John Locke and His Influence on the American Revolution Essay

John Locke and His Influence on the American Revolution - Essay Example At the core of his ideology is the principle that people are, by nature, equal. There is no one who is above others in terms of economic, political, and cultural power. Because of this, no one also has the right to harm other people. In Two Treatises on Government, he wrote that people a natural state â€Å"do not have to ask permission to act or depend on the will of others to arrange matters on their behalf† (Locke 70). Apparently, such theory introduces concept that challenges the validity or the relevance of the government and laws. In line with his concept of individual freedoms in relation to the laws and the government, Locke also has a critical view on taxes imposed on the people. For him, taxes are similar to stealing a portion of the fruits of one’s labor. However, despite his expositions that greatly diminished the relevance of the state’s existence, Locke never went to the extent of calling for its abolition. Nevertheless, his ideas inspired other thi nkers of his time and after to develop the concept of modern democracy. Among these is the concept that democracy’s core is the will of the people. ... These were reformist in essence. These aimed to appeal to the rulers’ conscience in the hope that they mend their ways of governing. Locke, however, was not a reformist in his views. He went to criticize the roots of oppression and tyranny, the doctrine of divine right of kings. For him, it is not the king or the ruler as a person that is the problem but the principles that upholds, defends, and promotes his existence in human society. What makes this political principle radical is that it strikes at the roots of the problem of oppression which is the concept that monarchs are chosen by God and that, therefore, their authority cannot be questioned. Locke, of course, did not directly confront the English throne himself. However, by presenting his radical views to the public through his written works, particularly Two Treatises on Government, he laid the foundation of the belief that the struggles against oppressive social structures are not only justified but also legitimate un der the laws of nature. Locke’s ideas were definitely revolutionary when these are appreciated in the historical context of his time. When he questioned the validity and the legitimacy of the rule of kings and other monarchs, a great majority of the world’s nations were ruled by royal families and absolutist regimes. These basically violate the essence of the individual freedom that Locke advocated. His concept that essentially calls for the downfall of such rulers is undoubtedly revolutionary. However, it must be pointed out that the â€Å"Lockean notion of revolution is certainly a form of mass political participation, but it is an activity that derives its moral authority from an irreducibly

The Rise of the KKK Essay Example for Free

The Rise of the KKK Essay As a result of the Red Scare and also anti-immigrant feelings, groups bigots used anti-communism as their excuse to harass any group that wasn’t the same as their group. One of these groups was known as the Ku Klux Klan, or the KKK. The Ku Klux Klan was a secret organization that used terrorist tactics in an attempt to restore white supremacy in Southern states after the Civil war. This group was devoted to â€Å"One hundred percent Americanism† and by 1924, the KKK membership had reached 4. 5 million white male citizens. The Ku Klux Klan also believe in keeping black people â€Å"in their place† by destroying saloons, opposing unions, and driving Roman Catholics, Jews, and foreign-born people out of the country. One scared African American told me in an interview that members of the Klan had even been harassing their three year old daughters. Members of the KKK were paid to recruit new members into their group of secret rituals and racial violence. Even though the Ku Klux Klan dominated state politics in many states, by the end of the decade it’s criminal activity led to a decrease in power. In the 1920s, the Klan moved in many states to dominate local and state politics. The Klan devised a strategy called the decade, in which every member of the Klan was responsible for recruiting ten people to vote for Klan candidates in elections. In 1924 the Klan succeeded in engineering the elections of officials from coast to coast, including the mayors of Portland, Maine, and Portland, Oregon. In some states, such as Colorado and Indiana, they placed enough Klansmen in positions of power to effectively control the state government. Known as the Invisible Empire, the KKKs presence was felt across the country. But when the Klan came to recruit in the town of Greenville, Mississippi, LeRoy Percy moved to keep the Klan out of his town. His passionate speech at the Klans recruitment session convinced townspeople to support a resolution to condemn the Klan.

Benefits of Police Body Cameras

Benefits of Police Body Cameras As with any new technology, police body-worn cameras are becoming the new trend in the law enforcement community. While camera and surveillance systems have been around for a quite a while, body-worn cameras have seen increase popularity as several high profile cases have brought this technology to the forefront. As agencies proceed forward with pilot programs to evaluate its usefulness, they must decide if the perceived benefits justify the cost and expense to implement such a program. From the general public perspective, the use of body worn cameras represents police accountability and transparency. By their use alone studies have shown they improve officer professionalism and behavior. As agencies implement body worn cameras, officers will be more aware of their actions and interactions with the general public and less likely to cross the line between use of force necessary to apprehend suspects and blatant over use of force. That same perspective is also true from the law enforcement community. Studies have shown from many different sources that when individuals are being recorded or that they are aware their actions are being recorded, their behavior will change. They are more aware of their behavior and will potentially alter their interactions with the person who is recording. â€Å"Accumulated evidence further suggests that individuals who are aware that they being-observed often embrace submissive or commonly-accepted behavior, particularly when the observer is a rule-enforcing entity.† (Self-Awareness to being watched and Socially-Desirable Behavior, 2013, p. 2). There are many times in an officer’s career when the person they arrest and the behavior they display on scene is quite the stark contrast when both meet in the courtroom for trial. The professionally dressed defendant who speaks intelligently is much different than the drunken patron that was involved in a fight and arrested for battery. Had camera footage been available, the impression would be quite different when presented to a judge. If the defendant was aware that he was being recorded, his behavior would most likely be different. â€Å"It can be incredibly frustrating to arrive in court to find a defendant dressed professionally in a suit with an angelic demeanor that’s completely opposite of the person who was arrested. Using cameras to capture that person’s true character and behavior can be very beneficial when it comes to prosecution.† (McFarlin, 2015, para. 4). Along with possible behavior modifications, other perceived benefits of body-worn cameras for agencies are reduced citizen complaints and officer use of force incidents. In 2012, the City of Rialto Police Department, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge (UK), conducted a yearlong study on the effects and impacts of police worn body cameras. Over the course of a year period, different patrol shifts were given cameras while others were not. The study was a random sample of different shifts at different times over the course of the study. After the yearlong pilot, the results were amazing. The groups that were assigned body cameras had a reduction of use-of-force incidents by 60% from the previous year. The study also concluded that citizen complaints for that same group were reduced by 88% over the previous year’s findings. The Rialto Police Chief stated,† Whether the reduced number of complaints was because of the officers behaving better or the citizens behavi ng better—well, it was probably a little bit of both.† (Police Executive Research Forum [PERF], 2014, p. 5). In another study on how body cameras reduce citizen complaints, the Mesa Police Department conducted a yearlong study specifically focusing on reducing complaints. The pilot program consisted of two groups; 50 patrol officers with assigned body cameras and 50 without body cameras. Both of the groups were similar in demographics and assigned patrol duties. The study, conducted in conjunction with the University of Arizona, concluded that the patrol officers without body cameras had three times more citizen complaints. In addition, the study also concluded that the patrol officers that had been wearing the body-worn cameras had a 40% reduction in citizen’s complaints and 75% reduction in use of force complaints from the previous year in which the body cameras were not used. In both studies, the overwhelming results state that body-worn cameras reduced citizen complaints. This is due in part to behavior on both sides from the awareness of having the incident being recorded. Greensboro’s Police Chief Ken Miller states, â€Å"We actually encourage our officers to let people know that they are recording. â€Å"Why? Because we think that it elevates behavior on both sides of the camera.† (PERF, 2014, p. 6). Video footage from officer’s using the body-worn cameras can also be used to correct internal agency problems and well as a useful training tool. In a recent survey from Police Chiefs around the country on the use of body camera video, 94% of the respondents stated that they use it as a training tool or for review by administrators to correct officer behavior. (PERF, 2014, p. 7). Body camera video has a multitude of training examples. While reviewing footage, administrators can evaluate current policies and determine if revisions need to be made based on actual officer encounters. The training department can create very specific scenarios to train their officers based on actual calls in the field. Additionally, officer training can now be specific to the individual agency or internal department. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to law enforcement will be capturing and documenting evidence for criminal investigations. Again, it’s just another tool that can aid in the successful prosecution of criminals. When officers respond to a major crime scene, most of their focus and first priority is securing the scene and aiding victims with first aid measures. As they start their interviews and try to put together what happened, it is difficult to remember all the details. By using a body-worn camera, the officer is able to capture the scene and many of the small details that would have been missed. As they are walking around the crime scene, they are actually recorded it as it was upon initial response. This tool can provide a wealth of information to detectives that usually arrive well after the fact when it is calm and not hurried. Police Chief Parker of Dalton, Georgia states, â€Å"Unlike in-car cameras, body-worn cameras capture everything that happens as officersâ₠¬â„¢ travel around the scene and interview multiple people. The body-worn cameras have been incredibly useful in accurately preserving information.† (PERF, 2014, p. 9). Local prosecutors are also encouraged and actively engaging agencies to adopt this technology. Having a video record to present in court is usually hard to defend. In Kentucky, a local defense attorney commented on the use of providing body-worn camera video. â€Å"It makes it much easier for them to understand a guilty plea is probably going to be in their best interest, because you dont want a jury to see this†. (Mateescu, Rosenblat, Boyd, 2015, p. 27). This is particularly true for domestic violence case when the video evidence is provided in court. Many times, especially if there is a pattern of abuse and the victims are afraid, they do not want to press charges. Gathering evidence is difficult at best. Coupled with uncooperative victims and prosecution is almost nearly impossible. By providing prosecutors with video evidence upon arriving on scene, it will capture the demeanor of the victims and suspects as well as any injuries sustained. Providing this information to pr osecutors, they can build a case even if the victim refuses to press charges or declines to provide a statement. Chief Miller of Topeka stated, â€Å"When we show suspects in domestic violence cases footage from the body-worn cameras, often they plead guilty without even having to go to trial.† (PERF, 2014, p. 9). References Mateescu, A., Rosenblat, A., Boyd, D. (2015). Police Body-Worn Cameras. Retrieved from http://www.datasociety.net McFarlin, C. (2015, January 7, 2015). Body-Worn Cameras: Benefits and Best Practices [Article]. InPublicSafety. Retrieved from http://inpublicsafety.com Police Executive Research Forum. (2014). Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf Self-Awareness to being watched and Socially-Desirable Behavior: A Field Experiment on the Effect of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Use-of-Force [Special section]. (2013). Police Foundation, 1 14. Retrieved from www.policefoundation.org

Love One Another :: essays research papers

Love One Another Well, I sure hope I was not the only one who caught the main message of today's gospel. If you accidently missed the gospel, the main message from Jesus was that he commanded us to "love one another." I gave the message some thought thinking of "how can I love everybody?" How could I love my enemies? How can I love someone when they already have a lover? How can I love someone that I do not know? It is all these "how's." So how can I love my enemy? After giving it more thought, I found a little solution. It might not be the best solution, but it will suit my needs. If this enemy offends me, I tell the enemy with my heart that I truly did not appreciate that comment. What does that relate to love your enemy? I was trying to show my love to my enemy by expressing my feelings. What about how can I love someone when they already have a lover? We can still love someone and still be friends or maybe even best friends. There is nothing wrong in being friendly with someone that already has a lover. Well, what about how can I love someone that I do not know? An easy solution is to get to know society. Just do not have doubt and end up using assumption. Be critical, be open, ask questions, and get to know how peers. Okay, but what if I am a shy person? There is wrong being shy. Everybody is shy of something, but shyness can always be reverse. I used to be shy of something, but then I gave it some thought when I was thinking when life was getting boring. I thought that if I were more open and sought friendship, my

Petroleum Engineering: Research Proposal Essay

Petroleum engineering is technical activities related to the hydrocarbon production – either crude oil or gas. The importance of petroleum engineering is swiftly increasing and researchers try to highlight peculiarities and innovations in their writings. Petroleum engineering is main substance discipline within the gas and oil industry which concentrates on maximizing economic recovery of hydrocarbons. Therefore, the intended audience will be researchers and scientists who are interested in promoting petroleum engineering which offers certain benefits, and common people who are interested in innovative technologies. As far as petroleum engineering is related to many scientific fields, I am sure that economists, engineers, geologists and drillers will find the material informative and valuable. The current research will be assessed through the methods of description, case study and desktop research. The main purpose of the study is to enlarge knowledge of petroleum engineering, its importance and benefits. The research will focus on defining of petroleum engineering, improvements in modeling and materials, application of petroleum engineering, probability analysis and new development of new technologies as, for example, enhanced oil recovery and horizontal drilling. The main goal of the research is to answer the question whether petroleum engineering is really worth of studying and researching. A literature search revealed a number of on-line articles and books on petroleum engineering and its application in modern world. Over two-thirds of these were prescriptive and written by practitioners, consultants and journalists. There is also a steady flow of research and ideas on how new developments in petroleum engineering challenge conventional techniques. The most valuable resources are â€Å"Petroleum Engineering† by Wyllie (the author offers information of the development of petroleum engineering, its peculiarities and innovations) and â€Å"Petroleum Production Systems† by Economides, & Hill (the authors offer extensive coverage of well deliverability from oil, gas and two-phase reservoirs).

oppertunities and challenges of the internet essays

oppertunities and challenges of the internet essays Opportunities and Challenges of the Internet In a world of light-speed data transmission, any individual with little training and expertise can make a fortune from the Internet. Many companies, like E-bay or Amazon.com, thrive from business done only through Internet transactions. As computer technology progresses, data transmission becomes faster, and as high level encryption becomes available for public use, the amount of Internet consumers also grows. Technology advances also allow employees to work from home faster and safer. A manager's first challenge is to create a presence on the web. With a phone line, computer, and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) authoring tools, a business can advertise or do business over the Internet. HTML authoring tools can be freeware, like Sausage Software's Hot Dog, or advanced and expensive utilities like Microsoft Front Page. Any computer user familiar with a word processor can effectively use these applications with minimal training. Putting the HTML and graphic files on an Internet service provider's (ISP) servers is sufficient for relatively low traffic sites. Some online businesses, like Amazon.com, handle hundreds of thousands of people, or hits, everyday. They require specialized hardware and cabling to control the vast amount of traffic on there site per day. A manager's second challenge is to make the business's web site visible on the Internet. The first step in this process would be registering a domain name. Every computer connected to the Internet has a unique number attached to it called an IP address. To simplify finding specific computers on the 'Net, the numbers where substituted with alias called domain names. The names come in two levels, before and after the "dot". Fees are generally a $70 startup cost then $35 per year to hold the license of the name. Network Solutions Inc. is the official registrar of domain names. Individuals in the past have regist...