Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary - Essay Example As such, America has a right to torture terrorist suspects but under exceptional circumstances (Hickey, 2012). Crucial is the fact that terrorism does not take an isolated approach. This is to say that terrorism does not restrict to breaking of a law. Acts of terrorism inflict harm on third parties most of whom are innocent law abiding citizens. Terrorism is a crime against humanity because it causes harm to individuals and undermines the sanctity of freedoms such as the right to life. Moher (2004), advocates for the use of torture using the argument â€Å"a lesser of the two evils†. In the event that one person stands in the way of saving millions from harm by with holding information, then extreme measures are likely to suffice. However, sanctified the rights of an individual, the government is likely to protect the masses rather than one person (Hickey, 2012). While describing the phrase â€Å"a lesser of the two evils†, utilitarianism is in play. This is the idea th at a policy is as relevant as the extent to which it protects, to a greater advantage, the masses, as opposed to an isolated few. Nonetheless, there is a need to establish under what situation torture is valid and what form this torture will take. Currently, America utilizes the policy of torture under the Radar screen. This technique encompasses underground torture methods such as rendition. This is where the suspect is subject to interrogation in a nation that has less restrictive rules on torture by using torture lite methods. Moher (2004) holds that it is more appropriate to accept that torture exists and find a way to regulate it using the justice system. As such, he proposes utilizing a judicially sanctioned torture system. Under this judicial guise, torture will procure information from suspects with more advantages than disadvantages. First off, Moher (2004) reports on Professor Alan Dershowitz’s theory who suggests that torture be medically supervised to ensure that the process only causes pain and discomfort but not permanent body damage. Secondly, there will be some form of due process. This is because the suspect’s guilt is subject to the scrutiny of a neutral magistrate. Proofing beyond all reasonable doubt that a suspect has information is part of judicially sanctioned torture. Finally, in case of a fatality, the judicial system has the power to demand an explanation and, therefore, reducing the chances of extreme brutality on the suspects (Hickey, 2012). Moher (2004) argues that judicially sanctioned torture is, therefore, more humane than the current underground system. Moreover, it is imperative to note that his stand on torture is in regard to the ticking bomb scenario. That is the suspect is holding information needed sooner rather than later, and the lack of this information could result in greater damage than torturing would cause. In summary, these arguments call for the use of logic rather than the inclination towards moral ity and its related emotional entanglements. Utilitarianism in this case is a logical approach (Hickey, 2012). Though most torture methods do not have a scientific basis, their success in obtaining information has proven adequate for the most part (Clarke, 2007). Expert interrogators claim that humans tend to avoid pain and discomfor

Spamalot Response Essay Example for Free

Spamalot Response Essay A play about a King on a quest for a magic grail, by the sound of that it seems like this is just some ordinary play, but no this is Spamalot. Spamalot is a comedy where everything is humorous and light hearted. There are many things I love about this play including the set and costumes, these two elements really made the play better to me. However, one improvement that could have been made was the lighting in the play. As the curtains of the theater opened up I saw a big castle with huge wooden doors and a balcony. In this first scene I was blown away by the size of this set piece and was truly amazed by the detail. One of my favorite things about this set piece is how the characters were using it for more than just a castle, for instance when the front was turned into a cave. I thought it was very clever how the curtains dropped down from the balcony to create the cave. An interesting fact about the set is how it wasn’t just a flat backdrop to have in the background, it was three-dimensional, like the fact that there were windows that actually opened and closed as well as a real balcony that the actors went up on. My favorite scene was one where the Frenchmen were up on the balcony mocking King Arthur and the rest of the Knights of the round table, this was one of the funniest moments of the play. Another thing about this set that really amazed me was the realization of how much time it took to build this, but it made the difference and was completely worth it. The one and only thing that I did not like about this play was the lighting. Throughout the play I wanted different lighting effects to surprise me but most of the time I felt like it was just a general wash and nothing else. I think if there was a variety of different types of lights the play would have been more interesting. Although there was one lighting effect that I loved, when the light bulbs starting flashing along the perimeter of the stage I was surprised and mesmerized by this effect, it really improved the performance. Otherwise I felt the selection of lights was boring and dull. One scene where I think they could have used this variety of lights was when King Arthur came across the Knights of Ni. In this scene they were lost in the woods, I think a good effect would be to darken the lights slightly and maybe change the color of the light so it would feel more like they were in a forest. The costumes were my second favorite thing about this play. My favorite costumes throughout the play were the Knights of Ni. I think it was a mix of them changing thepitch of their voice’s and the costumes that made me really enjoy their part. I loved how their cloaks fell down to the floor and covered their entire body, then they had the leaves on their shoulders which showed they lived in a forest with many plants and vegetation. Another costume I really liked was Herbert’s father, the long purple cape he wore reminded me of old cartoons. He looked exactly how I would picture him in my head. Although I liked these costumes the best, I thought all the costumes were amazing. This play has many great aspects including the costumes and set that amazed the audience. Although this play was very good I did feel there could have been an improvement in the variety of lights used during the performance. To sum up the entire play it was funny every second of the way and was a show to go see.

Racial Privilege in America Past and Present Essay -- essays research

The Blame Game: a Prelude to Racial Privilege In order to fully understand an easily debatable and highly controversial policy, such as racial privilege, one must first understand the political and social climates that led up to it. Racial privilege has been practiced during two periods in America’s past: the post-reconstruction era, via Jim Crow laws, and today, by way of affirmative action. After Reconstruction in the American south, landowners reorganized their land in such a way that it could be farmed without the use of slaves. The most common structure employed sharecropping, in which the land owner divided his property into several plots of land, each farmed by different individuals who paid for the use of this land with a predetermined percentage of their harvested crop. At its onset, sharecropping was a racially diverse program. Boyer et all notes that â€Å"By 1880†¦ white sharecroppers now outnumbered black ones, although a higher proportion of southern blacks, about 75 percent, were involved in the system† (597). Tenants, most having no capital with which to purchase farm equipment, livestock, and seed, offer yet another pre-determined percentage of their harvested crop as collateral and repayment for loans. Since both the landowner and the creditor were invested in the profitability of the farmer’s crops, they insisted that these farmer s raise only easily marketable cash-crops, limiting crop diversification (Boyer 598). When supply began to exceed demand, value of these crops rapidly declined. Sharecroppers, both white and black, were plunged heavily into debt and poverty. The failure of this system presented a window of opportunity for the Democratic leaders of the Old South who wish to restore the power stru... ... Eds. Christopher Jencks, and Meredith Phillips. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. 1998. 431-56. King, Jr., Martin Luther. I Have a Dream. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Washington, D.C. 28 August 1963. Rai, Kul B., and John W. Critzer. Affirmative Action and the University. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2000. Skrentny, John David. The Ironies of Affirmative Action. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Steele, Shelby. A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal of Black Freedom in America. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. ---. White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. Sterba, James P. â€Å"The Case for Preferential Treatment.† Affirmative Action in the University. Ed. Steven M. Cahn. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1993. 286-90.

Learning Experience

Learning Experience PSY/211 July 26, 2012 Daysi Brown Learning Experience Many Americans have fears of all kinds. One fear is roller coasters. Individuals who have this type of fear may also have the fear of heights and how high the drop is on a loop or how fast the coaster goes. They have the feeling as if they are going to fall if up too high or how queasy their stomach may feel with the thought of approaching the big loop. This type of behavior can come from something as little as tripping off a curb or falling off a bike which triggers them to be afraid or fearful of anything that is high up.When it comes to individuals with the fear of roller coaster there is something in the mind telling them that they are too high up which makes them fearful of the coaster or just the thought of getting on and actually riding The classical conditioning type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to bring about a response after it is paired with a stimulus that naturally brings about a r esponse. The learning experience of this type of conditioning is to overcome the fear by trying to find ways to be able to ride the roller coaster.Another way is to research and find ways to help with the feeling of heights and the fear of roller coasters There are ways that to help with this fear by trying to figure out the natural response of the feeling of riding the coaster. Operant conditioning is learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened of weakened, dependent on its favorable or unfavorable consequences. The experience of this conditioning is to have a feeling

Pyscological Disorders Essay

Behaviourism has many different strengths and weaknesses. One strength of the approach is that is has successfully applied classical and operant condition to its theories. This is strength as it is used in different therapies such as systematic desensitization, which is a type of behaviour therapy to help overcome phobias and other anxiety disorders; it is based on classical conditioning. Another strength is that it uses scientific methods of research making it much more objective, measurable and observable as well as being able to obtain reliable results. An example of this is Banduras’ bobo doll of study of aggression. However, there are also weaknesses to this approach. The Behaviourism approach focuses too much on the â€Å"nurture† side of nature/nurture debate and suggests that all behaviour is learned. However, research has shown that cognitive and biological elements have been proved to affect individual’s behaviour. For example, people learn behaviour by observing others getting rewarded for certain actions. Another weakness is the ethical issues raised by using animals in experiments. This is because animals cannot consent to take part and are unable to withdraw themselves from experiments, for example, Pavlov’s dog studies. A major strength of this theory is that it is quick and affordable. As the behaviourism theory focuses on the future and what is happening now instead of the past, treatment can be quick and effective as they are not discussing past experiences which may be time consuming. However, because this theory ignores past experiences and influences, it may cause problems as individuals may need to discuss past experiences in order to sort their emotions out. Because this theory ignores them and focuses on present experiences it can cause a major problem as people may not be able to benefit from the therapy as they need to discuss their past. * Social Learning Theory: The Social Learning theory was developed my Albert Bandura who believed that we can learn by observing others. This theory however, has different strengths and weaknesses. One of the great strengths of the social learning theory is that it combines important models of learning. This therefore makes it a good education theory. Another strength is that children are seen are easy to teach and any child can be taught. Albert believed that motivation comes largely through praise. The praise, however, is seen indirectly, since it is the model that is praised, not the child. Once motivated, the model provides the bulk of teaching. The general concept is that children just the right environment to begin learning useful skills. Another strength is that it is an easy theory to grasp and it seems to be generally proven by actual experience. For example, when learning to play football, individuals often first watch a game on TV, which provides the inspiration and motivation to learn to play. However, there are weaknesses that question if this theory is correct. The main weakness of this theory is that is does not include the child’s cognitive development. While there are some cognitive insights in the social learning theory, they are not explained. Albert believed that a child was seen as a sponge, absorbing information through modelling. However, the child’s contribution to how models are absorbed is processed and worked out through time and is not present to any extent in the theory. Another weakness is that is does not have any given cause. The social learning theory explains that motivation exists though praise. However, it seems that motivation is socially conditioned, and therefore relative. The social learning then takes the basic social structure as normative and standard, without judgement. * Psychodynamic: This theory was developed by Sigmund Freud and Erik Erickson and believed that we are not always aware of all aspects of ourselves. They ignored all science theories and focused going â€Å"inside the head†. However this theory has different strengths and weaknesses. One strength of the psychodynamic theory is that is focused on the effects that childhood experiments have on the personality. This is a strength because Freud was the first psychologist to realise the importance of childhood. It also led to other psychologists including Piaget developing theories on childhood. Another strength is that it takes both nature and nurture into account. This is a major strength as is emphasise the importance of both. For example, Freud’s assumption of childhood experiences focused on nurture whereas the ID, Ego and Super-ego focused on nature. However, a weakness of the psychodynamic approach is that it is capable of being tested. This is a weakness because the assumptions cannot be scientifically measured or proved wrong, for example, is the idea of the mind being split into three parts. This cannot be proven so therefore questions if its valid information. Another weakness is that it suggests that all behaviour is pre-determined and people do not have free will. * Biological approach: The biological approach was developed by Arnold Gessel who explained the developmental process and stages involved from conception onwards. A strength of this theory is that it is very scientific. This is a major strength because the experiments used are measurable, objective and can be repeated to obtain reliable results. Also, the researcher has more control over the variable. Another strength of the approach is that it increases the likelihood of being able to treat people with abnormal behaviour and provides explanations about the causes of behaviour. This is a major strength as it can be used to improve people’s lives. However, a weakness of the biological approach is that is focuses too much on the â€Å"nature† side of the nature/nurture debate. It argues that behaviour is caused by hormones, neurotransmitters and genetics. Another weakness of the biological approach is that it develops theories about disorders and generalises them to apply to everyone. It does not take into account the view that humans are unique. An example for is that general adaption syndrome assumes that everyone responds in the same way to stress but does not take into account that some people have or need more support than others. * Cognitive: The Cognitive theory was development by Jean Piaget who believed children are born with a very basic mental structure, genetically inherited and evolved, in which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based. One strength of the cognitive approach is that is looks at thought processes which were ignored by other psychologists, especially behaviourists. It looks at processes such as memory, attention and perception which all have an effect on our behaviour. Another strength of this approach is that its theories have been applied to cognitive therapies such as rational emotive therapy which is a therapy that focuses on resolving emotional and behavioural problems and helping people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. This therapy has been successful in changing irrational thoughts so that behaviour improves. However, a weakness of the cognitive approach is that it reduces human behaviour down to individual processes such as memory and attention. This is a weakness because the human is a product of all the processes working together and not just individual parts. Another weaknesses is that the approach is too mechanical, it compares the human to computers and suggests they have similar though processes. This is a weakness as humans are much more complex than computers. * Humanistic: The humanistic approach was developed by a psychologist called Abraham Maslow who observed the study of the whole person. He looked at human behaviour not only through the eyes of the observed, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. A strength of this theory is that is focuses on both the positive nature of humankind and the free will associated with change. Another strength is the way in which many of its aspects fit well with other approaches. Many therapies have provided a more humanistic undertone in their work with clients. Even though they may argue that the humanistic theory does not go far enough, they see the benefit in helping people change. However, a weakness of this theory if that is appears to centre on its lack of concrete treatment on specific issues. With the basic concept behind the theory being free will, it is difficult to develop treatments and study the effectiveness of this theory. Secondly, there are those who believe that the humanistic theory does not help those with more severe personality or mental health problems. Another weakness is that this theory is still not complete as there are different questions that are still unanswered. For example, are people basically good or are their some individuals who are not capable of this? As these questions are still unanswered it questions if the theory is effective.

Archaeology and Prehistory of Cuba

Archaeology and Prehistory of Cuba Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands and one of the closest to the mainland. People, probably coming from Central America, first settled on Cuba around 4200 BC. Archaic Cuba Many of the oldest sites in Cuba are located in caves and rock shelters on the interior valleys and along the coast. Among these, the Levisa rock shelter, in the Levisa river valley, is the most ancient, dating to about 4000 BC. Archaic period sites usually include workshops with stone tools, such as small blades, hammer stones and polished stone balls, shell artifacts, and pendants. In few of these cave sites burial areas and examples of pictographs have been recorded. Most of these ancient sites were located along the coast and the change in sea levels has now submerged any evidence. In Western Cuba, hunter-gatherer groups, such as the early Ciboneys, maintained this pre-ceramic life style well into the Fifteenth century and after. Cuba First Pottery Pottery first appeared on Cuba around AD 800. In this period, Cuban cultures experienced an intense interaction with people from other Caribbean Islands, especially from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. For this reason, some archaeologists suggest that the introduction of pottery was due to groups of migrants from these islands. Others, instead, opt for a local innovation. The site of Arroyo del Palo, a small site in eastern Cuba, contains one of the earliest pottery examples in association with stone artifacts typical of the previous Archaic phase. Taino Culture in Cuba Taà ­no groups seem to have arrived at Cuba around AD 300, importing a farming life style. Most of the Taino settlements in Cuba were located in the easternmost region of the island. Sites such as La Campana, El Mango and Pueblo Viejo were large villages with large plazas and the typical Taà ­nos enclosed areas. Other important sites include the burial area of Chorro de Maà ­ta, and Los Buchillones, a well-preserved pile dwelling site on the north coast of Cuba. Cuba was among the first of the Caribbean Islands to be visited by the Europeans, during the first of Columbus voyages in 1492. It was conquered by the Spanish conquistador Diego de Velasquez in 1511. Archaeological Sites in Cuba Levisa rock shelterCueva FuncheSeborucoLos BuchillonesMonte CristoCayo RedondoArroyo del PaloBig Wall SitePueblo ViejoLa CampanaEl MangoChorro de Maà ­ta. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Caribbean, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Saunders Nicholas J., 2005, The Peoples of the Caribbean. An Encyclopedia of Archaeology and Traditional Culture. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California. Wilson, Samuel, 2007, The Archaeology of the Caribbean, Cambridge World Archaeology Series. Cambridge University Press, New York

Flash Fiction Definition and History

Flash Fiction Definition and History Flash fiction goes by many names, including microfiction, microstories, short-shorts, short short stories, very short stories, sudden fiction, postcard fiction and nanofiction. While it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact definition of flash fiction based on word count, consideration of several of its features can help provide clarity about this compressed form of short story. CharacteristicsofFlash Fiction Brevity.  Regardless of the specific word count, flash fiction attempts to condense a story into the fewest words possible. To look at it another way, flash fiction tries to tell the biggest, richest, most complex story possible within a certain word limit.A beginning, middle, and end.  In contrast to a vignette or reflection, most flash fiction tends to emphasize  plot. While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, telling a complete story is part of the excitement of working in this condensed form.A twist or surprise at the end.  Again, there are plenty of exceptions to this rule, but setting up expectations and then turning them upside down in a short space is one hallmark of successful flash fiction. Length There is no universal agreement about the length of flash fiction, but it is usually fewer than 1,000 words long. In general, microfiction and nanofiction tend to be extremely brief. Short short stories are a little longer and sudden fiction tends to be the longest of the short forms, all of which can be referred to by the umbrella term flash fiction. Usually, the length of flash fiction is determined by the specific book, magazine or website thats publishing the story. Esquire magazine, for example, held  a flash fiction contest in 2012 in which the word count was determined by the number of years the magazine had  been in publication. National Public Radios Three-Minute Fiction contest asks writers to submit stories that can be read in less than three minutes. While the contest does have a 600-word limit, clearly the length of reading time is more important than the number of words. Background Examples of very short stories can be found throughout history and across many cultures, but there is no question that flash fiction is currently enjoying an immense wave of popularity. Two editors who have been influential in popularizing the form are Robert Shapard and James Thomas, who began publishing their Sudden Fiction series, featuring stories of fewer than 2,000 words, in the 1980s. Since then, they have continued to publish flash fiction anthologies, including New Sudden Fiction, Flash Fiction Forward and Sudden Fiction Latino, sometimes in collaboration with other editors. Another important early player in the flash fiction movement was Jerome Stern, the director of the creative writing program at Florida State University, which inaugurated its Worlds Best Short Short Story contest in 1986. At the time, the contest challenged participants to write a complete short story in no more than 250 words, though the limit for this contest has since been raised to 500 words. Though some writers initially eyed flash fiction with skepticism, others embraced the challenge of telling a complete story in the fewest words possible, and readers responded enthusiastically. Its safe to say that flash fiction has now gained mainstream acceptance. For its July 2006 issue, for instance, O, The Oprah Magazine  commissioned flash fiction by well-known authors such as Antonya Nelson, Amy Hempel, and Stuart Dybek. Today, flash fiction contests, anthologies and websites abound. Literary journals that traditionally have published only longer stories now frequently feature works of flash fiction in their pages as well. Six-Word Stories One of the most famous examples of flash fiction, often misattributed to Ernest Hemingway, is the six-word story, For sale: baby shoes, never worn. Garson OToole at Quote Investigator has done extensive work tracing the origin of this story if youd like to learn more about it. The baby shoes story has spawned so many websites and publications devoted to six-word stories that it merits special mention here. Readers and writers have clearly been captivated by the depth of emotion hinted at by these six words. It is so sad to imagine why those baby shoes were never needed, and even sadder to imagine the stoic person who picked himself or herself up from loss and got down to the practical work of taking out a classified ad to sell the shoes. For carefully curated six-word stories, try Narrative magazine. Narrative is very selective about all the work they publish, so youll find only a handful of six-word stories there every year, but all of them resonate. For six-word nonfiction, Smith Magazine is well known for its six-word memoir collections, most notably Not Quite What I Was Planning. Purpose With its seemingly arbitrary word limits, you might be wondering what the point of flash fiction is. But when every writer works within the same constraints, whether its 79 words or 500 words, flash fiction becomes almost like a game or a sport. Rules increase creativity and showcase talent. Almost anyone with a ladder could drop a basketball through a hoop, but it takes a real athlete to dodge the competition and make a 3-point shot during a game. Likewise, the rules of flash fiction challenge writers to squeeze more meaning out of language than they might ever have thought possible, leaving readers awestruck by their accomplishments.