The complexities involved in the Sentencing Phase Research Paper

The complexities involved in the Sentencing Phase - Research Paper Example The Moral Dilemma a. Secularism vs. Religious Belief b. Violent & Non-violent Offences c. Love Research Paper: Abstract The teachings of Jesus Christ on non-violence, love for one’s neighbor, and forgiveness of sins pose a moral dilemma particularly for judges who are required to pass sentence on criminals convicted of crimes, as society may demand legal punishment for criminal offences but the Bible counsels one to forgive those who trespass against moral standards. Research Paper: There is a general misconception popularly that Christians are associated with deeply conservative political values and support public policies such as â€Å"tough on crime† campaigns, tougher sentencing laws for criminals, and even foreign wars in American politics. It is difficult in many ways to understand how Christians became associated with these political ideas because practically they would seem to conflict directly with the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus counseled the practice of non-violence, love, and forgiveness to all his disciples. In considering what it means to be Christian, there are undoubtedly as many varieties of faith as there are individuals, for God and faith are very personal. From the Bible, it can be understood that to be â€Å"Christian† is to be an actual disciple of the living Christ, who taught as it is recorded in the New Testament and whose teachings have been preserved for over 2000 years by the Church. Despite apparent differences between the various sects such as Catholic, Protestant, and so forth, all Christians can be said to be direct disciples of the living Christ, even in today’s modern world, because Jesus is timeless and ever-present as God’s love. Yet, one must recognize a difference between Christianity as a creed and being a disciple of the living Christ, for Jesus counseled to his followers to leave everything in this world and follow him. The criminal justice system today is surely no different than the Roman court of justice that sentenced Jesus to the cross, sadly as it may be, and despite the Bible being used in the courtroom to swear witnesses to truth, it cannot be said that the truth is actually being practiced there. For example, it is well established that there is a different tone and content to the New Testament that is not heard in the Old Testament prophets, and this comes from the voice of Jesus preaching the power of love. For Jesus, love and God are identical. If one practices love, or feels love naturally for a person, animal, or other being, then the first and foremost feeling that is experienced is the wish never to harm that being. In daily life, people can clearly identify their feelings of love because they would always wish the best for those people that they love and want to protect them. Thus, when one feels so much love for another person that they would do anything for them, even give their life to save them, then that is approaching th e love that Jesus speaks of as Agape in the Bible. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were both inspired by Jesus’ teachings on Agape to build their entire philosophy of non-violence on this basis. In doing so, they are following directly in the footsteps of Jesus, because Christ as a prophet Himself based his ministry on Agape and the power of forgiveness. The legal justice system is also known as the criminal-industrial complex, a term that relates to President Eisenhower’s farewell address which warned of the dangers of militarism

An economical analysis of the car market in Saudi Arabia Essay

An economical analysis of the car market in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The region has been affected by the Arab uprising causing many economies to strain. The move by the government of Saudi Arabia to inject US$37 billion into the economic social initiatives is likely to improve the consumer purchasing power (Hutchison and Davies 42). This has increased the sales and revenues in the motor vehicle sector. Most retailers and importers in the country have started dealership expansion programs. This paper gives an economic analysis of the car market in Saudi Arabia. The car market in the country has been bent towards high-end models. However, there is a propensity towards purchases in the lower-priced family cars. The cars to small and their running cost are economical. The demand for family cars is expected to rise with increase in population (IMF, 2008). In 2010, the market for ultra-luxury cars grew by 39 percent. Porsche and Lexus have opened high-end servicing centers in anticipation for rising demand. Commercial vehicles are responsible for 20 percent of the demand for auto mobile products in Saudi Arabia. The increasing spending in government infrastructure and the demand created by visiting pilgrims continues to be a major boost in the sector. Literature review Saudi Arabia remains the largest importer of vehicles in Middle East (Hutchison and Davies 42). ... This has affected the car industry positively (IMF, 2008). In 2009, about 600,000 units were purchased. This represented a sales rise of 1 percent. However, the demand for vehicles grew by 12 percent in the following year (Ahmed, 103). The flood situation in Thailand and the tsunami in Japan affected the supply chains in the Saudi market (Hutchison and Davies 42). This resulted to 0.7 percent decline. The growth in demand for private vehicles was inversely proportional to the commercial vehicles in 2011 (IMF, 2008). The automobile industry is dominated by Japanese brands (Abushakra, 19). This accounts for over 60 percent. Increased competition from Korean brands is making the automobile industry favorable to the customers (Hutchison and Davies 42). The Korean brands are low priced and offer improved quality (Abushakra, 19). The trends in the automobile market share are changing as new market entrants gain momentum in the local market (Hutchison and Davies 42). The young generation is getting draw to small cars causing a shift of preference. The expansion in the private sector is responsible for the surge in demand for small cars (Hakes, 51). The automotive sector in the Saudi market is expected to grow by about 7 percent in the next two years. The imports are might grow to over one million cars (IMF, 2008). The financial support for the importation of cars is on the increase as banks offer increased credit to support supply levels (Hakes, 51). The oil revenues continue to support the fiscal position of the government. Increased spending on the infrastructure is causing the demand for vehicles to remain high (Ahmed, 103). The modernizing of transport facilities in the kingdom will result in sustainable development (Hutchison and Davies 42). The

Express Delivery Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Express Delivery Sector - Essay Example The performance of the transportation sector – as the broader area in which the express delivery sector operates – has been examined; it is assumed that the specific sector is quite competitive – for this reason it would be appropriately managed in order to increase its attractiveness towards the potential investors. The use of the appropriate CSFs would help the firms of this sector to keep their competitiveness at high levels, despite the market turbulences. 1. Structure of the ‘express delivery sector’ within the wider freight and transportation industry – evaluation whether this is an attractive sector to compete in. In order to understand the position and the performance of the ‘express delivery sector’ within the freight industry, it would be necessary to refer to the characteristics and the performance of this industry – as presented in the relevant literature. The freight industry is an extremely powerful sector; often, the practices of this sector are criticized as of their opposition with the international or the local legal rules. An indicative example of such case is the violation by the truck manufacturers of the anti-trust laws – reference is made to Britain. Such cases, related to ‘air cargo carriers and freight forwarders’ (Handy Shipping Guide 2010), have been developed in Britain. Despite the problems related to its activities, the freight industry is an extremely powerful sector, having the power, if appropriately monitored, to support the growth the economy. In accordance with a series of statistics published in 2007, ‘the amount of fr eight lifted in 2007 (1,869 million tonnes) was three per cent above 2006 (1,813 million tonnes)’ (Department of Transport 2007).... In other words, the industry has managed to stabilize its growth – despite the global crisis. The above fact is highlighted in a relevant report of the European Commission; in the above report emphasis is given on the increase of the ‘EU countries who invested on road freight transport in 2005-2007’ (European Commission 2008) .The potential of the industry to keep its competitiveness at high levels should be taken into consideration when the performance of the express delivery sector – as part of the freight sector need to be measured and evaluated. Moreover, the competitiveness of the freight industry would also lead to the increase of the competitiveness of the express delivery sector; therefore, the evaluation of the attractiveness of the industry would influence the attractiveness of the express delivery sector. Indeed, the trend for continuous growth in the freight industry seems to reflect a relevant trend in regard to the express delivery sector. The above view is based on a report referring to the importance of the express delivery sector for the economy of East Midlands; it is noted that ‘The express industry directly employs over 4,700 people in the East Midlands; Its contribution to regional employment is expected to rise to almost 16,000 by 2014’ (Oxford Economic Forecast, 2006). The Institute of Transport Management presents a similar view– published in 2007; in the relevant report it is sated that the express delivery sector is expected to benefit the British economy by approximately 5 billion each year – reference is made to a long term period, of approximately 20 years. On the other hand, Thompson (2007) notes that the performance of the freight sector is depended on indicators which are not standardized; for

The Representation of gender roles and marriage Research Paper

The Representation of gender roles and marriage - Research Paper Example For language, as well as being a vehicle for communication, is also power. The author and psychoanalyst Eva Hoffman, who left her native Poland to complete her education in Canada and the USA, and who now practices as a psychoanalyst in London, writes about the relationship between language and identity in her autobiography Lost in Translation: Life in a New Language: I was also delighted to be asked to speak at a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the host organization, Relate. My association with Relate goes back even further than that with the Commission, and I am a firm admirer of the contribution it makes nationally to trying to improve communication between women and men through its work with troubled marriages. Talk therapy does offer the chance of finding one's voice, discovering a new language in which difficult matters can be talked about, and repossessing one's identity. Relate may not have thought of itself as a language school, but it is in the business of offering interpretive services. In that, it shares an enterprise with the work of my own organization, the Tavistock Marital Studies Institute, which also celebrated an important occasion in 1998-its 50th anniversary. Both organizations are concerned with whether and how women and men talk to each other. Not far from where I live in Hertfordshire is the village of Ayot St Lawrence. One of this little village's claims to fame is that the playwright George Bernard Shaw used to live there. His best-known play is probably Pygmalion, a quintessentially English drama about the divisions of class and gender, and one made popular by the musical My Fair Lady. The plot revolves around a bet, made by a dialectician, Professor Henry Higgins, that he can train a market girl, Eliza Dolittle, to speak and act in ways that would allow her to be passed off as aristocracy. In trying to eliminate the linguistic indicators of class, Higgins becomes increasingly frustrated by the differences of gender that he encounters. One plaintive, immortalized line from the musical, pleads `Why can't a woman be more like a man?'. The boot today is on the other foot. When it comes to communication, the exasperated cry is now `Why can't a man be more like a woman?'. You hear it in the consulting rooms of counsellors a nd therapists, in research reports on family life, and in media discussions on gender relations. The questions now are `why do men stonewall?', `why can't they talk about their feelings?', `why are they so orientated towards activities?' In an age where companionability is the primary expectation of marriage and partnership, men tend to get the blame for not delivering. Their 'failure' to communicate is taken as a key reason why marriages break down. They are no longer needed to bring home the bacon, nor even to provide the socially accepted framework of marriage for conceiving and raising children, and women are asking themselves what they need men for. Men, on the other hand, are facing a decline in their market, social and biological value. As if to underline the point, sperm levels are falling in our increasingly oestrogen-ridden environment, and even male delivery systems have proved inferior (at least, in terms of efficiency) to those carried out in the hospital laboratory. Th e recent explosion of interest in the male potency drug, Viagra, tells its own story. Is this story just of `Boy's

Teacher Attrition Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Teacher Attrition - Dissertation Example The paper tells that this remains a widely acclaimed reality that maintaining a high level of teacher quality forms the critically important factor which ensures student achievement. With myriad types of demons endangering the teacher quality presently, students are consequently facing more and more problems to ensure individual academic accomplishments. The tendency of leaving schools and teaching profession by the learned and wiser teachers results in an inability to preserve an experienced teaching community and this produces many deteriorating influences on the students. What seems to come forward as a really deplorable reality is that many educational officials think that simply replacing those teachers lost to attrition by hiring new teachers could be an effective remedy. Presently, many authentic reports have denied such a fake proposition of undermining the critical nature of teacher attrition by easily hiring new teachers. Mississippi education administrators have taken a wi se decision to take the challenge of reducing the teacher attrition rates to a structural level. Still, a great deal needs to be addressed regarding the issue of teacher attrition and this research aspires to make a contribution to this ongoing effort with results based on certain questions. The fact that teachers constantly rotate with the experienced teachers leaving and new teachers entering the teaching process to leave it within a couple of years leaves the students with no proper education which seriously interferes with their academic dreams. This is exactly why teacher attrition is such a hotly debated issue and deemed to be such an emergency based situation in America for the past many years. This remains a research-based reality that high level of performance on the part of students is directly related with lower attrition rates. Teacher training plans based on longer time periods also greatly helps in provoking the teachers to continue teaching in schools and colleges wel l after the teaching training process ends. Research survey has also shown that stress plays a phenomenal role in promoting the teachers to quit teaching soon. Lack of confidence comes in handy with high level of stress and together they convince a teacher to ignore the students’ learning needs and consider them less important. This issue can be resolved significantly with the help of long teacher training processes which each teacher should be required to engage in prior to becoming a professional scholar. People come in the teaching profession with a sense of purpose very clear in their minds but due to lack of recognition, support, and salary issues, they get bound to leave much earlier than necessary thus increasing turnover rate among teachers. â€Å"Every year in the United States, schools conservatively spend $2.2 billion on the recruiting, hiring, and training of teachers to replace those who have left teaching† (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2005). Continu ous support is also found to have played a phenomenal role in reinforcing teachers’ self-esteems and their decisions to stay and continue teaching for the benefit of their students. This shows that teacher factors related to attrition come first and should not be ignored at any cost. Even a teacher being paid a top-notch salary can never be expected to continue teaching and unaffected all the time despite being discouraged and not motivated in a proper manner. In response to the first question, the factor of salary is found to be positively related with the teachers’ decision to remain in the profession and which also seems to be consistent with the past research done on the relation between salary and teachers’ decision to continue or quit teaching. â€Å"High teacher salaries result in increased commitment and

International Economic History Since 1870 Essay

International Economic History Since 1870 - Essay Example The industrial and manufacturing base was strengthened with electrification and military expansion contributing towards strengthening the country’s economy through the development of a strong domestic base. The strength of Japan’s institutions played a significant role in the strength of its economy, so that even after the Second World War and subordination to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, Japan was able to re-emerge as one of the strongest economies of the world (Allen 1981). Japan’s economy has demonstrated a remarkable rise as compared to other countries, and the period of significant economic growth has been marked by three spurts in growth in the 1910s, the 1930s and 1960s. There have been several reasons that have been proffered for the meteoric economic rise of Japan. Perhaps this can best be summed up in the words of one Japanese economist, â€Å"Japan is an example of a fantastically creative response to defeat†¦.[which] brought about †¦.a far greater scale of devastation in the economy of Japan, necessitating a fresh renovating start in almost every aspect.† (Tsuru, 1993, p 67) The long period of Tokugawa rule could be viewed as an isolationist state, or as some researchers have postulated a period of peace and stability that fostered initiatives by the State to improve economic conditions within the country (Ohkawa and Rosovsky, 1973). During the period of enforced isolation, the economy of Japan was inextricably linked with politics and the culture of the shogun and daimyo ensured that a strictly regulated internal system flourished within the country, which enabled sustained domestic growth. The role of the State in fostering economic growth has also been supported by Mosk(2001) and Minami (1994), who have highlighted the achievements of the Togukawa era , when there was a high level of urbanization

Discuss the ways in which Steinbeck explores the concept of the American Dream is central to the novel Essay Example for Free

Discuss the ways in which Steinbeck explores the concept of the American Dream is central to the novel Essay The American Dream was a dream that nearly everyone had throughout the twentieth century. It was hope for a better life and people believed strongly that it would come true. The main characters in Of Mice Men have a dream which was to get a plot of land and live on it and become self-sufficient. The American Dream was not an achievable goal for many people. Steinbeck shows this failure through the characters of Lennie George. The American dream was a great thing. We first heard about it when Lennie and George were sitting by the river at the beginning of the book. The dream was a hope that every rancher had an opportunity for a better life. Lennie and George, the two main characters, had such a dream, Some day were gonna get a little place and a couple of acres. The idea was to get a piece of land, grow crops and have an improved life there. They also new exactly what they were aiming for and what they wanted. They realised that their imagination should not be set too high for fear of disappointment. The two men also knew that they should not tell other people about the plot of land in case it was snatched from under their noses. This frequently happened then, as so many people were seeking the same desire., Well its ten acres said George. Got a little win mill. Got a little shack on it and a chicken run. Got a kitchen, orchard, cherries, peaches, cots, nuts, got a few berries. This shows that Lennie and George had ambition and again, knew what they wanted. It also shows that there were places where the dream had a chance of coming true, and that affordable land was for sale. Lennie and George intended to get the land by working extremely hard for a couple of months. They would earn standard migrant labour workers wages which was of course not very much, as the great depression was around at the time the book was set. The men hoped to save money and put it towards the plot of land, Look, if me an Lennie work a month an dont spen nothing well have a hundred bucks. Sooner or later people started to realise that the American Dream was turning into a nightmare. This is shown in the book by all the travelling and unemployment. Steinbeck shows that people were determined to get a job and willing to travel around to find one, he reinforces this through Lennie and George. At the start of the novel Steinbeck told us that they were walking, so we obviously know that they have had a nomadic life. During their rest they have a conversation about their travels The first thing you know is that they are pounding away at some other ranch. This backs up the fact that people travel around for jobs. We know how Lennie and George frequently lose their jobs, this is due to Lennie constantly getting the pair of them into trouble which jeopardises their current job. Because of this they have to travel from one ranch to another in search of another job. Also you can corroborate the fact that people travelled by George quoting, The hell with what I says. You remember about us going into Murray and Readys and they give us work cards and bus tickets. Murray and Ready are a typical work agency that sprung up in America during the Great Depression. In the 1930s the Great Depression spoilt the American Dream, it damaged everything that had a promising future, from buying food to making investments in the stock market. Through out the novel we do not see this very much. It is shown only as a high unemployment rate. George is very passionate about work as he wants to achieve his dream. As you read on through the book George comments on other people in his situation, They aint got nothing to look ahead to. Implying that George is fed up of losing his job to other people. He now knows you should not think about looking ahead to long term ambitions as anything can happen. The rate of unemployment was a serious issue at the time of the book, as the economy was decreasing rapidly. It is shown through various characters such as Carlson, Slim, Lennie, George and many more. We know that they all have been travelling from ranch to ranch in search of jobs during this time, they have started to feel like they do not have a home and dont belong anywhere. Guys like us, they got no family and dont belong no place. They come to a ranch an work up a stake then they go into town and blow their stake. This was quite normal for young and old men in their quest, not just for the dream, but for survival. Because of that, it made it hard for people to keep a job as other people who were as desperate, came along and accepted less pay to work at the same job, just so they could get some money. The idea of the American Dream was to be happy but just as well as the Great depression, racism also crippled the illusion. The dream was merely for the whites, as many of the blacks were unlawfully discarded from the opportunity or status to achieve it. Steinbeck shows this in the book through a character called Crooks, who was a crippled Negro stable buck and had suffered years of abuse in his life. Although Crooks could read and write, he was very lonely and because he was black, he could not join in with the usual endeavours of other men on the ranch. Suppose you had to sit out here and read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it gets dark, but then you got to read books. This shows he only had books for company. It was still very racist in the 1930s so there was not much chance of Crooks achieving the dream by himself and certainly no one at that time would try to help. In the course of the book Crooks also tells us about his life in the past, how his father did actually achieve the dream, and how his family was the only coloured family in Soledad, which is where the book was set. There wasnt another coloured family for miles around. And now there aint no coloured man on this ranch. Crooks felt strongly about this, he was neglected by everyone and still felt as if he was being treated as an unequal by every other man. He wanted so much to be included in the games that everyone participated in. Suppose you couldnt go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black. Because Crooks was being denied these privileges he turned into a bitter man who was equally as malicious as the offenders. This portrays the dream in a bad way, which is unusual as the dream is usually portrayed as being happy and being the provider when it actually created tensions between different races and cultures and caused many tribulations between people. Although Crooks is abused by many people on the ranch there is one person in the book who does not discriminate him because he is black, that person is Lennie. Lennie does not understand or see the racism in the world and he sees everyone as being the same. Crooks feels he can talk to Lennie about many things, A guy can talk to you an be sure you wont go blabbin. Because of this it reassures Crooks and makes him feel better as he knows he can talk to some one instead of read books At first there was a chance of the dream coming true. One reason was because of Candy, willing to give his life savings so he would know that he had somewhere to go after he was incapable of working on the ranch, Tell you what suppose I went in with you guys thas three hundred and fifty bucks Id put in. This endorses the fact that he was willing to put every last coinage that he had, to assist him to have a happy finale to his life. Also Crooks, the negro stable buck, offers to help, If you guys would want a hand in work for nothing just his keep. He did this just so he could have a friendship with someone and feel liked. In addition no one else knew about this certain plot of land, which made it a secret of the group and easy to obtain. We know that the owners needed to get the money fast, The ol people that owns it is flat bust an the ol lady needs an operation. Because of all this Lennie, George and Candy stood a very good chance of achieving this reverie. The American dream ended due to a series of unfortunate events. Steinbeck shows this through Lennie and George not getting the land. They did not get it because of many things. The main reason for them failing was Lennie. He spoilt the dream for George, as he was constantly getting into trouble and destroying any chance that he had to achieve the dream. After a while other men on the ranch begin to question their past, for example, Slim, What happened in Weed. We know that they have been travelling around and losing jobs, but it was not just because of other men stealing their jobs only to get paid less, it was also Lennie destructively destroying their chances, because of this they, had to move on to another ranch. In the end they had no hope what so ever, of the dream coming true because of Lennie, once again, getting George into trouble, as he was responsible for Lennie, when he unintentionally killed Curlys wife. If given the chance most men on the farm would attempt the dream even if they thought it was impossible. A good example is Crooks, at one point in the story, he was putting down the fact of any one achieving their goal, Jesus I seen it too many time. Too many guys with land in their head. They never get none under their hand. When Crooks found out that there was a chance of it happening, he decided on trying to get in on it, If you guys would want a hand to work for nothing, just his keep, why Id come an lend a hand. You can see also that people always put down the achievement of the dream, but they all had a secret burning ambition to get it if the chance came around. Through out the book Steinbeck managed to portray the conditions of the Great Depression in the 1930s. He also gave us a glimpse of The American Dream that every one pursued and showed us that it was not an easy achievement. Steinbeck has managed to show the different levels of hardship and suffering that people faced during that period of time and also managed to show more hopeless situations of people from a minority. The concept of the American Dream is at the heart of the novel Of Mice Men and therefore allows Steinbeck to make comments on American Society and the time of the Great Depression.