Saturday, April 11, 2020
Asian Americans Hispanics
Asian Americans Hispanics Although most Asian Americans are culturally assimilated (Americanized), they often encounter racism as people of foreign-origin, because of their distinctive Asian racial appearance. The Asian Americans have to face racism because they are assumed to have close ties with their Asian ethnic culture. The Americans always feel that Asian Americans do not belong to their country; so they wish to know the foreign ethnic origins of Asian Americans.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Asian Americans Hispanics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethnic identity of Asian Americans has been a considerable challenge for them over the years. Many Asian Americans are identified more as Americans in comparison with their Asian cultural heritage even if they continue to acknowledge its impact. The reason for this consists in the fact that they have become assimilated with the American culture and are part of the culture, hence, they are not discriminated against a lot. Since they have been accepted in some way by the society the live in, the Asian Americans do not actively assert their ethnic identity. The issue of ethnic identity comes to surface in the context of viewing the Asian Americans as foreign ethnic minority in America due to their race and place of birth, being the factors, which cannot be evaded. Many Asian Americans are proud to be of Asian descent since they accept and enjoy Asian ethnic heritage, which is encouraged by the fact that America has a multi-ethnic ideology and interest in cultural diversity. In the context of ethnic identity, there has been the emergence of Asian Americans as the ethnic identity that includes all ethnic minorities of Asian origin in the United States due to the fact that various groups of Asian American descent have been counted as a nation. In the political scene, the mobilization of people with Asian American descent as a nation has also contributed to this aspect. Al so in the sphere of education, the term Asian American is popular among youth since they feel they cannot identify their exact ethnic race, hence, they refer themselves to one group due to their origin. However, older people of Japanese American descent do not identify themselves as Asian Americans since they feel they are different from other Asian Americans, as such, the term can be considered broad. In the history of ethnicity, ethnic revival has been evident among the latest generations of Asian Americans. Some of the youth of Japanese American descent have claimed that they regret that they have become assimilated to such an extent due to the lost of the Japanese ethnic heritage. It has created the awareness connected with the ethnic revival, making the Asian Americans feel that maintaining and sustaining their ethnic heritage is essential, hence, they should avoid becoming Americanized.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More The future of Asian Americans in American society is still debatable considering the fact whether they can be fully considered as whites. The Asian Americans have become part of the society, but they have not been considered as whites. Even if they become more assimilated in terms of culture, the Asian Americans will hardly be considered as white. The reason for such consideration is that there is a difference between the physical appearance of various races. The determinant factor to how one is viewed and identified within their ethnic race is mainly their physical appearance. An individual is mainly identified by his/her race due to their nature and origin. However, this can eventually change with the consideration of high intermarriage rates between Asian Americans and whites. Many people born in intermarriages, consider and identify themselves as whites since their physical appearance resembles whites.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Biography of John Napier, Scottish Mathematician
Biography of John Napier, Scottish Mathematician John Napier (1550-April 4, 1617) was a Scottish mathematician and theological writer who developed the concept ofà logarithms and the decimal point as a mathematical calculation method. He also had an influence in the world of physics and astronomy. Fast Facts: John Napier Known For: Developing and introducing the concept of logarithms, Napiers Bones and the decimal point.Born: 1550 at Merchiston Castle, nearà Edinburgh, ScotlandDied: April 4, 1617, at Merchiston CastleSpouse(s): Elizabeth Stirling (m. 1572-1579), Agnes ChisholmChildren: 12 (2 with Stirling, 10 with Chisholm)Notable Quote: Seeing there is nothing that is so troublesome to mathematical practice.... than the multiplications, divisions, square and cubical extractions of great numbers, which besides the tedious expense of time are... subject to many slippery errors, I began, therefore, to consider [how] I might remove those hindrances. Early Life Napier was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, into the Scottish nobility. Since his father was Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston Castle, and his mother, Janet Bothwell, was the daughter of a member of Parliament, John Napier became the laird (property owner) of Merchiston. Napiers father was only 16 when his son, John, was born. As was the practice for members of the nobility, Napier did not enter school until he was 13. He did not stay in school very long, however. It is believed that he dropped out and traveled inà Europe to continue his studies. Little is known about these years, where or when he may have studied. In 1571, Napier turned 21 and returned to Scotland. The following year he married Elizabeth Stirling, daughter of Scottish mathematician James Stirling (1692-1770), and bat a castle at Gartnes in 1574. The couple had two children before Elizabeth died in 1579. Napier later married Agnes Chisholm, with whom he had ten children. On the death of his father in 1608, Napier and his family moved into Merchiston Castle, where he lived the rest of his life. Napiers father had been deeply interested and involved in religious matters, and Napier himself was no different. Because of his inherited wealth, he needed no professional position. He kept himself very busy by being involved with the political and religious controversies of his time. For the most part, religion and politics in Scotland at this time pitted Catholics against Protestants. Napier was anti-Catholic, as evidenced by his 1593 book against Catholicism and the papacy (office of the pope) entitled A Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John. This attack was so popular that it was translated into several languages and saw many editions. Napier always felt that if he attained any fame at all in his life, it would be because of that book. Becoming an Inventor As a person of high energy and curiosity, Napier paid much attention to his landholdings and tried to improve the workings of his estate. Around the Edinburgh area, he became widely known as Marvellous Merchiston for the many ingenious mechanisms he built to improve his crops and cattle. He experimented with fertilizers to enrich his land, invented an apparatus to remove water from flooded coal pits, and bat devices to better survey and measure land. He also wrote about plans to bad elaborate devices that would deflect any Spanish invasion of the British Isles. In addition, he described military devices that were similar to todays submarine, machine gun, and army tank. He never attempted to build any of the military instruments, however. Napier had a great interest in astronomy. which led to his contribution to mathematics. John was not just a stargazer; he was involved in research that required lengthy and time-consuming calculations of very large numbers. Once the idea came to him that there might be a better and simpler way to perform large number calculations, Napier focused on the issue and spent twenty years perfecting his idea. The result of this work is what we now callà logarithms. The Father of Logarithms and the Decimal Point Napier realized that all numbers can be expressed in what is now called exponential form, meaning 8 can be written as 23, 16 as 24à and so on. What makes logarithms so useful is the fact that the operations of multiplication and division are reduced to simple addition and subtraction. When very large numbers are expressed as a logarithm, multiplication becomes the addition ofà exponents. Example: 102à times 105à can be calculated as 10à 25à or 107. This is easier than 100 times 100,000. Napier first made this discovery known in 1614 in his book called A Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms. The author briefly described and explained his inventions, but more importantly, he included his first set of logarithmic tables. These tables were a stroke of genius and a big hit with astronomers and scientists. It is said that English mathematician Henry Briggs was so influenced by the tables that he traveled to Scotland just to meet the inventor. This lead to a cooperative improvement including the development ofà Base 10. Napier was also responsible for advancing the notion of the decimal fraction by introducing the use of the decimal point. His suggestion that a simple point could be used to separate the whole number and fractional parts of a number soon became accepted practice throughout Great Britain. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Nuclear Weapon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Nuclear Weapon - Essay Example That was the first and last strategic use of the "dirty bomb" which left its permanent mark in the form of acute radiation sickness and many lost generations in Japan. Such a mass level of death was only achieved by the Nazi's or blood thirsty conquerors like Genghis Khan who killed indiscriminately and mercilessly. Wiping out the entire population of an enemy country has never been easier. Yet in the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki saga the nations of the world woke up to the horrific nightmares of such a drastic strategic weapon use. The use of nuclear weapons was strongly opposed at an international level and nuclear weapons were reduced to their role as political weapons.2Today these weapons have become political instruments with their role in pressuring and dominating other states. Any state without nuclear weapons perceives itself to be "weak" in political negotiations. 3 However super powers like the US have not exactly forgiven their weaker counterparts i.e. those countries who have dared to show defiance by "possessing" nuclear weapons. An example is the recent destruction of Iraq due to its weapons of mass destruction and the threats of a US attack faced by Iran for its hidden weapons of mass destruction.4 Pakistan has never revived from its political instability , since the political turmoil which arose just after the former premier Nawaz Sharif's refusal to sign the CTBT. 5. Arguably the nuclear weapon has become a cultural instrument .The 20th century saw two world wars and many civil wars which reshaped and readjusted the entire world's geography ,history and politics. There was a culture of violence which involved the cowboy style elimination of any state which dared defy a super power. Thus it was a culture of achieving ends by means of mass destruction and bloodshed. The ease with which the "dirty bomb" eliminated the enemy population frightened the warring nations beyond their wits. This is evident from the fact that apart from a few civil wars and regional unrest, there has been no large scale warfare around the world. Now there is a culture of promoting peace and having peace talks as all nations secretly wonder what the other state might be hiding in its weapons arsenal. However another alarming development is the increase in the ambiguous nuclear arsenals and secret war exercises in deserts by many countries like Pakistan and Israel6.The events of the past decade have seen an increase in the strategic, political and cultural importance of nuclear weapons .With in all three of these contexts Nuclear Weapons have become a part and parcel of the defence culture and an important tenet of government and policy. It should be noted in the background that the increase in the availability of the weapons has not been left uncontrolled and unmonitored. In 1957 the IAEA (The International Atomic Energy Agency) was set up to promote peaceful development of nuclear power and also provide for its control and to counter the proliferation of such weapons with in the principles of public international law. The IAEA did indeed encourage peaceful use of nuclear applications and the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) was a controversial issue of the mid-nineties which prohibited the testing of nuclear technology. Notoriously enough India and Pakistan refused to sign it, making South Asia a politically sensitive nation.7Since
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Saudi Arabian press during the occurrence of the events in Bahrain Dissertation
Saudi Arabian press during the occurrence of the events in Bahrain from 14th February to 16th March 2011 - Dissertation Example Content analysis, in relation to the Bahrainââ¬â¢s conflict, of the two leading Saudi Arabian newspapers namely, Alriyadh and Alyoum was carried out by employing a constructed week approach for the entire period of occurrence of these events. The results of this content analysis revealed that the coverage of the events in Bahrain by the Saudi Press was, to a great extent, dependent on the Saudi Press Agency as a result of the constraints imposed over the press in the kingdom by the Saudi Arabian information policy. The news related to the Bahraini events mostly appeared to be positive in tone and also, tended to support the agenda and interests of the government of Saudi Arabia linked to the political and democratic position of Bahrain that particularly involve the status of the shiahs in the country. The findings of the content analysis deduced that the Saudi press failed to play its ideal role in the coverage of the events in Bahrain since it was extensively monitored, regulariz ed and censored and thereby, was not completely free and trustworthy. Thus, it is recommended that the press regulations should not be imposed by an external body instead they should better come from the press itself.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Descriptive Words Essay Example for Free
Descriptive Words Essay Words Smile, grin, beam, smirk . . . Frown, scowl, glare, glower, grimace . . . Stare, gaze, gape, watch, gawk, ogle, look, examine, leer . . . Flinch, recoil, balk, cringe, shy away, pull back, wince, cower, shrink, tremble . . . Incredulous, disbelieving, skeptical, doubtful, dubious, uncertain, suspicious, questioning, vague . . . Quizzical, questioning, puzzled, surprised, perplexed, inquiring Interested, curious, involved, attentive, concerned, attracted, fascinated, engrossed . . . Sad, gloomy, cheerless, depressing, dark, dull, thick, dreary . . Happy, content, pleased, glad, joyful, cheerful, blissful, exultant, ecstatic, delighted, cheery, jovial . . . Scared, frightened, terrified, petrified, afraid, fearful, nervous, anxious, worried, timid, shy . . . Strong, burly, brawny, strapping, muscular, beefy, tough, fervent, intense, zealous, avid, eager . . . Coy, bashful, timid, modest, reserved, demure . . . Indifferent, apathetic, unresponsive . . . Remote, aloof, detached, distant . . Threatened, intimidated, alarmed, worried, anxious, troubled, upset, distressed, shocked, startled . . . Crash, thud, bump, thump, bang, thunder, smash, explode, roar, shout, scream, screech, shout, whistle, whine, squawk, blare, slam, stomp, stamp, noise, clap, bark, meow, moo, boom, yell, whisper, hum, snap, hiss, crackle . . . Taut, uptight, immobilized, paralyzed, tense, stretched, hollow, alarmed, strong, weak, sweaty, breathless, nauseated, sluggish, weary, tired, alive, feisty . . . Angry, resentful, irritated, enraged, furious, annoyed, inflamed, provoked, infuriated, offended, sullen, indignant, irate, wrathful, cross, sulky, bitter, frustrated, grumpy, boiling, fuming, stubborn, belligerent, confused, awkward, bewildered, empty . . . Angrily, anxiously, brightly, cheerfully, comfortably, curiously, delightfully, eagerly, enormously, excitedly, faintly, falsely, fearfully, foolishly, frightfully, gently, gracefully, gratefully, greedily, grumpily, helplessly, heroically, hungrily, impatiently, joyfully, kindly, luckily, magically, majestically, merrily, remarkably, splendidly, strangely, swiftly, unusually Afraid, fearful, frightened, timid, wishy-washy, shaky, apprehensive, fidgety, terrified, panicky, tragic, hysterical, cautious, shocked, horrified, insecure, impatient, nervous, dependent, anxious, pressured, worried, doubtful, suspicious, hesitant, awed, dismayed, scared, petrified, gutless . . . Bad, worse, poor, terrible, horrible, evil, wicked, corrupt, heinous, inferior, inept, ill, unfortunate , distressful . . . Big, huge, giant, gigantic, monstrous, tremendous , gargantuan , large, wide, important, influential, immense, massive, bulky, heavy, voluminous . . . Eager, keen, earnest, intent, zealous, ardent, avid, anxious, enthusiastic, proud . . . Fearless,, encouraged, courageous, confident, secure, independent, reassured, bold, brave, daring, heroic, hardy, determined, loyal, proud, impulsive . . . Good, excellent, fine, satisfactory , kind, generous, worthy, humane, pure, benign, benevolent , proper, valid, favored . . Happy, brisk, buoyant, calm, carefree, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, complacent, contented, ecstatic, elated, enthusiastic, excited, exhilarated, generous, glad, grateful, hilarious, inspired, jolly, joyous, lighthearted, merry, optimistic, peaceful, playful, pleased, relaxed, restive, satisfied, serene, sparkling, spirited, surprised, vivacious . . Hurt, injured, isolated, offended, distressed, pained, suffering, afflicted, worried, tortured . . Little, small, tiny, micros copic, miniscule, minute, inconsequential, Lilliputian, insignificant, narrow, thin, paltry, modest, slender, slight . . . Looked, gazed, peered, starched , stared, glanced, sighted, regarded , attended , viewed, inspected , directed, followed . . Nice, friendly, helpful, gentle, warm, inspiring, good-natured, kind, generous, cheerful, loving, happy, funny, peppy, relaxed, thoughtful, cooperative . . . Ran, trotted, skipped, hurried, moved, sped, operated, progressed , glided, flowed, traced, pursued, galloped, loped, fled . . . Sad, sorrowful, unhappy, depressed, melancholy, gloomy, somber, dismal, heavy-hearted, mournful, dreadful, dreary, flat, blah, dull, in the dumps, sullen, moody, sulky, out of sorts, low, discontented, discouraged, disappointed, concerned, sympathetic, compassionate, choked up, embarrassed, shameful, ashamed, useless, worthless, ill at ease . . . Said, acknowledged, acquiesced, added, addressed, admitted, admonished, advised, advocated, affirmed, agreed, alleged, allowed, announced, answered, approved, argued, asked, assented, asserted, assumed, assured, attested, avowed, babbled, bantered, bargained, barked, began, begged, bellowed, beseeched, boasted, bragged, brought, called, cautioned, charged, chided, cited, claimed, commanded, comment, commented, complained, conceded, concluded, condescended, confessed, confided, consented, contended, contested, continued, contradicted, counseled, countered, cracked, cried, debated, decided, declared, decreed, demanded, demurred, denied, denounced, described, dictated, directed, disclosed, disrupted, divulged, drawled, droned, elaborated, emphasized, enjoined, entreated, enunciated, estimated, exclaimed, explained, exposed, expressed, faltered, feared, foretold, fumed, giggled, granted, granted, grinned, groaned, growled, grumbled, haggled, hedged, held, hesitated, hinted, howled, impar ted, implied, implored, indicated, inferred, informed, inquired, insinuated, insisted, instructed, nterjected, interrogated, intimated, intimidated, itemized, jested, judged, lamented, laughed, lectured, lied, lisped, listed, made, maintained, mentioned, mimicked, moaned, mumbled, murmured, mused, muttered, nagged, narrated, noted, notified, objected, observed, opined, orated, ordered, petitioned, pleaded, pled, pointed, prayed, predicted, proclaimed, professed, prompted, pronounced, proposed, propounded, protested, proved, publicized, queried, questioned, quibbled, quipped, quoted, rambled, ranted, reaffirmed, reasoned, reassured, reciprocated, recited, recommended, recounted, referred, refuted, regretted, reiterated, rejoiced, rejoined, related, relented, remarked, reminded, remonstrated, repeated, replied, reported, reprimanded, requested, responded, restated, resumed, retorted, returned, revealed, roared, ruled, sanctioned, scoffed, scolded, screamed, shouted, shrieked, snapped, sneered, sobbed, solicited, specified, spoke, sputtered, stammered, stated, stipulated, stormed, stressed, stuttered, suggested, taunted, testified, thought, threatened, told, twitted, unbridled, urged, uttered, vowed, wailed, warned, went, wept, whispered, whistled, whooped, wrangled, yawned, yelled . . . Amazing, Attractive, Authentic, Beautiful, Better, Big, Colorful, Colossal, Complete, Confidential, Enormous, Excellent, Exciting, Exclusive, Expert, Famous, Fascinating, Free, Full, Genuine, Gigantic, Huge, Informative, Instructive, Interesting, Lavishly, Liberally, Mammoth, Professional, Startling, Strange, Strong, Sturdy, Successful, Superior, Surprise . . . Crammed, Delivered, Directed . . . Brave, Angry, Bright, Busy, Clever, Cold, Cozy, Deep, Flat, Foggy, Free, Fresh, Frozen, Gentle, Giant, Glad, Grand, Hollow, Hungry, Hurt, Lucky, Neat, New, Old, Polite, Proud, Rough, Serious, Shiny, Short, Shy, Smooth, Spotted, Strong, Tall, Tough, Weak, Wide, Wild, Wise, Bumpy, Careful, Cheerful, Chilly, Clean, Cloudy, Crisp, Damp, Enormous, Fancy, Flashy, Flowery, Frosty, Fuzzy, Huge, Icy, Kind, Marvelous, Merry, Messy, Mighty, Misty, Moldy, Plaid, Plain, Quiet, Scented, Selfish, Sharp, Slim, Slippery, Sloppy, Sly, Soggy, Spicy, Stormy, Striped, Sweet, Tasty, Thinly, Tiny, Velvety, Twinkling, Weak, Worn, Young . . .
Monday, January 20, 2020
Educational Implications for Heideggers Views On Poetry And Thinking E
Educational Implications for Heidegger's Views On Poetry And Thinking ABSTRACT: I discuss some of the educational implications emerging from Heidegger's views on poetry, thinking, and language. Specifically, Heidegger's views on the neighborhood between poetry and thinking suggest that most accepted methods of teaching poetry are in error, because they ignore this neighboring relation. The importance of this relation is presented and clarified. I then discuss the implications of Heidegger's view for teaching poetry. Heidegger's series of three lectures, later published as "The Nature of Language" has some very significant implications for education. (1) In this paper I focus on the second lecture. In opening his second lecture, Heidegger invites his listeners to think about the nature of language. Such thinking, he explains, has little to do with the quest for knowledge in the sciences. He cautions his listeners about the danger arising from the domination of method in scientific study and discourse. He cites Nietzsche who stated that what characterizes contemporary science is the victory of scientific method over science. By contrast, thinking, including thinking about the nature of language, has to do with a quite unique region in which thought exists. It is not dominated by or based on a method. Thinking is not even governed by a specific theme. In today's science, Heidegger holds, even the theme of study is a part of the method. The field of Computer Sciences, with which Heidegger was not well versed, since it flourished -- exploded -- after his death, is a poignant example of a contemporary science whose theme is controlled by method. Heidegger's description of science has proved quite true in the four decades s... ... 1997). (5) Pablo Neruda, "For All to Know" in Pablo Neruda, Winter Garden, trans. William O'Daly (Port Townsend, Wash.: Copper Canyon Press, 1986) p.19. (6) Martin Heidegger, "Letter on Humanism" in Basic Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell (New York: Harper & Row, 1977) p. 210. (7) Pablo Neruda, Spain in the Heart: Hymn to the Glories of the People at War, trans. Richard Schaaf (Washington: Azul Editions, 1993). See Pablo Neruda, Memoirs (Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1978), pp. 125-126. (8) Heidegger, "The Nature of Language," p. 93. (9) Hayden Carruth, Collected Shorter Poems, 1946-1991 (Fort Worden, Wash: Copper Canyon Press, 1992). p. 343. (10) Martin Heidegger, Aristotle's Metaphysics, Bk. IX Ch.1-3: On the Essence and Actuality of Force, trans. Walter Brogan and Peter Warnek (Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1995), p. 109.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Community Policing Corruption Essay
In todayââ¬â¢s society, the amount of crime that occurs can be quite difficult to deal with and responsibility ends up falling on police to curtail it. Unfortunately, the infectious nature of crime often drags these assigned ââ¬Å"stoppersâ⬠into the same mud that they are trying to prevent others from falling into. When officers abuse their legally sanctioned position of authority, it is known as police corruption. It is a persistent problem that is more significant in a criminal sense than the average person committing a crime because it is happening by a representative/protector of the law. Since police are not judiciaries, they do not determine who is guilty and thus undermine the law system when they do these crimes. Also, it is important to note that police corruption is not the same as an ordinary instance of crime. To elaborate, ââ¬Å"Police corruption is an illegal use of organizational power for personal gain. The personal nature of the gain distinguishes corruption from brutality, perjury, illegal search, or any other law violations committed in the pursuit of such legitimate organizational goals as fighting crime. The organizational nature of the power used illegally excludes many crimes committed by policemen, such as burglary committed by a city police officer in his suburban town of residence in which he has no contact with the local police. That particular burglary would be merely a crime. A burglary committed by a police officer in his own police jurisdiction, under the protection of his colleagues or aided by his organizational knowledge of his colleaguesââ¬â¢ practices, would be both a crime and an act of police corruption.â⬠(Sherman, 31). As one can see, police corruption is a serious problem as it is almost always involves an associated act of crime. There is no room for this behaviour in fair environments and it cannot occur if society wishes to advance. Ultimately, police corruption cannot coexist with the concept of community policing because it is unethical and morally wrong, it is contrary to Robert Peelââ¬â¢s nine principles of policing and undermines effectiveness, and it offers no sense of accountability to the government and to the public. There is no logical way to justify corrupt actions by the police. Any time it occurs, it involves the ââ¬Å"abuse of a legally sanctioned position of authorityââ¬âin other words, the status of the police officer makes the crime possible. It is this abuse of a ââ¬Ësanctioned and sacredââ¬â¢ social position that makes police corruption so dangerous. It is the ultimate social inversionââ¬âthe cops become criminals. (Police Corruption)â⬠Instead of helping to fight crime, they end up contributing to the problem through means that are only available to them because of their sworn duties as protectors of the community. When corruption is revealed to the public, the police lose the confidence and trust that allows them to function and be legitimate. Corrupt acts are completely immoral as they are motivated by personal gain which demonstrates selfishness and a disregard of the well-being of society. The detrimental aspects of police misconduct cannot be overstated as they immediately threaten the possibility of effective police-community relationships. ââ¬Å"In terms of public trust for law enforcement, recent polls show that only 56 percent of people rated the police as having a high or very high ethical standard as compared with 84 percent for nurses. Over the past few decades, great strides have occurred in the law enforcement profession. To begin with, many police agencies have avoided hiring candidates who have low ethical standards and have identified those onboard employees early in their careers who might compromise the departmentââ¬â¢s integrity. In addition, research has discovered new methods of testing candidates for their psychological propensity to act ethically. However, unethical conduct by the nationââ¬â¢s police officers continues to occur in departments large and small. (Martin). Clearly, society has made some strides toward ensuring ethical and rational behaviour in the police force but it is impossible to root it out all the way to the individual level. For community policing to be effective, a high percentage of officers must be able to see the difference between right and wrong and take appropriate action. Recent studies offer some understanding of the phenomenon in the hope of rooting out this behavior that serves to undermine the overall legitimacy of law enforcement. Theories on the role of society in law enforcement, the negative influence of an officerââ¬â¢s department, and a personââ¬â¢s own natural tendency to engage in unethical behavior have been offered as potential explanations. While some may argue that the ââ¬Å"rotten appleâ⬠theory is the best explanation for this problem, the vast amount of evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. Deviance rarely persists in an isolated environment but it thrives when it is adopted by an entity such as a department. To explain, ââ¬Å"If we scan these activities then it must be plain that we are no longer dealing with individuals seeking solely personal gain but with group behaviour rooted in established arrangements. Police officers have to be initiated into these practises, rationalisations have to be produced to accept them, supervisors have to collude or turn a blind eye, justifications have to be sought to continue them, and organizations have either in some way to condone or encourage these activities ââ¬â or else fail to tackle them. This is social behaviour, conducted in groups within organizations, that is powerful enough to override the officerââ¬â¢s oath of office, personal conscience, departmental regulations and criminal laws (European Committee, 68).â⬠For all of these events to occur, it is evident that a multitude of people inside the organization must collaborate and therefore it is rarely an isolated case of corruption. Corruption is highly contagious and this is illustrated well through theories such as the ââ¬Å"slippery slopeâ⬠and ââ¬Å"grass vs meat eatersâ⬠This also explains why corruption is usually concentrated in certain precincts or areas instead of being dispersed. Sir Robert Peel was credited with the concept that the police depend on citizen cooperation in providing services in a democratic society. ââ¬Å"Peel envisioned a strong connection between the police and the community (Police Corruption)â⬠. Unfortunately, the existence of police corruption is contrary to all nine of his principles. The policeââ¬â¢s basic mission is to prevent crime and disorder, which they only contribute to if they are corrupt. They rely on the public approval of their actions, which cannot happen in a just society (ââ¬Å"community tolerance, or even support, for police corruption can facilitate a departmentââ¬â¢s becoming corrupt [Sherman, 32]). Corrupt police officers do not cooperate with the public; they avoid contact as they do not want to reveal their illicit nature. Since corrupt officers are aware of their actions, they might have improper judgement and use physical force. They fail to demonstrate absolutely impartial service by attempting to manipulate public opinion, do not become ââ¬Å"oneâ⬠with the public, they usurp the power of the judiciary, and sacrifice efficiency for personal gain by not devoting all of their effort to reducing crime and disorder. These corrupt officers also undermine effectiveness as they do not use their time as well as they should be, show only self-concern and indifference to the morality of the situation, and abuse resources. ââ¬Å"The legal authority of police departments and the nature of law violations in their jurisdiction provide organizational resources that can be exploited for personal gain. The nature of these resources varies greatly among and within police departments according to the nature of police tasks performed and the social characteristics of the police task environment. A police department that is a corrupt organization can exploit the resources for internal profit. In all cases, exploitation of these resources for personal gain is an inversion of the formal goals of the organization. (Sherman, 38). Depending on exactly what type of resources the organization deals with, they may or may not be suitable for exploitation. Federal drug enforcement entities constantly deal with opportunities to make a lot of illicit profit whereas Secret Services almost never has chances to make illicit gains at all. In many situations, police may lose some or all of their accountability to the public or government if they do not act with the appropriate intentions. Accountability is a vital element of not just community policing but policing in general. If the police are to achieve their goal which should be lawfulness and legitimacy, they require effective accountability procedures. ââ¬Å"Lawfulness and legitimacy, in turn, are essential if the police are to achieve their goals of reducing crime and disorder, enhancing the quality of neighborhood life, and serving community needs. A lack of legitimacy inhibits the development of working partnerships that are an essential ingredient in community policing and problem oriented policing. Contrary to the popular view that effective crime control and respect for constitutional principles are competing values in policing, experts today increasingly recognize that lawful conduct and accountability are essential for crime-fighting. (Walker, 1). While it is apparent that lawfulness and legitimacy must be upheld in order to serve the community, a fundamental principal of a democratic society that the police should be held accountable for their actions. This includes choosing what actions they take and how they perform. This is especially true in post-conflict environments where police forces are viewed as brutal, corrupt, and unfair. In order to maintain a healthy relationship, a ââ¬Å"liberal society must be maintained, complaints about the police must be addressed, and police themselves must be protected by disgruntled acts by the communityâ⬠(Accountability and Police). At the same time, police must keep a healthy distance to avoid excessive personal interaction which leads to preferential treatment, discretion, and favouritism. Furthermore, it is important to note that, ââ¬Å"The accountability of police to the public is undermined when charges are often dropped while officers under investigation are usually suspended with pay. In other words, there is no real certainty of punishment and this de-legitimizes any notion of public accountability and respect for the law (Police Corruption). In the eyes of the public, it is already bad enough that the officer are taking advantage of their position of authority but to have them face virtually no consequences is beyond demoralizing. In order for community policing to exist, the public must be confident in the fact that the police are not taking advantage of their position and are accountable in and out of service. In conclusion, because police corruption is unethical and morally wrong, violates all of Robert Peelââ¬â¢s principles, and shows a complete disregard of the notion of accountability, it is impossible to coincide with effective community policing. Police corruption is the illegal use of organizational power for personal gain and unfortunately a still a common occurrence in modern society. It is crucial for the police, as protectors of society, to not allow themselves to stoop so low. The community has to be able to know that no matter what police might have to deal with, they will remain pure and free of corruption in order to begin forming positive relationships. Methods of containing corruption include abolishing existing precedures that encourage corruption, letting go of any member that demonstrates corrupt tendencies, requiring a certain level of accountability, and many other steps. Organizations such as the Special Investigations Unit have made strides in reducing corruption however it is not nearly enough. If corruption is controlled to a point where it no longer has a detrimental impact to society, community policing can have enough room to develop. ââ¬Å"Preventing corruption completely is a tall order. However, steps can be taken to reduce it significantly. There are a few fundamental ideas that can be implemented that can, by their very nature, curb corruption. The three areas that need attention are the officer training, personal characters, and the incentives program. The first step is to hire police officers of good character. Stricter screening methods need to be implemented to decrease the chance that a potential hire will become corrupt. Once an officer is hired, the department should do all it can to promote ethics on the job. The department must understand that the citizens trust the police to be ethical, and a breach of that trust is unjust. Further, it is not practical to act unethically. People eye the police and their behavior constantly. Corruption in the force makes it easier for a citizen to rationalize acting unlawfully, which just creates more work for the police. If a police officer, who is allegedly the pillar of the law, can defy it, why cannot the citizens who pay for the police services? (White) A corrupt police officer cannot very well express effectively why citizens should obey the law, for he has no consistency and thus no credibility. Works Cited Sherman, Lawrence W. Scandal and Reform: Controlling Police Corruption. N.p.: University of California, 1978. Print. Police Powers and Accountability in a Democratic Society. N.p.: 2000. Google Books. Web. . Walker, Samuel. ââ¬Å"Police Accountability: Current Issues and Research Needs.â⬠National Institute of Justice Police Planning (2006): 1-35. National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . White, Stuart A. ââ¬Å"Controlling Police Corruption.â⬠Stanford University. N.p., 4 June 1994. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. . Martin, Rich M.S. ââ¬Å"Police Corruption: An Analytical Look Into Police Ethics.â⬠FBI. N.p., May 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. .
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