Racial Profiling and African American Males free essay sample

African American males learn all too quickly or early on in life that they might be subjected to be harassed by law enforcement not because they did anything wrong, but because of the color of their skin. What is racial profiling? According to Piquero and Reitzel (2006) racial profiling is the alleged law enforcement practice of using skin color as a pretext to stop, question, or search minorities. Anytime people are stop unjustifiable because their skin color is not white that is nothing other than blatant racism at it worse. Race relations among the African American communities and law enforcements have far too long been a relationship of distrust. African Americans have always believed that they were target of racism which meant that they were often mistreated, harassed, and often arrested because of their skin color. After slavery and still today in many communities, African Americans males are still being preyed upon and treated unfairly by a good deal of law enforcements. We will write a custom essay sample on Racial Profiling and African American Males or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Things have improved since racial profiling was brought to the public eye not so many years ago, and since data was composed to see if racial profiling existed. For many years the African American community especially black males has been crying out for help due to the unfair treatment and harassment they often received for no apparent reason other than being a black male. Even though there were numerous complaints from African American Leaders and the communities regarding police brutality, harassment, and unjustifiable false arrest, the government did nothing. Even after decades of complaining and public outcry from African Americans the government still allowed these types of tactics to exist without any intervention. Statistics shows that African American males are more likely to be stopped, harassed, search, and arrested more than any other minorities groups and especially more so than whites. African American males in their teens and early twenties are also more likely to be the target of police harassment and police brutality than any other race (Piquero Reitzel, 2006). Not all African Americans have distrust for the law enforcements. Some gladly welcome their presence into their communities and are glad to assist them in anyway possible. For a great deal of African American males their encounters with law enforcement have not always been a positive experiment. Many believed that they are the target of nothing other than racism. That believes that they are single out only because their skin color happens to be black. When discussing the issue of racial profiling with males family members and friends earlier up in the week, they all shared their experiment and views regarding the issue. They all recall an era in their life where they themselves have been victims of racial profiling or driving while black. One expressed that he was pull over when he was leaving a friend house that happen to be white. The police told him the reason he was pulled over was because he was in the wrong neighborhood and wanted to know why he was there. Another one said that him and some friends was leaving a basketball tournament and was pulled over, and the policemen told them how they looked suspicious and wanted to know where they was coming from and where they going. Another one was pulled over because he was in a luxury car and the policeman believed that the car might have been stolen. These men lived in different cities, but they all had one thing in which were being victims of racial profiling. Neither one received a traffic violation. Some would argue that racial profiling is justifiable because African American males committed more crime than any other racial group in America, and if profiling help decreases the overall crime rate it should be acceptable. Lets take that argument to be true for a moment. What if African Americans males committed more crime than any other racial group does that give law enforcements the right to stop all African Americans males solely because they are African Americans? Does it give them to right to stop anyone because they perceived the person to be up to no good? What type of message, perception, or long-term effect wills that have on African American children especially young males. Does any one even care? According to Lippert-Rasmussen (2006) if it was not for racial profiling 1) There would be more crime against European Americans, 2) African American they would also have more crime committed on them as well. The writer suggests that African Americans are partially responsible for the crime from which they suffer. He also point out again that if racial profiling help reduce the crime rate at any level, that African Americans should gladly accept the small inconveniences that one might suffer. However, the writer does point out the discriminatory practices and the inequality treatment that African American receives and how European Americans are part to blame but are failing in trying to eliminate those practices (Lippert-Rasmussen, 2006). The writer often refers to crime that is committed by African Americans to other African Americans as â€Å"black on black crime. If there is indeed such a thing as â€Å"black on black crime,† then other crime should label â€Å"white on white crime,† and â€Å"Hispanic on Hispanic crime† since every race commit crime upon each other. There will never be a justifiable reason where â€Å"racial profiling† will ever be accepted or where it will help benefit the people who are being targeted. Unless one is African American or an Afr ican American male a person will never know what it is like to be subjected to that type of treatment. They will never know the fear or the embarrassment that comes along with being the target of racism. Racial profiling has never helped anyone in the African American community or has it given African American males any sense of pride about themselves. What it has shown black males is that racism is more prevalent in this society today as it was before the Civil Rights Movement. If whites males were harassed and the target of â€Å"racial profiling,† we would not be discussing this issue today. African American males have for the most part have had a disadvantage in the United States that stemmed back from slavery. Some will agree against that statement and some will agree. Looking at history of this country and the amount of racism that have existed and still existed today it a miracle that the black man is still standing. This country has done any and everything to destroy the black males, and racial profiling is just another deploy to do so. In 1997 research was done in the state of Maryland along Hwy I-95 to see how prevalent racial profiling was. Data showed that during the 21 day of observation that 5,741 stops were made. The findings showed that 17. 5% of those stopped were African Americans, 74. % were whites, and that 5,354 were traffic violators. There were 823 searches conduct of which 80. 3% of those searched were African Americans and 19. 7% were whites. Even though there were more whites stopped during the 21 day observation there were more blacks who had their vehicles searched (Piquero Reitzel, 2006). Why was that? Another case study on racial profiling that was done in New York City off of UF-250 during January 1, 1998 and April 1, 199 9 showed that African American comprised 50% of those stopped even though they are only 25% of the city population. There have been numerous studies that have shown that African Americans are more likely than whites to be stopped, searched, and arrested. The studies also showed that African American males between the ages of 23 and 49 years of ages are 2. 5% more likely than white to receive traffic citation when being stopped than whites (Piquero Reitzel, 2006). Racial profiling is not just limited to traffic stops or within the African American communities. There is also a phrase that is common among African Americans, and that phrase is â€Å"Shopping While Black. Research has shown that African American is 10 times more likely than non-African Americans to be profiled in the retail establishments. A case study in the state of Florida showed that African Americans believed that they were treated unfairly than whites when shopping downtown and at shopping malls (Gabbidon Higgins, 2007). African American know all to often what it is like to be follow around the retail establishments as if they are known criminals. They have become accustomed to receiving poor or no service at all. Everyone has heard of the restaurant chain â€Å"Denny,† where African Americans claimed that they were treated unfairly by receiving poor or no service while trying to dine in their restaurants. African Americans filed a discrimination lawsuit against the chain which led to a multi-million dollar settlement. Other retailers like Dillard’s, Eddie Bauer, Lord and Taylor, and The Children Place has also been charged with engaging in discriminatory practices (Gabbidon Higgins, 2007). In 2000 a study of the shopping experiences of 75 black residents in five African Americans neighborhoods in New York and Philadelphia found that black shoppers felted more comfortable when shopping in neighborhood establishments than outside of their communities. Although, African American males had a different approach on things; they felt they were treated with level of suspicious when shopping. A research was conducted in an Atlanta, GA retail outlet to see what type of people shoplifted. Employees were told to follow shoppers who wore baggy clothes, and those who carried big purses and bags. Of the 1243 observed shoppers only 8. 5% shoplifted. Of those who shoplifted they found that African American and minorities were no more likely to shoplift than whites. The study found that the stereotyping of the African American males has led numerous of retailers to observe them over females and any other racial groups (Gabbidon Higgins, 2007). African Americans males often believe that they were either followed around when shopping or they were often ignored when looking for assistances. After watching a segment of 20-20 that was title â€Å"What Would You Do? They had three white teen male actors acting out in a local park in an exclusive white neighborhood where they were vandalizing a car. When people in the park saw these teens behavior most of them stopped and questioned the teens. Later on they added three African American teens’ actors and put them in a nearby car where they were to pretend to be sleeping. Not one 911 call went out regarding the three white teens doing the vandalizing but a call was made regarding three suspicious African American males sleeping in a park car. Next 20-20 changed the situation and had the three African American males do the vandalizing, and almost immediately 911 calls went out. What these stories and studies show is that this country still has a problem with racism. There is no reason that in 2008 where a person should be singled out harassed, ignored, attacked, followed, or arrested only because their skin is black. Racism should be a thing of the past, but apparently it is here to stay. No one deserves to be followed, harassed, or stopped unjustly because they happen to be African American. What happen to equality, the land of the free? How can people feel free when they are the target of racism, or when they are not free to go wherever they chose without having to explain to law enforcements why they are in this neighborhood or where they are going or where they are leaving. Racial profiling stills exist and people need to realize that racial profiling leaves an everlasting effect on the victims. Racial profiling is an experience they will never forget. References Gabbidon, S. L. , Higgins, G. E. (2007, July 14).

Definition and Examples of Etymon in Linguistics

Definition and Examples of Etymon in Linguistics In historical linguistics, an etymon is a word, word root, or  morpheme  from which a later form of a word derives. For instance, the etymon of the English word etymology is the Greek word etymos (meaning true). Plural etymons or etyma. Put another way, an etymon is the original word (in the same language or in a foreign language) from which a present-day word has evolved. Etymology:  From the Greek, true meaning The Misleading Etymology of Etymology [W]e have to avoid being misled by the etymology of the word etymology itself; we have inherited this term from a pre-scientific period in the history of language study, from a time when it was supposed (with varying degrees of seriousness) that etymological studies would lead to the etymon, the true and genuine meaning. There is no such thing as the etymon of a word, or there are as many kinds of etymon as there are kinds of etymological research. (James Barr, Language and Meaning. E.J. Brill, 1974) The Meaning of Meat In Old English, the word meat (spelled mete) mainly meant food, especially solid food, found as late as 1844... The Old English word mete came from the same Germanic source as Old Frisian mete, Old Saxon meti, mat, Old High German maz, Old Icelandic matr, and Gothic mats, all meaning food. (Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics. Random House, 2008) Immediate and Remote Etymons Frequently a distinction is made between an immediate etymon, i.e. the direct parent of a particular word, and one or more remote etymons. Thus Old French frere is the immediate etymon of Middle English frere (modern English friar); Latin frater, fratr- is a remote etymon of Middle English frere, but the immediate etymon of Old French frere. (Philip Durkin, The Oxford Guide to Etymology. Oxford University Press, 2009) Sack and Ransack; Disk, Desk, Dish, and Dais   The etymon of ransack is Scandanavian rannsaka (to attack a house)(hence to rob), whereas sack (plundering) is a borrowing of French sac in phrases like mettre sac (to put to sack)... An extreme case of five English words reflecting the same etymon is discus (an 18th-century borrowing from Latin), disk or disc (from French disque or straight from Latin), desk (from Medieval Latin but with the vowel changed under the influence of an Italian or a Provenà §al form), dish (borrowed from Latin by Old English), and dais (from Old French). (Anatoly Liberman, Word Origins . . . and How We Know Them. Oxford University Press, 2005)​ Roland Barthes on Etymons: Triviality and Satisfaction [I]n Fragments dun discours amoureux  [1977], [Roland] Barthes demonstrated that etymons can provide insights into the historical polyvalence of words and the transferral of alternate meanings from one epoch to another, For example, triviality can certainly become quite a different concept when compared with the etymon trivialis which means what is found at all crossroads.  Or the word satisfaction assumes different identities when compared with  the etymons  satis (enough) and satullus (drunk). The variance between current common usage and the etymological definition exemplifies the evolution of the meanings of the same words for different generations. (Roland A. Champagne,  Literary History in the Wake of Roland Barthes: Re-defining the Myths of Reading. Summa, 1984)

Identification of People with Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Identification of People with Diabetes - Essay Example Beckett, Peters, and Fletcher (2008) and Huang, Zhang, Gandra (2008) affirm that diabetes has been a challenge since 2001, when the NSF for diabetes set out its visions that aimed at empowering patients with diabetes and lay a framework or a foundation, which helps them become the major caregivers. Furman (2014) confirms that there have been several demonstrable improvements in the way services are delivered since the beginning of the delivery plan of 2003. The December, 2001 Diabetes Standards (DH 2001) is of great service of excellence, and they are built on a firm partnership with diabetes individuals (Buck, Wilson, and Ham 2005). Individuals with diabetes should expect greater and better services as these NSF standards are offered locally. Zhang, Gandra (2008)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Department of Health, DH, has implemented effective interventions and good practices such as recommending the use of principal interventions such as personalized care mode ls, structured education models, accessible records or patient-held records that will help facilitate the empowerment of these individuals (Egede, Nietert, and Zheng 2005). However, the services rendered are geographically variable, and there are increased numbers of people that have diabetes and still do not access to the established care standards (Newport and Hirsch 2011). Between 2006 and 2011 the diagnosed number of people living with diabetes in England increased by twenty five percent, from 1.9 million people to 2.5 million (Furman 2014).

The BCG Growth Matrix for BSkyB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The BCG Growth Matrix for BSkyB - Essay Example The development of business activities around the world has led to the need for new types of strategic tools that will support daily managerial activities – especially the identification and the evaluation of a firm’s competitiveness within the modern market. Towards this direction, extremely effective strategic tools have been designed and are applied by managers internationally offering the necessary basis for the increase of corporate performance – only where particular rules are followed regarding the adaptation of these tools on a specific market. Emphasizing the importance of these strategic tools Shay et al. (1999) noticed that ‘managers today would benefit from strategic analysis tools that foster an understanding of the competitive environment from multiple perspectives’ (Shay et al., 1999, 559); however, it is necessary than in each case the appropriate strategic tool is chosen by a firm’s managers making sure that its use will benef it the firm both in the short and the long term. The current paper focuses on the examination of the role and the importance of a particular strategic tool, the BCG matrix (see Appendix, Figure 1) for the performance of a specific firm based in the UK, the British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (BSkyB). The specific firm is among the FTSE 100 firms having a significant position in the British market. Therefore, the examination of its daily activities using the BCG matrix has been considered to help towards the identification of the effectiveness of this matrix when used by modern firms especially those with a simultaneous presence in many industrial sectors (like in the case of BSkyB which operates in both the telecommunications and the TV broadcasting sectors).

Positivism Theory Essay Example for Free

Positivism Theory Essay Positivism, (also referred to as ‘empiricism’) is often used to indicate that this approach to understanding criminality is scientific. The term positivism (or in its more sophisticated form Logical Positivism) is often used to refer to an approach that asserts it utilizes science or the scientific method (their version of science) to understand the causes of criminality and thus the solutions to solving it. Positivism is an epistemological position or a theory of knowledge which assets that science is based upon theories that have been induced from and only from empirical evidence or the evidence of the senses (hence the term ‘empirical’ or that which can be experienced by the senses). Positivists reject any evidence that cannot be objectively experienced or observed such as that derived from tradition, faith, magic, religion, philosophy or any other form of knowledge or belief that does not have an empirical basis. Thus they want to explain criminal behaviour by reference to causes that can be observed or measured. Causes have to be material and observable – biological positivists look at biological observables such as anatomical abnormalities, identifiable genetic or gene patterns, bodily movements etc. Psychological positivists will also look at biological observables but will add behavioural factors, child rearing practices and brain abnormalities that cause identifiable behaviour outcomes. Many modern scientists have virtually discredited positivism in favour of what we call the hypothetico-deductionist approach or a falsficationist approach. This approach begins with theoretical conjectures (or hypotheses) and then seeks to prove or disprove them by means of empirical evidence. However, whatever the differences in method both positivism and hypothetico-deductionism seek empirical evidence for their theoretical positions. Implicit in these approaches is the idea that the scientist is an objective disinterested observer of natural events with no preconceptions about them. In the case of physics these natural events or laws are said to be found in nature itself as, for example, in the study of such phenomena as the movement of the planets around the Sun, the effect of gravity on the tides and the phenomenon of the seasons created by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. In these cases the object of study is seen as governed by universal natural laws which the scientist has to discover. When this approach is applied in the human or social sciences we have to understand our object of study (i. e. human beings or societies) as also governed or regulated by rules that the scientist has to discover. Thus Biological Criminologists will use data from such sources as twin studies, family studies, genetic patterns, biochemical aspects and so on anything that can be studied by means of objective’, methods and which may throw up some biological explanation of that behaviour or a principle or a law that explains that behaviour. It follows that in positivist criminality, criminals are identified as certain kinds Of human beings who are governed by events or natural phenomena that have been set in place by something external to them and, in a sense, beyond their control. Thus criminals do not make decisions about their criminal behaviour they are, as it were, caused to behave in this way by factors that operate in a sense, behind their backs. Thus, so-called abstract views of human nature such as that they are rational and use reason in making choices about their actions have to be discarded as a cause of behaviour in favour of non-rational causes such as determination by such things as biological inheritance or forms of social conditioning or, in many cases, a combination of both (as in Eysenck). Positivists aim is to identify those with criminal tendencies or those already classified as criminals and use them as their data base. Their goal is to ascertain what has caused their criminality and then to look for ways of correcting such criminality or, even better, to ascertain those with tendencies for criminality (before hopefully they commit a crime) and to put some preventative measures in place. Biological positivists generally look for biological causes generally in genetic inheritance. A well know example is that of Klinenfelters Syndrome where a study of known criminals identified was said to be an extra y chromosome.

Friendship in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn - Friendship Mark Twain illustrates the theme of friendship through the characters Huck and Jim. Their friendship was created when Huck and Jim were put together due to common circumstances that take place throughout the novel. The friendship that was formed was constantly undergoing changes. Towards the end of the book the relationship that once existed as a simple friendship grew in to a father and son relationship. Huck and Jim were tools that Twain used to show just how the theme of friendship developed. Huck and Jim were both running away from society for one reason or another. Huck was running in order to escape from the constraints of society and conformity, while Jim was trying to keep from being sold to another owner. At the time of their escape it was easy and convenient for the two of them to be together. "The nigger run off the very night Huck Finn was killed"...This quote explains what the two did in order to get away from society. The pair decided the best way was to run away from it all. Huck and Jim's friendship undergoes many twists and turns along with the trip the two take down the Mississippi River. With each adventure their friendship grew stronger and deeper from their encounter with the Duke and the King to the riverboat scene the friendship is built one building block at a time. Throughout the novel Jim makes references to the kindness that Huck shows him, but Huck seems oblivious to their new found friendship. "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman"...(pg. 89) When Jim made this statement Huck realized just how much this friendship meant to Jim. The friendship between Huck and Jim is constantly changing with the chain of events. The two characters encountered many things while floating along with the pace of the Mississippi, such as making decisions. In the novel Huck was forced to make the decision whether or not he would turn Jim in because it would be the, "right thing" to do because Jim was a run-away slave. It was a close place. I took...up [the letter I'd written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand.

Commercial surrogacy Essay

Commercial surrogacy refers to a process in which a couple or individual pays a fee to a woman, a surrogate mother, who agrees to carry and give birth to a baby on their behalf. It is an option for couples and individuals who wish to have a child, but due to circumstances, cannot have one. Surrogacy may be commercial, where the surrogate mother is paid for her services; or altruistic, where there is no payment and usually the surrogate mother is related with the commissioning couple or individual. Commercial surrogacy must be brought to an end and made illegal worldwide! Why you ask? Firstly, do those who support commercial surrogacy really take into account how dangerous it can be for the baby? Or the possible issues that may occur if something goes wrong? No, they definitely don’t! Surely if they did they wouldn’t pay a surrogate mother to do so! In addition to that, the surrogate mother are usually women who choose to be a surrogate mother living in harsh conditions within developing countries, where I will specifically be talking about women in India who are being exploited due to their unfortunate lifestyles. Finally to drive the point home, I will highlight the gruelling reality of commercial surrogacy caused by corrupt organisations that control poor women going through all the hardship in developing countries. A controversial issue in the news within the past year concerning commercial surrogacy involved this adorable little boy – which you can see in this photo – of baby Gammy, a Thai boy who is one of two twins born in India by a surrogate mother. His biological parents were Australians who claimed that they didn’t abandon him when finding out he had down-syndrome. Although, Mr and Mrs Farnell (Baby Gammy’s biological parents) claim that â€Å"they didn’t know about the other baby† which is false because, in truth there is concrete evidence that when the surrogate mother discovered she was carrying twins, the biological parents offered an additional $2,000 Australian dollars for the twin, however, when it was discovered that one of the babies had down-syndrome, the Australians told her to abort the affected twin. Just because he had a healthy twin sister, Baby Gammy was abandoned by his heartless and cruel biological parents as they refused to ta ke him back to Australia. Now, when we hear about terrible things like this happening to a  child, our natural reaction is usually to demand better protection with the hope that we can prevent situations such as this from occurring again. Because Baby Gammy was diagnosed with down-syndrome, it gives no excuse or right justification for his parents to abandon him! He may be born through surrogacy but these heartless Australians are still his biological parents, who yearned for a child and once they had their wish fulfilled, they cruelly left him. Parents who are capable of giving birth to their own children would most definitely never abandon their child after finding out they have down-syndrome. So what gives this couple the right to abandon Baby Gammy? This situation really comes to show how largely unregulated commercial surrogacy is and this is why commercial surrogacy should be made illegal in all countries. We all must bring an end to awful situations such as this from ever occurring again. Not to mention, in the future when baby Gammy grows up he would also be affected mentally, emotionally and most likely be very unstable as well due to his down-syndrome, as well as having to hear and accept that he was abandoned by his biologicals parents. Not only did this issue cause a racket as to awareness for this poor child but this issue is also seen as child â€Å"I think that is going down the wrong path as a society if children become a commodity that you can buy.† Another concerning issue involves the surrogate mothers, who are often living in developing countries with circumstances that are extremely harsh and very much unethical. The poor, illiterate women of rural backgrounds are often persuaded in such deals by their spouse or middlemen for earning easy money. These women often have no right nor better options with regards to their own body and life. In India, there is no provision of psychological screening or legal counselling and often after recruitment by co mmercial agencies, these women are shifted into hostels for the whole duration of pregnancy on the excuse of taking antenatal care. The real motive is to guard them and to avoid any social stigma of being outcast by their community. These women spend the whole tenure of pregnancy worrying about their household and children. Only being able to see their family once a week on Sundays. The worst part is that in cases of unfavourable outcome of pregnancy, they are unlikely to be paid, and there is no provision of insurance or post-pregnancy medical and psychiatric support for them. Rich career women who do not want to take the trouble of carrying their own pregnancy are  resorting to hiring surrogate mothers. There are a number of moral and ethical issues regarding surrogacy, which has become more of a commercial racket, and there is an urgent need for framing and implementation of laws for the parents and the surrogate mother. Lastly, as a poor surrogate mother gets very much needed money, an infertile couple gets their long-desired biologically related baby and the country earns foreign currency, but the real picture reveals the bitter truth. Due to lack of proper legislation, both surrogate mothers and intended parents are somehow exploited and the profit is earned by middlemen and commercial agencies. There is no transparency in the whole system, and the chance of getting involved in legal problems is there due to unpredictable regulations governing surrogacy in India. Some people may argue that surrogacy benefits a number of individuals such as parents, surrogates and the agencies who organise such arrangements. This is NOT the case. As previously stated, not all the third word women benefit adequately and furthermore commercial surrogacy involves the marketing of babies as commodities, to be bought and sold in a commercial transaction. This may have negative psychological consequences for the child in later life. The consequences of being treated as a commodity are still not known so it is unreasonable to take such a risk. Having everyone believe that women in India and other developing countries are being paid by carrying and delivering the baby is purely untruthful and deceiving towards society, deep down it’s the organisations that get all the benefit and profit. There are incidences where the child given to couple after surrogacy is not genetically related to them and in turn, is disowned by the intended parent and has to spend his life in an orphanage. http://www.smh.com.au/world/gammys-surrogate-mother-will-not-allow-david-and-wendy-farnell-to-take-her-baby-boy-20140810-102kvm.html http://www.smh.com.au/world/wendy-farnell-did-not-supply-the-egg-gammys-thai-mother-says-20140810-102joz.html