Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients? Essay

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federally funded block grant which provides needy families assistance in finding and obtaining work opportunities. The funds are given to states to distribute. States are allowed some flexibility in how they chose to distribute these funds. There has been a recent movement among states to implement drug testing for applicants and recipients to receive this assistance. Many people see this as a violation of their 4th amendment rights. The ideology behind drug testing is to weed out misuse of funds by recipients, thus alleviating budgetary concerns in hard economic times. Are there other means of easing budgetary issues without potentially violating the 4th amendment rights of the poor? A common stereotype of people receiving public assistance is they are people who are drug addicts, alcoholics, lazy, and don’t want to work. Stereotypes are generalizations made about a certain group of people, good or bad. Stereotypes have a ne gative affect when they keep us from seeing a person for who they really are negating the individual (Iowa State University Study Abroad Center). According to an opinion poll on Debate.org, seventy percent of people responded â€Å"yes† when answering the question, â€Å"Should someone receiving welfare be drug tested?† Respondents stated reasons such as â€Å"You can’t trust someone to use free money on things they need†, â€Å"Help should be given to those who really need it not to people who are too lazy to work†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and â€Å"I don’t believe it is fair †¦ hard-working people have to pay taxes, and the money goes to lazy people who spend our hard earned money on drugs† (Debate.com). These statements are indicative of stereotyping; stereotypes being pervasive within our society (Iowa State University Study Abroad Center). However, not all applicants or recipients needing public assistance fall within the stereotype. Luis Le bron is a 35-year-old Navy veteran, father of a 4-year-old, the sole caregiver for his disabled mother and a student at the University of Central Florida. He just needs some help after having served his country and while trying to finish school and take care of his son and disabled mother (Bloom). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Florida has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Lebron due to his refusal to submit to a drug test and relinquish his 4th Amendment rights. Lebron feels that, â€Å"It’s insulting and degrading that people think I’m using drugs just because I need a little help to take care of my family while I finish up my education.† The 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute). The concept of the 4th amendment is to protect two basic freedoms – the right to privacy and freedom from random search and seizure. (Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute). Twenty-eight states have proposed drug testing public assistance, according the National Conference of State Legislature. Utah has passed legislation requiring applicants to complete a written questionnaire screening for drug use. Georgia passed legislation requiring drug tests for all applicants. The Louisiana House endorsed random drug-testing of 20 percent of the state’s welfare recipients. Ohio is considering a pilot program to test welfare recipients. Florida’s drug testing law required applicants to pay for their tests and then would be reimbursed if the results proved negative (Prah). Federal or state laws that require suspicionless drug testing for eligibility to receive public assistance may be subject to constitutional challenge. Constitutional challenges are aimed towards privacy and unreasonable search. For searches to be reasonable, they generally must be based on suspicion, unless a â€Å"special need† can be shown that may allow for an exception. Public assistance programs do not necessarily create these special needs grounded in public safety that the Supreme Court has recognized in the past (Carpenter). There has only been litigation initiated in two states where the laws require suspicionless drug testing – Florida where the U.S. District Court issued an injunction to stop testing and Michigan where several individuals were granted a temporary injunction. A number of other applicants in Florida chose not to submit to drug testing. Because applicants are not required to explain why they chose not to submit to the tests, there is no statistical data as to the reasons why. Proponents for testing believe it is because applicants knew they would fail the test. However, opponents state that the reasoning could be because applicants may not have been able to afford the tests or because testing sites were not easily accessible (The Assoicated Press). It has been suggested that drug abuse is a major cause of welfare. However , there is only evidence, based on secondhand information, to support this. If drug use among welfare participants were reduced to the levels of non-participants, welfare participation would decline by approximately one percent (Kaestner). A report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states, â€Å"Proportions of welfare recipients using, abusing or dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs are consistent with proportions of both the adult U.S. population and adults who do not receive welfare† (National Institute of Health). The researchers found the rate of drug abuse and/or dependency among welfare recipients to fall between 1.3 and 3.6 percent, as opposed to a rate of 1.5 percent within the general population. Data from the National Household Survey of Drug Abuse roughly coincides with these findings, with the rate of drug dependency among welfare recipients being approximately 4 percent. Further, the data suggests that no more than one in five welfare r ecipients used illegal drugs in any given year; half of those having used only marijuana (Budd). The evidence from these three studies shows that although drug use is tied to homeless and welfare participation, proportionally to the general population there is not a significant difference. Finally, in the study by Kaestner, he suggests that for purposes of reducing welfare, public programs should focus their efforts on something besides drug use (Kaestner). There is the belief that testing welfare applicants and recipients will reduce the payment of benefits to people who are mishandling the funds. In a 2011 article from the Tampa Tribune, Whittenburg reports, with the average cost of test being approximately $30, the state would owe $28,000 – $43,000 in reimbursements for applicants who passed tests monthly. The state would save approximately $32,000 to $48,000 for rejected applicants, assuming 20 to 30 people failed the test monthly. Welfare recipients receive an average of $134 per month, so the state would save approximately $2600 to $3300 which the rejected applicants wouldn’t receive. Over a one year period, which is the disqualification period for one failed test, the state could save $32,000 to $48,000 annually on the applicants rejected in a single month. The net savings would be $3,400 to $8,200 annually on one month’s worth of rejected applicants. Over 12 months, the money saved on all rejected applicants would add up to $40,800-$98,400 for the cash assistance program that state analysts have predicted will cost $178 million this fiscal year (Whittenburg). In a 2012 article from the New York Times, Alvarez reports that during the period that the Florida state law was in effect that required drug tests for welfare applicants, there was no direct savings. It found only a few drug users and didn’t affect the number of applications. According to the law, applicants who passed the drug test were reimbursed, an average of $30 for the cost of testing. Negative testing thus cost the state a little more than $118,000. This alone is more than the cost of benefits to those who failed the test. Ultimately, this turns out to be a cost to the state of an extra $45,780 (Alvarez). In order to avert any further court proceedings initiated by plaintiffs who believe their 4th amendment rights have been violated and avert costly testing programs, it would be prudent for the Federal government to exact language that explicitly prohibits the use of suspicionless drug testing in order to receive money from federally funded programs. Rather, government officials should refocus their efforts in the fight against drugs to the recovery from substance abuse of the general public rather than targeting a specific group of people, namely welfare recipients. Citizens should petition their states representatives to vote against proposed laws that support drug testing. Further, those representatives should seek to supplement existing or fund new treatment programs with the dollars saved by eliminating drug testing programs for welfare applicants and recipi ents. Another step to solidify a stance against suspicionless testing would be an amendment to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to include language that explicitly prohibits suspicionless testing. Given that the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that substance abuse is no more prevalent in welfare applicants and recipients than the general population (National Institute of Health) then there is no basis for testing as a condition for receiving benefits. Alleviation of budgetary concerns is not guaranteed by the reduction of caseloads due to positive tests (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation). Where challenged, courts have determined that suspicionless testing is a violation of the 4th Amendment (Schaberg). North Carolina’s Governor, after vetoing a bill to implement drug testing, stated, â€Å"Drug testing †¦applicants †¦ could lead to inconsistent application †¦ That’s a recipe for government overreach and unnecessary government intrusion. This is not a smart way to combat drug abuse. Similar efforts in other states have proved to be expensive for taxpayers and did little to actually help fight drug addiction.† (Smith) Bibliography Alvarez, Lizette. â€Å"No Savings Are Found From Welfare Drug Tests.† The New York Times 18 April 2012: A14. Bloom, Rachel. â€Å"Poor People Have Rights Too.† 12 October 2011. American Civil Liberties Union. 3 August 2013 . Budd, Jordan C. â€Å"Pledge Your Body for Your Bread: Welfare, Drug Testing, and the Inferior Fourth Amendment.† 2011. William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal . 7 August 2013 . Carley, Frances. Drug Testing Welfare Recipients: A Review of Potential Costs and Savings. Lansing, 2012. Carpenter, David H. â€Å"Constitutional Analysis of Suspicionless Drug Testing Requirements for the Receipt of Governmental Benefits.† Report. 2013. Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute. Fourth Amendment. n.d. 5 August 2013 . —. Fourth Amendment. n.d. 5 August 2013 . Debate.com. Should someone receiving welfare be drug tested? n.d. Iowa State University Study Abroad Center. Stereotypes. 7 June 2011. 21 Augusr 2013 . Kaestner, Rob ert. â€Å"Drug Use and AFDC Participation: Is There a Connection?† May 1996. the National Bureau of Economic Reearch. 6 August 2013 . National Coalition for the Homeless. â€Å"Substance Abuse and Homelessness.† July 2009. National Coalition for the Homeless. 6 August 2013 . National Institute of Health. â€Å"NIAAA Researchers Estimate Alcohol and Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence Among Welfare Recipients.† 23 October 1996. National Institute on Alocohol Abuse and Alocoholism. 7 August 2013

Gender Disparity and the ways in which it underpins major social and economic inequalities in South Asia

The aim of this paper is to show the linkage between gender disparity and social and economic inequalities that result because of gender disparity in the South Asian context. This is an important area of study because gender disparity is closely interlinked with and supports explanations of social and economic inequality. This is also of particular interest in the South Asian context because compared to the rest of the world South Asia has one of the greatest degrees of gender disparity in the world. Furthermore gender equality can be used to measure the progressiveness and development of a given society as a whole by acting as an indicator to social equality. In other words the smaller the gap in gender disparity, the more developed and progressive a given country or society can be regarded. This paper will deal with the common perception of women in the South Asian context, social exclusion and the limited legal rights of women, Their rights to land and property, access to education and healthcare, female foeticide and infanticide, the political and economic exclusion of women and the downward spiraling effect that the above factors will have particularly on the economy and South Asian society as a whole. The paper will draw from various parts of South Asia to illustrate vividly examples of gender disparity at work. In order to really understand the existence of Gender disparity in South Asia one must look at the fiercely patriarchal nature of South Asian society. Throughout most of South Asia, men have been given the role of decision makers and heads of family because of cultural, social and religious backing that has gone on for thousands of years and thus gender bias is not just believed in by men but women also. â€Å"This has arguably resulted in female submission to male domination and the constraint of women's choices to come to be regarded as the social norm. † The first significant way that gender disparity supports economic inequality is in what can be regarded as the â€Å"unseen economy†. Many South Asian women are employed in the informal sector and thus their contribution to the national economy is not recognized and accounted for in a respective country's Gross Domestic Product or GDP. â€Å"Because their labour – in such activities as family care, household maintenance is excluded from systems of national accounts the work they do remains unappreciated and inadequately compensated. In Bangladesh, some studies estimate that women spend between 70 and 88 percent of their time in non-market work. The vast majority of South Asian women work in the informal-sector or in unpaid family assistance, with the informal sector accounting for the employment of 96 percent of economically-active women in India, 75 percent in Nepal and Bangladesh and nearly 65 percent in Pakistan. â€Å"2 Methods to incorporate the contribution of the women to the economy should be implemented. This would be the only possible way of assessing their productivity accurately. One theoretical method is to make use of the economic concept of â€Å"opportunity cost†. For example the productivity of a housewife can be taken into account by the cost of hiring domestic help to manage the household assuming she went out to work. Simply put, if she did not do the work at home, someone else has to be paid to do it. Such methods may be the only way to give women their due credit in recognition of their contribution to the economy. The next substantial way in which gender disparity supports a major economic inequality in South Asia is in the area of land rights for women. A very phallic male-centred approach to the division of property and very often occurs in South Asia. A significant proportion of women do not receive their due share of inheritance. â€Å"3 In order to really understand the economic and social implications that this brings about one must see â€Å"the links between gender subordination and property and the need to be sought in not only the distribution of property between households but also in its distribution between men and women, in not only who owns the property but also who controls it, and in relation not only to private property but to communal property. † 4 Actual ownership of a property does not always mean effective assertion of control over that property. In some cases women's names are not put on the revenue records after they inherit, in others they are persuaded to sign relinquishment in favour of male family members. â€Å"5 This is because in many parts of South Asia it is customary for sons to inherit all the land and property without any shares going to the daughters of the family. The lack of property and capital makes women economically subjugate to men because of economic dependency. They are unable to make economic decisions for themselves. When women's access to property and wealth is denied this makes â€Å"(a) A woman's class position defined through that of a man- father, husband etc. it is more open to change than that of a man: a well-placed marriage can raise it, divorce or widowhood can lower it. (b) This can occur to the extent that even women of propertied households, do not own property themselves and makes it difficult to characterize their class position. Indeed some have even argued that women constitute a class in themselves. â€Å"6 One must bear in mind that this not only gives rise to major economic inequality but also social inequality. The rise of capitalism has made economics in integral part of determining social class. Gone are the days when social class was not dependent on wealth and property. Thus in this respect women are socially compromised as well economically. Another way in which gender disparity closely supports both economic and social inequality is with regards to the Law of a state. The Law can be used as a very good indicator of gender disparity and thus social and economic inequality. Simply put the Law has to protect both men and women. Men and women should have equality before the law. The Apostle Paul said, â€Å"The law is lawful so long as one uses it lawfully†. Indeed there should not only be equality before the Law in areas of gender, but race and class as well. The legal terrain of South Asia is determined by the religious and cultural practices of several communities, and overlain by traditions of European jurisprudence and is particularly treacherous for women. Throughout the region different religious and cultural communities are governed by separate personal laws- those civil laws which deal with marriage, dowry and divorce; custody, guardianship and adoption of children and inheritance†. 7 The lack of a uniform civil code in South Asian states to protect the rights of women has sadly allowed loopholes in the law to be exploited which aids in the economic and social oppression of women. It is a sad truth that in many parts of South Asia there is still a strong degree of gender-bias in the law of the state, which puts women at an unfair disadvantage as compared to men. â€Å"The lack of a uniform civil code in which fundamental human rights take precedence over gender discriminatory religious customs remains a main obstacle to the achievements of women's equal rights. â€Å"8 In order to illustrate the significant impact the law can have on promoting inequality the laws pertaining to women's rights in South Asia will be looked at. Property and inheritance laws are in themselves highly gender discriminatory across South Asia. This will be tied in with the earlier example of land rights for women and the role of the law as a mediating device. Take for example the case of the â€Å"Jaffna Tamils in Sri Lanka, a married woman needs her husband's consent to alienate land which she legally owns. â€Å"9 Legal ownership does not always carry with it the right of control in all senses. Legal ownership might still be challenged by prevailing social constraints as well. Thus there has to be not only implementation of legal rights but enforcement as well in order to safeguard the rights of women. Strong degree of gender disparity can be seen from inheritance laws in Nepal. â€Å"One of the laws states that a daughter can only inherit paternal property if she is unmarried and over 35 years of age, and she cannot inherit tenancy rights. â€Å"10 Needless to say the very legal system, which should serve the function of protection, seems to undermine women and compromise their representation. A very serious aspect that needs to be looked at is the implication of some of the bias inheritance laws, which contribute to a downward spiral effect. These bias inheritance laws not only economically and socially impair women but in many cases their offspring bear the brunt of the hardship as well. Firstly, these â€Å"discriminatory property laws limit women's capacity to obtain credit and benefit from new opportunities for economic advancement by engaging in self employment. This also has further serious implications as in the case of the â€Å"cancellation of the provision of inheritance for orphan grandchildren by a Federal Shariat Court in Pakistan. This has a multiplier effect on economic and social inequality because of the overwhelming burden placed on widowed mothers. They lose their only means of financial support with the death of their husbands and this also means that the children would not be able to inherit the property of their father which will also increase the financial burden of the women. 11 Also, the law not only fails to protect women in terms of property and inheritance rights but in many other areas as well. Women who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse in South Asia have a much harder time seeking justice than their counterparts around the world. Often in South Asia, women who are the victims of sexual assault and battery are blamed for the crime rather than the perpetrators and abusers themselves. Gender disparity really underpins the social inequality in Bangladesh. â€Å"Even today, for the majority of women in Bangladesh, the world consists of their immediate family, and the new households of near relatives and neighbours. Very few are involved in any social institution apart from the family, and this even often applies to middle-class women in urban areas. The cultural institution of parda requires the isolation of all women besides minors from men outside the family and close relative circle. Movements outside the home are to be carried out only for prescribed reasons and at prescribed times of the day. † 12 Because of this cultural institution many Bangladeshi women literally become â€Å"birds in a cage†. This not only compromises women socially but economically and politically as well. This restricts their occupational chances and mobility. Furthermore parda leaves virtually no room in a woman's life for public interaction. Women are thus excluded from elections, conferences and decision-making bodies. Because of the strong nature of patriarchy is South Asian society and the Dowry system in marriages, women are considered a liability even before they are born. In the next few paragraphs the paper will look at women's access to healthcare and education and female foeticide and infanticide. This indeed causes an exacerbation of social and economic inequality. In order for a country or state to bloom as a society the rights and interests of both sexes have to be catered for. If women are given equal educational opportunities and access to healthcare, the standard of living and quality of life as a whole will improve. Educational quotient and life expectancy will rise. Women will also be able to take on more jobs and increasingly knowledge based ones and thus contribute more substantially to the economy as well. If women are given an equal chance as men economically and socially in South Asia, it might gradually eradicate the mentality that daughters are a liability and thus slow down and eventually stop the vicious cycle. The need for dowries may disappear if this were the case. Female foeticide and infanticide will cease to be such an impending issue and South Asian society will be more progressive as a whole. Prenatal sex determination techniques such as â€Å"amniocentesis techniques for developing foetal abnormalities were developed in India, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It was soon discovered that these tests could also accurately determine the sex of the child. A statistic purporting to come from the Registrar General of India, based on hospital records alone showed that 3. lakh female foetuses were aborted in India between 1993 and 1994†. Needless to say the sex ratios in South Asia are one of the most unbalanced in the world because of the substantially higher ratio of men to women. This is gender disparity in action in its worst social implication. Very simply, a price is put on the lives unborn female children. They are being killed in the hundreds of thousands to such a degree that some people have aptly come up with the term, â€Å"femicide† to describe the literal culling of the female sex. What is far more worrying though is the practice of infanticide where many female children are killed after birth. This is tantamount to murder but goes unchecked in many parts of South Asia. Sometimes however, one wonders whether it is crueler to commit female infanticide rather than subject the female child to a life of hardship, misery and oppression. Girls are treated differently from boys since birth. They are not given enough food compared to boys and they suffer from nutritional deficits. Girls are far more prone to malnutrition in South Asia than boys are. They also tend to suffer from a host of other ailments and still preferential medical treatment is given to boys. â€Å"Educational indicators of South Asian women although recording improvement in recent years, are some of the worst in the world, especially at technical and higher levels. Women constitute only 17 percent of technical students, and South Asian governments spend approximately 4. 4 percent of their educational budgets on technical and scientific education†14 It is of little wonder that women are subject to economic inequality judging from the statistics above. In conclusion in can be said that gender disparity greatly underpins major social and economic inequalities in South Asia. This is evident in the Legal systems, educational systems and medical systems and social systems of South Asia. It can be seen that the root of a lot of economic and social evils in South Asia are due to gender disparity between men and women. If South Asia is to progress as a society as a whole, gender disparity must be eradicated or if not, at least curbed.

Bodhisattva in relation to a discussion of love in Buddhism Essay

In chapter three of â€Å"Dimensions of Love: East & West† by James A. Mohler, titled, â€Å"When he (Bodhisattva) exerts himself for the good of others, he should be filled with love and love alone without any admixture of self-interest†, we see how one who has set out on a quest to become a successful Bodhisattva must incorporate love for others (Mohler, 1975). The very soul of the Bodhisattva is devoted to the spreading of love in his fellow men. In the coming paragraphs, light shall be shed upon the intricacies involved in the responsibilities that one finds himself subjected to when he chooses to travel on the path of the Bodhisattva. The analysis performed shall be in the light of the third chapter of the book as mentioned above while elaborating upon the various aspects of the Mahayana Bodhisattva. As we go along with the summarization and analysis of the article, we shall observe the factors that are of primary importance to the Mahayana Bodhisattva and what the life of the Mahayana Bodhisattva dictates. Karuna dictates a side of the code of conduct that Buddha presented known as ahimsa. It is no surprise that the presence of Karuna is in multiple religions and mostly in ones that originated around the same time as did Buddhism and Jainism. It is believed that this element of uniformity may have become prevalent as a result of the movement to discourage the growing bloodshed of that time. The essence of Karuna is to make sure that any element that can encourage or can potentially lead to the encouraging of harm is not promoted under any circumstances. Ahimsa is a unique method of resistance that is incorporated in Kural as well as in Buddhism and in all religions it remains an ideology that speaks of replying to adversity with a unique passive resistance that is composed of exercising good in reply to evil when subjected to evil. So much so that Tiruvalluvar suggests that since all souls are equal, hence pain inflicted by one upon another is nothing but pain inflicted on one’s self. This ideology revolves around the concept of â€Å"self-giving† According to Mahayana Buddhism, the ultimate achievement of inner peace is only possible once one has committed one’s self to serving others and the singular purpose of one’s life has become the spreading of love and peace amongst others. It can be seen how this approach results in the attainment of inner peace for one. The path of success for the bodhisattva does not revolve around any segment of society but unanimously declares that all segments of society, whether drenched in riches or dwelling in the bowels of evil, are to be helped in their journey through life and towards salvation. To the bodhisattva, his very existence makes him responsible to save the people in the world from misery and pain (Rinchen, 1997). Yet modern day religious scholars often argue that the degree of significance that Mahayana Buddhism places on Karuna down plays the element of intelligence. Not only is Mahayana Buddhism shown as an approach to life, but in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, it is also given form and shape in the Goddess of Mercy Kuan-yin. Kuan-yin is a goddess of mercy in the sense that she looks down upon the world with sympathy for the less fortunate. So much so that according to an ancient Chinese proverb, it is believed that a goddess of mercy dwells in every home. In order to become a bodhisattva that is complete in his being, it is necessary to commit one’s being and one’s life to the bringing of peace and love to others. The bodhisattva is not one whose comprehension of the world around him is dictated by the degree of affluence or hardship that it holds. The bodhisattva is oblivious to such worldly factors in his beliefs and his world exists for the bringing of peace and tranquility to the worried and the pained around him. The bodhisattva does not differentiate between the beggar and the king and helps anybody who karma leads to him. They choose to stay indifferent of infatuation, loathing and recklessness in order to develop virtue within their being. Even the very prayer of the bodhisattva does not center around the person saying the prayer himself/herself but on the extent to which he can be of service to the people around him/her and lead them through the path to inner peace. The bodhisattva prays for the inner illumination of others once he/she has achieved it. The desire of the bodhisattva is only to bring others to the path of inner illumination and nirvana. In this quest, the bodhisattva does not refrain from undergoing any form of pain or discomfort. If the bodhisattva must, then he/she will gladly suffer through pain and torture if it can bring another person peace and tranquility. This aspect is dominant to such a significant degree that the bodhisattva does not even choose to give his family and his own being the comfort and the satisfaction that he chooses to ensure for those who come to him for help and assistance and for the enlightenment that he has achieved. The love of a mother holds monumental importance in the universe, and it is the nature of this very love that the Bodhisattva holds for all he beings around him (Beliefnet, 2008). To the common man, freedom and information are two of the most important elements of success in his life, however, to the bodhisattva, all these and similar elements remain little significance once he has achieved the complete incorporation of Karuna in his being. Needless to say, the bodhisattva feels the pain that the people around him feel and chooses to commit his being to the eradication of that pain. He considers himself to be of no more respect than the people around him and sees all the people as his equal. He does not consider his world in the perception of his own being but chooses to perceive it in the perception of the people around him. The two foundations of the perception that the Bodhisattva chooses to incorporate in his being are that firstly, he never treats people with bias or prejudice but chooses to treat everybody equally as he sets about to take away the misery and pain from their lives. Secondly, the Bodhisattva does not treat anybody in a way that they would not appreciate, but in a way that would make them comfortable and make them feel warm and welcomed in the discovery of their path to nirvana. Until and unless all the people in the world are relieved of the pain and misery that they suffer, the bodhisattva never accepts the ultimate blessing of nirvana even though it has been bestowed upon him. He believes that his true happiness will be brought by allowing the people around him to gain access to relief from suffering. He refuses to accept nirvana as his state of mind until he has eradicated pain and suffering from the world and he chooses to spend the entirety of his life in the pursuit of this quest. For the bodhisattva, the consuming of flesh is another matter upon which he exercises very rigorous rules. It is believed in ahimsa that the reincarnation of a man who consumes the flesh of other living entities will be in the form of carnivorous animals. Beliefs related to the discouraging of the consumption of flesh are the most strongest in eastern traditions like Jainism and Buddhism. The quest for taking away the suffering from all beings at the cost of giving away one’s own comfort is the most primary of priorities for the bodhisattva. The bodhisattva does not turn his back from hard times and does not feel scared of or threatened from adverse circumstances or situations that may cause any discomfort or harm to the bodhisattva. He is always willing to sacrifice himself so that others may have a better development of their soul. The bodhisattva vows and dedicates his life to fighting against all forms of pain, discomfort, evil and sin that plague the people of the world he has been made responsible for by the inner peace that he has achieved. To the Bodhisattva, the people who are spending their lives in the thirst for wealth and are engaging every instant of their limited life in the race to acquire worldly possessions and to satisfy worldly desires are people who are in the need of the Bodhisattva the most. It is these people that the Bodhisattva tries to save and tries to bring them to peace of heart and realization and achievement of nirvana. Hence, it is the singular presence of all of God’s creations that the Bodhisattva gives room to in his heart. His mind and heart continue to contemplate how he can be of service to the people who are ailed with the perplexities of the material world and are lost in the pain and misery that the world captivates them in. To the Bodhisattva, the only purpose in life is to bring deliverance to these sick souls. In this quest, the Bodhisattva is willing to sacrifice his life and his property if the time calls for it. Not only is the Mahayana Bodhisattva willing to sacrifice his very life but he does not refrain from sacrificing every possession that he holds to his name if he can rid somebody of pain and discomfort by doing so. A person who chooses to enter Mahayana Bodhisattva works on six aspects of his person (Essortment, 2008). These six aspects include that of generosity, ethics, patience, effort, concentration and wisdom. Generosity is a trait not very commonly found in human kind, the unselfish desire, to put others wants, needs, requirements and satisfaction before one’s own. One always searches for personal gain, a means to benefit oneself. But according to Buddhist teachings the potential to benefit one’s self and by doing this, in turn benefiting countless others. This is the teachings of Buddhism, the need for self actualization in the form of selflessness, working for the good of others, concerning oneself with providing solutions for other suffering from the infliction of various situations. Ethics and moralistic virtue is one of the components of the 6 Perfections. Knowing the difference between right and wrong, good and evil and being able to hold a veneer of control over oneself, that is what Buddhism preaches. Patience corresponds to anger, and anger dominates a person’s actions in negative aspects. Therefore once again a veneer of calmness must at any cost take over the sensation of effused anger. Patience gives an aspect of happiness and peace. Effort is the driving force to achieve something this virtue is highly required to join the prestigious Bodhisattva. The reason for this is that in order to join, there are many virtues one must possess and if not possess then must procure within oneself, and for this relentless effort is required. Another key aspect that the Mahayana Bodhisattva spends time upon is Meditation. Meditation is the key for ultimate focus. Calm concentration helps one and heals others surrounding him. Distraction places a hurdle in focusing on things important, but meditation clears the mind of all else and focuses on what is required. Concentration creates clairvoyant abilities and provides focus on virtuous deeds. Besides mediation, knowledge and wisdom are the ultimate amalgamation of the other five perfections. To concern oneself in knowing taking precautions where necessary and controlling what when and where is the capability of wisdom. The Mahayana Bodhisattva believes that it is his purpose in life to ensure that the people who are happy always have smiles in their heart, that all the people who are plagued with disease find health and strength once more, that everybody finds the path to deliverance, that anybody who sets out on a journey reaches his destination safely and in time (Exotic India, 1998). All in all, the Mahayana Bodhisattva desires to take away all the pain in the world for his own self and replace it with nothing except joy and pure happiness. From the above elaboration of what the Mahayana Bodhisattva holds dear to himself, we can infer that the very establishment and fundamentals of Buddhism are based upon compassion. This compassion is unique in the sense that it is entirely selfless and comes from a soul that does not hold any concern for its own well being but believes that the completion of its existence will only be possible once it has spent its entire life in the quest for bringing peace and deliverance to the pained and troubled people of the world. The life of the Mahayana Bodhisattva is one plagued with pain and suffering from the apparent view of the person. But the fact of the matter remains that it is in this suffering and pain that the Mahayana Bodhisattva finds comfort. He finds comfort in knowing that he has given his share of happiness to somebody else and has therefore completed the purpose of his existence. Hence, we can conclude that attainment of material laurels is the least of concerns for the observer of Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism concentrates more on bringing sanctuary to people who are caught up in the web of the world and are suffering pain and misery because of it. Therefore, having become drenched in his responsibilities as a Mahayana Bodhisattva, the person becomes a reincarnation of the Buddha himself. References Beliefnet. (2008). What Mahayana Buddhists Believe . Retrieved February 13, 2009, from beliefnet. com: http://www. beliefnet. com/Faiths/2001/06/What-Mahayana-Buddhists-Believe. aspx Essortment. (2008). What is Bodhisattva? Retrieved February 13, 2009, from essortment. com: http://www. essortment. com/all/whatisbodhisat_rfld. htm Exotic India. (1998, October 27). The Bodhisattva Ideal. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from kheper. net: http://www. kheper. net/topics/Buddhism/bodhisattva. htm Mohler, J. (1975). Dimensions of love, East and West. Doubleday. Rinchen, G. (1997). The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. Snow Lion Publications.

Community Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Service - Essay Example It depends upon the location and the community as well as its needs. Mostly, service includes assistance towards vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the society in their betterment. Today, community service is undertaken by almost any member of any society and not just by offenders; philanthropists, businessmen as well as students alike have the leverage to give back whatever they can and help society in their own ways. The main objectives in conducting this review was to find out the history of community service and how it helps people to reform and bring about a change in their lives, and also whether or not the same is even possible. It was found through research that many people have found it therapeutic to engage in service towards others and thus have been able to grow and learn a great deal from the entire experience. People engage in community service to introspect within their own selves as well as meet new people and help the vulnerable and weak sections of the society that we live in. This enables them to not only gain a feel good factor but also helps in bringing a smile to someone else’s face. The research conducted was doctrinal in nature. The main process for finding information regarding this review was my dependence on electronic material. ... I have also engaged in talking to people and thus collecting first hand data regarding their experiences of participating in community service. My own experience has also provided for a paragraph of information in the main article. The main guidelines that I abided by were to look over the objectives of an individual engaging in community service and why he would do so. Moreover, I looked into the background as well as looked up information regarding corporate social responsibility as a part of service towards the community by big industries and companies. The parameters and requirements that I had in mind while conducting research was to include only relevant information – especially that which is first hand in nature because experiences account for the best information regarding answers to questions based on whether or not engaging in service actually helps a person, which has been the fundamental question of an individual being a part of the community and giving back to oth ers. I selected the sources that I have because of their credibility of information and eliminated the others because I did not find them relevant enough to discuss or read. Many articles have general information about community service, however my requirements were specific to reform within an individual and how the servitude is not meant for only those that have wronged the law. Interview 1. Why is it important to have a society with community service? Community service enables people to work for society and helps them in contributing and giving back. Since it first originated for the purpose of carrying on social service on part of offenders of the law, it acted as a punitive measure to provide the offender with a chance to give back to society as well as introspect

IT in US healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

IT in US healthcare - Essay Example A potential answer to this question is the slow pace of adoption of IT in the healthcare industry. In the last few decades, the benefits of IT in the manufacturing and service industries have been well demonstrated. These benefits can just as easily be implemented in the healthcare area. For example, much of current record keeping is paper based, disorganized, and often illegible. Thus, records can be easily lost or scattered, and are poorly linked together. This disorganization can cause up to 80% of errors in healthcare administration. Clearly, the information needs to be organized architecturally according to a designed framework while keeping in mind the privacy of health records. Automation and streamlining of information storage would enable the seamless flow of information and would contribute to overall cost reduction. Cost containment is one of the key drivers of this kind of change, particularly in light of the growing elderly population combined with a shortage of physicia ns and nurses. The rising proportion of healthcare costs with respect to the gross domestic product (GDP) is an important indicator of the significance of this issue. In 1960, healthcare costs amounted to 7.2% of the GDP. By 2005 they have escalated to 16% of GDP and are predicted to continue to grow to 20% by 2015. The increase in the average human lifespan has been made possible by the advancement in medical science and technologies. Despite the high cost, the availability of healthcare in America is dismal compared to other developed nations where the average healthcare cost is typically around 8% of the GDP [13]. Today, forty-four million Americans cannot afford health insurance because health-care costs have risen four times faster than wages [14]. Many hospitals and vital health care services are out of reach for needy Americans. The United States will spend 10 trillion dollars in health-care in next 10 years, which will have a significant negative impact on the economy. Worse, government programs such as Medicare do not cover the hospital costs. These unpaid expenses add to the cost private insurance for individuals and employers. To be sure, the cost of health-care must be addressed on a top priority. The inherent efficiency of the system is perhaps the leading culprit in producing these consequences. Condition of Current Practices is Critical Utilization of information technology in the healthcare industry has been minimal, and its adoption slow. Although health insurance is among the leading industries, 90% of the transactions within this $30 billion industry are performed by phone, fax or mail. Fewer than 5% of prescriptions from U.S. physicians are managed electronically. Most healthcare organizations spend only 1% to 4 % of their revenues on IT. This is half the amount that organizations in other leading industries spend on their IT infrastructures [3]. Clearly, more effort must be directed toward facilitating the implementation of IT in the healthcare field by addressing the barriers to its adoption. Some hospitals have already started to capitalize on this opportunity by using electronic medical record keeping technologies, and hospital information systems (HISs). For example, Kaiser Permanante allows its users to book and cancel appointments on-line. Such initiatives must be expanded in order to fully realize the benefits of IT for reducing the cost of healthcare. Indeed, they hold great promise for making

Psychology human development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychology human development - Essay Example It would elaborate over the human development theories applied to the individual with respect to her interactions and behaviors observed. Location The subject is observed in a playground of a club that the family visits often. The playground has swings and other recreational equipment such as see-saw, slide, monkey bars and overhead ladder for children. The children found in the playground are usually between the ages of 3 to 11 years old. The subject visits the playground with her mother who usually sits on the benches with mothers of other children. Subject The subject of this naturalistic observation is a girl between the age of four and six years old. She is the eldest child with a younger brother who is between three to five years in age. During the observation, the subject showed a variation in behavior and opened up gradually. The observation was for about half an hour during which the mother was present at the location and was looking over the subject. However, she was in clo se proximity throughout the observation. Interactions observed The observation initiated when the subject was brought to the playground early evening accompanied by her mother. For some time, she stayed alongside her mother and observed the children who were playing on the swings and other activities. Finding comfort with her mother in a place where everyone else was unknown to her displayed her reliability over her mother. According to the development theory of Erik Erickson, this shows that the subject has overcome the stage of Trust Vs Mistrust. The subject was not reluctant to go play in the ground, but since she did not know any of the children she stayed with her mother and observed. As the subject began to interact with the children, she started the conversation about the game that they were playing. She had been observing them and went to the group where she thought she would best fit. This decision was made by her own judgment and could prove that she was demonstrating Eric kson's development theory stage of Initiative vs. Guilt. As the girls she approached were swinging, she found a common interest. She said to them that she could do it to and said "you know I can swing faster than that." The conversation did not involve asking names or any other information but they quickly started sharing their routines and talked about other games that they loved playing. The subject told them about the games that she played with her little brother and her cousins. Behaviors observed At first the child showed a shy behavior when she did not go to play with the children right away. Gradually, she moved on to the children who seemed the most similar to her. She chose to play with girls who were around her age instead of going towards boys. As the subject moved on to play with the girls, the theory of Vygotsky's about principles of guided participation and zone of proximal development could be applied as her mom encouraged her to go play on the swings. Eventually, as the child interacted with the other children she opened up and became energetic and active. She showed a competitive behavior as she said that she could also play the game that they were playing. In just a few moments she had started running around, playing on different recreational equipment with her new friends. It was noticed that within the span of ten minutes of interaction, the child had developed close bonds with her new friends and when her mother called her for supper, she did not want to leave her friends.

Diversification of Firms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diversification of Firms - Essay Example The needs of the customers constantly changes and the firms are often challenged to keep pace with the changes. In order to reduce these risks, a firm needs to diversify its portfolio of stocks (Solnik, 1995, p.89). In the current market, firms should not only focus on how to produce their goods and services and avail them to the clients in the market. Rather, the market dynamics require the firms to develop corporate strategies and respond to these market forces will providing balance to the objectives and goals of the firm (Thinking Made Easier, 2011). In response to the changing market trends, some firms have opted to diversify their operations. Diversification is a business strategy that has experienced significant growth in the recent past. Diversification involves the production and delivery of new products and service. It is mainly aimed at ‘increasing market profitability, smoother earnings, and greater capital markets and accumulating diverse expertise in diverse envir onments’ (Thinking Made Easier, 2011). However, it may be noted that these objectives of diversification are not often met. Diversification is a way of hiding from the inability by a firm to acquire and maintain competitive advantage over its competitors producing similar products. This paper asserts that diversification is not an effective strategy in the current market by focusing on the challenges associated with this business strategy. Types of diversification Diversification in business organizations can be considered in terms of the business processes or in terms of the products ad services involved. In the first respect, there are three types of diversification namely: vertical integration, horizontal diversification, and geographical diversification (Kotelnikov, 2011). Vertical integration refers to bringing together two or more businesses that are at different production stages to add on to the value chain (The Economist, 2009). Horizontal diversification involves ex tending operations to new business industries to produce new products in order to reduce the risks that are specific to a given industry sector (The Investor, 2009). On the other hand, geographic diversification involves moving into new markets to make use of the opportunities in these regions (Kotelnikov, 2011). In terms of the product, diversification can be grouped as related or unrelated (Kotelnikov, 2011). Related diversification occurs when a firm extends its operations to produce products and services that are still in the same production line as the existing products and services. On the other hand, unrelated diversification is a situation in which the firms extend to produce products and services in a completely different production line (Thinking Made Easier, 2011). Objectives of diversification Business organizations diversify their operations with certain fundamental objectives. Firstly, diversification is aimed at improving the implementation of the organizational proce sses and strategies (Kotelnikov, 2011). It enables the management of organizations to create some value for the shareholders of the organization. In this way, diversification is also aimed at improving the organizational structure and enhancing the structural position of each business unit in the organization (Kotelnikov,

Veterinary Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Veterinary Care - Essay Example This would change, however, as people realized that knowing how to care for animals could be a career for them. They began writing books, more of the guide sort, to sell to farmers. These writings eventually found its way outside of Europe. (Biere, 1955) The earliest mention of a practitioner in the United States is found in a 1625 case where a certain person by the name of William Carter was charged of not being able to cure a cow as he promised. The first ever veterinary surgeon of America was College of London graduate John Haslam. (Dunlop, 1996) In the 19th century, several books and journals regarding veterinary medicine came into publication. There were the books entitled The American Cattle Doctor (1850) and The Modern Horse Doctor (1854) by George Dadd. The American Veterinary Journal was founded in 1851 by the same person as well., also of the same person, founded and edited the American Veterinary Journal. It was followed by Alexandre Liautard's American Veterinary Review in 1875 which was by Alexandre Liautard. This became known as the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. (Schwabe, 1978; Smith, 1933) World War II had a big impact on animal medicine and food safety. New drugs developed for soldiers during the war such as penicillin and sulfa drugs were later used to treat livestock. The insecticide DDT was used during the war and later helped kill flies and other outdoor parasites that hurt farm animals. (Smith, 1976) During the war, the government thought Midwestern cattle operations might be targets for sabotage. They were worried that cattle might be contaminated by foreign infections, threatening the food supply. Government veterinarians were hired and local vets were told to be on the alert. After the war, veterinarians began to use new drugs to treat diseases such as foot rot and shipping fever in cattle, as well as infections that killed baby chickens and turkeys. As new drugs came out of the research institutions, they were used against brucellosis, infectious anemia, worms, cholera, Newcastle disease, foot-and-mouth disease, and rabies. (Lise, 2005) The Evolution of Veterinary Care Veterinary medicine evolved from skill and field based practice to a more structured education that began with the establishment of the school in Lyons, France. With the establishment of dedicate schools such as New York College of Veterinary Surgeons (1857-1899) and the American Veterinary College (New York, 1875-1898), the knowledge and the process became more scientific. (Smith, 1976; Smithcors, 1973) Developments in the field of medicine, science and technology paved the way for more complex tools of analysis and medication in the field of animal care. Many technologies now exists today especially for the prevention and cure of diseases afflicting agriculturally important animals. Animals nowadays often receive advanced medical, dental, and surgical care including insulin injections, root canals, hip replacements, cataract extractions, and pacemakers. The field has also grown from caring for agriculture related animals, such as cows, chickens and horses, to animals that serve as pets and even extended to other kinds of animals which are not usually included in these two categories. (Harrowsmith Country Life, 2007) Importance of Veterinary Care Of the many factors why veterinary care is essential, the most important lies in its capacity to eliminate, hamper and mitigate disease outbreaks

1980 MGM Fire and Fire Codes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

1980 MGM Fire and Fire Codes - Case Study Example Fig.1 shows the site plan of the hotel. It had 26 floors designed luxuriously. Ground floor had the Casino, restaurants, showrooms and a convention center and upper level of the jai alai fronton. The below grade level had the lower level of the jai alai fronton, a movie theatre, several shops and boutiques, service areas, and underground parking. There were 2076 guest rooms and another 780 guest rooms under construction on the west side of the building. Hotel structure had fire-resistive, protected non-combustible and unprotected non-combustible segments. Both combustible and non-combustible materials were used for interior finish. Fire sprinklers were installed only in some major portions and every area was not protected for fire. Part of the 26th floor, the arcade level, convention areas, showrooms and some restaurants on the casino level were protected while the casino and tower were not protected with fire sprinklers. A manual fire alarm system was present in the hotel. The guest room floors had manual pull stations. The alarm system had bells and public address capability. There was no automatic detection system installed in the building (National Fire Protection Association, 1980).... Security tried to put off the fire but it was so huge that the Clark County fire department had to be contacted at around 7.15 a.m. (National Fire Protection Association, 1980). Fig.2 and Fig. 3 shows the fire magnitude at MGM Grand. Fig. 2 ("MGM", 2008) The MGM Grand - view from the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo Rd Fig 3 ("MGM", 2008) The MGM Grand Fire - looking toward North-East from I-15 According to the fire department fire broke out due to an electrical problem in a combustible covered space next to a pie case in the restaurant. Presence of combustible interior finish and other material like plywood, plastic, paper, wooden decorative members and foam plastic padding of chairs and booths in the Deli helped fire spread very quickly and reach an uncontrollable magnitude. There was no protection in the path for the fire to spread to the Casino. Combustible interior finish, furnishings, other wooden and plastic materials like foam padding and moldings present in the Casino put in more fuel in the fire. Flow of air was also enough for the fire to inflate (National Fire Protection Association, 1980). Within 15 minutes of its detection fire had swallowed up a huge area including the Deli, the Casino and porte cocher on the west end of the building. Heat and smoke rising to the upper floors notified guests of the problem on the ground floors. Helicopters, fire fighters, construction workers and passersby were able to save many people. People who tried their way out through roofs and other exits were rescued while others waited in their rooms for help. Hotel was evacuated completely in 4 hours. 84 people died in the tragic incident. 14 people died on the Casino level, 29 in rooms, 21 in

Organizational Theory, Design, and change Essay

Organizational Theory, Design, and change - Essay Example As such, it is common for organizations to improve their operations by minimizing production or operational costs for non-profit organizations. Such organizations are known to be efficient and will therefore charge low amount for their goods or services due to the low costs of production. The customers are also able to get quality services at affordable rates. Moreover, through motivation of employees, the company is able to retain loyal and efficient employees, which improves its social image within the community where it operates. Through proper social responsibility strategies, the government is able to associate with the organization and this will further enhance its image. A properly managed organization will consider an approach that will lay emphasis on initial impetus, focus, alignment, proper planning and adaptation so as to ensure value to the consumers. It is clear that entrepreneurship will set the foundation for creating value in an organization since the entrepreneur de fines the goals and the tradition of the organization. They provide the initial leadership in the organization by setting the objectives and acquiring the necessary resources. The entrepreneur also establishes the management of the organization. ... It could therefore be a conflict between the management and the investors or the management and the employees or even all employees against the investors. These conflicts could include difference in management ideologies between the management and other stakeholders, difference in targets set by different quarters of the organization and expected remuneration or reward for various achievements. In most organizations, agency problems normally occur when the management misuse the authority bestowed upon them by the other stakeholders. This is in such acts as using that authority for their own benefit at the expense of the company goals. The agency problems can be generalised as adverse selection where the investor doubts the capability of the management to promote his interest and moral hazard, where behaviour of the representative is deemed to be capable of causing harm to the organization. It is important to note that agency problem is mainly caused by mistrust and in some cases, neg ligence. Sadly though, the problem exists in every organization in one way or the other. Several efforts or actions are taken towards solving agency problems and they include: screening processes to reduce misbehaviour, offering incentives to the employees and management for positive results and achievements, well defined punishments for poor behaviour such as suspension and unpaid leaves to ensure strict adherence to the company’s principles. The company may even be forced to employ supervisors who are charged with the responsibility of checking such compliance. This method could be referred to as watchdog police. Other modes of solving agency problem are

Capital Assets- Aviation Leasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Capital Assets- Aviation Leasing - Essay Example We are going to use these first ten planes as a leverage to buy future planes. When customers order planes, the minimum order requirements will prevent them from making large purchases. This will make them come for these services. We must design strategic means to attract customers; this is by designing favorable terms. To be exact, we can get the ten planes at .30 on the dollar. This is in reference to the fire-sale. The 10% over cost and the favorable relations with Boeing are strategic initial plots which will boost the business idea. The relationship with Boeing may also open up new market opportunities (Loren and Bazley 12). The venture will use favorable terms to attract airline companies. We will use a strategy where the revenue per unit is minimal, while aiming at a high rate of leasing turn over. With this strategy, we will have the capabilities of venturing in different airlines companies. We have to influence the ideas from the customers; this is by demonstrating advantages associated leasing. We should begin with subsidized prices; this will create a strong customer basis. This will help in building a network where we will offer services to enhance the relationship. We should also publicize the venture so that potential customer will contact relevant staffs. It will be advisable to increase public figure by participating in different public activities such as sponsoring games, among

Scholastic Corporation Essay Example for Free

Scholastic Corporation Essay Hi! I would like to welcome you and your child to Third Grade! I am excited to have an opportunity to be an important part of your child’s education. Third grade is an important step in your child’s education. It consists of many new tasks and skills for your child. They are required to think more critically and work more independently. My goal is to guide and instruct your child so that he/she will be fully prepared for fourth grade. In order to accomplish this, teamwork is critical. My role as teacher for your child is to provide daily instruction, meaningful class work and homework assignments, and to provide a stimulating environment and opportunities for success. To ensure that the opening of school goes smoothly, we would like to bring your attention to activities and procedures that are important to the third grade level. All toys are to stay AT HOME unless specifically requested by teachers. Any materials (including clothing) should be clearly marked with your childs name. Organization and Homework To assist your child in developing good organizational skills, the following routines are necessary: 1. Review and sign all homework and planner nightly. 2. Work is to be completed in pencil only unless otherwise stated. 3. Homework is written, by your child daily, in their agenda. Check off work completed and initial planner nightly. 4. Homework is an opportunity to practice material learned in the classroom to the level of mastery. In order for us to maintain daily contact, we ask that you check your childs homework daily for accuracy and understanding. Do not sign homework or planner unless you have checked over homework and are sure it has been completed. 5. Take Home Folder: Your child will be bringing home a folder every night. The homework folder should be cleaned out nightly and only papers that need to be returned to school should be left in the folder. 6. I will try to make homework free weekends. There may be times when this isn’t possible, but I will do my best to make this happen. 7. All homework assignments are due on the following day. If your child forgets their homework or planner, they will have to miss noon recess to complete assignments. If your child forgets to get homework or planner signed they will have to miss 10 minutes of recess. (1/2 recess). Your child will not be allowed to call home for forgotten homework. Reading/Spelling Reading will be a part of daily homework. Your child needs to read at least 20 minutes each night. A portion of this time may be spent reading aloud to a parent and discussing content. Vocabulary Lists and Spelling Lists will be sent home for your child to study for that week’s story. Please review them nightly. Math Math will also be a part of daily homework. Your child will complete side B of the fact practice and written practice nightly. Scholastic Book Orders Make checks payable to: Scholastic Books. More than one book order may be sent home at one time, return a slip for each catalog that you want to order from however, one check may be written for all. Book Donations If you have books that your child has outgrown or no longer reads, send them to school and I will get them to the appropriate classrooms. Parent Teacher Communication Please feel free to call me at school or home at any reasonable time. You can also email me at school or â€Å"friend† me on facebook and send private messages. School 886-2251 Available times: 8:00 a.m., School email [emailprotected] Home – 822-3272 Cell – 886-4077

Indirect Tension Test Analysis

Indirect Tension Test Analysis IDT The indirect tension test involves applying compressive loads on cylindrical specimen. This would develop uniform tensile stress perpendicular to direction of applied load as shows in figure1. Resulted horizontal and vertical tensile deformation is measured using linear variable displacement transducers(LVDTS). The specimen is loaded until splitting along axis of applied load as shows in figure 2 [1].   Different type of loading mode, temperature and device setup modification were used to measure different material properties. IDT test have many advantages such as simplicity in accompanying test, and preparation samples. Specimens failure is started in uniform tensile stress, and it is not affected by surface condition of specimen make it popular test in pavement .   [2] AC mixture properties obtained by load, displacement time plots at different loading mode and temperature as shows in figures 2.   Initially, IDT was used to measure strength of specimen. It was defined as the maximum load on specimen until failure. It is loaded with constant deformation rate at specified temperature until failure. The strength was obtained by dividing peak load of specimen, on it diameter and thickness using u equation 1.The detailed procedure is described in [4], where it was recommended to test material with 50mm/min loading rate , at 77 °F Equation 1 Where: St = tensile strength, kPa (psi)P = maximum load, N (lbf)t = specimen height immediately before tensile test, mm(in.), D = specimen diameter, mm (in.) Indirect Tensile Creep Tests In addition, ITD is used to conduct creep compliance test on mixture.   These values was addressed by Superpave specification to prevent thermal cracking, also, it is one of primary inputs in ASSHTO ME design method. Creep compliance represent ratio between time-dependent (creep) strain to applied stress as function of time. It is reflected the stiffness and time-dependence of material .[2].. In this test, the specimen is loaded with constant static load, that make Maximum measured horizontal strain below 500-10-6 mm. Three measurement is taken at three different temperature, selected based in PG grading of binder. The creep compliance calculated as function of time   using equationS 2,3. The detailed procedure is described in [5]. Equation 2 Equation 3 Where: D(t) = creep compliance at time t (kPa) GL = gauge length in meters (0.038 meters for 150 mm diameter specimens) Davg = average diameter of all specimens [typically 3] (nearest 0.001 meter) bavg = average thickness of all specimens [typically 3] (nearest 0.001 meter) Pavg = average creep load (kN) ΔXtm,t = trimmed mean of the normalized, horizontal deformations (nearest 0.001meter) of all specimen faces [typically 6] at time t (X/Y)absolute value of the ratio of the normalized, trimmed mean of the horizontal Also, it was used to determine resilient modulus of pavement mixture. Resilient modulus is stiffness measurement, reflecting material behavior within undamaged loading mode. It was defined as ratio between applied stress to recoverable strain.   Within IDT device a cyclic load is applied to give specimen enough time to recoverable it is strain. Each cycle included applying compressive load, followed by rest period. Horizontal and vertical recoverable deformation is recorded within test as shows in figure 3. It is used to calculate Passions ratios, to obtain the resilient modulus using equation 2 and 3. Two different values of resilient modulus could be obtained, based on measured deformation. Instantaneous resilient modulus depends on instantaneous recoverable deformation during unloading of each cycle.   Total resilient modulus is obtained using total recoverable deformation including both instantaneous and time-dependent recoverable deformation. Detailed test procedure is descr ibed in[6]. Three specimens with (4 or 6) in diameter, (1.5 or 2) height are tested at (77 ±2F). Initially, 100 loading cycles are applied, to get five stable cycle with less than 1 % change on resilient modulus. Loading levels are selected as   ( 10 20 ) percentage of one specimen. Instantaneous deformation is represented as difference between peak and curve deformation. Total deformation was determined as difference between peak and end of one loaded- unloaded cycle as shows in figure 3. Figure 3[6] load, displacement time plots for IDT test output Equation 2 Equation 3 Where : µ = Poissons ratio,ÃŽ ´v = the recoverable vertical, mm (in.)ÃŽ ´h = the recoverable horizontal   deformation, mm (in.) MR = resilient modulus of elasticity, MPa (psi),ÃŽ ´h = recoverable horizontal deformation, mm (in.), I1,I2,I3,I4: Constant values depends on   gauge length as a fraction of diameter specimen µ = instantaneous or total Poissons ratio,t = thickness of specimen, mm (in.),Pcyclic = Pmax Pcontact = cyclic load applied to specimen, N(lb),Pmax = maximum applied load, N (lb) andPcontact = contact load, N (lb) Indirect Tensile Fatigue Tests IThe specimen tested for fatigue under repeated load mode. The fatigue life was represented by number of cycle until failure during the test.Different fatigue criteria were developed within on IDT test. Number of cycles to complete failure (Nf); or 50 %   reduction in resilient modulus of its initial value was used [7].[8] defined it as   when the   permeant horizontal deformation ranges between 0.25-0.38 in. However   [3]   found dramatically increasing in total horizontal deformation was happened after a value of 0.1 in and select as failure criteria. [9] define it as the point when horizontal deformation increase in faster rate more than constant rate. [10]   select   a value of   9 mm   of total vertical deformation as failure criteria.[11], introduced theoretical criteria based on energy ratio for both control stress and strain mode of loading. [2] introduced logit model used fracture energy as indicator for fatigue based on fatigue cracking.[12]   used visco elastic continuum damage (VECD) model   to predict fatigue life. A single-characteristic curve of an asphalt mixture and is independent of loading types (C1-S1 curve) model was used. A 50 % reduction in normalized pseudostiffness (C1) was selected as failure criteria.   [13] introduced new approach based on crack development. Two digital cameras were used to record development of cracks every minute. The failure criteria was selected as number loading cycle when rapid crack beginning. Two asphalt mixture, dense graded and stone mastic were tested based on AASHTP TP9-96. Control-stress mode of loading was used at 20 C with 10HZ frequency. Two digital cameras were used to record development of cracks every minute, as shows in the figure 3. Scion Image software was used to analysis results images. Both length and width of cracks was recorded. The failure criteria was selected as number loading cycle when rapid crack beginning. Figure 4[13] overlay tester   (OT) The overlay test was introduced by [14] to induced resulted displacement   from temperature change at layers below the overlay. The original OT was upgraded to test HMA laboratory mixes and field cores. The specimen size was modified to be obtained from superpave gyratory compactor samples (figure 6) and fully computer controlled system is used to control the test   [15] . The test setup shows in figure 7 two steel blocks, one free to slides horizontally, while the other is fixed. The sliding process reflects the opening and closing of cracks or joint in pavement thus, will represent the two-stage fatigue process in pavement. The crack initiation, includes growing of micro-cracks and the crack propagation, represented by macro cracks on surface layer .[16]. Figure 5 Overlat test setup,[15] Figure 6 OT Sample preparation[15] The Trimmed specimen is glued with epoxy between two blocks. The sliding is applied cyclic triangular waveform direct tension on the specimen. It is controlled with maximum displacement opening. The test could   be conducted with loading rate ranges (1-600) second/cycle, controlled opening displacement (0-0.08) and temperature between (32-77 F) [17].However, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) published standardized test procedure designation (Tex-248-F. It was specified that the specimen is loaded   with 10 second cyclic controlled with   0.025 maximum displacement at 77+1F temperature.[18] Figure 7:overlay setup-Tex-248-F test [19] The crack resistance is represented based on number of cycle correspond to 93% in   maximum applied load in first cycle.   Ã‚   (Hu et al. 2008; Sheng and Ping 2016). However, [22] compare between different methods to analysis the data. The area under- the load-cycle response curve was used; the result shows no improvement in variability. In addition, the rate of load decrease was studied, it was unsatisfactory.   different load reduction percentage was tested as alternative for 93%. The 85% load reduction seem to be good. The test is recommend for performance measures for reflective cracks. [15] test field cores from different highways in taxas state. They suggest 300 cycle @93 % load reduction was selected as pass /failure criteria and 750 cycle was For the rich bottom layer. Also, New Jersey department of transportation (NJDOT) adopted OT test as performance measure for different mixes . The test conduct 10 second cyclic load controlled with   0.025 maximum displacement at   either 59 or 77 F. The failure criteria of specimen selected to be 93 % or until minimum 1200. The detailed procedure published in designation NJDOT B-10[23].   The design Binder-Rich Intermediate Course(BRIC) require minimum of a 700 cycle at 77F as pass criteria. For high rap mixes it is require minimum 150,175 For PG64-22,PG76-22 respectively for surface course while intermediate course required minimum 100,125 cycle for PG64-22,PG76-22 respectively[24].

The Death Penalty Deterrence And Morality Philosophy Essay

The Death Penalty Deterrence And Morality Philosophy Essay There have been numerous studies illustrating that the death penalty does in fact deter murder. However, due to recent reanalysis and other new studies which prove that there are many statistical flaws in those studies. This paper will address the misconceptions of deterrence to murder rates by way of right to life and will discuss how morality is just cause to abolish the death penalty. It is statistically proven that states within the United States of America who have abolished the death penalty, have lower murder rates than states that enforce the death penalty. This paper will draw a comparative study between the United States and Canada. Since Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976, it has seen drastic declines in murder. This paper will also outline on how the United Nations have been integrated into the issue of the death penalty. What strategies and steps they have taken to abolish it worldwide. The analysis from this paper will illustrate that the data from the past in r egards to claims of deterrence are a statistical artifact of the anomalous nature. After reading this paper, one should have a great deal of knowledge has to why the death penalty does not deter murder and how morality should be an antiquate reason to abolish the death penalty. Introduction The death penalty is a form of punishment against the most heinous of crimes used in 84 countries. Does the fact that men have judged someone to be guilty of a crime give them the right to take the life of that individual? Are human beings born with a right to life, or do their determine actions whether or not they should live another day? There is the issue of government having the power to say who is allowed to live and who are subject to death according to the laws of the country. These are all questions that are heatedly debated when the subject of the death penalty and human rights comes up. The death penalty is generally only imposed on those individuals that have taken the lives of other human beings in a premeditated manner. There is the argument that the death penalty is acceptable in these circumstances because the victim that the perpetrator killed did not get to choose whether or not they would like to live. The criminal that is being put to death is guilty of taking the right to live away from the people they murdered so the government of their country feels for justice purpose; it is alright for them to take the life of the criminal. Is this not just a vicious cycle of violence being perpetually perpetrated. There is complexity when taking of one life justified as a means of payment for the taking of another life? The death penalty does not bring the victim of the first crime back to life. Would restitution to the families that the criminal inflicted pain and suffering on be a better punishment and a more humane punishment? When a human being is born into the world, they have nothing but the right to draw another breath. They are merely a living thing that breaths air in and exhale the air. If someone inhibits your ability to breathe the air into your lungs then they are taking away the one and only right that you have. Do not confuse the right to breathe with a guarantee of life because life is not guaranteed. Life is subject to end due to your a ctions, the actions of others, or naturally occurring causes. If the country you are born in decides that they have the right to extinguish the life of anyone that commits a certain crime then you no longer have the right to breath, you have the right to live according to the laws of the country and the government has the right to decide who breathes and who stops breathing. The succeeding research will illustrate clarity as to why the death penalty does not deter murder rates. The findings will discuss the reasoning as to why some speculate that the death penalty deters crime and will attempt to show that morality is just cause for the abolishment of the death penalty. The findings will prove that past statistics were flawed in their models. The United States of America and Canada will be the comparative cases in this study. Literature Review The trend towards enforcing the death penalty is at a downward slope. However, 84 countries still enforce the death penalty (Dieter, 1999, p.1). Protocols that have been put into action are that by the Council of Europe. They made effective Protocol 6 which calls for the abolishment of the death penalty (Dieter, 1999, p. 6). The European Union has abolished the death penalty and made it a precondition for the entry into the Union. In turn, this lead to numerous eastern European countries forced to abolish the death penalty if they want membership of the European Union. This includes such countries as Poland, Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro. Even the nation of Turkey is moving closer to abolishing the death penalty in order to gain entrance into the European Union (Dieter, 1999, p. 5). Because of such rigorous protocols established by the European Union, they have threatened the observer status of countries that enforce the death penalty. They stated that unless there is a full abolishment of the death penalty throughout the whole country, a country with observer status may be rejected that status (Dieter, 1999, p. 5). Even though the death penalty has been practiced for almost every century, as of present time there has been dramatic turnaround. For nations that have abolished that death penalty, it is of varied reason. For example, Spain abolished the death penalty in 1995, stating that, The death penalty has no place in the general penal system of advanced, civilized societies (Hood Hoyle, 2008, p. 63). In similarity to Spain, Switzerland abolished the death penalty because they believed that it is a flagrant violation of the right to life and dignity (Hood Hoyle, 2008, p. 11). For other nations that have abolished the death penalty, it might have been of monetary inclination because of cost efficiency. Contextualizing the Case Per the research that has been illustrated in democratic societies postulates the following question: How has the deathly penalty affected murder rates in the United States of America and Canada? The reasoning behind the following research is too proof that the death penalty does not deter murder rates. There have studies that show that there is in fact correlation between the death penalty and murder rates. However, they have been clearly skewed and flawed in their methods to proof that the death penalty deters murder rates. There is great importance in providing findings that distinctly show a clear illustration on how the enforcement of the death penalty has no influence on murder rates. Within this research, the findings will incorporate solely individuals who have been charged with murder. The variables that are present in this research are the death penalty and murder rates in respect to the human right the right to life. Within this research it has brought forth the following two hypotheses: 1) The death penalty does not deter murder rates 2) Morality is just cause to abolish the death penalty. The following findings will prove both nulls wrong which illustrate the following: 1) the death penalty does deter murder rates; 2) morality is just cause for the abolishment of the death penalty. Findings Death Penalty does not deter crime United States. The big case against how the death penalty does not deter crime has numerous supporting documentation and data. It is stated that the death penalty is a waste of the U.S. taxpayer money and provides no public safety incentives (Bedeau, 2011). Here is an interesting quote by former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, I have inquired for most of my adult life about studies that might show that the death penalty is a deterrent. And I have not seen any research that would substantiate that point (Jones, 2010, p. 123). For example, the state of Wisconsin has had the death penalty abolished for 150 years and has half of the murder rates that states like Texas or Florida have in which those states enforce the death penalty (Jones, 2010 p. 25). A great example, are the studies of Oklahoma and California which resulted failing to find that the utilization of the death penalty is a true deterrent of violent crime (Bailey, 1999). Adding to this, a study by William Bailey and Ernie Thompson has shown that there was an essentially significant increase in murders after the death penalty was reinstated (Bailey, 1998). A New York Times survey done by Raymond Bonner and Ford Fessenden validated that homicide rate in states with the death penalty have been 48% to 101% higher than those without the death penalty (Bonner Fessenden, 2000). A food for thought that is substantial is those who commit these violent crimes in actuality do not consider the consequences. In most cases where there is murder committed, emotions are high. However, when emotions run high, that is when rationale starts dissipate. A police chief of the Los Angeles Police Department states that I am not convinced that the death penalty, in of itself, is a deterrent to crime because most people do not think about the death penalty before they commit a violent or capital crime (Jones, 2010, p.125). A police chief in a massive metropolitan city claiming this makes for a compelling argument in regards to how the death penalty does not deter crime. The police chief in fact does deal with heinous crimes on a daily basis, which means there is empirical proof that the death penalty does not influence murder. Law enforcement professionals claim that the death penalty is of the lowest tier in regards to rank of violent crimes. The FBI also mentioned that states with the death penalty enforced, in reality have the highest murder rates (Bedeau, 2011). A statistic illustrates that 2 out of every 3 law enforcement officers do not believe that the death penalty decreases the rate of homicides (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). There is empirical evidence and data proving that the death penalty states in the U.S. in fact have higher crimes than states that are non-death penalty. The following table illustrates the differences between U.S. states that are a death penalty state and states that are not: Table 1. U.S. States Murder Rate, 2010 State Death Penalty State Murder Rate California Yes 1,809 Massachusetts No 210 Texas Yes 1,249 Minnesota No 96 Florida Yes 987 Wisconsin No 155 *Reference- www.deathpenaltyinfo.org The Journal of the American Statistical Association issued a journal article by Jeffrey Grogger titled The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: An Analysis of Daily Homicide Counts (1990). Grogger analyzes daily murder rate data to help determine if the death penalty has a deterrent effect on murders (Hunt, 2004, p. 4). The figures that are examined which were acquired from the California Department of Health and Statistics contain no accidental deaths from 1960-1963. After Grogger achieved his regression analysis, he fails to prove that there is a short-term deterrent effect when the death penalty exists. Canada. Since the abolishment of the death penalty in Canada in 1976 there was a drastic decline in crimes by a staggering number of 27% (Amnesty International, 2012). Since the abolishment of the deathly penalty in Canada, there has generally been a trend of declination in murder rates. 2.8 per 100,000 are where the murder rates were at the year of abolishment. In 1995, Canada reached a 30 year low in 1995 of 1.8 per 100,000 (Warren, 2012). Some of Canadas populations have vouched their opinions in favor of reinstating the death penalty, however the Canadian government is firmly holding their stance in regards to abolishment. It is fact that all of the Canadian political parties oppose the reintroduction of the death penalty. In 1987, there was a motion to reinstate the death penalty in Canada in the House of Commons, however the motion was defeated (148-127) (Warren, 2012). Even though there was an attempt to reinstate the death penalty, the government was in realization that it is not in the nature of a government or even down to the micro-level (an individual) to make such dramatic decisions (Chandler, 1976, p. 194). There is still an abundant about of citizens in Canada who want the death penalty to be reinstated, however their argument is flawed. Their flaw is that they seek justice on immoral grounds. It is proven statically that Canadian heinous crimes are of the lowest throughout the world and especially compared to the United States. As of today, the Canadian government is strictly opposed to the return of the death penalty and has rejected all calls for a national referendum. Additionally, there has been a slight rise in Canada in regards to crime rate. However, there is no direct correlation between the death penalty and crime. If there is no direct link how can an entity such as a government determine if an individual is to lose their life. The following table below illustrates the murder rate in three territories of Canada. Table 2. Canada Murder Rates, 2010 Territories Death Penalty Murder Rate Nova Scotia No 21 Quebec No 84 Ontario No 189 *Reference- www.statcan.gc.ca Country comparisons: United States v. Canada The difference between the numbers of crimes committed between the United States and Canada is 21% (nationamaster.com, 2012). The United States in reality has the number one spot in regards to crime rate. Policy analysts Hashem Dezhbakhsh and Joanna Shepherd deliver a testimony claiming that executions in fact do have an influence on crime. He claims that a panel of recent studies shows that the death penalty saves lives. The study shows that there is a strong link between executions and reduced murder rates. As he states, there was a sophisticated panel done by Emory University which involved over 3,000 counties from 1977 to 1996 showing that because of execution there was an average of 18 fewer murders (Dezhbakhsh Shepherd, 2003). This is however flawed, because there are countless variables that could have influenced these executions and every case in regards to crime is varied. A direct opposition to Dezhbakhsh Shepherd is provided by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). To make note, there is domestic opposition to the death penalty within the U.S. They state that there is no laudable evidence linking the death penalty and murder. It is proven that states that have the death penalty do in fact have higher murder rates than states that dont (aclu.org, 2012). The ACLU strongly explains that the panels that have been conducted to linking the death penalty and crime are extremely discredited due to thorough social science research (ACLU). They elucidate like mentioned earlier in the paper in regards to emotion, people commit crimes in the heat of passion. This includes adultery, deception, under the influence of drugs, or they are mentally ill (aclu.org, 2012). They give little or no thought to the possible consequences that face them. Like mentioned before, since the abolishment in Canada decline of murder rates has consistently been on the decline. Even the number of police officers killed in Canada has not been higher than in 1962 (Howard, 2001). Th e table below illustrates the regime, polity score, and the use of the death penalty between the United States of America and Canada. Table 3. State Regime Polity Score Death Penalty United States Democratic 10 Yes (35/50) Canada Democratic 10 No *Reference- www.deathpenaltyinfo.com *Reference- www.systemicpeace.org John J. Donohue and Justin Wolfers provide additional opposition against the death penalty. In 1975, an American economic review paper written by Isaac Ehrlich analyzed the years of 1933-1969 in regards executions in the U.S. and how each execution yielded 8 fewer homicides (Donohue Wolfers, 2006, p. 2). A re-analysis of Ehrlichs work was conducted by Peter Passell and John Taylor showed that Ehrlichs work was skewed. To elaborate, Ehrlichs estimations were highly driven by a strong jump in murders from 1963-69. However, in the mid-1960s there was a decline in murders across all the states, even including the states that have never had the death penalty enforced (Donohue Wolfers, 2006, p. 3). The model that Ehrlich demonstrated showed no correlation between executions and murder, because if those seven years were taken off, the majority of the years from 1930-1969 show low murder rates. This same model can be compared to Canada. There was no correlation between the death penalty an d murder rates, the realization of this issue manifested inside the Canadian government and the result was abolishment. It is said that even the National Academy panel completely criticized Ehrlichs model. Another study that is criticized by Donohue and Wolfers was performed by several professionals by the names of Dezhbakhsh, Rubin, and Shepherd (DRS) (Donohue Wolfers, 2006, p. 3). DRS claim that each execution performed leads to 18 lives saved. This is clearly contested and is proven flawed and is deemed not credible by the Stanford Law Review. An instantaneous issue with this study is that the regression model that was run by DRS essentially went against their own views. In actuality, each execution is associated with 18 more executions (Donohue Wolfers, 2006, p. 3). This study is related to Ehrlichs study, because the DRS misuse an erudite econometric technique which is instrumental variables estimation. The problem with misuses leads to skewed results. The DRS used a quasi-ex periment by categorizing a group of variables that may cause changes in execution rate (Donohue Wolfers, 2006, p. 3). However, their study is flawed because their techniques are not applicable to the death penalty. The instruments utilized by the DRS are not valid to their study, because it is composed of too many experiments which dont reflect changes in crime markets or social trends making it extremely flawed. This can be applied to Canadas case as well, this is because the theory by DRS was debunked by Donohue and Wolfers and proves otherwise. Robert B Ekelund a professor of Economics at Auburn University explains how the death penalty is a deterrent of murders. Professor Ekelund elaborates on his study stating Empirically, we find that execution and the death penalty have no significant effect on multiple murdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦our study also shows thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦single murders are deterred by execution variablesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the form of execution-electrocution being considered marginally more painful than lethal injections-is an added deterrent to single murdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Ekelund, 2006). This study however is flawed, because of statistical problems in data collection. Please refer to the table below for realistic statistics without theoretical connectivity to show that the numbers speak for themselves. Table 4. Comparisons of Murder Rates between U.S. and Canada State Death Row 2009 2010 Executions 2009 2010 Murder Rate 2009 2010 United States 3,173 3,158 52 46 5.0% 4.8% Canada 0 0 0 0 1.81% 1.62% *Percentages are calculated per 100,000 people *Reference- www.statcan.gc.ca www.deathpenaltyinfo.org Morality is just cause to abolish the death penalty. Morality undoubtedly comes into consideration when discussing the death penalty. Is there just cause for taking away someones life? Should a single judge or jury be the ultimate deciding factor in determining if a person keeps their life? The UN General Assembly claims that the utilization of the death penalty is clearly a violation of a basic human right, which is the right to life. It is proven through decades of the uses of the death penalty in the U.S. is extremely v flawed by design (ccrjustice.org, 2012). One should not only consider that the death penalty alone is a human rights violation. What should also be considered is the torture leading up to the execution. This includes decades in solitary confinement with minimal human interaction. An interesting factoid is that the U.S. ratified a treaty in 1994 by the name of Convention Against Torture (CAT). It is defined as the following, any act by which severe pain or su ¬Ã¢â €š ¬ering, whether physical or mental, is in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡icted on a person for such purposes as [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] punishing him for an act he [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] has committed or is suspected of having committed (ccrjustice.org, 2012). However, clearly the U.S. is in practice of human isolations and tortures until the actual death of that inmate. Facts show that there are approximately 3,250 prisoners in the U.S. on death row, the majority of those prisoners serve in solitary and crippling conditions until their executions (ccrjustice.org, 2012). Twenty-five of the thirty-four states that enforce the death penalty hold their death row inmates in for 23 hours of the day in solitary confinement. There is opposition on both sides of the spectrum in regards to the morality of the death penalty. An esteemed individual who is pro the death penalty is a well known Judge Antonin Scalia. Antonin Scalia explains that as a judge it is his duty to abide by the laws. He states While my views on the morality of the death penalty have nothing to do with how I vote as a judge, they have a lot to do with whether I can or should be a judge at all (Scalia, 2002). Based off this, we can assume that as a Judge, one has to by law convict a person if they fall into the category of being put on death row. From his perspective, it is not his job to determine whether it is immoral. Another esteemed Judge in America is Alex Kozinski. His belief is that the death penalty is of moral essence. His argument is backed up by Immanuel Kant, which explains that society is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody elses life is simply immoral (Kozinski, 2002). Kozinski states that if th e system works and when the judicial system does an efficient job on identifying an individual of such heinous crimes, do we has a society have the right to take life? Simply Kozinski says yes (Kozinski, 2002). The last advocate of the death penalty in regards to morality that will be discussed is by constitutional lawyer and general counsel to the Center for Law and Accountability is Bruce Fein. His take on the issue is plainly that the perpetuator is in control of his own actions and destiny. To quote Fein, The death penalty honors human dignity by treating the defendant as a free moral actor able to control his own destiny for good or for ill; it does not treat him as an animal with no moral sense, thus subject even to butchery to satiate human gluttony (Fein, 2008). Moreover, the death penalty celebrates the dignity of the humans whose lives were ended by the defendants predation (Fein, 2008). From this quote, it seems that Fein is relishing in the fact that an eye for eye persp ective, to get even in other words. And it is the responsibility of a human, because of dignity to enforce the death penalty in order to have a prosperous system of society. Canada on the other hand does not see a kill for a kill as of justice means. They do feel that person who committed murder should be taken out of society and confined. However, there is no justice for killing on behalf of killing according to the Canadian government laws in regards to the death penalty. Now, we go into the defense of morality and how it is just cause for the abolishment of the death penalty. The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution has much to do with the issue of the death penalty. In the case of Furman v. Georgia, former Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall verbalizes some of his perspectives in regards to this issue. He begins with explaining that the death penalty is a violation of the Eight Amendment because it is morally unacceptable to the people of the United State at this time in their history (Fitzpatrick, 1995). Most court systems have stated that the death penalty is just, however if there is a shockwave amongst the conscience of the people and a sense of justice elucidating from the people there can be a transformation. Marshall explains that if all knowledge and facts were presented about the processes before death row in his humble opinion, the majority of society would not stand for the death penalty (Fitzpatrick, 1995). In th is given time, society is interconnected in more ways than one can imagine compared to the past. Through globalization means, the world has become interconnected through means of information and knowledge. Based off of what Marshall said, it can be fairly claimed that in todays societal beliefs, most would not favor the death penalty. An academia professor of sociology named Sandra J. Jones also elaborates on how morality is a just cause of the abolishment of the death penalty. Jones has interviewed countless activists against the death penalty and the majority of them stated are not absolutely immoral to kill on behalf of killing. She explains in juncture with an activists perspective that not only is it dehumanizing, but everything else that wraps around it is immoral. It is an immoral action to have a human being strapped down for the purpose of killing them, because it is for justice (Jones, 2010, p. 197). Jones also explains how the prison warden or the prison guards should not be placed into such conflict of interests. It is simply inhuman actions (Jones, 2010, p. 197). In regards to Canada, even though they refuse to sign the Protocols established by the United Nations, they have abolished the death penalty. The ACLU also makes strong claim on how the death penalty is immoral in principal and prejudicial. The ACLUs outlook on the government just cause is a negative one by nature and is deceiving. They state that no one deserves to die and when the government enacts their so called vengeance in the sake of justice, it is disguise (aclu.org, 2012). According to the ACLU in a civilized society, the people should reject the principle of killing as such the criminals did. In other words, society is only reenacting of what the criminal committed (aclu.org, 2012). Instead of one person losing their life due to the criminals actions, society would lose two individuals. Lastly former Governor of Illinois George Ryan lashes out on the judicial system. He exposes the judicial system by saying that reformation of the death penalty is not of interest to them. Ryan states that there has been a lack of justice for countless death row inmates with possibly meritorious claims-because the Illinois death penalty system is arbitrary and capricious-therefore immoral- I no longer shall tinker with the machinery of death (Ryan, 2003). From this quote alone, it can be assumed that this is the case for the majority of the states who still support the death penalty are of bureaucracy perspectives. When sentencing an individual to death, it is a given that the sentencing maybe a wrong conviction. With Canadas complete abolishment of the death penalty, if the court system wrongfully convicts an individual, there can be justification. However, in the United States if someone is wrongfully is convicted and placed on death row and executed. The court system is flawed in the sense that the enforcement of the death penalty has a strong immorality factor to it. The case of David Milgaard is a great example of case in Canada where the individual was wrongfully convicted. David Milgaard was sentenced to life imprisonment in the murder of Gail Miller in 1969. Milgaard spent 22 years in prison. Then in 1992 the Supreme Court revamped Milgaards case and he ended up being cleared by DNA evidence in 1997 (CBC, 2012). The government ended up awarding Milgaard $10 million for the wrongful conviction. An example from the United States was the case involving Larry Griffin. Quintin Moss was kille d on June 26, 1980 due to a drive by killing in association with drugs. Robert Fitzgerald who was at the scene of the crime, testified that he saw three black men in a car firing shots at Quintin Moss (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). Fitzgerald testified that Griffin was the one who fired and killed Moss. Fitzgerald made it clear that Griffin fired the shot with his right hand. However, it was found out that Griffin was in fact left-handed (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). This was the first murder trial of Griffins attorney and he failed to address certain crucial factors. Griffin had explained that he was giving a ride to a man and his daughter, Griffins car ended up overheating (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). In the process of fixing his car, is when the drive by shooting occurred. Ten years after the conviction of Griffin, it was later revealed that the credibility of Fitzgerald was not substantial. However Griffin was executed through leth al injections means. The case was later reopened, by a professor at the University of Michigan Law, and the investigation concluded that Griffin was indeed innocent (innocent and executed) (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). This is the major difference between the United States and Canada, if there was complete abolishment of the death penalty, wrongfully convicted individuals have a chance to seek justice and clear their name. However, if there is someone executed and later proven innocent, that cannot be taken back. The Death Penalty Information Center presents six indicators as to how individuals get wrongfully accused which benefits citizens of Canada as opposed to the US. First one is eye witness error, which is deriving from confusion or faulty memory (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). There can be multiple variables as to why an individual might be confused when witnessing such a heinous crime. They do not know the specifics of the story or even recognizing the actual individual who committed the murder. A study in 2001 was done by Northwestern Law School analyzing 86 Death Row Cases in the United States. Forty-five of the cases were of eye witness error (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). The second indicator is government misconduct, which are both the conduct from police officials and the prosecution officials (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). Seventeen cases involved government misconduct. The third indicator is junk science. Science is ever evolving; th eories and practices are consistently renovating (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). Due to mishandled evidence at times or the use of unqualified experts have a strong influence on the conviction. Nine of the 86 cases were of junk science. The forth indictor is snitch testimony, which is habitually given in exchange for a reduction in sentence (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). The court systems both in the United States of America and Canada have similar processes. Taking that into consideration, lawyers at times want to just collect their money and move onto the next case. In turn, they jeopardize their clients for monetary gains or simply no interest in the case anymore. Snitch testimony involved 10 out of the 86 cases. False confessions is the fifth indicator, this usually results from mental illness or retardation and torture from police officials (The Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). Due to mishandling cases by prosecution officials, an individual who