Mold lab report Essay Example

Shape lab report Essay Example Shape lab report Paper Shape lab report Paper How does dampness influence shape on bread? Point In this lab I will investigate how dampness influences the shape of bread. My examination question is along these lines: How does dampness influence shape on bread? I will get ready 4 bits of bread with various dampness and take a gander at how it influences the shape. Theory think the wetter the bread is the more form there will be. Yet, I imagine that on the off chance that I put a lot of water on it will start later or not. The shape will develop more with more water since form requires a sodden situation for the generation. I additionally expect that close to the end the dampness will arrive at its most significant level and won't develop any longer. Factors Dependent variable : my reliant variable is the shape Independent variable : The dampness Controlled variable : The temperature, the sort of bread, the introduction to air and light. Materials 2 bits of bread A pipette Water A Petri dishes A sellable pack Method 1 . Get all the hardware and materials together. 2. Expel the outside layer of the bread and separation them in 4 even pieces. 3. Fill the Petri dish with 5 drops and plunge the main bit of bread in it. After you have done that placed the bit of bread in a pack. 5. Do this likewise with the 10 drops and 15 drops. 6. Check extra time you are in the lab how much form there is and review it in millimeters squared. Results Day Dry, zone of shape in mm 5 water drops, zone of form in mm 10 water drops, region of form in mm 15 water drops, zone of shape in mm 4 O mm 7 19 mm 9 mm 42 mm 11 mom mama m om mother 14 50 mm 170 mm 80 mm 260 mm determined every one of my outcomes with a ruler and mini-computer. More often than not the shape as extremely spread so I needed to gauge it and include it. The form had various shapes. In the event that it was a square or square shape increased the 2 sides with one another, If it was a triangle I did the base occasions the tallness separated by 2, and on the off chance that it was around Multiplied pie by the squared range (n x re). End From my information I can see that there surely is more form in the event that it has a higher dampness. The bread with the most dampness began developing first and the others began developing all simultaneously. The main distinction was that the one with he most shape became the quicker than the rest. It was additionally recognizable that the bread with 5 drops got more form than the bread with 10, yet the one with 15 drops had the most. My clarification for this is, or I did the examination not adequate ( perhaps the water was not spread enough with the 10 drops), or that form picks his own particular manner, and that it I eccentric where it precisely will develop. In the long run my theory didn't completely work out as expected, in light of the fact that none of bread reached its most elevated level of shape, so there was no part in the diagram here a line smoothed. Assessment think my outcomes were dependable enough to close what I have finished up, however they are not precise. It was very difficult to precisely quantify how much form there was on the bread, since you had 2 sides, and shape likewise develops in within, I concluded that I wouldnt measure that in light of the fact that in is practically difficult to see. On the off chance that I would do this test once more, I would roll out some minor improvements. I would put the water on each bread on precisely the same spot to be as exact as could be expected under the circumstances. Additionally I would gauge the form more.

Candies and Costumes and Pumpkins and CATS

Candies and Costumes and Pumpkins and CATS A typical day in East Campus. Okay, it was not quite typical. It was a little abnormal. It was Halloween. I was surprised to see the lack of costumes worn during the day around MITs campus. I personally was wearing a firefighter costume I bought off Amazon for a separate occasion, but I covered it with my favorite flannel shirt because I felt a little weird being out of the norm. Its strange that I still feel that way, like ever, after having dyed hair for more than six years now. Ive always dressed out of the norm. Wearing just a flannel shirt is out of the norm. Regardless, I covered my costume, went to a really cool meeting in the morning, went to my class, handed in my problem set, and went home and crashed/slept with my kitten until more meetings at 4pm. I was really tired. I slept 4 hours the night before because I was trying to finish some assignments/homework, and it really made me feel awful. Cat naps with my cat are fantastic. But I left my kitty and went to the meetings, and I put on more layers after my meetings because it was cold out and Swarky 16, Max J. 17 and I were going to the local supermarket, Shaws, to buy ingredients to make dinner for our vegetarian Co-op that night.  Shaws is about a fifteen-twenty minute walk away from East Campus. We bought our things to make quesadillas, made the quesadillas, and then it was about time for the traditional East Campus Trick or Treating and Costume Contest. But before that could happen, a rather energetic and carrot-obsessed spiderman made its way through our hall. Halloween at East Campus starts at around 8pm, and you gather your closest friends (and/or strangers) in costume and prepare your body for candy (gather pockets, backpacks, socks, etc.). Then you go to the housemaster suite, located on the second floor of the west parallel of East Campus. This year, Rob Miller 95, our new housemaster, dressed up and handed out papers for us to fill out to determine which member of the house team (including Rob and our GRTs, or Graduate Resident Tutors, that live on each hall) deserves to win the best costume award. Then he gave us candy, and sent us on our way to trick-or-treat around the dorm. Our mob of East Campusers slowly grew and shrunk and changed shape and function throughout the night, but it was still a ton of fun. Sabrina S. 16 dressed up as The Ghost of P-sets Past. This was one of my favorites :) And Valentina C. 16 dressed up as the dreaded Novembat, ready to pounce on any upperclassmen who broke the November Rule! And Dan S. 17 dressed up as. well, you should ask him :) The GRTs of the Houseteam got especially excited and involved in the costume contest! When asked about his costume, first wests GRT responded with What costume? There was my GRT, Chris, dressed up as Annie, the orphan in the musical/show Annie. He even sang about tomorrow to us! And there was Fourth East GRT Andy dressed up as Princess Leia. And then there was GRT Andy and GRT Chris together, singing and running through the halls together like the crazy people they are. We have the coolest House Team in the whole world. So all in all, Halloween was a lot of fun. Rory sure enjoyed chasing around the candy wrappers in my room and trying to help me write this blog post. And the next day we got the chance to celebrate a belated Halloween with the nth annual First West Pumpkin Drop from the Green Building. The following Pictures were taken by Tristan H. 18: And a frozen pumpkin parts flinging battle erupted on the dot. It was a lot of fun I got pelted in the back by some of my freshmen :D So Halloween was a lot of fun. I have a fuzzy kitty, and I got a lot of candy from the various members of our house team and from some friends. Things were pretty bad these past couple of weeks, and sometimes dressing up like maniacs or hugging a cat or watching your GRTs sing around the dorm or flinging pumpkin pieces at friends is all it takes to make a terrible week a million times better. Post Tagged #East Campus

A Very Brief Look at Starbucks Essay - 639 Words

Starbucks was founded in 1971 on March 30, by three partners. All three partners met while students in University; English Teacher Jerry Baldwin, History teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. All three were inspired by Business man and entrepreneur, Alfred Peet, who had been in the roasting business some time and was known for high Quality roasts at affordable prices. Originally the company was to be named Pequod, after the ship mentioned in the children’s classic book, Moby Dick, however the name was later rejected by some of the co-founders. The name Starbuck was agreed on by taking the name of Chief Mate Starbuck from The story Moby Dick. The first Starbucks Cafà © was opened Seattle, 2000 Western Avenue. During the time of opening†¦show more content†¦Other products such as hand crafted beverages include smoothies and non-coffee blended beverages. Their merchandise sells from stores and online, the products range from Coffee and tea brewing equipment, mugs and accessories, packaged goods, music, books and gifts. There are over 87,000 possible drink combinations at Starbucks. These products have attracted many customers (the average Starbucks customer visits the store 6 times a month while the loyal customer visits 16 times a month) Starbucks has been expanding globally and has such a recognized label they know don’t even have to put it on some of their drinks. Starbucks has added an average of two stores on a daily basis since 1987, reaching a steady growth, with California having the highest concentration: 560 stores within 25 miles. They opened their first store in Beijing in 1999 and there are now 376 stores in china. They expect to reach 1000 by 2015. Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz was given a pay package worth roughly $16 million in the company’s 2011 fiscal year. Starbucks performed well the previous year’s however Shultz compensation shrank 26% compared to 2010 when he turned the company out of recession and doubled its profits, all this saw him a paycheck worth $22 million. With a revenue of 10.07 billion last year and shops in over 40 countries, Starbucks is clearly the world top coffee retailer. Starbucks investor information showsShow MoreRelatedStarbucks Swot1393 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks’ Starbucks got its start in 1971 by three academic teaching professionals. English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegel, and writer Gordon Bowker, all three love coffee and decided to open Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice in Pikes Place Market, Seattle Washington. The three partners shared a common love for ï ¬ ne coffees and exotic teas. They believed they could build a clientele in Seattle that would appreciate the best coffees. With this being the case, they borrowed the moneyRead MoreStarbucks : Starbucks s Success1409 Words   |  6 Pages Starbucks in Turkey MBA 642 Dr. Pradeep Gopalakrishna June 24, 2015 Jeffrey Allen â€Æ' 1. Has Starbucks has done well in Turkey? What are some of the common growth drivers in terms of consumer characteristics, market characteristics, and entry strategies across USA and Turkey that might account for Starbucks’ success? Starbucks has had some success in Turkey. There are several reasons for its success in both the United States and Turkey related to common growth drivers such as consumer characteristicsRead MoreStarbucks Marketing Macro Environment Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pagescoffeehouse business, specifically Starbucks. The report will cover a brief background of the company and reasons to why Starbucks has been selected as a center group to display a marketing report. A macro environmental study will demonstrate important possible threats and opportunities for Starbucks. It will also look into further segmentation research, characteristics, views and behaviors within the consumer groups. Background to Starbuck and Selection Criteria Starbucks was established in 1971Read MoreExploring The Coffee Shop Industry1144 Words   |  5 Pagesme up, to be enjoyed alone or with the company of others. It s a drinkable source of energy that is enjoyed in the United States and in many other places around the globe. Its no wonder that coffee is such a popular commodity. Companies such as Starbucks and Peets’ have revolutionized the coffee shop industry in the US, by making it easy and convenient for consumers to purchase single-serving cups of coffee. Not only is the service quick and convenient but it also allows consumers the ability toRead MoreDescribe the different roles in a business buying center. Then outline which individuals might play those roles in the process of buying food for a school cafeteria.1672 Words   |  7 Pagesbuying food for a school cafeteria. Buying centers have numerous of roles of participation in the purchasing decision process. There are users who are the people who actually use the goods and services. Their role in the consumer decision making are very important. The user may help to facilitate the purchase actions by requesting specific products and they made aid in the development of a specific products specifications. A prime example of this is Office Depot whose customers have influence theRead MoreKudlers Fine Foods1330 Words   |  6 PagesCanada is a country on a campaign for quality products. Kudler Fine Foods can meet the demands of the Canadian market especially with the internal product expansion under way. Market Growth Market growth for KFF in the Canadian market looks favorable. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, â€Å"81% of Canadians drink coffee occasionally and over 63% of Canadians over the age of 18 drink coffee on a daily basis making coffee the # 1 beverage choice of adult Canadians. Coffee is aRead MoreFood And Eating : Some Persisting Questions Essay1560 Words   |  7 Pagesif they should protect the people through regulations, the difference in food meanings according to gender, and the morality of eating certain foods. All of these paradoxes give people questions to think about, making this an extremely philosophical look at food studies. It also mentions that food must be viewed through the cultural context that it is in, which became important in â€Å"The Old and New World Exchange†, by Mintz, and â€Å"Maize as a Culinary Mystery†, by Stanley Brandes. These discuss the diffusionRead MoreStarbucks Sustainable Solutions Plan536 Words   |  2 Pag esIntroduction This paper aims to look at some of the strategies and concrete actions that Starbucks is undertaking in the area of sustainability, namely in production, financial, social and environmental areas. It also evaluates the sustainability strategy at Starbucks and the way ahead for the company in terms of sustainable approaches. Explanation Starbucks treats sustainability in a very serious manner, integrating the concept into every area of operations and every sector where its activitiesRead MoreThe Strategic Strategy Of Starbucks2522 Words   |  11 PagesBrief History Starbucks is viewed as one of the world’s most valuable brands and creates a product experience beyond coffee. Taking coffee into a multinational revolution has led to their success. This all started in Seattle’s Pike Place Market back in 1971. The name of the company was derived from the famous American classic novel Moby-Dick. Starbuck was the 30 year old chief mate in the story. In the early 90’s, Starbucks expanded outside of Seattle and then international at an exponential rateRead MoreStrategic Issues Facing Starbucks Entry Into India3448 Words   |  14 Pagesrecent announcement by Starbucks that they intend to enter the market we were commissioned to perform an initial analysis into the likelihood of Starbucks success. This report concludes that Starbucks initiative is sufficiently interesting to warrant a full scale investigation into whether GCB should also enter the Indian market. Introduction This report is divided into a number of sections: * Analysis * Conclusions * Recommendations In the analysis section we look at a number of aspects

Performance of Goldman Sachs and Financial Ratio Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1871 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Conventionally the Bank performance is evaluated by analysis of the financial ratios. However, despite of quite a few number of ratios being calculated, a sculpt that completely convinces the analysis of requirements and bank operations efficiency evaluation is yet to be developed. Hence for these reason, the financial ratio analysis is balance with unlike eminence evaluations, with characteristics such as organization quality, equity structure, spirited position and others which are incorporated in the concluding assessment. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Performance of Goldman Sachs and Financial Ratio Analysis" essay for you Create order In this piece of work we are going to evaluate overall performance of Goldman Sachs and critically analyse how financial ratios are used to evaluate banks performance. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a American investment banking and securities organisation which slot in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and erstwhile financial services principally with institutional clients. Goldman Sachs was founded in the year 1869 and its headquarter is at 200 West Street in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City. It has additional offices in major international financial hubs. The Goldman Sachs offers mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and prime brokerage to its clientele, which include corporations, governments and individuals. The Goldman Sachs also engages in proprietary trading and private equity deals, and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market (Goldman Sachs Website). Bank Internal Performance Evaluation Strategic planning Goldman Sachs ability to address and tap into important economic and financial trends through roles such as advisor, financier, market maker and asset manager are critical for fulfilling their mission to help spur growth and perform strongly as a firm. Technology Technology is a core part of GS product offering and client experience. GS ability to respond quickly and effectively to address its clients needs with customized systems, products and services helps differentiate the firm. A technological advantage for GS is that they have only one central risk system, which is partially a byproduct of not having done multiple, major acquisitions that often require merging and retrofitting platforms. Personnel development The success of the GSs efforts are measured by how effectively their people act. Over time, effective training and development have enrich their corporate culture and strengthen the values of client service and focus on reputational risk management. Recognition includes compensation, promotion, assignments and mobility opportunities. They have made it clear the link between the behaviour expected of its people and the recognition used to encourage it. This is critically important because it signals broadly the way GS expects its people to behave and conduct business (Goldman Sachs Annual report 2010). Bank External Performance Evaluation Market share GS has frequently performed above the market despite worsening economic conditions. Since the 2008, the company has outpaced the market enough to draw public admiration. With strong profits and expected strong returns, the company has set aside $500M to invest in small businesses. These efforts are a combination to both improve the economy and their public image. Regulatory compliance The Dodd-Frank legislation and new capital and liquidity requirements under Basel 3 are two of the more significant outcomes from the recent focus on enhancing financial stability. Given regulatory implementation is only just beginning, and unclear on how the new rules will ultimately impact the industry. The broad contours of new regulation, however, are clear: improve the safety and soundness of the global financial system, increase the transparency of derivatives markets, limit certain investing activities and reduce the consequences of a failure of a large financial institution. Public confidence Goldman Sachs announced in May 2010 that it formed a Business Standards Committee to reshape its business practices and mend its reputation. Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein said at the time that there is a disconnect between how we view the firm and how the broader public perceives our roles and activities. GSs shareholders, BoDs, clients and customers have supported Mr. Blankfein through all the crisis and this shows their faith in bank (Goldman Sachs Annual report 2010). 4.0 Analyzing Bank Performance with Profit Ratios Goldman Sachs financial performance was better in 2009  than 2010 and Q4 2009 was the best quarter since the recession. 4.1 ROE Return on equity (ROE= net income after taxes/total equity) reveal GS capability to produce profits from shareholders equity (further referred as net assets or assets minus liabilities). In other words, ROE shows how effectively a company uses the shareholders money. As seen in graphical representation above, it is clear that Goldman Sachs is tendering a lower return on shareholders equity as compared to year ended in2009. The ROE of GS for the last year was 18.93% as compared to 10.08% this year. There has a been a significant decrease in the ROE which suggests GS is not utilising shareholders money properly. GS return on equity has declined substantially due to deleverage and is only marginally higher than its current cost of capital. 4.2 ROA Return on assets (ROA = net income after taxes/total assets) is how resourcefully a firm uses its assets. From the formula it is quite obvious that higher the ratio, the company is performing more efficiently and thus is generating more profits. A low ROA with enormous assets designate that the firm is handling its asset at a poor rate. As seen in graphical representation above, it is seen that Goldman Sachs has provided a lower ROA of 0.91% this year over 1.58% last year. There is one key differentiation between ROE and ROA and it is debt. In absence of debt, the shareholders equity is same as total assets of the firm which means that in this case, ROE and ROA are identical. Now if the firm come to a decision to take a loan, ROE exceeds ROA. A elevated ROE does not always guarantee a extraordinary performance of a firm. Incidentally, ROA is then a healthier pointer of the financial performance of a firm. With a high ROA and manageable debt, if ROE is also high it means th at the company is generating decent profits using shareholders money. But if ROA is low and there is huge debt carried by the company, even a high ROE can only be a misleading figure. 4.3 Net Interest Margin 4.4 Leverage ratio Debt to Equity Ratio 4.5 Decomposition of ROE DuPont Analysis As revealed in Appendix B, The ROE of a bank is dependent on a various factors and thus change in any one of these factor can affect the rate of return on shareholders equity of the bank. As Net Income is the main source to calculate ROE in conjunction with the shareholders equity in the bank, every alteration in the Income and Expense of the bank openly affects the net income and thus influence the ROE of a bank. The detailed DuPont analysis of Goldman Sachs for year 2010 is presented in Appendix B. The ROE is decomposed as follows wrt dupont identity. Now assuming that changes are made in Income or Expense levels of the Goldman Sachs, its effect will be seen on ROA and ROE. Let us consider a case where the Interest Expense for Goldman Sachs goes down by 10% and there are no changes in its Interest Income, following are the effects on ROA and ROE of the bank. Scenario 1 : -5% change in interest expense Change Values after change Interest Expense -10% 6125.4 Interest Income 0% 12309 Effect on NI 6680.6 39841.6 Effect on ROA +0.07% 0.99% Effect on ROE +0.88% 11.68% A few other situations with amendment in Total Non-interest Income and expenses and their outcome on the ROA ROE of bank are given away in the chart below. Scenario 2 : -5% change in non-interest expense Change Values after change Total Non-interest Income -5% 31975.1 Effect on NI -1682.9 37478.1 Effect on ROA -0.19% 0.73% Effect on ROE -1.46% 8.62% Scenario 3 : +10% change in non-interest expense  Change Values after change Total Non-interest Expenses 10% 27962 Effect on NI -2542 3160 Effect on ROA -0.31% 0.27% Effect on ROE -4.44% 3.78%    Bank Performance Evaluation Based on Economic Profit 5.1 Risk-Adjusted Return on Capital (RAROC) In risk- adjusted return on capital the capital is allocated for two vital motives: (1) risk management and (2) performance evaluation. In support of risk-management rationale, the banks most favourable capital structure can be establish by allocation of capital to individual business units. This course of action entails assessing the amount of the risk (volatility) each business unit chip in to the total risk of the bank and hence to its overall capital requirements. Now, for performance-evaluation function, RAROC structure allocate capital to business units as part of a procedure for shaping the risk-adjusted rate of return and, eventually, the economic value added of each business unit. The EVA of every and each business unit is its adjusted net income minus the amount of equity capital allocated to the unit times the required return on equity. The purpose is to compute a business units input to shareholder value and so to provide a source for effective capital budgeting a nd incentive compensation at the business-unit level. RAROC is calculated by dividing risk-adjusted net income by the total amount of economic capital assigned which is dependent on the risk calculation. Risk-adjusted net income is calculated by taking the financial data allotment to the bank and fine-tuning the income statement for expected loss. A further modification is also required to take into account the effects on the net interest margin because the attention is moved from book profitability to economic profitability. Thus RAROC = Risk adjusted income / Allocated Capital RAROC for 2010 of Goldman Sachs therefore comes to 2.24 %. Let us consider some scenarios where the risk adjusted income for Goldman Sachs are changed by {-2%, +2%, -5% +5%}, The effect on its RAROC is represented as below. Change in Risk Adjusted Income 2 % + 2 % 5 % Effect on RAROC 2.20 % 2.29 % 2.13 % Economic Value Added (EVA) EVA (Economic Valued Added) is a present day financial dimension instrument which concludes whether a business is earning greater than its true cost of capital. EVA stands out apart from ROA ROE which are most accepted measures of bank performance. This is because it includes cost of equity capital employed. On the other hand, net banking income and the efficiency ratio, also, do not consider the cost of equity capital employed. Therefore, these ratios possibly will propose a banks performance as healthy but in fact it could be deteriorating its value to its shareholders. EVA is essentially a tool that focuses on maximizing shareholder wealth. EVA = Adjusted earnings Opportunity cost of capital {Net operating Profit after Taxes} {Cost of Equity X Equity Capital } With an aim of creating values, the return on invested capital (ROIC) for a bank must be greater than cost of capital. So, the EVA can be possibly increased in quite a few ways, by: 1) Increasing Net operating Profit after Taxes; 2) Lowering the Cost of Equity and 3) Reducing Equity Capital Conclusion Year on year Goldman Sachs revenues have descended by 11.04% from $51.67bn to $45.97bn. This along with an increase in the cost of goods sold expense has contributed to a reduction in net income from $13.39bn to $8.35bn, a 37.59% decrease. In 2010, Goldman Sachs did not generate a significant amount of cash. Cash Flow from Financing totalled $7.84bn or 17.05% of revenues. In addition the company used 6.16bn for operations while cash used for investing totalled $185m. Goldman results were also dragged down by a $465 million one-time expense to cover a U.K. payroll tax and a $550 million outlay to settle  SEC  charges that it favoured certain clients over others.

Drug Addiction And Its Effects On The United States

Throughout history, drug addiction has been one of the many factors of why people across the United States become unsuccessful. Being an addict controls the mind, body and souls of some people and with that, it usually hurts them in the long run. A disease is a disease, no matter if it’s alcoholism, gambling, food addiction or a drug addiction. Not all drugs do the same to people, but in some cases, it gets them high for a couple minutes and makes them keep coming back for more and from time to time again, they want to get higher than the previous session, which leads to them trying other gateway drugs. Most people try drugs the first time because of peer pressure and not having the strength to say no, others is because they want to try new things and be cool with a certain group of kids at school. All it takes sometimes is one time, one pull, and one session for someone to get hooked to a certain drug and be an addict. Drug addiction has a deep impact on the brain that can cause the inability to learn, make good judgment, and alters vision and memory. Addiction is chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. (National Institute on Drug Abuse) The components of drug addiction are endless. They usually contain chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. TheShow MoreRelatedHeroin Addiction : The United States1743 Words   |  7 PagesHeroin Addiction in the Un ited States Overview of Heroin Addiction in the U.S. Heroin addiction is one of the leading killers of adolescents and adults in the United States. In recent years, addiction has skyrocketed, and â€Å"the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths increased by 286 percent between 2002 and 2013.† In 2002, â€Å"100 people per 100,000 were addicted to heroin, and that number has doubled by 2013† (The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2013). The most affected populations include low incomeRead MoreIs Drug Addiction A Choice Or A Disease?1743 Words   |  7 PagesIs drug addiction a choice or a disease ? There are two central debates that often arise when speaking of addiction ; either addiction is a disease caused by the brain, or addiction is a matter of weak will. In comparison the disease model would take responsibility away from the addict and place it on biological reasoning ; the weak will model, would ultimately condemn the addict and place blame on the addicts decision making process and thus blame the addict for their behavior. Utilitarian theoryRead MoreSubstance Abuse Is A Brain Disease766 Words   |  4 PagesFindings Substance Abuse is a brain disease While the choice to use alcohol and drugs is initially voluntary, alcohol and/or drug addiction arises because the normal functioning of the brain is impaired so that alcoholism and drug addiction become a â€Å"chronic relapsing disease of the brain† (National Institute of Drug Abuse, Drugs, Brains and Behavior. The Science of Addiction. 2014, 5). Drugs impact the pathways of the brain by flooding the circuit with dopamine, which disturbs and distorts normalRead MoreEffects Of Adolescent Addiction On Adolescence And Local And The United States News About Adolescence Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesAddiction in Adolescent Years The essay concerns itself with the questions Addictions in Adolescence. Wong, Hall, Justice, and Hernandez, 2015) state that adolescence distinctly determined by the beginning of puberty. The professional also allude that early onset of puberty is most likely to partaken in dangerous activities such as multiple sex partners, alcohol dependence, and inappropriate adaptive styles. In this essay, I will discuss my finding of current contributions and treatments of adolescentRead MoreThe Abuse Of Illicit Drugs Presents A Detrimental Effect On The Health And Well Being Of Millions Of Americans1133 Words   |  5 Pagesof illicit drugs presents a detrimental effect on the health and well-being of millions of Americans. People begin to use drugs for a wide variety of reasons: to feel euphoric pleasure, energy or self-confidence; decrease anxiety or depression; increase cognitive or athletic ability; because of rebellion, peer-influence, or simple curiosities (FIX). Initial users are li kely to experience seemingly positive effects and are naà ¯vely constrained by the addictive propensities of these drugs. EventuallyRead MorePrescription Drug Abuse And Prescription Drugs1487 Words   |  6 PagesPrescription Drug Abuse Prescription Drug Abuse has increased in an alarming rate over recent years! Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined. The abuse in prescription drugs in America goes back more than a hundred years ago. Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, in a way other than prescribed, or for the experience or feelings elicited. Although prescription medications are intended to help individuals, they canRead MoreOpiates And Its Effects On The United States1588 Words   |  7 PagesOpiates Should be Outlawed in the United States Opiates, otherwise known as prescription painkillers, have become an enormous problem in the United States. Addiction, overdoses, and death are only a few of the problems caused by opiates. Painkillers can be prescribed to help lessen chronic pain, pain from surgery, pain from serious accidents, or pain from terminal diseases. Opiates are highly addicting and have become highly abused in the United States in the past few years. Prescription painkillersRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Be Beneficial For Medical Purposes1080 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana has proven to be beneficial for medical purposes. It has therapeutic effects that will ultimately allow patients with adverse health conditions to improve their quality of life. Legalizing marijuana can also improve the state of the United States’ economy through taxation and creation of job opportunities. Additionally, it can reduce the crime rate in the United States and save the United States tons of money. Contrarily, marijuan a should not be legalized for recreational usage. ExtensiveRead MoreDrug Addiction : History, Laws, And Treatment Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pages Drug Addiction, History, Laws, and Treatment Drug Addiction itself affects almost  ­Ã¢â‚¬ Twenty-three million Americans are currently addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. Only one in 10 percent of them (2.6 million) receives the treatment they need. The result: a treatment gap of more than 20 million Americans†(Writer, B. J. 2010). Drug Addiction is it truly a disease or a choice? Many state authority figures say it s a choice not a disease much of science says it s a choice disease, both inRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Its Effects On Society1285 Words   |  6 Pagesuse of many of these substances was considered widely acceptable and the norm, modern science and medicine has uncovered the harmful effects that these drugs can cause when they are abused and can lead to addiction and dangerous behaviors in society. In the United States, the first of the many laws to regulate and control addictive drugs was the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, which required the correct labeling of medicines that contained opiates. In 1914 the Harrison Narcotic Act banned the sale

Flag Desecration Essay Example For Students

Flag Desecration Essay The issue of flag desecration has been and continues to be ahighly controversial issue; on the one side there are those whobelieve that the flag is a unique symbol for our nation whichshould be preserved at all costs, while on the other are thosewho believe that flag burning is a form of free speech and thatany legislation designed to prevent this form of expression iscontrary to the ideals of the First Amendment to ourShawn Eichman, as well as the majority of the United StatesSupreme Court, is in the latter of these groups. Many citizensbelieve that the freedom of speech granted to them in the FirstAmendment means that they can express themselves in any mannerthey wish as long as their right of expression does not infringeon the rights of others; others, however, believe that there areexceptions to this right of speech. Such constitutional issuesneed to be worked out by the Supreme Court, which uses its powersof constitutional interpretation and judicial review to outlinethe underpi nnings of the Constitution and interpret the law. The case which acted as an impetus for Eichmans actions wasthat of Texas v. Johnson. In 1984, in Dallas, Gregory Johnson,a member of the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, a Maoistssociety, publicly burned a stolen American flag to protests there-nomination of Ronald Reagan as the Republican candidate (Levy217). The police consequently arrested Johnson not for hismessage but for his manner in delivering it; he had violated aTexas statute that prohibited the desecration of a veneratedobject by acts that the offender knows will seriously offend onor more persons (Downs 83). Johnson had hoped to captureAmericas attention with this burning, and he did; however, hisprotest earned him more than a moment in the national spotlight. Under Texass tough anti-flag-burning statute, Johnson was fine$2,000 and sentenced to a year in prison (Relin 16). In Texas v. Johnson a majority of the Supreme Courtconsidered for the first time whether the F irst Amendmentprotects desecration of the United States flag as a form ofsymbolic speech. A sharply divided Court had previously dealtwith symbolic speech cases that involved alleged misuses of theflag. While the Court had ruled in favor of the defendants inthose cases (Street v. New York, 1969; Smith v. Goguen, 1974;Spence v. Washington, 1974), it had done so on narrow grounds,refusing to confront the ultimate question status of flagdesecration (Downs 868). The court ruled in favor of Johnson(5-4), believing that there was no evidence that Johnsonsexpression threatened an imminent disturbance of the peace, andthat the statutes protection of the integrity of the flag as asymbol was improperly directed at the communicative messageentailed in flag burning (Downs 868). Justice Brennan concludedby saying, We do not consecrate the flag by punishing itsdesecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that thischerished emblem represents (Witt 409). Reacting to this ruling, the Untied St ates Congress soughtto pass legislation that would overturn it. The Flag ProtectionAmendment was introduced and then voted down, but then the FlagProtection Act was passed in both houses. President Bush allowedthis act to pass without his signature, an expression of hispreference for a Constitutional amendment (Apel FlagProtection). The Act criminalized the conduct of anyone whoknowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns,maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon a UnitedStates flag, except conduct related to the disposal of a worn orOn October 30th, 1989, the day the bill went into effect,hundreds of people burned flags; among them was Shawn Eichman. The Justice Department admitted that the law was unconstitutionalunder Texas v. Johnson, but prosecuted anyways, hoping to get thecourt to reverse its decision. The court decided that flagdesecration is a form of political expression that is protectedunder the First Amendment rights to free speech, and ruled infavor of Eichman by a vote of 5 to 4, thus nullify the FlagProtection Act which Eichman had been protesting (House 1144). The majority consisted of Justices Brennan, Marshall, Blackmun,Scalia, and Kennedy. Dissenting were Justices Stevens, Renquist,For the majority opinion, Justice Brennan wrote theAlthough the Flag Protection Act contains no explicitcontent-based limitation on the scope of prohibitedconduct, it is nevertheless clear that the Governments asserted interest is related to the suppression of free expressionMoreover, the preciselanguage of the Acts prohibitions confirms Congressinterest in the communicative impact of flag destructionIf there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an ideasimply because society finds the idea offensive ordisagreeable. Punishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem sorevered, and worth revering. (Supreme) According to Justice Anthony S tevens, The landmark decision wassimply a pure command of the Constitution. It is poignant butfundamental that the flag protects even those who hold it inDissenting, Justice Stevens, along with the Chief Justice,It is equally well settled that certain methods ofexpression may be prohibited if(a) the prohibition issupported by a legitimate societal interest this isunrelated to suppression of the ideas the speakerdesires to express; (b) the prohibition does not entailany interference with the speakers freedom to expressthose ideas by other means; and (c) the interest inallowing the speaker complete freedom of choice among alternative methods of expression is less important than the societal interest supporting theJustice Stevens concluded his opinion that by destroying thesymbol of freedom, the individual communicates a willingness toBy burning the embodiment of Americas collectivecommitment to freedom and equality, the flag burnercharges that the majority has forsaken the commitmentt hat continued respect for the flag isnothing more than hypocrisy. Such a charge may be madeeven if the flag burner loves the country and zealouslypursues the ideals that the country claims to honor. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)praised the ruling. Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLUsNational Washington Office showed her support when she said, TheFirst Amendment is this countrys first principle. It is acritical part of what has made our country uniquely free. Wehave been strengthened, not weakened, by the sweep of itslanguage and by the Supreme Courts adherence to its trueMany anti-flag desecration groups, particularly theCitizens Flag Alliance (CFA), were outraged by this ruling. These organizations petitioned Congress to reintroduce the FlagProtection Amendment. Since the ratification of the Constitutionin 1789, some 10,000 attempts have been made to amend it. Theyhave included ideas such as eliminating the Senate, andrenaming the country the United States of Earth. But never inthe nations history has anyone tried to amend the Bill ofRights. (Relin 18) To do so would be a dramatic step in that itcould pave the way for further future limitations on o urFor an amendment to the Constitution to be made, The houseand the Senate have to propose (each by 2/3 vote) exactly thesame text before the amendment is open for ratification by thestates (Apel Hasbrouck). If the amendment (to the FirstAmendment) is passed in both chambers, it then goes to the statesIn 1990, both the House and Senate failed to muster therequired two-thirds majority to pass the Flag ProtectionAmendment (Citizens). In 1995, however, the amendment clearedthe House by a vote of 312-120. This Senate Joint Resolution 31(S.J. Res. 31) was also passed by the Senate Judiciary Committeeby a vote of 12-6, but was then rejected by the Senate by only 3votes. In February of 1998, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and MaxCleland (D-GA) reintroduced the amendment as S.J. Res. 40, but itwas decided that there was not enough time left in the term tovote on the amendment. Most recently, in March of 1999, the FlagProtection Amendment was reintroduced once again as S. J. Res. 14. Once again, it was passed in the House and by the SenateJudiciary Committee, but to date has not become ratified. Among those against the original amendment in 1990 wereGeorge Mitchell, Tom Daschle, Patrick Leahy, Dale Bumpers, DavidBoren, Howard Metzenbaum, Barbara Mikulski, Jeff Bingaman, BillBradley, Paul Simon, and Christopher Dodd. Perhaps the mostardent opponent to the amendment was Ted Kennedy. In an eloquentspeech he gave on June 11, 1990 he stated:When we pledge allegiance to the flag, we pledge allegiance to the principles for which it stands. Few,if any, of those are more fundamental to the strengthof our democracy than the first amendments guaranteeof freedom of speech. Let us not start down thisdisastrous road of restricting the majestic scope ofthe first amendment by picking the kinds of speech thatare to be permitted in our society. (Ted) He goes on to mention that this constitutional amendment mightirreparably damage the separation of powers that has protectedour constitutional freedoms throughout historybecause judgesinsulated from public pressure can best evaluate the claims of unpopular minorities. Kennedy is saying here that sinceCongress can be greatly influenced by special interest groups,such as the Citizens Flag Alliance, it is the responsibility ofthe judiciary branch of government to objectively rule as to whatIf the Senate amends the Bill of Rights for the first timein history by passing the Flag Protection Amendment, who knowswhere they would stop. Every nation in the world has a flag,and many of them, including some democracies, have laws againstdesecrating their flag. No other nation has a Bill of Rights(Levy 219). The year 1991 marked the 200th anniversary of itsratification, and, in my opinion, it requires no limitingamendment. The American people understand that they are notthreatened by flag burners, and the American people prefer theFirst Amendment undiluted. They understand that imprisoning afew extremists is not what patriotism is all about; forcedpatriotism is surely not American. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NewYork) expressed these ideas whe n he said, If a jerk burns a flag, America is not threatened. Ifa jerk burns a flag, democracy is not under siege. IfA jerk burns a flag, freedom is not at risk and we arenot threatenedwe are offended; and to change ourConstitution because someone offends us is, in itself,unconscionable. (Apel Chronology). Flag burning may be all wrong, but a lot of wrongheadedspeech is protected by the First Amendment. The Bill or Rightsis a wonderfully terse, eloquent, and effective summation ofindividual freedoms, and there is no need to add except for flagburners. That exception, as the Court majority in United Statesv. Eichman realized, might show that the nation is so lacking infaith in itself that it permits the Johnsons and Eichmans todiminish the flags meaning. They are best treated, as Brennanargued, by saluting the flag that they burn or by ignoring themcontemptuously, not by paving the way for an assault on ourIn this research, I noted that all of the proponents for theEichman decision w ho were also against the Flag ProtectionAmendment used very logical, well-structured arguments, whilethose dissenting and in support of the amendment to anamendment use mostly emotional arguments and focus on therespect owed to all those who have died in the militaryprotecting the nation. These in the latter group seem usually tobe associated with the military themselves (e.g. Major GeneralPatrick H. Brady is the Board Chairman of the Citizens FlagI entirely agree with the Supreme Courts ruling in thiscase. Justice Stevens argued that flag-burning was not anacceptable form of expression because people could convey theirviews by other means; he seems to have failed to realize,however, that it is not the right of the government to limit oneto a certain means of voicing his or her opinions. Flag burningis a form of protest which rarely occurs and which does littlebut offend others. Perhaps a law such as the Flag ProtectionAct, while unconstitutional, is permissible as a means ofsilenci ng organization such as the CFA, but an amendment to ourBill of Rights if certainly going too far. The issue of flag desecration has been and continues to be ahighly controversial issue; on the one side there are those whobelieve that the flag is a unique symbol for our nation whichshould be preserved at all costs, while on the other are thosewho believe that flag burning is a form of free speech and thatany legislation designed to prevent this form of expression iscontrary to the ideals of the First Amendment to ourShawn Eichman, as well as the majority of the United StatesSupreme Court, is in the latter of these groups. Many citizensbelieve that the freedom of speech granted to them in the FirstAmendment means that they can express themselves in any mannerthey wish as long as their right of expression does not infringeon the rights of others; others, however, believe that there areexceptions to this right of speech. Such constitutional issuesneed to be worked out by the Supreme Co urt, which uses its powersof constitutional interpretation and judicial review to outlinethe underpinnings of the Constitution and interpret the law. The case which acted as an impetus for Eichmans actions wasthat of Texas v. Johnson. In 1984, in Dallas, Gregory Johnson,a member of the Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, a Maoistssociety, publicly burned a stolen American flag to protests there-nomination of Ronald Reagan as the Republican candidate (Levy217). The police consequently arrested Johnson not for hismessage but for his manner in delivering it; he had violated aTexas statute that prohibited the desecration of a veneratedobject by acts that the offender knows will seriously offend onor more persons (Downs 83). Johnson had hoped to captureAmericas attention with this burning, and he did; however, hisprotest earned him more than a moment in the national spotlight. Under Texass tough anti-flag-burning statute, Johnson was fine$2,000 and sentenced to a year in prison (Relin 16). In Texas v. Johnson a majority of the Supreme Courtconsidered for the first time whether the First Amendmentprotects desecration of the United States flag as a form ofsymbolic speech. A sharply divided Court had previously dealtwith symbolic speech cases that involved alleged misuses of theflag. While the Court had ruled in favor of the defendants inthose cases (Street v. New York, 1969; Smith v. Goguen, 1974;Spence v. Washington, 1974), it had done so on narrow grounds,refusing to confront the ultimate question status of flagdesecration (Downs 868). The court ruled in favor of Johnson(5-4), believing that there was no evidence that Johnsonsexpression threatened an imminent disturbance of the peace, andthat the statutes protection of the integrity of the flag as asymbol was improperly directed at the communicative messageentailed in flag burning (Downs 868). Justice Brennan concludedby saying, We do not consecrate the flag by punishing itsdesecration, for in doing so we dilute the freedom that thischerished emblem represents (Witt 409). Reacting to this ruling, the Untied States Congress soughtto pass legislation that would overturn it. The Flag ProtectionAmendment was introduced and then voted down, but then the FlagProtection Act was passed in both houses. President Bush allowedthis act to pass without his signature, an expression of hispreference for a Constitutional amendment (Apel FlagProtection). The Act criminalized the conduct of anyone whoknowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns,maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon a UnitedStates flag, except conduct related to the disposal of a worn orOn October 30th, 1989, the day the bill went into effect,hundreds of people burned flags; among them was Shawn Eichman. The Justice Department admitted that the law was unconstitutionalunder Texas v. Johnson, but prosecuted anyways, hoping to get thecourt to reverse its decision. The court decided that flagdesecration is a form of poli tical expression that is protectedunder the First Amendment rights to free speech, and ruled infavor of Eichman by a vote of 5 to 4, thus nullify the FlagProtection Act which Eichman had been protesting (House 1144). The majority consisted of Justices Brennan, Marshall, Blackmun,Scalia, and Kennedy. Dissenting were Justices Stevens, Renquist,For the majority opinion, Justice Brennan wrote theAlthough the Flag Protection Act contains no explicitcontent-based limitation on the scope of prohibitedconduct, it is nevertheless clear that the Governments asserted interest is related to the suppression of free expressionMoreover, the preciselanguage of the Acts prohibitions confirms Congressinterest in the communicative impact of flag destructionIf there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an ideasimply because society finds the idea offensive ordisagreeable. Punishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very fr eedom that makes this emblem sorevered, and worth revering. (Supreme) According to Justice Anthony Stevens, The landmark decision wassimply a pure command of the Constitution. It is poignant butfundamental that the flag protects even those who hold it inDissenting, Justice Stevens, along with the Chief Justice,It is equally well settled that certain methods ofexpression may be prohibited if(a) the prohibition issupported by a legitimate societal interest this isunrelated to suppression of the ideas the speakerdesires to express; (b) the prohibition does not entailany interference with the speakers freedom to expressthose ideas by other means; and (c) the interest inallowing the speaker complete freedom of choice among alternative methods of expression is less important than the societal interest supporting theJustice Stevens concluded his opinion that by destroying thesymbol of freedom, the individual communicates a willingness toBy burning the embodiment of Americas collectivecommi tment to freedom and equality, the flag burnercharges that the majority has forsaken the commitmentthat continued respect for the flag isnothing more than hypocrisy. Such a charge may be madeeven if the flag burner loves the country and zealouslypursues the ideals that the country claims to honor. What I Learned In Psychology Class EssayGroups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)praised the ruling. Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLUsNational Washington Office showed her support when she said, TheFirst Amendment is this countrys first principle. It is acritical part of what has made our country uniquely free. Wehave been strengthened, not weakened, by the sweep of itslanguage and by the Supreme Courts adherence to its trueMany anti-flag desecration groups, particularly theCitizens Flag Alliance (CFA), were outraged by this ruling. These organizations petitioned Congress to reintroduce the FlagProtection Amendment. Since the ratification of the Constitutionin 1789, some 10,000 attempts have been made to amend it. Theyhave included ideas such as eliminating the Senate, andrenaming the country the United States of Earth. But never inthe nations history has anyone tried to amend the Bill ofRights. (Relin 18) To do so would be a dramatic step in that itcould pave t he way for further future limitations on ourFor an amendment to the Constitution to be made, The houseand the Senate have to propose (each by 2/3 vote) exactly thesame text before the amendment is open for ratification by thestates (Apel Hasbrouck). If the amendment (to the FirstAmendment) is passed in both chambers, it then goes to the statesIn 1990, both the House and Senate failed to muster therequired two-thirds majority to pass the Flag ProtectionAmendment (Citizens). In 1995, however, the amendment clearedthe House by a vote of 312-120. This Senate Joint Resolution 31(S.J. Res. 31) was also passed by the Senate Judiciary Committeeby a vote of 12-6, but was then rejected by the Senate by only 3votes. In February of 1998, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and MaxCleland (D-GA) reintroduced the amendment as S.J. Res. 40, but itwas decided that there was not enough time left in the term tovote on the amendment. Most recently, in March of 1999, the FlagProtection Amendment was reintroduc ed once again as S. J. Res. 14. Once again, it was passed in the House and by the SenateJudiciary Committee, but to date has not become ratified. Among those against the original amendment in 1990 wereGeorge Mitchell, Tom Daschle, Patrick Leahy, Dale Bumpers, DavidBoren, Howard Metzenbaum, Barbara Mikulski, Jeff Bingaman, BillBradley, Paul Simon, and Christopher Dodd. Perhaps the mostardent opponent to the amendment was Ted Kennedy. In an eloquentspeech he gave on June 11, 1990 he stated:When we pledge allegiance to the flag, we pledge allegiance to the principles for which it stands. Few,if any, of those are more fundamental to the strengthof our democracy than the first amendments guaranteeof freedom of speech. Let us not start down thisdisastrous road of restricting the majestic scope ofthe first amendment by picking the kinds of speech thatare to be permitted in our society. (Ted) He goes on to mention that this constitutional amendment mightirreparably damage the separation of powers that has protectedour constitutional freedoms throughout historybecause judgesinsulated from public pressure can best evaluate the claims of unpopular minorities. Kennedy is saying here that sinceCongress can be greatly influenced by special interest groups,such as the Citizens Flag Alliance, it is the responsibility ofthe judiciary branch of government to objectively rule as to whatIf the Senate amends the Bill of Rights for the first timein history by passing the Flag Protection Amendment, who knowswhere they would stop. Every nation in the world has a flag,and many of them, including some democracies, have laws againstdesecrating their flag. No other nation has a Bill of Rights(Levy 219). The year 1991 marked the 200th anniversary of itsratification, and, in my opinion, it requires no limitingamendment. The American people understand that they are notthreatened by flag burners, and the American people prefer theFirst Amendment undiluted. They understand that imprisoning afew extremists is not what patriotism is all about; forcedpatriotism is surely not American. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NewYork) expressed these ideas whe n he said, If a jerk burns a flag, America is not threatened. Ifa jerk burns a flag, democracy is not under siege. IfA jerk burns a flag, freedom is not at risk and we arenot threatenedwe are offended; and to change ourConstitution because someone offends us is, in itself,unconscionable. (Apel Chronology). Flag burning may be all wrong, but a lot of wrongheadedspeech is protected by the First Amendment. The Bill or Rightsis a wonderfully terse, eloquent, and effective summation ofindividual freedoms, and there is no need to add except for flagburners. That exception, as the Court majority in United Statesv. Eichman realized, might show that the nation is so lacking infaith in itself that it permits the Johnsons and Eichmans todiminish the flags meaning. They are best treated, as Brennanargued, by saluting the flag that they burn or by ignoring themcontemptuously, not by paving the way for an assault on ourIn this research, I noted that all of the proponents for theEichman decision w ho were also against the Flag ProtectionAmendment used very logical, well-structured arguments, whilethose dissenting and in support of the amendment to anamendment use mostly emotional arguments and focus on therespect owed to all those who have died in the militaryprotecting the nation. These in the latter group seem usually tobe associated with the military themselves (e.g. Major GeneralPatrick H. Brady is the Board Chairman of the Citizens FlagI entirely agree with the Supreme Courts ruling in thiscase. Justice Stevens argued that flag-burning was not anacceptable form of expression because people could convey theirviews by other means; he seems to have failed to realize,however, that it is not the right of the government to limit oneto a certain means of voicing his or her opinions. Flag burningis a form of protest which rarely occurs and which does littlebut offend others. Perhaps a law such as the Flag ProtectionAct, while unconstitutional, is permissible as a means ofsilenci ng organization such as the CFA, but an amendment to ourBill of Rights if certainly going too far. Bibliography:Works CitedApel, Warren S. ACLU Action Report. Online. Apel, Warren S. Chronology to Flag Burning. Online. Apel, Warren S. The Flag Protection Act of 1989. Online. Apel, Warren S. Hasbrouk Explains the Voting Procedure. Online. Citizens Flag Alliance: Significant Campaign Events. Online. Downs, Donald A. Eichman, United States v. The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions. NewYork: Oxford University Press, 1999: 83. Downs, Donald A. Texas v. Johnson. The Oxford Companion tothe Supreme Court of the United States. New York:Oxford University Press, 1992: 868-869. House Panel Approves Flag-Burning Measure. CongressionalQuarterly Weekly Report 17 May, 1997: 1444. Levy, Leonard W. Flag Desecration. Encyclopedia of theAmerican Constitution. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, 1992: 217-220. Relin, David Oliver. A Burning Question. Scholastic Update21 Sept, 1990: 16-19. Supreme Court of the United States. Online. Ted Kennedy. Online. U.S. Supreme CourtUnited States v. Eichman. Online. Witt, Elden. Protest and the Flag. Congressional Quarterlys Guide to the Supreme Court. WashingtonD.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1990: 409.

Othello Essays (2470 words) - Othello, Roderigo, Iago, Brabantio

Othello If Othello didnt begin as a play about race, history has made it one. The Venetian society that Othello is set in is representative of the writers context. The attitudes and values that Shakespeare reveals through the text are those same attitudes and values of Elizabethan society in England in the sixteenth-century. Although Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. It is difficult to assess the attitudes and values of people in sixteenth-century Britain to the relatively few blacks living amongst them. We are given an insight into those attitudes and values through the representation of race and gender in the text of Othello.These attitudes and values are indicative of what a culture believes in and supports. By the time Othello was written the English were becoming more and more aware of the existence of other races in the world besides themselves. There had been a lot of travelling and blacks were beginning to be used in Europe for the slave trade. During the time the play was written, the Queen of England had banned all blacks from entering the city. She spoke of them as Negars and Moors which are crept into the realm, of which kind of people there are already here too many. It seems that Shakespeare is almost mocking the Queen by characterising Othello as a black man who has a high ranking position in the Army and who marries a white aristocratic women, against her fathers will. Ruth Cowlig suggests that the presentation of Othello as the hero must have been startling for Elizabethan audiences. This may have been the case, but through the representation of Othello we are able to see that some members of society such as the Duke, looked over his colour to assign him his position whereas, others such as Iago, look on his colour as a way to mock him. Hostility is shown to Othello by characters such as Iago and Roderigo. This attitude may have been encouraged by the widespread belief in the legend that blacks were descendants of Ham in the Genesis story, punished for sexual excess by their blackness. The Elizabethan's discussed at length whether this skin colour was due to life in a hot climate or whether it was a punishment for sin. To the Elizabethan's, who thought hierarchically, fair skin was the epitome of beauty and therefore dark skin ranked below it. The term black was used in a variety of texts to stand for sin, filth, ugliness, evil, and the Devil. This value is ascribed to Iago when he describes Othello as the black moor hinting at something other than just colour. Attitudes to race arent the only attitudes revealed in the text though. Attitudes and values about gender are also revealed in the portrayal of women and their actions in the text. A prime example of this is when Desdemona elopes with Othello without her fathers permission, which during that time would have been socially unacceptable. This is revealed to us through Brabantios reaction as Shakespeare uses Brabantio as a vehicle for the representation of higher societys views on matters. Another value revealed in the text is that of marriage. In the Elizabethan era marriage was not just a spiritual union but also a property transaction; the bride brought a dowry from her father and the grooms father (or the groom if he had already inherited his estate) had to settle lands on her in return, as a jointure. Therefore, to marry without the bride's father's permission could be seen as an act of theft. This may explain why Brabantio reacted so strongly to the union of Othello and Desdemona.These attitudes and values contrast quite drastically to those ascribed to society today. Nowadays coloured skin is a common occurrence and a character such as Othello would be quite socially accepted. Race is both more accepted and more abused than in Shakespeare's time. With the feminist movement values given to women have also changed quite drastically. This is because women are now seen less as property and more of an equal. Marriage has also changed. In the sixteenth century girls tended to