What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify Essay

What are the pros and cons of applying sterotypes to identify potential criminals and do the costs outweigh the benefits, or vice versa - Essay Example Many theories have been put forward to explain the occurrence of criminal acts. Some of these theories include conflict theory, structural-functional theory, symbolic interactions and labeling theory.Criminal behavior is an act that violates the norms of a society according to Sociologists-Criminal act can also be an act that violates the laws of the land in a formal setting according to oxford dictionary of law. Criminology is a violation of socially constituted laws, norms or values. In this paper, I will analyze criminal behavior based on stereotypes as have been put forward by sociological theorists. I will discuss the pros and cons of applying stereotypes to identify the potential criminal. Lombroso had put forward a theory of crime and deviant. Lombroso suggested ways in which society can identify a criminal based on genetic, biological and psychological characteristics. Lombroso had suggested some genetically and biological characteristics which identify a criminal for example, a person with six fingers left-handed eyebrows that meet at the bottom, squinted eye to be criminals (Ashmore and Longo, 22;Hamilton,191) .Based on Lombroso theory it is possible for police or community to victimize individuals based on the characteristics given by Lombroso yet they are innocent. This has been so in the U.S where African Americans are often perceived as criminals as seen in the case that appeared in the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2002. In the court, the police argued that the man, black, must be the one who had sold cocaine to state's informant since he sounded black. The stereotype that it's African Americans who engage in crime has led to increase of crime causes. The young Af rican Americans argue that they are perceived as criminals even when they are innocent (Randall, 88; Irving 63). The occurrence has led to many young African Americans who are potential criminals to engage in crime (Schissel, 71; Thornberry, 14; Duffy and Scotts, 29). Empirical studies have been done by sociologists to verify the truth of the theory and it has been found that there are individuals who possess the given characteristics yet they are morally upright. Media has played a role in strengthening certain stereotypes by highlighting crimes committed by certain group of people and emphasize how police die in line of duty (Gray, Fishman and Gruyter, 21 ;Oliver, 88 ;Weitzer, 11). Lombroso theory of description of criminals formed the basis of development of labeling theory. The theory of labeling focuses on the linguistic tendency of individuals to act in accordance to how society has described them based on norms and stereotype. Howard Becker has put forward ways in which individuals adhere to the labeling and become delinquent or criminals. For example, when a teenage is told by everyone that he resemble a thug; the particular teenager can even begin by picking other people's items like books with the notion "after all everyone perceives me as a thief". Psychologically, the teenager is oriented to criminal behaviors due to labeling and this is an adverse effect on society. When a potential criminal is described or labeled a criminal according to Becker, it becomes very hard to reform the individual through imprisonment and rehabilitation facilities since the individual already perceives that the society already perceive him as criminal so whether he/she changes, whenever a criminal act occurs the society will suspect him first. An empirical study on criminal maniacs or prison maniacs has given data on the theory which verify the theory (Presdee, 44). However, there has been stereotype that women are harmless and this has led to increase in crime since crime happen unnoticed (Daly and Maher, 54)

San miguel background Essay Example for Free

San miguel background Essay INTRODUTION Eduardo Cojuanco, a CEO of San Miguel Corporation is having a hard time in making his decision about the risk he will take for his product know as the San Miguel Beer. He is currently re-assessing his marketing strategies to known if he can expand his plans and make it a success. His current flagship product is well known as the ‘San Miguel Beer’, is taking its slow growth rate because of its large market share. Because of this he then decided to engage in business not in line with his profession. These businesses are energy, mining and infrastructure. There’s more but these are what he chose to look real close. But we all known that San Miguel Beer is a long time-time product that was already familiar and be loved by the Filipinos. So, what would be the best decision for Mr. Conjuangco’s Company? History of the company La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel, the Philippines’ first brewery – establish in 1890 with 70 employees – produced and bottled what would eventually become the country’s best selling beer. Within a span of generation, San Miguel in its familiar amber Steinie bottle would become a Filipino icon and a quintessential part of Filipino life. By 1914 San Miguel Beer was being exported to shanghai, Hong Kong and Guam. Hong Kong would later become a site of san Miguel’s first offshore operation in 1948 While brewing beer is San Miguel’s heritage and the focus of much of its expertise, the company subsequently branched out into soft beverages, food and packaging. Diversification characterized the 1920’s, with the company expanding its product line to include soft drinks and ice cream. In 1938, San Miguel began producing its own bottles. By the 1950’s, the company expanded into poultry and livestock feeds processing. From the original Cerveza that first rolled of the bottling line, San Miguel Corporation has gone to produce a wide range of popular beverage, food and packaging products which have catered to generations of consumers’ diverse and changing tastes. San Miguel Beer, the company’s flagship product is one of the world’s largest selling beers. San Miguel is the Philippine largest food, beverage and packaging company and packaging company and the one of the country’s biggest private employers. The company’s manufacturing operations extends to Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia and its products are exported to over 40 countries around the world. San Miguel partnerships with major international companies have given the company access to the latest technologies and expertise. Partners include the Coca-Cola Company, Hormal Foods Corporation, Hormel Foods Corporation, Kirin Brewery, Yamamura Glass and Fuso Machine and Mold Manufacturing of Japan. Industry Definition COMPANY PROFILE San Miguel Corporation is the largest food, beverage and packaging company in the Philippines, employing more than 26,000 employees in over 100 facilities in the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Australia. Our enduring brand, quality products, unparalleled distribution, responsiveness and innovation have enables us to become among the best company in Asia. Our company has been in the business of building brands for years. Our name is among the most recognized and trusted in the Philippines, appearing on more than 300 products. MISSION San Miguel Foundation, Inc. is committed to the empowerment of San Miguel host communities and various take holders by harnessing corporate social responsibility among the various San Miguel business in pursuing mutually beneficial programs that lead to self-reliance and sustainability. VISSION Vision SMC’s fundamental and historical philosophy — Profit with Honor. The following are SMC’s objectives: To provide an environment which is conducive to the development of the individual and which encourages employees to realize their full capabilities. To generate a return on funds employed sufficient to ensure an adequate rate of growth for the Corporation, and to provide satisfactory returns to stockholders. To seek and develop export markets for new products as well as for those already being produced by the Corporation. To diversify into fields which will ensure optimum utilization of management resources and a substantial contribution to corporate profits? To manufacture, distribute and sell throughout the Philippines food products, beverages, packaging products and animal feeds, being ready at all times to add, modify or discontinue products in accordance with changes in the market. To be constantly aware of the aspirations of the people and of the nation, and to ensure that San Miguel continues to make a major contribution towards the achievement of these aspirations. VALUES San Miguel is Strongly oriented towards achieving results but firmly believes that these results be achieved in a manner that uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical practice. These are exemplified in our core value, which each and every San Miguel employee should strive to uphold: Passion for Success We will constantly strive for excellence. We will be the best we can be and create value in everything we do. We will be proactive and entrepreneurial, propelled by a sense of urgency, competitiveness and total dedication to results. Teamwork With trust and respect for each other and with unity in purpose, we will work toward our shared aspirations, transcending boundaries along functional and organizational lines. Respect for Our People   We recognize our employees as individuals and are committed to nurturing their individual capabilities. We will uplift the dignity of labor by encouraging our people to be the best in their fields. We believe their growth and the growth of the organization go hand in hand. We are committed to creating a work environment that encourages open communication, camaraderie and professional growth. Customer Focus We will be our customers’ preferred choice. They will choose our products and services above others because we provide them with products and services that exceed their expectations. Innovativeness We will encourage creativity and ingenuity in our processes and systems, products and services. We will be forever looking for ways to outdo ourselves, always striving to be the first to anticipate consumer needs and deliver something better. Integrity In the conduct of our business, we will be guided by what is ethical, fair and right. We believe in profit with honor and are committed to good governance and the highest moral standards. Social Responsibility We believe social responsibility and corporate citizenship are integral parts of our business. We are committed to improving lives of people in the communities in which we live and work. AWARDS 2012 San Miguel Community Clinics Anvil Award of Merit, 47th Anvil Awards SMPF Handog Lusog Para sa Nutrisyon ng Nasyon Finalist, IABC Philippine Quill Awards 2012 San Miguel Community Clinics Award of Excellence, IABC Philippine Quill Awards 2011 Anvil Award of Merit, 46th Anvil Awards Tulong-tulong para sa Tullahan Project II Anvil Award of Merit, 46th Anvil Awards Tulong-tulong sa Tullahan 2002 Anvil Award of Excellence (Public Relations Society of the Philippines) Coca-Cola’s Mission P.E.T. 2002 Anvil Award of Excellence (Public Relations Society of the Philippines) Coca-Cola’s Mission P.E.T. 2002 Gold Quill Award (International Assn. of Business Communicators) Distileria Bago, Inc. 2002 Anvil Award of Merit (Public Relations Society of the Philippines) Distileria Bago, Inc. 2002-2003 Certifi cate of Recognition as Healthy Workplace Regional Winner (Provincial Category) San Fernando Brewery 2001 Healthy Workplace (Department of Health-National and Regional Level) Davao Brewery’s EMS and Adopt-a-River Project 2000 Mother Nature Award (Pollution Control Assn. of the Philippines, Inc.) San Fernando Brewery 1999 Employer of the Year Award (Social Security System) Polo Brewery/Bacolod Brewery/Davao Brewery/CTS-EMG 1997-2000 Ten Outstanding Pollution Control Officers (Pollution Control Assn. of the Philippines, Inc.) WARRANTY OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Established in 1890 as a single-product brewery, San Miguel Corporation (San Miguel) is the Philippines’ largest beverage, food and packaging company. Today, the company has over 100 facilities in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and China. One of the country’s premier business conglomerates, San Miguel’s extensive product portfolio includes over 400 products ranging from beer, hard liquor, juices, basic and processed meats, poultry, dairy products, condiments, coffee, flour, animal feeds and various packaging products. For generations, the Company has generated strong consumer loyalty through brands that are among the most formidable in the Philippine food and beverage industry – San Miguel Pale Pilsen, Ginebra, Monterey, Magnolia, and Purefoods. Flagship product, San Miguel Beer, holds an over 95% share of the Philippine beer market. In addition to its leadership in the Philippine food and beverage industry, San Miguel has established a significant presence overseas. The Company’s operations extend beyond its home base of the Philippines to China (including Hong Kong), Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Through strategic partnerships it has forged with major international companies, San Miguel has gained access to managerial expertise, international practices and advanced technology, thereby enhancing its performance and establishing itself as a world-class company.

Economics of the Automobile Industry Essay -- Vehicle Car Economy

A vehicle is one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make. Over the years, the prices of an automobile have increased due to the rise of inflation. Due to a price index, the price of an automobile changes over a certain period of time. Economists compare averages of automobiles to calculate the cost of each vehicle that presents itself on a car lot. When all of the above is calculated within the purchase of an automobile, it affects every area of making the automobile to selling the automobile. All of these factors are impacted together for the automobile industry as a whole. In the automobile industry, there are factors that cause a shift in the supply and price elasticity of the supply and demand. These factors can cause the supply demand to reduce or raise the demand for the automobiles. One factor to consider is if the price of steel rises. Automobile manufacturers will then produce fewer automobiles at all different price levels and the supply curve will then shift. Another factor to consider is if automobile workers decide to go on strike for higher wages. The company will be forced to pay more for labor to build the same number of automobiles. The supply of these automobiles will decrease. Lastly, another factor that can curve a shift in the supply curve could be if the government imposes a new tax on car manufacturers. In all of those cases, the supply curve will move because the quantity supplied is lower at all price levels. As the supply curve moves in the automobile industry, the equilibrium price and quantity sold will change with this shift. When the automobile manufacturers see this shift in supply, they will then raise their prices and the quantity sold will fall. Car manufacturers will also develop... ...asticity of Demand. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=1247 Mason, P. (1998, June). Race, cognitive ability, and wage. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1093/is_n3_v41/ai_20809842 O'Sullivan, A., & Sheffrin, S. (2005). Economics. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Spatz, J., & Nennenkamp, P. (2002, January). Globalization of the automotive industry-traditional locations under pressure. Retrieved January 14, 2012, from http://www.uni-kiel.de/ifw/pub/kap/2002/kap1093.pdf The Social Studies Help Center (n.d.). Monetary and Fiscal Policy. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/eco_mon_and_fiscal.htm Whitehead, J. (2006, May 8). Price elasticity of demand. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from http://www.env-econ.net/2006/inelastic_short.html

College Entrepreneurs Do Good and Make Money

â€Å"College Entrepreneurs Do Good and Make Money,† (Nickels, McHugh, & McHugh, 2010, p. 26). They are really business and success story. True college entrepreneurs will do anything possible to reach their goals by being original and innovative. They pick an idea based on the customer needs and use it to develop the plan. We have heard about several young millionaires entrepreneurs that started their business while they were still attending college, such as Mark Zuckerberg who launched Facebook while still attending Harvard. Now he is one of the youngest billionaires in the world. Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton were also college students with the determination of success, and they have taken their dreams into a blossoming entrepreneur. We find their case as a really good lesson to learn about being a successful entrepreneur, these two young college students were able to take risk and find a need to fill in the community. Another thing that was imperative for their success was the preparation of their idea about the role of each other into the business. They were able to take something they both enjoyed; computers, and create a business using their mutual talents. Aaron had strong product development skills, and Ryan was bright in marketing skills; they complemented each other very well, this helped with the growing of the corporation. Once you have your business scheme you must make certain that you have a well-defined plan. It must offer a clear direction for the enterprise and describe the market you wish to target, also the potential risks and rewards, the people that will help you get there, and how you are going to get there. We think that having a dream is great but it will not move you to start anything; you need to have willpower to be able to execute the first step. Aaron and Ryan only had a couple of hundred dollars to start their business, but they were able to run their business and start with a small amount of capital. They basically started with the little resources they already had; the internet, technology, and a love to access to computers. We do not need to start gigantic to create a successful business. We also think that the fact that Ryan and Aaron were young and seem that they did not have a family to support, pay mortgages or children to rise. They were not depending on a profit from their initial investment, in contrast, with a person with a family and responsibilities to face. Determining the accurate level of planning to do can be not easy. But we agree, that waiting too long will not get you going, it is important to start and you will find new resources, meet new people, and get new opportunities to make your dream come true.

How does administrative law change bureaucratic behaviour

The Committee presented a plan for an entirely new system of administrative law that rested upon a fresh vision of the role that external review agencies should play in safeguarding the rights of the public regarding executive decision-making. Three Acts were implemented by the Parliament. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (Cth) (AAT Act) established two bodies – an Administrative Appeals Tribunal to undertake merit review of a general range ofCommonwealth decisions, and an Administrative Review Council to perform a research, advisory and coordination function. The Ombudsman Act 1976 (Cth) established an Ombudsman to investigate complaints of maladministration by Commonwealth government agencies. The Administrative Decisions Oudicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) conferred upon the newly-created Federal Court a reformed Jurisdiction to undertake Judicial review of Commonwealth decision-making. Purpose of Administrative Law Administrative Law concerns the relationship betwe en the government and the public.It refers to a wide range of controls exercisable by the law over the powers nd procedures of government decision-makers and administrators. It constitutes a means of protecting the rights of the public by making the government decision- makers accountable. With the growth of technology, financial institutions and globalization, society is becoming more complex, the role of government has expanded in terms of regulation and intervention. This has led to a growth in the number of bureaucratic decision makers which in turn led to an expansion in controls over administrative actions to counter balance the power of the decision makers.The Kerr and Bland Committees saw that the purpose of Administrative Law was to rotect citizens against government, when government was growing in size and exercising more administrative authority and discretionary power. It pointed to a posed threats to the rights and liberties of citizens . The view from the Kerr and Blan d Committees is compatible with that of Professor Cane that the Administrative Law can be used to regulate the way the administrators make decisions so that the power will not be misused. How to measure success of the Administrative Law?There are two views about the measurement of success of Administrative Law: (i) The instrumentalist believes the success lies in its impact on behaviour and outcomes, ence the law should bring behaviour and outcomes into conformity with specified value. (it) The non-instrumentalist believes its success lies in its rules and practices. The law could be counted as a success if it clearly, consistently and coherently expressed specified values. The supporters of regulatory approach to Administrative Law are instrumentalists whereas the supporters of legal approach are non-instrumentalists.What are the regulatory and legal approaches to Administrative Law? A regulatory system has three components (i) a set of standards that announce how eople ought to be have; (it) a mechanism for monitoring compliance with those standards; (iii) a mechanism for promoting future compliance. Administrative Law consists of a set of rules and principles about how decisions ought to be made. Individuals affected by the administrative decisions can utilize various tribunals and ombudsmen to review decisions and in turn provide incentive for the decision makers to comply with Administrative Law in future.The regulatory approach focuses on the future rather than the way decision makers behaved in the past. It aims to prevent potential issues by making the decision akers responsible for it. On the contrary, the legal approach presents administrative law to be used by complainants a means to redress past breaches so that decision makers can be held accountable for such breaches. It looks at the success of administrative law on its ability to provide redress to those adversely affected by unlawful decisions.The regulatory approach focuses accountability based on the institutional design and interaction between different organs of the system such as ombudsmen, parliamentary committee and internal review. The legal approach focuses more on the accountability of the government to the public. In constitutional terms, the regulatory approach addresses it with separation of power whereas the legal approach focuses on the concept of rule of law. Administrative law focuses on the accountability of government.By demanding compliance with administrative law principles, and by valuing review mechanisms for rectifying human error, it impacts upon the decision-making processes in order to ensure that the wrongful exercise of administrative power is curbed. The Australian tax system is an example of how administrative law impacts on bureaucratic behaviour. The tax system, being a self assessment system, encourages ne to voluntarily comply with the tax legislation. Tax compliance officers review the tax returns to identity potential risk to revenue.Wh ere the risks being identified in a review are significant, the tax office will escalate the case to an audit. During an audit, there will be an information request followed by the issuance of a position paper. If the taxpayers realize any errors in their tax returns, they can make voluntary disclosure in order to reduce any shortfall liability and penalty interests. Alternatively they can express their views if there is any contentious issue about the application of law. The taxpayers will be given an opportunity to comment on the position paper before an amended assessment is issued.The taxpayers can object to the amended assessment which is normally handled by the objection team that is independent from the compliance team. If the decision stays, an application can be lodged to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to review the decision. The tax office has internal guidelines such as Practice Statement Law Administration for the staff to follow before any administrative decision i s made. This ensures the taxpayers would be fairly treated. Before a decision is reached, taxpayers will be iven opportunities to be heard and supply information to support their claim.The process demonstrates how the Administrative Law influences the bureaucratic behaviour. The decision-makers need to supply proper reasoning before issuing an amended assessment. What are the positive and negative changes on bureaucratic behaviour? On the positive side, more senior public servants are required to be legally trained as they are expected to make decisions based on strong legal grounds so that their decisions will be less likely to be challenged in future. The decisions being made would also be based on fairness with properly established facts.However, onerous review systems may cause potentially adverse bureaucratic behaviour. The onerous review system may sometimes lead to ‘No further action' on many potential tax evasion cases. The following explains the negative bureaucratic behaviour that is undesirable to the society goal. review the taxpayers' tax return and amend the assessments. The review period could be two or four years depending on the size of the business and the nature of entity. Once the ‘period of review expires, the tax office cannot amend the assessment unless there is fraud or evasion for which intention needs to be established.Knowing this system, some taxpayers may simply delay in supplying information or supplying irrelevant information to make the cases difficult to pursue. By contrast with the private sector for which financial target is the prime objective, the public bureaucrats may not have such incentive to pursue difficult cases that may eventually lead to tribunal review. Further to that, the tax officers need to follow strict guideline when dealing with fraud cases where intention needs to be established. As all elements need to be established before a case can be referred to prosecution, some fraud cases end up being à ¢â‚¬ËœNo further action'.This is undesirable to the societal goal as it means people who dodge the system may not be penalized. Can we Judge the success of Administrative Law as a regulatory tool primarily by its effect on bureaucratic behaviour? As mentioned above, the purpose of the Administrative Law is to make government decision-makers accountable. It promotes the fair procedures and compliance by decisions-makers with legal limitations on their powers. The public can use the merit review system to review the administrative decision of the government. The merit review allows the facts and legal aspects of the decision to be considered afresh.Based on the merits, the tribunal can affirm, vary or set aside the original decision. From a regulatory point of view, an independent body has stepped in to review the government decisions and therefore it limits the power of the bureaucrats. Therefore, the bureaucrats must obtain sufficient evidence and provide sound reasons to support th eir decisions. Furthermore, it encourages government bureaucrats to ensure they act consistently with relevant legal requirements. Based on the above, it appears that one can assert that Administrative Law has achieved its purpose as a regulatory tool that impacts on bureaucratic behaviour.

Black Panther Party Research essays

Black Panther Party Research essays Guns, Social Welfare, and Revolution: The Black Panther Party In late September of 1966, at a small poverty center in North Oakland, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale began to draft the Ten-Point Platform and Program, thus creating the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. From this creation rose a complex nationalist organization with chapters throughout the United States that sought to educate the people politically, and from that education give the people the desire to rage a revolution in order to have their needs and political agenda fulfilled. The Black Panther Party was the epitome of the nationalist option throughout the late 60s and 70s, and they had the need to create change within what they believed to be the racist power structure of the United States. The Black Panther Party was able to organize the people, and take part in actions that would help to implement social change. The Panthers created opportunistic programs for the Black youth in order to help build up the community. In addition, the Panthers also staged many demonstratio ns and protests that not only brought together the Black community, but also benefited the cause of equal rights. Despite all of the beneficial aspects that the Black Panther Party brought to the Black community and civil rights movement (or maybe because of these aspects), the F.B.I. and United States government believed the Panthers to be one of the United States greatest internal problems. In hindsight, it becomes obvious that the US power structure was flawed in their understanding of the Black Panther Party and their goals. Yet, in spite of this misunderstanding, the Black Panther Party was able to somewhat prevent the governments flawed way of examining political groups to prevail into the future by means of the Panthers legacy. The Black Panther Party was created on the belief that the United States was structurally racist, and that this racism was attempting to genocide the B...

Evolution Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Biological Evolution

Evolution Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Biological Evolution Evolution The origins of mankind is an extremely controversial issue within todays society. Scientists have a host of different theories pertaining to mans inhabitance of earth. Many disagreements arise between scientists who have different beliefs pertaining to where and how mankind arose. One such argument is the conflict involving the theory of evolution versus the theory of creation. After extensive scientific research, it is apparent that the theory of evolution is correct. Evolution is the theory that life arose by natural processes at an early stage of the earths history and that complex organisms developed from simpler organisms by a process of slow change (Coren 209). Its the idea that new species arise from older species after thousands of years of gradual chemical, environmental, and genetic change (Coren 142). Evolution can also be described as the complex processes by which living organisms originated on earth and have been diversified and modified through sustained changes in form and function (Evolution). Scientists, looking for an explanation to the origin of man and other organisms created this evolutionism theory, which also presented answers to the many asked questions dealing with similarities between species. Unlike the theory of creation, which states that the complexity of life and different species can only be explained in terms of a supernatural creator or god who placed life on earth, the theory of evolution has a plethora of evidence proving it to be true (Creation). There are several different types of observations that support the theory of organic evolution as an explanation for the similarities and the differences among species. One such observation is in the geologic record. The geologic record is the rock scheme found within the earths outer crust. By means of radioactive dating, the ages of rocks in many places on earth have been determined. Its a timetable of the earths geologic history. This combined with the fossil record, another observation supporting the evolutionary hypothesis, has produced an apparent sequence of life forms from most simple to most complex during the history of the planet. Fossils are any remains or traces of a once-living organism, which are formed by preservation, petrifaction, or sedimentation. Organisms can be preserved and protected against decay by being trapped in amber, tar, or frozen in ice. The hard parts of an organism, such as shells or bones, can be preserved when the flesh of an organism has decayed a way. In other cases, materials of a dead organism may be gradually washed away and replaced by minerals from the water causing the organism to petrify, or harden. Imprints, molds, or casts left by an organism after it is enclosed in sedimentary rock and decomposed are also fossils, as well as footprints and tracks. The fossil record is the timetable of fossils found in within the earths geologic record. Since the upper layers of sedimentary rocks are assumed to have been laid down over lower layers, the upper layers are younger than those deeper into the earth. Therefore, fossils found within the upper layers are also younger than those found within the lower layers. This combination of geologic and fossil records shows the progression of species as time also progressed (Coren 142). In reiterating the definition of evolution, we are reminded that gradual changes in one life forms anatomy, cytology, embryology, or biochemistry could cause for a new species to originate. Similarities in these categories link species together and are therefore studied to support evolutionism. In comparing anatomy, the structures of different organisms often show unexpected similarities. Cell organelles, such as cell membranes, ribosomes, and other structures found within cells, are also similar in organisms of all kinds, showing that comparative cytology can also shows signs of evolution. When comparing the embryos of different organisms, comparative embryology, similarities can be seen in early stages of embryos that are completely different at maturity. Finally, comparative biochemistry, which is the comparing of biochemical compounds, such as amino acids, can also show similarities in species, reinforcing the idea of evolution (Coren 143). As curiosity rose throughout much of the world, scientists began to question the existence of organisms and why some are so alike in so many ways and so diverse as well. Several theories have been proposed in

Impersonal Statements in Spanish Subjunctive Mood

Impersonal Statements in Spanish Subjunctive Mood Impersonal expressions of the type es adjective que are almost always followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood. This is because such expressions usually indicate either a value judgment or a desire. Some Examples Es importante que estemos en la misma pgina. It is important that we be on the same page.Es sorprendente que nadie haya ido a la crcel. Its surprising no one has gone to jail.No es bueno que el hombre està © sà ³lo. It is not good for the man to be alone.Es posible que algunos sitios web no se muestren o funcionen correctamente en ese navegador. Its possible that some websites dont display or function properly in that browser.Es necesario que cierren las escuelas. Its necessary for them to close the schools.Es prohibido que la familia anfitriona aloje otros estudiantes. The host family is prohibited from lodging other students.Es interesante que el equipo gane. Its interesting that the team is winning.Es natural que yo està © enamorado de ti. Its natural that Im in love with you. As you might expect, the same holds true in other tenses: Era urgente que llegara a la ciudad. It was urgent for him to arrive at the city.Ser preciso que vayas a Buenos Aires. It will be necessary for you to go to Buenos Aires. Impersonal verbs with similar meanings and followed by que also are followed by a verb in the subjunctive: No me interesa que el equipo gane. It doesnt interest me that the team is winning.Importa que la familia reciba el dinero. It is important that the family receives the money. The main exception to using the subjunctive after expressions of the type es adjective que occurs when the impersonal expression explicitly states that what follows is factual: Es obvio que estoy preocupado. Its obvious Im worried.Es cierto que la familia est en crisis. It is certain that the family is in crisis.

Psoriasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Psoriasis - Research Paper Example Thus, acceptance of the situation is an indispensable ingredient to maximize the clients’ adherence to any therapy. In this paper, the efficacy of the available treatment options for psoriasis will be comprehensively examined including the social issues affixed and outlook of the situation. In doing this, an overview of the disorder comprising the causes, risks, and pathophysiology will be briefly discussed. The cure for psoriasis has been a lifetime dream for dermatologists and affected clients. The quality of life of clients afflicted with psoriasis suffers greatly within 5 to 10 years after onset. Although it is not transmissible to other people, the appearance of the lesions affects the clients' social functioning (Winterfield et al, 2005). Traditional therapeutic regimens are continuously challenged by more recent discoveries in biochemistry and immunologic medicine. Some forms of treatment, like phototherapy and topical therapy, are used as a combination therapy rather t han used alone. In any case, minor and major adverse effects manifest themselves that limit the clients’ adherence to the prescribed therapy. Presently, medical practitioners continue to discover potential treatment options that would precipitate fewer side- effects. As the genetic correlation and immunologic alteration of the disorder are being studied, the use of biologic agents and gene therapy may become one of the treatment options in the future. Several scientists are becoming more and more aggressive in the treatment by using monoclonal antibodies purposely altered to suppress cell division of target cells (Winterfield et al, 2005). Pathophysiology The exact triggering mechanism involved in psoriasis consists of the dynamic interplay of individual factors and environment (Kumar et al, 2010). Although genetic predisposition to the condition has been recognized in some cases, the incidence of psoriasis remains relatively similar even in clients without a traceable family history. Moreover, the role of the environment as a risk factor can be seen in some clients when psoriatic lesions occur at areas with a history of skin injury, sunburn, and excoriation. Warm climates also appear to improve the condition (Ignatavicius and Workman, 2010). In addition, the immunologic causation of the condition can be observed in some clients who also developed debilitating arthritis. Because of this, psoriasis can be viewed as a systemic connective tissue disorder rather than a simple skin condition (McPhee et al, 2006). While it has been generally established that the onset of the condition occurs by 20 years of age, the condition may also manifest in older people at 57 to 60 years of age. Psoriasis is very common and affects nearly 1% to 2% of the population (Huether and McCance, 2006). The pathophysiologic basis of psoriasis highlights the involvement of an abnormality in the immune reaction in the skin which results from the overstimulation of the immune system (Kumar et al, 2010). Langerhans cells in the skin react with an unknown antigen, leading to T- lymphocyte activation which then attacks the keratinocytes. The resulting dermal inflammation causes scaling (McPhee et al, 2006). Normally, the cells in the basement membrane of the epidermis reach the outermost layer for about 27 days, while it only takes 4 to 5 days in the case of psoriasis. Cell maturation and keratinization are bypassed, thus the epidermis thickens and plaques form. Loosely cohesive keratin

A paper which explores one particular issues or dimension of legal Essay

A paper which explores one particular issues or dimension of legal environment which directly impacts business - Essay Example The tax systems determine the competitiveness of any given business with similar businesses all over the world. There are numerous taxes that impact the business either directly or indirectly. These include income taxes, employment taxes (National insurance), corporation tax, capital gains tax, value added tax (VAT) (sales tax), excise duty, import duties, specialist taxes, and property taxes as well as business rates (Simister). The politicians all over the world have colluded to tinker the tax policies. This implies that as globalization is taking place and businesses expanding, the tax policies get complicated and there are more loopholes that impacts businesses both directly and indirectly. This paper discusses the taxes and the impacts they have accustomed on businesses either at local or global levels. The first impact of tax is on the profits of the business. At the federal level gains and profits are taxed. This affects the business’ overall profit since part of the profits is submitted to the government in the form of taxes. The businesses cannot expand because the businesses cannot expand or employ more people so as to improve on their outputs. For example, if a company makes a profit of one hundred thousand dollars and the tax rate is thirty percent then it means that three thousand dollars will go to the government as tax (Djankov, Ganser, McLiesh, Ramalho, and Shleifer 246). This cost, therefore, will be transferred to the product and services prices for the company to meet its objectives; as a result the business might fail to perform well due to reduced consumers demand. If tax rates are unfavorable in a given area or country, most businesses may fail to invest in the location thus reducing their abilities to expand (Yoshov and Brumbaugh 40) Secondly, tax rates affect the structure of a given business. A

Patient Safety and Medical Errors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Patient Safety and Medical Errors - Essay Example Failure by this group to follow due process or any negligent behavior increases the risks of the patients and compromises their safety. Patient safety is considered as a wide area that has grown out of the current use of technology and the development of different medical approaches in healthcare. According to the global nursing association, patient safety has no financial needs as it involves the commitment of the healthcare professionals and the provision of quality services to the patients (Stern, 2008). Medical errors do occur in a hospital setting as a result of professional negligence or omission which could have been avoided thus affecting the healing process of the patient. In medical history, the medical errors and their impacts on patients recovery has been documented beginning from the time of Socrates. However, most professional healthcare workers lack information on the impacts of the errors they commit and these results into misreporting or lack of reporting altogether, an event that has led to the death and chronic injury of patients (Leape and Berwick, 2005). A number of studies have indicated the prevalence of medical errors in the health system across the globe, affecting developed and developing countries alike. In Australia, the medical errors documented in one year caused more than 18,000 deaths that could have been avoided and prevented. In the United States, the number was high, standing at over 44,000 in one particular year. The number of injuries remains high though their accuracy is doubtable due to lack of documented information on the same at any particular time (Nieva and Sorra, 2003). The cost of medical errors on patients can be categorized into human and economic costs and this provides a description of human life lost or the number of adverse effects caused on the health of the patient.  

Painter Francisco de Goya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Painter Francisco de Goya - Essay Example Francisco de Goya then moved to paint cartoon design for the royal tapestry factory in Madrid from 1775 to 1792, which was considered as the most important phase in de Goya’s artistic development. This exposure as a tapestry designer provided the experience for de Goya to paint genre paintings or paintings derived from everyday life. It made him a keen observer of everyday behaviour of people which served as the technical foundation for him to paint his later renowned works such as First of May which was a social commentary about peasant’s uprising against French occupation in Spain (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). He was also an avid follower of the works of Velazquez that influenced his looser and more spontaneous painting technique. Later, Francisco de Goya explored his method by learning neoclassicism which was gaining popularity over the rococo style during his time. He then became a established portrait painter to the Spanish monarchy where he was elected to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780, named as painter of the king 1786 and a court painter in 1789 (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). As a court painter, Goya was fashionable painter and high society portraitist. During the height of his success, De Goya was not only a fashionable court painter but also an advocate of justice and a staunch supporter for ending the war. He is considered as a social recorder of his countrymen’s struggle and travails whose style was associated with â€Å"anciens regimes† or the â€Å"first of the moderns† (Web Gallery of Art, nd). Francisco de Goya’s The Third of May 1808 is his most known artwork. It featured a peasant being shot by a soldier in the middle of a night. It was intentionally painted with the face of the executioner kept to be anonymous to highlight the drama of innocent civilian that was about to be executed. In this particular work, the artistry was

Judging Women Case Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Judging Women Case Points - Essay Example The case is about Elena Kagan who was sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. There is also a comparison done by Lisa Belkin to show how appointment of women in such positions has changed over time. This is shown by the first two women who were appointed in the Supreme Court O’Connor and Ginsburg who were both married and had children by the time they were appointed in comparison to Kagan and Sotomayor who are single and childless. This shows that time variation played a huge role in their appointment. Despite the fact that there are four women in the Supreme Court it is evident that there are numerous challenges facing women in the workforce. This is discussed in the themes discussed hereunder.Imperative themes were depicted in the case in regard to women in the workforce. Some of the issues discussed are discussed herein.Despite the fact that women have been appointed as Supreme Court justice, there are numerous factors limiting their potential. It is extremel y hard for women to reach such a position without sacrificing a lot in their lives especially their family lives. This is depicted in the number of Supreme Court justice members in that out of nine members; only four of them are women. This simply shows that such positions are left foe men discrediting the fact that even women have the same chances regardless of their qualification and experience. Women in such positions show how the world has improved, but cases of glass ceiling are still prevalent. This is attributable by the fact that for a woman to attain such positions, they must do away with their family lives and focus on delivering. This is a huge challenge because it seems if a woman is well qualified to take up such a position and has a family, then she cannot be considered as a legible candidate because they will not have full concentration towards their work. This is an acute case of glass ceiling which many people fail to notice because there is no direct discriminatory aspect depicted (Brantner n.pg). The glass ceiling theme is imperative in the present labor force, since it will be able to show many people that despite the increase number of women in the workforce, it is hard for them to be considered in the top management positions. Stereotyping and Discrimination Stereotyping and Discrimination forms one of the main issues being faced by women in the workforce. Attitudes and perceptions formed by people in workplace about women are a major contribution

Painter Francisco de Goya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Painter Francisco de Goya - Essay Example Francisco de Goya then moved to paint cartoon design for the royal tapestry factory in Madrid from 1775 to 1792, which was considered as the most important phase in de Goya’s artistic development. This exposure as a tapestry designer provided the experience for de Goya to paint genre paintings or paintings derived from everyday life. It made him a keen observer of everyday behaviour of people which served as the technical foundation for him to paint his later renowned works such as First of May which was a social commentary about peasant’s uprising against French occupation in Spain (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). He was also an avid follower of the works of Velazquez that influenced his looser and more spontaneous painting technique. Later, Francisco de Goya explored his method by learning neoclassicism which was gaining popularity over the rococo style during his time. He then became a established portrait painter to the Spanish monarchy where he was elected to the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1780, named as painter of the king 1786 and a court painter in 1789 (www.franciscodegoya.net, 2014). As a court painter, Goya was fashionable painter and high society portraitist. During the height of his success, De Goya was not only a fashionable court painter but also an advocate of justice and a staunch supporter for ending the war. He is considered as a social recorder of his countrymen’s struggle and travails whose style was associated with â€Å"anciens regimes† or the â€Å"first of the moderns† (Web Gallery of Art, nd). Francisco de Goya’s The Third of May 1808 is his most known artwork. It featured a peasant being shot by a soldier in the middle of a night. It was intentionally painted with the face of the executioner kept to be anonymous to highlight the drama of innocent civilian that was about to be executed. In this particular work, the artistry was

Document Analysis of Julius Caesar's The Gallic War Essay

Document Analysis of Julius Caesar's The Gallic War - Essay Example The Invasion of Britain The year 55 BC was Caesar's first attempt at invading Britain. It cannot be considered a complete success in the sense that after the excursion, the army went back to Gaul and Britain was not occupied. But from the Roman position, most assuredly from Caesar’s point of view, the invasion was a resounding especially when he already received the homage of British tribal chiefs and kings. This, undoubtedly, was the needed evidence to show how the territory has already been conquered as far as the campaign is concerned. This first foray, however, has provided Caesar a fleeting glimpse of the Britain and its societies. When they arrived, they found societies made up of large tribes and clans. Leaders of these groups were not averse to calling themselves kings even when all their constituents were an amalgamation of families and clans. In Caesar’s eyes we are provided some details about how the early Britons conducted their affairs. For instance, he fou nd this out for himself when he noted that the Cantii (people of Kent) have several kings from various kingdoms found in the region. Military Strategy The first campaign involved several skirmishes with the Britons. The Romans had achieved a certain degree of success. And there were several accounts that provided a clear idea about the Roman military strategy in Gaul. The Britons like their distant Gaul cousins are also tribal in the way they wage their war. They adopted the guerilla tactic, which, of course, proved ineffective in the long run. Caesar's legions were equipped and experienced in fighting in this condition. The soldiers had the benefit of Roman training, which produced the world’s first truly professional soldiers, those that considered their work as duty and responsibility, obeying the chain of command and are immune to external influence. Additionally, Caesar’s soldiers were already used to fighting similar strategies in their war with Gallic tribes. Th e long campaign in Gaul has equipped them with better understanding in regard to the most effective approach in dealing with their British opponents. Essentially, the strategy adopted in Britain was composed of two major components: the scorch earth strategy and the show of force. The former was adopted in response to the large British force. In addition, based from Caesar’s commentaries, the Britons also proved adept in stealth and treachery. So the strategy entailed the burning and destruction of fields and property and the plunder of supplies in order to deprive the opposition the resources to sustain their operations and weaken them in an effort to resolve conflict the soonest possible time. After a year passed, Caesar decided to lead another invasion and the campaign this time became a bigger conflict. The Romans and the Britons faced off in several bloody battles. The latter, of course, sustained the most damage since the training and discipline of the Roman force were unmatched. The poorly equipped British – though far superior in number – were still technically savages, too untrained, wielding rudimentary tools. The show of force was crucial in this campaign as demonstrated in the sheer number of Roman soldiers mobilized and the use of war machines and implements such as war elephants, which, of course, deterred much of the local populace. It is important to note

Assessment for Learning †the Case for Formative Assessment Essay Example for Free

Assessment for Learning – the Case for Formative Assessment Essay This paper provides findings on assessment for learning, It begins with analysis of the formative approach in exemplary practice carried out in secondary schools in eight education systems. The second half of the paper comprises key analyses on formative assessment in adult language, literacy, and numeracy provision, and a framework for strengthening policy and practice across the sector as well as for building the evidence base. Assessment is vital to the education process. In schools, the most visible assessments are summative. Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learnt at the end of a unit, to promote students, to ensure they have met required standards on the way to earning certification for school completion or to enter certain occupations, or as a method for selecting students for entry into further education. Ministries or departments of education may use summative assessments and evaluations as a way to hold publicly funded schools accountable for providing quality education. Increasingly, international summative assessments – such as OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – have been important for comparing national education systems to developments in other countries. But assessment may also serve a formative function. In classrooms, formative assessment refers to frequent, interactive assessments of student progress and understanding to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately. Teachers using formative assessment approaches and techniques are better prepared to meet diverse students’ needs – through differentiation and adaptation of teaching to raise levels of student achievement and to achieve a greater equity of student outcomes. But there are major barriers to wider practice, including perceived tensions between classroom-based formative assessments, and high visibility summative tests to hold schools accountable for student achievement, and a lack of connection between systemic, school and classroom approaches to assessment and evaluation. The principles of formative assessment may be applied at the school and policy levels, to identify areas for improvement and to promote effective and constructive cultures of evaluation throughout education systems. More consistent use of formative assessment throughout education systems may help stakeholders address the very barriers to its wider practice in classrooms. This overview shows how formative assessment promotes the goals of lifelong learning, including higher levels of student achievement, greater equity of student outcomes, and improved learning to learn skills. The chapter then discusses barriers to wider practice of formative assessment and ways in which those barriers can be addressed, and outlines the study scope and methodology. Meeting goals for lifelong learning Each of the national and regional governments participating in this study promotes formative.

Traditional Chinese Wedding Customs

Traditional Chinese Wedding Customs This is the elaborate process on the grooms parents part to look for the right kind of bride for their family. Rich families will look for a bride who can take care of household finances and most importantly, give birth to sons to inherit the wealth of the family. Poor families will look for a bride who can work hard in the fields and give birth to sons to help out on the farm. In the old days, marriages are arranged so its quite normal for the parents to dominate the bride-seeking process. Girls from rich family will be sought out by other rich families and poor girls will probably marry into poor families. Hence the Chinese saying: bamboo door is to bamboo door as wooden door is to wooden door. There are some circumstances where the marriage has been arranged when both the bride and the groom were very young or not even born. In the former case, a young girl may be bought by the rich family as a servant girl to serve the rich boy. When the boy grew up, she may become either his wife or one of his concubines. In the latter case, two pregnant mothers will make the promise that when the babies are born, if they were both boys or both girls, they would become brothers or sisters and if one baby was a boy and the other a girl, they would get married. Hence the saying: pointing to the bosom as a marriage promise. However, a lot of times when the boy grew up, his family may have fallen from prestige and sometimes the girls family may refuse to let them get married. There are numerous folktales about tragedies that stem from arranged marriage. However, there are also many happy endings to arranged marriage. All we can say is that it was the fact of life at that time. Ia. Three Letters In the old days, all communication was through formal letters. Therefore, the letters play an important role in the events. Request Letter This letter confirms the formal arrangement of a marriage. It is sent by the grooms family to the brides family. This letter is normally presented with the initial gifts for the brides family. Gift Letter This letter accompanies the formal gifts for the Brides family. It is actually a gift list that records the description and quantity of the gifts. Wedding Letter This letter is presented to the brides family on th day of the wedding. It confirms the act of bringing the bride into the grooms family. Ib. Six Etiquette The Chinese word for etiquette can mean both customs and gifts. The following customs are known as the Six Etiquette Request for Marrying the Bride After the grooms family has spotted a young girl whom the groom wants to marry, the family will hire a spokeswoman who will communicate their wish to the potential brides family. (In the old days, it is popular to hire elderly ladies as midwives or spokeswoman for the groom.) This lady will persuade the potential brides family to accept the offer from the grooms family. Both sides will negotiate certain terms. If successful, both families will proceed to the next step. Request for Bride and Grooms Birth Dates This is the second step in arranging a marriage. Upon successfuly completion of the previous step, the grooms family will request for the brides Eight Letters through the spokeswoman. In Chinese calendar, there are 22 letters that we use to represent date. Ten are known as Tian Gan and twelve are Di Zhi. Two letters are used to represent each of teh following: year, month, day and time. Altogether, eight letters will accurately represent the brides birthdate. After obtaining the Eight Letters of the groom and potential bride, a fortune telling master will be hired to determine whether the two match each other. If there is nothing wrong with the brides birthdate, the grooms family will proceed to the next step. Otherwise, there will be no further contact between the families and the grooms family may look for another suitable bride. Initial Gifts for the Brides Family If the potential brides birthdate is acceptable, the grooms family will request the spokeswoman to send some initial gifts accompanied by the gift letter. Formal Gifts for the Brides Family The grooms family will pick a good day and send the brides family the following bridal gifts: gifts, cash, cakes and food and sacrifices for worshiping the ancestors. This act confirms the marriage agreement between the two families. Select the Wedding Date The fortune telling master will select a good day according the the bride and grooms and their familys birthdates. Wedding Day On the big day, both the bride and the grooms house will be decorated in red. The grooms family will send out a procession of servants, musicians and a carriage which is carried by four servants to the brides family to bring the bride back. The bride will then be brought back to the grooms house and the two will perform the marriage cermony witnessed by all the relatives and friends. The bride and groom will worship the heavens and the earth, the grooms ancestors and they will also serve tea to all of their superiors in the family. After that, the superiors will give them red packages (lai see) with monetary gifts and wish them well. The grooms family will then throw a huge feast (if they can afford it) for the friends and relatives to celebrate the wedding. All along, the spokeswoman will oversee the whole process and keep toasting the couple. After the meal, the newly wed couple will return to the bridal room and some naughty friends may tag-along and play tricks on the groom. When all is done, the couple will drink and toast and the spokeswoman will offer sweets and fruits to the couple to wish them long life and lots of kids (!). Then, the couple will finaly be left with themselves and the groom can take off the red cloth that covers the brides face. II. Preparation for the wedding IIa. Setting up the Bridal Bed After the grooms family has selected a good day as the wedding day, a man whos considered to have had good fortune all through his life will be hired to move the bridal bed to the right place. Then a lady whos considered to have had good fortune [with healthy and living husband and sons] will make the bed and place certain good fortune food and fruits on the bed. Then the bed will be left untouched until the day of the wedding. IIb. The Brides Gifts for the Groom The brides gifts for the groom will either arrive a couple of days before the wedding day or if shes a relatively long-distance bride, shell bring along the gifts with her maids as she arrive at the grooms home on wedding day. The brides gifts usually consists of valuable jewelry and precious stones, kitchen utensils, proper bridal linen such as sheets, pillow covers and clothes. In some area, the brides family is expected to furnish the bridal except for the bridal bed. Theres a saying that if the bride supplies the bridal bed, then the family is practically giving the bride away for free. IIc. Combing Hair The night before the wedding, both the bride and the groom needs to find a good fortune woman and man to comb their hair in his/her home respectively. Both the bride and the groom needs to take shower before the event, change to some fresh new underwear and incense needs to be burnt. The bride also needs to sit next to a window where the moon can be seen. Their hair needs to be combed four times and each has a special meaning: The first combing symbolizes: from beginning till the end The second combing symbolizes: harmony from now till old age The third combing symbolizes: sons and grandsons all over the place The fourth combing summaries good wealth and a long-lasting marriage. The whole action also symbolizes the adulthood of the couple. If either has been married before, then the combing event can be skipped for that person. |  Top of Page  |  Traditional Customs  |  Modern Customs  | III. Wedding Day Activities IIIa. Wedding Day: picking up the Bride On the day of the wedding, the groom will send a carriage over to the brides family to bring the bride home. The carriage is decorated in red and is carried by four servants. Musicians will accompany the procession and they will play wedding music all the way. A lot of gifts are also brought to the brides family at the same time. At the brides home, the bride will put on her bright red wedding gown and the brides parents will give her jewelry to wear. IIIb. Bride Leaving Home As the grooms procession arrives, the grooms spokeswoman will enter the brides house and will carry the bride on her back. The bride cannot touch the ground with her feet until she arrives at the grooms house. In some regions, the brides relatives will throw rice into the air, hoping that the chickens around will eat the rice instead of pecking at the bride. Sometimes, a red umbrella is used to shield the bride as the opening of the umbrella will symbolize her bringing many descendants to the grooms family. As the bride leaves the house, her parents and her relatives will bid her farewell as she rides the carriage and leaves home. Wealthy brides often have servant girls who will follow her to the grooms family and continue to serve her. These maids are known as ones who accompany the marriage. IIIc. Bride Arriving at the Grooms Home After the bride arrive at the grooms house, the couple will again worship the ancestors and worship the heavens and earth. Then they will serve tea to the grooms family according the their seniority and the relatives will give them red packets or bridal jewelry in return. IIId. The Wedding Banquet To celebrate the marriage, the grooms family will throw a wedding feast as large as they can afford. In the old days, some villagers may use up to seven continuous days to entertain the relatives during a wedding. Every night, delicious food is being served to all the guests. IV. Post Wedding Activities IVa. The Bride Returning Home after 3 Days Three days after the wedding, the bride is expected to return to her family. The bride will bring along roasted pig and gifts for the family. Some regions require that the groom accompany her while some didnt. Nonetheless, this is probably the last chance the bride gets to see her parents. Therefore, she will bring along a lot of gifts for the family and she may even stay for a couple of days or even more. As a tradition, the brides family will also return part of the gifts to the grooms family as a courtesy. Some regional custom requires that the family should return the head and tail of the roasted pig to the grooms family symbolizing the good beginning and end of the wedding. Modern Chinese Wedding Customs The above practices contributed to the festive atmosphere of a wedding, however, most of the customs are not performed to its fullest extent in the modern world. Instead of performing all these ancient practices, even most elders would prefer the following simplified customs nowadays. For the modernized customs (or the even more simplified customs) , please see this section on Modern Customs. When to get married? Hong Kong is a funny place where wedding plans are not driven by the couples relationship. It is often restrained by financial situations. Given Hong Kongs US$500-US$1000-per square-foot real estate price and 9% interest rate on mortgage plan plus the cost of an elaborate Chinese wedding banquet that most parents require, most couples struggle for years in order to save money for the wedding. As crazy as it seems, I know a couple who applied for public housing for 8 years and failed every single time and finally got married because they had to before they can apply for a different government housing scheme and still failed and finally ended up living with their parents. They love each other but they had to wait all these years because of the lack of a living quarter. Another couple planned to get married in 92 but their parents fail to compromise on the number of guests they can invite to the wedding banquet and it finally took the young couple 4 more years to save enough in order to satisfy the needs of the parents. Therefore, the financial restraint has torn up many couples. For those fortunate enough, they will then go through the following procedures.. Preparation for the Wedding Ia. Exchange Birth Dates and Family Tree If the groom and the brides birthdates are OK (meaning that no disaster is predicted by the fortune teller if the two get married), the two families will exchange their family records/family tree. However, this custom is not always being followed depending how superstitious the families are. Ib. Send Gifts to Brides Family The modern families usually send both the intial gifts and the formal gifts to the brides home on one day instead of separating the two events. Most families still need to consult the Chinese calendar to pick a good day which is normally about one month before the wedding. Instead of sending the whole list of gifts such as livestock, certain good-luck food or material, some couples simplify the gifts and the groom will only send some nice gifts such as dried seafood and fruit basket to the brides family. (Nowadays, most parents dont know what to do with some lively chicken flying around the fifteen-storey high apartment. Plus, theres a great chance that theyll suffocate before arriving at the brides home, given Hong Kongs infamous traffic jams) As for the monetary gift, the groom will either pay a certain agreed amount to the brides family or will offer to pay for all of the wedding cost. The negotiation will then focus on how many tables the groom is able to offer to the brides family during the wedding banquet. Sometimes, the brides family will insist on having a certain number of guests but if the groom cannot afford it, they will try to compromise. At other times, the grooms family may have a certain reason to limit the brides number of guests, such as if the grooms family is not too large, some relatives may feel uneasy if the brides family invite more guest than the grooms family. Even nowadays, this is a potential area for conflict between the two families. IIa. Setting up the Bridal Bed Not every couple can afford to buy a new bed as the bridal bed nowadays. Especially with the outrageous real estate prices in Hong Kong, not every couple has their own place and a new bed, so its now quite customary to simply change the linen to the traditional red linen as a symbolic act for setting up the bridal bed. Some couples dont even bother with that. They may simply buy some nice Esprit or Ikea linen and use those as the bridal linens. IIb. The Brides Gifts for the Groom Not many people will follow this rule still. The only jewelry the bride brings over to the grooms family is probably the ones that her relatives give her on wedding day as a wedding gift. Some brides contribute some of the gifts from relatives to pay for the banquet as well and some say that is considered as part of the brides gifts as well. IIc. Combing Hair Some couples choose to skip this event altogether, although it is a relatively simple act compared to the others. IIIa. Wedding Day: picking up the Bride Nowadays, the bridesmaid will have most fun during the picking up of the bride. Early in the morning, the groom and the groomsmen will decorate the cars and drive them over to the brides home. At the door, the bridesmaids will prepare a lot of tricky questions for the groom to answer. The groom not only has to answer all the questions, he also has perform certain acts such as doing push-ups to show that hes strong enough to take care of the bride,or sing out his love for the bride in front of many people. The groomsmen will help the groom to pass all these tests. The last test is a financial test. The groom has to pay the bridesmaids some red packets [good fortune] as gifts, then the groom and his groomsmen can enter the house and greet the bride. The couple will then serve tea to the superior in the brides family. The brides parents will be the first to be served, followed by other relatives. Each one will give the couple some present in return, often red packets and jewelry for the bride [gold is often preferred in the Southern region]. IIIb. Bride Leaving Home Nowadays, only very traditional families may use the red umbrella or throw rice as the bride leaves the house. Most people do not perform any special activities and the brides parents and relatives will either go to the Marriage Registrar or the church to attend the wedding ceremony. IIIc. Bride Arriving at the Grooms Home Again, the couple will then serve tea to the superior in the grooms family. The grooms parents will be the first to be served, followed by other relatives. Each one will give the couple some present in return, often red packets and jewelry for the bride. After that, the whole family will leave for the Marriage Registrar or the church to attend the wedding ceremony. IIId. The Wedding Banquet This is probably the part of the tradition that has been very well kept. In the modern Chinese society, the wedding feast is considered to be very important as supposed to the church ceremony or even the signing of the marriage license at the Governments Marriage Registrar. Most parents do not mind the rest of the tradition except for this part. To the parents, the wedding feast is a chance for them to return their relatives kindness and to announce the marriage of their kids. If the wedding feast turns out to be good, then its a great thing because they will have face. In the Chinese culture, its most important to have face [respected by others]. Traditionally, the groom will pay for everything but nowadays, some young couples will offer to pay for themselves. As mentioned before, this is the area with the highest likelihood for conflicts between families of the bride and the groom. The brides family will want to invite as many friends and families as possible while the grooms family may either have a budget concern or they do not want the brides family to invite more friends than they do in fear of losing face. Note that the bride and the grooms own friends are often being neglected. The wedding banquet is truly more of a parental event than that of the young couples. There are many jokes about some people slipping into wedding banquets and nobody even noticed until the young couple exchange notes afterwards and realize the guests are neither the bride nor the grooms relatives. Or that the guest went to the wrong banquet in the same restaurant [there may be 3 or 4 banquets going on at the same time in the restaurant, separat ed by partitions or rooms] without knowing it. Once the guest list is drafted, the parents will then decide on the menu. A traditional Chinese banquet will include somewhere around 12 courses including an appetizer [lobster salad], roast pig, abalone, shark fin soup and end with fried rice/noodles, dessert and fresh fruit. The food is of utmost importance to Chinese and in most cases only delicacies are served. Besides,really nice cognac such as VSOP is often being served. As a side note, most restaurant finds the beverage to be a great way to rip off the family as you can never keep track of how many Cokes each guest has consumed. During the feast, the guests are seated in round tables and sometimes seating plans are being made in order to avoid guests not knowing each other being seated at the same table. Each guest will normally bring along monetary gift that runs around US$50-US$100 in Hong Kong [the price varies in different regions]. Normally the gifts can barely cover the cost of the banquet, therefore, the banquet is a great financial constraint in the couples planning. [that is, on top of the US$500-US$1000-per square-foot real estate price and 9% interest rate on mortgage plan in Hong Kong]. As for the wedding colour, it is quite standard:  red. The events in a Chinese wedding banquet have been modified a bit nowadays. Before the banquet starts, most of the guests will participate in one of the Chinese national games, mahjong [a Chinese tile game]. Others will take photos with the bride and the groom. When the food is ready, the waiters will play a modified xylophone and wedding music will start to play in the background. Some couples will hire an MC to conduct the ceremony. Due to Western influence, the best man and maid of honour often gets to toast the bride and the groom before food is being served. During the serving of shark fin soup, the couple will go from table to table, toasting the guests and thanking them. In return, the guests will also toast the bride and the groom. After that, the groomsmen, bridesmaids and friends of the young couple will often play certain tricks on them. This is similar to the clinking of glasses in the Western culture. The goal is to make the groom show his love in public. Some of the game s are X-rated, depending what kind of friends the couple has. Some games are similar to the ones played in during bridal shower or a bachelars party. Others may be a bit more outrageous. After that, the bride will change into a different gown [For some peculiar reason, brides have to change into 4 or 5 different dresses on the wedding day]. As the time draws near for the guests to leave, the parents, the couple and the relatives will stand in line at the door to thank the guests and wish them well as they leave. This is contrary to the receiving line in Western culture. Chinese has retreating line instead. When all the guests have left, the bridal party will go home. That is, if the couple is not holding the banquet in a hotel where a guest room is provided for the newly wed to stay. If so, the persistent friends will break into the room and play more games on the newly wed. For details, please refer to directory Lee Ans movie  Wedding Banquet  which has a great description on wedding banquets. IV. Post Wedding Activities IVa. The Bride Returning Home after 3 Days Nowadays in certain regions, this rule is still being followed where the bride will return to the family with gifts. However, in some regions, this custom is being simplified so the bride will return home on the same day if distance allows. Otherwise, some brides will leave the door, and then return to the house again and count that as returning home.

Media and Gender Stereotyping :: Media Stereotyping of Men and Women

1 ABSTRACT Past research found that media culture, particularly magazines, present stereotypical notions of gender. Gender stereotypes are not inflexible, like a barometer stereotypes change to reflect both societal and cultural values. This research set out to study current gender stereotypes types in four popular magazines (Marie Claire, GQ, Shape and Men's Health). The advertisements were categorised into gender specific and gender neutral adverts. The results found that the mode for gender specific adverts for both men and women's magazines related to female specific related adverts. Although the findings did not support the prediction of stereotypical gender specific advertising, the research itself was characterised by a number of weaknesses. 2 INTRODUCTION Advertisements have appeared in print media since the invention of the printing press in the 1500s. The usage of the term magazine itself first came about with the publication of 'The Gentlemen's Magazine' and 'The Lady's Magazine' in the 1730s by Edward Cave (1691-1754) (Connor, G 2001). Different types of magazines exist for just about every age and social group, for any interest, hobby and lifestyle. Advertisers make use of information gathered by agencies like ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) and the NRS (National Readership Survey), who categorise consumers by age, gender, occupation and socio-economic status. This knowledge enables advertisers to design ad campaigns specific to their target audience through the types of magazines they read (cited in Magazines and Gender, 2004). Even though adverts are designed with a specific audience in mind, they are still developed to appeal to the vast majority within that target audience; there is no resource, finance or capability to market each unique individual. Advertisers exploit stereotypical gender types to produce advertisement to have the widest appeal. Societies have always had ways of differentiating between both men and women, between masculinity and femininity through the assertion of different attitudes and behaviour patterns onto each gender (as cited in Gender and Identity, 2004). It is therefore essential to distinguish between sex, gender and

Trent Lott

Trent Lott, senior senator from the state of Mississippi, is one of the foremost figures in the United States Senate and one of the most recognizable figures in all of politics. This recognition comes from the stances which he has taken, the fact that he has been a formidable figure in the Senate for many years, the fact that he was the Majority Leader in the Senate for the Republicans from 1996 until 2001 as well as controversial comments which he made in 2002 and which brought back a great deal of resentment as well as a reminder of the history of racial conflict that the United States and especially the South endured in America’s history. Despite this, Trent Lott is still a highly respected member of the United States senate and at a time when the approval rating of Congress is currently at a dismal 14%, for many in Mississippi, he represents one of the very few bright spots in all of Congress.(Page, 2002 pg. A14) He has maintained a strict party line when voting but has not been afraid to vote against his party when the time and circumstance called for him to do so. Despite being raised as a Southern Democrat, Lott, feeling that his beliefs were more in tune with the Republican Party, joined the party and has been a strong Republican ever since. Those Americans consider themselves republicans because they believe in strong faith and family values, the sanctity of human life and marriage and the rule of law as it applies to limited government, find comfort in Trent Lott. Those who disagree with Republicanism and/or Trent Lott on the majority of his issues, can also rely upon the fact that he will always respect the other side of the debate and will not resort to underhanded tactics in order to win. At a time when less people have a favorable opinion of Congress than in all of American History, such people serve as a breath of fresh air for all those who are interested in politics and how it will reshape the landscape and the future of the country. Trent Lott was born in Grenada Mississippi on October 8, 1941. His father Chester was a shipyard worker and his mother was a teacher. Trent Lott started from humble beginnings but soon rose in the social and political ranks of the state to establish himself as one who was not going to spend his entire life in Mississippi, though he would be hard pressed to forget where he came from and the people and places which helped to establish the man who is Trent Lott. Trent Lott was introduced to a more social life when he was attending the University of Mississippi where he earned a degree in public administration in 1965 and a law degree in 1967. (Mercurio, 2002) After he graduated, he moved to Pascagoula where he opened up a law practice and still lives to this day. It was also during this time that Lott began his life in politics. He served as an assistant to the House Rules Committee chairman William Colmer from 1968 until 1972. ( Smith 2005) Despite the fact that Colmer, for the past forty years, was one of the leading segregationists of the state, he still endorsed Lott as one capable of replacing him when Colmer retired. Despite the fact that Lott ran as a Republican; a party which had not had much success in the South since the beginning of the Civil War, Lott was by a landslide. People could see beyond the labels which all too often seem to identify everything there is to know about a candidate. However, there were other factions involved during this time which helped Lott gain the seat that was vacated by Colmer. During the 1960’s especially after the 1965 Civil Rights Bill, there appeared cracks in the solid Democratic South that was so apparent in the decades before. The Democratic Party was losing converts to its cause left and right and more and more people were willing to vote on the Republican ticket. In the 1964 Presidential Election, despite the fact that Barry Goldwater was routed by President Johnson, Goldwater, Senator from Arizona won 87% of the popular vote of Mississippi. ( Smith, 2005) Trent Lott was on the cusp of this political change and he was going to make the most of it for himself and the legacy which he sought to create in politics. The only question was where Trent Lott was going to end up and how far his aspirations and the people of Mississippi were willing to take him. During the 1970’s, a time when the South and Mississippi was lending most of its support to Republican candidates, Trent Lott was enjoying the success that his adopted party was giving him. That, coupled with the people of Mississippi and their ability to relate to   somebody in politics who still seemed approachable, Lott   became in 1974, the first Republican to get reelected from the state of Mississippi since the end of Reconstruction in 1877. (Page 2002 pg A14) Lott would be re-elected six more times and won easily. In 1978 he even ran unopposed since Lott had established himself so strongly in this part of the country. It was becoming apparent that Trent Lott was going to be in Congress for some time to come. It was also during this time in the 1980’s that Lott served as the House Majority Whip for the Republican Party from 1981 until 1989. (Smith, 2005)   In doing so, he was the first southern Republican to hold such an office. The Republican Party was becoming a strong hold for the South and so too was Trent Lott. It was now time for Trent Lott to rise in his political career. The Senate seemed like the next logical answer. The House of Representatives has 435 members and the number of representatives which each state sends to Congress is directly based upon the population of that particular state. Mississippi had a number of representatives like Trent Lott which were expected to represent the state. In the Senate, only two members from each state, regardless of how populated the state is, are sent to Congress. This would mean that Lott would have much more power and influence within Congress in which his views would affect the state of Mississippi and the country to a greater degree. When Lott ran for the senate in 1988, he again was taking advantage of the political climate of the day. President Bush ran and won a resounding victory in the Presidential election as voters sought to continue the Republican success that had come under eight years of the previous President, Republican Ronald Reagan. Lott ran and won a resounding eight point victory over incumbent Wayne Dowdy. Lott was re-elected in 1994, 2000 and 2006 with there existing no sizable Democratic opposition. (Smith, 2005) Lott continued to benefit from the success that the Republican Party was having at this time. From 1993 until 2001, Democrat Bill Clinton was President of the United States and enjoyed high approval ratings throughout out most of his administration. However, it was the Republicans who enjoyed a sizable lead in the Congress through a good portion of the 1990’s. Lott became Senate majority leader of the Republicans in 1996. (http://archives.cnn.com) Lott was best known for the role that he took in the impeachment of President Clinton who, it later turned out, lied to a grand jury about his relationship with a White House intern. Lott preceded in the trial of President Clinton but eventually acquiesced to suspend the proceedings in the Senate. Even though the House had voted to impeach the President, Senator Lott knew that the Republicans in the Senate numbered far short of the necessary votes in order to make the impeachment complete. After the 2000 election when a highly partisan country resulted in a deeply divided Congress and a 50-50 split occurred in the Senate, Vice President Dick Cheney’s vote gave the Republicans the majority in the Senate once again and Trent Lott was again the leader of the Senate. This was short lived when Vermont senator Jim Jeffords became ad independent, thus giving the Democrats the majority in the Senate, Trent Lott then became the Senator Minority Leader. However, 2002 would provide more problems for Trent Lott and possible the Republican Party when Trent Lott made some controversial comments about the nation’s and state’s past which helped to bring to the forefront, a history and hurt feelings and resentment which many in the state as well as the country had tried hard to bury. The spotless record which Trent Lott had spent his entire private and political life building, ended on December 5, 2002 when at a 100th birthday celebration for Senator Strom Thurmond, longtime senator from South Carolina   and who in 1948, ran for President under the Dixicrat ticket which appealed to mostly segregationist southerners. Commenting on that regrettable chapter in American history, Senator Lott commented instead: â€Å"When Strom Thurmond ran for President, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years either.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This was a comment which was blown up for a number of reasons. The first reason is the historical significance of the 1948 election and the role that Senator Thurmond in his strict   stand for segregation. The political and social atmosphere had changed and what was previously seen as acceptable in the way of racial prejudice, in our present time, has finally been seen for what it is worth; completely unnecessary and an impediment on the freedom of every individual in America. The second problem was that Senator Lott was from the South and represented the South. Despite coming a long way from the times of slavery and segregation, there still existed a strong awareness of history in the South; especially the history of race relations. Such comments helped to bring up a great deal of pent up anger and issues which many had hoped had finally been resolved. IN many degrees it may have been, but this comment by Senator Lott helped to open up a wound that had many thought had been healed. The last problem with the comment, aside from the comment itself, was the voting record of Senator Lott. He had voted against the renewal of the Voting Rights Act as well as the formation of a national holiday for Martin Luther King Junior when it was made a law in 1986. The comment gained strength as the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television BET called for the resignation of Senator Lott. A good deal of political commentators on television also called for the resignation of Senator Lott and the Republican Party, feeling the backlash towards a public, many of which was suspect towards their history of race relations, and feeling a loss of power, compelled Senator Lott to step down from his position as the Minority Leader in the Senate on December 20, 2002 and was replaced by Tennessee Senator Bill Frist. Despite these comments and how in the minds of many, they have forever associated Senator Lott with the Republican Party of the past, Lott has proven that he is not one who will always vote the strict party line. Within his own party, Lott blasted what is referred to as â€Å"pork spending.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This refers to the fleecing of Americans and their hard earned taxes through kickbacks, deals made in smoke filled rooms and money being placed under the table in order to repay one political favor for another. A senator would try to have a disproportionate amount of federal aid sent to his state or local district in order that such efforts would then be repaid by getting the senator elected. There will never be the full disclosure of how popular this is within the Senate but there is an unwritten law among the members of Congress not to speak out against this. â€Å"Despite their on camera antics and fighting, the members of the House and to a greater degree the Senate, constitute a private club in which each member supports and defends the other.† (Smith, 2005) Trent Lott was not one of these men. After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and the all too real reality of forty years of political corruption in Louisiana, which led to much of the troubles during that natural disaster, Senator Lott commented: â€Å"I’m getting damn tired of hearing from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina. â€Å"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     (http://archives.cnn.com) Many would say that they have been trouble ever since the Congress was formed at the end of the 18th century. Lott became an outspoken critic against a Congress which had been traditionally made up of â€Å"good old boys† who fleeced the tax payers with their nonsense projects and grafting procedures.† (http://archives.cnn.com) It was comments like these which helped cement the reputation of Senator Lott as one that was above being bought or being swayed by public opinion. As much as politics is polarizing and such comments can raise the ire with people as it is human nature, most free thinking individuals can see beyond the partisan back biting which many casual observers cite as the reason for their disinterest in politics. Trent Lott is an exception to what is becoming the norm: partisan members of Congress who will vote the party line and what is popular among the people who voted them in order to continue their role in the Senate. Lott has thought differently and still has been able to make a name for himself in the Senate. Another issue in which Senator Lott angered much of his conservative base was over the issue of immigration. A recent CNN poll cites more than 85% of the American public want the immigration laws to be strengthened in order to stop what is becoming a severe impediment to the country as a whole. (Dobbs, 2005) There is no doubt that illegal immigration needs to be fixed. The inability of the Congress to do anything about it helps to create such low approval ratings. This is because, despite the country being in agreement about the fact that illegal immigration needs to be stopped, there is still much debate as to how exactly that is to be accomplished.   There are a number of factions within the Congress as there is in the country and all have strong opinions. The Democrats seem to be a little more lenient and propose for an easy road to citizen ship. Most Republicans feel that illegal immigrants broke the law and compromised the security of the border and propose anywhere from the deportation of twelve million people to strict fines and being pushed to the end of the line in the path towards citizenship. Some of these feelings are strengthened through talk radio which is currently monopolized by conservatives; many of whom have very strong opinions about what should be done about the problem. Lott made his opinion clear and called for resolve and moderation. Lott sought to do this by listening to his conscience more than what his people tell him to do, which he felt, was asking for more than what was right in this situation. Lott commented: â€Å"Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with the problem†¦. I’m sure senators on both sides of the isle are being pounded by these talk radio people who don’t have a clue what is even on most of these bills.   They are ill informed to comment so.† (Dobbs, 2005) Senator Lott reached across the isle and teamed up with the very liberal Senator Ted Kennedy for their comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. Throughout the whole process, Senator Lott was a voice of reason who called for a moderate approach to the problem so that some immigration bill could be passed. He commented: â€Å"Can we do anything more? I don’t like a lot of these amendments. Some people were acting like this is a sinister operation. I don’t believe so. Everybody knew there was an effort underway†¦. Do you have faith in me after 35 years?† ( http://archives.cnn.com) Despite his best efforts, Senate Leader Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada killed the bill after less than a week of debate. Since Senator Lott has resigned from his leadership position in the Senate, he still has remained a voice of reason and is not hesitant to vote his conscience over the strict party line. Senator Lott received a mild, though strong Democratic following when he called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld before most Republicans even contemplated the movie. He battled with President Bush over the closing of military bases in the state of Mississippi and was an outspoken critic of Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief advisor. On July 18, 2006, Trent Lott even voted in favor stem cell research; a bill which President Bush in July 2007, vetoed because in the process, the stem cell, which would eventually become a fetus, was viewed by Christians to be a human life and therefore felt that such measures acted as like an abortion. On the other side of the issue, stem cells can be used, researchers think, to grow healthy cells and combat various diseases which attack the brain, spine and nervous system. Senator Trent Lott voted for this research and in the process, alienated himself from much of his base. He knew this before casting his vote but he has gained the respect of his peers on both sides of the isle for being motivated by what he thought to be right and not necessarily what was popular within his own party or with the nation. Whether Trent Lott is alienating his base or voting with the majority, he has been a voice of reason and moderation for most of his career. Trent Lott has been a mainstay in Congress for the last thirty years and even though he has voted in ways that he later regretted and made comments which have hurt him and his legacy in the long run, to the people who like honest talk, both in his home state of Mississippi and in the country at large, have come to respect him for all that he has done. Even after the made those now infamous comments about Senator Thurmond, most Democrats in Congress, despite seeing a political opportunity to increase their support from African Americans and other minorities, realized that the comment was not a true testament to the feelings, the beliefs and the life work which had become Trent Lott. The former leader of the Senate for the Democrats and a figure which had no trouble raising the ire among most Republican supporters, commented on that recent turn of events: â€Å"There are a lot of times when he and I go to the mike and would like to say things we meant to say differently, and I’m sure this is one of those cases for him as well.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This is the case with free thinking individuals who, despite raising the hated and ire for many Republicans through his years in the Senate and could further increase the support of his base by responding their calls to vilify the man, such people who have known Senator Lott for any period of time, though they might not agree with the man and his politics, respects his morals, values and the ways in which he conducts himself. This is hard to do sometimes as the persona cross the isle might be causing a great deal of trouble in one’s political pursuits and perhaps had even exerted efforts to derail their bid for re-election. Nevertheless, the millions of people in America who feel that the actions of the Congress and the beliefs of the men and women who make up such an exclusive club is more important that what the current pop culture icon is wearing or dating, can recognize a genuine person. Those who want to stay in touch with current events and the politics which shape them but still cannot resort to such efforts, cite the fact that in their opinion, there is a severe shortage of people whom they feel to be â€Å"real.† This is most likely true as observers for both Presidential campaigns can record the amount of back peddling that each candidate makes in order to maintain thee highest level of political power; regardless of whether or not that is their real opinion. It is unlikely that Trent Lott, despite his high popularity, will never even contemplate running for President. And it is to the advantage of all those who believe in him that he does not. This is because Trent Lott, with his inability to be disincentive, shoots from the hip and when asked, tells people what he believes more times that not. Sometimes the words will come out wrong and he will regret what he says. However, isn’t this true for all of us. If every formal word of ours over the last 35 years was recorded, how well would others regard us? It is to the benefit of millions of people that is not the case and for those like Senator Lott who has been in the public eye for thirty five years, his record will stand for itself and by itself in this highly partisan climate which is currently choking Washington with no hope of reviving the healthy action of dissent across party lines when an issue does not react well to their own beliefs; the beliefs in which they were elected. Senator Trent Lott is not a member of the former class but stands alone as not only one who apologizes for his mistakes, but also is willing to cross party lines and let the criticism come as they may. This is the true test of one who has earned the trust of the people. It would behoove Washington and the American people if there were more such people in politics. WORKS CITED Dobbs, L. Lott: A Freethinking Member of Congress! CNN Moneyline w. Lou Dobbs. Aired in syndication June 15, 2005 Page, C. Lott’s Comments: Representative of a Larger Culture of Hate?† Chicago Tribune December 15, 2002 Mercurio, J â€Å"Lott Apologizes for Thurmond Comment† http://archives.cnn.com Downloaded July 19, 2007 December 10, 2002 Smith, Harry Senator Trent Lott. Biography   Aired June 12, 2005