Democracy Essay

Democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life. Democracy is also a system of rule by laws, not by individuals. Democracy is not a government. It is a way of thinking and a responsibility. In a democracy there is no corruption in power because it is a transparent system; the governing doctrine states that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government, which allows for effective public oversight. Like a sculptor, democracy grows with its work and appreciates its art Citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and interest. Voting in election is another important civic duty of all citizens. But to vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then, make his or her own decision on whom to support. It is important that women participate fully both in politics and in civil society. In a democracy, every citizen has certain basic rights that the state cannot take away from them You have the right to have your own beliefs, and to say and write what u think. No one can tell u what u must think, believe, and say or not say. There is freedom of religion. Everyone is free to choose their own religion and to worship and practice their religion as they see fit. Every individual has the right to enjoy their own culture, along with other members of their group, even if their group is minority. Democracy Essay 2 In a democracy, the rule of law protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government. In life there is no greater pursuit than that of equal voice. Every day people are fighting for the right to be heard. Democracy is that right on a grand scale. Democracy is not only being heard, but being listened to. Democracy is when u is given an equal vote on decisions that directly affect you. And when given this tremendous responsibility, people will surprise you. They rise to the occasion and educate themselves on the issues at hand. They also work hard to ensure that the next generation is knowledgeable. All citizens are equal under the law. No one may be discriminated against on the basis of their race religion, ethnic group, or gender. No one may be arrested, imprisoned, or exiled arbitrarily. No one is above the law, not even a king or an elected president In a democracy, the youth are educated. From birth they are taught that their voice matters and their vote counts. These are rights they must fight to maintain and will prosper from. No, democracies are not free of flaws. Some say that there is no way that something as simple as a popular vote could null the evils of unlawful power or social inequality. These woes are valid, but democracy can work. There are still consequences to right wrongs, and laws to help keep peace and balance. There is a difference between freedom and chaos. Without democracy, society suffers. In dictatorships there is no celebration of thought or creativity. A country cannot thrive if others; opinions are not appreciated. With only one opinion adhered to, the country will be at a standstill. As patience begins to wither, anger begins to rise like mercury in a thermometer. Each decision made with no consideration for those affected, every failed law, every time the system overlooks another citizen, every personal right Democracy Essay 3 is stolen, adds a degree to that temperature. Finally it becomes so hot that the citizens, like an overheated thermometer explode in anger; the people will revolt. This has happened many times in history. Our own country was built from this frustration and the fight for freedom. Without democracy, we lack progress in thought, technology, and polices; society is halted. The U. S. has thrived from our ability to create and then take said creations and improve them. Is this not the age of today? We do, want to, and communicate everything now. Without the right to improve, we would never have developed the technological world we live in. Without the voice to express innovative ideas, without the freedom to explore, we would never have achieved what we have. Stuck in the past we would stay. What would we do without progress? Democracy, like a car, gives you what you put into it. If u built it to be unhealthy, then it will pollute the air with poison. If you do not maintain its engine, it will fail you. The power of education fuels it forward, and most importantly people decide its fate.

Lost Boys by James Garbarino: A Review

Through the ‘Lost Boys, by Dr. James Garbarino discusses the phenomenon of youth violence in America, with emphasis on understanding its causes as a major tool for dealing with the menace. This essay seeks to explore the main points and arguments pointed about in the book, ways in which society has failed in curbing the disorder, and what can be done to INTRODUCTION: A TYPICAL SCENARIO A 15-year African American Ken lived in the inner-city trouble zone of Los Angeles, with parents who are both poor and uncaring. He grew up to protect himself, seeing the world as an unsafe place: He saw form his point of view, that life is unbearable and one must be aggressive to make your way through life, especially to possess the material things that mattered to him. He understood that he was not cared for by his parents, but seen as an outsider; he was detached. On many occasions when he was young, he had been abused by his father, bullied seriously at school and for that he developed an aggressive approach to living as he grew up. He also hated his father for his violent activities and unwholesome behavior of drinking and smoking. At his age, he got hooked up in a gang of five boys who called themselves ‘Fox Army’. Because of his dedication to these gang activities, his performance at school dwindled. For this, his father expresses serious harsh words on him, telling him he would never be anything good in life. In the whole of this picture stood a fearful mother who was always quiet and strictly aligned to the father’s opinion. Ken wondered on several occasions why he and his siblings were treated as such. He was ashamed of himself and his family. Having being threatened by his violent father with guns on several occasions, he felt the gun was a tool to silence enemies. In the gang, they all seem to share the same experiences of parental neglect and abuse, depression and confusion about the essence of living. They never felt any emotions nor did they perceive anything positive about schooling, family and other things around them. They share same schema of life: fight to protect yourself, enemies are out there in the world planning to eliminate you. The faster of us win to survive and see the light of another day. To see another to get others, use illegal means to make money and acquire material possessions in an attempt to use such things to eliminate the deep-seated feelings of worthlessness and shame. They were eager to make money by all means; so, they got into illegal drug sales. They also started smoking and drinking, adventures they felt would relieve them of the burden they carried. In no time, they had access to the guns of their parents for protection. Even with these, Ken did not make as much money as his friends. He got really frustrated and distressed because he needed the money to add up to that he got from his parents to stay in school. He woke up one morning by hammering slaps of his violent father who accused him of theft. He was guilty of the offence; yet, he denied it. His father started threatening hi with guns again. He left his bedroom and headed to the sitting where he kept his gun: he reached for it, and with it, killed his parents. In this vexation, he started saying all sorts of things like: ‘Fox soldier, go for the bait. Kill the enemy with sharpened teeth of the fox. Go and deal with the wicked world’ He kicked the main entrance door open and shot in the crowd of school children going early to school. He shot continuously, until he became so vexed and put the gun into his head, pulled the trigger and said, ‘it all ends here’. As the noise of the approaching cop intensifies, he pulled the trigger and shot himself. It was reported that five people died including Ken. The news was carried by a local newspaper. The only national daily that featured it described the teenager as ‘brutal’ and ‘horribly terrible’. And that was where it ended. Nobody wanted to know more. ‘WHAT IS NOT SEEN AT THE SCENE’ The main intention of the writer is to draw the attention of the Public to the menace of youth homicide with emphasis on understanding what is not seen at the scene, as a tool to stemming its tide. The scenario created above typifies the main point and arguments enunciated in the ‘Lost Boys’. The ideas launched in the text were based on statistical date from reliable sources, the experiences of those who have been affected in one way or the other by acts of youth violence and a ‘systematic’ approach to understanding what is not seen at the scene of the incident. He also drew ideas from the research and writings of other experts in the field to arrive at the following salient points: Youth violence is a major societal disorder that is quite extensive. However, it is obscured from its staggering reality by the national homicide picture which is reportedly stable. Lethal violence is common among the poor African-Americans and Hispanics, those who form the minority groups, with only few cases by Americans. These groups are concentrated in the inner city and suburbs of the South. As a result of those involved, the media and the general Public ignore ‘making sense’ of such crimes giving limited attention to it. This is claimed to be as a result of racism and class bias, as well as the perceived immunity Native Americans think they have. With the current tide of the menace sweeping to the abode of the ‘immunized’, he argues that no one is really immune. The current incidents recorded with new white faces awakened the Public to the reality of the issue: white teenagers are joining the train. With this pointed established, everyone sees a problem to be checked and it is easier to do. Having established that everyone is endangered, he seeks to lay a foundation for finding lasting solutions. First, he emphasizes the need to understand why the killers kill others and themselves. He believes that this would invariably be achieved by learning from the lives and experiences of those who have lived with it for the past two decades. Drawing form this point of strength where everyone’s attention is drawn, he shows that the accumulation of risk factors such as smoking, involvement in gang activity and illegal drug deals, access to guns, family history of violence, psychiatric disorders is central to the distorted behavior of killers.   He emphasizes that the causes of youth violence are complex and cannot be associated with a single factor. He notes that culprits are no animals but humans who have been strongly influenced by risk factors they grew with, and only live to bury their deep-seated shame by acts of violence; they are like Ken, who did not see any cogent reason for living. THE WAY OUT Having stated the reality of violence, the ‘Southern’ location of its prevalence because of prevailing factors and the lessons of the past, he then proposes ways of dealing with the violence: Both the individual and the community, are involved.   The individual needs proper parental care, protection, training and mentoring; these would help to build a strong self-image and create positive outlook to life. The home is the first community that is pertinent in building a good child: this should be stable, loving and full of positive affirmations for the growing child; necessary needs should also be met. The government has a major role to play; it should enact laws that reduce crime, promote community campaigns against violence and crime, provide funds for educational and health institutions. A credible and fair justice system must be on present. He particularly suggested a ‘Visiting Nurse Program’. He also emphasized good working relationships between professionals involved with the menace of youth violence. In conclusion, a society who fails to wake up to the roar of a wandering lion by getting hunters ready, should be prepared to dance to the music of the Vulture that would feast on their carcasses.   

Production Criticism of Oedipus the King Essay

The directorial concept of the play started with an overall picture of melancholy and a suggestion that the story is indeed a tragedy. The stage, as the foundation of the entire scene, has been designed to differentiate the levels of society, thus, it has different levels of platforms and steps, but leaving the center of the stage flattest, where most of the characters will be performing. The materials used for the platforms are of different types. The higher steps leading to the outskirts of the stage look like they were made with ordinary flat rocks, much like the ones we see in the old Jerusalem. The steps were made simply for the purpose of being pathways men can walk on. Nothing fashionable. The center of the stage has a different design, because I noticed that the flooring is much more modern than the flat rocks around it. The material of the floor of the center stage has a much smoother quality, although it was carved like bricks, like the ones on the streets of Paris, France. The floor carvings are designed like segmented rings that all leads to one focal point, much like the bytes in a compact disc. The most prominent part of the stage is the palace of Oedipus, the King. It stands so proud with its walls extending all the way to the top that it scares you of its command of authority and power. It stood so high and proud that it looked like it reached the heavens and looks infinite. The material of it was the smoothest of all. It has the most modern design in the stage. The cement has a slate gray color mixed with white streaks that suggested it must be made of marble†¦the strongest among the rocks on stage. That’s how powerful Oedipus, as a king, is. He is believed to be the savior of Thebes when he defeated the Sphinx by answering the most difficult riddle. The play is an obvious â€Å"non-dramatic pageantry,† because the elements of it were present and done in the stage. There is an â€Å"icon† or focal point, which usually is a â€Å"religious artifact or a saint. † (Theatrical Production, Encyclop? dia Britannica. ). There was a huge cross with a white cloth resting on its arm at the middle of the highest outstkirt platform. This is its focal point because it looks religious enough to suggest it’s the cross of Jesus Christ. Overall, the environment of the stage is melancholic. The color of the stage’s floor to the very tall palace is in the neutral shade. Again, nothing special. This just suggests the hue of sorrow, which is the shade of gray. The sorrowful environment was coupled with the stage lights, which made the scene look softer and mellower. The lights come from under the outskirts’ platforms, which gave a lot of shadow on the stage. The second light will be coming from directly above the stage, which gives all little bit of glow on the heads of the characters, but not enough light to brighten the faces of every actor. The poor lighting made it felt like the characters are speaking to me personally, in my deepest thoughts. It dawned to me that whenever I am depressed or whenever I wanted to be alone, I tend to hate bright lights. Such is the feeling of someone in wakes, especially those wakes inside chapels. The serene, soothing look of a funeral scene in a chapel is the aimed environment here. The background lights on the outskirts of the stage changes as the mood of the scene changes too. Even though the shadow was effective enough to suggest sorrow, the light blue hue of the background defined the mood. When the ugly truth of Oedipus’ character was nearly revealed, the background light turned into a reddish hue, as if the sun was setting. It gave a red glow that suggested the horrible feeling of the moment. It also made the blood coming out from Oedipus’ eyes look thick and black, which made the suffering grievous enough to die. Sounds make the hearts beat rapidly and loses one’s breath. From beginning until the end, the background music created the feeling that it is tragic. When Tiresius, the seer, showed up, there was annoying background music created by a type of violin, which made it felt like there was great irony and perversity in the scene. The horting sound of the violin made my heart twist and my throat a bit choked because I felt the tension due to the sound. It is interesting though, how the director was able to coordinate all aspects of production to make the playscript fit his directorial concept. Of course, the playscript was changed to make it more dramatic and the words appealing to the audience. The playscript was â€Å"Bowdlerized,† or words were changed to fit the lingo of the modern audience. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). Although there weren’t any fancy or colorful props on the stage, the characters are the ones that still mattered the most. Though the faces of the characters generally remained stiff throughout, their voices are full of color. Loudness and softness of the voices stated the mood. There was also a striking difference on the characters’ costumes, each has it’s own different era to represent; a group will be wearing costumes of Sophocle’s generation, another wearing the fashion of the early twentieth century, while another wearing the fashion of the latest trend. Still, the colors of the costumes were nothing fancier than red, white and gold. The colors of the cloths are in plain solid colors too. The characters’ spotlight are their white costumes, or something white in their costumes. For example, the choruses were all dressed in black except the ribbon on the neck, which is pure white. This gives the picture that their heads are floating and the rest of the body is invisible. The director’s aim to present a non-dramatical pageant play that won’t bore the modern audience so far caught my attention. He may have aimed to make the production profit a lot more by involving â€Å"famous† actors to play the role, as part of his marketing strategy. (Dr. Eric W. Trumbull. ). The production is an art in itself, and Don Taylor would’ve still passed as very good theatrical director. The play is directed gearing away from the Shakespearean concept of production, which made it quite different to the taste of theatrical fans, and thus, worth watching and recommending.

Napoleon Was A Child Of The Enlightenment Essay

Assess the validity of this statement by using specific policies and attitudes of Napoleon. I think saying â€Å"Napoleon was a child of the Enlightenment† is not correct thing. It is true that he strengthened the France world power, but he was an absolute dictator that did tyranny and abolished the right that was newly gained. He was a very innovative ruler. But although he won from the every war until he lost from the war with Russia, and enjoyed the victory, this caused the huge side effects and great social confusion and disorder across the Europe. As the France three national spirits are â€Å"Freedom†, â€Å"Equality†, and â€Å"Philanthropy†, Napoleon spread these spirits to the conquered area. But the problem is as France intended the equality and the royal authority of king was weaker than other, this naturally threatened the power and royal authority to monarchies. This caused Europe conflict each other after the Napoleon domination, Divided by two groups: Maintaining the French spirit that Napoleon spread, and going back to the age bef ore Napoleon domination. Second, after the French Revolution that was held by publics, the gender discrimination was disappeared. This means, the equal rights were given to the women for the first time of the French history. But as he accessed the power, he abolished this big revolution and change for increasing the stability or France.

Capitalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Capitalism - Assignment Example Various companies reduced their labour force while others fully shut down leading to massive loss of employment. The economic depression led to loss of business and closing down of many businesses, which led to decline in tax revenues. Many organizations and individuals were also unable to pay their taxes, which made things worse. Prices of goods and services also declined, and profits not witnessed. Crop production fell with most farms affected by drought, which saw the fall in crop prices. The hardships witnessed and non-remittance of taxes forced people out of their homes creating a situation of homelessness. Situation of unemployment and homelessness seriously affected the poor in the society. The economic activities in many countries were markedly affected with many sectors facing problems. Construction industry in many countries slowed and even stopped owing to materials and labor force needed. Farming in a rural setting was also affected by drought and financial inability. Farmers were not able to pay off debt accrued from production expenses due to poor production and fall in crop prices. Among the sectors affected is the mining and logging sectors, which faced drastic, negative effects due to decline in demand for its products, most were forced to cut down on their activities with others closing up, which further affected unemployment. The ending of the great depression was witnessed by different countries at different times, but it was with the advent of WWII. There is believe that government spending in the war stimulated the economies of various nations. The war required production of various products to be used in the war and agricultural goods to be consumed. The sourcing of labor to participate in the war aided in solving the unemployment problem. Women and men who did not participate in the war also got the opportunity to work in the local industries (Maddison, 2007).

UK, USA and UAE Cybercrime Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

UK, USA and UAE Cybercrime Law - Essay Example To this effect, communication, business and financial transactions, international trading, storage and distribution of private and public records and even the dispensation of employment duties are exacted online, in these states. Nevertheless, given the high financial and security stakes that have come to stalk the Internet, cybercrime has become increasingly common and complex. To this effect, high-tech cyber based crimes such as terrorism, computer intrusions, espionage, identity theft, child pornography and fraud have become a major concern to the US and the UK. For this reason, the US and the UK have made legislation to counter and extirpate cybercrime, albeit these laws have their strong and weak points. This study aims to spot the light uponthe major cyber attacks, and associated threats in the UAE, US and UK and makes SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis of the current cyber crime laws and suggests approaches and mechanisms needed to improve the effe ctiveness of the cyber act. INTRODUCTION The phrase Cybercrime refers to any legally proscribed action that is performed over the Internet, a local network or the computer or any other device that can support the Internet, a local network or function of a computer. ... Because of this, it becomes clear that the concept of cybercrime and laws on cybercrime are state-specific. The leaps in the communication and information technology have promoted new technological trends like the internet spread, social networks, cloud computing, and VOIP like never happened before. The introduction of information technology solutions including e-commerce solutions, social networks, and on-line banking solutions has opened the door widely to the growing number of cyber terrorism threats and cyber attacks. Despite the rise of the cyber crime rates in UAE, the shortcomings in development of cyber crime laws and legislative provisions that regulate the up-mentioned technologies usage are huge.According to recent survey conducted by Norton, Bulent Teksoz, Chief Security Strategist, Norton outlines the total cost of cyber crime in the UAE - found to be $626m per year(Teksoz, 2010).Hence, the need to initiate a nation-wide act to counter the cyber crime, either on the nat ional and cross-border levels,arises. The state-specific nature of cybercrime in turn brings about an aspect of variance and makes it possible to identify the pros and cons and strengths and weaknesses of these cybercrime laws, as shall be seen forthwith, in the cases of the US and the UK. Meanwhile, Trend Micro published a study in 2009, which reported the number of computer system crashesin the UAE as a result of cyber attacks reached 248,000, accounting for 20 percent of the total cases in the GCC countries(Ajbaili, 2009).Few countries in the region, such as; UAE, and Saudi Arabia, have drawn up cyber laws in an attempt to fight the cyber crimes (Bednarski, Chen, Chen,

Auditing and Assurance Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auditing and Assurance Services - Essay Example The objective of the paper signifies the importance of the auditory system along with the reliance level that can be provided towards the audit process. This paper also intends to reflect on the pros and cons of the auditory as well as assurance services that need to be present in the financial statement of the organizations. The auditing process of an organization or a firm involves with the model of accountability, inspection of the monetary reports along with the financial demands for assessment of the auditory system. The audit process in this regards provide with the statements which significantly fulfill the gap of expectations between the user and the financial statements. The auditing process for the organization generally involves with the convenient regulation dealing with control tools of the system. Conducting an auditing and assurance program also assists an organization for the critical assessment of the financial statements with the proper evidence. In this context the application of tools as well as techniques examine the main revenue along with the cost activities of the firm. Management representation of the organization, identifying the errors as well as the weaknesses of the financial activities of the firm is also an important responsibility of the audit process for the organization. Therefore, documentation of the audit and assurance shall provide the management with valuable assistance in taking the initiatives according to the review of the financial statements that were prepared in the audit process of the organization. The assurance service of the auditing process further helps the auditors to keep the record of the evidence in the auditing process of the firm (Pearsoned, â€Å"An Introduction to Auditing and Assurance†). With regards to the pros and cons of the process in the auditing system, it can be said that it may help to forecast the future cost activities of the firm along with the