Capital Punishment Essays (660 words) - English Criminal Law

Capital Punishment In society today there are murders committed everyday. And everyday the people who commit these crimes are found guilty in a court of law and sentenced to like in prison. Some even get chances for parole. What the courts should do is take every murderer, give every one of them the death penalty, and follow through with it. The death penalty should be legal in all 50 states and carried through when given out as a sentence. Gary Gilmore faced a firing squad at the Utah State Prison on January 17, 1977. There have been 55 murders in that state during 1976. During 1977, in wake of the Gilmore execution, there were 44 murders: a 20 percent decrease. As you can see, the execution had some effect on the murder rate in Utah. There are very few proven facts about capital punishment deterring crime at this time. This is so because capital punishment is not used enough to actually have an effect on people. It is a fact that of all murder sentences that 38 percent get the death penalty. If that 38 percent only 0.1 percent are executed. If we use the death penalty more often and actually carry through with it will have an effect on the crime rate in the country. People will see that finally we have justice in this country and if they do this, there is a large chance they are going to be caught and they are going to receive the death penalty. We also need the death penalty in this country because if we execute the murderer that person has no chance to ever kill or harm another person again. The person will never have a chance for parole and there will never be a risk of this person ever ruining another family's life. It is not fair for a murderer to get life in prison. The murderer still can have a life, not much of one, but they do have one. He or she can still communicate with their families. The victim of the murder cannot. The victim's family will never be able to see there loved one again. Another thing with life in prison is that the murderer may have a chance for parole. If they feel that the murderer is rehabilitated and ready to enter society again they just let him or her out of prison. Anybody can seem rehabilitated but go back on the streets and murder another person if not more. There are very few disadvantages of capital punishment. The first and probably top reason is that a person can be wrongfully accused and sentenced for a murder. The innocent person is charged with murder and sentenced to the death penalty although they did not commit the crime they are accused of. This unfortunately is the biggest disadvantage of the death penalty. Another disadvantage has to be if somebody killed another person in self defense. Let us say there is a man or woman in your house that you don't know. He or she comes up and tries to grab and harm you in some way. In the nightstand, you keep a handgun. You are able to get to the gun and shoot the perpetrator and he or she dies. Should this person be charged with murder? No, this is an act of self defense where the victim if the shootings was endangering the life of the shooter. The death penalty should be established in all 50 states. The crime rate would go down if all states had the death penalty because people would see murderers being executed and if they do this they will be sentenced to death also. There is no doubt in my mind that crime would go down. Also, there would be no chance that the killer would ever get the chance to kill again. With society being the way it is today, with kids killing in schools and people shooting or stabbing other people for drug deals gone bad, capital punishment needs to be established and carried out. They will see that if they do this they too will receive the death penalty and the too are going to suffer the consequences that go along with committing murder.

102 Proposal and 2BR02B Professor Ramos Blog

102 Proposal and 2BR02B Quick Write Quick Write What is a problem, local, personal, or national, that you would like to write about? Come up with a few. Proposal Intro Lets go over the  proposal prompt  for the first essay. Brainstorming Lets come up with a big list of problems we can possibly write about. 2BR02B Solution The proposal asks that we define a problem and come up with a solution that we can implement to the problem. It is important in critical thinking to think thought the decisions. If you come up with a solution, you have to think of the implications it will have. Will it lead to problems in the future? While we may not be able to predict with certainty if it will cause problems, we can think through it and anticipate some possible negative outcomes. Obstacles to Critical Thinking The topic is too controversial. The topic hits â€Å"too close to home.† Personal experience with topic. The topic disgusts you. Begin Research Begin researching the problem you are thinking of writing about. Find at least one source to use for your first essay that helps you to define the problem. Do not assume that the problem is real! Question your assumptions and find proof from a reliable source.

Organisational Behaviour summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational Behaviour summary - Essay Example described McDonaldization as a process through which society adopts the characteristics of a fast food restaurant, which has four components; calculability, efficiency, predictability and control. However, McDonald’s has diversified beyond these traditional fast food items through the acquisition of restaurants such as Boston Market and Donatos Pizzeria. McDonald’s not only operates stand alone restaurants but also has presence in commercial establishments such as mall, gas stations and airports. What began as a simple drive through in 1941 has emerged to be the world’s largest fast food chain. There is a trans-generational connotation to McDonald’s as every American seems to have gone through it at one point or through out their lives. But how has McDonald’s managed to be such a global icon of success? McDonald’s is used as a learning tool, even by organizations out of the food and service industry. This implies that their strategy is well above global standards. It puts emphasis on staff training and development programmes, strict and consistent quality and service, continuous innovation and development and a centralized promotion campaign. The main emphasis of McDonald’s competitive advantage that has ensured that they have remained as a leader is the relentless quest for consistency and innovation. This is compounded by the fact that McDonald’s has put measure in place such as the quality assurance labs globally to ensure that only products of the highest standards are used in the production process. Despite the fact that the staff hired by McDonald’s is mostly untrained and inexperienced, these recruits undergo vigorous training on food preparation and customer care. While it is a global enterprise, McDonald’s operations are standardized through out. This has advantages such as the standardization of cost efficiencies and the management is able to make comparisons and learn from its various outlets. This also encourages healthy competition

The Literary analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Literary analysis - Essay Example Some of the things that the soldiers from the platoon Alpha Company carried with them from the war were material things while others were mental. The mental issues such as fear and guilt that they carried from the actions that they did during the war are the focus of the book with a keen eye being on the death and life. Most stories in the book are not definite as having a resolution except only when a character dies inclining that the anecdotes used to not help in illustrating closure for either of the platoon Alpha Company. The only true representation is that the death of a soldier at the war had a significant impact on the life of those that survived making it to be a worthy war story. With this overview, this essay will delve into the literary analysis of this text by making a personal claim about the impact of the book and its relevance to readers by highlighting what is either valuable or not within the same. Additionally, the essay will also suggest the context that readers should consider as they read it and explain about the place of O’Brien’s book in modern literature. According to O’Brien, it is not easy to narrate a war story but fictional writing can be used to immortalize the dead, which can be valuable to the readers as it helps in understanding the narratorâ₠¬â„¢s past, present and future if they were involved in war. In the initial pages of the book, the narrator starts by explaining some of the material things that the soldiers came with from Vietnam that they considered them to be what used to make life bearable for them there. Some of these physical things included lighters, cigarettes, chewing gum, bible, Kool-Aid, condoms, while another carried pond cake and peaches among a list of other items (O’Brien 2). The emotions of the narrator are triggered from time to time through the thoughts of death of fellow officer Lavender, which

Why did two separate German states appear in 1949 Essay

Why did two separate German states appear in 1949 - Essay Example When one looks beyond the facts, the Cuban missile crisis was just more of the balance of powers between the US and the Soviet Union. It was entangled in the Berlin crisis and the Soviets had three underlying motives, none of which was to force a nuclear war. The first motive was to deter the US attack on Cuba, the second was to obtain leverage over the Berlin issue and the third was to undermine the US nuclear superiority in the balance of powers (Betts 1987, 110). Following the Second World War, the Soviet Union together with the US, Britain and France occupied Germany for reconstruction and stabilization purposes. Ultimately, the country was divided into two with the Soviet Union taking responsibilities for East Germany and the remaining World War II allies taken responsibility for West Germany. Neither side could agree on concessions and strategies and by 1961, the situation had escalated into what has been described as the Berlin Crisis (Stern 2005, 18). The power struggle between the US and the Soviet Union during the ongoing Cold War and the US’s nuclear and military superiority did not help. By 1961, Russian leader Nikita Krushchev vowed that when he met with US President J. F. Kennedy in June that year he would â€Å"push hard for concessions in Berlin and elsewhere† (Stern 2005, 18). Based on the facts and circumstances in which Krushchev made that statement, historians have taken the position that the Cuban Missile Crisis was no more than a ploy on the part of the Soviet Union to compel Western powers, particularly the US to accept the settlement of Germany, and Berlin in particular on its terms and conditions. The idea was to use â€Å"quick and dramatic means† for strengthening the Soviet Union’s military, diplomatic and psychological position on a number of geopolitical matters, particularly the German issue (Divine 1988, 135). The Soviet’s would claim however, that

The Meaning of Political Theory

The Meaning of Political Theory DISCUSSING THE MEANING OF POLITICAL THEORY Harold Lasswell (1936) defines politics as ‘Who gets what, when and how,’ Leftwitch, (2004). No wonder, then, a myriad of attempts has been made to come up with a conclusive and all-encompassing analytical approach to this study of ‘who gets what, when and how’. Some of these, of course, include; scientific approach, philosophical approach as well as theoretical approach to the study of politics, Heywood (2007). It is the latter, however, which is the scope of this discussion. While science refers to a means of acquiring political knowledge through observation, experimentation and measurement using empirical evidence, philosophy is a means by which any abstract thought about politics is covered in search for, both, wisdom and understanding, Heywood (2004). Before going any farther into the discussion, a look at the meaning of the word theory is imperative. The dictionary meanings of the word theory are (1); a formal set of ideas that is intended to explain why something happens or exists, (2) the principles on which a particular subject is based (3) opinion or idea that somebody believes is true but that is not proved, Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 7th Edition, (2006). Political theory, in this context, is an academic discipline that studies politics based on the following premises; it involves the analytical studies of ideas and doctrines that have been central to the political thought; it studies the ends and means of political action; it is concerned with ethical and normative questions; it draws upon the example of economic theory in building up models based on procedural rules usually about self interested behaviour of individuals involved like the bourgeoisie or the proletariat; it examines what major thinkers said, how they developed or justified their views; it attempts to, better, understand behaviour of actors like voters, politicians, lobbyist and bureaucrats, Heywood, (2004). Basically Political Theory analyses political concepts and their relationship to actual political practice. This is done through; Concepts, Models, Theories and Ideologies. Concepts, to begin with, are general ideas or mental constructs by which attempts are made to draw out meaning from otherwise infinitely complex realities through logical presentations. They are tools with which human beings think, criticize, argue, explain and analyze political developments. Examples include liberty, human rights, equality, power, authority, order and law Heywood (2004). Second tool of political theory are Models. Models are representations of empirical data that aim to advance understanding by highlighting significant relationships and interactions among variables. These are built around a number of concepts with an aim of making a vivid resemblance of the original object without necessarily becoming its copy.They are analytical tools through which meaning can be imposed upon a massive and disorganized collection of facts. An example is the Easton Systems Model of state by David Easton (1953) cited by Heywood (2007). Third on the list of tools of political theory are ‘theories’ or simply put macro theories.Theories, often used interchangeably with models, are comprehensive, systematic, consistent and reliable explanations and predictions of relationships among specific variables. Theories are explained through models, for example, theories of collectivism, pluralism, elitism, and functionalism. These may be explained by a model of state, model of electoral competition, or model of group politics, Heywood (2007). Last on the tools through which political theory does the analysis of politics are Ideologies. The term Ideology was coined during French Revolution by Antoine Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836) Ideologies are intellectual frameworks comprising interrelated values, theories and assumptions, within which search for knowledge is conducted. They are main beliefs that outline how political change can and should be brought about. They provide a broad range of political creeds and traditions which provide basis of political action. Examples of political Ideologies are Conservatism, Socialism, Communism, and Fascism of course, just to mention but a few, Heywood (2004) In as much as there is an appreciation on the arguments of the four tools of Concepts, Models, Theories and Ideologies to the theoretical approach to the study of politics on one hand, a number of weaknesses can be observed in this ‘tool’ based approach on the other. The first problem encountered with political concepts is that they are, often, difficult to disentangle from the moral, philosophical and ideological views of those who advance them. Another problem is that political concepts often become the subject of intellectual and ideological controversy. It is not uncommon for political argument to take place between people who assert to uphold the same principle or ideal which is reflected in attempts to establish a particular conception of a concept as objectively correct, as in the case of true democracy, freedom, justice and so forth, Heywood (2004). An additional problem with political concepts is fetishism. This occurs when concepts are treated as though they ha ve a concrete existence separate from the human beings who use them. In short, words are treated as things, rather than as devices for understanding things. The complexity of political reality also renders concepts insufficient to explain political practice as some concepts are multi-faceted in nature and are a subject to profound ideological controversy, Heywood (2004). Although models are a simplification of reality, they are not a reliable knowledge in themselves as they have hidden values. These values and beliefs may intrude into the process of model and theory building thereby making it impracticable to create purely empirical theories or models. This means that models and theories contain some biases, Heywood (2004). Ideologies are the ‘Grand Thought’ of any political institution. Despite being such major themes in the political arena, ideologies command no objective standard of truth against which they can bejudged. As a matter of fact, there are different perspectives on ideologies. For instance, Liberals, have viewed ideologies as officially endorsed belief systems that claim a monopoly of truth, for example communism and fascism. Conservatives have traditionally regarded ideologies as manifestations of the arrogance of rationalism. Socialists have seen ideologies as body of ideas that conceal the contradictions of class society, thereby promoting false perception and political obedience amongst subordinate classes per se, Heywood (2004). Having looked at political theory from an academic perspective as based on the premises on which it operates, the concepts, the models, the theories and the ideologies with their relationship to real political practice, I would, therefore, understand political theory as an approach to the study of politics based on mere social constructs, of course, without proof. REFERENCES Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory: An Introduction, London Palgrave. Heywood, A. (2007). Politics (3rd Ed) London: Palgrave. Hoffman, J. and Graham, P. (2009).Introduction to Political Theory (2nd Ed): Pearson Education Limited, England. Leftwich, A. (2004).(Ed) What is Politics? Cambridge: Polity Press. Wehmeier, S. et. al (2006). (Ed): Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, (7th Edition), International Student’s Edition. Oxford University Press. The meaning of political theory The meaning of political theory THE MEANING OF POLITICAL THEORY Human life is a complex creation on the earth’s surface. It is inevitably interesting to think of how humans think about where they come from, where they are now, their values and norms, differing views and perception about the social, economic and political arrangements of the world they live in, and their hope for a better society or world. Aristotle, (1996) argues that man is by nature a political animal. This further complicates the already complex human life as it entails that Politics exists at every corner of human life and is an intrinsic feature of mankind, despite controversies on what is ‘political’ and not. These arguments further erupt over the legitimate order and meaning of political phenomenon or empirical political actions, with regards to what Heywood, (2004) refers to as political values or normative concepts, for instance; justice, liberty, rights, equality, and descriptive concepts like; power, order and law, to mention a few. Political theory is, therefore, concerned with ethical or normative questions like, ‘How should power be distributed amongst individuals and the state?’, ‘What should the limit of an individual’s rights and liberty be?’. But then, what is Political Theory? This paper discusses the meaning of Political theory and attempts to find a better definition of the nomenclature. The desire to find the meaning to Political Theory requires the meaning of theory. The word theory originates from the Greek word â€Å"theoria†, meaning the act or procedure or state of contemplation over something going on with the intention to understand it. Political Theory may, therefore, be described as the act or procedure of having a long thoughtful observation, with intention of understanding the meaning of what may be referred to as â€Å"political†. However, this is not a description enough to quench the desire for a better definition, hence rendering political theory contested. As defined by Held, (1991: cited by Farrelly, 2004), political theory is â€Å" a network of concepts and generalizations about political life involving ideas, assumptions and statements about the nature, purpose and key features of government, state and society and about the political capabilities of human beings†. Heywood, (2004) also contends that political theory is sets of ideas or an idea that in some way seeks to impose order or meaning upon prevailing political phenomena. In general, political theory essentially provides necessary analytical tools like; concepts, models, theories and ideologies, to analyze, understand and criticize Political thought and practice. Concepts, as described by Heywood, (2004) serve as building blocks of human knowledge and are, therefore, general idea or mental construct through which meaning is draw out from an otherwise infinitely complex reality. State, presidency, and political party are examples of concepts. However, the complexity of political reality often renders some concepts insufficient to explain, in great deal, political practice and are often contested, hence Heywood, (2004)’s argument that Politics as a struggle over the legitimacy of concepts. On this background, models and theories were developed. Models successfully devise representations of empirical data that aim at advancing understanding of a number of concepts by highlighting the significant relationships and interactions among them. A theory comprises many models and establishes an explanatory proposition which comprehensively, systematically, consistently and reliably explains and predicts, in full details, political actions and behavior. Pluralism is an example of a theory and is explained by models of the state, electoral competition and group Politics. Theories are, however, not enough analytical tools to give a wider explanation of the structure of the world and predict future events, hence the need for a more comprehensive tool ideologies or paradigms. Heywood, (2004) describes ideologies as intellectual frameworks that comprise interrelated values, theories and assumptions, within which search for knowledge is conducted. Liberalism, Socialism and Conservatism are examples of Political Ideologies. These grand philosophical thoughts explain reality based on the assumptions of what is going on. For instance, if a state claims to be a Liberal, assumptions like; existence of capitalist economic system, an individual’s space, that is, rights and liberty, precede that of the collective, individual property ownership, are drawn. Analysis made on ideologies revealed their short falls, hence, led to establishment of other ideologies in reaction to these short falls. For instance, the failure of capitalism, liberal’s economic system, to redistribute wealth between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat led to the evolution of Socialism which emphasizes welfarism. Most students studying Politics confuse Political theory to[G1] other disciplines that deal with politics, such as political philosophy, political science and history. It is, however, important that a distinction line be drawn among these fields of study. Political theory can be meaningless to the exclusion of history and political philosophy. History enriches us with enough knowledge of the political strives that states have experienced and evolved through. It also informs the strains and stress that lead to the creation of political ideologies through the remarkable works of Aristotle, Plato and other great thinkers. Political theory dwells in these premises; digs out the history of states and governments; analyzes their grand philosophical thoughts, known as political ideologies in order to understand, explain and/or criticize them, and predict future events. Political theory deals with fundamental problems of the state, such as rights, liberty, justice and equality to mention a few. It does not create the fundamentals themselves, but only tries to analyze, understand and explain them so as to predict better social, economic and political arrangements that will create what Heywood, (2004) refers to as a ‘good or just society’. For example, Political theory is not concerned with what liberty and rights are. It is rather interested in comprehending the extent to which the exercise of rights and liberty is just. Political tTheory can be approached in two imperative ways. On one hand is the normative or tradition approach which concentrates on the historical, philosophical, institutional and legal orientations of political phenomenon, for instance, Thomas Hobbes’ theory of the state. On the other hand empirical approach believes in facts, as opposed to values, obtained through scientific methods to make sense of political behavior; for example, David Easton’s model of a political system. Political theory invariably treasures both normative values and empirical facts in order to predict a just society. It is apparent from the discussions on this paper that a precise definition for political theory is invariably difficult as it is subject to contention due to its complexity. It incorporates necessary aspects of history, political philosophy and political science. Nevertheless, political theory can be describes as nothing but a field of study that provides analytical tools, like; concepts, models, theories and ideologies or paradigms in order to impose meaning, understanding, criticism and prediction of political thought and action. It treasures both normative values and empirical facts to predict political phenomenon and it is through a vast knowledge of these analytical tools that a ‘just society’ can be predicted. REFERENCES Aristotle, (1996). The Politics and the Constitution of Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Farrelly, C. (2004). Contemporary Political Theory, London: Sage Publications Heywood, A. (2004). Political Theory, An Introduction, 3rd ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan 1 [G1]Wrong preposition

charant Creon as the Main Character of Antigone Essay -- Antigone ess

Creon as the Main Character of Antigone    Throughout the Greek play Antigone by Sophocles, there exists a dispute as to who should receive the designation of main character. Antigone, the daughter of the cursed King Oedipus, as well as Creon, stately king of Thebes, both appear as the key figures in this historic play. I believe that Creon, king of Thebes, should be considered the main character in this work of Greek theater. Three points can be used to make this argument: Creon suffers greatly, he learns a lesson, and is a tragic hero. Creon, like all main characters in Greek drama, suffers many losses and undergoes emotional pain and anguish. A target of the curse on the House of Oedipus by relation, Creon was already a victim of fate. His destiny has already been predetermined by the curse on the house of Oedipus, so he must either undergo suffering, death, or even both. He loses his future daughter-in-law, Antigone, by initiating her death, his son through suicide, and his wife by suicide as well. Antigone broke a decree of Creon's: not to bury the traitor Polynices. The sister of Polynices, she breaks this new law because she knows that in order to please the gods she must so the right thing and bury Polynices. When she does Creon sentences her to death by sealing her in a cave. After realizing that he has made a critical error, he and his followers unseal the rocky tomb to find that Antigone has taken her own life. Creon's son, Haemon, the to-be husband of Antigone, rushes into the cave in mourning. He attempt s an attack on Creon, but fails to connect with his sword thrust, and in anger and remorse kills himself with his weapon beside his dead love. Creon, overwhelmed with anguish, returns to the castle. But ... ...Gods have attempted to evade their fate, but have never been able to do so. Creon is affected by fate through the curse of Oedipus. The Chorus recites: The stress of a Fate is hard; Nor wealth, nor warfare, nor ward, Nor black ships cleaving the sea Can resist her, or flee. (35). Despite the fact that the play's name stands as Antigone, I believe that Creon should be recognized as the central character in this play. He lives longer, has more lines, stands in the middle of many moral arguments, and doesn't pull a disappearing act in the middle of the play. Provided with this knowledge, maybe a reader will read the play Antigone with a new prospective, and look at the story from both point-of-views. Not placing Antigone as the 'good-guy', and Creon as the 'bad-guy', but thinking of the pair as good people fighting for the right in conflicting situations.