Sales Management and Personal Selling Essay

To address your immediate need from Kendrick Foundation Company (‘KFC’) for a price quote on Curl Metal Cushion Pads (Cushion pads or ‘CMCP’), it would be beneficial to establish a proper pricing strategy. It may also be beneficial to not only consider the short term, but also the potential long term pricing strategy for future consumers as well. To estimate the value price or price premium, it is advisable to keep in mind perceived value added propositions for your consumer. Also, as with most products, it is meaningful to perform a margin analysis based on potential pricing to customers to determine profitability of the overall product venture. Last but not least, external competition should also be considered as a factor on your product price. First, based on the information given, relative pricing analysis can be performed utilizing information from consumer purchases of conventional pads. Based on the price paid for the conventional pads for each projec t, it can be assumed the customer is willing and able to pay comparable pricing for CMCP (assuming the same benefits are created for users). A higher value price can be created by emphasizing the additional features or benefits of utilizing CMCP versus the conventional pads. The main additional features include more efficient pile driving time and less required time for change (overall less labor utilized), this value proposition can be estimated based on labor cost savings. In addition, CMCP are generally safer than the conventional pad, while the measurement of this value/benefit may be harder to measure, it is yet another selling point that could increase the price premium the customer is willing to pay for CMCP. For purposes of having a measurable pricing strategy, the focus of this analysis is on labor time savings. Assuming the average cost per Real Hour is $63/Hour for labor (HBS – Curled Metal Inc – Table A), and the willingness to pay for the material itself is same as what the customer paid for the conventional pads, the additional benefit from labor time saved (utilizing conventional pad as bench mark) can be considered cost savings to customers therefore, addition to customer perceived value. Table 1 – Revenue Analysis exhibits the cost to customer  for purchases of conventional padding (project based), this cost plus the labor cost savings switching from conventional pads to CMCP translates to an estimated per unit customer value price for CMCP. With comparable data collected for the two test customers, the estimated value pricing is $765/pad (based on selling 6 pad sets) and $1,392/pad (based on selling 5 pad sets) for size 11  ½, and $339/pad (based on selling 6 pad sets) for size >11  ½ Inch. This is evident of the upward price we can charge the customers, also, a differentiated price can be based on volume sold per set. To continue the flow of the discussion and to be conservative, we will assume the remaining discussion pertains to selling sets of 6 or at the $765/Unit (11  ½ Inch pad price) and $339/Unit (>11 1/2 Inch pad price). Second, margin analysis is necessary to determine profitability based on the aforementioned customer value pricing. Table 2 – Cost/Margin Analysis calculates the profitability per unit for short term (250 Units Production) and long term (500 Units Production), this analysis utilizes the estimated perceived value calculation along with prior information provided (HBS – Curled Metal Inc – Exhibit 6). Analysis is performed for the most popular sizing – 11  ½ inch pad, along with two other product lines to expand the production consideration. Result of the analysis concludes the 11  ½ product is most profitable among the three products. In regards to your consideration of whether to expend $150K on permanent tooling, based on our analysis, it does result in higher profit margin than using your original equipment. However, this is given that there is enough customer demand to cover the cost of the additional tooling. Lastly, based on the analysis, COGS will also decrease as production increases even with the additional spend for equipment (comparison of 500 units vs. 250 units produced). With uncertainty on market demand, and with limited resources on marketing research efforts, I would advise you to hold off on permanent tooling purchase until demand is more certain. Third, competitors and substitutable products could have an impact on product price. Since CMCP is the first of its kind to enter the market, you will have first mover advantage, however, competitors could enter the market with a similar product and additional pricing strategies, such as rebates/discounts or changes to list price may need to be considered. While it is not a huge concern during product launch period, it should something to be cognizant of  in case the product proves to be profitable. Further analysis should be performed to ensure maximum customer price value is captured. Based on the aforementioned information, I would suggest focusing efforts on the 11  ½ inch CMCP and charging the customers upwards of $765/Unit (based on selling sets of 6 pads) and $1,392/Unit (based on selling sets of 5 pads). In the short run, I would advise not to purchase the additional permanent tooling cost until there is more certainty around the demand for the product. In the long run, with proven sales records, the company can benefit from additional operational efficiencies from higher volume production. If you have any further questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Answers for Wooldridge

MULTIPLE REGRESSION After completing this chapter, you should be able to: understand model building using multiple regression analysis apply multiple regression analysis to business decision-making situations analyze and interpret the computer output for a multiple regression model test the significance of the independent variables in a multiple regression model use variable transformations to model nonlinear relationships recognize potential problems in multiple regression analysis and take the steps to correct the problems. ncorporate qualitative variables into the regression model by using dummy variables. Multiple Regression Assumptions The errors are normally distributed The mean of the errors is zero Errors have a constant variance The model errors are independent Model Specification Decide what you want to do and select the dependent variable Determine the potential independent variables for your model Gather sample data (observations) for all variables The Correlation Matrix Correlation between the dependent variable and selected independent variables can be found using Excel:Tools / Data Analysis†¦ / Correlation Can check for statistical significance of correlation with a t test Example A distributor of frozen desert pies wants to evaluate factors thought to influence demand Dependent variable: Pie sales (units per week) Independent variables: Price (in $) Advertising ($100’s) Data is collected for 15 weeks Pie Sales Model Sales = b0 + b1 (Price) + b2 (Advertising) Interpretation of Estimated Coefficients Slope (bi) Estimates that the average value of y changes by bi units for each 1 unit increase in Xi holding all other variables constantExample: if b1 = -20, then sales (y) is expected to decrease by an estimated 20 pies per week for each $1 increase in selling price (x1), net of the effects of changes due to advertising (x2) y-intercept (b0) The estimated average value of y when all xi = 0 (assuming all xi = 0 is within the range of obser ved values) Pie Sales Correlation Matrix Price vs. Sales : r = -0. 44327 There is a negative association between price and sales Advertising vs. Sales : r = 0. 55632 There is a positive association between advertising and sales Scatter DiagramsComputer software is generally used to generate the coefficients and measures of goodness of fit for multiple regression Excel: Tools / Data Analysis†¦ / Regression Multiple Regression Output The Multiple Regression Equation Using The Model to Make Predictions Input values Multiple Coefficient of Determination Reports the proportion of total variation in y explained by all x variables taken together Multiple Coefficient of Determination Adjusted R2 R2 never decreases when a new x variable is added to the model This can be a disadvantage when comparing modelsWhat is the net effect of adding a new variable? We lose a degree of freedom when a new x variable is added Did the new x variable add enough explanatory power to offset the loss of on e degree of freedom? Shows the proportion of variation in y explained by all x variables adjusted for the number of x variables used (where n = sample size, k = number of independent variables) Penalize excessive use of unimportant independent variables Smaller than R2 Useful in comparing among models Multiple Coefficient of Determination Is the Model Significant? F-Test for Overall Significance of the ModelShows if there is a linear relationship between all of the x variables considered together and y Use F test statistic Hypotheses: H0: ? 1 = ? 2 = †¦ = ? k = 0 (no linear relationship) HA: at least one ? i ? 0 (at least one independent variable affects y) F-Test for Overall Significance Test statistic: where F has (numerator) D1 = k and (denominator) D2 = (n – k – 1) degrees of freedom H0: ? 1 = ? 2 = 0 HA: ? 1 and ? 2 not both zero ( = . 05 df1= 2 df2 = 12 Are Individual Variables Significant? Use t-tests of individual variable slopes Shows if there is a linear relationship between the variable xi and yHypotheses: H0: ? i = 0 (no linear relationship) HA: ? i ? 0 (linear relationship does exist between xi and y) H0: ? i = 0 (no linear relationship) HA: ? i ? 0 (linear relationship does exist between xi and y) t Test Statistic: (df = n – k – 1) Inferences about the Slope: t Test Example H0: ? i = 0 HA: ? i ? 0 Confidence Interval Estimate for the Slope Standard Deviation of the Regression Model The estimate of the standard deviation of the regression model is: Standard Deviation of the Regression Model The standard deviation of the regression model is 47. 46 A rough prediction range for pie sales in a given week isPie sales in the sample were in the 300 to 500 per week range, so this range is probably too large to be acceptable. The analyst may want to look for additional variables that can explain more of the variation in weekly sales OUTLIERS If an observation exceeds UP=Q3+1. 5*IQR or if an observation is smaller than LO=Q1 -1. 5*IQR where Q1 and Q3 are quartiles and IQR=Q3-Q1 What to do if there are outliers? Sometimes it is appropriate to delete the entire observation containing the oulier. This will generally increase the R2 and F test statistic values Multicollinearity Multicollinearity: High correlation exists between two independent variablesThis means the two variables contribute redundant information to the multiple regression model Including two highly correlated independent variables can adversely affect the regression results No new information provided Can lead to unstable coefficients (large standard error and low t-values) Coefficient signs may not match prior expectations Some Indications of Severe Multicollinearity Incorrect signs on the coefficients Large change in the value of a previous coefficient when a new variable is added to the model A previously significant variable becomes insignificant when a new independent variable is addedThe estimate of the standard deviation of the mode l increases when a variable is added to the model Output for the pie sales example: Since there are only two explanatory variables, only one VIF is reported VIF is < 5 There is no evidence of collinearity between Price and Advertising Qualitative (Dummy) Variables Categorical explanatory variable (dummy variable) with two or more levels: yes or no, on or off, male or female coded as 0 or 1 Regression intercepts are different if the variable is significant Assumes equal slopes for other variables The number of dummy variables needed is (number of levels – 1)Dummy-Variable Model Example (with 2 Levels) Interpretation of the Dummy Variable Coefficient Dummy-Variable Models (more than 2 Levels) The number of dummy variables is one less than the number of levels Example: y = house price ; x1 = square feet The style of the house is also thought to matter: Style = ranch, split level, condo Dummy-Variable Models (more than 2 Levels) Interpreting the Dummy Variable Coefficients (with 3 Levels) Nonlinear Relationships The relationship between the dependent variable and an independent variable may not be linear Useful when scatter diagram indicates non-linear relationshipExample: Quadratic model The second independent variable is the square of the first variable Polynomial Regression Model where: ?0 = Population regression constant ?i = Population regression coefficient for variable xj : j = 1, 2, †¦k p = Order of the polynomial (i = Model error Linear vs. Nonlinear Fit Quadratic Regression Model Testing for Significance: Quadratic Model Test for Overall Relationship F test statistic = Testing the Quadratic Effect Compare quadratic model with the linear model Hypotheses (No 2nd order polynomial term) (2nd order polynomial term is needed) Higher Order Models Interaction EffectsHypothesizes interaction between pairs of x variables Response to one x variable varies at different levels of another x variable Contains two-way cross product terms Effect of Interacti on Without interaction term, effect of x1 on y is measured by ? 1 With interaction term, effect of x1 on y is measured by ? 1 + ? 3 x2 Effect changes as x2 increases Interaction Example Hypothesize interaction between pairs of independent variables Hypotheses: H0: ? 3 = 0 (no interaction between x1 and x2) HA: ? 3 ? 0 (x1 interacts with x2) Model Building Goal is to develop a model with the best set of independent variablesEasier to interpret if unimportant variables are removed Lower probability of collinearity Stepwise regression procedure Provide evaluation of alternative models as variables are added Best-subset approach Try all combinations and select the best using the highest adjusted R2 and lowest s? Idea: develop the least squares regression equation in steps, either through forward selection, backward elimination, or through standard stepwise regression The coefficient of partial determination is the measure of the marginal contribution of each independent variable, given that other independent variables are in the modelBest Subsets Regression Idea: estimate all possible regression equations using all possible combinations of independent variables Choose the best fit by looking for the highest adjusted R2 and lowest standard error s? Aptness of the Model Diagnostic checks on the model include verifying the assumptions of multiple regression: Each xi is linearly related to y Errors have constant variance Errors are independent Error are normally distributed Residual Analysis The Normality Assumption Errors are assumed to be normally distributed Standardized residuals can be calculated by computerExamine a histogram or a normal probability plot of the standardized residuals to check for normality Chapter Summary Developed the multiple regression model Tested the significance of the multiple regression model Developed adjusted R2 Tested individual regression coefficients Used dummy variables Examined interaction in a multiple regression model Described nonlinear regression models Described multicollinearity Discussed model building Stepwise regression Best subsets regression Examined residual plots to check model assumptions

Bathymetry, Sediments and Plate Tectonics

On March 23, 1968 a Glomar Challenger ship was launched from Orange, Texas under the supervision of National Science Foundation and the Regents, University of California. This marked the beginning of a new era in the field of oceanographic explorations. The Glomar Challenger explored the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as the Mediterranean and the Red Seas, drilled and cored the bottom of the ocean and collected core samples.These core samples became a definite proof for continental drift and sea floor renewal at rift zones. The theory proposed by Alfred Wegener that Earth once consisted of a single land mass now known as Pangaea was proved by their findings. The theories attempting to explain the formation of mountain ranges, deep sea trenches and earthquakes provided by the two geologists, W. Jason Morgan and Xavier Le Pichon also gained support from these findings.As for the evidence for sea floor spreading there are ample examples. Samples from the deep ocean floor sh ow that Basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become much younger while nearing the mid ocean ridge. The sediment cover is thinner near the ridge. Moreover the age of the ocean is no more than 200 million years while the age of the Earth is roughly 3 billion years. Also evidence of periodic reversals in magnetic polarity of the Earth, or paleomagnetism proves the theory of sea floor spreading.The study of plate tectonics has advanced rapidly over the last 50 years. The advent of sophisticated oceanographic instruments has made the inaccessible regions easy to access. The easiest method of sampling sea floor includes coring using a long metal pipe weighted at the top. Gravity covers collects samples of sea floor sediments. There are machines that allow scientists to submerge beneath the water and observe the sea floor. Submersibles can carry up to a 5-person crew at a time.Most of these submersibles are geared with high frequency cameras, lights, mechanical arms for collectio n of samples, temperature measurers and other electromagnetic tools. Information regarding the sedimentation of the bedrocks can be obtained by shipboard gravimeters that can measure rock density and magnetometers, which measure the magnetic properties. Reflection of sound waves is used in seismic service and help in getting information about submarine topography and the thickness and folding and faulting of rocks covered with sediments.Seismic surveys are particularly helpful for finding out oil and gas deposits. Seismic surveys can be done by high voltage sparks, mechanical clappers or electronic pulse to create a spectrum of sonar frequencies. The Fundy Basin on Atlantic coast between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is where the oldest ocean sediments can be found. References: xpubs. vsgs. gov/gip/dynamic/historical. html Wikipedia Glomar Challenger Wikipedia Mid Atlantic Ridge Answers. com

222#5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

222#5 - Assignment Example In some cases temperatures were seen to rise above 100 degrees in summer (the Texas tribune). An increased number of inmates also adds pressure to the already under paid and overworked correctional officers. Thus they have to work longer hours with the minimal pay and this leads to turnover or the conducting illegal businesses in prison. High turnover presents a couple of challenges to the correctional facilities. In a research done on turnover, high turnover in newly employed staff showed that the resources used in recruiting and training the staff do not produce the required returns. Therefore, this results to fewer resources required to promote other staff retention and betterment of inmate programs. Available officers therefore end up working overtime which further translates to fatigue and burn out. In a report by Oklahoma watch, prison staff have been reported to be involved in car accidents due to fatigue (watch). The major step needed to be taken is increase of the personnel wages. This will act as a motivator and less will be forced to turnover. This step should be followed by improvement of the working conditions, air conditioning, better housing and reduced overtime. Reducing the number of inmates is also key. This can be done by moving small crime inmates to community rehabilitation centres instead of placing them in correctional facilities. This will reduce the number of inmates to be supervised by one officer. The Texas Tribune,. Prison Officials Seek Ways To Recruit, Retain Officers, By Brandi Grissom. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Apr.

Wireless Network Active Attacks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless Network Active Attacks - Essay Example The best solution to this problem is RF proofing the nearby atmosphere. The use of Wireless technologies is increasing rapidly and Wireless technology is much admired. So companies are exchanging their usual wired networks with wireless - even for non-mobile functions. There have been several warnings from security advisors regarding wireless protocols, Especially for WEP, being disgustingly insecure. Unauthorized access to wireless network can occur from different ways for example, when a user turns on a computer and it latches on to a wireless admittance point from a neighboring company’s overlapping network, the user may not even know that this has occurred. But, it is a security violate in that proprietary company information is exposed and now there could exist a link from one company to the other. A denial-of-service attack is an effort to make computer resources unavailable to its intended users. It is the malicious efforts of a persons or number of persons to stop a web site or service from carrying out proficiently or at all. One general way of attack involves saturating the target machine with external communications requests, such that it cannot react to legitimate traffic, or responds so slowly as to be rendered effectively unavailable. It normally slows down the network performance. For example speed of opening files and closing files slow down. System will also be unable to access any web site. The bandwidth of a router linking the Internet and a local area network may be consumed by DoS. There are also other types of attack that may include a denial of service as a module, but the denial of service may be a part of a larger attack. Illegal utilization of resources may also result in denial of service. For instance, an interloper can use someone’s secret ftp ar ea as a place to store illegal copies of commercial software, overwhelming disk space and generating network

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

Reaction Papers - Essay Example The reader evaluate if his society impacts positively or negatively on the general health of the existing population. In addition the article draws the attention of its reader to existing social factors that may influence the health of both the individual’s and the whole population. Moreover, this article draws concerns on whether it is individual socialization or the whole society’s integration that actually affects the health. Though the article is founded on strong foundations of the role of social networks in influence on health, it should be noted that individuals deal with stress related issues differently. These social supports are important but personal dealing of the situation is much more important. To conclude, this article has very strong arguments that should be considered in the future in order to deal with general health in any given society. It advocates for special emphasis in natural social interventions rather than depending on social support groups. Secondly, the article calls for various social environment interventions, like; increased social support within the existing social networks and, cutting on negative interactions (Cohen 676-682). This article, by Michael Lowe, is a critique to the existing weight loss programs in developed counties. Michael observes that these programs are founded on the equipotential intervention bases. As such they are short lived and therefore those engaged in such programs regain the weight lost in due course. The article consequently advances the need to utilize self-regulation methods as the appropriate means of achieving a stable degree of weight controls by individuals and the society as a whole. This article has a good base for its argument since it is only through behavioral checks that individuals can maintain a stable weight (Lowe 45s-59s). The study is developed from observations on the trends of obesity over the past decades. Further, this study considers various

A project is a complex, non-routine, one time effort limited by time, Essay

A project is a complex, non-routine, one time effort limited by time, budget, resources and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs Gray CF & Larson EW - Essay Example If there is a defined process, then standardisation is not a problem. In every software project, standard processes are employed and therefore, these can be standardised. For instance, PMI has created global standards of excellence for project management and so has National Competency Standards for Project Management (NCSPM 2007). Most of these standards are produced on an overall requirement and performance of people across the world. These might not be the ones that one might be able to adapt to their companies. Instead, a standard can be created based on the performance of the company's employees for their own internal requirement. This would ensure that the standards are more attainable and the same can be compared later with the global standards set by others. 2. The primary purpose of project management is to ensure that the customer requirements are met within the budgeted time and cost, in addition to the resources and performance specifications. While this is the target that the project manager would try to meet, there could always be issues which have to be countered by him. The time budget is drawn with the requirement of the customer in mind. The plan for the entire project in terms of time required will be drawn only on the basis of the requirements that the customer brings up. May be the customer or the company's management might bring up a time control in the plan which might make the project manager to recast the plan she has drawn. The time control and the requirements of the customer together will decide on the nature of resources that will be required for the company. Based on the resources that the project manager will employ to meet the requirements and the time limits, the costing budget is drawn. The performance specific ations will be the measure to judge how efficiently the team worked to deliver what was expected out of it, which is nothing but the customer requirements. Therefore, the entire requirements of the customer is the starting point and therefore, when the project manager meets her time schedule, resources, budget and the performance specifications, there will not be any issue in meeting the customer requirements. 3. The time, budget, resources and performance specifications are neither complementary nor competing demands. They are interrelated but not necessarily complementing one another. For instance, the planned time for a project and the constraint of time is related to the resources and the budget. When the resources in the project are increased, there will be a reduction in the time required. Not necessarily a standard mathematical relationship. The reduction may not be proportional to the resources that were employed. The same way, an increase in the time keeping the resources constant will escalate the budget. There could clear relationship between the time, resource and the budget. However, the time increase itself could have been the result of reduced resource availability. In case of performance specifications, these are only measures of the rest of the parameters that make up the project. The project performance ratings that are normally done will be calculated out of the time, bu dget, all resources or specific resources, multiple jobs and then

Online and Traditional Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online and Traditional Education - Essay Example Today, people are living in an era that is characterized by convenience. Technology and time have provided individuals, who were previously incapable of gaining access to graduate or undergraduate degree programs because of family responsibilities and time restrictions. A program used to take more approximately four years for students to complete traditional colleges. Today, it is possible to complete the course in about two years based on the benefits affiliated with short durations in class. Nonetheless, this does not mean that online education for campus residents will go away. Since traditional classrooms provide opportunities for teachers and learners to interact in line with a plethora of other, vital benefits result from students pursuing traditional education. This means that there is still a need for traditional education. For instance, research has revealed that students that embark on one-on-one interaction with other students and their teachers tend to portray more balanc e academically compared to their online colleagues. This serves as one of the major reasons as to why employers still prefer those students with traditional college qualifications (Bird). Certain differences exist between traditional and online education. For instance, all students tend to adopt their learning processes differently. Hence, with the rapid advancing technology today, the question does not target taking classes online, but the ideal ways of implementing them, classrooms provide opportunities.

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Extra Credit - Essay Example With the carbon emission levels this was a brilliant idea by Schofield Honda. The cars’ intended audience was the youth but surprisingly the first buyers turned out to be just â€Å"young† at heart. Lee Lindquist, an alternative fuels specialist at Schofield Honda in Wichita, Kansas. His love for technology, Research and Environment pushed him to make great differences at his work. He discovered that Honda Civic GX was the greenest model available for sale in the United States then. He couldn’t believe the car had been in market for over ten years and the market response was not that impressing. The main challenge being lack of natural gas fueling stations. The cost of purchasing and installing individual fueling stations for home use, the company however grounded a perfect chance to launch the green car to the public. Following the rising fuel costs in Europe, the car initially purposed to curb carbon emissions found another mission. This time it was in Europe, fuel costs here were on a drastic rise therefore Lee saw it wise to sell the vehicles to Europe to combat the rising fuel costs and this was a success. Lee advised, Schofield, the managing director at Schofield Honda to donate a Civic GX and a fueling station in the Tornado Hit Greensburg Greentown, the organization set up to educate the town’s residents about green building methods and products. The media attention surrounding Greensburg pushed Schofield to open up for Lee’s idea. Greensburg residents together with the whole country were able to know of Honda’s efforts in Environmental conservation. Just as Schofield said, â€Å"Business involves investment in change† he did invest in change and has no regrets about it, though he admits to having doubts at first. Ever since the Donation, Schofield Honda’s customers have expressed more interest in hybrid cars and the Donation to Greensburg presented good Public relation to

The perfect aspect of the English language Research Paper

The perfect aspect of the English language - Research Paper Example The research took a total of five sources to come up with its findings. Below is a brief description of the five sources. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax is an online journal that talks about the principles and procedures by which English sentences are constructed. Noam Chomsky is the person responsible for coming up with the journal. Bidirectional Interpretation of Tense and Aspect is also an online journal that describes an application of theory of contextual interpretation of English tense and aspect. Stephen Pulman and James Thomas are responsible for coming up with the journal. Grammatical Aspect in English and Kurdish is a journal regarding the formal properties of English language. The journal states that English aspects refer to tenses and moods in the English language. The journal was written by Saza Ahmed Fakhrie. Understanding English Language Learners’ is also an online journal that talks of the aspects of the English language. Alicja Rieger is the person responsib le for writing the journal. Aspect in English, on the other hand, is a book that presents a precise approach to one of the most contentious problems in English. According to the book, aspect is the result of a faint and complex interaction between nouns in a sentence and the referents of verbs. In linguistics, the perfect refers to a blend of aspect and tense. Grammar or perfect calls a viewer’s attention to the consequences, at some moment of perception, caused by a prior condition, rather than just to the condition itself. The moment of perception is set by the tense of the helping verb (Smith 4). The aspect and the tense are usually combined into a sole tense-aspect form. This is the past perfect also referred to as the pluperfect, the present perfect, or the future perfect (Thomas 2). The perfect is different from the perfective that marks a condition as a single event, with no inner structure. An English sentence in the perfect aspect cannot be in the perfective. The perfect can talk about events in the past that have been completed, for instance â€Å"He has already taken his dinner†. The perfect can also talk about events that are continuous, for instance â€Å"He had been working on this story for a whole year† as well as â€Å"He has composed operas for two decades†. All these sentences are described by continual relevance to the narrator at the moment of perspective. The perfect contrasts with the prospective. The prospective encodes an anticipation of a future event or present relevance event. The perfect is a relatively uniform group of cross-linguists. However, its relation to the experiential and resultative aspects is difficult. The last two are not simply limited cases of the perfect. The perfect in English is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb "to have" and adding the verb's past tense form. Doing words in the perfect tense can be in the passive active or voice. Active verbs join "to have" with the past tense form of the main verb ‘have done’, for example, "they have done loads of work". Passive verbs in the perfect needs at least two past participle verb forms that are "been", the past participle of "to be", as well as the past tense of the main verb "has been seen". For instance, "Allan has been seen by the physician". The joining of the verb "to have" establishes the tense of the overall construction. These can be concluded as â€Å"

Consider the impact Essay Example for Free

Consider the impact Essay In the poem Afternoons by Philip Larkin the closing lines are an effective conclusion top the poem as a whole. The closing lines conclude the fact that young mothers are being repressed by society and that they are being forced into a dull joyless life. Afternoons is based around young mothers looking after their children. The pressures of society have forced them into marrying young and having children. Due to this they have lost all the joy in their lives and are settling down into a dull meaningless life. The closing lines of afternoons state that Something is pushing them To the side of their own lives This effectively concludes the poem as it refers closely to the poems main theme which is developed throughout the poem. The last lines sum up the fact that the pressures of society have forced the mothers into the dull lives that they are currently living. The idea that the young mothers have lost their lives is developed through the whole of the poem. It is effectively introduced in the opening lines of the poem where the poet states Summer is fading Leaves fall in ones and twos, from Trees bordering the recreation ground Summer is a metaphor for the lives of the young mothers which are fading away. Summer is the high point in the mothers lives which is quickly becoming merely a memory. The leaves are symbolic of the mothers. They have lost all colour and vitality in their lives and are fading away just like a leaf when it falls off a tree. The idea that the mothers are living a dull life is continued when the poet says In the hollows of afternoons Young mothers assemble At swing and Sandpit Setting free their children The fact that the afternoons are hollow to the mothers tells us how empty their lives have become. The word Assemble suggests that the young mothers dont enjoy what they are doing. Taking their children to the play park is a chore to the mothers and they have little joy doing so. The fact that they are setting free their children shows us that they are focusing entirely on them. They are not wanting the childrens lives to turn out like theirs did. They are giving them some joy in their lives. The idea that the mothers are expected to look after their children is clarified when the poet says Behind them at intervals Stand husbands in skilled trades The fact that their husbands are standing behind them tells us that they are not wanting to get involved with the children. The husbands are leaving the job of looking after their children on the mothers. The husbands expect the young mothers to look after the children entirely on their own. The play is set in the 60s in a time where young mothers were expected to devote all their attention to their husbands and children and forget about themselves. Society expected this of them and so do the husbands. The fact that the husbands are in skilled trades highlights that they themselves live relatively interesting lives. This is in sharp contrast to the dull, joyless lives that their wives have and helps emphasise the powers of the expectations of society. The main point that the mothers lives have changed is further shown when the poet says that the albums labelled Our Wedding are lying near the television . The juxtaposition between the wedding albums, symbolising the best day of the mothers lives and the fact that they are lying near the television symbolising passiveness and routine helps emphasise the extent in which the young mothers lives have changed. Their lives have clearly gone downhill form the wedding day and they are stuck in their boring, monotonous lives with little hope of things changing. The theme that the young womens lives have changed for the worse is finalised when the poet says Before them the wind is ruining their courting places, that are still courting places but the lovers are all in school The wind is symbolic of a force for change which in this case is the pressures of society. The fact that the courting places have been ruined helps highlight how the mothers lives have changed in a relatively short time. The idea that they are still occupied helps show the cycle within the era of women leaving school marrying and having children at as young age. This helps highlight the pressure of society that are forever bearing. The children are following the same path that the young mothers led and will soon turn out just like them. As you can clearly see the final lines something is pushing them to the side of their own lives is a very effective conclusion to the passage as a whole. The closing lines help clarify that the main reason for the mothers unhappiness is due to the expectation of society that have forced them into marrying young and having a family. The main ideas of the poem are effectively conveyed throughout and are very effectively concluded with the ending lines.

Online Banking Essay Example for Free

Online Banking Essay 1. Introduction Background As the developing of the technology, the Banking had large change, it is necessary to study how to use ATM of Online Banking to keep and management our property. John Shepherd-Barron had invented the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in 1967s, the ATM becomes the most important equipment in people’s life after 40 years, and there are about 403,000 ATMs in the U.S (Katharine, 2009). It can say that many people are using it everyday, like save money, and draw money or some transaction money, so the how to avoid and reduce the risk of ATM become more important than others activity, recently, the crime about the ATM increase rapidly, like copy the card information to steal money at ATM, cash trapping and other ATM scam were cost  £29. 3million last year in the UK (Emma Reynolds, 2012). The second problem is the emergency about the bank system, like server shut down with out omen, which will make serious effect to human life (European ATM Security Fraud Prevention). This part provides a critique of the literature of the ATM Bank System. The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in 1967s and becomes the most important equipment in people’s life after 40 years, there are about 403,000 ATMs in the U.S (Katharine Gammon, 2009). I choose this topic because using bank system is very important activity in our life, we are overseas student in the UK and we must management our property safely, so I think young people is likely to contribute to this topic. 2. What are the negative effect of ATM Banking Online 2. 1 Risk of ATM In the ‘ATM Threat and Risk Mitigation’ (Frank D, N.D), the author focus on the all kinds of crimes about the ATM, for example stolen or swindle with ATM, introduce the ATM Security in detail and analysis the development of sale transactions, at last author gives some suggestion to readers how to protect own account and create some ideas for Bank how to complete the ATM Systems perfect. The literature describe how steal the information of costumers’ bank card and how to use these information to copy a card to steal the money also, in conclusion, do not use the ATM which looks suspicious and report to Bank. The literature provides very important information about how to avoid to lose money in ATM. 2. 2 Risk of Bank Online The second literature is ‘Risk Management Principles for Electronic Banking’ Electronic Banking (Basel C, 2003), this is a book which focus on the risk of online banking and this is a group work, there are many people to finish this literature together. I think this is a very good book because author use many example to explain and discuss the risk management principles. In this literature author explain and disuse the challenge of the Online Banking (E-Banking or Internet Transport). Base on the example of Electronic Banking Group (EBG) to describe the 14 risk management principles of electronic banking (Basel C. 2003). This book lists some challenge of the Online Banking: †¢ The innovation of electronic banking skill and customers sever are change rapidly. †¢ The electronic banking more deepens on information technology, so make the process more complicated. †¢ It is base on the Internet; the visitors come from all over the world, so it maybe produces many security issues of system †¢ The author lists the relevant solution: †¢ Effective management from the bank †¢ Building a comprehensive control process †¢ Investigate and supervise the process of relationships. The literature providers some good measures for Bank to reduce the risk of Online Banking (Emma R, 2012). 3. New ATM innovations Nowadays, the technology of ATM develops to a high level, it can realize many useful functions, however, the requirement always can not be content, that encourage people to create new ATM. A technology will be tested in India. ‘In the wake of increasing instances of fraudulent money withdrawals from ATMs in Chandigarh and Panchkula, the security agencies are in the process of conducting tests on the new safety equipment likely to be installed in ATMs in the near future’ said by Khushboo Sandhu (a leading Columnist associated with The Indian Express) in 2010. That means, we do not need bank card anymore, just use the scanner to affirm the costumer (Thorsten, 2012), that will reduce the process time and make process safe, because it is very hard to copy biological information. 4. Analysis and Synthesis The ATM and Banking online system were invented by human, so it must be have many regrets, it must have many risks during the processing. Frank and Basel(2003) had explained some typical risks in the bank system and gave some advise of solution, however, there are always new problems will appear in the future. These problems will become the new challenge of the bank system in Thorsten’s (2012) viewpoint. Maybe this is too professional to students, however , how to choose a suitable bank is significant for the international students.

US Immigration Policy and Reforms Analysis

US Immigration Policy and Reforms Analysis The topic of illegal immigration has been an issue for debate with lawmakers, the President, member of congress and America as a whole for the past several years. In very general terms, illegal immigrants are people, primarily from Mexico and Central America who illegally cross over the border into the United States. These men and women of all ages are not fleeing their homeland because of repression, harsh dictatorships, genocide, civil wars or religious persecution; however, they are crossing over the American border primarily for economic reasons. These individuals are coming to the United States in seek of a better lifestyle. They want to make more money to help support their families both here in America and back in their home country. They are fleeing oppression, chronic unemployment, poverty, and little or no opportunities in their homelands. As unfortunate it is, the law stands between their desire to live and work in the United States. Strict policy is needed to prevent these immigrants from coming into the United States illegally. Otherwise the consequence will be massive illegal settlements in this U.S. Since the early 1800s, immigration has been both a crucial component of Americas growth and a periodic source of conflict. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt said, â€Å"we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.† He went on to say, â€Å"This is predicated on the person becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isnt an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag! We have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people,† (Little, 2006). Its been seen over the past decade that the national debate over illegal immigration has grown. This displays a widespread belief that previous immigration control laws have failed and are continuing to. For example, despite a 1986 federal law that created penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers or illegal immigrants knowingly, businesses continued to do so. President George W. Bushs new strategy had taken form. Instead of his earlier emphasis on finding a way for U.S. businesses to continue employing illegal immigrants on a temporary basis, he now spoke of preventing such undocumented workers or illegal immigrants from ever entering the United States to begin with. â€Å"Weve got a comprehensive strategy that says were going to enforce this border. Were going to prevent people from coming here in the first place,† (Furlong and Kraft 2007, 121). President Bushs new strategy came as Congress prepared to consider legislation that addressed border security and immigration. Unfortunately because the Presidents standing in public opinion polls was so low and conservatives in his own party wanted a different approach, he had few choices but to change his policys direction. Democrats have accused the President of delaying action on immigration reform for far too long. Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts said, â€Å"It is time for President Bush to resist those on the right who rely on fear tactics to prevent our broken system from being fixed†. â€Å"True immigration reform† would have to be more comprehensive and more realistic than the Presidents proposals, he added, â€Å"strengthening our security while bringing an underground economy above ground,† (Furlong and Kraft 2007, 121). In 2005 the number of illegal immigrants in the United States rose dramatically to well over ten million people and was growing rapidly, at an estimate of a half a million people each year. According to Fred Elbel of the Department of Homeland Security, as of November 10, 2007 there was an estimated 34,094,840 illegal aliens in the United States. Since January 1, 2007, 3,134,840 illegal aliens have made their way over the border and into the United States, (Elbel, 2007). The western and southern part of America has seen the biggest influx of immigrants. Among a vast spectrum of other concerns, policy makers focus on the high cost to the states that are providing education and medical care for undocumented workers and their families. Some worry that a high rate of illegal immigrants suggests that the United States borders are without the needed security that is essential to prevent entry from potential terrorists. However, some, particularly business owners, are inclined to minimize the problem. They believe that the health of the U.S. economy is dependent on immigrant workers and they argue that the economy would suffer without the contribution of illegal immigrants. Some disagree and argue that the economic benefits from illegal immigrants working in America only helps their home economy. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that ten percent of restaurant workers in the U.S., twenty-five percent of domestic help in private households, and nearly sixty percent of agricultural workers are in the country illegally. Also statistics show that fifty-six percent of illegal immigrants in the United States come north primarily from Mexico to supply thousands of U.S. employers and farmers with low-skilled workers. A completely hypothetical way of viewing illegal immigration is to think of the United States like a homeowner who went for a long walk and left their garage door open. Inside the garage is a new car, a wallet, a cellular phone, and a suitcase full of money. Another man, destitute of money and with little or no hope of positive opportunity, walks past the garage and notices that its door is open and unattended. He has a family who needs food and he himself has been unemployed for several months. He decides to enter the garage. No one noticed him enter. He found the new car, the wallet, the cellular phone and the suitcase full of money. Without hesitation, he takes the wallet and the suitcase and quickly disappears and enjoys what he took without permission. To make himself feel better, he tells himself that he only went into the garage and took what he did because he needed to feed his family and because he was down on his luck. He did not hurt anyone in the process and he figures that the homeowner can always file a claim with his insurance company to get back what was taken. When the homeowner returns from his walk, he notices that he has been robbed and files a report with the local police department. The police in turn tell him that there is nothing they can do since there were no witnesses. The police suggest that the homeowner lock up his garage the next time he goes for a long walk to prevent another illegal entry and robbery. Some would argue that the man who left his garage door open is at fault, others would say it was the intruder who stole the property, and some would say its both their faults. Was the one man a thief for entering the garage without permission and the homeowner careless for leaving the garage door open and unattended? Traditional law states that the intruder is a thief and common sense says that the homeowner was careless in failing to protect his assets from potential intruders. Did the homeowner deserve to be robbed because he left his garage door open? Some would say yes because he was careless. On the other hand the robber who walked away with the homeowners valuables committed a crime. If he was caught, tried and convicted, he could face fines and possibly some time in jail. Some people would look at from the perspective that the robber did what he did to feed his family and pay for his basic necessities. He only stole to help his family survive. He views it as something honorable because he provided for his family. In this hypothetical scenario, the fact that the homeowner left his garage door open and easily accessible to thieves does not give them permission for someone to trespass into his property and steal his valuables solely because they were just there. Regardless of the thiefs reasoning for taking someone elses private property, stealing is stealing no matter how it is rationalized. Similarly, illegal immigration may solve financial challenges faced by the growing millions of illegal aliens who are in the United States to work and improve their lives. Yet, no matter how a person looks at it, illegal entry is still just that, â€Å"illegal.† Jobs are taken from those who are rightfully entitles to them. It is not legal, moral, or ethically right to enter the country illegally and benefit from opportunities that were primarily designed for legal residents and citizens. The reasons why millions of people enter the United States illegally does not make it correct to break the law and disregard the sovereignty of the United States. Breaking the law is not justifiable because illegal immigrants want to take advantage of jobs, provide for their family, escape poverty, receive medical care, public education, and much more. As harsh as it is, illegal immigrants are not entitled to the freedom which were primarily designed for those who are in the country by birthright or legal residency status. The belief that it is socially acceptable to break the law as long as a persons reasoning is with good intentions is flawed. A person cannot take advantage of someones benefits because they need to. Immigrating to America legally, whether or not it is easy, is praiseworthy. Breaking they law and crossing the border illegally is not. The punishment should fit the crime. A person should not leave their garage door open if they value what they own and would-be intruders should learn that just because they garage door is open, it does not give them the right to walk in and take what they need. It is seen very often that desperate people do not care much about right and wrong or the law for that matter. Desperation often causes people to rationalize and justify all types of illegal activities. Illegal entry into the United States to work has been allowed to become a complex issue but this is not an unsolvable problem. The United States would be off to a good start if the government imposed hefty fines on employers who knowingly and unknowingly hire illegal immigrants or undocumented workers for labor. The loophole in the current law conveniently allows employers to look the other way and claim that they are not able to verify the authenticity of documents that their workers provide. Millions of people steal social security numbers from American citizens and get away with it. They in turn enjoy many of the same things honest people work for. While illegal immigrants only make up about five percent of the United States work force, they are quickly being noticed in non-traditional areas immigrant to settle. Areas like these are in the midwest and the south. Undocumented workers and illegal immigrants are willing to work for very low wages by American standards. This has caused political turmoil in these new areas where immigration had little or no presence before. â€Å"Immigration is now a national phenomenon is a way that was less true a decade ago,† (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 341). Mark Krikorian, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Immigration Studies said, â€Å"In places like Georgia and Alabama, which had little experience with immigration before, people are experiencing it firsthand.† The beginning of any policy study involves a description of the problem. Obviously the problem is illegal immigration and unfortunately only a select few legislators are taking measures to fix the problem. The former Mayor of New York City and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani, has a firm stance of illegal immigration. He stated that â€Å"real immigration reform must put security first because border security and homeland security are inseparable in the Terrorists War on Us. The first responsibility of the federal government is to protect our citizens by controlling Americas borders, while ending illegal immigration and identifying every non-citizen in our nation. We must restore integrity, accountability, and the rule of law to our immigration system to regain the faith of the American people,† (Giuliani, 2007). The Governor of New Mexico and also Presidential candidate, Bill Richardson, has similar feelings about immigration reform as Giuliani. â€Å"As a Hispanic-American, and Governor of a border state, I know that our nation can no longer afford to ignore the issue of illegal immigration. Undocumented immigrants have broken the law to enter our country, but they are here – and most of them work hard, pay taxes, support families, and contribute to the communities they live in. Entire sectors of our economy rely on these laborers -construction, restaurants, and agricultural, for example. We cant just ignore this issue any longer. Splitting up families, building walls, and making impractical proclamations is not the answer. America needs to solve the problem, not tear itself apart over it,† (Richardson, 2007). He believes in recognizing the reality of the immigration problem and addressing it head-on. He has a plan to solve it by taking four realistic steps. First, secure the border. Second, increase legal immigration. Third, prevent employers from hiring illegal workers. Lastly, provide a path to legislation for most of the eleven million illegal immigrants already here. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., of Wisconsin, created the Real ID bill. This requires proof of citizenship or legal status in the United States in order to get a drivers license. This bill was signed into law in May 2005 and will take effect in May 2008. â€Å"We will never have homeland security if we dont have border security,† (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 341). Sensenbrenners reform means blocking states from issuing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, imposing new restrictions on asylum seekers, and finishing a border fence near San Diego, California. The debate of immigration has divided the Republican Party. The Republican controlled House of Representatives passed H.R. 4437 in December 2005. This is a measure that contained procedures for securing the borders, harsher penalties for people assisting illegal migration into the United States and provisions for deporting illegal aliens that are already here, (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 343). The proposed legislation does not provide for a guest worker program or any form of amnesty for illegal workers. â€Å"The borders are out of control,† says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing ten thousand border officers. He said that the patrol catches no more than a third of illegal aliens crossing the border. â€Å"We have a situation where business is controlling our immigration policy rather than sound decisions that take into account all the factors, including homeland security,† (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 344). The government has almost stopped enforcing sanctions approved in 1986 on employers who hire illegal immigrants. According to Mary Dougherty, an immigration statistician at the Department of Homeland Security, in 2003 the agency levied only $9,300.00 in fines against employers. Time also reported in 2004 that the number of fines imposed on employers dropped ninety-nine percent during the 1990s from 1,063 in 1992 to 13 in 2002, (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 345). While there are many ideas and strongly differing views on what to do about illegal immigration, the government must recognize that any program that rewards illegal aliens who have broken the laws of the United States with citizenship is undeserved and unwarranted amnesty. Illegal immigration must be treated much like a broken water pipe. When a water pipe breaks, the very first thing that must be done is have the water shut off and then the mess is cleaned up. This is common sense that most in the government seem to be missing. This requires two different set of actions. First, slowing down and eventually preventing all illegal border-crossings and then making it harder for existing illegal immigrants to live in the US while simultaneously encouraging many to go home as well as deporting others. Doctors at The Heritage Foundation are quoted as saying, Immigration reform should be a matter of national priority. To be successful, reforms must include a comprehensive package of measures to reduce illegal entry into the United States as well as to reduce the current population of unlawfully present persons. The cornerstone of any such initiative must be a fair and practical program for repatriating foreign persons who are illegally present in the United States, (Carafano, Meese III, Spalding, 2005). For the sake of national security, the rule of law, and responsible immigration policy, Congress and the President must move towards reducing the number of people who are illegally in the United States. Immigration reform must not encourage this problem. In particular, any new initiative must not grant permission, as a matter of policy, for illegal immigrants to remain legally in the country. Such a program would undermine the credibility of efforts not only to control Americas borders, but also to advance reasonable legal immigration reform. A better alternative would be for policymakers to create a comprehensive solution that brings better national security. Part of this solution should be a realistic and reasonable program to assist illegal immigrants in returning to their homelands before applying for legal reentry to the United States. What the United States needs is a comprehensive strategy that reverses decades of ignoring, indeed encouraging, the disregard of requirements for legally entering and lawfully residing in this country. A better strategy would be to get the cooperation of federal, state, and local governments and non-governmental organizations to all work together. Laws need to be enforced within the United States, including identity theft,, prosecuting benefits fraud, tax evasion, and immigration violations. Also, America should work with other nations to enforce laws, to educate their citizens, and to develop more desirable legal alternatives for undocumented workers. The government must help other nations to adopt sound governance and economic policies that will promote growth in their economies and negate the need for citizens to take low-paying jobs in the United States. It has been made very clear that America does not want to anger other countries with border security and that most people cannot tell the difference between illegal invasion to work and legal immigration. It should then be up to the individual states to develop internal methods to prevent abuse of tax-based resources. States should not provide any form of preferential treatment towards individuals who break federal laws, even if they work and pay taxes. This may be justifiable in their minds but the fact remains that they are still in the country illegally. The government needs to also help the private sector by teaching employers how to identify legal workers quickly and easily at a reasonable cost and in a manner that respects individuals rights and privacy but at the same time identify the illegal ones through a national identification system, similar to the one crated by Sensenbrenners, The Real ID Act. The government should also implement a central document verification agency to pre-screen all employment applications and issue approval forms and identification photos to prospective employees. While at the current rate the government will never have an efficient wall to block out illegal immigrants. It is up to the individual states to create internal security measures to prevent budgetary and financial abuses caused by the growing illegal population. President Bush and a bipartisan group of ten senators announced an agreement on May 17, 2007, on a comprehensive, compromise plan to tighten border security and address the future of Americas twelve million illegal immigrants. â€Å"The agreement reached today is one that will help enforce our borders,† Bush said. â€Å"But equally importantly, it will treat people with respect. This is a bill where people who live in our country will be treated without amnesty, but without animosity.† Senator Kennedy said, â€Å"The plan isnt perfect, but only a bipartisan bill will become law,† (Greenblatt, Katel, Marshall 2007, 357). The agreement would grant temporary legal status to almost all illegal immigrants, giving then the right to apply for residence visas and citizenship through a lengthy process. Illegal immigrants would have to wait for eight years before applying for permanent resident status, pay fines of up to $5,000.00 and, heads of households would be forced to leave the country and reenter legally. Are these signs of positive actions to be taken toward illegal immigrants? Over the next few years will America see a reduction in the number of illegal immigrants and an increase in the applications for legal immigrants? American surely hopes so. Only time will tell what actions will truly be taken by the American government in response to the increasing number of illegal immigrants crossing its borders. Bibliography Carafano, James Jay, Edwin Meese III and Matthew Spalding. 2005. â€Å"Alternatives to Amnesty: Proposals for Fair and Effective Immigration Reform.† The Heritage Foundation. http://www.heritage.org/Research/LegalIssues/bg18588.cfm. (10 November 2007). Elbel, Fred. 2007. â€Å"How many illegal aliens are in the U.S.? Refernce..† The American Resistance. http://the americanresistance.com/ref/illegal_alien_numbers.html. ( 10 November 2007). Furlong, Scott R. and Michael E. Kraft. 2007.Public Policy: Politics, Analysis and Alternatives. New Jersey. Pearson Prentice Hall. Giuliani, Rudy. 2007. â€Å"12 Commitments To The American People.† JoinRudy2008. http://joinrudy2008.com/getinvolved/emailland.html (10 November 2007). Greenblatt, Alan, Peter Katel and Patrick Marshal. 2007. Issues For Debate: In American Public Policy. 8th Ed.. Washington D.C.. Congressional quarterly Inc.. Little, Dick. 2006. â€Å"Illegal immigrant problem growing.† Paradise Post.com. http://paradisepost.com/columns/ci_468119.html. (10 November 2007). Richardson, Bill. 2007. â€Å"Realistic Immigration Reform.† Richardson for President. http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/content/immigrationreform.html. (10 November 2007).

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba :: Essays Papers

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba On Francesco del Cossa’s Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba The Italian artist, Francesco del Cossa, created an oil painting on a panel during the mid-15th century called Meeting of Solomon and the Queen Sheba. This work is now displayed in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. The plate that identifies the painted tray in the museum explains that this twelve sided tray is a ceremonial tray, most likely in honor of the marriage of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and given to them as a gift. The back of the tray was against the wall but the identification plate noted that two cupid figures with cornucopias and coral necklaces were painted there to symbolize good luck and fertility. The most striking part of this work is the symmetry. The symmetrical architectural structures perfectly centers the palace. The dome of the palace perfectly divides the arch behind it; the highest point of the palace perfectly divides the sky within the main arch. The next most noticeable point of this painting is where the figures of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon stand. They appear to protrude out from the rest of the painting. Each has an out turned foot that comes into the viewer’s space. This aspect and the symmetry make it apparent that the Queen and Solomon are the characters to be focused on. The deep color is very striking, especially the abundance of reds, pinks and purple. It seems very bold, perhaps suggesting the royalty of the subjects. The overcast gray sky is the same color as the dome of Solomon’s palace. Perhaps the dome is supposed to look as if it is made of metal, but it appears to reflect the trouble that is about to storm. The entire painting is almost composed exclusively of shades of red and black, with highlights of blue. The use of color is not realistic, but very symbolic. Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba utilizes many of the techniques that were beginning to be used in painting during the 15th century. The vanishing point lies on the central angelic statue above the arch of Solomon’s throne. The lines created by the checkered floor and the landscape in the background suggest the depth and distance of this image.

Web of Deceit in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- GCSE English Literatur

Web of Deceit in Othello Shakespeare’s Othello portrays a process through which pure evil has an effect on love and morality. The character of Iago twists Othello into killing his wife, and eventually himself, through manipulating Othello’s trust and loyalty. Iago uses the handkerchief as a symbol through which Othello is convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. This handkerchief plays many roles throughout Othello. Because of the importance placed upon this object, the driving force of the play becomes centered on the particular qualities of this handkerchief. In its most important aspect, the handkerchief becomes associated with a kind of web set by Iago, in order to ensnare both Othello and Desdemona. At the beginning of Act II, Iago begins to formulate his plans to bring down Othello. As Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand and welcomes her, Iago says: He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper! With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do! I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.-You say true; ‘tis so, indeed! - If such tricks as these strip you out of you lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft...(II,i L.166-72) In this passage, Iago plans to use Cassio in his plan to destroy Othello. Rather than merely stating his desire to do this, Iago uses imagery based around a spider’s web. By doing so, ideas of creation, self utilization, and entrapment are brought into the plot concerning Othello. Iago likens himself to a spider, who spins a web from his own mind which will trap people, and cause them to serve his own needs. This passage shows the extent to which Iago foresees his own designs. Iago does not take an active role ... ...y, and painful reality. He can no longer trust what he believes, and must follow what he believes "Nature" has told him to do. Because Othello has strong feelings these are the only thing he is certain of feeling, and therefore follows them. This is not a man who remembers what the past has taught him. Othello now looks at the handkerchief as threads woven for the sole purpose of maligning his trust, and his life. He has lost sight of Iago’s manipulating words, in favor of action through anger and retribution. Iago has created a web of lies around Othello to accomplish two things. Othello becomes uprooted from any comfort and security gained from the past by Iago’s lies. After this has been accomplished, this web of lies gives Othello the support he desperately needs. This new dedication, however, orchestrates Othello’s downfall, and Iago’s momentary triumph. Web of Deceit in Shakespeare's Othello Essay -- GCSE English Literatur Web of Deceit in Othello Shakespeare’s Othello portrays a process through which pure evil has an effect on love and morality. The character of Iago twists Othello into killing his wife, and eventually himself, through manipulating Othello’s trust and loyalty. Iago uses the handkerchief as a symbol through which Othello is convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. This handkerchief plays many roles throughout Othello. Because of the importance placed upon this object, the driving force of the play becomes centered on the particular qualities of this handkerchief. In its most important aspect, the handkerchief becomes associated with a kind of web set by Iago, in order to ensnare both Othello and Desdemona. At the beginning of Act II, Iago begins to formulate his plans to bring down Othello. As Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand and welcomes her, Iago says: He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said, whisper! With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do! I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.-You say true; ‘tis so, indeed! - If such tricks as these strip you out of you lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft...(II,i L.166-72) In this passage, Iago plans to use Cassio in his plan to destroy Othello. Rather than merely stating his desire to do this, Iago uses imagery based around a spider’s web. By doing so, ideas of creation, self utilization, and entrapment are brought into the plot concerning Othello. Iago likens himself to a spider, who spins a web from his own mind which will trap people, and cause them to serve his own needs. This passage shows the extent to which Iago foresees his own designs. Iago does not take an active role ... ...y, and painful reality. He can no longer trust what he believes, and must follow what he believes "Nature" has told him to do. Because Othello has strong feelings these are the only thing he is certain of feeling, and therefore follows them. This is not a man who remembers what the past has taught him. Othello now looks at the handkerchief as threads woven for the sole purpose of maligning his trust, and his life. He has lost sight of Iago’s manipulating words, in favor of action through anger and retribution. Iago has created a web of lies around Othello to accomplish two things. Othello becomes uprooted from any comfort and security gained from the past by Iago’s lies. After this has been accomplished, this web of lies gives Othello the support he desperately needs. This new dedication, however, orchestrates Othello’s downfall, and Iago’s momentary triumph.

Historic Preservation: Gentrification or Economic Development :: Free Essays Online

Historic Preservation: Gentrification or Economic Development Historic preservation has traditionally been simply restoring historically significant architectural or geographical sites for aesthetic value or for the benefit of future generations to better understand the ways and styles of the past. As the National Trust for Historic Preservation explains, â€Å"when historic buildings and neighborhoods are torn down or allowed to deteriorate, a part of our past disappears forever. When that happens, we lose history that helps us know who we are, and we lose opportunities to live and work in the kinds of interesting and attractive surroundings that older buildings can provide† (NTHP web site). Recently the use of historic preservation has also begun to be viewed by cities and towns as a means to economic development and urban renewal. According to advocates, historic preservation has aided in local economic and community revitalization, increased tourism and employment, and preserved regional history, culture, and pride. However, historic preservation has often lacked public support due to a negative reputation. Some see it, not as a means to revitalizing local communities, but rather, as simply driving the problems further under the surface or into other areas, namely, as a means to gentrification. This reputation is not entirely unfounded, as there have been instances when gentrification was exactly the intended goal. There is a fundamental dichotomy and tension within economic development policies in general, and specifically with historic preservation, between the need to bring in wealthy residents and new businesses and the likelihood that it will drive out or alienate low to moderate-income local residents. Historic preservation will, of course, not work for every struggling area in the nation, but for those that can use it, alone or in conjunction with other methods of economic development it is important to recognize that the only way to have truly sustainable economic development and not simply economic growth at the expense of local community and quality of life issues is to find a balance between this dichotomy and accommodate all members of a community. Social and Economic Benefits Organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the US department of Housing and Urban Development, and their state and local counterparts are currently emphasizing the benefits of historic preservation as a method of urban revitalization. According to Judith Kremen, Executive Director of the Baltimore County Historical Trust, historic preservation benefits local economies because it: â€Å"creates a

Torture and Ethics

Torture and Ethics Bradley Sexton April 13, 2013 University of Phoenix AJS 512 Dr. Miron Gilbert Torture and Ethics The torturing of human life always has been and always will be unethical, immoral, unjust, and wrong. Torturing enemy combatants or high-value targets does violate standards of morality in the free world. In addition to violating international laws against such practices, torture violates every basic human right. Torture is a form of cruel and unusual punishment by any standard regardless of the end result.Torture of one individual is only justifiable by saving the lives of the many, but that does not make it moral or right. The only ethical theory that justifies torture as moral acceptable is the utilitarianism view. This view should remain in the dark ages where it belongs because it is not an example of the moral standards that exit today. For some people, the thought of torturing one person to save the lives of many sounds like the right idea. The problem with tortu re is the end result is not guaranteed. Under extreme measures people will say whatever it takes to stop the pain.Torturing lowers the moral standards of the people performing the act to the same standards they are fighting against. In the long run this only fuels the enemy's commitment to their cause and makes them stronger. An enemy combatant who is considering volunteering information will not come forward if he or she thinks there is a possibility of torture on the other side. Although it is true that other countries have already used torture on American people, future prisoners of war may receive even worse treatment if the enemy knows their prisoners are undergoing torture.The use of cruel and unusual punishment during interrogation violates human rights and makes any evidence obtained unusable in a court of law. The government and the criminal justice system must observe and follow the same laws they expect society to follow. Laws apply to everyone equally in American society (Evans, 2007). Reasoning, deceiving, and bribing the suspect with rewards will produce more accurate results than torture. The victim of torture under a state of duress and pain may not even think clearly enough to speak the truth.He or she might even think their own lies are truth. Often only the threat of torture against the suspect or their family is enough to convince them to cooperate. The technology available in the modern world makes torture obsolete and unnecessary. The government can easily put together enough proof to make the suspect think he or she is about to undergo torture, or think someone they care about is in custody. Police agencies use deceitful tactics all the time to cause a suspect to make mistakes or tell the truth without resorting to immoral or unethical acts of violence.The results prove to be more accurate than torture and do no harm to the suspect. Considering torture only as a last resort after all other attempts fail is up to the people in charge of t he interrogation in compliance with the law. Regardless of the outcome the actual act of torture is always morally and ethically wrong. Ontological View Torture is not justified under the ontological theory of ethics because it is wrong to cause harm regardless of the consequences. Freewill allows people to make their own decisions about right and wrong and sharing of information.Forcing people against their will to tell the truth or lie is morally wrong under the ontological view. Although even under this view, knowing it is wrong to do so will not stop some people from torturing another if the ends justify the means in their eyes. A father may well be within his right to torture the suspect who kidnapped his child. This does not make the act morally or ethically right for the father but may lead to the safe recovery of his offspring. Society would not hold anything against such an act under the circumstances (Himma, 2009). Deontological ViewTorture is not justified under the deont ological view because the consequences of the actions do not matter. Society considers torture ethically and morally wrong so the deontological view of torture is also wrong regardless of end result. Deontological ethics state that people should always follow their obligations and duty to society. In the case of torture a person's duty and obligation is to uphold the rights of the suspect. Even if the end result saves the lives of thousands of other people torture is still unethical and immoral. This does not stop many governments from performing the act of torture.In any given situation in which many lives are at stake a government will resort to anything that reduces the risks and saves the lives of the many. When human life is at stake, morality, and ethics tend to take a back seat to humanity for all (Souryal, 2007). Utilitarianism View Torture is justified under the utilitarianism view because pleasure for the majority outweighs the pain of the few. Utilitarianism sees pleasure for the most people as justice regardless of the pain this may cause a few people. Torturing enemy combatants and high value targets does not violate standards of morality under the utilitarianism view.Whether this act violates basic human rights is not a concern for utilitarianism as long as it results in happiness for the majority. The problem with this view is that it opens the door to other immoral acts. If torture continues until the suspect is dead without gaining any knowledge that could provide happiness, then the act is immoral. Many innocent people could face torture leading to no results and utilitarianism becomes immoral. Under this justification using humans as guinea pigs for the happiness of the majority is also moral.Causing cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners is moral if the acts deter future crimes. Genocide is moral if the minority population is interfering with the happiness of the majority (Driver, 2009). Natural Law View Torture is not justified under n atural law because the basis of right and wrong is on the act itself not the results. Causing harm to another human for any reason is immoral and wrong under natural law. Humans have moral standards that prevent them from acting like animals in that they do not harm another person to survive. The strongest find another way to survive without harming others.Humans help their fellow man live rather than taking advantage of them. Everyone has equal rights to freedom from persecution in any manner. Even the worst criminals who are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt are free from cruel and unusual punishment. Although this right is granted in the United States Constitution, it began as a natural law. Under natural law the use of any type of physical or mental pain to seek information or the truth is a form of torture and is ethically wrong. Although society may agree with harsh sentences for prisoners, they do not cross the line to unusual punishment (PSU, 2007).Conclusion Even during time s of war against another country the standards of morality in America should not to heed to same immoral acts the enemy has. The moral and ethical standards in America are higher than anywhere else in the world. Torture of any type is never a good idea and rarely produces effects great enough for the ends to justify the means. Any country that condones torture of their enemies eventually will use torture against their own citizens if it fits their agenda. Out of four ethical theories only utilitarianism views the act of torture as justice.In America the utilitarianism view is not the normal view of society in general. Torturing enemy combatants or high value targets does violate the standards of morality in America. Torturing should never be given legal status as there are always other options to choose from that do not violate human rights, ethics, or morality. References Driver, J (2009) â€Å"The History of Utilitarianism†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Edward N. Zalta  (ed. ), URL = .Himma Kenneth (2009) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Philosophy of Law Retrieved on 4-14-2013 from http://www. iep. utm. edu/law-phil/ PSU (2007) Ethics in Criminal Justice components of justice retrieved on 3-31-2013 from https://courses. worldcampus. psu. edu/welcome/crimj465/moral_05. html   Souryal, S. (2007) Ethics in criminal justice: In search of the truth (4th ed. ). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Pub. /LexisNexis. Evans, R (2007) The Ethics of Torture, Human Rights and Human Welfare. Retrieved on 4-13-2013 from http://www. du. edu/korbel/hrhw/volumes/2007/evans-2007. pdf

I’M Afraid of Getting Older

â€Å"I’m Afraid of Getting Older! † Are you afraid of getting older? Are you ready enough to face aging? Most of us think that â€Å"getting older† means having wrinkles, turning of hair color from black to white, receding hairline, visual blurring and a lot more horrifying physical changes in our body. We live in a world that is obsessed with looking young and beautiful. Faced with loss of youth, many of us feel profound fear, loneliness, and regret—which leads to the depressing idea that the best years of our lives are behind us. But, is getting older a truly scary dream visualized by most of the youth nowadays? Actually, getting older is not as frightening as it seems. We should come to understand that getting old and †¦ yes, even dying is all part of life. Nothing stops the march of time. We can't stop it, we can only accept it and be gracious about it. That is what we need to choose, accepting the fact that no one can stay young in his/her lifetime. Life is for living, giving and experiencing – We got to do all and as much to appreciate it. And who says that all of the elders (about the age of 60 and above) are sickly and worthless? There are tons and tons and tons of really healthy, financially stable, elderly people nowadays . It’s just all about the choices you make while you are still young. If you live an incredibly healthy life, make wise decisions with your finances and live life to its fullest while you're young, then its highly likely you'll do just fine in your later years. There are endless things for us to enjoy as we get older. One of this is the pleasure of being a grandparent. No grandparent can ever explain how happy and lucky it is to be one! Just keep in mind that human being is a reflection of The Triune God. We are made in His image in this way. The physical is the least important, so it is at the bottom. Next comes the soul (emotions, will, and mind). At the top is our spiritual. And yet it seems most of the time people are trying to improve the body and the mind! So for the people out there who are worried of aging, just keep in mind that the more you think of getting older, the sooner it gets! 🙂

Islam Studies Jahiliyyah Essay

The essay shall explore the concept of the jahiliyyah and demonstrate the importance and impact it has to understand the origins and development of Islam. The Jahiliyyah is a core and critical part of the foundations of Islam, that certain elements of the jahiliyyah were borrowed, adopted and developed; whilst other elements were discarded as Islam evolved. It is important as aspects of the jahiliyyah period continues to have an influence after the advent of Islam. Elements of the jahiliyyah such as the geographical location; the political, social and religious life; pre-islamic literature, rituals of the Ka’ba and the role of Women have shaped the understanding of Islam. The term ‘Jahiliyyah’ means the period of ignorance or barbarism; reflecting the Arabian culture before the birth of Muhammad(Mvumbi, 2010). The concept reflects the period in which Arabia had no dispensation, no knowledge of Allah or one God and no revealed sacred text (Hitti, 1987). The Jahiliy yah represents a cultural milestone, as Muslims believe they transitioned from an period of ignorance to the period of knowledge and enlightenment (Armstrong, 1991). The religious situation of Jahiliyyah is important to examine in order to understand Islamic monotheism. The religious situation of pre-Islamic shapes one’s understanding of the origins and developments of Islam, as Islam is a civilization, culture and religion. The importance of the concept is because Islam developed and built on a previous Arabian religion. Firstly the understanding the geographical location and characteristics of that period would inform and shape one’s understanding of Islam and culture. The Arabian peninsula is covered with desert and divided in two sectors: the north and the south(Mvumbi, 2010). The geographical characteristics influences the cultural and religious situation.The northern part were a pastoral society and the southern part had permanent settlements such as Yemen and th e Bedouin lifestyle (Mvumbi, 2010). Areas such as Yemen were important because of its advanced civilizations, fertile land and rich agriculture. Most areas were hospitable, rich in food and water, and trades such as spice trades (Hoyland, 2001). The desert created a harsh environment with extreme conditions, the climate varied from north to south influencing people of the time to be nomadic (Brockelman, 1960). The nomadic lifestyle created sub-cultures which led to the diversity of languages. The trade, agriculture and linguistics are central notions that have had significant importance to Islam religion and culture (Goodman, 1999). . For example, it is believed that Muhammad was a trader who stimulated the growth of trade in Mecca (Goodman, 1999). It is strongly believed that Islam and arabian’s spiritual consciousness was born the vastness of the desert, this strongly emphasise why it is important to understand Jahiliyyah as the roots of Islam begin in this period (Mvumbi, 2010). The Arabians within that period believed in religion, were more polytheism focus than the monotheism perspective of today. They believed in deities, these deities were the daughters of Allah, the supreme God (Husayn, 1982). They built temples for their idols in particular at Makka it was the most religious place. These notions of Jahiliyyah reflect Islam; as the Islamic faith was first revealed in Makka and the fact that Arabians had the notion of a supreme one and only God prior to the rise of Islam (Mvumbi, 2010). The surrounding religion such as Judaism and Christianity whom had a monotheistic faith influenced the Arabians and Islam of today. This reinforces that Arabia prior to Islam shared unity of God before Muhammad (Mvumbi, 2010). These key principles demonstrate that Islam was a revival and continuation of Jahiliyyah and this stresses the importance of that concept. Another element of the Jahiliyyah period was the political and social life, such as the Bedouin society. The political structure was tribal based, that consisted of individuals who participated in larger groups (Weissleder, 1978). This tribal aspect reflects the adopted leadership of Muhammad; as tribal rulers were seen as an arbitrator than a ruler (Weissleder, 1978). This political structure influenced the Shura system. The legal system of this period was based on tribal or customary law which influenced the Islamic communities of today(Weissleder, 1978). This element reinforces why Jahiliyyah period shaped the origins and understanding of Islam. Similarly the social integration of pre-Islamic shapes our understanding of Islam. The no tion of social integration developed within the Byzantine and Sassanic period (Hoyland, 2001). The Sassanic dynasty influenced the Islamic administrative system, it was also the aftermath of the competition dwelling between the two dynasties (Hoyland, 2001). Although these dynasties were competitive they shared a common values such as being imperialists and harmony (Hoyland, 2001). The imperial commercial network meant that the leaders had to negotiate and political rapports were created with the empires and harmony prevailed. The Bedouins became the foundational symbol of Arab nationhood identity (Hoyland, 2001). They became the nationhood identity through their significant oral transmitted poetry and written Arabic literature, which became the basis and core language and humanity of Islam (Hoyland, 2001). The pre-Islamic poetry was very fine and unique, it became the linguistic standard of the interpretations of the Qu’ran. It is noted that the pre-Islamic poetry was a central aspect of tribal humanism and in a sense contributed to Islamic humanism (Hoyland, 2001). This once again support that the pre-Islamic period intertwines with key principles of Islam and shapes one’s understanding that Islam adopted foundational principles. Along with the highly praise Arabic poetry and language, is the adopted style of language such as Saj of Kuhhan. The rhyming structure a distinguishing feature of Saj became Arabic prose (Hoyland, 2001). The style of Saj is evident within the Qu’ran, by understanding the style one may understand the socio-cultural context that this emerged from; as well as how the pre-Islamic language has been adopted by Islam. Another adopted principle of the pre-Islamic period was the role of the Ka’ba and religious practices. It is important to explore the rituals of the Jahiliyyah concept to notice the similarities, adoptations and continuation of principles that is reflected in Islam. For example, during the Jahiliyyah, there was sacred truce period to the Ka’ba which occurred for three months, the annual pilgramage which is now the ritual of the Hajj for Muslims (Armstrong, 1999). The only other difference of the role of the Ka’ba was during that time within the Ka’ba there was three hundred and sixty idols of worship within the Ka’ba (Armstrong, 1999). The practice of Islam such as fasting could be reflected in the pre-Islamic practices however it was the exclusion of hunting and sexual activity (Armstrong, 1999). So rituals that were practiced throughout the pre-Islamic period were adopted and integrated into Islam. By examining these rituals it reinforces the importance of understanding the pre-Islamic period. By understanding the concept of Jahiliyyah one would understand the continuity, the improvements and changes of principles demonstrated within Islam. These changes, adaptation can be viewed through the ideals of women and marriage within the pre-islamic period and the ideals of women and marriage in Islam. For example, pre-Islamic period; endogamy, polygamy and polyandry were common. Whereas, Qu’ranic revelations indicates the focus on polygamy rather than polyandry; however it was revealed at the time where the socio-context had increased numbers of widows. Similarly, the idea of an temporary marriage, this within pre-Islamic period was instigated by a woman; however in the Shiite practice it is only permissible by the man. This notion parallels with divorce, women were allowed to dismiss their husbands; however with the Shari’s women are disadvantaged when in attempt to divorce. The gender inequality is reflect in women’s roles as well. Women in pre-Islamic period were given a status, they were involved in divination and had a religious function; they also had the status of entertaining. However, Orthodox Islam has rejected the principle of giving women status and equality. The role of women within the pre-Islamic period reflects how Islam does not always adopt the principles of pre-Islamic period, but rather rejects some notions. As the essay demon strated the period of Jahiliyyah has significantly contributed to the success of the Prophet Muhammad’s mission. Significant features of the Jahiliyyah such geographical location; the political, social and religious life; pre-islamic literature, rituals of the Ka’ba and the role of Women have shaped the understanding of Islam. These features have demonstrated the Islamic religion within context of it’s origins and development. By understanding the concept of the Jahiliyyah one can understand which features are adopted, integrated, improved and rejected as Islam evolved. References Armstrong, K, 1991. ‘Jahiliyah’ in Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam. 1st ed. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. Brockelman, C, 1960. History of the Islamic peoples. New York: Capricorn books. Goodman, D, 1999. Pre-industrial Cities and Technology. London: Routledge Hoyland, R, 2001. Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Husayn, M, 1982. The life of Muhammad. Lagos: Academy Press. Mvumbi. 2010. Introduction to Islamic theology: A study of some major theological issues . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cuea.edu/mvumbi/images/stories/PDF/ClassNotes/INTRODUCTION%20TO%20ISLAMIC%20THEOLOGY.pdf. [Accessed 14 May 13]. Schuon, F, 1976. Understanding Islam. 1st ed.London: Unwin Paperbacks Weissleder, W, 1978. The Nomadic Alternative. Chicago: Mouton Publishers

Animals in Research: Ethical Issues Essay

Scientific quest for knowledge and animal experimentation has been inexorably tied to each other both in popular imagination and human history (Bishop & Nolen, 2001). The use of animals in scientific research has resulted to spectacular innovations in the field of medicine and understanding of animal, including human, physiology. Many medicinal technologies were developed that are now used to treat illnesses that were once causing heavy death toll. However, different individuals and communities had different responses to the use of animals in research. This led to debates and protests of individuals and organizations with concerns on ethics and animal rights. Is the use of animals as research subjects ethical? Scientific Perspective To answer our question, let us first look into the scientific perspective of the issue. According to Bishop and Nolen (2001), there are approximately 35 million animals used in scientific research worldwide in an annual basis. Approximately 10 to 17 million animals are killed in American laboratories alone (Walshaw, â€Å"Ethical Issues in Animal Research†). The animals used in laboratory researches include mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, dogs, sheep, primates, and cats. In the United States, rats, mice, and birds comprise about 90-95% of the total animals killed during biomedical researches (â€Å"Animals in Scientific Procedures: Regulation in the USA†). Why are animals needed in research? There are four reasons why scientists use animals in research (â€Å"Why Are Animals Need in Research? †). The first reason is that humans and some animals are similar in physiology and anatomy. Scientists prefer to use animals as tests subjects rather than humans in their preliminary research. The second reason, certain strands of animals are infected with the same illnesses or conditions as humans. These animals are referred to as â€Å"Animal Models† and are studied to understand the nature of the disease and hopefully provide appropriate treatment. The third reason lies in the principles of â€Å"research†, which is to introduce one variable and observe its results on the system studied. It is easier to control the environment (i. e. emperature, humidity) of animals in the laboratory and prevent any intrusions of disease-causing bacteria and viruses that will cause diseases not related to research, which in common sense, controlling their health. Humans have different life styles that affect their health thus making it difficult to use them as test subjects. The fourth reason pertains to the test for validity of the results obtained from the research. This means test for statistics, i. e. testing a number of animals before coming up with the outright conclusion. In humans, this test is difficult to perform since they have different cases. As a result, data obtained from one case is no longer a research and the results may not apply to the whole population. Now that we have identified the four reasons why animals are needed in research, let us now identify the different issues related to animal rights and ethical issues in research with animals. Regulations and Animal Safety Standards The Public Health Service Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Animal Welfare Act are the two US regulations that monitor and control biomedical researches. The Public Health Service Guidelines is administered by the Office of for Laboratory Animal Welfare of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PHS guidelines were designed for any animal research that is funded by the federal government, i. e. researches done by federal agencies. Under the PHS guidelines is an oversight system, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs). The system evaluates research procedures, reviews research animal care protocols, including waste disposal, and inspect facilities of the research laboratory as well as educate and facilitate the laboratory personnel. It also functions to investigate reports of animal misuse and mistreatment, particularly during the research process. The Animal Welfare Act controls research of animals that are not mentioned in the PHS guidelines. Under this act, only the animal species specifically mentioned are allowed to be studied. The animals included under the Public Law 89-544 are the following: non-human primates, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, cats and dogs. However, the 1970 amendment gave authorization to the USDA Secretary to include other warm-blooded animals and also gave the legislation its current name. Further amendments to the AWA require the registration of some pain-relieving drugs under the Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals Act (ISLA) of 1985. One problem with these laws is that some animal researches conducted by pharmaceutical companies or genetic engineering firms no longer coincide with these federal regulations. The use of rats, mice and birds are not included in the AWA which means that federal standards, including animal care programs, do not apply to the researches. At present, the USDA is drafting regulations to include these animals to the act. Issues on Ethics and Animal Rights There are four issues that pertain to animal rights (Walshaw & Burton, 1999). The first issue deals with the â€Å"use of animals for human purposes†. The adherents of the use of animals in biomedical research argue that animals do not have â€Å"moral standing† in the sense that they do not have: self-consciousness, freedom to act and engage in purposive behavior, reasons for actions and ability to appreciate reasons for actions, capacity to communicate with humans using a language, capacity to make moral judgments and rationality. On the other hand, some people argue that the question on animal use is not, â€Å"can they reason or talk? †, but rather, â€Å"can they suffer? † Animals have feelings like that of humans. The second issue on animal rights talks about the â€Å"nature and effects of the research on animal welfare†. In this issue, adherents defend their position by pointing out the â€Å"3 R’s†. These are reduce, refine, and replace. They argue that modern techniques on animal research include the use of modern anesthetics and also advances in the computer technology which reduce the â€Å"pain† those animals feel during the process. Also, advances in computer technology aid biomedical scientists in getting data with lesser need of animals. The third issue deals with appearances, â€Å"can the experiment be perceived as being unpleasant or have unaesthetic appearances? † In this issue, some people argue that animal research that involves killing, cutting and slicing of animal parts is unpleasant. In most cases, the adherents of this idea are those involved in some religious beliefs or philosophies. Hindu religion, for example, houses animals (i. . rodents, primates) in temples believing that those were reincarnates of their ancestors. They treat these animals with high respect. The fourth issue is about the â€Å"purposes or benefits of the procedures†. This pertains to the different cases in which humans benefited from animal research. Under this issue, the adherents of the use of animals in research defend their position by citing the different purposes, and benefits, that humans will get from the research of animals. The purposes and benefits of the using animals as test subjects answer the question â€Å"why are animals needed in research? †. The four reasons why animals are preferred in biomedical research are identified above. Is the use of animals in research ethical? I believe, yes. I adhere to the ideologies of the biomedical scientists. The aforementioned information will support my opinion. It is beneficial to use animals in science. After all, scientists were able to find ways to save and prolong the lives of people who are infected with deadly diseases.