SWAT team Essays

SWAT team Essays SWAT team Essay SWAT team Essay More SWAT teams sprang up around the nation throughout the sixties seventies, where they were most needed. For instance, in 1975, the Fresno Police Department put together a SWAT team that consisted of ten men – two sergeants and eight deputies. They armed themselves with weapons confiscated from properties and evidence. That same year, in San Jose, California, Fred Solomon stabbed and tried to rape a woman in her home. When her children called police, he led his pursuers on a chase across San Jose. During the chase, Solomon stole three vehicles, threatened various people, kidnapped and shot a doctor. Finally, Solomon hijacked a Continental Airlines 727. He was brought down by a sharpshooter on San Jose’s SWAT team (UPI, 1975). The SWAT concept was so new in 1975 that newspapers had to explain to their readers what the initials stood for. In 1977, a group called MOVE holed themselves up in a house, along with rats, dogs and excrement. When neighbors complained about the smell, inspectors had gone to investigate, but were blocked by MOVE protestors. Police then went in to aid the inspectors. When one of the officers spotted a gun in the hand of a MOVE member, he asked her to throw down her gun. Instead, MOVE opened fire on the SWAT team below. The members then threw a little girl out of their basement window as a shield. A plainclothes officer rescued her, and the SWAT team managed to capture automatic weapons and ammunition that the group had stored in its house. Some of MOVE’s members were then charged with murder. Their children were taken, given baths, and turned over to Welfare, because MOVE was against soap, and burying garbage (UPI, 1978). In 1979, a San Diego sixteen-year-old, who had received a gun as a Christmas present from her father, opened fire on teachers and students at an elementary school. She killed the school’s principal, a custodian, and an officer who attempted to bring a wounded child to safety. She also wounded children from age six to age twelve. The school was across from her home, which SWAT officers surrounded. Through negotiation, they convinced her to come out from her barricade. The girl claimed she had been trying to â€Å"cheer up† a Monday (UPI, Sniper kills two in school yard, 1979). In 1980, prisoners in Santa Fe, New Mexico took over the New Mexico state prison. Prisoners began fighting other prisoners, leaving more than twenty-seven inmates dead, before the SWAT team went in and regained control. The deaths were brutal and caused by mutilation and burning. Reports said that the brutality was unthinkable. The SWAT team managed to keep all the hostages alive, overcoming the power of around 250 inmates. Here, the SWAT team demonstrated that the usual police power was not enough for specialized cases. The ability of SWAT officers to avoid unnecessary violence was showcased as well (UPI, 1980). In 1984, the SWAT team was called in, when Olympic athlete, Kari Swenson was kidnapped by mountain men as she was jogging. When Swenson’s friend Alan Goldstein found her and tried to free her, the men shot and killed him. Swenson herself was also shot in the gunfire, and nearly bled to death, but the athlete was found in time and rushed to the hospital. Her captors, Don and Dan Nichols managed to escape. Therefore, the SWAT team, using high-technology equipment and flying helicopters, were asked to search for them (Anez, 1984). Although the team did not succeed in its initial attempts, the two mountain men were brought into custody later in the year (Hauser, 2008).

Make Spanish Your Browser Preference

Make Spanish Your Browser Preference Are there are some websites that are made in more than one language. Is there a way you can make them automatically appear in Spanish rather than English when you go to them? How to Set up Your Browser to a Spanish Default It is usually fairly easy, especially if your system is less than three or four years old. Here are the methods you can use with the most popular browsers. All of these have been tested with Microsoft Windows 7 and/or the Maverick Meerkat (10.10) Ubuntu distribution of Linux. Approaches here are likely to be similar with earlier versions of the software or with other operating systems: Microsoft Internet Explorer: Select the Tools menu on the upper-right of the page. Under the General tab, click on the Languages button near the bottom. Add Spanish, and move it to the top of the list. Mozilla Firefox: Click on Edit near the top of the screen and select Preferences. Select Content from the menu, then pick Choose next to Languages. Add Spanish and move it to the top of the list. Google Chrome: Click on the tools icon (a wrench) on the upper-right of the page, then select Preferences. Select the Under the Hood tab, then Change font and language settings under Web Content. Select the Languages tab, then add Spanish to the list and move it to the top. Apple Safari: Safari is designed to use the language that the operating system has as its preference, so to change the browsers preferred language you end up changing the language of your computer menus and possibly the menus of other applications as well. An explanation of this is beyond the scope of this article; various hacks of Safari also are possible. Opera: Click on the Tools menu and then Preferences. Then go to Select your preferred language at the bottom of the General tab. Add Spanish to the list and move it to the top. Other browsers: If youre using a browser not listed above on a desktop system, you generally can find a language setting by selecting Preferences and/or Tools. Mobile browsers, however, generally rely on the system settings, and you may not be able to change the preferred language of the browser without also changing the preferred language of your entire system. Try Your Preferences To see if your change in language preferences has worked, simply go to a site that offers content in multiple languages based on browser settings. Popular ones include the Google and Bing search engines. If your changes worked, the home page (and search results if youre testing on a search engine) should appear in Spanish. Note that this change works only with sites that recognize your browser configuration and act accordingly. For other multilanguage sites, which usually display in English or the main language of the home country by default, youll have to pick the Spanish-language version from the menus on the site.

EU law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

EU law - Essay Example All of these rights were previously established in the EC Treaty. Also relevant in relation to citizens’ rights is article of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which binds the institutions, bodies and the Member States when they implement EU law. This paper examines the effects of Lisbon treaty. An overview of other treaties Before the signing the Lisbon treaty, the European Union entered into different treaties that lead to the Lisbon one. This section outlines these treaties. The European Coal and Steel Community treaty (ECSC) (Treaty of Paris): this treaty was signed in 1951 in Paris creating regional institutions meant to manage trade of coal and steel. Members who signed this treat included France, Italy, West Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (Chalmers, 2006). European Economic Community (EEC) Treaty (treaty of Rome): This was signed in 1957 by the same countries that formed treaty of Paris. On the same day, another treaty European Atomic Energy Comm unity (the EURATOM Treaty), was signed by the six countries. Other important treaties that followed included. European Communities (the Merger Treaty of 1965): This treaty merged the three previous treaties (ECSC, EURATOM and EEC) to create the European Communities, as known as the community Market, which was signed in 1967 (Chalmers, 2006). Upon the signing of this treaty, key institutions of the European Union were formed; this included the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Court of Justice. Single European Act: this important treaty was reached in 1987, which amended the previous three founding treaties, thus creating an â€Å"internal market† for member states; the market was implemented in 1992. The goals of this treaty included forming a single currency and creating a free market. The Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty): this was reached in 1992 but was enforced in 1993, creating the European Union, whic h was based on the European Communities. This particularly treat founded a â€Å"three pillar† system. The last treaty signed before the Lisbon treaty was the Treaty of Amsterdam, signed in 1997 that was enforced in 1999.this treaty amended and also renumbered the European Union and the European Community (Chalmers, 2006). Lisbon Treaty: provisions on Democratic Principles Democratic principles provided in the Lisbon Treaty fundamentally purposed to enhance the democratic authority of the Union in the Preamble. These new reforms mainly strengthened the role of the European Parliament, country parliaments, as well as providing for citizen’s initiatives, with an aim of increasing democratic legitimacy of the European Union. The Treaties contained provisions focused at cementing democracy in its representatives as well as their participatory dimensions by founding new participatory mechanisms, like the European citizens’ initiative, and new guides of communication and information with the European civil society. The European Parliament (EP): The Lisbon Treaty moved one step ahead in regard to the idea of representation by establishing that the European Parliament should be composed of representatives of the Union’s citizens, appointed for five years through direct universal suffrage in a free and fair secret election. According to these regulations, the European Council had to determine through accord, on the initiative of its Parliament, future composition of the latter

FDT 1 week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FDT 1 week 4 - Essay Example Pena-Nieto’s administration should consider applying border initiative-operation Rio Grande. Rio Grande centralized local, state, county and federal law enforcement intelligence. Similarly, Pena-Nieto’s government should use current available assets including the National Guard under the supervision of Texas Homeland Security Director (Hesterman, 2013, p. 153). There should be viable strategies aimed at enhancing security at the Mexico-Texas border. Sustainable techniques include paying officers overtime to enhance patrols, coordinating state agencies, and sharing information with federal agencies (Hesterman, 2013, p.154). Pena-Nieto’s government should initiate programs that offer ammunition and training to law enforcers and oversight of security agencies operating at the Mexico-Texas border. Currently, Pena-Nieto’s government uses the army to conduct police related activities, in contradiction of provisions outlined under the Posse Comitatus law. Nieto has an established and healthy working condition with bordering countries. The administration employs foreign-based agents to work in coordination with Interpol and other international organizations on drug-related issues (Gaines, 2011, p. 231). Employment of more law enforcement agents is a key success of the administration in addressing challenges of drug cartels along Mexico-Texas

Describe the Expected Pattern of Children Essay Example for Free

Describe the Expected Pattern of Children Essay Gradually develops ability to hold up own head. Makes movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled. Rolls over from front to back, from back to front. When lying on tummy becomes able to lift first head and then chest, supporting self with forearms and then straight arms. Watches and explores hands and feet, e. g. when lying on back lifts legs into vertical position and grasps feet. Reaches out for, touches and begins to hold objects. Explores objects with mouth, often picking up an object and holding it to the mouth. Enjoys the company of others and seeks contact with others from birth. Gazes at faces and copies facial movements. e. g. sticking out tongue, opening mouth and widening eyes. Responds when talked to, for example, moves arms and legs, changes facial expression, moves body and makes mouth movements. Recognises and is most responsive to main carer’s voice: face brightens, activity increases when familiar carer appears. Responds to what carer is paying attention to, e. g. following their gaze. Likes cuddles and being held: calms, snuggles in, smiles, gazes at carer’s face or strokes carer’s skin. Turns toward a familiar sound then locates range of sounds with accuracy. Listens to, distinguishes and responds to intonations and sounds of voices. Quietens or alerts to the sound of speech. Looks intently at a person talking, but stops responding if speaker turns away. Listens to familiar sounds, words, or finger plays. 1 – 2 years Walks alone and stands on tiptoe Climbs on furniture and begins to run Builds a tower of six or more blocks Empties objects from a container Becomes aware of his or her identity as a separate individual May become defiant Becomes interested in playing with other children Separation anxiety begins to fade Speaks about 50 words Links two words together Uses some adjectives (big, happy) Speaks clearly enough for parents to understand some of the words Begins to play make-believe Begins to sort objects by shape and colour Scribbles Finds hidden objects 2 – 3 years Walks up and down stairs, alternating feet Kicks, climbs, runs and pedals a tricycle Builds a tower of nine or more blocks Manipulates small objects and turns book pages one at a time Imitates parents and playmates Takes turns Expresses affection openly Easily separates from parents Speaks 250 to 500 or more words Speaks in three-and four-word sentences Uses pronouns (I, you, we, they) and some plurals States first name Asks why questions Correctly names some colours Copies a circle Understands the concepts of same and different 3 – 4 years Stands on one foot for at least five seconds Throws ball overhand, kicks ball forward and catches bounced ball most of the time Dresses and undresses Uses scissors Cooperates with playmates Tries to solve problems May have a best friend Becomes more independent Answers simple questions Speaks in complete sentences Uses prepositions (under, beside, in front) Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand Becomes involved in more complex imaginary play Prints some capital letters Draws a person with two to four body parts Understands the concepts of morning, afternoon and night 4 – 5 years Stands on one foot for at least 10 seconds Hops, swings and somersaults May learn to ride a bike and swim Brushes own teeth and cares for other personal needs Wants to be like friends Follows rules Understands gender Wants to do things alone Understands rhyming Uses compound and complex sentences Uses future tense States full name and address Uses imagination to create stories Correctly counts 10 or more objects Copies a triangle and other geometric patterns Understands the concepts of time and sequential order. 6 years Jumps over rope 25cm high Learning to skip with rope Tie own shoes Eager for fresh experiences More demanding and stubborn, less sociable Joining a ‘gang’ maybe important May be quarrelsome with friends Needs to succeed as failing too often leads to poor self esteem Reading skills developing well Drawings more precise and detailed Figure may be drawn if profile Can describe how one object differs from another Mathematical skills developing, may use symbols instead of concrete objects May write independently years Hand-eye coordination is well developed Has good balance Can execute simple gymnastic movements, such as somersaults Skills constantly improving More dexterity and precision in all areas Desires to be perfect and is quite self-critical Worries more; may have low self-confidence Tends to complain; has strong emotional reactions Understands the difference between right and wrong Takes direction well; needs punishment only rarely Avoids and withdraws from adults Is a better loser and less likely to place blame Waits for her turn in activities Starts to feel guilt and shame Read independently and with increasing fluency longer and less familiar texts Spell with increasing accuracy and confidence, drawing on word recognition and knowledge of word structure, and spelling patterns including common inflections and use of double letters Moving towards abstract thought Draw together ideas and information from across a whole text, using simple signposts in the text Read whole books on their own, choosing and justifying selections Engage with books through exploring and enacting interpretation 8 -12 years Movements well coordinated Physical skills improving Takes part in team games Drawings become more complex Friendship becomes more important Independence increasing More understand to self Concentration improves Able to read fluently May think scientifically Able to play complex games such as chess 12 – 19 years Hormonal changes Puberty Skin changes Growth spurts Body hair develops Girl; menstruates; breasts develop, hips broaden Boy; facial hair develops; voice deepens, growth of penis and testes Skills develops depending on interest and practice, for example play a musical instrument Adolescents start to think about the future and if motivated will use all their intellectual ability to achieve their educational goals

Alchemy :: Expository Essays Research Papers

Alchemy The science by aid of which the chemical philosophers of medieval times attempted to transmute the baser metals into gold or silver. There is considerable divergence of opinion as to the etymology of the word, but it would seem to be derived from the Arabic al=the, and kimya=chemistry, which in turn derives from the late Greek chemica=chemistry, from chumeia=a mingling, or cheein, 'to pour out' or 'mix', Aryan root ghu, to pour, whence the word 'gush'. Mr. A. Wallis Budge in his "Egyptian Magic", however, states that it is possible that it may be derived from the Egyptian word khemeia, that is to say 'the preparation of the black ore', or 'powder', which was regarded as the active principle in the transmutation of metals. To this name the Arabs affixed the article 'al', thus giving al-khemeia, or alchemy. HISTORY OF ALCHEMY: From an early period the Egyptians possessed the reputation of being skillful workers in metals and, according to Greek writers, they were conversant with their transmutation, employing quicksilver in the process of separating gold and silver from the native matrix. The resulting oxide was supposed to possess marvelous powers, and it was thought that there resided within in the individualities of the various metals, that in it their various substances were incorporated. This black powder was mystically identified with the underworld form of the god Osiris, and consequently was credited with magical properties. Thus there grew up in Egypt the belief that magical powers existed in fluxes and alloys. Probably such a belief existed throughout Europe in connection with the bronze-working castes of its several races. Its was probably in the Byzantium of the fourth century, however, that alchemical science received embryonic form. There is little doubt that Egyptian trad ition, filtering through Alexandrian Hellenic source\s was the foundation upon which the infant science was built, and this is borne out by the circumstance that the art was attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and supposed to be contained in its entirety in his works. The Arabs, after their conquest of Egypt in the seventh century, carried on the researches of the Alexandrian school, and through their instrumentality the art was brought to Morocco and thus in the eighth century to Spain, where it flourished exceedingly. Indeed, Spain from the ninth to the eleventh century became the repository of alchemic science, and the colleges of Seville, Cordova and Granada were the centers from which this science radiated throughout Europe.

Language & Human Communication

Of all human skills, language is one of the most valuable because it allows us to communicate with one another. Human communication is important to society, enabling business and interpersonal relationships, as well as teaching and learning. Language is also important because it allows people to create new words for a changing society, like â€Å"Internet,† according to Palomar College. About Language 1. Languages are, essentially, systems of symbols that have meaning. Language is a means of human communication, whether it be expressed verbally, it writing or through sign language. All languages have a system of rules and meanings and can express an infinite number of ideas or meanings within that system. Human Language Development 2. Language is a part of human development, beginning its development in early childhood. Human language begins with what is called â€Å"babbling,† when infants make repetitive sounds like â€Å"mah mah† and â€Å"dah dah† that mark the beginning of speech development. Language is an important part of intellectual development and the development of communication skills. Communication, in turn, is vital to human language development. According to Palomar College, studies show that parents can help infants develop language skills by communicating with them often using and encouraging appropriate language rules. As the child's language skills continue to develop, he may begin to use language, albeit incorrectly. Gently correcting the child's speech can help her improve. If a child says, â€Å"I seen it,† for instance, correct by saying something like, â€Å"Yes, that's good, you saw it. I saw it, too,† thus illustrating the appropriate form of the verb â€Å"to see. † Communication and Language 3. Even though language is standardized, the interpreted meaning of the words that being communicated is influenced by a variety of factors about the situation. The way something is phrased, the tone in which it is said and the volume all matter. These â€Å"hidden† parts of communication affect way the listener interprets the speaker, according to Palomar College. Other Parts of Language 4. The message delivered through language may also be mediated by nonverbal or non-linguistic factors like body language and gestures. According to Palomar College, linguists and other language experts refer to nonverbal elements of language like tone of voice, smiling, frowning, use of personal space and other unspoken means of communication as â€Å"paralanguage† elements. Paralanguage can be just as important to human communication as language itself. In-Person Communication 5. While words are powerful, the power of in-person communication cannot be overlooked. According to Palomar College, it is estimated by researchers that up to 70 percent of the meaning derived from in-person communication comes from paralinguistic expressions. This is because paralanguage communicates the emotional and personal aspects of human communication that can be unseen in written and impersonal forms of language use.

Organic Chemistry Laboratory †Formal Report Essay

Introduction The study is about distillation. Distillation is a process of converting a liquid to a vapor, and then, collecting the distillate in another container. This technique is used to separate components in a liquid mixture which have different boiling points, or to separate a component that is not volatile. It is one of the methods used when purifying liquids. For example, it is used to concentrate alcoholic beverages. The four distillation methods include simple distillation, fractional distillation, vacuum distillation (distillation at a reduced pressure), and steam distillation. The objective of the study is to differentiate simple from fractional distillation, separate the components of the alcohol beverage used, and to calculate the percentage of ethanol in the beverage. Simple and fractional distillation are the methods to be used since it is the most efficient to be used in this experiment. Since the experiment worked only on the two methods, the other two methods will not be studied. Methodology The equipment used are the condenser, boiling stones, beaker, thermometer, distilling flask, alcohol lamp, iron stand, wire gauze, iron clamp and test tubes that were calibrated. Vodka is the substance that was distilled. First, the group put up the distillation set up by assembling the instruments, heating the alcohol lamp, turning the water on and then heating the vodka which was contained in the distilling flask with the boiling stones. Then the group waited for the first drop of the distillate and then recorded it. After heating and getting a lot of distillates, the group stopped when the temperature reached 98 degrees Celsius. The group then tested the first and the last drop of the distillate. It was tested by placing it in an evaporating dish then igniting it with a match. The first drop was proved that it contained ethanol because it was combustible. The last drop however, was inflammable. Results and Discussions During the experiment, the group observed that the first drop of the distillate was collected when the thermometer reached 78 degrees Celsius. This shows that the volatility of ethanol is 78 degrees Celsius. Distillates were collected every time the temperature increased by 1 or 2. The group stopped at 98 degrees Celsius because if it goes beyond that, water, with a volatility of 100 degrees Celsius, will also evaporate. References [1] Bayquen, A., Cruz, C., De Guia, R., Lampa, F., Pena, G., Sarile, A., Torres, P., (2009) Laboratory Manual in Organic Chemistry.

Free Essays on Harrison Bergeron

Harrison Bergeron Essay In the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, the author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., uses his natural ability of satire to illustrate a dystopian future, where the value of ‘equality’ is said to be held above all else. However, as we explore the meaning of the story we find that Vonnegut is actually warning us that in a world where we hold anything as an absolute the result will always be disastrous to the human condition and furthermore that such absolutes are usually the result of bad intentions. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, the society in which the characters live is centered around the seemingly virtuous ideal of equality, opening with the almost macabre line, â€Å"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.† As the story moves along into the family life of the Bergeron’s, we are shown what this foreboding line means; beautiful people are made to wear masks, thin or strong people made to wear weights, and clever people to wear radio transmitters in their ears to keep them from â€Å"taking unfair advantage of their brains†. Everyone is in one way or another hampered by handicaps, dropped to an arbitrary average decided by an all-powerful Handicapper-General. The reader’s mind quickly screams with injustice, that this is not equality at all, and they’re right. Vonnegut wanted to blatantly outrage the reader into knowing the truth, which, is that the result of this world of theoretical equality is actually uniformity and a loss of individuality. Humans are no longer able to express their natural creativeness as they are blocked by noises in their ears, or subdued by other means. Progress, material and spiritual, comes to a standstill when our freedom of action is silenced, which is precisely what happens in the story. While the specific outcome is somewhat unique in it’s form of handicaps, the stifling of what makes us human is not unique to the absolute value of equality. If we were to hold any v... Free Essays on Harrison Bergeron Free Essays on Harrison Bergeron Harrison Bergeron The story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† is an in depth story about equality. Being equal to one another is not always the best way to live. Everyone is different for a reason and when you are equal, life is boring and dull. Also when there is a ruler who controls everyone in the world and punishes those who do not listen and do not want to be equal. How the government makes laws and/or amendments for people to follow helps the world stay in order but causes some problems too. The government makes up amendments that the people have to follow, and there is no limit to how many they are aloud to have. The government makes the amendments as they find new ideas and reasons to makes them. In the story there are 213 amendments but today there are only 27. The amendments are made to make the people in the world equal in some kinds of ways. But, the amendments in this story are made so that no one is better or less equal to another in every kind of way such as looks, size, and level of IQ. Next is the handicapper or the one who keeps everyone in the world equal to one another by using masks or weights or even a head set that beeps so people can not even think about things. The handicap leader has to control all the people who try to not be equal to other and try to be greater by not listening to her. There is harsh punishment for everything you do to try to prevent from being equal to others. The general has to control what people need such has how much handicap bags you need or what kind of mask the person should wear. Third is the way of life they have to live in their world with all the laws of equality. The whole purpose of this is so that not one person is better than another and if you do not listen you will suffer harsh punishment for it. The way of life is very strict with all the amendments so it does not allow anyone to have any fun. You always are making sure everything is the way it should be because if you are... Free Essays on Harrison Bergeron Harrison Bergeron Essay In the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, the author, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., uses his natural ability of satire to illustrate a dystopian future, where the value of ‘equality’ is said to be held above all else. However, as we explore the meaning of the story we find that Vonnegut is actually warning us that in a world where we hold anything as an absolute the result will always be disastrous to the human condition and furthermore that such absolutes are usually the result of bad intentions. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, the society in which the characters live is centered around the seemingly virtuous ideal of equality, opening with the almost macabre line, â€Å"The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal.† As the story moves along into the family life of the Bergeron’s, we are shown what this foreboding line means; beautiful people are made to wear masks, thin or strong people made to wear weights, and clever people to wear radio transmitters in their ears to keep them from â€Å"taking unfair advantage of their brains†. Everyone is in one way or another hampered by handicaps, dropped to an arbitrary average decided by an all-powerful Handicapper-General. The reader’s mind quickly screams with injustice, that this is not equality at all, and they’re right. Vonnegut wanted to blatantly outrage the reader into knowing the truth, which, is that the result of this world of theoretical equality is actually uniformity and a loss of individuality. Humans are no longer able to express their natural creativeness as they are blocked by noises in their ears, or subdued by other means. Progress, material and spiritual, comes to a standstill when our freedom of action is silenced, which is precisely what happens in the story. While the specific outcome is somewhat unique in it’s form of handicaps, the stifling of what makes us human is not unique to the absolute value of equality. If we were to hold any v... Free Essays on Harrison Bergeron Satire is the use of irony or sarcasm to attack some form of human behavior. Most satire appears in literature, but satire also plays a part in most other art forms. Most satirists claim they want to expose and reform such human failings as greed or vanity. But some satirists simply seem to enjoy ridiculing human conduct. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr's "Harrison Bergeron" is making fun of uniformity in general. The satire is the fact that uniformity (of any kind) leads to the loss of individuality, and therefore to absolute deformity of humanness. "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal," the story begins. "They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal in every which way." In this haunting story, Vonnegut probably wanted to warn our society of similar kind of equality, equality that can be fatal for human race. In "Harrison Bergeron", Kurt Vonnegut presented a scary view of a future society, where everyone was equal. "Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else." It was the job of the agents of the United States Handicapper General to keep it this way. Beautiful people had to wear ugly masks. People not heavy enough had to wear handicap bags full of lead. Clever people had to wear a radio in their ear tuned to the government transmitter, which sent out sharp noises to keep people from taking advantage of their brains. It was a world where competition was the greatest of sins. I think that this view can be very easily related to modern society. People are striving for equality of some kindequality of races, sexes, etc. The society in "Harrison Bergeron" succeeded in eliminating these prejudiceseverybody got the same opportunity to do anythingand the result was fatal. When the power got into the hands of stupid people, unfit for governing the country, they had to find a way to protect their position. So t...

Definition and Examples of Standard American English

Definition and Examples of Standard American English The term Standard American English customarily refers to a variety of the English language thats  generally used in professional communication in the United States and taught in American schools. Also known as  Edited American English, American Standard English, and General American. Standard American English (SAE or StAmE) may refer to either written English or spoken English (or both).Standard American English is not a myth, say linguists William Kretzschmar and Charles Meyer, but it is not identical with the language of any natural population of speakers; it is a very real institutional construct that has attracted the loyalty of a committed group of speakers who claim that they speak it (The Idea of Standard American English in  Standards of English, 2012). Examples and Observations The notion of a widespread, normative variety, or standard dialect, is an important one, but it is not always easy to define in a precise way, especially for English. . . .In the United States, we dont have a language academy, but we have many grammar and usage books that people turn to for the determination of standard forms. The key words in this definition are prescribed and authority so that the responsibility of determining standard forms is largely out of the hands of most speakers of the language. . . .If we took a sample of everyday conversational speech, we would find that there are virtually no speakers who consistently speak formal standard English as prescribed in the grammar books. In fact, it is not unusual for the same person who prescribes a formal standard English form to violate standard usage in ordinary conversation.(Walt Wolfram and Natalie Schilling-Estes, American English: Dialects and Variation, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2006)Standard American English UsageStandard A merican English usage is linguistic good manners, sensitively and accurately matched to context- to listeners or readers, to situation, and to purpose. But because our language is constantly changing, mastering its appropriate usage is not a one-time task like learning the multiplication tables. Instead, we are constantly obliged to adjust, adapt, and revise what we have learned.(The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press, 1993) Standard American English and Social PowerStandard American English is not a variety of English that is inherently standard, or better, or more beautiful, or more logical than other forms of English. What makes it standard is that some speakers of American English have the social power to impose the variety of English they happen to use on speakers of other varieties. They are in a position to make their English the prestigious form of English. They can do so thanks to their social power. Since this social power is desired by other people, the English spoken by people with power is also desirable for others. In this sense, the possession of the prestigious variety is the possession of social power.(Zoltan Kovecses,   American English: An Introduction. Broadview, 2000)Standard American English Pronunciation- StAmE pronunciation differs from region to region, even from person to person, because speakers from different circumstances in and different parts of the United States commonly employ regional and social features to some extent even in formal situations.(William A. Kretzschmar, Jr., Standard American English Pronunciation. A Handbook of Varieties of English, ed. by Bernd Kortmann and Edgar W. Schneider. Mouton De Gruyter, 2004)- As for pronunciation, Standard American English is best defined as the avoidance of pronunciations associated with particular regions or social groups.(William A. Kretzschmar, Jr. and Charles F. Meyer,  The Idea of Standard American English. Standards of English:  Codified Varieties Around the World.  Cambridge University Press, 2012). Also see: American EnglishEdited American English (EAE)General American EnglishAfrican-American Vernacular English (AAVE)American SpellingLanguage StandardizationNonstandard EnglishPrescriptive GrammarPrestigeStandard British EnglishStandard EnglishWhat Is Standard English?

Discuss the changing workforce (demographics) in American Businesses Essay

Discuss the changing workforce (demographics) in American Businesses - Essay Example As the US workforce is becoming increasingly diverse in race, gender, age, culture, family structures, religion, and educational backgrounds, the US business sector is trying its best to manage some transformations that regard their human capital. Although nearly three-fourths of the U.S. population is still classified as white, that’s changing fast. By 2050 whites will represent only 53 percent of the U.S. population. Hispanics will make up about 24 percent, African Americans 14 percent, Asian Americans 8 percent, and Native Americans 1 percent. Managing this changing mixture of ages, faces, values, and views poses a gargantuan challenge. A diverse workforce brings with it a wide range of skills, traditions, backgrounds, experiences, outlooks, and attitudes toward work that can affect individuals’ job performance. Moreover, a diverse workforce brings language and communication challenges (Bovee, Thill & Schatzman, 2003). 1. Influx of Immigrants – Immigrant, whether legal or illegal, now make up about 13 percent of the nation’s workers, the highest percentage since the 1930s. They dominate job categories at both ends of the economic spectrum. Many work in jobs that native-born Americans prefer not to do—such as meatpackers, hotel maids, hamburger flippers, waiters, gardeners, seamstresses, and construction workers. Others fill the U.S. demand for nurses, doctors, scientists, and teachers. The influx of immigrants to the United States is expected to continue and will help hold down wages in unskilled jobs in addition to providing companies with the numbers of employees they need to expand. 2. Aging Population – The population in the United States is aging, a situation that creates new challenges and concerns for employers and employees alike. About 84 percent of baby boomers participate in today’s labor market. Experts predict that because of inadequate pensions, high medical costs, and a general desire to