The countries with small prison Essay

                 Small prison populations in a country may mean that the government is soft on crime since prisons were designed to hold the law breakers who have been convicted. On the other hand, it may mean that the government and the citizens of a country are doing enough on rehabilitation, training and control of the law breakers to avoid being found on the wrong side of the law (Foucault, 1977). Today, incarceration is considered to be the harshest sanction one can get for any criminal offence. Therefore, doing away with the shame and all the pain and suffering that one undergoes when imprisoned can be a better option to any government and its citizens. This paper focuses on how the small prison populations have been achieved in some countries, and answers the question of, why certain countries are considered soft on crime and others tough on crime.                  The countries like Sweden, which experience small prison population, have a humane way of sentencing law breakers. In in which the jail terms are always less than ten years. Even for the most serious law breakers, as opposed to other countries where the offenders of the law are given a jail term of not less than thirty to forty years behind bars. In real sense, this appears to be like life time imprisonment (Siegel, 2000). Taking into consideration, the life expectancies in various countries in the world. More so, the third world countries. Gendreau et al. (1999) states that the principle rationale for the compulsory minimums, creates a belief that, the duration of time spent in prison will always act as a deterrent to the future breaking of the law. The term spent in custody is believed to have effects in the victims behavioral characteristics such as suppressing criminals behavior due to unpleasantness in the life behind bars and negative social stigma associated with imprisonment this greatly reduce recidivism upon release. The time in prison is viewed as potential â€Å"psychological deep freezers†, in the sense that most of those  caught on the wrong side of the law do enter the prison with a set of antisocial behaviors and attitudes which are never changed during their times behind the bars, this greatly prevents interaction between the inmates which may lead to sharing of the ideas in perfecting their skills as they learn of the new ways of conducting their crimes through the other inmates. Thus the humanity in such countries has greatly helped reduce the crowding in the prisons giving adequate space for the incoming prisoners to get rooms in various prisons available in the various parts of such countries thus decrease in the prisoners populations.                Studies that have been conducted from 1958, involving approximately 336 000 law breakers have shown that there exists a correlation between recidivism and the length of time in prisons, and also the life as under incarceration and receiving the community based sanctions. The conclusions that were derived from such studies were prisons ought not to be used with the expectation of rectifying the behaviors of those who break the law, instead of subjecting those who break the law community based sanctions have proved to be the best teacher of the accepted behavior and norms with those around the victims and the communities at large. The excessive use of imprisonment too proved to have various cost implications, since when under custody the prisoners do meet various personalities and characters who introduce them to very immoral behaviors like homosexuality and lesbianism, the innocent prisoners are always raped, beaten and harassed and even forced to dance nude b efore other inmates. Such behaviors calls upon the prison officials to put in place repeated, comprehensive assessment of the law breakers attitudes, values, morals and behaviors while still under custody. Thus the offenders with the higher risk nature should be given reasonable periods in prison and subjected to adequate retribution.                Such countries too allow those who are under life incarceration to appeal to the courts after a given period, usually after ten to fifteen years, of time to be given a fixed term under  custody, the allowed time for any revised term always ranges between eighteen to twenty five years. The commuting of fixed terms do greatly reduce the number of those in custody, since most of those who do go for revision of their terms behind bars always succeed in overturning the previous rulings and emerge victorious in the sense of having a freedom one day after completing their terms behind bars. In United States of America, California State leads as the most propound with one of the toughest, broadest and most rigorously applied minimum policies, which are generally known as â€Å"the three strikes and out† law (D’Alession & Stolzenberg, 1997). The state has put in place a mandatory twenty five years to life for a third crime case and there is no distinct ion among the types of felonies at this stage (Bellisle, 1999).               Various countries have introduced the use of methods like electronic tagging, which is a cost effective, robust and reliable method of controlling monitoring and rectifying the behaviors of the law breakers. It has become one of the most effective means to resettle the custodians back into the society of the convicts and also using the community. Putting the tags provides a very effective way to keep on track the offender curfews, the equipment too consist of a monitoring unit which is based on radio frequency technology and its use is throughout the criminal system and as an important part of bail conditions too. The tag can be placed on the prisoner’s ankle and the monitoring unit situated in the home or other pace of curfew. The tag and the monitoring unit work together in which the tag acts as the transmitter which sends signals to the monitoring unit, which in turn sends signals to the control center. The tag and the monitoring unit are always unde r a twenty four hour monitor, thus an immediate response is always received for any kind of violation, bringing in time proof as one of its qualities thus maximum reliability. This technology when installed under a supervision requirement, greatly contribute to reduction in offending.                  Giving reassurance to the society that the behavior of the law breakers are on check.               Life behind bars without the hope of parole gives no chance for fulfillment outside the walls of prison, no chance to reconcile with the society, no hope (American Society Of Criminology, 1970). Maturity, at times do lead to the considered reflection which is the foundation of remorse, rehabilitation and renewal. Teenagers living their lives knowing that they have no chance of leaving prison until death, has very minimal incentive of becoming a responsible person. A country like The United States of America imposed sentence of life without a parole on the youths, the was achieved in the U.S by slowly and steadily doing away with the founding principles of the justice of the juvenile systems. Thus this day, a record number of various citizens in the U.S are living their youth, juvenile life without parole (JLWOP), without the fear of being sentenced for crimes committed before being eighteen years of age (Nellis, 2012). Increasing the age of those who can be se ntenced to life imprisonment to a reasonable age, for example eighteen to twenty one years, gives one the experience of life, making one more wiser and sound in both his or her reasoning and thinking capacities. This makes sure that as few childish law breakers as possible end up behind bars.               Post prison support, where the government take the initiative of teaching, guiding and supervising those on probation. This is done through free treatment programs, forums and organizing rallies to campaign against breaking the law, where the culprits are made to be fully involved after making vows never to be part of law breakers ever again. These services are always assisted by volunteers who are citizens of these countries, the volunteers always find ways to befriend the victims thus enabling them to become closer to these people making it much easier for them to interact while share ideas and opinions about where the victims do go wrong bringing some sense into the victims on probation. Mostly, the offenders are always jailed for either violence or on issues related to drugs, in such situations people who were once addicted but have found a way out of the bondage are used to help create a mentality that nothing is impossible and the victims too can also ch ange and make something better out of their lives rather than being caught on the wrong side of the law (Hall, 1982).               In most countries, the small prison population can be due to the prison break, which is the act of a prisoner escaping or  leaving  the prison through unaccepted ways. Escaping prison is regarded as a criminal offence in most countries. Therefore, when an escape occurs, efforts are always made by those in charge of the prison to recapture and bring them back. Such an offence, is always punished by additional jail terms and increased security. Other factors which include whether or not violence was involved during the escape. This is always done to discourage the other inmates from attempting to escape too. However, not all those who escape from prison are always recaptured. This too is a factor which have contributed to the reduction in population in most prisons. Example of such attempts which succeeded include, the 17th century escape of the Dutch author, Hugo Grotius, who escaped from Loevestein where he was being held captive. He managed to go through the security checks by getting into a book coffin and was then smuggled outside. In 1915 the German Naval Air Service Kapitanleutnant, known as Gunther Pluschow, escaped broke from Downingtown Hall prisoner of War camp (Sutherland & Cressey, 1974). From Texas Death Row in 1998, Martin Gurule escaped and he was found dead few days after (Siegel, 2000). Such incidents have greatly contributed to the small prison population in various countries across the world.                In some countries, prisoners are treated like other normal persons, with responsibility and trust. Instead of making them to spend time behind bars, they are given duties within the prisons and mandates to explore their talents and areas of profession. Such prisoners, though under custody becomes very important elements in the society. They always involve themselves in productivity of the nation. They learn new skills which do help them once they are out of prison. Once such skills are acquired, some of the prisoner always involve themselves too much into the new skills they acquire. Such serious involvements help the detainees to rehabilitate and start acting in manners which are always accepted in the community. This too gives the government and other volunteers who are always willing to help those on probation, easy time when dealing with such people when they finally come out of jail. They become good ambassadors, some of them join the volunteers as activ ists against being found on the wrong side of the law. Some, with their newly acquired skills always involved themselves in activities which are productive in the society such as the non-formal education e.g. tailoring, shop keeping etc., skill building programs which involves the motivational talks and subjection to training and control. Such like activities, which they do learn when behind bars while interacting with their fellow inmates. They turn up to be very important parts of the society. And also they are always accepted by most people, because of the important contributions that they make towards the well-being of those around them and the country. Through such activities, other members of the society who in one way or the other, may be found on the wrong side of the law do try as much as they can to try as much to live like those on probation whom they interact with in their day today life (Conclin, 1981).                The other factor which have greatly contributed to small population in prisons, is corruption. Research has shown that the corruption in most prisons, are more widespread and deeply rooted as ever before. The Transparency International United Kingdom (TI-UK) even the conclusions made, do underestimate the true extent of corruption in prisons. This is because they omit three major factors. These factors include, the risks of the officers who are not in the prison  staff being widely involved in corruption. The other factor is, the impact that the organized crime within the prison population has and the symbiosis relationship between the management performance and the corruption. The research shows that the main problem within the services offered in various prisons is smuggling of the illegal materials within the prison walls, these include, drugs and mobile phones. Siegel (2000) states that, the act smuggling not only involve the non-prison staffs but also the prison officers. The prison officers even involve themselves in unwanted relationships with those who have been incarcerated. This close relationship makes it easier for the prisoners to manipulate the officers’ mind and find ways to escape. Escape of prisoners who are in a relationship is always easier because they can be given the uniforms by the officers. Through this the populations are greatly reduced in such prisons. Such corrupt officers do accept bribes from the prisoners so as to help them escape out of the prison.               In countries like the United States of America where there is the highest number of prisoners, approximately 1.7 million. Research show that early 1990s, when the imprisonment rate was half of the present figures. A federal court order was released to reduce overcrowding. This left various states with only two choices, the first one was to put fewer law breakers in custody and secondly, to construct more prisons. In the State of Louisiana, they managed to achieve only the first option which was to lock up fewer people, this was due to lack of funds. But, they were determined to put every law breaker behind bars. The sheriffs had to find ways of footing the funds for construction of the new prisons. And after a few years, there were prisons in most parts of the state. To the sheriffs having people behind bars is like a business with opportunity to develop his law enforcement arm. The sheriffs do buy new squad cars, guns and laptops. These improvements in the ar ms made by the sheriffs, help improve and monitor the arms with ease. This help ensuring that there is very minimum crime cases in the arms headed by any sheriffs. Due to the increased rooms and bed spaces, with arms too for sheriffs to take charge, there is always competition among the sheriffs. This creates a healthy completion where no sheriff will want to be left out.             The high prison population, can also be due to high number of laws set by the government to individuals to tame those with unwanted behaviors in the society. The many laws that are always put in place are there to guide, train and control the citizens to act according to the countries orders. Those found on the wrong side are always put under the police custody for some period of time before being tried to court to be found guilty or not. This is done for every slightest mistake, because when left unpunished, such people always turns out to be criminals charged with very massive offences. To prevent these the government always resolve for the best option of holding the law breakers captives until they are fully rehabilitated. This has proved to be best method to tame the unruly citizens. Since, some of the citizens who always break the law are always afraid to be imprisoned. However, other unruly citizens in these countries which experience high number of populati on in their prisons do get into trouble because of the kind of treatment then get when locked under bars (Grapes, 2000). Not all citizens of a country lives a good state at their homes. Some are dwelling in absolute poverty. To avoid the stress of thinking what to wear and food to eat, they always resolve to get into trouble. Such people when under the custody of the police, they always sure that at the end of the day they’ll be having the basic needs that are unaffordable when they are at their homes (Sutherland & Cressey, 1974). This is due to the good treatment in most of the prisons in the developed countries, where the prisoners’ rooms are always fitted with luxurious equipment like television, internet enabled computers, washrooms etc. For the street urchins who are tired of sleeping in the cold, they always resolve to committing crimes which do land them in such luxurious prisons to eliminate the problems that they do have in life. Conclusion                   The evidence is overwhelming: small prison population does not mean that a country is soft on crime. Through rehabilitation, even the most stubborn criminal can turn out to be the best activist against crime. The life behind bars too can transform any person no matter how rotten the morals of the person is. Increase of the age for those who can be sentenced for life to a reasonable age too is an important contributing factor for the small prison population in these countries. These countries too may be acting soft on criminals in that in most cases the criminals who are kept in custody always find ways to escape. Corruption is also found to be one of the factors that majorly contribute to both low and high prison population in these prisons. On the other hand, those countries with a high prison population is found to have many laws. These laws are found to be the greatest contributor to the large numbers behind bars. References Siegel, L. J. (2000).  Criminology. Belmont, California-U.S.A: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. American society of criminology. (1970).  Criminology. Columbus, OH [etc.: American Society of Criminology [etc. Sutherland, E. H., and Cressey, D. R. (1974). Criminology. Philadelphia-U.S.A: Lippincott Nellis, A. (2012). The Life of Juvenile Lifers. Washington, D.C-U.S.A: DeSales St. Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. New York: Pantheon Books. Gendreau, P., GOGGIN, C., LITTLE, T., AND CANADA. (1996).  Predicting adult offender recidivism: What works! Ottawa- Canada: Solicitor General Canada. Grapes, B. J. (2000).  Prisons. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press. Canadian criminal justice association. (2003).  Canadian journal of criminology and criminal justice Revue canadienne de criminologie et justice peÃŒ nale. Ottawa, Canadian Criminal Justice Association. http://www.metapress.com/content/1911-0219/. Hall williams, J. E. (1982).  Criminology and criminal justice. London, Butterworths. Source document

Abortion: How Do Philippines Deals with This Issues Essay

Sencia was a hilot (local midwife) outside of Cebu City, Philippines until 4 months ago. After performing a â€Å"massage† on a pregnant woman in her village, causing her to miscarry her baby, she was put in jail. She wasn’t jailed for malpractice; she was convicted of inducing an abortion. The formerly pregnant woman was also imprisoned. Predominantly Catholic, the Philippine Islands have banned all abortion, except that which saves the life of the mother. Yet there are an average of 470,000 abortions induced annually. Filipinas do not have the same socio-political climate as we do in the United States. There is no taxi service to public abortion clinics, judicial waivers, or counseling sessions. If you are caught having an abortion in the Philippines, it’s against the law and you are thrown in jail – plain and simple. See more:  The 3 Types of Satire Essay Of the women who are successful in inducing their own abortions, many go to great – and often grotesque – lengths to achieve their goal. Most of them take some form of anti-clotting or aspirin-related drugs, to induce bleeding. Some drink incredible quantities of alcohol. When all else fails, they throw themselves down flights of stairs or beat on their stomachs, with the â€Å"help† of a local midwife†¦ others self-catheter their vaginas. All of these violent practices greatly endanger the mother as well; it’s shocking that a woman would harm herself like that for an abortion. I’m not detailing this because I think pregnant Filipinas should have it cushy like we do in the States. No way! I believe just the opposite: The Unites States needs to outlaw abortion, now. I’m amazed at how desperate we are, as a civilization, to kill unborn babies and end inconvenient pregnancies. It is stunning that the world feels so entitled to its desires and personal gain that we have huge social movements trying to protect murder on demand. Think hard about that. Murder on demand – on a worldwide scale. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art52823.asp

Research Paper and Argument Topics

1 The University Writing Center â€Å"Because writers need readers† Research Paper and Argument Topics Race and Ethnicity Gender and Sexuality Multiculturalism and Diversity Advertising and Marketing Economic Issues Environmental Issues Media Issues Consumerism and Convenience Culture TV and Film Sports and Entertainment Race and Ethnicity †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should racial profiling be a legitimate law enforcement policy in some areas? Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued?Should the primary method of public school funding (property taxes in individual school districts) be amended to create more fairness in schools? If a university offers â€Å"African-American Studies† or â€Å"Black Studies† as courses, should it also offer â€Å"European-American Studies† or â€Å"White Studies†? How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stere otypes? Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative perspectives on historical events? What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals? Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans?Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses? If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected? Should government organizations have staff that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society? Criminal Justice Religion The Political Process Education National/International Policies UCF Issues Civil Liberties Counter-Culture Issues Youth Issues Local Area Issues Gender and Sexuality †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What should be done to eliminate salary disparities between men and women?What should be done to create equity in executive positio ns for women in particular corporations and industries? Should women be allowed in military combat? To what extent? Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways? Should insurance companies that cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women? Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for primetime television? In what ways does gender play a role in student success and teacher attention in the classroom? Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 ttp://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 2 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks? Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions? How does pornography differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal while the other is not? Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Florida? Should homosexual couples in Florida be legally allowed to adopt? Multiculturalism and Diversity †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should English be made the official language of the United States?Should ESL students be taught content courses in their native language? Should high school history classes and social studies curricula be changed to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives? Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective? Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays? Should the United States have a more stringent or more relaxed immigration policy? Advertising and Marketing †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How do certain kinds of advertising perpetuate gender, racial, or religious stereotypes?How do certain kinds of advertising make claims of patriotic values? How do mass marketing and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fields? Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways? How does advertising treat convenience as necessity? Are certain kinds of advertising unethical? Should product placement in television, film, and other media be controlled? Should product advertising and selling be permitted in public schools? Should communities retain the naming rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should businesses be allowed to purchase these rights?Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility to provide healthy, realistic physical role models for young women? Is the use of sexual imagery in ad campaigns unethical? Should tobacco and liquor advertising be allowed on television? Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned? Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered child-friendly? Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions (after primetime, with responsible drinking messages in some ads, etc. )? Economic Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the local sales tax be increased/decreased?Should â€Å"sin taxes† on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care? Should Florida increase the use of toll roads to pay for local road improvements? Do local power and utility companies operate as monopolies? Should purchases made over the Internet be taxable? Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement funds were invested in the stock of companies that may have used unethical accounting practices (i. e. , Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc. )? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. eduW:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 3 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Argue for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock. Argue for or against a controversial trade tariff or tax. Many stock analysts describe the nature of today's stock market as completely different from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago. Argue for or against this assertion. Does America have a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries' industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?Argue for or against Federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low. Large corporations such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble have been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the nature of supply and demand? A few years ago, the U. S. Mint issued a new form of dollar coin. Argue for or against the continued use of this new currency. Should the United Kingdom join other E. U. countries in converting its currency to Euros?Environmental Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should national environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources or developing renewable energy sources? Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants? How does overseas oil dependency influence our economy and/or international policies? Should genetically engineered food be labeled differently? How do city zoning laws and ordinances affect development and conservation? Which civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation rather than new land development? Should recycling be mandatory? How should recycling efforts be funded?Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger? Should fines and penalties for corporate pollution be more punitive? Should the fuel efficiency of SUVs a nd pick-up trucks be raised? Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles? Should the designations of endangered and threatened species be changed? Should loss of economic/industrial benefits be considered when land is preserved for endangered species? Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution? Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of science curricula in public schools?Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations? Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a specific industry (e. g. , clear-cutting for raising cattle vs. tropical rain forest protection). Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe. Media Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast? What ethica l considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news channel?How and why do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 4 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information? How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered? How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radio and TV content? Do cable companies represent a monopoly?Should more customer options be available with cable television? Should cable services be offered on an a la carte system (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)? Should a stricter rating system be im posed upon television programming? Should tabloid television be scheduled only for late night time slots? Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions? Consider media influence on national political campaigns fifty or a hundred years ago in comparison with such influence today. Should new regulations be imposed to make current campaign coverage more equitable?Should music-sharing programs that facilitate piracy on the Internet be outlawed? Should websites that allow the free download of bootlegged movies be shut down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or video clips from their media? Consumerism and Convenience Culture †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the official work week be shortened/extended? How is shopping an American cultural value? Which American or cultural values does the mall represent? How does the concept of consumer credit influence our econom y?How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death? How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day influenced by consumer culture? What role does product packaging play in consumerism? What role does the national debt play in consumers’ spending awareness? Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation. TV and Film †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should televised sexual and violent content be censored by the government?Are mandatory ratings a form of censorship? Is there a gender-based double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television? Which values do â€Å"reality television† shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing? What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern Americ an culture? To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities? Which values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program? What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits?How has it changed our view of information? How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling? How has the television as an invention changed American household and family life? Why are the TV and film industries considered so hard to break into? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 5 †¢ †¢ †¢ Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit â€Å"A Film By [director's name]† to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justified request? Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the director? Sports and Entertainment †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively affected professional sports? Should professional tennis players only be able to use personalized/custom-made rackets?In World Cup soccer matches that end in ties, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner? Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB establish a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong teams from lesser leagues with promotion, while relegating poor teams to a lower division? What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport? Do celebrity athletes bear any responsibility for being role models for children? Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames (like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive? To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their relationship to academics? Should college athletes be paid to play? Does Title IX actually promote gender equality in college sports? Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised or more rigidly enforced? How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?Should certain kinds of performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball? Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equi valent (NFL, NHL)? How have the four major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse? How have ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years? Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?Criminal Justice †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the criminal sentencing process be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences? Which changes should be implemented to prevent prison rape? How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America? Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time? Are state-mandated â€Å"three-strikes† policies unfair? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit Ra cksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, should there be a lower age limit to this policy? Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair? What kinds of rights should criminals have? Which conditions of incarceration are fair? Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual? Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities? Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person? Should prison be punitive or rehabilitative in nature?Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissible in court, should controversial closed cases be re-opened? If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the fami lies of the wrongfully accused? Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made? Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason? Is society's obligation to simply remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both?Considering this, what is the purpose of the death penalty in America today? Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search warrant be changed? If an officer finds something that s/he was not looking for (e. g. , narcotics in an automobile that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldn't the officer have the right to take the accused into custody? Consider the issue of â€Å"reasonable suspicion† in your discussion. Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent? Many consider today's justice system to be too slow.What improvements could be made to e xpedite the system without sacrificing due process? Some states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties. Define â€Å"terrorist. † Under what circumstances, if any, is â€Å"terrorism† acceptable? Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court? When tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States? Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Religion †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What, if anything, should constitute acceptable â€Å"prayer† or moments of silence in public schools? Should religious schools be required to teach health/sexual education from a non-religious perspective? Should religious phrases be removed from American money? Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy? Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human origin? Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy (food, shelter, etc. )?Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 7 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion – that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place? How has the role of the Catholic Church been affected by the recent accusations of sexual abuse by pri ests?Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes. Are public school winter holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy. On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this follow the separation of church and state? Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays? The Political Process †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the Electoral College be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?Do alternative political parties in America receive fair treatment during elections? Should third party candidates be allowed to participate in national debates? How do the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks? Should the campaign f inancing system be reformed? Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? What is the relationship between personal campaign finance and free speech? Should terms of senators and congressmen be further limited?Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry? Examine the historical reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats. Should a particular Congressional District be reallocated? Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic process more efficient. Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Does this process work as it was originally intended? Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last fifty years? Cite specific examples in your argument.How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process? How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing? Education †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Is standardized state or national testing (such as the FCAT or SAT) helping or hurting American schools? Is the current system of public school funding (primarily through property taxes) unfair? Does it contribute to inequality in the public school system? Should tracking be used in determining courses for public school children? Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?Should the system of busing students to school be amended? Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal? Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools? How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue? Consider the needs of a teacher's salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation. Do teachers in classrooms of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. ah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 8 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools? Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education. Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education.Research several perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint. How necessary are the arts in the public school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district. National/International Policy †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ In which situations, hyp othetical or actual, is U. S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In which situations is it not? Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties? What policy should the American government have towards international political crises? To the Middle East?To Israel? To Tibet? What should our policy be towards trade with China? Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states? Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America? What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto? Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world? Consider the CIA's pre-September 11th policy of non-assassination and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by att acking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism? Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteria used in making this judgment. Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas? UCF Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What is the best solution to the parking issues on the UCF campus? Should the GEP (General Education Program) be changed? What courses should be added or dropped?Should the composition program at UCF be changed? How? Should the course be worth a different number of credits? Is the concept of UCF as a â€Å"metropolitan university† a good idea for the future of the school? Should Greek Park expansion take place, even if it means developing environmentally delicate areas? Is corporate funding of university research a good idea? Should public universities have the right to sell the names of campus buildings to corporations? Argue for or against the UCF football program joining the MAC. Should UCF fund the men's basketball team more heavily?Should UCF devise a different scheduling method for classes held in modules and portable trailers? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 9 †¢ †¢ †¢ Should the â€Å"tradition† of not stepping on the Pegasus symbol in the Student Union be reevaluated? Argue for or against more university funding for student services such as the Student Academic Resource Center and the University Writing Center. What purpose does the campus newspaper serve, and how well does it achieve its purpose?Civil Liberties †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content? Should legal hemp produ ction be reassessed by the Florida legislature? Under which conditions (if any) should medical marijuana use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use? Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of national safety? Should prison sentences for non-violent â€Å"victimless† crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?Is there such a thing as a â€Å"victimless crime†? What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy. What rights do people lose when on public school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid? Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (18) and the legal-drinking age (21). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison. Counter-Culture Issues †¢ â₠¬ ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse? Should rave clubs have limits on their operating hours? Why have recent raves been shut down in the Orlando area? Was this action justified? Do owners of raves have a right to operate a business that can be potentially harmful to youth? Youth Issues †¢ Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard? †¢ Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified? †¢ Should computer skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?Local Area Issues †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ What kind of public transportation system would be best for Orlando? Would light or high speed rail best serve the interests of Orlando residents? Should local zoning restrictions be changed to encourage community development? How do current zoning restrictions limit or control growth? Should police patrol the University Drive area more stringently? Should regular speed traps be a part of this patrol? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14 0 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ How does traffic light timing influence traffic in the UCF area? Should traffic light patterns be recalibrated to help reduce congestion? Should Alafaya Trail be expanded to four lanes from McCollough Road through Oviedo? Should off-campus UCF housing be restricted because of conflicts with local neighborhoods? Are the policies of local apartment complexes fair? How should they be changed? Should new development in the Orlando area face more stringent environmental considerations? Should carpool restriction s be placed on certain Orlando highways for certain times of the day?Should Orlando campaign for a professional baseball team? A professional football team? Would having a professional basketball team contribute to the prestige of the city? How does tourism in Central Florida affect local communities? Should legalized gambling in the form of casinos be considered as an economic boost to this area? Should dancers be allowed to perform nude in local establishments? UWC at UCF (407) 823-2197 http://uwc. cah. ucf. edu W:UWC ArchiveUWC BackupUWCHANDOUTSPublic HandoutsLit Not on Lit RacksResearch Paper and Argument Topics NEW. docx Jun-14

Financial Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Management - Case Study Example sed figures of the budget surplus, given that the revenues collections from inspections would go up by 15% more as compared to the paltry 15% initially. With revenue collections going up, the personnel may be overwhelmed; therefore, there will be the need for DMV to be tougher in their standards to minimize pilferage of the revenue which would ultimately translate into huge profits at the end of the financial year. This policy is quite good for the company since it increases the value, which would translate well to the shareholders in terms of profits and the dividends issued. On the contrary, this policy may leave the employees dissatisfied if it is not accompanied with the due welfare package. This is because the policy will be more tougher on the employees as opposed to the procedure they are used to; hence, they would take quite some time to adjust. 4. Suppose DMV has a choice of when to implement the new supposedly efficient and effective system, it would result in several impacts depending on the scenario. If they are implemented at the beginning of the year, the finances of the company would drastically rise since the new system through its capture measures will be in the position of ensuring that there is no license that goes non-captured and that all the collections are made and reported. The costs resulting from such operations will be reported and then worked on appropriately, i.e. not excessively. On the other hand, if the new licenses are not implemented at all, we will only remain with the old systems as the only option. The costs incurred would still be inflated cutting into the profits of the company, hence lowering the surplus. The assumption that the number of licenses issued any month is constant is grossly unrealistic because the results of efficiency will ultimately lead to a rise in the number of the issues. 5. The changes that I may suggest for DMV regarding their operating budgets will concern commitment, allocations and time-to-time

Prophecy in the Abrahamic faiths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Prophecy in the Abrahamic faiths - Essay Example In Judaism, male prophets including Hosea, Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and female prophets like Huldah and Miriam are considered the â€Å"mouthpieces† of God, Moses being the greatest of these prophets (Swidler, Duran, and Firestone 2007, p. 39). In Christianity as well, Jesus and the other prophets, including Moses are considered as God’s â€Å"spokespersons† (Swidler, Duran, and Firestone 2007, p. 39). Some others such as those mentioned in early Christian writings are also considered prophets. Islam also believes in the authenticity of the Jewish and Christian prophets, apart from the belief in the prophethood of Muhammad. The similarities among the prophets of the Abrahamic faiths are mostly in terms of their teachings, i.e. they preached monotheism, the oneness of God. They denounced idol worship and belief in false gods. They brought in social order to their nation and worked towards delivering the people from oppression and misery. They served as guides, fore tellers, and warners against sins. The prophets of the Abrahamic faiths also gave the holy scriptures to their people. All these holy books were a result of divine inspiration. All the prophets taught the concept of good and evil, life in the hereafter, heaven and hell, the Day of Judgment, angels, Satan, etc. All the prophets trace back their lineage to Prophet Abraham. 11 Differences between Prophets of the Abrahamic Faiths 11 Jews do not believe in the prophethood of Jesus and Muhammad (Honda, Alderman and Korneliussen n.d). In Christianity, Moses is believed to be a prophet, yet Muhammad is not considered to be a prophet. In Islam, however, both Moses and Jesus are revered as prophets. However, one difference in the Muslim and the Christian belief is that while the Christians believe Jesus to be more than a prophet, the Muslims view him only as a prophet. They do not believe him to be the son of God, unlike the Christians. Moreover, while Christians associate divinity with Jesus , Muslims believe that he was able to perform miracles only by the will and permission of God. Furthermore, unlike the Christian belief, the Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified (Honda, Alderman and Korneliussen n.d). As Nasr explains, the Quran does not accept the crucifixion of Jesus, but rather mentions that Jesus was taken to heaven (4:157-58 cited in Phipps 1999). The Muslim belief about Prophet Adam is also different from the Christian and Jewish belief. According to Islam, although Adam was considered to have sinned upon eating the forbidden fruit, humankind is not responsible and the concept of original sin is denounced in Islam (Schirrmacher n.d.). However, according to the biblical version, Adam transgressed the commandment of God by eating the forbidden fruit, and so brought death and sin to the entire human race, the reconciliation of which is possible only through the death of Jesus (Schirrmacher n.d.). 12 The main difference between Jesus and Moses, as per C hristian belief, is the divinity they associate with Jesus (Carmody and Carmody 1996). As per Christian faith, although Moses is a â€Å"great religious hero† and the â€Å"medium of God’s amazing grant of the covenant†, Jesus was more than that (Carmody and Carmody 1996, p. 187). According to them, Jesus sacrificed himself for humankind, â€Å"fashioned a new covenant†

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Marketing - Research Paper Example Our products taste just as good as regular bakery items, if not more, and one can hardly depict that one is consuming a low-fat or fat-free item. We keep the two ranges of products as well as bakery items, namely the low-fat and fat-free separate to cater for the interests of customers with different levels of commitment to the lean-body lifestyle. Our Mission Statement To provide our consumers devastated by obesity and its negative impacts on their life with healthy alternative options of both ingredients and ready-made bakery items to help them keep and look healthy without having to compromise upon the taste and quality of the food they eat. Our Vision Statement To be a pioneer in the spread of lean-body lifestyle culture to have a positive influence on the society and fulfill our corporate social responsibility by providing our customers with healthy alternatives to the high-fat food to eradicate obesity from the society, improve the health and safety of our customers and their q uality of life as a whole. Our Principles and Values We Consider Our Customers’ Needs Superior to Ours’ We have a very good reputation of excellent customer service. From time to time, our company has been adopting measures and implementing strategies to provide our customers with more comfort and convenience. Recently, we have started the home-delivery service within a radius of 5 miles from any branch that we have in any city, considering the fact that we normally open our shops approximately at a distance of 10 miles maximum from each other. Our products and services are just a call away from our customers. Achievement of the customers’ satisfaction is our prime goal, and we go to any length to achieve this. We Appreciate Diversity Considering the fact that we make part of and operate in a society which is multicultural, we appreciate diversity at all levels. This can be assessed from the fact that we have two basic lines of products, one of which is Halal an d the other one is General. Moreover, our workforce is diverse. We have employees from different cultures, nationalities, regions, and religions which not only helps us understand the individualistic and collective needs of a wider population of customers, but also provides us with a way to diversify in different ways. We Value Innovation Our research and development (R&D) department works in close collaboration with universities to come up with new tastes, techniques, and products. This helps us involve in a mutually beneficial relationship with the students wherein they find a setup and equipment to conduct the experiments, and we benefit from the results they produce to take our company to the next level. We had initially started our business with making just low-fat ingredients. Over the time, we opened two distinct lines of products i.e. low-fat and fat-free, and recruited expert chefs to use our ingredients to make bakery items for our customers that they can consume without w orrying about their looks, weight, and calorie-count in their diet. We Work With Integrity We have earned fame in the market for doing our business with utmost integrity, dignity, and pride. We appreciate change at all levels and make a continuous

PRSP as an Indicator of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PRSP as an Indicator of Change - Essay Example The PRSP approach has five principles--country driven, results-oriented, comprehensive, partnership-oriented, and long-term perspectives. The intention of these papers was to give developing countries the opportunity to become involved in their own poverty reduction strategies. As of 2002, an overview of the papers indicated that more monitoring was needed for the studies. Instead of being nationally derived, content across countries showed little variation, with external advice from outside sources and, in this respect, was not very different from the previous SAPs. The report called for more engagement between government and civil society. In addition, it was noted that countries were concerned primarily with stabilisation and only secondary with growth ("Overview"). Critics note that the similarities between SAPs and PRSPs show that the banks, and the countries that fund them, are still overly involved in the policy making process. It is difficult to determine the success or failure of PRSP as an instrument of significant change within the International Financial Institutions without exploring the various areas covered by PRSP as well as defining poverty as it affects the world. The Eldis Poverty Resource Guide supports analyses of poverty and related implications of social and economic policies within Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where large pockets of poverty exist. The focus of this essay will be on these three areas plus Eastern Europe to determine whether any significant change has been noted in the fight against poverty. Some areas explored by Eldis are urban poverty, rural poverty, human resources and education, as well as second generational poverty. Poverty, however, cannot be measured primarily in income or expenditure terms. It has multiple dimensions and different levels, as follows ("World Bank"): Monetary poverty - The World Bank regularly estimates poverty based on the $1 a day poverty line, converted to local currency at latest exchange rates. Income and consumption are examples of monetary indicators of poverty. Illiteracy - Lack of education as a precursor to poverty is one of the dimensions to be considered in a study of poverty. Skilled workers are more apt to be hired than unskilled workers, who have trouble finding secure employment. In a society more and more dependent on information technology, lack of education is very much a part of the poverty overview. Social exclusion - Those excluded from development and forced to live on the margins of society. When a country has been excluded for a long period of time, it is difficult to change attitudes which have led to that exclusion. Absolute poverty - This can be defined as the number of people living below a certain income level, based on a specific poverty line. Relative poverty - It measures the extent to which a household's financial resources fall below an average income threshold for the economy. Objective - Indicates people's access to different kinds of resources. Subjective - Indicates standard of living people actually enjoy. Each facet of poverty needs a different approach and, depending on type of poverty, each phase of financial assistance for individuals falls under different or multiple

Rights of accused Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Rights of accused - Essay Example Due process refers to the legal principles that the state should respect the rights of all the individuals. It is used in the law to ensure the right of a free trial, and that the court has to listen to both the parties and their evidences before making a decision. The government cannot harm the accused until the exact course of law doesn’t allow them to. The concept of due process has been written in the US constitution but it was originated before it was drafted in the constitution. The concept is older than the English Common Law (Ramen, 2001). It developed from the Magna Carta in England. In the early times, in some of the ancient private court, there was an appearance made at an unrecorded time. It was unofficially recognized by the councils that the accused person also needs some protection against the ruling authority to ensure his rights, life and possessions are protected. This was the time when rough justice was a normal thing, but there still were some leaders who w ould understand the basic rights. There are many aspects that are covered under the concept of due process. The primary role of the due process is to ensure that the government does not take any action against an individual which could result in loss to life, property or liberty. They must provide the individual with a notice and give them the opportunity to be heard. As these legal requirements were tied up by law, any government officer violating the due process will be charged. Before the final verdict is given by the court, the government must make sure the individual is given fair, impartial measures to challenge the state action. Since all criminal cases are against the state, the state offers lawyers to the criminals who can speak their case (Siegel, 2011). The government, at times, abuses the accused individuals and their property, for example by eminent domain for a public purpose without giving the fair value of land. Such

Answer to questions about Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Research Paper - 1

Answer to questions about Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) - Research Paper Example ic limited organizations (primarily Enron and WorldCom and the collapse of Arthur Anderson), the Congress felt that there was a need for strict auditory regulations and monitoring. Therefore, to restore the investor confidence in public firms’ auditing and financial reporting, the PCAOB was established (Goelzer). I believe one of the key factors of the AICPA was that of self-regulation by those in the accounting profession. This is one of the reasons behind the substantial loss in standardization and therefore to create a level playing field for all public companies it was important to create a separate entity that solely looked into auditing control measures and ensured that the precedent set by Enron and WorldCom and many others was not repeated (Goelzer). Public organizations ought to maximize the interest of the public and therefore it became that a separate legal entity was established for their auditory regulation, as opposed to the AICPA which oversaw the accounting and auditing practices of non-profit organizations (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). The PCAOB was created because the roles and responsibilities of auditors in public companies were broadening. Audit firms were increasingly providing consultancy services and the work of the auditors was directly tied to the cost incurred by them. Therefore, the pressure to carry out auditing cost effectively increased on auditors which resulted in them not investigating matters on which they had slight doubts for fear of â€Å"wasting† the money if it turned out that there was no fraud. Consequently, the PCAOB restricted the advisory services provided by auditing firms. Moreover, the PCAOB could set auditing standards for public companies. It separated the auditors from the management of the company, the self-regulated function of accounting was now taken over by the PCAOB and the management and the auditors were both legally obliged to report the company’s internal control and financial

Dollar Decline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dollar Decline - Essay Example THESIS STATEMENT The essay intends to describe the impact, which is imposed by decline in the purchasing power of a dollar over the individuals and their respective families. Additionally, it provides the measures that can be adopted in order to combat the declining purchasing power. Moreover, the essay would also reveal the steps that are adopted by the national leaders such as the politicians to mitigate the problem of declined purchasing power of a dollar. HOW IS THIS DECLINE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF A DOLLAR IMPACT YOU AND OR YOUR FAMILY? With respect to the decline in the value of dollar, the citizens of the US will be facing adequate challenges in relation to their purchasing power as the prices of commodities will increase due to rise in the rate of imported commodities. Specially mentioning, the unemployment rate will also augment due to increased rate of import price for industrial sector, which will unfavorably affect the life of people by a certain degree. It may further lead to scarcity in food products. In this regard, it can be comprehended that a decline in the value of dollar will lead to price inflation and the purchasing power of the people will decrease. ... Thus, decline in the value of dollar will imbalance the economy in relation to trading activities and investments among others. In this regard, a decline in the value of dollar will adversely affect people and their family with increased commodity price and deprived living standards (Feldstien,† The Declining Dollar†; Hammer, â€Å"7 Economic Consequences of a Dollar Collapse†). WHAT CAN YOU DO, FROM A PRACTICAL DAY TO DAY STANDPOINT, TO COMBAT THIS DECLINE IN PURCHASING POWER? The decline in the value of dollar will led to inflation and eventually would decrease the purchasing power of the people. In this regard, the people in order to address or to combat such declining purchasing power are required to devise certain appropriate strategies along with plans. In this situation, people having investments in the stock markets should reinvest and convert those in valuable assets that include gold and silver among others in order to preserve their wealth. Additionally, the people can also seek towards converting dollar in certain other currency. In this regard, people are required to plan their income in accordance with their respective budgets in order to maintain a minimum living standard under such inflationary conditions. Moreover, monetary credit operations ought to be minimized in order to maintain financial stability. Respectively, people with adequate savings and stabilized financial conditions will be facilitated with the opportunity of maintaining their living standards and most vitally combating decline in purchasing power (Mehalko, â€Å"Protecting Purchasing Power in Inflationary and Deflationary Environments†). In order to combat against the decline in purchasing power, people can invest more in real along with

Robert Frost And William Stafford Essay Example for Free

Robert Frost And William Stafford Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The writer chose to compare and contrast the brilliant poems of two of the most famous poets of all time. â€Å"Birches† by Robert Frost, and â€Å"Traveling Through The Dark† by William Stafford. Both poems cover nature as a theme and through it, expertly laid out their ideas and what they wanted to express.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robert Frost (1874-1963) was a Californian poet famous for his poems â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and â€Å"Pasture†. William Edgar Stafford (1914-1993) born in Kansas was a military veteran and was a teacher at one point in his life. His best known works are â€Å"The Rescued Year†, â€Å"Stories that Could Be True: New and Collected Poems†, â€Å"Writing the Australian Crawl: Views on the writer’s vocation†, and â€Å"An Oregon Message.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first, it may seem that these are just simple nature-themed poems but as we looked deeper, we’ll see that it’s not the case. It may also appear that these two poems have nothing in common since Birch talks about a bent tree and Traveling talks about a dead deer. [We can see that both poems talk about hope and taking chances. Although they differ in presentation and that in Birch, the narrator tried to go back when everything was simple for him – we can see that the two poems touched the difficulty of making a life-altering decision. ]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper would further provide proof and verses from the two poems to support the above statements. Individual analysis of the poems would be discussed and their similarities and differences would be concluded in the last paragraph. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Birches†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robert Frost was a pastor and his devotion to God can be seen through his works. He frequently used metaphors about nature to express his ideas of a situation or special circumstances. In Birches, Frost reminisced his childhood when he was just a young boy swinging the branches of a birch tree. In recapturing the moments, Frost used third-person narration instead of saying directly that it’s him who was swinging the branches. The branches were bent as a result of this â€Å"swinging†, and also as a result of the ice crystals from the ice storm. Frost vividly described the image of the bent birch trees, â€Å"When I see birches bend to left and right. Across the lines of straighter darker trees† and the melting of the ice crystals trapped in the branches, â€Å"Often you must have seen them. Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning; After a rain. They click upon themselves; As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored; As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the suns warmth makes them shed crystal shells.† The poem tries to make the reader visualize the image in his head; of the bent birch tree, and its’ process of change through different seasons. This colorful description of nature can simply be as plain as about the bent branches of a birch tree; or about the many reasons why a branch, could be a metaphor for a person, would bend or go way out of his or her path in life. He also associated bending birch trees to young girls drying their hair under the sun. The seasons Winter and Summer are allegories of the obstacles one person would meet in his lifetime. This symbolizes the cycle of life, that after every winter, comes spring then summer. Same so with life, after every trouble, comes happiness. Also related to the saying there’s always a rainbow after the rain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the poem talks about how the boy who used to swing birch trees grew up and became successful in life, and he looks back and wishes for the simplicity of life when he was younger. He wishes to retreat from the current situation that he’s in and feel heaven once more, just like when he was just a young boy, â€Å"So was I once myself a swinger of birches.   And so I dream of going back to be. Its when Im weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood; Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to this, the monochromatic tone of the verse â€Å"Id like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk,† symbolizes the perception of a child, wherein there are only two choices; black or white – right or wrong. This fact upholds the innocence and un-complexity of being a child – the same reasons Frost wanted to go back and swing those birch tree branches once again. However, he can not go back in time when he was still light like a child and the birch tree branches could carry him high up, now, the birch tree branch bowed down and gently let him down touching the earth. He could only, but daydream of those days, â€Å"Id like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk; Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again.† William Stafford’s â€Å"Traveling Through The Dark†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poem relates the story of a man driving along a narrow road and comes across a dead deer lying in the middle of the road. Since the road is too narrow to swerve and avoid the dead animal, he got off his car and inspected the dead deer. With intentions of pushing it over the canyon, he touched the deer and realized that it was pregnant. Feeling the warmth of the deer’s tummy and knowing that the baby is still alive. He chose to shove it over the canyon like they normally do to avoid accidents that might happen in the narrow road because swerving might lead to deaths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This poem may appear to be very morbid and showcases the narrator’s selfishness, but shoving the deer into the river was actually the best and the only thing he could do. This decision did not come easy for him, â€Å"Beside that mountain road I hesitated. The car aimed ahead its lowered parking lights.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although, literally, the poem poses the difficult question of should you or should you not push the dead deer over the river? It is actually a representation of the difficult choices we make in life. The narrow road symbolizes life and the dead deer is an obstacle or an opportunity. In such narrow road, we can choose to swerve, or go around the dead deer to avoid it, but take the risk of not knowing where we might end up. Or we can stop and push the deer aside. This poem involves difficult decisions which we have to make in order to move on – along the narrow road, and with our lives. Discussion Both poems used nature as metaphors to express what they truly mean. Robert Frost’s bent birch tree branches are analogous to Stafford’s narrow road. The birch tree carried swinging young boys and caught heavy snow every winter, but it remained strong and flexible; instead of breaking, it bended to adapt to a changing environment. Just like the narrow road in Traveling, although it did not bend like the birch tree, the poem offered an opportunity to swerve, get out of the path, and dive into the uncertain. This just shows that life as we know it is not definite. In Birches, the changing seasons from the harsh winter to a bright summer, delivers a promise of hope. Just like in Traveling, the difficult decision of pushing the deer to the river also delivers a promise of hope for the drivers taking the same road. After many hardships in life, the narrator in Birches wanted to go back to the simplicity of a young boy’s life but realized that he can not and he should not, so he continued with his life. Just like the man in Traveling, he made a very hard decision, for the safety of the greater good, he had to live with his decision and he had to go on living.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both poems present making life-altering decisions – Birches (choosing to stay trapped in the past or to move on) and Traveling (choosing to leave the dead deer on the road or pushing it over the river). However, the presentation of nature in Birches was more alive and vibrant unlike in Traveling wherein it’s dark and dangerous. In Birches, Frost vividly described the setting and imagery of nature and uses a lot of adjectives. While Stafford simply put out the words out there, even taking a sonnet-like form. Conclusion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Birches and Traveling Through the Dark are among the best poems ever published. They stimulate deeper analysis and interpretation by the simplicity of the words that authors used and the un-complexity of the setting in which they derive the stories from. Poem analysis and interpretation are subjective and is solely based on the reader’s understanding of the texts used. This understanding can either go literally (based solely on the surface meaning of the words) or figuratively, wherein, interpretation in this manner could go about for centuries. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to poem analysis; the truth is, whatever the critics say about a particular poem – only the author himself knows the real meaning and essence of the poem. References Frost, Robert. Birches. Stafford, William. Traveling Through The Dark

Revenge in Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Revenge in Hamlet Essay â€Å"Hamlet is the finest of all plays in the English revenge tradition† (Shakespeare, IV). The recurring theme in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is revenge, every character in this play wants revenge on someone else. Revenge in this play means murder. From the beginning right through until the end of the book, there are three instances where revenge is seen; the ghost of Hamlet senior wants revenge on Claudius, Hamlet wants revenge on Claudius and Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet. Hamlet is the most serious play on revenge because of all the questions asked (Shakespeare, IV). At the very beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet seniors ghost appears to his son, Hamlet and demands revenge on his brother, Claudius. Claudius murders his brother because he wants to become king, his ambition and he wants to have the Queen Gertrude as his wife. When the ghost of Hamlet senior appears to Hamlet he says, â€Å"So art thou to revenge when thou shalt hear† (1.5. Line 7). Once Hamlet discovers that Claudius is the murderer of his father, Hamlet shall find revenge on his uncle. Also during the ghost’s appearance he tells his son to revenge Claudius’ soul in an unnatural murder, â€Å"Revenge his soul and most unnatural murder† (1.5. Line 25). Hamlet senior wants his son, Hamlet to find revenge on Claudius for his death and stealing his Queen. Now that Hamlet knows about his fathers murder and who actually caused it, he wants revenge. Hamlet wants revenge on his uncle, King Claudius for his fathers death. There are several chances that Hamlets has had throughout the play to get back at Claudius, but each time he hesitates and waits for better timing and different circumstances. During Act three, Scene three of Hamlet, Hamlet draws his sword and says to himself, â€Å"To take him in the purging of his soul,/ When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?/ No./ Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent† (3.3. Lines 85-89). Hamlet has a chance to avenge his father, but hesitates. Later on in the play, Hamlet has another chance to kill his uncle, â€Å"Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane,/ Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?/ Follow my mother† (5.2. Lines 318-320). Hamlet finally avenges his father and kills King Claudius. Finally, there is the revenge Laertes wants from Hamlet for his father’s death and his sister’s insanity. Laertes discovers Hamlet is home and wants his revenge. During act three, scene four of Hamlet, Hamlet murders Polonius, Laertes’ father and he lead Ophelia, Laertes’ sister to insanity.  As Laertes was conversing with the King, he says, â€Å"I dare damnation. To this point I stand,/ That both the worlds I give to negligence,/ Let come what comes, only I’ll be reveng’d/ Most throughly for my father† (4.5. Lines 132-135). At the point Laertes is at, he does not care what happens to himself as long as he finds avenge on his father and his sister. Laertes decides that he will wait until he is able to get back at Hamlet, he says â€Å"And so have I a noble father lost,/ A sister driven into desp’rate terms,/ Whose worth, if praises may go back again,/ Stood challenger on mount of all the age/ For her perfections. But my revenge will come† (4.7. Lines 25-29). Laertes never did get his revenge on Hamlet, as Hamlet actually kills Laertes. As it has been proven, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet has a recurring theme of revenge and each case of revenge resulted in a death. Everyone wants their revenge on someone! In Hamlet, revenge is a serious matter because of its results. Hamlet senior’s ghost and Hamlet both receive their revenge on Claudius when he is killed by Hamlet. Laertes wants his revenge on Hamlet but Hamlet kills Laertes before he gets the chance. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Oxford University Press., 2002. Print

Learning of A Second Language Essays -- Teaching Education Foreign Lan

Learning of A Second Language Ever since God punished the people who wanted to build the Tower of Babel with the â€Å"confusion of tongues† in the time of old testament, people around the world have faced the problem of communication. When giving out a historical overview of second-language teaching in â€Å"Second-Language Acquisition in Childhood,† McLaughlin stated: As early as the third millennium B.C., in what was probably the world’s first great civilization, the Sumerians had scribed devoted exclusively to education. When the country was conquered by the Akkadians in the last quarter of the third millennium, these scribes complied the oldest known bilingual dictionaries. Long continuous passages were translated from Sumerian into Akkadian, line by line. (McLaughlin 2) It was since then that people started exploring the arts of language. For years, people have been arguing about the most appropriate methods to teach a second language (L2). One question that teachers encounter in the classroom is the use of the learners’ native language (L1). While a group of people think that teaching of the target language should involve no L1, another group of people consider L1 as a help to L2 teaching. Throughout the years, L2 teachers around the world have been analyzing the data they gathered for years along with their personal experiences to find out which approach of L2 teaching works best for teachers themselves. Those who are in favor of the Grammar-Translation method believe that L1 holds great significance in L2 teaching and learning. They teach grammar rules in the mother tongue of the learners as a basis of instruction. Methods such as the Natural Approach , the Silent Way , Total Physical Response , Audio-Lingual Method , and the Direct Method emphasize different concepts of language teaching and learning but followers of these methods all avoid L1 in the classroom. As the debate goes on, it is crucial for all the L2 teachers to first ponder on the goal of language teaching and then to decide what role they want L1 to play in their L2 classroom. For a L2 learner who lives in an environment where the target language is not used on a daily basis, such as English taught in Taiwan, exposure to L2 helps accomplish the goal of language learning, which is to communicate. The use of L1 in L2 classrooms is primarily based on the Grammar-Translatio... ...eelings with others. Taking reality and ideal both into consideration, no one should go to extremes in the debate of the use of L1 or L2. However, if we clarify the goal we want to reach in the L2 classroom, the decision should not be too hard to make. Since school-aged students usually cannot choose what to learn or how they would like to be taught at school, no matter how tough a reality they need to deal with, the teachers should always keep the ultimate goal of teaching and learning in mind so that the students will not be deprived of the opportunity to true learning. They should always know by hearts that when they are with the students in the classroom, they are introducing a concept of communication to the students; they are focusing on the communicative competence of the students. Moreover, they also bear the responsibility to acquaint their students with a healthier learning attitude towards language learning, which is to be able to communicate with people who speak the language they are learning. If all of these notions come first in language teaching and learning, the teachers will realize that it is worth t rying to use L2 in their L2 classrooms to fulfill the goal.

Health care ethics Essay -- essays research papers

The basic rights of human beings, such as concern for personal dignity, are always of great importance. During illness, however, these rights are extremely vital and must be protected. Therefore, healthcare providers should make an effort to assure that these rights are preserved for their patients. Likewise, health care providers have the right to expect reasonable and responsible behavior on the part of our patients, their relatives, and friends. This is where the patient’s bill of rights comes into play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Patient\\\'s Bill of Rights was first adopted by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in 1973 and revised in October 1992. Patient rights were developed with the expectation that it would contribute to more effective patient care. It aids the patients and their families to understand their rights and responsibilities (Edge et al, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In theory, once one understood the right, one should be able to reason out the correlative obligations. Below are two obligations to each of the items found in the patient\\\'s bill of rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respect and Dignity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Respect the dignity of the patient by being considerate and caring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Do not discriminate based on sex, race or religion, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Hospital staff should wear name badges to identify themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Staff members should introduce themselves to you and describe their roles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  before care is given.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Participation in Treatment Decisions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Provide the patients with their treatment option   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Allow the patient to participate in the treatment options available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advanced Directive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Advice patients of their rights to make informed medical choices, ask if the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  patient has an advance directive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Honor the wishes of the patient as stated in his/her directive as permitted   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  by law and hospital policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Privacy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Do not disclose information abo... ...and regulatory standards. Their broad range of patient care, education, public health, social service, and business functions is essential to the health and well being of their communities. These roles and functions demand that health care organizations conduct themselves in an ethical manner that emphasizes a basic community service orientation and justifies the public trust. The health care institution\\\'s mission and values should be embodied in all its programs, services, and activities (Ethical Conduct for Health Care Institutions, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So although the patient can sue for malpractice, it will be based on laws related to the ethical principles, but not the Ethical Principles themselves. For example, if a patient feels that they were treated differently because of race, they would file a discrimination suit, which is legally sanctioned under other legal legislature. It seems quite complicated, but it is important to recognize the difference between ethics and the law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethical complaints (i.e., the nurse did not treat me with respect) goes before a hospital disciplinary panel, but not before the legal courts.

Dionysius I of Syracuse Essay -- History, Dionysius

Dionysius I of Syracuse garnered a reputation as a warmongering tyrant who harmed his people with his oppressive regime. However many surviving sources that explore his rule were written by people who were ideologically opposed to perceived tyrants. It is therefore quite possible that aspects of Dionysius rule where left out or exaggerated to suit the author`s anti-tyrannical agenda. It is the intention of this paper to argue that Dionysius rule did in fact benefit Syracuse more than he harmed it during his lifetime. His domestic and foreign affairs will be explored in order to show how he in fact benefitted the Syracusan state as well as the majority of its people. It will however also be argued that his legacy did harm the Syracusan state but that overall Dionysius rule was beneficial in his lifetime. Sources tend to portray Dionysius rule in a negative light and seemingly avoid the latter part of his reign. L. Pearson suggested that the reason for this was because Philistus was in exile at the time (since many sources rely on him for a firsthand account) meaning there was a lack of information. Diodorus provides the most compressive surviving work of Dionysius rule but follows the anti-tyrannical tradition. According to Diodorus, Dionysius came to power by discrediting the military leaders` in order to have him appointed general with supreme power by the assembly (Diodorus 13.91-2, 95). Dionysius was now able to do whatever was necessary to win the war giving him virtually limitless power over the state. He also convinced the assembly to recall Syracusan who were in exile to help aid in the war, providing Dionysius with plenty of new supporters among the returning people (Diodorus 13.92). He then gained a bodyguard o... ...le benefited from his rule. The rulers building projects and preparations for war created many jobs that would last a number of years. Stabile employment was found by many people and projects such as the fortified wall saved them from a Carthaginian siege. Dionysius large army helped to protect the state as well as expand its influence in both Sicily and Italy. As time went on the oppressive aspects of Dionysius reign ebbed away as he sought to improve his image in order to gain powerful allies. This eventually bore fruit meaning Dionysus was able to elevate Syracuse to an international level. However his legacy was harmful to Syracuse as it led to the suffering of its people and the weakening of the state. During his life time however Dionysius did benefit Syracuse became it was ultimately left it in a better position than it was before he came to power.

Part Five Chapter IV

IV A misty blue sky stretched like a dome over Pagford and the Fields. Dawn light shone upon the old stone war memorial in the Square, on the cracked concrete faà §ades of Foley Road, and turned the white walls of Hilltop House pale gold. As Ruth Price climbed into her car ready for another long shift at the hospital, she looked down at the River Orr, shining like a silver ribbon in the distance, and felt how completely unjust it was that somebody else would soon have her house and her view. A mile below, in Church Row, Samantha Mollison was still sound asleep in the spare bedroom. There was no lock on the door, but she had barricaded it with an armchair before collapsing, semi-dressed, onto the bed. The beginnings of a vicious headache disturbed her slumber, and the sliver of sunshine that had penetrated the gap in the curtains fell like a laser beam across the corner of one eye. She twitched a little, in the depths of her dry-mouthed, anxious half-sleep, and her dreams were guilty and strange. Downstairs, among the clean, bright surfaces of the kitchen, Miles sat bolt upright and alone with an untouched mug of tea in front of him, staring at the fridge, and stumbling again, in his mind's eye, upon his drunken wife locked in the embrace of a sixteen-year-old schoolboy. Howard Mollison was sleeping soundly and happily in his double bed. The patterned curtains dappled him with pink petals and protected him from a rude awakening, but his rattling wheezing snores had roused his wife. Shirley was eating toast and drinking coffee in the kitchen, wearing her glasses and her candlewick dressing gown. She visualized Maureen swaying arm in arm with her husband in the village hall and experienced a concentrated loathing that took the taste from every mouthful. In the Smithy, a few miles outside Pagford, Gavin Hughes soaped himself under a hot shower and wondered why he had never had the courage of other men, and how they managed to make the right choices among almost infinite alternatives. There was a yearning inside him for a life he had glimpsed but never tasted, yet he was afraid. Choice was dangerous: you had to forgo all other possibilities when you chose. Kay Bawden was lying awake and exhausted in bed in Hope Street, listening to the early morning quiet of Pagford and watching Gaia, who was asleep beside her in the double bed, pale and drained in the early daylight. There was a bucket next to Gaia on the floor, placed there by Kay, who had half carried her daughter from bathroom to bedroom in the early hours, after holding her hair out of the toilet for an hour. ‘Why did you make us come here?' Gaia had wailed, as she choked and retched over the bowl. ‘Get off me. Get off. I fuck – I hate you.' Kay watched the sleeping face and recalled the beautiful little baby who had slept beside her, sixteen years ago. She remembered the tears that Gaia had shed when Kay had split up with Steve, her live-in partner of eight years. Steve had attended Gaia's parents' evenings and taught her to ride a bicycle. Kay remembered the fantasy she had nurtured (with hindsight, as silly as four-year-old Gaia's wish for a unicorn) that she would settle down with Gavin and give Gaia, at last, a permanent stepfather, and a beautiful house in the country. How desperate she had been for a storybook ending, and a life to which Gaia would always want to return; because her daughter's departure was hurtling towards Kay like a meteorite, and she foresaw the loss of Gaia as a calamity that would shatter her world. Kay reached out a hand beneath the duvet and held Gaia's. The feel of the warm flesh that she had accidentally brought into the world made Kay start to weep, quietly, but so violently that the mattress shook. And at the bottom of Church Row, Parminder Jawanda slipped a coat on over her nightdress and took her coffee into the back garden. Sitting in the chilly sunlight on a wooden bench, she saw that it was promising to be a beautiful day, but there seemed to be a blockage between her eyes and her heart. The heavy weight on her chest deadened everything. The news that Miles Mollison had won Barry's seat on the Parish Council had not been a surprise, but on seeing Shirley's neat little announcement on the website, she had known another flicker of that madness that had overtaken her at the last meeting: a desire to attack, superseded almost at once by stifling hopelessness. ‘I'm going to resign from the council,' she told Vikram. ‘What's the point?' ‘But you like it,' he had said. She had liked it when Barry had been there too. It was easy to conjure him up this morning, when everything was quiet and still. A little, ginger-bearded man; she had been taller than him by half a head. She had never felt the slightest physical attraction towards him. What was love, after all? thought Parminder, as a gentle breeze ruffled the tall hedge of leyland cypresses that enclosed the Jawandas' big back lawn. Was it love when somebody filled a space in your life that yawned inside you, once they had gone? I did love laughing, thought Parminder. I really miss laughing. And it was the memory of laughter that, at last, made the tears flow from her eyes. They trickled down her nose and into her coffee, where they made little bullet holes, swiftly erased. She was crying because she never seemed to laugh any more, and also because the previous evening, while they had been listening to the jubilant distant thump of the disco in the church hall, Vikram had said, ‘Why don't we visit Amritsar this summer?' The Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the religion to which he was indifferent. She had known at once what Vikram was doing. Time lay slack and empty on her hands as never before in her life. Neither of them knew what the GMC would decide to do with her, once it had considered her ethical breach towards Howard Mollison. ‘Mandeep says it's a big tourist trap,' she had replied, dismissing Amritsar at a stroke. Sukhvinder had crossed the lawn without Parminder noticing. She was dressed in jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Parminder hastily wiped her face and squinted at Sukhvinder, who had her back to the sun. ‘I don't want to go to work today.' Parminder responded at once, in the same spirit of automatic contradiction that had made her turn down Amritsar. ‘You've made a commitment, Sukhvinder.' ‘I don't feel well.' ‘You mean you're tired. You're the one who wanted this job. Now you fulfil your obligations.' ‘But – ‘ ‘You're going to work,' snapped Parminder, and she might have been pronouncing sentence. ‘You're not giving the Mollisons another reason to complain.' After Sukhvinder walked back to the house Parminder felt guilty. She almost called her daughter back, but instead she made a mental note that she must try and find time to sit down with her and talk to her without arguing.