The Death Penalty in Canada Essay -- Capital Punishment, canadian stud

The most severe of all sentences: death. Also known as capital punishment, this is the most severe form of punishment in the courts as it is requires law enforcement officers to kill the offender. Our past has left us thinking that if someone steals from us, we should steal from them, or if someone yells at us, we should yell at them. But does there ever come a point where if someone kills somebody, we should kill them? Today, there is a large controversy over the death penalty, whether it helps society or not, and if it is morally right. When we find someone guilty of murder and sentence them to death; does that not make murderers out of us? Is the death penalty an unnecessary punishment, or is it now a necessity in the battles of crime? With the increase in crime and violence in our society, how does the death penalty affect a North American family? Canada’s history with this punishment has been stable for several years. In the late 1800’s until the 1960’s, all murders in Canada were promised a death of hanging. Between these dates, there were 710 Canadians murdered. Many of them were found to be innocent years after their death. The last execution in Canada was on December 11, 1962 when 2 men were hanged in Toronto, Ontario. It wasn’t until July 14, 1976 that the House of Commons passed a Bill that was to abolish capital punishment from the Canadian Criminal Code, and replacing it with a mandatory life sentence for all murderers. Since then, the Canadian government has seen the murder rate increase, and has struggled in the decision to bring back capital punishment, although recent studies suggest that there are four major issues that should make governments stay away from that decisi... ...iety understands the price, so why do we keep doing it? Like anything else in this world, it’s a form of insurance that the criminal will never commit another crime again. (Capital Punishment) As children, we grow up and learn that murder is wrong, but it is still done every day. Dealing with capital punishment, leads to many questions that many citizens even in Canada cannot find an answer to. Is killing somebody for committing a crime right? I personally believe that a victim on death row should be there if they actually deserve to be. Depending on the situation and the crime they committed, the death penalty eliminates evil in our countries. But can people make mistakes, can people be forgiven and change? Using the death penalty is breaking one of the Ten Commandments, so at the end of the day is it right? Does one life deserve another?

What It Is To Be Human :: essays research papers

What It Is To Be Human The body is socially constructed; and in this paper we explore the various and ever-changing constructions of the body, and thus of the embodied self......The one word, body, may therefore signify very different realities and perceptions of reality.....(Synnot 1992, 43) It has been said that in order to understand life and society, we as people must first understand ourselves. Who are we as a people? Who are we as individuals? Who are we as humans? These questions all present themselves when discussing a topic such as this. I believe that it is indeed important to ask questions such as these, and also as important to answer them. All of this assuming of course, that there is one specific answer. My problem begins here, in that I do not believe that there is one defined answer to these questions. As you will see, many "great philosophic minds" have different views and beliefs relating to these questions, and it is my job to sort through these different beliefs and discover...... What it is to be human It seems that for ages the human body has been studied and inspected. However, literal "inspection" only takes us so far. As humans, we all know that there are parts of our "being" that are intangible. Take thoughts, dreams, and things of the like. We know they exist, yet they are unable to be inspected scientifically (to any valuable degree at least). The distinction between beliefs begins here. How one views this intangible side of life with respect to the tangible, is the factor that defines one's beliefs. There are several ways in which one may view the body. A dualist is one who views the body and mind, or tangible and intangible, as two separate intities existing together to form one being. The principle of "Cogito, ergo sum," or in english, "I think, therefore I am." The "I" meaning the mind, and "I am" meaning the body. (Synnott 1992, 92) The tangible side of the person being bound of course, by the laws of biomechanics and gravity, and the intangible being bound by nothing but the laws of reasoning. ".....the body, from its nature, is always divisible and the mind is completely indivisible." (Descartes 1995, 70) Like anything, dualism comes with its pro's and con's. Many people choose to believe in the idea of dualism because of its truths. Obviously, we can all see that indeed, the body is real and tangible, and that the mind on the other hand is the intangible, although it too is real. Likewise, as evidence of dualism we have undoubtedly felt the physical as well as the non-physical.

Office of Homeland Security Essay -- Homeland Security Governmental Es

Office of Homeland Security Just as our parents and grandparents remember where they were and what they were doing when President John F. Kennedy was shot, so will it be with this generation when asked the same questions pertaining to September 11, 2001. This horrific event will be a scar on the body of our wonderful nation until the end of time. Parents lost children, children lost parents, spouses lost their heartmates – so much anguish and emotional devastation demands that something be done to prevent tragedy like this from occurring in the future. This is why President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security. This cabinet-level position was created in lieu of the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and will report directly to the President himself. In an executive order given on October 8, 2001, President Bush stated as follows: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. I hereby establish within the Executive Office of the President an Office of Homeland Security (the ``Office'') to be headed by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. (Boston, sec. 1). The first director of the Office of Homeland Security is a Pennsylvanian Republican, Governor Tom Ridge. â€Å"The post †¦ will be comparable to a domestic variation of the National Security Advisor, said a senior administration official† (Stenger, 2001: screen). Governor Ridge is more than qualified for this illustrious, though sadly needed, position. In the Presidents address to a joint session of Congress and the American people he states that Governor Ridge is â€Å"a military veteran, an effective governor, a true patriot and a trusted friend† (Address, 2001: screen). His military experience includes serving as infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Star for valor. As the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House he was re-elected six times (Biography, 2001: screen). As Governor of Pennsylvania he began his term in 1995. Since then he has cut taxes every year in office. His Education Empowerment Act helped more than 250,000 children in the states lowest-performing schools. The Office of Homeland Security has many functions that it will perform to ensure the safety of the... ...21 by the National League of Cities reveals that two-thirds of cities over 100,000 are reassessing their emergency plans, although 83% have a terrorism response plan in place† (Kenworthy, 2001: screen). The largest impact that the Office has on American citizens is, in fact, a greater feeling of togetherness. Works Cited Boston_Liberty. â€Å"Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council – Text of EO.† 10 Oct. 2001. Online Posting. FreeRepublic. 1 Apr. 2002. Kenworthy, Tom. Struggling to Create A Homeland Defense. 8 Oct. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. Stenger, Richard. Domestic Security Czar to Tame ‘Bowl of Spaghetti.’ 21 Sept. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. Sept. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. Oct. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. Office of Homeland Security Essay -- Homeland Security Governmental Es Office of Homeland Security Just as our parents and grandparents remember where they were and what they were doing when President John F. Kennedy was shot, so will it be with this generation when asked the same questions pertaining to September 11, 2001. This horrific event will be a scar on the body of our wonderful nation until the end of time. Parents lost children, children lost parents, spouses lost their heartmates – so much anguish and emotional devastation demands that something be done to prevent tragedy like this from occurring in the future. This is why President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security. This cabinet-level position was created in lieu of the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and will report directly to the President himself. In an executive order given on October 8, 2001, President Bush stated as follows: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. I hereby establish within the Executive Office of the President an Office of Homeland Security (the ``Office'') to be headed by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. (Boston, sec. 1). The first director of the Office of Homeland Security is a Pennsylvanian Republican, Governor Tom Ridge. â€Å"The post †¦ will be comparable to a domestic variation of the National Security Advisor, said a senior administration official† (Stenger, 2001: screen). Governor Ridge is more than qualified for this illustrious, though sadly needed, position. In the Presidents address to a joint session of Congress and the American people he states that Governor Ridge is â€Å"a military veteran, an effective governor, a true patriot and a trusted friend† (Address, 2001: screen). His military experience includes serving as infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Star for valor. As the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House he was re-elected six times (Biography, 2001: screen). As Governor of Pennsylvania he began his term in 1995. Since then he has cut taxes every year in office. His Education Empowerment Act helped more than 250,000 children in the states lowest-performing schools. The Office of Homeland Security has many functions that it will perform to ensure the safety of the... ...21 by the National League of Cities reveals that two-thirds of cities over 100,000 are reassessing their emergency plans, although 83% have a terrorism response plan in place† (Kenworthy, 2001: screen). The largest impact that the Office has on American citizens is, in fact, a greater feeling of togetherness. Works Cited Boston_Liberty. â€Å"Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council – Text of EO.† 10 Oct. 2001. Online Posting. FreeRepublic. 1 Apr. 2002. Kenworthy, Tom. Struggling to Create A Homeland Defense. 8 Oct. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. Stenger, Richard. Domestic Security Czar to Tame ‘Bowl of Spaghetti.’ 21 Sept. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. Sept. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002. The White House. Oct. 2001. 1 Apr. 2002.

Proud to Be an Indian Essay

India, a country with a culture having more than ten thousand years has enriched the global scientific, educational, economic and cultural scenario significantly. That is the reason why mark Twain has stated â€Å"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition.† Being born in such a great country, you have millions of reasons to feel proud as an Indian. Some of them are : 1 .Indian culture is the best in the world The very word culture started from the country India. When the people of today’s developed nations were wandering like nomadic, Indians built Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the first ever planned city of the world. India is the home to four major religions of the world. The first epic of the world was written in India. Sanskrit, according to a major group of linguistics is considered as the mother of all European languages. Forbes magazine has rated Sanskrit as the most suitable language for software applications. 2. First university of the world was established in Takshila(in Modern Bihar) in the year 700BC. More than 60 subjects were taught here to near about 10,500 students who came from different parts of the world. 3. We have never invaded any country in the entire history of 5000 years. Rather, Buddha and Gandhi taught the world the power of non-violence and truth. Recently, American president Barak Obama has openly admitted that Gandhi is an ideal for him. 4. Till 1896, India was the only known source of diamond in the world. Tremendous wealth of India attracted several invaders and traders. Till the invasion of British East India Company, India was the richest country of the world. 5. Number system is the greatest contribution of India to science in general and mathematics in particular. Indian Mathematician Aryabhatta invented zero. Bhaskaracharya, in fifth century, calculated the time taken by earth to rotate around sun exactly. Budhayana calculated the value of pi. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus had their origin India during sixth century. 6. Ayurveda, the earliest school of medicine has its origin in India. Surgery was done for the first time India by Sushruta 2600 years back. 7. India taught the art of navigation to the world on River Sind 6000 years back. Proof to it is the derivation of the very word navigation from NAVGATIH (a Sanskrit word). 8. Just like Indian culture and lifestyle of India , Indian Food has also been influenced by various civilizations and Regional Cultures. Traditional Indian food is not only famous worldwide for its spicy and lip-smacking taste, but also popular for its importance in the direction of maintaining a healthy life style. Indian food is both delicious and good for health. It matches to the requirements and taste of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Indians like hot, fresh and nutritious food in their daily diet. However, each part of India has its own unique cuisine and way of preparing recipes. In North India, Roti is proffered over rice. Use of cheese, curd, milk and vegetables in preparing different dishes is primarily marked in North-India. Tandoori is one of the most important dishes of North India which has a pan -Indian acceptance. Use of oil in preparing tandoori is minimal and only selected Indian spices are added while preparing any tandoori recipe. In south India, use of tamarind and pepper while preparing recipes is common. Here, people prefer to eat rice over Roti. Use of coconut oil in preparing dishes is marked in several south Indian states. Dosa is one of the most popular South Indian foods that have a pan-Indian appeal. In eastern part of India, people are generally fond of rice and fish. This is due to the availability of fish in abundance. Fish recipes of several types are vital aspects of East Indian food. In the western-part of India, spicy food is the first preference of people. Here also you can mark dominance of cheese while preparing dishes. Both rice and roti are popular in western India. 9. Family is the longest surviving institution of India irrespective of the ages, transformations, religious and political views compared to any other country and it shows how rich is our Indian culture. 10. I am proud to be Indian because of our country’s achievements in space and missile technology. India has launched a number of satellites in space for helping us in weather forecast, communications, medical research, and education. The missiles such as Agni, Prithvi strengthened our nation’s security and ensured a place in the elite group of the world’s powerful countries. Moreover, our scientists have lifted India’s pride by placing our Tri-colour on the moon and are now looking for landing in the planet Mars. 11. India is a country where people respect elders live in peace and harmony. India is the only country where there are people of different languages, religions and race, but all of them live together in harmony. There are 22 official languages a nd over 1600 dialects spoken. Nearly 650 different recognised tribes reside across the country. 12. India is the largest democracy in the world. It has a civilisation that is more than 5000 years old and boasts of multiple cultural origins. There is an emerging global, scientific and technological superpower. 13. It is a land of holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Cauvery,Mahanadi etc and beautiful mountains spread densely in north and eastern india and dense forests scattered all over india . We find many seas in the South of India. There is natural beauty in our country. 14. My country with its rich heritage and tradition I say is the most beautiful nation. We are also recognised for being the world’s second largest in population. But unity in diversity is the main reason for my pride in being an Indian. We have different languages, different cultures, food, clothes, and traditions and yet we stand united. Non violence, democracy, intelligence based on our high standards of education, our natural wealth, harmony, festivals, family, system, caring for the aged, service and sacrifice are some of the things that I am proud of our land. 15. Among the finest institutions this country has produced are the Indian Armed Forces. It is the world’s third largest standing army comprising over 1.1 million men in uniform. 16. I am proud also of the education provided by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs) which can boast of standards equal to the best in the world at far less cost. Products of these institutions now head global organizations and play a major role in organizations like NASA. Indians are familiar as doctors and scientists in many developed countries. 17. We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America , even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET, 38% of doctors in USA are Indians. 12% scientists in USA are Indians. 36% of NASA scientists are Indians. 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians. 28% of IBM employees are Indians. 17% of INTEL scientists are Indians. 13% of XEROX employees are! Indians. 18. Chess and Hockey was invented in India. I have got tons of reasons to love my country, but the most important thing is I love my country and I need no reason for it. Jai Hind! I am proud to be an Indian !

Branches of Government

Branches of Government Paper Brandy N. Serrano HIS 301 May 28, 2012 Bruce Franklin Branches of Government Paper This paper will discuss the three branches of government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. This paper will first cover the history of the three branches how did it start and what each branch controls. The second piece will cover how the branches interact with each other and the success and balance of each of the three branches. The last two parts of the paper will cover conflict between state and federal power then and now and how the branches could be more efficient.History of the 3 Branches of Government The reason our founding father created the three Branches of Government was not to allow one person or one group of people to have too much power or control by having a series of â€Å"checks and balances†. The framers wrote the Constitution to provide a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own responsibilities whi le at the same time work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored (Ben's Guide to U.S. Government, August 2011). In 1789 the forefathers ratified the constitution that outline the three Branches of Government in Articles I, II, and III. Article I of the constitution covers the Legislative Branch, Article II gives details of the Executive Branch, and Article III covers the Judicial Branch. The articles define in detail the authority, the compilation, the rules of engagement, the interaction, and various other aspects of how these three specific branches of government should be divided (Hub Pages, 2012).The Executive Branch consists of the president, vice president and 15 Cabinet- level departments such as State, Defense, Interior, Transportation and Education (Trethan, 2012). The president controls the Executive Branch and chooses the vice president and the cabinet members who lead their departments. A crucial function of the executive branch is to ensure that laws are carried out and enforced to facilitate such day-to-day responsibilities of the federal government as collecting taxes, safeguarding the homeland and representing the United States' political and economic interests around the world (Trethan, 2012).The Legislative Branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives that is known as the Congress. There are 100 Senators and 435 members of the House, each state has two Senators and House members are determined based on the population of the state. The legislative branch, as a whole, is charged with passing the nation's laws and allocating funds for the running of the federal government and providing assistance to the 50 U. S. states (Trethan, 2012). The Judicial Branch is the United States Supreme Court and lower federal courts.The Supreme Court has nine justices that are appointed by the president and is confirmed by the Senate and once appointed they hold the position for a lifeti me and are replaced when the person dies or retires. The primary function is to hear cases that challenge legislation or require interpretation of that legislation (Trethan, 2012). Interaction of the Branches As previously discussed there are three branches of government that were designed for a balance of â€Å"checks and balances†. The bases for the three branches of government in the U.S. are the, legislative, judicial, and executive, that will interact in a way that if one branch were to go outside the boundary set by the constitution the other branches would step in and pronounce the act unconstitutional (Vera, 2012). The Executive power which is the President has the power to approve or vetoes federal bills, carries out federal laws, appoints judges and other high officials, and makes foreign treaties, grant pardons and reprieves to federal offenders and acts as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.Checks that are done on Executive powers are; Congress can override ve toes by a two-thirds vote, the Senate can refuse to confirm appointments or ratify treaties and Congress can impeach and remove the President. The Congress can also declare war; while the Supreme Court can declare executive acts unconstitutional. The Legislative Powers also known as Congress have the authority to; pass federal laws, establishes lower federal courts and the number of federal judges.The following checks are in place for the Legislative powers; the Presidential veto of federal bills, Supreme Court can rule laws unconstitutional, and both houses of Congress must vote to pass laws by checking power within the Legislature. The checks on the Judicial power are; Congress can propose constitutional amendments to overturn judicial decisions (These require two-thirds majority in both houses, and ratifications by three-quarters of states. ) Congress can impeach and remove federal judges, and the President appoints judges (who must be confirmed by the Senate) (Hawk, 2008).Succes sful and Balanced When asking if the three Branches of Government are successful the question can have mixed answers. In one way yes it is successful because the system has lasted for over 200 years and continues on to this day. A better question to ask is does the current system continue to exhibit the characteristics and goals the founding fathers had envisioned. The answer to this question is not as clear in one hand the system seems to work as designed by our founding fathers laws are being passed, carried out, and enforced.On the other hand the level of involvement of the public is not what our founding fathers hoped it would be. The Anti-Federalists envisaged representatives returning home frequently to districts small enough to enable them to instruct constituents about the events taking place at the national capital and to receive instruction about how best to represent their constituents (Hub Pages, 2012). Even though this concept is alive today it is rare or even non-exist ing that a representative returns back to their state to ask their constituents for their instructions on events at the capital.Citizens due have tools in place that allow them to share their ideas and thoughts with their representatives such as phone, email, and the internet. The reality is many representatives are voting on issues that influence their special interest groups and party affiliations. We are also seeing a grid lock in Congress right now that is causing the Supreme Court to interfere more on issues that should be settled between Congress and the President. This is causing an imbalance between the three branches of the government.This is causing people to question if their representatives are fighting for their freedom, liberty, and property and this is showing in how people are voting. So for the question of success and balance the answer will always be different for everyone. Federal and State Right’s The Articles of Confederation were week and had no money or way of getting money through taxation. Under the Articles the States had more power than the nation government. For this reason our forefathers brought forth the idea of federalism, a division of sovereignty between a national government and regional government (Trethan, 2012).The federal powers under the constitution include the right to collect taxes, declare war, and regulate interstate and foreign trade. The federal government also has implied powers enable the government to respond to the changing needs of the nation. The states powers under the constitution include the right to legislate on divorce, marriage, and public schools. Powers reserved for the people include the right to own property and to be tried by a jury (Almanac of Policy Issues, 2004).Even though the Constitution had been made there were still several struggles between political struggles and between advocates of strong state powers versus proponents of federal supremacy ensued. In today’s modern world there are still arguments between states and federal government for example the U. S. federal government is sue the state of Arizona for their new immigration law saying that the law is unconstitutional. It comes down to having a balance of power between states and federal government this was the vision of our founding fathers. EfficientlyOur founding fathers had great ideas on how to make this one nation and how to have a fair balance of state and federal governance. Their ideas have lasted for several years and as times change there are changes that are made to the three branches but for the most part it is still what the founding fathers had originally started. Some changes that could be made to the Legislative Branch is the removal of lobbyist and special interest groups this would help to get representatives to listen to the citizens they represent instead of the most influential or financially sound group.Also there needs to be a better balance between the numbers of represent atives in the house that each state has, there should be a limit of 2 per state. This could help prevent the grid lock that we are seeing in Congress today and create a better balance. In the Judicial Branch a change would be to have term limits on how long a justices could serve this could help prevent corruption and the â€Å"social class† like system that there is today. In the Executive Branch the president should have more control over the LegislativeBranch with the creation of laws. The Congress should not be allowed to pass a law without the president’s approval and if there is a disagreement then a compromise should try to be reached and if still blocked then it should go to the Supreme Court. Conclusion Our forefathers created a system to have a balance of power between state and federal government this system is the three branches of government. They did not know that 200 years later that system would still be in place and working much like they created it.Th e three branches help to keep balance between state and federal government and work to up hold the U. S. Constitution. Each branch was design to control different powers of government this keeps one group from having total control or power over another group. For the most part the branches are successful and balanced in power and control. State and federal government work together for the most part but there are still some conflict that arise between the two. Overall the developments of the three branches have been successful and like all good things there is room for improvements and change.We will have to wait and see what the next 200 years bring for the Government. References Almanac of Policy Issues. (2004). The Constitution of The United States of America. Retrieved from http://www. policyalmanac. org/government/archive/constitution. shtml Ben's Guide to U. S. Government. (August 2011). Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://bensguide. gpo. gov/3-5/government/branches. html Hawk, R. (2008). Checks and Balances in the Three Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://socyberty. om/government/checks-and-balances-in-the-three-branches-of-government Hub Pages. (2012). A Look at the Three Branches of the United States Government 79. Retrieved from http://scsiv. hubpages. com/hub/A-Look-at-the-Branches=of-the-United-States-Government Trethan, P. (2012). The Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://usgovinfo. about. com/od/usconstituton/a/branches. htm Vera, L. (2012). Why Three Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://lovera13. hubpages. com/hub/Why-Thre-Branches-of-Government Branches of Government Branches of Government Paper Brandy N. Serrano HIS 301 May 28, 2012 Bruce Franklin Branches of Government Paper This paper will discuss the three branches of government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. This paper will first cover the history of the three branches how did it start and what each branch controls. The second piece will cover how the branches interact with each other and the success and balance of each of the three branches. The last two parts of the paper will cover conflict between state and federal power then and now and how the branches could be more efficient.History of the 3 Branches of Government The reason our founding father created the three Branches of Government was not to allow one person or one group of people to have too much power or control by having a series of â€Å"checks and balances†. The framers wrote the Constitution to provide a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government. Each branch has its own responsibilities whi le at the same time work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored (Ben's Guide to U.S. Government, August 2011). In 1789 the forefathers ratified the constitution that outline the three Branches of Government in Articles I, II, and III. Article I of the constitution covers the Legislative Branch, Article II gives details of the Executive Branch, and Article III covers the Judicial Branch. The articles define in detail the authority, the compilation, the rules of engagement, the interaction, and various other aspects of how these three specific branches of government should be divided (Hub Pages, 2012).The Executive Branch consists of the president, vice president and 15 Cabinet- level departments such as State, Defense, Interior, Transportation and Education (Trethan, 2012). The president controls the Executive Branch and chooses the vice president and the cabinet members who lead their departments. A crucial function of the executive branch is to ensure that laws are carried out and enforced to facilitate such day-to-day responsibilities of the federal government as collecting taxes, safeguarding the homeland and representing the United States' political and economic interests around the world (Trethan, 2012).The Legislative Branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives that is known as the Congress. There are 100 Senators and 435 members of the House, each state has two Senators and House members are determined based on the population of the state. The legislative branch, as a whole, is charged with passing the nation's laws and allocating funds for the running of the federal government and providing assistance to the 50 U. S. states (Trethan, 2012). The Judicial Branch is the United States Supreme Court and lower federal courts.The Supreme Court has nine justices that are appointed by the president and is confirmed by the Senate and once appointed they hold the position for a lifeti me and are replaced when the person dies or retires. The primary function is to hear cases that challenge legislation or require interpretation of that legislation (Trethan, 2012). Interaction of the Branches As previously discussed there are three branches of government that were designed for a balance of â€Å"checks and balances†. The bases for the three branches of government in the U.S. are the, legislative, judicial, and executive, that will interact in a way that if one branch were to go outside the boundary set by the constitution the other branches would step in and pronounce the act unconstitutional (Vera, 2012). The Executive power which is the President has the power to approve or vetoes federal bills, carries out federal laws, appoints judges and other high officials, and makes foreign treaties, grant pardons and reprieves to federal offenders and acts as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.Checks that are done on Executive powers are; Congress can override ve toes by a two-thirds vote, the Senate can refuse to confirm appointments or ratify treaties and Congress can impeach and remove the President. The Congress can also declare war; while the Supreme Court can declare executive acts unconstitutional. The Legislative Powers also known as Congress have the authority to; pass federal laws, establishes lower federal courts and the number of federal judges.The following checks are in place for the Legislative powers; the Presidential veto of federal bills, Supreme Court can rule laws unconstitutional, and both houses of Congress must vote to pass laws by checking power within the Legislature. The checks on the Judicial power are; Congress can propose constitutional amendments to overturn judicial decisions (These require two-thirds majority in both houses, and ratifications by three-quarters of states. ) Congress can impeach and remove federal judges, and the President appoints judges (who must be confirmed by the Senate) (Hawk, 2008).Succes sful and Balanced When asking if the three Branches of Government are successful the question can have mixed answers. In one way yes it is successful because the system has lasted for over 200 years and continues on to this day. A better question to ask is does the current system continue to exhibit the characteristics and goals the founding fathers had envisioned. The answer to this question is not as clear in one hand the system seems to work as designed by our founding fathers laws are being passed, carried out, and enforced.On the other hand the level of involvement of the public is not what our founding fathers hoped it would be. The Anti-Federalists envisaged representatives returning home frequently to districts small enough to enable them to instruct constituents about the events taking place at the national capital and to receive instruction about how best to represent their constituents (Hub Pages, 2012). Even though this concept is alive today it is rare or even non-exist ing that a representative returns back to their state to ask their constituents for their instructions on events at the capital.Citizens due have tools in place that allow them to share their ideas and thoughts with their representatives such as phone, email, and the internet. The reality is many representatives are voting on issues that influence their special interest groups and party affiliations. We are also seeing a grid lock in Congress right now that is causing the Supreme Court to interfere more on issues that should be settled between Congress and the President. This is causing an imbalance between the three branches of the government.This is causing people to question if their representatives are fighting for their freedom, liberty, and property and this is showing in how people are voting. So for the question of success and balance the answer will always be different for everyone. Federal and State Right’s The Articles of Confederation were week and had no money or way of getting money through taxation. Under the Articles the States had more power than the nation government. For this reason our forefathers brought forth the idea of federalism, a division of sovereignty between a national government and regional government (Trethan, 2012).The federal powers under the constitution include the right to collect taxes, declare war, and regulate interstate and foreign trade. The federal government also has implied powers enable the government to respond to the changing needs of the nation. The states powers under the constitution include the right to legislate on divorce, marriage, and public schools. Powers reserved for the people include the right to own property and to be tried by a jury (Almanac of Policy Issues, 2004).Even though the Constitution had been made there were still several struggles between political struggles and between advocates of strong state powers versus proponents of federal supremacy ensued. In today’s modern world there are still arguments between states and federal government for example the U. S. federal government is sue the state of Arizona for their new immigration law saying that the law is unconstitutional. It comes down to having a balance of power between states and federal government this was the vision of our founding fathers. EfficientlyOur founding fathers had great ideas on how to make this one nation and how to have a fair balance of state and federal governance. Their ideas have lasted for several years and as times change there are changes that are made to the three branches but for the most part it is still what the founding fathers had originally started. Some changes that could be made to the Legislative Branch is the removal of lobbyist and special interest groups this would help to get representatives to listen to the citizens they represent instead of the most influential or financially sound group.Also there needs to be a better balance between the numbers of represent atives in the house that each state has, there should be a limit of 2 per state. This could help prevent the grid lock that we are seeing in Congress today and create a better balance. In the Judicial Branch a change would be to have term limits on how long a justices could serve this could help prevent corruption and the â€Å"social class† like system that there is today. In the Executive Branch the president should have more control over the LegislativeBranch with the creation of laws. The Congress should not be allowed to pass a law without the president’s approval and if there is a disagreement then a compromise should try to be reached and if still blocked then it should go to the Supreme Court. Conclusion Our forefathers created a system to have a balance of power between state and federal government this system is the three branches of government. They did not know that 200 years later that system would still be in place and working much like they created it.Th e three branches help to keep balance between state and federal government and work to up hold the U. S. Constitution. Each branch was design to control different powers of government this keeps one group from having total control or power over another group. For the most part the branches are successful and balanced in power and control. State and federal government work together for the most part but there are still some conflict that arise between the two. Overall the developments of the three branches have been successful and like all good things there is room for improvements and change.We will have to wait and see what the next 200 years bring for the Government. References Almanac of Policy Issues. (2004). The Constitution of The United States of America. Retrieved from http://www. policyalmanac. org/government/archive/constitution. shtml Ben's Guide to U. S. Government. (August 2011). Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://bensguide. gpo. gov/3-5/government/branches. html Hawk, R. (2008). Checks and Balances in the Three Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://socyberty. om/government/checks-and-balances-in-the-three-branches-of-government Hub Pages. (2012). A Look at the Three Branches of the United States Government 79. Retrieved from http://scsiv. hubpages. com/hub/A-Look-at-the-Branches=of-the-United-States-Government Trethan, P. (2012). The Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://usgovinfo. about. com/od/usconstituton/a/branches. htm Vera, L. (2012). Why Three Branches of Government. Retrieved from http://lovera13. hubpages. com/hub/Why-Thre-Branches-of-Government

Influences of Cartoons on Children Essay

Children watch on television a lot of kind of cartoons like Tom and Jerry, SpongeBob, Mickey Mouse and others. Many parents agreed today that every child is interested in cartoons. It is very good if a child watches only educational cartoons, but there are a lot of cartoons which have bad influences on children. However, nowadays children become addicted to watching cartoons and, as a result, there are a lot of debates about whether children are affected by cartoons more positively or negatively. Some people, especially elder people, state that cartoons in the Soviet Union were kinder, more colourful and harmless. Unfortunately, these people claim that today’s cartoons have more violent acts that cartoons during their childhood. In contrast, younger generation mentioned that cartoons are not bad for children. Also, a research review on watching cartoons and language in the early years, conducted by Robin Close on behalf of the National Literacy Trust, found that for children aged two to five, good-quality educational television can have a positive impact on attention and comprehension, receptive vocabulary, some expressive language, letter-sound knowledge, and knowledge of narrative and storytelling (Close, 2004). So, although, cartoons can be educational and entertaining, many people believe that modern cartoons are very violent, create false sense of reality and negatively affect the development of children’s social skills. Firstly, while watching cartoons, children’s brain processes a lot of violent acts. There are a lot of children who suffer from mental and psychological diseases because of cartoons. Most people think that cartoons are colourful and harmless movies for children. However, it is not true. Children from the age of two or earlier begin to watch cartoons. Unfortunately, they see some materials, which are not acceptable for their age. Also, most cartoons contain violence, which can affect child’s mind. One example of such kind of cartoon is Tom and Jerry. Tom always tries to hurt and catch Jerry, but usually he is the one who is injured. One of the studies indicates that boys are more affected by violent cartoons then girls (â€Å"Effects†, 2011). Also, cartoons can be addictive. Children spend more and more time watching cartoons and cannot live even a day without this process. Adults have to understand that cartoons with violence will influence child’s brain. So, cartoons can negatively affect children and lead to some diseases. Secondly, children a re unable to make the distinction between reality and fiction, they cause harm to themselves by imitating what they see in cartoons. There are a lot of cartoons which show how some characters are jumping, diving and shooting each other. In cartoons, people jump from high buildings and they do not have any injuries. After watching such kind of cartoons, children have an incorrect sense of real life. It can leads to some injuries or dangerous situations or even it can kill a child. According to Choma et al. (2004), for every hour of TV viewed per day, the risk of injury rose by about 34% in the children studied (p.5). Children can try to do what their hero did. â€Å"There are three major television effects on children : not sensitive to the pain of others, children who watch violence do not fear violence nor are they bothered by violence in general; and finally, kids might become aggressive and even can hurt others† (Choma et al., 2004) (p.3). Finally, children do not develop good social and communication skills. There is a growing body of opinions among professionals that an increasing number of children are suffering from communication difficulties. Children need to be confident communicators in order to hav e happy, fulfilled and successful lives. Verbal communication is the method used by the vast majority of people to communicate. People use it to have their needs met, to indicate their likes and dislikes, to request information, to refute something, to socialize, as well as to establish and maintain relationships. The ability to communicate is the basis of social and emotional well-being. Children who have difficulty communicating often go on to develop behavioral problems, mainly due to their frustration at not being able to express their needs, participate in social exchange and achieve in education. These children do not ‘grow out’ of their difficulties as education progresses. However, there are a lot of educational cartoons on television which can give moral lessons and entertainment to children. Educational cartoon characters help children become comfortable to express their feelings. Children learn so many new things. When a child begins to watch educational cartoons he finds out a lot of new things before going to school. While watching cartoons, children try to repeat everything that the ir favorite character says. They try to speak in the same manner. After that they can tell it to other people. So, they improve their speaking skills. Cartoons are also a source for entertainment. Each child spends around two or three or even more hours per day watching cartoons. A child from the time when he starts school until his graduation watches TV around 18,000 hours (Choma et al., 2004). Indeed it is real interesting for children to watch cartoons and it is real a good source for entertainment. In conclusion, adults have to understand that it can really influence a child’s brain and can push a kid to do terrible things, it can be dangerous for children because they try to do unreal things after watching cartoons. On the other hand, there are many cartoons which teach children new things which can be useful in future child’s life. So, parents should choose a good environment for their children which will protect them from some failures. Next generation is the future and adults today have to care about their future life. References. Gunter, B. (2000). The impact of television on children`s antisocial behavior in a novice television community. Child Study Journal; 30 (2). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=e314cccf-8419-46fd-b27e-175f4e7b01a9%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=hch&AN=4055672 Choma C.J, Hossler S., Leu R., Nelson D., Ray S., Wilcox B., Ybarra B. (2004). Effects of cartoons on children. Retrieved from http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/tcom/faculty/ha/tcom103fall2004/gp9/ Josephson, W. (1995). Television violence: A review of the effect on children of different age. Retrieved from http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/reports/violence/upload/television_violence.pdf Osofsky, J. D. (n.d.). The impact of violence on children. Retrieved from http://www.icyrnet.net/UserFiles/vol9no3Art3.pdf Thompson, A. (n.d.). Pros & Cons of cartoons on kids. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6874711_pros-cons-cartoons-kids.html

Master Harold and the Boys Critical Analysis

Master Harold†¦ and the Boys Athol Fugard’s Master Harold†¦ and the Boys is an instant classic that does a superior job at encompassing the complex of racial hierarchies and interracial friendships that existed in South Africa in the mid-20th century. Set in 1950 the play follows the everyday lives of its two main protagonists: Hally, a white, seventeen year old male discontented with his schooling, and Sam, a middle-aged, black servant of Hally’s family.During this period the rigid racial structure of Apartheid remained dominant in the nation, institutionalizing the already understood separation of disenfranchised blacks and privileged whites. These de jur social classifications cannot however denounce the observable friendly relationship that Hally and Sam share. With Sam practically having raised Hally due to the boy’s drunk for a father the racial tensions of the relationship seem initially to be nonexistent.This all changes during the moment of eng agement when the primary opposing force of the work is revealed: Hally’s alcoholic father is rumored to be returning home from the hospital despite his family’s cries against the act. Distraught and trapped between his filial duties and disdain for the man who neglected him, the underlying racial tensions of the play come to light with this recognition. In order to compensate for his lack of control in the situation, Hally takes to hurling insults at Sam, who is actively trying to pacify the marauding emotions of a teenage boy to no avail.The audience is left asking themselves the dramatic question: â€Å"Will Hally cross the precariously small line between venting his anger and becoming overtly racist? † More broadly as well we can ask, â€Å"What are the implications of an oppressive racial hierarchy on interracial friendships? Within the text the protagonist Sam appears to be the voice of reason as well as the primary proponent of peace (Jacobus, 1395).From reprimanding his foil character Willie for beating his wife to restraining himself with saint-like temperance during the climax, Sam never acts illogically or violently (Jacobus, 1410). Contrarily, Sam displays inquisitive preplanning by relating a story prior to Hally’s fall from grace that serves only to color the boys shame after his regrettable act during the climax. The super-objective of Sam therefore is to maintain order and harmony in an otherwise chaotic household rooted in an already racially oppressive regime.Tactics such as relating a heartfelt memory in the form of a story (distraction), attempting to reason with Hally as to convince him to check his reaction (reasoning), and when all else fails parental-like reprimanding (appeal to authority) all reinforce the image of Sam as a peaceful, reasonable protagonist. Opposite this cool, collective nature exists our second protagonist: Hally. Hosting underlying supremacist ideology, Hally exhibits all of the emotional inconsistencies of a teenage boy along with the inability to properly handle stress.From the point of attack until the moment of engagement one can see examples of Hally talking down to Sam despite the age difference and authoritative roles between the two. â€Å"God, you’re impossible. I showed it to you in black and white. It’s the likes of you that kept the Inquisition in business. It’s called bigotry†¦ (Jacobus, 1399). The super-objective for this troubled youth is the solidification of authority as to pacify his sense of helplessness due to his father’s return.Unable to convince his mother of detaining his father at the hospital for a longer time, Hally slips from the angry boy he once was upon initially hearing the news into an irate, power-starved child (Jacobus, 1409-1410). This shift in personality further enforces the dramatic question as Hally edges ever closer to the point of no return in his language, chastising Sam and directing his an ger towards a â€Å"safe† target protected by the racial hierarchy.The introductory incident in Master Harold†¦ and the Boys is the moment when Hally receives a call from his mother stating his father’s desire to return home. Eventually convinced of the impossibility and distracted by his school work, the thought nevertheless preoccupies our young protagonist’s mind, coloring each action and reaction throughout the rest of the play. The moment of engagement is closely married to the introductory incident in this work as the audience’s intriguing moment is parallel to Hally’s emotional commitment to the idea of his father’s return.Unable to divorce his mind from this subtle inkling of helplessness, Hally’s tone sharpens considerably as he attempts to solidify his own authority through discourse with Sam coupled with sharp remarks. â€Å"Don’t try to be clever, Sam. It doesn’t suit you. Anybody who thinks thereâ€⠄¢s nothing wrong with this world needs to have his head examined. † (Jacobus, 1403). The major peripetie of the work occurs when Hally’s mother phones again to confirm his worse fear: his father is adamant about his return home.At this point all civil facades are dashed by Hally in a vain attempt to solidify his own importance though coupled with the genuine emotional struggle of a young boy at odds with his father. Searching for an outlet the rising action of the play takes a dramatic turn from a slight incline to a steep hill as Hally visibly changes gears from distraught and confused to violently offensive. â€Å"And I’m telling you you don’t! Nobody does. (Speaking carefully as his shame turns to rage at Sam. ) It’s your turn to be careful, Sam. Very careful! You’re trading on dangerous ground. Leave me and my father alone! (Jacobus, 1409). Here, the author transitions the rising action from its lackadaisical yet worrisome progression t o a full sprint towards a disastrous climax as Hally finds a socially acceptable outlet for his rage. During the climax the dramatic question posed is answered: Hally indeed steps far over the line into not only overtly racist but derogatory territory, going so far as to spit in Sam’s face when he attempts to defend himself. Sam’s super-objective of pacifying the situation is obvious as relations between the two protagonists degrade ever further as Hally relentlessly attacks Sam.From consoling Hally and letting him know he is empathetic to attempting to reason with the rogue boy, Sam can’t seem to escape the teenagers wrath as Hally goes so far as to grab Sam by the arm and force him to listen to the irate ramblings of a destitute youth. Super-objectives clash as Hally refuses to relent and release his foothold of authority despite taking the friendship into dangerously precarious territory. â€Å"†¦Then I have to ask ‘What, chum? ’ and then h e says: ‘a nigger’s arse’†¦ and we both have a good laugh. † (Jacobus, 1410).At this point the climax is in full swing, but it is not yet complete as Hally still refuses to desist. After suffering enough of the young â€Å"master’s† blatantly racist comments Sam decides to show Hally his â€Å"arse†, a reasonable action considering the stunningly distasteful joke just delivered by Hally. Instead of realizing the pain he has caused his lifelong guardian, the pious boy instead spits in the face of Sam in order to further satisfy his authority. Enraged at this disrespectful act, Sam mulls over the idea of striking the boy the put him in his place.Realizing the implications of this perceived action (either death or exile), the Basuto servant instead decides to relate the rest of the kite story to Hally, providing details that were previously omitted. It was not due to work that Sam was unable to join Hally on the park bench many years ago; it was due to the racist institution of apartheid that barred interracial friendships and meeting points. Framing the entirety of the play, apartheid was the social system in which the nation of South Africa institutionalized racism in 1948.Dividing the major cities into racial sections, the majority ethnicity, blacks, were not allowed to interact with whites other than for work opportunity. Horrendously oppressed and misrepresented, the minority of whites controlled nearly every aspect of life for the disenfranchised majority including establishing â€Å"native† provinces in the north to which many blacks were relocated despite having no affiliation with the region. As one can assume the judicial system was also heavily skewed in this atmosphere, resulting in most interracial cases being ruled in favor of the rich white minority.It is with this knowledge that one can begin to understand why Sam would take such abuse with no apparent grievance. It is not only due to his love for Hally that he restrains himself, but the racist reality in which the story takes place that drives Sam into the arms of complacency (Cornwell). This heartfelt relation completely nullifies Hally’s defenses as the young boy is left speechless and self-loathing and the falling action of the play leaves the audience stunned. Still impacted by the news of his returning father, Hally now realizes that his senseless pursuit of authority has only brought ruin to his most cherished relationship.The system of apartheid introduced a failsafe in which even a powerless white teenager could exert utmost authority over a well-spoken and respectable black man; unable to satiate his need for power elsewhere Hally instinctively turned towards this hostile system for reassurance rather than to the arms of his oldest comrades. One is left considering the implications of the thematic question: what are the implications of an oppressive racial hierarchy on an interracial friendship? The answers are obvious less glamorous than they are pitiable. Works CitedCornwell, Gareth. â€Å"’A Teaspoon of Milk in a Bucketful of Coffee:’ The Discourse of Race Relations in Early Twentieth-Century South Africa. † English in Africa 38. 3 (2011): p. 9-33. Belk Library Information Commons. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. < http://0-ehis. ebscohost. com. wncln. wncln. org/ehost/detail? sid=c33825fd-b951-4f8c-ac22-a04d51f7a864%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=72102587> Jacobus, Lee A. Master Harold†¦ and the Boys. 2009. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 1394-411. Print.