Monarchy of the United Kingdom free essay sample

In the UK, Parliament consists of the monarchy, House of Commons and the House of Lords which have existed for centuries, however, some have expressed their concern on if they are carrying out their functions adequately. The Parliament is the prime legislative body in the UK have many functions such as creating laws, being representative, legitimizing legislation, calling the government to account as well as scrutinizing and amending legislation. It is made up of representatives who are voted in.Parliament’s main function is legislation and passing bills. It can make, amend and abolish any statue law it wants which is called parliamentary sovereignty and because the UK follows an uncodified constitution, this allows policies and laws to be passed easily. We will write a custom essay sample on Monarchy of the United Kingdom or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Laws can also be passed easily because of the First Past the Post system which overrepresents larger parties because the majority of the government MP’s vote in line with the government, so the governments policies can be passed easily. This is very different in the US as they follow a codified constitution and can take up to several years to pass a bill which can be done in a few days in the UK. Parliament can also give power to other bodies to make laws on its behalf which are then called the devolved assemblies and local governments. In reality, however, there is little free debate and discussion as MP’s have to follow the party line and pass legislation. It can also be argued that a government with no debates and compromisation can be argued to eventually result in an elective dictatorship.Parliament’s other function is representation. The UK follows a representative democracy where decisions are made by elected representatives rather than the people themselves. It is argued that representation in parliament is strong as many sections of society and associations are represented effectively as decisions are made by representatives who have more expertise in particular areas of policies and can help to improve legislation. People also feel that representatives will have the more political knowledge and the forth are more effective when questioning the minister or calling the government to account (scrutinizing the government). However, it is not successful in all aspects of representation as it does not reflect the social makeup of the UK. Major parties also have an unfair representation when it comes to MP’s as there are a huge gender and ethical disparity in terms of representation. Another issue with the representation that the First Past the Post system does not represent the majority of the views of the electorate. This can be seen during the 2010 general election where 52. 8% of the votes cast were wasted. If the electorate is not fairly represented, then all illusion of a democracy falls away. This is one of the areas where parliament fails at functioning as it does not represent the majority of the public’s views, not being a democratic process.

Key Constitutional Concepts Essay Example

Key Constitutional Concepts Essay Example Key Constitutional Concepts Essay Key Constitutional Concepts Essay Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Key Constitutional Concepts (Robe Imbriano, 2007, 60 min) â€Å"Key Constitutional Concepts† is a film meant to enlighten people about the constitution. The film is in three parts, each taking 20 minutes. The first part introduces the constitution, and how it came about as well as why it was created. The second part is about rights of people, which describes the rights of an individual to a lawyer in a trial, using the supreme case of Gideon v. Wainwright. The third examines separating of power using the case of Youngstown Sheet Tube Co v. Sawyer. The film uses narration by several experts in law explaining each concept of the constitution represented in the film. This does drive the point home, which is making the viewer get a better understanding of the constitution. Before the constitution was made, countries were ruled by rulers, who very well knew that it required soldiers to maintain order. A government that would be run by people was known never to work. However, the creators of the constitution believed that a constitution would be best. They believed that written down rules would be best to would allow people to disagree, but accept the outcome of the constitution. Before the constitution, the ruler’s words were law, and America was under the colony of the English who taxed them heavily. The state leaders come in to make a constitution that would be used by all the united states. However, in order to prevent one person from having so much power, the rules had to be made, those that would be followed by the rulers. This is the focus on the first part of the film, where the law experts explain each and every concept the creators of the constitution had in mind. The second part of the film comes in to explain how the right to an attorney came about in America for everybody after a poor man is taken to court accused of stealing change from a vending machine. The poor man had no money to pay a lawyer, but felt all along that it was unfair that the court did not appoint him an attorney to represent him except the representation of the council. This case illustrates the impact a case can have on the whole constitution through the judicial proceedings. During this time, the sixth amendment did provide a right to counsel but did not provide for those who could not afford it. In this part, the film explains the circumstances that led to the provision of an attorney for every body despite their economic background. The film through the decision of the court that the defendant was not facing a capital punishment case, explains that right to an attorney for poor people depended on the nature of the case. After conviction, he appealed to the supreme co urt, and was allowed the right to an attorney who represented the case batter and found not guilty. However, this was after three years in jail. This went on to become a law in the constitution. This again is well explained through the demonstration of the case proceedings that aired on television. Finally, the film’s lat part comes in to explain how powers of the president came to be separated to ensure the president did not do anything out of his power. This case laid the basis upon which separation of powers to make decisions during external conflict would be made within the government. This separated the roles of executive, judiciary and the legislature. During this time, America was at war with Korea, and the steel industry was about to go on strike. The president, Mr. Truman, went ahead to seize all the steel mills in united states to stop workers from striking. This way, supply of ammunitions for the soldiers would continue since steel played an important role. The steel industry complained about the president going above his powers and sought injunction in the court. It is through this case that the supreme court had to define the powers of the president to determine whether the president had acted beyond his powers, which was found to be so. The film uses demons trations of some of the clips taken during this period to explain the separation of the powers between the three arms, where the president would not engage in war without the approval of the congress, while the congress would not make a law if the president does not sign. With such interdependence, the president would not cross his powers.

Global accounting standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global accounting standards - Essay Example The increasing importance of a single set of global accounting standards in international market has given rise to the debate.The decision on the part of the European Union to require its all the member states to adapt their local GAAPs with respect to the IAS/IFRS, proved to be a milestone in the journey of IASB towards the FASB. However most of the European countries had already embarked on their convergence towards the international standards for financial reporting. The United States' standards setting body, FASB is consistently working towards the convergence of US GAAP to the international accounting standards in response to international pressures.This essay provides an insightful study on the development of IAS in the Europe and the convergence of FASB with the accounting standards. Moreover it discusses the impact and benefits of having a single set of global standards on the users of financial statements.In response to the financial reporting needs of the increasingly globa lised markets, the European Union passed legislation in the year 2002 that required all its member states to adapt their financial statements with respect to the IAS and IFRS. Ruder (2005, p555) says that, "the European Union's 2002 decision to adopt IFRSs for all of its listed companies was a significant stride toward convergence". This stance on the part of the European Union encouraged countries like Germany, Italy and France to accelerate their process of integration with international standards ... However significant changes only became evident after the EU regulation of convergence to IFRS (Delvailleet al., 2005). The Finnish standards started to converge with the IAS in the year 1993. The accounting standards of countries like UK, Netherlands, and Ireland are the most compatible with IAS as compared to other European countries (Haller, 2002). In Germany, on the other hand, the convergence to international accounting standards had taken place well before the EU regulation. Germany took such initiative in response to the international pressures concerning the presentation of company accounts. The German companies were required to present and report their financial accounts in accordance with either the IFRS or the US GAAP, thus the country adopted an accelerated approach towards adoption of international accounting standards. In the year 2004, the government also passed an Act that implemented the EU regulation to use the IFRS for the purpose of financial reporting for the year ended 2005. Hence, in all these European countries, the governments realised the importance of international standards and the irrelevance of their local GAAP with regard to international markets in the year 1998 (Delvailleet al., 2005). Whittington (2005) elaborates that the international accounting standards have developed considerably over the time. The IASB, ever since its creation, has been amending and revising the previous accounting standards so as to re-assure their applicability. The pre-eminent examples of this amendment are the IAS 32 and 39 that had been originally adopted by the IASB from the IASC. There were several difficulties in both the standards that made it

Cultural Differences Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Differences - Research Paper Example   According to Royce (1982), there exist differences among all cultures of the world; these differences emanate from the fact that each group has its own norms, belief system, and values. The cultural differences prevalent in most parts of the world mean that people behave in accordance with their culture. Moreover, people tend to hold dear their values, morals, and ways of life. As a result, the traditions of any group of people are held sacred and should be adhered to by the members of the ethnic group. Those who violate the laid down norms may face punishment from the entire society. Therefore, a society may apply some sanctions for undesirable behavior; for example, wrongdoers may be ostracized or alienated from the other members of the society. However, the amount of punishment differs from society to society due to the varying cultural beliefs. Ethnic Identity Ethnic identity is a diverse term which has no universally accepted meaning. However, scholars have advanced the defi nition of ethnic identity to mean the relationship of a person as he or she relates to his or her society. Specifically, ethnic identity refers to a construct that affiliates the individual to the rest of the group. Ethnic identity refers to the view of a person by themselves and others as belonging to a certain group. A person chooses to identify with a group that tends to be available for him or her whenever he or she needs the group or a group, which acknowledges him. For example, a person can choose to affiliate with a group that has the same ethnic heritage (Banks, 1996). According to Banks (1996), in ethnic identity, the affiliation with a group can be in terms of cultural, natal, racial, and symbolic factors. Natal factors can be regarded as the ancestral attributes of a person; for example, the homeland of a person, origin of parents, and the origin of kin. Racial factors entail the use of physical characteristics as well as physiognomic attributes. On the other hand, symbol ic factors refer to the characteristics that tend to be typical of a certain ethnic group. Examples of symbolic factors include clothing, foods, holidays, artifacts, among other attributes shared by a group of persons. Cultural factors involve the behavior patterns exemplified by the group; it may also include the shared values and customs of a group. For most people in the world, ethnic identity forms the basis of national identity; as such, people tend to identify themselves with their ethnic groups. People belonging to the same ethnic group tend to share some attributes which are distinct from other ethnic groups. Moreover, ethnicity signals some form of physical traits, cultural similarities, an enduring descent, and a blood relationship. Apart from these similarities, people belonging to the same ethnic group tend to have some commonalities which include a common language, similar traditions, common religion, and a history that they can share (Royce, 1982). To a large extent, e thnic identity forms the basis for understanding the diverse differences among cultures. People tend to strongly identify with their respective ethnic groups. By belonging to an ethnic group, a person declares a certain ethnic identity and continues to demonstrate acceptable behavior which is characteristic of that group.  Ã‚  

Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology - Essay Example Before any kind of technology is released for use by humans, it is usually tested so as to make sure it has met the required criteria (Fazlollahi 203). 2. What Does Technology Entail? The word technology has been coined from the Greek word technikoes, which generally refers to an art which is related to skill. In other words, the term technology can be seen as applying art on science (Singh 1). This art is applied to create tools, develop skills and even collect materials that improve the quality of life of the human beings. Technology has really developed in many aspects over the years. For example, indigenous people used different ways of writing in order to store the information they collected using methods like writing on stones. With technology, writing has been made easy as papers and pens have been provided, and have made the work easy. In his work, ‘Writing is a Technology that Restructures Thought’, Ong says that â€Å"although we take writing so much for grant ed as to forget that it is a technology, writing is in a way the most drastic of the three technologies of the word† (30). It initiated printing and electronics came about. Human beings have really embraced technology from in all aspects of life; when it comes to religion, education, social, and even in the political issues, technology is in use. There are different tools of technology that have improved the lives of human beings. This essay will embark on giving an analytical perspective about the computers and the human beings. Computers have changed the way human beings by making learning easy. 3. Computers Computers, which are tools of technology, have brought changes to the lives of humans, and especially in the way they operate and think. For example, the thinking capacity of the people before technology, such as those that lived during stone-age is different from the thinking capacity of people today. In her review, ‘How Computers Change the Way We Think’, Turkle says that â€Å"the tools we use to think change the ways in which we think. The invention of written language brought about radical shift in how we process, organize, store, and transmit representations of the world† (1). A computer is an electronic device which is used in processing data. The data it processes gets in in form of input and it is then processed on the basis of a set of instructions that are supplied and stored in the memory, in order give the required results in form of output. Every computer comprises of two basic parts namely; the hardware and the software. Hard ware refers to the visible or physical parts of a computer, such as the processor, display or screen, keyboard, disk drive, and mouse among others. The software refers to the particular instructions that give directions to the components, so as to perform the required operations (Ravichandran 2). The two parts function hand in hand and thus the computer is not complete if one part is missing, or in other words, it is useless without the two parts. When I was in primary school, I only had a slight idea of what a computer is, and did not know that with it, learning could be easier. In primary school and part of my high school education, learning was not very easy as everything was done manually; that is, the teacher had to write all notes on the blackboard for the students to copy. The school on the other hand, provided very few books that were supposed to be shared among students, such that the ratio was one book

Social Media and Psychological Disorders

Social Media and Psychological Disorders Topic: Social media is a perfect environment to promote appearance concerns and eating disorders. It has long been known that exposure to traditional types of media, such as magazines, movies, and television, can increase body image concerns in youths (Tiggermann & McGill, 2004; Tiggermann & Polivy, 2010). Given that young people are now turning to Internet sources rather than print media, the potential impact of social media on body confidence should not be overlooked. In this essay, I would argue that social media has a negative influence on body image concerns and can lead to detrimental consequences.   Much research has indicated that mass media is considered the most influential and pervasive cause of body dissatisfaction (Thompson, Heingberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1999; Tiggermann, 2011). Internalisation of body perfect ideas and the stereotypes about body size begins when girls are as young as 3 years-old. It begins with baby girls exposure to mass communicated images of Barbie dolls, then moves to television advertisements and programs that celebrate ultra-thin models. It then culminates in early adulthood with appearance-focused conversations, fashion-focused stories, and picture-sharing on social networking websites. These factors have been found to promote unattainable beauty ideals of often photo-shopped women who are usually young, have a perfect body ratio and are incredibly thin. Although traditional media are still widely consumed, new forms of media or the Internet are being increasingly accessed. As of June 2017, approximately 52% of the world’s population has access to the Internet (Internet World Stats, 2017). Recent studies show that, as in traditional media, there are many places on the Internet that promote the stereotypical ideals of feminine beauty. For example, an analysis of advertisements aimed at adolescents on the Internet indicates that most figures used in the advertisements were young, thin, and attractive females (Slater, Tiggermann, Hawkins, & Werchon, 2011). Additionally, Tiggermann and her co-researchers found that Internet usage was related to greater internalization of thin-ideal, appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction, and the drive for thinness (Tiggermann & Miller, 2010). Associated with the rise of the Internet are Social Networking Sites (SNSs). As of June 2017, there are 2.46 billion social media users around the globe, and 71 percent of internet users were also social network users (Statista, 2017). Social media sites differ from the traditional mass media in several ways. First of all, a large proportion of social networking sites are peer-generated, which means users are simultaneously information sources and receivers. Second, by affording users the ability to shape, customise and direct online interactions, contemporary media transforms what were once passive receivers of the formerly popular mass media, into full-fledged communicators, with self-efficacy, and personal agency. Third, social media are more personal than conventional impersonal mass media. Users can bond with each other using technology, and content can revolve around the self. Fourth, social media are interpersonally rich tools that offer graphics apps, videos, and transformative multi-media cues that give the feeling of presence, lending the opportunity to transport individuals to psychologically involving domains that can encourage suspension of belief and attitude change. Finally, while mass media has a large heterogeneous audience, social media sites cater to communities of individuals with the same interests, ideas, and opinions. They are fundamentally media of ones peers. An amount of research on sociocultural factors and body image has emphasised the role of social comparisons in explaining media effects on body image concerns (Thompson et al. 1999). According to social comparison theory, people find it diagnostic and functional to compare themselves to others, especially to those who have similar attributes that are central to their definition of self. This has important implications for the effects of social media. Aforementioned, social media are the domain of peers, and peer comparisons are greatly salient to adolescents. In addition, upward social comparisons with attractive peers can actually lead to more negative self-attractiveness ratings than comparisons with attractive models in advertisements, who are less similar and in a less diagnostic comparison group. Social media are full of pictures of peers and create a favourable environment for social comparisons. Negative comparisons can be particularly likely on social media when young women c ompare their pictures with peers without knowing that those photographs might be digitally edited. More specifically, one experimental study indicates that upward social comparison can occur with social media profiles. Both male and female participants reported negative emotional states and showed some signs of body dissatisfaction when they viewed profiles with physically attractive photographs, meanwhile, those who viewed unattractive users profile pictures reported less negative emotional states (Hafekamp & Krà £mer, 2011). Previous studies show that exposure to peers who closely match the thin ideal has been found to increase body dissatisfaction in women (Krones, Stice, Batres, & Orjada, 2005). It is also interesting to note that comparisons to peers and models can lead to different results in regard to womens body image concerns. The reason is the appearance of peers seems to be more realistic and attainable than the appearance of models or celebrities because peers often have the same resources and lifestyle to oneself. In addition, in social media contexts, peers are not the only targets of social comparisons but online models or celebrities are as well. Beautiful pictures of models and celebrities are shared and posted on many social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. They are usually airbrushed to remove any flaws and this, in combination with the efforts of professional staff (such as hairstylist, make-up artists, photographers, etc) ensures that there is a huge gap between what is thought of beautiful and what can be attainable. We are aspiring to an ideal that does not exist, when constantly exposed to images of unrealistic men and women that have been digitally constructed.   When we look at the negative influences of social media on body image concerns, exposure is not the only factor, we also need to look at the ways in which social media is used. Using social networking sites is far different than passive exposure to traditional mass media. It is an interactive process, users are capable of creating and presenting their own media content while also viewing content created by others. A classic perspective of mass communication is uses and gratifications. It indicates that individuals use media to satisfy needs, seeking gratifications to fulfil motives and deriving gratifications from media use that can be both psychologically functional or dysfunctional (Rubin 2009). When applied to social media and body image concern, it suggests that individuals who are vulnerable to body image disturbances will seek gratification from social media. Young people who have low self-esteem and high thin-ideal internalisation are likely to seek gratification from social media. They may check their profile pictures online to satisfy reassurance needs, spending a considerable amount of time looking and comparing their pictures to those of their less attractive peers to validate their appearance, or sharing pictures of celebrities and models to ritualistically escape appearance-related personal distress. By doing this, they try to satisfy psychological appearance-gratifying needs and convince themselves they fit the thin-ideal of others. Eventually, young people usually end up feeling disappointed and hurt because the ultimate satisfaction of these needs cannot come from external sources but can only be found internally. Social media also unabashedly promote anorexic and bulimic lifestyles through a lot of pro-anorexia or pro-ana and pro-bulimia (pro-mia) Websites (Levine and Chapman 2011). Nowadays, there are many websites that devoted to promoting pro-anorexic ideals. They usually contain positive represent of an anorexic lifestyle; religiously-based metaphors; and more than 10 core themes, for example, perfection (the norms linking thinness with perfection), transformation (eating disorders can transform a person from ugly and fat to thin and beautiful), and success (the association of success with strength and ability to keep the weight off). In addition, Healthy Living blogs promote the image of thin appearance and deliver disordered nutritional messages, and also containing self-objectifying messages about women (Boepple and Thompson 2013). Two experiments indicate that exposure to pro-ana Websites exerts a number of negative influences, such as lower self-esteem, and decreased perceived attrac tiveness of oneself (Bardone-Cone and Cass 2007). Pro-mia Websites can also have harmful effects for young women (Levine and Chapman 2011). In conclusion, traditional media has long been known for its negative influence on body image concerns and behaviours through the promotion of body perfect ideals, but there are far fewer studies on the detrimental impacts of social media. In this essay, I argue that social media provides a perfect environment for negative social comparisons and gratification that could lead to appearance concerns and eating disorders amongst users. References Bardone-Cone, A. M., & Cass, K. M. (2007). What does viewing a proanorexia website do? An experimental examination of website exposure and moderating effects. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 537–548. doi:10.1002/eat Boepple, L., & Thompson, J. K. (2013). A content analysis of healthy living blogs: Evidence of content thematically consistent with dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47, 362–367. doi:10.1002/eat.22244. Dittmar, H., Halliwell, E., & Ive, S. (2006). Does Barbie make girls want to be thin? The effect of experimental exposure to images of dolls on the body image of 5–8-year-old girls. Developmental Psychology, 42, 283-292. Dittmar, H. (2009). How Do â€Å"Body Perfect† Ideals in the Media Have a Negative Impact on Body Image and Behaviors? Factors and Processes Related to Self and Identity. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(1), 1-8. doi:10.1521/jscp.2009.28.1.1 Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on social media: The impact of Facebook on young womens body image concerns and mood. BodyImage, 13(SupplementC), 38-45. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.12.002 Ferguson, C. J., Muà ±oz, M. E., Garza, A., & Galindo, M. (2014). Concurrent and Prospective Analyses of Peer, Television and Social Media Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms and Life Satisfaction in Adolescent Girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(1), 1-14. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9898-9 Haferkamp, N., & Kramer, N. C. (2011). Social comparison 2.0: examining the effects of online profiles on social-networking sites. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 14(5), 309-314. doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0120 Internet World Stats (2017). World Internet Users Statistics and 2017 World Population Stats. Retrieved: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm Kim, J. W., & Chock, T. M. (2015). Body image 2.0: Associations between social grooming on Facebook and body image concerns. Computers in Human Behavior, 48(Supplement C), 331-339. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.009 Krones, P. G., Stice, E., Batres, C., & Orjada, K. (2005). In vivo social comparison to a thin-ideal peer promotes body dissatisfaction: a randomized experiment. Int J Eat Disord, 38(2), 134-142. doi:10.1002/eat.20171 Levine, M. P., & Chapman, K. (2011). Media influences on body image. In T. F. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.), Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and    prevention (2nd ed., pp. 101–109). New York: Guilford Press. Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles, 71(11), 363-377. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6 Rubin, A. M. (2009). Uses-and-gratifications perspective on media effects. In J. Bryant   Ã‚   & M.    B. Oliver (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (3rd ed., pp. 165–184). New York: Routledge. Slater, A., Tiggemann, M., Hawkins, K., & Werchon, D. (2011). Just One Click: A Content Analysis of Advertisements on Teen Web Sites. Journal of Adolescent Health, 50(4), 339-345. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.08.003 Statista (2017). Number of social media users worldwide 2010-2021. Retrieved 30/10/17 from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/ Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L. J., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999). Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Tiggemann, M. (2011). Sociocultural perspectives on human appearance and body image. In T. F. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.), Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention (2nd ed., pp. 12–19). New York: Guilford Press Tiggemann, M., Polivy, J., & Hargreaves, D. (2009). The processing of thin ideals in fashion magazines: A source of social comparison or fantasy? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 73-93. Tiggemann, M., & McGill, B. (2004). The Role of Social Comparison in the Effect of Magazine Advertisements on Womens Mood and Body Dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 23-44. doi:10.1521/jscp.23.1.23.26991

Censorship Of The Internet And The Tyranny Of Our Government :: essays research papers fc

Censorship of the Internet and the Tyranny of Our Government "To curtail free expression strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for whoever deprives another of the right to state unpopular views also deprives others of the right to listen to those views," said Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr(Censorship and the U.S. Government 1). I completely agree with Mr. Holmes, and when the question of censoring the Internet arises, I cringe. Governing the Internet dominates many debates, censorship leading the fight. The Internet is the largest and most accessible form of mass media available today. It allows anyone with a few simple tools to consume, and produce, information and ideas to hundreds of people at a practically non-existent cost. Numerous factors indicate censorship of this force is not possible, and not the government's place. It should be left up to the users to decide what is broadcast. Most importantly, censorship of the Internet impairs the expression of ideas and infringes against the First Amendment of the Constitution. First of all, censoring the Internet as a whole is not possible, so why even try? Cyberspace is the most decentralized form of communication today making policing the Internet a virtually futile task. Unlike television or radio, the Internet consists of thousands of individual computers and networks, with thousands of speakers, information providers and information users, and no centralized distribution point (ACLU vs. Reno Brief 1). No guards watch to see who goes where and if that place is appropriate. The Internet has grown to be a global network. Just because one country deems something inappropriate does not mean that another will comply with the decision and follow the ruling. If posting pictures of bestiality was banned in China, for example, someone in Switzerland could post those pictures and the Chinese would have access to every single bit of data. Another example, this being completely factual, occurred in Ontario concerning the Karla Homolka/Paul Bernado trial. The courts decided that in order not to influence the jurors outside of the courtroom that a gag order would be put on media coverage of the trial. Conventional media complied, but an Internet site appeared. This was in turn shut down by the police, but still another appeared (Censorship and the Internet 1). There exists today no way of effectively tracking and determining from where a bulletin was posted, especially with the automatic dialing and encryption technology available. Thus even trying to censor the Internet as a whole would be only an exercise in futility. Although pornography and potentially destructive material exist on the Internet, not all potentially offensive material shows violent sex acts with

Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry Thoreau Debate Essay

Fight For What is Right A cold, snowy winter night in Birmingham, Alabama: one of those nights where you would rather stay inside and sit by a fire while sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. Not everyone is doing that though, for many people walk in the cold all bundled up. Some of the more unfortunate ones stay stranded outside in the freezing weather with not nearly enough layers to keep them warm. In Birmingham, a lot of these people consist of African Americans who cannot afford somewhere to keep warm or are Just simply denied a place to stay based on their skin color. In this day and age, segregation exists between whites and blacks. A huge issue nationwide, but when it comes to Birmingham everything is taken to a new level. To ensure the separation of whites and blacks, you can see plenty of racial signs and other such tactics used by the city. Although between King and Thoreau, none of these resemble an issue; they both could stay warm under their nice winter Jackets, both had a place to go back home to and more importantly, one was a white man and the other a black man. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. both made themselves very well known and idolized by many. They knew each other through a mutual friend but came into contact when they ran into one another here in Birmingham. The segregation in Birmingham continues to get out of control with constant bombings and killings of African American citizens, causing certain groups to want to take action towards reform in Birmingham. The group known as the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights called upon King to help lead them in non-violent reform, while Thoreau made his trip here to witness the reforms. Thoreau’s time of non-violent reform came about years before King even began to participate. King actually learned Just about everything from Thoreau’s writing, but Thoreau has no sense of that at this very moment. What King learned from Thoreau, he put to use more than Thoreau ever did. Right now the two men share the same non-violent beliefs and want to spread the word in their own separate ways. As the two men walk down the street they engage in friendly small talk. But then they come across a black couple denied entry into a restaurant. Both men look at ach other in disgust. They have seen it happen hundreds of times, but each time they see it, they have the same disgustful reaction. After what they Just witnessed, the two men started to state their opinions to each other on why they see this type of policy as a disgrace. Henry Thoreau spoke first with a scornful tone in his voice on how he cannot respect his government for allowing instances like these to occur. He continues speaking, â€Å"l cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also (180). In response, King expresses to Thoreau, that you cannot put the entire blame on the government even though they could change the laws involving segregation. But would that change how the white majority feels, especially in southern states. Those people grew up witn certain opinions ot Atrican Americans. King goes on with another strong statement, saying â€Å"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly (214). † With this statement, King tries to tell Thoreau that if they cannot change how people think, then segregation will not change either. After uttering such words, King goes quiet, neither one of them saying anything to each other. Both continue walking with their eyes facing forward, trying to fgure out what they are going to say next. After a few minutes of walking in the freezing cold with a light flurry of snow, the silence is broken. King ends this when he asks Thoreau how he plans on making a difference for racism and segregation. Thoreau does not respond right away, giving King the opportunity to answer his own question: â€Å"Henry, we need to make a difference here in Birmingham. If we do something here then it ay affect the whole nation. And we need to do it in a non-violent manner. † He continues, â€Å"In any non-violent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action (215). King believes that these steps will lead them to a successful reform against segregation. Thoreau agrees with King that they should reform in a non-violent way, but questions who will Join him. He immediately states, They continue enjoying each other’s company, but ever since their heated discussions the two have not said one word or even batted an eye towards the other. They arrive at the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s apartment where he says one final comment to end the night, â€Å"Henry, we have a ‘moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws’ (218). We are nere tor a reason; and that reason involves making a ditterence. So tomorrow let’s get everyone in town together and move forward with this reform. † Thoreau ooks at King with a blank face and continues his way. With his incomparable leadership ability, King leads a reform the next day in Birmingham. The reform in Birmingham took place in 1963, and was led by Martin Luther King Jr.. This action brought attention to the integration efforts in the city, and during these nonviolent riots the citys police brought out dogs which attacked the civilians. They would also spray the people with high powered water hoses. But the reform actions demonstrated led to the government changing the city of Birmingham’s discrimination laws.

Creating Climates for Learning for Diverse Learners Essay

In the case of Pon, it makes sense that his behavior and learning problems do stem from the fact that he is different from his peers. In his age group, it is usually the case that being different results to being discriminated against (Rogers, 2004). Rather than forcing the child to â€Å"fit in† with his classmates, it would be more appropriate to channel his differences to positive learning experiences. Activities that promote the showcasing of individual differences such as â€Å"show and tell†, or â€Å"talent shows† may be incorporated to allow the class to express their ideas and make each other see how different they are from one another. In discovering their differences, each member of the class would realize that being different is not such a bad thing. These activities would make Pon feel more confident about his unique identity and make his classmates appreciate him more. Once his classmates are able to see that Pon also has talents that he can share with the class, there will be a greater possibility that his peers would interact with him. In the case of Araceli, her limited English speaking skills can truly be a source of personal frustration and depression. In order to combat these dangers, her teachers should provide opportunities for her to appreciate her speaking abilities in Spanish. This can be done by asking her to join speech competitions in Spanish. While her language teachers should remind her about the importance of learning English, they should also applaud her for her fluency in Spanish and inform her that Spanish itself is a major language. In both cases, it is important that teachers do not make the mistake of affirming student differences as negative traits. Teachers should help students celebrate their individual differences in order to build their self-esteem and make them more comfortable with the learning environment. Reference Rogers, J. (2004). Pedagogy: A Multicultural approach 3rd Edition. NY:

Argument against the case an accounting standard to regulate the way in which complex financial instruments are reported in the financial statements of quoted companies essays

Argument against the case an accounting standard to regulate the way in which complex financial instruments are reported in the financial statements of quoted companies essays In this essay, I would like to start with a brief explanation about the accounting regulation and standards set for various treatments consists of gaps where the rules are vague or even incomplete. Then, I would like to give a brief introduction about the development of standards set for capital instrument, such as TR677 (ICAEW), FRED 3 and FRS 4. Next, I will go into details examining the problems found in these proposals and standard, especially FRS 4. Coming to this stage, I will divide the problems into two parts. Firstly, I will point out the inconsistency found in FRS 4 in relation to FRS 5. Secondly, I will try to deal with the practical point of view, pointing out that the FRS 4 consist of practical problems in accounting treatments for shares and debt. Finally, I will conclude that the current standard for complex capital instruments is not sufficient to solve the problems found in its accounting treatments. Hence, a more effective standard must be put forward to regulate the accounting treatment for capital instruments as it is becoming increasingly more complex. In many countries, accounting regulation is based on a system of detailed rules prescribed in standards and the law. However, rule-based systems can rarely be water-tight. There may be gaps in the rules, and places where the rules are vague or even incomplete. Of equal, if not greater significance is the fact that regulatees may develop schemes which fulfil the letter of the rules, but undermine their spirit. Regulators may find themselves constantly lagging behind the avoidance activities of the regulatees (McBarnet, 1988). In such circumstances, effective regulation breaks down. For the past ten years, the financial instruments issued by companies have become more and more complex. This has been particularly so since October 1987 which has been a period where equity issues have been difficult and companies have not wanted to increase their capital gearing. ...

The Intercultural Communication in the Sports and Politics Essay

The Intercultural Communication in the Sports and Politics - Essay Example The sports events like the Olympics and the World Cup though are more about sports have been used over time to engage in high levels of public diplomacy (Murray, 2013). In this case, the sporting events are useful in undertaking Intercultural Public Relations. However, even when engaging in public diplomacy, those in charge resort to using language that is acceptable to all the people from different backgrounds thus contributing to a large extent in influencing intercultural communication (Baraldi, 2015). On the other hand, using sport in changing public relations or political relations is a means through which nation brand themselves. For instance, the 2014 Olympics games in Russia were overshadowed by Vladimir Putin’s passing of anti-gay laws before the games kicked off. Putin had to respond to public and media attention. In response, the USA media portrayed how Russia was not in the same league of human rights as the rest of the world. Therefore, the Russian example shows h ow sporting events are being used as platforms for airing political differences and also at the time being crucial to influencing other societies to embrace tolerance. Nonetheless, the fight for political supremacy through sports entails engaging in intercultural communication where nations use language that is accepted by the rest of the world as a community (Allen, 2011). For instance, in the Russian scenario, the country is against homosexuality though the Olympic Games was used to encourage the country.

Evaluation of the Visual Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Evaluation of the Visual Environment - Essay Example Knowledge of these properties makes it possible for people understand, analyze and design interactions between objects, surfaces and light. The difference in the behaviour of light on different surfaces defines its properties. While discussing the various properties of light, this essay will consider a bathroom and how light behaves on different surfaces in the bathroom. Bathrooms differ according to people’s tastes and preferences; while some are small, others are large. However, a typical bathroom approximately measures 2.5 meters in length by 1.5 n in the breath. Although the finishing of bathrooms differs substantially, this paper will consider a standard bathroom with white walls, furnished with white tiles and a grey floor. From the ceiling is gypsum fitted with warmly lit bulbs to offer adequate light for the person bathing. A door made of transparent glass opens to a hallway fitted with a dressing table made of marble on one side, with a huge mirror standing on one side of the table. Different things stand on the table, with a glass vessel holding a couple of bathing soaps, ointments and apparatus. A dark curtain ensures the privacy of the person bathing. In the bathing cubicle, fitted on three walls are mirrors standing from the floor to the top of the ceiling. Light naturally travels in straight lines and as such behaves differently whenever it lands on different surfaces (Vandergriff, n.d). While some reflect light in the bathroom, others absorb it, others refract and others transmit light. Mirrors are made of extremely smooth surfaces and as such, they reflect light at the same incidence at which it lands on the mirror. Whenever light hits a mirror, it bounces off, and as such, this forms the image that people see whenever in front of a mirror. While the mirror reflects light due to its smooth surface, tiles do not form images since their surfaces are not as smooth.  Instead of tiles reflecting light at the same angle at which it lands on their surfaces, they reflect it at different angles, a reason why there is no resultant image from these surfaces.