Dostoyevsky ‘Notes from Underground’ Critique Essay

â€Å"Notes from Underground† was published in 1864 as a feature presentation of his first 1860 issue â€Å"The Epoch†. â€Å"Notes from Underground† was written by the author during a time when he faced many challenges in his life. Dostoyevsky faced failure in the publishing of his first journal â€Å"Time†, his financial position was becoming weaker and embarrassing. Moreover, his wife was dying and his conservatism was eroded leading to a decline in his popularity with the liberal reading Russians and consequently, he became the focus of attack by the radical and liberal press (Fanger 3). Therefore, this research seeks to find how the author presents the aspect of â€Å"underground man† and how he approached Charles Darwin’s thoughts of man in â€Å"Origin of the†¦show more content†¦By the time the author had completed writing â€Å"Notes from Underground† the society had moved to liberalism and abandoned reasoning and en lightenment (Frank 35). This is clearly represented in this novel since by the end, as the author concluded that there was more to man than enlightenment and reasoning. The underground man is an educated, literate, forty year old financially stable man, who, lives in a modern society. As the novel progresses, the underground man remembers the days he used to work without any affection. The man lives now alone in a place described as unattractive where he is completely cut off from friends and family (Fanger 5). This situation provides an indication of the troubles underground man is going through for they do not arise from work, money problems or the lack of social interaction opportunities. This man has money, is educated and has plenty of social interaction opportunities but he’d rather remain in his solitude, Dostoevsky shows that in all respect the man has reached enlightenment (Frank 36). The problems of underground man are all concerned with what is happening to him from the inside. This man is suffering from a disease that arises from his lack of feeling completely healthy. Though the novel has depicted many medical discussions on doctors, liver problems, medicines, the real disease is emotional distress. The entire first section of the book is about how emotionally troubled the undergroundShow MoreRelatedEnglish Literature- an Episode in the Life of an Author5918 Words   |  24 Pagesirrational universe. Jean Paul Sartre’s â€Å"no exit† Presents three people locked into a situation from which there is no escape and who eventually realize that â€Å"hell is other people.† Existentialism and absurd theater present alienation-The loss of sustaining religious belief. -The sense of anxiety and guilt. -The growing conviction that life was at bottom meaningless. Central to the existentialism. Critique of the traditional idea that within each individual has an â€Å"essence† A universal, defining characteristics

Rich World Poor World Free Essays

Debt is made when one party owes party money (Sofas, 2005). Just like people, governments of both developed and developing nations borrow money in order to function well and to maintain their economies (George, 1994). Debt is the economic mode that promotes economic activity in the global market (Lombard, 2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Rich World Poor World or any similar topic only for you Order Now The acquisition of debt comes through loans, grants and aid that are provided to developed and developing nations by multilateral creditors and bilateral lenders George, 1994). These creditors are international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (MIFF), the World Bank (WEB) and other banking institutions (Millet Toasting, 2004). The international community with their neo-liberal approach and capitalist notions of eradicating poverty was through, economic growth and development (Schaeffer, 2009). Due to increased profits (petrol-dollars) made off increased oil prices developing countries were encouraged and some even coerced to borrow money from developed nations in the sass’s and sass (George, 1994). Although their profits were invested in Western banks it did not yield impressive returns thus encouraging the global South to acquire debt (George, 1994). The global South grasped the opportunity and borrowed money to advance their infrastructure (roads and dams) and also fund industrial projects in their countries Airman, 2006). Some countries even borrowed more money what they needed. So keen the developed nations were to borrow money that they disregarded any moral and ethical standards they might have had, and granted loans knowingly, to corrupt governments and military regimes (George, 1994). Unfortunately like everything else this spending spree did not last and came to a sudden halt in the sass’s, which even left the United States economy in a recession (Study Guide, 2012). Developing countries had borrowed so much money that domestic currency and macro- economies collapsed, paralyzing everything Airman, 2006). This created the first international debt crisis of the inalienable era (George, 1994). When Mexico announced their inability to make debt repayments in 1982, it shocked the financial community (Ambition, 2004). The impact of the debt crisis affected the entire global racket, causing interests to rise, commodity prices to fall, and income earnings to fall (Lombard, 2004). All this eventually made it difficult for developing nations to make debt repayments. The Western nations acted quickly and gained control of their economy and for them the debt crisis was soon over (George, 1994). Unfortunately the debt crisis and the nightmare for the poor developing countries were far from being. In fact it had only Just begun when they found themselves faced with much bigger debt than they initially acquired this despite having made repayments since the sass’s (George, 1994). Even though Mexico was the first to default on their debt panic (Lombard, 2004). Growing concerns for the financial stability of the lending institutions, major creditors, and international financial institutions, sought new strategies to address the lending criteria in order to bring debt relief (Millet ; Toasting, 2004). This resulted in the implementation of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiatives (HIP), and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiatives, under the supervision of the World Bank and the International Monetary fund (Sofas, 2005). According to the MIFF and the World Bank these organizations were the answer to the bet crisis (Sofas, 2005). The notion that the debt crisis is over, is purely a myth and we will see. This essay will reveal the causes and impacts that resulted from these debt relief organizations, and incinerate the myth of the debt crisis having been addressed. The debt crisis affected the lives and dreams of many people living in developing countries Airman, 2006). Debt is nothing new but as the debt crisis grew the gap between the rich and poor widened Airman, 2006). A country debt is not just measured by the size of their particular debt, but also clearly how it impacts or effects that nation’s economy Airman, 2006). A country GAP (gross domestic product) per capita is also a clear indication of a countries capacity to not only service their debt, but to also ensure that the health and well-being of their citizens are met (George, 1994). If this does not happen then clearly there is a problem, not Just a financial one but a humanitarian one (George, 1994). This was the result for many poor developing countries that led to the debt crisis Airman, 2006). But it was not only developing nations that had debt, United States is the world’s biggest debtor tit $6 trillion being owed at 2002 Airman, 2006). The total debt owed by developing nations in the world came to 2. 5 trillion dollars in 1999 Airman, 2006). In Nicaragua (Latin America) their debt repayments in 2004 consumed 43% of their total earnings Airman, 2006). Many commentators argued that the debt crisis was also due to irresponsible lending by the Western Nations (Millet ; Toasting, 2004). Like the Bhutan nuclear power station in the Philippines, that was built on a volcano in 1974 Airman, 2006). A clear indication where misleading advice caused poor developing overspent to make wrong decisions Airman, 2006). A nuclear power plant that had never ever been used, but a debt that was incurred with interest are expected to still be repaid Airman, 2006). What exploitation of the poor! The Jubilee 2000 (social justice group) lobby’s that debt crisis be recognized and that unjust debt like the Philippines be cancelled Airman, 2006). They argued that poor countries cannot afford to make repayments without meeting the basic needs (education, food, healthcare) of their citizens (Cheer, 2002). They maintain that debt was conducted on unfair terms and contracted illegally (Cheer, 2002). Jubilee argues that all debts be forgiven because it perpetuates a balance of power Voluble Debt Campaign, 2007). The solution for the debt crisis was restructuring the debt of developing and developed countries (Millet Toasting, 2004). The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank formed Structural Adjustments Programmed (SAPS), to provide debt relief and bring it to sustainable levels in order to maintain repayments (Millet Toasting, 2004). SAP’s were conditionality’s set up specifically for poor developing countries to meet their debt repayment obligations (Cheer, 2002). They squired that poor developing countries raise interest rates, cut government barriers on trade, increase their export production and even cancelled subsides on local food production and healthcare (Cheer, 2002). This was met with criticism and caused outrage in the world. Critics argued that the West used controlling measures to control the economic policies in the poor developing counters Voluble, 2000). When Jamaica signed up with the MIFF and SAP conditionality’s, they experienced catastrophic impacts Airman, 2006). Social service spending dropped 50% between 1980 and 1986, unemployment rose, living conditions deteriorated, infant illumination, poverty levels increased and even school pass rate dropped by 50% Airman, 20060) Not only poor developing countries had conditionality’s imposed but even developed nations like New Zealand experienced the wrath of the Miff’s Airman, 2006) SAP’s were abandoned and the MIFF and World Bank launched the Highly Indebted Poor countries Initiative (HIP) in 1996 (Cheer, 2002). The HIP was implemented to act as an international relief mechanism, in order to reduce bilateral, multilateral and commercial debt to a â€Å"sustainable level† in poor developing counties (Cannot Mammogram, 2009). The principle objective was to reduce debt burdens and to ensure that no poor country through restructuring was compromised, that would cause them to default on their debt repayments (Cannot Mammogram, 2009). In other words, their mission was to assist to a certain point and then ensure that the creditors and lenders still got their money! Just like the SAP’s, the Hip’s initiative came with conditionality’s (Cohen, 2000). The eligibility criteria required that a country be very poor, have no unsustainable debt burden and have a reformed policies track record, all under the guidance of the MIFF and the World Bank, of course (Cohen, 2000). This eligibility process was further imposed with more conditionality’s until a country came to the â€Å"completion point† (George, 1994). The HIP was met with criticism because only 30 countries benefited under the HIP intuitive, and that the eligibility process took too long causing further danger to poor developing countries (Cohen, 2000). The â€Å"one size fits all† notion was unfortunately not working, because they failed to address the real issues of the inability of countries being able to provide for the basic needs of their citizens Airman, 2006). Jubilee activists pressured the MIFF and the World Bank with a petition at the 68, with the mission to write off all debt completely (Cohen, 2000). The enhanced HIP initiative was then launched and implemented. The enhanced HIP initiative was to provide stronger, faster, deeper and broader debt relief (Cohen, 2000). The 67 and bilateral creditors promised 100% debt relief for highly indebted poor countries (Cohen, 2000). This was unfortunately empty promises. Further protests and pressure to â€Å"drop the debt† led to Millennium Development Goals (MEG) being launched in 2000, as a benchmark for measuring the reduction of poverty (Sofas, 005). Meg’s were goals set to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty, to achieve universal education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve material health, combat HIVE/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development (Sofas, 2005). In conjunction to this the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MIDI) was launched in 2005 at the â€Å"Make Poverty History campaign in the UK (Sofas, 2005). MIDI was about granting debt relief and their requirement was Although many countries benefited from debt relief, only 23 countries reached implosion point and 10 reached the decision point. The HIP initially promised to cancel $63. 4 billion, but only $45. 4 billion delivered in April 2008 Airman, 2006). In April 2008 MIDI promised $50 billion cancellation, but cancellation delivered only $42. Billion Airman, 2006). All this structures and organizations that were set in place only looked to help poor developing countries on a superficial level (Cheer, 2002). The impacts of the debt crisis led to devaluation of local county currencies as inflation increased. Import costs rose, debts increased proportionally and there were he rise in export (Cheer, 2002). Employment opportunities were not enough to offset these losses. Poor dev eloping countries made loans on the notion that their export taxes would be able to repay or maintain their loans (Cheer, 2002). Government’s commitment to pay their debt came with conditionality’s that exhausted their economies, unemployment increased due to income and living standards declined. When health care and food subsidies were cancelled by international creditors it forced food prices to soar causing families not able to feed themselves. This led to malnutrition and poor health. According to Jubilee Campaign (2000) Just like debt, Aids is a ‘killer† and although sickness and diseases adversely affected men, it hurt both women and children (Cheer, 2002). The burden of meeting their debt repayments caused some to compromise on the health status of their citizens (Cheer, 2002). South Africa has the largest HIVE/Lads infected population 4. 2 million) more than 12% of its people and this affects their employment market (Cheer, 2002). A health crisis that caused the health of lawyers, doctors, ordinary workers and teachers unable to be active in their Job market, further affecting the countries social economy (Cheer, 2002). Teachers that had HIVE/AIDS are unable to work, then unable to buy medication which ultimately leads to ill-health and even death (Cheer, 2002). Disease, epidemics and pandemics places a huge burden on a countries health sector (Cheer, 2002). Children from these families suffered too because when one parent was affected some were kept home so the other could go work. If both suffered from Hides it often left children orphaned (Cheer, 2002). Girls in unemployed families were often kept home, while boys were sent to school because the cost of education was too dear. This increases the gender inequality in developing countries (Cheer, 2002). Due to unemployment, rise in prices and taxes most people in developing countries were living well below the poverty line (Thrall, 2008). According to Thrall (2008), the economic and social development of the world’s poorest countries is perhaps the greatest challenge facing society at the present moment (Thrall, 2008). Over 1 billion of the 6 billion populations live in absolute poverty and suffering malnutrition (Cheer, 2002). The MIFF and the World Bank entrapped highly indebted poor countries with foreign debt that far exceeded heir entire national yearly income (Cheer, 2002). In 2000, the debt repayments of sub-Sahara African countries were about 38% of their individual country budgets (Cheer, 2002). This is unreal and even immoral, that a country earnings through import and export, is overshadowed by an unbearable burden of debt repayments (Cheer, 2002). When debt repayments affects the basic needs of any country, and a country is unable to maintain their social obligations of providing health, education by the window society survival is really slim. Hughes (1999) argues that debts hooked not be forgiven because the debt crisis is the developing nations own fault. Corrupt governments caused their countries to be in this situations and conditionality’s are they only way to maintain control (Hughes, 1999). There are too many flaws in the so called economic model, and we have created a society where material gain supersedes moral and ethical commitments and standards. I believe an erosion of trust erupted, because of the exploitation of the poor by the rich colonists. The fallacy of promoting poverty reduction and debt relief had surfaced, ND exposed that the Western strategies was built on greed and power. So has the debt crisis been addressed, unfortunately not? If the international community is serious about the Hip and the MIDI initiatives then their design needs to be improved in favor of developing countries. The focus should be less on filling the coffers of the West but, instead maximize burden sharing. Have a heart and share in the burden of the developing nations by ensuring that projections are more realistic. The HIP and the MIDI could maybe become responsible for ensuring that the international community commit to reducing poverty and reach their millennium goals. The mission to transform societies, improve the lives of the poor, eradicate poverty, encourage and enforce the right to healthcare, education and economic growth, is what true development is all about. By completely writing off, deleting all foreign debt gives all countries an opportunity to start afresh. This then could be the start of bridging the gap between the wealthy West and the poor South. The creation of a new world order where there is no suffering and the right to live is not questioned, but encouraged, the way it should be. How to cite Rich World Poor World, Papers

Water Conservation free essay sample

With only 1% of water available for human consumption, doesnt it make sense that we should treat our water supply with more respect? Water conservation should not be considered an option any longer. Current circumstances require our full attention if we hope to thrive as a civilization. If these statements sound dramatic, it is because much of the world is currently suffering due to a lack of clean water. Importance of Conservation of Water / Stats Statistics around the reveal that our fresh water supply is practically nonexistent. That is why it is so important to seek out, find and start using all the innovative water conservation solutions and methods that are available today. Whether you live in Australia or China or the US, it is time to wake up and take responsibility. It is easy to practice water conservation in the home, but there is more to be done. Our world needs help on a commercial level as well so that our waste can be controlled in such areas as agriculture and irrigation. We will write a custom essay sample on Water Conservation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Water Conservation ideas are cropping up in exciting legislation. Thats why our participation in the voting process is so important. Lets act now, so our kids will have a brighter, greener future. Demands are increasing every year for water while resources are becoming more and more limited. Since many individuals are unaware (or, sadly, Just dont care) that this issue needs attention, it is up to more informed and proactive individuals and companies to take up the slack. A increase is expected in water demand over the period of next two decades. The increase in water demand is a contribution of various factors including growing population, increased agricultural needs, industrial use of water and water needed for electricity production. The problem of water waste is severe in countries where people are using the same inefficient methods for irrigation of agricultural land. Water needs are increasing every year and the proven fact is that clean water is not available to 1 out of 5 people on earth. Solutions are clearly needed. The increased demand in water combined with the pollution of water has had many adverse effects on the environment, growth and economy of many countries. Importance of Conservation of Water / Consequences of Not Conserving Increased expenditures on pipeline development, sewage and other infrastructure Ђ Investment to build more dams to fulfill the water demands and increased electric supply Huge amounts of money going out every year for recycling, cleaning and purification of the water Large amounts of industrial pollutants dumped in the rivers which are responsible for destroying and upsetting the ecosystem of the whole planet Rising instances of erosion of land because of increased demand of agricultural land and irrigation Importance of Conservation of Water The problem of water is local as well as global. The resources of water on earth are limited and are reducing every year. Due to the effects of global warming the frequency of rain has become unpredictable. In some parts of world there is rain throughout the year, while in other parts individuals are suffering the consequences. Widespread dry spells are occurring over much of Europe and Asia, Canada, western and southern Africa, and eastern Australia. And in parts of the world where rainwater is available, major problems are still prevalent because of a lack of proper systems to clean the water. Pollutants like oil, cigarette butts and other impurities make the percentage of usable water practically nonexistent. Methods of water conservation must be implemented in these areas if our planet is to continue to sustain itself. The United Nations has predicted that by the next two decades there will be 17% more demand of water compared to resources available. The unpleasant fact is that the most people remain careless and do not recognize the importance of water conservation. Huge campaigns are conducted every year by many government organizations and NGOs to spread awareness of the importance of water conservation. As citizens of this planet it is our individual responsibility to take an active role in water conservation. The simple tasks we perform every day like gardening, tending to laundry, washing our cars, etc. are opportunities for us to make a difference. Change begins with us, and if we lead by example, others are more likely to follow. I sincerely believe the consciousness of the planet is changing. And even though some statistics may appear grim, other stats reveal a growing awareness. There has actually been a appliances. And this is due to companies meeting the demands of the public. Adopting an attitude of caring, and placing a premium on awareness is contagious. Try it, and you will see what I mean. Water Conservation Methods As the population of the world grows exponentially, our drinkable water supply remains at about 1 percent of the total water present on Earth. These statistics may not seem real to you if you are fortunate to live in an area that has the resources to supply your needs. But the truth is millions of living souls are suffering because of a lack of this vital resource. Water consumption, whether it be in the household, through industry and manufacturing or in agriculture, must be given the consideration it deserves. And although special programs are conducted every year to increase the awareness of onservation, we as citizens of this planet, need to participate in water conserving activities if we hope to sustain our way of life. Water Conservation Methods / For the Household Huge amounts of water are lost every year due to unattended faucet leaks, using outdated appliances, excessive clothes washing, showering, washing cars, gardening, and other everyday household activities.

Toothy and Toothsome

Toothy and Toothsome Toothy and Toothsome Toothy and Toothsome By Maeve Maddox A reader remarks on the use of toothsome in this headline at Discovery-dot-com: Crocodiles are fun-loving, finds a new study on the toothsome predators. Unless the writer thinks of crocodiles chiefly as the source of a tasty meal, a more appropriate word is toothy. Here are the usual definitions of toothsome and toothy: toothsome adjective: pleasant to the taste; palatable. Figuratively, â€Å"sexually attractive.† Examples of correct use of toothsome: A  toothsome  rich cheesecake awaits a lick of flame and a douse of brandy strawberries.  - Clementine Nicholson. If youre writing an article on how Julia Robertss starring role as Erin Brockovich transformed her image from  toothsome movie star  to serious actress, you dont want to have to wade through the hundreds of fan pages you’d find by just typing in â€Å"Julia Roberts.†Ã‚  - Writers’ Digest Books. toothy adjective: having numerous, large, or prominent teeth. Example of correct use of toothy: Even those who know nothing about [Teddy Roosevelt’s] presidency instantly recognize his image carved on Mount Rushmorehis huge, toothy smile [sic] and his wire-rimmed glasses- Digital History site, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Note: The glasses are evident on the Rushmore image, but Borglum did not sculpt TRs trademark toothy smile. Toothsome is not offered as a synonym for toothy in either the OED or M-W, but the Web abounds in examples of this mix-up, on both sides of the Atlantic: All hail our bespectacled and toothsome new footie messiah-Liverpool Football Club football manager- New Statesman (UK) (Photos show the person referred to (Jà ¼rgen Klopp, manager, Liverpool Football Club) smiling with Teddy Roosevelt brilliance.) But they [relationship problems] seemed to be imperceptible as she flashed a toothsome smile to onlookers.- Daily Mail (UK). Here is Teddy (since he has such a dazzling white smile, from here on out, he’ll be known as Toothsome Teddy).- Review of television show on a US entertainment site called Newnownext. I grinned at her and was rewarded with a toothsome smile before she hurried to the pickup and began pulling the broken crates out of the bed.- Sylvia Nobel, American novelist. Authors and reviewers of children’s books that feature crocodiles are especially prone to use toothsome to suggest a mouthful of teeth: Galdone, Paul. The Monkey and the Crocodile. That toothsome crocodile and wily monkey almost leap across the page as they try to outsmart one another. Sierra, Judy. Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf. His best friend, a  toothsome crocodile, warns him that he will have to mind his manners.   Bruenig, Mikkela. In a while, Crocodile. So he and Dennis take a trip into The Great Big Book of Everything to find out about the  toothsome crocodile! In each of these examples, the word should be toothy. Both toothsome and toothy date from the sixteenth century, but toothsome has not held up as well as toothy. The Ngram Viewer shows toothsome reaching its peak in 1900 and descending in a straight line since then. Toothy, on the other hand, doesn’t make much of a showing on the Viewer until 1960, when it shows a marked rise. M-W offers toothsome as a third meaning for toothy and gives this example: â€Å"the toothy morsel within- Manufacturing Confectioner.† Paper and cigars can be toothy. â€Å"Toothy paper† has a rough finish. A â€Å"toothy cigar† has bumps on the wrapper. In time, standard usage may come to accept â€Å"full of teeth† as an acceptable definition of toothsome. For the present, careful writers will reserve toothsome to mean tasty, palatable, or attractive and use toothy to describe crocodiles and smiles. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureDoes "Mr" Take a Period?10 Writing Exercises to Tighten Your Writing

Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt in Criminal Trials

Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt in Criminal Trials In the United States court system, the fair and impartial delivery of justice is based on two fundamental tenets: That all persons accused of crimes are considered to be innocent until proven guilty, and that their guilt must be proven â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt.† While the requirement that guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt is meant to protect the rights of Americans charged with crimes, it often leaves juries with the momentous task of answering the often subjective question - how much doubt is â€Å"reasonable doubt?† Constitutional Basis for Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Under the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, persons accused of crimes are protected from â€Å"conviction except upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt of every fact necessary to constitute the crime with which he is charged.† The U.S. Supreme Court first acknowledged the concept in its decision on the 1880 case of Miles v. United States: â€Å"The evidence upon which a jury is justified in returning a verdict of guilty must be sufficient to produce a conviction of guilt, to the exclusion of all reasonable doubt.† While judges are required to instruct juries to apply the reasonable doubt standard, legal experts disagree on whether the jury should also be given a quantifiable definition of â€Å"reasonable doubt.† In the 1994 case of Victor v. Nebraska, the Supreme Court ruled that the reasonable doubt instructions given to juries must be clear, but declined to specify a standard set of such instructions. As a result of Victor v. Nebraska ruling, the various courts have created their own reasonable doubt instructions. For example, judges of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instruct juries that, â€Å"A reasonable doubt is a doubt based upon reason and common sense and is not based purely on speculation. It may arise from a careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, or from lack of evidence.† Considering the Quality of Evidence As part of their â€Å"careful and impartial consideration† of evidence presented during the trial, jurors must also evaluate the quality of that evidence. While first-hand evidence such as eyewitness testimony, surveillance tapes, and DNA matching help eliminate doubts of guilt, jurors assume - and are typically reminded by defense attorneys - that witness may lie, photographic evidence can be faked, and DNA samples can become tainted or mishandled. Short of voluntary or legally-obtained confessions, most evidence is open to being challenged as invalid or circumstantial, thus helping to establish â€Å"reasonable doubt† in the minds of the jurors. Reasonable Does Not Mean All As in most other criminal courts, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court also instructs jurors that proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a doubt that leaves them â€Å"firmly convinced† that the defendant is guilty. Perhaps most importantly, jurors in all courts are instructed that beyond a â€Å"reasonable† doubt does not mean beyond â€Å"all† doubt. As Ninth Circuit judges state it, â€Å"It is not required that the government (the prosecution) proves guilt beyond all possible doubt.† Finally, judges instruct jurors that after their â€Å"careful and impartial† consideration of the evidence they have seen, they are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant actually committed the crime as charged, it is their duty as jurors to find the defendant not guilty. Can Reasonable Be Quantified? Is it even possible to assign a definite numeric value to such a subjective, opinion-driven concept as reasonable doubt? Over the years, legal authorities have generally agreed that proof â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt† requires jurors to be at least 98% to 99% certain that the evidence proves the defendant to be guilty. This is in contrast to civil trials on lawsuits, in which a lower standard of proof, known as a â€Å"preponderance of the evidence† is required. In civil trials, a party might prevail with little as 51% probability that events involved actually occurred as claimed. This rather wide discrepancy in the standard of proof required can be best explained by the fact that persons found guilty in criminal trials face far more severe potential punishment - from jail time to death - compared to the monetary penalties typically involved in civil trials. In general, defendants in criminal trials are afforded more constitutionally-ensured protections than defendants in civil trials.   The Reasonable Person Element In criminal trials, jurors are often instructed to decide whether the defendant is guilty or not by applying an objective test in which the defendant’s actions are compared to those of a â€Å"reasonable person† acting under similar circumstances. Basically, would any other reasonable person have done the same things the defendant did? This â€Å"reasonable person† test is often applied in trials involving so-called â€Å"stand your ground† or â€Å"castle doctrine† laws that justify the use of deadly force in acts of self-defense. For example, would a reasonable person have also chosen to shoot his or her attacker under the same circumstances or not? Of course, such a â€Å"reasonable† person is little more than a fictional ideal based on the individual juror’s opinion of how a â€Å"typical† person, possessing ordinary knowledge and prudence, would act in certain circumstances. According to this standard, most jurors naturally tend to consider themselves to be reasonable people and thus judge the defendant’s conduct from a viewpoint of, â€Å"What would I have done?† Since the test of whether a person has acted as a reasonable person is an objective one, it does not take into account the particular abilities of the defendant. As a result, defendants who have shown a low level of intelligence or have habitually acted carelessly are held to the same standards of conduct as more intelligent or careful persons, or as the ancient legal principle holds, â€Å"Ignorance of the law excuses no one.† Why the Guilty Sometimes Go Free If all persons accused of crimes must be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and that even the slightest degree of doubt can sway even a reasonable person’s opinion of a defendant’s guilt, doesn’t the American criminal justice system occasionally allow guilty people to go free? Indeed it does, but this is entirely by design. In crafting the various provisions of the Constitution protecting rights of the accused, the Framers felt it essential that America apply the same standard of justice expressed by renowned English jurist William Blackstone in his often-cited 1760s work, Commentaries on the Laws of England, â€Å"It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.†

Easyjet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Easyjet - Essay Example However, there are several areas that may be pointed out where the aim and objective behind provision of this site is not being satisfied and its full potential is not being harnassed, thereby undermining the potential market that exists for easyjet services. One of the first aspects that easyjet needs to look into is the fact that its B2B link is not clearly visible on the home page. The home page is crammed with several links, of which the B2B link is so small that older viewers who need glasses or those with any kind of visual disability may completely miss the access point. As Jakob Nielsen (1999) points out in his book on designing a good website, simplicity is one of the most vital aspects of designing a website, because the design of a page forms the most visible part of the webpage (p 2). He recommends splitting the material into several pages, but ensuring that each page provides a solid amount of content in a simple, easily viewable form. From this perspective, if easyjet is targeting the business community through its website, then one of its first priorities should be to separate out some of the information on the home page into other pages. For example, the information on airport parking or To/from airport can be included within other pages. There are too many navigation links on this one home page, but the one relevant to the business company is in a very small font and is lost among the other links. Moreover this link is not bolstered with any kind of graphic enhancement at all, therefore first of all the access point must be made more visible and included in a larger font. If it is to stand out on the page, then the link must be bold and highlighted and can be placed separately on one side of the page. Another aspect that must be borne in mind when opening such a cluttered page is the fact that download time will be much more because there are so many links on the one page. This is why simplicity in the page design is of utmost

Increasing rate of HIV (see attachment) Assignment

Increasing rate of HIV (see attachment) - Assignment Example The venue chosen was considered to be private enough to offer a good chance for idea exchange amongst the youths. The place is also centrally situated and in an open area which would mean ease of access by those willing to attend. The area has limited traffic jam; this would reduce time wasted on the way to the venue on the material day. The designed flier will be distributed in schools, video dens, and local youth groups in the area, local social and recreational centers. These areas are considered to be major catchment areas of the target group. The main information which will be collected from the focus group discussion will be the number of youths who have undergone the medical male circumcision. It will also be an opportunity to find out whether the target group is aware of the benefits of this surgical procedure (Taylor, 2010). If they would wish to go for the procedure after the discussion, for those who will not be at that time circumcised, they will then be offered the service free of charge. As for the already circumcised, sharing their experience with the uncircumcised with the motive of encouraging them to go for it will be of great value. Those who shall attend the focus group discussion will have the opportunity of receiving free STI screening and treatment in case one if found to be suffering from any of the infections. There shall also be free refreshments for those in attendance. Few individuals will be chosen from the group to be the area ambassadors for the