Essay on Police Abuse of Discretion - 2738 Words

â€Å"But they didnt have to beat me this bad. I dont know what I did to be beat up. Rodney King, March 3, 1991. Police Brutality has been a long lasting problem in the United States since at least 1903 when police Captain Williams of the New York Police Department said the phrase, There is more law at the end of a policemans nightstick than in a decision of the Supreme Court. In the 1920s the Wichersham Commission had a number of instances of police brutality. Many of these included the use of the third degree (beating to obtain a confession). This is a very effective way to get a confession out of somebody. However, beating the accused could easily elicit a confession from a scared and innocent person. Also, this puts the†¦show more content†¦(LA Times March 19, 1991 p. A20). The level of escalation even went so far as to call in a police helicopter! (Ironically, the lights from the helicopter actually improved the lighting for the videotape.) The King beating brought com plaints from the Mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley and national attention from civil rights leaders. Many believed the beating was racially motivated and extended from a pattern of abusive behavior by police towards blacks. (McDonald 1991). This act of violent behavior from police officers has brought many questions to the national table, such as:  ·Is police brutality on the rise?  · Is the police hiding behind their badges?  · How does the public view police brutality?  · How can we raise public awareness? Is police brutality on the rise? This is an important question to ask ourselves and the police departments. A study in seventeen counties in Northern California indicated that in the past two years excessive force and neglect has resulted in at least seven deaths and fatal injury. (Saari, no date) In fact a nine-month period from August 26, 1996 to June 29, 1997 seven citizens died as a result of police brutality. Sonoma County California currently has the highest rate of custody deaths in the bay area (Saari). In many cases the situation (according to police accounts) has rapidly escalated to a point where police feel the need to use deadly force. Many of those committingShow MoreRelatedPolice Abuse Of Discretion And Discretion2015 Words   |  9 Pages Police Abuse of Discretion William Powell Jr. American Military University Professor Robert Arruda CMRJ303 Criminology January 17, 2014 Abstract Utilizing the research from several sources and personal experience, this paper will discuss police abuse of discretion. The paper will begin by defining discretion. The paper will examine several types of discretion variables. The paper will discuss its use in the field and office settings. The paper will discussRead MorePolice Discretion Is An Issue For American Policing1027 Words   |  5 PagesPolice discretion is an issue for American policing because how police use their discretion can greatly impact the public’s view on the police. First what police discretion is must be defined, â€Å"the leeway that officers enjoy in selecting from more than one choice in carrying out their work† (Mastrofski, 2004). This definition accurately sums up an ability the police use every single day that affects the public. The police can use discretion for almost any situation they encounter. There are manyRead MorePolice Discretion1244 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Police Discretion Jocelyn Golphin University of the District of Columbia Criminal Justice System 2/21/2014 Golphin 2 Police discretion is a very important approach in matters concerning criminal justice. There has been a consistent problem between enforcing the law and the spirit of the law. Discretion in the broader sense can be defined as the individual’s ability to make a decision basing on the principle of courses of the action. During trainingRead MorePolicing Styles, Watchman, And Service Style931 Words   |  4 Pagesequipment that a regular police officer carries so wearing plain clothes allows them to perform their jobs effectively. Lastly I do feel that a detective wearing plain clothes makes them a lot more approachable, than officers in uniform. Question 3 Discretion is defined as the decision making power given to law enforcement to decide whether to let an individual go with a warning or to make an arrest. According to Pepinsky (1984), states that discretion is used by police officers to make a choiceRead MoreEssay on Police Officer Discretion1068 Words   |  5 PagesDiscretion of a police officer is the subject I would like to tackle. In this paper I will discuss the issues I have with the discretion, the problems with these discretions I have, and how some officers may use discretion to their advantage. By the conclusion of the paper the reader will be educated on the subject of discretion and the issues facing it. Discretion is defined by Pollock (2010) as, â€Å"having the authority to choose between two or more courses of behavior. Law enforcement professionalsRead MoreEssay On Police Discretion1053 Words   |  5 PagesPolice Discretion is one of the many tool officers have a choice to use when making decision in enforcing the law. Officer have the option to use discretion were the officers see fit. They do not have to issue a citation or arrest in many cases a warning many be justified. Many of the outcomes could be determine by several factors which include the subjects attitude, the crime and the person past history. In some cases, a subject’s social status and financial status in the community have also haveRead MorePolice Discretion And Criminal Justice1274 Words   |  6 PagesPolice discretion is a unclear term that has an appropriately vague explanation. It is stated as the decision-making ability given to police officers that permits them to determine if they want to en gage in police procedure or just let someone go with a word of warning. How it seems in drill is altered from situation to situation. Police discretion is a extremely essential aspect in acts relating criminal justice. There has been a daily predicament regarding the enforcement of the law. DiscretionRead MoreScales of Justice Essay1379 Words   |  6 Pagesboth sides. This principle, called judicial discretion, has helped weigh down the standard system of the scales of justice. Because of these judges, many people perceive the judicial system as â€Å"tilted† and do not appreciate the many judges who obey their own laws. Many kinds of judicial discretion exist, but there are a few styles that overpower the others in disgust from members of the community. Countless versions and cases of judicial discretion have emerged over the years of the judicial systemRead MorePolice Discretion1418 Words   |  6 PagesPolice discretion by definition is the power to make decisions of policy and practice. Police have the choice to enforce certain laws and how they will be enforced. Some law is always or almost always enforced, some is never or almost never enforced, and some is sometimes enforced and sometimes not (Davis, p.1). Similarly with discretion is that the law may not cover every situation a police officer encounters, so they must use their discretion wisely. Until 1956, people thought of police discretionRead More Police Discretion Essay1354 Words   |  6 PagesPolice Discretion Police discretion by definition is the power to make decisions of policy and practice. Police have the choice to enforce certain laws and how they will be enforced. â€Å"Some law is always or almost always enforced, some is never or almost never enforced, and some is sometimes enforced and sometimes not† (Davis, p.1). Similarly with discretion is that the law may not cover every situation a police officer encounters, so they must use their discretion wisely. Until 1956, people

Part Three Chapter V Free Essays

string(336) " He ran at her and hit her in the face, exactly as he had wanted to when he had first seen her silly frightened expression; her glasses spun into the air and smashed against the bookcase; he hit her again and she crashed down onto the computer table she had bought so proudly with her first month’s wages from South West General\." V Ruth stood alone in her lamp-lit sitting room, continuing to grip the telephone she had just replaced in its cradle. Hilltop House was small and compact. It was always easy to tell the location of each of the four Prices, because voices, footfalls and the sounds of doors opening and shutting carried so effectively in the old house. We will write a custom essay sample on Part Three Chapter V or any similar topic only for you Order Now Ruth knew that her husband was still in the shower, because she could hear the hot water boiler under the stairs hissing and clanking. She had waited for Simon to turn on the water before telephoning Shirley, worried that he might think that even her request about the EpiPen was fraternizing with the enemy. The family PC was set up in a corner of the sitting room, where Simon could keep an eye on it, and make sure nobody was running up large bills behind his back. Ruth relinquished her grip on the phone and hurried to the keyboard. It seemed to take a very long time to bring up the Pagford Council website. Ruth pushed her reading glasses up her nose with a trembling hand as she scanned the various pages. At last she found the message board. Her husband’s name blazed out at her, in ghastly black and white: Simon Price Unfit to Stand for Council. She double-clicked the title, brought up the full paragraph and read it. Everything around her seemed to reel and spin. ‘Oh God,’ she whispered. The boiler had stopped clanking. Simon would be putting on the pyjamas he had warmed on the radiator. He had already drawn the sitting-room curtains, turned on the side lamps and lit the wood-burner, so that he could come down and stretch out on the sofa to watch the news. Ruth knew that she would have to tell him. Not doing so, letting him find out for himself, was simply not an option; she would have been incapable of keeping it to herself. She felt terrified and guilty, though she did not know why. She heard him jogging down the stairs and then he appeared at the door in his blue brushed-cotton pyjamas. ‘Si,’ she whispered. ‘What’s the matter?’ he said, immediately irritated. He knew that something had happened; that his luxurious programme of sofa, fire and news was about to be disarranged. She pointed at the computer monitor, one hand pressed foolishly over her mouth, like a little girl. Her terror infected him. He strode to the PC and scowled down at the screen. He was not a quick reader. He read every word, every line, painstakingly, carefully. When he had finished, he remained quite still, passing for review, in his mind, all the likely grasses. He thought of the gum-chewing forklift driver, whom he had left stranded in the Fields when they had picked up the new computer. He thought of Jim and Tommy, who did the cash-in-hand jobs on the sly with him. Someone from work must have talked. Rage and fear collided inside him and set off a combustive reaction. He strode to the foot of the stairs and shouted, ‘You two! Get down here NOW!’ Ruth still had her hand over her mouth. He had a sadistic urge to slap her hand away, to tell her to fucking pull herself together, it was he who was in the shit. Andrew entered the room first with Paul behind him. Andrew saw the arms of Pagford Parish Council onscreen, and his mother with her hand over her mouth. Walking barefoot across the old carpet, he had the sensation that he was plummeting through the air in a broken lift. ‘Someone,’ said Simon, glaring at his sons, ‘has talked about things I’ve mentioned inside this house.’ Paul had brought his chemistry exercise book downstairs with him; he was holding it like a hymnal. Andrew kept his gaze fixed on his father, trying to project an expression of mingled confusion and curiosity. ‘Who’s told other people we’ve got a stolen computer?’ asked Simon. ‘I haven’t,’ said Andrew. Paul stared at his father blankly, trying to process the question. Andrew willed his brother to speak. Why did he have to be so slow? ‘Well?’ Simon snarled at Paul. ‘I don’t think I – ‘ ‘You don’t think? You don’t think you told anyone?’ ‘No, I don’t think I told any – ‘ ‘Oh, this is interesting,’ said Simon, pacing up and down in front of Paul. ‘This is interesting.’ With a slap he sent Paul’s exercise book flying out of his hands. ‘Try and think, dipshit,’ he growled. ‘Try and fucking think. Did you tell anyone we’ve got a stolen computer?’ ‘Not stolen,’ said Paul. ‘I never told anyone – I don’t think I told anyone we had a new one, even.’ ‘I see,’ said Simon. ‘So the news got out by magic then, did it?’ He was pointing at the computer monitor. ‘Someone’s fucking talked!’ he yelled, ‘because it’s on the fucking internet! And I’ll be fucking lucky not – to – lose – my – job!’ On each of the five last words he thumped Paul on the head with his fist. Paul cowered and ducked; black liquid trickled from his left nostril; he suffered nosebleeds several times a week. ‘And what about you?’ Simon roared at his wife, who was still frozen beside the computer, her eyes wide behind her glasses, her hand clamped like a yashmak over her mouth. ‘Have you been fucking gossiping?’ Ruth ungagged herself. ‘No, Si,’ she whispered, ‘I mean, the only person I told we had a new computer was Shirley – and she’d never – ‘ You stupid woman, you stupid fucking woman, what did you have to tell him that for? ‘You did what?’ asked Simon quietly. ‘I told Shirley,’ whimpered Ruth. ‘I didn’t say it was stolen, though, Si. I only said you were bringing it home – ‘ ‘Well, that’s fucking it then, isn’t it?’ roared Simon; his voice became a scream. ‘Her fucking son’s standing for election, of course she wants to get the fucking goods on me!’ ‘But she’s the one who told me, Si, just now, she wouldn’t have – ‘ He ran at her and hit her in the face, exactly as he had wanted to when he had first seen her silly frightened expression; her glasses spun into the air and smashed against the bookcase; he hit her again and she crashed down onto the computer table she had bought so proudly with her first month’s wages from South West General. Andrew had made himself a promise: he seemed to move in slow motion, and everything was cold and clammy and slightly unreal. ‘Don’t hit her,’ he said, forcing himself between his parents. ‘Don’t – ‘ His lip split against his front tooth, Simon’s knuckle behind it, and he fell backwards on top of his mother, who was draped over the keyboard; Simon threw another punch, which hit Andew’s arms as he protected his face; Andrew was trying to get off his slumped, struggling mother, and Simon was in a frenzy, pummelling both of them wherever he could reach – ‘Don’t you fucking dare tell me what to do – don’t you dare, you cowardly little shit, you spotty streak of piss – ‘ Andrew dropped to his knees to get out of the way, and Simon kicked him in the ribs. Andrew heard Paul say pathetically, ‘Stop it!’ Simon’s foot swung for Andrew’s ribcage again, but Andrew dodged it; Simon’s toes collided with the brick fireplace and he was suddenly, absurdly, howling in pain. Andrew scrambled out of the way; Simon was gripping the end of his foot, hopping on the spot and swearing in a high-pitched voice; Ruth had collapsed into the swivel chair, sobbing into her hands. Andrew got to his feet; he could taste his own blood. ‘Anyone could have talked about that computer,’ he panted, braced for further violence; he felt braver now that it had begun, now that the fight was really on; it was waiting that told on your nerves, watching Simon’s jaw begin to jut, and hearing the urge for violence building in his voice. ‘You told us a security guard got beaten up. Anyone could have talked. It’s not us – ‘ ‘Don’t you – fucking little shit – I’ve broken my fucking toe!’ Simon gasped, falling backwards into an armchair, still nursing his foot. He seemed to expect sympathy. Andrew imagined picking up a gun and shooting Simon in the face, watching his features blast apart, his brains spattering the room. ‘And Pauline’s got her fucking period again!’ Simon yelled at Paul, who was trying to contain the blood dripping through his fingers from his nose. ‘Get off the carpet! Get off the fucking carpet, you little pansy!’ Paul scuttled out of the room. Andrew pressed the hem of his T-shirt to his stinging mouth. ‘What about all the cash-in-hand jobs?’ Ruth sobbed, her cheek pink from his punch, tears dripping from her chin. Andrew hated to see her humiliated and pathetic like this; but he half hated her too for landing herself in it, when any idiot could have seen †¦ ‘It says about the cash-in-hand jobs. Shirley doesn’t know about them, how could she? Someone at the printworks has put that on there. I told you, Si, I told you you shouldn’t do those jobs, they’ve always worried the living daylights out of – ‘ ‘Fucking shut up, you whining cow, you didn’t mind spending the money!’ yelled Simon, his jaw jutting again; and Andrew wanted to roar at his mother to stay silent: she blabbed when any idiot could have told her she should keep quiet, and she kept quiet when she might have done good by speaking out; she never learned, she never saw any of it coming. Nobody spoke for a minute. Ruth dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed intermittently. Simon clutched his toe, his jaw clenched, breathing loudly. Andrew licked the blood from his stinging lip, which he could feel swelling. ‘This’ll cost me my fucking job,’ said Simon, staring wild-eyed around the room, as if there might be somebody there he had forgotten to hit. ‘They’re already talking about fucking redundancies. This’ll be it. This’ll – ‘ He slapped the lamp off the end table, but it didn’t break, merely rolled on the floor. He picked it up, tugged the lead out of the wall socket, raised it over his head and threw it at Andrew, who dodged. ‘Who’s fucking talked?’ Simon yelled, as the lamp base broke apart on the wall. ‘Someone’s fucking talked!’ ‘It’s some bastard at the printworks, isn’t it?’ Andrew shouted back; his lip was thick and throbbing; it felt like a tangerine segment. ‘D’you think we’d have – d’you think we don’t know how to keep our mouths shut by now?’ It was like trying to read a wild animal. He could see the muscles working in his father’s jaw, but he could tell that Simon was considering Andrew’s words. ‘When was that put on there?’ he roared at Ruth. ‘Look at it! What’s the date on it?’ Still sobbing, she peered at the screen, needing to approach the tip of her nose within two inches of it, now that her glasses were broken. ‘The fifteenth,’ she whispered. ‘Fifteenth †¦ Sunday,’ said Simon. ‘Sunday, wasn’t it?’ Neither Andrew nor Ruth put him right. Andrew could not believe his luck; nor did he believe it would hold. ‘Sunday,’ said Simon, ‘so anyone could’ve – my fucking toe,’ he yelled, as he pulled himself up and limped exaggeratedly towards Ruth. ‘Get out of my way!’ She hastened out of the chair and watched him read the paragraph through again. He kept snorting like an animal to clear his airways. Andrew thought that he might be able to garrotte his father as he sat there, if only there was a wire to hand. ‘Someone’s got all this from work,’ said Simon, as if he had just reached this conclusion, and had not heard his wife or son urging the hypothesis on him. He placed his hands on the keyboard and turned to Andrew. ‘How do I get rid of it?’ ‘What?’ ‘You do fucking computing! How do I get this off here?’ ‘You can’t get – you can’t,’ said Andrew. ‘You’d need to be the administrator.’ ‘Make yourself the administrator, then,’ said Simon, jumping up and pointing Andrew into the swivel chair. ‘I can’t make myself the administrator,’ said Andrew. He was afraid that Simon was working himself up into a second bout of violence. ‘You need to input the right user name and passwords.’ ‘You’re a real fucking waste of space, aren’t you?’ Simon shoved Andrew in the middle of his sternum as he limped past, knocking him back into the mantelpiece. ‘Pass me the phone!’ Simon shouted at his wife, as he sat back down in the armchair. Ruth took the telephone and carried it the few feet to Simon. He ripped it out of her hands and punched in a number. Andrew and Ruth waited in silence as Simon called, first Jim, and then Tommy, the men with whom he had completed the after-hours jobs at the printworks. Simon’s fury, his suspicion of his own accomplices, was funnelled down the telephone in curt short sentences full of swearwords. Paul had not returned. Perhaps he was still trying to staunch his bleeding nose, but more likely he was too scared. Andrew thought his brother unwise. It was safest to leave only after Simon had given you permission. His calls completed, Simon held out the telephone to Ruth without speaking; she took it and hurried it back into its stand. Simon sat thinking while his fractured toe pulsated, sweating in the heat of the wood-burner, awash with impotent fury. The beating to which he had subjected his wife and son was nothing, he did not give them a thought; a terrible thing had just happened to him, and naturally his rage had exploded on those nearest him; that was how life worked. In any case, Ruth, the silly bitch, had admitted to telling Shirley †¦ Simon was building his own chain of evidence, as he thought things must have happened. Some fucker (and he suspected that gum-chewing forklift driver, whose expression, as Simon had sped away from him in the Fields, had been outraged) talking about him to the Mollisons (somehow, illogically, Ruth’s admission that she had mentioned the computer to Shirley made this seem more likely), and they (the Mollisons, the establishment, the smooth and the snide, guarding their access to power) had put up this message on their website (Shirley, the old cow, managed the site, which set the seal on the theory). ‘It’s your fucking friend,’ Simon told his wet-faced, trembling-lipped wife. ‘It’s your fucking Shirley. She’s done this. She’s got some dirt on me to get me off her son’s case. That’s who it is.’ ‘But Si – ‘ Shut up, shut up, you silly cow, thought Andrew. ‘Still on her side, are you?’ roared Simon, making to stand again. ‘No!’ squealed Ruth, and he sank back into the chair, glad to keep the weight off his pounding foot. The Harcourt-Walsh management would not be happy about those after-hours jobs, Simon thought. He wouldn’t put it past the bloody police to come nosing around the computer. A desire for urgent action filled him. ‘You,’ he said, pointing at Andrew. ‘Unplug that computer. All of it, the leads and everything. You’re coming with me.’ How to cite Part Three Chapter V, Essay examples

Issue In Institutional Racism Essay Example For Students

Issue In Institutional Racism Essay The history of the United States is one of duality. In the words ofthe Declaration of Independence, our nation was founded on theprinciples of equality in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, long before the founders of the newly declared state met inPhiladelphia to espouse the virtues of self-determination and freedomthat would dubiously provide a basis for a secessionary war, those samevirtues were trampled upon and swept away with little regard. Beneaththe shining beacon of freedom that signaled the formation of the UnitedStates of America was a shadow of deception and duplicity that wasessential in creating the state. The HSS 280 class lexicon definesduality as a social system that results from a worldview which acceptsinherent contradictions as reasonable because this is to the believersbenefit. The early years of what would become the United States wascharacterized by a system of duality that subjugated and exterminatedpeoples for the benefit of the oppressors. This pattern of duality,interwoven into our culture, has created an dangerously racializedsociety. From the first moment a colonist landed on these shores,truths that were self-evident were contingent on subjectiveinterpretation. This discretionary application of rights and freedomsis the foundation upon which our racially stratified system operateson. English colonists, Africans, and Native Americans comprised the earlyclash of three peoples. Essentially economic interests, and namelycapitalism, provided the impetus for the relationships that developedbetween the English colonists, the Africans, and the Native Americans. The colonialization of North American by the British was essentially aneconomic crusade. The emergence of capitalism and the rise of tradethroughout the 16th century provided the British with a blueprint toexpand its economic and political sphere. The Americas provided theBritish with extensive natural resources, resources that theagrarian-unfriendly British isles could not supply for its growingempire. When Britons arrived in North America, the indigenous population posedan economic dilemma to the colonists. The Native Americans were settledon the land that the British colonists needed to expand their economiccapacity. To provide a justificatory framework for the expulsion ofNative Americans off their land, the English colonists created aideology that suited their current needs. The attitude of Anglos toward the Native Americans began as one ofambivalence and reliance. When the English first arrived in NorthAmerica, they needed the Indians to survive the unfamiliar land andharsh weather. Once the English became acclimated to their surroundingsand realized that the Indians were living on valuable land, it was onlya matter of time before guns and shackles replaced treaties andhandshakes. In the name of Christianity and capitalism, the English colonistsquickly turned their backs on the short lived missionary zeal thatcharacterized the early colonial period. Now, the savage Indians wereviewed as unable to save themselves and extermination would be a worthyenterprise in the sight of the Lord. The idea that one possesses aGod-given right to mistreat others runs through much of Western cultureand became especially acute in North America after the emergence ofcapitalism. For example, in New England many settlers rejoiced at the extraordinarydeath brought upon the Native American population by the introduction ofepidemic diseases. It was viewed as a way of thinning out thepopulation. In the world of the New Jerusalem, where a city was to bebuild upon a hill, such trite concerns were of little consequence forthose with divine providence. Duality, and its means of placing the truth and its allied freedoms inthe hands of the powerful, furnishes the chosen ones with widelatitude to create theoretical arguments that justify and perpetuatesystemic arrangements of inequality. John Winthrop outlined hisreasoning for the British right to North American land in terms ofnatural rights versus civil rights. Natural rights were those that menenjoyed in a state of nature (i.e. Native Americans). When some menbegan to parcel land and use tilled farming, they acquired civil rights(English colonists). Inevitably, civil rights took precedence overnatural rights. This method of thinking enabled privilege to theEnglish and provided a justification for the institutional and systemicextermination of the indigenous people (Growth 83). Before addressing the subjugation of African-Americans by the English,I think it is important that I make an important theoretical point in myargument. All political systems are rational, in the sense that thereis a logic and a thinking that guides those making the rules. Whitesupremacy and its associated beliefs (Christianity, patriarchalism, etc)provided the rationale for the creation of a system of duality that institutionalized racism. Robert Smith writes about the inherentcontradiction of espousing the self-evident equality of men and theirGod-given right to liberty while at the same time sanctioning genocideand slavery (Smith 8). The only way this incongruity could be remediedwas to deny the fundamental humanity of those being oppressed.Thatnegation of one group humanity by another is the crux of duality and aprinciple tenet of all forms of oppression and subjugation. Toobjectify a group of people provides an oppressor with a recourse forthe actions one takes. In the case of th e United States, subjugatedgroups are often reduced to a stereotype that is not based in fact: Native Americans were wild savages; Africans were lascivious, lewdbeings that engaged in bestiality with apes; Asians were sneaky,mysterious and not to be trusted. What is important is the stereotypefit an institutional definition that allows the group to be oppressedwithout self-reflection about ones perverse actions. Professor Turnermentioned in class the Sarte quote, To be a stone, you must make allaround you stone. And to act as a savage, one must make those aroundoneself savages. Yahweh is salvation EssayBakke was the last definitive statement the Supreme Court has made onaffirmative action in an educational setting. It allowed race to be afactor in admissions to universities and colleges but forbid the use ofquotas. In response to those that argued that the Constitution shouldbe color-blind, Thurogood Marshall wrote in the Bakke decision, thatfor several hundred years Negroes have been discriminated against notas individual, but rather solely because of the color of their skins. While interpretation is widespread and diverse on what that decisionactually meant, it has generally been interpreted as accepting theprevalence of institutional racism. Justice Blackmun stated in hisopinion that to overcome racism it may be necessary to take into accountrace, not in order to subjugate a race but for the purpose of endingsubjugation (Smith 158). So the question I would like to address is the furor over so-calledreverse racism brought on by affirmative actions programs. Aconservative argument against these programs states that any programthat addresses race is racist in nature. But the basic equationProfessor Turner outlined in dealing with racism was:Power + Privilege + Prejudice = Racism. Preconditions for racism include the ability to define the requirementsof participation and the power to subordinate a certain disadvantagedgroup. In this academic framework, it is absurd to consider affirmativeactions that seek to increase participation of African-American andother disadvantaged minorities in education racist because of the natureof the power and of the privilege relationships involved in thesepolicies. Unfortunately, the individual view of racism, defined innarrow personal terms, has come to dominate the public debate. Nolonger are politicians and the courts willing to address theinstitutional basis of racism. This brings me to the final point of thepaper: Should public policy be color blind in a race conscious society?In The Truly Disadvantaged, William Julius Wilson brought to theforefront the crisis of the underclass. Robert Smith critiques Wilsonfor his lack of recognition of racism as a factor in perpetuating anunderclass. Placing the blame for poverty and the underclass oneconomic causes, Wilson supports universal policy initiatives. But thisdoes not address the fact that African-American poverty is more severethan white poverty. And most importantly it does not address thestructure of racism and, consequently, of poverty. Institutional racismis a problem that lies at the heart of the African-American underclass. In the American Dilemma , Gunner Myrdal defined the cumulative nature ofdiscrimination, where discrimination in one area can result indiscrimination in another and then another, creating what is commonlycalled the vicious cycle (Smith 160). Specific programs are needed totry to break this cycle. A recent Cornell Review article, addressingaffirmative action in the California school system, stated thatAfrican-American students were admitted to the universities with anaverage SAT score of 300 points below what the average white, acceptedstudent achieved. While this article attacked affirmative actionpolicies as unfair to white app licants, I think as a society we need toaddress the question of why there is a 300 point gap between the twogroups. In Myrdals framework, it makes perfect sense to attack a linkin the cycle, by providing an educational opportunity that will paydividends in the long run. In a 1965 speech to Howard University, Lyndon Johnson provided thisargument for affirmative action programs to address institutionalracism: We seek not just freedom but opportunity not just legalequity but human ability not just equality as a right and a theory butequality as a fact and as a result (Smith 160). Institutional racismis embedded in our society and will be most difficult to extricatebecause it involves a forfeiture of privilege. But the stakes are highand the consequences of inaction seem to be severe. Freedom is only thefirst step towards the establishment of true equality. Works CitedOkhiro, Gary. The Victimization of Asians In America. The World AndI.April 1993, pp. 397-413Racism In The United States Course Packet. Growth of the EnglishIdeology of Race In America, ; Ringer, John We The People And Others ;The Heathen Chinee, And American Technology; Puerto Rico As AnUnincorporated Territory: The Early Years And The Struggle OverAmerican Citizenship. Smith, Robert. Racism In The Post Civil Rights Era. SUNY Press. Albany1995. Social Issues

How A Modem Works Essays - Modems, , Term Papers

How A Modem Works Abstract This paper has explained in some detail what a modem is and how a modem works. The evolution of a modem, transfer of speeds through various sized modems, and how data transferred has also been discussed. The word modem is an acronym for Modulator Demodulator. Modems accept digital data supplied by the personal computer, and convert it to a modulated analog waveform that can be transmitted over an analog telephone line. Modems also work in reverse. They take a modulated analog wave from the phone line, then convert it to a digital form, then pass it onto the personal computer (PC). Modems, at connection, send tones to each other to negotiate the fastest mutually supported modulation method that will work over whatever quality of line has been established for that call. There are two main differences in the types of modems for the PC, internal and external. Modem data transfer rates have gone from 300bps to 1,200bps to 9,600bps to 14.4kbps to 28.8kbps and to 33.6kbps. Now new modem standards are emerging, reaching speeds of 56kbps. Viewing graphics or downloading sound files improves dramatically with 56kbps. The experts say that the next major improvement will have to come from the telephone companies, with the fiber optic cables so we can have an integrated services digital network (ISDN). Digital connections are more efficient because of the frequent disconnects and modem freezing of the analog modem. These errors can be caused by line noise, which can come from many sources such as lightning storms, sunspots, and other electromagnetic phenomena. Modems will automatically reduce their speed to avoid introducing data errors. The transmission of speed sometimes causes confusion. The root of this problem seems to stem from the terms baud and bits are used interchangeably. A baud is a change in a signal from positive to negative or vice-versa that is used as a measure of transmission speed and bits per second is a measure of the number of data bits (digital 0's and 1's) transmitted each second in a communications channel. Synchronous and Asynchronous data transfer are two methods of sending data over the telephone line. In synchronous data transmission, data is sent via a bit stream, which sends a group characters in a single stream. In order to do this, modems gather groups of characters into a buffer, where they are prepared to be sent as such a stream. In order for the stream to be sent, synchronous modems must be in perfect synchronization with each other. When the clocks of each modem are in synchronization, the data stream is sent. In asynchronous transmission, data is coded into a series of pulses, including a start bit and a stop bit. A start bit is sent by the sending modem to inform the receiving modem that a character is to be sent. The character is then sent, followed by a stop bit designating that the transfer of a bit is complete. There are about 16,000 bits in a full page of English text. In order to view a full motion full screen video it would require approximately 10,000,000 bits per second, depending on the data compression. In some cases, the PC equipped with a 28.8kbps modem would be faster than a 33.6kbps or even a 56k modem, especially with sites that do not have a great deal of graphics. There are several factors in determining the time it takes to connect and display a Web site. These include the speed of your computer, your connection to your Internet service provider (ISP), your ISPs connection to the Internet itself, traffic on the Internet and the speed and current traffic conditions of the site your visiting. U.S. Robotics, Cardinal, Rockwell, and other manufacturers have developed modems capable of 56k speeds over standard telephone lines. U.S. Robotics line of modems called X2 uses an asymmetric scheme. This lets you download at speeds up to 56kbps from any on-line service or ISP using matching U.S. Robotics modems. One catch with the data you upload to the provider is still limited to 33.6kbps or 28.8kbps. There are no set standards for the 56kbps modems as of yet, not all vendors support the same specifications. This means that the

Top 7 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2012

Top 7 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2012 My blogs this year have not focused on grammar, but my daily work naturally entails frequent corrections of people’s use of grammar in their writing. When not officially editing, I tend to gloss over errors within emails and other correspondence. It’s the end of the year, however, and time for my Top Grammatical and Spelling Errors list (see last year’s Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors here). Readers report that this is one of their favorite postings of the year. So here it goes (I kept it to my absolute top 7 this year!): 7.   Alright (vs. All right). Grammar Girl asserts that alright is not a word. Despite the fact that this construction seems to be making its way into the dictionary, I still agree with Grammar Girl. I received an email from an Ivy League graduate that contained the following sentence: â€Å"In addition, Im going to pass your information on to another organization that may be interested in your coming in to talk; I hope thats alright.† I’m sticking to the spelling â€Å"all right† for at least another year. Check back in with me in 2013. 6. Effect / Affect. The only meaning of the verb â€Å"effect† is to cause, e.g., effect change. This error was highlighted in my 2010 list. The following sentence, from a client’s addendum explaining his GPA, uses â€Å"effect† incorrectly: â€Å"These three grades have effected my gpa significantly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The grades at issue were in science, not English. But the correct verb would have been â€Å"affected.† 5.   Complimentary vs. Complementary. Complimentary has two meanings: 1) expressing positive sentiments about someone or something, and 2) offered free of charge or as a courtesy. Complementary means completing a set, or making up a whole. I have come across the following misuses and correct uses of the words. Which do you think are correct? a. From an announcement marketing the offerings of a local networking event: â€Å"Enjoy †¦ a complementary drink from Yahara Bay Distillers, and bid on enticing items in our  Silent Auction.† b. From a client to whom I had offered a project sheet at no cost: â€Å"When will the cover letter and the complementary project sheet included in the package be completed?† c. From a cover letter: â€Å"The Alternative Research Institute is advocating a wide range of complementary medicine approaches.† d. From an email containing marketing advice: â€Å"Look at the Chamber website and start there looking for complementary businesses that you could serve as a resource and also as a referral source.† Answers: a. Incorrect; b. Incorrect; c. Correct; d. Correct 4.   Then vs. Than. A colleague of mine stated to me: â€Å"You are a much stronger person then you give yourself credit for being.† Regardless of whether this psychoanalysis is an accurate interpretation, a grammatically correct sentence would have been, â€Å"You are a much stronger person than you give yourself credit for being.† For more on this distinction, see Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010. 3.   Quotation marks. I understand that the rules of quotation marks are not logical in the United States (commas and periods always go inside quotation marks). I’ve written an article to that effect: The Quandary of Quotation Marks. What baffles me is when people put full sentences in quotations and still place the punctuation outside the quotation marks. For instance, from an essay from one of my clients: Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.   This quote by Winston Churchill resonates with me for several reasons. Can anyone provide a valid reason for the period to be outside the quotation marks here, when the period is part of the quotation? 2.     Ã‚  Apostrophes. Many people seem to be confused about how to create plurals. I wrote about this issue in last year’s blog, but the main point is that plurals of nouns are created by adding an s or es. No apostrophe is needed. Here’s a recent example of an error in this department: â€Å"All I can tell you is that the one’s I’ve attended have been awesome.† What’s an apostrophe doing in the word â€Å"one’s†? Proper punctuation would be â€Å"ones.† And the number one error, which outpaces all the rest and presents an ongoing struggle for me as an editor†¦ 1. Comma Splice. These buggers are rampant! I’ve written two articles about commas and semicolons so I won’t go into detail now. Here are some examples of comma splices that have crossed my desk in 2012. Replacing the comma with a semicolon corrects the error in each sentence; other options to try are splitting the sentence into two full sentences (inserting a period in place of the comma) or inserting the word â€Å"and† after the comma: â€Å"I have an appointment at 4pm Central, if it is not too late for you I could talk after that.† â€Å"I will need to ask him more about the program to determine the benefit, he didn’t provide that information.† â€Å"I still have to get 6 people Christmas presents, tonight was one of the days that I thought that I could use to do it.† If you have other frequently-occurring grammar and punctuation issues you’ve noticed, please let me know and I’ll throw them into the pot for next year. I hope this list was useful to you or will be useful to someone you love. Here’s to great writing in 2013! Category:UncategorizedBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 26, 2012 1 Comment The Essay Expert says: December 26, 2012 at 7:05 pm From a friend for whom the captcha code wouldnt work: tonight is one of the days Heavens to Murgatoyd! Holy moly batman! gadzooks! Log in to Reply

International and Pacific Asian Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International and Pacific Asian Business - Essay Example These factors contributed to the shift from multinationalism to globalization. Since the millennium, academics and business people were more concern about ways in which globalization could affect domestic and international economy (Tierney 2004; Smith and Yaw 2002, p. 1). The purpose of globalization aims to promote the practice of free trading in the world market by removing barriers like import and export taxes which could prevent business people from taking advantage over the use of natural resources around the world (Nanduri 2006). By linking the trade and development in one country to other countries around the world, globalization makes it possible for businessmen to have the opportunity to maximize the use of the available natural resources and manpower (Krugman & Obstfeld 2009, p. 27, 273). As part of examining the new economy in the international and pacific Asian business, this report will analyze and discuss ways in which international trading is being conducted using the new trade theories as tackled by Paul Krugman. Eventually, trade theories which could accurately explain the competitiveness of business locations will be tackled in details. In line with this, economic theories related to economics of scale, demand led, product life cycle, the significance of monopolistic competition will be applied in different case scenarios by providing real-life examples and evidences. Prior to conclusion, the key trade patterns will be critically evaluated. The New Economy in International and Pacific Asian Business Because of globalization, fast economic growth and continuous business expansion can be observed in the modern international and pacific Asian businesses. In order to gain competitive advantage over other businesses in the world market, the new economy in International and pacific Asian businesses are heavily focused over the need to rely on the practice of trading goods and services within and outside a given country. As part of increasing the com petitive advantage of each business, large-scale companies are competing with one another not only in terms of acquiring the cheapest yet high quality raw materials but also in terms of hiring competitive and highly skilled employees at a minimum wage level (Steger 2003, p. 37). As a basic rule in business, high profit can be achieved not only when a company is able to produce enough supply based on the market demand but also when a company is able to keep its business operational cost at a very low price. Specifically the low operational cost can be achieved either by maximizing the use of the available human resources through the use of high technology and machineries or through economies of scale. Economies of Scale As explained by Krugman and Obstfeld (2009, p. 114), economies of scale in microeconomics is all about the cost advantage each businesses could earn by maximizing the use of its available technology and human resources. In line with this, a company is able to keep the unit price of certain product low each time the buyer purchases specific item by bulk. In other words, reducing the unit cost of a product is possible because producing a single item by volume can be manufactured on a large scale without the need to spend more money spent human resources. For

Argument analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Argument analysis - Essay Example out the themes and concepts of passive objectification of women, asexuality as a foil, vigilant heterosexuality and athleticism as a sexual performance. The paper analyses the movie Catwoman (Pitof 2004) by discussing the themes that have been discussed by Helene Shugart in her article. The movie Catwoman stars Patience Phillips (Halle Berry), who is a graphic designer working for an organization called Hedare Beauty. This is a very large cosmetic company that has realized considerable market success, and is about to release into the market a product that combats the effects of aging. Patience later discovers that Hedare’s operations are riddled in conspiracy and secrecy. She discovers deep secrets concerning the about to be released beauty product, but just as she is about to leave the premises, security personnel starts pursuing her. Patience is forced to run for her life. Dramatic events follow, and later we see her being transformed into a woman with cat-like traits; elusive, dangerous, untamed, fast and with senses of her cat. Therefore, Patience is changed to Catwoman. However, she has a double personality; on one side she is Patience, and on the other she is Catwoman. Catwoman’s starts fighting crime in the city and also helps the helpless. She is accused by the Hedare family for murder, but this does not deter her from soldiering on. The authorities chase her day and night for murder charges, and this search is led by Tom Lone, who is in a relationship with Patience. At the end, Patience becomes the hero. She manages to get her revenge on the Hedare family and she still continues to be the people savior. Therefore, from the movie Catwoman, the producer portrays women as the suppressed gender by the society. Society considers the woman as the weaker sex, and the producer of the movie is using the case of Patience to empower women. In the movie, Patience is faced with very many problems and challenges. At the end, she defies all odds and she becomes