Monday, December 23, 2019

Who owns the Internet Essay - 1204 Words

What actually is the Internet? The Internet is not a singular item, but instead millions of computers that communicate independent of a central controller and dynamically changes size based upon the number of computers that are either connecting or disconnecting. The origins of the Internet can be traced back to U.S. defense research in the late 1950’s at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) when scientists wished to link Radar stations together as a defense against the threat of a Russian nuclear arms attack (Waldrop 78-79). As the prevalence of computers has grown, so has the Internet, transforming it from a utility used for governmental defense into a consumer resource out of government jurisdiction. The ubiquity of the†¦show more content†¦Internet censorship by governments such as the People’s Republic of China are in response to the Internet’s â€Å"breadth of online content... and content sources are often remote from Chinese jurisdi ction† (Zittrain and Edelman) which prevents governments from controlling information that is spread online. Governments such as China fear that, if they allow open access to the Internet, political unrest will ensue causing destabilization of the economy or severe social division. When governments are able to censor the Internet, they determine the information that one has access to, yet the information that is being censored could contain information pertaining to an impending national disaster. Historically governments censor information for the purpose of keeping their citizens uninformed and powerless. For example Slaves were kept illiterate so that they would be at the mercy of plantation owners. Not only do foreign countries have interest in the Internet, but so does the United States because the wealth of information that can be gathered. Instead of choosing to censor information from its citizens, the United States chooses to gather information about its citizens thro ugh their e-mail, browsing history, and social networking profiles. In â€Å"Mapping Local Internet Control† the authors state that â€Å"The Internet is a battleground of control by national governments† continuing with reasons why the Internet is aShow MoreRelatedWho Owns The Internet And How It Affects My Own Experience With Communication Essay831 Words   |  4 PagesThis essay will be divided in three parts. First I will present how U.S media presents a slanted and distorted version of the â€Å"truth†. Second I will discuss how I interpret â€Å"who owns the internet† and how it affects my own experience with communication and last I will address I think â€Å"Islam† as term or ideological concept, currently serves a â€Å"system supporting propaganda function†. The United States journalism have come a long way since it rose as a political weapon, facing critical junctures suchRead MoreInternet Copyright Laws1388 Words   |  6 PagesCredit Internet Copyright Laws A student comes home to his dorm at the University of Scranton after a rough day of classes. With the quick internet connection provided on the schools network, the student makes a few clicks and logs into Morpheus, a program that enables music fans to download free music. Within a few minutes he is on his way to owning an unlimited amount of songs at no cost. Everything this student is doing is legal, right? Wrong. The downloaded music from the internet isRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of the Internet Essay example1156 Words   |  5 Pagesgives a voice to those who cannot speak and those who cannot breathe on their own receive mechanically computerized help. The computer has given us many wonderful things used for wonderful purposes, but there are vast ways in which these things have been misused by our people. One of these things is the internet and a common way it is misused is by way of plagiarism. Plagiarism is an act in which one person, in essence, steals the work of another and uses it for their own purposes (Cafferty, Serwer)Read MoreHow A Home Based Internet Business Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pageslatest creations to anyone who wants to look good and business owners are marketing their services or products to us in every possible way. The internet has made marketing evolve in ways never dreamed of before. As more and more people search the internet for what they need as a solution to their problem or needs or wants, an amazing opportunity has presented itself to anyone who would like to own their own home based internet business. Starting a home based internet business is not difficultRead MoreResponse to Nicholas Carrs Is Google Making Us Stupid? Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesThe internet is a technology which has had a significant impact on the way many people conduct their lives. Information once contained in massive volumes at libraries or in private collections is now available by typing words into a search engine and clicking â€Å"search.† One must no longer pick up a phone to call a friend, relative or colleague; e-mail, instant messaging, Skype and the like, have enabled people to communicate in non-traditional ways and across boundaries previously inaccessible.Read MoreEssay about Does the Internet Have Psychological Benefits?593 Words   |  3 PagesThe issue of the Internet having psychological benefits has two sides, as does any issue. James E. Katz and Philip Aspden present the yes side of this issue. Katz and Aspden used a national random telephone survey to back up their side on th e issue. The survey conducted in October of 1995 compiled the individuals who took the survey into five specific groups. The groups consisted of those not aware of the Internet, non-users aware of the Internet, former users, recent users-those who started using theRead MoreInternet Censorship Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Censorship Used Around The World Some people wonder who came up with the idea of internet censorship. Other people want to know which countries use it. Some ponder over the idea of what really is internet censorship. Internet censorship is controlling what can be viewed, and which sites can be used on the internet. Some things about internet censorship are countries that use it, and who started the idea of it. There are lots of countries that use internet censorship. A few of them are ChinaRead MoreEssay about The Internet - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly1008 Words   |  5 PagesThe Internet - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The internet is a computer based global information system. It is composed of many interconnected computer networks. Each network may link thousands of computers enabling them to share information. The internet has brought a transformation in many aspects of life. It is one of the biggest contributors in making the world into a global village. Use of internet has grown tremendously since it was introduced. It is mostly because of its flexibility. NowadaysRead MoreVulnerability to Internet Predators 1580 Words   |  7 PagesVulnerability to Internet Predator The publicity about online predators that prey on naive and inexperienced young children using trickery and violence is largely inaccurate. Internet sex crimes involving adults and juveniles more often fit a model of statutory rape which is adult offenders who meet, develop relationships with, and openly seduce underage teenagers than a model of forcible sexual assault or pedophilic child molesting (Wolak et. al., 2008). However, prepubescent children are evenRead More Internet Copyright Laws Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Copyright Laws A student comes home to his dorm at the University of Scranton after a rough day of classes. With the quick internet connection provided on the school’s network, the student makes a few clicks and logs into Morpheus, a program that enables music fans to download free music. Within a few minutes he is on his way to owning an unlimited amount of songs at no cost. Everything this student is doing is legal, right? Wrong. The downloaded music from the internet is copyrighted

Sunday, December 15, 2019

What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about How is the crisis gendered Free Essays

The term ‘family’ officially evokes the image of a heterosexual, nuclear institution where each member is related to the other by marriage/law or blood, and the state, religion, media and other important institutions in our society encourage this image. However, lived realities are often very different and in recent years this form of the family, which is assumed to be normal and the norm, has been displaced by various other family forms which are labeled as deviant and which are assumed to be the root of current social problems. Hence has risen a ‘crisis’ in the British family. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about? How is the crisis gendered? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This crisis has been highlighted by the various social institutions mentioned above which encourage the heterosexual nuclear family form. Quoting Wright and Jagger, according to them ‘the turn of the century is marked by a growing crisis in the family, a crisis that may prove terminal unless decisive action is taken’, and the crisis has been pointed out as the collapse of marriage and the ‘family’. This crisis however is not new and a similar was said to have risen at the end of the 19th century. Like now, the crisis then too had been a rise in social problems and women had been identified as the cause. Single mothers, working mothers, woman opposing the dominant ideology of ‘womanhood’ were and are labeled as the cause of the ‘crisis’! As Gittins say, ‘Ideals of family relationships have become enshrined in our legal, social, religious and economic systems, which in turn reinforce the ideology and penalise or ostracise those who transgress it. ‘[Gittins 1992] The crisis in the family can thus be seen as nothing more than a gap between the ideological construction of the family and the diverse realities of family life. [Gittins,1993] The different alternate family forms that have come up and become increasingly common in the last few decades such as the single parent (specially single mother) family, extended families, communes, homosexual families are seen as social threats. This is because they resist the patriarchal ideology that is prevalent in the nuclear family form where the male is all-powerful. Resistance to this form of the family has seen the rise of the gendering of the family crisis with the blame falling on the women. This crisis as mentioned above is not something new and was seen before in the 1890’s when the results of it were deemed to be the evils of those times – namely illegitimate children, women not having children, prostitution, homosexuality etc. The family – which by the way was the white, middle class, heterosexist family – was seen to be the buffer against these social evils. In these families the sexual divisions of labor played an important part in the claiming of moral superiority. The industrial Revolution which preceded this period can this be seen as the time when the seeds of change were sown, because even though at this time the ‘domestic ideology’ of the middle class was established, working class women became increasingly involved in paid employment working away from home – and hence rose the first crisis. Indeed, the cause of the crisis at this time was seen to be the ‘bad’ mother – invariably a working class woman in paid labor. With World War II however, women had to take up jobs and it allowed them more freedom. Gradually the 20th century saw changes in attitudes and legislation – though it did take a very long time. The most important legislative changes were perhaps the right of divorce for women and the decriminalization of gay relationships. These factors were important in the rise in the alternate family forms. The argument that the heterosexual family is the ‘norm’ can however no longer be held valid. There is a vast discrepancy between the actual family forms and the ‘cereal-packet family’ considered the ideal! In 1961 over half of all households consisted of a married couple with dependent children and in 1992 this proportion had dropped to 24%. In 2001 19% all households consisted of an adult couple and dependent children – the couple not necessarily married. Marriage certainly has become less popular in the last 2 decades. Cohabitation, teen pregnancies, the number of children outside marriage has seen a marked increase. Homosexuality also has become much more widely accepted in society and many homosexual couples live with their children – adopted or from previous relationships. Divorce rates have also shot up dramatically with 1 in every 3 marriages ending in a divorce. These changes have been constructed into a national crisis by the state and the media. The statistics have been used to create moral panic among the people. In Britain, the government whether the New Right or the New Left have supported the ‘traditional family’. In the debates and policies of the New Right or the New Left, there is seen to be a particular connection between deviant family forms and social ills and there can be seen a particular vision of the individual, family and state responsibility. Policy units, the think tanks like the Social Affairs and the Economic Affairs units and the newspapers rather than the academic press stress are the agencies that stress more on the importance of the ‘traditional family values’. [Jagger and Wright, 1999] The lobbyists on behalf of the ‘ normal’ family say that government policies and feminist ideologies threaten it. Government policies however far from threatening the nuclear family form strongly support it. In fact the Conservatives called themselves the party of the ‘family’ and deviant family forms such as homosexual relationships and cohabitation were actively discouraged. The 1988 Local Government Act stated that it was an offence for local government employees or institutions to promote the acceptability of homosexuality as a family relationship. The Conservatives also shifted away from state provision and the emphasis lay on the family as a source of provision and rhetoric as well as legislation supported this. The moral panic shifted from the unemployed male scrounger to the female lone parent on benefit. The benefits given to single parents were cut down and the Child Support Act was introduced. Refamilisation – by which fathers were tried to be reinserted into the family by being made responsible for his child after separation made life very difficult for those people who had been divorced. This rhetoric of traditional family values however helped the state to back out of much of its fiscal responsibilities! The Labour Governments emphasis has also been on the family. Legislation based on the ‘families role in society’ has been passed. As Frazer says, there is ‘an insistent emphasis on ‘the family’ as the relevant and significant institution’ together with ‘the insistence that rights must be correlated with duties, obligations and responsibilities’. It does seem from the government’s emphasis on the family that the terrain of family offers the illusion of a cheap and feasible political program. Other than this emphasizing on family also obscures the failure of the politicians in other spheres such as economics or likewise. The media also plays an important role in this invocation of ‘the family’ – the ‘cereal-packet family’ being a noteworthy propaganda and the stress on the current ‘crisis’! Religion is another important social institution that encourages the nuclear family maintaining it to be moral and healthier that the other family forms. It has been seen that in all these cases of addressing this crisis by the state, the media or any other institution the focus has been on women as the cause of the crisis and consequently social problems. The single mother is seen as the source of current social evils like poverty, children’s indiscipline, crime and juvenile delinquency. Fatherless families are seen to be more of a problem with no one to impose authority and discipline! The discourse of lone/single motherhood as a social threat as it helps to resist close scrutiny of the content of hegemonic masculinity and fatherhood. [Lister, 1996] and conceals the fear that if men lose their relevance to the family life they also lose control over women and children. The traditional nuclear family, which is patriarchal, enforces this ideology through the strict gendered division of labor and other family forms without these gender divisions are not seen as desirable or normal. The traditional family is seen as one in which the male is the breadwinner and the woman is the homemaker – looking after the house and the children. This was in fact the Victorian middle class ideology. Though today women are no longer thought of as not going into paid work, it is still considered that her primary duty lies in looking after the home – thus she has a double burden of her job and housework. Men however have no such responsibilities and the symmetrical family that Young and Willmott talk about in which housework is shared equally between men and women instead of men thinking that they are doing a favour by helping, will take a long time to come if it ever does come at all! These family relationships – the inequality of women in their relationships with men ( in either marriage or cohabitation) is linked to wider social and economic factors and is infact sanctioned by the power of the state. Thus gendered division of labor is a part of the ‘normal’ family ideals. The crisis in the family means that this gender division no longer works within a majority of the families anymore. This is the feminist explanation for the rise of a ‘crisis’ in the family by the media and the state. The patriarchy that is based on the exploitation of women’s unpaid labor at home constructs alternate family forms as a ‘crisis’ and blames women as the cause of social problems, advocating the return to the ‘normal, heterosexual, nuclear family’ for a better and healthier society! How to cite What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about? How is the crisis gendered?, Essays

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Critical Thinking On Mental Health Care Access

Question: Describe about the Critical Thinking On Mental Health Care Acces? Answer: Introduction: in recent years Virginias mental health system is becoming the most concerning matter by the advocates, policy makers, and by other experts. Virginia's commission has studied on the law that were on the mental health, resulted in the reformation to strengthen the process known as civil commitment so that all the patients with serious mental could access the needed help time to time (Canady, 2014). The government of Virginia working on the mental health services to ensure that all the services working well to give access the entire individual and their families who has been suffering from the mental illness. For example, services to care and to ensure the safety of individual suffering from mental illness have been supported and funded by the Governor McAuliffe (Finkelstein et al., 2012). Access of the mental health by the individual should be increased as well as the emergency service should also be accessed at the time of the crisis. The service should intervene to prevent crisis be fore it takes place. The main problem that is addressed in this assignment is the problem in the access of the health care facilities in the community of the Virginia. The general assembly also create a subcommittee to observe the mental health system for the coming 4 years. Virginias DBHDS or the department of behavioural health and development services work to strengthen the existing policies to ensure a problem free implementation of the new laws and start an internal effort (Gewin, 2012). A task force has been developed to meet all the need of the people who need the health support. The taskforce allows the crisis stabilization units and assessment centres for the treatment of children as well as adults over the commonwealth (Sautter, et al. 2012). Some recommendation should be done in order to increasing the access of the individuals from the Virginia commonwealth. The benefits includes, the task force appointed by the government play a multifunctional role to combat the mental health crisis. They s erve at the time of mental health crisis, recommend the use of telepsychiatry, and also refine the protocols and process to tackle the mental health problems. It can be recommended that to meet the proposal that is increase the access of the mental health services in Virginia, crisis intervention team or (CIT) can be developed (Thomson, 2012). The CIT program should be funded to develop and train the law enforcement officers throughout the commonwealth. Every community in Virginia should have the active CIT program along with the assessment centres. The drawback of the program is that it needs to be funded to operate the ongoing CIT programs. The communities of the Virginia commonwealth should encourage the involvement of the college as well as the campus and police stations to be included in the programs. In addition the DBHDS should develop the CIT programs for the jail personnel. According to, another recommendation could be the Telepsychiatry. Although there are also funding required for the development of this service. Other recommendation can be the improvement of the services that involves the access to the consistent psychiatric co nsultation. Emergency services should provide the access to the prescriber or the psychiatrist to diminish the usage of hospitalization. On the other hand some other points should be considered that technological resources should be explored to develop and maximise the Telepsychiatry and other technologies that can be useful in the mental health treatment. According to, CIT programs are suitable for increasing the access of the mental health treatment. On the other hand, in order to increase the psychiatric services there should be access to the public as well as the private bed. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the above assignment that there are many ways to develop the mental health care system in the Virginia commonwealth. Government has already announces many laws that help in the strengthening the existing mental health system and also announces some new laws and legislation that help in the improvement of the mental health system throughout the Virginia commonwealth. The recommendations done by the analyst include the formation of CIT program and every community of the Virginia commonwealth should have the CIT program and assessment centres to maintaining the quality of the mental health system. According to me, it is the best method to increase the health care access of the mental patient. By the way it is also recommended that the government should fund the programs for improvement of that programs and increasing the access. It will be good if the commonwealth of Virginia to access the emergency departments of the mental health system at the time of crisis. There are a task force appointed by the government to observe and control any kind of crisis. Reference List: Canady, V. (2014). MHA issues first assessment of states' ranking on mental health status, access.Mental Health Weekly,24(46), 1-3. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mhw.30001 Finkelstein, F., Schiller, B., Daoui, R., Gehr, T., Kraus, M., Lea, J. et al. (2012). At-home short daily hemodialysis improves the long-term health-related quality of life.Kidney Int,82(5), 561-569. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ki.2012.168 Gewin, V. (2012). Mental health: Under a cloud.Njobs,490(7419), 299-301. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nj7419-299a Sautter, F., Glynn, S., Cretu, J., Senturk, D., Vaught, A. (2015). Efficacy of structured approach therapy in reducing PTSD in returning veterans: A randomized clinical trial.Psychological Services,12(3), 199-212. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000032 Thomson, K. (2012). Mental health disordered probationers and access to health services.Probation Journal,59(2), 169-170. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026455051205900202

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Marginalia free essay sample

The poem, â€Å"Marginalia† is written by Billy Collins, American poet. In his poem â€Å"Marginalia† Collins expressed how notes in the margins share reading experiences with others. He addressed every reader that they must contribute by expressing their views in Margins. He used different expressions, to relate the meaning of Marginalia and its importance for every reader. â€Å"Marginalia is defined as, â€Å"marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) or â€Å"nonessential items† (merriam-webster. com). In this poem, Billy Collins reflects his thought on the people and their important as they find certain notes in the margins of the book. Poet begins with explaining that how notes in the margin are â€Å"ferocious† and â€Å"skirmish† against the author. By these words, he means that notes in the margins are very irritating, cruel, and argumentative. These notes serve against the author as they directly challenge. Even if the reader is a philosopher like Kierkegaard, or a learned and intellectual man like Conor Cruise OBrien, these marginal notes are a challenge and threat for them, to explain more meanings and logical assumptions to the author. We will write a custom essay sample on Marginalia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is another meaning by these notes in margins, which is to argue and fight against the author and philosophers of the text. In the second stanza of the poem, Billy also provides a contrasting view to enhance the importance of margins and notes. He begins with considering these notes and comments as â€Å"offhand†, â€Å"dismissive† and â€Å"nonsense†, but he soon explained the importance of such notes for the reader. Words are a link and connection between author and reader and reader always find links with the thoughts and circumstances in which the author or poet has written the text or readers have read it. â€Å"I remember once†¦ what the person must look like why wrote Dont be a ninny alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson. † (billy-collins. com) In the next stanza, he explained how students use margins. They keep writing notes at the margins of the page and these appear like â€Å"splayed footprints†, which provides the appearance of the footprint on seashore. It gives an idea that someone passed from here. This also provides an idea that how different readers or students, understand and read a text in a number of different ways, and how these notes acts like fans cheering for the thoughts and ideas of the author. Different â€Å"Check marks, asterisks, and exclamation points† assist and guide the reader about the text. According to Billy Collin, it is a custom, to write in margins, and if a person has never attempted this, it is the time that he or she should try it. He further adds in his next stanza that these white margins are like our property, and a platform to express our views. It is like a â€Å"parameter† that provides us opportunity to prove that we have not wasted our time or just read the text without understanding. He further gives various examples for the importance of marginalia such as along the borders of the Gospels, reading Joshua Reynolds with Blakes furious scribbling, etc. In his last stanza, he shared his experience that how these marginalia can also connect the reader with another person and the situation, in which the person read the same book. He borrowed a book, â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† from the library, and once when he was feeling lonely, he found a text written in margin â€Å"Pardon the egg salad stains, but Im in love. (billy-collins. com) In conclusion, marginalia have very important connection with the reader, apart from what author meant by the text, these marginal notes provided by different readers assist in understanding the text. Sometimes serve like footprints of old readers, sometimes like fans, Sometime these notes have no connection to the text, but these interesting margins can give enjoyment to the reader by thinking what was the situation in which the book was read previously.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

ASD

ASD Pipe Organ Assignment 1.The last part of this statement refers to the air pressure inside the pipe is 500 to 1000 Pascal's. This refers to the amount of pressure that the air exerts on a manometer. A manometer measures pressure by measuring the pressure that is exerted on water that is contained in a U-shaped tube with an open end. As the pressure exerted on the manometer increases the water moves up the pipe. The last part of the statement refers to the air pressure acting on the foot of the pipe and how much the water is being displaced. In the case of the statement this is between 5 to 10 cm.Figure 1: Schematic representations of (A) a differential manometer, (B) a Torricellian barometer, and (C) a siphon.2.If a pipe closed pipe attempts to resonate a particular frequency it only needs to be half as long as a pipe open at both ends.Standing Waves - string vibration in fundamental f...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer And Colon Cancer

Breast Cancer My paternal grandmother has batteld cancer three times. She was diagnosed with breast cancer first and then six years later with ovarian cancer. Both times, she had to have radiation to cure her from the cancer. After four years of being in remission, the cancer came back. This time it was on a viscous rampage. My grandmother had to receive a month of intense chemotherapy and two critical surgeries to remove the tumors that were invading her body. Seeing her go through all of this†¦ Cancer is one of the most deadly disease next to heart disease. Without the proper equipment, many breast cancer could go undiagnosed and overlooked. Nancy McIlhenney was diagnosed with breast cancer ( Invasive lobular carcinoma) back in November 2015, when she noticed a large lump within her breast. When she went to the doctors, they said that the lump she was feeling was fatty tissue but the cancer itself was hidden behind it. Granted that it might be caused by environmental due to radiation†¦ Cancer is a disease that is caused by abnormal cells in a part of someone’s body. Anyone can be diagnosed with cancer, it is not something that only affects certain people. Sometimes the cancer can be hereditary meaning that a family member has had the same type of cancer in the past. However, one of the most common cancers for women is breast cancer. Breast cancer is a cancer that is well known since there is a month that is dedicated to bring awareness to breast cancer but not many people realize†¦ Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers that affect a myriad of people in today’s society. â€Å"About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.† (Breast Cancer, 2016). Some people diagnosed with this type of cancer could have the opportunity to detect it early on due to screenings or self-evaluations. However despite early detection, it does not guarantee that the cancer can be treated in its entirety. Different stage levels decide the degree in which†¦ losing my father to cancer. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and destroys body tissue along the way. There are multiple types of treatments depending on the type of cancer. People who become weak, loss of hunger, depressed and many more. Most common types of cancers include Breast cancer, Lung cancer, and melanoma(Hill, Peter). Breast cancer is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. Most women growing up are told to examine their breast when in the shower†¦ Cancer refers to several diseases that the involve uncontrolled growth of mutated cells in the body. Normally, cells grow and divide based on signals and the body’s needs, and new cells replace old or damaged cells. However, cancer is able to develop when cell signaling is interrupted. The old cells stop dying and instead form new abnormal cells, possibly resulting in a tumor. Cancerous cells are malignant, which means they can invade nearby tissue, and can potentially metastasize and spread to various†¦ Introduction Breast cancer is the abnormal growing of cells within the breast tissues. It has been identified to be number two killer of all cancer demises among women. The first common sign that can lead to cancer diagnosis is the presence of a breast lump. Breast cancer is more common in women than men are, but they also need to realize that they can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. Fibro adenoma has been identified as the most prevalent form of benign breast tumor, while Invasive Ductal†¦ mother had found in her breast. â€Å"I told her, ‘Maybe it is that Froot Loop I gave you earlier,’† Sands remembered. â€Å"She laughed and said, ‘I hope so!’† That day was the beginning of Sands’ journey with cancer. Five years later, her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 43, when Sands was 9 years old. A few years after that, Sands’ aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went into remission but later died of ovarian cancer. Then a cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34. Two years ago,†¦ of different cancers that people tend to hear of. Cancer is abnormal cells that grow out of control and invade a healthy person’s body. When these cells do not grow normally things can go wrong. When cancer occurs it is because the cells divide more than they should and begin to form masses also known as tumors. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the most common type of cancer is breast cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death in woman. Breast cancer is when the malignant†¦ Colon Cancer Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a form of cancer that affects the large intestine and rectum. The cancer cells do not die when signaled to do so. Instead, they grow unmonitored. The cancer will grow into more tissue and organs and develop more new cancer cells. In Stage I colon cancer only affects either the colon or the rectum. The cancer cells are found in the epithelial and lamina propria layers, the top layers of the large intestine and rectum. In Stage II, the†¦

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Geography of minnesota Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geography of minnesota - Assignment Example Due to glaciation much of the sandstone was eroded leaving eroded igneous material on the surface. The North Shore rises has an elevation of about six hundred feet and is said to have been as low as 250 feet from its current position and as high as five hundred feet from where it stands now. Minnesota is a state where three of North America’s biomes converge but the North Shore contains the boreal forest although it has some of the prairie grasslands. Although the state of Minnesota records the two extremes of the weather that is the hot summers and very cold winters the temperature the temperatures in the North Shore are no different as mean temperatures range from 2degrees centigrade to 5dergrees centigrade. Lake Agassiz was a lake which was located at the Northern part of America that was larger than the Great Lakes but all that is left is Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba and Lake of the Woods all which are the relics of Lake

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The crime control methods Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The crime control methods - Research Paper Example According to the research findings since police initiated computerized crime analysis, identification of crime trends in the cities is significantly easy. Police use accuracy of computers to focus patrol resources on times and places that crime do take place. As Lawrence portrays in his work, if there is more patrol on at â€Å"hot spots† and â€Å"hot times† of criminal commotions, there would be less occurrence of crime at those places. When police have an idea of where certain criminals hood and engage in illegal drug, it would be more effective than just wandering about looking for criminals. This introduces the emergence of hot spots policing traced from improvement of computerized mapping and database technologies that deals with criminals who illegally possess guns and those involved in illegal drug business as Weisburd and Braga found. Directed patrol reduces gun crime. Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) tried out this method and results were welcoming. They a pplied directed patrol method in two police districts, which had occurrences of violent crime. These crimes included illegal possession of guns and drugs trafficking amongst many others as indicated in report done by Edmund, Steven and Alexander. Deferred sentencing refers to a sentence postponed for a certain period as a guilty drug offender undergoes probation. Shouse Law Group observes that nonviolent drug offenders benefit a lot from treatment and education as compared to jail and criminal record. This method is effective in rehabilitating the offenders. While on probation, the drug offenders undergo regular treatment and this makes them show health improvement. Instead of subjecting drug offenders to harsh treatment in jail, deferred sentencing is an alternative that proves to be more effective. Chemical Castration for Sex offenders as a Crime Control Method There are many sex offenders that exist all over the world. They include among other rapists, pedophiles and exhibitionis ts. Other offenders are individuals that molest children. Such people commit a shameful sex offence and surprisingly, the number of these individuals is enormously large. Their crime inflict fear into the general public and a real threat to them those who live in the neighborhood. Chemical castration is all about administering Depo-Provera that reduces the level of the hormone testosterone. As a result, recidivism rate falls. It is an alternative punishment to pedophiles rather than taking them to prison where they might sneak out and go scot free. Considering sex crimes that men impose on women and children, chemical castration is an ideal form of punishment even though some may complain it is a cruel mode of punishment. Student Behavior Modification Program as a Crime Control Method It is a clear fact that students involve themselves in criminal offenses of different categories. The crimes they commit portray an appalling picture of them to the general public. They become a proble m to police and a threat to vulnerable individuals who cannot tolerate any kinds of mischievous behavior. However, existence of schools where these students study is an

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Philosophies from Aquinas, Augustine, and Irenaeus and other theologians Essay Example for Free

Philosophies from Aquinas, Augustine, and Irenaeus and other theologians Essay The study of religion and philosophy is infinitely confronted with the problem of evil and its broad association to sin. In facing this debacle, there is a tendency for religion to deny the existence of evil and clearly explicate that it is a mere event in the undeveloped minds of people. Religion may also uphold that there is a competent rivalry between evil and good as evil can be considered as a rival authority, containing power equal to the divine good. It can also be derived that evil is the imperfect cooperation in the good explained under the presence of a deity deemed as omnibenevolent and omniscient. Some response concerning the evil include that debates which inculcate that the true free will cannot be established without the possibility of evil. This idea can be translated to the notion that humans are not able to understand and comprehend God, that spiritual growth and development necessisitates suffering and that evil is the impact of effect of the fallen and disrupted world. Many disciplines have attempted to provide a concrete definition of evil and sin and the proposed assumptions on the connection of evil to sin have encountered denials coming from other scholars. In this paper, multiple philosophies and valuable insights concerning the association of evil to sin will be explored. The teachings of Thomas Aquinas, Irenaeus and Augustine and of others will be discussed in order to define evil and sin, describe the relationshipof evil to sin, and to explicate the difference and the causality of sin and evil in the contemporary world. This papers central focus is on the inquiry: Every evil is sin, but is every sin evil? The Teachings of Thomas Aquinas on Evil and Sin The concept of evil by Thomas Aquinas and his entire miscellany of philosophy are naturally grounded upon the teachings of the St. Augustine who created a philosophical theological position on evil. Evil is an English noun that is commonly used today to describe anything that is undeniably horrendous, particularly in the aspect of human behavior. However, Thomas Aquinas says that the term evil has more inclusive sense than evil does for people. According to Aquinas, â€Å"we are dealing with evil whenever we are faced by whatever can be thought of as a case of falling short. † For Aquinas, there is no evil substance in the world and neither God nor man creates evil. In saying this Aquinas proves that the world is â€Å"created and governed by a perfectly good God who is also omnipotent and omniscient. † This teaching negates the argument of humans who say that each time some of the good stray aways from an object then it is evil. Aquinas says no this argument by declaring that no evil exists materially. Aquinas explicates that human beings are wholly good but have the tendency that some of their goodness will be removed. Aquinas strongly argues that there is a â€Å"serious sense in which it can be thought of as lacking in being. † Take for instance the thought of Adolf Hitler as wholly good. This example may raise several criticisms since Hitler has enjoyed being a household name for evil, but it is to illustrate Aquinass concept of evil caused by the removal of good. For Aquinas, Hitler is good- he has competent brain, his physique is complete, and he almost bares resemblance to God. But Hitler has some of his goodness removed when he tries to rule the world with tyranny. According to Aquinas, â€Å"evil is there only in the sense that something is missing. † Aquinas continues to say that â€Å"what is not there cannot be thought of as made to be by the source of the being of things. † In this sense, Aquinas follows Augustines thought and says that God can never be the cause of evil because evil is not an actual thing but the â€Å"absence of a good that ought to be present. † What causes people to be bad is the gap between who they are and how they should be but are not. Aquinas points rules out his concept of evil by illustrating that there will be no badness unless there goodness yet there can be goodness without any badness. In the aspect of sin, Aquinas writes that it is not the disobedience of irrational authority, but it is a violation of well-being. According to Aquinas, heologians may describe sin as an act againts God and philosophers may signify it as opposed to reason, but it is St. Augustine who aptly defines sin. Aquinas explains that it is more accurate to define sin â€Å"as being contrary to the eternal law rather contrary to human reason, especially since the eternal law includes many things beyond the scope of reason, such as matters of faith. † Even though Aquinas is an advocate of the philosophy of Augustine, he recognizes that the Augustine sometimes talks only about will in describing sin. Aquinas explains thaat the exterior act, which is the veruy substance of the sin, is evil itsefl and thus it is necessary to include exterior acts in the definition of sin. † However, Augustine and Aquinas both agree that the sin is evil because it harms and diminishes natural good. Aquinas takes into consideration the application of the natural law. According to Aquinas, â€Å"when it is said that all sins are evil but not because they are prohibited, that prohibition is understood as an act of positive law. † Aquinas emphasizes that since the natural law comes fron the eternal law and acts of positive law are derived from the natural law, then all sins are evil. It is argued by Aquinas that evil is the privation of good and an individual can identify the extent of privation by what is left after such action. In this idea, Aquinas is stressing that â€Å"what remains of good after every sin is the same, since there remains after every sin the very nature of the soul and the freedom of choice by which humans can choose good and evil. † Aquinas tells that all sins are equal and are evil. The focal point of Aquinas in saying that all sins are evil and that all sins are equal is the only main source capable of commanding humans what they ought to be. As a theologian, Aquinas gives emphasis to God as the main source the nature and eternal and divine law. Aquinas says that â€Å"since all are the same in turning away from God, all sins are equal. † For Aquinas, every sin is evil because it is a deviation from reason and law. Aquinas describes sin as having no cause because it has the nature of evil. It has been discussed earlier that evil is the removal of goodness whats is lacking in humans as a wholly good. Aquinas emphasizes that what is missing cannot be thought of as made to be by the source of the being of things. The same goes for sins. This concept makes both sin and evil as original which thrive on will that act against reason and divine moral law. Same with evil, God can never be the source of sin. Likewise evil can never be the cause of sin. In this sense, the evil of punishment serves as the sequel to sin. He compares evil of guilt to sin and declares that they have no difference. In saying that sin has a cause, Aquinas is quick to clarify that such cause is not necessarily a cause for sin can be impeded. This musing denotes that if there should be a necessary cause for sins, then people will keep on making sins since there is a cause inherent to them that makes them commit sins. Such notion echoes the perspective of Aquinas on whether sin has an internal cause. Aquinas argues that if sin has an internal cause, then man would always be sinning and since it has a cause, there will always be an effect. Aquinas also defines sin by mentioning virtue. Aquinas says, â€Å"But sin is evil because it takes away virtue. Therefore, all sins are equally evil, since every one of them equally takes away virtue. † Aquinas thinks of sins as contrary to virtues and that all virtues are equal. Therefore, Aquinas reaffirms that all sins are equal. He also come up with the idea of malice that is the equalizer of all sins. Aquinas says that â€Å"sin has malice in relation to turning away from God. † This feature in relation to the deviation from God states that circumstances tag the malice of sins as being more serious. Aquinas adds that â€Å" if circumstances should themselves have malice, they constitute species of sin and if they should not in themselves have any malice, there is no reason why they should make the sins more serious. † On the on the hand, the diversity in sins that other arguments are pointing to is a mere presentation of morally indifferent genus. Overall, Aquinas writes that all sins are evil in a sense that they both result in being unnatural, the failure of the natural rule that man ought to observe and obey. Evil and Sin According To Augustine Many of St. Augustines teachings on evil substantiate Aquinas concept. They both believe that the immutable God created only good things and He alone is the source of all being. Augustine negates all forms of theological and metaphysical dualism and puts great emphasis on God who is wholly good. According to Augustine, there is no dualism existing in the problem of evil. The thought of evil as not a being, a thing, or substance or entity liberates him from the Manichaean dualism,the belief that there exists two powerful beings, the good and evil. He realizes that all the God created are metaphysically and ontologically good in their being. He proposes that if evil were a being, a thing or an entity, then the problem fo evil will not be solved because it has a source. If the evil comes from God, then God is not all good and if it does not come from God, then He is not the powerful creator of all things. Augustine says that God is a spiritual and not a corporeal being and he â€Å"rejects Manichaeisms materialistic dualism but embraces a different dualism between corporeal and spiritual beings, with God, angels, and human soul falling into the latter class. † Upon rejecting the Manicheism and its simple concept on the origin of evil, Augustines obliges himself to establish an alternative solution to the origins of evil and starts to proclaim that evil represents a free deviation from God and is not a positive entity in its own right. All of the works of the immutable Creator of men are revelations of Gods nature and therefore, all of His works are of wholly good. Both Augustine and Aquinas believe that evil does not come from God. In his struggle concerning the confusion over evil, Augustine further says that the evil is not something that is completely real biut only fragment that is dependent on that which is absolutely real. According to Augustine, evil is not a thing or substance but he is aware of its existence and that it can be divided into three kinds. Metaphysical evil is the lack of mans perfection not because of his given nature but because they all fall short of complete perfection that only God can obtain. This is not actually considered evil. The second kind is the physical evil that is the privation of a certain perfection because of nature. This kind is being justified by Augustine together with the other theologians as under the jurisdiction of the general order of nature. The third kind if the moral evil, the only real evil. It is a sin or an act opposed to the will of God. The source of the moral evil is the faculty of free will in which man is able to turn away from the right order and deviate himself from the will of God. Augustine says, â€Å"sin is so voluntary that there is no sin unless it is voluntary. † He implies that there needs to be an act of moral will in any sin or the consent to turn away from God and to His will. Augustine emphasizes that moral evil is truly a sin for there is a consent. Sin settles itself in the free will, option, intention, and the motion of the soul, which instigates a wrong order into the world. Evil is â€Å"nothing but a privation of good until at last a thing ceases altogether to be. † An evil will is a kind of will that deviates away from God, the creator. Moreover, Augustine says that it is a disordered love and will, the wrong conformity to Gods will. The writings of Augustine on sin are associated with his Christian definition of evil. Augustine defines sin as the movement or the deviation of will endowed to humans away from God. He furthers his discussion of sin by stating that God can never be the author of sin just as He can never be the source of evil. Such movement of the human will away from the God the Creator is also referred by Augustine as the misdirection. According to him, as there is a misdirection on evil will, there is also a misdirection in the aspect of sin. Augustine explains that â€Å"sin is therefore an error or untruth and based upon the misconception of what is good for us. † Augustine says that when people choose to sin, they must have an intention of obtaining goodness or getting rid of something bad. He suggests that sin is more than an intellectucal error, it is the â€Å"misdirection of the will. † Augustines musing on sin as the misdirection of human will is demonstrated in mans pursuit of happiness or pride. Augustine notes that pride is the â€Å"an appetite for inordinate exaltation,it when the soul cuts itself from the Source to which it should keep close and somehow makes itself and becomes an end to itself. † Augustine continues that inordinate exaltation takes place when the â€Å"soul is inordinately pleased with itself, and such self-pleasing occurs when the soul falls away away from the unchangeable Good which ought to please the sould far more than the soul can please itself. † He also validates his definition of sin by saying that what the people do for the sake of goodness ends in something negative or bad , and what people do in making things good ends in just making things worse. Augustine explains this paradox by writing that â€Å"except that the happiness of man can come not from himself but only from God, and that to live according to oneself is to sin is to lose God. † This paradox explicates that sin is the possibility of man to focus on himself rather than on the all-knowing God. It is therefore suggested that, based upon the writings of Augustine, not all sins are considered evil due to the categorization of evil involving nature. Irenaeus On Evil and Sin Little is known about Irenaeus and his works are mostly generated fromScriptures and the biblical domain. The understanding of sin found in the works of Irenaeus of Lyons has some contradictions when compared to the dominant Christian perspective influenced by Augustine in the fifth century. Irenaeus of Lyons interprets Genesis as the disobedience of man with Adam acting like an impulsive child. Irenaeus thinks of sin as pains and errors which grow. He says that there is no such a things as original sin or guilt that man inherited from his forefather, Adam. It is seen that he has a different view of the mans fall compared to the teachings of later writers particularly Augustine. This idea posits that Irenaeus thinks of of the fall of Adam and Eve is not a rebellion against God the Creator but is a concrete illlustration of the failure of man to rise to greater heights and that humanity does not lose its original perfection. His view concerning the fall of the humanitys forefatther raises many questions as it does not seems to be based on Scripture but it is derived solely from his rational interpretation. He further suggests that the without loss of life and the presence of evils, humanity will not repent. Unlike, Aquinas and Augustine, Irenaeus imparts that evil comes from God. In this idea, it is clearly manifested that Irenaeus upholds that the appearance of evil is of righteous purpose. According to him, the elements which appear evil, like death are planned by God. He says, â€Å"it is for this reason therefore that Paul calls Adam himself the pattern of the one to come because the Word, the artisan of the universe, had sketched out in advance, in order to prepare the ground for himself, the future plan of the human race in its relation to to the Son of God, with God first of all establishing natural man order, quite obviously, that he might be saved by spiritual man. † In the said notion, Iranaeus outlines two distinct phases. Iraneaus writes that the â€Å"creation of humanity comes first, secondly comes its perfection through the incarnation of the Son, Christ Jesus, who transmits the Spirit of the whole human race. † It is evident that the advent of Christ is the sole purpose behind the creation of Adam. It is written that Irenaeus â€Å"does not identify evil with sin. † It is because he acknowledges the two types of evil. The first type is the physical evil that Irenaeus refers to as â€Å"arising from the nature of the creature for its is due to the opposition of contrary forces or to the sequences of events that obey natural laws: what seems to be an evil in the short run is a good on the cosmic. † According to Irenaeus, the second type of evil is the moral evil that he considers as sin. He declares that this type of evil is sin because it arises from the â€Å"jealousy of Satan and or certain angels who lured Adam into transgression. † Influenced by the writings of Johannine, Irenaeus defines sin as the â€Å"condition of human existence rather than a collection of individual actions. † According to Irenaeus of Lyon, moral evil is to be considered as a sin because it reflects Gods original design that is putting man into the test. This type of evil is generally accounted for mans free will and his ability to discern right from wrong. Irenaeus says that â€Å"God had foreseen the angels sin as well as that of man, including the consequences, and he had sanctioned it. † Iraneaus places sin in history and writes that the fall of man is the gradual spread of evil because of the inevitability of personal sin, not as a particular shift in the human nature. Moreover, Irenaeus has made a comparison between the natural person and the perfection of the person to describe sin. According to him,body and soul constitute a natural person while the perfect human being is made up of body, soul and spirit. The inclusion of Gods spirit is the essence of Irenaeus idea of the redemption. People have been redemeed and have been saved so that they may flourish into what God wants them to be. For Iranaeus, not all sins can be considered as evil as man is not accountable for some existing evils such as those coming from the natural disasters known as natural evils. The only evil that can be deemed as sin are the moral evils caused by the selfishness of humanity. Sin and Evil According to Other Theologians Lactantius is one of the Christian thinkers to respond to the problem of evil and sin referring solely to Gods laws. According to Lactantius, the â€Å"chief good of the humanity is not to be found in the theories of the philosophers, for these have to do things common to animals as well as humans or things not available to all humans. † He refers to the one and true God as the chief good and the things which meant to satisfy the body that perishes as not good at all. For him, pleasure, power and wealth are not good and anything and the disobedience of Gods laws are evil and sin. Reinhold Niebuhr belongs to the category of formative Christian moral theorists. He says that sin is â€Å"inevitable but not necessary. † He furthers his explannation of sin by stating that the â€Å"temptation to sin lies in the human situation itself. † Niebuhr stresses that the will and freedom endowed to man is the basis of his creativity and it is also his temptation. While Irenaeus declares that people need evil to spiritual grow, Niebuhr upholds his realist theory that people do not need sin and no perfection can completely liberate human beings from the reality of sin. Walter Rauschenbusch is included into the group of thinkers who deal with the importance of sin in salvation. According to him, â€Å"when we undertook to define the nature of sin, we accepted the old definition, that sin is selfishness and rebellion against God , but we insisted on putting humanity into the picture. † He further explains that the description of sin as selfishness will be accepted for as long as the humanity is perceived as a great solidarity with God thriving on it. He emphasizes that if sin is selfishness, then â€Å"mans selfishness consisted in a selfish attitude, in which he was at the centre of the universe, and God and all his fellowmen were means to serve his pleasures, increase his wealth and set off his egotisms. † He also rescue the dosctrine of the origin of sin from literal interpretations by recognizing the active sources of sin in the later generations and in the contemporary period. He was criticized upon recognizing that both goodness and sinfulness can be determined by social environment. Rauschenbusch explains that what can be evil is dictated by the society and the same goes for sin. He says that the good maybe forced to do bad while the bad maybe forced to do good as dictated by the society. Conclusion In the tradition of religion and theology, the definition of sin is related to the problem on evil. The question addresed in this paper is whether sin leads to evil or evil leads to sin. The definition of evil and sin according to several theologians were explored in this paper in order to understand the relationship between evil and sin. Based from the literatures studied, it is said that the relationship between evil and sin can be associated with reconciliation, salvation, the fall of Adam and the society itself, and morality. It is clearly manifested that the connection between sin and evil can be interchangeable such that evil can lead to sin and sin can lead to evil. The interchangeable connection is due to the observed judgement that evil and sin have the same feature as the deviation from what man ought to be. In this sense, all evil can be sin but not all sins are considered evil due to the fact that sin comprises only the moral and spiritual side of the humanity. The inquiry on whether every sin is evil is answered on the definition of evil in which various theologians categorize into various theories. This paper has observed that every theologian has his or her own conception on evil and sin and it is evident that their concepts have been derived from other theologians who took insights also from other thinkers. This is to say that evil and sin can be both the same in a sense that they both have the same characteristics constructed by thinkers who draw insights from their influences. BIBLIOGRAPHY Aquinas, Thomas. â€Å"The Subject and Approach of the De Malo,† in On Evil, eds. Richard J. Regan and Brian Davies. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Aquinas, Thomas, Summa Theologiae: Volume 25: Sin. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Lacoste, Jean-Yves, ed. Encyclopedia of Christian Theology, Vol 1. New York: Routledge, 2005. Mann,William E. â€Å"Augustine on Evil and Original Sin,† in The Cambridge Companion to Augustine, eds. Eleonore Stump and Norman Kretzmann. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Wogaman, J. Philip. Christian Ethics: A Historical Introduction. Kentucky: Westminster/John knox Press, 1993.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Why I Hunt: A Predator’s Mediation by Rick Bass :: Hunting Women rick Bass Essays

Why I Hunt: A Predator’s Mediation by Rick Bass Five years ago you could have found me hiding under my covers, praying to a god that I no longer believe in with my eyes shut tightly—but not anymore. These nights I offer up a two minute thanksgiving for the sake of karma; I look out into the darkness and I recognize the shadows as objects in my house rather than the faces of my dead grandfathers. It feels good to open my eyes, but I’ve traded in that old ignorant twinkle for a steady calmness. I still duck and cover when an insect the size of my pupil is within five feet of me, but from a distance I know that I am not so different from the tiny creature. If I am a predator, I am not the kind of predator who hunts but rather the one who kills out of fear. I prefer the role of the prey— it suits me well. I avoid conflict: I prefer spending time at home with my wife, I weigh less than 100lbs, and I have been notorious for becoming paralyzed with laughter upon being attacked by testosterone-laden family membe rs. If a human or other animal my size or larger were to want me for dinner, I would be an easy target though my meat wouldn’t feed a family of four. As a member and supporter of the earth’s weak little peacekeepers (small humans with loud voices), I can say that despite Rick Bass’s honorable honesty, I found â€Å"Why I Hunt: A Predator’s Mediation† to be a threat to womankind. Not all women are vulnerable, but with weapons the hunter can make most anyone his prey. There are predators in the United States who hunt women the way Bass hunts elk. If Bass’s non-human targets are replaced with women and children, the essay has quite a different effect on the reader, though the arguments don’t change. When Bass describes his love of â€Å"sitting in some leaves, completely hidden and motionless—waiting, and waiting† (63), I picture him waiting in a park for an unattended child or an unaccompanied woman. My concerns about Bass’s instincts aren’t neurotic. I’m a loving woman who occasionally hugs trees and wants to feel safe in the world—not a card carrying member of PITA.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Economics of Best Buy

One of the fortune 500 companies in our society is Best Buy. Best Buy is one of the largest consumer electronics retailer company in the United States and Canada. There are many products Best Buy distributes, such as; computers, computer equipment, video and audio products, refrigerators, coffeemakers, compact discs, video games, DVD and VHS movies and players, CD’s, computer software, cameras, cell phones, and satellite systems and so on. In addition, their customer service is very helpful and has improved throughout the years.The Geek Squad is one of their forms of customer service they provide and they offer various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients. Best Buy didn’t always have these products and services available. They are an industry that changes with the times. They supply products that are in high demand by the consumers. Best Buy was started in 1996 by Richard R. Schulze and his business partner James Wheeler. It w as originally known as Sound of Music and the first store was located in St. Paul, Minnesota.In 1983, the company’s name was changed to Best Buy and the first store named Best Buy was located in Burnsville, Minnesota. By 1984, there were only 8 Best Buy’s in the Midwest, but by 1987 the number tripled and their sales and earnings were at a high $239 million and $7. 7 million respectively. And since they have money to spend, they increased their warehouse size and products. In 1985, Best Buy went public and then two years later they were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By 1988, sales had doubled to $439 million, but net earning declined 64%.Despite the net earnings declining, revenues were still increasing well into 1989. Also, in 1989, Best Buy launched its Concept II stores with bigger show rooms, fewer sales people and more self help product information. From 1992-1993 Best Buy had the best financial performance in the company’s 27 year history with an increase in revenues and earnings. Following this, 38 new stores were opened up. By 1997, Best Buy became the industry leader. This caused net profits to jump to $94. 5 million and revenues to jump to $8. 36 billion and for their stock to increase to $36 per share.In 1998, Best Buy created an online music store and in 2000 they expanded it and it offered more then music, it offers DVDs, consumer electronics, computers, software’s and games. Having a website made Best Buy’s income grow even more. By 2001, profits increased 14%, revenues rose to $15. 33 billion. Despite the recession in 2001, Best Buy bounced back the following year with $570 million in profits and $19. 6 billion in revenue. And by 2004, revenue reached $25 billion and net income rose to $705 million. Best Buy is a publicly traded corporation.A publicly traded corporation is the style of many companies in the United States, Europe and India. They are liable, taxable, have legal rights that an individual citizen would have, they can sue and be sued and must establish a paperwork identity with state and/or federal governments as required by local laws. When it comes to liability, public corporations have limited liability which means a partner or investor cannot lose more than the amount invested and the investor or partner is not personally responsible for the debts and obligations of the company in the event of bankruptcy.For taxes public corporations are taxed twice; once for revenue for the corporation and once for personal income for the shareholders. Best Buy is the type of company that always stays up to date with the latest technologies which keeps the consumers coming back and interested. They also have every product on the floor when you walk in so the choices of products are endless and you never have to wonder if there is more. In addition, they base their stores on low pricing and efficiency in operation; this explains why Best Buy’s industry has grown so much sin ce 1966.Mostly every corporation deals with competitors. The biggest competition Best Buy faced was Circuit City. They were competitors because they were the top two retail chains for electronics. Eventually Best Buy took over and put Circuit City out of business. Why? The answer is because Best Buy does a better job of utilizing marketing through brand recognition, incentives and customer service. Best Buy has gotten a lot better at putting the customers first and helping them in any way they can and Circuit City has had many problems with keeping their customers satisfied.Also, Circuit City’s problem is they aren’t competitive; they keep losing money quarter after quarter. Even their stock dropped from $22 to $3. 83. Why is Circuit City losing money? It’s because they aren’t updated enough with the latest technologies like Best Buy is. Also, whatever Circuit City has Best Buy already has and better so people want to go to Best Buy for that reason. In ad dition, Best Buy offers services such as computer service and support and home theater installation, which makes Best Buy different from Circuit City and other fortune 500 companies.Before Circuit City went out of business, there have been reports about how Best Buy would benefit from reduced competition. There was an estimation of a $12 million increase in revenue if Circuit City wasn’t in business. In addition, more suppliers will be forced to sell their products to them whether they want to or not. For example, if Best Buy demands for better terms on Sony’s big screen LCD TV’s and if Sony doesn’t like the terms they have nowhere to turn to. Every company uses and must use adverting in order to gain popularity and people’s interest.Both Best Buy and Circuit City use advertising, but they both advertise in different ways. Best Buy’s strategy is aggressive advertising and competitive pricing and pursuit of cost saving strategy. There are thr ee messages they portray in their TV advertisements, they are; â€Å"you can trust us to always have your best interests in mind, we have a unique take on how technology and entertainment can make your life better and you can always expect to find great prices†. For example, their commercial titled â€Å"True Stories† focused on Best Buy employees telling their true stories on how they helped customers.As the years go on advertising becomes ignored because people don’t trust the misleading ads so, to fix this problem Best Buy recently featured their customer’s comments from online product reviews and product ratings in their nationwide Sunday newspaper circular. This helps because potential customers will most likely trust people who have already bought something from Best Buy then the Best Buy salesmen. This practice of advertising is called â€Å"Bazaarvoice† and it is very affective and it is the future of advertising.In addition, Best Buy has a dvertisements that highlight key entertainment groups like MGM Studios, Activision, Sega and Rock Band which showcase the enjoyment people are acquiring from these products and this makes people want to have these items because everyone likes to have fun and enjoy themselves. The problem with Circuit City is they never did anything like Best Buy. Circuit City never changed its ways and products so they never adapted new advertising methods like the â€Å"Bazaarvoice†. In addition, since they never update their inventory onsumers were probably never interested in their ads because Circuit City’s products were outdated. Circuit City never got into selling video games and they never sold any thriving companies’ products like Apple Computers. Also, Circuit City never improved their website and the internet is used a lot now to sell products so if they are not up to speed with everyone else people will loose interest in their store. In addition, Circuit City stopped selling appliances which can stop a lot of people from buying from you.My prediction is that Best Buy will continue to prosper in the future for many reasons. One reason I think this is because their Revenue is $20. 9 Billion. Also, their price per stock is $54. 15 (a 138% change in stock price) which is very high compared to their competitor Circuit City which is $3. 83 per stock. Best Buy’s market cap is also $18. 6 billion. In addition, there are 750 Best Buy stores throughout the United States and in Canada. As you can see, Best Buy makes a lot of money and the more money a company has the more successful they are.So, if Best Buy keeps satisfying the customers, updates their products and basically just changes with the times then I don’t see a reason for how they will ever go out of business. Work Cited Best Buy Co. , Inc.. 2010  funding universe. 5/7/10  . â€Å"Best Buy. †Ã‚  Company Profiles for Students. 1999  ed. Best Buy Launches New Holiday Adve rtising Campaign; Alliance with Major Entertainment Groups Highlight Customer Experience. 2002  Business Wire. 5/7/10  . Best Buy Using Reviews in Advertising. 2010  Bazaarvoice Inc. 5/13/10  . Best Buy. 2010  Mahalo. com inc. 5/7/10  .Coleman,  Quentin. Public Corporation Information. 2010  eHow. 5/11/10  . Hamilton,  Anita. Why Circuit City Busted, While Best Buy Boomed . 2010  Times Inc. 5/13/10  . January and February Best Buy Advertising. 2010  Barry Judge CMO of Best Buy. 5/11/10  . Muller,  Turley. Best Buy Will Benefit from Reduced Competition. 2008  Seeking Alpha. 5/7/10  . Peterson,  Matthew. Circuit City Vs Best Buy Marketing – Why Circuit City Failed and Best Buy Won 2010  EzineArticles. com. 5/13/10  . Watson,  Julie. Best Buy vs Circuit City. 2006  Forbes. com inc. 5/13/10  .

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Why should fracking be banned?

Because liberals are an autoimmune disease that want this country to fail at any possible costs. It shouldn't be, fracking doesn't do anything with the water, studies have proven that, plus â€Å"Green cars† actually leave a bigger biological footprint. It shouldn't. Low information people are scared because they are being lied to. Because coal miners don't like it. Power plant companies are making a transition from coal to natural gas due to fracking, and we're putting less pollution in the air these days. Guarantee you coal miners will be behind funding any â€Å"ban fracking† campaigns.It shouldn't. People believe that it pollutes our water reserves underground. However, they do not understand that we have been fracking for years without much pollution being done to the water and we've only improved upon our methods of fracking, causing less pollution than before. Fracking is cost effective. Banning fracking would only increase costs. The only people who want it bann ed are the Saudis and people who believe their lies. Perhaps they're lying because they don't have any interests if we start more oil production in the U.  S.Anyone who thinks that you can contain high pressure fluid that is DESIGNED to fracture rock†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ with a concrete well casing†¦.. has never taken a physics class in their entire life. Because places like North Dakota and Oklahoma typically don't get 4. 5 magnitude earthquakes! I am NOT a tree hugging liberal, but I've read enough about â€Å"fracking† to know that it makes the ground VERY unstable. Removing anything from the ground in mass quantities, whether it's rock, minerals, or gas, leaves cavities and weakness.This explains the loud â€Å"booms† many experienced in the northern midwest. No major fault lines in Oklahoma, so how else can you explain it. Because it poisons everything around it. If you are truly interested look up LINK TV and watch their programs on fracking. It is absolutely the worst thing that can happen to an area. Under Bush/CHENEY, they passed laws exempting the oil and gas companies doing this from all of the environmental protection laws such as Clean Water and Air laws. Why would they need that if they didn't violate those laws.This is another thing that is being steamrolled through by the extremely wealthy who make money off of fossil fuels. This one though is way scary and dangerous and they are promoting its growth at a rapid rate. They tell us it will produce jobs but how helpful is that if we are too sick to go to work. Look it up on LINK TV. Nationally it should be permitted but subject to local legislation and banned where the local people don't want it. Actually most people would accept it because of the money to be made and they don't mind chemicals and methane in their tap water.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Power Structures in Early Rome

Power Structures in Early Rome Hierarchy: The family was the basic unit in ancient Rome. The father, who headed the family, is said to have held the power of life and death over his dependents. This arrangement was repeated in the overarching political structures but was moderated by the voice of the people. It Started With a King at the Top As the clans resting upon a family basis were the constituent elements of the state, so the form of the body-politic was modelled after the family both generally and in detail.~ Mommsen The political structure changed over time. It started with a monarch, the king or rex. The king was not always a Roman but could be Sabine or Etruscan. The 7th and final king, Tarquinius Superbus, was an Etruscan who was removed from office by some of the leading men of the state. Lucius Junius Brutus, an ancestor of the Brutus who helped assassinate Julius Caesar and usher in the age of emperors, led the revolt against the kings. With the king gone (he and his family fled to Etruria), the top power holders became the two annually-elected consuls, and then later, the emperor who, to some extent, reinstated the role of the king.This is a look at the power structures at the beginning of Romes (legendary) history. Familia: The basic unit of Roman life was the familia family, consisting of the father, mother, children, slaves, and clients, under a paterfamilias father of the family who was responsible for making sure the family worshiped its household gods (Lares, Penates, and Vesta) and ancestors. The power of the early paterfamilias was, in theory, absolute: he could even execute or sell his dependents into slavery.Gens: Descendants in the male line either by blood or adoption are members of the same gens. The plural of a gens is gentes. There were several families in each gens. Patron and Clients: Clients, who included in their number manumitted slaves, were under the protection of the patron. Although most clients were free, they were under the paterfamilias-like power of the patron. A modern parallel of the Roman patron is the sponsor who helps with newly arrived immigrants.Plebeians:The early plebeians were the common people. Some plebeians had once been slaves-turned-clients who then became completely free, under state protection. As Rome gained territory in Italy and granted citizenship rights, the number of Roman plebeians increased. Kings: The king was the head of the people, chief priest, a leader in war, and the judge whose sentence couldnt be appealed. He convened the Senate. He was accompanied by 12 lictors who carried a bundle of rods with a symbolic death-wielding ax in the center of the bundle (the fasces). However much power the king had, he could be kicked out. After the expulsion of the last of the Tarquin kings, the 7 kings of Rome were remembered with such hatred that there were never again kings in Rome. Senate: The council of fathers (who were heads of the early great patrician houses) made up the Senate. They had lifetime tenure and served as an advisory council for the kings. Romulus is thought to have named 100 men senators. By the time of Tarquin the Elder, there may have been 200. He is thought to have added another hundred, making the number 300 until the time of Sulla. When there was a period between kings, an interregnum, the Senators took temporary power. When a new king was picked, given imperium by the Assembly, the new king was sanctioned by the Senate. Comitia Curiata: The earliest assembly of free Roman men was called the Comitia Curiata. It was held in the comitium area of the forum. The curiae (the plural of curia) were based on the 3 tribes, Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres. Curiae contained several gens with a common set of festivals and rites, as well as shared ancestry. Each curia had one vote based on the majority of the votes of its members. The assembly met when called by the king. It could accept or reject a new king. It had the power to deal with foreign states and could grant a change in citizenship status. It witnessed religious acts, as well. Comitia Centuriata: Following the end of the regal period, the Assembly of the people could hear appeals in capital cases. They annually elected rulers and had the power of war and peace. This was a different Assembly from the earlier tribal one and was the result of a re-division of the people. It was called the Comitia Centuriata because it was based on the centuries used to supply soldiers to the legions. This new Assembly did not entirely replace the old one, but the comitia curiata had much-reduced functions. It was responsible for confirmation of the magistrates. Early Reforms: The army was made up of 1000 infantry and 100 horsemen from each of the 3 tribes. Tarquinius Priscus doubled this, then Servius Tullius reorganized the tribes into property-based groupings and increased the size of the army. Servius divided the city into 4 tribal districts, the Palatine, Esquiline, Suburan, and Colline. Servius Tullius may have created some of the rural tribes, as well. This is the redistribution of the people that led to the change in the comitia. This is the redistribution of the people that led to the change in the comitia. Power: For the Romans, power (imperium) was almost a tangible. Having it made you superior to others. It was also a relative thing that could be given to someone or removed. There were even symbols the lictors and their faces the powerful man used so those around him could immediately see that he was filled with power. Imperium was originally the lifelong power of the king. After the kings, it became the power of the consuls. There were 2 consuls who shared imperium for a year and then stepped down. Their power was not absolute, but they were like dual annually-elected kings.imperium militiaeDuring war, consuls had the power of life and death and their lictors carried axes in their fasces bundles. Sometimes a dictator was appointed for 6 months, holding absolute power.imperium domiIn peace the authority of the consuls could be challenged by the assembly. Their lictors left the axes out of the fasces within the city. Historicity: Some of the ancient writers of the period of the Roman kings are Livy, Plutarch, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, all of whom lived centuries after the events. When the Gauls sacked Rome in 390 B.C. more than a century after Brutus deposed Tarquinius Superbus the historical records were at least partially destroyed. T.J. Cornell discusses the extent of this destruction, both in his own and in by F. W. Walbank and A. E. Astin. As a result of the destruction, however devastating or not, the information about the earlier period is unreliable.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Plumpy not controversy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plumpy not controversy - Assignment Example Ethics guides the human beings on the right thing to pursue with regard to the welfare in society. It encompasses the rights and obligations have in society, and the gradual development of an individual’s moral standards. This takes the form of corporate social responsibility of the corporate and artificial persons in a societal setting. The issues surrounding the case of the plumby nut production by Nutriset facility are crucial. According to Lawson, C, and Jay (2013), it is factual that the patent rights of the Nutriset facility must be protected by all means because of the business ethics code. The local companies of the developing countries experiencing malnutrition also bear the responsibility of producing the plumby nut product locally in order to alleviate malnutrition instead of depending on foreign powers like the US and France. The US is also entitled to produce the plumby nut product, which will suffice the huge population of suffering children I the developing countries of Kenya , Malawi and Niger. This is because it has sophisticated facilities and resources, which can produce the product in large scale within a short period unlike the local companies. The vulnerable children also have the right to good health and prompt treatment of malnutrition. The global population also needs to be protected against the consumption of ready to use foo, which is commonly used in the United States. This is because the move will result in the reduction of locally produced food material among the nationals of most for the developing countries (Michelini, 2012). The monopolistic production of the product by Nutriset facility of France has catapulted the cost of the product per child for three months to sixty dollars. The developing countries are financially challenged hence it is the corporate social responsibility of the developed nation, France, to reduce the price charged on the product

Saturday, November 2, 2019

CODE OF ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CODE OF ETHICS - Essay Example I hope that the code of ethics that I have come up with would be of interest to you and inspire others who have plans to be a healthcare associate. Sincerely yours, Name of Student My Code of Ethics as a Healthcare Associate A healthcare professional is a person that people trust to provide them not only with medical attention but also treatment that is fair and appropriate according to the policies and laws governing healthcare. Therefore, as an ethical healthcare professional, I will ensure that I meet, if not exceed, the statements below in practicing my profession. I. To practice integrity and respect at all times ensuring that I uphold the values and regulations set by the healthcare system that I work for. II. To avoid exploitation of one’s position in order to achieve financial or personal gain at the expense of others. III. To value the trust given by the people and retreat from transactions or activities that could affect or have a negative impact on the healthcare sy stem or the profession. IV. To treat everyone fairly and avoid discrimination at all times. V. To take on jobs that one can proficiently handle and has ample knowledge on based on trainings and experience on the subject. VI. To establish trust from patients as well as colleagues by helping in providing an environment that is safe and free from harassment, violations and any actions that give off a negative light on the system. VII. To provide sufficient information to patients to enable them make an informed decision regarding their health. VIII. To be truthful and honest in all forms of transactions with employees and patients. IX. To report any abuse on these codes to the ethics committee. As a healthcare practitioner, it is very important to adhere to the policies set by the healthcare system that one works for. Codes of ethics are in place for a reason (Dominion, 2010). By practicing integrity and respect not only to patients but also to colleagues, the environment becomes such that the transactions and/or interactions with everyone is done with integrity, respect for life and other’s opinions and preferences. It is sometimes unavoidable for people in position to exploit the power they have over others. It is very important that the people who can do something remain honest and with integrity so that the healthcare system continues to be trusted by the public. Using one’s power in order to advance another is not only selfish but also wrong. (American College of Healthcare Executives [ACHE], 1996) It sheds a negative image on the healthcare system and its workers. Therefore, when one can be paid off or be coerced whether by money or by other means, it becomes something that in very untrustworthy. One of the most important factors in this type of business is trust, therefore, by being fair and just, trust can be established. Earning the trust of patients is a little difficult since one has to establish credibility not only on giving them the co rrect solution to their concerns but also in keeping their confidences. Patients must have the peace of mind that their concerns or issues are kept at the strictest confidence and that it will not be disclosed to anyone else at any cost. (ACHE, 1996) This same principle goes to

Thursday, October 31, 2019

History of U.S. up to JFK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of U.S. up to JFK - Essay Example After WWII, United States embraced capitalism at its best. During this time, change was an inevitable factor throughout the country. War bonds worth hundreds of billions of dollars matured, which gave the country the so much needed financial resources to kick start the economy. Using these and other government-provided resources, the country moved towards the realization of an economic boom. People’s quality of life improved, setting a desirable path for social, economic, and political prosperity. With massive investments already executed, the American workforce became the next point of focus. Among the most outstanding actions in this regard was the implementation of the G.I Bill. The G.I Bill accorded war veterans many different benefits, most of which played the role of financing education and training of workers for the realization of a knowledgeable, skilled, and reliable workforce (Chafe 107). Another key observation of the post WWII era was the emergence of labor unions in America. The 1950s marked the peak of labor union membership, and this allowed low-income workers to migrate from the countryside to towns and cities in search of better job opportunities (Chafe 168). By 1960, this migration process had allowed majority of Americans to hold employment positions that were better paying compared to previous couple of decades. Consequently, the growth and development of suburbs became vibrant across the U.S. Most importantly, U.S culture changed significantly between 1945 and 1963. Following the WWII, both the South and the West became important political regions as power shifted away from the Northeast and Midwest (Chafe 119). During this time, U.S had not only addressed major social issues, but also nurtured a cultural and social belief of international control. American people were convinced that they had a primary role to play in maintaining global peace and political order. A critical look at the global political economy revealed that the U.S

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Burberry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Burberry - Essay Example The presentation then focuses on the ‘soft strategies’. The company has initiated many new technology led measures to interact with their customers. This part of the presentation deals with Customer Relationship Management. Burberry hosts a fully choreographed live webcast. Emails are used. Internal website is used to ensure that internal customers are fully away of runway shows, editorial coverage and new store events. Travelling road shows are organized. Round table conferences are conducted with senior managers around the world. The company is dedicated on building an excellent brand image. She says that they want to be known as a brand that is simply great. For this purpose Burberry recruits likeminded people. Its employees are its customers also who buy their company’s products and love them intensely. The presentation then moves towards CRM again. The company has its own social media website. Burberry is followed by two million people on Facebook. There are live stream shows around the world. The highlight of CRM is organizing 25 events around the world and using a new Ipad based purchasing technology. Headquarter of Burberry is also state –of-the-art. The presentation then finishes by Angela saying that it is only 4 years since she and her team started their work and so ‘it is still early

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Political Theory Analysis

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Political Theory Analysis Courtney Deed How did St Thomas Aquinas justify the coercive authority of the state? How did he justify war? Are his justifications of state authority and war compatible? Are they convincing? Why/ Why not? This essay will critically examine Saint Thomas Aquinas’ political theory on the coercive authority of the state and his justification of war. Authority and power have been utilized as a form of social control to regulate the masses. It ensures the common good for people so that they can live amicably, as much as possible, with one and another (Finnis, 1998). Without some form of social control, there would be questionably, no state. Political authority is not only necessary for social control, but is also necessary to bring all to virtue (Weithman, 1992). Definition of Terms In the interests of transparency, key terms in this essay include; the state, authority, legitimacy, law and war. Morris (2011) describes the state to be â€Å"the principal political entity or form of political organization†. Narveson (2008) concurs with this assessment of state, only adding that it is a considerable number of people, in the same area, bound by the same government. In Summa Theologica, Aquinas defines law as â€Å"a rule or measure of action in virtue of which one is led to perform certain actions† (ST in Coleman). In essence, laws are rules fashioned by the legislature for the benefit, safety and uniformity of civilians. Authority is power of people, of any kind to rule (Narveson, 2008). From this, coercive authority is when power is enforced through suppression of right and the use of fear and distress. It is a common tool in tyrannical or dictatorial government systems. Legitimacy is the compliance and acceptance of rules and laws by society (Vinaya gamoorth, 2013). If civilians do not accept direction by the rule maker, their authority is not legitimate. Finally, war is organised conflict between two groups of people (Smith, 2012) How did he justify the coercive nature of the state? Power and law making are inextricably linked. The legislator creates laws and as these are enforced, power over the state is defined. Coercive nature stems from the forcible decisions on law that a ruler makes. Aquinas proposes an explanation for this, it is an â€Å"ordinance of reason for the common good of a [complete] community, promulgated by the person or body responsible for looking after that community† (Summa Theologica in Finnis, 1998). Aquinas comments in Summa Theologica that the masses have to assent to be ruled and then by â€Å"practical proposition† law is made by those who are responsible for ruling (Finnis, 1998). From this it is clear that as long as civilians accept the rule then any law that is made is legitimate. Aquinas observes that â€Å"every set of laws is addressed by two kinds of people: the obstinate and the proud who are restrained and disciplined by law and the good who are assisted by the law’s guidance to fulfil their good inten tions† (ST) If an authoritative decision is made to solve a problem, then it will be accepted by the masses. Finnis (1998) reinforces this, stating â€Å"the authoritative decision, whether legislative, executive or judicial †¦ will not result in co-ordination unless it is accepted as settling the question, and accepted even by those who would have preferred a different decision, a different law†. This has a run- on effect to decisions that are made coercively. By definition, if society assent to the power of legislators, then even autocratic decisions are justified and accepted. A local example of this, the Clyde River Dam Saga in New Zealand in the 1960’s under the prime ministership of Robert Muldoon. Aquinas identifies two types of ruling; ordered for governing and for the sake of domination. Ordered for governing is where it is for the good of those who are being ruled. This would be the King, who for the common good makes decisions to help and benefit his subjects. The King is free from coercive restraint, as he can alter it himself. Aquinas comments that he is, however, subject to the laws of God (Dunbabin, 1988). The second, is for the good of the ruler. Aquinas likens this as a master over his slaves (Weithman 1992). Aquinas believes that law, and by explanation the coercive nature of the state is forced onto the community, â€Å"citizens don’t have [a] choice about it- it isn’t a piece of advice, it’s an order!† (Narveson, 2008). These orders, have to be rational and more importantly legitimate, â€Å"an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated and enforced by the one who is in charge of the community† (Summa Theologica). So, a s citizens, we accept valid ruling for our benefit and for the benefit of the community. It is trust, that the ruler is making the Aquinas is fixated on the notion of the common good. On surface level, this could be likened to peace, success and contentment. Aquinas looks at the best for the most people rather than the best option. Aquinas argued the common good is a reasonable and rational objective for all people. It is from this point that he founded his belief that civilians can disobey laws, as long as disgrace would not result should they choose not to follow (Dunbabin 1988). However, when considering Aquinas’ views on the execution of heretics, it questions whether the common good is only about harmony but rather what the Roman Catholic faith would like to see. In Summa Theologica, Aquinas directly addresses this issue, asserting if heretics cannot be made to see reason by priests, they can be executed. Aquinas justifies the nature of power and the co-ordination of society by using the law. This does not have to coercive – it is just power. However, by way of authority and legitimate rule, this power can be coercive. How did he justify war? Aquinas has a firm view on war, but more importantly, how war is imposed. He believed the act itself, of war, to be â€Å"a sin in itself† (Summa Theologica) However, rather than the act, Aquinas is concerned with the decision to start the war. This stems from the Romanic notion of ‘just cause’ for war. Just cause is a moral criterion to justify the invasion or aggression against another country. It weighs up, on the balance of facts, if it is permissible for one country to wage war on another. In the Summa Theologica, Aquinas outlines the three prerequisites for a just war. Firstly, the authority of the sovereign must be legitimate. It is not for the private individual to wage war, but rather the ruler maker, or sovereign. The private individual â€Å"can seek for redress of his rights from the tribunal of his superior† and in war time, it is not for ordinary people to make such decisions. The sovereign must â€Å"summon together the people, which has to be done in war time† (Summa Theologica). If the sovereign cannot bring together the masses, his authority cannot be legitimate. The ultimate test for legitimacy is whether a ruler will be followed. The second, just cause is required. The decision to go to war has to be made by the Sovereign or public authority as â€Å"no private person has the right to initiate war† (Summa Theologica in Finnis 1998) Aquinas explains this to be â€Å"those who are attacked, should be attacked because they deserve it on account of some fault† (Summa Theologica). Aquinas believes that, just cause allows for and to defend the common good. This may mean avenging and punishing adversaries for sins committed by or against the enemy state. Finnis (1998) describes this could be being attacked by reason of their guilt in respect of some wrong which they refuse or fail to rectify. Persecution or self-defence is an example of this. It should be noted, that Aquinas does not belief that war a nd be waged to impose religion, even if those fighting it believe it to be the true religion. The third requirement of a just war is the combatants have the right intention to engage in war. In Summa Theologica, Aquinas says that this includes â€Å"[the] right intention so that they intend the advancement of good or the avoidance of evil†. The right intention must be held above all else. There can be no ulterior motive or secret agenda when faced with the question of war. War must be used as a means to quell a situation and for absolutely no reason, should war be used as punishment or for any ferocious means. Once all requirements of war are satisfied, Aquinas then looks to the legitimacy of the ruler. It is them, who make the decision. Aquinas believes that it is only the public official who can legitimately start combative and engage the public in war (Mooney, 2007). A ruler who lacks legitimacy is a tyrant. Aquinas, ever early on makes the clear distinction between what he calls the private and the public citizen. The private, an ordinary person, who subjects their will to the state and dutifully obliges to the rule of the sovereign, conditional on the legality of the situation. The public official â€Å"charged with public authority, directing men by law to the common good, are unifying and co-ordinating functionaries, representatives of the corporate will of the community† (Coleman, 2000). From this it is inferred that by doing their job, as well as being part of the group, they are bringing society towards the common good. It can be likened with the idea of utility, the best option for the most amount of people. It should be now mentioned, that a solider, conscripted or not, is innocent of any killing or war crimes should he be ordered to do it from a higher authority (Miller, 2002) Therefore, Aquinas condones and justifies warfare should the decision be made by the correct person. For war to be justified, a public authority has to make the decision; bearing in mind just cause and have the right intention to go to war. Right intention may include avenging what has been lost or for the common good of the populace (Miller, 2002) Are his justifications for war/ state authority compatible? Why? Why not? By virtue of one, the other follows. Through the power if the state, governed by legitimately made laws, the public official can wage war. As previous discussed, â€Å"the power of the sword, as the state understands it, is essentially the public authority of the state’s rulers and their judicial and military officers, to execute criminals and to wage war† (Finnis). Public officials, have the ultimate say in decisions. The head of state effectively can choose whether or not a country goes to war or not. To determine whether or not a decision is coercive or not it is defined by the legitimacy of the ruler. Aquinas commented in De Malo that â€Å"[people] may not have a freedom of action but they do have a freedom of choice†. This can be related to modern system of governance and ruling. In New Zealand, we follow a representative system of representation. Through the choice of enrolled adults, we elect members of parliament to best represent our interests. Although we may not agree with every decision that they may make, however for the best interests of the government, they stay in power. The best way to show how Aquinas’ justifications of war and coercive authority link is the example of self-defence. It is here Aquinas introduces the principle of double effect. Unlike the traditional approach; ‘an eye for an eye’ or using force with force, Aquinas differentiates between the intention that the person has and the repercussions that the act had. In its most basic sense, the Doctrine allows for reverence of all people (Finnis 278) Whether it is lawful to kill a man in self-defence? Principle of double effect, permits killing where it is the foreseen but unintended side-effect of doing good, where the bad does not lead to the good, and where the good outweighs the bad This is similar to Aquinas’ views on capital punishment. For the common good and betterment for the community, Aquinas condones capital punishment of extreme ‘sinners’ or evildoers. This is due to the belief that they are more likely to hurt others than to amend their behaviour (Miller, 2002). Aquinas general idea regarding capital punishment is to deter the potential criminal from offending and to uphold the common good in the community. This could be likened to the Christian thought that one must love and his neighbour above all else. By taking the choice away from civilians (‘private individuals’), they are left to continue following Jesus’ commandment. It is the ruler’s authority, which can make such decisions; to wage war, introduction sanctions or to consent to capital punishment. First, Thomas classifies an act as intrinsically good, bad, or indifferent (Miller, 2002) Old Wine in New Skins: Aquinas, Just War and Terrorism Mooney, T Brian Pacifica : Journal of the Melbourne College of Divinity; Jun 2007; 20, 2; ProQuest Central pg. 204 Aquinas and the Presumption against Killing and War Richard B. Miller The Journal of Religion, Vol. 82, No. 2 (Apr., 2002), pp. 173-204 Published by:The University of Chicago Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1206289 Vinayagamoorthy, K. (2013). Contextualizing legitimacy.Texas International Law Journal,48(3), 535-574. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1398477293?accountid=17287 Ron Smiths Text book : Morality of War