The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the character of Nick Carraway as his mouthpiece, his own little spy in the lives of the characters in the novel to relate back the events happening. Because of this, there are a number of things which we need to bear in mind about his narration such as to what degree it could be biased and how the first person descriptive effects the way that we portray Nick. First being introduced into the novel, Fitzgerald has Nick Carraway talk about some advice that his father had given him when he was younger, therefore enlightening us to the way that he was brought up and how it has affected the way he is now. He still remembers the words: â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had. † This reveals to us that Nick is not of lower class and is very well educated, which is further reinforced by the fact that he went to Yale, one of the most highly esteemed colleges in the country. Nick explains how doesn’t judge a person, which has therefore â€Å"opened up† people to him as they shared their troubles with him. However, we also get the impression that he is uninterested in the petty problems of people’s lives, as the comparison of â€Å"curious natures† to â€Å"veteran bores† is used, suggesting that while some of the people who confided in him intrigued him, others may have just left him sitting there offering mild condolences, a â€Å"victim† who’s subject to listen to their inconveniences when they were â€Å"unsought†: he didn’t look for people to come and talk to him, they came to him. Whether this proves that he is a trustworthy character is debatable; if he told everyone about the â€Å"secret griefs† that he was privy to then he wouldn’t be trusted and have people coming to speak to him, and yet he frequently deceived the people who sought after him, feigning â€Å"sleep, preoccupation or a hostile levity† when they tried to speak, which makes you wonder what else he could have done in the lines of deception, and whether or not it went further than just lying to avoid people. It would seem that he is very good at getting along with people in public and on the surface, whilst analysing them in private, to us, the readers. The reader learns soon on that Nick is from the Middle West, but moved further east to West Egg where he’s living now to learn the bond business. West Egg and East Egg are both enormously wealthy suburbs of New York City, located on Long Island where they face the ocean, but there is a clear differentiation between the two. East Egg is the home of the aristocratic people with inherited fortunes gathered over generations, roots running deep in American society. These people place great value on tradition, family background, manners and social convention, and look at people who weren’t born into their kind of wealth – â€Å"old money† – with contempt. Those who live in West Egg are also very wealthy but they lack the sense of entitlement that those in East Egg have, as they earned their money and weren’t born into it. They aren’t as ‘polished’ or ‘refined’ in their manners, and can therefore never fit in with those from the East Egg; they lack the background of a well established family. Nick himself is â€Å"descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch†, so therefore has a rather esteemed lineage in his own right, and yet he lives a rather modest life in the West Egg in a small house he describes as an â€Å"eyesore† next to the large mansion next door belonging to Gatsby; he isn’t drowning in wealth himself, but he is connected to people like his neighbour, Gatsby, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Because of this, he has an insight in to what happens in the lives of these people, and this is what Fitzgerald will have intended: Nick relates what goes on from the inside, acting as the eyes, ears and mouthpiece for Fitzgerald. Although the intention of using Nick as the narrator may have been for him to give a rather objective viewpoint of the story’s events, that wasn’t truly the way that it was portrayed. Yes, he’s an outsider compared to the rest of the characters, having only recently moved to the West Egg himself and therefore not knowing too much about the lifestyles that these people are living, other than the fact that they are rich. However, he has former opinions of the characters he meets in chapter one which may or may not have clouded the way in which he describes them. Daisy Buchanan is his second cousin once removed, and it is clear that he is taken by her: he describes her as â€Å"charming† with a â€Å"low, thrilling voice† that was difficult to forget, which is a rather biased opinion of her; of course, we are still shown some of her carelessness and snobbish ways, but they are mainly through her actions, little things between the lines that could be easily overlooked if one didn’t know what to look for. Tom Buchanan on the other hand is introduced differently; through Nick, Fitzgerald first describes how he is a wealthy, athletic figure, listing his achievements and purchases before describing the man himself: he is portrayed as an arrogant man, having a â€Å"supercilious manner† and â€Å"established dominance†, thinking he’s superior to everyone around him and especially the black race as he describes how thinks it’s up to themselves, â€Å"the dominant race† to make sure that they keep the control and not any other races. He is generally described much more negatively by the narration of Nick, and this influences the way in which we perceive Tom as the automatic ‘bad guy’ in Chapter One. This perception is only accentuated when the reader finds out that he is cheating on Daisy with a woman in New York, and that men at New Haven (the college that he and Nick both attended) â€Å"hated his guts. † It is clear that he is a powerful man as his physique is referred to numerously, like the â€Å"enormous power† of his body and the â€Å"great pack of muscles† he had. He filled his boots until he â€Å"strained at the top lacing†, which could be likened to the saying that someone is too big for their boots – Tom is, both in the literal sense and the way in which he thinks that he is more important and powerful than everyone else. Heck, Fitzgerald even describes how Nick seems to think he radiates the â€Å"I’m stronger and more of a man than you are† vibe! Considering the fact that Fitzgerald has Nick introduce himself as an honest man who is â€Å"inclined to reserve all judgements†, we as readers don’t really get this impression from him in the first chapter. Not only does he already have – possibly subconscious – opinions of the Buchanans, he also has â€Å"unaffected scorn† for his neighbour Jay Gatsby, and all that he represents. However, he also says that there is â€Å"something gorgeous† about him, highlighting the fact that not only is he contradicting his previous statement when he said that he reserves judgements, but he’s contradicting his own opinion of the same man in only the next sentence! Because of all these things combined, it is uncertain to what degree the narration of Nick Carraway is actually reliable, as his own opinions can get in the way and make the narration biased. Overall, I think that Nick is portrayed as a fairly honest man in this first chapter of the novel, The Great Gatsby, but because of a few underlying things that could be picked up on, that may not be the full extent of his character. His opinion of things, even in the first chapter, contradicts itself; this not only puts into question which opinion we should agree with, but also makes us doubt his reliability as a narrator, which then in turn makes us wonder to what extent the story is accurate and in how much of it has had the illusion of the lifestyle the characters are living take over the actual reality.

Reconstruction or Deconstruction Essay -- American America History

Reconstruction or Deconstruction Following The War for Southern Independence the radical Republicans of the North took unjust measures over the conquered and impoverished social structure, economy and governments of the defeated southern states. In fact, the whole idea of "reconstruction" was in fact "deconstruction". Reconstruction was not to "heal the nation's wounds," or to economically revitalize the South (which it did not). Indeed, Reconstruction was economically destructive to the South. The purpose was to continue the economic plundering of the Southern states for as long as possible, and to establish a national Republican party political monopoly. Congress Passes the Reconstruction Act On March 2, 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act and thus abolished local civil government in the southern states. It divided the southern states into five military districts-each commanded by a battalion of Federal troops to insure that southern whites were held in total subjugation to every radical Republican policy of the northern politicians. During this reconstruction period many Northerners came southward to take unfair advantage of a destroyed economic and governmental structure in order to gain political and or financial advantage. These greedy opportunists were self-seeking in their quest to exploit the South. With no regard what so ever to the quiet, peaceful Southerners the Northerners attempted to implement their beliefs and ways of life upon the grieving Southerners. Carpetbaggers "Carpetbaggers were supposedly sleazy Northerners who had packed all their weordly goods into a carpetbag suitcase at the war's end and had come South to seek personal power and profit (2)." Although these carpetbagger... ...es offered no financial assistance to the Confederate veteran, while at the same time passing laws "legalizing" their misappropriation of public finds for their own selfish gain. Aftermath Following the war, what lasted from 1865 to 1866 was the greatest trial that the South had to bear, not excepting the terrible ordeal of war. No people had to undergo so dark a period with such complications. The cost to the South was great, but her citizens didn't lose hope, yet began to work with a will to revoke all improper and corrupt legislation, to restore economy in public expenditures, to reduce taxation, to do away with useless offices, to make schools efficient, and to build up waste places. History will certainly condemn the legislation that entailed such misery, such corruption, and such extravagant expansion of the money of an impoverished and crushed people. Reconstruction or Deconstruction Essay -- American America History Reconstruction or Deconstruction Following The War for Southern Independence the radical Republicans of the North took unjust measures over the conquered and impoverished social structure, economy and governments of the defeated southern states. In fact, the whole idea of "reconstruction" was in fact "deconstruction". Reconstruction was not to "heal the nation's wounds," or to economically revitalize the South (which it did not). Indeed, Reconstruction was economically destructive to the South. The purpose was to continue the economic plundering of the Southern states for as long as possible, and to establish a national Republican party political monopoly. Congress Passes the Reconstruction Act On March 2, 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act and thus abolished local civil government in the southern states. It divided the southern states into five military districts-each commanded by a battalion of Federal troops to insure that southern whites were held in total subjugation to every radical Republican policy of the northern politicians. During this reconstruction period many Northerners came southward to take unfair advantage of a destroyed economic and governmental structure in order to gain political and or financial advantage. These greedy opportunists were self-seeking in their quest to exploit the South. With no regard what so ever to the quiet, peaceful Southerners the Northerners attempted to implement their beliefs and ways of life upon the grieving Southerners. Carpetbaggers "Carpetbaggers were supposedly sleazy Northerners who had packed all their weordly goods into a carpetbag suitcase at the war's end and had come South to seek personal power and profit (2)." Although these carpetbagger... ...es offered no financial assistance to the Confederate veteran, while at the same time passing laws "legalizing" their misappropriation of public finds for their own selfish gain. Aftermath Following the war, what lasted from 1865 to 1866 was the greatest trial that the South had to bear, not excepting the terrible ordeal of war. No people had to undergo so dark a period with such complications. The cost to the South was great, but her citizens didn't lose hope, yet began to work with a will to revoke all improper and corrupt legislation, to restore economy in public expenditures, to reduce taxation, to do away with useless offices, to make schools efficient, and to build up waste places. History will certainly condemn the legislation that entailed such misery, such corruption, and such extravagant expansion of the money of an impoverished and crushed people.

Rampart Scandal

Abstract This paper looks at the history of the Los Angeles Police Department as it relates to police culture and several major incidents leading up to the Rampart Scandal. The police culture of a young LAPD ultimately seemed to linger and affect the LAPD of today. The lack of supervision and positive community interaction seemed to solidify the primitive police culture. The History of Police Culture Leading to the Rampart Scandal The Los Angeles Police Department is one of the biggest and most innovative police departments in the world that has been in existence since 1853.The LAPD encompasses nearly 468 square miles in over 19 divisions and employing nearly 10,000 sworn police officers to police a population of roughly 4 million people (Los Angeles Police Department, 2012). When many people think of police, they often have visions of old television re-runs of Adam 12 or Dragnet, both of which were police shows with officers and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department. The television programs depicted officers and detectives conducting their investigations, where the officers maintained absolute professionalism when making arrests or dealing with the public.These television programs never told the true story of crime and life out on the street or the real people that police it every day. The Los Angeles Police Department has had a very colorful history as it has led to modern times. The Zoot Suit Riots of 1943, the Watts Riots of 1965, the Rodney King Riots of 1992 and the Rampart Scandal all have had an impact on the LAPD and law enforcement in general, as well as how the public perceives police and their mission.In 1926, when Chief James Davis ran the LAPD, he gave a directive to his officers to rid the city of the â€Å"gun toting element and rum smugglers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and if his officers showed mercy to these people that he would reprimand them for that behavior (The LAPD:1926-1950, 2012). The mentality of Chief James Davis is where the LAPD e ssentially started, in a time when there was no true equality of citizens. The police officers were threatened with the possibility of losing their jobs if they showed mercy to people that they dealt with on the streets.With that type of attitude, the police and citizens did not have any type of a working relationship to solve problems or create an atmosphere of trust with the general public; only fear. There have been many Police Chiefs since that time and many have attempted to change the atmosphere in which the officers operate and treat each other and the citizens. Chief Willliam Parker ran the LAPD from 1950 until his death in 1966. Chief Parker was able to desegregate the LAPD and he allowed minority officers to work areas where they traditionally weren’t allowed to work before due to their minority status.Chief Parker also created a â€Å"professional† model of policing so as to cope with the rising population with a small amount of police officers (Martin, 2009 ). Despite the fact that change in how the LAPD dealt with the population was coming, the underlying attitude amongst most officers was that they were the law and they could do most anything that they felt needed to be done. To feed to this totalitarian attitude, the LAPD has had to deal with many civil unrest situations like the Watts Riots of 1965.The Watts Riots stemmed from an arrest of an African American subject named Marquette Frye that took place in the Watts neighborhood on Los Angeles. An altercation started possibly out of frustration with the lack of employment, housing and quality schools in the Watts area and turned into six days of riotous behavior in that poverty stricken area of Los Angeles. The LAPD as well as members of the National Guard were deployed to quell the violence on the streets (Unknown, 2012).The riot cost the lives of thirty-four people and created an even bigger rift with the LAPD and the community in which it serves. The police culture that had been passed on to generations of LAPD officers was one that was truly inconsistent with what law enforcement should be about. This came from an era where racial segregation was common in various parts of the country but civil rights began to become a hot topic in the world. The way in which officers of the LAPD dealt with people while interacting and doing their jobs was such an ineffective way of enforcing the laws as they were meant to be enforced.Many times the personal rights of individuals guaranteed under the United States Constitution were trampled on just because the attitudes of those in charge of both the police and the courts were primitive. Chief Daryl Gates took the helm of the LAPD in 1976 and he was creative in his ideas on how to modernize the LAPD. Chief Gates was there during the 80’s when gang-related violence was at an all-time high and something had to be done to effectively combat the problem. Community Policing philosophy was not a new idea at this point, b ut it had not been effectively implemented to cause any change. Chief Gates had the LAPD begin is form of â€Å"proactive† or iron fist policing tactics by implementing Operation Hammer in the streets in 1987. Operation Hammer was a police officer overload by the C. R. A. S. H. officers (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) in a certain area that has been experiencing numerous acts of gang-violence and officers enforce laws with ferocity using a zero-tolerance attitude with everybody in the neighborhood. This type of policing countered with other community policing programs that were in place to ensure that residents of these impoverished neighborhoods were being provided resources to help their situations (Sahagan, 1990).Operation Hammer was not just a way for the LAPD to take violent criminals off the streets, but some have said that it was LAPD’s way of sending a message to the violent offenders to stop the violence. Officers during these various â€Å"oper ations† were not only searching and seizing items of evidence, but destroying property and disrespecting family of the gang members they sought to arrest. These tactics were not effective and did nothing to combat the crime but seemed to enrage the citizens of those neighborhoods to cause further community relations problems for the LAPD.The distrust with the public and the LAPD continued to get worse until March 1991, when officers from the LAPD began chasing a speeding vehicle in their jurisdiction from the freeway. Rodney King was the driver of that speeding vehicle and he led officers on a chase that ultimately ended in a neighborhood area, where residents were woken up and videotaped recorders began recording. The videotape showed Rodney King being beaten numerous times with police batons at the hands of officers of the LAPD. The result was that the videotaped beating was given to the news media, which aired the footage to the world.The public outcry wanted the officers c harged for using excessive force upon Rodney King, which resulted in four officers being charged for using excessive force and ultimately acquitted of all charges. The response to the verdicts sparked complete civil unrest in the South Central area of Los Angeles, where the original beating took place. Initial rioters became enraged at the fact that an incident that was videotaped for the world to see could not convict police officers of excessive force. The riots lasted a total of six days and damage was estimated at one billion dollars.At this point, there was no relationship with the LAPD and the impoverished areas of Los Angeles and crime seemed to run rampant. The attitude of the LAPD had not evolved with the world’s views on civil rights and it had been proven based on the various riots and scandals of this era of the LAPD. I feel that in some ways, attempts had been made at this point to try and connect with the community but the weak attempts failed. LAPD continued to use their iron fist approach to handling problems, which history has showed that it was not effective enough to cause change.This attitude caused the LAPD to stand still while the world around was continuing to evolve and grow, which ultimately caused many issues for the LAPD and the city of Los Angeles. During the LA Riots, a young officer named Rafael Perez had been learning the skills of the job to move to the most sought after specialty positions such as narcotics and C. R. A. S. H. positions. When Rafael Perez, a native of Puerto Rico, was a child growing up he had ironically envisioned himself as being a Los Angeles Police Officer like the ones that he watched on the television program â€Å"Adam-12†.Rafael Perez ended up landing a police officer job with the LAPD in 1989, a time when tension amongst police officers and the communities it served was at a boiling point (Cannon, 2000). Many officers, ultimately found to be involved in some type of scandal or wrongdoing w ithin the LAPD had been hired within the same time period and had grown up with the LAPD police culture. Rafael Perez and many other officers involved in the Rampart Scandal, including Kevin Gaines, David Mack, and Nino Durden were hired in a time period between 1988 and 1990.Some critics say that these officers and many other officers that have partaken in misconduct of a criminal nature were hired at a time when there were federal rules of affirmative action hiring practices. These federal rules forced agencies, such as the LAPD to hire minority candidates and lower standards based on race and sex. When hiring standards for candidates of any job, much less a law enforcement job are lowered then the candidates are less desireable, regardless of race or sex. A statistical analysis of data from the U. S.Department of Justice from economist John Lott found that â€Å"aggressive† affirmative action hiring practices requiring a quota for hiring minority officers increased crime r ates. The report reads â€Å"When affirmative action rules take over†¦ the result is a reduced quality of officers† (Golab, 2005) With the federal regulations requiring affirmative action hiring practices, police departments, including the LAPD got away from the traditional hiring practices. Normally police officers are chosen as good candidates when they are hired on value-based hiring practices.The practices are to look thoroughly into the candidate’s background, mental background and learn about the candidate and his/her morals and values. When affirmative action regulations take over, value-based hiring practices are not used due to the fact that a minority quota is put in place instead of hiring the best quality candidate regardless of race or sex. In the case of the LAPD, this type of hiring practice allowed people like Rafael Perez, David Mack and the rest to take the law into their own hands and victimize citizens of Los Angeles.Once the officers in the Ra mpart Scandal were hired onto the LAPD, they learned how to do their jobs and in some instances came off as model police officers. Many of these officers received awards and commendations for the work that they had done while employed with the LAPD. Although I don’t know the entire career of these officers, it seems likely that their careers started with very minor â€Å"perks† being given to them as a result of their position of authority. Officers on this slippery-slope model of police corruption are brought into grafting subcultures that are already involved in this sort of corrupt and illegal activity.Once the newer officers of the group begin their path on the slippery-slope of corruption, it is often difficult for them to ever come back. This is due to them being a part of previous corruption, where other members of the grafting subculture group were witness to, and there is now fear amongst the members of the corruption being discovered. In the case of the LAPD, it appeared that the officers found to be involved in the corruption, had been involved for quite some time.The investigation into the Rampart Scandal began with the investigation into a shooting death of an off-duty LAPD officer by an on-duty LAPD narcotics detective. When investigators began looking into this case, they found that the off-duty officer that was killed, named Kevin Gaines had been involved with Death Row Records. Death Row Records was owned and run by a Piru-Blood gang member named Suge Knight. Kevin Gaines was also alleged to be involved with the Piru-Blood gang. As investigators looked deeper they found several LAPD officers working for Death Row Records and being involved in the Piru-Blood gang.A incident occurred on November 6, 1997 when the Bank of America branch in South Central Los Angeles was robbed at gun point. Two men entered the bank and demanded money from the customer service manager and she gave them approximately $722,000. When robbery detectives be gan investigating the crime, they were able to question the customer service manager extensively and she revealed that the bank robbery was an â€Å"inside job†, with the main suspect being her boyfriend and LAPD officer David Mack.Two days after the bank robbery, David Mack and Rafael Perez had gone to Las Vegas to celebrate. Investigators were learning that Rafael Perez had a relationship with each of these other officers and Rafael Perez was even thought to have been the second suspect in the bank robbery. When questioned about the bank robbery and his relationship with David Mack, Rafael Perez denied any involvement with the robbery but said that David Mack had saved his life when they worked in a narcotics unit together (Cannon, 2000).While investigators were looking for clues in the Kevin Gaines shooting and the Mack bank robbery, the LAPD began investigating the theft of six pounds of cocaine from the evidence storage by one of their officers. The officer was Rafael Pe rez and he had already been suspected of being associated with Kevin Gaines and David Mack. Rafael Perez also had a connection to Death Row Records and had gang ties to the Piru-Blood gang. Rafael was a member of the C. R. A. S. H. anti-gang unit at the time, which was a unit that had quickly gained a reputation for playing hardball with gang members but also for being corrupt.Investigators would soon learn that many other officers in the Rampart Division were a part of the noble cause corruption that seemed to run rampant in that division. David Mack was convicted of federal bank robbery charges and was sentenced to fourteen years in prison, even though the money was never recovered and the other suspect has never been identified. Rafael Perez was able to negotiate a sentence of five years in prison in exchange for Rafael Perez’s cooperation in identifying additional corruption of other officers within the Rampart Division of the LAPD (Cannon, 2000).The LAPD administration a nd the LA District Attorney’s Office felt that too many incidents of corruption were coming out of the Rampart Division and this was a fair way to make sure that they cleaned up the division and go after the corrupt officers. Rafael Perez talked with investigators about the socialization to C. R. A. S. H. and how officers new to the unit are treated and tested to see if they are trustworthy enough to be part of the corruption that was taking place. He also stated that the supervisors knew about the corruption and even encouraged officers to do whatever it took to make arrests and bring in uns, drugs and money from the streets (Caldero & Crank, 2004). Some citizens of the area seemed to think that what C. R. A. S. H. unit officers were doing to rid the streets of thugs and gang members was worth it to keep them safe. Others had differing feelings regarding the way officers acted, as many innocent people not affiliated with any gangs were caught up in the fray. Rafael Perez det ailed to investigators about the patterns of corruption that were used by C. R. A. S. H. unit officers. This included using the INS to deport gang members or people that associated with gang members.Often times â€Å"sweeps† were conducted and INS agents were used during these â€Å"sweeps† to get gang members off the streets. Using the INS for this purpose was strictly forbidden by the LAPD policies but seemed to be a common practice for members of the C. R. A. S. H. unit as a tactic. Other tactics that officers were using would be to plant guns and drugs on subjects, use violence against suspects, and to lie under oath during court proceedings all to ensure that gang members were prosecuted (Caldero & Crank, 2004).During investigators debriefs with Rafael Perez, he blamed the LAPD and the aggressive police culture that it has bred as the reason that he became a corrupt officer. The C. R. A. S. H. unit motto, which was printed over the office door read â€Å"We intim idate those who intimidate others. † Rafael Perez said that he developed that US vs. THEM attitude that many police officers develop over time of working with and around hardened criminals. He blamed the supervisors and management of the LAPD for expecting high numbers of arrests and seizures as a catalyst for the accepted corrupt police culture amongst the C.R. A. S. H. officers (Cannon, 2000). Rafael Perez told investigators about a time when he and fellow C. R. A. S. H. unit officer Nino Durden shot an unarmed gang member, Javier Ovando. The shooting resulted out of a second contact with Ovando for trespassing, but the clear motive for the shooting is still not known. Durden and Perez planted a gun on Ovando after the shooting and Ovando was later charged and convicted for assault on a police officer with a firearm.Investigators knew that Rafael Perez had lied about many of the details of the shooting of Ovando, and this called into question the other corruption cases that Rafael Perez had been telling investigators about (Cannon, 2000). The corruption cases that have been learned from the Rampart Division Scandal prompted the US Department of Justice to mandate LAPD to enter into a consent decree. The Assistant Attorney General accused the LAPD of â€Å"engaging in a pattern or practice of excessive force, false arrests, and unreasonable searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. (unknown, 2012) The consent decree was used as a tool to reform the police culture of the LAPD and to hold the LAPD accountable for violations of policy and procedure as well as criminal laws by officers of the LAPD. I feel that the history of the LAPD is the history of what we call modern day policing. LAPD has been so inventive and they have led the way in innovation in some regards. The attitudes of past leaders of the LAPD caused a police culture that was that of rough and tumble and not willing to â€Å"take shitâ⠂¬  from anybody.This type of attitude was prevalent for many years and spread to most police agencies, becoming the way to do police work. LAPD did not change with the times and continued with the attitude that they were above the law ultimately causing corruption to run rampant throughout the ranks. Understanding the history of the LAPD and the police culture that it has promoted, the consent decree was a necessary thing that has been used to reel in the aggressive tactics of officers that seemingly went unsupervised.The federal consent decree caused the LAPD to revisit the policies and procedures that were supposed to have been used by officers and supervisors alike. All personnel received additional training to hold each individual accountable to what they were responsible for. The future of the LAPD is one that many outsiders will look on with baited breath to see if the consent decree helped with changing aggressive police culture and problems associated with it. Only time wi ll tell to see if they (LAPD) learned their lesson and realize that they are there to uphold the laws and protect lives and property. ReferencesLos Angeles Police Department. (2012). Retrieved from lapdonline. org The LAPD:1926-1950. (2012). Retrieved from The Official Site of the Los Angeles Police Department: lapdonline. org/history_of_the_lapd/content_basic_view/1109 Caldero, M. , & Crank, J. P. (2004). Police Ethics: The Corruption of Noble Cause,Second Edition. Matthew Bender & Company, Inc. Cannon, L. (2000, October 1). One Bad Cop. Retrieved from The New York Times Magazine: http://www. truthinjustice. org/20001001mag-lapd. html Golab, J. (2005, June). How Racial P. C. Corrupted the LAPD (and Possibly Your Local Force as Well). The American Enterprise, 16(4).Retrieved from http://www. questia. com/library/1G1-132678217/how-racial-p-c-corrupted-the-lapd-and-possibly-your Martin, G. B. (2009, January 28). LAPD Chief Parker:a product of his time. Retrieved from LA Times: www. la times. com/news/opinion Sahagan, L. (1990, December 25). Parents called Vital to ‘Operation Hammer'. Retrieved from LA Times: http://articles. latimes. com/1990-12-25/local/me-7125_1_operation-hammer unknown. (2012). The Aftermath. Retrieved from Frontline: www. pbs. org Unknown. (2012, April 30). Watts Riots. Retrieved from Civil Rights Digital Library: http://crdl. usg. edu/events/watts_riots/

What Is the Significance of Adolescent Psychology and Is...

Spring 2014 Adolescence is a transitional period we will all come to experience. What makes adolescence stand out is that it is a period in our lives that links what we have experienced in our childhood to developing and shaping the individuals we will become during adulthood. This particular field in psychology calls for a focus on young people’s abilities, strengths and developmental needs. There is an extensive amount of research that focuses on adolescent development and how it impacts an individual socially, emotionally and psychologically. While the research that supports youth developments is ongoing, it is critically important that educators focus on adolescent psychology in order to be knowledgeable about youth concepts in the context of education. Taking this course has helped be further my knowledge of this field with a strong focus on theories that have shaped the way we think about adolescent development. Not only have I learned about youth development, I have als o had the opportunity to reflect on my own upbringing during my adolescence and perhaps find answers to questions I never had bothered to raise back then. I take learning about adolescent psychology very serious because as a future educator it would better prepare me to be culturally competent in the classroom. Instead of making judgments about my students’ behaviors or attitudes, I would try to understand them from the cognitive level in which they are. As a future teacher preparing to enter a middleShow MoreRelatedRole of Women in Education and Social Development of Children4841 Words   |  20 Pagesrespondents (women) drawn using simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire developed on a four point rating scale duly vetted by specialists in educational research, measurement and evaluation, childhood education and educational psychology were used to obtain information from the respondents. 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Based on the findings of convergence and congruence, implications for teacher education and development are made. They mirror what Jung (2009) found in the study of teacher technology. Jung studied technology teacher dispositions and found education significantly increased competence level and disposition measures. The study also found there are no statistically significant differencesRead MorePerceptions of Youth Towards Premarital Sex9892 Words   |  40 PagesPERCEPTIONS OF YOUTH TOWA RDS PREMARITAL SEX In-Partial Fulfillment of Master’s Degree Requirements MR. ALMON M. ALEGADO M.A. IN PSYCHOLOGY ARAULLO UNIVERSITY Chapter 1 The Problem and its Background Introduction Sexual feelings begin long before puberty. As noted by Ellis, Freud, and Kinsey (1996), very young children and even babies, two and three months old, have sexual experiences (both through self-stimulation and through handling, caring, and fondling by parents). Premarital sex is seriousRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pagespreschool learning foundations. In a recent report, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) calls for early educators to make play a regular part of the daily curriculum and be responsive to the needs of each student. In addition, a recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics concludes that play is vitally important for healthy brain development. These reports, as well as many others, make clear that preschool children’s play and integrated learningRead MoreStudy of the Influence of Teacher Effectiveness19283 Words   |  78 Pagestests at the end of the period prescribed for a given academic programme. Long-term outcomes may be much more difficult to measure, but some might argue, that the best teachers are those who somehow improve students’ educational trajectories in some important ways. In other words, teacher quality is multi-dimensional and complex in nature, and can be measured in multiple ways. In Nigeria, the minimum educational and professional qualifications for any individual to teach in the secondary school systemRead MoreFrom Salvation to Self-Realization18515 Words   |  75 Pagescalculated self-control and spontaneous gratification. 3Focusing on the United States, this essay aims to explore the role of national advertising in this complex cultural transformation. Since the subject is too large for comprehensive treatment here, what follows will attempt to be suggestive rather than exhaustive to indicate a new approach to the history of American advertising, which has long remained a barren field. Aside from in-house or administrative histories, there is little to choose fromRead MoreDeveloping Effective Research Proposals49428 Words   |  198 Pagesdistinction 1.2.4 Social science and social science areas 1.2.5 Relationship of this book to Introduction to Social Research 1.3 A view of research 1.4 Outline of chapters 1.5 Review concepts Notes 2 The Proposal â₠¬â€œ Readers, Expectations and Functions 2.1 What is a research proposal? 2.2 Readers and expectations 2.3 Functions and purpose of the proposal 2.4 Pre-structured versus unfolding research 2.5 The research proposal as a plan 2.6 Research questions or research problems? 2.7 A simplified model of researchRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesEndnotes 367 Glossary 389 Company Index 395 Subject Index 398 v Contents PART 1 UNDERSTANDING HRM Chapter 1 The Dynamic Environment of HRM 2 Learning Outcomes 2 Introduction 4 5 Understanding Cultural Environments 4 The Changing World of Technology What Is a Knowledge Worker? 6 How Technology Affects HRM Practices 6 Recruiting 7 Employee Selection 7 Training and Development 7 Ethics and Employee Rights 7 Motivating Knowledge Workers 7 Paying Employees Market Value 8 Communications 8 Decentralized

Explaining Crime Essay - 3365 Words

CRIM3001 EXPLAINING CRIME ASSIGNMENT 2 ESSAY ________________________________ ANOMIE, STRAIN, AND SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY: INTERPRETING CRIME Causes of crime are arguably criminology’s most important and largest research topic. In this process of research, criminologists and academics have used numerous theories in attempts to explain how and why people resort to crime (Ellis, Beaver, Wright, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to examine a case study first with the use of strain theories (ST), followed by social learning theory (SLT). The first section will involve a summary of the case of R v Mark Andrew HUGHES (2009) NSWDC 404 involving an outline of the offender’s personal life, of his crimes, and his punishment handed down by†¦show more content†¦It should be noted that the court points out the findings from a well-known clinical forensic psychologist called W John Taylor, who states that based on Mr Hughes history, he felt he had a conduct disorder in his early teenage years, confirms he is clearly battling with drug abuse disorders, and is currently suffering with depression. However he feels that Mr Hughes is genuine in his desire to overcome his addiction with drugs, and with the right support, he has a chance at reforming his behaviour and addictions. This brings us to the second issue to be outlined, that is Mr Hughes crimes. Aside from a charge of break and enter as a child, another charge regarding sexual relations with a juvenile when he himself was a juvenile, and at the age of twenty-two, convictions for false pretences, theft and drug use, Mr Hughes has managed to remain crime free regardless of his drug addictions. Also, until the most recent crimes, Mr Hughes has never served a prison term. Thus in view of these facts, the court regards this as an insignificant criminal record considering Mr Hughes current age. During the months of September to the end of November 2008 Mr Hughes resurfaces with six serious criminal offences, mostly involving break enter and steal of which was from a business, a warehouse, a workshop and two homes. Two of these offences involved criminal acts that incurred separate charges, which wereShow MoreRelatedEssay on Explaining Crime468 Words   |  2 PagesExplaining Crime A) One Biological explanation of crime is Low intelligence. Studies have tended to link between low IQ and crime, although the link is not a simple one. Rutter and Giller (83) suggest two possible links. Once is that low intelligence leads to educational failure and consequently low self esteem. This then manifests as emotional; disturbances, conduct disorders and criminal behaviour. The second is that intelligence and conduct disorders may haveRead MoreThe Usefulness of Sociological Theories in Explaining Crime and the Control of Crime3045 Words   |  13 PagesThe Usefulness of Sociological Theories in Explaining Crime and the Control of Crime This paper seeks to explore the usefulness of Sociological Theories in explaining crime and whether in doing so there arises implications for probation practice. I shall begin by providing a brief explanation for the historical development of criminological thinking, starting with Classicism and moving onto Positivism both which lay the foundations for the development of sociological theoriesRead More Theories Explaining Juvenile Crime Essay examples1601 Words   |  7 PagesTheories Explaining Juvenile Crime Many theories, at both the macro and micro level, have been proposed to explain juvenile crime. Some prominent theories include Social Disorganization theory, Differential Social Organization theory, Social Control theory, and Differential Association theory. When determining which theories are more valid, the question must be explored whether people deviate because of what they learn or from how they are controlled? Mercer L. Sullivan’s book, â€Å"Getting Paid†Read MoreExamine and Assess the Usefulness of One of the Following Theories of Crime and Deviance in Terms of Explaining Crime and the Social Problems in Modern Society2181 Words   |  9 PagesExamine and assess the usefulness of one of the following theories of crime and deviance in terms of explaining crime and the social problems in modern society. A subculture is a cultural subgroup. They are considered opposite from the mainstream culture because of their uniqueness. They form when the mainstream culture fails to meet the needs of a particular group of people. Subculture theories primarily focus on crime and Juvenile delinquency. Theorists believe that if this pattern of offendingRead MoreExplain the Strengths and Weaknesses of One or More Criminological Theories for Explaining Crime in Contemporary Britain2651 Words   |  11 Pages Explain the strengths and weaknesses of one or more criminological theories for explaining crime in contemporary Britain Word count:1,200 Outline plan * Explain in brief the purpose of this essay. * Define the biological theory. * Evaluate Lombroso’s theory and link it to contemporary Britain. Include statistical data. * Discuss Charles Goring’s critisms of Lombroso’s theory. * Evaluate Sheldon’s somatypes theory. * Describe and evaluate the biological chromosomes theory.Read MoreThe Marxist Approach On Understanding And Explaining Crime744 Words   |  3 PagesHAS 262 Explaining Crime Essay Plan Question/topic chosen The question in which I have chosen for this assignment is: ‘Critically analyse the Marxist approach to understanding and explaining crime’ Why did you choose this topic? I was first originally pressed to this topic not only because am I completing a bachelor of social science to major in criminology but I am also completing a major in sociology. So far in sociology we have learnt about Karl Marx and his contributions to sociologyRead MoreLabelling Theory in Explaining Crime and Deviance - A2 Sociology729 Words   |  3 Pageselsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance. (21 marks) Labelling theorists are concerned with how and why certain people and actions come to be labelled as criminal or deviant, and what effects this has on those who are labelled as such. As stated in Item A, labelling theory is focused with how individuals construct society based on their interactions with each other. Becker emphasises the significance of crime being a social construct; an action only becomesRead MoreCritically Discuss Three Sociological Approaches to Explaining Crime1188 Words   |  5 PagesCritically discuss three sociological approaches to explaining crime? One of the most predominant areas of study in sociology is in the explanation of crime and deviance in society. Criminal acts are those which violate established formal laws, whereas deviance refers to the breaking of social norms. Crime and deviance are a social construct as they are decided by the people in a society and can vary greatly depending on the society in question, as well as the time period being studied. In theRead MoreAssess the Usefulness of Functionalist Approaches in Explaining Crime. (21)964 Words   |  4 Pageswhole. They explain crime and deviance by stating that the source of deviance lies in the nature of society rather than the individual. Durkheim states that crime and deviance is inevitable and a certain level is necessary for society to exist. He also claims that it is a positive aspect of society as it shows examples of rights and wrongs within society and by punishing offenders, through ways such as public humiliation and portraying crime as wrong, raises awareness of crime and therefore detersRead MoreWhy People Commit Crime Is Not An Easy Task1105 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Explaining why people commit crime is not an easy task. Criminologists have attempted to travel down the paths of the reasoning for criminal behavior and the factors that flow with them. Criminologists have developed many theories or perspectives of crime. The perspectives recognize the cause of crime by the related qualifies of criminals and populations with high crime rates. Two perspectives of crime stood out from the wide variety, biological and psychological. In some cases biological

Is College Cost Too Much - 938 Words

â€Å"Like health care, prices are rising rapidly for higher education because of the predominant role of third-party payments.† Our generation has been told since grade school that â€Å"you have to go to college† and â€Å"stay in school†, but is it worth it? It seems that society in a way pressures everyone to get a college degree like it’s the right thing to do and there’s no other option. The question that goes around is, does college cost too much? Well college is what an individual makes of it and depending on the circumstances, it can be worth it, but, can also not be. Before addressing the situation, there is the question of why people go to college. According to Caroline Bird, people go to college not because they want to but because guidance counselors and parents are always telling them that it is best for them. â€Å"It is practically beat into our heads that in order to be a productive citizen of society, you should have some sort of college education.† (Caroline Bird) Some people may even go to college just so they can get the social title of being called a college student, but a majority of the time they are pressured. For some people college can be worth it, but, it depends on the person. Some people can afford more expensive colleges and others can t afford any. The price of college is something that is currently being addressed nationally. Many believe that the price of college is too much. A reason for this is that colleges try to get as much money as they can and a greatShow MoreRelatedCollege Cost Too Much Money776 Words   |  4 PagesSchool is boring. College cost too much money. 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Educational Costs (1900-1909), University of PennsylvaniaRead MoreThe Cost Of College For College1473 Words   |  6 PagesPricing of College Every 7 7 in 10, 226 million college graduates has student loan debt; thats over 1.3 trillion dollars. This paper will give a rough estimate of what someone may need in college and how much it will cost to get them. There will also be averages of college tuition and credit hour costs. College is an important aspect of life now that a degree is needed to get most jobs. There are many ways to decrease the prices of college and there are multiple ways to pay for college but college willRead MoreGraduation Speech : Education Is Priceless909 Words   |  4 Pagesof a college education in order to have a successful life. Coming from a Filipino household, education was always a top priority. Both of my parents grew up in rural areas of the Philippines and had under privileged lives. Unfortunately, they did not have the chance to attend college, as well as high school. When my parents decided to have me, they wanted me to have the life they wish they had as children. That is why they push ed me to learn as much as I can in school and to go to college. We areRead MoreWhy Is It So Hard For Student Success959 Words   |  4 Pagessuccessful in college? In the book â€Å"Back to School† by Mike Rose, Rose talks about some of the different obstacle student’s faces in college that prevents them from being successful. Financial support plays a big part in student success. Money plays a huge factor in student success. Student that fail generally are the ones who are unable to pay school tuition. If students cannot afford the necessary equipment they need to succeed then they will have a hard time going through college. School suppliesRead MoreThe Rising Cost of Higher Education Essay1209 Words   |  5 Pagesprestigious Yale University will cost an average of $38,300 (collegeboard.com). Many students who deserve to go to this school may miss out because of the cost and lack of financial aid. The rising cost of college may put higher education out of reach fo r the average American. This paper will look into the reasons behind the steady rise in prices, the legitimacy of a college education, and why recent graduates are struggling to find jobs in this tough economy. A college education is now as necessaryRead MoreCost Of Higher Learning At College1491 Words   |  6 PagesCost of Higher Learning In order to have a better life and a better job today, a high school degree is usually not enough. Many people dream about having a college degree, but the costs of education being too high, could turn those dreams into a nightmare. 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For one, college can be really expensive, for example at the University of Minnesota for an undergraduate during the academic year of 2011-2012, the cost for one credit was $448.08 and $5,825 for a total of thirteen

Pancho Villa Free Essays

In the early morning of March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U. S. border and into history. We will write a custom essay sample on Pancho Villa or any similar topic only for you Order Now On that day, Villa launched the first attack on American soil since the War of 1812, killing 18 Americans and leaving the small New Mexican town of Columbus in flames. Among the dead was one-time Las Crucen Charles D. Miller, a 1906 graduate of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and brother of college registrar 1. 0. Miller. When the unidentified body was removed from the ruins of the hotel, his Masonic ring was recognized by a Mason in the rescue party and was found to be engraved n the inside with Miller’s name,† the Rio Grande Republican reported. Much of the town turned out for his funeral at the Masonic cemetery in Las Cruces. His death and the raid on the fellow border town shocked Las Cruces, though many of its citizens and college students had actively served along the border in the National Guard as civil war raged in Mexico. It was Just one of several connections Las Cruces had with the Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa, who is the focus of a new exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center. James Hester, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Colorado, will ick off the photo exhibit this Saturday with a talk about Villa at the cultural center, which will also present a special showing of a Villa documentary on March 9. Cruces connection Almost a hundred years after the raid, Villa remains a controversial and complicated fgure. A state nature park near Columbus even bears his name, despite the brutal raid on the town. The raid wasn’t the first time Las Cruces telt the impact ot the Mexican Revolution that nad start up Just as New Mexico was finally becoming a state. In late 1911, the one-time-bandit-turned-revolutionary had sided with newly elected resident Francisco Madero. By the following spring, anti-Madero forces led by a disgruntled Gen. Pasqual Orozco had captured most of Ch ihuahua, except for the city of Parral still held by Villa. Among Villa’s troops was the Mesilla-born Thomas Fountain, the son of Col. Albert J. Fountain, one of the Mesilla Valley’s most important 19th century figures, who was murdered along with his 9-year old son Henry in 1896. Thomas, whose mother had deep family ties in Chihuahua, was one of hundreds of â€Å"foreign† fghters and mercenaries who’d Joined the charismatic revolutionary Villa. That group also included one of the valley’s more unusual new immigrants, former Boer War leader Benjamin VilJoen of South Africa, who Joined with Madero as a military advisor. In early April 1912, Orozco’s forces were close to taking Parral, and were trying to place a cannon on a strategically vital point overlooking the city. But Fountain, manning a machine gun, single-handedly thwarted their efforts. The Villistas were forced from the city two days later, yet Fountain remained behind in his adopted hometown and was captured. Bad for business Though American diplomatic efforts initially stopped his execution, the Rio Grande Republican reported Fountain’s captors allowed him to flee, under the dubious â€Å"law of flight,† only to shoot him in the back in the streets of Parral. His killing made national headlines and outraged Americans, among them one of New Mexico’s first senators, Albert Fall, who had a complicated relationship not only with Villa and the Mexican revolution, but the Fountain family as well. As a new senator, the bilingual Fall put himself forward as an expert on Mexico, ultimately heading up the Senate subcommittee on Mexican affairs. Fall had been a long-time bitter foe of Thomas’ father, and in 1898 had successfully efended the men accused of his murder. At the urging ot Thomas’ brother, Albert, Fall t accountability for the execution. d to get some kind ot Fall, who’d started his legal career in Las Cruces, was among other locals with extensive business dealings in Mexico that were threatened by the continued political instability. Eugene Van Patten, a former county sheriff, â€Å"Indian fighter,† and co-founder of the local New Mexico Militia, owned the Dripping Springs resort where Villa reportedly visited at least once. In 1914, the Rio Grande Republican reported Van Patten and county assessor Duara Peacock secured a valuable contract to buy seized Mexican cotton directly from Villa. Another account reports Van Patten met with Villa in Juarez that same year to urge the release of an American-born prisoner Pedro Chaves, the son of wealthy Albuquerque wool merchant Amado Chaves. From hero to villain Any friendly relations with Villa, who many along the America border saw as a sort of revolutionary folk hero, evaporated with the raid on Columbus. The motivations behind the raid remain unclear. After the assassination of Modero in 1913, Villa initially won battlefield victories in orthern Mexico. But by 1916, he was mostly on the run, with the U. S. government supporting his foe, interim president Venustiano Carranza. Some believe Villa needed the weaponry and supplies he knew were held in Columbus by a small contingent of the 13th U. S. Cavalry. His forces did seize horses and supplies, and at least 80 were killed in the one-hour attack. A half dozen Villistas were captured and executed in Deming in June 1916, and a large American expeditionary force led by Gen. John J. Pershing was soon in Mexico searching for the elusive Villa. The college newspaper the Round Up reported many of its students were among that force, which at different times based itself in or near Las Cruces. â€Å"Scores of Aggies, alumni, and old students (have) responded to the call. The plow, hoe, the slide rule and transit, were laid aside, the khaki was donned and with gun and bayonet they went forth to keep Pancho Villa on his own side of the line,† the paper reported Villa remained out of the hands of Pershing, who by early 1917 was heading over to Europe with America’s entry into World War l, where some of those same Aggies would serve and die. How to cite Pancho Villa, Papers