Incarceration of African American Males Essay Example for Free

Incarceration of African American Males Essay Introduction The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers. This paper will explore two different outlooks; society has come up with so far, as to why African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29 are increasingly incarcerated. Finally, the information will give awareness to the problems that is faced by African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29. Prevalence – Problem 1 More than 40% of all American prisoners, men and women, are African American men, yet they make up just 13% of the U. S. male population (Roberts, 2004). This statistic does not include those African American men who are in local jails nor does it include those African American men under custodial supervision (Table 2). They enter the state and federal prison system, at the prime of their economic and reproductive lives and yet they exit prison behind both economically and socially. The high rate of incarceration among African Americans has been noted by the interconnection of poor economy, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. Statistics don’t even give African American males a good chance to stay out of jail. They have a one in four chance of being incarcerated, while Hispanic American males have a one in six chance, and white males only have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. The color of African Americans sets them apart and makes them targetable. Prevalence – Problem 2 There is evidence, in our American Justice System, of structural inequality as seen in the percentages of minorities to the percentage of majorities employed in high ranking positions, within the system. The percentage of United States judges by race are 79% Caucasian, 12% African American, and 2% Hispanics American (Federal Judicial Center, 2012), as for the thousands of lawyers in the United States it is approximate of 3% are African American (National Law Group, 2010-2011), and about 1 in 4 police officers are members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2007 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). An investigation into racial profiling showed that African American and Hispanic American offenders, who often are young unemployed males, are more likely than their white counterparts (Spohn, C. , 2000). Their prison sentences are also typically longer or they receive differential benefits from guideline departures than do similarly situated white offenders (Spohn, C. , 2000). We must acknowledge the problems of racial disparity within the criminal justice system, communicate racial disparity within the criminal justice system with those we who are not informed of the problem, and stay committed to changing racial disparity within our justice system for change to begin. Causes In researching the high rate of incarceration in America it is more likely than not that the increase in African American Males being incarcerated is due to the War on Drugs (Table 1). It is public knowledge that drug crime ranks high among the effects of poverty. These poor neighborhoods not only endure crime they have poor schools, poor food, cramped living areas, and shortage of jobs if any jobs at all. Drugs and drug crime has become regularity in low income communities, arrests of Hispanics made up 55% of cocaine powder offences and 52% of marijuana offenses and 49% involving opiates: African Americans were suspected in 75% of crack cocaine cases; White males were suspected in 41% all methamphetamine cases (Motivans, M. , 2011). Decades of failed public and private remedies for chronic disparities and disadvantages in communities of color invite us to reexamine systems and institutions that provide and restrict opportunity in new ways (Lawrence, K. , 2011). The causes seem to be intertwined being poor equals, equals a poor education, equals lack of employment, and ultimately equals an increased rate of crime. Consequences The causes seem to be intertwined being poor, equals lack of education, which equals lack of employment, which equals increased rate of crime which equals impossibility to join criminal justice system. Also, many of these men are incarcerated while all the other non-incarcerated American young men are finishing school, starting careers, earning seniority at work, marrying and having children thus gaining capital. Even when released from prison, these men return back to their communities with a felony record that will pose extreme problems for them. The incarceration leads the released convict into a lower social class even if they were considered lower class Americans prior to their incarceration; they now are lower in social class standing in most instances. This leads to a poor African American community, perhaps as many as 50% of the male population will have been in prison. These incarcerated African American Males, who are in their prime of life, also are leaving half the families in this community facing such things as poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. The community ultimately will become poverty stricken, struggling to survive, and ultimately vulnerable to the situation repeating. Solutions – How can this be changed? There are four key aspects to addressing racial disparity, in my opinion: 1. Acknowledge 2. Communication 3. Setback = Strength 4. Commitment Not only is the problem of racial disparity under recognized by society it is not being communicated effectively to make change. Majority groups needs to acknowledge racial disparity and minority groups need to communicate their knowledge regarding racial disparity. As each group majority and minority begins to become share their information with each other and work together for a common solution acknowledging there will be setbacks but with continued commitment systemic change will happen. Conclusion By refusing to tolerate disparate treatment of people of color or anyone within the criminal justice system we empower ourselves and our country. It is time that everyone including our legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges work collectively and courageously to eradicate this negative stigma. Despite, America being known for its equal rights we are living proof that in this era inequality is a factor that cannot be taken lightly. The statistics that are surrounding African American males is astounding. We need to empower African American males with the knowledge that they have a one in four chance of becoming incarcerated. It is also important to know that Hispanic males have a one in six chance, and white males have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. All of these statistics need to be addressed to empower each and every one us. Throughout history we have not seen a change in majority groups (White, Male) and minority groups (Women, anyone that is not White) although we have seen numbers of minorities increasing at a fast pace. Today, however, the election of Barack Obama, not once but twice, may set the new ideal of what an American actually is. As we embrace different cultures and their ethnic backgrounds society will prosper. As society increases their knowledge, in regards to each person’s differences, they will acquire greater strength and prosperity. The only issue, that can occur, will be in the short term empowering others to embrace diversity. When we look beyond short-term, focus will shift to diverse empowerment through embracing the knowledge of our differences thus making us stronger as a society. TABLE 1: BLACK PROPORTION OF DRUG ARRESTS, EXCLUDING MARIJUANA POSSESSION YEAR BLACK % 1999 40. 1 2000 39. 3 2001 39. 1 2002 35. 8 2003 33. 8 2004 33. 1 2005 33. 2 Data calculated from drug arrest figures by race provided by the Uniform Crime Reports division of the FBI TABLE 2: FBI CRIME REPORT Arrests By Race, 2006 [11,249 agencies; 2006 estimated population 216,685,152] Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific islander Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander TOTAL 10,437,620. 7270214 2924724 130589 112093 100. 0 69. 7 28 1. 3 1. 1 Drug abuse violations 1376192 875101 483886 8198 9607 1000 63. 6 35. 1 0. 6 0. 7 DUI’S 1034651 914226 95260 13484 11681 100 88. 4 9. 2 1. 3 1. 1 Liquor laws 466323 398068 50035 12831 5389 100 85. 4 10. 7 2. 8 1. 2 Drunken-ness 408439 344155 54113 7884 2287 100 84. 3 13. 2 1. 9 0. 6 Dis-orderly conduct 5117264 325991 179733 7606 3934 100 63. 0 34. 7 1. 5 0. 8 (The FBI: Uniform Crime Report, 2010) References Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/index. cfm? ty=tptid=71 The FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2010, Table 43, http://www. fbi. gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u. s/2010/crime-in-the-u. s. -2010/tables/table-43 Federal Judicial Center, 2012, Overview of the United States Court System, http://www. fjc. gov/public/pdf. nsf/lookup/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf/$file/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf Lawrence, K. , 2011, Race, Crime, and Punishment: Breaking the Connection in America, http://www. aspeninstitute. org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/Race-Crime-Punishment. pdf Motivans, Mark, 2011, Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/pdf/fjs09. pdf National Law Group 2010-2011, http://blacklawyers. net/ Roberts, D. , 2004, Measuring the Social and Moral Cost of Mass Incarceration, in African American Communities, http://www. law. fsu. edu/faculty/2003-2004workshops/roberts. pdf Spohn,C. ,2000, Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest for a Racially Neutral Sentencing Process, http://www. justicestudies. com/pubs/livelink3-1. pdf.

The impossibility of war Essay Example for Free

The impossibility of war Essay Mr Birling uses the word duty frequently. A duty is normally something people do for legal or moral reasons, something which bind them to their obligation. Birling has no legal obligation to keep labour costs down; presumably then he sees it as a moral obligation.  Mr Birling has little or no imagination and seems blind both to consequences of his actions, and to the events in the larger world. He makes predictions about the future the unsinkability of the Titanic; the impossibility of war; and the promise of technology which would have been believed by many in 1912, but which would have seemed laughably optimistic to the audience in 1945. At no point in the play does Mr Birling take any blame for his actions, I cant accept responsibility. And I am nothing whatever to do with that wretched girl suicide. He shows no remorse.  Birling is proud of his status; he and his wife set great store by his public offices and privileges. So sensitive is Birling about such matters that he feels a little uneasy about Gerald Croft marrying his daughter, sensing that Geralds parents may feel that their son is marrying beneath himself. At the end of the play the possibility that he may be deprived of his knighthood upsets him far more than anything else does. Mr and Mrs Birling see themselves as upholders of all the right values and of the guardians of proper conduct. But both are exposed as self-centred and essentially heartless. They begin to try and put the Inspector in his place, through emphasising their own position in society. Both try to hide, or hide from the uncomfortable truths. As Eric points out his father is useless in a real crisis.  It is plain that Birlings motives are not to save Eric from being found out, but to protect himself from social scandal. To do this, he is prepared to he is prepared to distort or ignore the truth. He is blind to thus hypocrisy, and indifferent when it is pointed out. Just before the end of the play he argues that the whole thing is different now, and congratulates himself on having avoided a scandal. Provided their public reputation is safe, people like Mr and Mrs Birling will never change. Mrs Birling is even more hard-faced and arrogant than her husband. She is introduced as his social superior and her manner indicates that she is very conscious of social position, especially her own. Mrs Birling also exploits her position in society to feel in control. Eva went for assistance when she knew she was to have a child. Eva went to the Brumley Womans Charity Organisation for help. The chair of the organisation was Mrs Birling, who slammed the door in her face. Mrs Birling takes no blame at all for this cruel and vile behaviour. She in response says, I was justified. In act one, Sheila accuses her brother Eric of being somewhat drunk, Youre squiffy. Mrs Birlings reaction shows her sense of propriety, she feels that it was very inappropriate of Sheila to say that. Mrs Birling will not believe Eric drinks, you dont get drunk. She chooses not to accept that her son might have a drinking problem. Mrs Birling will not hear anything which could tarnish the Birlings image. She deliberately blind to anything she does not wish to see. She is in complete denial about Erics problem. Mrs Birling takes no responsibility for her childrens actions and therefore would not accept blame for somebody she does not know like Eva Smith. Her concern shared by her husband that Sheila should not be exposed to unpleasant things that suggests that she regards her daughter as a child. Mrs Birling does not want Sheila to hear the truth and tries to get her to leave the room.  Youre looking tired, dear. I think you ought to go to bed.  It could be argued that Mrs Birling has good intentions and is protecting Sheila from the truth, however I do not believe this is the case. Mrs Birling has little respect for Sheila and thinks nothing more of her than a hysterical child. Mrs Birling is a very controlling woman, who does not like the fact that Sheila is developing her own opinions. Sheila sometimes behaves immaturely because she has been brought up without being allowed to develop her own opinions and personality. Only after the Inspector calls does Sheila realise that her mother is wrong. Mrs Birling is to blame for Evas death, as she is a controlling person who abused her power to deny Eva the help she needed. Perhaps only did why she did this, was because she could. In the play each character uses language and speaks in a manner that helps to reveal his or her personality. In Mrs Birlings case, her choice of words reflects her superior and snobbish attitude. Mrs Birling expects others to show her respect and to defer to her opinions. She resents being contradicted, even when caught telling outright lies by the Inspector. When exposed to criticism, Mrs Birling retreats behind words like respectable, duty, and deserving. She seems to feel that she is qualified to judge what such words mean. Mrs Birling describes the inspector as, a trifle impertinent. The Inspector is of a lower class to the Birling family and Mrs Birling is obviously prejudiced against him. Mrs Birling uses complicated words to belittle the Inspector, she feels he should know his place. Mrs Birling treated the Inspector in a similar manner as she treated Eva. She could not see how the death of a lower-class person could be of any interest to the Birlings. Therefore, Mrs Birling is partly to blame, as she did no give Eva any help or show any compassion because she was judgmental and prejudiced against her. Mrs Birling accepts no blame for the death of Eva Smith at any point in the play. She is however willing to blame others. Mrs Birling firstly blames, the girl herself and secondly the young man who was the father of the child. Mrs Birling is blind to the dramatic irony of what she is saying; she is condemning her so without even realising it. The Inspector calling had no positive affect on her at all. I think the Inspectors call only served to harden her attitude.  In the play the inspector is portrayed as the voice for all Eva and John Smiths of the time. Society at the time of 1912 exhibited huge social divisions and for people like Eva Smith life was very hard. The Inspector is an enigment figure. He neither changes nor develops but frequently repeats: I havent much time. Inspector Gooles name is obviously a pun on ghoul, a spirit or ghost. The stage directions talk of an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. There is an air of menace about him and, unlike all the other characters; he does not deviate from his moral position.  Sometimes the Inspector behaves as the voice of social conscience: You see, if theres nothing else, well have to share our guilt. He points out that social responsibilities have become greater as privileges increase. Significantly, the Inspector himself neither forgives nor punishes. Each character is made to face up to the fact that they must find the courage to judge themselves: only then will they have learnt enough to be able to change. The play points out the need for a sense of personal responsibility in every member of society. Responsibility not only for individual actions, but also for the way actions affect others. Different characters react to their guilt in different ways, when it is revealed to them. Not all show remorse or shame, and some are so hardened that they refuse to accept that remorse is appropriate. I can therefore conclude that society is to blame. In 1912 people did not care enough about one another.

Effects of Heat Treatment on Seed Germination

Effects of Heat Treatment on Seed Germination Introduction Seed germination has been found to be influenced by many factors. Some of these include water availability, nutrients, light, incubation, and heat shock (Masamba, 1994). In the natural Western Australian environment, heat shock is most commonly provided by bushfires. Periodic fires result in an open environment providing enhanced moisture, light, and nutrients which are conducive to the survival of germinated seeds (Bell, Plummer, Taylor, 1993). There are many species of the Western Australian flora, especially in the Leguminosae families, that have a hardened testa in order to suppress germination until fire provides a better chance of seedling survival (Herranz, Ferrandis, Martinez-Sanchez, 1998). Heat shock is required in some plant species to fracture the hard seed coat which allows for water imbibition, gas exchange, and releases the embryo from physical restraints (Mucunguzi, Oryem-Origa, 1996). Short exposures to the high temperatures reached in soil during fires can greatly increase germination percentages of certain species (Bell et al., 1993). Under laboratory conditions, the heat shock usually provided by fire can be simulated using boiling water. Dry heat or scarification and acid treatments can also increase the percent of seeds germinated (Bell et al., 1993). The aim of the experiment was to examine the effects of different temperature heat treatments on the percent germination of four species of legumes. Materials and Methods Plant Material Four different commercially obtained plant species were used to examine the effects of different heat pre-treatments on the percent seed germination of set sample sizes. The four species used in the experiment were Kenndia coccinea, Acacia saligna, Hardenbergia, and Acacia pulchella. Experimental Treatment A total of 600 seeds were taken from each species and divided into sets of 110. Each set was pre-treated at one of five temperatures. The temperatures were: room temperature (24ËÅ ¡C), 40ËÅ ¡C, 60ËÅ ¡C, 80ËÅ ¡C, and 100ËÅ ¡C. The seeds from each treatment were divided into 50 labelled petri dishes, 11 seeds per dish. All of the seeds in a single petri dish underwent the same pre-treatment. The petri dishes were then placed into a dark cupboard for incubation at room temperature and randomized. Viability Test In order to assess the viability of the seeds collections used for the germination experiment, a tetrazolium test was carried out on 96 untreated seeds from each species. The testa of each seed was cracked before being tested. Scoring Germination The numbers of seeds germinated in each petri dish were recorded at the end of each week for four weeks, along with the species and pre-treatment the seeds underwent. A drop of fungicide was used to kill any moulds that were found growing in the petri dishes during incubation. Statistical Analysis The heat treatments of each species were compared using the chi square analysis, allowing for 5% error. The null hypothesis (Ho) for the chi square tests is that the treatments had no effect on the percent of seeds germinated. The alternate hypothesis (Ha) is that the different treatments did have an effect on the percent of seeds germinated. Results The chi square analysis compares the total number of germinated seeds between treatments for one species to determine if statistically, we should accept or reject the null hypothesis. Table 1 displays that Kenndia coccinea, Acacia saligna, and Acacia pulchella all have a chi square value greater that the 5% error value. Therefore, we can be 95 % confident that the Ho should be rejected and Ha accepted. Hardenbergia, however, has a chi square value less than the 5% error value, therefore, Ho is accepted. Table 1 Chi square values and degrees of freedom calculated from the number of germinated seeds of four different plant species after a variety of controlled heat treatments Species Chi Square value 5% error Kenndia Coccinea 52.90909 9.49 Acacia saligna 39.84615 9.49 Hardenbergia 6.15444 9.49 Acacia pulchella 38.5 9.49 Data shows that three of the four chi square values are greater than the 5% error value. This indicates that the null hypothesis should be rejected for Kenndia coccinea, Acacia saligna, and Acacia pulchella. Therefore, Ha is accepted for these species. It is obvious from the graphs in figure 1 that the different heat treatments had little effect on the percent germination of c) Hardenbergia. Significant variations can, however, be seen in the germination of the other three species. Attention should be drawn to the significant increase in germination of d) Acacia pulchella between the 80ËÅ ¡C treatment and 100ËÅ ¡C treatment. a) b) c) d) Fig. 1 Percent germination of a) Kenndia Coccinea, b) Acacia saligna, c) Hardenbergia, and d) Acacia pulchella at the end of a four week growth period. Each species had 500 seeds which were divided into five different heat pre-treatments. Discussion Heat shock treatments have two primary effects on seeds that cease dormancy. Cracking of the seed coat appears to be most common result of heat shock; however, heat can also be used to denature seed coat inhibitors (Hanley, Lamont, 2000). It is obvious from the information displayed in table 1 and figure 1 that temperature has a significant effect on the germination of Kenndia coccinea, Acacia saligna, and Acacia pulchella. In the natural environment, extreme temperatures on the soil surface can be lethal to seeds (Bell et al., 1993). Due to thermal diffusion, seeds below 6 to 8 cm may be too deep to have their seed coats cracked (Hanley, Lamont, 2000). A. pulchella has developed a relationship with ants to maximise germination. The ants bury the seeds at a depth of approximately 4cm which is the depth where heat penetration and temperature required to break dormancy appears to converge (Hanley, Lamont, 2000). A similar heat pre-treatment experiment (Table 2) to the one carried out in this report was carried out by Bell, Plummer, Taylor (1993). They examined the effects of seed scarification and boiling on the percent germination of native Western Australian legumes. The data indicates that a 300 second heat treatment tends to reduce germination percentages in most of the species listed in table 2. Acacia pulchella is one Western Australian species that shows no significant germination in the percent germination (Bell et al., 1993). This information suggests that A. pulchella evolved in an environment that experiences prolonged burning (Bell et al., 1993). The results obtained by Bell, Plummer, Taylor (1993) after examining the effects of no pre-treatments, seed scarification, and heat shock on 55 species of native Western Australian legumes. It is interesting to note that the percent germination graph of A. saligna in figure 1 shows an increase in germination as treatment temperature increased. This result is significant as A. saligna is a coastal habitat species whose seeds have the capacity to survive mild fires, but are unable to endure intense heat (Herranz et al., 1998). While high temperatures are required to crack the seed coat of many native Western Australian species, germination may also be cued by incubation temperatures that would best support the survival of the seedlings (Bell et al., 1993). It is possible that this factor may have influenced the germination results of K. coccinea, A. saligna, Hardenbergia, and A. pulchella. In Western Australia, heat is a key requirement for the successful germination of many plant species. Combinations of factors, however, are often required to maximise the chance of germination of any plant species. Due to the diversity of flora in Western Australia, more research is required to determine the optimal environment for commercial or private cultivation of many species.

Dead Man Walking :: essays research papers

Starring: Susan Sarandon Dead man walking is the story of a spiritual woman (Sr. Helen Prejean) who embarks on a dangerous journey with a convicted killer (Matthew Poncelot) and the profound changes it makes in her life. Confronted with the anger of the community and the private pain of the victims’ parents. Sr. Helen Prejean overcomes her own fears to fight for the life and soul of Matthew Poncelot. One of the main characters in the movie was a man by the name of Matthew Poncelot. Too me Poncelot was a very smart man. Before the movie started Matthew Poncelot had been in prison for four years instead of just sitting in his cell doing nothing he got every law book he could get his hands on and learnt every trick so he could file a appeal and get close to a good chance of winning. At the start of the movie I thought that Poncelot was innocent because of the way he presented himself to Sr. Helen and how cunning he was in the way that he made himself look innocent by reading all the law books and proclaiming his innocence. As the movie unfolded I found that my prediction was to be incorrect due to Poncelot’s behavior towards Sr. Helen and his mannerism as the movie goes on as well as the movie shows flash backs of the night and glimpses of Poncelot’s face. It must have taken great amounts of courage for Sr. Helen to confront a murder-rapist in his own environment in prison. Too me Sr. Helen played all her cards well, although she got the slack and abuse of everyone in the community she did what was best and that was to make Poncelot confess his guilt. The other main characters that suffered a lot through the whole ordeal were the victims’ parents. Though the whole movie they show little sections of how the family are feeling and how they overcome the whole problem. The movie also portrays how the parents feel towards the murderer and rapist Matthew Poncelot. The whole movie was based on justice and will Matthew Poncelot get what he deserves and that is the death penalty. Sure this is justice because of what happened but his friend should have got the same sentence. It was because Poncelot was poor that he couldn’t afford a good enough lawyer to give his client a fair trial. Dead Man Walking :: essays research papers Starring: Susan Sarandon Dead man walking is the story of a spiritual woman (Sr. Helen Prejean) who embarks on a dangerous journey with a convicted killer (Matthew Poncelot) and the profound changes it makes in her life. Confronted with the anger of the community and the private pain of the victims’ parents. Sr. Helen Prejean overcomes her own fears to fight for the life and soul of Matthew Poncelot. One of the main characters in the movie was a man by the name of Matthew Poncelot. Too me Poncelot was a very smart man. Before the movie started Matthew Poncelot had been in prison for four years instead of just sitting in his cell doing nothing he got every law book he could get his hands on and learnt every trick so he could file a appeal and get close to a good chance of winning. At the start of the movie I thought that Poncelot was innocent because of the way he presented himself to Sr. Helen and how cunning he was in the way that he made himself look innocent by reading all the law books and proclaiming his innocence. As the movie unfolded I found that my prediction was to be incorrect due to Poncelot’s behavior towards Sr. Helen and his mannerism as the movie goes on as well as the movie shows flash backs of the night and glimpses of Poncelot’s face. It must have taken great amounts of courage for Sr. Helen to confront a murder-rapist in his own environment in prison. Too me Sr. Helen played all her cards well, although she got the slack and abuse of everyone in the community she did what was best and that was to make Poncelot confess his guilt. The other main characters that suffered a lot through the whole ordeal were the victims’ parents. Though the whole movie they show little sections of how the family are feeling and how they overcome the whole problem. The movie also portrays how the parents feel towards the murderer and rapist Matthew Poncelot. The whole movie was based on justice and will Matthew Poncelot get what he deserves and that is the death penalty. Sure this is justice because of what happened but his friend should have got the same sentence. It was because Poncelot was poor that he couldn’t afford a good enough lawyer to give his client a fair trial.

Freddy Adu the Youngest Professional Soccer Player :: essays research papers

Who is the youngest athlete in professional soccer? Mr. Freddy Adu. At the age of fourteen, he is the youngest player to play in a professional soccer league. There are a number of benefits by being the youngest player to play professional soccer: a contract with Nike, playing for the DC United team and receiving much media exposure. Many people disagree with his decision and say that he is too young to play professional soccer and should finish his high school education and wait until his body and mind has physically and emotionally matured. Think about being able to make one million dollars at the age of fourteen. Freddy Adu has already achieved that. Freddy signed to do a one million dollar endorsement deal with Nike. In the article I read, Freddy compares himself to another young rookie, Lebron James. â€Å"We are in the same situation except I am not making ninety million dollars† said Freddy (60 minutes). Also, during the same interview, he said, â€Å"to keep his contract and reviews up he will need to play with intensity to help his team win, and make himself a better player.† Freddy was offered the opportunity to play professional soccer and play for the United State’s U-20 men’s National team. Freddy signed with DC United to take the place of an injured player. In addition to that contract, on November 19,2003 he was named to the United States National team. His two goals while he plays for the national team are: to finish high school in the spring and get the opportunity to play in the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Freddy is planning on graduating in early May (2006) which will allow him to play in the ’06 World Cup competition. Weighing, one hundred and forty pounds, standing, five feet, eight inches tall, is the physical appearance of Freddy Adu. Do people believe this is what the makeup of a professional soccer player should look like? The vote at this time stands divided. Right now it is good enough for Freddy Adu to play for the USA National team and DC United.

causes of french revoultionary war Essay -- essays research papers

The causes of the French Revolution, the uprising which brought the regime of King Louis XVI to an end, were manifold. France in 1789 was one of the richest and most powerful nations in Europe; only in Great Britain and the Netherlands did the common people have more freedom and less chance of arbitrary punishment. Nevertheless, the ancien rà ©gime was brought down, partly by its own rigidity in the face of a changing world, partly by the ambitions of a rising bourgeoisie, allied with aggrieved peasants and wage-earners and with individuals of all classes who were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment. As the revolution proceeded and as power devolved from the monarchy to legislative bodies, the conflicting interests of these initially allied groups would become the source of conflict and bloodshed. Absolutism and privilege France in 1789 was, at least in theory, an absolute monarchy, an increasingly unpopular form of government at the time. In practice, the king\\\\\\'s ability to act on his theoretically absolute power was hemmed in by the (equally resented) power and prerogatives of the nobility and the clergy, the remnants of feudalism. Similarly, the peasants covetously eyed the relatively greater prerogatives of the townspeople. The large and growing middle class — and some of the nobility and of the working class — had absorbed the ideology of equality and freedom of the individual, brought about by such philosophers as Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Turgot, and other theorists of the Enlightenment. The example of the American Revolution showed them that it was plausible that Enlightenment ideals about governmental organization might be put into practice. Some of the American revolutionaries, such as Benjamin Franklin, had stayed in Paris, where they were in frequent contact with the French intellectuals; furthermore, contact between the American revolutionaries and the French troops who had assisted them resulted in the spread of revolutionary ideals to the French. Many in France attacked the undemocratic nature of the government, pushed for freedom of speech, and challenged the Catholic Church and the prerogatives of the nobles. There is controversy over exactly how deeply Enlightenment ideals penetrated the various classes, and over the degree to which these ideals were simply cover for bourgeois self-interest. For example, Karl Marx writing in ... ...parlements objected to this as \\\\\\"ministerial tyranny\\\\\\". In response, several nobles including Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orleans suffered banishment, resulting in a further series of conflicting decrees by the king and the parlements. The conflict spilled out of the courts (and beyond the nobility) with disturbances in Dauphinà ©, Brittany, Provence, Flanders, Languedoc, and Bà ©arn. Despite ancien rà ©gime France being, in theory, an absolute monarchy, it became clear that the royal government could not successfully effect the changes it desired without the consent of the nobility. The financial crisis had become a political crisis as well. Famine These problems were all compounded by a great scarcity of food in the 1780s. Different crop failures in the 1780s caused these shortages, which of course led to high prices for bread. Perhaps no cause more motivated the Paris mob that was the engine of the revolution more than the shortage of bread. The poor conditions in the countryside had forced rural residents to move into Paris, and the city was overcrowded and filled with the hungry and disaffected. The peasants suffered doubly from the economic and agricultural problems.

Too Many Majors

The Enrollment Management Committee and the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee were asked to investigate the over enrollment issue and to consider avenues for handling the preponderance of communication majors by the chairperson of the communication department, Chelsea McGuire. Each committee dedicated time, effort and energy in their small groups to come up with solutions for this problem. I would characterize the decision-making style of the Enrollment Management Committee (EMC) as a rational decision-making style when considering the enrollment management problem.They began their research with formulation (researched enrollment management systems around campus),then moved to concept development (set a goal to determine the optimal system for stemming the flow of majors into the communication department), and then detailing (conducted a systematic survey of all other campus departments to determine if they had also experienced problems with over enrollment in recent years), followe d by evaluation(inquired about plans and effectiveness, compared characteristics of other campus departments with relevant attributes in considering any other options) and finally, implementation (coming up with three optimal solutions for Communications department to consider).The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) used an intuitive decision- making style when considering the enrollment management problem. They based their solution on past experiences in similar contexts- what has worked in the past. This type of decision-making style is very analogical. Before reading this scenario, I thought for sure that intuitive decision making style was something that would be more effective in a real-life situation. After further reading and thinking, I find that the Enrollment Management Committee has come up with some great â€Å"solutions† and I do not think they should be dismissed. Sometimes, it’s difficult to look inward and realize the problem might be that your pr ogram is too easy and that’s why students are choosing it.I would choose any of the solutions given by the EMC. I think that if Chelsea McGuire retains her typical participative decision-making style during the upcoming faculty meeting, she will not walk out with a definitive solution. This type of problem, as we see from the response letters, can have many solutions that are subjective. Although I do not believe the UCC to be incorrect in their findings, I do think that some people and groups are not as comfortable with change. A well respected member of the UCC that has held her position for thirty years might not see an issue, but that does not mean there is not an issue. The staff should not feel overwhelmed.If the staff is overwhelmed, how can they perform their best and give each student the focus and attention they deserve? If there are no budget constraints, another option might be to hire additional faculty. The advantage to using participative decision-making is tha t everyone feels included and motivated. There is a possibility that people will come together and agree on a solution for the greater good. The disadvantage to this kind of style is that you may risk the lack of motivation when one group did not â€Å"win† the solution. It would be difficult to feel that the energy, time and effort going into finding the best solution did not â€Å"pay off. † I think it would be helpful for Chelsea to use the Cognitive Model of PDM.Using this model would allow the faculty to see the possible decisions provided by the EMC and UCC (allowing all faculty to feel the participation and also giving acknowledgement and credit to each team for their efforts), and allowing an open discussion forum for faculty to speak about what they think would be the best solution, and then voting. This allows for all voices to feel heard and will hopefully involve less disappointment when a solution has been decided. The communication behaviors I would watch for in the upcoming meeting to assess whether an effective decision-making process is being used would be the level of participation and dialogue.If the majority of the faculty seems engaged in the decision making, I would consider the choice of decision-making style a success. Although I might feel that the most effective solution involves change, if the faculty and staff participating in the faculty meeting come together and support the â€Å"no change† solution, I would determine a solution based on the group. A â€Å"bona fide group† perspective on the way the group is embedded in organizational structures (e. g. , the department, the university, professional (institutions) might influence my assessment of the situation in a positive way. It is important for a group to feel unity because a unified group builds an internal strength and motivation.