Terrorism - Domestic Bigots More Dangerous than Foreign Terrorists :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Domestic Bigots Cause More Damage than Foreign Terrorists    As the federal government preoccupies itself with fighting the war against terror, it must not neglect the terror that Americans can inflict on one another at home. At the same time, we should be circumspect about our rhetoric as we affirm our commitment to the ideals of freedom by debating our government's policies. The recent spate of hate crimes across the country - about 1000 incidents, some of them fatal - calls for two responses. Congress and the president should pass and sign national hate crimes legislation. On the local level, each of us has the obligation to refrain from provocative remarks that embolden and reinforce the bigots' view that we are engaging in a war against a particular culture or religion.    Whatever contributions economic or political injustice may have on the support for terrorist regimes, those organizations ultimately thrive on a zealotry borne of group thought. This is evident in the terrorists' calls for all people of a certain group to take up a jihad against the 'infidels' who cannot claim the same group membership. In contrast, the battle that the United States is now waging is not directed at any group except for the people who commit mass murder under the influence of group identity. Americans are individualists at heart. We eschew the politics of racial division and ethnic pandering. We abhor discrimination, which violates another's individuality by ascribing to him a group identity and subsequently mistreating him. We are especially appalled when the maltreatment escalates into assault, battery and homicide.    Thus, in the 1993 Supreme Court case Wisconsin v. Mitchell, the justices unanimously upheld Wisconsin's hate crimes statute, which imposed additional penalties for perpetrators motivated by animus toward another's race. The Court reasoned that judges and juries routinely consider a perpetrator's motives as aggravating factors. For example, premeditated murder is punished more severely than random killing. Considering the criminal's bias in sentencing is consistent with our juridical principles. However, it is not enough for a handful of states to consider bias as an aggravating factor in sentencing. We need to express the nation's consensus that, as a liberal society, we condemn the illiberal thoughts that inspire hate crimes. Treating people differently on the basis of perceived group identities, which derive in turn from superficialities like physical appearance, is the greatest unfreedom. While an orderly society cannot tolerate crime, a free society simply cannot tolerate crimes borne of ignorance and group thought.

Enhancing quality in assessment Essay

Quality assurance refers to refers to any systematic process aimed at ensuring that services and products being developed meet the specified requirements and standards (Sale, 1990). Thorough testing by the quality assurance on products and services is important so as to give developers a chance to fix glitches before new technology prior to the products or services being unleashed to the consumers (Hernon & Altman, 1998). Appropriate quality assurance can also support firms in attaining a competitive edge in the trading ecosystem which is extremely complex. It can also help in improving customer acquisition and retention rates through helping in distributing cutting edge services to consumers more dependably and faster. Assessment refers to any process which appraises skills, understanding, knowledge and knowledge of an individual. The vital elements of assessment which requires being quality assured include the assessors, the assessment process, the assessment system, collecting the evidence and making the judgment (Oakland, 1989). Assessment principles propose that assessments should be reliable, fair, flexible and valid. Assessors carrying out the assessment should make sure that assessment decisions engage the evaluation of adequate evidence which will enable a judgment to be made regarding competence of an individual. Assessors judge the individuals against benchmarks or competency standards which are developed by the industry with an aim of assessing whether such individuals are competent. Individual needs of the customers should also be assessed in order to find out whether the products and services provided to them satisfy those needs. This assessment will help in understanding and improving those individual needs (Oakland, 1989). When individual needs are met this will increase the customer’s satisfaction, customer loyalty and also the company will be having a competitive edge over its competitors (Fox, 1993). In order for a company to be successful it should be able to meet the customer expectations. Customer expectations should be made public in organization where appropriate criteria should be introduced and also high standards should be set with an aim of meeting the individual needs of the customers. Also during the assessment there should be a systematical way of analyzing, gathering and interpreting evidence in order to find out how well the performance of the company matches the standards and expectations of the consumers (Harlen, 1994). The information gathered will be used in explaining, documenting and enhancing performance. This will help in creating an organization culture which focuses more on satisfying the individual needs of the consumers which will eventually increases the performance of the company (Garcia, 2009). Assessment is frequently subdivided into two categories namely formative assessment and summative assessment. Formative assessment possess a developmental purpose which is aimed at helping individuals in a company to work more effectively through giving them feedback in connection with their performance and also ways of maintaining or enhancing their performance. This will help the company in ensuring that the customers’ needs and expectations are achieved. On the other hand, summative assessment is used to show the extent of the individual’s success in attaining the assessment criteria used in appraising the intended performance outcomes of the company. Different customers have different needs and requirements and therefore companies should assess those needs in order to satisfy all their individual needs (Gitlow, 2005). Quality assurance process prevents hitches from occurring, detect and correct hitches that do happen, and promote higher standards of care. Assessment activity should be within a quality management system concerned with constant improvement. Two main factors which drives the demand for ensuring the quality of assessment include philosophy of quality management and the desire to follow the set requirements. Assuring assessment quality will leads to many benefits to the organization. Improving the consistency and quality of assessment will assist the assessors to have more confidence on their judgments, individuals to deem that they have been treated in a just way, and community, employers and other groups to value assessment judgment issued. A great concern on quality in assessment easily forms part of the overall approach of the organization and management of quality processes (Quality management and quality assurance standards, 1994). Quality assurance is very concerned on a systematic approach to enhancement that is aimed at responding and recognizing to the expectation and needs of all the groups of stakeholders in organizations. Stakeholders expect quality assessment and training carried out in an environment which is systematic that also assures its services and processes. Quality assurance processes the support staff which supports them in providing effective and efficient service that is focused appropriately on the needs of customers and clients. Quality assurance involves constant improvement (Vitale & Vengroski, 1993). The cyclical approach of ‘plan, do, assess, and act’ encourages the need to execute processes, assess their efficiency and act to continue with further improvement (Fox, 1993). Organizational needs should also be assessed where all departments should be assessed and also the employees. Employees should also be allowed to have self-assessment and peer reviewed assessments so as to determine their performance and help in knowing areas to improve in order to enhance their performance (Gitlow, 2005). All the groups and stakeholders which contributes to the performance of the company should be assessed and analyze them in order to come up with effective ways of enhancing the performance of the company. This will also help in increasing customer’s satisfaction since all their needs will be assessed and therefore working towards fulfilling those needs. Assessing individual, groups and organizations needs therefore it very significant towards improving the performance of the company. References Ciccone, K. R., & Lord, J. T. (1992). IQA-2: continuous performance improvement through integrated quality assessment. Chicago: American Hospital Pub.. Fox, M. J. (1993). Quality assurance management. London: Chapman & Hall. Garcia, D. (2009). Quality management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi [India: Global Media. Gitlow, H. S. (2005). Quality management (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Harlen, W. (1994). Enhancing quality in assessment. London: P. Chapman Pub.. Hernon, P., & Altman, E. (1998). Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers. Chicago: American Library Association. Oakland, J. S. (1989). Total quality management. Oxford: Heinemann Professional Pub. ;. Quality management and quality assurance standards. (1994). Sydney: Standards Australia ;. Sale, D. N. (1990). Quality assurance. London: Macmillan. Vitale, B. A., & Vengroski, S. M. (1993). Quality assessment and improvement in long-term care: a continuous process. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. Source document

Contemporary Online Remix Culture Essay

Contemporary online remix culture continues the political and aesthetic practices associated with hip-hop. Discuss. For centuries artists have copied the masterworks of the past, they have borrowed from their contemporaries and from popular culture. Appropriation and remix methods can be found within the entertainment, music and fashion industries, texts and ideas, and extend to virtually every part of our culture. In today’s digital world remix has become a widespread phenomenon with extensive incorporation of borrowed imagery and sound into artistic practice. This activity of taking samples from pre-existing works and combining them into new product plays a vital role in society and raises questions around copyright laws which run counter to this notion that we build on the work of others (Navas 2009). Hip-hop techniques of sampling and manipulating pre-existing works to create new material and its own message can be seen to mirror contemporary online remix practices. This essay will focus on how contemporary online remix culture continues the political and aesthetic practices associated with hip-hop. Apart from looking at the actual practice of sampling this essay will examine how hip-hop was a way for the unheard and underrepresented people to make their voices heard and express hopes and frustrations of a community. Furthermore, this essay will look at how hip-hop continues to produce political discourse and how this also has been taken up by online remix culture. Finally, it will examine issues surrounding copyright issues of music and imagery in today’s digital world.

Feminist Perspective of the Role of Lady Madeline Essay

â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher (1939)†, arguably Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short story, is a tale centered around the mysterious House of Usher and its equally indiscernible inhabitants. These subjects are plagued with physical and mental degradation – the Usher siblings suffer from various abnormal ailments and unexplained fears, while the house itself seems to be tethering on the edge of collapse. The gothic elements in the story are distributed generously, and the plot is increasingly ridden with the supernatural as it progresses. Lady Madeline, Roderick Usher’s twin sister, is a key element in the story. She suffers from a disease much like catalepsy, a disease that subjects her to seizures and insensitivity to various stimuli. Roderick himself, on the other hand, suffers from an â€Å"acuteness of the senses† and a strong belief that the house is somehow alive and conscious of its surroundings. Roderick has not parted from the house in years, and has instead elected to keep himself inside to pore over literature and art, rather than threaten his sanity by overwhelming his senses. The siblings are very similar, not only in their appearance, as they are twins, but in their problems as well. They are both suffering from similarly mysterious diseases, and are both aware of the underlying sexual tension in their relationship. Early in the story, the readers are made aware of the age-old Usher tradition that has kept the Usher family ‘pure’. In other words, incestuous relationships were the norm for them. However, by no means was Madeline and Roderick’s relationship condoned by the rest of society. This essay will examine the story from a feminist perspective, focusing on understanding the narrating styles of the male author, and the actions of the characters in the book. It will also look specifically at the ways that women have suffered from social conventions throughout the years, and compare it to Madeline’s struggles in the story. Women & Poe Males are the dominant gender in the text, both in terms of dialogue and in description. The complete absence of a female voice in the text, save for several moans and groans from Madeline scattered throughout the story, is  pointedly apparent. Throughout the story, Madeline never utters a single word – what the readers know of her is severely limited by the vague descriptions given of her and the way she is treated. Not only do males dominate the text in terms of their presence, but there is also a greater sense of regard among the male characters themselves than there is between Madeline the the male characters. They seem to regard her ailments less seriously than they do of Roderick’s, giving Roderick’s much more detail and explanation than that of Madeline. Roderick’s description, on the other hand, seems to go on an on, reaching into Poe’s treatment of Madeline after her apparent death is a representation of the author’s strangely violent attitude towards women. Like in a number of his other works, women are subject to strange and horrific treatment after their deaths. Berenice was buried alive, and had all her teeth pulled. Ligeia sees the death of two women, and a perverse return of one of them. One could conclude that Poe had misogynistic tendencies, though the fact that Madeline did rise up in power could be seen as support for an opposing perspective. Women in Victorian Society Understanding the circumstances behind the treatment and portrayal of Madeline also demands an understanding of how women were expected to act, especially as reflected in nineteenth century literature. At that time, women were expected to adhere to certain well-defined virtues, centered around the virtures of submissiveness and domesticity. To some extent, a woman’s value depended quite largely on her physical attributes. This refers not only her physique, but also to her abilities in carrying out household tasks. Women were traditionally seen as homemakers – people in charge of matters in the household, not outside. Men, of course, were seen as the mind and intellect of the household, and the one qualified to receive an education and work in the outside world. A woman’s mental ability was regarded as essentially limited to superficial sensing, while a man would have been seen as the one responsible for complex thought and reflection in a household. In a way, Madeline’s suppression by her twin brother and the way she generally presents herself reflects this. Madeline does not speak, and simply obeys the orders of everyone else in the house. Roderick, on the other hand, always has the final word. This is exemplified once again the  Roderick’s live burial of Madeline, in which Madeline could not do anything to change her fate. In the nineteenth century, the female daughter is seen as a critical supporting element of the family. She was expected to keep her aspirations and motivations rooted in maintaining and upholding the family and its name, from within the household. The way Madeline was buried, â€Å"half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere†, reflects the way she was smothered in Victorian society. The nature of their illnesses also reflect the gender roles of the era. While Roderick’s illness amplifies his senses, Madeline’s disease, described as â€Å"a settle apathy, a gradual wasting away of the person†, dampens hers, reducing her into an ‘barely-there’, almost ghostly, individual. Roderick is able to isolate himself from the outside world to spare him from the torture of his oversensitivty, however, Madeline is helpless towards hers. Madeline’s illness subjects her to physical degradation. On a mental level, she is suppressed by the gender roles and expectations of the time. Relationship between Madeline and the Other Characters Madeline’s burial represents the suppression she is subject to under Usher tradition, and under the ideals of her brother. She cannot truly be herself or express herself fully, because of the expectations she has to fulfill. Even from the start, she is trapped in the house, trapped under the shadow of her ancestor’s expectations, and trapped under the realization of what she and her twin brother would have to do to continue their family line in the traditional Usher fashion. Madeline has no freedom, both in life and in â€Å"death†. It is a feminist victory, then, to see Madeline emerge from the depths of her suppression to exact her revenge and exert her power over those who have suppressed her all her life. He then says that his sickness can be â€Å"traced to a more natural and far more palpable origin†Ã¢â‚¬â€namely, to his â€Å"tenderly beloved sister—his sole companion for long years—his last relative on earth.† Madeline’s display of power and ability to induce fear is an abrupt change in the dynamic among the characters. Instead of the silent, unregarded character she has always been portrayed as thus far, Madeline is finally clearly seen as a powerful figure, capable of breaking out of her constraints, both physical and mental, and exacting justice on her own. It is interesting to see that Madeline only manages to struggle out  of these constraints after her apparent death. Perhaps in only allowing Madeline to break free after her death signifies that for women, stepping out of the very well-defined social conventions of the day is as difficult as death itself. Furthermore, Madeline’s new appearance as a strong character over her brother’s meekness represents how women actually have the capability to rise up and over society’s expectations for them, when given the chance. In that final scene, while Roderick is â€Å"a victim to the terrors he had anticipated†, Madeline is fearful and intimidating, with her â€Å"lofty† appearance and the blood on her clothes displaying the kind of struggles she has experienced and conquered. Perhaps this point offers insight into why this invoked fear in the readers of the era – to see a woman assume such a powerful role would have seemed abnormally threatening. Another notable fact is that Roderick’s condition visibly deteriorates after the departure of Madeline from his daily life. It signifies that despite Madeline’s apparent weakness and low value, she does play a fundamental role in the Usher family. It suggests that she may have been a strong character from the start – but the readers just cannot immediately see it as it is shrouded by the lack of attention on her and descriptions of her. In essense, a feminist criticism of â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† reveals much about the nature of the characters and their relationships, as well as the reasons behind the circumstances and the characters’ subsequent actions. A prominent theme stems from the context of the story, the Victorian era. By knowing how women were expected to act, we see the reasons why she was treated a certain way, and why her response was far from active. Madeline’s final actions, however, reflect a different side of the female role, adding a very interesting twist to the story. Bibliography: â€Å"Early Nineteenth Century Attitudes Toward Women and Their Roles as Represented By Literature Popular in Worcester, Massachusetts.† Teach US History |. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"‘Sympathies of a Scarcely Intelligible Nature’: The Brother-Sister Bond in

Original media coverage of various events in U.S. history, period of Assignment

Original media coverage of various events in U.S. history, period of 1920s - Assignment Example On the other hand, the mass development and distribution of most of these mass mediums occurred in USA. The advertisements between 1841 and 1929 rose as a result of the expansion of America to Atlantic Ocean, which was among key factors that lead to the development of the industry. This is because of the campaign for products from east, which called for awareness in the western (John 2000). In the early 1920s, most cities in USA had newspapers, which were the primary medium of advertisements. Publishers’ main target was local businessmen. The construction of the transcontinental highway provided venues of advertisements hence building the media industries. The ideal case that was in all media companies is the advertisements for eastern products. V.B Palmer is the founder of the mass media company that enhanced the advertisements. His firm first ventured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the greatest distributor of newspaper within and outside the city. Palmer’s venture grew leading him to opening other branches in New York, Boston, and Baltimore. The success of the company was as a result of using ideas from the oldest media agency by J. Walter, in 1861 (History of American Journalism 2012). In 1921, the company was capable of distributing over 12,000 newspapers. This lead to multi-city and multi-state, as information flowed freely within its reach. It also facilitated the growth of other industries, leading to advertisement regulations. This was the first company to offer clients with planning services; this lead to planned advertisements. Different companies grew during the period. Magazines were not that common because their invention took place towards the end of the 19th century. These advancements also lead to the development of copyright laws; this was essential to protect ones knowledge from competitors. The radio facilitated the broadcast of sports such Boston

Oil, Iraq and U.S. Foreign Policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oil, Iraq and U.S. Foreign Policy - Term Paper Example The Bush administration used the fear of terrorism as a political tool to garner public and congressional support for the invasion of Afghanistan, the country where the infamous Al Qaeda architect Osama bin Laden was thought to be hiding. Bush quickly thereafter justified sending the bulk of the military to Iraq because it was also a terrorist threat because of its massive stockpiles of ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ Of the 13 terrorists linked with the 9-11 attacks, nine were from Saudi Arabia (none from Iraq) who obtained passports from Iran and took orders from an Afghanistan-based organization. No weapons, no link to terrorism and no legal reason to attack. However, Bush decided to invade Iraq for causes deemed unacceptable to the vast majority of other nations so he repeatedly relied on and used false information to justify it. He lied. This discussion will examine how the truth was a casualty early and often during the lead up to the war and outlines some of the co nsequences brought about by these far-reaching and deadly deceptions. The U.S. justified its invasion and occupation of Iraq to the nations of the world by proclaiming, if not proving, that it was a mission to remove weapons of mass destruction which threatened not only the U.S. but all other nations as well. Secretary of State Colin Powell and other administration officials, particularly with the U.S. Department of State, eagerly endeavored to state their rationale for aggressive military actions and make it as palatable to as many other countries as they could. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz is quoted in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine dated May 28, 2003, as saying â€Å"For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction† (Shovelan, 2003).

The History on my Japanese Dish Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The History on my Japanese Dish - Research Paper Example uch as French fries or French rolls, bacons and hamburgers as uniquely American or English, pizza, spaghetti or pepperoni cheese as Italian and so it is with the Japanese, with their food. History of chopsticks – Asian culinary culture and history is closely intertwined with the development and spread of chopsticks. These so-called sticks are actually two pieces that are about 9-10 inches in length and rectangular in shape, used to pick up small pieces of food. These first originated in China some 5,000 years ago and most probably was invented by the people who first used branch twigs to pick out hot food from a pot, since they cannot wait any longer for cooked food to cool down a bit (must have been really hungry already!). Using the chopsticks requires a degree of manual dexterity, as food could easily fall off or slide down in the process of picking it up and putting it into the mouth. Eating using chopsticks means to eat from a bowl because it cannot possibly be used to handle soups, so the bowl makes it easier to just gulp down the soup or any liquid while using the chopsticks to scrape for solid tidbits. Japanese chopsticks – the Japanese are an enterprising and innovative people. They are quick learners too, and adopted the chopsticks from the Chinese, like the Koreans and the other Asian nations or cultures such as the Vietnamese and Malaysians of Chinese descent. In Japan, their chopsticks are round in shape instead of rectangular, and the lower ends are now pointed or tapered instead of being flat or blunt. Chopsticks as used in Japan are associated in their religious ceremonies and the so-called fine art of dining, together with the tea ceremony. Eating in Japan is not merely for the sake of eating to assuage hunger pangs but rather a very elaborate affair, designed to prolong the gustatory delight of savoring delicious food. Chinese chopsticks were like tweezers, as they were joined at the top but this reduces flexibility as it is being used.