Identity theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identity theft - Essay Example Identity theft has become an increasing problem globally in recent years, causing millions of people undue emotional and financial trauma, while costing society a great deal of money. The heartache caused has limited access to critical services and credit availability for millions of honest and hardworking citizens globally, but particularly in the United States. It is a serious issues that must be tackled. The aim of the short paper is to introduce the seriousness of this problem and to present possibly research questions that should be explored to better introduce society to various methods to limit the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. Problem Statement The problem is that identity theft is destroying the financial security and freedom of countless individuals world wide. As honest, hardworking people have their identities stolen, they are subject to a loss of credit, difficulty in terms of employment, and encounters problems of various sorts with law authorities. Such victims must prove that their identity was stolen, often causing a great deal of anguish in the process. Local and national governments are currently taking measures to prevent identity theft, but the problem seems to be growing. There are five major types of identity theft being practiced today: 1) Criminal identity theft, 2) Financial identity theft, 3) Identity cloning, 4) Medical identity theft, and 5) Child identity theft. This proposed research study will examine each of these areas to help the reader understand the warning signs and avoid becoming a victim of such types of identity theft. In short, identity cloning involves one person taking on (stealing) the identity of another for the express purpose of hiding their own identity for one reason or the other. This is a bit different than other forms of identity theft, as financial information is not typically involved, causing the stolen identity to often go undetected for a long time (Anderson, Durbin, & Salinger, 2008, p. 1 71) . Criminal identity theft involves one person committing a criminal act, getting arrested, and then telling law enforcement officials that they are a different person (Harrison, 2007, p. 84). Conversely, synthetic identity theft refers to identities that are almost entirely made up. Most commonly this occurs by using a real social security number, but a different name or date of birth to make it more difficult to track (Ciechanowicz, 2010, p. 41). Medical identity theft involves one person seeking out medical care, not in their name, but in the name of another person. There are many reason why an individual might perpetrate this type of crime, including a lack of insurance on the part of the person (Agrawal & Budetti, 2012, p. 459). Finally, child identity theft involves just what its name implies. The criminal here commonly steals the social security number of a child, and then opens line of credit and commits other unlawful behavior using the stolen identity. This crime is par ticularly difficult to detect because children typically do not realize their identity has been stolen until well into adulthood (Dwan, 2004, p. 16). Relevance and Significance As demonstrated to this point, identity theft is a serious issue that must be tackled. It affects nearly everyone in society, either directly or indirectly. Even if a person is not a victim themselves, they pay the price in other ways. An individual who has fallen victim to any of the major types of

Interactions Between Policymakers And Scientists Essay

Interactions Between Policymakers And Scientists - Essay Example The understanding of the political leaders often originates from those whom they interact with and their environment. Hence, knowledge due to scientist interacting with policymakers and politicians contribute significantly in trying to find the solutions to the global warming while formulating regulations. Global warming brings together the policy makers and scientists who try to determine causes and possible solution. The continuous exchange of ideas between scientists and policymakers across the globe shows the urgency of the matter. Moreover, these interactions between scientists and policymakers define the types of regulations in place in trying to control climate change. Governments use many ways in an attempt to control climate change based on the scientific evidence. However, there are opposing groups of people that view climate change as a natural factor that does not require human intervention (Humphreys, Blowers, James & Jehlicka, p. 17). This contradicting opinions and uncertainty from science play a significant role in the formation of climate change policies. In the scientific context, uncertainty involves lack of understanding or measurement of something. In the past, scientists had limited access to policymakers that deterred their interaction and exchange of ideas. The scientist had the knowledge of possible future impacts if people take no actions to limit the emission of global warming. However, the passing scientific knowledge to politicians proved challenging until the introduction of scientists in the government department. Besides, the formation of IPCC involving both policymakers and scientists increased their interaction (Humphreys, Blowers, James & Jehlicka, p. 75). There were also limitations in passing the information between the policymakers and scientists due to the language that scientist used in the description.

Virtue and Friendship Essay Example for Free

Virtue and Friendship Essay Friendship is a type of relationship between two people who care about each other. But such a dry definition doesnt do the concept of friendship justice. Consider these examples: A friend is the first person you want to call when you hear good news. A friend remembers that you dont like. In other words, friendship is wonderful, and much ink has been spilled in citing the virtues of having friends. Thats not to say friendship is easy, though. It demands time and effort, and it requires that people put someone other than themselves first sometimes. But in exchange for that work, a friend can provide an immense amount of support and comfort in good times and in bad. Many qualities are necessary for a good friendship, including honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty and unconditional acceptance. A friendship should make both people in the relationship happy; both people should have fun when they spend time together. To be perfectly frank, thats a tall order. Human beings can clash very easily, which is why its hard for some people to maintain many friendships. Its possible that friendship can exist between two people at one stage of life, but life changes and personal growth may make friendship impossible at another stage. It can be hard to meet the people who would make the perfect friend. To draw the conclusion, one can say that friendship is a relationship built on trust and understanding. And it’s hard work for both, to accept each other as they are.

Gender Inequality In The Labour Market

Gender Inequality In The Labour Market Sex is what distinguishes men and women biologically, namely it describes the physical qualities which derive from variations in chromosomes, hormones and genitalia. Gender refers to a set of culturally defined characteristics which determine societys view of people as masculine or feminine. Sociologists have long debated over the causes of unfair sexual divisions of labour. Some have forwarded biological explanations, whereas others hold responsible the socialisation of gender roles. In this essay I will look at how the nineteenth century socialisation of gender roles is believed to have affected womens position in the labour market. I will then consider the increasing feminisation of the labour market and seek to explain the persistent inequalities between men and women. However, since the mid-twentieth century there has been an increasing feminisation of the workforce. According to Ulrich Beck, women are setting the pace for change (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 647). In Becks view, we are moving into the second modernity (as against post modernity). He argues that in our society, characterised by risk and uncertainty, women have realised the importance of self-reliance and have sought to widen their participation in the labour market and as a result have changed the social discourse. This has been made possible by a number of factors. The increased possibilities of an education, the development of domestic appliances, the growing tendency for smaller families, the Feminist Movement of the 1970s, the steady expansion of the service industry, the increase in living costs and the consequent need for two incomes are all factors which have generated a shift in traditional family patterns and significantly changed the gender division of labour. A UK Labour Fo rce survey conducted in 2005 suggests that the rates of employment for women of working age have risen to 70% in 2004 compared to 56% in 1971. In contrast, employment rates for men have declined from 92% to 79% (Giddens, 2006, 755). Despite womens increased participation in the labour market, barriers to equality remain. Although 75% of women of working age are in employment in the UK, it has been shown that in high-earning, high-status professions they are severely under-represented (www.employment-studies.co.uk). 2005 demonstrated, in terms of vertical segregation, that 83% of chief executives, 71% of sales managers and 70% of management consultants were men, whilst 96% of dinner ladies, 95% of receptionists and 76% of cleaners were women (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 124). Different reasons are held responsible for such disproportion. One argument is that jobs are highly gendered, with a tendency for high-status, high-paid jobs to be male-dominated because they have traditionally been perceived as masculine. Radical feminist Sylvia Walby claims women are subjugated by patriarchal values that discriminate and confine them to specific areas of work (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 113). Not only are women under-represented at the highest levels of the occupational structure, they have likewise not achieved equality of pay, despite liberal feminists success in campaigning for equal pay legislation. The wage gap was once thought to be narrowing, however, new figures suggest that the pay divide is still a matter of concern today. According to the Office for National Statistics, the pay gap between men and women in full-time work has increased to 17.1% since 2007 (The Guardian,15/11/08). The median full-time gross weekly earnings per week for men in 2007 were  £498, whilst for women they stood at  £395. In 2008 they stand at  £521 for men and  £412 for women. It has been calculated that over a lifetime, women working full-time will earn an average of  £369.000 less than their male colleagues. This result, according to the annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, places Britain 81st in the world ranking in terms of equal pay for men and women in sim ilar jobs (The Guardian,15/11/08). Part of the reason would appear to be because of horizontal segregation. Much of the female workforce is clustered into a range of semi-skilled, low-status and poorly paid occupations. Across the occupational structure, men predominate in such lines of work as manufacturing, construction, IT and business industries. Conversely, women are overwhelmingly represented in health and social work, teaching, catering and cleaning (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 123). Feminists, therefore, see this as a reflection of the two spheres ideology. 2005 demonstrated, in terms of horizontal segregation, that 79% of social workers and 73% of teachers were women. In the same year, 90% of the construction industry and 76% of people working in transport were men (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 123). In addition, the fact that many women work in the part-time sector can be part of the reason for the poor levels of pay they are subject to. Occupational segregation has been used to explain such high concentration of women in part-time work. Despite the disadvantages it involves, part-time work seems to remain a popular choice for women. In 2004, 5.2 million women in the UK were in part-time employment, compared to 1.2 million men (Giddens, 2006, 757). Social forces such as limited childcare assistance and gender discrimination have also been held responsible for such large numbers of women in part-time work. Many women seeking full-time employment often face unjust hurdles which men do not encounter: a Fawcett Society study (the leading liberal feminist organisation) reveals that 52% of employers consider the chances of a new member of staff becoming pregnant before employing them (www.fawcettsociety.org.uk). However, whilst it is possible that this may discourage many women who intend to have children from looking for full-time work, this is not on its own sufficient reason to explain such a heavy influx in the part-ti me sector. Catherine Hakims preference theory suggests that womens position in the labour market depends entirely on the rational choices they make (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 125). Hakim identifies two types of women: those who commit themselves to full-time careers or those who prioritise their domestic responsibilities. According to Hakim, many women have different work orientations than men, leading them to choose part-time occupations which enable them to balance their domestic and professional lives. Rosemary Crompton and Fiona Harris agree that womens position in the labour market is influenced by their decisions. They argue, however, that the choices women make are not always rational, but are the results of the practical challenges and cultural norms they may face. Crompton and Harris believe that women often start a career committed to the idea of full-time employment and the family sphere in equal measure, but in later life might have to compromise one or the other for a variety of rea sons. There is, therefore, an important debate between feminists. Additional theories have been advocated by sociologists to explain womens continued limitations in the job-market. Talcott Parsons functionalist human capital theory suggests that womens natural role is that of childcare. The theory implies that women are likely not to commit to a career or gaining qualifications, preferring to dedicate themselves to their children (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 125). According to Parsons, this lack of commitment or skills renders women less valuable to the employer, and is ultimately the reason for womens disadvantaged position in the labour market. However, critics of the theory point out that it does not account for the large number of women who dedicate themselves to a career and still end up in lower-paid, lower-status jobs (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 125). Barron and Norriss dual labour market theory promotes the idea of two labour markets: a primary sector in which professionals and skilled workers belong, characterised by highly paid and secure jobs, and a secondary sector, consisting in lowly paid, less secure jobs mainly occupied by unskilled labourers. According to Barron and Norris, women are more likely than men to work in this sector because they are less interested in wages or status, a view which echoes that of Hakim. Transition from the secondary to the primary sector is rare, ending in confinement within a range of low-paid jobs for ones entire working life. The theory is criticised by feminists for not being able to explain why skilled women often earn less than men in similar work, or why they get promoted less often than men in the same job (HaralambosHolborn, 2008, 126). In the past century, women have made a revolutionary ascent in the labour market even if many work in the part-time sector. However, the rate of improvement seems to have stalled rather than grown. Despite legislation such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), vast inequalities remain in Britain, especially in terms of pay and status. It might well be that more radical reforms need to be made. In Norway, for example, hundreds of women have benefitted from a new act, passed in 2003, which stipulates that companies must increase the number of women on their boards to 44.%. This now means that Norway heads the league table for gender equality, 12 places above the UK (The Guardian, 17/11/08). This suggests that post-feminists are mistaken in believing there is no more for feminists to do. A third wave of feminism, as suggested by Katherine Rake, or new feminism, to use Natasha Walters term, may be precisely what is needed.

Low Fat Diets, Aerobic Exercise, and Weight Loss: How Does It All Fit? :: Dieting Eating Papers

Low Fat Diets, Aerobic Exercise, and Weight Loss: How Does It All Fit? Introduction: These days it seems that almost everywhere in the media there are claims about the effectiveness of low fat diets and aerobic exercise on weight loss. From billboards, to magazines, to TV, everyone seems to know exactly how to lose weight by eating a low fat diet and /or by exercising on a regular basis. Sample menus and hypothetical exercise routines that are designed to help people lose weight consistently appear in the media, and most come with some type of guarantee that weight loss will follow the "correct and continued use" of the plan. These claims and examples vary from seemingly practical to downright outrageous, with a multitude in between. The problem is that all of these claims and examples are so different from one another the consumer has no way to know which, if any, is the most effective way to lose weight. Is eating less that 15 grams of fat, and exercising 30 minutes each day the most effective way to lose weight? Is eating anything you want, and exercising 90 minut es each day that is the most effective weight loss strategy? Or, is it something completely different? Medical research shows that exercising regularly and eating a well-balance diet that is low in fat can assist in weight loss, as well as provide for better overall health. Finding the best combination of the two is the difficult part. The weight loss business. The weight loss business is booming. The idea of a company developing their own strategy for weight loss, and selling it has been a successful one. Companies such as, Weight Watchers (http://www.weight-watchers.com), and Jenny Craig, have become very well known and very economically successful. Each of these companies has its own theories about losing weight, however, the majority of these companies use a combination of a low fat diet and a regular exercise program to promote weight loss. Many also use a support mechanism such as weekly, or monthly group, or individual meetings to help their clients maintain the program. (http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Health/Weight_Loss/Diets_and_Programs/) For example, Jenny Craig offers a program that includes daily menus of selected foods, which they package and provide to the client, and weekly counseling sessions with an employee of Jenny Craig. The daily meals are designed to provide a specific number of calories, which is predetermined by the client’s weight and self-assessed activity level.

Huck Finn :: essays research papers

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is an acclaimed work by one of America's famous early writers, Samuel Langhorn Clemens. Mr. Clemens wrote under the pen name of Mark Twain. The book was written in 1884. This book traces the story of a young man named Huckleberry Finn, or Huck for short, from conformity to the Southern way of thinking, to his own ideas. The story begins when he is trying to become what he calls "sivilized" by a widow and a woman named Miss Watson in the small town of Hannibal, Mississippi. His Pap, the town drunk finds out that Huck has found a large sum of money. When the judge of the town wont give Huck to his father because of Pap's racous behavior, Pap kidnaps Huck. He takes him to a cabin where they live together. Pap is abusive towards Huck, and locks him in the cabin whenever he leaves. Huck formulates a plan to escape, faking his own death, and implements it. He escapes down the Mississippi river in a canoe. Stopping at an island near Hannibal Huck discovers Jim, a runaway slave from his old house in town. They set off together down the Mississippi for wild adventures together. The meet up with scoundrels and murders frequently, and every time Huck outsmarts all the obstacles put in his way as he and Jim travel to the Ohio river. Once there he and Jim could travel up the Ohio to the north and Jim would be a free man. But they miss the Ohio by accident and keep going down the wide Mississippi. They have adventures to numerous to record, at the end of the adventure Jim is a willed free when his previous owner dies and Huck, with a new outlook on southern culture decideds to move on to new territory. In The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, Huck is the narrator. The charachter of Huck Finn was very different than the society that he was born into. Mr. Twain uses Hucks open mindedness as a window to let humor and the books points and morals shine through. Huck always takes things very literaly. This not only adds to the humor of the book, but it also lets some of the books deeper messages come through. In the first scenes of the book Huck is struggling to understand the concepts of Miss Watson's heaven and hell. He finds her harp strumming view of heaven boring and he wants to be in an exciting place. When Miss Watson tells Huck that he will get anything he prays for, he takes it very literally and decides to Huck Finn :: essays research papers The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is an acclaimed work by one of America's famous early writers, Samuel Langhorn Clemens. Mr. Clemens wrote under the pen name of Mark Twain. The book was written in 1884. This book traces the story of a young man named Huckleberry Finn, or Huck for short, from conformity to the Southern way of thinking, to his own ideas. The story begins when he is trying to become what he calls "sivilized" by a widow and a woman named Miss Watson in the small town of Hannibal, Mississippi. His Pap, the town drunk finds out that Huck has found a large sum of money. When the judge of the town wont give Huck to his father because of Pap's racous behavior, Pap kidnaps Huck. He takes him to a cabin where they live together. Pap is abusive towards Huck, and locks him in the cabin whenever he leaves. Huck formulates a plan to escape, faking his own death, and implements it. He escapes down the Mississippi river in a canoe. Stopping at an island near Hannibal Huck discovers Jim, a runaway slave from his old house in town. They set off together down the Mississippi for wild adventures together. The meet up with scoundrels and murders frequently, and every time Huck outsmarts all the obstacles put in his way as he and Jim travel to the Ohio river. Once there he and Jim could travel up the Ohio to the north and Jim would be a free man. But they miss the Ohio by accident and keep going down the wide Mississippi. They have adventures to numerous to record, at the end of the adventure Jim is a willed free when his previous owner dies and Huck, with a new outlook on southern culture decideds to move on to new territory. In The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, Huck is the narrator. The charachter of Huck Finn was very different than the society that he was born into. Mr. Twain uses Hucks open mindedness as a window to let humor and the books points and morals shine through. Huck always takes things very literaly. This not only adds to the humor of the book, but it also lets some of the books deeper messages come through. In the first scenes of the book Huck is struggling to understand the concepts of Miss Watson's heaven and hell. He finds her harp strumming view of heaven boring and he wants to be in an exciting place. When Miss Watson tells Huck that he will get anything he prays for, he takes it very literally and decides to

Organized Religion :: essays research papers

ORGANIZED RELIGION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie As Good As It Gets, No one in the movie makes a direct reference to God. This is a little odd because all Melvin, Carol, and Simon are all going through very hard times in their life, and at no point in the movie does one of them ask God for help or anything like that. The reason this is odd is because, normally, when a person is going through a very hard time in their life they will ask God for help and will promise something in return, but not these three people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reason for them to not ask is because they think that they do not need any help and can get through everything by themselves. This is shown very blatantly at two points in the movie. The first time is when Carol has just gotten help from a doctor that Melvin got to take care of her son, Spencer Connelly. After Dr. Green has left and Carol is talking to Beverly Connelly, her mother, they get into an argument about because Carol does not want this help because she says that doing this lets a â€Å"crazy man† into their life. But Beverly yells back saying that this isn’t something you can send back. When Carol tries to refuse the help from Melvin, this shows that she does not want the help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second time this is shown is when Melvin, Carol, and Simon go to see Simon’s parents so Simon can get some money. He needs the money because he was attacked by some men that were robbing him, and when this happened he started to lose everything he had. But when Simon is at the hotel the night that Carol and Melvin go out to eat he calls his parents wanting to talk and let them know he is in town and wants to see them so he could maybe get some money from them so he has enough to get him started again. They do not answer the phone and he just leaves a message, but when he calls the next morning after having a revelation while sketching pictures of Carol, his mother answers the phone and asks if he needs anything or any help.

Comparison Between the set roles of Late 19th Century men in the ‘Ms Julia’ and ‘A Dolls House’

‘Ms Julia' and ‘A Dolls House' are both late 19th Century plays. In the late 19th Century, England was the most economically powerful nation in the world, with naval supremacy and an extensive empire. There was great social change; the nation was becoming more literate and expressive, giving birth to the expression ‘art for art's sake'. As a result, controversy and conflict occurred during this time of economic and social change. That caused a knock on effect throughout Europe. A new social class was also formed; this was the middle class, which ‘A Dolls House', is based on. During this time of change, men still had family duties which had to be conformed to in the society. Women's role in society stayed the same. Women were left at home while their husbands went to work. Not much was expected from them, but to provide offspring and keep their husbands satisfied. Family image was very important during this time period and loss of face was unacceptable, a tarnished image would lead to gossip and loss of respect from people of the same social class. Image and social status is clearly brought out in both plays and conflict is apparent when social roles are not adhered to. In Ms Julia, Jean is portrayed as the ambitious footman who crosses the social barrier to seduce the mistress of the house whereas Torvald remains the stereotypical husband of Nora who fulfills his role as her provider. Both plays ‘A Dolls House' and ‘Ms Julia' have dominating male characters. In ‘A Dolls House' the dominating character, Torvald, plays a middle-class man working as a bank manager. Dr Rank, a well-respected doctor, represents the weaker side of men, both physically through his illness which is probably a sexually transmitted disease inherited from his father and also being susceptible to Nora. In ‘Ms Julia' the main male character is Jean, whose rank in society does not exceed one of a footman. Even though he seems well educated and speaks French, his intentions are evil and disloyal. The Count, Jean's employer, does not appear in any scenes but he is known as a stern authoritarian man and his presence throughout the play is noticeable through references by the staff and the ‘bell' at the end of the play. Torvald, a man who has a secure source of income and is well respected by his acquaintances, conforms to the society he is placed in. Towards his wife, he seems only grateful for the company and entertainment that she provides for him and his friends. ‘Nora, I'd gladly work night and day for you, and endure poverty and sorrow for your sake. ‘ This is a typical male statement of that time where women had to rely on the men in that society. When Nora confesses to taking out the loan, to save his life. He does not really love Nora for who she is, but he loves her for what she does to satisfy her. Torvald feels that her actions were outrageous and something he would not expect from a wife. ‘This is unheard-of from a young girl like you'. This clearly shows how he feels about the position and role of a wife. After confessing, Nora leaves their well-established home under the protection of Torvald, and ventures off into the harsh world. At this moment Torvald is a broken man. His wife has left him with two children and a broken heart. ‘But to lose you – to lose you, Nora! No, no, I can't even imagine it†¦ ‘. More importantly there is an imbalance in Torvald's life as his role in society is not the same and his broken image cannot be repaired due to what the society expects from happy middle class families. But you're my wife – now'. How will he be viewed by others because his wife has left him? Dr Rank plays a distinctive role in the play ‘A Dolls House'. His name relates to society, Ibsen deliberately put it in to show the importance of social ranking. Rank is a family friend to the Helmers and makes frequent visits to their residence. When Rank and Torvald discuss matters, they confide themselves to a small room that does not welcome Nora and is not seen by the audience. The subject of these conversations are not known by Nora indicating a difference in the roles in society. When Rank finds death approaching, he confides in Nora, yet Torvald has no that they occur. ‘Well, at any rate you know that I'm at your service – body and soul. ‘ Helmer clearly states that he is at her service, which does not always equal love. Krogstad is an unemployed barrister in ‘A Dolls House'. During the time that Torvald was ill Nora turned to Krogstad for a loan to pay for a much-needed vacation to Italy. This loan was taken out without Torvald knowing. Throughout the play Krogstad always appears at the Helmers residence asking Torvald to hire him. He visits are not only intended to ask for a job, but also to blackmail Nora for the money that she had borrowed from him and the falsified signature. Near the end of the play Krogstad slips a note inside Torvald's private letterbox about the loan that he gave to Nora. In ‘Ms Julia' the dominant male character is Jean. He takes advantage of the Count's daughter and seduces her. Fear of being caught, they both plan to run away. Jean feels that he should be in a higher social class in society. He tries to fit in with people in a higher class, but tries to ignore the social class barrier. ‘In my dream, I'm in a dark wood, lying under a tall tree. I want to get up – right to the top, where I can see out over the country in the sunlight. ‘ However, he is unable to do so and is reminded constantly of his position in society by Kristin and finally by the bell ringing on the return of the Count. The Count is the master of the house, but not much is heard or seen of him. However, his heavy presence is constantly felt by the bell ringing. It's Jean, my lord. ‘ This brings fear to all the servants. From what is shown the Count expects certain standards from everyone including his daughter and shows a strong adherance to the social class system of the time. He lives upstairs and the servants live downstairs each to their altered position in society. In the two plays the men have completely different roles and attitudes to their place in society. Torvald is comfortable about his role and place in society. Yet Jean feels the opposite way as he feels that he deserves a higher position. Dr Rank feels that his life has not satisfied all his needs for women and he had an unfair chance at life because of his father's lifestyle. To conclude, Jean's role in society does not change throughout the play even though he tries very hard to change, he still holds his role as a footman. Dr Rank stays in his role in society as a doctor and a friend, but he tries to bend the rules in his last moments and attempts to flirt with Nora yet he must stay celibate because of his illness. Torvald looses a part of his role and has an increased role of being a single parent and a middle class working man at the same time. If Jean was to conform to society he would not have considered a relationship between himself and Ms Julia. He would have married Kristin and lived his life as a servant and husband. His dreams of owning a hotel would not happen due to his position as a footman. These men had different ideas and roles, but the end result still remains, society still controls who you are and what you can achieve. The bell in Ms Julia is the main image that restricts what you can achieve. In A Dolls House the sickness that Dr Rank has contracted controls his life and his place in society.

Ethics in Contracts Essay

Abstract: When creating a contract, a negotiator is not only doing so to reach an agreement between two or more parties, but to create an agreement that is durable; whereby parties of the contract are legally bound and committed to its promises . â€Å"A legally binding contract is defined as an exchange of promises or an agreement between parties that the law will enforce, and there is an underlying presumption for commercial agreements that parties intend to be legally bound† [1]. When a contract does not expressly address a contingency that occurs, the morality of breach is assumed here to depend on what the contract would have said had it addressed the contingency. Morality in contracts becomes crucial to parties entering into a contract. This is where the role of ethics comes in. Introduction: The etymology of â€Å"business† relates to the state of being busy either as an individual or society as a whole, doing commercially viable and profitable work. The most common form of business all around the world is corporation. There are more than 2 partners who either wholly or has limited liability over the business. In such a scenario the need to bind by certain terms arose both within the organization by the stakeholders and outside the organization with the suppliers and wholesalers. This dire need gave rise to â€Å"contracts†. The leaders of the organization cooperate with a set of written rules bounded by every other stakeholder. HOW CONTRACT? It all started as an idea of shaking hands, the idea it expresses has had greater impact on Business ethics. Just a simple handshake denotes the idea of agreement in economic contexts. A contract is an agreement entered voluntarily by two or more parties, each of whom intends to create one or more legal obligations between or among them. The elements of a contract are offer and acceptance by competent persons having legal capacity who exchanges consideration to create mutuality of obligation, and, in some circumstances, do so in writing. A contract is always enforceable by law and has the following essentials.[2] 1.Intentions to create a contract 2.Offer and acceptance 3.Consideration 4.Capacity to enter into contract 5.Free consent of the parties 6.Lawful object of consideration Being Ethical in contracts is behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs and law where the humans are basically evolved in a moral sense and possess the ability to engage in moral behaviour. The law here is aforesaid liability in contracts where the generic importance is of getting a fair share in corporation profits. That is why it becomes extremely important to maintain ethics in contracts. The lawful object of consideration is considered very important in the contract and ethics related to contract. This is because in case of contract breach ethically or non-ethically reimbursing the value of lawful object of consideration is hereby treated as lawful. It is therefore imperative that contracts are created to be as durable as possible so parties are unable to find legal ‘loopholes’ and use their power, wealth, ignorance or cultural differences in setting contracts aside. Apart from that the ethical behaviour of the parties involved in contract adds an extra layer to the contract thereby keeping the best interest of people involved in contract. The following factors seem to affect the ethics involved in contracts. Cultural Flexibility Japanese culture for instance, the creation of a contract symbolises formation of a working relationship, and not a legally binding agreement. Some groups will regard the contract as being flexible in terms that if any problems or issues arise, the parties will reassess the obligations of the agreement and negotiate ways to preserve the relationship. Being Ethical and professional at the same time is viewed with high regard by the Japanese. However, this is not generally the ‘Western’ view on contracts. In relation to the ethical issue of cultural relativism, a business is obliged to operate in a manner acceptable to the host country, both legally and morally. The example cited here dealing with Shell portrays the fact of having contract as per the ethical behaviour of the host country. In those cases, there arises a question, is it morally wrong for a Western party to hold a Japanese party to the contract when it is known that the Japanese party would not have intended to be legally bound? Or is it unethical or immoral of the Japanese to sign such an agreement, even though they mean well when signing it, knowing the Western party intended to be legally bound by the contract but themselves see the contract as more of a flexible agreement? 1.Shell Oil : Brent Spar incident Popularly known as the Nigeria/Spar episode which taught the company to be ethical in its host country. In its action to maximize profits Shell articulated roundtables of 14 countries which brought together 159 shell executives and 145 external participants including opinion leaders and journalists. In this meet Shell articulated a contract which ensured its commitment to health, safety and environment. It set the same as the goals of the company. The step to the goal was supposedly implemented immediately by setting up safety team to manage HSE and Shell publicly announced its commitment towards human right and health safety[4]. Shell’s initiatives in the wake of Nigeria and Brent Spar signalled a fuller recognition of subtlety of ethics. With the completion of a pipeline connection to the oil terminal at Sullom Voe in Shetland, the storage facility had continued in use but was considered to be of no further value as of 1991. Brent Spar became an issue of public concern in 1995, when the British government announced its support for Shell’s application for disposal in deep Atlantic waters at North Feni Ridge (approximately 250 km from the west coast of Scotland, at a depth of around 2.5 km)[3]. This put issues of societal expectation in sharp relief. These incidents forced shell to recognize that people around the world come to place a heightened value on conservation of natural resources. Nigeria on the other hand had distinctively non European ethical expectations for companies. The evolving ethical attitudes of emerging economies, made Shell recognize that unless it changes global and regional changes in attitudes it cannot draw a line between ethical and unethical behaviour. Nigeria and Brent Spar forces shell to realize the importance of social contracts that framed business activities. Shell later on monitored the changing communal understandings as they played a growing role in company’s actions. Shell started to factor social contracts into ethical decision making process. Ethical games in business are played with different rules in different countries. In companies multinationals and corporations’ racial gender and world, questions of clash and compatibility between family and work are now assumed to be proper province of corporate management. Shell with its troubles it faced in early 90s due to Brent spar incident stands as a perfect example to approaching ethical issues in business. The differences in cultural expectations can predictably lead to the more economically powerful party attempting to negotiate that all breaches will be dealt with ultimately by courts from their own culture, applying their own cultural and legal rules. This then highlights the issue of different legal rules existing in different countries which enable contracts to be set aside. The list of exceptions to finality of contracts varies from one jurisdiction to another, and this is often placed under the label ‘frustration of contracts’. Some jurisdictions, notably Australia, Israel and India, imply a term of good faith into contracts. A final way in which terms may be implied due to fact is through a previous course of dealing or common. The Uniform Commercial Code of the United States also imposes an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in performance and enforcement of contracts covered by the Code, which cannot be derogated from. [5] Lack of Informed Consent Some acts cannot legally take place because of a lack of informed consent. Another person is generally authorised to give consent if an individual is unable to. These cases sometimes result in a party refusing to comply with the terms of the contract. This usually is exploited by many unethical behaviour. 2.This was the case in Gerbert and Gerbert (1990) FLC 92-137 [1], where a husband settled for 10% of assets against his probable entitlement to 40%, and it was held that there was no miscarriage of justice as the husband acted feely and was advised to seek legal advice. In cases where an individual is provided limited facts, serious ethical issues may arise. It is unethical to hold someone to a contract when they clearly had no awareness of exactly what they were signing and committing themselves to, due to ignorance. It is unethical for a lawyer to encourage the signing of a document if they are clearly not fully understanding of the document. Wealth If the chance of success and money is opportune to a wealthy person, their capacity and willingness can give rise to alleging various legal justifications for breach. A few years of legal expenses may only be a small proportion of their empire, and the resulting attrition and disparate investment in the conflict may eventually encourage other parties to renegotiate the disputed In terms of moral relativism, most people would agree that it is ethically wrong to use wealth to control a situation and to ‘force’ people into renegotiating clauses in contracts if they are unable to afford the legal bill accompanying a dispute. In situations such as these, the ‘little man’ usually loses out and will ultimately succumb to the power of the other party or parties. 3.Gujarat Housing Board vs Vipul Corporation on 21 June, 2004 [6] Housing Board was awarded a contract to Vipul Corporation for Water Proofing work of 360 Middle Income Group Houses at Valsad on 22.11.1994, being highest bidder, on accepting the tender. It appears that at the last moment, when work was about to be started, the work was obstructed. Housing Board was sincerely trying to create an atmosphere which may enable the contractor to perform the contract. It appears that the Housing Board also took the defence of frustration of the contract as per sec. 56 of the Contracts Act. Vipul Corporation lost the case but it hardly did anything to their business that they were able to pay the indemnification amount in the contract and started bidding for other contracts as if nothing had happened with their wealth. This was because of the large amount of accumulated wealth. Undue Influence Undue influence is an equitable doctrine that involves one person taking advantage of a position of power over another. The law presumes that in certain classes of relationship there will be a special risk of one party unduly influencing their conduct and motives for contracting. The general rule is whether there was a relationship of such trust and confidence that it should give rise to such a presumption 4.An example of such a case is Odorizzi v. Bloomfield School District CA Ct of App 54 Ca Rpt 533 [1964]. The plaintiff was under contract as a teacher. He was arrested, and the next day he allegedly was pressured by his superiors to sign and deliver his resignation. He was cleared of the criminal charges, and then he sought to be reinstated by the school district. They refused, so he sued to rescind his resignation. He claimed that his resignation should not be enforced because, among other things, he signed it under the â€Å"undue influence† of his superiors. When a party has placed their confidence and trust in another and this relationship is broken, the view of moral relativism will generally see this situation as being wrong. Here we see that the implications of Ethics in contracts being ignored. Ensuring Ethics of Contracts †¢A longstanding relationship –a contract with them raise incentives to perform †¢Avoiding making contracts with cultural groups that view contracts as the ‘beginning of a relationship’, rather than a legally binding agreement [1] †¢Clarifying whether ‘yes’ means ‘maybe’ or ‘no’ and whether signed and detailed contracts are considered to be binding, morally, legally and/or in reputation, †¢How any future misunderstandings and problems will be addressed to be discussed at the time of the contract †¢Only going into contract with parties that are stable and reliable †¢Attempting to reduce buyer’s remorse by †¢Making congratulatory speeches about the agreement’s benefits †¢Never agreeing quickly to any clauses †¢Adding post-agreement gifts and bonuses †¢Publicize the deal by mutual agreement. A wider audience will then place expectations on all parties to perform, or risk losing face and credibility in future arrangements. Most people have a strong desire to act consistently with their own clear commitment Signing a contract We focus so much on deal substance and style that we often lose sight of the problems that can arise at the most critical time of all—when pen is hitting paper. If a lawyer mishandles contract execution, it can lead to a malpractice claim, professional discipline and a very angry client (or, more likely, former client) A DEAL ISN’T â€Å"DONE† UNTIL YOU SEE A FULLY SIGNED AGREEMENT (or, better yet, cash in the bank) 5.As a great example of this, see International Telemeter v. Teleprompter, 592 F.2d 49 (2d Cir. 1979). Kirsch’s client told Kirsch that it had signed a settlement agreement, but Kirsch didn’t get the signed copy into his possession. Kirsch then relayed the alleged good news to the other side. However, Kirsch’s client had a management change before delivering the signed copy, and the new management balked at the settlement. This left Kirsch in the middle—he had told the other side that the agreement was done (and had authority to do so), but his client had reversed course and was saying the deal was never signed. Not only did Kirsch’s eagerness cost Kirsch a client (he resigned), but he has very few defences if his former client sues him for malpractice based on being committed to a deal they didn’t want. This issue also comes up with press releases—no public announcements of a completed deal until you see the fully signed contract. 6.ONGC vs Streamline Shipping Co. Pvt. Ltd. on 22 March, 2002 [7] On 19-2-1999 the appellant floated a tender for manning, running, operating, repairing and maintenance on hire of three vessels under Group IX i.e. Samudrika 2, Samudrika 7 and Sindhu 9. The respondent was one of the tenderers. On 30-12-1999 a contract was signed between the appellant and respondent for vessel Samudrika 2 for the primary term of 2 and half years from 9-12-1999. Clause 1.10.1 of the agreement provided. In the case above a contract was floated between ONGC and Streamline shipping co. for maintenance of three vessels. The vessels were damaged pretty badly in an exploration expedition and ONGC sought their help as per contract. But the streamline shipping company due to the high cost that may be incurred, viewing their personal interests acted unethically in contract and avoided to repair. In the 1990s, this issue reached a zenith as lawyers scrambled to obtain equity in clients, either as part of undertaking the representation or as directed shares when clients were lining up for an IPO. Seeking big payoffs, some lawyers took pretty aggressive interpretations of the rules to engage in these transactions, but it would be a mistake to relegate this behaviour to the dot-com boom. Instead, doing business with clients occurs in all aspects of the legal profession, and it poses significant risks in every format. Parties’ concern of breach Still another reason why it may be rational for parties not to take pains to include many contingent provisions in a contract concern the general possibility of renegotiation of their contract. The reason why we would expect only limited use of contingent provisions is that our legal regime, under which parties usually are able to commit breach and pay damages, serves as an implicit substitute for contingent provisions. Under this regime, a party will be motivated to perform if the cost of so doing is not high, in order to avoid paying damages; whereas he will be led to commit breach if the cost of performing is high, because paying damages will be less expensive than performing. This behaviour – performing when the cost is below a threshold and not performing when the cost would exceed a threshold – is in at least qualitative alignment is considered unethical. Still another reason why it may be rational for parties not to take pains to include many contingent provision s in a contract concerns the general possibility of renegotiation of their contract. The parties can anticipate that if they do not provide for a troublesome contingency and it occurs, they will often be able to renegotiate and resolve their problem. If, for instance, the seller finds that it would be unexpectedly costly to perform when the contract requires that, he might be able to obtain a release from his obligation by paying the buyer some bargained-for sum. Of course, the outcome of such renegotiation may be uncertain and it may introduce an added risk into a contract. The question of the morality of breach is when contracts are incomplete. To ascertain whether a breach in a contingency that was not explicitly provided for is moral or immoral under our definition, one needs to determine whether performance would or would not have been required had the contingency been expressly addressed, and whether the parties to the incomplete contract know this. The morality of breach of incomplete contracts occurs when damages equal the expectation measure. When sellers have to pay damages for breach, they will be motivated to obey the contract if the cost of performance is less than the damages they would have to pay for a breach. If, though, the cost of performance exceeds the damages they would owe for a breach, they will have a financial reason to commit breach. Hence, they will tend to commit breach if and only if the cost of performance exceeds the measure of damages. Ethics comes in this aspect when the sellers has the cost of performance exceeds the damages they have to pay. The ethical aspect is whether to perform the contract or not. Since the penalty is very less compared to the cost of performing the work, the contractor tends to do violate the contract and pay the penalty. This should be avoided by corporations to create a good reputation within its peers. In order to avoid this circumstance, the contracting parties now-a-days agree to have the compensation amount to be greater than the cost of doing the actual work. The case regarding the state of Kerala precisely portrays this part of the ethics in contracts. 7.State Of Kerala vs United Shippers And Dredgers Ltd. on 15 July, 1982 The Government of Kerala through Superintending Engineer, Irrigation Central Circle, Trichur, entered into a contract with the respondent on 19-9-1975 to do the work of improvements to Champakkara Canal-Dredging works and allied works. The work was agreed to be completed on or before 15-7-1976. The agreement also required the contractor to maintain progress in work as prescribed in the schedule in Clause 3 of the agreement. There was also a provision in the contract to enable penalty to be levied in case of failure on the part of the contractor to maintain stipulated progress. The contractor did not maintain stipulated progress and extensions of time were granted on contractor’s requests as per supplemental agreements. Or account of the delay in maintaining agreed progress in the work; penalties were levied against the contractor at the rates prescribed. After the completion of the work end the drawing of the final bill, disputes arose between the contracting parties and as provided in the agreement. From withheld amount a sum of Rupees 7,35,000/- (Rupees seven lakhs and thirty five thousand only) shall be refunded to claimant by the respondents.†. The United shippers Ltd. performed the breach on account of the cost of compensation being higher than the cost of performing contract. The ethical aspect of this made contracts thereafter to rewrite them in lieu of having the cost of compensation and the cost of lost profit to be included in the terms of contract. Had the parties been ethical, it wouldn’t have required the contracts to reinvent their terms for this sake. For example, if the measure of damages is $125 instead of the expectation of $200, breach will occur whenever the cost of performance exceeds $125. Consequently, if breach occurs when the cost is between $125 and $200, for instance when it is $150, the complete contract would have insisted on performance. Such breach would be immoral and unethical, if the seller realizes that the true expectation is $200. Given the conclusions reached in the prior section, what can be said about whether the breach that we see in practice is moral or immoral? If damages tend to be fully compensatory, we could say that breach tends to be moral, as breach should occur if and only if contracting parties would have allowed non performance had they addressed in their contracts the contingencies that engendered breach. But if damages are not really compensatory, breach might be immoral. Situations portraying Ethics Damages tend not to reflect the often considerable delays that victims of breach suffer. The legal costs are not compensated. In view of the foregoing, the practical reality seems to be that breach could be immoral or moral, that we have to inspect the reasons for breach and the knowledge of the party committing breach to know which the case is. To gain an understanding of these issues, a small-scale survey was conducted [8]. The number of respondents were 41. The survey consisted of four questions, each of which asked about the morality of breach and could be answered as follows: (1) definitely unethical; (2) somewhat unethical; (3) neither ethical nor unethical; (4) somewhat ethical; (5) definitely ethical. Assigning a score of 1 to definitely unethical, a score of 2 to somewhat unethical, and so forth. Hence, the lower score, the less ethical a respondent felt breach would be. The first question was designed to ascertain whether respondents believe that breach in general is unethi cal. It was as follows: 8. [8]â€Å"Suppose that a Renovator has made a contract with a construction company to do a Home decor. The Renovator then discovers that the job would cost him a lot more than he had anticipated because the price of decor equipment has risen sharply – so the Renovator would lose money on the job. Is it unethical for the Renovater to break his contract with the company?† Note that the question does not mention whether damages would be paid. The average answer score was 2.41, meaning about midway between somewhat unethical and neither ethical nor unethical. Also, 38 of the 41 respondents found breach unethical or ethically neutral; only 3 of respondents answered that the breach would be somewhat ethical (none as definitely ethical). 9.[8]â€Å"Suppose that a Renovator has made a contract with a construction company and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. Suppose too that the Renovator and the company did not discuss this unlikely possibility when they made their contract. However, the Renovator knows what they would have agreed to if they had discussed this possible large cost increase in advance: They would have agreed that the contract would be cancelled if there was a large cost increase – the Renovator would be excused from the contract. Under these assumptions, is it unethical for the Renovator to break his contract?†The average answer score was 3.0, meaning ethically neutral. Also, 17 of the respondents found breach more ethical in this question than they had in the first question; none of the respondents found breach less ethical than in the first question. 10.[8] â€Å"Suppose that a kitchen Renovator has made a contract with a construction company and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. Suppose too that the Renovator and the comapany did not discuss this unlikely possibility when they made their contract. However, the Renovator knows what they would have agreed to if they had discussed this possible large cost increase in advance: They would have agreed that the contract would remain in force despite a large price increase – the Renovator would still have to do the job.† The average answer score for this question was 1.56, which is to say, midway between definitely unethical and somewhat ethical. All but three of the respondents found breach to be somewhat or definitely unethical, and the other three considered it ethically neutral. Further, 31 of the respondents found breach to be less ethical than in the prior question where the hypothesis was that performance would not have been agreed to. 11.[8]â€Å"Suppose that a kitchen Renovator has made a contract with a construction comapny and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. If the kitchen Renovator breaks his contract with the company, suppose that (as contract law says is required) he compensates the construction company for his losses – for delay, inconvenience, having to hire another renovator, and so forth. Is it unethical for the Renovator to breach his contract?†The average answer score for this question was 3.56, which is about midway between ethically neutral and somewhat ethical. In summary, the individuals participating in the survey found the simple, unqualified fact of breach to be unethical on average (2.41 was the average for question 1). In other words, the felt reaction to the fact of breach is that it is an unethical act. However, when individuals were prompted by being told what contracting parties would have agreed to had they discussed the particular contingency that arose, individuals tended to change their evaluation of the morality of breach, finding it better or worse in the expected way. When informed that if the problematic contingency had been discussed, the contracting parties would have said no duty to perform, individuals found breach ethically neutral (3.0 was the average for question 2). When apprised that if the problematic contingency had been discussed, the contracting parties would have said there was still a duty to perform, individuals found breach to be quite unethical (1.56 was the average score for question 3). And when told that breach would be accompanied by full damages payments, individuals again changed their opinion of breach, finding it to be somewhat ethical (3.56 was the average score for question 4). An important normative aspect of many commentators’ writing on breach is their moral advice. Their writing often suggests that individuals and corporations ought to feel a general ethical duty to obey contracts, that is, a desire to obey contracts above and beyond that due only to having to pay damages for breach. If we could shape individuals’ moral feelings, we would want corporations to put a thumb on the scale in favour of contract performance. According to a perfectly calibrated and flexible moral system, the moral sentiments would come into play if and only if they are needed to correct the too-great incentive of a â€Å"bad man† to commit breach, when the personal benefit from breach would exceed damages but not the true value of the expectancy. This ideal moral system is consistent with the spirit of traditional advice, and is inconsistent with the spirit of efficient breach theory, in that morality has a useful role to play. The actual moral system, however, is not as flexible as the ideal one. The moral impulses probably cannot be freely tailored to turn on for this kind of contract breach and to turn off or that one. The implications for moral advice about breach become complicated, for when giving moral advice, we have to consider the degree to which the advice will be understood as special to the circumstances of the breach, or as having a more general effect, and thus entailing the implicit disadvantages just mentioned. A striking instance of such thinking is that underlying the approach of the German Civil Code to contract performance, according to which the general remedy for breach is supposed to be specific performance. Had it been that contracts are to an important extent incomplete promises and thus on reflection that the morality of promise-keeping does not imply that performance should always occur. Damages are inadequate because it is time-consuming and expensive for the legal system to resolve what would often be contentious proceedings about subjective elements of loss from breach. It may be that our legal system works better avoiding the costs of ascertaining these problematic elements of loss, relying on moral forces, such as they are, to fill the gap in inducing appropriate performance. Conclusion The implications article for the general normative thrust of the writing of traditional commentators concerned with the morality of breach and also of the efficient breach theorists. Assuming that the social objective is to promote an corporate measure of social welfare, one based on individuals’ utilities. In particular, our moral feelings which have been portrayed as Ethics throughout will have a direct effect on social welfare because they are themselves components of corporate utilities and they will also exert an indirect influence on social welfare because they provide incentives toward socially desirable behaviour. In any event, the belief that there is a clear and overarching moral reason to alter contract law to enhance the keeping of contracts appears to me to be the product of an over simple view of the moral sentiments and of a related failure to take into account the importance of the incompleteness of contracts. List of references 1.http://www.bond.edu.au/law 2.Course material on Indian Legal System-IIMC 3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar 4.Ties that Bind- Donaldson and Thomas 5.http://contracts.uslegal.com/elements-of-a-contract/ 6.http://www.indiankanoon.org/docfragment/927021/?formInput=gujarat%20housing%20board%20vs%20vipul%20corporation 7.http://www.indiankanoon.org/docfragment/1617242/?formInput=ongc%20vs%20streamline%20shipping 8.A Social Contracts Approach to Business Ethics By Thomas

The stylistic features of cyber language

With the development and popularization of the Internet, more and more people are added to the Internet communicative activities. Online chat is one of these increasingly popular forms. Since it is open and compatible, it draws the attention of people from all over the world and from every circle. Therefore, the study of cyber language has become a focus of attention. In this paper, under the theory of modern stylistics, the stylistic features of cyber language and its causes were discussed from vocabulary and grammatical levels. The author has demonstrated some lexical features of cyber language with a number of examples.Then, in the second part, the grammatical features have been discussed. And the third part is about the causes of these stylistic features. 1. 1 Background of the Present Study From 1990s, the Internet has gradually spread around the world and a networked, digital information revolution has penetrated into all areas of society. According to the data of U. S. researc h firm (Pew Internet and American Life Project [PIALP], 1999) the number of Chinese net citizens has reached 137 million and would be expected to surpass the United States in 2009, the world's biggest Internet market.Although he history of Network development is not long, it is sweeping across the world with incredible speed and unstoppable trend, and is gradually changing people's concept of survival, status, and mode. With the popularization of network technology, online exchange has become an important part of daily communication. Therefore, a new media has been produced during this process-cyber language. To a large extent, the great influence of social development has contributed a lot to this phenomenon.Many scholars no matter home or abroad have stepped into this area and suggested their own opinions from various aspects. This paper has analyzed the features of cyber language from the stylistic point of view. 1. 2 Purpose of the Present Study Cyber language is an open system of signs. Because of some political and economical factors, more and more English words will come into the field of Internet and play some necessary functions. To some extent, we may say that those English words serve as a complement and development of Chinese characters.As a main informational carrier of Internet media, cyber English reflects the impacts of lexical contact and spread on Chinese characters as well as the cultural influences from English-speaking countries in Informational Era. Research of cyber language has pushed the development of verbal and cross-cultural communication and has practical meaning in aspects of Language Standard, language teaching, the compile of new dictionary as well as the sound development of cyber language and so on. Therefore, it deserves the attention of language workers. . 1 Definition and Explanation 2. 1. 1 Explanation of Online Communication added to the Internet communicative activities. People type letters on keyboard and receive words on screen. Their communication breaks up the boundary of time and space. It is different from the face -to -face communication in general sense. Kiesler, Siegel, and Timothy (1984) think that such computer-mediated exchange activity has two interesting features: 1) lack of social contextual information; 2) lack of widely accepted principle of usage.The first feature prevents the participants from relying on hand gestures, body potential language, facial expressions and other non- linguistic information to explain the text and assist the exchange. The lack of rules makes the traditional communicative rituals broken and gradually a number of Internet specifications which were widely approved have been formed. But as a real- time communicative activity, it is very close to the daily face-to-face oral communication. In real-time communication, the communicator can both receive information and send a message.Receiving and transmitting information is a continuous, uninterrupted process. T his allows the two communicators to exchange feedback in time, adjust and revise the direction and content of the next exchange. Obviously, cyber language has the features of both spoken and written language and it obscures the traditional distinction between oral and written language, forming its own unique style. 2. 1. Definition of Stylistic Tags This paper analyses the stylistic features of cyber language from two perspectives: description and context of language.In the language description, we use the system of stylistic tags to classify the language feature. According to Enkvist and Spenser (1964), stylistic tag is a prominent stylistic feature. Any language project with stylistic meanings can be regarded as a style tag which is the same as the concept of â€Å"salient†in functional stylistics. In his work, Zhang (1998) states: Halliday, founder of Systemic-functional Linguistics thinks that salient is a collective discourse for those rotruding language features in some form of context.Then he classifies those features into two types: one is against the conventional prominent, negative; the other is consistent with conventional prominent, positive. (pp. 21-22) In stylistics, language features are generally divided into four levels: phonology, word position, vocabulary, syntax / grammar. When chat in the net, visual text or punctuation is the only carrier to transmit information, so phonological style tags do not have stylistic sense. We only analyze the word, vocabulary, syntax / grammar style tags.

Evaluating the Internet Essays

Evaluating the Internet Essays Evaluating the Internet Essay Evaluating the Internet Essay Internet is one of the most influential tools in the world today. This technology advancement has caused changes on how people study, communicate, and shop. With its capacity to spread information at a faster phase, the Internet provides various links to different websites to locate more easily research materials and resources (Johnson). The Internet also links people who are separated by distance via communication advancement (Comer 4). On-line shopping also benefits professionals who cannot find time to go to the mall (Comer 198). Thus, there is no doubt that the Internet can be evaluated by discussing its impact on communication, education and shopping. Douglas Johnson’s online article mentions how technology is really effective in processing and producing necessary information (Johnson). As a result, education is made easier by the Internet via online university programs. Nowadays, students are more exposed to â€Å"word processors, databases, spreadsheets, presentation programs, multimedia authoring tools, e-mail, video production equipment, digital reference materials, electronic indexes, and network search engines† (Johnson). The Internet is indeed helpful in getting students to do their homework easily (Johnson). Moreover, productivity is increased because more time is saved in doing online researches compared to library researches (Johnson). Aside form the benefits of the Internet to students and education, communication is also enhanced by the Internet by changing the stereotypical way of people’s connection. The Internet makes communication more convenient, reliable, and faster (Comer 167). Paper mails are changed into e-mails or electronic mails, while long distance calls are changed into instant messaging and on-line voice calls (Comer 158). Since easy access is achieved by people in communicating with their loved ones abroad, they feel more connected and will be less mindful of the distance between them. Consequently, the Internet has brought people closer, supporting families, organizations, and communities in the process. Work can also be done at home using the Internet and company websites (Comer 198). It also allows people to meet and greet new people on-line using forums and websites like MySpace and many more (Comer 207). Web camera connection is also one good feature of the Internet since it provides a seemingly face to face interaction between two people who are far from each other. Hence, the Internet does not only pave the way for communication development but for socialization as well. Many shoppers now do their shopping on line because they find it hard going to malls and buy things for themselves. Working professionals can shop for things online, pay using credit cards, and just wait until it is shipped to their houses. The Internet also allows people to access online auctions like eBay where almost every needs and wants are posted and put on sale (Comer 243). The Internet has also led to new sources of revenue. Advertisements are posted in the Internet for a fee since more and more people are using this technology everyday (Comer 255). Meanwhile, networking makes it possible for people to earn even at home by just clicking their mouse and interacting with others (Comer 260). Internet is revolutionizing people’s lives by making enormous changes in governments, businesses, schools, and homes worldwide (Comer 4). Internet technology has worked so well in resulting in sudden success in the fields of communication, education, and business. It is an invention that has capabilities beyond human capacity. It stores more than what humans can memorize, it sends out messages faster than what is expected, and it gives more profit for businesses by reaching out international clients. The Internet has grown so much, and its growth has really involved and impacted much of the world. Comer, Douglas E. The Internet Book. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. Johnson, Doug. â€Å"Evaluating the Impact of Technology: The Less Simple Answer.† From Now on: The Educational Technology Journal 5 (January/February 1996). 23 June 2008 http://fno.org/jan96/reply.html

The Power to Declare War Essay Example

The Power to Declare War Essay Example The Power to Declare War Essay The Power to Declare War Essay The Power to Declare War Ritwik Ravin Poltical Science Mrs. Mooney December 13, 2010 Ricky Ravin, Mrs. Mooney The Power to Declare War Congress and the president use their powers to check and balance each other. One power of Congress is the ability to declare war. However, Congress generally gives the president control during war time. Because of this, the president is able to acquire more power over the war while Congress can do little if they have already given their approval. After the Vietnam War, in which Presidents Johnson and Nixon continued to wage despite a divided Congress[i]; they decided that the Constitution did not warrant the president to have the power to declare war, so they passed the War Powers Resolution[ii]. While the War Powers Act was meant to explicitly limit presidential war powers, it is largely ignored by the president, who holds the power to send troops into combat. According to Section 2C of the War Powers Act, the constitution states that the president holds the right to send troops into combat only after: a Congressional declaration of war, a specific statutory authorization, or in a National emergency created by an attack on the United States. Since the president does not follow this statement, the War Powers Act attempts to curb some of the powers he has obtained that have been set by precedent. Under Section 3, the act states that if possible, the president must consult with Congress before sending troops into combat, and he must report to Congress regularly on the status of the war. Section 4 is more specific, it states that if troops are sent into war without a declaration, the president needs to report on: why it’s necessary, the constitutional authority under which such introduction took place, and the estimated duration of the war. Furthermore, it states that between sixty and ninety days after a report is submitted or is required to be submitted, the president must terminate use of troops unless Congress: declares war, authorizes use of the troops, extends the period, or cannot meet due to an attack on the United States[iii]. Prior to the War Powers Act, President Harry Truman, rather than seek Congressional declaration, used his constitutional power as commander in chief to commit troops to the Korean War. Congress had no say in whether this war would be fought. Along with this, the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon the power to â€Å"take all necessary measures †¦ to prevent further aggression[iv]. † This gave the presidents complete control over the war despite the Congresses eventual division, who could do nothing about it. These incidents caused Congress to decide that the Framers did not intend for the president to have this kind of war making power, so they passed the War Powers Act on November 7th, 1973, right after the Vietnam War. The War Powers Act was explicitly meant to limit presidential powers during war time, but it has failed to do so. The ninety day limit has never been followed and while 99 reports have been submitted to Congress because of the Resolution, the reports are simply to inform, rather than consult with Congress, after a planned action is already under way. During the presidential reign of Gerald Ford, the United States was involved with six military crises: the rescue of U. S. citizens and refugees in Vietnam after the war, the rescue of the Mayaguez, and two evacuation operations in Lebanon. The War Powers Act was not applied in any of these situations, and it’s relevancy in military rescue operations has been questioned. Also, in 1990, President George H. W. Bush committed 500,000 troops to Saudi Arabia in Operation Desert Storm. The troops were left there for longer than 60 days without Congressional approval, again defying the limits of the act. President Bill Clinton sent troops into Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, the Middle East, and Kosovo, all without Congressional approval. Clinton, like other presidents, believes that the president has the authority of Commander in Chief to send troops into combat. House Joint Resolution 114, passed on October 16th, 2002, gave a broad authorization to the President to use troops against Iraq to protect the national security of the United States. The plaintiffs argued in the Supreme Court case Doe vs. Bush and Rumfield, that a specific declaration was necessary for the president to use troops. The case was dismissed as it was believed that foreign policy is outside the jurisdiction of the courts and President Bush was allowed to wage this war without any Congressional Declaration. In fact, Congress has only declared five wars, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. In these wars, the president has been the one who decided that war was necessary and asked Congress for a declaration. On the other hand, the president has waged over 100 conflicts without Congressional approval. The Constitution was left ambiguous by the framers when it came to war powers. They did not clearly state that the president could not send troops without a declaration of war, and they did not give Congress the final power to wage wars. Technically, Congress does have the final say on a war because they provide the money for the troops; but they have not used this power because the troops would be stranded without supplies. The framers left the Constitution ambiguous on war powers in order for it to be flexible for changing times[v]. Congress does not need to declare war for it to be fought, and the president has the final say in declaring war. Throughout history, Congress has let the president have complete control of wars while they focus on laws. The War Powers Act has attempted to restrict presidential powers, but it is largely ignored by latter presidents. Congress supports wars that are won even if undeclared, but they criticize the President if an undeclared war is lost. Congress is an important part of wartime with the supplying of troops, nevertheless, it is the President’s call whether to wage a war or not. Congress can declare war, but if the President does not send troops, then there is no war. As Commander in Chief, it is the president who can truly declare war. Bibliography National Constitution Center. â€Å"War Making – Executive and Legislative Powers – Educational Resources. † National Constitution Center. http://constitutioncenter. org/ncc_edu_War_Making_Executive_and_Legislative_Powers. aspx (accessed December 9, 2010) Washington Post. â€Å"War Powers Act Timeline. † Washington Post. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/onpolitics/articles/timeline_politics1. html (accessed December 9, 2010) Williams, Charles F. â€Å"War Powers: A New Chapter in a Continuing Debate. † Social Education 67 (April 2003): 128, 131-132 Yale Law School. â€Å"Avalon Project – War Powers Resolution. † Yale Law School. http://avalon. law. yale. edu/20th_century/warpower. asp (accessed December 9, 2010) [i] Washington Post, â€Å"War Powers Act Timeline,† Washington Post, ashingtonpost. com/wp-srv/onpolitics/articles/timeline_politics1. html. [ii] Ibid. [iii] Yale Law School. â€Å"Avalon Project – War Powers Resolution. † Yale Law School. http://avalon. law. yale. edu/20th_century/warpower. asp (accessed December 9, 2010) [iv] National Constitution Center, â€Å"War Making – Executive and Legislative Powers – Educational Resources,† National Constitution Cent er. [v] Charles F. Williams, â€Å"War Powers: A New Chapter in a Continuing Debate,† Social Education 67 (April 2003): 128, 131-132.

Essays on Modern Women Poets Essay Example

Essays on Modern Women Poets Essay Example Essays on Modern Women Poets Essay Essays on Modern Women Poets Essay Duffys feminist style of writing criticises the man as selfish and greedy, a common theme echoed throughout The Worlds Wife. Duffys women monologists are frequently powerful, vengeful women whose assertiveness, violence and aggression parodies stereotypes of male behaviour (Jones, 2005: 158) In contrast to Duffys male criticism, Jones believes she is empowering the women in her collection The Worlds Wife I disagree.I feel that she isnt trying to parody their behaviour to the stereotypes of mens, but rather highlight their bravery and what they have to cope with on their own, I think Duffys true message is to show just how much we as women need to deal with. The final line of Mrs. Midas, I miss most, even now, his hands, his warm hands on my skin, his touch. brings the poem to a rather melancholy ending where Mrs. Midas, despite everything is still expressing her love for her husband and how much she misses him.Contrary to this point, Duffy has added a pun at the final two words, his touch. symbolising both the loving and destructive touch he had on their time together. The subtle dose of humour at the end lightens the mood slightly so you are not feeling entirely disheartened by the tragic ending to Mrs. Midas. The final two words of the poem are possibly designed to lift the mood from the tragic tale slightly. The pun, his touch. Symbolises both his literal loving touch and his destructive touch that he had on their relationship.Although this light use of humour is designed to soften the harsh criticisms Duffy makes towards mens implied destructive behaviour, it doesnt detract from the tragic ending, I miss most, even now, his hand s where Mrs. Midas expresses her love for her husband despite everything, I feel that this is intentionally designed to maximise the dislike towards the male role. The final poem of The Worlds Wife is Demeter, arguably the most intriguing of the collection, for it takes on a unique style that sets itself aside from the other poems.Rather than follow the satirical themes throughout the collection, Demeter takes on a celebratory style that gives a satisfied and pleasant ending to the book. Demeter tells the tale of her grief at the loss of her own daughter and the eternal motherly love she has for her. Demeter is the Greek goddess of the harvest. According to myth, Demeters daughter, Persephone, is kidnapped by Hades and forced to live in the Underworld with him for 4 months of each year. Where I lived winter and hard earth, Demeter is so overcome by grief for the loss of Persephone that she plunges the world into winter until the return of her daughter.I sat in my cold stone room. is a metaphor for her feeling trapped and helpless her world has become a tomb without her daughters presence. This poem speaks out particularly to mothers, but also to anyone with a loved one, the dramatic monologue is used to relate to anyone who has experienced the loss be it temporary or permanently, of a loved one. Perhaps the lack of rhyme is due to the complete hopelessness Demeter feels at the beginning of the poem, and the rhyming couplet at the end is a signal of her mourning coming to an end. Janet Lewison comments on the line, to break the ice.My broken heart -, Words resist involvement and connection: nothing and no one get to reach her. She cannot bring her daughter (and by implication herself) back from the place of the dead. Her words are arid and lifeless (Lewison, 2005) I agree with Lewisons comments on this line, I also think it applies to the entire first half of the poem. I particularly think it is true that Demeter feels as though she is in the land of the de ad, just like her daughter, as she has plunged the world into winter so that everyone else can suffer and feel the pain she is suffering.I think this is where Duffy is trying to outline how out of control we can become when struck by grief and how it will only get worse when echoing those feelings onto others. The hyphen at the end of that line creates a feeling as though Demeter has faltered or gasped, it shows she can barely think about it. At the third stanza a noticeable change has occurred in the poem, the mood is lifting. The repetition in the line She came from a long, long way communicates both the distance Persephone has come from and the time Demeter has endured without her, its almost like an exhale of relief.Using the word She instead of directly referring to her daughter shows there was no ambiguity over who it could have been. The final line of that stanza, my daughter, my girl, across the fields uses romantic and maternal language which speaks out to the reader so tha t you can relate to Demeters situation. As Demeters daughter returns from the land of the dead, in bare feet, bringing all springs flowers this symbolises the season of spring settling in, and bare feet connotes rebirth and innocence.with the small shy mouth of a new moon acknowledges that Persephones return is apart of a cycle, and she must return to the Underworld once again, but she will be back. The use of the word mouth I also think conveys Demeter meeting her daughter and kissing her with relief. The structure of this poem takes on the form of a fourteen-line sonnet, which Duffy has adapted slightly. Most of the poem contains no rhyme but includes a rhyming couplet at the final two lines to symbolise the joy Demeter is now feeling. A sonnet seems the perfect type of structure for this poem, as it is essentially a love poem from Demeter to her daughter.The final lines of the poem brings The Worlds Wife as a collection full circle with the line, in bare feet, bringing all spring s flowers which mirrors Out of the forest I come with my flowers taken from Little Red Cap, the very first poem of the book, this supports Demeters themes of rebirth and renewal. Mrs. Midas and Demeter are similar in that they are both based on mythological tales. I feel that using myth to base the dramatic monologues on creates a deeper and more fulfilling message. Both poems follow the themes of marriage, motherhood and the female voice.In terms of the structure of the mood they are both very similar, they both start off with a very heavy and melancholy tone, but end on a slightly lighter note. Duffy has used the dramatic monologue to convey her feminist message of the not so positive stereotype of men, but I feel this is to mask the deeper hidden meanings of love, relationships, betrayal and motherhood that Duffy has herself experienced.BibliographyJones, D (2005) Consorting with Angels: Essays on Modern Women Poets. Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books Drabble, M (2000) The Oxford Com panion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Dracula Was Human Professor Ramos Blog

Dracula Was Human Tsutomu Miyazaki The Human Dracula Who knew Dracula was actually in Tokyo in the late 80s, killing little girls and eating their hands? Tsutomu Miyazaki, also known as the Otaku Killer or the ‘Human Dracula,’ murdered 4 young girls in 1988, and preserved their body parts as trophies. As these acts are nothings short of horrifying it’s not the only things he did to the corpses of his victims. Tsutomu is seen as a monster for the vicious acts he committed years ago and the extent he took his killings. What made Tsutomu do these horrifying acts can be blamed on the fact that he says, â€Å"nobody would listen to me.† Tsutomu Miyazaki was born on August 21, 1962 and as premature baby which left him with a deformity of the hands. His hands were permanently contorted and fused to the wrists, which meant that he had to move his entire forearm in order to move his hand. Due to his deformity, Tsutomu remained mostly isolated from people for most of his life. He found comfort in his family for a while which made him move back into his parent’s house in the mid-1980s. He took refuge in his grandfather but in May of 1988, his grandfather passed away and Tsutomu took the death very hard, putting him in a severe depression. He was rejected by his two younger sisters and when his older sister caught him watching her in the shower, she told him to leave and he attacked her. When his mother found out about the incident, she told him to focus more on work and he attacked her also. Tsutomu’s parents only wanted him to work at their newspaper business but he wanted to become a teacher, this conflict made him feel like they would not listen to him and all he wanted was someone to hear his problems. â€Å"I felt alone†¦whenever I saw a little girl playing on her own, it was almost like seeing myself (Murderpedia).† Its almost as if Miyazaki murdered the girls not only to get back at the ones who rejected him, but to get back at himself for being so lonely. Miyazaki murdered four little girls in Tokyo, Japan, all under the age of seven and in gruesome ways. His primary method of slaying was strangulation but what he did with the bodies after was the most horrifying part. On August 22, 1988 Miyazaki took his first victim, Mari Konno who was four years old. He took her to a park, took pictures of her, strangled her and took her clothes leaving her naked body behind. He also photographed her clothing and sent the pictures to her family (Ramsland). Miyazaki got away with his first murder and then planned his next victim by October. Masami Yoshizawa was his second victim, a seven-year-old who was walking by herself. Miyazaki persuaded his victim into his car and took her to the spot where he murdered his first victim. He strangled Masami, sexually assaulted the corpse and took her clothes with him. On December 12, 1988, Miyazaki abducted another four-year-old girl named Erika Namba. who he persuaded into his car and took pictures of her like he did the other two victims. He took her clothes with him and was nearly caught. He kept a low profile for the following couple months before taking another victim. Ayako Nomoto was Miyazakis last victim, who he kidnapped on June 6, 1988. Ayako was five years old and was lured away from a park after Miyazaki had been photographing and watching her. Her body was taken back to his house where he would videotape, consume the hand of the corpse, and drink the blood of his victim. He dumped the remains in a cemetery that would later be recovered. In June of 1989, Miyazaki made a mistake that ultimately cost him the illusion of being unknown. He approached two sisters and persuaded one to come with him while the other ran home to get help. The girl’s father stopped Miyazaki in the middle of taking the young girls picture, who he hadn’t got the chance to murder yet. Miyazaki was caught by police while trying to flee to his car, only then did he confess to the murders of the four other girls. When arrested it was found that Miyazaki had 5763 videotapes, many tracing back to be movies he used as outlines for his killings. His collections included the â€Å"Guinea Pig Films† which are said to be his main focus for murder. Miyazaki’s deformity made him isolated, but the neglect from his family sent him into an even worse depression, and his grandfather’s passing only pushed him over the edge. After being arrested and before being put to trial, Miyazaki underwent a psychiatric evaluation. This showed that he suffered from extreme Schizophrenia and had multiple personality disorder. It was proven that he was aware of the severity of his crimes and ultimately was responsible for what he had committed. After Miyazaki was convicted for the murders of the four young girls, his father said in an interview that he regretted not paying more attention to the feelings of his son. After this Miyazaki wrote a furious letter to his father ultimately blaming him for everything. His father committed suicide after the letter and his son being put in jail. Miyazaki was a monster and was feared by many people for his horrific acts of murder, mutilation, vampirism, and preservation of body parts. As Cohen states in Thesis 4: The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference, â€Å"the monster is an incorporation of the Outside, the Beyond. What Miyazaki committed was something from the beyond, something that is so horrible, it crossed the line. Killing young girls what monstrous enough, but to drink the blood and eat the hand of his victim? And send the remains of the bodies and pictures to the families was just down right sadistic. Miyazaki was sentenced to death in 1997 and was executed by hanging on June 17, 2008(Wikipedia). Although Miyazaki got justice by being hung, the families of his victims will forever be haunted by what this monster did to their children. Sending remains and pictures of their dead daughters is something only a sick and twisted monster would do. Miyazaki crossed very many lines with the crimes he committed, and be cause he was rejected over and over again by the only people he had close to him, he went on a killing spree to get back at the ones who never gave him a chance. All he wanted was for someone to listen to his problems. As there are many monsters in our society real or fake, the Human Dracula is one no longer among us, the original anyway. We have seen copycat killers of many serial killers before, who’s to say someone wont copy Miyazaki in the future? It will never be clear as to why Miyazaki drank the blood of his victim, but it’s said that he ate one victims hand out of anger for his own. Unfortunately, serial killers and serial rapists will most likely never cease to exist, the ones to come can copy what Miyazaki has done, for the monster always escapes (Cohen). Annotated Bib Blanco, Juan Ignacio. â€Å"Tsutomu Miyazaki | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers.† Jeffrey Weise | Photos | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers, 2001, murderpedia.org/male.M/m/miyazaki-tsutomu.htm. This   article is an overview of Tsutomu as a person, and also overviews his victims and what crimes he committed. He ultimately strangled his victims, but drank the blood and ate the hand of two of his four victims. He was executed by hanging on June17, 2008. Cohen , Jeffrey. â€Å"Jeffrey Jerome Cohen.† Google Scholar Citations, Google, scholar.google.com/citations?user=nrn1HokAAAAJhl=en. The monster theses can help us understand monsters, and why they are what they are. This can be connected to Miyazaki because he is a monster and dwells at difference. The theses cover how a monster always escapes and we can see that in copycat killers. Mehrotra, Akarsh. â€Å"20 Of The Most Notorious Serial Killers The World Has Ever Seen.† ScoopWhoop, ScoopWhoop, 12 June 2015, www.scoopwhoop.com/world/most-evil-serial-killers/. This article covers the 20 most notorious serial killers the world has ever seen. Tsutomu Miyazaki is the third on this list and explains the crimes he committed and how he was named the human Dracula and the little girl murderer. Tsutomu also preserved the body parts of his victims as trophies. Reed, Naomi. â€Å"Tsutomu Miyazaki: The Human Dracula.† Enormous Crime, 21 June 2017, www.enormouscrime.com/tsutomu-miyazaki-human-dracula/. This article describes the life of Tsutomu Miyazaki’s life and the acts he committed. He killed four young girls and drank the blood of one victim and ate the hand of another. This was all going on in 1988 in Tokyo after the death of his grandfather in May of 1988. â€Å"Tsutomu Miyazaki.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsutomu_Miyazaki. This was just an overview of Miyazaki’s life and his killings. It covered how he drank the blood of his victims and ate their hands. He also preserved the body parts, and sent the remains of his victims to the families of the deceased.

Euthanasia Suicide and Patients Essay

Euthanasia Suicide and Patients Essay Euthanasia: Suicide and Patients Essay Human euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide is a controversial topic that has affected countries worldwide for an extended period of time. Assisted suicide is legal in four countries and the states of Washington and Oregon in the United States of America. Many people would argue that the decision to kill oneself is strictly a private choice that society should not have control over. That opinion assumes that suicide results when competent individuals make independent, reasonable decisions to die that society should not be interfering with. Experts whom have studied suicide found the basic assumption being made in regard to assisted suicide are incorrect. A British study involving the examination of medical records determined, â€Å"93% of the patients studied whom either committed suicide themselves or went through with a physician assisted suicide, were mentally ill at the time of their death.†1 This suggests that the majority of people who undergo this treatment are not in the proper state of mind to make a life altering decision. Assisted suicide goes against the beliefs held in several religions and those generally accepted in regard to human morality. Individuals that may be depressed or whom are suffering from mental disparity due to illness may wish to die at the moment, but may change their minds further down the road, an error the doctors cannot undo. With the advancements made in current medical technology and medicine, the road to recovery for a terminally ill patient is possible. By rendering assisted suicide illegal it may prevent many unnecessary or immoral deaths from taking place thereby opening the road to recovery for patients suffering with an issue that would lead them to seek death as the sole solution. Ending a person’s life by way of murder is a practice frowned upon across the world. Suspects who commit murder may face charges and possible jail sentences, thus why shouldn’t a physician who assisted in a suicide face the same potential punishment? People believe that it is morally wrong to commit suicide; therefore it is also morally wrong to aid someone in the act of taking their own life. The decision to take away someone’s life should be entered into with significant consideration and not completed utilizing a procedure in which the individual drinks pentobarbital, a drug, that when ingested or injected will end ones life. Assisted suicide goes against the beliefs held in many religions that suggest God created human life and therefore God is the only figure who should be permitted to end a human’s life. Most religions believe that those who become vulnerable through illness or disability, deserve special care and protection, and that the proper end of life should be in a comfortable, monitored environment rather than allowing the act of euthanasia to occur. Christianity beliefs are that, â€Å"Human life is a sacred thing, which should be protected and preserved no matte r what state of health that person is currently in since God has a plan for all living and interfering with the plan should not be tolerable†.2 Allowing physician assisted suicide to be legal goes against Christian beliefs and human morality and values as life is viewed as a privilege that should not be taken away so easily. Virtually all religions state that God forbids any form of death sentence or the assisted killing of an innocent person as that is unlawful. There is also the argument of an individual choosing death over life as not being in the proper state of mind. The majority of terminally ill patients whom have suffered for a long period of time may have an underlying mental illness. Some psychologists state, â€Å"An attempt at suicide is often a challenge to determine if anyone really cares for the involved person. Seeking physician assisted suicide, rather than just acting solely to kill oneself, may well be a subconscious manifestation of that precise issue.â € 3 By giving people the choice for a physician assisted suicide