Abortion: One Of The Most Controversial Topics Today Essay example --

Abortion: One of the Most Controversial Topics Today In the early American Colonies, English Common Law was adopted by the United States, which declared abortion forbidden. The procedure was ruled a misdemeanor if performed before quickening, which meant â€Å"feeling life,† and a felony if performed after quickening. In the early 1800s, it was discovered that life begins at conception and not when the mother â€Å"feels life.† Eighty-five percent of the states had laws that made all abortions a felony. Between the 1800s and today, many arguments have taken place regarding when life begins for a fetus and to what extent the mother has a right to terminate her pregnancy (Fast Facts: History of the U.S. Abortion Laws, 2003). There have been numerous attempts to change the current laws and/or add to them and the majority of these attempts have failed. The most famous law of them all resulted from the case of Roe v. Wade , is still in effect today and forms the basis for abortion laws and arguments. Important Court Cases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most important dates in abortion history is January 22, 1973. On this date, the Supreme Court struck down all state abortion laws and legalized abortion in all 50 states for the full nine months of pregnancy. A mother’s right to abortion is known as the outcome of Roe v. Wade and falls under a woman’s right to privacy. More specifically, the court ruled that the government could restrict abortion access after the first trimester with laws intended to protect the woman’s health. Also, late-term abortions need the approval of a licensed physician to judge the procedure necessary to protect the mother’s health (Roe v. Wade: The 1973 Supreme Court Decision on State Abortion Laws, 1973) .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to an article written by Michael W. McConnell, â€Å"the reasoning of Roe v. Wade is an embarrassment to those who take constitutional law seriously, even to many scholars who heartily support the outcome of the case (p. 136).† The first reasoning behind the decision is based on the â€Å"right of privacy† and that it is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. But the right of privacy is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution, as many would agree. Connell says that judges have found at least the roots of that right in the First Amendment, Ninth Amendment, ... ... No one ever thinks that rape will happen to them, but if it did, your decision now and your decision at that time may be different. Ultimately, should a woman have the right to choose between terminating her pregnancy and a potential life, or continuing with the pregnancy? Bibliography Fast Facts: History of U.S. Abortion Laws. (2003, January 21). FoxNews Channel Online. Retrieved February 12, 2005, from http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,881,00.html McConnell, Michael M. (1998). Roe v. Wade at Twenty-Five: Still Legitimate. In R. M. Baird (Ed.), The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice (pp. 135-138). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Roe v. Wade: The 1973 Supreme Court Decision on State Abortion Laws. (1973). In R. M. Baird (Ed.), The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice (pp. 63-72). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Thomson, Judith Jarvis. (1971). A Defense of Abortion. In R. M. Baird (Ed.), The Ethicds of Abortion: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice (pp. 241-256). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. (1989). In R. M. Baird (Ed.), The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice (pp. 73-92)., Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

Film Festival Start Ups :: Movies Films Film Festivals Essays

Film Festival Start ups Silicon Valley fairly bursts with life and energy. Everywhere you look new companies, ideas and innovations are on the move and on the rise. Welcome to the land of start ups; small companies with a dream who survive and thrive by skill, luck and sheer tenacity. While the term usually describes high tech concepts, start-ups abound in the Valley - from the small catering company on the comer to the neighborhood printing shop down the street to the local film festival. Yes, that's right - film festival. The Local Scene "Film festival" usually conjures images of stretch limos, glittering starts and rabid paparazzi. Think Cannes or Sundance and you think big budgets, big egos and big-time Hollywood take over. Even smaller, more local festivals have the same overtones. Take the San Francisco International Film Festival. Champion of such "outsider" interests as gay rights, and American Indians long before those concepts became acceptable, SFIFF has mellowed with maturity. Called the "gray lady of local fests" by Dennis Harvey in Variety (June 30, 1997), the SFIFF continues to support international diversity, but with more of a prestigious, elitist atmosphere. The air, apparently, has become more rarified in San Francisco. The second largest film festival in the Bay Area, the Mill Valley Festival has a much more relaxed atmosphere. But, even within this atmosphere, some of the need for mainstream acceptance and money tends to bleed through. Start-ups seem to have two destinies - wonderful success or complete failure, with little middle ground. Other film festivals have ventured into the Silicon Valley before. Most of them had wonderful prospects - at the beginning. The Santa Cruz Festival, the San Jose Film Festival and the Monterey Film Festival, all showed great promise, and none made it to a third year. The Santa Cruz Festival ran from 1982 to 1985, and died of erratic handling. Part of the Santa Cruz charm is its dedication causes, its fierce independence and the feel that comes together with one word - Burkenstocks. Unfortunately, the wild, eccentric and fairly unorganized tendency that adds charm to the city killed the film festival. With wildly erratic programming that could confuse even dedicated fans and the death of festival found Les Goldman in 1986, the Santa Cruz Festival passed into the night. In 1984 San Jose made its stab at a festival. The Cinema of the Fantastic focused on science-fiction and fantasy in the beginning.

Steven Spielberg said about ‘Saving Private Ryan’ that, “I wanted to put chaos upon the screen’

Writing for a film magazine, analyse the methods used to make the opening battle sequence both shocking and realistic and comment on ho successful you think he was in meeting his objective. â€Å"I wanted to put chaos upon the screen. I wanted the audience to feel the same way as those green recruits that were just off those Higgins boats and never seen combat before. Ninety-five percent of them hadn't. It was complete chaos†. Internationally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Steven Spielberg's ‘Saving Private Ryan' is an unforgettable film that has profound and lasting impact throughout the world. Winner of five time academy awards including Best Director. ‘Saving Private Ryan' was first released on September 11th 1998 as a joint production of DreamWorks and Paramount pictures. Seen through the eyes of a squad of American troops, the story begins World War Two's historic and unforgettable D-Day landing then moves beyond Omaha Beach, as the eight American troops embark on a special, emotional but dangerous mission. Captain Miller must take his men through a journey like never before to find one man, one private, Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Spielberg enlisted the help of Tom Hanks (Captain Miller), who is best known nowadays for his astounding performance in The Da Vinci Code. Tom Sizemore (Sergeant Horvath), Edward Burns (Private Reiben), Barry Pepper (Private Jackson), Jeremy Davis (Private Upham) and Matt Damon (Private Ryan). Contributing to the height of realism Spielberg took an almost documentarian approach to filming. He refused to do any storyboarding prior to shooting, and using hand held cameras much of the time. † I wanted to hit the sets much like a newsreel cameraman following the solders into war†. Throughout the film Spielberg demonstrated the magnificent use of the hand held cameras, maybe the most remembered of these is the first battle scene, that we see when the American troops land on Omaha Beach. Unlike this film, other films of the war genre always seemed to follow the same concept, which was there always seemed to be a glory-figure, the one who always survived right till the end and lived happily ever after. He wanted break the convections of war emphasizing the sense of realism as much as he could. I think the realism is not showing people dying, blood and gore, to me realism shows the emotion of people, those families who lose two, three and even four children, in combat. It shows the devastation of not only solders but innocent people who lose their lives because of other peoples decisions†. In my eyes this film does show realism and how war effects people mentally and physically, and how you can be the most experienced solder or a new solder that has never seen war before and still the effects are the same. Saving Private Ryan' lasts for a remarkable time, of two hours and fifty minutes, the film takes the audience through travesty and triumph and through death and despair. Death, we see a lot of through out the film and blood and gore so if you haven't got a strong stomach I suggest that you don't watch this film. The question that I asked myself while watching ‘Saving Private Ryan' was yes, people are dying because it is war, but for what reason? To maintain your countries status, or to fight the fight that you should not be fighting. This film in my opinion challenges you, and lets you think for yourself, even though this film is just a mimic of what really happened and we know this, you cannot help to think that it's real (watching the action as though it is happening at the present time). We as an audience get emotionally attached to the characters, as we see then through the good times and the bad. Spielberg did this well. But my main reason for writing this review is to focus on the opening scenes, which are the most catastrophic, and highly effective scenes of all. So did Steven Spielberg (also the creator of other box office sensations which include Jaws 1975, Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 and Jurassic Park 1993) manage to live up to this main aim and did he really succeed on putting â€Å"chaos upon the screen†? I am going to start by analyzing the opening scene, which the idea of the transition of present to past takes place. We first hear classical music which in, and the image of a translucent American flag, blowing in the breeze. Then it passes and the film begins with a selection of characters, all we hear is the very faint music and the sound of the ocean. There is no speaking, this often makes the audience concentrate on the body language of the characters because sometimes, you can tell more on how the character is feeling not by speech but by the emotion that comes through by the characters body language. We see an elderly man maybe in his late 70's leading them, as he stumbles along the path (we as an audience do not yet know that the old man is Private James Ryan). As the camera pans out we see an American and French flag, this gives us a clue to where we are. As it turns out we are in Collevile-sur-mer, Normandy France. Spielberg uses pathetic fallacy here, as we can hear the sea more, as it becomes more aggressive this could reflect the old mans feelings he might be anxious, nervous or even apprehensive. As the camera gives us a long shot from above we begin to see a white sea of headstones. Dramatic music begins to play, and increases in volume as more headstones are reveled. In my opinion the music reminded me of military music, the kind of music that would be played at a funeral of a past solder, a piece of evidence that backs that up is we see a man dressed in full military uniform, standing by one of the graves. So these two suggestions suggest that we are at the graves that we are at are something to do with past solders, and as we are in Normandy, France were part of the Second World War took place, it makes sense. Then we see another mid-shot of the graves and the old man. After walking down a few rows, the emotional man falls to his knees at the foot of a grave almost in a position that you might be honoring someone, he starts to cry. As an audience we feel for this unknown character but we are not entirely sure what is happening. This scene because it is shot in the present the color is vibrant. The camera zooms in to the old mans blue eyes, (suggesting that we are going into one of his memory's) this is called a detailed close up, where the camera focuses on one part of the body to show a specific emotion, and can often make the character appear isolated and detached from everybody else. Then the sounds of crashing waves dominate the scene, and it drowns out the sound of the music, and here we are now taken from present to past. The scene establishes a connection between the elderly man in the graveyard and D-Day. The date and setting are established a mood of fear and tension is created. The audience is given a cursory introduction to the some of the main characters. This scene leaves us too more unanswered questions than answered. Then, a flashback takes the audience and the character back to landing at Normandy on D-Day. All this film is just simply just a memory of Private James Ryan. Now the transition from present to past has taken place, we first see a deep focus shot of Omaha Beach with iron hedgehogs both in the foreground and stretching into the background. We then see from a long shot of the boats as they approach shore. About ten American soldiers in a Higgins boat waiting anxiously, again there is no talking it is all silent all but the sound of the boat and the crashing of the waves, creating tension. The long shot then cuts to a close up of Captain Miller's hand shaking this is a recurrent image, as we see this shot many times through out the film. And we also get close up shots of soldiers terrified expressions. When the boats to finally come ashore your ears are dominated by the sound of constant gunfire, which add to the confusion and devastation. Many solders are killed within seconds of leaving the boats. These soldiers act like pawns in a game of chess, there is no way that they are going to survive they in my opinion they are meant to be killed so the other solders have a chance of surviving. There's medium close up shots of solders being killed. The camera then switches up above, there is an over the shoulder shot of a German so the audience sees the battle from there perspective. Which gives a sense of power to the Germans and a sense of hopelessness to the Americans. But isn't war supposed to be fair? The Americans from their view look like pin pricks on a map; this makes the audience feel like the Americans are fighting a lost cause and this indicates the immense difficulty of the mission. So the various perspectives (German and American) give the overview of the carnage. As soldiers plunge into the sea the camera follows them, giving the audience yet again their perspective as they struggle both below and above the surface. The sound becomes muted, the sound of water fills or ears, this takes us back to what Spielberg said he that wanted us to experience war just like the soldiers. The use of handheld cameras in the battle sequence increases and emphasizes the impact caused and makes the opening scene very lively and this makes us, the audience feel part of the action as if we were making our way around the beach with the troops. † I wanted to hit the sets much like a newsreel cameraman following the soldiers into war†. Spielberg in this part of the film uses desaturated colour in contrast with the vibrant colour in the opening scene. It gives the effect that we are in a memory and in the past, looking back on events that have already taken place. It is just all, instant chaos. Another important aspect of the opening 24 minutes is Captain Miller's confusion. As Captain Miller stagers out the bloody sea. He stumbles and falls. We looks up at witnesses the chaos and around him. As we see the fear in his eyes even through he is an experienced soldier it can still effect a experienced soldier the same as a new soldier just coming into war. This is another point that Spielberg wanted to get across was you never get used to the turmoil, and watching people die before your eyes. It's still the same experience over and over again. Also the fact that if you did manage to survive it was only by luck. There is then an over the shoulder shot of Captain Miller, this shows the audience what war looks like from his perspective. The camera it is not at standstill it is all jerky and shaky because it was a hand held camera. As Captain Miller tips bloody water out of his helmet and replaces it making him look blood-splattered. As muted sound accompanies the slow motion, but the disturbing explosions can still be heard in the background. The facial expression of Captain Miller's shows true fear. His eyes show the question, why are we doing this, is there a point? The sound returns as a General shouts for instructions. Captain Miller finally pulls himself together and he resumes his responsibilities. All of this has it's effects on the audience as we are plunged into the horror of the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach, and we see Captain Miller and experience the senseless carnage through his eyes. Although not a raw recruit he is nevertheless shocked beyond belief. And we as an audience are given an insight into the true horror of war. As the end of the battle finally comes, it comes as a relief to the audience after the exhausting twenty minutes or so of loud gunfire and just immense no stop action. We are struck by the enormity of the event that has just taken place. We then get a close up of Captain Miller's hand shaking, as I said earlier this is a recurrent image. Then the camera zooms to a close up of his eyes again showing the audience his viewpoint. Gentle music quietly fades in. The waves sound peaceful after the prolonged noise of chaos and destruction. Also the melancholy music adds to the solemnity of the images. As Captain Miller rests Sergeant Horvath comments, â€Å"That's quite a view†, a sentiment that is echoed by Miller. This is not however referring to a nice view but a shocking and breathtaking view of the beach. As the camera rises and slowly pans to the left we begin to see the whole of the beach covered in dead bodies, and the scarlet water flowing feely. Then finally zooms on this one mans backpack of one soldier – Ryan. The final shot showing the name ‘Ryan' on the backpack of one of the fallen soldiers establishes a link between the sequence we have just seen as well as both the title and the plot of the film. So did Steven Spielberg fulfill his main aim for ‘Saving Private Ryan' which was â€Å"I wanted to put chaos upon the screen â€Å". In my eyes as a reviewer of ‘Saving Private Ryan' he did fulfill that aim, he showed from start to finish a sense of realism, and broke entirely away from the traditional convections of the film war genre. He used magnificent camera angles, which contributed a lot to the film as a whole. This film keeps you on the edge of your seat, and guessing what is going to happen next. I think the opening sequence prepared the audience for what followed because the horror in the opening scene and the devastation that you see is the same that you see, or even worse than through out the whole film. I would recommend this film if you want a film with a moral, and a meaning. But the one main issue that I had watching this film is the time it lasts for two hours and fifty minutes, so you do have to be dedicated to watching it from the start. The way that I would watch it is with the family on a Friday night with popcorn and a box of tissues. I would give this film a rating of 7/10, the main reasons why I didn't give 10/10 is because for me personally it was to gory, it lasted to long and I didn't have the patience, and it was one of those films that you would watch once and then never watch it again because there would be no need.

Respiratory Activity

LABORATORY REPORT(Click on the Save a Copy button on the panel above to save your report) Activity: Name: Instructor: Date: Respiratory Volumes Predictions 1. During exercise: TV will increase. 2. During exercise: IRV will decrease. 3. During exercise: ERV will increase. 4. During exercise: VC will not change. 5. During exercise: TLC will not change.Materials and Methods1. Dependent Variable. respiratory volumes 2. Independent Variable. level of physical activity [resting or exercising] 3. Controlled Variables. height; age; sex 4. Which respiratory volume was calculated? Breating rate, TV, ERV, and IRV. 5. What was the purpose of the nose clip? the nose clip was used for the lung function testing to prevent leakage with the nasal compartments when giving respiratory volumes to be tested. Results Table 2: Average Breathing Rates and Lung Volumes Breathing Rate 12. 4 10. 6 11. 1 11. 4 TV(L) 0. 5 0. 5 0. 6 0. 5 Resting Values ERV(L) IRV(L) 1. 3 1. 4 1. 3 1. 3 2. 1 2. 4 2. 4 2. 3 RV(L) 26. 4 29. 5 29. 1 28. 3 Breathing Rate 1. 6 1. 7 1. 7 1. 7 TV(L) 0. 6 0. 7 0. 7 0. 7 Exercising Values ERV(L) IRV(L) 1. 8 1. 9 2 1. 9 1. 6 1. 6 1. 6 1. 6 RV(L) 1. 6 1. 6 1. 6 1. 6 Subject1 Subject2 Subject3 Averages Comparison of Resting and Exercising Lung Volumes and Breathing Rate 1. Did the breathing rate increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? the breathing rate increased tremendously since the subject did exercise and run. 2. Did the tidal volume increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? The tidal volume increase after exercising. 3. Did the expiratory reserve volume increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? The expiratory reserve volume decrease with exercise. 4. Did the inspiratory reserve volume increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? The inspiratory reserve volume dercrese as well after exercising. 5. Did the inspiratory capacity increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? the inspiratory capacity increase just a little bit with exercise. 6. Did the functional residual capacity increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? the Functional residual capacity actually decrease after exercising. 7. Did the minute ventilation increase, decrease, or not change with exercise? of course the minute ventilation increase tremendously after exercising. Table 3: Lung Capacities and Minute Ventilation Breathing Rate 2. 6 2. 9 3 2. TV(L) 2. 9 3 2. 9 2. 9 Resting Values ERV(L) IRV(L) 3. 9 4. 3 4. 3 4. 2 5. 5 5. 9 5. 9 5. 8 RV(L) 3. 4 3. 6 3. 7 3. 6 Breathing Rate 2. 2 2. 3 2. 3 2. 3 TV(L) 4 4. 3 4. 4 4. 2 Exercising Values ERV(L) IRV(L) 5. 6 5. 9 6 5. 8 6. 2 5. 3 6. 7 6. 1 RV(L) 42. 2 50. 2 49. 5 47. 3 Subject1 Subject2 Subject3 Averages Comparison of Resting and Exercising Lung Capacities and Minute Ventilation Discussion 1. Explain the change in ERV with exercise. the ERV decrease with exercise asssuming that the volume of air was exhaled more than being enhaled at the time. 2. Explain the change in IRV with exercise. IRV decreased as well because the amount of air that was supposed to be inhale was very little inhalation during the time of exercising. 3. Explain the change in IC with exercise. IC increase with exercise beacause the subjects were able to allow their lungs to breath. 4. Explain the change in FRC with exercise. The FRC decrease just a little with exercise. 5. Explain why RV does not change with exercise. the ERV decrease with exercise asssuming that the volume of air was exhaled more than being enhaled at the time. 6. Explain why VC does not change with exercise. he vital capacity remain the same because it accumulated the tidal volume, insipratory reserve volume and espiratory volume as well with exercise. 7. Explain why TLC does not change with exercise. RTLC did not change as well because the the vitaln capacity did not change and so did the residual vloume residual volume as well remain the same so calculations did not change vewtween these three subjects. 8. During exercise, the depth of respiration increases Name the muscles involved in increasing the depth of respiration and explain how muscle contraction causes this increase. he muscles involved in increasing the depth of respiration was the diaphragm, the lungs, the intercostal muscles, musles of insipration and expiration as well. Muscle contraction caused the increase becacause of the diaphragm. 9. Explain the importance of the change in minute ventilation with exercise. the change in minute ventilation after exercising increase tremendouly because the TV and breating rate increse the minute ventilkation which increased more breaths needed while running to meet a higher deman for oxygen. 10. Restate your predictions that were correct and give data from your experiment that support them. Restate your predictions that were not correct and correct them with supporting data from your experiment. Accoriding to my predictions I only have one that is wrong and that is that the ERV will increasw with exercise but after testing subjects and doing the experiment it has be confirmed that the ERV decrese, so my assumption was by far wrong. But as for my other predictions it came out to be true according to the experiment, table and graphs, my assumptions was correct as for these subjects after exercising. Application Minute Ventilation will tend to increase for the simple fact it is the amount if ixygen inspired by the body in a minute. ncreased by long term exercise because over time it will adapt to bringing more oxygen to the lungs to work the muscles. 1. During strenuous exercise, TV plateaus at about 60% of VC but minute ventilation continues to increase. Explain how that would occur. an increase in residual volume, and assumming that the TLC does not change with a persom with developing emphysema will become short of breath after climibing a flight if stairs will result in the minute if ventilations being obtain while proceeding this type of exercise.

Taking Advantage of People

Throughout history, religions have been created and still today continue to be created. Most people have a common faith that they have inherited from their ancestors; they have and always will practice their religion as long as it seems to be in their favor. Some people go to church to cleanse their conscious of the naughty things they’ve been doing and fear the wrath of their god. Others may have a lot of things going their way and they want to thank their faith in religion for these blessings. Other people might be in a situation where life has handed them hardly a morsel of luck or faith; they may also blame a god for their misfortune or stop believing in religion altogether. These people would be in a prime condition to find faith. Finding faith is a reason why religious studies and practices are so intricately different. People take what they have been told and they mix these views with their own personal life experiences to create an ideal trust in someone or something. Sometimes people can believe in someone and take their words as the words of god. To do this they have to trust and hold such a person in the highest respect. In return the person who is in supposed contact with God must value this trust and use it to spread their beliefs. This relationship usually works out quite nicely for the people in such a bond. They find a trust in each other and each gain the ability to use one another. In the 1930’s a relationship like this spawned in Detroit, Michigan. Wallace Fard, the leader of a new psuedo-Islamic religion, became acquainted with Robert Poole, a southern migrant with an already growing discontent of self status. Robert Poole saw a rope of faith hanging from Wallace Fard. He became his best friend and in time Fard taught Poole every detail of his Nation of Islam. Fard even declared himself Allah, or God, and disappeared, leaving Robert Poole with a new name and title that would make him the leader of the religious group. Poole’s new name became Elijah Muhammad, meaning the prophet messenger of Allah. He took the role as leader of what was left of the Nation of Islam and moved the headquarters to Chicago, IL. In Chicago, Muhammad set up Temple No. 2, igniting a spark of religious flame that continues to burn today. The Nation of Islam possesses characteristics like all other religions, holding the faith and continuing to gain support from both old and new Black Muslims (Encyclopedia of African American Culture). Just like every other religion, the Nation of Islam has doctrines. These doctrines were set down and enforced by Muhammad. A great portion of the Doctrines were copied directly from Orthodox Muslim tradition. Practices such as eating only one meal a day, praying five times a day to their sole god Allah, and reading their holy Koran daily are all a part of the Nation of Islam’s rituals. To add to this strict regiment, it was also necessary to separate one’s need for cosmetics, drugs, alcohol, and any other vices created by the white man. This scorn for the white man or â€Å"white devil† as Muhammad would have referred to them, is a profound emotion underlying the basics of his religion. It would be wise to note how much hate is tied to the Nation of Islam. This hate can be used as an avenue of gathering. It gives a nucleus of discussion and reflection that its members can all relate to. The members are found to be highly racist: they believe in a total separatism of all other cultures, specifically Caucasians. Only black men and women are welcomed. The current leader Louis Farrakhan follows Muhammad’s teachings to the word. He believes that Elijah Muhammad was the prophet of Allah and that all of his teachings were the words of Allah (Esquire). Elijah Muhammad held a tight grasp on his followers. He saw that no one in his organization was socially outcast. In fact, the practitioners of his faith were all law-abiding citizens that rid themselves of all debt. This quality was a genuine blessing in the eyes of most African Americans in the late 1900’s. It is highly respectable to not owe money to anyone; it shows a sign of competence in a person’s ability to provide for their family. The ability of Elijah Muhammad to reform broken men and women was an attractive power to a culture in America that had been waiting for an avenue out of the lives they were already stuck in. The separatist attitude of the Nation of Islam is a direct repercussion from the views of racist white supremacy groups. After admitting to yourself that this nation was founded on the ideas of rich white slave holders, you can understand the demeanor that these Black Muslims carry towards the white ace. Instead of fighting the discrimination they were receiving by pacifistic ways they chose instead to fight the social structure head on. Just like the racist groups that were making African Americans’ lives so hard, they too sought segregation. This belief comes from the stories of human history that Muhammad fed his followers. The story tells that in the beginning Allah created the black human race. This â€Å"superior† race of humans held all the power and knowledge to rule the world. Somehow a mad black scientist created the white race, a cruel and deceiving race. They then took the power from the black people by tricky and unjust ways. â€Å"God gave the white race the right to rule for 6,000 years. That rule is terminating†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Muhammad, Elijah). Allah then granted them this power, allowing white men to rule the world for the next 6,000 years. According to the Nation of Islam this power transfer happened about 6,000 years ago. Now that the time had come for Allah to help the black race take back the power they deserved, Muhammad was preparing for war. This belief is where the Nation of Islam’s Muslims and the Orthodox Muslims differ. It also seems to be a magnetic force that ties the followers together with dignity. It would be appealing to anyone to be a part of a master race of humans. It is the same technique that created so many Nazi party followers of Hitler. Muhammad is plainly creating the belief in a hierarchy of races where the black man is on top. This position as ruler is a justifiable desire, especially considering the state of African Americans in America’s social structure halfway through the century. It would be a Godsend to be moved through such ranks of power and it was this miraculous transition of power that appealed to the minority culture. Elijah Muhammad created an avenue for African Americans to redeem themselves from the white prejudice by becoming a more respectable human. Besides Muhammad’s cries for black supremacy and a total separation from the United States, the man actually enhanced the quality of life of his followers (Newsweek). In 1940, Elijah Muhammad was arrested for draft evasion. He ironically pled that his religion kept him from fighting the war. His time spent in jail turned out to be a pivotal point in his ability to hold a tight grip on the faith of his followers. In jail he acquired a number of converts. In the 1940’s prisons were full of convicts that were full of hate for the white man, who had imprisoned them under his white laws. It was simple for Muhammad to turn the anger of these convicts into hope. He filled the men in jail with a pride in their heritage and encouraged them to express their pride to the outside world. His most famous convert was a man named Malcolm X. Beyond Malcolm X there were many other convicts that became peaceful, law abiding citizens. Muhammad took junkies and healed them of their habit. His words gave hope to a community that has been down-trodden since it arrived over 200 years ago. A driving will and determination flowed from him into the characteristics of other Black Muslims. The Black Muslims created an empire that Elijah Muhammad once controlled (Time). The Nation of Islam has grown proportionally well since its origin in the early twentieth century. Today it is led by a man named Louis Farrakhan. â€Å"When he called the African-American community to participate in a â€Å"Million Man March† on Washington, D. C. , 400,000 responded—twice the number who walked with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. Unlike Dr. King, everything Farrakhan said was dedicated to Allah. † (Staff) The numbers of members of the Nation of Islam has not declined, but it is not as powerful of a presence as it used to be when Muhammad was alive. Louis Farrakhan believes that Elijah Muhammad is alive and well on an alien ship that he has said he has visited. It is often noted that the police were threatened by the quality of people that were Black Muslims. They said it made them feel uncomfortable because these citizens were all flawlessly law abiding. They held the highest moral standard and were presentable for any occasion. This power to impress society with your presence was another drawing force for new recruits. It seems that most any person would want to feel valued and respected. The Nation of Islam was offering this in exchange for a complete conformity to their beliefs. The inner social structure of the Nation of Islam was very self aware and efficient. The members all shared a close family bond to one another. This feeling of belonging is a natural human desire. The men and women of the organization were all very welcoming toward any prospective member. An alliance in a world that looks to be out to ruin you is a must. The Nation of Islam attracted idolized men such as Muhammad Ali, a world famous boxing champion. Having professional role models in your religion is a strong reinforcement that you have made the right decision. In life humans look to each other to figure out what they are doing. This ricochet of dependability is one reason why we have clubs and organizations. People get together and look for a common ground on which they can stand. Elijah Muhammad gave African Americans the common platform of racism to stand on. It was easy for them to reach this common ground because this is the same platform that countless white Americans had been espousing from the moment the Africans arrived. Elijah Muhammad had reversed the effects of racism to create a unifying force that struggling black men and women could reach for. He provided an opportunity to take a life that looked meekly respectable and turn it in to a self sufficient unit of hope. He turned prison convicts into upright citizens. Muhammad convinced drug addicts to give up their vices in the name of Allah. He helped people get their finances back on track. In his struggle to create his dream of unified separate black nation, Muhammad had found a way to turn struggling bums into men. Although Elijah Muhammad is dead today, his legacy still continues to thrive under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. It is not an Orthodox Muslim religion but it still values the cleanliness and self improving values of the Muslim faith. The Nation of Islam is actually a sharp mixture of all religions tied together, becoming separate from any of the religions it is based off of. It is fresh starting ground for people who have been looking for a new faith that seems to be headed in their direction. Unlike Christianity, Buddhism, or Mohammedanism, Black Muslims have the belief that they are a special breed of human that is designed to rule the world one day. Once its members are convinced of this prophet it is easily understandable that they would aspire to belong to such an organization. It is empowering to be told that you are a part of the master race and that in a short time you will be in direct contact with your creator, who will show you the one avenue to providence personally. No other mainstream religion preaches a life that is in any way superior to another man’s, they all share a bond of unifying equality. It is easy to see that the so-called equality that the African Americans have been experiencing is not quite equal at all. This gives rise to a desire to be on top, a desire conveniently supplied by Elijah Muhammad. When analyzing the history of religion it is acceptable to view them all as a righteous path to self-improvement. The Nation of Islam contained all the necessary functions to make its members stand out and shine in a society that had constantly dulled the significance of the African American. Among many reasons, the Nation of Islam was a source of hope to struggling men and women with the desire to better their position in life. The Nation of Islam created a system that was bound to be self sufficient. â€Å"Islam holds that all humans are born with a predisposition to Islam; it is part of their innate nature. The human problem is thus the forgetting of one’s inborn tendency to follow Allah†. (Fisher, Paul) This unexplainable phenomena graced the Nation of Islam with a little bit of weight to throw around. It also supplied a strong presence that still impacts the religious decisions of Americans today (Islam). The Nation of Islam was a power because of its numbers. It had the ability to draw crowds and keep them. Something in the message that Elijah Muhammad carried seemed to pull African Americans into his following. He had found what people wanted to hear. He used racism to strike an angry chord of passion in his fellow Black Muslims. This passion gave him the driving power to unify his people and start a religion that cannot be denied credit for its ability to improve life. The basic tenants of this religion are transposable to a correct way of living. All aspects of their life seem to be in control, making it a model religion to follow. It is this control that has made the Nation of Islam flourish. Elijah Muhammad controlled his followers and unified their cries for a better life. The control he kept was valued by onlookers hoping that they could have such control over their own lives. This undercurrent of faith, although marred by racism and separatism beliefs, is powerful enough to continue attracting numbers of followers in the hope to make their lives better.

Detterence

Running Head: Deterrence 1 Deterrence Criminology Shawn Caulder Excelsior College Deterrence 2 Abstract: During the course of study in references for the topic of deterrence I have found a vast amount of information.Most are articles written by different intellectual scholars in the criminal justice field all weighing in on what they believe the theory of â€Å"Deterrence† is and how it relates to the ability to deflect and or inhibit crime during war time, peace time and stately situations. In particular I found one article to be an astounding work done by a man named Stephen Quackenbush with an article titled General Deterrence and International Conflict: Testing Perfect Deterrence Theory (2006). Although this article deals with deterrence theory of international conflict it still involves the basic roots of deterrence.I would like to show that through Mr. Quackenbush’s work one can come very close to a â€Å"Perfect Theory of Deterrence â€Å" by simply following the logic of the article. Deterrence 3 When searching for the topic it was my goal to find the meaning of deterrence and or the application behind the theory. I wanted something with close ties to the relationship of the text we are using in the classroom.The text we are using Vold’s Theoretical Criminology, 6th ed (Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, 2010). I found in the article what I needed to relate different aspects of the text to the fundamentals behind what S. Quackebush (2006) had theorized about the levels behind deterrence. Not only does his research provide information on when and how to implement deterrence it can use simple math to determine the victor in every situation based on fundamentals of push and shove and force on force comparisons.In order to understand what deterrence was I wanted to find a source to provide a little more input than data from the 1800’s, as we have learned from Cesare Bonesana (1738-1794) statement concerning the implementation of ke eping punishments proportional to the seriousness of the crime so that the cost always exceeds the reward (Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, pg. 14). This is all well and good to understand how to set its boundary of punishment to the crime but I needed a better understanding of how it worked and what other factors besides crime helped to determine severity and what types of deterrence we see in our world today.By looking into Quackenbush’s (2006) theory I can gain a better understanding of the levels of deterrence and the players in the game. By understanding it better myself and can readily adapt it better in my of life and have a better understanding of why and how it is used not only on the global level but on every street corner in America. I order to locate the information I was searching for I followed the link provided in module one under the paper one resource provided by the course administrator.After following the link to the Excelsior Library’s resource search pa ge I entered deterrence into the search box and began to look for articles that appealed to me over those that were easier for lack of a better term. Deterrence 4 I did find an article prior to the one by Mr. Quackenbush (2006) but after careful review I found the course required the article to be from 2000 and up. My article was from the 1930’s so that got quickly recycled and I found the article mentioned above.When I have used the library resource in the past I find it is always best to find your specific subject of study go to that portion of the library and search using specific terms within the requirements you have for the research to be done. In this case it was easy I had one word to describe my intent to the search box and in return it pulled up many documents. I knew that since mine needed to be a specific format â€Å"Article† I then eliminated all but the required information such as periodicals and journals. Of course a wide variety of useful and some no t so useful articles, journals and periodicals popped up.I simply perused through them until I found a few that grabbed my attention. I would then open the journal and briefly read through it to see if it contained the content I wanted or was interested in. Once I found the writing that best fit the work I wanted to explore my time was done in the Excelsior Library. While looking through the many choices that were made available to me I quickly looked at content for information that one, intrigued me and two had some rational sense in which I could then understand and use.What is the point of using information that you have no Comprehension of? Once these guidelines were established I look at the list of references and crossed checked these and the original author through the internet to find any additional information that may have been useful to me. The trick to this as well is to find a resource that has the intent of the message being interpreted and received by the viewer. If I am to do a paper on deterrence what benefit would I gain from a paper on crime rates in Kalamazoo, MI? At this point relevance to the meaning of the research is a factor.Another key thing to look for in an article is what amount of evidence is backed up by fact and how much of it is based on opinion or hearsay? Deterrent 5 A good resource needs to be based on as much proven fact and be backed by additional works to allow for the best use of the material in which you are going to use for your paper. Anyone can find a story on their topic but is it a story or is there hard evidence to back it up?I believe my methods of evaluation are probably a bit more stringent than those described in the library resource. I tend to be a stickler for what I want to use for any form of writing in order to try to get my point across as best as possible. The library resources are abundant with useful information though. Do not think I am discrediting then because that would be far from the truth. As a new student when I first started my Undergraduates Degree I used all the resources available to me especially the library.The article I chose to introduce to compliment Chapter two’s lesson on deterrence is an article called General Deterrence and International Conflict: Testing Perfect Deterrence Theory, by Stephen L. Quackenbush (2006). When I first began to read the article it intrigue my because it deals not just with the cause and effect of deterrence but the quantative measure of it as if it is and has always been a scientific fact of life. It begins by stating deterrence is the use of a threat (explicit or not) by one party in attempt to convince another party not to upset the status quo (Quackenbush, S.L. 2006). It breaks it down into two purposes which are direct and extended deterrence. One is immediate and used primarily as a means of prevention or attack on a defender, while the other is meant to deter a general population. Along with this are two types of situa tions that are created by deterrence. The first is immediate and is targeted toward a specific challenger and general which is all encompassing of a group (Quackenbush, S. L. 2006). Deterrent 6Inside these purposes are different categories to describe different events of deterrence to include direct immediate deterrence, direct general deterrence, extended immediate deterrence and extended general deterrence (Quackenbush, S. L. 2006). These are considered different strategies based on your position. In this article the author chose to focus primarily on direct general deterrence to prove his theory of the â€Å"perfect deterrence†. At many times Dr. Quackenbush (2006) speaks in term of deterrence being that of a game. I will describe the way that I understand his game based n the article as it delves deep into mathematical equations that do make sense but are a long way to describe it how I will. As discussed before there are and have to always be two sides when we speak of deterrence. In the case of the article they are known as Challenger and Defender. In this game there are choices to be made and depending on the choice each side makes will determine whether you are the defender or the challenger. Think of it if you will like a national game of chess depending on how you chose to play your piece will either make you the aggressor or leave you making defensive moves to get out of harm’s way.Earlier it was discussed that deterrence is simply used to bring one party back to the status quo or the normal. Being the defender or challenger and based on the decisions you make will put you into one of two places. You will either be the defender, come back to the status quo or you will retaliate (becoming the challenger) and move into conflict and vice versa. Based on this Dr. Quackenbush (2006) has established that no matter where we are even in peace times there will always be a direct general deterrence. The shift from this happens when one side mov es their piece one way or another.The understanding of deterrence in this article is based on a state to state or nation to nation offensive and defensive. We typically are discussing criminal activities of general population during this course but I do have a way to show just how much it looks like the national scale of deterrence within our precincts and our cities. Deterrence 7 One of the ways it can be shown that Dr.Quackenbush’s (2006) Theory of the perfect deterrence being present in our text is to compare just a few similarities in which he based his work on. One of the first few terms that come to mind is deterrence decay and residual deterrence. If compared to the though t of a continual deterrence as suggested by Dr. Quackenbush then you can consider these the effects of a deterrent being put into place. This would happen in three stages the initial deterrent, the deterrent decay and what would be left would be the residual deterrence. By showing that there are dif ferent levels and or stages of deterrence at any given ime then we can validate the Theory of Perfect Deterrence as proposed by Dr. Quackenbush (2006). By knowing the challenger to defender relationship it can compare to local law enforcement against drugs, crime, gangs and the list goes on. At times the law enforcement agencies are the challenger and the criminals are the defender. Those roles do reverse and local authorities have come under attack many times before. By understanding that there is always some type of ongoing deterrence whether perceived or intentional the challenger and or the defender will plan accordingly.The threat of going to jail for a crime is a constant deterrent for most. At times though there are those that weigh the benefit to the loss and chose to defy the deterrent sometimes they get away with it and sometimes they don’t. It is knowing that there is a consequence for your action that keeps most on the straight and narrow. A perceived deterrent wo uld be a shining star in proof of constant deterrence theory. Based on past experiences people will build a perceived notion of punishment for an offense. The deterrent had been initiated long ago yet the residual effect of it remains.Deterrence 8 References: Bernard, Snipes, & Gerould, (2010) Vold's Theoretical Criminology, 6th ed. Oxford University Press INC. New York, NY Quackenbush, S. L. (2006) General Deterrence and International Conflict: Testing Perfect Deterrence Theory: Retrieved from: http://ehis. ebscohost. com. vlib. excelsior. edu/eds/detail? vid=4;hid=5;sid=aa2e740b-17f8-471a-843f-25982123af97%40sessionmgr111;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=a9h;AN=48490499

How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight Essay

Summary How management teams can have a good fight? Everyone has his own answer. Related to O.B., what’s the new answer? In the case study, we discussed about â€Å"the forgotten group member† as group. We talked about â€Å"yes or no†, â€Å"why† and â€Å"how†. Every member can have his own idea, but we must reach an agreement as our group’s conclusion. This process is called â€Å"decision making†. During this process, if all the members’ own ideas are the same, that’s perfect! But most of the time the fact is someone says â€Å"yes†, and someone says â€Å"no†, and when we met the question like â€Å"why† and â€Å"how†, the answers became even more. Then the group meets an issue named â€Å"conflict†.This article, by Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, Jean L. Kahwaly, and L. J. Bourgeios â… ¢, focuses on conflict in the processes of the team decision making. Let’s return to the first questio n that how management teams can have a good fight. The business professors make their research based on observing how the groups managing the interpersonal conflicts. The research about interplay of conflict, polictics, and speed in strategic decision making by top management teams last for 10 years. The objects to be observed are 12 top-management teams in technology-based companies. As shown, in 4 of the 12 companies, there was little or no substantive disagreement over major issues and therefore little conflict to observe. And the other 8 companies experienced considerable conflict. In 4 of the 8 companies, the top-management teams handled conflict in a way that avoided interpersonal hostility or discord. Managers in those companies referred to their colleagues as smart, team player, and best in the business. They described the way they work as a team as open, fun, and productive. The managers vigorously debated the issues, but they wasted little time on politicking and posturing. The other 4 companies in which issues were contested were less successful at avoiding interpersonal conflict. The executives used words such as manipulative, secretive, burned out, and political to describe their colleagues. What made the difference between the 2 types of teams? The authors identify 6 key tactics used by all of the teams that were able to keep interpersonal conflict to a minimum. * Focus on the facts * Multiply the alternatives * Create common goals * Use humor * Balance the power structure * Seek consensus with qualification 1. Focus on the facts It means more information more better. Fact Data Fact Data Guess Opinion Guess Opinion Let’s compare the 2 groups of words: Which do you think is more personal? When we talk about the left group, mostly we summarize it as â€Å"subjective†. The right group is usually summarized as â€Å"objective†. The teams with minimal interpersonal conflicts always work with more, rather than less objective and current information and data, such as reviewed bookings, backlogs, margins, engineering milestones, cash, scrap, and work-in-process every week or every month. Some team even claims to â€Å"measure everything†. Facts encourage people to focus on issues, not personalities and let people move quickly to the central issues surrounding a strategic choice. Building decisions on facts creates a culture that emphasizes issues instead of personalities. Therefore, the debate will be much more constructive. 2. Multiply the alternatives It means more options, more better. Look at the picture, If I ask that what’s this or whether this is the sun or the moon, there are only 2 alternatives. Thus usually we easily fall into the arguments about black and white. Multiple options allow more exploration of the gray areas, and lead to more creative solutions that integrate key points of the various alternatives. Maybe you can say this is a cake, an egg, or anything else. Someone maybe consider that more choices can increase the conflict, but the research shows that multiple alternatives can lower interpersonal conflict. For one, it diffuses conflict. The individuals gain more room to vary the degree of their support over a range of choices. Managers can more easily shift positions without losing face. The team ended up combining elements of several options in a way that was more robust than any of the options were individually. 3. Create common goals It means let’s go there! A third tactic for minimizing destructive conflict involves framing strategic choices as collaborative. The successful groups we studied consistently framed their decisions as collaborations in which it was in everyone’s interest to achieve the best possible solution for the collective. During the process of decision making, when team members are working toward a common goal, they are less likely to see themselves as individual winners and losers and are far more likely to perceive the opinions of others correctly and to learn from them. For example, let’s discuss the first trip for practice. Our common goal is to go to Pattya. Then we discuss how we shall go. Shall we go there by minibus, taxi or airline? But if someone wants to go to Rayong and another wants to go to Huahin, a lot of time will be wasted in the argument. So, the common goals do not imply homogeneous thinking, but they do let everyone share a vision. 4. Use humor It means Inject humor into the decision process. In our class, there is a very cute and funny guy, his name is Pop. Every time when we do the case discussion in-class, every time when Pop raises his hand, what do you guys expect? For me, I am ready to smile or laugh. So what is the influence of laugh? * We will have good mood. * The pressures will be lower. * We can get the information from others more easily than in the stressful situations. According to the research, people in a positive mood tend to be not only more optimistic but also more forgiving of others and creative in seeking solutions. So when our group tries to make a decision, such positive mood will trigger a more accurate perception of others’ argument, because people in a good mood tend to relax their defensive barriers and so can listen more effective. Humor works as defense mechanism to protect people from the stressful and threatening situations that commonly arise in the course of making strategic decisions. 5. Balance the power structure It means (focus on equity) to create a sense of fairness by balancing power with in the management team. Most people will accept decisions they disagree with if they feel the process was fair. In the balanced power structures, the CEO is still more powerful than the other members of the top-management team, but the members do wield substantial power, especially in their own well-defined areas of responsibility. The teams with high interpersonal conflict are mostly found that the leaders are autocratic or weak. 6. Seek consensus with qualification It means give the chance to everyone to bring his idea. In the process of decision making, the teams that managed conflicts effectively all used a two step process that is called consensus with qualification that is when the teams meet an issue, the members will talk over it and try to reach consensus. If they can, the decision is made. If they can’t, the most relevant senior manager makes the decision, guided by input from the rest of the group. Individuals are willing to accept outcomes they dislike if they believe that the process by which those results came about was fair. So how does consensus with qualification create a sense of fairness? Most people just want their opinions to be considered seriously but to prevail. So just encourage everyone to bring ideas to the table. If the members can effectively join the process of decision making, the interpersonal conflict will be minimized. Linking conflict, speed, and performance The healthy conflict can make better decision and make the teams move more quickly as well. Without conflict, groups lose their effectiveness and lower performance. Managers often become withdrawn and only superficially harmonious. So let’s return to the first question that †how management teams can have a good fight?† The key to doing so is to mitigate interpersonal conflict. Well, how teams argue but still get along? That’s the content of this presentation. Tactic| Strategy| 1.Base discussion on current, factual information| Focus on issues, not personalities| 2.Develop multiple alternatives to enrich the debate| | 3.Rally around goals| Frame decisions as collaborations aimed at achieving the best possible solution for the company| 4.Inject humor into the decision-making process| | 5.Maintain balanced power structure| Establish a sense of fairness and equity in the process| 6.Resolve issues without forcing consensus| | Critique Overall evaluation This is an article with clear thinking. The authors got their conclusion through long time research based on objective observe and numerous data, which is the way that analyzing the problem and exploring the root of the problem. How management teams can have a good fight? Effective decision making, implement it positively How to deal with the conflict during the decision making process? Manage interpersonal conflict effectively How to manage interpersonal conflict effectively? 6 tactics— Focus on the facts Multiply the alternatives Create common goals Use humor Balance the power structure Seek consensus with qualification The 6 tactics that the authors summarized are very direct and crucial. They seize the key of the problem-solving. During the process of discussing each tactic, they demonstrate the point by real case and data which are very convincing. In the last part of the article, the authors link conflict, speed, and performance to form a path of solving problem, the title of the article is got the answer. After reading this article, my gain involves 3 aspects as following: First, the article answered the question about how to manage the conflicts during the process of group’s decision making. During the decision making process by groups, it’s normal and natural that the group encountered disagreements and conflicts. The critical thing of decision making by groups is to managing the conflicts. After reading the article, I have got the clear answer to solve the problem. Second, â€Å"how management teams can have a good fight† is a complicate subject. However the authors analyzed the issue and finally focused on a small and crucial topic to solve the problem. Understand such professional ways to analyze problem is very useful for me. It inspires me that â€Å"questioned—explore the root of the question—research—analyze—generalize and related to the major subject†. Finally, the method used by the authors that gathering data and analyzing with the objective facts are very objective and scientific. It’s also very valuable for me. Weakness When I finished the article reading, I have a question, maybe I shouldn’t not describe it as weakness. Among the 12 management teams in technology-based companies which the authors observed and researched, 8 companies that experienced considerable conflicts, which is the main data source for research. For the other 4 companies, because there was little or no substantive disagreement over major issues and therefore were not discussed. In my opinion, if the major goal of the research is only to discussing the conflict from decision making by groups, then there are no problem that the authors did not discuss the case of these 4 companies, because the case have no value for the research. But, the authors are trying to discuss how management teams can have a good fight. And actually the case of these 4 companies also occupies one-third of the feedback data. It exists there indeed. However it was not mentioned by the authors in the article. I am curious about the case that there was little or no substantive disagreement over major issues, why the disagreement is so little? What situation will it lead to? Will it also make the organization to have a good performance and get a good fight? If the authors had talked about this, we would get clearer idea.