Punishment in America Essay Example

Punishment in America Paper The corrections system in the United States is known for having the highest incarceration rate than any other country and some people believe our punishments are either too harsh or too lenient. In my opinion I believe it depends on the type of crime correlating with the punishment. Not necessarily all of our punishments for crimes are too lenient or too harsh, I would say it relies on the type of crime committed and even specifically the technicalities of the crime. There will always be room for improvement for our sentencing and punishments for crimes, but our penal ode and our laws are written quite well, its all about how you depict the law and what a Judge decides on as far as the punishment goes. Of course there are many factors that go along with sentencing and punishment, but as a whole, with everything considered, punishment in America seems fair for the most part. Three main crimes related to these punishments are white collar crimes, drug crimes along with more serious crimes that result in the death penalty. Many people in America and some states look at white collar crimes as if they are not nearly as important as violent crimes. Although white collar crimes usually havent effected anyone physically, they still have the capability of damaging businesses along with peoples lives, whether it be financially or Just their life as a whole. White collar crime is a sticky subject because there are even cases that I believe were treated too leniently or some that I thought had a fair punishment correlating with the crime. We will write a custom essay sample on Punishment in America specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Punishment in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Punishment in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer One great example of a white collar crime that I believe had a lenient punishment is the case of Chalana McFarland. McFarland was a real estate attorney who was accused of committing acts of fraud, identity theft, mortgage cams, money laundering and other equally devastating crimes. McFarland left lenders with $20 million in defaulted loans by using inflated property values and real estate flipping deals. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $12 million in restitution for her crimes. (Amanda Haury, Sentences For White-Collar Criminals, Investopedia, 5/12/2012). A crime like this one most likely leaves the families involved devastated financially and can tear a family apart. Events like these cannot be fixed simply, even with restitution. I personally would see to it that McFarland receive a heavier punishment for her actions. On the other hand, the case of Thomas Petters is one I feel was treated fairly well and the punishment went along with the crime. Petters was a business mogul who was accused and convicted of money laundering and fraud in a Ponzi scheme that cost investors over $3. billion of their hard-earned money. Petters was sentenced to a 50-year prison term, although the prosecutors recommended a sentence of 335 years. (Amanda Haury, Sentences For White-Collar Criminals, Investopedia, 5/12/2012). If we Petters were to be rosecuted under the full extent of the law he wouldVe faced a life term in prison, which would have been a waste of our tax money along with putting one more person into our already overcrowded correction system . Our next charge related punishment deals vastly with drug charges and how they are being implemented. Statistically incarcerating thousands of nonviolent drug offenders throughout the past few years has cost our states a massive amount of money that could be used elsewhere in the corrections system. (Margaret Dooley- Sammuli, Drug Penalties, California, Drug Policy Alliance, 12/16/2011). For crimes such as having any kind of illegal narcotic on your person, other than marijuana, its automatically a felony offense with the incarceration period of three months. If we dropped the offense from a felony to a misdemeanor, it would save the state a great sum of money and resources. Going along with that instead of incarcerating perpetrators for a minor drug possession charge, we should implement other state programs such as probation. This frees up our correction system along with our judicial system as well. My argument is that the punishment for these minor drug harges are too extensive and harsh. With the proposal of dropping minor drug charges from a felony to a misdemeanor, this would resolve the problem with the punishment related to this crime. The United States remains in the minority of nations in the world that still uses the death penalty for certain crimes. I along with many people in America today still believe that the death penalty is very important in that we use it as a tool in fghting violent pre-meditated murder. One big downside to the death penalty is the possibility that innocent men and women will be put to death. Also financial cost to tax payers of capital punishment is several times that of housing the perpetrator in prison. The punishment relating to this crime is quite fair, although I believe there are many cases in that a person has committed murder but has not received the death penalty for their actions. Of the 22,000 homicides committed every year approximately 1 50 people are sentenced to death (Death Penalty Facts, California, Death Penalty Focus, 3/31/2009). The only real problem I still see relevant to the punishment regarding any crimes that lead to the death penalty, is that there are still nnocent people being put to death and obviously once this is done there is no reversing this action. Generally speaking I would say the death penalty as a punishment is fair and that we are being too lenient in that people who should receive the death penalty are given a life sentence in prison as an alternative. Overall the three main crimes, white collar crimes, drug crimes along with more serious crimes that result in the death penalty all carry punishments that are supposed to correlate with the crime, with the intention of finding grounds between eing too harsh or too lenient. As weve found white collar crimes usually have fair punishments but can be lenient at times Just because they arent violent crimes and although they arent violent crimes they can still have a devastating effect on peoples lives. Drug crimes are deemed to be too harsh as far as punishment goes. If you are charged with a minor drug possession charge, it should simply be a misdemeanor rather than a felony which would equate to harsher punishment and longer sentences. The death penalty is a punishment which isnt implemented enough, but n the other hand if it is implemented it can have negative effects as in executing an innocent person. Death penalty as a whole seems to be too lenient and doesnt have the effect that it should with our communities. In the end the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and nas many punishments that are considered to many as, too lenient or too harsh, but none the less I feel punishment in America is fair regarding most crimes. I feel there will always be room for improvement and speculation for how our punishments are implemented, but as a ountry, punishment is implemented correctly and fairly overall. Works Cited http://www. investopedia. com/financial-edge/0512/sentences-for-white-collar criminals-too-harsh-or-too-lenient. aspx (Amanda Haury, Sentences For White-Collar Criminals, Investopedia, 5/12/2012) http:// www. californiaprogressreport. com/site/drug-penalties-too-harsh anyone (Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Drug Penalties, California, Drug Policy Alliance, 12/16/2011) http://www. deathpenalty. org/section. php? id=13 (Death Penalty Facts, California, Death Penalty Focus, 3/31/2009)

How Is the Term Parameter Used in Java

How Is the Term Parameter Used in Java Parameters are the variables that are listed as part of a method declaration. Each parameter must have a unique name and a defined data type. Parameter Example Within a method to compute a change to a Circle objects position, the method changeCircle accepts three parameters: a name of a Circle object, an integer representing a change to the X-axis of the object and an integer representing a change to the Y axis of the object. public void changeCircle(Circle c1, int chgX, int chgY) { c1.setX(circle.getX() chgX); c1.setY(circle.getY() chgY); } When the method is called using example values (e.g., changeCircle(Circ1, 20, 25)), the program will move the Circ1 object up 20 units and right 25 units. About Parameters A parameter may be of any declared data type either primitives like integers, or reference objects including arrays. If a parameter may become an array of an indeterminant number of data points, create a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹vararg  by following the parameter type with three periods (an ellipsis) and then specifying the parameter name.​

Knowledge Management and information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Knowledge Management and information - Essay Example In fact, as a medium sized organization currently employing 100 individuals, it is even more important that our company manage this knowledge exactly because we lack the market share and resources that large corporations have at their disposal. Therefore, at BioPack we need to be more responsive, more flexible, and make better decisions in order to sustain and grow in our industry. Managing knowledge will be primary in our quest to achieve these goals. So, we need to ask ourselves what exactly constitutes knowledge. We must define this concept before we can start managing this information. According to Neil Fleming in his paper Coping with a Revolution: First, data is meaningless by itself, meaningless without some context that references it within space and time. The pieces of data may indeed represent information, yet we need to understand this data for it to be deemed informative. Moreover, the extent of understanding is based on the amount of associations discernable within the data collected. Thus, information is simply an understanding of the relationships between any collected set of data. And while this information provides us with a basic understanding of relationships between data sets, it fails to provide us with either future predictions or an understanding of why the data appears the way it does. So, this data collection we now deem information fails to provide knowledge. However, when a pattern emerges within this information, knowledge is possible. Patterns, unlike collected data or information, are seldom static but rather self-contextualizing. And when patterns are properly understood, we can predict with reliabili ty how that pattern will change over a period of time. This is the embryonic stage of changing our information into a form of knowledge. When one attains a clear understanding of the underlying principles that make up these patterns that are the basis for knowledge, wisdom, or wise decisions within the workplace become possible. It is important to note that the sequence just mentioned-data-information-knowledge-wisdom does not occur in discrete stages of development. It does not take place locked up in one of our laboratories. It is ongoing, and at any given time we might be better or somewhat worse in our understanding of that data. The quality of our understanding will be key in accomplishing our goal or mission statement: To create a workplace environment that encourages new ideas and new ways of solving problems in order to stimulate innovation and synergism in the creation of new products. To continually delight the customer with our quality, and to be a leader in biotechnology research. Still, all knowledge is not created equal. According to Michael Polanyi, one type of knowledge may be classified as explicit or formal knowledge, or that which can be articulated through language among individuals. The other type is deemed tacit or informal knowledge, and is rooted in individual experience, personal belief, and individual values (The Tacit Dimension 10). As

Business law - Contract problems, FIRAC case, and short summary Assignment

Business law - Contract problems, FIRAC case, and short summary - Assignment Example to be bound by the agreement, statute of fraud covers contracts of sale of goods for a cost of at least $ 500 and requires such contracts to be in writing (Clarkson, et al, p. 234, 303). Hodge entered into a contract to work for Evans on the prime condition that the contract would be permanent. His condition was accepted but he was fired within a year. Hodge has sued for a breach of contract while Evans argues that the oral contract is unenforceable. Watkins and Iams entered into an annually renewable contract in which Watkins was, based on a promise, to be the sole distributer of Iams’ products in Michigan. The renewed contract in 1993 however reserved the company’s right to appoint any other distributor in Michigan. Iams then notified Watkins that its contract would not be renewed and contracted another company. Watkins has since sued for breach of contract, fraud, and promissory ‘estoppel’. A contract that either does not involve land, is enforceable within a year, is not a contract of guarantee, is not a promise that involves â€Å"consideration of marriage† and is not for sale of goods worth at least $ 500 dollars does not necessarily have to be in writing (Clarkson, et al., p. 304). Promissory estoppels also creates liability on promises relied upon in contracts (Clarkson, et al, p. 259). Dyer purchased a car with written provisions that no taxes were included in the price. While the contract restricted the agreement to its written terms, the salesperson assured her that sales tax was already paid. She has realized otherwise and has sued for breach. The parole evidence rule provides that oral agreement that precedes or is made alongside a written contract, in which the parties intended to be fully bound by the written contract, is inadmissible. The rule however has exceptions that include â€Å"contract subsequently modified, voidable or void contracts, contracts containing ambiguous terms, and incomplete contracts† among others (Clarkson, et al,

Is regulation really necessary, or can all the benefits claimed for it Essay

Is regulation really necessary, or can all the benefits claimed for it be achieved through the promotion of competition alone - Essay Example National governments may regulate for a variety of reasons, including re-election and influence from economically powerful houses (Baldwin, Cave, and Lodge, 2012:16). Governments may also technically justify regulations, thus the general assumption that the regulation was in the context of public interest. However, most rationales presented are instances of market failure, thus regulation is initiated, as the uncontrollable market will produce results or behaviors against public interest. Other scenarios may present issues of market absence, or an ineffective market. One of the advancing and developing industries in the global economy is information and communication technology (ICT). The rapid growth of ICT presents concern over regulation and the possibilities of eliminating market failures, thus the rise of such regulatory bodies like the Federal Communication Commission in the US. In summary, regulation is better than competition in safeguarding public interest. Among the theory favoring regulation, include public interest theory, private interest theory, and interest groups theory. According to the public interest theory as argued by Baldwin, Cave, and Lodge, in their 2012 publication, the rationale behind regulation is to benefit and protect the public at large. The theory capitalizes on potential market failures such as monopolistic powers, externalities, asymmetric information, and strategic behaviors. It thus creates the ideology that consumers need protection from market failures and business abuses, with the assumption that regulation serves the best interests of the public through restricting potentially harmful business behaviors (Baldwin, Cave, and Lodge, 2012:164). The interest groups theory suggests that there is need for regulation for the interests of stakeholders, while the private interest theory seeks to safeguard the interest of private inte rest groups in regulation.

Approaches to Motivation at Work

Approaches to Motivation at Work Motivation is a general term used to describe the process of starting, directing, and maintaining physical and psychological activities. The word motivation comes from the Latin movere to move. It is also an internal state of being, or an internal condition that activates ones behaviour, giving it direction. Motivation is to encourage people to work, individually or in groups in the ways such as to produce best results. It is the will to act and the willingness to exert high levels of effort towards organizational goals, conditioned by the efforts and ability to satisfy some individual need. The managements important task is to motivate others. It comprises the abilities to communicate, to set an example, to challenge, to encourage, obtaining feedback, to involve, to delegate, to develop and train, to inform, to brief and to provide a just reward. There are mainly two kinds of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is internal it occurs when people are bound to do something out of satisfaction, significance or need. Extrinsic motivation occurs when external factors make the person to do something. A work place is the most common place where we can apply need of motivation. Motivation also plays a key role in leadership success at work place. Motivation propels life it plays a major role in nearly everything we do without motivation we would simply not care about outcomes means, accomplishment, education, success, failure, employment etc. Motivation is our group topic and we have covered many sub topics in motivation like Meaning of motivation, Maslow hierarchy of needs theory, Approaches to motivation and influences of motivation, Alderfers modified need hierarchy model, Equity theory of motivation, Vrooms expectancy theory, Herzbergs motivation -hygiene theory. And as a member of group I have covered the topic Approaches to motivation and influences of motivation. APPROACHES TO MOTIVATION AT WORK AND INFLUENCES OF MOTIVATION There are number of different approaches to work motivation, most of which can be broken into either content theories or process theories. Content theories focus on what motivates people to perform and are concerned with identifying the different rewards that people seek in their work. Process theories focus on how rewards control behaviour. These theories are concerned with the dynamics or process aspects of work motivation. The content theory of motivation mainly focuses on the internal factors that energize and direct human behaviour. Maslows hierarchy of needs, Alderfers ERG theory, Herzbergs motivator-hygiene theory (Herzbergs dual factors theory) and McClellands learned needs or three needs theory are some of the major content theories. The most famous content theory is Abraham Maslows hierarchy of human needs. Maslow introduced five levels of basic needs through his theory. Basic needs are categorized as physiological needs, safety and security needs, needs of love, needs for self esteem and needs for self-actualization. Just like Maslows hierarchy of needs, ERG theory explains existence, relatedness, and growth needs. Through dual factors theory, Herzberg describes certain factors in the workplace which result in job satisfaction. McClellands learned needs or three needs theory uses a projective technique called the Thematic Aptitude Test so as to evaluate people based on three needs; power, achievement and affiliation. People with high need of power take action in a way that influences the others behaviour. Process theory is one more type of motivation theory. Process theories of motivation provide an opportunity to understand though processes that influence behaviour. The major process theories of motivation include Adams equity theory, Vrooms expectancy theory, goal setting theory, and reinforcement theory .Goal setting theory suggests that the individuals are motivated to reach set goals. It also requires that the set goals should be specific. Reinforcement theory is concerned with controlling behaviour my manipulating its consequences. There are four different types of approaches to motivation. Economic needs motivation. Social concept of motivation. Self-actualization needs. Complex man concept of motivation. ECONOMIC NEEDS MOTIVATION According to Taylor man is a rational economic animal with maximising his economic gain. Taylor had a simple view about what motivated people at work is money and no other factor motivate as much as money motivate people. In this approach man form of motivation is high wages. In short, the more money you offer the worker, the more motivated they will be to work. And the weakness in this approach is money is an important motivation at work for many people, it isnt for everyone. Taylor overlooked the fact that people work for many reasons other than financial reward. SOCIAL CONCEPT OF MOTIVATION In this type of motivation approach people are believed to be motivated by human needs and achieve their satisfaction through social groups with whom they interact. Encouraging team building, providing supportive practices, and permitting co-workers the opportunity to interact socially on the job, Also people are motivated by giving day off or special bonuses on religious or family festival. By doing this people are more motivate and encouraged to do his best possible thing for the work assigned to them. Difficult to participate and connect with the group cause elevation of turnover of people resulting into lowering of moral, psychological fatigue, reduced levels of performance, SELF-ACTUALIZATION NEEDS According to Maslow: desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything one is capable of becoming It is about the question of reaching ones full potential as a person unlike lower level needs, this need is never fully satisfied as one grows psychologically there are always new opportunities to continue to grow. Organizations can help employees satisfy self actualization needs by encouraging creativity, allowing risk taking decision making and supporting workers in their efforts to develop their skills. Self actualized individuals are often motivated by a strong sense of personal ethics and responsibility. They enjoy solving real world problems and are often concerned with helping other people improve their own life. Also self actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences, which are energized moments of profound happiness and harmony. According to Maslow only a small percentage of the population reaches the level of self actualization. COMPLEX MAN CONCEPT OF MOTIVATION In this type of motivation approach people are unique, different and their approaches also vary. Complex man is based on the fact that people are variable, they change the ways they seek fulfilment, respond in a variety of ways. There are large numbers of variables which influence organizational performance. It is not limited to social or monetary rewards. In this type of approach sometimes people are motivated by verbal acknowledgement and sometimes people are not satisfied by promoting to higher post. CONCLUSION An understanding of motivation approaches theories can help mangers increase employee performance. Employees generally fall into two types: self motivated, and those that require external motivation to stay motivated. Self motivated employees tend to exhibit good performance even if they are never provided with much external motivation, but their performance increases still more if they are provided with that motivation. Employees that do require external motivation certainly improve in performance when skilfully motivated. Highly motivated employees are highly productive employees and they are superior. Last but not least I would like to tell something about my group we are in group 9 including 6 people. We were divided in a group by college authority we were aware about each other but not so familiar. Initially when we were formed in a group all were working with their own method which resulted into conflict between team members. Due to more interventions of each other we appointed one person as a group leader. Now all the conflicts are settled and all members resist the task with full cooperation. We all have work very hard as team members to give our best and make this topic interesting. All have dedicated their time from busy schedule and gather at one place to prepare for the topic. As a group the level of motivation was very high as our group leader have worked very hard to coordinate with each team member and execute the order to be in the loop with each other so we can solve our difficulty by consulting each other. All team members were very cooperative and dedicative which resulted into good quality of work.

Essay --

According to Ullah (2010) stated selection is importance is given to select right workers for right position. Once a pool of candidates has been identified through the recruitment process the most appropriate candidate, or candidates are identified through a selection process including but not limited to interviewing, reference checking and testing. Workers make difference through their job performance because company is realizing the value of good employee. Hill (2005) stated the good workers of selection for MNCs who not only have the skill to perform particular jobs but also need to ‘fit’ the prevailing culture of the firm. Different of selection methods are used to identify the right worker. ‘Interview’ is a very useful tool to select right worker. Objective of selection process is to identify the candidates who are suitable for vacancy or wider requirement HR plan. First step of selection process is preliminary interview. Interviewer is accepting the referees’ report even with telephone interview, checking primary sources, obtaining corroborative information from institutional and other source. Telephone interview is to cut down on waste time.(Bassett, Ramesy, chan, 2010) Second step of selection process is review of applications and resumes. For example written or oral statement that addresses the selection criteria, referees’ reports and applicant’s resume/curriculum vitae to submit interviewer. (Patterson et al., 2005). Interviewer should review the application forms, resume, test scores (if any) and any correspondence that would be useful in understanding the candidate’s background. Resume of candidate is used as an attention- getter and a means for allowing to get his /her foot into the door. It can be considered as ... ...n is corporate turnover. Internal employees familiar with organization procedures, policies and culture. For example, employees will know about projected are organized, use of consensus building in the decision making process and how to conducted the meeting. External employee have to fulfills the skills and experience needed for a position but not fit into company culture. Contribution within the work organization is high efficiency and productivity. The workers choose through policy will perform their job very efficiency and effectively. Employee will increase the productivity to company. Otherwise, contribution within the work organization is high morale. Workers get job satisfaction from organization. Workers feel the organization reward hard working by offering an opportunity to take new responsibilities or move to a department in which a worker an interest.

Eddie Mabo Speech Essay

History Speech Good Morning Ms Sparks and class. Today I will be doing my presentation on the Mabo Decision. A decision that was very significant in giving a massive boost to the struggle for the recognition of Aboriginal land rights. The Mabo decision was a legal case held in 1992 and is short for Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992). On June 3rd 1992, the high court of Australia delivered its landmark Mabo decision and rewrote the Australian common law. The High Court is the highest court in Australia’s judicial system. The Mabo decision in the High Court was the culmination of a legal battle started ten years earlier by a group of plaintiffs from the tiny Torres Strait island of Mer to establish their traditional ownership of the Murray Islands. The Mabo decision was named after Eddie Mabo, the man who challenged the Australian legal system and fought for recognition of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of their land. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occupied Australia for 40,000 to 60,000 years before the British arrived in 1788. They spoke their own languages and had their own laws and customs. They also had a strong connection to ‘country’ – the Australian land. When the British arrived, they declared that Australia was terra nullius (empty land – or land that belongs to nobody. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ occupation of and unique connection with the land were not recognised, and the British took the land without agreement or payment. The Mer Islanders decided they would be the ones to challenge the legal principle of terra nullius in the High Court and that Eddie Mabo would be the one to lead that action. Eddie Koiki Mabo (29 June 1936 to 21 January 1992) was an Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands. Mabo’s love for his homeland drove the proud Torres Strait Islander to undertake a 10- year legal battle that rewrote Australia’s history. In 1981, Eddie Mabo made a speech at James Cook University in Queensland, where he explained his people’s beliefs about the ownership and inheritance of land on Mer. A lawyer heard the speech and  asked Eddie if he would like to challenge the Australian Government in the court system, to decide who the true owner of land on Mer was – his people of the Australian Government. And this is exactly what Eddie Mabo did. The Mabo case ran for 10 years. On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia decided that terra nullius should not have been applied to Australia. This decision recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have rights to the land – rights that existed before the British arrived and can still exist today. The Mabo decision was a turning point for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights, because it acknowledged their unique connection with the land. It also led to the Australian Parliament passing the Native Title Act in 1993. Sadly, Eddie Mabo never found out the result of his legal case. He died in January 1992, just five months before the High Court made its decision. Mabo Day occurs annually on June 3rd to commemorate Eddie Mabo and his incredible achievement to campaign for indigenous land rights led to a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that overturned the legal fiction of terra nullius on June 3rd 1992. Eddie Mabo Jnr, on behalf of the Mabo family, said: We believe that a public holiday would be fitting to honour and recognise the contribution to the High Court decision of not only my and his co-plaintiffs, James Rice, Father Dave Passi, Sam Passi and Celuia Salee, but also to acknowledge all indigenous Australians who have empowered and inspired each other. Eddie Mabo made the incredibly brave decision to stand for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Rights which turned out to be one of the best decisions for Australia’s Indigenous people. Thank-you for listening.

The Kushan Empire

The Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire began in the early 1st century as a branch of the Yuezhi, a confederation of ethnically Indo-Europeans nomads who lived in eastern Central Asia. Some scholars connect the Kushans with the Tocharians of the Tarim Basin in China, Caucasian people whose blonde or red-haired mummies have long puzzled observers. Throughout its reign, the Kushan Empire spread control over much of Southern Asia all the way to modern-day Afghanistan and throughout the Indian subcontinent- with it, Zoroastrian, Buhhdism and Hellenistic beliefs also spread as far as China to the east and Persia to the west. Rise of an Empire Around the years A.D. 20 or 30, the Kushans were driven westward by the Xiongnu, a fierce people who likely were the ancestors of the Huns. The Kushans fled to the borderlands of what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where they established an independent empire in the region known as Bactria. In Bactria, they conquered the Scythians and the local Indo-Greek kingdoms, the last remnants of Alexander the Greats invasion force that had failed to take India. From this central location, the Kushan Empire became a wealthy trading hub between the peoples of Han China, Sassanid Persia and the Roman Empire. Roman gold and Chinese silk changed hands in the Kushan Empire, turning a nice profit for the Kushan middle-men. Given all their contacts with the great empires of the day, it is hardly surprising that the Kushan people developed a culture with significant elements borrowed from many sources. Predominantly Zoroastrian, the Kushans also incorporated Buddhist and Hellenistic beliefs into their own syncretic religious practices. Kushan coins depict deities including Helios and Heracles, Buddha and Shakyamuni Buddha, and Ahura Mazda, Mithra and the Zoroastrian fire god  Atar. They also used the Greek alphabet that they altered to suit spoken Kushan. Height of the Empire By the rule of the fifth emperor, Kanishka the Great from 127 to 140 the Kushan Empire had pushed into all of northern India and expanded east again as far as the Tarim Basin- the original homeland of the Kushans. Kanishka ruled from Peshawar (currently Pakistan), but his empire also included the major Silk Road cities of Kashgar, Yarkand, and Khotan in what is now Xinjiang or East Turkestan. Kanishka was a devout Buddhist and has been compared to the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great in that regard. However, evidence suggests that he also worshiped the Persian deity Mithra, who was both a judge and a god of plenty. During his reign, Kanishka built a stupa that Chinese travelers reported as about 600 feet high and covered with jewels. Historians believed that these reports were fabricated until the base of this amazing structure was discovered in Peshawar in 1908. The emperor built this fabulous stupa to house three of the Buddhas bones. References to the stupa have since been discovered among the Buddhist scrolls at Dunhuang, China, as well. In fact, some scholars believe that Kanishkas forays into the Tarim were Chinas first experiences with Buddhism. Decline and Fall After 225 CE, the Kushan Empire crumbled into a western half, which was almost immediately conquered by the Sassanid Empire of Persia, and an eastern half with its capital in Punjab. The eastern Kushan Empire fell at an unknown date, likely between 335 and 350 CE, to the Gupta king, Samudragupta.   Still, the influence of the Kushan Empire helped spread Buddhism across much of Southern and Eastern Asia. Unfortunately, many of the practices, beliefs, art, and texts of the Kushans were destroyed when the empire collapsed and if not for the historical texts of Chinese empires, this history may have been lost forever.

Free Essays on Scarlett Letter (Symbolism)

The Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter In my opinion, adultery is never a good thing, whether that person is happy in their marriage this should have been decided before the marriage took place. Adultery is defined as the unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband or visa versa. The way adultery is viewed in America today is very different from America back then. The Scarlet Letter was interesting because of the period of time the story took place. People’s frame of mind was very different compared to people of the 19th century. It is not a shock or uncommon to hear that someone has cheated on their husband or wife. An example of this would be the Kobe Bryant case. Kobe Bryant, an NBA superstar, admitted to committing adultery, but being kicked out of his city or banned from anything would be an unthinkable punishment in today’s society. However, no matter what era, adultery is a shameful and disloyal thing. I n the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the Kobe Bryant of her time. Hester Prynne was the accomplice in the adultery that was committed in the story. On the contrary, what most people would look at as a negative she turned into a positive. When her punishment was reduced from death to the embarrassment of standing on a scaffold for the entire Puritan town to see, I felt that this was worse than death. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, her other penalties came by having to wear an â€Å"A† on her bosom so the whole town could see and she was forced out of the town to live in a cottage with her illegitimate daughter. Even with all her guilt, punishments, and embarrassments, she still stood strong, more enduring, and even more sympathetic, which I admired. Her mark of shame becomes a mark of being different. She could have easily given up on her life, but she made the best out of her situation. As time went on... Free Essays on Scarlett Letter (Symbolism) Free Essays on Scarlett Letter (Symbolism) The Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter In my opinion, adultery is never a good thing, whether that person is happy in their marriage this should have been decided before the marriage took place. Adultery is defined as the unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband or visa versa. The way adultery is viewed in America today is very different from America back then. The Scarlet Letter was interesting because of the period of time the story took place. People’s frame of mind was very different compared to people of the 19th century. It is not a shock or uncommon to hear that someone has cheated on their husband or wife. An example of this would be the Kobe Bryant case. Kobe Bryant, an NBA superstar, admitted to committing adultery, but being kicked out of his city or banned from anything would be an unthinkable punishment in today’s society. However, no matter what era, adultery is a shameful and disloyal thing. I n the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the Kobe Bryant of her time. Hester Prynne was the accomplice in the adultery that was committed in the story. On the contrary, what most people would look at as a negative she turned into a positive. When her punishment was reduced from death to the embarrassment of standing on a scaffold for the entire Puritan town to see, I felt that this was worse than death. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, her other penalties came by having to wear an â€Å"A† on her bosom so the whole town could see and she was forced out of the town to live in a cottage with her illegitimate daughter. Even with all her guilt, punishments, and embarrassments, she still stood strong, more enduring, and even more sympathetic, which I admired. Her mark of shame becomes a mark of being different. She could have easily given up on her life, but she made the best out of her situation. As time went on...

The Parking Lot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Parking Lot - Essay Example This issue should be urgently addressed to address the disorganization and disturbance that it causes in the campus. This is an informational analysis. The authority responsible for this issue is the security department at the campus because they are mandated to handle issues of car parking and issues of disorganization and confusion created. As such, this complaint is directed to the head of the security department at the campus. The lack of ample parking space is a problem in different areas (Arbatskaya, Mukhopadhaya and Rasmusen 4). In campus, it has been an ongoing issue for a long time and has created a nuisance. The numbers of students increase in the campus every year meaning that the numbers of cars, motorcycles and bicycles also increase. Despite the increase, the parking spaces are left unmanaged and the people who own cars, motorcycles and bicycles are left struggling on where to park and as a result of this decide to park anywhere they want. This issue has brought about several unpleasant experiences. First, there have been accidents involving cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Because people decide to park their cars, motorcycles and bicycles anywhere and anyhow they want, it becomes difficult for them to move from places where they have parked, for instance when other cars, motorcycles or bicycles have parked behind them or on the sides. There have been several cases where people have complained that those who had parked either side of their cars had hit and damaged their cars or bikes when getting out and ran away without reporting or helping them repair their cars. The security has been unable to solve such issues because of lack of evidence or information to apprehend the culprits in addition to the fact that it would be difficult to solve such issues when no one knows who had parked the right way. Next, students as well as other people have

Unit 4 DB Introduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 4 DB Introduction to American Court System - Essay Example This decision is based on the irrefutable availability of sufficient evidence for legal documents necessary for commencing prosecution. Further discretion at this stage relates to the decision to offer legal agreement to the charged suspect on the basis that he or she confesses their guilt and opt not to stand trial. At the trial stage the prosecutor’s role pertains to disclosing all evidence to the defense council pertaining to the suspect’s case. Moreover, at the serving and sentencing stage the law enforcement officer is charged with the discretion of acting of as parole officers of sentenced criminals that have been selected for possible freedom based on their character (Mellili, 1992). The judge exercises discretion at the trial stage by leading the court proceedings against the charged suspect. At the sentencing stage, the judge exercises his or her discretion after the defendant is found guilty after a plea of guilt or judgment by the jury. Consequently, the judge dispenses the sentencing laws cognizant with the crime charged. Furthermore, the judge exercises discretion at the appeal stage. At the instigation by the defense counsel of the sentenced defendant, an appeal may be issued and reviewed a judge in the appellate court (Mellili, 1992). Furthermore, a different judge will lead the proceedings of a new trial based on the review and approval of an appellate court. Some of the guidelines that are in force to limit the discretion powers of enforcement officers include the limit on excessive force while making arrest. This is in light of the possibility of the officers to use police brutality on unarmed and powerless suspects such as racial minorities (U.S Department of Justice, 2012). . On the part of the judges, guidelines that could be used in limiting their discretion pertain to issues of sentencing. These include sentencing structures that limit and regulate the punishment