Death Penalty Argument Essay

Argue in favour or against this proposal The death penalty isn’t always the best way to deal with serious crimes, but it also depends on what you would class as a serious crime. The death penalty was abolished in 1965 for murder and in 1998 for all circumstances, we have managed to deal with most murders with executing them now so why do we need to bring it back? The death penalty puts innocent lives at risk. Many people have been executed but months, or even years, later have found out to be innocent or that there was no way they could have committed the crime. The death penalty also costs a lot of money. It is estimated that it costs $9 million per year in America for the death penalty alone. If they were to get rid of it they would save over $2.3 million. However the public need to be kept safe and if a dangerous criminal got onto the streets, after he has served his sentence, they would be terrified of what he could do next because nothing is stopping him committing more crimes. The death penalty goes against almost every religion. A human life is very valuable and those against the death penalty believe that even the worst murderers should not be deprived of the value of their lives. They believe that the value of the offender’s life cannot be destroyed by the offender’s bad conduct – even if they have killed someone. Mentally ill people are executed. Many mentally ill people are unable to to participate in their trials and appear unengaged, cold and unfeeling before the jury. Some have been forcibly medicated in order to make them competent to be executed.

A Crisis in My Life

Oh God! I think I'm going to die. I'm sorry if this sounds really dramatic but I feel like I've been struck by lightning, hit over the head with a hammer and thrown from the top of a building†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ This morning everything started normally. At seven o` clock I was awoken by the sound of the man- hunting piranha (my sister Elle) asking if she could borrow my new Gucci bag for her interview and when I shouted back â€Å"no get your own!† I was screamed at and lectured about how selfish I am. I mean who does she think she is, as if I'm going to let her use my Gucci bag, I thought she would of got the picture by now that I am never going to borrow any of my stuff to her! When the man- hunting piranha had finally left I got up and started to blow-dry my hair but after about ten minutes she came back into my room again snatched the hairdryer off me and screamed â€Å"that's mine, as you say Get Your Own!† I don't know what's wrong with her lately, we used to get on so well but recently she's become so self obsessed! As she left I shouted at her and when I realised that she wasn't listening I screamed â€Å"bitch† really loudly. Seeing as I didn't have a hairdryer to use I had to use the straightening irons instead which set me back about half an hour. When I had finished my hair I started to do my make up only to find that my sister had nicked my pink eye shadow and I couldn't get it back because she had locked herself in her room and to make matters worse she had her crappy old steps album playing full blast so even if I banged on the door and made all the noise in the world she wouldn't be able to hear me. In the end I had to use my white eye shadow which was nearly running out. After I had finished I got dressed ran down the stairs, took a fiver off the side and left the house. I didn't have time for breakfast because as per usual I had spent too much time getting ready and was late. I met Karen and Carrie at Archway station and I could tell that they were pissed off with me! We talked it over and I told them that it took a lot of time and patience to look as beautiful as me and they just laughed. After about half an hour a bus finally came and we arrived at school about an hour late. When we got into school I had to rush down to the music department because I had a microphone practice for the forthcoming school concert. I was going through my song and everything was going well, the song sounded great and I was singing all the right notes when in walked a vision that I had only ever seen in my dreams. Then I noticed that the vision was wearing a school uniform. This had too be one of the worst days of my life because this meant that I would see the boy of my dreams every day and this meant that I would have to get up an hour earlier every morning so that I would look just perfect. The teacher that he had come in with went over to talk to my music teacher. I tried to avoid eye contact with the Sex God but I failed and ended up looking straight into his beautiful blue eyes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him coming towards me and then he asked me to come down off of the stage so that we could talk. It was like a dream come true. This is where things started to go terribly wrong. As I went to go down the stairs of the stage my legs turned to jelly and I ended up tumbling down the stairs head over heals, then as if things couldn't get any worse I ended up flat on face with my knickers showing right in front of the Sex God . He was kind enough to help me up and we just laughed it off but I still felt really embarrassed. We talked for a while and he told me that his name was Daniel and he had just moved down to London from Newcastle due to his dad's new job. The teacher that he had come in with called him to go with him down the hall, I walked back towards the stage looking back at Daniel and like the idiot I am I fell flat on my face for the second time. I didn't tell any one about Daniel nor did I tell them about my idiotic behaviour and fortunately I didn't see him again till the end of the day where once again I made a complete fool of my self! We were walking home when I saw him again he was with a big group of boys and I was dreading walking past them because I was sure that he would have told them how stupid I had been. When we walked past nothing was said and just as I thought I was in the clear I heard my name being called. I turned round to see who it was and because I wasn't looking where I was going. I bashed into a lamp post. It turns out that it was Daniel who called me, he came over to me and started talking to me he asked me if I had a boyfriend and of course I had to say no. He then looked at me with his beautiful big blue eyes and I think he was just about to ask me out when to my horror I heard my dad's voice calling out my name I tried to ignore him but every one was looking at me so grudgingly I turned round. When I turned around my dad blew a kiss at me, beckoned me over to the car and called out â€Å"leave my little princess alone or I'll hunt you down and kill you† and then to make matters worse I saw him giving Daniel a dirty look. I turned back round to where Daniel was standing before my dad had arrived but Daniel was no longer there he was back in the crowd with all the other boys and I could tell that nearly every one in Archway was talking about me. I have never been so embarrassed in all of my life and now to be totally honest it wouldn't surprise me if Daniel never talks to me again. I made such a fool of myself today what with falling flat on my face twice, bashing into a lamp post and having my dad embarrass me in front of the whole of Archway. Daniel must think I'm a right fool! Any way I'll keep you posted. Love Jade x.x.x Friday December 1st You'll never guess what my music teacher told me today, I'm going to the fame academy house on Monday with my music class and I can't wait! I didn't see Daniel today, but I had another argument with Elle this time it was because she had sneakily borrowed my little black dress from Morgan and not only did she get make up all over it but she had split it trying to get out of it. The fat cow! I hate her so much I wish she would just die! Any way I've got to go mums calling me. Chat to you soon. Love Jade x.x.x Monday December 4th Sorry I haven't wrote all weekend but i`ve had a really bad stomach. Today has been the best day of my life not only did I go to the fame academy house for a private concert but despite of all that happened last week Daniel asked me out. I am the girlfriend of a Sex God! Daniel came up to me today during break and asked me out I was so happy and to make things even better every girl in school fancies Daniel so they are all jealous of me! We're going out on Saturday to the cinema and then were going for something to eat. I don't have a clue what to wear I might try and sneak something from the man-hunting piranha's room! The concert was wicked I even got to meet the stars of fame academy and I got their autographs it was great I loved every minute of it. I haven't had so much fun in ages and the concert was filmed so we were on television. I've got to go now because I've got course work to do. Talk to you soon. Love Jade x.x.x Monday December 4th The sex God just rang me, Thank fully my mum picked up the phone so Daniel couldn't be scared off. I say this because my mum is really sweet and wouldn't hurt a fly and seeing as I'm a spoilt little mummy's girl and she isn't very protective she doesn't mind boy's phoning the house. I wasn't expecting it to be Daniel, I thought it was just going to be one of the girls so I got a surprise when I heard â€Å"hello gorgeous† I couldn't believe it was him, my legs turned to jelly again and I had to hold onto the wall so that I wouldn't fall to the floor. He asked me if I wanted to go out with him next week to an Alicia Keys concert so I asked mum and fortunately she said yes. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, I'm to0 excited. Oh I love being the girlfriend of a Sex God! Goodnight, chat to you soon Love Jade x.x.x Tuesday December 5th Sex God didn't come into school today but he came to pick me up after school and he walked me home. When we met outside the school I ran up to him and hugged him and then he kissed me and it was just amazing. We held hands all the way home and he looked even more gorgeous in his own clothes. He was wearing Evisu jeans with a white Evisu t shirt and as we walked down the street all the girls were looking at him and I just kept thinking to myself â€Å"He's gorgeous and he's all mine!† Daniel walked me to the end of my road and then he kissed me good bye and told me he would see me tomorrow. Oh how I love my life! Love Jade x.x.x Wednesday December 6th I hate my sister, I wish she would just die, she's such a bitch! You'll never guess what she's gone and done now she had the cheek to read my diary and then she went and told my dad everything that was in it and now I might not be able to go out with Daniel on Saturday. I've got to go now because the bitch is coming up the stairs and I want to know why she told my dad about Daniel. Bye Love Jade x.x.x Friday December 8th Dad said I could go out with Daniel on Saturday. Hurray! I can't wait I've got to go now I've got loads of homework to do. Bye Love Jade x.x.x Saturday December 9th I have waited for this day for so long and now it's finally here I feel sick! The day has barely even started and already everything is going wrong! I got up at half five this morning and had a shower only to find that some idiot had forgot to leave the hot water on. Then as if things couldn't get any worse once again my sister had nicked my pink eye shadow so this meant I had no eye shadow to match my outfit. The next disaster happened when I was blow drying my hair and the hair dryer blew up. My sister is going to kill me when she finds out! I have to go now because I've only got two hours before I have to meet Daniel. Bye Love Jade x.x.x Sunday December 10th I can't believe it despite all of the problems I had yesterday the date actually went well! Elle found the hairdryer and she went mad, then she told my dad and now I'm not allowed to go to the Alicia Keys concert. I hate her so much! If I had the chance I really would kill her! Love Jade x.x.x Monday December 11th At about twelve o` clock I got pulled out of class and I was told that I was to go home, I said bye to Daniel and he said he would ring me later and then I went home. When I got home no one was in so I got changed out of my uniform and just watched M.T.V Base. At about half three the phone rang and it was my mum she told me to put some of Elle's stuff in a bag and wait with it by the door. My mum pulled up about ten minutes later and when I got in the car I asked what was going on, she pretended not to hear me but I knew something was wrong because she looked upset. My mum didn't speak to me for the whole journey there was just an awkward silence I kept asking her where we were going but she just ignored me. When we stopped we were outside the Whittington hospital, and at first I wondered why we were there and then it clicked that we were here to see Elle. I asked my mum what was wrong with her and once again I was ignored .When we got inside we headed towards intensive care and not expecting to get an answer I asked if Elle was going to be O.k., surprisingly my mum answered with a muffled â€Å"I don't know† . When we reached intensive care I saw my dad he was crying, this was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry so I knew that something bad had to of happened to Elle! I asked my dad all the questions that I had asked my mum but the difference was that this time I actually got some answers .My dad told me that there had been a hit and run accident in Muswell hill and that the victim was Elle. I asked if she was going to be alright and my dad said that they didn't know. I had never seen my sister like this before, she looked so helpless she had a cast on her leg, a bandage round her head and she was connected to loads of tubes. I looked at my sister and thought about what would I do without her and that's when I realised that all of the tubes that were connected to my sister were also connected to a life support machine ! I thought about what the last thing I had said to her was and then I remembered that the last time we spoke was yesterday when we had an argument. I then tried to think when I last said something nice to her but it was that long ago that I couldn't remember. It was then that I broke down in tears my mum and my dad tried to comfort me but nothing they said could make me feel better, cause all I could think of was that she could die not knowing that I love her! I'm at home now and Mum has just left to go back to the hospital because dad is still there. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight .bye Love Jade x.x.x Tuesday December 12th I was sitting watching over Elle in the hospital when I realised that I might never get to speak to her again. Mum and dad were outside talking to the doctor so it was just me and Elle. The doctor had told me that she could hear everything I said, so I took the opportunity to tell her that I loved her. When my mum and dad came back into the room they found me leaning over Elle crying. I told them that I wanted to stay but they just ignored me and took me home. When I got home I just cried and cried until I had no more tears left to cry then I made myself something to eat and I went and sat in my sisters room just wishing that she could be there to tell me to get out. At about half five the phone rang but I didn't want to pick it up in case it was my mum or dad ringing to tell me that she was dead. At the moment I am sitting on Elle's bed. Mum and dad still aren't home yet so I'm just going to try and go to sleep. Bye Love Jade x.x.x Friday December 15th Sorry I haven't written in all week but I've been at the hospital with Elle. She isn't getting any better and the doctors are starting to loose faith. I've got to go now because I've got to go to the hospital. Bye Love Jade x.x.x Saturday December 16th When I woke up this morning there were two bouquets of flowers don stairs they were both from Daniel one was for me and one was for Elle . Monday December 18th I went back to school today and all day I had people coming up to me telling me how sorry they were. I just couldn't wait for school to finish so that I could just go to the hospital. When school finished Daniel walked me to the hospital gave me a hug then he told me that everything was going to be o.k. but for some reason I didn't believe him. As I made my way towards intensive care I had a feeling that something wasn't right , when I reached the ward I found my mum and dad crying and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I asked what was wrong and my dad told me that they were going to turn off the life support machine. I told them that they couldn't do that because she would die and they told me that the doctor said that they wanted to see if she can breathe for herself. I said that they couldn't do that because if she couldn't breathe then she would die and then I went over to the bed held her hand told her I loved her and began to cry. After about ten minutes the doctor came in and asked my mum and dad to come outside with him. When they came back in my mum was crying again and that's when I knew that I would never see or talk to my sister again. When the doctor returned he told my mum and dad that he would be ready in ten minutes and I screamed and told him to leave us alone, then I started hysterically crying and my mum came over to me and hugged me then he left .

Reading Is Fundamental Essay

Reading is the foundation that a child’s ability to learn is built on. The fundamentals of all learning are based on reading. Research has proven time and time again that reading to your child, even as early as pregnancy and infancy, helps to spark their curiosity to learn to read. By reading aloud during pregnancy and infancy, the ground work is being laid in the development for a child’s love of reading (Promoting Literacy). To help children develop a love of reading start by having books all around. In the words of Dr. Seuss, â€Å"The more that your read, the more things you will know. The more you learn the more places you will go. † (Dr. Seuss). An early start with teaching the concept of page turning, observing pictures, and sequencing will feed little ones curiosity. You can further spark their imagination and creative thinking skills by sharing a picture book without words. Also, reading at bed time will also help small children learn that reading is a relaxing and comforting activity. As children get older we need to make sure we don’t always make reading feel as if it is a task, but rather enjoyable. The U. S. Department of Education found that, generally the more children read for fun the higher their reading scores are in school (U. S. Department of Education, 2007). The answer to how to help children develop a love of reading mainly lies in how we as adults encourage them. Most of a child’s early learning comes from copying what they see their parents do, so if children do not see their parents read then they are not going to be compelled to read themselves. There are so many ways we can nurture a love of reading with children that in turn will help them develop in so many different ways. We read for so many different reasons and it is important that we convey those differences to our children so they can maximize the benefits they get from their own reading. Without being surrounded by people who read then it will be difficult for a child to make that vital connection between reading and enjoyment, thus hindering the development of a love of reading. Children should know books are not just purely for pleasure, but can also be used for a source of information. Once able to read then a whole world of literature opens up and as long as people write and read what is written then books will continue to provide education, information, and pleasure for all who participate. Works Cited Dr. Seuss. â€Å"I Can Read With My Eyes Wide Shut. † www. goodreads. com. Promoting Literacy. â€Å"Bonding With Your Unborn Baby Through Books. † www. earlymoments. com. U. S. Department of Education, 2007. â€Å"Facts About Children’s Literacy. † www. neg. org.

Ethical approval Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical approval - Essay Example There should be one for the patients and one for the nurses. I have attached a copy of the participant information sheet which you are expected to use and which you will need to amend to reflect your study 3: You still need to include the interview schedules – there should be one for the patient and one for the nurses. These should detail the questions you will use to guide your semi-structured interview I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet for the above study titled â€Å"Acute Pain for Postoperative Patients in Kuwait: A Study of How Surgical Nurses Assess Postoperative Pain† and what my contribution will be. I deem it a great privilege to seek your invitation to be part of the present research study. It is crucial that you understand the purpose of the research and what your role would be as a participant. I therefore ask that you make time to critically study the information provided below. Please feel free to ask any questions if any portion of the information appears unclear to you. Finally, you are free to decide whether or not to be part of the study. It is good to note that the research seeks to fulfil three major health related purposes which include the need investigate what the knowledge of nurses are on pain assessment; outline the various perceptions that nurses and patients hold on pain assessment; and find out what the risk factors associated with patients response to post-operative pain are. The major reason for including you as a participant for the current study is for you to provide experience based data on your experiences with pain as a patient who has gone through surgical operation in a Kuwait medical setting before. The major line of data that will be needed from you will include your experience with pain and how you assessed pain, before and after the operation. The major reason for including you as a participant for the current research is for you to provide evidence based data

Business Strategy Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Strategy Report - Essay Example They use trade rules and regulations that have been set for each country by the European Union. Branches of each of the business units are spread across these countries. However, they do not share business premises or any other resources. Each business unit operates on its own, but they operate under the same company name In this paper, we shall be reporting to thunder software. As stated, thunder software deals with developing, creating new, and existing software’s for mobile phones and computers. The business unit is spread across the European geographical market. This places the business unit in a very competitive industry and market. Most of the new and better software come from this market. The industry in this specific market has many developers that release open source software’s. This software’s do not require the user to purchase them so that they can be able to use them. This has raised competitiveness in the industry because the open source software’s can be used for the same function as a normal software’s. In order to compete with such a software the company needs to develop better and more user-friendly software’s. New and latest methods for developing software bring the most important chance to improve a company’s reputation (Mark & Eric & Linda 2013, p. 1). Putting this fact into context, competition is bound to be high in the software industry. There is a lot of revenue that is collected from the software business. Every company that prides itself in making it in the software business bites in from the cake of revenue. However, it is not easy for a company to make it in the software industry The European geographical market presents a challenge in terms of competition in the software market. More companies are capable of creating top notch software’s. Thunder software relies on its growth strategies so that they can be able to stay afloat amidst the competition. The company invests in the latest

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Sociology - Essay Example Mass production has become a repercussion of capitalism. Pro-capitalists argue it benefits to humankind by facilitating ease of use, cheaply available and within reach consumer products. On the other hand, anti-capitalists are of the view that capitalism has many downsides. It robs the average person of his/her individuality, of culture and tradition. This can be understood from a review of the following advertisements which demonstrate that capitalism has a great influence on the individual perception and expression. The innovation of line production by Ford during the 20th century has transformed not only the American population but also the world over. It has created a consumer society which is dependent on mass produced commodities. Stuart Ewen in his book Captain of Consciousness, theorizes that line production has been a way of mass producing consumers (24). Since goods are produced in huge quantitative, they need consumers to consume them. For this reason, mass production had become a device innovated by the capitalists, to artificially create demand by reducing price, increasing accessibility and creating a culture of consumerism. Over the years the ethics and moral behind this strategy have deteriorated to a great extent, that mass production has become synonymous with immoral and unethical business practices. These perceptions are warranted. Take the following advertisement by Wonderbra for example which blatantly declares the mindlessness of consumers of today. In the above advertisement, the message communicated indicates that those who buy Wonderbras need not have the brain or the inclination to be intelligent (to read The Economist, a business magazine). These are individuals who have no aspiration to be in the business arena. This is a product for the "average mindless" individual. Moreover, the message denotes the perception that only an elite group of individuals are intelligent enough to read or

Analysis of Lily in The Secret Life of Bees Research Paper

Analysis of Lily in The Secret Life of Bees - Research Paper Example The Boatwright’s own a successful honeybee farm and make â€Å"the best honey in the state†. Another woman, Rosaleen also lives in the home. Rosaleen was Lily’s housekeeper and caregiver in her home prior to their arrival at the Boatwright’s home. Lily has been wracked with guilt because at the age of four, she accidentally killed her mother when her mother and father were fighting. Her mother was going to shoot her father to stop him from hurting her, but she dropped the gun. Lily picked up the gun, and in an attempt to help her mother, fired the gun; unfortunately, her mother was killed instead of her father. Lily stayed with her father who was abusive to her. As an example, when she would do something against his rules, he would make her kneel on grits for up to an hour for her punishment. On her 14th birthday, Lily asked her father to tell her more about her mother, and he states that her mother left them and wanted nothing to do with her. Lily did not want to accept this information and after her father is particularly abusive, she runs away, taking Rosaleen with her. Lily has spent several months with the Boatwrights and she has seen many things happen. Lily lives in South Carolina in 1964, which was a tumultuous time for black people. Because the three sisters are black, and because Lily does not agree with the way that the southern people treat blacks, she has seen two other traumas in her life. The first was when Rosaleen poured tobacco juice on a white man’s foot and then would not apologize. They beat Rosaleen and arrested her, putting her in jail. During the time she was in jail, she was also beaten and sent to the hospital. It was at that point that Lily finds Rosaleen and they leave. The second traumatic event was when Lily went to the movies and sat in the black section with her friend Zack. Because Zack is black, he was taken out of the balcony for sitting with a white girl, beaten and then he disappeared; even tually he was brought back to the Boatright’s with some of his spirit broken. Another trauma in her life happened when May Boatwright learned about Zach’s disappearance; she committed suicide. Lily has taken all of these incidents as proof that she is a bad person and that she â€Å"brings the bad things in.† The Boatright’s and Rosaleen are concerned about this and have brought Lily to counseling to help her move forward with her life. Lily is a very loving child and she is looking for someone to love her. She does not feel that her father T Ray loves her because of his mistreatment of her. Presenting Problems When Lily came to the Boatwright’s she was hiding the information about her mother because she knew that these women may have known her mother. Lily asked for a place to stay and to work so that she and Rosaleen could go to an Aunt’s house; she also said that they she was an orphan. Lily reports that she often has flashbacks (she call s them dreams) about her mother’s death. She says that she can have these dreams during the day or at night and that they happen when she is feeling stressed or when something happens to trigger these dreams. As an example, when she was asked if she wanted some grits, she quickly says no because she only knows them as a punishment. Although Lily is consumed by guilt for killing her mother, she is also feeling abandoned by her mother at the same time, because of what her father, T Ray has told her. She does not feel that she is loved by anyone, and she goes to the Boatwright’s to see if they know whether her mother loved her. Lily firmly believes that she took her mother away from her when she killed her. In her words, "I killed my mother when I was four years old, that’

Religion -Ethical and Social Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion -Ethical and Social Issues - Assignment Example Even though Mrs. Wilkins is in her last life cycle the natural law demands that what is consistent with natural law is morally right during anything that is not is morally wrong. In connection to this, these laws are determined human beings. Human beings have the ability to reason and decide for themselves what is right or wrong. Even though she agreed to take the trial, it was not morally because she was not given enough time to think about the experiment. Kant ethics also states that the only good thing which cannot be quantified is good will. Kant also argues that there is no occasion that we can forfeit a moral behavior in order to have some good object. In connection to these conditions by Kant, the doctors should not push the patients just to have the medicine tested. According to Act Utilitarianism.... â€Å"Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By "happiness" is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by "unhappiness" pain, and the privation of pleasure. In this case, Mrs. Wilkins has agreed to take part in the trial because she feels it will help other people overcome the sickness she is having. Rule-utilitarianism suggests that a person’s decision should be based on the overall consequences that the decision will make. Therefore, by Mrs. Wilkins accepting to take part of the trials she is convinced that in the long ran, there are people who will benefit. Kant’s theory concludes that by rational agents agreeing to take part in any activity; they are bound to these activities by their own will. Finally, Kant concludes that while, in pursuit of the kingdom of ends, rational agents should act as if their law established a hypothetical kingdom. Therefore, Kant theory can be used to justify that Mrs. Milkins is a potential candidate for the experiment. Also according to Primer face duties, there is always a primer face

Analyzing the major challenges i faced as a member of a writing Essay

Analyzing the major challenges i faced as a member of a writing community (IMPORTANT worth 20% of my grade) - Essay Example Despite the advantages associated with excellent writing skills, international students face challenges in development of effective writing skills. The challenge is adverse when the English is not the student’s first language. Students from Arabic and French speaking African countries face massive challenges because they must study English as a language before developing the necessary writing skills. Language learning is the process that requires time. For instance, early introduction to language leads to a better understanding of the language. For this case, students study English language at an old stage when in college. Such late introduction to a new language will adversely affect the writing skills of the students. For my case I started studying language in high school and despite the aggressive learning approach, I have not reached a satisfactory level. Therefore, the main challenge is to understand the language and developing the necessary skills with the focus being on the writing skills and style (Briggs 56). The introduction of the various languages at the infant stage of life may be beneficial for the students compared to the current college approach employed. The main challenge in international writing is the understanding of the Standard English for academic use, which affects article or publication quality. Language understanding and proficiency is vital in the development of the necessary writing skills and can be improved through practice and writing. In addition, there are five domains, which an international student can experience difficulties when developing academic writing skills (Briggs 20). The first challenge is the difference in culture. Difference in culture leads to culturally coined problems. The assumed and actual differences in the concepts of academic writing between the country of origin and host country can affect the writing significantly. In fact, it is a considerable challenge for international students because of the difference in understanding and perception. Some words may be translated to give a different meaning to the whole situation. The use of slang within the college causes a challenge because it affects understanding and meaning of words for international student. Academic writing approach between the different nations illustrates the difference in writing concepts which will be evident in the writings. According to Briggs, the observation by teachers indicates that the problems related to cultural adjustment, language and learning are products of cultural differences. The main challenge with culture is the difference in the learning style between country of origin and study country. For instance, the Middle Eastern culture does not encourage male and females interacting freely in the learning environment (Briggs 56). Therefore, the students may face the challenge when studying in the western countries which have no gender related restriction. Such changes will affect the international student and in turn reduce or lead to poor academic success. Culture is a vital issue in learning for international students because it affects perception and understanding. The international students are faced with general-linguistic problems, which result from linguistic knowledge or competency of the student. These are problems that cannot be accounted for by the students because of the second language deficiency (Briggs 23). Additionally, the ability of the student to

The Rape Charge Filed by the Complainant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Rape Charge Filed by the Complainant - Essay Example It is the onus of the Crown to prove a guilt that erases reasonable doubt to overcome the presumption of innocence that should exceed the evidentiary threshold (Fisher, 2011, p. 811). It was only after the second assault that she filed the rape complaint maybe out of spite of her uncle or it might be that she finally mustered enough courage to come out in the open to file the charge. A number of aspects in the case R. v. W. (1991) stand out, of which three are unusual. Firstly, the case is essentially that of which side to believe because of the lack of usual corroborating testimonies from other witnesses and this case becomes a case of his word pitted against hers. In other words, this case hinges on credibility as to which side seems to be the more truthful, the complainant or the defendant. For the jury, as sole judges, it all boils down to exercising their best judgment based on common sense and any prior everyday experiences as it relates to this particular case. In this regard, it is not quite unusual for rape victims not to file any charges immediately after an incident for various reasons, such as fear of retribution or shame. It is therefore quite understood why she decided to file a complaint only after a second assault took place. Some victims even take weeks or months before finally deciding to file a complaint, a considerable lapse of time when essential forensic evidence of a crime may have disappeared. Secondly, it is quite unusual for the trial judge to warn the jury not to start deliberating yet as there might be some corrections pertaining to the first charge filed when it was agreed by both parties to be essentially correct and fair (error-free). What is even more unusual was a short time that elapsed between the main charge and the re-charge, incontrovertible evidence or proof that the judge himself may have entertained some doubts as to the correctness of the first charge and making the re-charge almost as a second thought or  an afterthought to rectify something else.

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay Example for Free

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay This paper tries to point out the differences between what it means to know and to understand. These two subjects are preliquisite of one another in that it is impossible to understand what one does not know. The paper also outlines how these two subjects impart on teaching in our schools. Most of the schools teach by what is popularly known as, to learn by rote, which according to Webster’s dictionary, is to learn by memory alone without comprehension or thought. Key words: Understanding, Knowing KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The Difference between Knowing and Understanding The difference between knowing and understanding is evident. Knowing is akin to simply memorizing something and is a precursor for understanding. Understanding means that you can apply the knowledge that you have. Knowledge is absorption of data and understanding uses the knowledge as a foundation. It implies therefore, that understanding is absent without knowledge. It’s possible to know something without necessarily understanding it. For instance one may know that for living things to grow, they require nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and others, but they may not understand how this nutrient brings about growth. Wiggins and McTighe (2006) explains that to truly understand something, we must know it instinctively more than just being able to recite facts or theory, and do it unconsciously. When we know something, we can understand the concepts through practice and gaining experience. The ultimate purpose of learning in school is to understand important concepts in addition to knowing them. Students should be given an opportunity to practice the knowledge they have gained in class so that they can gain new skills and have an in depth understanding of the material that learn. This is because to understand something means that you can teach it, explain it and defend it. You can also connect any information that is related to it. This is only gained through practice and experience (Wiggins et al. , 2006). Teachers should teach their students to understand concepts, rather than presenting them with facts that are going to help them pass their exams. The reason for this is that the student is not able to grasp the concepts intellectually, and therefore they forget the material in long term. In order to understand concepts, we work against obstacles that limit our understanding such as beliefs, unproved theories and taboos set out by our cultural backgrounds. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The idea of education as a technique to sharpen intellectual discipline, to nurture higher cultural wellbeing or teach civic principals has simply vanished. To effectively deliver knowledge, teachers must ensure that their students understand the material. This can be achieved by setting up a curriculum that draws on an array of skills, stressing thinking and analysis over the rote of memorization. According to Wiggins et al. (2006), there are six facets of understanding; explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge. Any one of facets provides knowledge, but a masterly of all of them ensures understanding of any material. In essence teaching should be aimed at understanding, since retaining facts is much easier when you see how they fit into a larger picture that makes sense. To educate is to deliver knowledge in an understandable form which should be our main role as educators. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING Reference Wiggins, G. , McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding by Design. (2ed. ). Upper Saddle River; New Jersey: Pearson Education.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay Example for Free

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest published in 1962 is a fiction novel by Ken Kesey. The novel is set in an Oregon asylum and serves as a study of the institutional practice and the human mind. Its curious approach lays the foundation for a discussion concerning truth, as not each event described by the narrator is possible truth in the book’s reality, such an evaluation is made by the reader. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is the creation of both the personal experiences of the author, Ken Kesey, and the particular culture in which it was written. Kesey developed the novel as he attended Stanford University as a graduate student in their Creative Writing program as the winner of a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. The novel was partly inspired by Kesey’s part-time job as an orderly in a Palo Alto veterans’ hospital. It was moreover as a student at Stanford where Kesey started participating in experiments for the psychology department that involved the exercise of LSD. This use of LSD had driven Kesey to have hallucinations while working as an orderly. Kesey imagine seeing a large Indian mopping the flooring of the hospital; this hallucination prompted Kesey to include the character Chief Bromden as the novel’s narrator. â€Å"What is the character of Bromden? How he regain his sanity? † A tall, half-Indian patient in the ward, Chief Bromden is the patient who has been considered the longest in the institution. Even though others believe that he is deaf and mute, Chief Bromden instead prefer not to speak, originally for the reason that others ignored him and then out of fear of Nurse Ratched. Chief Bromden is said to be the narrator of the novel. With the aid of McMurphy, he started to speak once more and reassert himself against Nurse Ratched and her workers. Chief Bromden speaks to McMurphy and sooner overcomes his schizophrenia throughout his influence, distinguishing himself for the physical giant and mistreated man he has always been. Chief Bromden’s background has had an intense impact on his character. Society never treated him with the respect every person deserved, and not being competent to face up to it, he was forced into hiding out in a mental institution. The abandon from society all through his life turned the Chief into a paranoid, unconfident and reserved man. The reader gets a quick look of Chief Bromden’s paranoia in the start of the novel. General Discussion The One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest novel in some sense structures a bridge between the bohemian beatnik movements of the 1950s and the 1960s counterculture movement. Kesey was significantly motivated by the beatnik culture around Stanford, and in the novel Kesey deals with a number of themes that would be important in the counterculture movement, as well as notions of freedom from repressive authority and a more liberated observation of sexuality. Kesey himself became an extremely influential counterculture figure as piece of the Merry Pranksters. Chief Bromden is a half American Indian. His father was a chief named Tee Ah Millatoona, which referred as The-pine-that-stands-tallest-on-the-mountain. That is why he is capable of using the title chief. He took on his mother’s last name of Bromden. He spent his growing up stage in the Columbian gorge. The chief is massive and tall and would appear very unapproachable and threatening to those who meet him. He was committed to the hospital institution and has been there for longer than anybody else, for over 15 years. Chief Bromden was put in there after World War two. The chief was an electricians assistant in a training camp prior to the army shipped him off to Germany. It is possibly due to working with electronics and the added tension of going to war that has led the chief to have such a harmful preoccupation with electronics. The chief has led everybody in the hospital, both staff and patients to think he is deaf and dumb. As a young child he was for all time ignored, by fellow students and adults, this could have been for the reason that he was so strange looking, being half American Indian and appearing so big and threatening yet being quite shy. I had to keep acting deaf if I wanted to hear at all Chief Bromden said. He felt abandoned by his peers all through life and so as an adult decided that as people acted like he was invisible he might as well vanish, It wasnt me that started acting deaf, it was people that first started acting like I was too dumb to hear or see or say anything at all Chief Bromden said. So acting to be deaf and dumb was most likely a defense mechanism. For him, his silence is also exceptionally potent. As he is capable to hear all that went on in the meetings where the doctors and nurses talk about the future of the patients. The doctors and nurses dont hesitate to declare anything in front of him for the reason that they assume he cant hear. Chief Bromden said They dont bother not talking out loud about their hate secrets when Im nearby because they think Im deaf and dumb. The process and experiences that Chief Bromden has to go through in order to regain his sanity is discussed below. In the first chapter, Kesey sets up the formation of the mental institution where the novel takes place. The authority figure is obviously Nurse Ratched, as yet known merely as Big Nurse, a woman whose character seems hardly human. Kesey makes the whole thing about Nurse Ratched mechanical and automated, such as her robotic movements and accurate speech. She is a representation of bureaucracy and authority in general. Conversely, even within this first chapter there are signs that behind this apparently inhuman facade there is some great instability. Chief Bromden appears to believe that Nurse Ratched is ready to snap at the black boys at any minute, and her big breasts, the one absurd part of her appearance, illustrate that she is unable of fully separating herself from typical human characteristics. The black boys, the workers at the institution, serve Nurse Ratched out of terror; on the other hand, their most well-known characteristic is an absolute hatred for all around them. Unlike Nurse Ratched, they are cruel, if only for the reason Nurse Ratched is incapable of feeling any satisfaction from the pain she inflicts. This makes them a more immediate threat to patients such as Chief Bromden, but also more at risk. They go through from the same human failings that Nurse Ratched has concealed. Even though Chief Bromden is the narrator of the tale, his descriptions cannot be entirely trusted. He is clearly unreliable, as shown when he hallucinates the Air Raid and the fog machine. The fog symbolizes Bromden’s own mental clarity; it will reappear whenever Chief Bromden turn into less stable and recede every time he becomes more coherent. It is significant that Chief Bromden is silent, for he stands for the more passive elements of society that submit to authority which is Nurse Ratched. In chapter three having illustrates the support staff of the hospital, Chief Bromden turns to the patients who occupy the institution. The majority of the patients are Acutes, meaning that they have the likelihood for rehabilitation and release, but Bromden makes the significant point that they also have the risk of becoming worse for the reason of their stay at the hospital, as established by Ruckly and Ellis. Kesey makes obvious the lines of disagreement between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched signifies rules and order, while McMurphy symbolizes anarchy and disobedience. Yet a more significant characteristic that McMurphy displays is showmanship. In this chapter he grasps for attention, acting like a politician on a campaign stop. This trait will cause McMurphy to be an easy target for those in the institution, mainly Nurse Ratched. Chief Bromden releases the critique of the mental institution in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to a bigger societal critique. The social criticism of the events in the novel generally entails the idea that the institution is a microcosm for the entire society, but Kesey moreover makes the precise connection between the institution and other societal organizations. The mental institution is intended to repair damage done by schools, churches and families, however operates under the similar conditions as these organizations and hence suffers the same problems. In chapter six Chief Bromden’s suggestion that Nurse Ratched can direct the clocks at the ward show that Chief Bromden is frequently unreliable as a narrator, but nonetheless remains constant with Ratched’s domineering and controlling personality. Harding, the president of the patients’ council and a college graduate, continues to serve as an expository device; it is he who gives details to McMurphy the causes for various events at the institution, such as the music. Kesey establishes another contrast between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched in this chapter. His confrontation with Nurse Pilbow, one of Ratched’s nurses, underscores that Ratched signifies sexuality, as compared to the passionless and reserved Nurse Ratched. In chapter seven, this chapter once again serves to demonstrate that Chief Bromden is an unreliable narrator. Even though several of the details of his observation are true, others are mainly fantasy; Bromden worries that the workers are using the Vegetables for terrible experiments and will do the same to him. On the other hand, Kesey makes it unquestionably clear that Bromden is having a hallucination in this chapter when Mr. Turkle, the night watchman, wakes him. In chapter twelve Kesey demonstrates these chapters in short succession. Two of these include little more than a paragraph. This serves to show the disjointed nature of Chief Bromden’s observations. He presents only short glimpses of events that transpire in the institution, none of which include any great importance. The most significant point that Chief Bromden makes is that the ‘insanity’ as illustrated by the fog is a comfort for the patients. It permits them to recede from the complexities of reality that McMurphy wants them to face. In chapter fifteen Kesey uses Chief Bromden mainly as a narrator who illustrates external conditions, and hardly gives insight into Chief Bromden’s own psychology. On the other hand, in this chapter Kesey gives several indication of the origin of Chief Bromden’s psychological problems. Bromden relates the imaginary ‘fog machine’ of the mental institution to the fog that surrounded him throughout wartime. This point out that Chief Bromden probably suffers from shell-shock caused by his war experience, and it is this shell-shock which driven him to lose his grip on sanity. Kesey in addition gives a similar psychological deconstruction of Billy Bibbit. The beginning of Billy Bibbit’s problems leads to a strict Freudian interpretation. He is the creation of a domineering mother who controls his all action, as well as deciding which woman is suitable for him to marry. That the first word Billy Bibbit stuttered was ‘mama’ is an obvious indication that she is the cause of his problems. His mother’s obvious collaboration with Nurse Ratched is additional evidence that Billy’s mother is the cause of most of his troubles. McMurphy assumes the part of a revolutionary in this chapter. When he rebels against Nurse Ratched by breaking from the recognized schedule to watch the World Series, McMurphy at last abandons the rules and regulations of the ward. This rebellion take place, though, only after it is obvious that McMurphy cannot take part in the apparently democratic system that Nurse Ratched controls. This is a significant point, for it reveals that McMurphy is not a casual anarchist bent on breaking down any system of governance, but rather a man driven to rebellion by an unjust system around him. Even though Nurse Ratched’s claim that the vote is democratic, her vote consists the Chronics, who have no capability to make a rational choice required of voting. This guarantees that Nurse Ratched can keep the status quo, despite the clear support for McMurphy. When McMurphy shatters from his schedule to watch the World Series, he makes an ultimate break from the ‘government’ of Nurse Ratched. It is a revolutionary measure on the level of the institution. The vote for the World Series is a defining moment for Chief Bromden, for it is the first point through which he reasserts himself as a functioning person. He does this in the course of his vote for McMurphy, the first ultimate, responsive action that Chief Bromden takes throughout the novel, and continues this pattern when he unites with McMurphy and the other Acutes in the protest against Nurse Ratched. This underscores a foremost theme of the novel, the importance of rational choice. It is the capability to choose that determines one’s status as a rational human being. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in a very important sense centers on the conflict between McMurphy, who characterizes this capability for choice, and Nurse Ratched, who does not permit persons to determine decisions for themselves. In chapter sixteen the fog that Chief Bromden declares to see is a symbol of his incoherence and incapacity to assert himself, therefore when Bromden makes the decision to join the other men in dispute of Nurse Ratched, the fog vanish. This decision comes at a cost, on the other hand; by making choices Chief Bromden becomes susceptible, as he realizes. He loses the protection of the fog for the privileges of human choice. Chief Bromden’s choice to present himself once again as deaf and dumb is a strategic move that serves both himself and, for the narrative intentions of the story, Kesey. Bromden uses the perception that he is deaf and dumb as a scheme to deflect harassment by the black boys, but this perception also permits Chief Bromden access to circumstances such as the staff meeting that would usually remain secretive. Kesey grants Bromden access to the staff meeting to gives better insight into both Nurse Ratched and the perceptions of McMurphy. In chapter seventeen Kesey demonstrates the change in Chief Bromden in this chapter, when the character awakes and watches the dog outside the window. This shows that Chief Bromden is now more aware of the outside world. He can conceive of existence outside of the institution, as he could not before. McMurphy is the primary cause of this change. In chapter twenty four Chief Bromden’s stories about his childhood reveal that he, like Harding and Billy Bibbit, undergoes to some degree from a domineering female figure. Like Billy Bibbit, Chief Bromden is frightened by his mother, whom he describes as â€Å"twice as tall† as his father, who was himself a big man. Chief Bromden point out that his mother dominated both him and his father, causal to the problems that both faced. It is from his father that Chief Bromden developed the thought of the Combine. The story that Chief Bromden tells McMurphy supplies a huge deal to a psychological analysis of the character. He appears to be deaf and dumb mainly for the reason that he has been frightened by others around him, whether heartless inspectors or his domineering mother. However Chief Bromden reasserts himself once McMurphy proves him some degree of kindness and respect. Chief Bromden is possibly the best example that Kesey provides of the beneficial effect that McMurphy has on the patients in the institution. Kesey indicates later even when McMurphy discusses the control panel in the tub room. He gives Chief Bromden the thought that he might be able to raise the control panel and throw it all the way through the window, permitting an escape. The one question that remains is what will induce Chief Bromden to carry out this action. In chapter twenty seven Nurse Ratched does achieve a victory over McMurphy in this chapter, but whatsoever victory she has will be short-term. The shock treatment does not radically affect Chief Bromden; he rapidly regains a sense of lucidity subsequently and returns to rationality. More significantly, the nurse who treats McMurphy’s wounds makes the significant point that other nurses are contradicted to Nurse Ratched’s behavior. Even though Nurse Ratched keeps a tight grip on her specific ward, she is susceptible within the very institutional structure she uses against her patients. In chapter Twenty-Nine the final chapter of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest culminates in a pyrrhic triumph for Nurse Ratched but a final triumph for the martyred McMurphy. The argument between the two characters aligns on sexual lines, as set up by the disagreement between Nurse Ratched and Billy Bibbit that instantaneously precedes it. McMurphy’s attack on Nurse Ratched results an exact exposing of the Big Nurse. Once again the sexual connotations are tough, for when he attacks her he reveals her breasts, the one sign of her femininity. This also relates back to Harding’s previous suggestion that sex is the cure for Nurse Ratched; this chapter demonstrates that, if it is not the cure, it is surely a potent weapon against her. The outcome of this fight, nevertheless, is the final dehumanization of Nurse Ratched. When she proceeds to the ward, she is incapable of speaking and hence has lost a foremost sign of humanity. This neatly parallels Chief Bromden, who in the path of the novel recovers his voice and his humanity. McMurphy apparently loses his battle against Nurse Ratched when she commands a lobotomy for him, but the victory is hollow; she loses power over the ward as the other patients free themselves of her grip and willingly leave the hospital. This moreover fits in well with the Christian symbolism of the novel; even though McMurphy dies for his reason, his disciples leave the hospital to live in accordance to his teachings. They achieve the strength and the liberty to make independent choices that McMurphy proposed. Chief Bromden best exemplifies this. Throughout the course of the novel he has regained his voice, and he makes the ultimate step in the direction of self-realization at the novel’s end. By moving the control panel, Chief Bromden fulfills McMurphy’s desires and reasserts himself as a member of society.

The Constituent Assembly in Russia of 1917 Why did it fail?

The Constituent Assembly in Russia of 1917 Why did it fail? The Constituent Assembly in Russia of 1917: Why did it fail? The history of Rus, or Russia, as it known nowadays, is completely different from the Western one. The end of tsarism in Russia was characterized by vast reforms that were followed by instability. ‘People’s Will’ was replacing old meaning of power. One of the important features that was very important and took place in Russia was a constituent assembly of 1917. This assembly had only 1 day of existing, but left a lot of unresolved questions about its nature. Elected in November of 1917 and convened only once in January of 1918 it supposed to change the whole structure of Russia. However, it was dispersed by All – Russian Congress of Soviets, it failed to deliver the aims of provisional government. Still, many people were pinned their hopes on constituent assembly, and the fact that it lasted such a short period of time and ultimately failed, raises a lot of questions. The governmental body that is described here has its roots laid down in Middle Ages, and later, in times of enlightenment. At these stages of history, society developed to an extent, when intellectual elite wanted to choose political system by themselves. Such legal bodies, which were deciding on different legislative questions, were known to Russia even before, for example during the elections of tsars Boris Godunov or Michael Romanov. However these were different entities, and the term, which is more modern and suits the definition of constituent assembly of 1917, was coined during French Revolution. At that time, constituent assembly was as a sign of law, symbol of people’s rights and freedoms. Transferred to east, the idea of such body should have been modernized, or mixed, gathering both European political culture and Russian historical thought. Autocracy in Russia in the latest years of tsarism had a tendency to give promises, but to never realize them. Constituent assembly was associated with constitutional reforms first, as it was made to establish constitution. Such assembly was a hope in the eyes of people – e.g. it would be the representative of society, thus leading to freedom, at least partial. This idea was widely supported by all revolutionists – starting from Octobrists and ending up with Mensheviks. However, as constitutional assembly is rather an emergency – based entity, and not permanent, like parliament, it was granted a huge amount of power, though on a very short period of time. As was mentioned before, idea of constituent power dates back to French Revolution, when social contract became an essential part of people – government chain, and legislative, constituent and extraordinary functions were put in constituent assembly. In Russia, establishment of democratic institutions have always been a problem. This fact is a no wonder, as it is unimaginable – to build democratic mechanisms in autocratic engine. As a result, there was lack of such institutions. Only in 16th – 17th c. the so – called ‘Assemblies of the Land’ or ‘Zemskie Sobory’ were established. Notwithstanding, their rule was often misleading, as they did not have real power, and were only an illusion of real assemblies. In addition to that, Russia was weak in economic and social terms, joined industrialization very late. Overall, European ideas that were constantly removed after Peter the Great, did not find response in Russia, and the lowest layer of society, that should have been the main democratic estate, was unable to fit that role. In such atmosphere of constant tyranny of autocracy, inability to change anything, the ground for radicalism and revolutionary thoughts was created. Moreover, the outcomes of French Revolution have changed minds of Russian intelligentsia, and they became the main force of upcoming changes. The first people who were eager to change something were Decembrists, as they were the first to proclaim the idea of constituent assembly. However, their ideas did not found recall, and after this movement was ultimately defeated, hopes for constituent assembly disappeared from the horizon. Intelligentsia stopped to fight for ideals of rights and people’s will, relying only on society, as a main force of revolutionary thought. It must be said, though, that people did not waited long, and in the end of 19th century the so – called ‘Narodnaya Volya’ became the driving factor of revolution. Narodnaya Volya believed that it was ultimately constitutional government, which must be entitled with power. Moreover, masses that must be engaged in revolution, in order to trigger the overthrow, became aware of these ideas by this particular institution. This idea strongly affected people’s thoughts, and this affection was only deepened by the first Russian Revolution. Narodnaya Volya became very popular among nation. Even though among Russian political parties was very different, and some of them very critical about it, the lowest layer of society still hoped to achieve glory through constituent assembly. As a result of new widespread notion of constituent assembly, a lot of new left – wing parties were established. Interestingly, Mensheviks were quite skeptical about the idea of const ituent assembly, claiming that it can be a subject to lobbying, while Bolsheviks were putting their hopes on it, as they saw constituent assembly as a must – have prerequisite of revolution. SRs were also supporting the assembly in the beginning of 20th century. At the edge of revolution in 1905, everything was aimed at constituent assembly, the idea that has slowly grown into a widespread hope for people. As of beginning of revolution it became the top priority for nation. Nevertheless, revolution changed the view of parties onto constituent assembly. Pathways, or rather the ways, which parties were wanted to choose while building such assembly, were completely different. Cadets and liberals wanted to exclude unwanted violence; SRs and Bolsheviks, as revolutionary parties, saw the possibility of establishment of constituent assembly only through armed uprising; while Mensheviks were accepting constituent assembly as a by – product of self – government entities, which were not created, and later on Duma, which was soon dissolved and Mensheviks refused to support the constituent assembly. Even though it was a widespread idea, autocracy did not want to surrender. Moreover, the support of constituent assembly idea among parties’ members was not the same among nation. It was said that people were hoping for establishment of constituent assembly, they did not all realize the very need of it, and, bearing in mind that most of the people were illiterate, did not share the view on it with parties, that mostly consisted of intellectuals. All these factors did not let constituent assembly to be created in 1905 – 1907. Constituent assembly was created right after autocracy was overthrown – in 1917. The period of anarchy, temporary gap between the overthrow of the old regime and adjustment of a new one, was a perfect situation for building the institution that was so long needed. The need for such institution was obvious for everyone. That is why in the legal status of constituent assembly, which was created by the contributions of The Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies and Interim Committee of the State Duma. It consisted of three main points – elections of by popular vote, claim that it is constitutional assembly that decides on principal questions of public life and that the form of government, e.g. political system is decided only by the assembly. Finally, everything was prepared, and socialist parties started work on the plan for the first meeting of constituent assembly. According to Cadets and Mensheviks, constituent assembly should have had influence on political system, land reforms, international relations, military reforms and so forth. Bolsheviks were also interested and shown eagerness to of constituent assembly. However, as soon as Lenin has come, Bolsheviks suddenly changed their stance. Lenin was quite skeptical about constituent assembly, but did not refuse it. Rather, from now on Bolsheviks stopped to perceive constituent assembly as a top – priority issue. Here the problems start to appear on the scene. Bolsheviks represented one part of democratic side, which refused democracy of bourgeois; they were rather the co – siders of democracy of proletariat. Their ideal was the pure democracy, the power of people over people. On the other hand, Mensheviks and SRs were in – between, searching for some kind of parliamentary rule connected with the rule of people; division of power. As a result, democratic powers were divided. Moreover, SRs and Mensheviks were having rather a permanent union. In addition to that, it must be mentioned that Russia was having a plentitude of parties, but none of them was connected with electorate sufficiently. As was mentioned before, society was politically weak and was not developed in terms of political life. As time was passing by, provisional government had created a so – called ‘Osoboye Soveshanie’ which stands for ‘special meeting’. This institution had to prepare ground for upcoming constituent assembly and to answer many questions. Among them were number of participants, decide on whether majoritarian or proportional representation principle must be applied during assembly etc. In the beginning of September special meeting has ended up his work. The outcomes were made, and the plan was created, but the exact time of constituent assembly creation was still not verbalized in provisional government. Finally, it was decided that constituent assembly must elected on November 12th, 1917. Suddenly, when the period of tense atmosphere started taking place, the chaotic actions began. Bolsheviks became very tough about constituent assembly at the same time as provisional government was losing its power. It was high time – Russia either would fall into oblivion, or would prosper in the new democratic world. However, as it often happens, in times of serious decisions country becomes very weak. Bolsheviks had taken advantage of that situation. They decided to make an uprising, under the slogan of ‘All Power to the Soviets!’ (Vsya Vlast Sovyetam!). Lenin, the head of Bolsheviks, started to claim that only under the power and direct guidance of Bolsheviks party, constituent assembly will be successful. Moreover, he was proclaiming that Soviets and assembly must merge. The idea of constituent assembly was used by Lenin to attract those Bolsheviks and masses that still had the constitutional illusions. In the upcoming struggle, the position of Bolsheviks and Lenin was quite strong. Armed uprising and seizure of power by Bolsheviks had completely reversed the discrepancy among society. From now on, constituent assembly was not uniting, but dividing parties. The slogan ‘All Power to Soviets’ was obviously non – democratic in its roots, and opposition openly admitted it, fighting with Lenin’s party. SRs and Mensheviks, even having loose connection between them, were standing on one side, being the fiercest opponents of Bolsheviks. Bolsheviks immediately took actions – all liberal newspapers were closed on the eve of 1917’s October, changing them on their own agitation campaigns. This period was anarchic, parties accused each other in inability of one to pass on Russian Idea, in schism of Russian Revolution that must take place and so forth. As a refute, Bolsheviks’ claims were that they are the new driving force and the only government Russia needs, and other parties act as a counterrevolutionaries, which is unacceptable. Parties were basically ruining every single brick they have built so far. People were far away from these concerns – they were more interested in what would happen afterwards, and low political culture combined with small amount of educated people were leaving no room for discussion. In the end of October, all electoral process was under the direct influence of Soviets. Bolsheviks removed every single oppositional material from the public access, and were directly agitating on their own Soviet campaign. Elections in constituent assembly were very complex. Economic weakness after the WWI combined with anarchic situation of the political arena made atmosphere around these elections very complicated. Even though society was politically weak, appearance index was quite high. Interesting fact is that on these elections, the party of SRs won. Bolsheviks were very surprised of such outcomes. They were sure, that their wide campaign combined with prohibition of all other agitating materials was enough to make their party into assembly. The big losers, however, were the Mensheviks, who get the smallest percentage of votes, and the party from now on literally stopped existing. Bolsheviks, of course, explained their failure by the SRs influence of electorates, accusing them of different abuses. The scenario of September was repeating – parties were blaming each other. However, in reality Bolsheviks’ campaign failed due to the inner structure of the regions that had the most impact on elections, such as Orenburg Province. Finally, when so anticipated even happened – e.g. when constituent assembly gathered, despite the whole Bolshevik’s propaganda, it immediately became to talk about election of assembly’s leader, who was the head of SRs – Victor Chernov, a Lenin’s direct opponent. Moreover, SRs were trying to weaken Bolsheviks’ influence, and Lenin could not let that happen, and used the same method of power achieving as before – put armed guards, and closed Tauride Palace one and for all. Later, he said his famous words: ‘There is no middle course anywhere in the world, not can there be. T here is either the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie or the dictatorship of the proletariat.’ (Hanna, 1972) Lenin picked second option. In conclusion it must be said that developments of 1917 in Russia have shown that political struggle is inevitable, when society is to be transformed via different means – e.g. when one side seeks revolution with the help of armed uprising, and the other, which is more democratic and wants to achieve change by the will of society. They cannot exist at one time. In the years 1917 – 1918 armed uprising of radicals has proved to be more effective, as Soviets ultimately won. Moreover, the shooting of peaceful demonstration on 5th of January, 1918 (the day of constituent assembly opening) was putting Russia in the danger of civil war. Liberal – democratic community has completely broken up. Even though in 1917 history of constituent assembly had more than one hundred years, since Great French Revolution passed, Russia could not sustain the same issues as revolution through the prism of European nation. During an attempt to build democracy, Russia has skipped the momen t, when a group of people with the hunger for power started to increase their influence. Proletariat was weakly interested in the politics, and this even worsened the situation. As a result, low political culture of the society combined with the adopted European practice and improper grounds for democracy to be set in, constituent assembly in the critical moment was unable to deal with Bolsheviks. Arms and radicalism took over ambitions and hope for better life, and from that moment Russia probably hast lost this hope forever. EasyJet: SWOT, PEST and Competitive Analysis EasyJet: SWOT, PEST and Competitive Analysis 1. Introduction and History A successful example of a European no frills airline is easyJet. Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Greek) founded the company in 1995. It is based on the low-cost, no-frills model of the US carrier Southwest. The concept of easyJet is based on the belief that demands for short-haul air transport is price elastic. That means, if prices for flights are being reduced, more people will fly. Traditionally airline concepts are based on the assumption that airline traffic grows in line with the economy and that cutting prices will only lead to a decrease in revenues. With the introduction of the no-nonsense concept to the European market, after its deregulation in 1992, easyJet has proven this theory wrong and goes from strength to strength by actually increasing the size of the market and more recently by taking away passengers from the majors (see www.easyjet.com for passenger figures, financial data and employee statistics). Today, it offers 125 routes from 39 European Airports (see www.easyjet.com for route launch dates), with Luton, Liverpool, Geneva, Amsterdam as base airports  [1]  and is operating 72 aircrafts (November 2003). November 1995: easyJet starts flights from Luton to Glasgow and Edinburgh with to leased Boeing 737-300 with a capacity of 148 seats at a price of  £29 one way. Seats are being sold over telephone reservation system only. In 1996 easyJet takes delivery of its first wholly owned aircraft and goes international with first services to Amsterdam from Luton. One year later easyJet launches its website, easyjet.com which will from 1998 onwards form an integral part of the business concept (and which provides for some 90% of the bookings today  [2]  ). In August 2002 easyJet expands its fleet and routes by acquiring British Airways low-cost subsidiary Go. In October 2002 the airline signs a deal to purchase 120 Airbus, which will facilitate the airlines ongoing growth strategy. Up until now, one of the cornerstones of the easyJets low-cost model has been to operate a single aircraft type fleet which so far has been the Boeing 737 series because uniformity means efficiencies in train ing, maintenance and operating costs. However, easyJets new deal with Airbus is being viewed by the company as stunning as the additional costs, which incur through the new type of aircraft are far outweighed by the financial benefits of this deal. EasyJet argues that both Boeing and Airbus aircraft have broadly similar characteristics but that a wider aisle on A319 will make it quicker to embark and disembark, that it has an extra seat on board (150 vs. 149) and that overall the A319 will lower costs by about  10% compared to the current mix of aircraft, which will contribute to lower ticket fares. (See appendix 1 for Stelios Haji-Iannous other easyGroup enterprises). 2. The Mission Statement of EasyJet To provide our customers with safe, good value, point-to-point air services. To effect and to offer a consistent and reliable product and fares appealing to leisure and business markets on a range of European routes. To achieve this will develop our people and establish lasting relationship (see www.easyjet.com) The basis of an organisations mission statement should answer the question What business is the company in? easyJet is doing this by stating that it provides point-to-point air services to its customers. That clearly underlines that easyJet is not in the people or food business, neither in the service business as such, but in the mass-transportation business, and as such its model is based on cost efficiency of the mass-transportation business. Moreover, it reflects several decisions about what kind of air service easyJet wants to provide. Evidently, its focus is on European routes, targeting business and leisure travellers alike. Furthermore, it aims to offer safe, good value transportation. easyJets mission statement also gives information on the How to get there? by putting emphasis on its people and suppliers. What is missing from the statement is the importance of the customers point of view, which could be expressed by saying, for instance, we want to be recognised asà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Also, as the mission statement is the bedrock for the marketing plan it should be more quantifiable, as to how much market share easyJet aims to gain in the future, for example. 3. Competitive Analysis In order to analyse the airline industry in detail, it is useful to apply Porters five competitive forces. The threat of substitutes Minimal threat from other modes of transport like train and car on domestic routes. Usually the time and cost advantage of the low-cost carriers far outweigh the increased comfort and flexibility of trains or cars (e.g. on the route Luton/London to Glasgow a train takes around 6 hours and costs around  £80 while a easyJet plane takes just one hour and costs around  £29). On international routes distances are usually too great for car or train to be an alternative to air travel, expect maybe from London to Paris, which can be reached by Euro Star. The threat of new entrants High capital requirements negate threat to some extent. easyJet was started with a loan of  £5 million, with 2 leased aircraft, but required a  £50million investment raised by debt and equity in year two to speed expansion and buy 4 new planes. The UK low-cost market is quite mature in comparison to the rest of Europe and easyJet, as the biggest operator has quite a comfortable position. However, expansion into new European markets might prove more difficult as established; cash strong holiday firms like TUI are setting up their own low-cost operations (see information about Hapag Lloyd Express, www.hlx.com) Lack of take-off and landing slots makes it difficult for new carriers to find suitable airports. Loss leader is required in order to join the low cost market. The power of suppliers The price of aviation fuel is directly related to the cost of oil, as an individual company easyJet does not have the power to alter this. Airplane manufacturers are concentrated in the industry, with Boeing and Airbus providing the majority of commercial planes and with easyJet operating one type of aircraft until recently. easyJets deal with airbus however shows that favourable agreements can still be reached. The dependence on spare parts from one manufacturer could pose a risk. The more easyJet expands the more power it will posses over its suppliers The power of buyers Buyer power within the airline industry and especially the low-cost market is relatively strong, as customers will often shop around for the better price, particularly with the dependence that the low cost airline has on Internet sales. Price discrepancies can be easily found and exploited by the consumer, meaning that the operator must keep a regular check on prices. Need for customer loyalty because of low switching costs Customers have the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on their side which provides: 1. protection against the consequence of travel organiser failure for people who buy package holidays, charter flights and discounted scheduled air tickets; and 2. licenses airlines and ensures compliance with requirements of European and UK legislation relating to financial resources, liability and insurance of airlines.  [3]   Rivalry among existing firms Ryan air, BMIbaby, MyTravelLite and Buzz are major competitors of easyJet in the UK. Virgin Express, Hapag Lloyd Express, Germanwings and Air Berlin already are or might become competitors in the light of future expansion plans. Ryanair is the only one of these so far to have succeeded and shown a continuous yearly profit (see appendix 2 for financial data). A growing number of tour operators (like Thomas Cook and TUI) are selling air only scheduled seats to reduced prices  [4]  . British Airways and other traditional carriers out of the UK are competitors as well but on a lower scale as they target different market segments (see appendix 3 for more detail). 4. Marketing Mix Price Low price is a key element of the brand. Uses differential pricing; off-peak travelling and booking in advance makes a ticket less expensive. Discounts for tickets booked online. Product no-frills, point-to-point air services also car hire on its website (use of the Internet for bundling products) and links to other easyGroup websites (see appendix 1 for other easyGroup enterprises). Place/distribution Internet booking system (over 90% of bookings). Telephone reservation system. Promotion Highlights its number one position among Europes low-cost airlines (advertising strap line: Size matters!, slogan: the webs favourite airline) Advocates internal marketing, creative work done in-house. No Bullshit approach (Stelios), humorous, attention-catching campaigns (e.g. the giving away of free tickets on Gos inaugural flight and Stelios protesting in a orange boiler suit against an increase of airport fees at Luton in a branch of Barclays bank which owns the airport). 5. SWOT Analysis 5.1. Internal Analysis (S)trengths Image, differentiation on price and brand. Is financially successful. Is being seen as an innovative and flexible organisation. Has a strong e-business. Is part of the consortium that has been awarded to run UKs air traffic control system (NATS). (W)eaknesses Has no customer retention policy Has little or no scope outside of Europe. Lack of service, flexibility and business focus (such as frequent flyer programmes e.g.) make the low-cost model unappealing for most business travellers. The two drivers of growth, the focus on price and the focus on convenience (frequent flights, few connections, more nearby airports e.g.) are reaching their natural limits. Differentiation from there remains to be difficult. easyJets own success makes it difficult to recruit and train staff quickly enough. 5.2 External Analysis Opportunities Experts predict great potential for future growth in the next years (see appendix 4). The current recession is favourable as people and businesses are more cost-conscious. More full-service airlines may withdraw from the regional market to focus on more profitable long-haul routes leaving the market to the low-cost operators. The short-breaks market, an important market for easyJet grows more rapidly than the UK travel market as a whole  [5]. Reduced aircraft prices Threats Difficulties to expand as viable new routes from London are scarce. Competition is likely to intensify, given the saturated market and the shortage of other options  [6]. Increased competition is likely to lead to greater difficulties in demanding incentives from communities, like the very low fees easyJet received at Luton  [7]. Companies cut on business travel in times of economic downturn and because of new time-consuming security measures travel substitutes like videoconferencing are introduced  [8]. 6. Situational Analysis easyJet seems to be positioned very well with experts predicting excellent growth opportunities for the low cost-sector. Given the saturated market and the shortage of other options in the UK, competition is likely to intensify inevitably followed by consolidation, an early sign of which is easyJets purchase of GO. The UK market offers little growth opportunity, therefore concentration will be on the continental market, a step forward in this direction is setting up a major new base at Berlin, with flights from 11 European cities  [9]  , and possibly as well on Eastern Europe. Focus remains on pricing Strategy and expansion of its route network. Promotion needs to persuade people that it is safe to fly and establish easyJet as Europes largest low-cost carrier (as easyJet is already doing in its advertisement: Size matters!) 7. PEST Analysis Marketing Plan PEST analysis for easyJet for the next 5 years The following factors are likely to have an influence on the airline industry and should therefore be taken into account when formulating a Marketing Plan for easyJet. (P)olitico-legal factors Threat of war in the Middle East The Air Miles scheme is not considered as a taxable perk by the government in the way that company cars are taxed which may change to allow easyJet to compete on more equal grounds with the likes of BA. A EU east-enlargement may provide access to viable, new markets. (E)conomic factors Likelihood of increasing fuel costs, congestion and other environmental restrictions, as well as the prospect of higher security and insurance costs to reflect the risk of terrorism. As the recession is likely to last for some more time, business travellers will keep an eye on their travel expenses. Globalisation should continue to boost traffic in the long-term. The introduction of the single currency in Europe is likely to bring more business to easyJet as Europe becomes more integrated. (S)ocio-cultural factors To win over the French and German publics might cause problems as there appears still to be a general reluctance to use credit cards over the phone and Internet  [10]  . The public are general quite friendly to the prospect of cheap flights. However they may feel begrudged where they see promotions found in newspapers where flight are for  £10 only to find that the actual cost is much higher for the particular time or day they wish to fly on. (T)echnological factors A key issue will be the extent to which technological advancements such as the use of the Internet on distribution and cost synergies from industry consolidation can offset upward pressures on prices and costs. easyJet has to keep track of technological developments in the field of e-commerce and aircraft manufacture in order to gain a competitive advantage. 8. Conclusion 8.1 Strategic issues facing the airline industry The face of aviation is gradually evolving. The long-standing problems of the industry- in the form of large numbers of network carriers and substantial over-capacity in many markets were exacerbated by the events of September 11th (see appendix 5 for a post-Sept. 11th overview). This is likely to pave the way for some acceleration in the process of airline restructuring and consolidation. Experts believe that there is not room for the current multitude of carriers in Europe, and that these will eventually be whittled down to three or four major airlines, with the others absorbed or restructured to focus more on regional traffic. This also represents an opportunity for no-frills carriers to increase their market share. Along with this, some restructuring of the industrys complex and outdated regulatory system will be required. In the longer term, trend growth may itself slow gradually as the big air travel markets mature. In addition, falling yields, which have boosted air travel growth in the past, cannot be relied upon to persist, at least at the rate they have for the past decade or so. If cost trends are less favourable for example because of increasing fuel costs, congestion and other environmental restrictions, as well as the prospect of higher security and insurance costs to reflect the risks of terrorism the scope for lower yields would be less, and this might reduce future growth trends. A key issue will be the extent to which favourable cost trends such as the impact of the Internet on distribution costs and cost synergies from industry consolidation can offset these upward pressures on prices and costs. The full-service airlines, saddled with big networks and strongly unionised workforces, cannot easily embrace the management strategies of the no-frills airlines. Moreover, their scope for de fensive mergers is limited by competition policy. The ability of international airlines to expand is limited by ownership restrictions (In the US foreigners cannot own more than 25% of a national airline, in the EU the restriction is 49%  [11]  ). The no-frills market within Europe is immature relative to that of the US. The  sector accounts for only around 5% of all intra European capacity, though the share  is much higher in the UK domestic market and on services between the UK and  Europe, closer to 20%. Further strong growth is expected over the next 2-3 years as  new operations start up, and new destinations are added to the existing carriers  networks. However as the UK market becomes saturated, these carriers are likely to  focus their development at continental European hubs. The experience of the US market suggests that deregulation will be followed by industry consolidation. So far there has been limited progress in this direction but many are viewing the current crisis as the catalyst necessary to completely restructure the European airline industry . In the US the industry has consolidated into seven major carriers, which carry over 80% of passenger traffic of US airlines. Europe is far more fragmented with the equivalent figure for the seven European majors at only 47%  [12]  . 8.2 easyJets Future easyJet has to consider whether it should respond to new entrants by ceding niche-segments or by competing aggressively on price, routes and service in an attempt to drive the entrant out of the market. To make the strategic decision market research on the size of different combinations of pricing and service is needed. easyJet also needs to know how much it costs the competitor to serve, and how much capacity the competitor has for, every route in question. Finally, the new entrants competitive objectives are of relevance to anticipate how it would respond to any strategic moves easyJet might make. By obtaining these information residual uncertainty would be limited, and the incumbent airline would be able to build a confident business case around its strategy  [13]  . It is advisable that easyJet targets mainly leisure travellers as business often demand frequent flights to a wide range of destinations, seek quality service and frequent flyer programmes, and are willing to pay a premium for these benefits. Also, trying to appeal to widely different customer needs runs counter to the overall trend in service industries, in which distinctive approaches, tailored to different customers, have generally come to dominate  [14]  . No real opportunity offers the long-haul business as it is very different, both technically and in customer needs, to short-haul travel. easyJet should continue to focus on price and attempt to connect the dots in its network, which cost less than opening new cities. Thereby, it needs to make sure that a growth in its network and fleet does not lead to higher operating costs. It should also consider putting more emphasis on direct marketing by e.g. introducing a customer retention scheme. To differentiate its brand further on promotional lines, easyJet could introduce a CRM (cause related marketing) scheme, developing a reputation for being a caring airline, e.g. by selling shares in forest help programmes over its website, collect ing foreign currency on flights for charity etc., thereby giving its passengers a sense of psychological comfort and well-being  [15]  when they choose to fly with easyJet. Overall, easyJet has to develop a realistic and accurate assessment of the market-niche to be served. A relentless commitment to quality service and cost control is as important as the discipline to establish a growth plan (see www.easyJet.com for easyJet product life cycle and marketing strategy). (Word count 3,144) Appendices Appendix 1 Under the easy brand Stelios Haji-Iannou has furthermore established and Internet car rental service (easyRentacar), a chain of Internet cafes (easyEverything), a financial services site (easyMoney), a portal site for bargains on the net (easyValue) and a free e-mail service (easy.com). In all his ventures he is using yield management to extract the ideal margin from each customer  [16]  and keep costs down. Furthermore, yield management can help to better use price in the marketing mix to best reach the most customers  [17]  . However, there are no cross-shareholdings between easyJet and these other easyGroup companies. easyJey operates independently from the other companies although some cross-marketing agreements do exist. Also, results of the non-airline businesses have been mixed as they have lost  £75m in three years  [18]  . Appendix 2 Profit for Ryanair April September 2002 Year-on-year increase 151m à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ ( £96m) 71% Source: Tran, M. (2002)  [19]   See http://www.ryanair.com/download/morganjune.pdf for actual data. Appendix 3 Compare Airline Traffic Data (Europe) Air Transport World http://www.atwonline.com/Pdf/worldairlinereport_2002.pdf Appendix 4 The airline market is currently being re-shaped by the expansion of existing low-cost airlines. It has been estimated that they will expand their European market share from 5% to 25% by 2010, establishing themselves on a long-term basis. (Source: International Travel News (2003), available on http://www.internettravelnews.com/article/20223 Friday, 28th November 2003) Low-cost airlines are gearing up to take large chunks out of their rivals. In a decade, low-cost airlines may be the dominant form of air travel in Europe. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In Europe, no-frills travel accounts for only 5% of European air travel, but it is likely to grow to claim a 12-15% share in the next decade. (Source: BBC News (2002), available on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2038192.stm; Friday, 28th November 2003)

Gun Control - We Should Give a Gun to Every Citizen Essay -- Constitut

Gun Control – We Should Give a Gun to Every Citizen If the second amendment to the United States Constitution clearly states that, â€Å"The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,† why do our lawmakers constantly debate the topic of weapons? Radical Democrats wish to make all guns illegal, meaning only policemen and servicemen would be equipped with guns (â€Å"Mission†). Radical Republicans (i.e. Charlton Heston), on the other hand, wish to place no restrictions whatsoever on guns, making semi-automatic and fully-automatic guns available to everybody living in or visiting the United States, without a background check or profile of the gun buyer (Heston). It seems that every time a terrible crime is committed in the United States involving a gun, the debate about gun control flares up again. The Columbine massacre and other school shootings, shootings at churches and in the workplace, the serial sniper near Washington D.C., and rises in gang activity are all examples of such events that have sp arked debates in Washington. Both sides, Democrat and Republican, have good points, but they are far from a solution. Radical Democrats have reason to want to eliminate guns from America because every year in America thousands of people are injured or killed by a firearm. It is also true that in the early 1990s there were an estimated 200 million privately-owned guns in the United States, and to try and confiscate all of those guns would be ridiculous (â€Å"Gun Control†). Radical Republicans have the 2nd amendment on their side in their quest to make all guns legal and unrestricted. They don’t have practicality or the safety of the country on their side, however. The release of fully-automatic guns into the public wou... ...he possibilities are endless. Giving a gun to every citizen of the United States is the only way to make our streets safe. It is also a very good way to stimulate the economy and prevent against foreign invasion. It may even save your life. WORKS CITED â€Å"The Assault Weapons Ban: Questions & Answers.† Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. August 2002. Brady Campaign. Org. 3 Dec 2002 http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/gunlaws/awb.asp>. â€Å"Gun Control.† 30 Mar 2002. Just Facts: A Resource for Independent Thinkers. 2 Dec 2002 http://www.justfacts.com/gun_control.htm>. Heston, Charles. â€Å"NRA President Charlton Heston’s Opening Comments.† 20 May 2000. NRA Annual Meeting. 2 Dec 2002 http://nrahq.org/transcripts/hestonam.asp>. â€Å"Mission.† GCN Introduction. July 1996. Gun Control Network. 2 Dec 2002 http://www.gun-control-network.org/genintro.htm>.