Should juveniles be waivered to adult court Essay

Should juveniles be waivered to adult court - Essay Example d between 1986 and 1992 and recorded various information about waivers including their involvement in criminal court processing, sentencing, and recidivism of youth offenders. Podkopacz and Feld make several errors while attempting to draw a relationship between their localized studies and the role of waivers in court systems throughout the country. The study takes particular effort in ensuring that the population sample drawn from Hennepin’s records is reflective of the waiver trends Minnesota as well the United States. While the study succeeds in showing that its offender population generally reflects trends throughout the United States, the authors do not show that the judges sampled in the study are representative of the judges throughout Minnesota and the United States. If the authors had attempted to craft a more detailed profile of the judges, who made the subjective decision to issue the wavers, and drew a comparison to judges throughout the country, it would follow the judges elsewhere would make similar subjective decisions. The authors take a conservative stance on recidivism by choosing to allow actual adjudications or convictions to stand as indicators of recidivism rather than rearrests. The authors claim that recidivism rates of juveniles indicate that court systems are not achieving their goal. When in fact, consideration of the types of crimes committed by repeat offenders may show that these additional offenses are significantly less in magnitude than the original crimes. Thus, the legal system may be â€Å"working† towards deterring juvenile offenders from additional offenses but not enough. Although the authors make a detailed and strong argument about the role waivers play within Hennepin’s court system, the paper fails to draw a strong gap between the focused group of waivers in Hennepin and waivers throughout Minnesota and the United States. The authors of this study can strengthen their article by providing increased portraits

Mothers :: essays research papers

Mothers make better parents then fathers Ladies and gentlemen the subject under discussion today is that mothers make better parents then fathers. I firmly counter the motion. Honorable judges I would like to point out that my identity is by my father and even this gentlemen sitting here has his last name after his father’s. for that matter nobody here is recognized by their mother;s name. It is our fathers who become a source of distinction for us in this world. It is only after their name is added to ours that we can make a footing in society. This notion even becomes more important in male dominated societies like India, Pakistan and China etc. the father’s name also acts as a shield for girls in particular who are given no respect otherwise in such societies. Furthermore, what does a child need to grow up? , food , clothing, shelter, education and protection. Therefore the parent who is able to provide these bare necessities will be considered as the better parent. In most of the families the father is the one who works and provides a source of income for the family. indeed the mother’s emotional involvment with the child is imperative in his upbringing , but we need to be REALISTIC HERE. For we know that love can not provide a meal twice a day. sharing secrets will by no means provide a substitute for what can be learnt at school. yes care is important but if there is no house to take care off then how will the mother keep her children cosy in the winters. Thus the father once again comes in the picture as the hero. Moreover, I being a boy myself feel that they are certain matters that I cannot handle without my father. For example with issues relating to puberty, we can discuss things openly without any hesitation. also my mother will have no interst in flying kites with me or playing cricket. It is my father whom I can count on for such activities. If I have a fight with someone I know my father with his strong muscular body can come to my rescue. Inaddition to this The command of the father makes a stronger impact on the child as compared to that of the mother. They are mentally stronger unlike mothers who are likely to yield to emotional pressure and this may result in them agreeing to demands of the child that should not be fulfilled under normal circumstances.

Microeconomic Impact of AIDS in Africa

The world has been greatly affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic indiscriminately although some parts have proved to be more vulnerable than others. It has ravaged the people since the 1980’s when it was first discovered. Despite this, it has been established that more than two thirds o those who are infected by the scourge are found in Africa and especially in the sub-Sahara part of Africa. This is in spite of the fact that this area consists of only 10% of the population in the world. This then means that a very big percentage of those in Africa are suffering from HIV/AIDS. It is sad to realize that the majority of those who are infected and affected by the disease are those in the working age bracket. This then affects all aspects of life including social, cultural, and economic. In all these aspects, there has been a change towards the negative. Those who are not infected are affected by having someone close to them suffering from the disease. In almost every household, there is someone suffering from it. It affects the economy by reducing the laborer force and at the same time increasing costs. This affects the industries, households and enterprises. It also affects the government because of reduced taxes yet the expenditure has been increased on those who are in need of health care. In these countries, there was already an economic problem before the advent of the disease and this has been escalated by the impact of the disease. It leads to the inability of these economies to advance since most of the resources are channeled towards efforts of curbing the disease (Chaminuka P., Anim F., Debustus L. K. & Nqangweni S. 2-8). The mainstay of most of the African countries is agriculture. The majority of people practice small-scale agriculture and it is among the most affected sectors in the continent. This is because resources are withdrawn from farming and directed to the healthcare of the ailing individuals. This occurs in various ways as will be explained in this paper. First, the labor resource is reduced greatly because those who are working in the farms are the same ones who get sick. This then leads to lack of labor for the farms and hence the productivity of these farms is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the money that can be used to hire laborers is already being used in the healthcare of the sick person (http://www.avert.org). Secondly, the monetary capital required in the advancement of farming is already being used by the family in the purchasing of drugs and general health care of the sick person. This then means that the implements necessary for the improvement and increase of productivity are not purchased. It is also affected by the loss of income earners either through death or to the ravages of the disease. If the person who is required to infuse monetary capital to the farming business loses his or her job due to the disease, then it means that the household is by-passed by much technological advancement related to the agricultural field. When unable to purchase these technologies, productivity is low and hence the amount of income that can be earned from the farming is greatly reduced. Lastly, in order to deal with the situation brought about by the disease, children end up becoming the laborers in the farms. They do this because their parents may both be suffering from the disease, as is the case most of the times, and therefore unable to work in the fields. Since the children cannot be able to work as efficiently and effectively as the adults can, they end up producing for subsistence use only. This means that food insecurity is on the rise because not enough is being produced to support the countries demand for food. This ends up leading to a very acute shortage of food and the countries end up depending on food aid from other countries. Since agriculture as pointed out earlier is the mainstay of most economies, it means therefore means that even the economy is greatly affected (Chaminuka P., Anim F., Debustus L. K. & Nqangweni S. 2-8). In Africa, there is a high rate of illiteracy and this affects their ability to compete for work on both the local and the international level. This has always been so since the independence era of most countries such that most of the policies put in place were aimed at reducing the level of illiteracy that was there. Since most of these policies failed it means that the problem was still prevalent even before the onset of the disease. This problem was made even worse, by the presence of HIV/AIDS through the impact it has on the education sector. When the disease hits a family, there is need to use all the resources available in taking care of the patient and also in the funeral expenses, in case the person dies. The reduction in money for use in the house leads to a reduction in the previously experienced expenses. The most reduced expenses are spending on some of the basic needs that are deemed disposable. These basic needs usually include clothing and education. The money to cater for the school uniform and for school fees is used in health care of the patient and hence leads to low education and in the long run an increase in the rate of illiteracy (http://www.avert.org). Education is also affected when both parents die of the disease and this is very common. It then means that some or all of the children end up dropping out of school so as to take care of themselves and also the young ones. If the parents are still alive but suffering from the disease, the children, especially the female children, drop out of school so as to take care of the parents. The lack of education means that the majority of youngsters are only able to get menial manual jobs. They are unable to get technical jobs that need skills because they have not learned them in school. It ends up making the country look for expatriates to do the jobs that could have been done by local people if they had the skills. This impacts on the economy negatively because the expatriates demand for more money than what would have been paid to the locals if they were the ones employed in the same capacity. This ends up straining the resources available because the amount used in salaries for the expatriates reduces the profits that could have been made. In other words, the profits are not maximized. The low levels of education also lead to a lot of unemployment because the manual jobs can be done through the technologies introduced. The manual employees end up replaced by the machines increasing unemployment level. The high rate of unemployment leads to lack of consumption of goods and services because the people do not have money to spend (http://www.avert.org). The decrease in labor also affects the foreign direct investment. This is because the demand for labor becomes higher than the supply. This leads to an increase in wages and the necessity for the use of expatriates. The foreign direct investment is important in the improvement of the economy but the foreign investors can only be attracted if there is a chance of making profits. For the profits to be made, the resources required must be available at the minimum costs possible. Once labor, which is one of the resources, becomes too expensive to enable the company maximize its profits, the investors tend to shy away from the country. This means that the one of the various avenues through which the country can be able to improve its economy has been affected. The various companies that have been put up also make a lot of losses leading either to closure due to reduced profits or the company may not close down but the profits being made are affected. This is because of the increased costs caused by the diversion of the productive resources towards health care, funeral benefits and also the pension fund. This is brought about by the early retirement caused by the incapacitation of the ailing workers due to poor health. The skills are also reduced as an increased number of skilled workers succumb to the disease. This affects the company especially since resources have been used to train the workers and they may not have recovered the cost by the time the person retires or dies. Businesses are also affected in that there is low productivity by workers. This is because the disease brings about an increase in the rate or absenteeism. Once the workers are constantly absent due to the necessity to seek medical care, it then means that the work is not done well and this affects the amount of profit that the businesses make. Furthermore, with the effect that the disease has on individual households, it leads to a reduction in the demand for the goods and services that are provided. This leads to an increase in dead stock which in turn may lead to the closure of some businesses. The lack of good profits by businesses and companies affects the economy as a whole in that it affects the taxes that the government gets from the business sector. This leads to reduced revenue thus affecting the services that the government is able to provide to the citizens. This is combined with the increase in health care spending by the government. The government ends up having to borrow from both foreign and local lenders so as to be able to meet the targets of the budget that they have fixed in any given financial year. The result of the heavy borrowing is an increase in the rate of inflation. This affects each household because the money they have now purchases less than it would have before (http://www.avert.org). In the provision of health care, it has become very expensive for the individual households. This is caused by the fact that there is massive drainage of health care workers in most of these countries. There are too many people who are infected with the disease causing an increase in the workload of the healthcare workers. When this is combined with the low wages that they get, it leads to their immigrating to other areas where they can get more money for the services that they give. In order to maintain those who have been left in the service, there is need to increase their wages and this cost is pushed on to those who are seeking health care making it next to impossible for them to acquire it especially the HIV/AIDS patients. There is also a problem of having a large number of infected health care workers, this is because a major cause o death in the industry thus depleting the number of workers further. This combined with the other two factors are a cause of increase in the cost of attainment of healthcare. This affects households by reducing the amount of income that can be used for consumption thus affecting the economy. The hospital resources are also under strain because the disease is chronic yet the numbers of HIV/AIDS patients that are using the hospital’s resource are more than those who are suffering from other diseases. The death of income earners in the various households means that the children who are orphaned become dependants on other income earners. This is if they do not become the heads in their houses. The increase in dependants on the income earners leads to less income used for consumption. There are now more people who depend on the same income thus reducing the real income of the household. There is also the reduction of customers that a business can get because the same amount of money that was initially used by one household is now being used by two households. Also, the increase in amount of dependants on the few income earners who are now available leads to depletion of savings. Since the income earned cannot be enough to sustain the increased number of dependants, the income earner is forced to use up the saving that they had kept aside. Since savings and investments go hand-in-hand, it means that the rate of investment is also affected. There is less investment by households and also the various businesses because decreased savings causes an increase in the interest rate of borrowing. The decreased rate of investment affects employment. The income earners usually have to quit working because they have to take care of the ill. This especially affects the female income earners because they have to take care of the family. The female workers and students may end up becoming commercial sex workers which is a job description that is not taxed by the government. In other words, it means that the number of taxpayers has reduced yet the number of workers has increased. By becoming commercial sex workers, they increase their chances of contracting the disease and dying thus continuing the vicious cycle of poverty. The increase in the work load of caregivers affects their output in their various workplaces. The women who work in industries are unable to produce at optimum level because of increased absenteeism at work. This reduces the amount of income that they get since their working hours are greatly reduced. They may also be fired because they end up becoming a liability to the company because the cost of maintaining them as workers becomes too high for the company. This leads to a decrease in the amount of money that can be spent by the household on consuming. Furthermore with reduced income, there is reduced saving since all the money earned goes directly to consumption. The assets that people own end up being sold in order to acquire treatment for the sick. Even after death of the sufferers, there are still funeral expenses and hence further sale of the assets. The households are then left very poor with nothing to fall back on especially once the income earners in the household succumb to the disease. Since the savings have already been used up, there is no way that the households can recover their previous economic status and this increases the rate of poverty. In other words, there is an increase in the amount of poor people in the continent (http://www.avert.org). The households which have been affected by the disease end up depending on other households. They become a burden to them and cause an increase in the debts that these people have. These debts are even made worse by the fact that there are high chances of the income earners losing their employment. To avoid this, the older children end up becoming laborers to support their families. Â  This has changed the composition of workers to having more children than adults in the labor force. Since the children are unable to be as productive as the adults they are paid poorly. This pushes them further into poverty. Work cited AVERT. The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa. Retrieved on 29th November 2007 from http://www.avert.org/aidsimpact.htm Chaminuka P., Anim F., Debustus L. K. & Nqangweni S. impact of HIV&AIDS on Agriculture and Food Security. The Case of Limpopo Province in South Africa 2006 FANRPAN pg 2-8 Â  

The Political Positions Of The Democratic And Republican...

This comparison will be examining the differences between the policies and political positions of the Democratic and Republican parties on the major issues that or government is having such as the healthcare, the role of government, gun control, entitlements, immigration, taxes, abortion and gay rights and many other issues that or country is going throw. These two parties are the most powerful in America s political landscape but differ greatly in their philosophies and ideals. In which Democrat and Republican platform are much different and similar, there is also much change in developing of each over the years. The Democratic Party origin from the anti-federalist faction around the time of America’s independence from British rule. These factions was organized into the Democratic - Republican Party by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and other influential people of the federalist in the 1792. Where the Republican Party is a much newer then the Democratic Party. It was founded 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln he was the first republican president. The more tradition approach is to see republican as historically conservative meaning they resist change and want to conserve what they see good about American while Democrats are progressive. Meaning they want to see progress. The democratic and republican party have different view in the platform in which it developed. The pointShow MoreRelatedThe Federalist And The Anti Federalist864 Words   |  4 PagesIn America today there are many political parties which include the Democrats and the Republicans. The beginning of political parties started in 1787 with the federalist, then later on the anti-federalist in 1796. Alexander Hamilton was the leader of the federalist party. Thomas Jefferson was the leader of the anti-federalist; who called themselves the Democratic-Republicans. Our first president, George Washington warned us about having parties and the danger of them. However, not until CongressRead MoreThe First American Party System Essay1646 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Party System Today, political parties are an authoritative and essential component of the United States political system. However, it is important to examine how the political parties began and evolved over hundreds of years, since they were first established. In 1794, the major political parties were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The major difference between these two was that the Federalists favored a strong central government, while the Democratic-Republicans preferredRead MoreThe Impact Of The New Deal928 Words   |  4 PagesBlack political sentiment started to shift toward the democratic party with the Presidential campaign of New York Governor Al Smith for the 1928 election. Al Smith captured 17 percent of the black precincts of Philadelphia, 27 percent of the Black precincts of Cleveland and Chicago, and 28 percent of Harlem. These statistics showed a shift in support to the Democratic party previously unseen in American History. Full black voter shift did not occur wi th Al Smith’s Democratic Party. Al Smith wantedRead MoreToo Many Political Parties in America Essay example548 Words   |  3 Pagesmultiple political parties after creating the Constitution in the late 1780s. Even George Washington stated in his Farewell Address, â€Å"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.† In simpler words, Washington was stating how political parties may leadRead MoreMississippi Politics History Essay622 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Originally published in 2006, Mississippi Politics quickly became the definitive work on the state’s political history, campaigns, legislative battles, and litigation, as well as how Mississippi shaped and was shaped by national and regional trends.† Whil e the second edition of the book still shows Mississippi’s gradual change from a blue state to a red state, it also examines the aftermath of Haley Barbour’s re-election campaign in 2007 along with the 2008 presidential elections. 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The dissolution of Reconstructionist methods of federal dominance over the South was er oded with the removal of Federalist troops and Republicans from Southern state, which were â€Å"redeemed†Read MoreThe Democratic Party And The Republican Party875 Words   |  4 Pagesgovernment has two front-running parties: The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These parties are both criticized by one another, and the political candidates are kept under a microscope at all times. One wrong sentence has the ability to bring the wrath of societal shame. With this term’s presidential race the Republican Party and its lead candidate have accelerated at these mishaps, which has conveyed a racial bias stigma. The denotative meaning of the Republican Party is to be, relating to, orRead MorePolarization in Us Politics1665 Words   |  7 Pagesbecoming more polarized. If so, is this a reaction to the polarization of political elites? Approx 1500 words 13/12/10 The election of 2008... marked the end of an epoch. No longer could Republicans count on the basic conservatism of the American people, the reflexive hostility to candidates who favour big government (Darman, 2010, 34) In the 1970s and 1980s there was a consensus that the importance of political parties was in decline, that the shared conservative ideology of the American

A Worn Path Critical Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 737 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/08/12 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: A Worn Path Essay Did you like this example? The short story A Worn Path is one of Eudora Weltys most notable fictional stories. A Worn Path takes place in the rural South during the 1930s in the beginning of winter season. The setting of this story plays a major role of the imagery set by Welty. The brilliant use of tone and imagery by the main character helped to make the story feel real. In A Worn Path, Welty presents Christian imagery in the main character, Phoenix Jackson, from the obstacles she encounters on a journey to help a family member. As the story opens up, right away, Welty describes the setting. The setting of the story takes place in December. The significance of the time of year is that it is close to Christmas which, according to the Bible, is the time of the birth of Christ. When thinking of the birth of Christ, things like new beginnings, new paths, and new journeys come to mind. As it ties to the main character, Phoenix Jackson, its not so much of a new path, but a new journey with new encounters that symbolizes that of the birth of Christ. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Worn Path Critical Analysis" essay for you Create order Along with the setting, the main characters name, Phoenix Jackson, is also an example of symbolism. The phoenix is a mythical bird that lives for several hundred years and dies in flames but is reborn again to start a new long life. (Leafloor 2014) The symbolism of the bird conveys a couple of different meanings. For example, the immortality of the bird relates to Christianity and the idea of being born again. Also, Welty compares the appearance of Ms. Jackson to a solitary little bird illustrating that she is alone on the journey she is taking. Lastly, Welty uses the bird, that flies over Ms. Jacksons head as she takes the hunters nickel, as a symbol of God watching over her as she does a bad deed. Another example of biblical imagery in A Worn Path is when Phoenix Jackson says, Now comes the trial Welty writes that Ms. Jackson put her right foot out, mounted the log and shut her eyes. This part of the short story closely relates to the bible verse walk by faith and not by site which according to Dena Johnson Martin means to not go by what one sees, but what one believes. While on her journey, Ms. Phoenix Jackson came across many obstacles and hardships that should have turned her around but she didnt let them stop her; she continued to complete her journey. Welty very well delivers this concept through the encounters of phoenix Jackson by not only writing it but allowing the main character to narrate, grasping the readers attention more. Even though Welty didnt consciously write this story to relate to Christian aspects, she perceived the idea through the main character over shadowing ideas of Christianity. Lastly, the entire journey of Phoenix Jackson in the short story A Worn Path imitates that of Christ when he carried the cross to cavalry. Welty mentioned Ms. Jackson getting her dress caught on a thorn bush, running into a scare crow, forgetting what she came to the doctor for and more but she continued. The biblical symbolism in the entire story was very visible yet hidden. Hidden from those who are unfamiliar with the Christian religion and visible to those who follow the Christian religion. The ties that Ms. Phoenix Jackson has between her and Christ is that both of them were determined to put themselves in danger in order to not help themselves but help others. Welty definitely delivered a message of faith through the difficult encounters faced by Ms. Jackson and it very closely symbolizes the acts of Christianity and the many people who live by the ideas of the religion today. In conclusion, Welty uses biblical imagery in her short story A Worn Path that is narrated by a very strong-minded protagonist that puts herself into harms way just to help someone else. This story relates to so many real-world situations that people may go through everyday. Welty really anchored portraying the religion of Christianity in the journey and life of the main character Ms. Phoenix Jackson. Works Cited Martin, Dena Johnson. What Does It Mean to Walk by Faith? Crosswalk.com, Salem Web Network, 14 Aug. 2014, www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-does-it-mean-to-walk-by-faith.html. Critical Analysis Of A Worn Path English Literature Essay. UKEssays.com. 11 2013. All Answers Ltd. 10 2018

Capital Punishment A Way Of Maintaining Law And Order

Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics, especially in today’s democratic world. Different people take different approaches to the matter and so do different countries as some still do implement capital punishment as a way of maintaining law and order in the societies. The different approaches into the matter are highly influenced by several societal divisions such as a religious affiliation, political affiliation, the level of education and the age of a person. However, every person has got his or her approach to the matter. In order to analyze the approaches of different people then, it is necessary to take a survey that will focus on several questions related to the approach on the death penalty. The questions include: Do you think death penalties are ethical? Do you think the death penalty is a good approach to stop crime? Do you think that the death penalty is appropriate for most crimes involving intentional and premeditated murder? For which crimes do you think that the death penalty must implement? Do you think the death penalty now or in the past has been implemented in any discriminatory manner? Why do you think the amnesty international opposes the death penalty? Do you think through the opposition of the death penalty the human activists deny the victims of violent crime their right? Do you think the death penalty is used by governments or legal institutions to suppress uncooperative voices? What is your take on theShow MoreRelatedBlack Man Who Was Suspected As The Killer Of A White Off Duty Police Officer Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagesconfessed that they felt pressured or threatened by the police at the time (Bedau). Troy Davis have come close to execution three times previous to his death because of the doubts that linger of his innocence (Bedau). However, after passage of a federal law in 1996, it became significantly harder for petitioners to get a hearing from judges because they have limited the amount of times they can appeal death sentence (Bedau). When Troy Davis did get a hearing, the judge required Troy to have a â€Å"proof ofRead MoreShould The United States Allowed The Death Penalty?962 Words   |  4 Pagesand examine why they still allow to have capital punishment in their country. Out of 196 countries in the world only 58 of those countries still embrace capital punishment. China is at the top of the list that carries out the highest executions each year than all other country. With an overpopulated country I can recognize why they carry out the highest executions than all other country in the world. One of the reasons that China allows capital punishment is to crack down on crimes. With an overRead MoreKant and Mills on Capital Punishment Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesKant and Mills on Capital Punishment Capital punishment has raised debate in America since 1608. Both the â€Å"pro-â€Å" and â€Å"anti-â€Å" sides of the issue have strong arguments. Some believe killing is simply wrong, and violates universal human rights, others seek the only justice they deem appropriate, equal justice. I will examine the philosophies of Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill, with regards to their stance on the death penalty. John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806- 8 May 1873) was born in London, EnglandRead MoreLife Imprisonment1378 Words   |  6 Pages| LIFE IMPRISONMENT IS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT | Can life imprisonment be a good alternative to death penalty? The issue remains unresolved. Even the US Supreme Court that had abolished ‘Death Penalty’ reversed its decision when new and less cruel methods of execution were introduced.  Why does a society punish its members for certain acts that are offensive and unacceptable to its laws and codes? This can be a starting point of exploring our dilemma about death penalty vs. lifeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Vital Factor For Keeping Society1645 Words   |  7 Pagesan extremely prominent controversial issue worldwide, yet I believe that it is important we remain advocates for the death penalty as it is a vital factor for keeping society under order. it is among the oldest criminal punishments, and has shown its effectiveness if it has stayed around this long. Capital punishment serves 4 general purposes: To punish crime, to prevent repetition of crime, to discourage future crimes, and save the taxpayers lifelong exp enses for prison. 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Crimes that are found punishable by death are referred to as  capital crimes  or  capital offences, and commonly include offences such as murder, treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide (Henderson, 48-9). The term  capital  is derived from the  Latin termRead MoreRational Choice, Deterrence, Incapacitation and Just Desert Essay1476 Words   |  6 Pagescontrolled through the perception and understanding of the potential pain or punishment that will follow an act judged to be in violation of the social good, the social contract, (7) The state is responsible for maintaining order and preserving the common good through a system of laws (this system is the embodiment of the social contract), (8) The Swiftness, Severity, and Certainty of punishment are the key elements in understanding a laws ability to control human behaviorRead MoreThe Death Penalty Has a Positive Effect on Society1562 Words   |  7 Pagesthat carry the death penalty as a form of punishment because retribution should be taken for the heinous crimes that are committed, people that commit crime or kill will do it again, and the death penalty deters crime. There are controversial issues over the death penalty and extremists from both sides widely express their opinions. Such issues include the chance of an innocent person being put to death, the death penalty being a racist form of punishment, and the cost of the death penalty versusRead MoreThe Death Penalty And The Rise Rate Of The Violent Crime1029 Words   |  5 PagesUSA. Thus it is challenging, if not impossible, to determine the exact role of the capital punishment in a prevention of potential future crimes. From the financial perspective, the deterrence argument for the death penalty seems cost ineffective and inefficient. Given the small number of death row inmates, which is 2905 as of July 2016, based on the most recent data available, the cost of maintaining capital punishment seems to be prohibitory high (Death Row Inmates, 2016). Not every one of those 2905

Night World Witchlight Chapter 12 Free Essays

They were all on their feet by now. Keller’s early warning system was screaming hysterically. â€Å"I can’t stand it anymore,† Diana hissed. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Witchlight Chapter 12 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"What’s going on?† Just then, Nissa said in a quenched voice, â€Å"All right, we will. Yes. â€Å"Bye.† She carefully replaced the handset. Then she turned very slowly to face the others. Or not to face them exactly. She was looking down at the floor in an unfocused way that scared Keller to death. â€Å"Well, what is it?† Keller growled. Nissa opened her mouth and raised her eyes to look at Winnie. Then she looked down again. â€Å"I’m sorry,† she said. â€Å"Winnie, I don’t know how to say this.† She swallowed and then straightened, speaking formally. â€Å"The Crone of all the Witches is dead.† Winnie’s eyes went huge, and her hands flew to her throat. â€Å"Grandma Harman!† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But how?† Nissa spoke carefully. â€Å"It happened yesterday in Las Vegas. She was outside her shop, right there on a city street, in broad daylight. She was attacked†¦ by three shapeshifters.† Keller stood and listened to her pounding heart. Winnie breathed, â€Å"No. That’s not possible.† â€Å"A couple of wolves and a tiger. A real tiger, Keller, not any smaller cat. There were human witnesses who saw it. It’s being reported as some bizarre escape from a private zoo.† Keller stood rigid. Control, control, she thought. We don’t have time for grieving; we’ve got to figure out what this means. But she couldn’t help thinking about Grandma Harman’s good old face. Not a beautiful face, not a young face, but a good one, with intelligence and humor in the keen gray eyes. A face with a thousand wrinkles-and a story to go with each one. How would Circle Daybreak ever get along without her? The oldest witch in the world, the oldest Hearth-Woman. Winnie put both hands to her face and began to cry. The others stood silently. Keller didn’t know what to do. She was so bad at these emotional things, but nobody else was stepping forward. Nissa was even less good at dealing with emotion, and right now her cool face was sympathetic and sad but distant. Iliana looked on the verge of tears herself, but uncertain. Galen was staring emptily across the room with something like despair. Keller awkwardly put an arm around Winnie. â€Å"Come on, sit down. Do you want some tea? She wouldn’t like you to cry.† All pretty stupid things to say. But Winnie buried her strawberry-blond head against Keller’s chest, sobbing. â€Å"Why? Why did they kill her? It isn’t right.† Nissa shifted uneasily. â€Å"Paulie said something about that, too. He said we should turn on CNN.† Keller set her teeth. â€Å"Where’s the remote?† she said, trying not to sound rough. Iliana picked it up and punched in a channel. An anchorwoman was speaking, but for a second Keller couldn’t take in what she was saying. All she could see were the words on the screen: â€Å"CNN SPECIAL REPORT: ANIMAL PANIC.† And the footage, rough video from somebody’s camcorder. It showed an unbelievable scene. An ordinary city street, with skyscrapers in the background-and in the foreground ordinary-looking people all mixed up with†¦ shapes. Tawny shapes. About the same size she was in panther form, and sinuous. They were on top of people. Four of them†¦ no, five. Mountain lions. They were killing the humans. A woman was screaming, flailing at an animal that had her arm in its mouth to the elbow. A man was trying to pull another lion off a little boy. Then something with a white-tipped muzzle ran directly at the camera. It jumped. There was a gasping scream and for an instant a glimpse of a wide-open mouth filled with two-inch teeth. Then the video turned to static. â€Å"-that was the scene at the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles today. We now go to Ron Hennessy, live outside the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Keller stood frozen, her fists clenched in helpless fury. â€Å"It’s happening everywhere,† Nissa said quietly from behind her. â€Å"That’s what Paulie said. Every major city in the U.S. is being attacked. A white rhino killed two people in Miami. In Chicago, a pack of timber wolves killed an armed police officer.† â€Å"Shapeshifters,† Keller whispered. â€Å"Yes. Killing humans openly. They may even be transforming openly. Paulie said that some people claimed to see those Chicago wolves change. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly. â€Å"Keller, the time of chaos at the end of the millennium†¦ it’s happening now. They can’t cover this up with a â€Å"private zoo† story. This is it-the beginning of the time when humans find out about the Night World.† Diana looked bewildered. â€Å"But why would shapeshifters start attacking humans? And why would they kill Grandma Harman?† Keller shook her head. She was rapidly approaching numbness. She glanced at Galen and saw that he felt exactly the same. Then there was a choked sound beside her. â€Å"That’s the question-why,† Winnie said in a thick voice. Usually, with her elfin features and mop of curls, she looked younger than her age. But right now, the skin on her face was drawn tight, and her birdlike bones made her look almost like an old woman. She turned on Keller and Galen, and her eyes were burning. â€Å"Not just why they’re doing it, why they’re being allowed to do it. Where’s the First House while all this is going on? Why aren’t they monitoring their own people? Is it because they agree with what’s happening?† The last words were snapped out with a vicious-ness that Keller had never heard in Winfrith before. Galen opened his mouth, then he shook his head. â€Å"Winnie, I don’t think-â€Å" â€Å"You don’t think! You don’t know? What are your parents doing? Are you saying you don’t know that?† â€Å"Winnie-â€Å" â€Å"They killed our oldest leader. Our wise woman. You know, some people would take that as a declaration of war.† Keller felt stricken and at the same time furious at her own helplessness. She was in charge here; she should be heading Winnie off. But she was a shapeshifter like Galen. And along with the ability to transform and the exquisitely tuned senses, they both shared something unique to their race. The guilt of the shapeshifters. The terrible guilt that went back to the ancient days and was part of the very fabric of Kellers mind. No shapeshifter could forget it or escape it, and nobody who wasn’t a shapeshifter could ever understand. The guilt was what held Galen standing there while Winnie yelled at him, and held Keller unable to interrupt. Winnie was right in front of Galen now, her eyes blazing, her body crackling with latent energy like a small but fiery orange comet. â€Å"Who woke that dragon up, anyway?† she demanded. â€Å"How do we know the shapeshifters aren’t up to their old tricks? Maybe this time they’re going to wipe the witches out completely-â€Å" â€Å"Stop it!† It was Hiana. She planted herself in front of Winnie, small but earnest, a little ice maiden to combat the witch’s fire. Her nose was pink and swollen, and she was still wearing those teddy bear slippers, but to Keller she somehow looked valiant and magnificent. â€Å"Stop hurting each other,† she said. â€Å"I don’t understand any of this, but I know that you’re not going to get anywhere if you fight. And I know you don’t want to fight.† All at once, she flung her arms around Winnie. â€Å"I know how you feel-it’s so awful. I felt the same way when Grandma Mary died, my mom’s mother. All I could think of was that it was just so unfair.† Winfrith hesitated, standing stiffly in Diana’s embrace. Then, slowly, she lifted her own arms to hold Iliana back. â€Å"We need her,† she whispered. I know. And you feel mad at the people who killed her. But it’s not Galen’s fault. Galen would never hurt anybody.† It was said with absolute conviction. Hiana wasn’t even looking at Galen. She was stating a fact that she felt was common knowledge. But at the same time, now that she was off her guard, her expression was tender and almost shining. Yes, that’s love, all right, Keller thought. And it’s good. Very slowly, Winnie said, ‘I know Galen wouldn’t. But the shapeshifters–â€Å" â€Å"Maybe,† Galen said, â€Å"we should talk about that† If Winnie’s face was pinched, his was set in steel. His eyes were so dark that Keller couldn’t distinguish the color. â€Å"Maybe we should talk about the shapeshifters,† he said. He nodded toward the kitchen table, which was still strewn with the parchments. â€Å"About their history and about the dragons.† He looked at Diana. â€Å"If there’s any chance of-of a promise ceremony between us, it’s stuff you ought to know.† Iliana looked startled. â€Å"He’s right,† Nissa said in her calm voice. â€Å"After all, that’s what we were doing to start with. It’s all tied together.† Keller’s whole body was tight. This was something that she very much didn’t want to talk about But she refused to give in to her own weakness. With a tremendous effort, she managed to say steadily, â€Å"All right. The whole story.† â€Å"It started back in the days humans were still living in caves,† Galen said when they were all sitting down at the kitchen table again. His voice was so bleak and controlled that it didn’t even sound like Galen. â€Å"The shapeshifters ruled then, and they were brutal. In some places, they were just the totem spirits who demanded human sacrifice, but in others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He searched through the parchments, selected one. â€Å"This is a picture of a breeding pen, with humans in it. They treated humans exactly the way humans treat cattle, breeding them for their hearts and livers. And the more human flesh they ate, the stronger they got.† Iliana looked down at the parchment scrap, and her hand abruptly clenched on a tissue. Winnie listened silently, her pointed face stern. â€Å"They were stronger than anyone,† Galen said. â€Å"Humans were like flies to them. The witches were more trouble, but the dragons could beat them.† Iliana looked up. â€Å"What about the vampires?† â€Å"There weren’t any yet,† Galen said quietly. â€Å"The first one was Maya Hearth-Woman, the sister of Hellewise Hearth-Woman. She made herself into a vampire when she was looking for immortality. But the dragons were naturally immortal, and they were the undisputed rulers of the planet. And they had about as much pity for others as a 7. rex has.† â€Å"But all the shapeshifters weren’t like that, were they?† Iliana asked. â€Å"There were other kinds besides the dragons, right?† â€Å"They were all bad,† Keller said simply. â€Å"My ancestors–the big felines-were pretty awful. But the bears and the wolves did their share.† â€Å"But you’re right, the dragons were the worst,† Galen said to Iliana. â€Å"And that’s who my family is descended from. My last name, Drache, means ‘dragon.’ Of course, it was the weakest of the dragons that was my ancestor. The one the witches left awake because she was so young.† He turned to Winnie. â€Å"Maybe you’d better tell that part. The witches know their own history best.† Still looking severe, Winnie thumbed through the parchment scraps until she found one. â€Å"Here,† she said. ‘It’s a picture of the gathering of the witches. Hecate Witch-Queen organized it. She was Hellewise’s mother. She got all the witches together, and they went after the shapeshifters. There was a big fight. A really big fight.† Winnie selected another piece of scroll and pushed it toward Diana. Diana gasped. The parchment piece she was looking down at was almost solid red. â€Å"It’s fire,† she said. ‘It looks like-it looks like the whole world’s on fire.† Galen’s voice was flat. â€Å"That’s what the dragons did. Geological records show that volcanoes all over the world erupted around then. The dragons did that. I don’t know how; the magic’s lost. But they figured that if they couldn’t have the world, nobody else would, either.† â€Å"They tried to destroy the world,† Keller said. â€Å"And the rest of the shapeshifters helped.† ‘It almost worked, too,† Winnie said. â€Å"But the gathering of witches managed to win, and they buried all the dragons alive. I mean, they put them to sleep first, but then they buried them in the deepest places of the earth.† She bit her lip and looked at Galen. â€Å"Which probably wasn’t very nice, either.† â€Å"What else could they do?† Galen said quietly. â€Å"They left the dragon princess alive-she was only three or four years old. They let her grow up, under their guidance. But the world was a scorched and barren place for a long time. And the shapeshifters have always been†¦ the lowest of all the Night People.† â€Å"That’s true,† Nissa put in, her voice neither approving nor disapproving, simply making an observation. â€Å"Most Night People consider shapeshifters second-class citizens. They try to keep them down. I think, underneath, that they’re still afraid of them.† â€Å"And there’s never been an alliance between the shapeshifters and the witches,† Keller said. She looked directly at Diana. â€Å"That’s why the promise ceremony is so important. If the shapeshifters don’t side with the witches, they’re going to go with the vampires-â€Å" She stopped abruptly and looked at Galen. He nodded. â€Å"I was thinking the same thing.† â€Å"Those animal attacks,† Keller said slowly. ‘It sounds as if the shapeshifters are already making their decision. They’re helping to bring about the time of chaos at the end of the millennium. They’re letting the whole world know that they’re siding with the vampires.† There was a shocked silence. â€Å"But how can they decide?† Winnie began. â€Å"That’s just it,† Nissa said. â€Å"The question is, is it just the ordinary shapeshifters who’re doing it, or is it official? In other words, has the First House already decided?† Everyone looked at Galen. â€Å"I don’t think so,† he said. â€Å"I don’t think they’ll make any decision yet, at least not in public. As for what they’re doing in private, I don’t know.† His voice was still flat; it made no excuses. He looked around the table, facing all of them. â€Å"My parents are warriors. They don’t belong to Circle Daybreak, and they don’t like the witches. But they don’t like the vampires, either. More than anything, they’ll want to be on whichever side is going to win. And that depends on which side gets the Wild Powers.† â€Å"I think they want something else,† Keller said. â€Å"like?† They want to know that the witches are treating them fairly and not just trying to use them. I mean, if they thought that Circle Daybreak had found the Witch Child but wasn’t going to promise her to their heir, well, they wouldn’t be happy. It’s not just a matter of having a kinship bond with the witches. It’s a matter of feeling they’re being treated as equals.† Nissa’s light brown eyes narrowed, and she seemed almost to smile. â€Å"I think you’ve summed it up very well.† â€Å"So what it all comes down to,† Keller said pointedly, â€Å"is what happens on Saturday night. If there’s a promise ceremony, it means the witches have found the Wild Power and that they’re willing to tie her to the shapeshifters. If not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She let the sentence trail off and looked at Hiana. There, she thought. I’ve put it so plainly and simply, you can’t deny it now. And you can’t help but see what’s at stake. Diana’s eyes were like faraway violet storm clouds. Keller couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Maybe that the situation couldn’t be denied but that she herself wasn’t involved. Winnie took a deep breath. â€Å"Galen.† Her face was still drawn and unhappy, but the burning anger in her eyes was gone. She met Galen’s gaze directly. Tm sorry,† she said. â€Å"I shouldn’t have said those things before. I know you’re on our side. And I’m not like those people who don’t trust the shapeshifters.† Galen smiled at her faintly, but his eyes were serious. â€Å"I don’t know. Maybe you shouldn’t trust us. There are things in our blood-you can’t get rid of the dragon completely.† It was strange. At that moment, his eyes looked not only dark but almost red to Keller. Exactly the opposite of their usual golden-green. It was as if a light were smoldering somewhere deep inside them. Then Winnie abruptly extended her hand across the table. â€Å"I know you,† she said. â€Å"And there’s nothing bad in your blood. I won’t mistrust you again.† Galen hesitated one instant, then reached out with something like gratitude and took her hand. â€Å"Thanks,† he whispered. â€Å"Hey, if I were the Witch Child, I’d promise to you in a minute,† Winnie said. Then she sniffled, but her smile was much more like the old Winnie’s smile. Keller glanced at Iliana almost casually and was riveted by what she saw. The girl had changed again. Now she didn’t look like a princess or an ice maiden but like a very young soldier about to go into battle. Or maybe a human sacrifice who could save her tribe by jumping into a volcano. Her hair seemed to shine, silvery and pale, and her eyes were deep, deep violet in her small face. Her slight shoulders were back, and her chin was determined. Slowly, staring at something invisible in the center of the table, Iliana stood up. As soon as the motion drew their attention, the others fell quiet. It was obvious to everyone that something important was happening. Iliana stood there, her hands clenched by her sides, her chest rising and falling with her breathing. Then she looked at Galen. Finally, she looked at Keller. Tm not the Witch Child any more than Winnie is. And I think you know that by now. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a breath, steadied herself. Keller held her own breath. â€Å"But if you want me to pretend to be, I’ll do it. I’ll go to the promise ceremony with Galen-I mean, if hell do it with me.† She gave a half-embarrassed glance at Galen, looking shy and almost apologetic. â€Å"Will he ever!† Winnie said enthusiastically. Keller could have kissed her. Galen himself didn’t rise to the occasion properly at all; instead, he opened his mouth, looking uncertain. Fortunately, Iliana was going on. â€Å"Then I’ll go through with it. And maybe that will be enough for the shapeshifters to join with the witches, as long as they don’t find out I’m a fake.† She looked unhappy. She was so adamant that for a moment Keller was shaken. Could it be she wasn’t the Wild Power? But no. Keller knew she was. She just hasn’t awakened her power yet. And if she continued to deny it, she never would. She said, â€Å"Thank you, Iliana. You don’t know how much, how many lives you’re going to save. Thank you.† Then the excitement got the better of her, and she took Iliana by the arm and gave her a sort of shaking squeeze of affection. â€Å"You’re a trooper!† Winnie said, and hugged her hard. â€Å"I knew you’d come through all the time, I really did.† Nissa smiled at her with genuine approval. Galen was smiling, too, although there was something in his eyes†¦ â€Å"There’s just one thing,† Iliana said a little bit breathlessly, rubbing her arm where Keller had gripped it. â€Å"Ill do this. I said I would. But I have two conditions.† Keller’s excitement deflated. â€Å"Conditions?† â€Å"You can have anything you want,† Winnie said, blinking away happy tears. â€Å"Cars, clothes, books†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no, I don’t want things,† Diana said. â€Å"What I mean is, I’m doing this because I can’t just stand around and not do anything when stuff like that is going on.† She shivered. â€Å"I have to do anything I can to help. But. I’m still not the right person. So the first condition is that while I’m pretending to be the Wild Power, you guys have somebody out looking for the real one.† Keller said smoothly, â€Å"I’ll tell Circle Daybreak. They’ll keep looking and checking other Harmans. They’ll do it for as long as you want them to.† They would, too. It was a small price to pay. â€Å"And the other condition?† Keller asked. â€Å"I want to go to Jaime’s party on Saturday.† Instant uproar. Even Nissa was talking over people. Keller cut short her own exclamations and gestured for everybody to shut up. Then she looked Diana dead in the eye. ‘It’s impossible. And you know it’s impossible. Unless you’ve found a way to be in two places at once.† â€Å"Don’t be stupid,† Diana said. That small, determined chin was tight. â€Å"I mean before the promise ceremony thing. I want to go just for an hour or two. Because she’s one of my very best friends, and she’s gotten attacked twice because of me.† â€Å"So what? You’re already making it up to her. You’re saving her life and her twin brother’s life and her parents’ lives-â€Å" â€Å"No, I’m not. I’m faking being a Wild Power when I know it isn’t true. I’m acting a lie.† There were tears in Diana’s eyes now. â€Å"But I’m not going to hurt Jaime’s feelings, and I’m not going to break my promise to her. And that’s that. So if you want me to go through with your little charade, I’ll do it, but I want to go to the party first.† There was a silence. Well, she’s stubborn, I’ll give her that, Keller thought. Once she decides on something, she absolutely won’t be budged on it. I guess that will be helpful when the Wild Powers fight the darkness someday. But right now, it was simply infuriating. Keller drew a very long breath and said, â€Å"Okay.† Winnie and Nissa looked at her sharply. They hadn’t expected her to give in so fast, and they were undoubtedly wondering if their boss had some trick up her sleeve. How to cite Night World : Witchlight Chapter 12, Essay examples