Patriots, Loyalist, and the Neutral Ones Stuck in the Middle

Patriots, Loyalist, and the Neutral Ones Stuck in the Middle Today’s America is known for many things; however, one of the things it is notorious for is being a free country. Becoming a free country did not come without many trials and tribulations. The freedom that the American people now have grown so accustomed to started with fierce opposition not only from Britain, but from many of the Englishmen who lived in American colonies. The people that supported Britain throughout the American Revolution are referred to as Loyalists.On the other side of the spectrum, the people that strongly opposed Britain’s rule and King George III are known as Patriots. Patriots fought against the acts that Britain wanted to enforce and believed the colonies should have independence from Britain. Last there were the people who were neutral. While the Patriots and Loyalists were large in numbers, those in the neutral party were the minority, often suffering hardship due to their stance.Al though the Patriots found unity in the beliefs they held towards Britain, they were a blend of people from many different backgrounds. Patriots were a blended group of people from different social classes, from farmers to lawyers. They did not all share the same education level or common interests. The Patriot party was not fueled by people who were seeking their own power just for the purpose of being free. They were a group of people who felt like Britain was unjust in their tactics of rule. During, and immediately after the military conflict, a ferment of ideas — argued and discussed by an assemblage of remarkable men whose likes have rarely been seen — produced an innovative combination of republicanism and federalism that would serve as a model form of government for humankind, offering fresh political opportunities. † (Cowley and Parker 2001) The Patriots were against what they felt was unfair taxation, which was the beginning foundation of â€Å"no taxati on without representation. Some Patriots felt that loyalty should still be in place towards King George III; however like those who didn’t express similar loyalties, they felt â€Å"that taxes should be regulated by their own legislatures, not by members of Parliament in Great Britain. † (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011) One of their base core values was liberty. However the liberties they wanted or already had experienced, had been threatened by the Britain’s greed. They opposed being held to rules that were not put in place by the population majority.They felt it was only just that the people in the colonies have rules and regulations that they set instead of following everything that Britain desired. Patriots had an overall want for a common good. The poor people would not be held to things the rich would put in place, instead the people of the colonies would find a common unity to benefit all of its inhabitants. Loyalists were a party of people that would clo sely identify with today’s slogan â€Å"if it isn’t broke, why fix it†. Everyone living in the colonies had adhered to the rules and regulations set forth in Britain before and in their eyes, change was not necessary.Many lacked the desire to rear against a country with so much power. Unlike the Loyalists opposing group, the demographics were much more similar in those that followed the King. Money was a common factor for them and so was the responsibility of being a business owner. Many business owners had links to Britain that tied their livelihood in America to their loyalties they expressed for Britain. Many Loyalists had ties to Britain’s upper-class through marriage and other family. All factors that can solidify the stance many Loyalists chose.They also feared the upheaval that could arise without being under the control of Britain. They had no way of knowing their families would be safe or that their businesses would not be destroyed. They had no reason to be confident there worries might be unjustified when the Patriots resorted to violence. Britain wasn’t only safe because change is hard; Britain was safe because of the orderliness that they maintained. Loyalists also felt it was a moral issue to not be loyal to King George III.In their eyes, they did not have the power to choose and side when their moral beliefs told them their only option was to be loyal to the crown. Finally there was the group that did not take a solid stance on either side of the debate. The neutral party was not necessarily the easier side to be on though. They tried to keep more to themselves and not be as active as others did. They tried to maintain a low profile and stay out of the way. However, by not choosing to be on one side or the other they were looked at poorly by both Patriots and Loyalists.They continued business with Britain, and followed their own protocol they deemed appropriate for themselves. â€Å"Men of good will simply sho uld not rob and butcher one another, they believed, and many felt that the correct stance was to refrain if at all possible from any form of participation. † (Fellman 1990) Note that â€Å"if at all possible† was not always permitted. â€Å"Nearly half of all colonists did not want to take sides. They wanted to remain neutral in the conflict between the British and the Patriots. But they were forced to choose sided once the war began. (Todd 2001) Everyone living in the American colonies during the war felt the effects. Though not all wanted to be involved, nor did many feel the need to participate, it was unavoidable. Men, women, and children shed blood; there was no one who was not impacted. Being a Patriot, Loyalist, or a neutral party was based on differences varying from monetary and social class, right down to fear of change; however, there was no difference when comparing the high emotion and the impact experienced during the American War.Works Cited Cowley, Robe rt, and Geoffrey Parker. Reader's Companion to Military History. Wilmington: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. Fellman, Michael. Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict in Missouri During the American Civil War. Oxford University Press, 1990. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011. http://www. hmheducation. com/fl/pdf/resources/Grade5/T-5-1_SFLETG713311_TGL08. pdf (accessed September 14, 2012). Todd, Anne M. The Revolutionary War. Capstone, 2001.

Posttraumatic stress disorder Research Essay

223. 4 million U. S. citizens have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives. This is about 70% of adults in the USA. Today 31. 1 million people are struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Rosenthal). PTSD is defined as re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal, due to a traumatic event. The symptoms are either long lasting or have a delayed onset (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). A traumatic event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to self or others, can create intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). This traumatic event then can lead to a serious anxiety disorder such as PTSD. Examples range from witnessing another individual in a life or death crisis to experiencing a life or death crisis first. While PTSD affects a large percentage of the world’s population, only recorded incidents are placed in statistics. However around the world traumatic events are not uncommon, with the cases of genocide in Rwanda to war torn counties in the Middle East, and all the way back to the survivors of 9/11 and US troops back from Iraq, it is no wonder that PTSD is one of the most common disorders. This paper will summarize symptoms, causation, prevention and treatment of PTSD. There are four main categories that the symptoms of PTSD are grouped into. The first is re-experiencing the traumatic event or incident. There are a few different ways one can re-experience the trauma. Some may repeatedly visualize distressing images of either the incident or something closely related. There may be a constant thought of the event as it unfolded. Some may focus on how they could have done things differently assuming there might have been a better ending or the event would have been avoided entirely. Others will experience horrifying dreams or night terrors that will either be an exact flashback from the traumatic event or a metaphor of some sort that is equally traumatic. For example, a woman with PTSD who was a paramedic and was dispatched to the scene of the twin towers on 9/11 experienced nightmares of a fire breathing dragon. A friend of hers stated that it was as if there was a fire breathing dragon with all the fire and trauma that engulfed the paramedics (Psych Lab Video Case). Last are flashbacks that one will re- experience. â€Å"Flashbacks are sudden memories during which the trauma is replayed in images or thoughts often at full motional intensity† (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). The next symptom of PTSD is avoidance. One who suffers from PTSD will avoid all stimuli associated with the trauma. This means avoiding feelings, thoughts, people, places, and activities that remind them of the trauma. One critical symptom of avoidance is a numbing of responsiveness or emotional anesthesia, which causes sufferers to withdraw from others and hide or conceal their emotions. This is known to have a large effect on family and loved ones who attempt to help (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). The last symptom of PTSD is arousal or anxiety. PTSD is grouped in the DSM-IV-TR as an anxiety disorder because of the effects of arousal and the secondary anxiety it causes. Anxiety may show itself through hyper-vigilance, restlessness, agitation, irritability, exaggerated startle responses, and excessive fear reactions to unexpected stimuli (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). In order to assess and diagnose a person with PTSD, a person must re-experience the traumatic event at least once, they must have at least three symptoms of avoidance, two hyperarousal symptoms, and symptoms that make it hard to go about their daily life such as school, work, etc. nimh. nih. gov). If a majority of the world’s population experiences many or at least one traumatic event, how is it that not everyone develops PTSD? There a few factors that cause PTSD. Trauma is necessary for PTSD to develop but is not the only cause (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). Social factors include the amount of trauma the individual would be subjected to. For example, a police officer would have a higher rate of developing PTSD because of the exposure they commit themselves to as part of their career. Individuals are more likely to develop PTSD depending on the severity of the event. Some people can be categorized as â€Å"risk takers† which would make them more vulnerable to developing PTSD such as a police officer or paramedic. Other risk factors include having a history of mental illness, getting hurt, living through traumas, having no social support or dealing with extra stress after the traumatic event such as loss of loved one (nimh. nih. gov). Prevention of PTSD is possible and circumstances can take place that would help individuals prevent the disorder from developing even though traumatic events that could lead to PTSD are unknown or may come as a surprise. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides mental health assistance after a tragic event. An early intervention is critical. Incident stress debriefing is a five hour group meeting where citizens share events and tragedies after a disaster (Oltmanns & Emery, 2012). Police officers and all emergency personnel are given some sort of PTSD prevention therapy (Sanford). This is due to the fact that they have a high risk exposure to traumatic events. Treatment for PTSD varies and there several different types of psychotherapies that can be used to treat the disorder as well as medication. The main therapy currently used is cognitive processing therapy, or CPT. Cognitive processing therapy can be done in an individual or a group setting. A therapist will help a patient reevaluate how they feel about a traumatic situation. For example, many victims of sexual violence and rape place the blame on themselves. The efficacy of the therapy has held up. Recently, Congolese women who survived the intense conflict in their country and were subjected to rape and sexual violence underwent months of CPT to ease the post-traumatic stress. The results were promising, though the women appeared to respond better to the group therapy. â€Å"After four months, the proportion of women with probable PTSD dropped from 60 percent to 8 percent in the cognitive processing therapy group; the proportion of those with depression or anxiety plummeted from 71 to 10 percent. Their functional impairment scores dropped by half. In the women who received individual support counseling, rates of probable PTSD, depression or anxiety declined less, from 83 percent to about 54 percent. † (Seppa, 2013) Another helpful PTSD therapy is Prolonged Exposure Therapy or PE. PE requires the patient to expose themselves to safe but uncomfortable situations that they have been avoiding due to their PTSD. The patient is also taught breathing relaxation techniques in order to lessen the anxiety associated with reintroducing themselves to traumatic tasks (U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs). The patient is also asked to talk repeatedly about the traumatic situation which eventually leads to habituation or a neutral response to the once negative stimuli. Medication is the other option for treatment of PTSD. Though it is not completely curable, it can be managed by a wide variety of medications. Currently, the evidence base is strongest for the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The only two FDA approved medications for the treatment of PTSD are sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) (1, 2)† (Jeffereys). There are also some obstacles to overcome in getting patients to best respond to this treatment. Patients are often concerned about the side effects of the medication, about learning to rely on the medication rather than fixing the root problem, about getting addicted and they may begin to abuse the medications by mixing them with alcohol if the PTSD is severe (Jeffereys). In addition, recent studies have suggested that long term exposure to anti-depressants may actually hamper a patient’s ability to respond positively to therapy (Nauert, 2013). A new study conducted by researchers at Emory, University of Miami and Scripps Research Institute has showed promise in prevention of PTSD. The results of the study suggest that exposing victims of trauma to morphine immediately after experiencing the distressing event may do more than just ease physical pain. Morphine may also play a role in â€Å"fear learning†. When the drug was administered to a group of mice after exposure to a stressful event, they â€Å"could still learn to become afraid of sounds and shocks, but the fearful memories were not as durable and the mice did not freeze as much in response to the sound alone two days later, even if they had been previously exposed to stress† (Eastman , 2013). Some other â€Å"out of the box† potential treatments include channeling all energy into martial arts training or service dog training (London, 2013). The idea here would be to distract the brain away from the negative thoughts by focusing all the patients’ resources into positive activities.

Changing Views on Homosexuality

Men and women are feeling more open to express their homosexual lifestyle and this is in part due to the changing views of sexual behavior and homosexuality. Homosexual behavior is defined as sexual behavior with a member of one’s own sex (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Prior to the 1970s, homosexuality was considered to be a diagnosable psychiatric disorder and was listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Homosexuality was viewed almost as a disease that people needed to be cured of. Research revealed that homosexual men and women did not differ in psychological adjustment from heterosexual men and women (Sarason Sarason, 2005). There has been the debate of whether a person is born gay or if homosexuality is a learned behavior. In my opinion, I believe that a person is born gay and does not chose or learn this sexual behavior from others. I’ve witnessed a relative grow up and noticed behavior as child that suggested he may be gay. As an adult, he informed the family that he is in fact gay. This came as a shock to no one and when asked when he knew he was gay, he stated that he knew all along. It is thought that if people no longer viewed homosexuality as a behavior that people chose to partake in, that less emphasis would be placed on trying to â€Å"cure† homosexuality. Dr. Glenn Wilson and Dr. Qazi Rahman, authors of the book Born Gay, state that there is no single gay gene, but genes do contribute and consider the effect of sex hormones to which fetuses are exposed in the womb (Ahuja, 2005). Wilson and Rahman feel that sexual orientation is fixed at birth and that any evidence-based scientist would agree (Ahuja, 2005). With more people understanding that sexual orientation is innate rather than learned, viewpoints on homosexuality are shifting. Our society is slowly becoming more accepting and placing less of a stigma on homosexual behavior. In the past there were no rights for gays wanting to marry, but now gays in Massachusetts can legally marry. In Vermont and other parts of the world, gay men and women now have the right to enter into legal partnerships that give them some of the same protections and responsibilities of marriage (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Past opinion polls have resulted in some Americans saying that gays cannot be considered good role models for children (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Some people have thought that a child’s sexual orientation could be affected if the child had gay or lesbian parents. Research on child adjustment in homosexual households provided results that did not differ from children raised by heterosexual parents (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Dr. Ellen C. Perrin feels that children raised by gay or lesbian couples do just as well as children raised as by heterosexual couples. â€Å"In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures†, says Perrin (Chang, 2005). Studies conducted on homosexual couples show that lesbian couples share household responsibilities equally and that children adjust better when there is an equal division of labor (Chang, 2005). Raising healthy, well-adjusted children and understanding that homosexuality is an innate behavior are just two examples of why attitudes towards homosexuality are changing. Although there is still room for improvement in terms of accepting gay culture, strides are being made compared to earlier attitudes. To me the most significant change is understanding that homosexuality is not a disorder, it represents a person’s sexual orientation. References http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20051012/study-same-sex-parents-raise-well-adjusted-kids Changing Views on Homosexuality Men and women are feeling more open to express their homosexual lifestyle and this is in part due to the changing views of sexual behavior and homosexuality. Homosexual behavior is defined as sexual behavior with a member of one’s own sex (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Prior to the 1970s, homosexuality was considered to be a diagnosable psychiatric disorder and was listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Homosexuality was viewed almost as a disease that people needed to be cured of. Research revealed that homosexual men and women did not differ in psychological adjustment from heterosexual men and women (Sarason Sarason, 2005). There has been the debate of whether a person is born gay or if homosexuality is a learned behavior. In my opinion, I believe that a person is born gay and does not chose or learn this sexual behavior from others. I’ve witnessed a relative grow up and noticed behavior as child that suggested he may be gay. As an adult, he informed the family that he is in fact gay. This came as a shock to no one and when asked when he knew he was gay, he stated that he knew all along. It is thought that if people no longer viewed homosexuality as a behavior that people chose to partake in, that less emphasis would be placed on trying to â€Å"cure† homosexuality. Dr. Glenn Wilson and Dr. Qazi Rahman, authors of the book Born Gay, state that there is no single gay gene, but genes do contribute and consider the effect of sex hormones to which fetuses are exposed in the womb (Ahuja, 2005). Wilson and Rahman feel that sexual orientation is fixed at birth and that any evidence-based scientist would agree (Ahuja, 2005). With more people understanding that sexual orientation is innate rather than learned, viewpoints on homosexuality are shifting. Our society is slowly becoming more accepting and placing less of a stigma on homosexual behavior. In the past there were no rights for gays wanting to marry, but now gays in Massachusetts can legally marry. In Vermont and other parts of the world, gay men and women now have the right to enter into legal partnerships that give them some of the same protections and responsibilities of marriage (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Past opinion polls have resulted in some Americans saying that gays cannot be considered good role models for children (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Some people have thought that a child’s sexual orientation could be affected if the child had gay or lesbian parents. Research on child adjustment in homosexual households provided results that did not differ from children raised by heterosexual parents (Sarason Sarason, 2005). Dr. Ellen C. Perrin feels that children raised by gay or lesbian couples do just as well as children raised as by heterosexual couples. â€Å"In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures†, says Perrin (Chang, 2005). Studies conducted on homosexual couples show that lesbian couples share household responsibilities equally and that children adjust better when there is an equal division of labor (Chang, 2005). Raising healthy, well-adjusted children and understanding that homosexuality is an innate behavior are just two examples of why attitudes towards homosexuality are changing. Although there is still room for improvement in terms of accepting gay culture, strides are being made compared to earlier attitudes. To me the most significant change is understanding that homosexuality is not a disorder, it represents a person’s sexual orientation. References http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20051012/study-same-sex-parents-raise-well-adjusted-kids

Osteoporosisa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Osteoporosisa - Essay Example As such, the cream will contribute remarkably in healing and prevent the spread of such controversial issue. It is from this undertaking that potential will be saved from long term dangers once they make use of the cream. Worth noting, this cream adds value to customers either affected or not affected. Although not all bones are movable, some bones like hip, shoulder, and others allow one to sit, move, and stand. Application of the cream allows for blood cell production since the bones remain healthy. This shows the value the cream adds to customers and boosts their ultimate feeling about health. Why this selection is critical is the importance of bones to the human body and survival. As previously stated, bones are crucial in human life. According to scientists, for a human being to be classified as normal, such person should have 206 bones, all which play a key role in the body. It is worth noting that human bones are not static and grow from time to time, during this growth, the cream will work positively towards ensuring that the health of such is guaranteed. Those with the belief that bones help to give the body is shape should understand that the role extends beyond that (37). With a brand that helps heal a critical disease and maintains the health of bones, every potential employer should note the impact I can add to the progress of their company. It is true that any disease associated to bones should be healed once noticed lest it becomes incurable and hence terminal. With this in mind, the employer must consider the reputation such a realization will add to their company from the speculative clients. Further, this is a cream that will go international making the company global. Lastly, with such a realization, it is possible to have other innovations as time goes

Strategic Diagnosis Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Diagnosis Project - Research Paper Example Moreover the search engine also acts as an encyclopedia which helps the users to gain potential information of a variety of subjects. The Google website also acts as a revenue and market generator for companies which advertise their products and services via the online sphere. Google which had a very humble beginning now operates based on several branches spread along several quarters of the globe. The company thus has a huge portfolio of skilled and efficient human resources operating from the several offices to help the concern achieve its end objectives. Google operating fully on the internet sphere happens to gain a large market worldwide for the best quality of services rendered which fulfills the parameter of customer satisfaction. (Google-b, n.d.). Strategic activities initiated focus on tapping niche market bases by producing different products like scholar, earth and map applications. Research and development team of Google is working to produce these types of products and s ervices which helps in gaining an innovated customer profile. Google’s innovativeness gains hold through the large scale maintenance of potential information which is gained through the operation based on its highly innovative software which helps in gaining faster access to large volumes of data from different sources. (McLoughlin & Aaker, 2010, p.145-146). As part of its strategic initiatives Google focuses on gaining a target market composed of normal viewers and other potential product and service advertisers. This community of commercial people helps the firm in gaining potential revenues through the large scale advertising activities conducted over the online sphere. Further the company has also devised another service branch to cater fully to the needs of the advertisers and other commercial people. The AdSense software devised by Google helps the advertising community to sponsor related links on the web portal. Through such links the web visitors can gain instant acce ss to the profiles of the different companies having advertised their products and services. (Cahill, 2006, p.57). Vision, Mission & Values Google is one of the business firms that has revolutionized three business world as well as the life of the individuals across the globe. Google is now an integral part of every person who uses the internet. Google is perhaps the most popular search engine across the globe with millions of active users in the world. Mission A mission statement is a short statement typically comprised of a single sentence that tries to highlight the general purpose of the organization. The mission statement also reflects the business strategies of a firm with regards to its suppliers, customers as well as the employees of the organization. Mission statements are therefore very important as they not only act as a framework of inspiration and aspiration but also help in generating a formidable brand image and suitable positioning of the firm in the minds of the cus tomers. Mission statements should also be quantifiable and largely measurable so as to provide clear guidance and instructions towards all the major stakeholders as well as customers (Kaplan, Norton & Barrows, 2008, p.3-4). The mission statement of Google is stated below: â€Å"

Palestine-Israel Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Palestine-Israel Conflict - Essay Example The researcher states that the history of the Arab world has been a stressful one. With the end of the Second World War it has been really challenging for the academia to neglect the conflicts between the Arab society and the Israel. The case of Palestine in particular has been more exigent. It is often confused with either a set of people or a nationality. Hence, writing about it implies going either against one party or another with reference to the self-determination that the small community has in pulling itself out of the shackles of the Zionist movement. The history goes as far as the time of Moses and his followers but that will be too lengthy to trace. However, one can connect to the issue at hand by recalling the incidents of the late nineteenth century which caused a stir among the Palestinian community and the Muslim World at large. Since 1948, the struggle over Palestine between the Jews and the Arabs became an inter-state issue. The state of Palestine was removed from th e map and the Arabs consider it their duty to retrieve it and restore its fame. With the end of the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union also got involved in the growing complexities of the conflict which the Britain could no longer handle. For the Arabs, Zionism was an eccentric intrusion in the Palestinian politics. It felt incomplete without the independence of Palestine and resists the imperialists’ and colonial motives of the West to date,... With the passage of time, the Zionist immigrants planned on settling in the Jewish region by establishing their businesses as agriculturalists in order to acquire their lost land. When the Arabs learnt about this cause, they severely opposed the intensions of the Israeli movement. Establishment of a Jewish state meant for the Arabs going against the law ordained by God. For the Muslims in particular, they understood the exile of the Jews from Palestine as a decree by God. The oppositional cry, however, was neglected and the Zionists continued towards settling other Jews by developing a Jewish National Fund, Keren Kayemeth in 1901 under the World Zionist Organization. The Fund intended to buy land in Syria Palestine, various parts of Turkey and regions of Sinai (Quigley 4). It was only to be given to the Jews for the purpose of settlement and nobody else had the right over these lands. The lands were purchased at extremely high price but the Zionists were determined to keep them and n ever return them at any cost. Most of the agricultural land was owned by farmers for generations and the property was recognized by the customary law. But nothing could be done at such a great loss. Situation became more complicated when a British traveler observed that a Fund purchased land was labored by Arab farmers. A question was raised whether displacing them would mean a silent exchange of land with gold or a rebellion against intolerance over the land’s possession by aliens who suddenly started claiming it. The Jews wanted the land to be labored by their own people but situation could not have lasted long because of less number of Jews as compared to the land they had

Assn. 2 Environmental Policy & Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assn. 2 Environmental Policy & Procedures - Essay Example city of Tigard, 512 US.374 (1994) the court ruled that development permits must be roughly proportional to the effects the land in question will have to the community. In this case, the applicant sought to replace her hardware store with a larger facility and pave a 39 paving store. She was granted her wish but with conditions to it. The court however ruled in her favor stating that Dolan could not be forced to give up her land without just compensation. The land disputed formed part of wetlands that Tigard wanted to improve but had unfair conditions (Durant et al, 2004). The national environmental policy act is a statute that requires all governments to integrate policy values into decision-making processes considering impacts of their proposed actions. (NEPA Homepage)This institution forces the state agencies to put in consideration the environmental factors in their decision making process but also empowers them to make informed decisions on the same. This was not in existence before (Malone, 2007).The environmental impact assessment is the heart of the implementation of the act. NEPA addresses the larger environmental problem, and has made a significant effort in addressing environmental issues. Its regulations have caused attitude and behavioral change thus leading to better agency decisions. NEPA action forcing strategies to meet their goals have raised concerns and its critics ask if force will help attain quality in the environment. Critics of this act have a problem with the procedural emphasis. All projects must pass through some procedure to determine if they will have negative or positive impact on the environment. For this to be achieved several actions must be taken. The inability for the act to have requirements to guide implementation or abandon of the project is not agreeable with the critics (Anderson, 2009). One of the victory stories is that of the construction of a parkway in Utah that would act as an alternative route to salt lake

Orlando Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Orlando - Essay Example It also explores the complex nature of cultural interpretations that emerge when roles change with emphasis on Orlando’s sudden transformation in the movie. Sally Potter’s film Orlando is a brilliant cinematic production that articulates several issues especially from a gender context as noted by Judith Butler, a cultural theorist in her essay. The film is set in the Elizabethan Age prior to Queen’s death. However, the Queen is keen to bequeath a young nobleman called Orlando a piece of land as gift to erect a castle for himself. Gender echoes significantly as observed by Butler in terms it being constituted over a certain period (Butler 519). In other words, gender is usually affirmed as a distinct identity institutionalized via repeated acts as displayed by Lady Orlando after discovering the shacking sex transformation of her husband, Orlando. It is a complex manifestation fuelled by language as the medium of communication in comprehending movements, gestures, and enactments of being. Accordingly, while Potter’s film casts the central characters as persevering against the backdrop of lawsuits especially in the pat riarchal era, the prospects of triumph are encouraging. Similarly, Lady Orlando’ lack of powers in matters concerning land rights is an epitome of identity crisis that usually afflicts societies such as the one depicted in the film. Overall, gender transformation expands possibilities for the social audience concerned with the fate and destiny of characters that include Princess Sasha, Clorinda, Favilla, and Euphrosyne. Another interesting issue emerging from the movie is tied to Butler’s assertion that the conception of gender identity is a belief inspired by appearance. In Orlando, for illustration, the clash of gender and historical situations such as the passing of Queen Elizabeth I displays the comfort in leadership that inspired Lady Orlando and her husband before his gender

Garbage in china Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Garbage in china - Essay Example ident starting from Hong Kong to other places such as Bolou and Tonghzou are against the idea of government coming up with incineration facilities to manage this garbage. Protests are order of the day whenever the governments set up to build such a facility. In this regard, this research paper seeks to find an answer to the question what is the most appropriate way of managing the thousands of tonnes of garbage produced in China each day? The research argues out that incineration is the best alternative to manage garbage in China as it not only reduces the waste in landfills, but also offers opportunities for the generation of additional electric power to be fed in the countries power grid system. Handling waste, which is a result of a rapidly growing middle class and per annum double-digit economic expansion over the last decade, stands out as one of the most prominent challenges China’s urban planners contend with. While most of the garbage, which range from food waste to construction rubble and plastic packaging, is dumped in landfills, policy makers are gradually embracing incineration as volumes step-up, in spite of spirited protests from some residents and environmentalists. In a You Tube video posted by D (English)Beijing’s urban enlargement has resulted to the trash problem getting even closer to homes. Landfill fields that once occupied the city’s outskirts where a majority of the city’s migrant workers resided now sit in the center of the urban conurbation that has developed around them. According to Shapiro, while China generates rubbish to a lesser extent on per capita basis relative to other economies such as the United States, its cum ulative generation, at approximately 300 million tones every year, according to academic studies, is the largest in the globe, and still on an upward trend. Beijing’s population produces 23,000 tonnes of garbage each day, an equivalent of nine fully filled standard-sized swimming pools for Olympic Games.

Aboriginal Residential Schooling Essay Example for Free

Aboriginal Residential Schooling Essay The Aboriginal people had their culture stripped away, without any consent but by force. They were forced to adapt their lifestyle to the normal, and children put into schools to learn how to behave like the Canadians. The Aboriginal residential schools implemented by the Canadian Government were a cause attempting to destroy their culture (Ravelli Webber, 2010, p.132). The Canadian Government wanted to get rid of all aboriginal culture with no trace of their lifestyle. There was a massive social problem due to the separation of the races. It also raised a huge racist confrontation between the Aboriginal`s and the rest of society. The Aboriginal`s were not treated with any respect or dignity, which caused them to loose respect with our Canadian Government, as they were treated like animals. The Canadian Government did not want any Aboriginal`s to grow up as they were, they did not like the way their lifestyle was, they wanted to destroy their culture. They attempted to destroy their culture in many ways, one of the most obvious methods they used were to put the young children in to residential schools (Ravelli Webber, 2010, p308). These schools taught young Aboriginal children how to live like the Canadian, they were not allowed to do anything that was related to their culture not even allowed to speak their language (Geraldine Marcuse, 1993). The children were punished if they did not follow the rules, these punishments were very abusive as well, but by doing so this enforced the children to follow the rules. These residential schools were very structured and strict. Eventually by staying in these schools, due to all the strict rules, abusive punishments, and them not being allowed to associate with their culture the Aboriginal children forgot their native language (Geraldine Marcuse, 1993). The Canadian Government obviously wanted to get rid of all Aboriginal culture. The residential schools brought up a major problems, it created an immense, massive social problem with in the Aboriginal community and the Canadian society. The young Aboriginal children were stripped away from their parents, probably never even saw them again, these children were discriminated by others and were not even allowed to speak a single word  from their native language (Ravelli Webber, 2010, p132) . As displayed in the video, the young girl that had her period out publicly was put to shame by the nuns and the other children, this caused her to be bullied and discriminated because of natural cause (Geraldine Marcuse, 1993). The video also prescribes the punishment received when the rules were broken, as the elder man describes his pain and the punishments received, he explains that these children were being separated entirely from the religion and culture, causing these children to view of their own nation as an abomination (Geraldine Marcuse, 1993). This problems cause a lot of discrimination, causing many social problems with in the community, the children did not have rights, and could not speak for themselves. This massive social issue with in the Aboriginals was created by the ongoing of the residential schools. Canadian Government might not have been too smart by creating the residential schools as they did not calculate the outcome, these residential schools brought up great vengeance to the Aboriginals they wanted their culture back, in doing so it created a racist confrontation later on. This was a huge relation with the conflict theory. The Aboriginals found a method to bring back their culture by using the method the Canadian`s did, they developed their own Aboriginal schools (Geraldine Marcuse, 1993). These schools would teach the total opposite of what the residential schools taught, these schools were teaching their young children their native language, and bits of their culture, or at least what was left of it (Ravelli Webber, 2010, p309). The difference between the Aboriginal schools and the residential schools were the rules and methods of punishment. The Aboriginals taught in a normal manner, with respect, but in the residential schools it was like prison everything was eventually forced upon. The residential schools also made the Aboriginals to grow this hate for the Canadian Government causing this huge racist dilemma between the two parties. No good really came out of residential schooling, just a very bad racist confrontation in the long run. The Canadian Government stripped all the rights of the Aboriginal people, they got their culture massacred, dealt with force and abusive power, they  practically tried to destroy the Aboriginal culture. The Canadian Government put a lot of effort in this project, they tried to change the Aboriginal people in every way, they wanted those people to behave and change their lifestyle to the modern Canadian lifestyle. The Canadian Government have attempted to destroy the Aboriginal culture by bringing up residential schooling to begin the process of elimination. The Government did not want anything that was Aboriginal culture related left, they wanted to get rid of every bit of their culture. The residential schools cause major discrimination cause a massive social problem within the Aboriginal people. These residential schools also raised a huge racist confrontation to the Aboriginals, it separated them from the rest of the society. These schools really have destroyed most of their culture, and was a very cruel method in doing so. The Aboriginals deserved to be heard and have their own rights and freedom.

Espionage and Intrusion Technology in Russia

Espionage and Intrusion Technology in Russia Neil McGeever Spying and intrusion had been happening years before technology became involved. The increase in technology and the dependency on the internet has made espionage and intrusion simpler and more widespread. Various technology has been developed that allows different ways of collecting unlawful information and spying on enemies. Valuable data is being gathered and stored online, and will continue to increase with an emphasis on technology for performing tasks and operations over the internet. This data can be intercepted to provide priceless information. Spying on the public and hacking sensitive information is certainly breaching the law and new laws are being introduced to protect the government and organisations for partaking in these activities. The public have the right to civil and privacy protection from these actions and should be obeyed, however there are certain cases when this should be permitted, such as against terrorist groups and organisations. This paper will discuss the different technologies being used to collect private information and data. It will also explain the laws that it affects that exist to protect the public and the new laws being introduced to protect the government. Espionage, Intrusion, Technology, Legal, Russia. Russia, and previously the Soviet Union, has long been recognised as a country involved in spying and intrusion on rival countries and organisations since the early 1900s. The Soviet Union employed spies in the Cold War to collect information and secrets about the United States of America and were previously used in World War One. This continues today but very different, as specialised technology has been developed to hack and interfere with information, data and communications associated with their enemies. Different technology enables different ways of gathering and collecting this information and data. This revolutionary technology allows for quick and effective hacking and intrusion, which is nearly impossible to stop when it is happening and difficult to detect who is responsible. It can be performed hundreds and thousands of miles from the intended target so the offender, or offenders, cannot be caught nearby or close to the crime. Most of the technology used for these activities worldwide was developed in Russia, enabling the Russian government and organisations to easily obtain this technology without having to travel overseas. The Russian privacy law, the Personal Data Protection Act, is intended to protect the civil and privacy rights of the Russian people. This should be adhered to by the Russian government, but unfortunately it is not. Russia is a country that enjoys to spy on its own people and it has a mass surveillance system in operation to monitor its citizens every move and communications (Russias Spying Craze, 2013). The people of Russia are not happy with this as they should be given a right of privacy in their lives without having all their movements and phone calls monitored and recorded. This document will describe cyber-attacks performed by Russia on other nations, and their severity. Technology created and developed by Russian companies that are used by the Russian government and organisations to interfere and hack confidential and private information or data on other countries and its own people, will also be explained. The law to protect the privacy of Russian citizens will also be discussed and how it is side-stepped by the Russian government for their own convenience. Russia is regarded as one of the most active and prevalent nations involved in espionage and intrusion. Cyber-espionage is employed by Russia to hack and obtain secret information from top departmental government agencies and buildings for their own intelligence. They are supposedly responsible for hacking and leaking emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to WikiLeaks in 2016 and to have violated the network at the White House and the State Department activity (Penn-Hall, 2016). The gains and ease of these cyber-attacks on other nations, and because it is difficult to identify who is involved or responsible for the attacks, allows them to continue with this. James Adams, the CEO and Co-Founder of Infrastructure Defense Inc. (iDefense), regards the Internet as a revolutionary system and declared that Cyberspace has become a new international battlefield (Constantine, 2012). The internet has no governing body or police force, which is perfect for executing such attacks and not be detected. Each country must stand on their own or with their allies, to strengthen their cyber security and defences, and continuously fear that another nation may make a significant breakthrough that poses additional threats to them (Interviews, 2001). This makes each country cautious of new and severe attacks that they may not be able to defend or protect from. Russia has been accused of organising cyber-attacks on many nations. Between 1998 and 2000, a succession of incidents and attacks on the US became known as the Moonlight Maze. This was an attack on hundreds of government databases such as the Pentagon, NASA and other agencies by a group of hackers that used specialised computer equipment (Constantine, 2012). The attacks were apparently traced to a mainframe located in Russia, however, they denied this and the perpetrators are supposedly still unknown. Russia has also been accused of a 3-week long cyber-attack on Estonia in 2008. These attacks started when Russia and Estonia were in dispute over Estonias plans to remove a Soviet Union war memorial in the countrys capital Tallinn. This encouraged Russia to target some of Estonias biggest organisations and corporations such as the president, government ministers, political parties, news organisations and the banks. Russia again denied involvement with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sta ting that no way could the state be involved in terrorism (Thomas, 2009). Russia are not afraid to attack neighbouring countries, especially when they are much too powerful for lesser nations. More recently in March 2017, two Russian spies were charged with breaching Yahoo in 2014. This was performed with two other computer hackers and it affected over half a billion user accounts. It is regarded as one of the largest data breaches to occur in the United States of America. The Department of Justice have previously charged Russian hackers related to cyber-crime, however this is the first time that a criminal case has been brought against Russian government officials (US charges two Russian spies, 2017). Despite these charges, this will not deter Russian government officials and organisations to ending these activities. Many of the most common and most-used spy and intelligence technology employed today was developed in Russia. This technology was created from ideas the Soviet Union had to learn and uncover information and intelligence from other countries and from their own people. The Soviet Union wanted many ways of gathering knowledge and information in secrecy, so having various technologies to perform this, allowed to plan for every situation and scenario. One technology would be more useful than another in certain circumstances which prevented the attackers from being discovered and exposed. These technologies have only been developed from the late 1980s and upwards after the advancements in computers and other technology such as satellites and wired communication. The following will describe the technology used for collecting this information and data. Voice recognition technology was developed by the Speech Technology Centre (STC) in the city of Saint Petersburg. STCs beginnings started from a secret Soviet Union unit that had the backing of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and was developed during the Gulag system under Stalins rule. The roots of the company grew from a neighbouring prison that housed scientists and engineers, which was called the Sharashka Marfino. These scientists and engineers were forced to work to identify voices that were calling to foreign embassies in Moscow. Speech Technology Centre has also started to develop face recognition technologies along with voice recognition. STC announced in December 2012 that it installed the worlds first biometric identification platform, at a nation-wide level, that combines voice and face identification capabilities. This new system will allow authorities and governments to store images of suspects and criminals on a large database. STC has also claimed that it has invented algorithms that deliver reliable results even when facial characteristics have undergone physical changes, and the systems voice and face modalities can be used together or separately a voice sample or facial image alone is sufficient to make an identification. STC has publicly made it known that its surveillance technology is only used for utilitarianism uses, however they have been made available to strict and dictatorship government states such as Uzbekistan and Belarus. Most people will be unhappy with these developments as they fe ar that they will no longer have the right to privacy as their voice may be recorded without consent and that face recognition technology may mistakenly identify them for doing wrong. Another Russian firm have developed a facial recognition app. This involves submitting photos into the app and the app then searches through Vkontakte, the Russian social network version of Facebook, to find a match for the photo. The app is believed to have a 70% accuracy rate (Russian facial recognition, 2016). While some have no issues with the release of the app, others have concerns about privacy and the potential disclosure of personal information. The company do not have their own privacy policy but they have produced an acceptable use policy and licensing agreement to use on their American customers. The acceptable use policy states that the app can only be used for lawful purposes and the licensing agreement expects the licensee to establish their own privacy expectations (Chiel, 2016). Intercepting and interfering with private communications by the law has different procedures and standards in Russia compared to other countries. MFI-Soft is a Russian company that develops information security and telecommunications products for law enforcement agencies, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) carriers and internet service providers. The company has developed an interception technology capable of storing, detecting and analysing information that travels over the internet. The company also states that it develops products for national security and intelligence agencies and for the military. It is the largest Russian producer of telecommunications traffic interceptors and has developed a deep packet inspection filtering tool called Perimeter-F. Russia has recently implemented a new law that states that companies must store data associated with Russian citizens on Russian soil. This law is an attempt by Russia to gain control of the internet and to eliminate all the data stored on Russian people from other countries. The authorities want superior access to online data by domestic security services and to reduce the access to the data by other countries. Multi-national companies such as Facebook and Google are not happy with this law as they would have to move massive data to servers within Russia borders and to inform Roskomnadzor, the Russian internet watchdog, about their location (Walker, 2015). This is a massive operation for multi-national companies to accomplish as Russia is a huge country with a population of well over 100 million people. Russia has recently blocked LinkedIn because they didnt comply with the new laws and didnt store information about Russian people on servers inside Russia. Roskomnadzor had discovered that LinkedIn had broken their laws on storing data and acted accordingly. President Putins spokesman Peskov again said that the blockage is in strict accordance with the law and that the Kremlin will not intervene or interfere with the banning of LinkedIn (Matthew, 2016). Companies that do not adhere to Russian laws regarding data storage will be punished. The traditional way of listening in on private incoming phone calls is done by monitoring the telecom operator. Due to the massive and continuous increase in mobile phone usage over the years, it is much simpler and effective to intercept phone calls there and then on the spot. Discovery Telecom Technologies (DTT) was established in Moscow and have developed a system that makes this possible. The companys In-Between Interception System operates by imitating a mobile phone tower and draws in the signals that allows the devices operator to secretly listen and record the phone call. It claims to have the Kremlin and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) as some of its clients. Some Russian people are evidently not happy with this surveillance. The Russian government were brought before the European Court of Human Rights because of their surveillance and interception of mobile phone communications in accordance with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (See Appendix A). Roman Zakharov, complained that Russian law did not sufficiently protect against uncertainty and abuse from authorities and that it breached his right to privacy (European Court, 2016). Although this system was aimed at protecting the public and preventing crime, it did not guarantee protecting against abuse. The Court suggested that there was high risk with a system that had direct access to all mobile phone communications. The Court also believed that Russian law did not meet the quality of law requirement and that it was not necessary in a democratic society (Soldatov Borogan, 2013). The Russian government has introduced new laws and amended the Constitution in recent years because of espionage and intrusion, to lessen and prevent these problems in the future. Article 15, paragragh 4 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation outlines that universally-recognized norms of international law, and international treaties and agreements of the Russian Federation shall be a component part of its legal system (Data Protection, 2016). This includes the ratification of the Strasbourg Convention for the Protection of Individuals regarding the Automatic Processing of Personal Data (ETS No. 108) by Russia in 2005. The right to privacy, which includes the privacy of telephone and other communications is recognised in Article 23 of the Constitution, and the collection, use and storage of information about a person without their consent is prohibited in Article 24. The laws and requirements of data protection and privacy are outlined in the Federal Law No. 149-FZ on Information, Information Technologies and Data Protection and the Federal Law No. 152-FZ on Personal Data actions (Data Protection, 2016). These laws and articles of the Constitution are implemented to protect the public from the illegal collection of data and intrusion on their life. Individuals have the right to privacy and to only agree to this by giving consent for those. The Russian government are happy to collect information and spy on the public and this was evident in 1995. The Law on Operative Search and Seizures was legalised that allowed the FSB to operate a legal interception system called SORM, which enabled authorities to receive information from internet providers and phone operators. This technology allowed the Russian Security Service to monitor emails, phone calls and internet searches. Without consent and with improper use, the Russian people could fight for their right to privacy if they feel they are being violated against. Other laws have been established and signed to protect against international intrusion and surveillance. The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed the new Federal Law No. 374 on July 6, 2016, on Amending the Federal Law on Counter Terrorism and Select Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Concerning the Creation of Additional Measures Aimed at Countering Terrorism and Protecting Public Safety. This recently adopted law contains several conditions that specifically outline the rights of intelligence and secret services when observing private electronic communications and allows law enforcement agencies to collect individual computer information. The law describes the requirements about the identification of users and the safeguarding of metadata that is transmitted across networks by operators of telecommunication networks. This law works in parallel with the Federal Law on Information and Information Technology, which is an obligation of network operators, to keep metadata about all connections, transmissions, and receipts of voice information, written texts, images, sounds, video, and other messages transferred through communications networks for three years. Transmitted messages, telephone communication records and other communication information must be saved by network operators for up to six months. The law also enforces providers of information to report all information required for the description of received, transferred, or delivered electronic communications to the Federal Security Service. Failing to provide this information results in a fine (New Electronic Surveillance, 2017). The Russian government are introducing these laws to protect themselves and other agencies from repercussions and from legal action being taken. However, people can bring their case to the European Court if they feel they have been severely and wrongly victimised. In 2012, Russian President Putin signed another bill into law regarding crimes by espionage and state treason. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSS) proposed the bill to highlight that espionage and revealing state secrets are a form of state treason. The FSS also wanted the new law to emphasise the need to prosecute people or organisations that are involved in helping international organisations engaged in antagonistic activities such as state treason. This new legislation covers the assistance given to an international organisation by a Russian national targeting the security of Russia, in addition to support given to a foreign country or organisation showing aggressive movements against Russia. The support given to foreign countries or organisations that define state treason is explained in Article 2, paragraph 4 of the Law as financial, material, technical, advisory or any other support given to a foreign country or to international or foreign organizations engaged in activities against the security of the Russian Federation (Federal Law No. 190-FZ). Another area of Federal Law No. 190-FZ has been amended to state that any person that gains knowledge of state secrets and discloses such information to a foreign or Russian organisation will be liable for such act, whereas before, it was only persons who had been entrusted with the information that would be liable and prosecuted. This law has also established a new crime for anyone convicted of breaking this law, which may provide a prison term of up to four years or a fine. This new law covers illegal access to state secrets due to theft, violence and other methods. This punishment for this crime may be a prison term of betw een three to eight years if the person or people are convicted of using more specialised techniques of espionage (Espionage and State Treason, 2017). Russia will continue to spy on other nations and hack confidential information as they will constantly be paranoid and in fear that other countries and organisations are planning terrorism or other attacks against the state. They are also aware that enemy countries are engaged in spying and intrusion as most of the super power nations of the East and West are involved in this activity. Russia recognises that information is a valued asset, which needs to be protected, whether at peace or at war. When using this information and data correctly, the enemy can be beaten militarily and politically, and without having to occupy the country. New laws will be introduced in the future and the Constitution will be amended as ambiguities will be exposed in Russian laws as an unhappy Russian society will continue to pursue their protection for civil and privacy rights. Also, large corporations, who can seek powerful legal advice will not be intimidated or afraid to stand against the Russian administration. In recent years, the ban on overseas companies and organisations from storing data about Russian people outside of Russia was introduced, however multi-national companies were causing no harm and only storing the data on databases for their own use. Russia just does not want this data in the hands of other groups and organisations out of fear of the knowledge gained from others from this data. Data is the new oil was phrased by Clive Humby in 2006, a UK Mathematician and architect of Tescos Clubcard scheme (Data is the new oil, 2013), to highlight the massive use of technology and storage of data. Data and information collected legally and illegally is a powerful resource for government bodies and organisations. The increase in the use of technology and the internet has led to a growth in data stored online. For example, data uncovered may have been used to plan and prepare for organised attacks against the state, or for criminal gangs and groups to plan their own attacks. Technology used to collect this data will divide opinions, and if the technology is used unlawfully such as secretly collecting data about Russian people, it will cause discontent among the Russian public. This technology will clearly be a benefit for uncovering and capturing criminals but should not be used widespread to collect information on everybody. The Russian government needs to be careful about crossing this dividing line. References ComputerWeekly. 2017. Russian personal data law set to come into force despite fears. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Russian-personal-data-law-set-to-come-into-force-despite-fears. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials That Shaped American Politics Central Intelligence Agency. 2017. Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials That Shaped American Politics Central Intelligence Agency. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol51no2/intelligence-in-recent-public-literature.html. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. The Guardian. 2017. Spies, sleepers and hitmen: how the Soviet Unions KGB never went away | World news | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/19/spies-spooks-hitmen-kgb-never-went-away-russia-putin. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. International Business Times UK. 2017. Russia gets new Putin-approved cybersecurity doctrine following cyberespionage attack fears. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-gets-new-putin-approved-information-security-doctrine-following-cyberespionage-attack-fears-1595050. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Roland Heickerà ¶. 2010. Emerging Cyber Threats and Russian Views on Information Warfare and Information Operations . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.highseclabs.com/data/foir2970.pdf. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Chapter 1. The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System | The Constitution of the Russian Federation. 2017. Chapter 1. The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System | The Constitution of the Russian Federation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-02.htm. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Dentons Russias new anti-terrorist law . 2017. Dentons Russias new anti-terrorist law . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dentons.com/en/insights/alerts/2016/july/19/russias-new-anti-terrorist-law. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Practical Law . 2017. Practical Law . [ONLINE] Available at: http://uk.practicallaw.com/2-502-2227#a594893. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. History Learning Site. 2017. Spies of the Cold War Era History Learning Site. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/spies-of-the-cold-war-era/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Fox News. 2017. Russian facial recognition app sparks interest, controversy | Fox News. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/12/14/russian-facial-recognition-app-sparks-interest-controversy.html. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Fusion.net. 2017. Hyper-accurate face recognition tech goes global | Fusion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://fusion.net/story/358817/findface-ntechlab-face-recognition-privacy/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Mail Online. 2017. Moscow blocks LinkedIn because it does not store data on citizens on Russian servers | Daily Mail Online. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3946982/Moscow-blocks-LinkedIn-latest-clampdown-Internet-freedoms-does-not-store-data-country-s-citizens-Russian-based-servers.html. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. International Justice Resource Center. 2017. European Court: Russian Interception of Mobile Phone Communications Violates Convention | International Justice Resource Center. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ijrcenter.org/2016/01/14/european-court-russian-interception-of-mobile-phone-communications-violates-convention/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. WIRED: WIRED. 2017. 5 Russian-Made Surveillance Technologies Used in the West | WIRED. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.wired.com/2013/05/russian-surveillance-technologies/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. The Cipher Brief. 2017. Russia, China, and Cyber Espionage | The Cipher Brief. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/article/tech/russia-china-and-cyber-espionage-1092. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Interviews James Adams | Hackers | FRONTLINE | PBS. 2017. Interviews James Adams | Hackers | FRONTLINE | PBS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/interviews/adams.html. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Russia Data Protection 2016 ICLG International Comparative Legal Guides. 2017. Russia Data Protection 2016  · ICLG International Comparative Legal Guides. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.iclg.co.uk/practice-areas/data-protection/data-protection-2016/russia#chaptercontent1. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Russia: New Electronic Surveillance Rules | Global Legal Monitor. 2017. Russia: New Electronic Surveillance Rules | Global Legal Monitor. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/russia-new-electronic-surveillance-rules/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Russia: Espionage and State Treason Concepts Revised | Global Legal Monitor. 2017. Russia: Espionage and State Treason Concepts Revised | Global Legal Monitor. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/russia-espionage-and-state-treason-concepts-revised/. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Inquiries Journal. 2017. Cyber Terrorism and IR Theory: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism in the New Security Threat Inquiries Journal. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/627/cyber-terrorism-and-ir-theory-realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-in-the-new-security-threat. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Timothy L. Thomas. 2008. Nation -State Cyber Strategies: Examples from China and Russia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ctnsp.dodlive.mil/files/2014/03/Cyberpower-I-Chap-20.pdf. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. The Guardian. 2017. Russian data law fuels web surveillance fears | World news | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/01/russia-internet-privacy-laws-control-web. [Accessed 19 February 2017]. Russias Spying Craze. 2017. Russias Spying Craze. [ONLINE] Available at: https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/russias-spying-craze-29105. [Accessed 24 February 2017]. Data is the new oil: Tech giants may be huge, but nothing matches big data. 2017. Data is the new oi

Criminal Evidence Essays -- essays research papers

Evidence is the key element in determining the guilt or innocence of those accused of crimes against society in a criminal court of law. Evidence can come in the form of weapons, documents, pictures, tape recordings and DNA. According to the American Heritage College dictionary, evidence is the documentary or oral statements and the material objects admissible as testimony in a court of law (476). It is shown in court as an item of proof, to impeach or rehabilitate a witness, and to determine a sentence. This paper will examine two murder cases, O.J. Simpson and Daniel Taylor. Perhaps the most famous case in the 20th century was the O. J. Simpson double murder trial. On June 12, 1994, two people were brutally killed. Those two people were Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, and Ronald Goldman. O.J. was arrested the next day and charged with their murder. O.J. pleaded innocent to murder and went to trial in criminal court. There was a load of evidences at the residence of Nicole’s to charge him with two counts of first degree murder and it seemed almost impossible for O.J. to be found innocent. There were loads of evidences found at the scene and O.J.’s home. The bodies of both Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, blood of the victims, shoe prints and other evidences. But, one of the main evidence was the questionable bloody glove found behind the guesthouse, which was proven by DNA testing to have O.J.'s, Nicole's and Ron's blood and hair on it. Fibers were also found on the glove that came from O.J.'s shirt and his Bronco (CNN). In addition, a bloody footprint which matched O.J.'s shoes, blood on O.J.'s Bronco door, on the console, on the interior side of the door, a bloody footprint in the Bronco, bloody socks in O.J.'s house, O.J.'s injured finger, blood found at Nicole's condo that matched O.J.'s, and so on (CNN). But, the defense claimed that the evidence had been planted. Eyewitnesses are also an important piece of evidence. Allen Wattenberg, a knife storeowner, testified during the preliminary hearing that O.J. bought a 14-inch Stiletto knife from his store. O.J.'s limo driver arrived to drive O.J. to the airport and saw a black man, with the same build as O.J. sprinting across the lawn towards O.J.'s house. When O.J. answered the door, he said he'd been napping (CNN). Simpson's houseguest stated that he saw Simpson pulled up in the white bro... ...ture on the bond slip appeared to be Taylor’s signature. Unlike O.J. there was no DNA linking him to the crime scene or the bodies. Again, all the evidences pointed favorably toward Daniel Taylor and despite the evidences presented, the jury found Taylor guilty of murder. In closing arguments, Needhand and Bishcoff sought to discredit the officers who had testified for Taylor, accusing them of covering up sloppy record keeping for fear they would be blamed for letting Taylor leave jail early to commit murders (Chicago tribune). In addition, the prosecutor used Daniel’s confession on tape to convict him. â€Å"Paperwork is not foolproof,† Bishcoff, the prosecutor, said. But I’ll tell you what is foolproof. And what is foolproof are the defendant’s own words† (Chicago tribune). REFERENCE â€Å"DNA Fingerprinting† (1997) Encarta Encylopaedia 1997 â€Å"Blood truths, Why the Police Want to Tag Your Body† Helen O’Neill, The Australian 6.12.1997 â€Å"Flaws in New DNA Database† Simon Kearny, The Sydney Telegraph 22.04.2001 â€Å"Jail For Rapist Caught by DNA† Noula Tsavdaridis, The Advertiser 21.10.2000 The American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd edition, 1997, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston MA, 476. Criminal Evidence Essays -- essays research papers Evidence is the key element in determining the guilt or innocence of those accused of crimes against society in a criminal court of law. Evidence can come in the form of weapons, documents, pictures, tape recordings and DNA. According to the American Heritage College dictionary, evidence is the documentary or oral statements and the material objects admissible as testimony in a court of law (476). It is shown in court as an item of proof, to impeach or rehabilitate a witness, and to determine a sentence. This paper will examine two murder cases, O.J. Simpson and Daniel Taylor. Perhaps the most famous case in the 20th century was the O. J. Simpson double murder trial. On June 12, 1994, two people were brutally killed. Those two people were Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, and Ronald Goldman. O.J. was arrested the next day and charged with their murder. O.J. pleaded innocent to murder and went to trial in criminal court. There was a load of evidences at the residence of Nicole’s to charge him with two counts of first degree murder and it seemed almost impossible for O.J. to be found innocent. There were loads of evidences found at the scene and O.J.’s home. The bodies of both Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, blood of the victims, shoe prints and other evidences. But, one of the main evidence was the questionable bloody glove found behind the guesthouse, which was proven by DNA testing to have O.J.'s, Nicole's and Ron's blood and hair on it. Fibers were also found on the glove that came from O.J.'s shirt and his Bronco (CNN). In addition, a bloody footprint which matched O.J.'s shoes, blood on O.J.'s Bronco door, on the console, on the interior side of the door, a bloody footprint in the Bronco, bloody socks in O.J.'s house, O.J.'s injured finger, blood found at Nicole's condo that matched O.J.'s, and so on (CNN). But, the defense claimed that the evidence had been planted. Eyewitnesses are also an important piece of evidence. Allen Wattenberg, a knife storeowner, testified during the preliminary hearing that O.J. bought a 14-inch Stiletto knife from his store. O.J.'s limo driver arrived to drive O.J. to the airport and saw a black man, with the same build as O.J. sprinting across the lawn towards O.J.'s house. When O.J. answered the door, he said he'd been napping (CNN). Simpson's houseguest stated that he saw Simpson pulled up in the white bro... ...ture on the bond slip appeared to be Taylor’s signature. Unlike O.J. there was no DNA linking him to the crime scene or the bodies. Again, all the evidences pointed favorably toward Daniel Taylor and despite the evidences presented, the jury found Taylor guilty of murder. In closing arguments, Needhand and Bishcoff sought to discredit the officers who had testified for Taylor, accusing them of covering up sloppy record keeping for fear they would be blamed for letting Taylor leave jail early to commit murders (Chicago tribune). In addition, the prosecutor used Daniel’s confession on tape to convict him. â€Å"Paperwork is not foolproof,† Bishcoff, the prosecutor, said. But I’ll tell you what is foolproof. And what is foolproof are the defendant’s own words† (Chicago tribune). REFERENCE â€Å"DNA Fingerprinting† (1997) Encarta Encylopaedia 1997 â€Å"Blood truths, Why the Police Want to Tag Your Body† Helen O’Neill, The Australian 6.12.1997 â€Å"Flaws in New DNA Database† Simon Kearny, The Sydney Telegraph 22.04.2001 â€Å"Jail For Rapist Caught by DNA† Noula Tsavdaridis, The Advertiser 21.10.2000 The American Heritage College Dictionary, 3rd edition, 1997, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston MA, 476.

judahs Triumph :: essays research papers

Judah’s Triumph   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Wyler is the director of the 1959 award-winning version of Ben-Hur. The film is an adaptation of General Lew Wallace’s novel. Karl Tunberg is credited with the actual screenplay. Sam Zimbalist was the original producer of Ben-Hur, but he died before the completion of filming. The two main characters are Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and Messala (Stephen Boyd). Another important person involved in this film is Miklos Rozsa. He composed the award-winning musical score in a total of eight weeks. Ben-Hur was released in New York City on November 18, 1959, and in Los Angeles on November 24, 1959. It was re-released in the USA in 1969. This film has grossed $70 million in the United States alone. As for location, this film was shot in entirely in Italy. Ben-Hur is one of two films to win eleven Academy Awards, the other movie being Titanic. The awards include best leading and supporting actors, best cinematography, best director, best music, best sound, and more. This film has some interesting behind the scenes trivia, most of which is in connection to the stadium or the chariot racing. According to The Internet Movie Database the design of the stadium was a controversy. â€Å"MGM asked an archaeologist what the stadium in Jerusalem had looked like. ‘Roman,’ came the reply. A second archaeologist was asked. ‘It was in a Phoenician style,’ he said. A third archaeologist was consulted, who said: ‘Stadium? I was not aware that Jerusalem had one!’ MGM engineers eventually sat down and carefully studied Ben-Hur (1926), and based their design on that.† Another intriguing fact is during the chariot race Charlton Heston’s stunt double was flipped out of the chariot. The stunt man hung on to the reigns and climbed back into the chariot. That blooper was left in the film to add more action. Marketing for this film was almost as big as the movie itself. Hundreds of toys were created, as well as Ã¢â‚¬Ë œBen-his’ and ‘Ben-hers’ bathroom towels. The Internet Movie Database also points out another big goof in editing. â€Å"Nine chariots start the chariot race. After the first crash, there appear still to be nine chariots in the race. After the third crash, six are shown, but as Ben Hur passes to catch up, clearly there [are] a total of seven in the race. After five have crashed, five are left. Messala is the sixth chariot to crash, but Ben Hur and three others finish the race.

Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses diction and symbolism to show the negative effects of stifling conformity verses the positive empowerment found in embarrassing one's own truth. He tries to impress upon his readers that an outsider, whether from another physical location, or simply someone who thinks and acts outside that society's definition of acceptable behavior can in fact facilitate positive change within that society. The secret in this novel most likely represents an idea, privacy, or even social censure. The Mary-like character Hester Prynne represents feminism, as the female-heroine, and truth, as she is unwavering in her stand against the wishes of the state, church, family and community with regard to her own truth. As represented by The Scarlet Letter, "Do you not think it is better for your little ones temporal and eternal welfare that she be taken out of your charge and clad soberly and disciplined strictly and instructed in the truths of heaven and earth? What can you do for the child? I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this, laying her finger on the red token. Woman it is thy badge of shame. Nevertheless, this badge taught me...it teaches me daily lessons by reasons of which my child may be better and wiser." Prynne is aware of how her truth can set her free. Later in the novel it states "...people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel." This shows how Prynne's stand for the truth has eventually affected the entire community in a very positive manner, changing its perspective on social norms. Yet the character Dimmesdale, the co-adulterer, was said to be liken with "unutterable torment." Hawthorne was showing that Dimmesdale's silence about the truth and his love was worse than any judgment that would have been bestowed on him by his community or maker. Later Prynee offers to save Dimmesdale from his jail (guilt) and jailer (Chillingworth, the devil-like character). He refuses and eventually dies of shame and guilt at the end of this romantic tale of the love between two people. Pearl, the bastard-daughter character, represents the world of nature (truth), a nature-friendly pre-Christian time in mankind's history and the struggle between the town (societal taboos) and the simpler way of forest (respect for the truth).

Personal Values Development Essay

In each and every day of an individual’s life he or she has to face various kinds of decisions. He or she has to make simple choices like the clothes to wear for a particular day or the right food to eat. There are also crucial and important decisions that can change his or her life such as choosing a career path or moving to another state. Nevertheless, individuals also have to assess the way in which they will deal with particular situations as well as their interaction with other people. In these instances, it is very important that every individual has a particular ethical standard that he or she must adhere to. These will serve as a basis in which a person could be guided according in his or her decisions and actions. It is also important to realize that in almost all of the choices that a person made there are corresponding consequences that will directly or indirectly affect the person who made the decision and even other people. Being the case, it is vital that an individual’s decision-making process is governed by ethical standards. Personal values can be considered as an ethical standard of an individual. These are the morals and principles that he or she believe and uphold. His or her judgment is usually based upon these personal values that he or she stands for. In the process of his or her interaction with other people as well as his or her stance regarding specific societal issues are usually guided by personal values. Simply put, the personal values of an individual govern his or her behavior. The development of these personal values does not happen overnight. In order to enhance the personal values of an individual ample amount of time is needed and important factors around him or her must also be given due consideration because these greatly influence the formation of his or her morals and principles. Personal values tend to developed as an individual matures. The level of maturity of an individual that is enhanced by the different situations and challenges that he or she went through also contribute to that person’s perspective and attitude ethical behavior. The formative years of a child is the most important phase by which values and principles could be instill in him or her. It is during this time that a child simply obeys and believes in almost anything that a parent or other adults would teach him or her. This could be exemplified by my personal experience when I was still a kid. I remember that my parents applied the concept of reward and punishment in disciplining me when I was just a young child. They would give me things that I want like toys and food such as chocolate and candies as long as I follow what they instructed me to do. My mom would usually say that I am doing the right thing that is why I should be rewarded. On the other hand, whenever I disobey their wishes like when they told me not to play in the mud, I would be reprimanded. They would punish me by spanking me and then explaining why they have to result to such action. Due to these, at a young age, I learned that if I do what is right then I would reap the benefits of it while doing the opposite would entail consequences that I must suffer from. As such, it developed in me that in order to acquire good things I must do what is right. When I was in pre-school, I started to interact more with kids that are around my age. I can say that my teachers at that time influenced some of the values that I formed in my life. Every recess period, most of the kids like me would usually spend their time in the playground. Almost all of the children were allowed to bring their favorite toy at school. One time, when I was playing with my toy, a classmate of mine approached me and asked if he can see it. At first, I was hesitant to let him borrow it but then our teacher approach me and convinced me that I should share it with him. My teacher further explained that for other people to also lend me their toy I should also do the same thing to them. This was one of the instances that I realized the principle of reciprocity wherein in order for you to be treated nicely you should also do the same for others. An individual get what he or she gives out (Maxey, 2005). This principle of reciprocity was further developed in me when I started to become aware of my religious faith. My family gives importance to our religion, which is why it has become part of their responsibility in rearing us to also enhance our spiritual growth. Our religion has played an important role in their method of disciplining us. They would see to it that the rules and regulations that they impose upon us coincides with our religious teachings. One of the most important lessons that I will always remember is the Golden Rule. The idea of the Golden Rule is also similar with the principle of reciprocity wherein it states that â€Å"Do not do to others what you would not like yourself† (Teaching Values, 2000). I also found out that this exact teaching also exists in other religious belief. This value was instilled in me in a sense that most of the time before I do something I always think of its possible consequences. I would place myself in the shoes of other people and analyze what I would feel if this particular action is done towards me. Since then I became conscious of my decisions. This could be best exemplified by my idea of respect wherein in order for other people to respect me I must also give the same courtesy to them. However, I later found out that not all people are guided by this same kind of principle. There are those who would still do you harm regardless of whether you do good things to them. I found this the hard way when I was in high school. I experienced interacting with students who are considered as bullied of the campus. During my freshman year, they approached me in this good natured manner and I thought that they were actually trying to be friendly to me. Later on, I realized that I was just part of a joke wherein they would ask me to do a lot of things for them like their school works and asked me to run errands for them. The time came when I had enough of such kind of maltreatment and I started to stand my ground and told them that I would no longer obey any of their orders. At first, they were shock with such kind of reaction coming from me but later on they just let me go as they no that they could no longer bully me. In this situation, I realized that there are instances that the golden rule is not always applicable because even though you behave properly toward other people there are still those who would take advantage of you. Due to this, I also realized when to fight and stand your ground in defending your right especially when other people are violating it. As I grow older, I become exposed with more harsh realities of the world. There are situation wherein people tend to put their selves in an advantageous position at the expense of others. I experienced this kind of event when one of my classmates encouraged me to cheat in one of our exams. He told me that he got the set of questions from one of his friend who was in charge of the copying machine. This classmate of mine asked me to help him in answering the questions. In doing so, we are both sure that we could get high grades for this subject. However, doing so would be very risky not only for us if we get caught but also for our other students who are also taking that subject because the teachers would automatically impose a re-test and will surely make a harder exam questions. The situation would indeed be beneficial for me and for my friend if we successfully accomplish it but it would be detrimental for many people if not. The costs in this situation are greater than its benefits. As such, I decided not to participate in this kind of cheating and I was able to also encourage my classmate not to do it. The influence of my family, religion, and educational institution as well as the various events that I have to go through was able to help me in developing my personal values. My personal values tend to focus on doing what I deem is right and just that will not only benefit me but also take into consideration the welfare of other people. Having this kind of morals and principles are very essential especially when the time comes that I already have to pursue a career in my chosen field of profession. This would help me in dealing with various kinds of people that have different personalities and attitude from each other. Moreover, this would also guide me in making decisions and choices when it comes to the challenging situations that I will encounter I my future endeavors. My personal values also adhere to the principles of some theories of ethics. The morals that I adhere to during my childhood days up to my older years is greatly exemplified by the ideas of Cognitive Moral Development. As proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg the idea of ethics could be acquired through education. Just as people develop other aspects of their being, they could also develop ethical values. As an individual matures, he or she has to go through different stages of ethical thinking that helps him or her to know oneself better. A person strives to make the next level better than the previous one in his or her process of moral development (Northern Arizona University, n. d. ). This described the development of my personal values that improves and become wider and diverse as I get older. My values in life that follow the principle of reciprocity and the teaching of the Golden Rule could be linked to the Universalism theory of ethics. The Universalist perspective explains that ethical principles should be applicable to everybody and not merely to an individual or group of people (Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2002). In the same manner, the concept of reciprocity and the Golden Rule is similar to the Universalism theory of ethics because it gives emphasizes that an action made by one person should also be applicable to other people. An individual should put his or her self in the position of others to see if such decision or action is also agreeable to them. Lastly, the instance wherein I gave importance to the welfare of the majority of schoolmates instead of the benefit my friend and I will get from cheating follows the tenets of the Utilitarian theory of ethics. Utilitarianism asserted that a right act is the one that gives the greatest amount of good as compared to evil for all people concern (Northern Arizona University, n. d. ). In this sense, I was able to apply the utilitarian concept in the development of my personal values. The development of an individual’s personal values is largely dependent upon many aspects. Some essential factors are the span of time and level of maturity of a person. This allows him or her to interact with other people and experience various events. In relation to this, the people around an individual like his or her family and friends also have a great influence in the formation of his or her values in life. Different institutions like the church and school also help in molding the morals and principles of a person. In all of these, it can be said that personal values are something that an individual can learn, change and enhance in order for it to adhere to the beliefs that he or she uphold. Having this personal values are indeed important to guide a person in his or her journey in life.

Politics and society in Italy during World War 2 Essay

Roberto Benigni’s movie â€Å"Life is beautiful† was a successful attempt of making a tragic-comedy. Roberto Benigni directed the movie, wrote it and acted in it. Previously, he worked as a comedian in several movies. The movie won many awards including, Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998 and an Oscar award for the best actor. The movie makes sure that as Benigni can very well make people laugh, he can also be a serious actor at the same time and is able to entertain people with his serious acting as well. Before I start writing about the movie, I would like to discuss the main idea of it. World War II, its disasters, its effects on the people and of course on the country – both physically and psychologically is being discussed in the movie and Benigni was successful in depicting it in the movie. George Holmes in the chapter 10 of his book â€Å"The Oxford Illustrated History of Italy† has excellently defined that period of Italy’s history on which the movie was made. According to Holmes: â€Å"Italy had entered the war both materially and psychologically unprepared, uncertain about her war aims and about how they were to be achieved. None the less the conviction that the war was represented some kind of spiritual apotheosis for Italy had been common to many interventionists, whether rightwing authoritarian like Salandra or democratic and reformist socialist like Bissolati. † (pg 265) The movie’s first half was really comic and enjoyable but the second half, according to many critics, was very tragic as the most of it was shot in concentration camps, showing all the miseries people had during that period. But on the other side, a good compensation for the second half is the sweet love story of a lady Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni’s real-life spouse) and a man (Benigni). The love story prepares the viewers for the upcoming tragic drama. In short, the movie is a good way of informing about the daily life during war and how the victims have to bare the pains and pressures. It seems that the movie is a mixture of two movies, a comedy and a very light one in the first half and a very tragic and to some extent indigestible in the other half. The movie starts with a powerful comedy which had an impression that the movie contains humor, comedy, romance and nothing else. The credit for this pretension goes to the production and direction team completely which did not let us think that the movie could contain those wretched scenes. The reason of plotting the movie this way might suggests that in the first half it prepares the viewers for the second half. It might be possible that the first half gives the viewers clue of attaching their sympathy with the main characters which would help them in understanding the last part of the movie. Roberto Benigni was successful in depicting the tragedy and sorrowfulness into comedy. As in Nazi death camp, the way he turned that calamity into adventure is really admirable. In fact, this is the basis of the plot and all the characters did their best in it. The relationship of the father and a son sometimes brought tears into the eyes of the viewers as they were suffering from the torture and sometimes it also brought a smile on the positivity they kept throughout the movie. The name of the movie really meant it. â€Å"Life is Beautiful† doesn’t mean that whatever life gives to us is always beautiful, but how we perceive it actually make it beautiful or ugly. It is always on the person that how he’s reacting to the events in the life he’s coming up to, and this is what this beautiful movie is trying to make us understand. The starting fifty minutes of the movie has a beautiful and a very pretty girl called la Principessa (the Princess) who is an elementary school teacher and is engaged to some Fascist officials. That was those fifty minutes which was the development of the movie. Viewers had to change their attitude towards the movie in those fifty minutes. It was a shift from an imponderous effect of movie to a farce. No doubt, it could a shock for some people for a sudden change in the movie, but I think this is a best part of it and it’s also an essence of a good plot. A good plot doesn’t allow viewer or reader to predict its climax but yes, can give sometimes a clue. In this movie, â€Å"Life is beautiful†, the happiness in the starting till its fifty minutes, in a sense give a clue that the disaster and woefulness is still waiting for its turn! The credit of the shift of the movie goes to the xenophobic uncle of Guido. He is prejudiced and a narrow-minded guy for which Guido and his family had to suffer later. The writer of the movie wrote this event and about his uncle in a very light manner, although its not. Guido’s shop was sooner labeled as a â€Å"Jewish store†. The couple has a five year old baby boy now named, Joshua (Giorgio Cantarini). This is the year 1945. â€Å"Jews and dogs aren’t allowed into the pastry shop†, this is what the son asks his father to be explained. The father was very well conscious of whatever was happening during the time. He had to protect his son from the mental disturbance in anyway and he started telling his son that whatever is happening is only a drama and has no reality in it. â€Å"Tomorrow, we’re going to write: ‘No Spiders and No Visigoths Allowed†, father replied to son as he never wanted his son to be pressurized in that political situation. George Holmes says: â€Å"Emblematic of the Italian authorities’ attitude to its own soldiers was its behavior in respect of those Italians who had fallen prisoner to the Austrians and Germans. Of the 600,000 soldiers who became prisoners in the course of the war, more than 100,000 died in captivity-a far higher proportion than for any other country. † (pg 267) The Guido’s family soon became imprisoned by the police. They were taken to some prisoner-of-war camp. Dora took a difficult decision to move with her family instead of following them in the train. It was an abhorrent place. People there were made to perform laborious work like melting down the weapons and the weak ones, old ones and the children were made pouring down the water. According to George Holmes: â€Å"The war proved to be a shock of massive proportions, which tried the politically unstable, economically backward, and weakly united society to its limit and which bequeathed a legacy no one had been able to predict. Indeed, the divisions which the war exposed and the lacerations which the conflict provoked would have consequences which went well beyond the Armistice of November 1918. † (pg 264) The best thing of the movie which kept the interest of the viewers till the end is the fatherhood which never let his son feel fearful although living in the death camp. He kept on explaining that it was just a game and we are not supposed to lose it at any cost. He made sure his son by showing the numbers on his arm. He told him that the bad people were not letting them to register them but he did it so that they can also enjoy the game. The son assimilated all as he is a child of five year only and he hasn’t learnt not to trust his father until now. Father told the son that the goal of the game is to score 1000 and the winner will get an original tank and not the toy with which Joshua plays with. The rules of the game kept on changing as the story moves on and the torture increases but mostly they used to play hide-and-seek, make believe and a rule called â€Å"silence†. Simultaneously, the father kept on making sure the son that the police, in reality aren’t bad, and the way they behave is only because of the game. This attitude of a father of never letting a child know that from what torture they have been going through suggests a very pure, strong and trustworthy relationship of a father and son. Father also prepares his son for the future if he doesn’t get the food. He says that if he cries for the food, he’ll be failed. Throughout the time the father and son spend in the death camp, Guido made his son feel that they are on vacations. â€Å"†¦Camp prisoners are all going to be â€Å"cooked in the oven† to become â€Å"buttons and soap† is one of the examples form the movie which Guido tell his son, almost depicting the tragedy into comic. Benigni deserves a special award on the part when he shows that he knows German and translates the orders to his son. When death was announced to the prisoners, the father introduced three new and FINAL rules to his son: â€Å"There are three cases in which you lose all your points,† he says. â€Å"One: Those who cry. Two: Those who want to see their mamma. Three: Those who are hungry and want some snack. Forget about it! † According to some people it’s a cheapo way of letting the kid into dark till the end. Viewers have remarks that he should have told him at the end about the actual thing happening to them. But its too late to tell anything to the innocent kid now because it’s the end. An American was driving that tank which was arrived, and yes, Joshua really played well. In World War II, about 8,000 Italian Jews were imprisoned and murdered. The criticisms on Benigni are open after the movie. He depicted himself as an inhuman person who couldn’t feel the territory which the people went through during the World War II. But on the other side of the picture, we also see people’s remarks saying that a person without a brave heart cannot think, write and act in a manner he did. He, through the period of World War II is trying to tell that no matter what circumstances you are present in, don’t let the life go out of your hands, as your life really worth to be lived! The theme of the movie â€Å"Life is beautiful† is also that a person will always try to protect his loved one in the difficult situation and never let him go in depression and this is what a father did to his son. Benigni also depicts the value of family in this movie. He showed the real essence of fatherhood, a husband and a lover. Self sacrifice and believe in one-self is the other minor theme of the movie which kept the last part of the movie really active. It also gives us the lesson of being calm, active and reality based in all odds of the life. Although there was a terror and horror all around, he knew how to use his brain and where. It’s not easy for a person to maintain his spirits and powers in such a hectic situation of life. This is not at all easy for a person to act like him in other situations, keeping the spirits and hopes high but what he tries to convinces is that its not even impossible. A person can make his life beautiful if he wants to, it’s all in his hands how he values the time he has. According to George Holmes: â€Å"The enthusiasm which greeted the Italian decision to end neutrality and intervene in the First World War was something which left a profound impression on observers;†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg 264) The above extract is the very starting part of Chapter 10 of the book, the title of the chapter is â€Å"Italy 1915-1945: Politics and Society†. Just like the way viewers of the movie were drowned into the profound effect of the war, when we go through the book, the same way we indulge in the miseries of the War. Holmes has written it so well that a person could feel the pains himself as he’s experiencing it. As said earlier, the title â€Å"Life is beautiful†, is not just a title but it’s a message of Benigni to Holocaust. This is Benigni’s very positive approach that he is calling Life â€Å"beautiful† avoiding the facts that there are hell lot factors which can make a person perceive life very sorrowful and bad, especially a person who has tortured in a death camp. According to Gerald Peary, Benigni only wanted to depict father’s love in his movie and this was the best way of depicting it. If his main focus would only be on imprisonment of the victims of the wars, he would have made a documentary or a real imitation sort of a movie. But he was not failed in depicting the sorrows, tears and torture of the prisoners in World War II and side by side he also successfully portrayed the social and cultural decline in Italy during that period. George Holmes has written a very well-embellished book on the history of Italy. The book â€Å"The Oxford Illustrated History of Italy† has a rich material on whatever happened during World War II. It tells about the early days of Roman Empire in the beginning of 1990. He has given several pictures in the book to illustrate its culture and social ethical norms. The book tells us the story of the Italy from the Roman Empire till today. Italy did not exist as a separate individual political unit before a century ago but it had a rich culture. In fact, it always had a powerful culture which started from the period of Renaissance. During the middle ages, the exporter from Florence, Venice and Genoa started their trading with Asia and Europe. After the nineteenth century, Italy was actually created and their political establishment started transcending. The twelve great leaders captivate the history and culture of Italy which is very well written in the above discussed book written by George Holmes. â€Å"Problems of reconversions and stabilization were exacerbated by the political tensions created in course of 1919. Those tensions which had been present at the front between officers and soldiers were reproduced in civilian life in much of the same terms. Socialist party organizers never failed to point out that the war had been a useless slaughter, as they had always maintained, and that the Italian State before a heavy responsibility for this. † (Holmes pg 268-269) Works Cited Holmes, George. (2001) The Oxford Illustrated History Stone, A. A. (2000). Escape from Auschwitz: ‘Life Is Beautiful’ turned the Holocaust into a sentimental fable. Psychiatric Times. 17(4).