Jackson County Judges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jackson County Judges - Essay Example This study requires us to determine the probabilities of a case being appealed and reversed and the results have been tabulated as shown in the results. The judges will then be ranked in the order of their performance. This will be achieved through the application of skills in probability and excel spreadsheets. Based on common pleas, Judge Judith J. Gische was ranked the best as she had the least probabiliy of her cases being appealed or reversed. On the other hand, Judge Richard T. Andrias was ranked the poorest performer at position 16 as he had the highest probability of his cases being appealed or reversed. The Number of judges handling the municipal cases were quite many and Judge Richard T. Andrias was ranked the best among them with the lowest probability of cases being appealed while Judge Angela M. Mazzarelli was ranked as the worst performer at position 20 with the highest probability of cases being either appealed or reversed. We can conclude that the main objective of this study was achieved and the probabilities of each possible outcome were determined and the judges ranked based on their performance. These statistics are of particular importance especially in awarding promotion to judges which will be based on their performance which reflects their decision making capabilities. The best performing judge handling the common pleas was Judge Judith J. Gische, in the domestic courts, judge William E. McCarthy was the best and in the municipal courts, Richard T. Andrias was ranked the best

Anti Tobacco and No-Smoking Essay Example for Free

Anti Tobacco and No-Smoking Essay When you smoke or use smokeless tobacco, your risk of oral cancer goes through the roof. In fact, tobacco use accounts for most oral cancers. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes; using chewing tobacco; and dipping snuff are all linked to oral cancer. Heavy smokers who use tobacco for a long time are most at risk. The risk increases for tobacco users who drink alcohol heavily. Even the slickest of tobacco executives cant deny the statistics. The bottom lineis that three out of four oral cancers occur in people who use alcohol or tobacco, or both alcohol and tobacco. 1 Tobacco in any form is the enemy of good dental health. This is serious business–dont wait. Schedule a checkup and cleaning with the dentist or hygienist. It’s not an option—dental examinations that include a screening for oral cancer save lives. Oral cancer screening that is part of a dental checkup catches oral cancer early. As with most cancers, the earlier oral cancer is detected, the better a person’s chances for survival! 2 The laundry list of problems associated with smokeless tobacco is long enough—bad breath, stained teeth, loss of taste and smell, mouth (canker) sores, failure of dental implants, and oral cancer. Yet smoking and chewing tobacco are also the main suspects in gum recession, bone loss, and tooth loss associated with periodontal (gum) disease. Smokers who smoke less than a half a pack of cigarettes per day are almost three times more likely than nonsmokers to have periodontitis, according to a study by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3 Now that we have your full attention, we’d like you to check the warning signs of oral disease: * Bleeding gums during brushing * Red, swollen, or tender gums Gums that have pulled away from the teeth * Persistent bad breath * Pus between the teeth and gums * Loose or separating teeth * A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite4 The theme of Dental Hygiene Month 2012 is Keep them healthy. Keep them clean. It highlights easy ways to fit first-rate oral health into an active and busy life. If you are thinking about quitting smokeless tobacco or smoking, you’ve actually taken a step toward keeping your mouth clean and healthy by reading this article! If you want to have a confidential chat with a trained professional about taking tobacco out of the picture,  you’re only a click away. You are young, strong, and able! Don’t give  smokeless tobacco  or cigarettes an inch, or they will take your smile. Celebrate Dental Hygiene Month or take action for healthy teeth and gums at any time by making your appointment for a check | Images of some people suffering from different diseases caused due to eating tobacco or smoking – | | | | | | | Stop eating tobacco and smoking†¦. Thank you

Interventions to Reduce Risk of Criminal Behaviour

Interventions to Reduce Risk of Criminal Behaviour Evaluate the evidence base for and against early intervention in the lives of children and families to forestall the development of Criminal behaviour. Methods of early Intervention After decades of rigorous study in the United States and across the Western world, a great deal is known about the early risk factors for offending. High impulsiveness, low attainment, criminal parents, parental conflict, and growing up in a deprived, high-crime neighbourhood are among the most important factors. ‘It is the accumulation of risk factors that characterises this much smaller groups persistent extreme violence.’[1] There is also a growing body of high quality scientific evidence on the effectiveness of early prevention programs designed to prevent children from embarking on a life of crime. Preschool intellectual enrichment, child skills training, parent management training, and home visiting programs are among the most effective early prevention programs. [2] Friedrich Losel, director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge has researched that Conduct problems often start by the age of five and about 40 per cent go on to become more s erious and persistent as the child gets older. This is why its important to develop and implement measures to stop it relatively early.[3] Therefore, assessing the risk factor behaviour before offending occurs or become persistent is imperative. The Youth Survey suggests that the most common age for first time offending is between the age of 11-12 for mainstream pupils and 10-11 for those that have been excluded. If someone has not committed an offence by the age of 14 they will generally not do so. An early onset of delinquency prior to age 13 years increases the risk of later serious, violent, and chronic offending by a factor of 2–3. Also child delinquents, compared to juveniles who start offending at a later age, tend to have longer delinquent careers.[4] Rolf Loeber and David P Farrington advance that the protective factors in the individual, family, peer group, school, and neighbourhood affect the development of delinquency.[5] The risk factors that have been well researched are varied. ‘There is no easy link of cause and effect between the factors associated with youth crime and actual offending.’[6] The risk factors may be counteracted by positive influences such as good parenting. Notable risk factors include, being male; being brought up by a criminal parent or parents; living in a family with multiple problems; experiencing poor parenting and lack of supervision; poor discipline in the family and at school; playing truant or being excluded from school; associating with delinquent friends; and having siblings who offend. Research has illustrated that ‘two important influences are persistent school truancy and associating with offenders, but the single most important factor in explaining criminality is the quality of a young persons home life, including parental supervision.’ [7] The National Public Health Service for Wales issued an en evidence briefing so as to discuss interventions surrounding crime and the fear of crime in June 2005. The paper is as a result of studies relating to adult and juvenile offenders. As well as protecting against future criminal activity early intervention arguably promotes health. Building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills and re structuring health services are thought to help prevent against crime also.[8] The family factor of risk concerns ideals such as poor parenting, family history of offending and family conflict. For families, Behavioural Parent Training for anti social child behaviour acts as an effective strategy to modify child anti social behaviour and improve parental skills. Parenting programmes provide parents with an opportunity to improve their skills in dealing with the behaviour that puts their child at risk of offending. They provide parents/carers with one-to-one advice as well as practical support in handling the behaviour of their child, setting appropriate boundaries and improving communication. Pre school children who fall within one or more of the risk categories should also be placed into day care, establishing a supportive environment for both the child and the parent. The outcome of this method of intervention appears to be increased employment, lower teenage pregnancy rates, higher social class status and decreased criminal behaviour in intervention populati on. Trials have established some weaknesses, but the potential population effective impact is very broad. To prevent youth violence specifically, it has been researched that interventions applied between the prenatal period and the age of six appear to be most effective. Community based programmes that target high risk behaviour is seen as beneficial. Family and parenting intervention for conduct disorders and delinquency for those aged between 10 and 17 years also have beneficial effects in decreasing criminal activity. High quality pre school supervision has been seen to decrease arrests and arrests specifically for drug dealing. Time spent on probation is also decreased in this way. It is a cost effective method of intervention ad can be implemented within pre school education and programmes within day care and nursery.[9] The School factor of risk flags up cases of low achievement, lack of attendance, lack of commitment, aggressive behaviour and bullying. Safer school’s partnerships provide a much focused approach to address the high level of crime and antisocial behaviour committed in and around schools in some areas – crime committed by and against children and young people. There are now 370 police officers based in selected schools in areas with high levels of street crime. This is a joint initiative between the Department for Education and Skills the Youth Justice Board and the Association of Chief Police Officers which aims to reduce criminality, antisocial behaviour and criminality.[10] Academic and vocational interventions in order to educate those with a lesser capability than others are seen to be effective in reducing recidivism. Behavioural and skill orientated classes for those showing risk are among the most successful interventions to reduce crime and recidivism. To preven t offending, the Youth Justice Board set up schemes such as the Youth Inclusion programme. Under this programme young people who are engaged in crime or at risk of offending are identified by youth offending teams and the programme gives young people somewhere safe to go where they can learn new skills, take part in activities with others and get help with their education and careers guidance. Youth Inclusion and Support Panels aim to prevent antisocial behaviour and offending by 8 to 13-year-olds who are considered to be at high risk of offending. Panels are made up of a number of representatives of different agencies such as social services and health. The main emphasis of a panels work is to ensure that children and their families, at the earliest possible opportunity, can access mainstream public services. [11] The community factor of risk revolves around community disorganisation, neglect and community tolerance of crime and drugs. The individual, personality factor of risk includes early problematic behaviours surrounding drugs and alcohol and the notion of criminally active friends. [12] Positive Activities for Young People provides a broad range of constructive activities for 8 to 19-year-olds at risk of social exclusion. It builds on the success of previous school holiday programmes such as the Youth Justice Board’s Splash and Connexions’ Summer Plus. The programme aims to reduce crime and to ensure that young people return to education, have opportunities to engage in new and constructive activities, and can mix with others from different backgrounds. This cross-government initiative aims to develop young people’s interests, talents and education, and engage them in community activities so they are less likely to commit crime. Activities based on arts, sport and c ulture take place both during the school holidays and out of school hours throughout the year. Positive Futures is a national sports-based social inclusion programme aimed at marginalised 10 to 19-year-olds in the most deprived areas. By engaging these young people in sport and other activities, Positive Futures aims to build relationships between responsible adults and young people based on mutual trust and respect, in order to create new opportunities for alternative lifestyles.[13] One method which many may overlook is the punishment of offenders once they have offended at whatever age. If a young person is convicted of an offence, there are a number of community and custodial sentences. The community sentences currently available include, Community Rehabilitation and Punishment Order, Supervision Order, Action Plan Order Attendance Sentence Order, Referral Order, Reparation Order, Fine, Conditional Discharge and Absolute Discharge. Young people can also be given an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme as part of an order. ISSP is the most rigorous non-custodial intervention available for young offenders. It combines high levels of community-based surveillance with a comprehensive and sustained focus on tackling the factors that contribute to the young persons offending behaviour. The programme targets the most active repeat young offenders, and those who commit the most serious crimes.[14]Punishment does afford deterrent effects but it is no clear how much in cases of increased severity. As this is not always cost effective, this is one reason why possible alternatives should be considered Although some of the methods I have just discussed are effective, the effects may be limited. For example, Behavioural Parent Training for anti social behaviour in children is a short term procedure and for long term sustainability it will require other methods to supplement the training. Changes within the environment and the community are also seen as a potential short term effect because it is proven that changes do reduce criminal activity and fear of crime but there is little information on whether this has been a long term deterrent. Cognitive behavioural multidimensional programmes to prevent youth violence can be effective but the main area of weakness within youth crime prevention is that the approaches for youth crime have not been well evaluated. Controlled studies are needed regarding diversion programmes, counselling and therapy in order to see their preventative quality. Family and group treatment has also worked in the short term but seems to decrease dramatically as t ime passes. If communities can build home visiting programmes to prevent crime, that are comprehensive, continuous and family focussed these are most likely to succeed long term. This is dependant on other services on offer in the community and the scope of the programmes facilitated. Physiological and social skill training of children is seen to prevent adolescent aggression but not for the duration. All those involved with a child’s upbringing are required to show them what is right and what is wrong and the consequences of their behaviour. This is seen as effective so as not to cause inadvertent damage. The social skill training for children has prevented criminal behaviour and aggression but the success of the effectiveness is different in different settings and for different personalities. There are a variety of ineffective methods of intervention. Namely, community crime prevention programmes have insufficient evidence to state that such interventions can alter the behaviour of individuals who do not see crime as wrong. Even juvenile offender programmes have come under scrutiny due to the abandonment of recreational programmes, guided intervention, social case work and detached worked programmes as they are seen as ineffective. There is a wide variability in the reported effects and so even if more behavioural and skilled orientated programmes were introduced it would need to be done area by area. Mentoring pairs a volunteer adult with a young person at risk of offending. The adults role is to motivate and support the young person on the scheme through a sustained relationship over an extended period of time. Youth Offending Teams have been set up to work with young offenders and young people at risk of offending. These are multi-agency teams made up of representative s from social services, police, health, housing, police, probation, education and dug and alcohol workers and this will be set up in every local authority area However, Mentoring and peer counselling are see to be less effective in order to prevent youth violence from an early age. Intensive casework to prevent youth crime has evidence that argues against this approach as more often than not it has had negative effects. The review conducted by the Wider Determinants Inequalities (2005) Interventions: Crime and Fear of Crime, found that there was little evidence of effectiveness for any intervention and the evidence that does exist is described as ‘slight, inconsistent and of questionable reliability.’[15] A Summary and critical commentary on history of early intervention attempts in the UK and it’s continual development. In the 1990’s there was a huge increase in the number of children engaging in criminal activity and caught up in the youth justice system. The labour party wanted to reform the youth justice system in 1997 to stop the increase. The focus was on parental responsibility and new parental responsibility orders in order to ‘force parents face up to their responsibility for their childrens misbehaviour.’[16] Labour introduced the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Youth Justice Board was set up to drive the reforms forwards. ’The aim of the YJB is to prevent offending among under-18s and it delivers this by setting standards and monitoring performance, promoting good practice and diverting young people away from crime through early identification and prevention programmes.’[17]The act implemented proposals such as the Child safety order, designed to protect children under ten who are at risk of becoming involved in crime or who have already started to beh ave in an anti-social or criminal manner. The local authority can require a child to be at home for a number of evenings a week, stay away from certain people and prohibit conduct such as truancy.[18] Also, the local child curfew for those under ten, is proposed to protect children, to prevent neighborhood and to promote supervision of young children, unsupervised late at night. [19] Schemes such as those outlined above have provided an effective immediate method of intervention. The Children Act 2004 also placed much emphasis on joined-up working and early intervention. It aimed to divert young people away from crime and ensure parents are responsible for their child’s behaviour. The Government then planned a Draft Bill, building on the responses to the September 2003 consultation ‘Youth Justice: The Next Steps.’[20]It introduced better sentencing of juveniles with a sharper focus on preventing offending and simplification of sentences. Rolf Loeber and David P Farrington were in agreement with the ‘preventive and remedial interventions in the juvenile justice system, families, peer groups, schools, and neighbourhoods, and makes a case for improvement in the integration of services for child delinquents.’ [21]The premise of action by those working within juvenile justice, mental health and child welfare has been supported alongside policy recommendations. The youth crime strategy looked at targeting risk factors and those most at risk. The ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Children’s Bill’ afforded structural reform to children’s activities within the early years.[22] The joint Home Office and youth justice board issued guidance alongside this with the supporting aim to prevent children and young people being involved in criminality in the first place.[23] Through identifying early those most at risk and commencing intensive target programmes they hoped to decrease the number of children that turned to criminal activity. Research by the Home Office has shown that those most at risk of offending have not entered into criminality where the have participated in preventative programmes. The lack of successful implementation of these programmes has meant that prevention of very young children growing up and turning to crime is inadequate. The early years influence children greatly and the age at which children begin to offend the more likely they are to continue offending.[24] Presently, measures tackling prevention of children becoming involved in criminal and anti social behavior are insufficient. The Government should not and will not dictate how children should be raised or the running of a family home, but parents hold the primary responsibility for giving children the love and care they need, ensuring their welfare and security and teaching them right from wrong. Intervention methods, still fail to adequately address the parent, child and criminal activity connection. When discussing the potential of continual development regarding early intervention, the thesis of Friedrich Losel, considers it necessary to look at three categories of programme to act as a means of early intervention. Firstly, there is Universal Prevention which requires social services to be in contact with all families in the UK. This would also act as a technique for access where the family requires a more intensive and interactive service. The obvious problems with this theory are that although thorough and highly stringent, social service may not have the resources funding or manpower to carry out this proposal as well as it should be. Secondly, there could be Selective Prevention where social services focus on families at risk, such as young, single mothers and those who already have crime within their families. This is close to the system that the government, police and local authorities agree with but it is also close to the system that we have at the moment which is insuf ficient. The problem is whether the option typecasts people too much and does not look at the bigger picture or new risks surfacing. Thirdly is the theory of Indicated Prevention, where social services make a clear assessment of the childs development when they have already shown some aggressive behaviour, such as fighting, disobeying parents, or fire setting. If the child shows these behaviours in more than one social context, such as at school and at home, then this is an early indicator, says Losel. The problem is that these families often think this is normal which is why professionals have an important warning function because they are more neutral in recognising the problem.’[25] Again this is also close to the current system, and although more resource friendly, it still waits until there has been an affirmative action before any form of intervention occurs. This is the deficiency with the system at present. From these three ideals, we are no closer to providing a unif ormed means of intervention unless all three are used and applied on a case by case basis. There is consensus with Losel in that research has provided a relatively sound knowledge of risk factors but there are a number of programmes requiring better evaluation about which ones are successful in the long-term. There are only a few specialist services available and because of the scarce specialist provision at an early age, such as residential school placements, foster care, family placements, therapeutic input, assessments or forensic advice, professionals have been unable to respond to the behaviour of the children before it gets so serious in adolescence. It is then for the already overworked, under funded and under staffed Social Services who end up trying to sort the problem. The risk factors are known but it can be ‘difficult to distinguish which child will go on to be extremely dangerous. So it can be difficult to get funding for specialist resources] on the basis that you are predicting something that hasnt happened yet.[26] It is argued that early intervention is the key rather than the present strategy where it is only when a child does something as extraordinary or dangerous as this that they get a response. Further,† the inability to respond and prioritise some cases over others, early on, means we end up with these extreme behaviours. [27] Diversities, contradictions and debates in public discourses of early childhood convey only a fraction of the challenge, when set in context of (generally unarticulated) diversities in beliefs, ideas and experiences that shape individual children’s lives. Any close study of young children reveals the complexity of the worlds they inhabit, the very different pressures on parents, caregivers and others on whom their wellbeing depends. Starting points for policy development are very different where early childhood is dominated by extreme poverty, inequality or discrimination, or by ethnic struggle, civil or cross-national conflict, or by malnutrition, preventable diseases or HIV/Aids, by family or community breakdown and forced migration, or by weak or corrupt infrastructures of care and education, health and social support. Asking about young children’s perspective on their own unique early childhood is arguably the most crucial starting point for policy and practice. It is argued that none of the strategies implemented or proposed will magically work unless the general problems are made right first and ‘every child needs consistency of care and education before you can give them anything more specialist.[28] Upon this, programmes should be structured well and detail casework for each individual case. Staff should be trained, supervised and be representative of the workload in order to match demand. The remedy requires ‘adequate endurance and intensity this is not quick fix.’[29]The longer it takes to intervene, the more intensive the problems become and the more it costs to deal with. Estimated costs include special pre-school, school, intensive foster care, residential care, psychiatry, social services, health services, involvement with criminal justice and damages to others. In conclusion, within the climate of today, everyone appears in agreement that although it is never too late to turn a child’s life around, As they reach adolescence the probability of changing the course of their life gets less and less.[30] Although I am in agreement with early intervention, in order to progress development successfully, an integrated policy is required so that a trial and error strategy can be avoided. There seems to be no shame in admitting that we ‘need some indicators to show what kind of programme is needed for what kind of family at what time.[31] Bibliography Articles Submission from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2005) Every Child Matters- Education and Skills Select Committee. Wider Determinants Inequalities (2005) Interventions: Crime and Fear of Crime. Lane B, (2005) Youth Crime Prevention- An Overview. Home Office Publications. Cambridge University Press, (2000) Young children who commit Crime, Cambridge University Press Online. Boyd, J (2007) Children and crime: early intervention is the key. Government Publication: (1997) No More Excuses: A new approach to tackling youth crime in England and Wales. Jerrom, C (2007) Youth Justice: The Bigger Picture on the youth justice system. Jenny Boyd, Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent and Vivian Hill talk to Natalie Valios (2007) Children and crime: early intervention is the key. P.1 Text Books Feldman, M.A (2003) Early Intervention- The essential readings. Blackwell Publishing. Farrington, D.P Welsh, B.C (2006) Saving Children from a life of Crime – Early risk factors and effective interventions. Oxford University Press. Burke, R.H (2003) An introduction to Criminological Theory. Willan Publishing. Galvin, K.M Byland, C.L Brummel, B.J (2003) Family Communication (6th Ed). Person Publishing. Lemert, C (2002) Introduction to Sociological life (2nd Ed). Rowman Littlefield Publishing. Maguire, M Morgan,R Reiner, R (2002) Handbook of Criminology (3rd Ed). Oxford Publishing. Statutes Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Children Act 2004 Draft Bill building on responses to the September 2003 consultation ‘Youth Justice. Websites www.communitycare.co.uk www.publications.parliament.uk www.Homeoffice.co.uk Top of Form 1 Footnotes [1] Jenny Boyd, Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent and Vivian Hill talk to Natalie Valios (2007) Children and crime: early intervention is the key. P.1 [2] Saving Children from a Life of Crime Early Risk Factors and Effective Interventions David P. Farrington and Brandon C. Welsh October 2007 [3] Ibid., P.2 [4] Young children who commit crime: Epidemiology, developmental origins, risk factors, early interventions, and policy implications :Development and Psychopathology (2000), 12: 737-762 Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S0954579400004107Published online by Cambridge University Press 16Jan2001 [5] Rolf Loeber David P. Farrington (2000) Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention, and Service Needs. [6] Government Publication (1997) No More Excuses: A new approach to tackling youth crime in England and Wales [7] Ibid., [8] Wider Determinants Inequalities (2005) Interventions: Crime and Fear of Crime. See: Ottawa charter, Canada (1986), In relation to the relationship between health and early intervention. [9] For a more informed discussion see: Wider Determinants Inequalities (2005) Interventions: Crime and Fear of Crime. [10] Submission from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2005) Every Child Matters- Education and Skills Select Committee. Ch.2 [11] Ch.4.Ibid. [12] Boyd, J (2007) Children and crime: early intervention is the key. [13] Submission from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2005) Every Child Matters- Education and Skills Select Committee. Ch.5. [14] Ch.5 Ibid [15] Wider Determinants Inequalities (2005) Interventions: Crime and Fear of Crime. [16] Government Publication (1997) No More Excuses: A new approach to tackling youth crime in England and Wales [17] Jerrom, C (2007) Youth Justice: The Bigger Picture on the youth justice system.P.2 [18] If the requirements of an order are not complied with, it will be open to the local authority to commence care proceedings under Section 31(1) (a) of the Children Act 1989. [19] Where there is non compliance and no responsible adult present, the police might use powers already available to them under section 46 of the Children Act 1989 to remove the child to other suitable accommodation. [20] Lane B, (2005) Youth Crime Prevention- An Overview. Home Office Publications. [21] Rolf Loeber David P. Farrington (2000) Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention, and Service Needs. [22] Both published 2003. [23] Lane B, (2005) Youth Crime Prevention- An Overview. Home Office Publications. [24] Jerrom, C (2007) Youth Justice: The Bigger Picture on the youth justice system. [25] Jenny Boyd, Renuka Jeyarajah-Dent and Vivian Hill talk to Natalie Valios (2007) Children and crime: early intervention is the key. P.3 [26] Ibid. Vivian Hill discusses the problems she faces as a consultant educational psychologist at the institute of education, university of London.P.4 [27] Ibid. [28] Ibid. Jeyarajah-Dent discusses. P5 [29] Ibid. [30]Friedrich Losel Ibid. [31]Friedrich Losel Ibid.

The Ambiguous Line Between Right and Wrong in My Sisters Keeperby Jodi

There is an ambiguous line between right and wrong that can cause difficulty when making decisions. Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper demonstrates the grey area between right and wrong through a family's struggle with ethics. First, Anna's character struggles to do what is right while keeping the consequences of her actions in mind. Second, Sara's conflict with society shows how problematic it can be to do what seems right for one's family. Finally, the symbolism of stars and dark matter depicts how natural it can be to overlook what is unjust and only see what is right. Through Anna's character, Sara's conflict with society, and the symbolism of stars and dark matter, Picoult's My Sister's Keeper suggests that in order to do what is right, one may have to do what is perceived as wrong. First, Anna faces many challenges when making decisions that could have both positive and negative results surrounding her sister's acute promyelocytic leukemia. To begin with, Anna is a mature and independent teenager who is capable of making her own decisions. Anna does not want to involuntarily donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, so she sues her parents for medical emancipation. By wanting full rights to her own body, which she is entitled to, Anna's actions are perceived as selfish and morally wrong because she is risking Kate's life. Eventually, at the climax of the novel, Anna demonstrates that she is compassionate by disclosing her hidden motive. Anna admits that Kate â€Å"asked me to kill her† (Picoult 388), revealing her real reason for filing a lawsuit. Because Anna is doing this as the result of her sister's wish to die, she is doing the right thing for Kate, demonstrating that her â€Å"wrong† is really a â€Å"right†. Ironically by the end of th.. . ...which is unfair for the overlooked star but good for its twin. Stars and dark matter symbolize the difficulty there is in understanding and making decisions based on both what is right and what is wrong. In conclusion, Picoult's My Sister's Keeper suggests that there is an ambiguous line between doing what is right and what is wrong, as shown through Anna's character, Sara's conflict with society, and the symbolism of stars and dark matter. First, Anna struggles to balance her values and their repercussions. Second, Sara comes across many battles against society as she tries to do what is right for her family. Finally, the symbolism of stars and dark matter shows how what is right can outshine what is also wrong. The overlap of what is thought to be right and what is thought to be wrong makes the reader contemplate his or her own decisions, and judgements of others. The Ambiguous Line Between Right and Wrong in My Sister's Keeperby Jodi There is an ambiguous line between right and wrong that can cause difficulty when making decisions. Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper demonstrates the grey area between right and wrong through a family's struggle with ethics. First, Anna's character struggles to do what is right while keeping the consequences of her actions in mind. Second, Sara's conflict with society shows how problematic it can be to do what seems right for one's family. Finally, the symbolism of stars and dark matter depicts how natural it can be to overlook what is unjust and only see what is right. Through Anna's character, Sara's conflict with society, and the symbolism of stars and dark matter, Picoult's My Sister's Keeper suggests that in order to do what is right, one may have to do what is perceived as wrong. First, Anna faces many challenges when making decisions that could have both positive and negative results surrounding her sister's acute promyelocytic leukemia. To begin with, Anna is a mature and independent teenager who is capable of making her own decisions. Anna does not want to involuntarily donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, so she sues her parents for medical emancipation. By wanting full rights to her own body, which she is entitled to, Anna's actions are perceived as selfish and morally wrong because she is risking Kate's life. Eventually, at the climax of the novel, Anna demonstrates that she is compassionate by disclosing her hidden motive. Anna admits that Kate â€Å"asked me to kill her† (Picoult 388), revealing her real reason for filing a lawsuit. Because Anna is doing this as the result of her sister's wish to die, she is doing the right thing for Kate, demonstrating that her â€Å"wrong† is really a â€Å"right†. Ironically by the end of th.. . ...which is unfair for the overlooked star but good for its twin. Stars and dark matter symbolize the difficulty there is in understanding and making decisions based on both what is right and what is wrong. In conclusion, Picoult's My Sister's Keeper suggests that there is an ambiguous line between doing what is right and what is wrong, as shown through Anna's character, Sara's conflict with society, and the symbolism of stars and dark matter. First, Anna struggles to balance her values and their repercussions. Second, Sara comes across many battles against society as she tries to do what is right for her family. Finally, the symbolism of stars and dark matter shows how what is right can outshine what is also wrong. The overlap of what is thought to be right and what is thought to be wrong makes the reader contemplate his or her own decisions, and judgements of others.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Religion Essay

Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Paganism are among the principal religions in Ethiopia. Yet, Ethiopia is a chiefly Christian nation whereby most of the Christians are Orthodox Tewahedo Christians (Merahi, 2002). Nevertheless, there are still Christians residing in the country who are either Roman Catholic or Protestant. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is lead by a patriarch and is associated to the communion of the Armenian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Church of India, Coptic Orthodox Church, and the Syrian Orthodox Church. Christianity started in Ethiopia upon the arrival of the two Syrian Christians named Frumentius and Aedissius (Meinardus, 2006). They went to Aksum and began to inform people about the Christian faith and Jesus Christ. The two had also persuaded King Ezana, who was the ruler of Aksum during the early fourth century. They became successful in converting the king to become Christian. As a result, the king officially declared Christianity as the chief religion in the entire kingdom in 341 AD. Afterwards, he commanded Frumentius to proceed to Alexandria where he was sanctified bishop having the name of Abba Selama in 346 AD. Frumentius then went back to Ethiopia and was hailed as its first bishop and established the first Ethiopian Church (Meinardus, 2006). With the institution of the Christianity in whole kingdom, Ethiopia became a dominant Christian empire until the fifteenth century. Discussion Ethiopian Orthodox Church is considered as the primordial of all Eastern Christianities though the Armenian Orthodox Church is also termed as the oldest strand of Christianity (Yesehaq, 1997). There are, at any rate, three distinct organizations of Tewahedo Church with their own governments in North America and Addis Ababa, Jerusalem, and even in Europe and Jamaica. Occasionally Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is referred as Copic for the reason that until before the fifties the leader of Ethiopian Church was chosen from Egypt and this custom was modified when Haile Sellassie ascended the throne (Merahi, 2002). The doctrine of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is broader than any other Christian associations. The Ethiopian more contracted Old Testament doctrine is consisted of the books included in the Septuagint and recognized by other Orthodox Christians (besides Enoch, Jubilees, 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras, 3 books of Maccabees, and Psalm 151) (Yesehaq, 1997). Nonetheless, the three books of the Maccabees are indistinguishable in label only and rather various in substance from those of the other Christian churches which contained them. The arrangement of the other books is quite diverse from other groups’, in addition. The Church, moreover, has, to some extent, an imprecise wider doctrine that is comprised of more books (Meinardus, 2006). All contemporary written bibles confine themselves to the more contracted canon. Prior to the revolution, there were many Ethiopian clergy since Orthodoxy is generally bestowed in frugal order. Some say that all through the Red Terror, which began in 1975 and lasted for three years, over 200 thousands priests were put to death in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Orthodox priest is the greatest expression of the distinction involving Western and Eastern Christianity. The Ethiopian Orthodoxy claims that there is only one nature of Christ and such is entirely celestial (Yesehaq, 1997). In effect, the Orthodoxy established to realities, the Material reality, which belong to man; and Celestial or Divine reality, which belong to God. Alongside with the Roman Catholic doctrine and principles, the Ethiopian Orthodoxy does not admit the concept of purgatory and argues that there is only Heaven and hell. Another difference in terms of the history of Christianity in the Roman Catholic Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is that, the latter directly moves away from the earthy matters such as social and political spheres (Marsh, 2004). The Ethiopian Orthodoxy is only concerned about spiritual upbringing and nothing more which is in opposition with how the Roman Catholic Church influenced the founding of the earliest form of government. The Ethiopian Orthodoxy, on the other hand, has been disparaged for its passive character when it comes to politics and government. However, the separation among the social and divine concerns or aspects is an inherent theory and not merely an issue of stratagem and diplomacy. The sole character of Christ is to give emphasis to the idea that there are two realities founded on diverse doctrines (Merahi, 2002). The Orthodox iconography refused to accept the amendment of the art breakthroughs through realism, together with the third dimension point of view. The Orthodox artists believed that God’s time and space are prearranged in a different way from man’s reality (Yesehaq, 1997). The well-known upturned point of view in symbols expressed their consideration that in beatific reality the distant is close and the close is distant. There are various corollaries of the Ethiopian Orthodoxy belief on religion, including the notion of Trinity as well as the philosophy of history. The division between the Western Church and the Orthodox Church is not just about historical such as the thousand years of the Byzantine Empire (Marsh, 2004). However, such is a theological as well as philosophical in thought. There is no way that the Orthodox Church would admit the concept of evolution as how the Catholic Church, in a way, accepts it. In an analysis, there is very modest development entrenched in the Orthodox mindset which is predominantly observed in the Ethiopian Orthodoxy. As how the Orthodox Church expressed the principle, man does not progress gradually. But what is more appropriate to say is that man reaches his full transformation through God’s radical character which He uses to make us updated in every way it may serve for us. In this line of thinking that the Ethiopian Orthodoxy and the Protestant thought are the same (Marsh, 2004). The two regard the role of the Church as one’s personal institution and not merely a social establishment. Having this Orthodox character, the Ethiopian Christianity, on no account, had full-blown â€Å"holy wars† and had been more predisposed to missionary activities (Meinardus, 2006). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church co-existed with various leaders and administrations, lived alongside with pagans and Muslims and had no record of rectification or â€Å"religious wars† as how the Western Christianity underwent (Marsh, 2004). Summary To sum up, the Ethiopian Orthodox (Tewahedo) Christian religion has been regarded as one of the most foremost strands of the Christian religion. Though many of its features as well as its character have an enlarged difference in relation with other strands of Christianity such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestantism, it still goes with the principle of one all-powerful and absolute God. The great differences revealed between the Western Christianity and the Eastern Christianity are said to be observed in the entirety of the Ethiopian Orthodoxy. While the Western Christianity is hailed as one of the foundations of government primarily in the European regions, the Eastern Christianity, particularly the Ethiopian Orthodoxy, remained distant with the workings of politics and societal affairs. The Orthodoxy reveals itself as a religious organization which holds no concern on political activities in opposition with how the Western Christianity does. For the Ethiopian Orthodoxy, religion is something which is very personal. With this, Ethiopian Orthodoxy lasted for so may years surpassing other religious associations without undergoing intricate changes and amendments.

Character Analysis of All Quiet on the Western f essays

Character Analysis of All Quiet on the Western f essays World War I (1914-1918) was called The Great War because until that time, there had never been a more destructive war on such a global level. Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel set during this Great War, centers around the changes brought on by war in one young, German soldier. During his time in the war, Paul Baumer, the narrator and protagonist, changes from a rather innocent Romantic to a hardened and fairly caustic veteran soldier. Before the war, Paul and his comrades were fresh from school, full of hopes and dreams for their future. Their teachers and parents told, passionately at times, about the glory and honor of war to persuade them to enlist in the war effort. Baumer states that teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour. Parents, too, were not reluctant to use words to shame their sons into enlisting. At that time even ones parents were ready with the word coward. "We're no longer young men. We've lost any desire to conquer the world... we believe in the war". Paul said this about himself and his comrades. This was their mentality after horrifying experiences on the front lines. Seeing the friends he grew up with dying had an initial negative effect, but there was nothing he could do about their deaths. There was no reason dwelling on it, because, After all, war is war. The change in Paul is most evident by his time on leave in his hometown. He figures that speaking to anyone there is impossible. His military experiences and the home front settlers' limited, or nonexistent, understanding of the war do not allow for a discussion. When he arrives home and sees his mother, he realizes that he has nothing to say to her, or his family. "We say very little and I am thankful she asks nothing." The fact that he does not want to speak with his parents shows the ...

Discrimination Against Japanese During WW2 essays

Discrimination Against Japanese During WW2 essays Asians in North America are discriminated for any reason people can find. From Japanese and Chinese began immigrating to North America during the mid- 1800s and were a great target of cheap labour. Working anywhere from farm fields to factories and being paid barely anything to keep them alive. Discrimination laws passed during the early 1900s that denies the right of Japanese to become citizens, to own land, or to marry outside of their race. In some certain areas they could not buy land or get jobs in certain industries. Also there kids In 1924 immigration from Japan was stopped. By September of 1939 America cut down its sales of iron and oil to Japan making heightened tensions between America and On December 7,1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The next day America declared war on Japan wasting no time. Japans attack on Pearl Harbour was so devastating, it even shocked Japanese Americans. Then Americas started to think that Japanese-Americas were telling there home country of Japan valuable facts about the U.S.A that no other country was suppose to know. For example like the next time they So America took initiative and started doing house roundups and search or arrest warrants. After the Japanese where arrested they where taken to unknown destinations, and treated as prisoners of war. Over 110,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and kept at many destinations but mostly camps. From March 24 to November 3,1942, the mass removal of Japanese Americans from the west coast took place over eight months. Japanese Americans had no charges brought against them, there was no hearing, they did not know where they were going, how long they would be detained, what conditions they would face, nor what would ...

The Role of the High Court in Australias system of government

The Role of the High Court in Australias system of government Introduction The Australian High Court is the highest independent judicial arm of the government, which is also a significant feature of Australia’s liberal-democratic governance (Patapan, 2010, p. 167; Banks, 2007, p. 16).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the High Court in Australia’s system of government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main functions of this court include interpreting and applying the Australian constitution, solving cases regarding the federal system of governance such as instances where the constitutional validity of the laws is challenged, and officiating appeal cases (Singleton et al., 2009, p.64). However, in the recent past, there have been arguments over the court’s role in the shifting balance of power, which tends to favor the Commonwealth. As a result, there is the need to look into the factors underlying this shift in the balance of power and the rele vant constitutional interpretations since the initial constitution provided for the preservation of the balance of power between the commonwealth and the states (Singleton et al., 2009, p.64). To this end, the essay will look at the role of the high court in interpreting the wording of the Australian constitution by considering the Engineers case (Amalgamated Society of Engineers Vs Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd) of 1920. In addition, this essay aims at illustrating the High Court’s role as a political institution of governance through considering the court’s input in supporting the legislation regarding income tax, which was enacted by the Commonwealth in 1942. Overall, the two cases will serve as examples of the roles played by the high court in interpreting the Australian constitution, and acting as a political institution in the Australian system of governance.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The role of the High Court in interpreting the laws Considering that all the constitutional rights of appeal bestowed upon the Privy Council have been abolished in the recent past, it is certain that the Australian constitution allows the High Court to interpret the laws (Singleton et al., 2009, p.65). This implies that all the constitutional cases including appeals originating from different jurisdictions, which bear a greater political significance to the federal government, are referred to the High Court. Here, it is worth noting that most constitutional cases are based on disagreements involving the balance of power between the federal and the state governments particularly in matters dealing with trade, banking, and arbitrations (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 65; Wiltshire, 2008, p. 31). Thus, the decisions made by the High Court regarding these cases can have far-reaching implications since they form the framework for decisions made by other cou rts several years later. Accordingly, since its inception, the High court’s rulings have been centered on controlling the federal powers, giving wider interpretations of the federal powers, sustaining the role played by the Commonwealth in governance without bias, and as can be noted from the recent developments, the High Court is engaged in providing additional interpretations of the powers held by the federal government (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 105). However, of particular interest in this respect is the court’s role in the Engineers case whereby it was decided that the federal adjudication powers as provided in section 51(xxxv) of the constitution could also apply in other parts of the country including Western Australia (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 66; Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 115). Additionally, regarding the Engineers case, the High Court is said to have given the Commonwealth the full control over worker’s wages at the national level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the High Court in Australia’s system of government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In so doing, the court can be regarded to as playing the role of reshaping the constitutional interpretations put forward in 1901, and thus, providing a framework upon which the disagreements arising between the Commonwealth and the States can be solved. Here, the court played the role of a constitutional adjudicator considering that despite enlarging the legislative powers of the Commonwealth on one hand, it also confined these powers on the other hand. Further, it is to be noted that the majority of the court was of the idea that the interpretation of the constitution should be based on its original wording, and not on implied prohibitions or implied immunity, which were two major doctrines used by the courts in the early 1900s (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 119). Therefore, by giving the constitution its nor mal word meaning, the High Court extended the powers of the Commonwealth to cover some aspects, which were initially prohibited by interpreting the laws on the basis of the drafters’ wishful meanings of the constitutional wording. However, it should be noted that this broader interpretation of the laws was not meant to give the federal government an upper hand, but it served to check almost all aspects of governance, and to maintain the balance of power between the federal and state governments (Wiltshire, 2008, p. 35). The role of the High Court as a political institution If we had to examine what the drafters of the Australian constitution had in mind, it is certain that they wanted to develop the US-system of the judiciary, which performs various functions such as the federal judicial review (Banks, 2007, p. 18). Here, the role played by the High Court entails examining the laws made in both the Commonwealth and the State legislatures in order to ensure that they fall with in the provisions of the constitution.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Accordingly, considering that disputes could arise between the federal and state governments such as the one discussed above, there is the paramount need to have a mediator who should be impartial and unconcerned with issues raised by either party in order for justice to be served. This role could not fit any institution apart from the Australian High Court. As a result, the High Court can be regarded to as an arbiter of federalism or an advocate of the Australian constitution (Patapan, 2010, p.168). It then follows that the decisions made by the High Court will have extensive political implications. For instance, during the war-time in 1942, the federal government came up with a legislation meant to control the overall income tax, a move which was challenged in court by the state governments (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 169). In this constitutional conflict, the High Court ruled in favor of the federal government, and thus gave the Commonwealth the authority to implement uniform tax ation at the national level. This implied that the state governments could not impose their own taxes outside those implemented by the Commonwealth. Besides, it is to be noted that the court also gave a broader meaning of section 90, which entails the Excise, and thus limiting the taxation power of the Commonwealth in some aspects. These decisions of the court point to the fact that it plays a political role in that the High Court has the power to look into the actions of both the legislature and the executive in order to determine whether those actions fall within the exact meaning of the constitution. Furthermore, the case shows instances where the High Court can annul some actions of the executive, which may not be based on proper interpretation of the constitution. Moreover, this case is one of many instances where the High Court came in to help solve constitutional conflicts arising from wrong interpretation of the constitution or obscure laws (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 105). Her e, it is also important to note that the High Court was acting purely within its constitutional mandate, which dictates that such conflicts be treated as legal questions irrespective of the impending political consequences. Overall, the court’s decisions show that the High Court judges understand their role in the political sphere and judicial review (Patapan, 2010, p. 169). References List Banks, R 2007, Hot topics: legal issues in plain language, Legal Information Access Centre, Australia. Patapan, H 2010, High court, (Insert the publisher and the Town for the book you scanned for me). Singleton et al. 2009, High court, (Insert the publisher and the Town for the book that you scanned for me). Ward, T Stewart, R 2010, Politics one (4th ed), Palgrave MacMillan, Australia. Wiltshire, K 2008, ‘Australian federalism: the business perspective’, The University of  New South Wales Law Journal, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 31-45.

The effects plastic surgery has on todays youth Essay

The effects plastic surgery has on todays youth - Essay Example Sweeney has used various styles/techniques and rhetoric strategies to achieve her goal. These include appeals, cause and effect analysis, comparison and contrast, narration, description, statistics and argumentation. Evidently, she chose these strategies in order to make her point as rational and as convincing as possible to her audience, many of whom have opted for cosmetic surgery out of unhealthy motivations. She begins her essay with a narration, giving an account of Kristen who underwent cosmetic surgery at 15 to make her breasts bigger and how it has given her much confidence (Sweetney E3). By using this technique, Sweeney immediately establishes the entire essay as informal piece. This is a powerful way of capturing the attention of readers. By mentioning that this was done with the help of parents, she lightens up the mood of teenagers. Sweeney also used this technique as important background information on two important points. First, she explains that many teenagers below 18 are opting for cosmetic surgery out of unjustifiable motivations. Through this narration, she reveals that these youngsters are simply using cosmetic surgery to rush biological processes before their time is due such as having big breasts to feel like a woman when in fact they are young and have not reached puberty. She also uses this to explain that some youngsters are driven by obsession with the celebrity culture and similar actions of closer relatives. Secondly, Sweeney uses this technique to communicate the major reason driving teenagers to seek cosmetic surgery, that is, self-esteem. The youth do it to feel â€Å"normal† or to â€Å"fit in.† To convince the audience that the rise in the number of youths going for surgeries is rising crazily, Sweeney goes ahead to give statistics of the numbers of youths going for cosmetic surgery over a ten year period,

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Letter of introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter of introduction - Essay Example One of my lifetime goals is to start my own marketing firm. Marketing is my favorite branch of business administration. I like marketing because this field of study is responsible for ensuring companies achieve their desired sales targets. The marketing efforts of an organization help your product or service get recognized in the open market. I believe that starting a marketing business is a good idea because every business enterprise needs marketing in order to achieve their goals. Performing marketing consulting services is a business model that can generate a lot of money. Another of the reasons why I want to start a business is to help out the U.S. economy. Entrepreneurs help the economy by creating jobs and paying taxes to the local and federal government. I consider myself a very giving and honest person. During my young life I have always done everything I can to help out others. I believe a lot in the value of volunteer work. In the past I have volunteered my time at a homele ss shelter in my community. This experience helped grow as a human being. Volunteer work is extremely important because there a lot of people in need in the United States. It is estimated that nearly 37 million Americans are living under the federal poverty line.

What changes would you make to Proposition 13 Essay

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Business Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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What changes would you make to Proposition 13 Essay

What changes would you make to Proposition 13 - Essay Example eal estate property value for tax purposes to 1975 to 1976 market value; reduced tax increases to 2 percent annually especially for continuing property owners; and provided a reassessed value base for new property owners. It also reduced real estate taxes to 1 percent, and required two-thirds votes for legislative revenue or tax increases among others. Proposition 13 significantly reduced property taxes for both homestead and commercial properties. The major driving factor behind the enactment of the proposition 13 was the notion that Californians should not be priced out of their homes through high taxes. This initiative has been termed the third rail of California politics because politically, it is very difficult for policymakers to alter it. This paper provides a very thoughtful discussion on proposition 13, its meaning, what happened, some of the proposed amendments to this proposition, its impacts. It will also cover what is different prior to and after the enactment of this in itiative. Proposition 13 has remained a law in California for a long period since its inception and its supporting vote was perceived as a tax revolt against California government (Ferreira 662). This initiative affected property taxes, individuals’ lives as well as businesses. This proposition dramatically changed California constitution and it helped taxpayers to address the rising property taxes and increasing state revenue. This proportion altered the structure of the property taxation and how taxes are distributed in California. There are many things that took place and various aspects or practices changed upon the formulation of this proposition. Firstly, this law removed much of the fluctuation of property tax revenue that resulted to a more stable revenue source for local government. Secondly, proposition 13 decreased the rates of property tax to 1 per cent. In 1977, the average property tax rate in California was 2.67 percent but proposition 13 reduced the rate to 1 percent

Business Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Financial Analysis - Assignment Example Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem.The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the immense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations.This paper therefore analyze the financial performance of state farm insurance, its performance in the industry, products, and leadership styles that have been pursued by the company to achieve the core objectives. State farm insurance was founded with the core object of providing insurance to the automotives of farmers before it later ventured into other services provision and increas ed its products range. The company recorded significant growth in the lifetime and is one of the top ranked companies according to the Fortune 500 Company ranking. Companies that operate in highly competitive industry must ensure continuous monitoring of their financial performance and satisfaction of the interests of their stakeholders for them to be going concern. It is for this purpose that potential investors and trhose who wish to engage in trade in the stock market will value the analysis. The use of financial ratios and other financial techniques will be involved in the analysis of the business. INTRODUCTION Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem. The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the im mense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations. State farm insurance growth in business and operation also makes it suitable for analysis and consideration. COMPANY BACKGROUND State farm insurance was formed in 1922 by its policyholders to insure automobiles. At the early stages, the company was entirely engaged in the insurance of auto of farmers before extending their operations to cover the insurance of banking services, financial services, and life insurance (Mundy 16). George Mecherle who was a retired farmer and was interested in improving the welfare of the members founded it. The company has recorded tremendous growth of both employees and the number of company agents. State farm insurance has expanded its operations in other countries like Canada and has operations in most of the states in America (Mundy 18). State farm insurance was heavily hit by the recession in the financial sector since many policy holders were unable to pay for their insurance. The company has since recorded growth in their base and has policyholders of about 80 million people. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Management is the act of planning the future now. An organization that is aimed at surviving in the dynamic and competitive market must have a strong management and visionary leadership. Rust ensured that state farm mutual insurance had a well-educated staff. He believed that through training and knowledge, the employees input, and efficiency will be increased. State farm therefore incurred large amounts of money in taking their employees for further training and education. Better leadership ensured that the future could be forecasted and that risks inherent in the business were absorbed by the business. Management of state farm also motivated their staffs by giving out better packages to their emp loyees and investing heavily on talents (Millenson 45). Rust, the chairperson of the board has thus succeeded in the winning of the confidence and trust of their employees. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS State farm insurance recorded a decline in their revenue and earnings in the financial year 2011. This was attributed to the increased number claims. Moreover, the large portfolio of

Weber in University Essay Example for Free

Weber in University Essay Max Weber’s (1958) one aspect of analyzing society involves rationalization in capitalism ( p. 13). His idea is that pursuit of money is not just for the sake of earning but must also be rationalized—in a way that is calculating or earning more profit (Weber, 1958). Highlight of this is the Lutherian input that capitalism gives you a special duty. Fulfillment of that duty is the highest form of performing moral activity as this is moral obligation (spirit of capitalism) (Weber, 1958). Universities never escaped capitalism. It has even become the means for the reproduction of capitalism. University propagates the idea that a man needs to study to be able to work— where the higher education level he attains, the greater is his opportunity to earn more. It is similar with Weber’s idea on task specialization—a student entering the university must choose his specialization or degree program. With this, universities earn profit because more students want to get to college. The main idea being that when you get to graduate from the university with a degree, you are sure to land on a good job with good pay. But earning money is not the highlight on getting a degree. Instead, it is inculcated as a moral obligation to the society which is parallel to Weber’s spirit of capitalism. A better member of society is someone who works hard achieving his tasks than someone who does not strive for success. Looking at how university works, specific duties are performed by specific groups. Professors teach, administrative manages the university and other groups for other significant tasks like counseling and housing for students who serves as the â€Å"customers† though not purchasing market goods but intellect and skills. These duties once fulfilled rationalize the profit earned by universities. Not only is mere fulfillment of duty considered a moral activity but as education is uplifted and seen as significant, so are the professors who mold the future workforce of the world. It is indeed the highest form of moral activity literally and figuratively. These duties/jobs found in the universities comprise the labor—important concept for Weber and Marx. While Marx argues that there is no free labor since people have to sell their labor power to capitalist, Weber argues that selling this is still wage-flexible and calculable (1920, p. 21). Good examples are the janitors and the professors. Both sell their labor power to owners of university. But since both has different labor power to offer (one on manual labor, other is teaching), there would be wage-differences. Thus, it shows how university truly has incorporated calculation with it being a business. As shown, universities, though seen as having noble purpose of educating, are still under the rationalistic capitalism that calculates, profit-oriented and involve special tasks. They bring to the society two valuable products—the profit they earn in terms of money and the students who in turn earns money and profit for themselves after college. This is how universities pattern with Weber’s idea. Reference Weber, M. (1958). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. New York: Scribner.

Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-1995 Public Inquiry

Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-1995 Public Inquiry Thilini Nisansala Egoda Kapuralalage 1. Introduction A public inquiry is a review of an event or events that is conducted by the government body to find out what went wrong. Moreover, â€Å"an inquiry is a retrospective examination of events or circumstances, specially established to find out what happened, understand why, and learn from the experiences of all those involved† (Walshe, 2003). Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) inquiry is an example of inquiry which The inquiry is related to two teaching hospitals; the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) and the Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children (BRHSC) and particularly the inquiry is related to congenital heart disease; babies with heart problems. The inquiry was carried out by a panel which was chaired by Professor Ian Kennedy from October 1998 to July 2001. 2. A summary of key information 2.1. Background information The National Health Service, in 1984, designated the Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children as a centre to provide paediatric cardiac surgeries to the infants under 1 year old. The Bristol Royal Infirmary performed open-heart surgeries while the Bristol Hospital for Sick Children performed closed-heart surgeries. Compared to other paediatric units in UK, Bristol did not have the required standard to perform the surgery. However, the decision to designate a paediatric unit in Bristol mainly made due to geographic issues that the patients had to undergo (Weick Sutcliffe). 2.2. Physical setting Physical setting of the hospital and operation theatre play a pivotal part in the inquiry. The location of BRI is noteworthy and it is located two block away from the BHC. Bristol Royal Infirmary conduct open heart surgeries in their hospital, while Bristol Hospital for Sick Children conduct closed heart operations in their hospital. Although the BRI conduct open heart surgeries, they lack cardiologists and they are in the BHC (Weick Sutcliffe). The operation theatre and ICU of BRI are located in two different floors. The ICU can access through an elevator and the elevator is non-dedicated. After conducting the surgery, the children are moved to sixth floor until they are stabilized. Then they are moved to BHC for further care and treatments (Weick Sutcliffe). 2.3. Administration and staff The CEO, Dr John Roylance directed the regional health authority and hospital board. Simply, these two parties relied on Dr John Roylance. On the other hand, Dr John Roylance relied on Dr James Wisheart who was â€Å"a man of many trades, holding other positions in BRI such as associate director of cardiac surgery and the chairman of the hospital’s medical committee† (Weick Sutcliffe). Furthermore, his patients were already on bypass before his arrival as he was normally late to his surgeries. In addition, Dr Janardan Dhasmana was another surgeon who was â€Å"described as self-critical, disengaged from his surgical team, and unaware of their importance as a â€Å"whole team. (Weick Sutcliffe). 2.4. Performance According to the experts, to maintain required expertise in the surgeries in a centre averagely 80-100 open heart surgeries should be conducted per year. But, the average case load of Bristol was lower than the minimal required cases. In addition, the performance of Bristol did not improve, while the performance of the all other centres began to improve. â€Å"Between 1988 and 1994, the mortality rate at Bristol for open-heart surgery in children under one was roughly double the rate of any other centre in England in five of the seven years. The mortality rate (defined as deaths within 30 days of surgery) between 1984 and 1989 for open-heart surgery under 1 at Bristol was 32.2% and the average rate for the other centres for the same period was 21.2%† (Weick Sutcliffe). Furthermore, the mortality rate increased up to 37.5% by the end of 1990. Also, according to the data analysis from 1990 to 1995, Bristol had approximately 30 and 35 excess deaths (Weick Sutcliffe). 3. Information about the issue 3.1. What happened? 3.2. How it happened? The series of incidents happened because of several reasons. First is the poor organisation of BRI. Open-heart surgery service had been provided in two sites where they lacked the proper staff to maintain the required care and treatment to the patients. Second is the lack of physical resources. The BRI was doing only the surgery and later they transferred the children into the BCH for further treatment. This cause to another issue of poor team work where the staff was not involved in the surgery and treatments effectively. Also, the BRI was using the same ICU for both adults and children. Third is the lack of information sharing with the parents and they were unaware of the relevant information (Hindle, Braithwaite, Travaglia, Iedema, 2006). 3.3. Who was involved? Few key figures were involved in the issue and they were Dr John Roylance, Dr James Wisheart, and Dr Janardan Dhasmana. First, Dr John Roylance was the CEO of the hospital but he had mentioned that he was unable to interfere with the work that were done by the surgeons. Moreover, he â€Å"chose to ignore warnings from whistle blower Steve Bolsin about the standard of operations being offered to young children† (BBC, 2003). Second, Dr James Wisheart was the director of the BRI and he claimed in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s that â€Å"the babies who died suffered from serious conditions and most had additional complications. He believed he would be vindicated in time† (BBC). Third person who was involved in Bristol was Dr Janardan Dhasmana and he was number two to Dr James Wisheart. He was responsible for over 29 deaths. Also, four babies were left brain damaged after the surgeries (Woods, 1998). 3.4. Reasons to failure There are several factors that caused the failure of surgeries at BRI. First is the poor team work which affects the performance of the work and final outcome. Effective team work plays a pivotal factor to succeed the surgery but it was absent at BRI. Second reason to failure is lack of openness. The system and culture of BRI was different and they did not encourage their staff to share their issues openly. â€Å"Those who tried to raise concerns found it hard to have their voice heard† (Kennedy, 2001). Third is the lack of human resources. There was a significant gap between the resources available at BRI and the required resources in the PCS unit. There were a shortage of staff from operating theatre and ICU. Furthermore, â€Å"the complement of cardiologists and surgeons was always below the level deemed appropriate by the relevant professional bodies. The consultant cardiologists lacked junior support† (Kennedy, 2001). Fourth is the lack of physical resources. The B RI and the BCH were located in two different places. The BRI conducted the surgeries and after that, the patients were transferred to the BCH for further treatment and care. In addition, the ICU at BRI was not properly organised and it was a mixed unit that cared for both adults and children (Kennedy, 2001). 3.4. Who discovered the problem? The performance of pediatric cardiac unit began to concern in early October of 1986 by a professor of the University of Wales. He reported to the Regional Health Authority about the unit’s performance and the authority concluded that the problem was related to the volume of cases. In addition, Dr Stephen Bolsin, a consultant anesthetist who joined the Bristol hospital in 1988, found few issues with the performances. What he noted was that surgeries done in BRI took a long time than usual and the babies were kept under the by-pass machine for a long time (Weick Sutcliffe). Apart from Bolsin’s complain to the colleagues, he reported this issue to Dr John Roylance, the CEO. But Bolsin did not receive positive reaction from the CEO about the issue. Moreover, a Pediatric Pathologist at Bristol wrote an article to report about the â€Å"post-mortem examinations of seventy-six Bristol children who had under gone surgery for congenital heart disease† (Weick Sutcliffe). In 1989, the article was publish in the Journal of Clinical Pathology. According to the article, â€Å"29 cases of cardiac anomalies and surgical flaws that contributed to death† (Weick Sutcliffe). Furthermore, several articles that criticised about the Bristol Paediatric were published in Private Eye (Weick Sutcliffe). 3.5. Why did it go undetected for the period of time? 4. Recommendations 4.1. Patient-centered health service Patients should be informed about the care that they are going to undergo. Several methods can be adhered to provide information to the patients. With relevant to the inquiry, it is evident that there were certain occasions that the communication between the staff and the parents was poor. During the treatments, some parents were given counselling, while some were not. However, â€Å"the United Bristol Healthcare Trust (UBHT) conceded in its evidence that the service it provided was insufficient to meet the needs of some parents† (Kennedy, 2001). Therefore, a good communication is required and the doctors should not judge what information should to be informed. It is parents who should make that decision (Hindle et al., 2006). 4.2. Safety and quality A safe and quality environment should be created to the patients. In Bristol, the arrangements, the state of equipment and buildings, and the training of the staff did not meet the required standard and these things were possible to create a damage to the service. To mitigate this, the authorities should remove the barriers to a safe and quality service while promoting the openness and publishing required standard of quality and care (Hindle et al., 2006; Kennedy, 2001). 4.3. Healthcare professionals’ competence Health service providers should possess the required standard of skills, expertise, and educational level. Furthermore, they are capable of good communication and team work. In Bristol, the system did not demand the professionals to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. 6. References BBC. Im not perfect, says Bristol surgeon Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/568511.stm BBC. (2003). The Bristol Babies Inquiry Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1148390.stm Hindle, D., Braithwaite, J., Travaglia, J., Iedema, R. (2006). A comparative analysis of eight Inquiries in six countries. Kennedy, I. (2001). The report of the public inquiry into childrens heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984-1995: learning from Bristol. Walshe, K. (2003). INQUIRIES: LEARNING FROM FAILURE IN THE NHS? : Weick, K. E., Sutcliffe, K. M. Hospitals as Cultures of Entrapment: A RE-ANALYSIS OF THE BRISTOL ROYAL INFIRMARY. Woods, M. (1998). Bristol heart scandal surgeon is dismissed Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bristol-heart-scandal-surgeon-is-dismissed-1197097.html pg. 1

Essay examples --

Laura Greene SOC 421 Section 1002 Fall 2013 Dr. Mann Marxist Theories in Todays Society Karl Marx was a German philosopher whose work are thought to still have an influence even on todays society. Marx believed that material goods were the root of the social world and that social life is fundamentally about conflict over food, land, money, and other material goods. The ideal government for Marx would be a communist state where resources are equally shared. However, here in America it seems we will always have a democratic government where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. For my final paper I will use the marxist theoretical ideas to investigate how Wal-Mart uses their economic and financial power to exploit their workers and suppliers. I will use Marx’s theory to understand how Wal-Mart not only manipulates and exploits its employees and suppliers but, also how they are able to alienate their employees. Marx’s theories remain as powerful framework for explaining the actions of a billion dollar multinational company because of its focus Wage-La bor, Surplus Value and Alienation. By sharing with the reader the reasons why Wal-Mart should be considered a threat to our society by using Marx theories, I hope to bring attention the true cost of getting things for a bargain. For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing on his theories about Wage-Labor, Surplus Value and Alienation and using them to explain Wal-Marts actions. Throughout the course of his life, Marx came up with many theories. However, Marx was very interested in the topic of capitalism.nCapitalism can be defined as being an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by th... ...ncome. However, today’s materialistic society is so obsessed with the idea of commodity fetishism that we are blinded by the effects of it. We only think of where we can buy great products at low prices? Wal-Mart is always the answer, but if only we knew at what price of exploiting and alienating their employees, would we change out minds. Consumers never see the work that goes into making the product or how the labor has turned the worker into nothing but another commodity. All the consumer sees is the status or wealth depicted by the product. In all capitalism is what keeps our society in order. Even though Wal-Mart has become the bourgeoisie that Marx was against and feared, he would be happy to say that his prediction came true. In all, through these examples, I hope to open the publics eyes and show them at what cost their bargains are costing the workers.

Self Satisfaction Essay -- essays research papers

In the past sixteen years I have faced various challenges that have molded my personality to as it is today. I went through a very tough stage in my social life when I was in grade seven and eight at the age of twelve and thirteen. I had a group of five friends outside of school, we were always together and they were all very close to my heart. It came to the point where three of the girls decided that they did not want to associate with one other, and I was forced to choose between the three of them and the other girl. It was a feeling of indescribable disbelief and I did not know what to do. This one incident was a challenge that I had to overcome.It all happened so quickly. One minute she was our dear friend and the next minute everyone was yelling at her. At first I stood there and ...

Maritime Trade, Global Economies, and the Megaports Initiative

Maritime Trade, Global Economies, and the Megaports Initiative The purpose of this posting is two-fold. Part one is to describe the importance of maritime trade to global economies, and part two is to illustrate the importance of the Megaports Initiative to international trade. Part One: Obviously, global trade involves moving finished goods and heavy commodities over long distances. From both a tonnage perspective and value perspective, an overwhelming share of inter-hemispheric and trans-oceanic trade involves the use of maritime (as opposed to aviation) transportation. Therefore, as I composed this response, I considered â€Å"global trade† and â€Å"international trade† nearly synonymous with â€Å"maritime trade. † Rather than simply â€Å"describe† the importance of maritime global trade, I shall actually â€Å"emphasize† its importance so that you, the reader, know right away that I am a staunch and firm proponent of free trade. Free, unfettered, and unregulated global trade (with some notable exceptions below) is hugely beneficial to the aggregate welfare of the world at large. The explosion of global trade over the last 5 decades has lifted entire segments of populations throughout China, India, Vietnam, Brazil, and nearly ALL of Korea out of poverty and into a new working and stable middle class. Ancillary benefits include significant improvements in literacy, life expectancy, and gains in personal freedom and self determination, with China being a frustrating exception. Critics of global trade (a wily bunch ranging from thoughtful academics to concerned unions to undisciplined and uninformed â€Å"anarchists†) have all sorts of counter arguments against a global economy. Their protestations are far too numerous to address at length in this forum, but a quick review of some of the fallacious and unfounded concerns would include: global trade suppresses the â€Å"locally grown† movement; it enriches the wealthy at the expense of the world's poor; it â€Å"increases† global output of carbon dioxide, etc. These â€Å"fringe† concerns are fallacious because world trade allows the most efficient producer access to all markets. Efficiency, by definition, means the producer who uses the LEAST amount of ggregate raw material (be it feed-stocks, acreage, labor, energy per unit produced, scarce components, etc) will be rewarded with global business. A more valid concern, generally advanced by American unions, might be the loss of manufacturing and textile jobs in the United States. A painful reality of global trade is that the benefits are NOT pareto optimal: they are not distributed evenly, and there will be both winners and losers. In thi s context, trade unions and isolationists in the U. S. ave felt the economic pain as cost conscious manufacturers have moved production overseas. In some industries (automobiles, in particular) overseas competitors simply beat long dominant American producers at their own game. In response, American unions have sometimes confused protectionism with patriotism. There is nothing â€Å"patriotic† about preserving an uncompetitive and underperforming industry. On the contrary, protectionism denies the American consumer choices and it stifles American innovation. Global trade, which is realized by a robust maritime trade, encourages all producers to be innovative, and it elevates the real purchasing power of the world consumer. As promised, there are some brief caveats, however, to the argument I advanced above. Free, unfettered, and unregulated trade should strive to resemble â€Å"fair trade† to the maximum extent possible. The world economy should not benefit from the producer who achieves a competitive edge through the use of child labor, slave labor, indentured servitude, or a total disregard for the environmental effects of his production. The mechanisms to establish those standards (much less enforce them) is a topic for another paper, but it should be mentioned in light of the argument I have advanced above. Part Two: The exact statement we are being asked to consider is the following: â€Å"Illustrate the importance of the Mega Ports to International Trade. † Here's my contrarian assessment: The Megaports initiative is a SECURITY measure, NOT a trade measure. So I would argue that it has little â€Å"importance† to international trade, but very significant importance with respect to national security. The Megaports initiative is a U. S. lead, internationally coordinated effort to scan containerized cargo for radiation hazards and threats. Thus, Megaports WILL become an important concern to international trade only if it manages to DISRUPT it†¦ which it might, depending upon the capabilities of the screening equipment used and the rigidity of DHS/DOE's ambitious goal of screening 50% of containerized cargo by 2015. I have some reservations about the ability of the federal government to reach its stated goal of 50% screening, and I also am skeptical about the efficacy claims of the equipment that is to be deployed. The manufacturers of expensive, high tech screening equipment that cater to DHS have a pretty solid record of over-promising (or, at least exaggerating) the abilities of their wares. Radiological detectors can produce some impressive diagnostic results, but they are too slow to handle large volumes of cargo. Full spectrum scans can take several minutes for a 56 foot intermodal ITU (International Transport Unit). The larger U. S. ports handle upwards of 2000 imported containers per day. In layman's terms, there is simply not enough time in the day to screen 1000 TEU's per day with existing technology. I'm also concerned that the deployment of screening equipment (the most precise equipment is not mobile, but fixed) will create chokepoints around ports and may delay trade and interfere with the well choreographed transfers between railways, trucking companies, and shipping. My final concern deals with what is perhaps an unavoidable obstacle. Exactly what is the point of screening for radiological WMD's when those WMD's have already arrived at a U. S. port? If a nefarious group has the means to procure a nuclear device (either â€Å"dirty† or truly fissile), then we can safely assume those same bad actors could incorporate inertial navigation (which does not rely on GPS reception) to detonate the device at a desired location along the transport route. In conclusion, I am skeptical of the cost-benefit mix of this initiative. If it's going to be deployed, it should be deployed honestly: as a â€Å"spot check† mechanism of deterrence. The United States should also do everything in its power to screen U. S. A. bound cargo at the cargo's port of origin, rather than at the port of destination. References: The National Nuclear Security Administration, Megaports Initiative (October 2009), U. S. Department of Energy. (Retrieved from the AMU HLSS 645 course materials folder on 14 December 2009)