Discrimination The Beauty Of Society - 1760 Words

Discrimination: Is it in-Built in Human Society or is this Man-Made? Each time, I try to understand society; I fail miserably to know what it means? Does it make lives of people easier or more difficult? Do we really need to live in society? Despite having said these all when someone would ask me â€Å"Can you imagine living alone for your entire life with no family, friends, neighbors or not even a single person?† My answer would be â€Å"No†. The chance of survival is greater when we live in group or society because we help each other, even though at times we have differences with each other. This is the beauty of society. But this wonderful concept of living in society also has an extremely ugly side as well. The discrimination as discussed in Kindred novel is omnipresent. The world is said to be progressing towards new generation and believes in global citizenship where equality among the races and gender would exist. But this is thinking of some progressive thinkers and for me this thinking is limited to thoughts alone, it is hypot hetical. This is because discrimination holds deep roots to the core of the society. It cannot be uprooted from the minds of all individual because they don’t want to say that their beliefs are wrong and hence are too stubborn to change readily. It takes the time to realize what they had been doing and following for a long time is incorrect. Discrimination dates back to the beginning of the development of human society. The man is a social being; theyShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Media On Women s Self Esteem1327 Words   |  6 Pages In this paper, I will argue that the media portrays one image of beauty and this has a damaging effect on women’s mental health, resulting in low self esteem and further deepening gender inequality within our society. I will argue this by discussing the effect media has on women’s self esteem, how the media promotes a patriarchal society and the stereotypes it presents to the public. Finally, I will discuss the sexual objectification of women presented in the media and later examine how individualsRead MoreAppearance Discrimination in the United States875 Words   |  4 PagesDiscrimination based on appearance is a severe inequity and its impact is often more invidious than we can presume. Although it is not the most severe form of bias, the costs and disadvantages associate d with appearance may necessitate some legal remedy or other societal response. Unfortunately, current legal frameworks are limited in prohibiting appearance discrimination and those established are so often ineffective. Government therefore does not have the means to mandate a change to this injusticeRead MoreBeauty is Harwired839 Words   |  4 PagesDiscrimination based on appearance is a severe inequity and its impact is often more invidious than we can presume. Although it is not the most severe form of bias, the costs and disadvantages associated with appearance may propose for some legal remedy or other societal response. Unfortunately, current legal frameworks are limited in prohibiting appearance discrimination and those established are so often ineffective. Government therefore does not have the means to mandate a change to this injusticeRead MoreA Book Bum Rush The Page By Teri Ellen Cross886 Words   |  4 PagesIn the world we live in there are multiple definitions of what beauty is. However is it right to deemed a certain skin color more beautiful than the other? In our history we are taught that being a white complexion has many advantages, and that being a dark complexion is a shame. Although that is history, in our world today believe it or not individuals are still subjected to discrimination because of their skin color. In a book called Bum Rush The Page, a poem called Complected written by TeriRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pagessuch events. Since they are female African Americans, they are humiliated in society. One of Morrison’s essential arguments is on the theme of inequity. In The Bluest Eye, Morrison implies that American culture induces the discrimination that occurs amongst the minority groups in the United States. Before the publication of The Bluest Eye, there were many other works that explored the concept of discrimination in our society. Anais Nin, Adrienne Rich, and Virginia Woolf serve as some of the key philosophersRead MoreThe Importance of Television1632 Words   |  7 Pagesthat can set the norms and change the lifestyle of people. More consumers who have continuous exposure to television convinced that certain purchases and products make them more socially acceptable. Message Discrimination: The concept of message discrimination was originally developed as a mean of determining actual units of content that individuals extract from encounters with mass media. Messages can be discriminated on the basis of demographic factors (gender, race, education,Read MoreGender Roles Are A Conception Of Femininity And Masculinity Essay1157 Words   |  5 Pagesroles for men and women in society are partially constituted of individual thinking. These conceptions and gender roles are not completely biological but also social and cultural. Women are earning advanced degrees and are entering careers which have been traditionally dominated by men. But women are still depicted as images of beauty and sexuality in movies, video games and advertisements. This paper explores the ways in which women continue to be depicted in society; specifically how women areRead MoreEffects Of The White Standards Of Beauty On African American Women923 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch on different ethics standpoints. Throughout this article the effect of the White standards of beauty towards African American women by questioning the societal definitions of beauty, body image, a nd hair. (Patton, 2006, p. 24) The societal stereotype is that African American women struggle to measure up to the normative standard. Two theoretical structures guide the analysis of beauty standards such as Afrocentric theory and standpoint theory. The researcher use many examples to explainRead MoreThe Female And Female Relationship1140 Words   |  5 PagesSOSC 1920 Male and Female Relationship Essay Cheryl Chi Yue Leung 214185045 Submitted to: Karen Ruddy Submitted date: March 10th, 2016 In our modern society, the mass media and popular culture have cooperative relationships between the dominant and subordinate group, thus the media tend to reinforce and highlight the values and images of those who create the messages and own the means of distribution. In doing so, Disney movies exhibit clear messages for children inRead MoreWhite Companies And White Faces With White Products White1129 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican and African-Americans, racism is not only discriminatory but also is socially submerged within the terms of â€Å"beauty† (Bureau of labor statistics). Women in history have been seen as inferior to men; now, in the twenty-first century, women have been subcategorized in racial boundaries including color being the most prominent divider. As the famous Shakespeare said, â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† In most 21st century companies the owners of major cosmetic brands such as Too Faced and

Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) - 2021 Words

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that affects a child’s communication, behavior, and emotional understanding. It has been described as primarily being a social disability (Laushey et at.,2009). Due to their inability to perceive others emotions, ASD children feel alienated. Consequently, this will result in ASD children having ongoing social problems caused by to their helplessness to interact with others. Since children with ASD are delayed in development, they face many challenges; however, the most severe one is the lack of social relationships. A social relationship is something shared with another person; it is formed when you share common interest, have give and take conversations on that interest, experience the rise or downfall with a friend, being there when a friend is in need. These sensitive moments are when relationships are formed. ASD children have a difficulty seeing things from a different perspective, they cannot analyze peop le’s emotions, and consequently, it is hard for them to understand another person’s actions when trying to accomplish a particular goal. ASD has become more prevalent each year, however, the cause and treatment are still unknown. Even though children with ASD have a social disability, they also face challenges because they cannot learn from parents or peers, they are incapable of reading others emotional cues and are not able to cope with others emotional regulation. There is a separation when itShow MoreRelatedAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1722 Words   |  7 Pagesin every sixty-eight births are diagnosed with the Autism spectrum disorder in other words (ASD), which is about one percent of the world’s population. And that more than three point five million people in America live with a person who has the Autism spectrum disorder. We all know that Autism is a spectrum disorder in which an abnormality is developed in the brain. It is a long life condition that has no cure for itself. People who have Autism face many difficulties in their communication and theirRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1441 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a hereditary neurodevelopmental disorder. Like many other psychological disorders, it is commonly misunderstood in popular culture. Many allude to it casually, often equating it with crippling social awkwardness and disability when it is in fact a spectrum disorder with many degrees of severity. It is somewhat of an enigma within the scientific community as well; there are many things we do not know about ASD and there is ongoing research to learn moreRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1535 Words   |  7 PagesHow Autism Influences the Interactions with Others There is a little boy that gets up every morning and goes to school. He goes home to his parents after school each day. He eats, sleeps, and plays just like any other child. There is one difference. He sees the world in a unique way than most other children not affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The boy’s life and actions are a bit different and can be challenging for him. He needs understanding parents, family members, and teachers. Autism SpectrumRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1444 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder Dustin S. Staats University of Central Oklahoma â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as just Autism, is a disorder that affects about 1 in 68 children here in the United States.† (Facts about ASD) This is a pretty high prevalence and the number is continuing to rise. â€Å"Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant impairments in behavioral, communication, and social aspects of everyday life.†(Facts about ASD). The intellectual functioning ofRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1569 Words   |  7 Pagesdiagnoses for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occur has seen a dramatic growth in numbers. With diagnoses for ASD increasing, more siblings are also being found to have grown up with a sister or brother with autism spectrum disorder. Previous studies have shown no consensus on whether or not siblings of persons with ASD are at risk for negative effects. However, patterns of anxiety among these siblings are being examined to see if characteristics of a child with autism spectrum disorder and their parentsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1369 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Introduction I don t think people understand how unique children with Autism are or the demands of caring for a child with Autism is. In order to grasp the effect of this disability has on a child or their family it is important to understand the characteristics of a child living with Autism. So for you to understand I will be talking about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Autism in a childs life. I will be talking about what autism is, the history and descriptionRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1587 Words   |  7 Pages Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder  (ASD) Purpose: My audience will learn the importance of recognizing early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children. Thesis: It is important to understand the early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and why early intervention is the best treatment. Introduction: Gain/maintain attention There is a television show I like to watch called â€Å"The Big Bang Theory, maybe some of you have seen it. This show focuses on the relationships between a group of friends, someRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) Essay1168 Words   |  5 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction (ninds.nih.gov). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a very complex developmental disorder and the term ‘spectrum’ was added to the original term simply known as ‘Autism’ due to the wide range of symptoms associated with the disorderRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1852 Words   |  8 PagesThe following paper is going to cover the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using research and data collected from various authors and journalists the paper will describe the different variations of autism and discuss the impact autism has on a person- in society, at home, in the classroom, and in their careers. Beginning at infancy, autism has a major impact on not just the child but their family’s life as well. The child’s lack of ability to interpret social cues, gestures, and expressionsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) Essay1240 Words   |  5 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of conditions grouped under the neurodevelopmental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published in 2013 (Kress Paylo, 2015). Those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder must present two types of symptoms: 1) Deficits in social communication and social interaction and 2) Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (APA, 2013). The DSM-5 merged all autism

Homeland Security free essay sample

Emergency Management is defined and mandated in different levels of government federal, state and local emergency management planning in security today faces many critical obstacles, such as an imbalance of focus between levels of security such as homeland security, FBI and the CIA and including private and public sector security and natural disaster management, the challenge of involving the public in preparedness planning, the lack of an effective partnership with the business community, cuts to funding, and questions surrounding the evolving organizational structure of the nation’s emergency management system. Such obstacles need to be overcome if emergency management activities are to be successful in the years ahead. This was a main issue before and after the attacks of September 2001 of the World Trade Center. Communication between all agencies was a key role of being prepared or to try and stop the attack. Homeland Security was created after the September 11, 2001, terror attack by the Bush Administration. We will write a custom essay sample on Homeland security or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Department of Homeland Security works in conjunction with other federal departments such as the FBI and CIA. Homeland security policy is coordinated at the White House by the Homeland Security Counsel protecting the American people from terrorist threats and is the founding principles and hold highest priority to ensure homeland security and protection of our land, borders and citizens of the United States they also safeguard lawful trade and to convict, prosecute criminal and terrorist organizations. The attacks on the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 were the worst attack recorded on American soil killing over thousands of people by a terrorist organization. It takes the help from government and private and sectors such as federal, local, state, Department of Homeland Security, National Infrastructure Protection Plan to share analysis, alerts and threats with security related infrastructure. Government and private sectors to share information and to develop and establish protective actions before a disaster and to prevent a disaster most importantly to have a plan after the disaster. Critical infrastructure is the physical and cyber systems and assets so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security or public health or safety. Instituting effective cooperation with international security partners, as well as high-priority cross-border protective programs such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).  The United States has developed a homeland Infrastructure threat risk analysis center to monitor everyday operations to make sure there is no threat. Federal agencies and our nations critical infrastructures such as power distribution, water supply, telecommunications, national defense, and emergency services rely on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their operations. The attacks on in New York affected my physically and emotionally because I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I have been living in Kentucky since 2002 I had just got home from a 3rd shift job and went to lay down to sleep as always turned on Good Morning America and I fell asleep. My wife comes running downstairs and says wake up you have to look what’s going on in New York. I looked up at her and said it’s always something going on in New York no big deal, as we watched and I saw the first Tower hit then collapsed my heart sank and started to panic with fear. My sister worked only a few blocks down the street from the Towers and my mother works near the Pentagon. I wasn’t able to get in touch with my sister or mother for days and it was very heartbreaking to see the death and destruction of my home New York City. After the destruction I did find out that I did lose a few friends in the attacks. I wasn’t able to attend the memorial services but did send the family my condelescence and how sorry this happened and that I will miss my friends. This is one reason why I started back to college in the field of Criminal Justice and hoping reaching my degree will be able to contribute to the safety of our nation.

Logical Fallacies Exercise free essay sample

I. Identify the fallacies of sufficiency committed by the following arguments, giv ­ing a brief explanation for your answer. If no fallacy is committed, write no fallacy. 1 1. The Daily News carried an article this morning about three local teenagers who were arrested on charges of drug possession. Teenagers these days are nothing but a bunch of junkies. Hasty Generalization – not enough examples. 2. If a car breaks down on the freeway, a passing mechanic is not obligated to render emergency road service. For similar reasons, if a person suffers a heart attack on the street, a passing physician is not obligated to render emergency medical assistance. Weak Analogy – a physician has taken an oath to help people, but a mechanic hasn’t. 3. There must be something to psychical research. Three famous physicists, Oliver Lodge, James Jeans, and Arthur Stanley Eddington, took it seriously. Appeal to unqualified authority. Physicists aren’t authorities on psychical research. We will write a custom essay sample on Logical Fallacies Exercise or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 4. The secretaries have asked us to provide lounge areas where they can spend their coffee breaks. This request will have to be refused. If we give them lounge areas, next theyll be asking for spas and swimming pools. Then it will be rac ­quetball courts, tennis courts, and fitness centers. Expenditures for these facili ­ties will drive us into bankruptcy. Straw Man. The real issue, lounge areas, is distorted to include pools and other things. 5. The accumulation of pressure in a society is similar to the build-up of pressure in a boiler. If the pressure in a boiler increases beyond a critical point, the boiler will explode. Accordingly, if a government represses its people beyond a certain point, the people will rise up in revolt. Analogy – The similarity between psychological pressure and pressure in a boiler seems reasonable, so this one seems relatively strong. 6. A few minutes after Governor Harrison finished his speech on television, a devastating earthquake struck southern Alaska. For the safety of the people up there, it is imperative that Governor Harrison make no more speeches. False Cause – there is no causal connection between the speeches and the earthquake. 7. No one has ever been able to prove the existence of extrasensory perception. We must therefore conclude that extrasensory perception is a myth. Appeal to Ignorance. 8. Lester Brown, universally respected author of the yearly State of the World report, has said that the destruction of tropical rain forests is one of the ten most serious worldwide problems. Thus, it must be the case that this is indeed a very serious problem. Argument by Authority – since Brown would be educated and informed about worldwide problems, this would be a relatively strong argument and not a fallacy. 9. Federal officers assaulted the family of Randy Weaver in northern Idaho, killing his wife, and they were also involved in the destruction of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with great loss of life. The conclusion is clear that federal officials are just a pack of killers. Hasty generalization – not enough samples are cited. One might argue that this is a case of Missing the point or Suppressed Evidence, since the fact that that Federal officers have done these things is not enough evidence to conclude that they are killers – there would be other relevant information needed to make this conclusion from the premises given. 10. Pianist Ray Charles says that Sinclair paints are groovy. We can only conclude that Sinclair paints are very groovy indeed. Appeal to Unqualified Authority. Ray Charles is a (blind) singer, so he has no relevant authority about the â€Å"grooviness† of paints. 11. Probably no life exists on Venus. Teams of scientists have conducted exhaustive studies of the planets surface and atmosphere, and no living organisms have been found. Argument by Authority – since scientists who have studied Venus are cited, they are the people who know this information better than anyone else. 12. We dont dare let the animal rights activists get their foot in the door. If they sell us on the idea that dogs, cats, and dolphins have rights, next it will be chickens and cows. That means no more chicken Kiev or prime rib. Next it will be worms and insects. This will lead to the decimation of our agricultural industry. The starvation of the human race will follow close behind. Straw Man. The real issue (that dogs, cats, and dolphins have rights) is exaggerated and the exaggeration is used to discredit the real issue. 13. No one would buy a pair of shoes without trying them on. Why should anyone be expected to get married without premarital sex? Analogy. The issue here is whether trying on a pair of shoes is a good analogy for sex. It has the similarity of someone trying something before they decide whether they like it or not. But it has major weaknesses; sex involves another person, not just an inanimate object; sex involves caring for the feelings of the other person, while wearing shoes does not involve caring for the feelings of the shoes; and studies have shown that trying sex before marriage has no real connection with the level of sexual satisfaction within marriage. 14. No one has proved conclusively that Americas nuclear power plants constitute a danger to people living in their immediate vicinity. Therefore, it is perfectly safe to continue to build nuclear power plants near large metropolitan centers. Appeal to ignorance. 15. There are more churches in New York City than in any other city in the nation, and more crimes are committed in New York City than anywhere else. So, if we are to eliminate crime, we must abolish the churches. False Cause Fallacy. There is no causal connection between number of churches and amount of crime. II. Answer true or false to the following statements: 1. If an arguer cites a statement by a recognized expert in support of a conclusion and the statement falls within the experts range of expertise, then the arguer commits an appeal to unqualified authority. FALSE – this would an appeal to qualified authority. 2. If an arguer cites a statement in support of a conclusion and the statement reflects the strong bias of its author, then the arguer commits an appeal to unqualified authority. TRUE 3. In the appeal to ignorance, the arguer accuses the reader or listener of being ignorant. FALSE – appeal to ignorance is saying lack of proof constitutes proof. 4. If an attorney for the defense in an American or Canadian criminal trial argues that the prosecution has proved nothing beyond a reasonable doubt about the guilt of the defendant, then the attorney commits an appeal to ignorance. In one sense this is true – but the issue in court is that your guilt has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, so this is an acceptable appeal to ignorance. 5. Hasty generalization always proceeds from the particular to the general. TRUE 6. The post hoc ergo propter hoc variety of the false cause fallacy presumes that X causes Y merely because X happens before Y. TRUE 7. If an argument concludes that X causes Y simply because X and Y occur over the same time interval, then the argument commits a false cause fallacy. TRUE 8. If the conclusion of an argument depends on the occurrence of a chain reaction of events, and there is good reason to believe that the chain reaction will actually occur, the argument commits a slippery slope fallacy. FALSE This would be a slippery slope argument, but not a slippery slope fallacy. 9. The fallacy of weak analogy always depends on an alleged similarity between two things or situations. TRUE 10. If an argument from analogy depends on a causal or systematic relationship between certain attributes, and there is good reason to believe that this relation ­ship exists, then the argument commits no fallacy. TRUE III. Identify the fallacies of relevance and sufficiency committed by the following arguments. If no fallacy is committed, write no fallacy. 1. On our first date, George had his hands all over me, and I found it nearly impos ­sible to keep him in his place. A week ago Tom gave me that stupid line about how, in order to prove my love, I had to spend the night with him. Men are all alike. All any of them want is sex. Hasty Generalization – sample group is too small. 2. Tagging by graffiti artists has become a terrible problem in recent years. Obvi ­ously our schools are stifling the creative spirit of these young people. Missing the point – the obvious conclusion would be something about discipline. 3. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has promised to treat the Kurds and Suni Muslims in Iraq with respect and dignity. Also, he has promised to abandon his earlier plans for becoming the dominant power in the Middle East. However, Hussein is a notorious liar and an outright murderer. Therefore, we should not trust these promises for a minute. Ad Hominem – but this one is not a fallacy – in this case Hussein’s character is relevant information. 4. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle argues that ethanol should be added to gasoline to reduce air pollution. But of course Daschle argues this way. He represents South Dakota, which is loaded with grain growers, and ethanol is manufactured from grain. Thus, we should ignore Daschles arguments. Ad Hominem Circumstantial – attacks motives. 5. World-famous paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould says that the dinosaurs were killed by a large asteroid that collided with the earth. Furthermore, many scien ­tists agree with Gould. Therefore, we conclude that the dinosaurs were proba ­bly killed by an asteroid. Appeal to authority – since a majority of scientists agree on this point and they are the people who would know, this is relatively strong. 6. Emily has bought over 100 tickets on the weekly state lottery, and she has never won anything. Therefore, the likelihood increases every week that she will win something if she continues to buy tickets. This is a particular example of a False Cause argument, known as the gambler’s fallacy. The fact that one has lost at a gambling game for a long time doesn’t change their chances at winning the next time. For instance, if you are betting on a coin toss, and the coin has come up heads 5 time in a row, the chances of it coming up tails the next time is still exactly 50%. 7. Johnny, of course I deserve the use of your bicycle for the afternoon. After all, Im sure you wouldnt want your mother to find out that you played hooky today. Threat – appeal to force/fear. 8. As a businessperson you certainly want to subscribe to Forbes magazine. Virtu ­ally all the successful business executives in the country subscribe to it. Appeal to the people/Vanity 9. Ellen Quinn has argued that logic is not the most important thing in life. Appar ­ently Ellen advocates irrationality. It has taken two million years for the human race to achieve the position that it has, and Ellen would throw the whole thing into the garbage. What utter nonsense! Leads away from the real issue (Quinn’s argument that logic is not the most important thing in life) – Red Herring. 10. When water is poured on the top of a pile of rocks, it always trickles down to the rocks on the bottom. Similarly, when rich people make lots of money, we can expect this money to trickle down to the poor. Weak Analogy – there is no particular similarity between pouring water on rocks and what happens when people earn money. 11. Extensive laboratory tests have failed to prove any deleterious side effects of the new pain killer lexaprine. We conclude that lexaprine is safe for human consumption. Appeal to ignorance 12. Environmentalists accuse us of blocking the plan to convert Antarctica into a world park. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Antarctica is a huge continent teeming with life. It is the home of millions of penguins, seals, sea birds, and sea lions. Also, great schools of finfish and whales inhabit its coastal waters. Red Herring. Real issue: Blocking the plan to convert Antarctica into a world park. 13. Marge Schott, minority owner of the Cincinnati Reds, has argued that profes ­sional baseball should be exempt from federal antitrust legislation. But consider this: Schott is a disgusting racist bigot who speaks approvingly of Adolf Hitler. Clearly, we should ignore her antitrust arguments. Ad Hominem Abusive. If the arguer showed that Schott’s position as the minority lead of the Reds affected his argument, it could be a strong Ad Hominem Circumstantial. But the information given is totally irrelevant to the real issue. 14. The operation of a camera is similar in many ways to the operation of an eye. If you are to see anything in a darkened room, the pupils of your eyes must first dilate. Accordingly, if you are to take a photograph (without flash) in a darkened room, the aperture of the camera lens must first be opened. Argument by Analogy. There seem to be relevant similarities between the eye and a camera lens, so this would be relatively strong. 15. Certainly Miss Malone will be a capable and efficient manager. She has a great figure, a gorgeous face, and tremendous poise, and she dresses very fashionably. Missing the point. The premise about her figure, etc. , is irrelevant to the conclusion about her being a good manager. 16. Dear Internal Revenue Service: I received a notice that my taxes are being audited for last year. But you have no right to do this. The deadline for filing a return was April 15, and I filed my tax return on April 12-a full three days before the deadline. Missing the Point: The premise about the filing deadlines is irrelevant to the conclusion that the IRS has made a mistake. 17. To prevent dangerous weapons from being carried aboard airliners, those seek ­ing to board must pass through a magnetometer and submit to a possible pat ­down search. Therefore, to prevent alcohol and drugs from being carried into rock concerts, it is appropriate that those entering submit to similar search procedures. Analogy. It’s not clear that this is a relevant analogy. It’s not clear that alcohol and drugs are similar enough to dangerous weapons to make the analogy work. 18. Mr. Flemmings arguments against the rent control initiative on the September ballot should be taken with a grain of salt. As a landlord he would naturally be expected to oppose the initiative. Ad Hominem Circumstantial. It’s likely that Flemming’s being a landlord should be taken into account, so this is relatively strong. But still, his arguments are what are at issue, not his motives. 19. India is suffering a serious drought, thousands of children are dying of starvation in their mothers arms, and homeless beggars line the streets of the major cities. Surely we must give these poor downtrodden people the chance of bettering their condition in America, the land of wealth and opportunity. Missing the Point. The premise that people in India are suffering would most clearly lead to the conclusion that other people in the world should help them out, give them food, help them grow their own food, etc. , but not that we should bring them to America. 20. Members of the jury, you have heard Shirley Gaines testify that the defendant did not offer to perform acts of prostitution for the undercover police officer. But Gaines is a known prostitute herself and a close friend of the defendant. Also, only a year ago she was convicted of twelve counts of perjury. Therefore, you should certainly discount Gainess testimony. Strong Ad Hominem. Since all of the information is relevant to Gaines’ trustworthiness, it is a strong argument, even though it’s an Ad Hominem. 21. It is ridiculous to hear that man from Peru complaining about Americas poverty. Peru has twice as much poverty as America has ever had. Red Herring. The issue is America’s poverty, not Peru’s poverty. 22. Angela complains that the problems on the algebra test were too hard. But have you ever seen the way Angela flirts with that good-looking quarterback on the football team? Shes constantly batting those long, black eyelashes at him, and her tight-fitting sweaters leave nothing to the imagination. Angela should pay more attention to her studies. Red Herring. The issue is the difficulty of the exam, not Angela’s behavior. 23. Nobody has ever proved that immoral behavior by elected officials erodes pub ­lic morality. Therefore, we must conclude that such behavior does not erode public morality. Appeal to ignorance. 24. Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Therefore, your friend was acting within his rights when he shouted Fire! Fire! in that crowded theater, even though it was only a joke. Accident. This action is specifically excluded from First Amendment rights. 25. No one, upon encountering a watch lying on a forest trail, would expect that it had simply appeared there without having been made by someone. For the same reason, no one should expect that the universe simply appeared without having been made by some being. Analogy. Whether this is a strong or weak analogy has been debated throughout history, and people are fairly evenly divided about it! 26. On Monday I drank ten rum and Cokes, and the next morning I woke up with a headache. On Wednesday I drank eight gin and Cokes, and the next morning I woke up with a headache. On Friday I drank nine Bourbon and Cokes, and the next morning I woke up with a headache. Obviously, to prevent further head ­aches I must give up Coke. Missing the Point or False Cause. The obvious conclusion (and the real cause) is to give up the alcohol, not the Coke. 27. Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott announced in a press conference that homosexuality is a sin. In view of Mr. Lotts expertise in religious matters, we must conclude that homosexuality is a sin, just as he claims. Argument from Authority. The issue here would be whether Trent Lott is an expert on the issues of homosexuality and sin. There’s not enough information given to establish it one way or another at this point. 28. Some of the parents in our school district have asked that we provide bilingual education in Spanish. This request will have to be denied. If we provide this service, then someone will ask for bilingual education in Greek. Then it will be German, French, and Hungarian. Polish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean will follow close behind. We certainly cant accommodate all of them. Straw Man. The real issue is bilingual education in Spanish, which is exaggerated to include a lot of other languages.

REBEL OF THE UNDERGROUND Essays - Hip Hop, Shakur Family

"REBEL OF THE UNDERGROUND" The Life and Works of Tupac Amaru Shakur Both Tupac and Amaru are words of Inca origin. Together they mean, shining serpent. Shakur means thankful to God, from the Arabic language. Tupac, commonly known as America's most controversial rapper was labeled a gangster rapper and one of the largest figures in the rap community. He was always known for doing what he wanted and not caring what others thought of him. His life symbolized what a lot of people have gone through. Through his music and movies he showed how hard life can be. On June 16, 1971 Tupac was born to Alice Faye Williams in Brooklyn, NY. His mother was a revolutionary as she called herself Afeni Shakur. For many years she associated herself with members of the well-known Black Panther Party. She joined a New York chapter of the Panther Party in 1964 and fell in love with an organizer, Lumumba Abdul Shakur. After four years with Lumumba, Afeni started to see another party member, William Garland who was another activist working with the party members to support their causes. Around this time things were going downhill for Afeni. In 1969 she and other members of the Panther were arrested and charged with several felony counts, including conspiracy to bomb a public place. A well-educated schoolteacher, Afeni decided to defend herself. However, things took a turn for the worst. While out on bail she became pregnant with Tupac. Soon after, her bail was revoked. Afeni recalls: having previously miscarried four or five times, she did not expect to carry him to term. But Tupac, she says, wanted to be in this world. She remembers while in her cell she would pat her belly and say, This is my prince. He is going to save the black nation (Kin 151). Acquitted and released on 156 counts from the Women's House of Detention in Greenwich Village for lack of evidence, she was now out of jail and eight months pregnant with Tupac. By the time Tupac was born, Afeni had already lined up a job as a paralegal and things started looking up. However, soon after his birth, Afeni started snorting cocaine. For a while she was a very loving mother. Afeni started to see a man by the name of Mutulu as she tried to bring a father figure into Tupac's life. He was also a member of the Panther party. Soon after, Afeni was pregnant with her second child, Sekyiwa. A few months before her due date, Mutulu had been sentenced to sixty years for a fatal armored car robbery. Afeni was once again a single mother raising Tupac along with his sister. A couple of years later his mother decided to move her family to Baltimore, Maryland, for a fresh start. While in Maryland the world got its first true taste of the life and works of Tupac Amaru Shakur. By the age of twelve Tupac had already landed his first role with the 127th Street Ensemble, a theater group he attended in the impoverished Harlem section of Manhattan. Having to suddenly leave the group, Tupac wanted to continue studying theater. In Baltimore, Tupac was quickly enrolled in the High School of the Performing Arts. His mother made sure he was well educated, she recalls He was articulate. I trained him. Punishment for him was reading The New York Times. At age fifteen Tupac began to study acting and ballet at the Baltimore School of the Arts. Although mostly white students attended the school, Tupac felt in touch with them. He recalled: Them white kids had things we never seen. That was the first time I saw there was white people who you could get along with. Before that, I just believed what everyone else said: They were devils. But I loved it. I loved going to school. It taught me a lot. I was starting to feel like I really wanted to be an artist. (Tupac) While in the school of Arts, Tupac met a special friend, Jada Pinkett, whom he shared time with and created performances for anyone interested. Most teachers said he looked very promising; unfortunately he never finished school because his mother felt she needed an overall change. Afeni

BHP Billiton SWOT Analysis and Porter Five Force Analysis The WritePass Journal

BHP Billiton SWOT Analysis and Porter Five Force Analysis Introduction BHP Billiton SWOT Analysis and Porter Five Force Analysis ) Bargaining Power of Suppliers BHP Billiton is largely impacted by the bargaining power of suppliers in labour, materials, energy, shipping, and energy costs. As the company ensures reduced capacity through enhanced operations, the overall costs from suppliers have increased as well. In the above-mentioned categories, there are negligible substitutes available, which enhance the strong bargaining power of suppliers. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is relatively low. Due to dearth of natural resources there is very limited capacity and supply available in the global market, which restricts any new entrants in the market. Due to drop in commodity prices, the pace of demand of iron ore from China has slowed down by more than half. Demand will grow less, although still quite impressively and the producers, in general, are more prepared. These factors are likely to play significant barriers for the new entrants rather existing. (Bloomberg, 2012) Moreover, BHP Billiton, being the biggest mining company, holds enhanced infrastructure, latest technologies and trained staff to offer better quality products to the market. For the new entrants it will take a while to upgrade the level. In regard to geographic locations, BHP Billiton has best natural resource locations than new competitors entering the market. Several companies have made extensive moves across Arica, India and China for natural resources but the threat of these companies remains moderate to low. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is quite low, as there are not many substitutes for raw material products in the market. BHP Billiton is strongly placed, due to its broad, diversified portfolio of natural resource assets, to counter any threats of substitutes. Intensity of Existing Rivalry The rivalry among competing sellers is tough. This is due to the fact that several natural resources companies are competing for access to the reserves available across the world; along with retaining qualified staff; and building infrastructure, transportation and new development projects. On the reserves side, there is a geographic overlap in most areas worldwide, and to retain trained staff has augmented labour wages. However, despite the strong rivalry, the industry remains lucrative due to strong profit potential. As a result, the lowering natural prices are not likely to impact the industry players as they stand affirmative. Also, there have been takeover speculations in the natural resources industry. Mining titans BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are to generate about $20bn in free cash flow, giving each substantial options for acquisitions and capital management. (Merril Lynch, 2011) In 2005, BHP Billiton purchased WMC Resources of Australia during a takeover battle. The company as a result has the largest uranium reserves in the world and secured a major source of future growth. REFERENCES FTSE All-Share Index Ranking (October 2012) stockchallenge.co.uk/ftse.php (Accessed 06/10/2012) Digital Look 2012. BHP looking for upturn in first half of 2013 (October 2012) digitallook.com/dl/news/story/20311406?username=ac=  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Accessed 06/10/2012) Hoovers, BHP Billiton, (2012) hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.BHP_Billiton_Plc.7649c747268ff225.html (Accessed 06/10/2012) Business With The Wall Street Journal, Michael Bennet, The Australian 2011. BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto well funded for takeover programs, says Merrill Lynch (June 2011) theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/bhp-billiton-rio-tinto-well-funded-for-takeover-programs-says-merrill-lynch/story-e6frg9df-1226082744863 (Accessed 06/10/2012) Bloomberg 2012. BHP Says Pace of China Iron Ore Demand Has Slowed by Half (September 2012) bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-19/bhp-says-pace-of-china-iron-ore-demand-has-slowed-by-half.html (Accessed 06/10/2012) Pierre-Yves Benain (2007), BHP Billiton Presentation, International University in Geneva, http://pierre.benain.free.fr/MBA%20698%20BHP%20Billiton%20Presentation.pdf (Accessed 06/10/2012) Strategic Options, BHP Billiton, Jeremy L. Gordon (May 2007) http://pierre.benain.free.fr/MBA698%20BHP%20Billiton%20Report.pdf (Accessed 06/10/2012)

Restorative Justice Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Restorative Justice - Article Example With increasing incidence of crime in general and in particular among young people1, the past two decades have brought forth harsher legislation2 to deal with the problems of terrorism and deteriorating law and order, which seriously question former Prime Minister John Major’s contention that â€Å"we have no need of a Bill of Rights because we have freedom.†3 Anti-Social Behavior orders have been introduced by the crime and Disorder Act of 1998, specifically to deal with law and order problems among the youth and have a minimum period of two years, although they may also be imposed indefinitely to ensure that a repetition of antisocial behavior does not occur4. Anti Social Behavior Order was created in 1998 and in the short space of six months in 2004, produced a thousand arrests.5 This Order has allowed extended powers for the police department to tackle a wide range of anti-social behavior by unruly teenagers, including the kind of problems this community is faced with – vandalism and shoplifting. But the fact that must be faced is that the criminal justice system does not work, too many people are able to slip out of the net of the system because of the rigid requirements for evidence, delays in processing trials in courts, the difficulty of procuring witnesses to substantiate charges because of the element of fear, so that the end result favors the criminals rather than the law enforcement authorities, so perhaps such draconian measures are justified.6 However, Lord Macintosh of Haringey had spoken out on the provisions concerning public order in the Criminal Justice Act of 1994.

Viruses of the Mind by Richard Dawkins Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Viruses of the Mind by Richard Dawkins - Essay Example Religion does not have much to do with reason. Religion imposes a reality rife with belief and faith, and without requiring reason (it is interesting that the very few people who claim that they can converse with god are labeled as quacks or insane by the very ones who believe in god). Religion does have much to do with the pressure of conformity; this, among other reasons, is why most people unquestioningly accept and adhere to the religion of their youth. As Dawkins states, "...it is a telling fact that, the world over, the vast majority of children follow the religion of their parents rather than any of the other available religions." According to Dawkins, a person exhibits faith when he is "impelled by some deep, inner conviction that something is true, or right, or virtuous: a conviction that doesn't seem to owe anything to evidence or reason, but which, nevertheless, he feels as totally compelling and convincing." and that most religions "make a positive virtue of faith's being strong and unshakable, in spite of not being based upon evidence.

Health systems of Canada and Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health systems of Canada and Australia - Essay Example Today, every country is expected to devise its own strategies of addressing the three major goals associated with the healthcare system. These include sustaining a healthy population, treating ill people, and safeguarding families from financial ruin that results from medical bills. This paper will compare health care systems of Canada and Australia. The health care system in Canada is comprised of various forms of health insurance policies, which aim at ensuring that every citizen in the country gets access to adequate health care. The system is funded through public means, and administered through either territorial or provincial basis. The federal government is the one that provides the guidelines through which care should be provided (Kliff, 2012). With regard to the health care system in Canada, individuals gain equitable access to medical treatments and preventive care. They can access these services from hospitals, through primary care by physicians, dental surgery, or other medical services. With limited exceptions, all individuals in the country are eligible for health coverage irrespective of their income, medical history, or living standards (Kliff, 2012). The kind of health care system prevalent in Canada is subject to significant political dispute as well as debates throughout the country. A number of critiques question whether the current system is efficient in terms of delivering treatments in a timely manner. These critiques stipulate that the country should implement a private system as in the case of the U.S. On the contrary, the government, policymakers, and individuals in the country worry that a private system would result to inequities in the health care system, as only the wealthy individuals can afford specific types of treatments (Kliff, 2012). The health care system in Australia is multidimensional comprising of both public and private health care providers, participants, settings, as well as supporting

Rational Choice And Deterrence Theory Criminology Essay

Rational Choice And Deterrence Theory Criminology Essay Since Marchese Beccaria who, as one of the first mentioned that the real purpose of punishment is is no other than to prevent the criminal from doing further injury to society, and prevent others from committing the like offense (Baccaria 1764), many researchers as well as general community have begun to concentrate on the notion of personal choice when explaining what pushes offenders to commit crimes. Rational Choice Theory became one of the most popular concepts which support the deterrence philosophy. Although, the association between those two theories was welcomed by many, it also had its critiques and opponents. In this paper, I will explain how and to what degree, Rational Choice Theory supports the concept of deterrence. I will also discuss some of the contradictory theories and criminal behaviors that do not support Rational Choice Theory and state my opinion on consequences that this study may embrace on guilty mind concept which is, according to the criminal law, one of t he necessary elements of the crime. The concept of Rational Choice Theory is rooted in the analysis of human behavior that was established by Italian scholar named Marchese Beccaria. The main point of his examination describes the human being as a rational actor who calculates rationality using ends and means formula. According to Beccaria People (freely) choose all behavior, both conforming and deviant, based on their rational calculations, the central element of calculation involves a cost benefit analysis: Pleasure versus Pain, (Beccaria 1764). In his line of reasoning, Beccaria determined that in order to prevent the criminal or wrongdoing behavior, the form of punishment equivalent to the severity of crime committed should be implemented. The concept of punishing criminals in accordance to the crime they have committed in order not only to prevent the criminal from committing the similar act in the future(special deterrence), but also to warn the general public of the possible consequences of such behavior(general deterrence), became known as Deterrence Theory. In todays world of criminal justice, it is still seen as one of the most important aspect in the whole idea of punishment. Due to the failure of rehabilitative theories and major increase in crime rates in 1970s and 1980s, the concept of free, rational choice, based on the calculation of cost and benefits began to interest criminologist and researchers across the country. Examination of illegal decision making process began to be perceived as the key to understanding the real purpose of crime and what motivates it. During those years, Modern Rational Choice Theory emerged. Contemporary criminologist began to rely on the idea which claimed that threat of punishment tends to deter the individual from wrongdoing just as rewards tend to encourage pleasing behavior. Because of this new trend of thinking, many laws that increased mandatory sentences for numerous crimes, mainly those drug-related have been passed and executed. Did wide use of deterrence as the tool of discouraging people from committing crimes accomplished its initial goal? The answer is double sided. Violent crime rates began to indeed, drop i n mid-1990s as well as did drug offences. It was however, also due to changes in many other aspects like increase police recruitment across the country, good economic prosperity that discourages criminal behavior as well as change in mentality of people that had been subjects to violent behaviors. On the negative side, because of the fact that mandatory sentences for non-violent, drug related offences were increased significantly, the prison population also augmented significantly burdening the pockets of taxpayers. As this happened, more and more researchers began to criticize the method of punishment supported by Rational Choice Theory. Does fear of severe punishment really discourage criminals from committing crimes? Wasnt it only the philosophy of Rational Choice Theory of punishment that put the concept of deterrence in such an advantaged position in our criminal justice system and which still has such a massive impact on current crime control policy? Without any doubt, the strong connections between these two makes both theories stand out and seem very balanced and reasonable. However, as the frustration caused by some of the negative effects of their usage increased, contradictory theories began to emerge. Moreover, some criminal behaviors such as rapes and even in some cases, murders seem not to be positively affected by increased punishment as the form of deterrence for these crimes. Rational Choice Theory differs from many other criminal theories mainly because of its main principal that defines crime as a solely individual choice. The concept does not focus on other, crucial factors like individual traits, criminal associations and inner strains that may also play a huge role in pushing an individual to committing certain crimes. One of the most known models that oppose the Rational Choice Theory is Classical Theory introduced by Clarke and Cornish. Both authors agree that, while committing the crime, people are not perfectly rational and in some cases they are completely unreasonable. Moreover, they touch upon the costs and benefits of crime very broadly including only official and unperturbed permissions. According to their views, A range of factors influence and individuals estimates of costs and benefits of crime: self-control, moral beliefs, strains, emotional state, association with delinquent peers.(Clarke and Cornish, 1986). In addition, many researcher s have also found that the severity of punishment is far less important for potential criminal as oppose to certainty of that punishment. Some extreme opponents of Rational Choice Theory even believe that, People are not usually aware of certainty and severity of punishment for the area in which they live, therefore increasing certainty of punishment may reduce crime, but the effect will be short-lived and localized.(Class PPT). This opinion creates another argument which indeed questions and doubts the entire purpose of severe punishment as a successful method of deterrence and it is valid to a large extent. Besides the theoretical aspects that oppose the Rational Choice Theory, there are many practical ones that are against it as well. According to numerous scholars, individuals are much less likely to be affected by initial benefits of certain crime when they are intoxicated or mentally disturbed. Many people that commit crime are very low in self-control and often perceive the crime as simply not wrong. These individual however, are more likely to be discouraged from doing something illegal by the threat of punishment. Another study suggest that, the more severe the punishment is for a certain crime, the less likely it is for jury to execute a specific sentence; therefore it seems that as severity of the crime increases, certainty of harsh sentence decreases. If one would want to push the rational choice model to its extent, he or she may even argue that more severe and direct the punishment for the crime is in combination with negative experiences with law enforcement may actually increase the likelihood of subsequent crime. In todays world, where the access to illegal substances and alcohol is still fairly easy and domestic violent rates are still high, one could assume, without a big doubt, that offenders often commit crimes on an impulse, while intoxicated or under some emotional or mental pressure caused by, for example bad financial situation or difficult, inner family condition. What many call crime overload is certainly another problem. As crime rates increase, police forces are strained and the certainty of possible arrest decreases. As crime rates decline, police activity usually strengthens and certainty of arrest increases. The fundamental apparatus is what should be examined here. Does certainty of possible arrest daunts individual from committing a crime or does the small level of crime increase certainty? According to researchers like Marcus Felson, Stephan Pfohl and Alan Liska, some crimes and deviant behaviors, especially those considered capital offences like murder or rape with additional bodily harm are not affected by more severe punishment. The above mentioned scholars argue that capital punishment shows that anticipated, overall deterrent effect may not be present. As Pfohl claims, There appears to be little, if any, difference in rates of capital offenses between states which impose the death penalty and those that do not. In fact, an inverse correlation has been documented; when states abolish the death penalty a corresponding drop in capital crimes is reported (Pfohl, , 1994). Finally, issue regarding the effectiveness of deterrent policies and particularly the suitability of incapacitation and revenge bring up moral and official worries. How far do we really want to go in punishing criminals? Is incapacitation the most concrete use of common capitals? Looking at the widesp read understanding among criminologists that considers aging out as one of the most important elements of crime process, increasing mandatory sentences for all crimes that are believed to have been committed by perfectly rational individuals who have accurately weighted out all the costs and benefits of the crime they wished to commit, the incapacitation alone seems merely impractical. Without proper rehabilitation these individuals are very likely to commit these crimes again in the future. Great example of the modern use of punishment in accordance with Rational Choice Theory is present in the files from Atkins vs. Virginia Court Case that took place in the year 2000. Despite the fact that Atkins was diagnosed as mildly-retarded with a full IQ of 59, he was sentenced to death for committing crimes of armed robbery and murder. The case was particularly controversial because many believed that under 8th amendment which prohibits Cruel Punishment, Atkins shouldnt be sentenced to death but rather to long imprisonment. After the verdict was released, many scholars, lawyers and policy makers began to ask themselves what is the real role of 8th amendment after all? It seemed as in our country, pressure of public opinion and swiftness of prosecutors may push some cases above the supreme law of our land. I believe that the criminal research that evaluates the deterrence with the connection to the Rational Choice Theory may hold many consequences for one of the most important and valued standards in criminal law-mens rea, or in other words guilty mind. The main concept of guilty mind standard requires that a person cannot be convicted of a crime unless that person intended to commit that crime. Unfortunately, when looking at the case described above, I am wretched to admit that mens rea isnt always executed and respected. The study assessed in this paper, proves that a big portion of all crimes is committed by individuals that arent fully aware of their actions, as in the case when they are intoxicated or under tremendous mental strain. Moreover, many mentally disturbed and/or retarded criminals, even though conscious about the fact that they are taking part in criminal act, are often influenced by others who are often brains of entire process of wrongdoing. Atkins involvement in the murder for which he was sentenced to death is a great example of such situation. The measure of someones guilt is perhaps the most important factor in determining the appropriate sentence for crime that has been committed. How do we measure someones guilt? It is the moment that the principal of mens rea comes into play. Mens rea represents the amount of intend that an individual had while committing his offence. If we took Rational Choice Theory and traditional Mens rea concept and combine them together, we would get one of the most sophisticated and perfectly formulated theories that deal with understanding of criminal behavior. It could be written as follows, Since the criminal is a perfectly rational human being who, while committing the crime is fully aware of what he/she is doing and decides that benefits that will come from the crime outweigh the costs associated with punishment for this crime, than this person is guilty without the smallest doubt, intend is 100% in all the cases. As much as I would wish this theory was correct, it only reflects a utopian d ream in which all crimes and consequential punishments for them are perfectly clear and comprehensible. Reality however, is totally different and much more complex. To understand the importance of theories such as Rational Choice Theory one must often think outside the box. While the theory itself is quiet practical and compelling, without taking into consideration other aspects of crime and criminal behavior mentioned earlier in this paper, it becomes completely useless and invalid. It is because of the principal of mens rea that we need so many people in our courtrooms today, beginning with prosecutors, judges and jury, ending with psychologist, forensic scientists and psychiatrists in order to solve cases, especially those that involve murder. It is often very difficult to measure someones guilt and intend to commit such offence as murder looking solely on the crime itself and basing the explanation for it on Rational Choice Theory. Concurring with other critiques of the Rational Choice Theory I believe that the theory alone is quite misleading and all those who support it fully should consider studying it with comparison to mens rea or compare it to other counter theories like Classical Theory. If we want to respect principals of our criminal law which mens rea is a great example of, we should definitely stop the ongoing process of generalization and simplification of our legal norms and standards and apply and more ethical and just standards of practicing la w in our courtrooms.

Twilight 15. THE CULLENS

15. THE CULLENS The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke me. I lay with my arm across my eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break into my consciousness. I moaned and rolled on my side, hoping more sleep would come. And then the previous day flooded back into my awareness. â€Å"Oh!† I sat up so fast it made my head spin. â€Å"Your hair looks like a haystack†¦ but I like it.† His unruffled voice came from the rocking chair in the corner. â€Å"Edward! You stayed!† I rejoiced, and thoughtlessly threw myself across the room and into his lap. In the instant that my thoughts caught up with my actions, I froze, shocked by my own uncontrolled enthusiasm. I stared up at him, afraid that I had crossed the wrong line. But he laughed. â€Å"Of course,† he answered, startled, but seeming pleased by my reaction. His hands rubbed my back. I laid my head cautiously against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his skin. â€Å"I was sure it was a dream.† â€Å"You're not that creative,† he scoffed. â€Å"Charlie!† I remembered, thoughtlessly jumping up again and heading to the door. â€Å"He left an hour ago – after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?† I deliberated where I stood, wanting to return to him badly, but afraid I might have morning breath. â€Å"You're not usually this confused in the morning,† he noted. He held his arms open for me to return. A nearly irresistible invitation. â€Å"I need another human minute,† I admitted. â€Å"I'll wait.† I skipped to the bathroom, my emotions unrecognizable. I didn't know myself, inside or out. The face in the mirror was practically a stranger – eyes too bright, hectic spots of red across my cheekbones. After I brushed my teeth, I worked to straighten out the tangled chaos that was my hair. I splashed my face with cold water, and tried to breathe normally, with no noticeable success. I half-ran back to my room. It seemed like a miracle that he was there, his arms still waiting for me. He reached out to me, and my heart thumped unsteadily. â€Å"Welcome back,† he murmured, taking me into his arms. He rocked me for a while in silence, until I noticed that his clothes were changed, his hair smooth. â€Å"You left?† I accused, touching the collar of his fresh shirt. â€Å"I could hardly leave in the clothes I came in – what would the neighbors think?† I pouted. â€Å"You were very deeply asleep; I didn't miss anything.† His eyes gleamed. â€Å"The talking came earlier.† I groaned. â€Å"What did you hear?† His gold eyes grew very soft. â€Å"You said you loved me.† â€Å"You knew that already,† I reminded him, ducking my head. â€Å"It was nice to hear, just the same.† I hid my face against his shoulder. â€Å"I love you,† I whispered. â€Å"You are my life now,† he answered simply. There was nothing more to say for the moment. He rocked us back and forth as the room grew lighter. â€Å"Breakfast time,† he said eventually, casually – to prove, I'm sure, that he remembered all my human frailties. So I clutched my throat with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Kidding!† I snickered. â€Å"And you said I couldn't act!† He frowned in disgust. â€Å"That wasn't funny.† â€Å"It was very funny, and you know it.† But I examined his gold eyes carefully, to make sure that I was forgiven. Apparently, I was. â€Å"Shall I rephrase?† he asked. â€Å"Breakfast time for the human.† â€Å"Oh, okay.† He threw me over his stone shoulder, gently, but with a swiftness that left me breathless. I protested as he carried me easily down the stairs, but he ignored me. He sat me right side up on a chair. The kitchen was bright, happy, seeming to absorb my mood. â€Å"What's for breakfast?† I asked pleasantly. That threw him for a minute. â€Å"Er, I'm not sure. What would you like?† His marble brow puckered. I grinned, hopping up. â€Å"That's all right, I fend for myself pretty well. Watch me hunt.† I found a bowl and a box of cereal. I could feel his eyes on me as I poured the milk and grabbed a spoon. I sat my food on the table, and then paused. â€Å"Can I get you anything?† I asked, not wanting to be rude. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Just eat, Bella.† I sat at the table, watching him as I took a bite. He was gazing at me, studying my every movement. It made me self-conscious. I cleared my mouth to speak, to distract him. â€Å"What's on the agenda for today?† I asked. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I watched him frame his answer carefully. â€Å"What would you say to meeting my family?† I gulped. â€Å"Are you afraid now?† He sounded hopeful. â€Å"Yes,† I admitted; how could I deny it – he could see my eyes. â€Å"Don't worry.† He smirked. â€Å"I'll protect you.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of them,† I explained. â€Å"I'm afraid they won't†¦ like me. Won't they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone†¦ like me†¦ home to meet them? Do they know that I know about them?† â€Å"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know† – he smiled, but his voice was harsh – â€Å"on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that.† â€Å"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don't forget that.† â€Å"You paid attention,† he smiled approvingly. â€Å"I've been known to do that every now and then.† I grimaced. â€Å"So did Alice see me coming?† His reaction was strange. â€Å"Something like that,† he said uncomfortably, turning away so I couldn't see his eyes. I stared at him curiously. â€Å"Is that any good?† he asked, turning back to me abruptly and eyeing my breakfast with a teasing look on his face. â€Å"Honestly, it doesn't look very appetizing.† â€Å"Well, it's no irritable grizzly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I murmured, ignoring him when he glowered. I was still wondering why he responded that way when I mentioned Alice. I hurried through my cereal, speculating. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, the statue of Adonis again, staring abstractedly out the back windows. Then his eyes were back on me, and he smiled his heartbreaking smile. â€Å"And you should introduce me to your father, too, I think.† â€Å"He already knows you,† I reminded him. â€Å"As your boyfriend, I mean.† I stared at him with suspicion. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Isn't that customary?† he asked innocently. â€Å"I don't know,† I admitted. My dating history gave me few reference points to work with. Not that any normal rules of dating applied here. â€Å"That's not necessary, you know. I don't expect you to†¦ I mean, you don't have to pretend for me.† His smile was patient. â€Å"I'm not pretending.† I pushed the remains of my cereal around the edges of the bowl, biting my lip. â€Å"Are you going to tell Charlie I'm your boyfriend or not?† he demanded. â€Å"Is that what you are?† I suppressed my internal cringing at the thought of Edward and Charlie and the word boy friend all in the same room at the same time. â€Å"It's a loose interpretation of the word ‘boy,' I'll admit.† â€Å"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually,† I confessed, looking at the table. â€Å"Well, I don't know if we need to give him all the gory details.† He reached across the table to lift my chin with a cold, gentle finger. â€Å"But he will need some explanation for why I'm around here so much. I don't want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me.† â€Å"Will you be?† I asked, suddenly anxious. â€Å"Will you really be here?† â€Å"As long as you want me,† he assured me. â€Å"I'll always want you,† I warned him. â€Å"Forever.† He walked slowly around the table, and, pausing a few feet away, he reached out to touch his fingertips to my cheek. His expression was unfathomable. â€Å"Does that make you sad?† I asked. He didn't answer. He stared into my eyes for an immeasurable period of time. â€Å"Are you finished?† he finally asked. I jumped up. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Get dressed – I'll wait here.† It was hard to decide what to wear. I doubted there were any etiquette books detailing how to dress when your vampire sweetheart takes you home to meet his vampire family. It was a relief to think the word to myself. I knew I shied away from it intentionally. I ended up in my only skirt – long, khaki-colored, still casual. I put on the dark blue blouse he'd once complimented. A quick glance in the mirror told me my hair was entirely impossible, so I pulled it back into a pony tail. â€Å"Okay.† I bounced down the stairs. â€Å"I'm decent.† He was waiting at the foot of the stairs, closer than I'd thought, and I bounded right into him. He steadied me, holding me a careful distance away for a few seconds before suddenly pulling me closer. â€Å"Wrong again,† he murmured in my ear. â€Å"You are utterly indecent – no one should look so tempting, it's not fair.† â€Å"Tempting how?† I asked. â€Å"I can change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, shaking his head. â€Å"You are so absurd.† He pressed his cool lips delicately to my forehead, and the room spun. The smell of his breath made it impossible to think. â€Å"Shall I explain how you are tempting me?† he said. It was clearly a rhetorical question. His fingers traced slowly down my spine, his breath coming more quickly against my skin. My hands were limp on his chest, and I felt lightheaded again. He tilted his head slowly and touched his cool lips to mine for the second time, very carefully, parting them slightly. And then I collapsed. â€Å"Bella?† His voice was alarmed as he caught me and held me up. â€Å"You†¦ made†¦ me†¦ faint,† I accused him dizzily. â€Å"What am I going to do with you?† he groaned in exasperation. â€Å"Yesterday I kiss you, and you attack me! Today you pass out on me!† I laughed weakly, letting his arms support me while my head spun. â€Å"So much for being good at everything,† he sighed. â€Å"That's the problem.† I was still dizzy. â€Å"You're too good. Far, far too good.† â€Å"Do you feel sick?† he asked; he'd seen me like this before. â€Å"No – that wasn't the same kind of fainting at all. I don't know what happened.† I shook my head apologeticallv, â€Å"I think I forgot to breathe.† â€Å"I can't take you anywhere like this.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I insisted. â€Å"Your family is going to think I'm insane anyway, what's the difference?† He measured my expression for a moment. â€Å"I'm very partial to that color with your skin,† he offered unexpectedly. I flushed with pleasure, and looked away. â€Å"Look, I'm trying really hard not to think about what I'm about to do, so can we go already?† I asked. â€Å"And you're worried, not because you're headed to meet a houseful of vampires, but because you think those vampires won't approve of you, correct?† â€Å"That's right,† I answered immediately, hiding my surprise at his casual use of the word. He shook his head. â€Å"You're incredible.† I realized, as he drove my truck out of the main part of town, that I had no idea where he lived. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. I was trying to decide whether to ask or be patient, when he turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees. And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn? The gloom of the forest didn't relent, though, for there were six primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story. I don't know what I had expected, but it definitely wasn't this. The house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. My truck was the only car in sight. I could hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"You like it?† He smiled. â€Å"It†¦ has a certain charm.† He pulled the end of my ponytail and chuckled. â€Å"Ready?† he asked, opening my door. â€Å"Not even a little bit – let's go.† I tried to laugh, but it seemed to get stuck in my throat. I smoothed my hair nervously. â€Å"You look lovely.† He took my hand easily, without thinking about it. We walked through the deep shade up to the porch. I knew he could feel my tension; his thumb rubbed soothing circles into the back of my hand. He opened the door for me. The inside was even more surprising, less predictable, than the exterior. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white. Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were Edward's parents. I'd seen Dr. Cullen before, of course, yet I couldn't help but be struck again by his youth, his outrageous perfection. At his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of soft, caramel-colored hair, reminded me of the ing? ¦nues of the silent-movie era. She was small, slender, yet less angular, more rounded than the others. They were both dressed casually, in light colors that matched the inside of the house. They smiled in welcome, but made no move to approach us. Trying not to frighten me, I guessed. â€Å"Carlisle, Esme,† Edward's voice broke the short silence, â€Å"this is Bella.† â€Å"You're very welcome, Bella.† Carlisle's step was measured, careful as he approached me. He raised his hand tentatively, and I stepped forward to shake hands with him. â€Å"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen.† â€Å"Please, call me Carlisle.† â€Å"Carlisle.† I grinned at him, my sudden confidence surprising me. I could feel Edward's relief at my side. Esme smiled and stepped forward as well, reaching for my hand. Her cold, stone grasp was just as I expected. â€Å"It's very nice to know you,† she said sincerely. â€Å"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you, too.† And I was. It was like meeting a fairy tale – Snow White, in the flesh. â€Å"Where are Alice and Jasper?† Edward asked, but no one answered, as they had just appeared at the top of the wide staircase. â€Å"Hey, Edward!† Alice called enthusiastically. She ran down the stairs, a streak of black hair and white skin, coming to a sudden and graceful stop in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shot warning glances at her, but I liked it. It was natural – for her, anyway. â€Å"Hi, Bella!† Alice said, and she bounced forward to kiss my cheek. If Carlisle and Esme had looked cautious before, they now looked staggered. There was shock in my eyes, too, but I was also very pleased that she seemed to approve of me so entirely. I was startled to feel Edward stiffen at my side. I glanced at his face, but his expression was unreadable. â€Å"You do smell nice, I never noticed before,† she commented, to my extreme embarrassment. No one else seemed to know quite what to say, and then Jasper was there – tall and leonine. A feeling of ease spread through me, and I was suddenly comfortable despite where I was. Edward stared at Jasper, raising one eyebrow, and I remembered what Jasper could do. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake my hand. But it was impossible to feel awkward near him. â€Å"Hello, Jasper.† I smiled at him shyly, and then at the others. â€Å"It's nice to meet you all – you have a very beautiful home,† I added conventionally. â€Å"Thank you,† Esme said. â€Å"We're so glad that you came.† She spoke with feeling, and I realized that she thought I was brave. I also realized that Rosalie and Emmett were nowhere to be seen, and I remembered Edward's too-innocent denial when I'd asked him if the others didn't like me. Carlisle's expression distracted me from this train of thought; he was gazing meaningfully at Edward with an intense expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once. I looked away, trying to be polite. My eyes wandered again to the beautiful instrument on the platform by the door. I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn't really good – she only played for herself on our secondhand upright – but I loved to watch her play. She was happy, absorbed – she seemed like a new, mysterious being to me then, someone outside the â€Å"mom† persona I took for granted. She'd put me through lessons, of course, but like most kids, I whined until she let me quit. Esme noticed my preoccupation. â€Å"Do you play?† she asked, inclining her head toward the piano. I shook my head. â€Å"Not at all. But it's so beautiful. Is it yours?† â€Å"No,† she laughed. â€Å"Edward didn't tell you he was musical?† â€Å"No.† I glared at his suddenly innocent expression with narrowed eyes. â€Å"I should have known, I guess.† Esme raised her delicate eyebrows in confusion. â€Å"Edward can do everything, right?† I explained. Jasper snickered and Esme gave Edward a reproving look. â€Å"I hope you haven't been showing off- it's rude,† she scolded. â€Å"Just a bit,† he laughed freely. Her face softened at the sound, and they shared a brief look that I didn't understand, though Esme's face seemed almost smug. â€Å"He's been too modest, actually,† I corrected. â€Å"Well, play for her,† Esme encouraged. â€Å"You just said showing off was rude,† he objected. â€Å"There are exceptions to every rule,† she replied. â€Å"I'd like to hear you play,† I volunteered. â€Å"It's settled then.† Esme pushed him toward the piano. He pulled me along, sitting me on the bench beside him. He gave me a long, exasperated look before he turned to the keys. And then his fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with a composition so complex, so luxuriant, it was impossible to believe only one set of hands played. I felt my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment, and heard low chuckles behind me at my reaction. Edward looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break, and winked. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"You wrote this?† I gasped, understanding. He nodded. â€Å"It's Esme's favorite.† I closed my eyes, shaking my head. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"I'm feeling extremely insignificant.† The music slowed, transforming into something softer, and to my surprise I detected the melody of his lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes. â€Å"You inspired this one,† he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet. I couldn't speak. â€Å"They like you, you know,† he said conversationally. â€Å"Esme especially.† I glanced behind me, but the huge room was empty now. â€Å"Where did they go?† â€Å"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose.† I sighed. â€Å"They like me. But Rosalie and Emmett†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, not sure how to express my doubts. He frowned. â€Å"Don't worry about Rosalie,† he said, his eyes wide and persuasive. â€Å"She'll come around.† I pursed my lips skeptically. â€Å"Emmett?† â€Å"Well, he thinks I'm a lunatic, it's true, but he doesn't have a problem with you. He's trying to reason with Rosalie.† â€Å"What is it that upsets her?† I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer. He sighed deeply. â€Å"Rosalie struggles the most with†¦ with what we are. It's hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she's a little jealous.† â€Å"Rosalie is jealous of me?† I asked incredulously. I tried to imagine a universe in which someone as breathtaking as Rosalie would have any possible reason to feel jealous of someone like me. â€Å"You're human.† He shrugged. â€Å"She wishes that she were, too.† â€Å"Oh,† I muttered, still stunned. â€Å"Even Jasper, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's really my fault,† he said. â€Å"I told you he was the most recent to try our way of life. I warned him to keep his distance.† I thought about the reason for that, and shuddered. â€Å"Esme and Carlisle†¦ ?† I continued quickly, to keep him from noticing. â€Å"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn't care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she's been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential makeup, that I was too young when Carlisle changed me†¦ She's ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction.† â€Å"Alice seems very†¦ enthusiastic.† â€Å"Alice has her own way of looking at things,† he said through tight lips. â€Å"And you're not going to explain that, are you?† A moment of wordless communication passed between us. He realized that I knew he was keeping something from me. I realized that he wasn't going to give anything away. Not now. â€Å"So what was Carlisle telling you before?† His eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"You noticed that, did you?† I shrugged. â€Å"Of course.† He looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering. â€Å"He wanted to tell me some news – he didn't know if it was something I would share with you.† â€Å"Will you?† â€Å"I have to, because I'm going to be a little†¦ overbearingly protective over the next few days – or weeks – and I wouldn't want you to think I'm naturally a tyrant.† â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we're here, and they're curious.† â€Å"Visitors?† â€Å"Yes†¦ well, they aren't like us, of course – in their hunting habits, I mean. They probably won't come into town at all, but I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight till they're gone.† I shivered. â€Å"Finally, a rational response!† he murmured. â€Å"I was beginning to think you had no sense of self-preservation at all.† I let that one pass, looking away, my eyes wandering again around the spacious room. He followed my gaze. â€Å"Not what you expected, is it?† he asked, his voice smug. â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"No coffins, no piled skulls in the corners; I don't even think we have cobwebs†¦ what a disappointment this must be for you,† he continued slyly. I ignored his teasing. â€Å"It's so light†¦ so open.† He was more serious when he answered. â€Å"It's the one place we never have to hide.† The song he was still playing, my song, drifted to an end, the final chords shifting to a more melancholy key. The last note hovered poignantly in the silence. â€Å"Thank you,† I murmured. I realized there were tears in my eyes. I dabbed at them, embarrassed. He touched the corner of my eye, trapping one I missed. He lifted his finger, examining the drop of moisture broodingly. Then, so quickly I couldn't be positive that he really did, he put his finger to his mouth to taste it. I looked at him questioningly, and he gazed back for a long moment before he finally smiled. â€Å"Do you want to see the rest of the house?† â€Å"No coffins?† I verified, the sarcasm in my voice not entirely masking the slight but genuine anxiety I felt. He laughed, taking my hand, leading me away from the piano. â€Å"No coffins,† he promised. We walked up the massive staircase, my hand trailing along the satin-smooth rail. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards. â€Å"Rosalie and Emmett's room†¦ Carlisle's office†¦ Alice's room†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured as he led me past the doors. He would have continued, but I stopped dead at the end of the hall, staring incredulously at the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward chuckled at my bewildered expression. â€Å"You can laugh,† he said. â€Å"It is sort of ironic.† I didn't laugh. My hand raised automatically, one finger extended as if to touch the large wooden cross, its dark patina contrasting with the lighter tone of the wall. I didn't touch it, though I was curious if the aged wood would feel as silky as it looked. â€Å"It must be very old,† I guessed. He shrugged. â€Å"Early sixteen-thirties, more or less.† I looked away from the cross to stare at him. â€Å"Why do you keep this here?† I wondered. â€Å"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle's father.† â€Å"He collected antiques?† I suggested doubtfully. â€Å"No. He carved this himself. It hung on the wall above the pulpit in the vicarage where he preached.† I wasn't sure if my face betrayed my shock, but I returned to gazing at the simple, ancient cross, just in case. I quickly did the mental math; the cross was over three hundred and seventy years old. The silence stretched on as I struggled to wrap my mind around the concept of so many years. â€Å"Are you all right?† He sounded worried. â€Å"How old is Carlisle?† I asked quietly, ignoring his question, still staring up. â€Å"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday,† Edward said. I looked back at him, a million questions in my eyes. He watched me carefully as he spoke. â€Å"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though.† I kept my face composed, aware of his scrutiny as I listened. It was easier if I didn't try to believe. â€Å"He was the only son of an Anglican pastor. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves†¦ and vampires.† I grew very still at the word. I'm sure he noticed, but he went on without pausing. â€Å"They burned a lot of innocent people – of course the real creatures that he sought were not so easy to catch. â€Å"When the pastor grew old, he placed his obedient son in charge of the raids. At first Carlisle was a disappointment; he was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But he was persistent, and more clever than his father. He actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of the city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. â€Å"The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course† – his brief laugh was darker now – â€Å"and waited where Carlisle had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged.† His voice was very quiet; I strained to catch the words. â€Å"He must have been ancient, and weak with hunger. Carlisle heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets, and Carlisle – he was twenty-three and very fast – was in the lead of the pursuit. The creature could have easily outrun them, but Carlisle thinks he was too hungry, so he turned and attacked. He fell on Carlisle first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself. He killed two men, and made off with a third, leaving Carlisle bleeding in the street.† He paused. I could sense he was editing something, keeping something from me. â€Å"Carlisle knew what his father would do. The bodies would be burned – anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. Carlisle acted instinctively to save his own life. He crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. He hid in a cellar, buried himself in rotting potatoes for three days. It's a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered. â€Å"It was over then, and he realized what he had become.† I'm not sure what my face was revealing, but he suddenly broke off. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured him. And, though I bit my lip in hesitation, he must have seen the curiosity burning in my eyes. He smiled. â€Å"I expect you have a few more questions for me.† â€Å"A few.† His smile widened over his brilliant teeth. He started back down the hall, pulling me along by the hand. â€Å"Come on, then,† he encouraged. â€Å"I'll show you.†

Animal Environmental Problems

In the ever changing environment it is a daily struggle for animals to maintain there natural habitats. With the environmental and man made challenges that animals face it is important that we take steps to ensure their survival on earth. If we choose not to help wildlife in the future, not only will they suffer, but we will suffer for the losses. I will attempt to explain what will happen if we don’t take measures now to ensure their survival. The first issue that needs to be dealt with is the amount of construction taking place in the world today. For example, animals are losing their environments in rainforests and woods all over the world to clear the path for new buildings and construction. With nowhere to go, animals are losing their lives and unable to breed. Another reason the future of wildlife is in danger is because of global warming. With the amount of people in the world and all the waist and pollution that they create has caused severe climate changes worldwide. For example, the polar bears have been affected by these climate changes due to the melted ice caps in the Antarctic. This causes them to travel greater distances in the search for food and risking starvation. Finally, if we choose not to help wildlife in the future we will have the greatest loss to ourselves because many animals will become extinct and future generations will only be able to see these beautiful creatures in photographs. In conclusion, it is up to us to ensure the future of wildlife by making changes that will affect not only animals but every human on earth.

Self Reliance Essays

Self Reliance Essays Self Reliance Essay Self Reliance Essay The definition of self reliance is: reliance on ones own powers and resources rather than those of others. Self Reliance can mean a lot of different things to different people. Ralph Wald Emerson describes self reliance as being yourself, being unique, and having your own opinion. Being a self reliant is not something that is easy. It can be very challenging. Self reliance is an important skill to have. In Emerson Self Reliance we are taught to trust ourselves. Sometimes we let society tell us who we should be and we depend on what everyone else is doing round us. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world (Emerson). This quote meaner that if you free yourself from yourself than you will be able to enjoy the world. Sometimes we let ourselves bring us down instead of other people, Just because we are scared of being Judged. Another quote from Emerson that I find important is It is easy in the world to live after the worlds opinion (Emerson). This quote meane r that is easy to follow what others are doing. We live in a world where everyone finds the need to be anyone but homeless. Conformation cannot be justified because of the liberties and self- beliefs surrendered to fit in. Therefore the only justifiable means of reaching your true God-given potential in society is being self-reliant. Self-trust and self-consciousness in society are indirect variations to each other and in that the need to conform to society is no longer a problem, because the level of your self-reliance has increased, and self-consciousness decreased. Emerson defines genius. To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. † (539) Man is inclined to dismiss his own inner thoughts and ideas, and yet is enthralled by what he sees in others. The belief that one’s own true thoughts are worthy regardless of others’ genius is to trust oneself, and be self-reliant. : Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Self-Reliance. † Harper American Literature Single Volume . 3rd Edition. 1999: 536-539