the country to import oil from the foreign countries. This dependency then has made the country very vulnerable to any disruptions in the oil supplies. In America the increasing gas prices makes the other unconventional sources of oil very attractive to the businesses. For the working class in America that includes those who earn their living without any benefits and also those who have older vehicles with an average of less than 20 MPG, they are usually faced with several alternatives. They commute by using the public transportation, the light rail, the rapid transit as well as the bus, they also carpool, scooter, motor cycle, walk or even bicycle or even relocate to the inner city if one resides in the areas that are suburban. Surprisingly many businesses are also moving away from the 24 hour operation since the higher gas prices are highly discouraging the lifestyle trends of the past. Some restaurants and also cafes are also closing down very early and they are well known for their 24 hour operating cultures. The airlines have also been heavily affected by the same and they have not been left out in introducing the fuel surcharges or they can even scale back their operations in efforts to trim the fuel costs which are spiraling. The high gas prices has also affected the schools in many districts and particularly the large school bus fleets have reduced since the schools can no longer maintain to run the high fuel costs of the buses. The ongoing gas hike in America has worried very many people especially the consumers who are spending so much The American economists further state that if the Americans will have to spend more money on their gas consumptions then they will definitely have very little money that is left for to spend on the other goods and services. Also as the gas prices go up then the prices of other goods and services especially the foods also go up. The gas prices in America are highly affected and driven by the costs of the crude oil and the escalating oil prices in America are being attributed to the to the high Americans demand . An example of this is that during the summer vacation seasons most of the American family’s require more gas since they use their vehicles for the long trips. (Bearn, 2003) Conclusion There are many reasons that lead to the increased gas prices in America and also the decrease in oil supply. This has been partly because of the Middle East’s growing turbulence and it is the world largest oil producing region in the world. In the hurricane Katrina scenario the supply flow from the gulf coast offshore rigs which is the largest oil source in America for the domestic market was heavily crippled. This further led to the a temporary shut down of two major on shore pipelines and also at least 10% of the country’s refining capacity was not in operation in the storms wake. In America despite the increase in the gas supplies the prices have continually raised at a very fast rate than in the past and this has further led to an increased discussion on the theory of the peak oil and a future possibility that would see the supply of oil highly reducing. Some experts say that even though the oil supplies themselves are not reduced the easily accessible light sweet crude sources have almost been exhausted and in the future the Americans will depend on the more expensive sources and alternatives to the heavy oil. (Anne, 2007) The united states of America always keeps about 700 million crude oil gallons for storage to cover far any national emergencies but this reserves have gone down to 650 million gallons as more oil is being diverted from the reserves to the markets at large. Reference: Standard Poors DRI, The U. S. Economy, issues 2000/12, 2001/1, 2001/2 and 2001/3. WEFA, US Outlook, issues December 2000, and January, February and March 2001 Brown, S. (2004): U. S. Gasoline Prices on the Rise Once Again, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Expand Your Insight, May http://www. dallasfed.org/eyi/usecon/0405gasoline. html ASEAN Competitiveness Study, McKinsey Company, August 2003 Higher Global Oil Prices Implications for Asia in 2005, Asian Development Bank, 2005 http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part030200. asp Developing Asia and the World, Asian Development Bank, 2005, http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part010000. asp Higher Global Oil Prices Implications for Asia in 2005, Asian Development Bank, 2005 http://www. adb. org/Documents/Books/ADO/2004/update/part030200. asp Switch it Off, The Asia Section, The Straits Times, June 2, 2005

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Case Of John Lacking Capacity Social Work Essay

The Case Of John Lacking Capacity Social Work Essay Within adult social care, people, issues, organisations and regulatory bodies are always involved in the discussions on risk and safety. Responsibility, duty of care, adult safeguarding and capacity are of concern. The balance of keeping service users who are viewed as vulnerable safe in society can be contradicted with living independent lives and being able to take the risks others take in everyday life. Therefore, perceptions and assessments of risk is an individual matter for each service user, the communities and society and is fraught with decisions and choices. Mitchell and Glendinning (2007) suggest that the states role and pre-occupation with risk management is under constant evaluation rather than exploring and seeking to understand service users perspectives of risk. They highlight the need for more service users and carers involvement in risks, decision making and protection (Parrott, 2006). Events during the life course such as genetic/biological factors, and childhood experiences can have a huge impact on the ability of the mind and body to develop and maintain good mental health. Ones life course can encounter a combination of stressful events which can test the human bodys ability to cope emotionally, which sometimes can trigger anxiety, depression and/or other mental health conditions. Risk factors which can have a negative impact on ones mental health can be addressed by influencing supportive relationships, a healthy lifestyle, stress management techniques and emotional coping strategies, in which social workers can be apart of ensuring happens. On an individual factor John could be facing depression/grief from the loss of his wife who passed away a year ago. John could still be in the seven emotional stages of grief (Carers UK, 2012). This involves shock or disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope. Social workers and other prof essionals should be aware that, there are no time limits on grief and no set pattern of emotions and behaviours that people can follow, everyone is different and grief does not always happen straight away. The risk factors for experiencing more serious symptoms of grief/loss of a loved one is that John could be at an increased risk of being psychiatrically unstable due to a decline of his emotional well being. The change in Johns life events/situation could have a huge impact on his mental wellbeing, not only because he has lost his wife but he was also a carer for his wife which would have meant John would have had responsibilities daily. Therefore John also faces having to deal with the loss of his caring role, which he may include him feeling guilty/ relieved, exhausted and alone. John may also feel angry that someone has contacted social services as they feel worried about him, as at this moment in time John may be thinking he is coping fine. Johns family/social factors may be a potential risk as John lives alone and his two children live some distance away and only visit monthly. John could be feeling isolated and due to lack of family support and limited social networks, John could be at risk of deteriorating emotionally and physically. John could be feeling a loss of control over his life due to these changes and he could experience all types of symptoms such as significant loss of appetite, diminished energy levels, suicide thoughts, depression, anxiety and many more (NIMH, 2012). The issues around the perceptions of risk and rights for mental health service users are different as people are sometimes perceived as a risk rather than considered at risk in vulnerable situations. Therefore, John could be at risk of being overlooked by safeguarding practices and his individual rights comprised by the Mental Health 1983 if he is assessed as lacks capacity, when maybe all John needs is some support in getting his life back together and learning how to cope w ith all his life changes. This would be a multidisciplinary decision and user involvement in risk assessment and informed decision making about risks to John and others (Ray, Pugh, Roberts Beech, 2008). Regardless of whether John is assessed as having the capacity or not to make decisions under the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005, then professionals need to raise the awareness of human rights and enable John to have these rights realised. Independence, choice, control and experiences and feelings associated with danger, fear, abuse and safety would need to be addressed with John. Sheldon (2010) suggests that in any case of risk management, the service user should have their rights explained, including their human rights and risk management should not interfere with the service users rights to dignity, respect and privacy as also suggested by the Care Council Code of Practice for Social Workers (CCW, 2002, 1.3, 1.4, 3.1). It is important that the key role of assessments of adults allows people to make their own decisions whilst minimising risk or harm. By placing John at the centre of the caring process, it would be the social workers role to discuss options of support for John as a first option. Fair Access to Care Services would enable the social worker to focus on health, safety, autonomy and involvement with his family and the community but without overlooking risks of self harm, neglect, abuse and risks to carers and others. FACS was launched in 2003 by the Department of Health, so that adults in need can be assessed for eligibility of services (DOH, 2003). It focuses on four levels of risk to independent living, which would be of use in Johns case. Risk taking is a normal part of life, however the social worker needs to ensure they have taken all the steps needed to minimise risk. With John by considering the consequences of actions and the likelihood of harm he could cause to himself, and discussing the benefits for independence and well being, a support plan for managing risk could be put in place with Johns consent (CCW, 2002, 4.3). Risk assessment will help in developing risk management plans that minimize risks (Coulshed Orme, 2006). The social work ers role would be to provide John with support to enable him to help himself. Under the National Health and Community Care Act 1990, the local authority would have a duty to assess Johns needs and to ensure thats services are available for John. Protecting and safeguarding John from harm, abuse and neglect including financial, physical, sexual, emotional and institutionally would be the social workers main role. An assessment based on the needs of John would enable the social worker to build a positive relationship with John, to gather the relevant information, form an overview of the situation and identify possible solutions for the best way forward (Parrott, 2006). Assessment and care planning will enable the local authority to provide practical and emotional support for John. During assessment and care plan the social worker would be able to treat John holistically, promote his independence whilst clarifying risks that can follow from decisions made independently and also being a ble to involve other health professionals to benefit John. Through the care plan, John would be able to access a wide range of information and services, designed specifically for him. Social workers use the Mental Health Act 2005 as a criterion to minimise risk of harm to self or others, however the downside for service users is that of potential threat to independence and freedom that sometimes makes seeking help a hard decision to make in some cases, therefore social workers working in multidisciplary teams and having the use of assessment and care planning tools, makes decision making easier. Therefore all professionals and John would have some responsibility for making decisions and every professional would have input into providing and sharing information to arrive at a considered decision (Milner OByrne, 2009). This also minimises the risk of one person being involved and making decisions solely without having the right knowledge or support to reach appropriate outcomes with John. The autonomy of John to decide whether to engage with social services, and accept that he is not coping well at the moment, conflicts with social services and his neighbours concerns of him putting himself in danger/neglect. The professionals would need good social skills and value the principle of inclusion into society and autonomy to enable John to make his own decisions and make positive changes on his own behalf. The conflict in this case is that facing the social worker in assessing Johns needs. On one hand, John doesnt seem to be coping well however he has been assessed as having capacity, but on the other hand, John is exercising his own right to self determination and autonomy as he wont accept any support. The issue the social worker faces is that of John not engaging if John is able to understand some of the presenting problems in his current situation. In order to assess whether intervention is required, three categories of risk may be required. Johns physical risk could be causing harm to himself or others. Johns social risk of becoming isolated and acting in a way that is considered outside of the social norm and emotional risk, his physical and emotional health (Webb, 2006). In the case of John lacking capacity the social worker and other professionals would be working under the framework The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) in order to provide protection for John, who is unable to make decisions for himself. The Act contains provision for assessing whether people have the mental capacity to make decisions, procedures for making decisions on behalf of people who lack mental capacity and safeguards. Professionals would be working under the philosophy of the MCA, which is any decision made, or action taken, on behalf of John who lacks the capacity to make the decision or act for himself must be made in his best interest (Coulshed Orme, 2006). The Act is also supported by its own Code of Practice which has to be interpreted when using the Act. It is important that all professionals working with John understand his capacity might be affected only for a temporary period. The phrases used in the MCA section 2 in relation to a matter and at the material time mea ns that capacity must be assessed on a decision-by-decision basis. Therefore, capacity may not be a permanent status and John should not be described as having or lacking capacity. The level of capacity needed by John would depend on the decision to be made. For example, John may need a lower level of mental capacity to make decisions about everyday matters, such as what to eat or where to go at this moment in time. Professional should ensure John has not been assumed as lacking capacity due to his age, appearance, and mental health diagnosis or disability/medical condition (Webb, 2006). In 2007, under the Mental Health Act for England and Wales, Approved Social Workers were replaced by Approved Mental Health Practitioners (AMHPs) with the role and remit extended to other disciplines. The primary role of an AMPH is to act as the guardian of the patients rights. The AMHP has the responsibility of contacting the patients next of kin and to help any appeals against the order that the patient wants to make. In the case of John not having capacity, the AMHP may control access to some services such as day centres, respite care, residential care and other community support services, if needed (DOH, 2001). The social worker would also need to refer to other health/social care professionals if not already done so such as GP, community psychiatric nurse, physiatrist, counsellor, advice services, specific therapies to ensure an holistic approach is taken (Ray et al, 2008). The consultation report on safeguarding adults in Wales In Safe Hands (WAG, 2000) found that people were c oncerned about the balance between safeguarding and personalisation, between choice and risk. Social workers and other professionals need to ensure people have informed choices and introduce support systems. Social workers will have a distinctive role in multiagency settings and will need to ensure they develop practices to enable service users with mental health to identify and realise their own needs. The team involved in working with John will need to have broad experiences and social views of mental health problems especially in regards to discrimination, oppression, civil rights and social justice. They will need to co-ordinate efforts to support John so that he does not have negative experiences and /or perceptions of mental health and ensure he received services fairly and equably. The social worker will work with John to ensure he is not a victim of social isolation, poverty, unemployment, insecure housing and limited social and support networks and will have an independent view in assessment and care planning (Faulkner, 2012). In Johns case risk management will minimize the dangers both to and from John. However risk factors are individual and differ from professional to professional due to personal factors and the degree of control they have over the risk. A risk can be viewed as negative and positive. Risk is associated with decision making processes and should never be made in isolation. Social workers must take every precaution to protect the service user and the public, as the law makes people responsible for behaviours whether or not they were the ones who took the risk, intended or not. Practitioners can be held liable for negligence and a breach of duty. Trying to predict possibilities and risk assessing is a very important part of the social workers role (Parrott, 2006). Part 2

Friday, October 25, 2019

Learn the Law. Question the Law :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the course of human history, people have advanced technology and educated minds in ways that once would not have seemed impossible. From caves drawings to televisions and from the bow and arrow to the machine gun, humans have continually improved their standard of living over the years. Although we now have all sorts of things people could only dream of a thousand years ago, we still live like cavemen in many ways. One of these ways is our contempt refusal to tolerate severe injustice at many levels of society. Just like most problems, injustice starts at the top, and often starts with the people that are supposed to be preventing it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corrupt police officers and law agencies have been sifting through the sieve of true justice for years, and continue to do so today. From Hitler’s horrifying Gestapo police of the 1940’s to the more recent beating of Rodney King, police officers have abused their powers like a broken record. Police have engaged in unjustified shootings, severe beatings, fatal chokings, and unnecessarily rough treatment of citizens in rural and urban areas from New York to Los Angeles. Just as the founders of our great nation stood to face the British in the 18th century, and just as our forefathers fought to free us from the shackles of slavery, we must now fight to ensure that our democracy is not tainted by the practice of unjust or discriminatory law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Drunk Ohio Cop Found Passed Out (Drunk) In Burger King Drive-Thru.† This was a headline on CNN.com on February 21, 2005. This kind of story serves as an example that not all of our police officers are as moral as they claim to be. The most disturbing part of this story wasn’t that this police veteran was found intoxicated in his dispatch car, it’s that this man had the power of our law behind him for years before this happened. Many of the thousands of laws that help police officers do things like pull you over for no legitimate reason, or come into your house without probable cause, were constructed for just these purposes. This fact goes hand in hand with a quote from Tacitus, a famous Roman historian and philosopher, â€Å"the more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Police officers sometimes lack a crucial prerequisite for their job, common sense. Instead of getting drug dealers and other dangerous criminals off the streets, they are often seen in packs of three to five â€Å"investigating† events like fireworks in the dorms, or streakers.