Criminal Law Foundations evaluation paper Essay

The Juvenile Justice System Juvenile justice is the section of law that applies to persons under the age of 18 not capable of receiving sentencing in the adult court system or old enough to be responsible for criminal acts committed in society. In most states the age of criminal culpability is 18 however, the age requirement can be set lower in accordance to certain crimes and statutes set by the state the juvenile lives in. Juvenile law is primarily run by state law and most states enforce a specific juvenile code the system follows. The juvenile justice system primarily focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment for youthful offenders. Society appears to concentrate that children are more capable of change than adult offenders more capable of knowing right from wrong (â€Å"Cornell University Law School,† n.d.). The statutes creating the juvenile court systems and methods of allocating with juvenile delinquency are run by courts as a suitable extension of state police power to warrant the safety and welfare of children in the system. The doctrine of parens patriae allows the state to promulgate for the safeguard, care, custody, and upkeep of children within its jurisdiction. In 1968 the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Control Act was put into effect, and in 1972 it was put into revision as the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act. This act set forth to assist states in dealing with juvenile delinquent acts and assist communities to prevent delinquency by providing services to the community and youths in high risk of subduing to criminal activity (â€Å"Cornell University Law School,† n.d.). The Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act describes juvenile delinquency as an act that is a criminal but is set forth by a youth under 18 years of age. It applies rules that state laws must abide by with concern to juvenile court processes and reprimands (â€Å"Cornell University Law School,† n.d.). Comparison of Juvenile and Adult Courts There are major differences in procedure between the juvenile and adult court systems. In the juvenile system the defendant does not receive a jury trial. The juvenile goes before a judge who decides if a law was broken and what the appropriate punishment is for the youthful offender. Bail that is also commonly used in the adult system is normally not given to minors in the juvenile system. For a juvenile to be free before adjudication, he or she must prove, they are not a flight risk or a further danger to society. Juvenile courtrooms, unlike adult courts are also not open to the public or media because of preserving the privacy of minors in the system (â€Å"Just Cause Law Collective,† 2007). Oddly, punishments for juveniles for smaller offenses are sometimes more strict than an adult would face. Probation sentences can be much longer and have many additional terms, such as keeping up grades in school, obeying his or her parents, and abiding by a curfew. Juveniles facing punishment for more serious offenses however do stand a better chance of early release where most adult offenders could face up to life in prison for the same crime. This happens as a result of most juvenile sentences ending once the youth reaches his or her twenties (â€Å"Just Cause Law Collective,† 2007). Constitutional Safeguards Criminal juvenile proceedings are kept private when the criminal is juvenile. Juvenile records are also sealed when the juvenile becomes an adult. Names are on ice from newspapers and news reporters unlike in adult criminal cases. Court cases for juveniles are secure to the public with only people pertinent to the case being allowed into the courtroom to protect the identity of the juvenile. Safeguards for juveniles differ from those of adults because juvenile proceedings are kept private whereas those for adults are open to the public. The identity of an adult is public record and their crimes do not get sealed away after a certain amount of time. While juveniles seem to be safe more than adults there are safeguards in place to protect adults as well, such as double jeopardy, which means a person cannot be in accusation for the same crime twice. If adult and juvenile case procedures were the same many juveniles would have criminal records going into adulthood for minor offenses or even just mistakes in judgment that could affect his or her future. Adults have a better understanding of the laws and what is right and wrong in addition the consequences of their choices than juveniles do. A juvenile waiver is occurs when a judge transfers a juvenile into the adult court system. This method releases the juvenile from any protection the youth would have under the juvenile court system. At this point the child is put through the same court process an adult offender would face. In most states the average age a youth would be set forth into the adult system is 17; however in some cases children as young as 13 have faced adult trials. Normally a waiver into the adult courts is put into effect because of a long history of offenses by the juvenile or if the crime is well thought-out to be serious or severely heinous. In 1997 28 states had already put into exclusion the offense of murder from the juvenile system. This meaning that a youth would be sent directly into the adult system if he or she was facing such a charge. This number is most likely going to increase that has put more emphasis on the debate of juveniles sent into the adult system. According to â€Å"Findlaw† (2012), â€Å"Some states also have a legal provision which allows the prosecutor to file a juvenile case in both juvenile and adult court. This takes place when the offense and the age of the youth meet certain criteria. Prosecutorial transfer does not have to meet the due process requirement. Approximately 15 states currently have this provision† (Juvenile â€Å"Waiver† (Transfer to Adult Court)). The most land marking case guiding juvenile waivers is Breed vs. Jones that took place in 1975. This case set forth the rule that a youth cannot be adjudicated in the juvenile system and waived into the adult system. This protects the youth under the double jeopardy law. Realistically this case appears not to have much impact on the juvenile system because juveniles can go through a waiver hearing similar to a trial except for the outcomes (â€Å"Findlaw,† 2012). Remanding Juveniles to Adult Courts Over the last several decades remanding a youth into the adult court system has grown in popularity. The public and courts have made it very easy to take a child out of the juvenile system and place him or her into the hands of the adult courts. Most members of society see these measures as a form of fear because of the increase in violent crimes that today’s youth are participating in. State legislatures enacted statutes that extended the age and offense reach of judicial waiver, legislative waiver, automatic transfer, and prosecutorial discretion and concurrent jurisdiction policies that in return has paved the road of sending children into the adult system very smooth. Some states have provisions in which a child can be sent to adult courts regardless of the offense (â€Å"Campaign for Youth Justice,† 2010). Studies prove that more than 200,000 youths under the age of 18 face sentencing in adult courts. Despite that there has been a decrease in juvenile crime over the past few years; provisions making it easier to prosecute juveniles in the adult court system keep increasing. In today’s current time it appears the scale-weighs in favor of punishing children instead of rehabilitating them into productive members of society (â€Å"Campaign for Youth Justice,† 2010). The Miranda Warning The Miranda Warning is a police notice set to criminal defendants brought into custody of law enforcement in the United States before they can ask questions in regard to what took place during the crime they are facing charges with. Law enforcement officials can only ask for precise information such as name, date of birth, and address without reading the suspects his or her Miranda warnings. Confessions and other information that an individual provides him or her will not be well thought-out admissible evidence unless the individual is aware of and give up his or her Miranda rights. Threatening or forcible methods of police interrogation were once generally referred to as undergoing the third degree. Today, as defense against any likelihood of police intimidation, society has the Miranda Warning (â€Å"Mirandawarning.org,† 2010). In 1968 the final version for the Miranda Warning was set by California deputy attorney general Doris Maier and district attorney Harold Berliner. Before the establishment of the Miranda Warning, confessions had only to be intentional on the suspect. This made a difficult situation for law enforcement, who often met with evidence at trials that the defendant was not of sound mind or were under indirect pressure when he or she gave his or her confessions. The Miranda Warning protects society’s rights by clarifying his or her choices clearly and supports police power when law enforcement properly reads the Miranda Warning and gets clear, intellectual answers that the suspect understands his or her rights as they have been clear up. The Miranda Warning is a legal requirement all over the United States, and differs only slightly in wording in different states (â€Å"Mirandawarning.org,† 2010). References Campaign for Youth Justice. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/documents/UCLA-Literature-Review.pdf Cornell University Law School. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/Juvenile_justice FindLaw. (2012). Retrieved from http://criminal.findlaw.com/juvenile-justice/juvenile-waiver-transfer-to-adult-court.html Jones, W. G. (2006). U.S. Departemnt of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/courts/chapterfour.cfm Just Cause Law Collective. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.lawcollective.org/article.php?id=64 MirandaWarning.org. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.mirandawarning.org/

How does a government budget deficit affect the economy Essay

Identify two periods in recent history in which the United States has run budget deficits. What were the reasons for the deficits during those time periods? A government budget deficit occurs when the governments expenses exceeds its revenues. Because of this spending the government has to find alternatives to finance this added expense through borrowing. A government deficit in the long-run can reduce savings, growth, and income. In the short-run if the economy is performing below its output potential deficits are good because it increases expenditures moving output closer to potential. Two periods in recent history when the U. S. was running on a deficit were 2000-2008 and 2008-present. Within the two time periods the country went to war adding roughly $1. 1 trillion to the national debt we also had a significant tax cut that also added to the debt by $2 trillion. There also was a recession that caused the unemployment rates to go up increasing the government spending to cover unemployment insurance. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was also played an important part in deficits. During this time there was a threat of collapse of large financial institutions and decline in the stock market Dow Jones lost 33. 8% of its value in 2008. The housing and auto industries suffered many companies that relied heavily on credit also suffered. Banks simply stopped trusting people to pay them back so they stopped making loans that most businesses needed to regulate their cash flows. Unfortunately this recession was not only felt in the U. S. but it also had a damaging affect too many foreign countries.

Classroom Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classroom Management - Essay Example As earlier mentioned, a learning centre usually has plenty of hands-on materials that provide the learners with opportunities to actively participate in learning. The students are therefore expected to be courteous, respectful and considerate for the equipment at the learning centre and handle them with care so that they can fully benefit from them. In the computer station, the K-8 students are also expected to show respect for school property, in this case, the computers. They should avoid inappropriate behavior such as scratching or writing on the computers and mishandling them because they are very delicate and they need to benefit from them fully. The students are also expected to be on time for the learning activities taking place at the computer stations and come prepared for the activities. This will entail bringing all the necessary classroom materials with them. These include paper, pencil or books. B. 1. Out-of-class activities are described as those activities that take pl ace outside the traditional classroom but within an educational context. The two out-of-class activities that have been chosen for this assignment are playground time or recess and field trips or assemblies. Playground time or recess is part of school activities that K-8 students are involved in during their day in school. Field trips are necessary so as to expose students to the abstract things that they have been learning in class. Assemblies on the other hand are inevitable in any school situation because there are many people who need to address their common goals. B. 2. During playground time or recess, it is expected that K-8 students conduct themselves in an orderly, respectable and responsible... This essay approves that a learning centre is defined as an area in a classroom which has a variety of meaningful activities and hands-on materials that provide the learners with opportunities to actively participate in their own learning. A computer station in a classroom may be defined as an area within the classroom that is outfitted with computer equipment and furnishings for the students to be able to make use of the computer when learning. These two centres are usually equipped with materials that are meant to enhance and promote teaching and learning activities. Evaluation is concerned with the assessment of something’s worth or significance using preset standards. In this context, evaluation entails all the necessary steps taken to determine whether all the students have understood the behavior expectations in and out of class. There are several methods that can be used to determine the level of students understanding of their own behavior and consequences. This report makes a conclusion that another method of evaluation is the use of student conferences whereby the students are involved in the process of goal setting and evaluation. In such conferences, the students are made to contribute in setting the behaviors that are expected of them and they later evaluate how they behaved during the lessons so as to see whether they met the behavioral expectations or not. They therefore have the opportunity to understand what is expected of them and know how to behave during activities in and out of class.

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

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

Organisation business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organisation business - Essay Example As such, the idea has found much popularity among managers in their attempts to bring up a successful and efficient workforce. The assumption that emotional intelligence directly influences job performance leads, as a result, to the thought that emotional intelligence might become of the keys to improved business performance and, consequently, higher profits. Though there exists a number of studies on the relation of emotional intelligence to employee effectiveness, many of them present different points of view. Therefore, the purpose of the given work is to review and analyze some of the most recent researches on the topic of emotional intelligence’s relation to employee performance with the purpose of determining whether there is, indeed, a positive correlation between the two. The findings will, therefore, help businesses and organizations to understand whether emotional intelligence should be given some additional attention and incorporated into organizational culture and HR practices. Defining Emotional Intelligence Modern literature provides a number of definitions of emotional intelligence. ... Such abilities, according to them, include â€Å"the abilities to perceive emotions in the self and in others, use emotions to facilitate performance, understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and regulate emotions in the self and in others† (Mayer and Salovey 1997, 3). The definition has not significantly changed with time. In 2009 Jordan and Lawrence refer to the 1997 work by Mayer & Salovey explaining emotional intelligence as â€Å"abilities, emotional awareness (own and others), emotional management (own and others), emotional understanding (understanding emotional cycles and progressions) and emotional facilitation (generating emotions) (Jordan and Lawrence 2009, 453). Therefore, it can be concluded that the term ‘emotional intelligence’ means human ability to realize and understand feelings (both own and those other people), to effective cope with emotions, as well as express own or evoke emotions of others with the purpose of dealing with specific situ ation in the most efficient way. Literature Review At the same time Stephane Cote and Christopher Miners (2006) of the University of Toronto point out that though the concept of emotional intelligence has raised much interest of businesses and organizations, there is a relatively low number of studies that prove emotional intelligence is really important for managing an organization effectively or that it is directly related to job performance (Cote and Miners 2006, 1). Furthermore, Barrett et al (2001, 1) even argue that the increase in the topic’s population is based on its being advertised rather than on profound scientific evidence. Nevertheless, some studies exist. In 2005 Brett Anthony Hayward, for instance, conducted a research with the

Nozick is right and Rawls is wrong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nozick is right and Rawls is wrong - Essay Example The main agenda of the justice principle is to enhance fairness to society associated by conducts of injustices. The theory of economic injustice explains about the need to mitigate scarcity and altruistic desires affecting communities instead referring to fair choices that repel about societal ignorance by enhancing communal corporation and sorting to alternatives that can easily liberate from vices such as utilitarianism1. Despite Rawls’ theory of justice remaining popular for centuries, Nozick who drew a publication has brought similar claims that narrow to reconstruct societal injustices by emphasizing that status ultimately brings about bonding in social life. Nozick argues that Rawls theory was an intrinsic attempt to harmonize the situation of fairness amongst individuals who are constrained by factors of economic capitalism2. According to Nozick’s theory, he supports Rawls’ claim that injustice is mainly enhanced by difference in hierarchies where people who are rank least in the system withstand the worst of Marxist capitalism. While letting their argument to a similar perception, both Robert and Rawls have given clarification concerning societal injustices. Despite the fact that the two philosopher followed different directions while trying to clarify about the meaning of injustices, both arguably agreed that justice is a system where individuals should deliver performances on exactly what they are expected to tackle definite issues. Without indulging comprehensively into other sections of injustice system, Rawls clarifies injustice as a state of unfairness that is mainly attributed to when members of the society deviates from issues that necessitate rightful governing principles. However to achieve justice, the two philosophers have suggested that governing a society can be made better if the social, societal system is incorporated in the governmental structures3. Nozick’s theory though from distinct origin

Simple Random Sampling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Simple Random Sampling - Essay Example This method would allow collection of data in all the target areas without any bias. Simple random sampling is a statistical tool used in research. In this research method, a subset of a sample is chosen from a population. All individuals are chosen randomly by chance, so that all individuals have the same probability at all the stages of the sampling process. (Patton, 2002). In both large and small populations, such process is done without replacement. An individual avoids choosing a member of a population more than once. Simple random can also be done with replacements but, when done without replacement, it not independent but it still accommodates interchangeability. For an extremely small subset from large population, simple random sampling without replacement gives the same results as wit replacement. Unbiased sampling is incredibly paramount so that the sample selected represents the entire population. This does not show that the sample is a perfect representation of the popula tion, but it provides valid conclusion in relation to the population. This is the simplest sampling technique, and it requires a complete sampling frame which is not feasible to construct from a big population. (Zikmund, 2010). One critical advantage is that it is free from errors, and it requires exceptionally little knowledge on the subsets. The respondents were people who could understand all that were required, and thus especially minimal explanation was required from the researchers. The questions that were used were applicable to all the businesses that were involved in the research. This is because, in simple random sampling, the subsets selected are picked from the target population. This makes it easy to interpret the data collected. The data collected was easy to analyze, and analyze since the respondents had almost the same answers to the research questions. The method was also suitable because the research was not gathering technical information that required experts. It was economical to explain the questions to the respondents, since it did target a large number of people. (Creswell, 2009). On the contrary, it has a lot of errors due to the randomness of selection that can give samples that do not reflect the characteristics of the actual population. For example, a simple random sampling of 20 businesses will averagely produce 10 businesses that got assistance from venture capital and 10 that did not, but the actual trial will over present or under present one of the category. The result of the research was incredibly consistent with the expectation of the researcher. There was no immense variation between the actual and the expected. This implies that simple random was a superior method for this research. Simple random sampling is tedious and exceptionally cumbersome when done from a large population. There was a lot of movement from one enterprise to the other to look for the respondents. Some of the respondents were not available at the time o f conducting the interview, and so the researcher had to go to another time. There were especially many entrepreneurs to be interviewed, and this method was so effective since it saved time. This was so imperative since it will not be feasible to interview all the businesspersons. It also complicated if the research questions are exceedingly many. The questionnaire had many questions, and this method only allowed the target group to answer the questions. The

Graphic Design Industry and the Willingness to Foster Creativity for Dissertation

Graphic Design Industry and the Willingness to Foster Creativity for People with Fine Motor Skills Disability - Dissertation Example In the past, the design discipline belief for the traditional graphic design professionals was aligned to serve only able-bodied students and professionals. Evidently, this was due to the belief that all design starts from traditional drawing skills. The teaching strategies of the past were mostly structured in a way that favored physical exertion from a full bodied person while significantly ignorant on the needs of people with disabilities. However, in the contemporary world, there have been increased efforts and innovation to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities.(Needs cited from original paper or from writers notes) In this regard, there have been an increased acceptance and adaption to suit the needs of people with disabilities in different sectors such as education, production, athletics and many more. For example, in the world of athletics, persons with disabilities have been able to compete on an equal footing with other full bodied athletes. A perfect example i s the former athletics champion with most medals, Heinz Frei from Sweden. former 200m paralympic champion, Oscar Pistorius, also known as the ‘blade runner’ for his use of prosthetic legs in racing (Edington, & Duffy, 1996). In order for learners to make an impact in the world, it is foremost the prerogative of the educators to teach and guide them in the correct process. In this regard, educators are the foundational block for students affording them the ability to go out and give voice to those who need it. (AIGA & Chap, 2006, p.1) Consequently, it creates a critical issue between education and complementing laws and policies such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Cennection between power and motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cennection between power and motivation - Essay Example All human beings are born with five basic needs: continued existence, love, power, fun, and freedom. All human behavior is motivated by attempts to satisfy those needs. In an organization or in a company, managers are responsible for getting the work done and the quality and quantity of the work done by the employees depend on how much the employees are motivated to do the work. The manager may use his power and position to get the work done but the quality and quantity may go down since the employees are not motivated internally to produce quality products. While a manager cannot make workers do high quality work, it is the job of the manager to manage things so that it is easy for the workers to see a strong connection between what they are asked to do and what they believe to be worth doing. Therefore the managers are to become lead-managers. The key behind being a lead-manager is to authorize workers. Lead-managers focus on persuasion and problem solving. They spend their time figuring out how to run the system so that the workers will see that it is to their benefit to produce high-quality work. Managers often fail to let workers feel important - to experience power and freedom. When workers see that outcomes are important and valuable they devote significant effort to realize the goals (education.calumet.purdue.edu, 2000). The implications of motives and values for management are simple: People do what they like or they do what they feel is important. If the given task fits either of these categories, it will get done faster and better. Where suitable motives do not exist, people require strong values to replace them. In the sense, managers can try to engage or create an intellectual commitment, or can engage emotional drivers. Motives are deep constructs and can change only slowly. Changing other people’s motives without their active and devoted alliance is too difficult to be a practical management method.

Column and Thin Layer Chromatography Essay Example for Free

Column and Thin Layer Chromatography Essay Abstract Spinach extract was separated into fractions containing compounds of similar polarity by column chromatography. Based on solid-liquid phase partitioning, this separation technique exploited the different polarity of the compounds in the spinach extract. Three fractions with different colors were obtained. The extract and its fractions were analyzed using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The TLC results showed that there was one compound (Rf=0. 979) in the first fraction; there were three compounds (Rf1=0.839, Rf2= 0.691, Rf3=0.149) in the second fraction; there was one compound (Rf=0.017) in the third fraction. The separations of compounds which went to the first and third fraction were relatively satisfying, while the second fraction had several kinds of compounds. Introduction Chromatography is the separation of compounds or ions by distribution between two phases—a mobile phase and a stationary phase. The technique is based on the differential absorptivities of the constituents between these two phases, due to different properties of the compounds to be separated and the nature of the two phases involved. If one constituent adheres more to the stationary phase than the mobile one, separation will be achieved. There are several different types of chromatography, such as thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC) and column chromatography. All the chromatographic methods are based on partitioning of molecules between a stationary phase and a mobile phase. In order to measure the amount of partitioning between the two phases, each compound has an unique Partition Coefficient (Kp), which is defined as the ratio of concentrations of the compound between the stationary phase and the mobile phase: Kp=[x]sp/[x]mp. Therefore, if Kp is greater than 1, the substance adheres more to the stationary phase; if Kp is smaller than 1, the substance adheres more to the mobile phase; if the Kp is equal to 1, the probabilities of the substance to adhere to the two phases are roughly the same. The Kp value is depended on a multitude of factors: â€Å"polarity, solubility in the solvent, hydrogen bonding, volatility in the case of gas chromatography.† After the injection, the sample molecules will either stay in the mobile phase or adhere to the stationary phase. When the mobile phase is pushed through the stationary phase by the eluent, the mobile phase, the molecules will move through the column at a rate that depends on their different Kp value. For example, if one constituent is more polar than other and adheres more to the stationary phase when the stationary phase is more polar than the mobile phase, this constituent will lag behind; while the constituent that is less polar and adheres less to the stationary phase will move ahead. In this way, the sample can be separated into fractions containing compounds of similar polarity. The differences among the various types of chromatography are mostly depended on the nature of the two phases involved. Column and thin layer chromatography use solid stationary phase and liquid mobile phase; while GC uses a gas as mobile phase and a liquid as stationary phase. Compared with TLC and column chromatography, GC is a more sophisticated method. Discussion The intent of this experiment was to successfully separate the constituents of spinach extract using column chromatography. The results of the separation were analyzed by TLC to reveal in which fraction the compounds of the mixture were. Since both of the samples of the first fraction and the third had only one developed spot on the TLC plate, the separation of the compounds in the first and third fractions were relatively satisfying. However, there were 3 different compounds reveled for the second fraction. Since the color of the first fraction was yellow and the color of the second and third fractions were green, the major compound in the first fraction should be Carotenes, the yellow-orange pigment; while the major compounds in the second fraction and the third fraction should be Chlorophyll. During the process of column chromatography, the first band gained in the column was very clear and the color was yellow. The second band gained in the column was green and the thickness of t he second band was greater than the first. Also, the green color of the second band varied, and colorless area was observed in the second band. Compared with the first band, the second band showed an unsatisfying separation result. Since there was colorless area and various green colors in the second band, the second fraction must contained several constituents, which was examined by the TLC results—there were 3 developed spots of the second fraction sample on the TLC plate. As for the third fraction, there was no clear band in the column while adding the last eluent. The concentration of the compound in third fraction was relatively small, resulting in a very small Rf value, 0.017. Compared with the spots of the second fraction sample, which had a much clearer spot with similar Rf value, 0.839, the compound in the third fraction must existed in a large amount in the second fraction. In addition, these 2 spots had the same light green color, which can also examine this conclusion. The lower concentration can also due to the unsatisfying spotting. The diameter of the undeveloped spot in the third fraction was larger than the first and second one, because too much solvent was used. Also, multiple times of spotting was needed. Observing the spots color, the clearest spot in the second fraction had a more intense green color, which showed that the compound in this fraction should be Chlorophyll a. While the major compound in the third fraction should be Chlorophyll a, with a lighter color and lower Rf value. The ideal solvent system should result in Rf values ranging from 0.24 to 0.54. However, in this experiment, none of the Rf value was in this range. Therefore, the polarity gradient of the eluents should be narrowed, which can result in more spots in the ideal range. Since there were 3 spots in the second fraction sample, over 4 eluents are needed to give a better separation, assuming the spot with lowest Rf value in the second fraction had the same compound as the spot in the third fraction sample.

Relationship Between Macbeth And Lady Macbeth Philosophy Essay

Relationship Between Macbeth And Lady Macbeth Philosophy Essay Shakespeare, the Einstein of his time has changed the intrepid minds of many influential people in the Elizabethan era which includes King Edward I. In his greatest play, Macbeth, has showed us that foul is fair and foul is fair in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth; revealing the dominant role of women over men. Lady Macbeth achieves great dominance over Macbeths will by shattering his manhood. She conveys that his doubts on the assassination signify his lack of ambition and valour of being a man. She mentions that a real man should not only have boldness to create a tight situation, but should also implement his honourable word. Lady Macbeth then strategically gives the most horrendous example about the smashing of the skull of the baby, which further criticises Macbeths scared attitude which contrast to the majority of women. This provokes Macbeth to act in accordance to his male honour. Shakespeare shows how Lady Macbeth shows her true self as she says in the play Had he not so closely resembled my father, I would have done it. This triple meaning is clearly shown. The first meaning if you look at it literally, it is trying to convey that he looked very similar to her dad which shows full commitment and trust to her parents. This showed how inside of her there is a lot of undivided love to her parents which has disable and caned her, much like any another child would do. However, it may be that because her parents gave birth to her, she is grateful for that and does not want to kill them As Macbeth has been called noble, he would surely give the same respect to Lady Macbeths parents as Macbeth would to his parents and would never think about scratching his parents, let alone kill them. This shows how Lady Macbeth has slowly and careful invaded into Macbeths mind and brainwashed him so much that he does not truly denied the thought of killing King Duncan. This also s hows that Macbeth has not given her anything and so ultimately the relationship is futile and her love is false. The second meaning would be the biblical imagery of God as Lady Macbeth said he which shows that Lady Macbeth thoughts are that the more powerful you are, the more godlike you are. She could not kill God as she did not have enough power. She wanted the lust for power and although she has committed sinful acts like killed a child, she is not in the level where God is and so could not kill him. As Macbeth has been given the title of Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, she believes that he has power. In spite of this, Lady Macbeth want more and more power and so forces Macbeth to kill King Duncan so that as his equal half in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, in the eyes of the pubic, would ultimately receive more power. This strongly shows how the relationship is not a relationship but is simply a ventriloquist and a puppet, where the ventriloquist is Lady Macbeth where she is manipulating the puppet which is Macbeth so that she can receive the laughter and money, which is very similar to power and greed. The third and most important, is the power of greed that she has truly desired. She single-handedly heavily persuaded Macbeth to kill King Duncan. The perception that Lady Macbeth put forward is very strong as she said I would have done it. This showed that she put it about as an excuse rather than to show a weakness; showing how she did not want to look weak in front of Macbeth which would convey to the audience that in the relationship she wants to be equal or even higher than Macbeth. This competition between each other shows how it is a mere game rather than a relationship made by God as Lady Macbeth is not being serious about it. Shakespeare shows how powerful reverse psychology may cause havoc in a relationship. When Lady Macbeth said When you durst do it, then you were a man she shows how cunningly and deceitfully she is trying to motivate him to do what he was previously going to do. When she says then you were a man, it shows before when he was going to kill King Duncan, he was a man, but now as he has refused he has become much less than a man, a lady who has no place in society. Macbeth who has reached the pinnacle of his courier after many countless, hardworking years and now has been called less than a man even though Kings Duncan addressed Macbeth as noble and also gave him the highest achievement that any man could have: Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor. This shows how demandingly she says a lot of Cruel words which hurts Macbeth but also at the same time using reverse psychology to show to Lady Macbeth that Macbeth can do relentless acts and so is a man. This showed that the relationship is main ly one sided to Lady Macbeth and has used strategic planning to command Macbeth into killing King Duncan. This shows that she understands Macbeth as she knew that Macbeth would question the killing. This shows that in the relationship, Macbeth has true love for her as he had told her his most dire secrets. However, it shows that instead of helping Macbeth out of a dreadful situation, she is using it to her advantage which also explicitly shows than she in manipulating Macbeth. Shakespeare shows how the depiction of extreme acts shows a downfall of a relationship. Dashs the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. This shows how as a woman who has small place in society would uphold her promise even when it is as tragic as killing a baby in a gruesome way, but a man who is respected thoroughly in society would go against his promise. It shows how Lady Macbeth has immense power to crack open the skill and dash the brain out. As child mortality was high, the baby would be considered to be a present of God. The word dash suggest how without a doubt she would do it quickly for her solemn oath and she does not care that she will have to face the wrath of God and also be massively looked down upon in society. This shows how loyal she is and will keep her promise unlike Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is seen as unusual as she admits the situations she had been. This unusual statement contracts the belief that a womens desire is to protect a child and this shows that she is different from the other woman who live their whole life to protect and care for their children. This shows how she has been hiding things from Macbeth and this shows how the relationship from the start of the play sets a countdown to get worse and even worse. The old saying which is behind every successful man stands a strong woman. Surprisingly, it is very true; in his quest for supreme power, he is thoroughly led by his wife. Lady Macbeth strengths his determination and motivate him to commit this sinful murder. This manipulation of Macbeth is clearly shown throughout the play and shows easily how Macbeth fell into the trap of Lady Macbeth of greed and power. Shakespeare is being portrayed as misogynistic to perhaps warn the world that this may happen in the future. This shows how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is like the inside of an onion. It is definitely seen that Macbeth is not hiding anything about himself and has also given his most vital secrets to Lady Macbeth. However, Lady Macbeth is hiding numerous amount of things; one being of dashing the brains out of a baby. Sadly, as you peel each layer, the audience weeps for Lady Macbeth for her greediness and devil like thoughts. With this analysis it is fully seen that Lady Macbeth is manipulating/controlling Macbeth as if he was a ragdoll puppet and also shows that the relationship relies heavily on her thoughts and Macbeth acts upon them mindlessly and cowardly.

European Settlement of the Americas †The True Story :: American America History

European Settlement of the Americas – The True Story One of the most important events in the history of the last half millennium is the European "discovery" of the Americas. The traditional story of the contact explains the Europeans' eventual success by crediting the superior technology and military prowess of the Europeans. If the traditional story mentions luck at all, it is in explaining the Europeans' good fortune at finding such a sparsely populated "pristine" continent. While it is true that European ship technology was more sophisticated than that of the native peoples of the Americas, European conquering and exploration of the Americas was as much the result of three non-technological factors as of the sophistication of European ship technology. The first was Europe's relative backwardness in comparison to the Middle and Far East, the second was macro-evolutionary factors such as geography and relative lack of natural resources, and the third was plain dumb luck. Europe's biggest motivation for westward exploration was a desire to access trade with the Far East. It was the continent's relative backwardness that prevented their achieving this access through eastward movement. The land route to the Indies was blocked because of European inability to compete with the Turks, whose Ottoman Empire stretched across the main trade routes. Carlo Cippola remarks on the irony that as Europeans were expanding on the sea, "on her eastern border she was spiritlessly retreating under the pressure of the Turkish forces." (Note 1) As a result, European nations who wanted the ability to trade with China and the rest of the Indies for goods such as silk and spices were forced to find another route, since they were not strong enough militarily to fight the Turks on land and gain access through the Middle East. The second factor of backwardness that spurred westward exploration was the fragmented nature of Europe's political system. Because the continent was home to many separate and competing nation states, each country was forced to find its own route. This competition also increased the desire for Eastern goods, since these goods represented wealth and thus the ability to pay for expensive wars and triumph over neighboring states. If the European continent had been one united body politically, the desire for Eastern goods might have been less, and westward exploration of the Americas might never have occurred since all of Europe could have benefited from the Portuguese route to the Indies around Africa.

Severe Burns: Neutrophil and Complement Levels Essay -- Medicine

Mortality rate in burn patients continues at a steady 5-10%, 75% of those deaths are related to sepsis (2). In order to understand why, we must elucidate the nature of the innate immune system in these patients. The innate immune system is the first line defense versus pathogens from the outside world. Burn patients receive a double hit to their first line defenses due to the nature of thermal injury to tissue. The skin barrier is breached, the inflammation begins, and though the numbers of neutrophils increases substantially in response to the elevations in compliment activation at the tissue level (1), it seems that the behavior of these neutrophils is aberrant (2). Neutrophils in burn patients were found to be impaired in their ability to adhere, phagocytose, and kill off pathogens via the oxidative burst. Additionally, they were found to have decreased migration speed with abnormal directionality in response to chemoattractants (2). One study suggested that neutrophils in burn pa tients became desensitized to C5a. In the rich inflammatory cytokine milieu, which develops after a severe burn, complement levels increase dramatically, but neutrophils downregulate their C5a receptors and their migratory directional speed decreases (3). This is the perfect situation for the wandering pathogen to invade and sneak past the body’s defenses in the chaos of a massive breach in security. Three studies are presented here to describe the relationship between complement and neutrophils in the severely burned patient. Van de Goot et al. demonstrated that plasma complement levels initially decreased, then rose sharply and stayed elevated for months afterward. Complement levels correlated with the severity of the burn wound and subsequent sc... ...enter around how to control the inflammatory response to the thermal injury such that wound healing occurs more quickly with less scarring, while preserving the patients’ ability to fight infectious agents with normal neutrophil responses. Works Cited 1. Van de Goot et al. Acute Inflammation is Persistent Locally in Burn Wounds: A Pivotal Role for Complement and C-Reactive Protein. Journal of Burn Care and Research 2009; 30:274-280. 2. Butler KL, Ambravaneswaran V, Agrawal N, Bilodeau M, Toner M, et al. (2010) Burn Injury Reduces Neutrophil Directional Migration Speed in Microfluidic Devices. PLoS ONE 5(7): e11921. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011921 3. Solomkin JS, Nelson RD, Chenoweth DE, Solem LD, Simmons RL. Regulation of Neutrophil Migratory Function in Burn Injury by Complement Activation Products. Annals of Surgery 1984; Vol 200 No. 6: 742-746.

Home Depot †Executive Summary Essay

The Home Depot (Ticker: HD) is the world’s largest home-improvement retailer along with being an American Fortune 50 company. The company operates 2,259 retail building supply/home improvement â€Å"warehouse† type stores all across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Home Depot has over 340,000 team members and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The average store size is just over 100,000 square feet along with an additional 24,000 square feet set aside for seasonal gardening. Target Group The Home Depot’s two main customers are at home â€Å"do-it-yourselfers† and contractors. The main products and services offered help solve the wants and needs of customers involved with home construction and maintenance, renovation and remodeling. Competitive Environment The competitive environment for the home-improvement industry is broken into three major players: The Home Depot, Lowe’s and local retailers. They compete with local retailers that specialize in nearly every product and service offering. The Home Depot and Lowe’s are both â€Å"all offerings† locations spread throughout North America. Over the past decade Home Depot was stickily focused on expanding the store count and business lines whereas Lowe’s was focused on store count growth and perfecting their supply chain and internal technology. Past Growth Over the past 13 years The Home Depot has more than doubled its store footprint. It was aided by two major factors; First being that the home improvement and building industries were growing quickly providing a constant demand for product. Second, funding was easy to receive and it was relatively cheap because of low interest rates. Management began to â€Å"empire build† with their now sold professional supply business (now known as HD Supply) and cut costs in their big box stores to help reduce costs. With the reduction of cost came the reduction in customer satisfaction. Return to Retail Noticing that customer satisfaction rating had severely slipped because of stock outs and poor team member engagement with the customer a new initiative was proposed. Marvin Ellison, Executive Vice President, U.S. Stores, proposed the â€Å"FIRST Relaunch†. The program focuses on putting the customers first, by â€Å"Do(ing) the unexpected†. The operational plan focused on customer service, being in stock on all products and creating a better store appearance (inside the physical store and within the community). In efforts to focus on customer service, more employees were hired and trained. Upper management also equipped each team member with more technology (PDA’s, walkie talkies, etc). There was a companywide initiative to integrate Hispanic merchandise, marketing and staffing. Home Depot switched to a regional distribution system while upgrading their internal information technology infrastructure to better keep stores’ inventory stocked properly. This major overhaul materialized into The Home Depot’s stock outs dramatically decreasing. To create a stronger public image, Home Depot created The Home Depot Foundation which helps with community home building, disaster relief and veteran job placement assistance. These initiatives have greatly improved customer satisfaction and recognition in the community by increasing ratings from 55% to 75% (2008 to 2012). Current Economic cycle Home Depot has clearly set itself up to be successful in the recent upswing in the housing markets. Their technology upgrade has proven to be successful in keeping stores stocked and employees more engaged with helping the customers. Management has responded to the late spring, summer, and early fall build up in construction needs by resorting to hiring part time and seasonal workers while still giving them the proper training to satisfy the customer. Management The current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Frank Blake, is often credited with the company’s turnaround ever since taking the helm. He sold the professional supply business (now known as HD Supply) to help the company focus on their core competencies. Blake also helped implement the customer first initiatives. All while cutting his own pay and switching his  future pay to stock and options, which are based on The Home Depot’s performance. Financial Position Since Home Depot has slowed their store expansions, cash reserves have grown to match total debt due in 5 years. Sales have increased steadily since the industry lows in 2008. Cash from operations have also steadily increased to match market high 2006-07 levels. A large portion of the cash flow each year has been focused toward share repurchases and steadily increasing their yearly shareholder dividends. Lending Risks The Home Depot is in the heart of an uncertain housing environment. The sales and financial results each year are closely tied to the consumer spending money on construction and housing maintenance. If the economic environment were to deteriorate it is likely many consumers would hold off on simple maintenance projects, which is currently the bulk of store sales. The housing market has seemingly bottomed but it still remains unclear to if the recent increase in housing sales is going to last.

A Fine Balance: Characters

4 Characters: Dina, Ishvar, Om, Maneck. Ishvar is Om's nephew. Dina is widowed. Maneck college student. Dina Shroff, who was raised by her strict brother after her father died she meets Rustom Dalal. The couple fall in love and marry, but on their third wedding anniversary Rustom is killed in a bicycle accident, leaving Dina alone. Rustom’s aunt teaches Dina to sew her eyesight begins to fail, so she is forced to find another way to make money Her friend Zenobia introduces her to Mrs Gupta, who offers her some tailoring piece work She hires Ishvar Darji and his nephew Omprakash, originally from a small village, to do the work. Ishvar’s father wanted a better life for his sons and so sent them to a neighbouring town to learn to be tailors They became the apprentices of Muslim tailor Ashraf Ishvar was seventeen, racial hatred of Muslims reached boiling point and any homes or shops belonging to Muslims were burnt to the ground Ishvar and his brother Narayan saved Ashraf’s shop by claiming it belonged to them, leaving Ashraf forever in their debt. Narayan returned to the village and set up a successful tailor business for lower caste people He married and had a son. His business was very successful and it gave him enough money to build a proper house All was going well until Narayan discovered that the elections were being fixed by Thakur Dharamsi, a powerful land owner Narayan confronted Thakur, who had him tortured Not satisfied with just killing Narayan, Thakur decided to punish his whole family. Narayan’s wife, daughters and parents were tied up and burnt alive in their home. Omprakesh and Ishvar were the only ones to escape they continued working in their tailor shop, but were forced out of business when a ready-made clothing shop opened in the town. Maneck. He grew up in a mountain village, where his father was the proud owner of the local village store and inventor of a popular drink, Kohlah Cola Maneck was sent to college and became good friends with the student president, Avinash Avinash led an uprising against the conditions and became involved in politics When the Emergency was declared, Avinash had to go into hiding, leaving Maneck alone His mother then arranged for him to move in with Dina Dalal The four are quite happy for almost a year, but then the Emergency starts to impact their lives. The tailor’s shack is demolished in a government beautification program, forcing them to live on the streets After two months they bribe their way out and persuade Dina to let them move in with her. Ishvar decides it is time for Om to find a wife, so they return to Ashraf's town There they bump into Thakur, who recognises the pair Ashraf is beaten to death and Ishvar and Om are given compulsory vasectomies Thakur visits them as they are recovering from the operation and arranges on a medical pretext to have Om's testicles removed. Ishvar’s legs become infected and have to be amputated. Maneck finishes his college course and returns home His father’s business is failing due to cheap imports of commercial soda, and Maneck decides to leave, taking a job in the Middle East. Dina finds herself all alone. A Beggarmaster who had been protecting her from her landlord's bailiffs is murdered, leaving her vulnerable; she reluctantly returns to live with her brother. Eight years later, Maneck returns home for his father’s funeral. Maneck reads some old newspapers and discovers that Avinash was found dead by the side of a railway track and Avinash’s three teenage sisters hanged themselves because their parents could not afford their wedding dowries. Maneck decides to visit Dina She explains that Ishvar lost his legs and that the tailors are now beggars Maneck leaves Dina’s house, pretending not to recognize the tailors in the street, and heads for the railway station where he steps in front of a train.

Islam Essay

Field Study Research Karen Edmonds-Leach Professor Jonathan Pedrone REL212: World Religions-Summer September 4, 2011 Islam: Field Study Research After interviewing a member of the Islamic faith, I came to the realization that there are very many misconceptions about the religion of Islam and that these misconceptions are very hurtful, disrespectful, and inhumane. In this paper, I will first discuss several misconceptions that I had about the Islamic faith. I will then analyze how my prior understanding about the religion was altered through interviewing a member of the Islamic faith. Next, I will discuss my beliefs on misconceptions about other people’s religion being common or not. Lastly, I will recommend steps that can be taken to minimize misconceptions people have about religions that are not their own. I had many misconceptions about Islam before speaking with a member of the religion. The first was that Islam oppresses women. When I thought about women in Islam, I thought of the image of a woman wearing a veil, and other heavy, dark clothing, where no skin would be visible, even in the hot summer months. I thought about how women were forced to stay home, and were not allowed to drive vehicles. I also believed that the Muslim’s God, Allah, was not the same as the God in Christianity, and was a false god. I believed that Muslims worshipped Muhammad, and that Muhammad and Allah were the same thing. I did not think that Muslims believed in Jesus Christ. I also thought that Muslim men all married multiple wives. I thought that polygamy was something that was widely practiced in Islam, and was somewhat of a requirement. For those men who married one wife, I believed that they were merely â€Å"Americanized†. Another misconception I had was that all Muslims were Arabs. Not only did I think they were all Arabs, but I thought that being a Muslim and an Arab was the same thing. Lastly, just as the cross is something like a symbol of Christianity, I believed that the crescent and the star was the symbol of Islam. I had all of these misconceptions about Islam, as many other people who practice religions outside of Islam do, but speaking with a Muslim quickly changed my mind about these harsh misconceptions. Each one of my misconceptions about Islam count toward my overall understanding of the religion. My prior understanding was completely altered through my encounter with the Muslim woman I interviewed. I believed it would be a great idea to talk to a woman about how women are suppressed in Islam. I interviewed a friend of mine, named Kiran Masood. She was born and raised in the Islam religion, and continues to practice it today. She informed me that this is not necessarily the case. She stated that some Muslim countries do have laws that oppress women, but this practice does not come from Islam itself. Masood stated, â€Å"countries that have laws against women created these laws themselves. They may say that their basis is from the Qu’ran, but the Qu’ran does not suggest any oppression women† (Masood). Though this is true, there are some social constructions in Islam, where women and men are given different roles and equity. This is something that all religions accept, and is not a surprise to me in Islam. In addition, another common misconception is that a woman can be forced to marry against her will, and this is not the case at all. Masood informed me that â€Å"no one can force a Muslim girl to marry someone she does not want to marry; her parents may suggest she marry a suitable man, but by no means is this girl forced to marry someone that she may not want to marry† (Masood). I was also informed that divorce is not common, and it is used as a last resort. Masood also quickly refuted my second misconception, that Allah is a different God. â€Å"Allah is not a different God; Allah is simply the Arabic word for God† (Masood) which is something that I was not aware of. Allah is the same God worshipped by Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The one difference in Islam and Christianity is that Muslims believe the God is the one and only. The religion does not accept Jesus as God’s son, and believes that He has no human-like attributions. In Christianity, Jesus is accepted as God’s son and was basically God in flesh when He was on earth. Also, Muslims do not worship Muhammad, as I was lead to believe. Muhammad was chosen to deliver messages, but is not the founder of Islam, and Muslims do not worship him, though they do honor him and respect him, as they do Jesus, Moses, Adam, and Noah (the other prophets of the Word). My third misconception, that all Muslim men marry multiple women, also came to be false. Masood informed me that polygamy, marrying multiple spouses, is not encouraged in Islam, and is not mandatory. She stated, â€Å"In the religion of Islam, marrying multiple women is permissible, but is not something that the religion requires† (Masood). If a man decides to marry multiple women, these women cannot be forced into it, meaning if they do not want to marry a man with other wives, then she does not have to. My fourth misconception was that Muslims and Arabs are the same thing. Masood simply told me that the two are different, but I decided to do more research on the subject. There are about 1. 2 billion Muslims in the world. Muslims reside in a variety of places, including Nigeria, the Philippines, and of course, the United States. Muslims also represent many races, cultures, and nationalities. About 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world, primarily in Indonesia (Isseroff). This is far from 100% of Muslims. Lastly, I believed that the crescent and star was the symbol of Islam, which is not the case. In the days of the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims did not have a symbol; instead, they used solid-colored flags. The Turks in fact introduced the crescent as a symbol. It was adopted due to the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of Constantinople. In turn, all of my beliefs about Islam turned out to be false. In fact, some of them turned out to be the complete opposite. I believe that misconceptions about other people’s religion are extremely common. No matter what religion someone practices, they always have certain beliefs about other people’s religions. This is not to say that people disrespect other people’s religions, but they simply have their own beliefs towards them. Most times, we do not know anything about other people’s religions. We are so set in our own mindset that the religion we practice is the only correct religion; that we fail to learn anything about other religions in the world. Because we lack knowledge of other religions, we use stereotypes and misconceptions to justify why we do not agree with the other religions’ practices. Even those who do not practice any religion, I believe they use stereotypes and misconceptions about all religions, because those people are so fixed in their own belief that no religion is true, and that they all are false. It is important for people of all religions to have an understanding of others’ religions, because sometimes, people have a lot more in common than they think they do. For example, I thought that my own religion, Christianity, was completely different from Islam, but in reality, the two religions share many similarities. I was surprised at the information I learned from Kiran Masood, and it was a shock that Islam has a lot of parallels to Christianity. Every religion has certain misconceptions. In this paper, I analyzed the misconceptions of Islam, but Christianity and other religions have misconceptions as well. We always are so quick to judge others that are different from us, but instead we should be interested in learning new things about other religions. The purpose of this is not to persuade someone to convert to a different religion, but to just be enlightened and educated about the different religions that exist in our society. One step that could be taken to minimize misconceptions people have about religions not their own is for people to let their guards down and to be more accepting to people’s differences. Not everyone will have the same beliefs, but instead of stereotyping and discriminating against other religions, we can learn from each other. Just having knowledge of new things is prideful, and is an asset that we all should have. If we take the time to learn about other people’s beliefs, these misconceptions would not exist. We should educate ourselves, instead of jumping to conclusions. One way I like to think about this is that I do not like when people of different religions criticize and stereotype against my own religion, Christianity. I wish that people would not be so quick to speak negatively about Christianity, because most times, they do not know what they are truly talking about. They jump to conclusions, and did not take the time to learn the truth behind Christianity. Because I have such strong feelings about this, I should in turn not treat other religions this way, since I know how it feels. I should take the time to educate myself about different religions. Though it will not cause me to convert from Christianity, just having basic knowledge about other religions can help me make a better judgment on certain topics. No one can make judgments or participate in a debate if they have not done research on the subject. Interviewing my friend Kiran Masood gave me a lot of enlightenment. I learned so much about the religion of Islam that I did not previously know. Though we have known each other for a while, I never thought to learn more about the religion she practices. I found it to be a rewarding experience, and learning about different religions is something that I will continue to practice. It is important for us to understand that we all have differences, whether it is race, culture, ethnic background, economic status, or religion. Amongst all these differences are many similarities between us. Instead of always focusing on the differences that separate us, we should look at the similarities that bring us together. Our differences make us special, and our similarities give us things in common. Learning about people’s differences is important because it is what makes that person unique. Though we all have a variety of differences, one thing we have in common is we all are human beings with feelings and beliefs. We should all value our beliefs, and be open to learning about others’ beliefs as well. References Isseroff, A. (n. d. ). A Concise History of Islam and the Arabs. Middle East: MidEastWeb. Retrieved September 1, 2011, from http://www. mideastweb. org/islamhistory. htm. Fisher, M. P. , & Adler, J. A. (2011). Living Religions (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall.

Digital Fortress Chapter 85-87

Chapter 85 Greg Hale lay curled on the Node 3 floor. Strathmore and Susan had just dragged him across Crypto and bound his hands and feet with twelve-gauge printer cable from the Node 3 laser-printers. Susan couldn't get over the artful maneuver the commander had just executed. He faked the call! Somehow Strathmore had captured Hale, saved Susan, and bought himself the time needed to rewrite Digital Fortress. Susan eyed the bound cryptographer uneasily. Hale was breathing heavily. Strathmore sat on the couch with the Berretta propped awkwardly in his lap. Susan returned her attention to Hale's terminal and continued her random-string search. Her fourth string search ran its course and came up empty. â€Å"Still no luck.† She sighed. â€Å"We may need to wait for David to find Tankado's copy.† Strathmore gave her a disapproving look. â€Å"If David fails, and Tankado's key falls into the wrong hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore didn't need to finish. Susan understood. Until the Digital Fortress file on the Internet had been replaced with Strathmore's modified version, Tankado's pass-key was dangerous. â€Å"After we make the switch,† Strathmore added, â€Å"I don't care how many pass-keys are floating around; the more the merrier.† He motioned for her to continue searching. â€Å"But until then, we're playing beat-the-clock.† Susan opened her mouth to acknowledge, but her words were drowned out by a sudden deafening blare. The silence of Crypto was shattered by a warning horn from the sublevels. Susan and Strathmore exchanged startled looks. â€Å"What's that?† Susan yelled, timing her question between the intermittent bursts. â€Å"TRANSLTR!† Strathmore called back, looking troubled. â€Å"It's too hot! Maybe Hale was right about the aux power not pulling enough freon.† â€Å"What about the auto-abort?† Strathmore thought a moment, then yelled, â€Å"Something must have shorted.† A yellow siren light spun above the Crypto floor and swept a pulsating glare across his face. â€Å"You better abort!† Susan called. Strathmore nodded. There was no telling what would happen if three million silicon processors overheated and decided to ignite. Strathmore needed to get upstairs to his terminal and abort the Digital Fortress run-particularly before anyone outside of Crypto noticed the trouble and decided to send in the cavalry. Strathmore shot a glance at the still-unconscious Hale. He laid the Berretta on a table near Susan and yelled over the sirens, â€Å"Be right back!† As he disappeared through the hole in the Node 3 wall, Strathmore called over his shoulder, â€Å"And find me that pass-key!† Susan eyed the results of her unproductive pass-key search and hoped Strathmore would hurry up and abort. The noise and lights in Crypto felt like a missile launch. On the floor, Hale began to stir. With each blast of the horn, he winced. Susan surprised herself by grabbing the Berretta. Hale opened his eyes to Susan Fletcher standing over him with the gun leveled at his crotch. â€Å"Where's the pass-key?† Susan demanded. Hale was having trouble getting his bearings. â€Å"Wh-what happened?† â€Å"You blew it, that's what happened. Now, where's the passkey?† Hale tried to move his arms but realized he was tied. His face became taut with panic. â€Å"Let me go!† â€Å"I need the pass-key,† Susan repeated. â€Å"I don't have it! Let me go!† Hale tried to getup. He could barely roll over. Susan yelled between blasts of the horn. â€Å"You're North Dakota, and Ensei Tankado gave you a copy of his key. I need it now!† â€Å"You're crazy!† Hale gasped. â€Å"I'm not North Dakota!† He struggled unsuccessfully to free himself. Susan charged angrily. â€Å"Don't lie to me. Why the hell is all of North Dakota's mail in your account?† â€Å"I told you before!† Hale pleaded as the horns blared on. â€Å"I snooped Strathmore! That E-mail in my account was mail I copied out of Strathmore's account-E-mail COMINT stole from Tankado!† â€Å"Bull! You could never snoop the commander's account!† â€Å"You don't understand!† Hale yelled. â€Å"There was already a tap on Strathmore's account!† Hale delivered his words in short bursts between the sirens. â€Å"Someone else put the tap there. I think it was Director Fontaine! I just piggybacked! You've got to believe me! That's how I found out about his plan to rewrite Digital Fortress! I've been reading Strathmore's brainstorms!† Brain Storms? Susan paused. Strathmore had undoubtedly outlined his plans for Digital Fortress using his BrainStorm software. If anyone had snooped the commander's account, all the information would have been available†¦ â€Å"Rewriting Digital Fortress is sick!† Hale cried. â€Å"You know damn well what it implies-total NSA access!† The sirens blasted, drowning him out, but Hale was possessed. â€Å"You think we're ready for that responsibility? You think anyone is? It's fucking shortsighted! You say our government has the people's best interests at heart? Great! But what happens when some future government doesn't have our best interests at heart! This technology is forever!† Susan could barely hear him; the noise in Crypto was deafening. Hale struggled to get free. He looked Susan in the eye and kept yelling. â€Å"How the hell do civilians defend themselves against a police state when the guy at the top has access to all their lines of communication? How do they plan a revolt?† Susan had heard this argument many times. The future-governments argument was a stock EFF complaint. â€Å"Strathmore had to be stopped!† Hale screamed as the sirens blasted. â€Å"I swore I'd do it. That's what I've been doing here all day-watching his account, waiting for him to make his move so I could record the switch in progress. I needed proof-evidence that he'd written in a back door. That's why I copied all his E-mail into my account. It was evidence that he'd been watching Digital Fortress. I planned to go to the press with the information.† Susan's heart skipped. Had she heard correctly? Suddenly this did sound like Greg Hale. Was it possible? If Hale had known about Strathmore's plan to release a tainted version of Digital Fortress, he could wait until the whole world was using it and then drop his bombshell-complete with proof! Susan imagined the headlines: Cryptographer Greg Hale unveils secret U.S. plan to control global information! Was it Skipjack all over? Uncovering an NSA back door again would make Greg Hale famous beyond his wildest dreams. It would also sink the NSA. She suddenly found herself wondering if maybe Hale was telling the truth. No! she decided. Of course not! Hale continued to plead. â€Å"I aborted your tracer because I thought you were looking for me! I thought you suspected Strathmore was being snooped! I didn't want you to find the leak and trace it back to me!† It was plausible but unlikely. â€Å"Then why'd you kill Chartrukian?† Susan snapped. â€Å"I didn't!† Hale screamed over the noise. â€Å"Strathmore was the one who pushed him! I saw the whole thing from downstairs! Chartrukian was about to call the Sys-Secs and ruin Strathmore's plans for the back door!† Hale's good, Susan thought. He's got an angle for everything. â€Å"Let me go!† Hale begged. â€Å"I didn't do anything!† â€Å"Didn't do anything?† Susan shouted, wondering what was taking Strathmore so long. â€Å"You and Tankado were holding the NSA hostage. At least until you double-crossed him. Tell me,† she pressed, â€Å"did Tankado really die of a heart attack, or did you have one of your buddies take him out?† â€Å"You're so blind!† Hale yelled. â€Å"Can't you see I'm not involved? Untie me! Before Security gets here!† â€Å"Security's not coming,† she snapped flatly. Hale turned white. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Strathmore faked the phone call.† Hale's eyes went wide. He seemed momentarily paralyzed. Then he began writhing fiercely. â€Å"Strathmore'll kill me! I know he will! I know too much!† â€Å"Easy, Greg.† The sirens blared as Hale yelled out, â€Å"But I'm innocent!† â€Å"You're lying! And I have proof!† Susan strode around the ring of terminals. â€Å"Remember that tracer you aborted?† she asked, arriving at her own terminal. â€Å"I sent it again! Shall we see if it's back yet?† Sure enough, on Susan's screen, a blinking icon alerted her that her tracer had returned. She palmed her mouse and opened the message. This data will seal Hale's fate, she thought. Hale is North Dakota. The databox opened. Hale is – Susan stopped. The tracer materialized, and Susan stood in stunned silence. There had to be some mistake; the tracer had fingered someone else-a most unlikely person. Susan steadied herself on the terminal and reread the databox before her. It was the same information Strathmore said he'd received when he ran the tracer! Susan had figured Strathmore had made a mistake, but she knew she'd configured the tracer perfectly. And yet the information on the screen was unthinkable: NDAKOTA = [email protected] â€Å"ET?† Susan demanded, her head swimming. â€Å"Ensei Tankado is North Dakota?† It was inconceivable. If the data was correct, Tankado and his partner were the same person. Susan's thoughts were suddenly disconnected. She wished the blaring horn would stop. Why doesn't Strathmore turn that damn thing off? Hale twisted on the floor, straining to see Susan. â€Å"What does it say? Tell me!† Susan blocked out Hale and the chaos around her. Ensei Tankado is North Dakota†¦. She reshuffled the pieces trying to make them fit. If Tankado was North Dakota, then he was sending E-mail to himself†¦ which meant North Dakota didn't exist. Tankado's partner was a hoax. North Dakota is a ghost, she said to herself. Smoke and mirrors. The ploy was a brilliant one. Apparently Strathmore had been watching only one side of a tennis match. Since the ball kept coming back, he assumed there was someone on the other side of the net. But Tankado had been playing against a wall. He had been proclaiming the virtues of Digital Fortress in E-mail he'd sent to himself. He had written letters, sent them to an anonymous remailer, and a few hours later, the remailer had sent them right back to him. Now, Susan realized, it was all so obvious. Tankado had wanted the commander to snoop him†¦ he'd wanted him to read the E-mail. Ensei Tankado had created an imaginary insurance policy without ever having to trust another soul with his pass-key. Of course, to make the whole farce seem authentic, Tankado had used a secret account†¦ just secret enough to allay any suspicions that the whole thing was a setup. Tankado was his own partner. North Dakota did not exist. Ensei Tankado was a one-man show. A one-man show. A terrifying thought gripped Susan. Tankado could have used his fake correspondence to convince Strathmore of just about anything. She remembered her first reaction when Strathmore told her about the unbreakable algorithm. She'd sworn it was impossible. The unsettling potential of the situation settled hard in Susan's stomach. What proof did they actually have that Tankado had really created Digital Fortress? Only a lot of hype in his E-mail. And of course†¦ TRANSLTR. The computer had been locked in an endless loop for almost twenty hours. Susan knew, however, that there were other programs that could keep TRANSLTR busy that long, programs far easier to create than an unbreakable algorithm. Viruses. The chill swept across her body. But how could a virus get into TRANSLTR? Like a voice from the grave, Phil Chartrukian gave the answer. Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet! In a sickening revelation, Susan grasped the truth. Strathmore had downloaded Tankado's Digital Fortress file and tried to send it into TRANSLTR to break it. But Gauntlet had rejected the file because it contained dangerous mutation strings. Normally Strathmore would have been concerned, but he had seen Tankado's E-mail-Mutation strings are the trick! Convinced Digital Fortress was safe to load, Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet's filters and sent the file into TRANSLTR. Susan could barely speak. â€Å"There is no Digital Fortress,† she choked as the sirens blared on. Slowly, weakly, she leaned against her terminal. Tankado had gone fishing for fools†¦ and the NSA had taken the bait. Then, from upstairs, came a long cry of anguish. It was Strathmore. Chapter 86 Trevor Strathmore was hunched at his desk when Susan arrived breathless at his door. His head was down, his sweaty head glistening in the light of his monitor. The horns on the sublevels blared. Susan raced over to his desk. â€Å"Commander?† Strathmore didn't move. â€Å"Commander! We've got to shut down TRANSLTR! We've got a-â€Å" â€Å"He got us,† Strathmore said without looking up. â€Å"Tankado fooled us all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She could tell by the tone of his voice he understood. All of Tankado's hype about the unbreakable algorithm†¦ auctioning off the pass-key-it was all an act, a charade. Tankado had tricked the NSA into snooping his mail, tricked them into believing he had a partner, and tricked them into downloading a very dangerous file. â€Å"The mutation strings-† Strathmore faltered. â€Å"I know.† The commander looked up slowly. â€Å"The file I downloaded off the Internet†¦ it was a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Susan tried to stay calm. All the pieces in the game had shifted. There had never been any unbreakable algorithm-never any Digital Fortress. The file Tankado had posted on the Internet was an encrypted virus, probably sealed with some generic, mass-market encryption algorithm, strong enough to keep everyone out of harm's way-everyone except the NSA. TRANSLTR had cracked the protective seal and released the virus. â€Å"The mutation strings,† the commander croaked. â€Å"Tankado said they were just part of the algorithm.† Strathmore collapsed back onto his desk. Susan understood the commander's pain. He had been completely taken in. Tankado had never intended to let any computer company buy his algorithm. There was no algorithm. The whole thing was a charade. Digital Fortress was a ghost, a farce, a piece of bait created to tempt the NSA. Every move Strathmore had made, Tankado had been behind the scenes, pulling the strings. â€Å"I bypassed Gauntlet.† The commander groaned. â€Å"You didn't know.† Strathmore pounded his fist on his desk. â€Å"I should have known! His screen name, for Christ's sake! NDAKOTA! Look at it!† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"He's laughing at us! It's a goddamn anagram!† Susan puzzled a moment. NDAKOTA is an anagram? She pictured the letters and began reshuffling them in her mind. Ndakota†¦ Kadotan†¦ Oktadan†¦ Tandoka†¦ Her knees went weak. Strathmore was right. It was as plain as day. How could they have missed it? North Dakota wasn't a reference to the U.S. state at all-it was Tankado rubbing salt in the wound! He'd even sent the NSA a warning, a blatant clue that he himself was NDAKOTA. The letters spelled TANKADO. But the best code-breakers in the world had missed it, just as he had planned. â€Å"Tankado was mocking us,† Strathmore said. â€Å"You've got to abort TRANSLTR,† Susan declared. Strathmore stared blankly at the wall. â€Å"Commander. Shut it down! God only knows what's going on in there!† â€Å"I tried,† Strathmore whispered, sounding as faint as she'd ever heard him. â€Å"What do you mean you tried?† Strathmore rotated his screen toward her. His monitor had dimmed to a strange shade of maroon. At the bottom, the dialogue box showed numerous attempts to shut down TRANSLTR. They were all followed by the same response: SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. SORRY. UNABLE TO ABORT. Susan felt a chill. Unable to abort? But why? She feared she already knew the answer. So this is Tankado's revenge? Destroying TRANSLTR! For years Ensei Tankado had wanted the world to know about TRANSLTR, but no one had believed him. So he'd decided to destroy the great beast himself. He'd fought to the death for what he believed-the individual's right to privacy. Downstairs the sirens blared. â€Å"We've got to kill all power,† Susan demanded. â€Å"Now!† Susan knew that if they hurried, they could save the great parallel processing machine. Every computer in the world-from Radio Shack PCs to NASA's satellite control systems-had a built-in fail-safe for situations like this. It wasn't a glamorous fix, but it always worked. It was known as â€Å"pulling the plug.† By shutting off the remaining power in Crypto, they could force TRANSLTR to shut down. They could remove the virus later. It would be a simple matter of reformatting TRANSLTR's hard drives. Reformatting would completely erase the computer's memory-data, programming, virus, everything. In most cases, reformatting resulted in the loss of thousands of files, sometimes years of work. But TRANSLTR was different-it could be reformatted with virtually no loss at all. Parallel processing machines were designed to think, not to remember. Nothing was actually stored inside TRANSLTR. Once it broke a code, it sent the results to the NSA's main databank in order to – Susan froze. In a stark instant of realization, she brought her hand to her mouth and muffled a scream. â€Å"The main databank!† Strathmore stared into the darkness, his voice disembodied. He'd apparently already made this realization. â€Å"Yes, Susan. The main databank†¦.† Susan nodded blankly. Tankado used TRANSLTR to put a virus in our main databank. Strathmore motioned sickly to his monitor. Susan returned her gaze to the screen in front of her and looked beneath the dialogue box. Across the bottom of the screen were the words: TELL THE WORLD ABOUT TRANSLTR ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW†¦ Susan felt cold. The nation's most classified information was stored at the NSA: military communication protocols, SIGINT confirmation codes, identities of foreign spies, blueprints for advanced weaponry, digitized documents, trade agreements-the list was unending. â€Å"Tankado wouldn't dare!† she declared. â€Å"Corrupting a country's classified records?† Susan couldn't believe even Ensei Tankado would dare attack the NSA databank. She stared at his message. ONLY THE TRUTH WILL SAVE YOU NOW â€Å"The truth?† she asked. â€Å"The truth about what?† Strathmore was breathing heavily. â€Å"TRANSLTR,† he croaked. â€Å"The truth about TRANSLTR.† Susan nodded. It made perfect sense. Tankado was forcing the NSA to tell the world about TRANSLTR. It was blackmail after all. He was giving the NSA a choice-either tell the world about TRANSLTR or lose your databank. She stared in awe at the text before her. At the bottom of the screen, a single line was blinked menacingly. ENTER PASS-KEY Staring at the pulsating words, Susan understood-the virus, the pass-key, Tankado's ring, the ingenious blackmail plot. The pass-key had nothing to do with unlocking an algorithm; it was an antidote. The pass-key stopped the virus. Susan had read a lot about viruses like this-deadly programs that included a built-in cure, a secret key that could be used to deactivate them. Tankado never planned to destroy the NSA databank-he just wanted us go public with TRANSLTR! Then he would give us the pass-key, so we could stop the virus! It was now clear to Susan that Tankado's plan had gone terribly wrong. He had not planned on dying. He'd planned on sitting in a Spanish bar and listening to the CNN press conference about America's top-secret code-breaking computer. Then he'd planned on calling Strathmore, reading the pass-key off the ring, and saving the databank in the nick of time. After a good laugh, he'd disappear into oblivion, an EFF hero. Susan pounded her fist on the desk. â€Å"We need that ring! It's the only pass-key!† She now understood-there was no North Dakota, no second pass-key. Even if the NSA went public with TRANSLTR, Tankado was no longer around to save the day. Strathmore was silent. The situation was more serious than Susan had ever imagined. The most shocking thing of all was that Tankado had allowed it to go this far. He had obviously known what would happen if the NSA didn't get the ring-and yet, in his final seconds of life, he'd given the ring away. He had deliberately tried to keep it from them. Then again, Susan realized, what could she expect Tankado to do-save the ring for them, when he thought the NSA had killed him? Still, Susan couldn't believe that Tankado would have allowed this to happen. He was a pacifist. He didn't want to wreak destruction; all he wanted was to set the record straight. This was about TRANSLTR. This was about everyone's right to keep a secret. This was about letting the world know that the NSA was listening. Deleting the NSA's databank was an act of aggression Susan could not imagine Ensei Tankado committing. The sirens pulled her back to reality. Susan eyed the debilitated commander and knew what he was thinking. Not only were his plans for a back door in Digital Fortress shot, but his carelessness had put the NSA on the brink of what could turn out to be the worst security disaster in U.S. history. â€Å"Commander, this is not your fault!† she insisted over the blare of the horns. â€Å"If Tankado hadn't died, we'd have bargaining power-we'd have options!† But Commander Strathmore heard nothing. His life was over. He'd spent thirty years serving his country. This was supposed to be his moment of glory, his piece de resistance-aback door in the world encryption standard. But instead, he had sent a virus into the main databank of the National Security Agency. There was no way to stop it-not without killing power and erasing every last one of the billions of bytes of irretrievable data. Only the ring could save them, and if David hadn't found the ring by now†¦ â€Å"I need to shut down TRANSLTR!† Susan took control. â€Å"I'm going down to the sublevels to throw the circuit breaker.† Strathmore turned slowly to face her. He was a broken man. â€Å"I'll do it,† he croaked. He stood up, stumbling as he tried to slide out from behind his desk. Susan sat him back down. â€Å"No,† she barked. â€Å"I'm going.† Her tone left no room for debate. Strathmore put his face in his hands. â€Å"Okay. Bottom floor. Beside the freon pumps.† Susan spun and headed for the door. Halfway there, she turned and looked back. â€Å"Commander,† she yelled. â€Å"This is not over. We're not beaten yet. If David finds the ring in time, we can save the databank!† Strathmore said nothing. â€Å"Call the databank!† Susan ordered. â€Å"Warn them about the virus! You're the deputy director of the NSA. You're a survivor!† In slow motion, Strathmore looked up. Like a man making the decision of a lifetime, he gave her a tragic nod. Determined, Susan tore into the darkness. Chapter 87 The Vespa lurched into the slow lane of the Carretera de Huelva. It was almost dawn, but there was plenty of traffic-young Sevillians returning from their all-night beach verbenas. A van of teenagers laid on its horn and flew by. Becker's motorcycle felt like a toy out there on the freeway. A quarter of a mile back, a demolished taxi swerved out onto the freeway in a shower of sparks. As it accelerated, it sideswiped a Peugeot 504 and sent it careening onto the grassy median. Becker passed a freeway marker: SEVILLA CENTRO-2 KM. If he could just reach the cover of downtown, he knew he might have a chance. His speedometer read 60 kilometers per hour. Two minutes to the exit. He knew he didn't have that long. Somewhere behind him, the taxi was gaining. Becker gazed out at the nearing lights of downtown Seville and prayed he would reach them alive. He was only halfway to the exit when the sound of scraping metal loomed up behind him. He hunched on his bike, wrenching the throttle as far as it would go. There was a muffled gunshot, and a bullet sailed by. Becker cut left, weaving back and forth across the lanes in hopes of buying more time. It was no use. The exit ramp was still three hundred yards when the taxi roared to within a few car lengths behind him. Becker knew that in a matter of seconds he would be either shot or run down. He scanned ahead for any possible escape, but the highway was bounded on both sides by steep gravel slopes. Another shot rang out. Becker made his decision. In a scream of rubber and sparks, he leaned violently to his right and swerved off the road. The bike's tires hit the bottom of the embankment. Becker strained to keep his balance as the Vespa threw up a cloud of gravel and began fish-tailing its way up the slope. The wheels spun wildly, clawing at the loose earth. The little engine whimpered pathetically as it tried to dig in. Becker urged it on, hoping it wouldn't stall. He didn't dare look behind him, certain at any moment the taxi would be skidding to a stop, bullets flying. The bullets never came. Becker's bike broke over the crest of the hill, and he saw it-the centro. The downtown lights spread out before him like a star-filled sky. He gunned his way through some underbrush and out over the curb. His Vespa suddenly felt faster. The Avenue Luis Montoto seemed to race beneath his tires. The soccer stadium zipped past on the left. He was in the clear. It was then that Becker heard the familiar screech of metal on concrete. He looked up. A hundred yards ahead of him, the taxi came roaring up the exit ramp. It skidded out onto Luis Montoto and accelerated directly toward him. Becker knew he should have felt a surge of panic. But he did not. He knew exactly where he was going. He swerved left on Menendez Pelayo and opened the throttle. The bike lurched across a small park and into the cobblestoned corridor of Mateus Gago-the narrow one-way street that led to the portal of Barrio Santa Cruz. Just a little farther, he thought. The taxi followed, thundering closer. It trailed Becker through the gateway of Santa Cruz, ripping off its side mirror on the narrow archway. Becker knew he had won. Santa Cruz was the oldest section of Seville. It had no roads between the buildings, only mazes of narrow walkways built in Roman times. They were only wide enough for pedestrians and the occasional Moped. Becker had once been lost for hours in the narrow caverns. As Becker accelerated down the final stretch of Mateus Gago, Seville's eleventh-century Gothic cathedral rose like a mountain before him. Directly beside it, the Giralda tower shot 419 feet skyward into the breaking dawn. This was Santa Cruz, home to the second largest cathedral in the world as well as Seville's oldest, most pious Catholic families. Becker sped across the stone square. There was a single shot, but it was too late. Becker and his motorcycle disappeared down a tiny passageway-Callita de la Virgen.

Mary Wollstonecraft: Views on Feminism Essay

1) Mary moved around a lot during her childhood, had no real friends and her father was an abusive husband. 2) Meets a girl named Fanny, similar to Mary’s situation except she was educated, teaches Mary to self-educate. 3) Mary has a public affair and says that women shouldn’t get married anymore until the law change (one flesh doctrine) 4) Writes a short book named â€Å"Vindication of the Rights of Women† Rewrite as a short paragraph/a few clear sentences. Mary Wollstonecraft grew up with an abusive father and moved a great deal during childhood, causing her to not being able to make any real friends and was deprived of family love. Later on, she meets a girl named Fanny, who led a similar life excluding the fact that Fanny had an education and teaches Mary to self-educate. Soon afterwards, Mary becomes a writer and is able to support herself; she becomes fascinated by the ideas of the enlightenment and writes a short book named â€Å"Vindication of the Rights of Women†. It would’ve been a success if it weren’t for her scandalous love affair with a married man, which led her to declare that marriage should be invalid until the law changed and the one flesh doctrine was removed. Sub-arguments 1) Restate the 1st sub-argument from the thesis as a clear, well-written topic sentence. Mary Wollstonecraft believed that marriage was parallel to legalized prostitution. List 1 quote from your sources which proves this sub-argument. â€Å"Business of various kinds, they might likewise pursue, if they were educated in a more orderly manner, which might save many from common and legal prostitution. Women would not then marry for a support, as men accept of places under government, and neglect the implied duties; nor would an attempt to earn their own subsistence, a most laudable one! Sink them almost to the level of those poor abandoned creatures who live by prostitution.† (Wollstonecraft, â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,† 222) Paraphrase one piece of information from your sources which proves this sub-argument. Wollstonecraft argued what may well be her most famous line, â€Å"To marry for support is legal prostitution.† She contended for intellectual companionship and friendship to be the ideal of marriage. She argued for an end to social prejudice against women which would, in turn, lead to women’s being defined by their character and work rather than by their marriages and social status. (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 79) List 1 point of your opinion, supported by one of your sources which proves this sub-argument. Although marriage appears to be sacred, women in society would be deemed to be prostitutes somewhere along the continuum; it was merely a question of degree as to how much a woman sold herself to one man, and how much she relied on him for support. Marriage can be viewed as really just a form of prostitution in which women received poor recompense for their work, are more vulnerable to violence (from their husbands), and had less control over their daily lives than professional sex workers. (Wollstonecraft, â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,† 222) List one additional point: your choice of evidence style (may be a quote, paraphrase, statistic, or your opinion, but must be backed up by a source). Wollstonecraft points out that in her society, marriage alone brings women prestige and power. The only way women can rise in the world is by marriage. (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 81) 2) Restate the 2nd sub-argument from the thesis as a clear, well-written topic sentence. Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women were capable of being equal to men, if given the proper education. List 1 quote from your sources which proves this sub-argument. â€Å"If women were more broadly educated, they would be better placed to carry out their educative duties as parents and to cooperate with men in this role. Part of Wollstonecraft’s defense of female emancipation, therefore, consists of arguing that freedom, equality, and education would make women better mothers.† (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 83) Paraphrase one piece of information from your sources which proves this sub-argument. Wollstonecraft stated that the boundaries on women’s education greatly affected their maturation. She noted that aristocratic women were not in fact confined to any particular â€Å"sphere† but traveled freely in public, going from place to place in order to better â€Å"display their finery.† Such a fine lady was useless to society not because of where she went or what she did, but because she never matured. â€Å"If she has any maternal tenderness, it is of a childish kind,† Wollstonecraft wrote. â€Å"Though she lives many years she is still a child in understanding, and of so little use to society, that her death would scarcely be observed.† With this grim assessment, Wollstonecraft concluded her argument that female education could best be improved by training young girls to become independent adults. Only then could they develop virtue in themselves and command the influence necessary to inspire others. (Field, â€Å"Made Women of When They are Mere Children,† 203-204) List 1 point of your opinion, supported by one of your sources which proves this sub-argument. Women are seen as inferior to men and held in a state of ignorance. Women are not educated nor are they allowed to think for themselves. Without the ability to reason, women cannot achieve virtue or morality and society as a whole suffers. If women were allowed to reason and think independently, both women and men alike would share the benefits. Wollstonecraft’s central goal was for young girls to grow into independent women, she challenged artificial barriers to female maturity in numerous spheres simultaneously: in families, where the laws of marriage required wives to obey husbands; in education, where girls received inferior training to boys; in religious institutions, where male clerics demanded female obedience; in market relations, where employers paid women too little to support themselves; in the state, where men denied women independent political standing; and in civil society, where men discounted women’s opinions. (Field, â€Å"Made Women of When They are Mere Children,† 201) List one additional point: your choice of evidence style (may be a quote, paraphrase, statistic, or your opinion, but must be backed up by a source). Wollstonecraft argues that â€Å"boys and girls, the rich and the poor† should all be taught â€Å"the elements of religion, history, the history of man, and politics† in common—using â€Å"conversations, in the socratic form†. (Field, â€Å"Made Women of When They are Mere Children,† 211). Wollstonecraft concedes that if women had a proper education and could develop their reason and attain independence, they might not marry at all, but could still live happy, fulfilled lives. (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 84) 3) Restate the 3rd sub-argument from the thesis as a clear, well-written topic sentence. Mary Wollstonecraft claimed that friendship and companionship is vital to a marriage and is the key to raising a healthy family. List 1 quote from your sources which proves this sub-argument. â€Å"If women marry for friendship, coquetry and flirtation would not become a way of life. Not compelled to seek male approval and adoration, they could become dedicated wives and mothers.† (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 83) Paraphrase one piece of information from your sources which proves this sub-argument. Wollstonecraft’s arguments about making women better wives and better mothers are mutually reinforcing, for she believes that if men and women marry by choice and for companionship, the husband is more likely to be at home and to be a better father to his children. (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 83) List 1 point of your opinion, supported by one of your sources which proves this sub-argument. A marriage that consisted of friendship and satisfaction would liberate its partners from petty jealousies and allow them to channel their energies outward to the fulfillment of their duties as wives, husbands, mothers, and fathers. Although such a relationship might not offer romantic love’s grand passion and high excitement, the type of care it offers is precious: Wollstonecraft claims that when the passion of romance subsides into friendship there develops a â€Å"tender intimacy, which is the best refuge from care; yet is built on such pure, still affections† (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 84) List one additional point: your choice of evidence style (may be a quote, paraphrase, statistic, or your opinion, but must be backed up by a source). Thus young people contemplating marriage should â€Å"look beyond the present moment, and try to render the whole of life respectable, by forming a plan to regulate friendship which only death ought to dissolve†. A freer, more rational approach to marriage would produce stronger marriages because the people in them would be partners, indeed friends, who would value one another for their virtues of character rather than their physical beauty, status, wealth, or femininity or masculinity. † (Abbey, â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† 84) Conclusion Write one sentence to remind the reader of your central argument. Mary Wollstonecraft strongly argued that marriage was parallel to legalized prostitution, that education was essential to a happy and moral life, and that friendship is a crucial aspect to a healthy marriage. Write one-three sentences to focus the reader’s attention on the most important evidence(s) you have offered. Mary Wollstonecraft argued that by marrying for financial support and social status, women are fundamentally committing prostitution. Moreover, she states that education is essential for women to live free and moral lives, for they will be able to learn to think for themselves and become rational thinkers. Lastly, friendship and companionship is vital in a marriage, it is only then will a marriage be successful. Bibliography/Works Cited (Wollstonecraft, Mary. â€Å"Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society.† A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Peter Edes for Thomas and Andrews ,Boston, 1792. 222.) (Abbey, Ruth. â€Å"Back to the Future: Marriage as Friendship in the Thought of Mary Wollstonecraft,† Hypatia. 1999. Volume 14, Issue 3. 78-95) (Field, Corinne. â€Å"Made Women of When They are Mere Children,† The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth. Spring 2011. Volume 4. Issue 2. 197-198) (Ford, Thomas H. â€Å"Mary Wollstonecraft and the Motherhood of Feminism†, WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly. Fall/Winter 2009. Volume 37. Issues 3 & 4, 189-204)