Gun Control Essay

â€Å"Should Private Gun Ownership Be Banned?† Widespread gun ownership in a community could provide a general deterrent to criminal predation, lowering the risk to owners and non-owners alike. But widespread gun ownership could also lead to increased risks of various sorts, including the possibility that guns will be misused by the owners or transferred to dangerous people through theft or unregulated sale. Whether the social costs of gun ownership are positive or negative is arguably the most fundamental question for the regulation of firearms in the United States. Gun control laws and policy vary greatly around the world. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have very strict limits on gun possession while others, such as the United States, have relatively modest limits. In some countries, the topic remains a source of intense debate with proponents generally arguing the dangers of widespread gun ownership, and opponents generally arguing individual rights of self-protection as well as individual liberties in general. So me in the United States view gun ownership as a civil right (Snyder i-ii), where the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. One of the earliest U.S. gun-control legislation at the state level were the black codes (laws that replaced the pre Civil War era slave codes which, among other things, prohibited black ownership of firearms) in an attempt to prevent blacks’ having access to the full rights of citizens, including rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment (Halbrook 108). Laws of this type later used racially neutral language to survive legal challenge, but were expected to be enforced against blacks rather than whites. Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, where 20 young children were killed, Wayne LaPierre, vice-president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) proposed, at an NRA press conference, that the solution to such tragedies is to place armed officers in schools, saying: â€Å"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun† (Washington post). LaPierre blamed the media, politicians in favor of gun-free zones, U.S. mental health services, and violent movies and video games for the shooting. He introduced an NRA-backed proposal to put armed guards in all schools in the U.S., which he called the National Model School Shield Program. In January 2013, the Newtown school board voted unanimously to ask for police officer presence in all of its elementary schools. A 2004 review by the National Research Council concluded that, â€Å"higher rates of household firearms ownership are associated with higher rates of gun suicide, that illegal diversions from legitimate commerce are important sources of crime guns and guns used in suicide, that firearms are used defensively many times per day, and that some types of targeted police interventions may effectively lower gun crime and violence† (Welford). Another review conducted in 2011 by the Firearm Injury Center at Penn determined that, â€Å"the correlation be tween firearm availability and rates of homicide is consistent across high income industrialized nations: in general, where there are more firearms, there are higher rates of homicide overall†. A 2004 review of the literature conducted by researchers at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center similarly found that, â€Å"a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries† (Homicide – Firearms Research). Reviews by the HICRC also assessed variation in gun ownership and violence in the United States and found that the same pattern held: states with higher gun ownership had higher rates of homicide, both gun-related and overall. A review published in 2011 found that the health risks of a gun in the home are greater than the benefits, based on evidence that the presence of guns increases the risk of completed suicides and evidence that guns increase the intimidation and murder rate of women (Hemenway 502). The researchers found no credible evidence that guns in the home reduce the severity of injury in a break-in or confrontation or act as a deterrent of assault. A p revious study (2003) had similarly found that the presence of a gun in the home significantly increased the risk of suicide and adult homicide (Wiebe 12). A number of studies have examined the correlation between rates of gun ownership and gun-related, as well as overall, homicide and suicide rates internationally. Martin Killias, in a 1993 study covering 21 countries, found that there were significant  correlations between gun ownership and gun-related suicide and homicide rates. Gun control has a serious public health, political and economic concerns that need to be addressed respectively. HEALTH/SAFETY Every year, more than two thousand people die in the United States from gun-related injuries. The population groups most affected by these avoidable deaths are children and young adolescents. The misuse of firearms is a problem worldwide, of course. However, the incidence of firearm use does vary from country to country. According to the United Nations Report on Firearm Regulation, Crime Prevention, and Criminal Justice (1997), the United States has â€Å"weaker firearm regulations and higher numbers of deaths involving firearms than all other industrialized and even most developing nations.† The study also noted that the total firearm death rate in the United States in 1995 was 13.7 per 100,000 people, â€Å"three times the average rate among other responding countries and the third highest, after Brazil and Jamaica†. More than half the homes in the United States possess firearms, so it is hardly surprising that they rank among the â€Å"ten leading causes of death ac counting for more than 30,000 deaths annually† (Wintermute 3107). While most people have guns primarily for sporting activities, many owners also have them for personal protection and security purposes. The public health approach to violence prevention attempts not only to reduce the occurrence of violence, but also to limit the numbers of fatal and nonfatal injuries when such events occur. To prevent gun-related violence, indeed any type of violence, it is important to understand the dynamics of violence as well as the role of different kinds of weapons in both fatal and nonfatal injuries. Research from around the world indicates that socio-structural factor such as high unemployment rates, ethnic and religious hostilities, political instability, financial inequalities, lack of resources, and economic deprivation increase the likelihood of violence. When guns are readily available in such settings, or where legislation to curb their illegitimate use is lax or inappropriate, injuries are more likely to occur, intentional or otherwise. Individual factors can also precipitate violence, including the use of firearms. Substance and alcohol abuse, mental disorders, feelings of personal i nadequacy and social isolation, and an individual’s experience with violence in the home are  among some of the factors that have been associated with violence. The more guns there are in circulation, the greater the likelihood that they will be misused. Hence, from a public health perspective, it is important to devise strategies which aim to ensure that those in possession of arms use them for legitimate purposes and not for violent or criminal acts. There are a variety of ways of dealing with the problems caused by guns in society, and legislation is one of the methods most commonly used. Franklin Zimring has noted that laws that regulate gun use fall into three categories: those that limit the place and the manner of firearm use, those that keep guns out of the hands of high-risk users, and those that ban high risk firearms. Place and manner legislation sets out to do as it suggests, to limit certain uses of firearms in certain locations. Examples include banning the use of firearms in public places and prohibiting the carrying of a firearm (except for those carried by security personnel and police). This legislation is difficult to impl ement, however, without the active support of the police force, and that support requires additional funding to make sure that police monitor potentially violent events. Successful place and manner legislation has been implemented in the country of Columbia, where firearms are involved in 80 percent of homicides. Here, an innovative gun control intervention was implemented by the Program for Development, Security, and Peace (DESEPAZ), in collaboration with the Mayor of Cali, Colombia’s third largest city. A police-enforced ban was introduced in Cali that prohibited carrying firearms on weekends, public paydays, public holidays, and election days because â€Å"such periods were historically associated with higher rates of homicide† (Villaveces 1206). Media-led information campaigns informed the public of the new gun control measure. On the days when the ban was in operation, police set up strategically located checkpoints in areas of the city where criminal activities were commonplace, and they conducted random searches of individuals. â€Å"During the ban, police policy directed that if a legally acquired firearm was found on an individual, the weapon was to be temporarily taken from the individual and the individual fined. Individuals without proof of legally acquiring the firearm were to be arrested and the firearm permanently confiscated† (Villaveces1206). Denying high-risk users access to firearms is the second type of legislative tool to control gun misuse. In order for this approach to work, the law has to define clearly who falls into the category of â€Å"high-risk user.† The term is usually applied to convicted criminals, those deemed â€Å"mentally unfit,† and to drug addicts. It also applies to minors. Such legislation attempts to make it difficult for members of these groups to possess a firearm. Every year, in developed and developing countries across the globe, thousands of children and young adolescents die while playing with loaded guns. Additionally, studies have shown that adolescents are vulnerable in terms of firearm misuse and successful suicide attempts. In the United States between 1965 and 1985 â€Å"the rate of suicide involving firearms increased 36 percent, whereas the rate of suicide involving other methods remained constant. â€Å"Among adolescents and young adults, rates of suicide by firearms doubled during the same period† (Kellermann 467). Restricting minors the access to have weapons can help to reduce these events. Many states now attempt to prevent high-risk groups from obtaining firearms by identifying â€Å"ineligible† individuals before they can acquire a gun. Minors would obviously fall into this category. â€Å"The screening system included in U.S. legislation known as the Brady Bill which permits police to determine whether a pros pective gun purchaser has a criminal record. If the check turns up nothing the purchaser can obtain the gun† (Zimring 53). The third legislative strategy used to combat the misuse of firearms is to introduce legislation regulating the use of very dangerous weapons. Such â€Å"laws limit the supply of high risk weapons† and â€Å"can complement the strategy of decreasing high risk uses and users† (Zimring 53). Such supply reduction laws â€Å"strive to make the most dangerous guns so scarce that potential criminals cannot obtain them easily† (Zimring 52). They also set out rigid requirements that must be met to prove that possession of such a weapon is necessary. Sawed-off shotguns, machine guns, and certain military devices are the kinds of weapons covered by this type of legislation. Research into this area in the United States has shown that states in which such strict laws operate have lower levels of violent crime than states that do not. Another means of legislating for firearm misuse is to introduce stiff penalties for criminals caught using firearms. â€Å"More than half of t he states in the USA have passed such laws. This approach is popular with gun owners because the penalties concern only gun related crime and place no restrictions on firearm ownership† (Zimring 52). ECONOMICS After the school massacre in Newtown, everyone has been putting out proposals for how to reduce gun violence. President Obama created an inter-agency task force. The NRA asked for armed guards in every school and now economists are weighing in with their own, number-heavy approaches (Washington post). In the United States, there are an average of 32,300 deaths (the majority of which are suicide) and approximately 69,000 injuries annually most common in poor urban areas and frequently associated with gang violence, often involving male juveniles or young adult males, with an estimated annual cost of $100 billion(Bjerregaard and Alan 37). American society remains deeply divided over whether more restrictive gun control policies would save lives and prevent injuries. Scholars agree the rate of gun violence in the United States is higher than many developed OECD countries that practice strict gun control. The United States’ low life expectancy (relative to other wealthy countries) may be attributable to guns, with a reduction in average American lifespan of 104 days (Lemaire, 359). Disagreement exists among academics on the question of whether a causal relationship between gun availability and violence exists, and which, if any, gun controls would effectively lower gun related violence. Cook and Ludwig created a data set that used the number of suicides by firearm in a county as a proxy for gun ownership and checked it against a variety of existing survey data. They figured out the â€Å"social cost† of owning a gun. The two economists determined that a greater prevalence of guns in an area was associated with an increase in the murder rate, but not other types of violent crimes (guns, the authors argue, lead to â€Å"an intensification of criminal violence†). Why does this happen? One possibility: The two economists found evidence that if there are more legal guns in an area, it’s more likely that those guns will be transferred to â€Å"illegal† owners. When the two economists added up the costs of gun ownership, more injuries and m ore homicides and weighed them against various benefits, they concluded that the average household acquiring a gun imposed a net cost on the rest of society of somewhere between $100 to $1,800 per year (379-382). Now, normally when economists come across a product that has a negative externality like cigarettes or coal-fired plants, they recommend taxing or regulating it, so that the user of the product internalizes the costs that he or she is imposing on everyone else. In this case, an economist might suggest slapping a steeper tax on guns or bullets. Others  might object that this isn’t fair. There are responsible gun owners and irresponsible gun owners. Not everyone with a gun imposes the same costs on society. Why should the tax be uniform? And that brings us to John Wasik’s recent essay at Forbes. Instead of a tax on guns, he recommends that gun owners be required to purchase liability insurance (Washington post). Different gun owners would pay different rates, depending on the risks involved. Who pays the least for gun insurance would be least likely to commit a crime with it. Economist John Lott, in his book More Guns, Less Crime, provides data showing that laws allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a gun legally in public may cause reductions in crime because potential criminals do not know who may be carrying a firearm. The data for Lott’s analysis came from the FBI’s crime statistics for all 3,054 US counties (Lott 50). University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt argues in his paper, Under standing Why Crime Fell in the 1990s: Four Factors that Explain the Decline and Six that Do Not, that available data indicate that neither stricter gun control laws nor more liberal concealed carry laws have had any significant effect on the decline in crime in the 1990s. A comprehensive review of published studies of gun control, released in November 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was unable to determine any statistically significant effect resulting from such laws, although the authors suggest that further study may provide more conclusive information. Fully automatic firearms are legal in most states, but have requirements for registration and restriction under federal law. The National Firearms Act of 1934 required approval of the local police chief, federally registered fingerprints, federal background check and the payment of a $200 tax for initial registration and for each transfer. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited imports of all nonsporting firearms and created several new categories of restricted firearms. A provision of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 prohibited further registry of machine guns manufactured after it took effect. The result has been a massive rise in the price of machine-guns available for private ownership, as an increased demand chases the fixed, pre-1986 supply. For example, the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine-gun, which may be sold to law enforcement for about $1,000, costs a private citizen about $5,000 (Stewart). POLITICS Gun politics addresses safety issues and ideologies related to firearms through criminal and noncriminal use. Gun politics deals with rules, regulations, and restrictions on the use, ownership, as well as distribution of firearms. Gun control laws and policy vary greatly around the world. Some countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom or Germany, have very strict limits on gun possession while others, such as the United States, have relatively lenient limits. Most nations hold the power to protect them, others, and police their own territory as a fundamental power vested by sovereignty. However, this power can be lost under certain circumstances: some countries have been forced to disarm by other countries, upon losing a war, or by having arms embargos or sanctions placed on them. Likewise, nations that violate international arms control agreements, even if claiming to be acting within the scope of their national sovereignty, may find themselves with a range of penalties or sa nctions regarding firearms placed on them by other nations. National and regional police and security services enforce their own gun regulations. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) supports the United States’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) program â€Å"to aggressively enforce this mission and reduce the number of weapons that are illegally trafficked worldwide from the United States and used to commit acts of international terrorism, to subvert restrictions imposed by other nations on their residents, and to organized crime and narcotics-related activities. The issue of firearms has, at times, taken a high-profile position in United States culture and politics. Mass shootings (like the Columbine High School massacre, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and Virginia Tech massacre) have continually ignited political debates about gun control in the United States. According to a 2012 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 10% of Americans support banning all guns except for police and authorized personnel, 76% support gun ownership with some restrictions, and 10% support gun ownership with no restrictions. Michael Bouchard, Assistant Director/Field Operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, estimates, there are 5,000 gun shows annually in the United States. In 1959, the Gallup poll showed that 59% of Americans supported banning handgun possession. In 2011, the Gallup poll showed that 26% supported banning handgun possession. In 1990, the Gallup poll showed that  78% of Americans supported stricter laws on gu n sales than existed at the time, 17% felt the laws were fine as they were, and 2% supported less strict laws. In 2011, the Gallup poll showed that 43% supported stricter laws on gun sales, 44% felt the laws were fine as they were, and 11% supported less strict laws. In 2001, the Gallup poll showed that 51% of Americans preferred that current gun laws be enforced more strictly. In 2011, it was 60% (Gallup politics). A 2009 CNN/ORC poll found 39% favored stricter gun laws, 15% favored less strict gun laws, and 46% preferred no change. CNN reported that the drop in support (since the 2001 Gallup poll) came from self-identified independents and Republicans, with support among Democrats remaining consistent. There is a sharp divide between gun-rights proponents and gun-control proponents. This leads to intense political debate over the effectiveness of firearm regulation. Democrats are more likely to support stricter gun control than are Republicans. In an online 2010 Harris Poll, of Democrats, 70% favored stricter gun control, 7% favored less strict gun control, and 14% preferred neither. Of Republicans, 22% favored stricter control, 42% favored less strict control, and 27% preferred neither (Krane 1-2). In the same 2011 Gallup poll, 55% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents had a gun in their household compared to 40% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Of Republicans an d Republican-leaners, 41% personally owned a gun. Of Democrats and Democratic-leaners, 28% personally owned a gun (Gallup politics). Incidents of gun violence and self-defense have routinely ignited bitter debate. 12,632 murders were committed using firearms and 613 persons were killed unintentionally in 2007 (CDC 89). Surveys have suggested that guns are used in crime deterrence or prevention around 2.5 million times a year in the United States (LaPierre 23). In 2004, the NAACP filed suit against 45 gun manufacturers for creating what it called a â€Å"public nuisance† through the â€Å"negligent marketing† of handguns, which included models commonly described as Saturday night specials. The suit alleged that handgun manufacturers and distributors were guilty of marketing guns in a way that encouraged violence in black and Hispanic neighborhoods. The NAACP lawsuit and several similar suits, some brought by municipalities seeking reimbursement for medical cost associated with  criminal shootings were dismissed in 2003. Gun-rights groups, most notably the National Rifle Association, portrayed it as â€Å"nuisance suits,† aimed at driving gun manufacturers (especially smaller firms) out of business through court costs alone, as damage awards were not expected. These suits prompted the passage of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in October 2005. On January 22, 2013, Congressman Adam Schiff introduce d a bill in U.S. House of Representatives to counter the PLCAA, the The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act. CONCLUSION Since the days of the pioneers, guns have been around as part of the tradition in countries such as the United States of America (USA), Switzerland and Canada. In recent years, issues concerning the ownership and possession of private guns have become a hotly debated topic in these societies because of the rapid growth of gun crimes. However, guns are still valuable for self-defence. Allowance of private gun ownership can decrease crime rates and a gun abolition policy will produce unwanted outcomes to society. One of the arguments against banning private gun ownership is that allowing private use of guns is effective for self-protection. If a person carries a weapon, it can be used as self-defence against criminals. It is believed that citizens who are unarmed have higher chances to be targeted and assaulted by criminals as most lawbreakers would want to reduce their risks when committing crimes. The supporters of total gun confiscation argue that police who are allowed to carry fir earms will be able to stop the crimes. Americans are finally beginning to have a serious discussion about guns. One argument we’re hearing is the central pillar of the case for private gun ownership: that we are all safer when more individuals have guns because armed citizens deter crime and can defend themselves and others against it when deterrence fails. Those who don’t have guns, it’s said, are free riders on those who do, as the criminally disposed are less likely to engage in crime the more likely it is that their victim will be armed. When most citizens are armed, as they were in the Wild West, crime doesn’t cease. The criminals get better. There’s some sense to this argument, for even criminals don’t like being shot. But the logic is faulty, and a close look at it leads to the conclusion that the United States should ban private gun  ownership entirely, or almost entirely. One would think that if widespread gun ownership had the robust deterrent effects that gun advocates claim it has, our country would be free of crime than other developed societies. But it’s not. When most citizens are armed, as they were in the Wild West, crime doesn’t cease. Instead, criminals work to be better armed, more efficient in their use of guns (â€Å"quicker on the draw†), and readier to use them. When this happens, those who get guns may be safer than they would be without them, but those without them become progressively more vulnerable. Gun advocates have a solution to this: the unarmed must arm themselves. But when more citizens get guns, further problems arise: people who would once have got in a fistfight instead shoot the person who provoked them; people are shot by mistake or by accident. And with guns so plentiful, any lunatic or criminally disposed person who has a sudden and perhaps only temporary urge to kill people can simply help himself to the contents of Mom’s gun cabinet. Perhaps most important, the more people there are who have guns, the less effective the police become. As more private individuals acquire guns, the power of the police declines and personal security becomes a matter of self-help. For the police to remain effective in a society in which most of those they must confront or arrest are armed, they must, like criminals, become better armed, more numerous, and readier to fire. But if they do that, guns won’t have produced a net reduction in the power of the government but will only have generated enormous private and public expenditures, leaving the balance of power between armed citizens and the state as it was before, the unarmed conspicuously worse off, and everyone poorer except the gun industry. The logic is as more private individuals acquire guns, the power of the police declines, personal security becomes more a matter of self-help, and the unarmed have an increasing incentive to get guns, until everyone is armed. The logic of private gun possession is thus similar to that of the nuclear arms race. When only one state gets nuclear weapons, it enhances its own security but reduces that of others, which have become more vulnerable. The other states the n have an incentive to get nuclear weapons to try to restore their security. As more states get them, the incentives for others increase. If eventually all get them, the potential for catastrophe whether through irrationality, misperception, or accident is great. Each state’s security is then much lower than it would  be if none had nuclear weapons. But, as with nuclear weapons, we would all be safer if no one had guns or, rather, no one other than trained and legally constrained police officers. Gun advocates sometimes argue that a prohibition would violate individuals’ rights of self-defense. Imposing a ban on guns, they argue, would be tantamount to taking a person’s gun from her just as someone is about to kill her. But this is a defective analogy. Although a prohibition would deprive people of one effective means of self-defense, it would also ensure that there would be far fewer occasions on which a gun would be necessary or even useful for self-defense. Guns are only one means of self-defense and self-defense is only one means of achieving security against attack. It is the right to security against attack that is fundamental. In other Western countries, per capita homicide rates, as well as rates of violent crime involving guns, are a fraction of what they are in the United States (New York Times). Gun advocates claim it has nothing to do with our permissive gun laws or our customs and practices involving guns. If they are right, should we conclude that Americans are simply inherently more violent, more disposed to mental derangement, and less moral than people in other Western countries? If you resist that conclusion, you have little choice but to accept that our easy access to all manner of firearms is a large part of the explanation of why we kill each at a much higher rate than our counterparts elsewhere. REFERENCES Mcmahan J. The Stone: Why Gun ‘Control’ Is Not Enough. The New York Times December 19, 2012, 1:03 pm. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/why-gun-control-is-not-enough/. 5th April 2013. Kellermann A. L., Rivara F. P., Somes G., Reay D. T. â€Å"Suicide in the Home in Relation to Gun Ownership.† New England Journal of Medicine 327.7 (1992): 467-72. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1308093. 10th April, 2013. Villaveces A., Cummings P., Espitia V. E., Koepsell T. D. â€Å"Effect of a Ban on Carrying Firearms on Homicide Rates in 2 Colombian Cities.† Journal of the American Medical Association 283.9 (2000):1205-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10703790. 10th April, 2013. Wintermute, G. J., Teret S. P., Kraus J. F., Wright M. A., and Bradfield, G. (1987). â€Å"When Children Shoot Children.† Journal of American Medical Association 257.22 (1987): 208-209. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1025799/. 7th April, 2013. Zimring, F. E. â€Å"Firearms, Violence and Public Policy.† Scientific American (November 1991). Brad Plumer. â€Å"The economics of gun control†. The Washington Post December 28, 2012 at 3:42 pm. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/28/the-economics-of-gun-control/. 7th April, 2013. Snyder J. â€Å"Nation of Cowards: Essays on the Ethics of Gun Control†. Saint Louis: Accurate Press, 2001. i-ii. Print. Halbrook S.P. That Every Man be Armed: The evolution of a Constitutional Right. 2nd ed., The Independent Institute, Oakland, 1994. 108. Print. Welford, C.F. Firearms and Violence: A Critical Review. Washington D.C.: National Academies Press, 2004. Print. Hemenway, David (2011). â€Å"Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home†. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 5.6(2011): 502–511. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/753058_2. 10th April, 2013. Wiebe, Douglas (2003). â€Å"Homicide and suicide risks associated with firearms in the home: A national case-control study†. Ann Emerg Med 41.6(2003): 12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12764330. 10th April, 2013. Martin Killias. â€Å"Gun Ownership, Suicide and Homicide: An International Perspective† 1993. http://www.unicri.eu/documentation_centre/publications/series/understanding/19_GUN_OWNERSHIP.pdf . 10th April, 2013. Bjerregaard, B. and Alan J. L. (1995). â€Å"Gun Ownership and Gang Membership†. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 86.1(1995): 37–58. http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/BjerregaardAndLizotte.htm. 10th April, 2013. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. â€Å"Nonfatal Injury Reports â €Å". Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, December 7th 2012(WISQARS). CDC. www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. 10th April, 2013. Cook J. P. and Ludwig J. The social costs of gun ownership. Journal of Public Economics 90 (2006): 379–391. www.elsevier.com/locate/econbase. Lott, John R.Jr., â€Å"More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws†. Chicago Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1998. 50-122.

Jaws and Gothic Elements

Gothic Elements In Jaws In June of 1995, Director Steven Spielberg released a terrifying thriller called Jaws. In this film a gigantic great white shark terrorizes a small island, which is solely dependent on its beach for revenue. This movie was so scary because it is much more likely happen, unlike a zombie apocalypse or alien attack. People were so afraid of shark attacks they stayed far away from the beaches. Spielberg used gothic elements in his movie Jaws.The way he used them scared and still scares people today. The scene I chose is where Hooper finds Ben Gardener's sunken boat. Leading up to this scene Hooper and Broody are on Hoper's boat and Hooper is going to dive into the water to search for the elusive shark. When Hooper dives he diving by a Ben Gardener's shark ravaged boat. One of the gothic elements Spielberg used In this scene was his choice of music and how he used it to set up the scene. For example, when Hooper started to approach the boat.The music got more inten se and right when a human head pops out from the hole in the boat the music stops and it makes it very climatic because you were expecting the shark to come and attack him but instead a scary head pops out from the hole in the boat. Spielberg makes you think that the shark is going to attack Hooper because Hooper finds a huge shark tooth in the side of the boat. So when the music stops and the head pops out it is very surprising and scary. Another gothic element is the camera angle during this scene.The camera Is positioned directly behind Hooper, as he Is scuba diving around the wreckage of the ship. This gives you the feeling of being right there with Hooper and makes you feel claustrophobic because there Is nowhere else to look the right over his shoulder. This sakes the scene so much more scary and intense. Other horror elements are the lighting, props, and makeup. Spielberg made the lighting very dim and spooky. He did this on purpose because the scene was supposed to be a cree py scene.It made it harder to make out what was going on. The prop head that was used during this scene had a very creepy makeup done on it. The head was made to look like it was under there for a little bit and it was Just starting to decompose, which made it scary. Spielberg knew exactly what he was doing with this film. His use of gothic elements made it the extremely popular thriller It was. Without these elements the vie has no chill factor and would not be as successful as It was and still Is today.Jaws and Gothic Elements By Emily Gothic Elements in Jaws One of the gothic elements Spielberg used in this scene was his choice of music and Another gothic element is the camera angle during this scene. The camera is positioned directly behind Hooper, as he is scuba diving around the wreckage of the claustrophobic because there is nowhere else to look the right over his shoulder. This elements made it the extremely popular thriller it was. Without these elements the movie has no ch ill factor and would not be as successful as it was and still is today.

Consequences Of Colonization Of Africa - 1599 Words

Through the19th century to the start of the 20th century, Africa was at the mercy of Europe imperialism. Politics and economics led powerful European nations to colonize the continent of Africa. What was later coined as â€Å"The Scramble for Africa†, led powerful nations to aggressively take over the continent and exploit its materials, people, and land. The European powers that took control of most of Africa included Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The continent was divided and given to these European countries in 1884 through the Berlin Conference. The brutal rule by imperial command created a continent that still to this day deals with the lasting presence of the European takeover. Although not all effects of imperialism were bad or malicious, many were leaving an image of the era as psychologically damaging to Africans as well as to the land in general. Whether the effects of colonization left the continent in better or worse shape than it w ould have been without European imperialism, the colonization of Africa is a part of history that will remain infamous so long as it is remembered It is common for people to assume that all of African colonialism was the same. While most of the process of colonizing the continent did involve a lot of tragedy and hardship, the type of government set up was inherently different depending on the country that inhabited an area. For example South Africa was settled in the late 18th century originally by DutchShow MoreRelatedHistory And Events That Happened During The Colonization Of Africa Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pagesthe past are important to a country, as it has helped them develop and change who they are in the modern day. The colonization of Africa in the late 1800s-early 1900s are an example of this. The actions and events inflicted on Africa by the European powers have helped shape the continent of modern-day Africa. These events are largely significant to historians and the peo ple of Africa, such as the first genocide of the 20th century, committed by the German powers in now what is modern day NamibiaRead MoreThe Atlantic Slave Trade Second Edition By Herbert S Klein And Economic Consequences Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesFor my comparison book review, I chose to focus on the Atlantic Slave Trade Second Edition by Herbert S Klein and The Economic Consequences of the Atlantic Slave Trade† by Barbara L. Solow. My focus of the trade is labor demands, effects on Africa, European organization of trade, and economy leading up to the end of the trade and after. Together, the two books demonstrate that the Atlantic Slave Trade was more than just the trading of Africans to different continents, but was a historical point thatRead MoreColonialism in Africa911 Words   |  4 PagesLadonya Gatling World Civilizations II Mr. Mitchell 10:00-10:50 (MWF) Colonialism in Africa Neither imperialism nor colonialism is a simple act of accumulation nor acquisition†¦ Out of imperialism, notions about culture were classified, reinforced, criticized or rejected† (BBC World Service). The nineteenth century saw massive changes in Africa. Some were driven by famine and disease (BBC World Service). Some changes were the result of the territorial ambitions of African rulers. As the centuryRead MoreThe European Colonization Of Africa1461 Words   |  6 PagesThe European colonization of Africa, also known as the Scramble for Africa, Partition of Africa, or Conquest of Africa, occurred between the 1870s and 1900s, and was the invasion, occupation, colonization, and annexation of African territory by European powers during a period of New Imperialism. European control of the continent increased from 10 percent (1870) to 90 percent (1914), with only three territories, Saguia el-Hamra, which was later integrated into Spanish Sahara, Ethiopia and LiberiaRead MoreThe Link Between British Colonization Of Sub Saharan Africa And Lasting Economic Problems99 0 Words   |  4 PagesSociety misrepresents Africa as disease ridden, uncivilized, overpopulated and poor. It is generalized as one united nation rather than fifty-four individual states, and is conceived as an inferior nation. European nations deployed a mission of colonization to bring the continent civilization. This paper interprets the link between British colonization of Sub-Saharan Africa and lasting economic problems evident today. The argument of British underdevelopment in Africa draws on studies collected onRead More Why are Military Takeovers so Frequent in Postcolonial African Politics?1038 Words   |  5 Pagespolitical unrest. Much of that political unrest is blamed on the extended period of European colonization that the continent was forced to endure. Because of ethnic differences, natural resources, and ineffective governments, Africa has been subject to many military takeovers in the postcolonial period. Military takeovers are not unique to Africa. Like of many similar countries, the developing countries in Africa are naturally more susceptible to coup d’à ©tats than their developed counterparts. The perfectRead MoreColonization Of The Colonial System1473 Words   |  6 Pages Colonization is the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. Between 1870 and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressure, military invasion and eventual conquest and colonization and at the same time African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. However, by the early twentiethRead MoreThe Pan African Consciousness904 Words   |  4 Pagesuntil Africa is free† (Garvey). These words by Marcus Garvey perfectly illustrate the spirit of unification that characterized the attitude of many people of African Descent as a direct result of the callous treatment that Africa as a whole suffered at the hands of Europeans. Europe not only ravished Africa of a significant resource in the millions of lives that it stole and enslaved. Europe also pillaged the continent with the brutal institution of colonization. The manacles of colonization inspiredRead MoreImpact Of Slave Trade On West Africa1055 Words   |  5 PagesIn addition to the impacts of the slave trade on the social history of Africa, there were also major impacts on the political history. Below, three major impacts of the slave trade on the political history of West Africa will be discussed. To begin with, an impact that the slave trade had on West Africa is that it made the area more susceptible to colonization by European powers. There were two main ways in which the slave trade made it easier for European powers to colonize; the ways are the lossRead MoreEuropean Imperialism And The Colonization Of Afri ca984 Words   |  4 PagesAmongst the 1870s and 1900, Africa confronted European imperialist hostility, political pressures, military assaults, and ultimately the conquest and colonization. At the same time, African civilizations put up numerous methods of resistance against the effort to inhabit their countries and enforce foreign control. By the early twentieth century, however, much of Africa, except Ethiopia and Liberia, had been inhabited by European powers. The European imperialist drive into Africa was encouraged by three

Bipolar Disorder And Its Stages - 1296 Words

Introduction Do you know what Bipolar Disorder is and its stages? Do you know who Bipolar Disorder affects and what causes the disorder to form? Do you know the symptoms and treatments individuals with this disorder can use? First, I will be discussing what Bipolar Disorder is and its stages. Next, I will be discussing the cause and who Bipolar Disorder affects. Finally, I will be discussing the various signs and symptoms to diagnose individuals with Bipolar Disorder and the treatment options that individuals can use in order to have their Bipolar Disorder under control. What is Bipolar Disorder and it’s Stages? Bipolar Disorder a neurological disorder that has several severe indicators such as mood fluctuations, unusual behaviors such as†¦show more content†¦Depression is the final stage which is shown by individuals that exhibit physical and emotional indicators that make it tough to function in everyday functions and activities such as a loss of interest in important activities such as school and work, difficulty focusing, sadness, low self-esteem, and diminishing appetite. Depression typically persists for two weeks (Bressert, 2007). Unfortunately, all individuals with Bipolar Disorder differ based on the severity of symptoms and on the stage that they are currently in at the time being. Causes Unfortunately, there is no pin-pointed cause for obtaining Bipolar Disorder but there is a set of different factors working together to yield or cause additional risks. According to NCBI, Bipolar Disorder does not have a particular source of formation but studies shown to have found to be caused by genetics, environmental influences, and chemical disparities (NCBI, 2011). Bipolar Disorder is primarily caused by genetics due to familial genes which can be passed down by family and through earlier generations. According to Genet, studies have shown that children are seven times more at risk of obtaining Bipolar Disorder if their parents have the disorder (Genet, 1999). In the same study it showed that if a sibling has the disorder then the risk increases to fifteen times the risk (Genet, 1999). Environmental influences such as stress and

Analysis And Use Of Financial Ratios - 903 Words

Ratios are measurements. The reason ratios are used, as opposed to absolute values, is a mathematical one, and is basically in order to facilitate comparison by adjusting for size (Barnes, 1987). Similarly, knowledge of the behavior of turnover ratios might be useful in assessing the effects of changes in any of the underlying economic characteristics (Gupta and Hgefner, 1972). Article One In article â€Å"The Analysis and Use of Financial Ratios: A Review Article† by Barnes (1987), financial ratios are discussed. The discussion on financial ration is about the purpose of financial ratios. The purpose of financial ratios is to aid management s efficiency of planning and implementing actions based on prediction outcomes through coefficients and deviations. The financial ratios are used in design projects because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Barnes (1987) suggest using debt and performance ratios. Debt ratios indicated the percentage of a the assets verse debt. The formula is total debt divided total assets. Performance ratios indicated different aspects of cash flow. There are many different performance ratios. The advantages of debt and performance ratios are evaluating the worth or success of functions within a firm and identifying needs of a firm to meet the objectives, targets, goals, and scope before and after the planning process at different life cycles. The worth or success with a firm allows investors and managers to develop new opportunitiesShow MoreRelatedRatio and Financial Ratio Analyisis1712 Words   |  7 PagesRatio and Financial Statements Analysis Kimberly Y. Gruber University of Maryland University College Dr. Sunando Sengupta 07/25/2013 Turnitin Score: 23% Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to examine ratio and financial statement analysis. Such analysis is a useful tool for managers and stakeholders to evaluate a company’s financial health in order to identify opportunities for growth and areas of weakness so as to institute corrective measures.   Financial statements are usedRead MoreFinancial Ratio Analysis in a Company859 Words   |  3 Pagesto Olowe (1997), Financial Ratio Analysis is the relationship between the performance of a company and the monetary data in the financial statements to assist the economic conditions. Financial ratio was defined by Robert (1994) as two financial variables being used that have been taken from either the income statement or from the balance sheet. Ratio analysis is a tool that is brought in by individuals to perform an evaluative analysis of information in the company’s financial statements. It isRead MoreRatio Analysis : Analysis And Interpretation Of Financial Statements1490 Words   |  6 PagesRatio analysis is used to describe the important relationship that lies between figures based on line items in financial statements like the balance sheet, profit and loss account, and a budgetary control organization. Ratio analysis is a technique of analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It helps in evaluating the financial position and performance of the firm, ratio analysis also allows firms to compare their operational or financial performance to another firm or the industry standardRead MoreUsefulness And Limitations Of Financial Ratios1510 Words   |  7 Pageslimitations of financial ratios in evaluating the performance and management of companies Ratio analysis is used to describe the important relationship that lies between figures based on line items in financial statements like the balance sheet, profit and loss account, and a budgetary control organization. Ratio analysis is a technique of analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It helps in evaluating the financial position and performance of the firm, ratio analysis also allows firmsRead MoreFinancial Performance Analysis1727 Words   |  7 PagesLITERATURE Financial statement analysis is the process of examining relationships among financial statement elements and making comparisons with relevant information. It is a tool in decision-making processes related to stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments. Analysis of financial statements provides valuable information for managerial decision. Financial analysis is commonly called analysis and interpretation offinancial statement. Analysis of financial statements means establishingRead MoreThe Financial Status Of A Company1548 Words   |  7 PagesThe financial status of a company is a high priority for internal personal such as managers and external personal such as stockholders. The reason being that by developing financial statements and ratio analysis it allows all users to see the current and future status of a company’s financial state. Financial statements are beneficial, but have certain limitations that may cause issues, if unknown, when the company or individuals use them. This paper will discuss the benefits of ratio analysis andRead MoreI)Explain Standardized Financial Statements Including Why932 Words   |  4 Pagesi) Explain standardized financial statements including why financial statements are stand ardized. i) Standardized financial statements are standardized because it is difficult to make comparisons between two companies. The company’s size and currency difference could be significantly different and it makes it harder to compare. One way to standardize a financial statement is to use percentages instead of total dollar amounts. This type of change would result in a common-size statement. ThereforeRead MoreEffectiveness And Limitations Of Ratio Analysis1540 Words   |  7 PagesRatio analysis is the fundamental indicator of company’s performances for so many years; it is also can be seen as the very first step to measure a company’s performance along with its financial position. Moreover, ratio analysis has been researched and developed for many years, Bliss had presented the first coherent system of ratios, and he also stated that ratios are â€Å"indicator of the status of fundamental relationship within the business† Horrigan (1968). However there ar e some arguments on whetherRead MoreImportance of Financial Statements1034 Words   |  5 PagesFinancial statements, also known as financial reports, record the financial activities of a business in short and long term. The four financial statements are: balance sheet, income statement, statement of retained earnings, and statement of cash flows. A balance sheet reports the assets, liabilities, and net equity on a company. An income statement reports income, expenses, and profits on a company. A statement of retained earnings shows a company s changed retained earnings. The statementRead MoreTools Used in Financial Management625 Words   |  3 PagesThere are wide range of tools used in such as, cost of capital, financial leverage, capital budgeting appraisal methods, ABC analysis, ratio analysis and cash flow statements. (a) Cost of capital Cost of capital is an important element in investment decision or basically in business. It is used to measure the value of investment proposal provided by investment concern. It is used as discount rate in defining the present value of future cash flow which is associated with capital projects. Cost

Spratly Island free essay sample

Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs,[1] islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia (Sabah), about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land area spread over more than 425,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys are one of three archipelagos of the South China Sea which comprise more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which complicate governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant reserves of oil and natural gas. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from Vietnam, the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia and the Philippines. Brunei has also claimed an EEZ in the southeastern part of the Spratlys encompassing just one area of small islands above mean high water (on Louisa Reef. History Early cartography Geographic map of Spratlys. Click for more detailed image. For a satellite images of the islands, tagged by occupying country, see here. The first possible human interaction with the Spratly Islands dates back between 600Â  BCE to 3Â  BCE. This is based on the theoretical migration patterns of the people of Nanyue (southern China and northern Vietnam) and Old Champa kingdom who may have migrated from Borneo, which may have led them through the Spratly Islands. Ancient Chinese maps record the Thousand Li Stretch of Sands; Qianli Changsha ( and the Ten-Thousand Li of Stone Pools; Wanli Shitang ( ), which China today claims refers to the Spratly Islands. The Wanli Shitang have been explored by the Chinese since the Yuan Dynasty and may have been considered by them to have been within their national boundar ies. They are also referenced in the 13th century, followed by the Ming Dynasty. When the Ming Dynasty collapsed, the Qing Dynasty continued to include the territory in maps compiled in 1724, 1755, 1767, 1810, and 1817. A Vietnamese map from 1834 also includes the Spratly Islands clumped in with the Paracels (a common occurrence on maps of that time) labeled as Wanli Changsha. According to Hanoi, old Vietnamese maps record Bai Cat Vang (Golden Sandbanks, referring to both Paracels and the Spratly Islands) which lay near the Coast of the central Vietnam as early as 1838. In Ph? Bien T? p L? c (Frontier Chronicles) by the scholar Le Quy Don, Hoang Sa and Tru? ng Sa were defined as belonging to Qu? ng Ngai District. He described it as where sea products and shipwrecked cargoes were available to be collected. Vietnamese text written in the 17th century referenced government-sponsored economic activities during the Le Dynasty, 200Â  years earlier. The Vietnamese government conducted several geographical surveys of the islands in the 18th century. Despite the fact that China and Vietnam both made a claim to these territories simultaneously, at the time, neither side was aware that their neighbor had already charted and made claims to the same stretch of islands. The islands were sporadically visited throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by mariners from different European powers (including Richard Spratly, after whom the island group derives its most recognizable English name). However, these nations showed little interest in the islands. In 1883, German boats surveyed the Spratly and Paracel Islands but withdrew the survey eventually after receiving protests from the Nguyen Dynasty. Many European maps before the 20th century do not even make mention of this region. Military conflict and diplomatic dialogues Main article: Spratly Islands dispute In 1933, France asserted its claims from 1887 to the Spratly and Paracel Islands on behalf of its then-colony Vietnam. It occupied a number of the Spratly Islands, including Itu Aba, built weather stations on two, and administered them as part of French Indochina. This occupation was protested by the Republic of China government because France admitted finding Chinese fishermen there when French warships visited the nine islands. In 1935, the ROC government also announced a sovereignty claim on the Spratly Islands. Japan occupied some of the islands in 1939 during World War II, and used the islands as a submarine base for the occupation of Southeast Asia. During the occupation, these islands were called Shinnan Shoto ( ), literally the New Southern Islands, and put under the governance of Taiwan together with the Paracel Islands ( ). In 1945, The Republic of China sent its Naval ships to take control of the islands after the surrender of Japan. It had chosen the largest and perhaps the only inhabitable island, Itu Aba Island, as its base, and renamed the island under the name of the naval vessel as Taiping. The KMT force of Republic Of China briefly abandoned the islands after its defeat in Chinas civil war in 1949, but re-established the base in 1956. Today, Itu Aba Island is still administrated by the Republic of China, Following the defeat of Japan at the end of World War II, China re-claimed the entirety of the Spratly Islands (including Itu Aba), accepting the Japanese surrender on the islands based on the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations. The ROC government withdrew from most of the Spratly and Paracel Islands after they retreated to Taiwan from the opposing Communist Party of China, which founded the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. 21] ROC quietly withdrew troops from Itu Aba in 1950, but reinstated them in 1956 in response to Tomas Clomas sudden claim to the island as part of Freedomland. Japan renounced all claims to the islands in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, together with the Paracels, Pratas other islands captured from China, upon which China reasserted its claim t o the islands. It was unclear whether France continued its claim to the islands after WWII, since none of the islands other than Itu Aba is habitable. The South Vietnamese government took over the Tru? g Sa administration after the defeat of the French at the end of the First Indochina War. In 1958, the Peoples Republic of China issued a declaration defining its territorial waters, which encompassed the Spratly Islands. North Vietnams prime minister, Pham Van Dong, sent a formal note to Zhou Enlai, stating that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam respects the decision by China regarding the 12 nautical mile limit of territorial waters. Regarding this letter, there have been many arguments on its true meaning and the reason why Ph? m Van D? ng decided to send it to Zhou Enlai. One important fact is that the letter while accepting the 12 nautical mile principal for the limit of territorial waters of China, has never mentioned a word about how the territorial boundary was defined and thus leaving the dispute on South China Sea islands as its status quo for later settlement. In an interview with BBC, Dr. Balazs Szalontai provided an insight into this issue: The general context of the Chinese declaration was the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in 1956, and the resulting treaties signed in 1958, such as the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone. Understandably, the PRC government, though not being a member of the U. N. , also wanted to have a say in how these issues were dealt with. Hence the Chinese declaration of September 1958. In these years, North Vietnam could hardly afford to alienate Communist comrad China. The Soviet Union did not give any substantial support to Vietnamese reunification, and neither South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem nor the U. S. government showed readiness to give consent to the holding of all-Vietnamese elections as stipulated by the Geneva Agreements. On the contrary, Diem did his best to suppress the Communist movement in the South. This is why Pham Van Dong felt it necessary to take sides with China, whose tough attitude toward the Asian policies of the U. S. offered some hope. And yet he seems to have been cautious enough to make a statement that supported only the principle that China was entitled for 12-mile territorial seas along its territory but evaded the issue of defining this territory. While the preceding Chinese statement was very specific, enumerating all the islands (including the Paracels and the Spratlys) for which the PRC laid claim, the DRV statement did not say a word about the concrete territories to which this rule was applicable. Still, it is true that in this bilateral territorial dispute between Chinese and Vietnamese interests, the DRV standpoint, more in a diplomatic than a legal sense, was incomparably closer to that of China than to that of South Vietnam. Some international scholars argued that, Pham Van Dong who represented North Vietnam at that time has no legal right to comment on a territorial part which belonged to the South Vietnam represented by Ngo Dinh Diem. Therefore, the letter has no legal value and is considered as a diplomatic document to show the support of the government of North Vietnam to the PRC at that time. verification needed] In 2004, Vietnam issued a white paper saying, in part, Vietnam has sufficient historical evidence and legal basis to assert its indisputable sovereignty over the territorial waters and islands of Vietnam in the East Sea, among them the Paracels and Spratlys. Nevertheless, for the common security interests of the parties concerned, Vietnam is ready to enter in to peaceful negotiations to settle the problem, first and foremost by reaching an agreement on the Code of Conduct pending the final solution. On May 23, 2011, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III warned the Chinese defense minister of a possible arms race in the region if tensions worsened over disputes in the South China Sea. Aquino said he told visiting Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie in their meeting that such an arms race could result if there were more encounters in the disputed and potentially oil-rich Spratly islands. In May 2011, Chinese naval vessels opened fire on Vietnamese fishing vessels operating off East London Reef (Da Dong Island). Three military vessels were numbered 989, 27 and 28. They showed up with a small group of Chinese fishing vessels. Another Vietnamese fishing vessel was fired on near Cross (Chu Thap) Island. The Chief Commander of Border Guards in Phu Yen Province, Vietnam reports that a total of four Vietnamese vessels were fired upon by Chinese naval vesselsIn June 2011, the Philippines renamed the South China Sea and the Reed Bank as the West Philippine Sea and the Recto Bank. Telecommunications In 2005, a cellular phone base station was erected by the Philippines Smart Communications on Pag-asa Island. On 18 May 2011, China Mobile announced that its mobile phone coverage has expanded to the Spratly Islands, under the rationale that it can allow soldiers stationed on the islands, fishermen and merchant vessels within the area to use mobile services, and can also provide assistance during storms and sea rescues. The deployment of China Mobiles support over the islands took roughly one year to fulfil.

The Brady Training Program

The problem in the article appears to be employee dissatisfaction, leading to the character Bill Flynn to engage in improper behavior in order to meet his work needs. Bill appears to be very ambitious, which causes him to quit a job that does not satisfy his desires. He left a sales position even before he had been accepted for the training position in the technical field of computers. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Brady Training Program specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is an indication that Bill is a person who knows what he wants and is not tied to job security, or afraid of not getting a job. He is rather confident for someone with less than one year work experience. The problem identified in the article involves the behavior of a person who is ambitious and willing to go to great heights to achieve his targets. Bill is provided with the opportunity to train for a whole year in the technical field, after which he can obtain employment at the firm. The problem is that there are ten other people, who threaten his chances of success, whereby success is finishing the one year training program and being offered permanent employment. There are a maximum of four vacancies, which means that at least seven people will be eliminated. This leads Bill to come up with strategies that will ensure that he makes it to the last day of the competition. Due to the intensity of the training, some trainees result to dysfunctional behavior, which is expected when the competition gets stiff. The trainees had been advice to work individually, but there are a few people who work in groups, assisting each other, and at times steal reference material from previous groups to get direction. According to Charles Darwin, survival of human beings and other creatures has been based on natural selection, whereby only the strongest can survive. One channel of survival is adaptation. Similarly, the work enviro nment is very competitive, and with increasing cases of unemployment, people tend to do whatever it takes, to make good use of available opportunities. Bill is aiming at increasing his computer knowledge base, and succeeding in the program would be very advantageous for him. The other trainees have the same views, and since the organization will only hire the best, the trainees decide to go on an all out war. Group work was discouraged but the trainees know that individual efforts are futile and therefore form discussion groups to assist them through the courses. Some people result in stealing of reference material from previous groups. The policies outlined, especially those involving individual work are likely to be overlooked in any organization. This is because people are social, and tend to create friendships, and companionship. Companionship leads to sharing problems, as was seen in the growth of Bill’s discussion group. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One way for organizations to pose such competitions would be based on creating group tasks, whereby people are forced to succeed in groups or face elimination. Duties in organizations require coordination with other people, and as much as individual talent and skill may be beneficial, the individual must be a team player. The three bosses seemed to identify this trait in Bill, as he went the extra mile to create friendships with them in other fields beside the work place. His involvement in sports must have pleased them too, since it showed his ability to work with others, and probably led to the pay rise, in his last interview when he was offered the job, but informed them of better pay elsewhere. Another solution to avoid cheating and stealing of material during challenges is to provide assessment teachers to assign the groups at least one experienced person to guide them in their cours e of the training. Providing such a person would save them on time spent trying to figure out what is required of them, and convert it into meaningful time spent working on providing the most suitable solution or response. Behavior problems can best be controlled by providing mentors, who can guide and encourage positive behavior, since achieving something by yourself is bound to attract negative means of attaining success. This essay on The Brady Training Program was written and submitted by user Maxx Serrano to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.