Manager Interview Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Manager Interview Activity - Essay Example - Rewarding tasks are interacting with guests that come in and meeting interesting people from all over the world. Most challenging is continuing to make sure the hotel continues to abide by the corporate franchise rules and regulations. People from corporate office will sometimes pop in for a night’s stay just to ensure everything is running smoothly and it can be tough on your nerves. More flexibility and time with family but most be available in emergency. -An open door policy with her employees. Everyone must know their tasks but then she has to sometimes delegate other people to do other jobs too in case someone calls in sick. She also said it’s important for everyone to know each other’s roles and to let them communicate in case they have schedule conflicts. Must be friendly and courteous to guests and must also reiterate to someone if a mistake is made or a problem needs solved. Holding quarterly staff meetings and sometimes meetings that are urgent just to identify a problem and discuss the solution of how it is going to work. Everyone from the housekeepers to the maintenance people and desk clerks know how to do each other’s jobs in case someone needs to fill in. - Getting attached to employees since it is a small branch and trying to find ways not to make them angry enough to quit. Halting any office gossip is also hard. Scheduling can be difficult. Not everyone is set but she remains flexible. -Be strong, friendly and respectful. Always look to bosses above you for help. Make sure you know the roles of others and are prepared to be motivated and also have to take responsibility for the whole branch. Any mistake made by an employee under her supervision reflects on her. When they mess up she gets called upon by people higher up. I was surprised to find out the manager was actually not formally educated and just had a high school diploma. When I discussed

How the business deals with legal factors Essay Example for Free

How the business deals with legal factors Essay A legal factor that has a big impact on Tesco’s is protecting employees which, includes the laws about how many hours an employee can work. This amount of hours depends on the employees contract, if they are a full time member of staff then they have to work between 35-45 hours a week but no more, these hours also have to be over reasonably shift, for example having a 8 hour shift a day over 5 days a week. If they are a part time member then they can work any amount of hours a week as long as it is no longer the 35 hours. This can impact on Tesco’s as they have to keep to the terms and conditions of their contracts with staff , which could affect activates Tesco’s wish to do as they may not fit in the with hours the members of staff involved can work. Tesco’s can deal with this by offering willing to work staff overtime shifts, if staff are willing to do this, it means that Tesco’s doesn’t need to employ any more member which works out better for them as if they were to do this, they would then have to find the correct amount of hours agreed in the contact which might not be available. Even though some staff maybe willing to work more hours, they may feel that because they are helping out the business that they don’t need to be as professional and honest as they are when working their own scheduled shifts, this article (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/tesco-accused-of-using-electronic-armbands-to-monitor-its-staff-8493952.html)is about how Tesco’s is trying to deal with this issue. Tesco’s has come up with this idea of its warehouse and forklift staff wearing electronic bracelets which helps improve the efficiency of it workers as it means they don’t have to carry around items such as pen and paper as the armband collects this data which also means they are collection correct data. This armband also allows Tesco’s to monitor their staff to check that they are doing their jobs when expected of them and that they are not taking any un-agreed breaks, the arm band also informs the staff of when they are allowed there b reaks. This helps Tesco’s make sure their staff are not working over the hours allowed or working under the hours agreed. A legal factor that impacts Tata motors  is the protection of customers and employees, like all businesses Tata has to keep to legal factors and laws, the need to treat all of their customers fairly and honestly, this helps customers feel they can trust the business as well as giving the a good reputation. Challenges that Tata face when selling their products are making sure they pass the sales of good act which means they need to describe the product exactly how it is and not say it does something it actually doesn’t. It also needs to pass the customer credit act. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/tata-motors-focus-on-customer-satisfaction-to-woo-back-buyers-114111600186_1.html this article explains how they are going out of their way to make sure the give there customers the best service they possibly can. The article states that Tata motor has previously had problems with their customer service. They have taken this feedback and actually work on making it better by improving the quality of manufacture and repairs. How the business deal with social factors A common social factor that affects business is equal rights for both man and female workers and peoples religion. This could impact Tesco’s as if anyone feels as though they are being judged or unable to do something because of these reasons then they could cause problems for Tesco’s by making complaints either to their managers or their union. To make sure this doesn’t happen Tesco’s has to make sure that their staff know that everyone treated the same and if there are people applying for a job they cannot turn them away because of these reason, the only way they can do this is if someone is disabled in some way and their disability would stop them from doing the job required, however if this is the care they have to inform this person that is the reason but in a kind way as not to offend them. Tesco’s deal with these possible problem by getting new applicants to have a cv which is what they are judged upon or the job, they then have interview/trial which is so that they are then judged upon their abilities to do the job not on the gender or religious view. Tesco’s has coped well with this issues as if you are to go into their stores you are clearly able to see a balanced level of both male and female staff, Tesco’s also considers the religious view and has there store open later and close early on a Sunday as most religions see this a day of rest.

The role of pressure groups in Britain

The role of pressure groups in Britain Euphrasia ChiguduBritish Government and Politics 20 March 2015 Define pressure groups and critically analyse their role and importance to British democracy. This essay will define pressure groups giving an explanation of each different pressure group, their role and importance to British democracy. The essay will also evaluate the developments and impacts of various political movements, will briefly evaluate the various political governmental systems that underpin British systems of government. It will also identify and offer an analytical account of the elements that make up the British political culture. The essay will analyse and evaluate recent changes to political systems and major political players. Lastly it will analyse and evaluate the role of external influences in British democracy. Pressure groups differ from political parties in various ways. Pressure groups are organisations set up to try to influence what we think about the law and its environment. They can challenge and even change the law by writing letters to MPs, contacting the press, organising marches and even running campaigns (Anon., 2014). They are organisations which campaign for change in the law or new legislation in specific areas. As such, they can have a strong influence on public opinion and voting behaviour. They are a group formed to protect and advance a specific interest or cause through lobbying powerfully rather than elections. They are distinct from political parties because they do not seek power. Instead they aim to influence those already in power. They also do not a have general programme or manifesto, and focus on single issues or areas. Pressure groups allow people the opportunity to participate in democracy by being involved in social change without necessarily joining a politic al party. In some ways, pressure groups may be viewed as essential to democracy because they allow the free expression of opinion and the opportunity to influence governments. Because of this, pressure groups are not tolerated in non-democratic countries (Anon., 2014). Pressure groups developed to defend and promote interests likely to be affected by particular government policies. For its own part, Government has to appreciate pressure groups as valuable sources of information and potential support. The advent of modern media have provided a vast arena in which pressure groups can compete on equal terms with the political parties, to deliver their message to the public (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 180. A distinction is usually drawn between sectional or interest groups, cause and promotional groups. Sectional or interest groups are the ones that aim to represent the common interests of a particular section of society and are mostly concerned `restricted. They also aim to get as many el igible members as possible to join the group. These are open only to certain individuals, like the members of trade union or the National union of journalist. The cause or promotional groups, they have open membership from public. They promote a cause. They exist to promote an idea not directly related to the personal interests of its members. Pressure groups have species which include peak association these are organisations that represent broad bands of similar groups such as employers, fire brigade groups they form in reaction to a specific problem and disband if and when it has been solved, episodic groups usually are non-political but occasionally throw themselves into campaigning when their interest are affected and the online pressure groups they usually focus on abuse of power, torture and war crimes and mustering hundreds of thousands of signatures to bring pressure to bear, often with remarkable success (BBC, 2014). It should be noted that pressure groups regularly seek to influence each other to maximise impact and often find themselves in direct conflict over certain issues. In several stages of the policy process pressure groups have opportunities to play an important role, in the parliament they may influence the final form of legislation. When governments issue Green papers (setting out policy option for discussion) and White papers (proposals for legislation) pressure groups may lobby backbenchers or civil servants. Pressure groups are often divided into two categories according to their characteristic and methods they interpret; the insider group and the outsider group. Insider groups have close links with the government and they are trusted by the government. They tend to choose more legal and legimate methods such as lobbying to influence the decision making process. They will give advice and will be consulted prior to legislation which may affect that group, for example the British Medical Association will be consulted on the matters relati ng to health, and RSPCA will be consulted with the matters related to animals. Insider pressure groups are most likely to be consulted regularly by governments. Outsider groups often take action of which the government disapproves. Organisations like Greenpeace often engage in civil disobedience or direct action in order to reinforce their point. Outsider groups on the other hand, are either not consulted by government or consulted irregularly and not usually by the senior level. Some outsider groups are wealthy and use a great deal of publicity to attract people to promote their cause (Anon., 2014). Sometimes pressure groups might be seen as a threat to democracy because a relatively small, unelected group of individuals can force a change in the law. They do employ a variety of methods to promote their cause. Political movement is a social group which operates together to obtain a political goal, on a local, regional, national or international scope. They have influence inside Parliament if there is an MP who is a member of the group or is understanding to it. MPs with relationships to pressure groups must declare an interest when speaking on behalf of the group. MPs may also receive payment for promoting the cause but they must declare it. The cabinet is a committee at the centre of the British political system and supreme decision-making body in the government. The British Prime Minister has traditionally been referred to as primus inter pares, which means first among equals and demonstrates that he or she is a member of collective decision-making body of the cabinet, rather than an individual who has powers in their own right. The Prime Minister first among equal simply in recognition of the responsibility held for appointing and dismissing all the other Cabinet members. The Cabinet is made up of the senior members of government. Every Tuesday while Parliament is in session the members of Cabinet (Secretaries of state from all departments and some other ministers) meet in the Cabinet room at 10 Downing Street to discuss the issues of the day and to decide what the most important issues for the government are. The Prime Minister chairs the meeting and sets its agenda; he also decides who speaks around the Cabinet tabl e and sums up at the end of each item. It is this summing up that then becomes the government policy (Anon., 2015). The Cabinet nonetheless remains a core component of British government. The functions ascribed to it in 19th century remain relevant and, in practice, are complemented by important political roles. They have five essential principal roles; they approve policy, resolve disputes, constrain the Prime Minister, unify government and unify the parliamentary party. Parliament is the highest legislative authority in the UK. It has responsibility for checking the work of government and examining, debating and approving new laws. It is also known as the `Legislature` (Anon., 2015). It is an essential part of UK politics. Its main roles are examining and challenging the work of the government (scrutiny), enabling the government to raise taxes. The business of Parliament takes place in two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Ministers stand at the heart of British government. In legal terms, they are the most powerful figures in government. Legal powers are vested in senior ministers, not in the Prime Minister or Cabinet. Senior ministers are those appointed to head government departments. Their formal designation is Ministers of the Crown. Each Minister of the Crown heads a government department. Each has a number of other ministers, known as junior ministers, to assist in fulfilling the responsibility of the office. Each senior minister has one or more political advisers and also has a body of civil servants – permanent, non-political professionals to advise on policy and to ensure the implementation of policy once it is agreed on (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 392. They discusses various points of view, weigh up arguments concerning whatever is being discussed and come to a decision that is backed by the majority of the Cabinet. As such it becomes government policy, if supported in the House of Commons, and have the legitimacy of majorit y Cabinet support behind it. This means that decisions have collective responsibility behind them. All Cabinet members would be expected to publicly support and defend such policies. Cabinet ministers would also be expected to defend such policies during parliamentary debates. If Cabinet minister feel that he/she cannot defend a policy, he/she has the option to resign from the Cabinet (Trueman, 2000-2015). The monarchy is the oldest secular institution in England. The formal power that the crown conferred- executive, legislative and judicial- was exercised personally by the monarch. The King has a court to advise him and, as the task of government became more demanding, so various functions were exercised on the King`s behalf by other bodies. Those bodies now exercise power independent of the control of the monarch, but remain formally the instruments of the crown. The courts are Her Majesty`s court`s and the government is Her Majesty`s government. Parliament is summoned and prorogued by royal decree. Civil servants are crown appointees (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 276. The monarch exercises few powers, but those powers remain important. However, the importance of the monarchy in the 21st century derives more from what it stands for than from what it does. The monarch has been eclipsed as a major political institution not only by the sheer demands of governing a growing kingdom but also by changes in the popular perception of what form of government is legitimate. The policy-making power exercised by a hereditary monarch has given way to the exercise of power by institutions deemed more representative. However, the monarch has retained a claim to be a representative institution in one particular definition of the term. It claims that it largely defines the activities of the monarch today (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 274. Pressure groups provide an essential freedom for citizens, especially minorities, to organise with like-minded individuals so that their views can be heard by others and taken into account by government. They help to disperse power from the central institutions and provide important checks against possibly over-powerful legislatures and executives. Pressure groups also provide functional representation according to occupation and belief, they allow for continuity of representation between elections, thus enhancing the degree of participation in the democratic system. They provide a safety valve an outlet for the pent-up energies of those who carry grievances or feel hard done by, they apply scrutiny to government activity, publicising poor practice and maladministration (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 195. As globalisation is one of the external influences in British democracy, it is generally defined with reference to set of economic and technological changes which are held to have dramatically increased economic and communication flows across what are seen as increasingly porous national borders. Hence globalisation is generally associated with nations of the world becoming increasingly interconnected, with good, services, investment, financial transactions and skilled labour moving freely between countries, and of globe effectively `shrinking` in comparison to previous decades, due to rapid developments in telecommunications and the continued growth and expansion of air travel (Jones Norton, 2014) Pg 522. Under globalisation trade tends to grow faster than national input, so that a higher proportion of national production is exported and higher proportion of consumption is imported. In conclusion pressure groups seek to influence policy and not control it. Regardless of the type of pressure group, they eventually aim to make governments aware of public views not shared in political parties. They also often create new ideas and conceive a programme of reform. Some groups have too much influence over government. Overall pressure groups and their features do play a coherent role to promote and enhance democracy as they raise the public awareness and provide direct opportunities to participate. BIBLIOGRAHPY Anon., 2014. GCSE Bitesize. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/environment/acompetitivemarketrev2.shtml [Accessed 7 March 2015]. Anon., 2014. Higher Bitesize. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/modern/uk_gov_politics/central_gov/revision/4/ [Accessed 7 March 2015]. Anon., 2015. GOV UK. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/how-government-works#who-runs-government [Accessed 10 March 2015]. Anon., 2015. Parliament UK. [Online] Available at: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/parliament-government/ [Accessed 11 March 2015]. BBC, 2014. Higher Bitesize. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/modern/uk_gov_politics/central_gov/revison/4/ [Accessed 10 March 2015]. Jones, B. Norton, P., 2014. POLITICS UK. 8th ed. Oxon: Routledge. Trueman, C., 2000-2015. The Cabinet and British Politics. [Online] Available at: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk?cabinet_and_british_politics.htm [Accessed 11 March 2015]. 1

Banning Guns And Its Impact On Crime Criminology Essay

Banning Guns And Its Impact On Crime Criminology Essay This paper explores the relationship between gun control levels and crime rates in the United States. It discusses about the effectiveness of current gun control laws, and how citizens respond to it. Evidence showing that further gun controls will have degrading effects to the society is shown, such as denying protection for law abiding citizens, and will not necessarily reduce crime rates. Instead of blaming rising crime rates to the current gun control policy, the paper analyses the root of the problem and defined that unemployment and inequalities are some of the determinants for crime to happen. Information and statistics have been utilized to compare the crime rates to the number of gun ownerships in several developed nations. Stricter gun control policies may have its positive effect on lowering crime rates, but no substantial support is found for this argument. It requires the need for more significant research for improved results. True causes of rising crime rates in America should be dealt with before deciding on altering current gun control laws. Keywords: gun control, crime rates, violence, firearms, guns Introduction Crime rates in the United States of America (USA) are on the rise despite dedicated gun control laws with the aim of lowering crime rates. Gun control is in its controversial stage in the country now, with the rise of the mass shooting cases calling for reforms in the gun control policies. In our paper, our definition of guns will be limited to those that are purchasable by the public, such as long guns, hand guns, semi-automatic and automatic guns. The crimes that are discussed in our paper will be such as homicides, suicides, robberies, burglaries and assaults, all of which possible with or without the availability of guns. The origin of gun control in the USA came about prior to the 1920s, where the gun control laws were aimed at keeping weapons out of the hands of the African-Americans in the southern states. The second act of gun control, the National Firearms Act of 1934, required firearms under certain requirements to be registered. This gave a better control on the types of guns sold and designated the qualifications of those who purchase and own them. The gun control act gets reformed over the years with the different major events in United States that prompted the change in the legislation. Banning of guns may be seen as the most effective and simplest method to counter the ever increasing crime rates. However, strict controls on gun ownership will definitely not solve the issues of the rising crime rates in the United States, but may instead cause greater problems for the society. Effectiveness of Current Gun Control Laws Gun laws in the United States vary among the different states, but federal laws regulate the sale, possession and usage of guns and ammunitions. However, there are cases where state firearm laws are significantly less restrictive than federal firearms law, which shows the inconsistency of gun laws among states. With the recent school shootings that have shocked the entire nation, the lesson learnt by the general public is the requirement of a greater control of guns. Despite the implementation of several measures to prevent such mass shootings, the effectiveness of these specific gun control measures proposed were negligible. It could not have stopped the shooting incidents or reduced the death tolls in any way. According to Kleck, (2009), the measures included restrictions on gun shows, child access prevention laws mandating locking up guns and bans on assault weapons (p. 1447). These measures could not have provided the victims a chance to react in the situation, but only to act as a prevention method for gun violence. This shows that the effectiveness of current gun control laws as it only aims to prevent gun violence that is not useful due to widespread of gun ownership in the country. Citizens Response to Current Gun Control The rising crime rates in the United States has caused a great deal of concern for the citizens of the country. According to Pressman (2008), despite the efforts by the government to strike a balance between the necessary gun control measures, the people doubt that honest citizens are being protected by their government and are pursuing for stricter regulations against guns and crimes. However, this issue is complex on many levels, with an estimated amount of 280 million to 300 million guns in private hands, legally or non-legally. The level of gun ownership in America is at a stage that it will not be that simple to change the existing gun control laws. Many citizens in America are gun-control advocates, and some are even advocates of a absolute gun ban. They would like to see the United States become more like Canada, where there are far fewer guns per capita and where most guns must be registered with the federal government. However, there are others who believe the necessity of guns in private hands, solely for the purpose of self-defense which had been the norm in the United States. Despite different views and opinions, citizens ought to feel troubled knowing that it is a problem in the country that is not easy to solve. Further Gun Controls and the Negative Impacts Stricter gun control laws will not necessary lower the crime rates in the United States, but instead deny protection for citizens and worsen the situation in the country. Further gun controls does not necessarily reduce crime rates. In many states of America, there have been statistics to show that stricter gun controls did not actually reduce crime rates. According to Mauser (2007), some states in USA have adopted further gun controls due to the high  rates  of violent crimes, but the situation did not improve. But in most states, gun-related murders were low in spite of relaxed gun controls. This signifies that of the states with high gun possessions and nearly no gun controls have fewer gun related murders. This is the actual situation in many states of America whereby states with looser gun controls have lower crime rates, as stated by Mauser (2007), murder rates in handgun-banning US cities including New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC are far higher than in states like Pennsylvania and Connecticut, where handguns are legal and widely owned. (p. 26). This does not mean that looser gun controls will reduce crime but shows that further gun co ntrol certainly do not aid in reducing crime. Denying protection for honest citizens. Through the years of gun control policies, the citizens of the United States have adopted a great deal of self-defensive use of guns, which creates this socio-cultural phenomenon for crime doers to think twice before they rob someones houses. This is supported by pro-gun activists belief that leads them to the opposite conclusion, where the widespread firearm ownership reduces violence by deterring criminals from confrontation crimes. (Kates, Mauser, 2007). National Institute of justice surveys among prison inmates find that large percentages of report that their fear that a victim might be armed deterred them from confrontation crimes. [T]he felons most frightened about confronting an armed victim were those from states with the greatest relative number of privately owned firearms. Conversely, robbery is highest in states that most restrict gun ownership. This substantiates that such phenomenon is positive in the case for USA, where many own guns for their self-protection, and it is a proven fact that it deters criminal activities, making the perpetrator think twice before committing. With further gun controls, honest citizens will be robbed of the ways for self-defense, with no absolute way to deal with criminals and felons. Mauser (2007) notes that prohibitions on guns are hardly productive as lawbreakers managed to obtain firearms even  though they are of a lower supply.  This means that with stricter gun controls, it will most likely result in only restricting honest citizens to purchase guns for protection, and criminals will get access to guns regardless. Real Causes of Crimes The presence or absence of a gun does not affect the probability that a crime will be committed. According to Hoskin (2011), criminals will be able to use weapons other than firearms to commit crime and attain their negative objective, as the missing presence of firearms do not mean that crimes involving guns are easily evaded. Possession of guns does not necessarily be the factor for the cause of crimes, and there are many other factors to consider. Gun ownership and control generally has no effect on how much crimes involving violence a society has. Mauser (2007) found out that the main determinant of crimes relies on economic and socio-cultural factors, not simply with the obtainability of weapons such as guns. Banning of guns is seen by many as a quick fix for the rise of crime rates in the country, however, it only disarms the law-abiding and yet are ignored by the criminals. There are other causes that lead to the committing of crimes, with no concerns to ownership or presence of guns. Unemployment Rates There are fewer crimes committed in a stable and vibrant economy as compared to a shaky and ambiguous economy. Unemployment rates are correlated to crime rates to a certain degree. The incentive for committing crimes will be reduced when the labour market is in healthy condition. Mocan and Bali (2010) mentions that the impact of an increased unemployment rate will overpower the impact of a decreasing crime rate due to stronger gun controls. The unemployed are motivated to commit crimes, to gain wealth or just simply to vent their frustrations for their shortcomings. Inequalities Inequalities are imminent in any current day society. The inequalities levels of wealth, social and power status, education, family instability and racial differences are the factors which contribute to crimes being committed. With greater inequality, there will be more frustration and higher strain, thus, greater inducement to commit crimes. When being placed next to people with greater success and higher income, those with lesser success and lower income will feel frustrated at their situation. According to Hoskin (2011), power is a static property derived from ones position in the stratification system, but situational resources like the possession of a firearm can give one power over others (p. 126). The more disadvantaged members of the society will have higher inclination to commit crimes, to earn that moment over power over those with greater power in the society. Statistics on the Effects of Gun Control in America and Other Countries Countries such as the Soviet Union and Russia has had extremely stringent gun controls which were successful in disarming its people of guns, and very few murders were associated with guns in the past. However, the Soviet Unions and Russias rate of murder is still a few times higher than USA due to the substitutes of guns as weapons. Kates and Mauser (2007) points out that in places where the availability of guns are uncommon, other potential weapons will be used as an alternative for murder. Table 1 shows the other developed countries including Germany, France and Demark) with high gun ownership but with murder rates as low as many other developed nations which has lesser gun ownership. Despite having looser gun control than the other countries, the crime rates in USA caused by guns is not as high as the other countries with fewer civilian gun ownership. The thesis of more guns, more murder is not supported in the study done in Mauser (2007). In Table 2, it shows the gun ownership rates and homicide rates in Canada, USA and Mexico. Mexico, where gun ownership rates is nine times lesser than USA, has more than twice the amount of homicides as compared. Therefore, stricter gun controls on the civilians does not necessarily mean lesser crimes. Kates and Mauser (2007) concluded that law-abiding and responsible citizens who are in possession of guns will not use it unnecessarily for committing crimes, but the same cannot be applied to dangerous individuals with background of crimes and violence. Anyone who wants to commit a crime will unquestionably find a way to obtain any dangerous weapon for such an act. Proposed Future Gun control Policy in the United States With recent incidents such as mass shootings in schools and public areas, many have called for reforms in the gun control policies in the country. After his reinstatement as the president, President Obama formulated a plan to better control the possession of firearms in the United States. He also focuses on tackling the root of the problem, by permitting larger access to mental health services through higher financing for coverage particularly for younger people. Proposed actions include stricter background checks on all gun sales, and ensuring a strong ban on assault weapons that would not usually fit as weapons for self-defense. Better funding for emergency response plans for schools in America will be provided, to allow citizens to better act in times of similar crisis. If the proposals are accepted and initialized, it will better protect honest citizens and prevent dangerous individuals from purchasing such weapons to a higher degree. Counter Argument To a certain extent, the limiting effects of gun control and presence of guns do help in reducing the possibility of crimes conducted with guns. The presence of guns empowers and corrupts ones judgment in situations, and the improper locking and storing of guns may provide unauthorized individuals an opportunity to use guns to their personal gain. Presence of Guns Guns may promote violence by emboldening and empowering an aggressor. A gun may provide one with the control and the nerve to perform a violent act that would not be possible then, a phenomenon known as facilitation. (Hoskin, 2011). With a gun in their control, one will be more susceptible to committing crimes with a weapon that creates fear in their hands. It will absolutely motivate them to commit the crime that he or she will not be able to do without the enabling factor of guns. Gun Access and its Impact on Juveniles In the United States, there are some gun control advocates who strongly believe that youth access to guns are the primary cause of school massacres, incidents that highly show the need for better gun coordination in the countries. Kleck (2009) mentions that gun possessors are relatively at fault for easy gun accessibility to youths, especially parents, if they do not hide and lock up their guns properly to deny easy access. There must be better controls set in place to prevent unauthorized access to guns, regardless to youth or other people. Ludwig (2005) acknowledges the benefits of proper security of guns as it avoids unapproved access and thus, might lessen crimes that are committed with guns. This can greatly help avert violence or even make incidents less lethal by keeping guns locked up. The availability of gun may prompt juveniles into using them for the wrong reasons. Guns being easily available are related to the propensity of crimes being committed. Mocan and Tekin (2006) found that youths who have better accessibility to guns are more inclined to commit crimes than those who do not have access to guns. It acknowledges the point whereby juvenile criminal behaviour will be affected by having an ease of obtainability of guns at home. Rebuttal Negative Influence of Gun Control and the Crimes They Encourage Instead of banning guns for all the citizens of the United States, the country should instead continue the ban on certain categories of people. This is such as the prohibition of guns for vicious convicts, youths and the insane present in both American and Canadian laws, however, such regulations are tough to administer. (Mauser, 2007). With a list of high-risk individuals and having the specified authorities to monitor them, it will disarm those that are deemed dangerous with a gun, and not citizens who merely want to defend themselves. Presence of Guns do not Promote Violence The presence of guns do not necessary turn a law-abiding citizen into a murder due to a moment of rage, and there are many other factors that actually contribute to the usage of guns. Kates and Mauser (2007) discuss that possibly all types of perpetrators or murderers are not ordinary citizens that abide to the law, and most of the killers are immensely deviant people with a history of violence tendencies, psychopathology, drugs exploitation and other hazardous conducts. The possession of a gun will definitely not turn someone of logical thinking and mind into a murderer. Conclusion and Future Study This paper had discussed the banning of guns and its impact on crime rates in America. A stricter gun control program will not necessarily reduce crime rates, as there are many other causes that lead to crimes in the country. Instead, a further restriction in guns will only deny law-abiding citizens from their best way of self-defense. Statistics in the paper have proven that higher gun ownership has no correlation to the number of crimes committed and stricter gun controls does have more negative impacts than positive bearings. Instead of just banning guns as an attempt to lower crime rates in the country, other possible ways of reducing crime ways should be considered and further developed on. Stricter gun control policies will have both positive and negative impacts, and there is a need for more research and evidence to obtain a more accurate result if further control policies are beneficial in the long run. The blaming of current gun control regulations for the worsening of crimes control in the country is not absolute. It is important to research and examine the true causes of rising crime rates in America, before deciding on altering current gun control laws which may be ineffective. Annotated Bibliography Kates, D. B., Mauser, G. (2007). Would banning guns reduce murder and suicide? A Review of International and Some Domestic Evidence, 30, 649-694. Retrieved from http://home.heinonline.org Kates and Mauser discuss whether the banning of guns will reduce murder and suicide cases. It shows several examples of countries, such as Russia and England where stricter gun controls does not lead to lower crime rates, but does the latter. However in the United States, where a more lenient gun control policy is in play, crime rates are significantly lower as compared to Russia and England. The author summarizes and uses statistics and other data to show the co-relation of possession of guns and crime rates. The authors state that the use of guns for self-defence purposes are higher than the use of guns for committing crimes. Therefore, there is a direct relation of gun ownership and lower crime rates, especially in the case of United States where gun ownership for self-defence is a considerable socio-cultural occurrence. Defensive gun ownership deters criminals from committing crimes as citizens of United States have a right to defend themselves with the use of guns when threatened. This article will be useful in our research paper as it agrees with our stand on the topic, and show that gun ownership can do more good than harm. Mauser, G. (2007). Some international evidence on gun bans and murder rates.  Fraser Forum, 5, 23-27. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/229332019?accountid=3611 The author analysed data from United Nation studies to inspect the association between gun ownership and homicide and suicide rates. The author found that in the United States, the thesis of more guns relates to more murders is not supported. As stated in the article, the murder rate among the African-Americans is six times more than among the others, even having the lower density of the total population owning guns. The author states that the association of high gun ownership is not directly related to homicide rates. According to the article, a law abiding citizen or a criminal-minded person having gun ownership provided the crucial factor to the link between gun ownership and murder rates. This can be specifically used in our article to explain that crimes can be conducted even without the possession of a gun, and law-abiding citizens should not be denied of their right to own a gun for self-defence. Kleck, G. (2009). American behavioral scientist. The worse possible case for gun control, 52(10), 1447-1464. doi:10.1177/0002764209332557 This article discusses about the mass shooting cases happening in schools and the lesson learnt from it. The author states that the gun control measures proposed after such aftermath were highly irrelevant and could not have prevented the incidents or even reduced the death tolls. The article explains the avenues whereby citizens of the United States can obtain guns, and suggests possible methods of improving the gun control measures imposed. Statistics to show the effectiveness of such improved measure are shown. This article is very useful to support our stating that the banning of guns will not necessary lower crime from happening. Mocan, H. N., Bali, T. G. (2010). Asymmetric crime cycles.  The Review of Economics and Statistics, 92(4), 899-911. doi: 10.1162/REST_a_00048 This article presented the evidence of the linkage between unemployment and crimes. The authors explore the possibilities concerning people being unemployed and the fluctuations of the crimes committed in the periods of economic expansion and recession. This journal article will be helpful in our research paper as it states that the actual reason for crimes is a shaky economic and unemployment. Moorhouse, J. C., Wanner, B. (2006). Does gun control reduce crime or does crime increase gun control. Cato Journal, 26(1), 103-124. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/195598468?accountid=3611 This article discusses about whether gun control reduces crimes or if it is the other way round. The author debates the true meaning of gun control, and the degree of gun control required to make it actually effective. Statistics and tables are included to show if gun control affect crime rates the following year. To compare, statistics showing if crime rates affect the severity of gun control are included as well. The results failed to show a negative relationship between gun control and crime rates, and therefore assuming that gun control is ineffective to a certain degree. This article will be quite useful in our stand against stricter gun controls which leads to higher crime rates. Pressman, S. (2008). Expanding the boundaries of the economics of crime.  International Journal of Political Economy,  37(1), 80-80. doi:10.2753/IJP0891-1916370104 This passage of the article discusses about gun control and the statistics and the number of gun-related deaths each year. Via the economic analysis, it represented the worst case scenarios if guns are made illegal, which will indefinitely lead to a black market for guns. It argues that the lower in supply of guns does not affect the demand for it, where the high prices of guns does not deter purchases. This will only result in higher success for criminal activities, as gun control takes away the protection for law-abiding citizens. This is slightly useful in our case as the information is reliable, and supports our argument with regards to the looser gun control and lower crime rates. Hoskin, A. (2011). Household gun prevalence and rates of violent crime: a test of competing gun theories. Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society,  24(1), 125-136. doi:10.1080/1478601X.2011.544445 This article provides statistical data and comparisons of the topic of guns and crime rates. The author mentioned that the possession of guns will not increase the crime rates; it will deter the crimes from happening in the point of victims being able to defend themselves if they do possess a gun as well. In the case of the attacker possessing the gun, the author mentioned the lowered probability of the victim being able to flee when being attacked by a shooter. The author also stated that having a gun gives the attacker the courage to commit crimes that they may not have the guts to do when without a gun. The author pointed out that the possession of guns does not increase crime rates; it only aggravates the degree of assault on the victims. This article will be helpful in our stand which is against the motion that higher gun ownership is related to higher crime rates. Ludwig, J. (2005). Better gun enforcement, less crime. Criminology Public Policy, 4(4), 677-716. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2005.00352.x This journal article discusses about the major federal initiative to combat gun violence via reducing gun availability and its modest impact on gun crime. It discusses about Project Safe Neighbourhoods (PSN), and explains its effectiveness on the reduction of gun crimes. The author shows evidence in how to better improve PSN by targeting at the demand rather than the supply side of the gun market. However, this source may be biased to the idea of having a better law enforcement will lower crimes, by focusing on how to improve the current initiative. This article may not be as useful as others, but it can be used to show a different opinion of how better gun control will lead to lower crimes. Mocan, H. N., Tekin, E. (2006). Guns and juvenile crime. Journal of Law and Economics, 42(2), 507-531. doi:10.1086/508330 This article discusses about the relation of availability of guns and the juvenile crime rates. The article offered an investigation on the effect of gun availability at home on crime done by juveniles, such as robbery, burglary, theft, and property damage. The authors specified that the easy gun availability at home is directly related to the tendency to commit crime. However, the authors also found that there is no claim that better gun availability lowers the inclination of being subjected to crime. This source helps us in our research paper, however, it only focuses on juveniles, and will not be as effective to debate on the citizens of United States as a whole.

Claudius of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Claudius of Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   A close second in nobility to the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the incredible King Claudius. His superior qualities render him a worthy antagonist capable of a plummeting downfall at the climax.    G. Wilson Knight in "The Embassy of Death" interprets the character of Claudius:    Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is - strange as it may seem - a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. But, granted the presence of Hamlet - which Claudius at first genuinely desired, persuading him not to return to Wittenberg as he wished - and granted the fact of his original crime which cannot now be altered, Claudius cannot now be blamed for his later actions. They are forced on him. As King, he could scarcely be expected to do otherwise. (n. pag.)    The drama opens after Hamlet has just returned from Wittenberg, England, where he has been a student. What brought him home was the news of his father’s death and his uncle’s accession to the throne of Denmark. Philip Burton in â€Å"Hamlet† discusses Claudius’ sudden rise to the Danish throne upon the death of King Hamlet I:    A strong new king was immediately needed; the election of Claudius, particularly in the absence of Hamlet, was inevitable. What is more, it was immediately justified, because Claudius manages to dispel the threat of invasion by appealing to the King of Norway to curb his nephew, Fortinbras; the ambitious young soldier was the more ready to cancel the projected invasion because the object of his revenge, Hamlet’s father, was now dead, and in ret... .../ham1-col.htm    Faucit, Helena (Lady Martin). On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters. 6th ed. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1899.    Jorgensen, Paul A. â€Å"Hamlet.† William Shakespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publ., 1985. N. pag. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.html    Knight, G. Wilson. "The Embassy of Death." The Wheel of Fire. London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1954. p. 38-39. http://server1.hypermart.net/hamlet/wheefire.html N. pag.    Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

Dracula characters :: Essays Papers

Dracula characters Bram Stoker’s characters  · Dracula - central character of the book: An old vampire who lives in a crumbling castle in Transylvania. As the book begins, he is planning to move to England, where he can feed on fresh blood. When we first meet him, Dracula is described as an old man with a white mustache, and he appears courtly and charming; as the book progresses and feeds upon his victims, he grows younger and becomes more like a beast.  · Van Helsing – A professor, who is described by his former pupil Dr. Seward as "a philosopher and metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day." Van Helsing knows a lot about vampires, and when he is called in to help with Lucy Westenra's illness, he realizes that he is dealing with a vampire. Because of his intelligence, he is Dracula's main problem and the leader of the group that attempts to destroy the vampire.  · Jonathan Harker - A young English solicitor, or lawyer, who is sent to Transylvania to finish up a real estate transaction with Dracula. He becomes a prisoner in the castle and barely escapes by running down the castle wall. He is engaged to Mina Murray and marries her during the novel.  · Mina Murray - Jonathan Harker's fiancee and later wife, she is a practical young woman who works as a teacher. She is best friends with Lucy Westenra, the Count's first victim in the book, and also gets sucked by Dracula as well.  · Lucy Westenra - Mina's best friend and an attractive, young woman. She is loved by Arthur, Quincey, and John and becomes engaged to Arthur.

Is Flag Burning protected under the First Amendment? :: Persuasive, Exemplification Essay

Is Flag Burning protected under the First Amendment?          There is a proposed amendment to make flag burning illegal. Congress tried to pass the Flag Protection Act of 1989, but the act failed because it is seen as a form of public protection.   There have been other attempts to pass legislation to protect the American flag but all of the attempts have failed so far.    Flag burning is very controversial because people have different definitions of what â€Å"freedom of speech† means and what our flag stands for. This essay explores these definitions from the proponent’s viewpoint for a law protecting the flag and the opponents view point against such a law. The most debated question being asked at this time is:   is flag burning protected under the First Amendment guaranteeing the freedom of speech? It all depends on how a person defines the flag and interprets the First Amendment.    In order to help answer this question let’s being by defining what a flag is. The proponents (veterans, Citizens Flag Alliance, and other organizations of this type) of the amendment for protection of the flag define the flag as a â€Å"cultural artifact with meaning significance, and usage determined by the particular system employing it (Guenter 18).† Some flag historians have recognized the impact of culture on the shifting significance and usage of the national banner, although no one has ventured a full-scale probe of the subject (Guenter 16). The flag in the beginning was a symbol of freedom and enlightenment. The flag design has even changed. The very first flag contained thirteen stars that were in a circle with the red and white stripes. As the nation grew so did the flag, until the flag became what we know of it today.    The proponents also feel that, the flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever (www.legion.org/flagcode.htm). It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkin or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard (www.legion.org/flagcode.htm). Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown. No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform (www.legion.org/falgcode.htm).      However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations.