Monday, September 30, 2019
Coyote Blue Chapter 28~29
CHAPTER 28 Hope Is Bulletproof, Truth Just Hard to Hit As Minty Fresh drove back to Las Vegas he thought about what Sam had said: ââ¬Å"You have a mother, don't you?â⬠And the question set Minty Fresh to thinking about a phone call from his mother that had changed his life. ââ¬Å"You're the only one left can do something, baby. The others are too far or too far gone. Please come home, baby, I need you.â⬠(Even when he had to duck to pass through her front door she still called him ââ¬Å"baby.â⬠) That tone: he'd heard it in her voice before, when she was tugging at her husband to get him to stop strapping her youngest. But he hadn't gone back for her, had he? It was a call deep with duty and silent pride that brought him home. He went back for Nathan. Nathan Fresh had never been home when any of his nine children were born. He was a sailor, and as far as he knew, when you came home from sea a new child would be waiting for you. The others grew an inch or two at a time, and the shoes that one was wearing when you left would be on the next one down when you got home. He loved his children, foreign creatures that they were, and trusted his wife to raise them ââ¬â as long as they could line up, snap to, and pass inspection when he came home. And although he was gone most of the time, making the high seas safe for democracy, he was a presence in the house: photographs in crisp dress whites and blues stared down from the walls; commendations and medals; a letter once a week, read out loud at the supper table; and a thousand warnings of what Papa would do to a doomed misbehaver when he got home. To the Fresh children, Papa was only a little bit more real than Santa Claus, and only a bit more conspicuous. On the ship, Chief Petty Officer Nathan Fresh was known only as the Chief: feared and respected, tough and fair, starched, razor creased, and polished, always in trim and intolerant of anyone who wasn't. The Chief: did you notice that he was black? only five foot five? barely 130 pounds? No, but did you see his eyes, like smiles, when he was showing the pictures of his kids ââ¬â when he was telling tales of lobbing shells the size of refrigerators into the hills of Korea? Did you ever mention retirement to him? That's a frost, that's a chill. Minty Fresh, the youngest of nine, the one born with golden eyes, knew the chill. ââ¬Å"He's not mine,â⬠Papa said ââ¬â said it only once. Minty stayed out of Papa's way when he could, wore dark glasses when he couldn't. At age ten he stood six feet tall and no amount of slouching would roll Papa's resentment off his back. His place in the family was a single line at the bottom of a letter ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Baby's fine tooâ⬠ââ¬â far enough from ââ¬Å"Love, Mommaâ⬠to deny the association. At night, by flashlight, he wrote his own letters: ââ¬Å"My team is going to the state championships. I was voted all-conference. The press calls me M. F. Cool, because I wear tinted goggles when I play, and sunglasses during interviews. The colleges are calling already and sending recruiters to the games. You'd be proud. Momma swears you're wrong.â⬠In the bathroom he watched the letters go, in tiny pieces, around the bowl, down, and out to sea. Minty Fresh left for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas the week after high school graduation, the same week that Nathan Fresh took his mandatory retirement from the navy and came home, to San Diego, for good. The coach at UNLV wanted Minty to lift weights all summer, beef up for the big boys. The coach gave Momma Fresh a new washer and dryer. Nathan Fresh put them out on the porch. The day before the first game, when UNLV was going to unleash its secret weapon on the unsuspecting NCAA ââ¬â a seven-foot center with a three-foot vertical leap who could bench-press four hundred pounds and shoot ninety percent from the free-throw line ââ¬â M. F. Cool got the call. ââ¬Å"I'm on my way, Momma,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"My father needs me,â⬠he said to the coach. ââ¬Å"When we brought you up from nothing, gave you a full scholarship, put up with the goggles and the shades and the silly name? Gave your mother a washer and dryer? No. You won't miss the season opener. You're mine.â⬠ââ¬Å"How touching,â⬠Minty said. ââ¬Å"No one has ever said that to me before.â⬠Perhaps, he thought later, stuffing the coach in that locker had been a mistake, but at the time a few hours in seclusion, among socks and jocks, seemed just what the coach needed to gain some perspective. He broke the key off in the padlock, tore the M. F. Cool label off the locker, and went home. ââ¬Å"He's been gone four days now,â⬠Momma said. ââ¬Å"He drinks and gambles, hangs out at the pool hall 'til all hours. But he always came home before. Since he retired, he's changed. I don't know him.â⬠ââ¬Å"Neither do I.â⬠ââ¬Å"Bring him home, baby.â⬠Minty took a cab to the waterfront and ducked in and out of a dozen bars and pool halls before he realized that Nathan would go anywhere but the waterfront. There were sailors there, reminders. After two days of searching he found Nathan, barely able to stand, shooting pool with a fat Mexican in a cantina outside of Tijuana. ââ¬Å"Chief, let's go. Momma's waiting.â⬠ââ¬Å"I ain't no chief. Go away. I got a game going.â⬠Minty put his hand on his father's shoulder, cringing at the smell of tequila and vomit coming off him. ââ¬Å"Papa, she's worried.â⬠The fat Mexican moved around the table to where Minty stood and pushed him away with a cue stick. ââ¬Å"My friend, this one goes nowhere until we get what he owes us.â⬠Two other Mexicans moved off their barstools. ââ¬Å"Now you go.â⬠He poked Minty in the chest with the cue stick and Nathan Fresh wheeled on him and bellowed in finest chief petty officer form. ââ¬Å"Don't you touch my son, you fucking greaseball.â⬠The Mexican's cue caught Nathan on the bridge of the nose and Nathan went down, limp. Minty palmed the Mexican's head and slammed his face into the pool table, then turned in time to catch each of the two coming off the bar with a fist in the throat. Another with a knife went airborne into a Corona mirror, which broke louder than his neck. Two more went down, one with a skull fractured by a billiard ball; one, his shoulder wrenched from its socket, went into shock. There were seven in all, broken or unconscious, before the cantina cleared and Minty, dripping blood from a cut on his arm, carried his father out. Momma met them at the hospital and stood with Minty as Nathan came around. ââ¬Å"What are you doing here, you yellow-eyed freak?â⬠Minty walked out of the room. Momma followed. ââ¬Å"He don't mean it, baby. He really don't.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know, Momma.â⬠ââ¬Å"Where you going?â⬠ââ¬Å"Back to Vegas.â⬠ââ¬Å"You call when he sobers up. He'll want to talk to you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Call me if you need me, Momma,â⬠he said. He kissed her on the forehead and walked out. She called him every week, and he could tell by her whisper that Nathan was home, was fine. It made him fine too ââ¬â not M. F. Cool, just M.F., the one who handled things. All that was missing was the feeling of being needed, essential, bound to duty. Sam had said, ââ¬Å"You have a mother, don't you?â⬠Minty steered the limo off the next exit, across the overpass, and back on the highway, headed back to King's Lake. -=*=- It had taken Steve, the Buddhist monk, only a half hour to put the car back together. When Sam tried to figure out a way to pay for the repairs, Steve said, ââ¬Å"All misery comes from desire and connection to the material. Go.â⬠Sam said thanks. Now he was driving the Z into Utah. Calliope was asleep on Coyote's lap. Coyote snored. Sam passed the time trying to figure out how long it would take to get to Sturgis, South Dakota, the location of the rally that the Guild was going to. About twenty hours, he thought, if the car held together. From time to time he looked over at Calliope and felt a twinge of jealousy toward Coyote. She looked like a child when she slept. He wanted to protect her, hold her. But it was that childlike quality that frightened him as well. Her ability to dismiss facts, deny the negative, to see things so clearly, but so clearly wrong. It was as if she refused to accept what any reasonable adult knew: the world was a dangerous, hostile place. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face before looking back to the road. She murmured, and came awake with a yawn. ââ¬Å"I was dreaming about sea turtles ââ¬â that they were really dinosaur angels.â⬠ââ¬Å"And?â⬠ââ¬Å"That's all. It was a dream.â⬠Sam had been thinking about it too long, so there was anger in his voice when he asked her, ââ¬Å"Why didn't you call me before you went after Lonnie?â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't know.â⬠ââ¬Å"I was worried. If it weren't for Coyote, I would have never found you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Are you two related?â⬠She seemed to be ignoring his anger. ââ¬Å"You look a lot alike. He has the same eyes and skin.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I just know him.â⬠Sam didn't want to explain, he wanted an answer. ââ¬Å"Why didn't you call me?â⬠Calliope recoiled at his harshness. ââ¬Å"I had to go get Grubb.â⬠ââ¬Å"I could have gone with you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Would you have? Is that what you wanted?â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm here, aren't I? It would have been a hell of a lot easier if I didn't have to chase you across two states.â⬠ââ¬Å"And maybe you wouldn't have done it if it was a hell of a lot easier. Would you?â⬠The question, and her tone, threw him. He thought for a minute, looking at the road. ââ¬Å"I don't know.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know,â⬠she said softly. ââ¬Å"I don't know much, but I know about that. You're not the only man that ever wanted me or wanted to rescue me. They all do, Sam. Men are addicted to the wanting. You like the idea of having me, and the idea of rescuing me. That's what attracted you to me in the first place, remember.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's not true.â⬠ââ¬Å"It is true. That's why I had sex with you so soon.â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't get it.â⬠This was not at all how Sam had expected her to react. His brief moment of self-righteousness had degraded into self-doubt. ââ¬Å"I did it to see if you could get past the fantasy of wanting me and rescuing me, to the reality of me. Me, with a baby, and no education, and a lousy job. Me, with no idea what I'm going to do next. I can't stand the wanting coming at me all the time. I have to get past it, like I did with you, or ignore it.â⬠ââ¬Å"So you were testing me?â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"That's why you took off without telling me?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, it wasn't a test. I liked you, but I have Grubb to take care of now. I can't afford to hope.â⬠She was starting to tear up. Sam felt as if he'd just been caught stomping a litter of kittens. She took Grubb's blanket from behind the seat and wiped her eyes. ââ¬Å"You okay?â⬠Sam asked. She nodded. ââ¬Å"Sometimes I want to be touched and I pretend that I'm in love ââ¬â and that someone loves me. I just take my moments and forget about hope. You were going to be a moment, Sam. But I started to have hope. If I'd called you and you had said no, then I would have lost my hope again.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's not how I am,â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"How are you, then?â⬠Sam drove in silence for a while, trying to think of something to say ââ¬â the right thing to say. But that wasn't the answer either. He always knew the right thing to say to get what he wanted, or had until Coyote showed up. But now, he didn't know what he wanted. Calliope had declared wanting a mortal sin. Talking to a woman, to anyone, without having an agenda was completely foreign to him. Where was he supposed to speak from? What point of view? Who was he supposed to be? He was afraid to look at her, felt heat rise in his face when he thought about her looking at him, waiting. Maybe the truth? Where do you go to find the truth? She had found it, let it go at him. She had laid her hope in his hands and she was waiting to see what he would do with it. Finally he said, ââ¬Å"I'm a full-blooded Crow Indian. I was raised on a reservation in Montana. When I was fifteen I killed a man and I ran away and I've spent my life pretending to be someone I'm not. I've never been married and I've never been in love and that's not something I know how to pretend. I'm not even sure why I'm here, except that you woke something up in me and it seemed to make sense to run after something instead of away for a change. If that's the horrible act of wanting, then so be it. And by the way, you are sitting on the lap of an ancient Indian god.â⬠Now he looked at her. He was a little out of breath and his mind was racing, but he felt incredibly relieved. He felt like he needed a cigarette and a towel ââ¬â and maybe a shower and breakfast. Calliope looked from Sam to Coyote, and then to Sam again. Her eyes were wider each time she looked back. Coyote stopped his snoring and languidly opened one eye. ââ¬Å"Hi,â⬠he said. He closed his eye and resumed snoring. Calliope bent over and kissed Sam's cheek. ââ¬Å"I think that went well, don't you?â⬠Sam laughed and grabbed her knee. ââ¬Å"Look, we've still got twenty hours on the road and I'm going to need you to drive. So get some sleep, okay? I don't trust him at the wheel.â⬠Sam nodded toward Coyote. ââ¬Å"But he's a god,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËAs flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods;/They kill us for their sport. ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"What an icky thing to say.â⬠ââ¬Å"Sorry. Shakespeare wrote it. I can't get it out of my mind this week. It's like an old song that gets stuck.â⬠ââ¬Å"That happened to me once with ââ¬ËRocky Raccoon. ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Right,â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"It's exactly like that.â⬠CHAPTER 29 Shifting Sam drove through the day and into the night and finally stopped at a truck stop outside of Salt Lake City. Calliope and Coyote had been awake for the last few hours, but neither had spoken very much. Calliope seemed embarrassed about talking to the trickster, now that she knew he was a god, and Coyote just stared out the window, either lost in his own thoughts or (Sam thought this more likely) absorbed in some new scheme to throw people's lives into chaos. From time to time someone would break the silence by saying, ââ¬Å"Pretty rockâ⬠ââ¬â a statement which covered the complete observational spectrum for Utah's landscape ââ¬â then they would lapse into silence for a half hour or so. Sam led them into the truck stop and they all took stools at a carousel counter among truckers and a couple of grungy hitchhikers who were hoping to cadge a ride. A barrel-shaped woman in an orange polyester uniform approached and poured them coffee without asking if they wanted it. Her name tag read, Arlene. ââ¬Å"You want something to eat, honey?â⬠she asked Calliope with an accent warm with Southern hospitality. Sam wondered about this: no matter where you go, truck-stop waitresses have a Southern accent. ââ¬Å"Do you have oatmeal?â⬠Calliope asked. ââ¬Å"How 'bout a little brown sugar on that?â⬠Arlene asked. She looked over rhinestone-framed reading glasses. Calliope smiled. ââ¬Å"That would be nice.â⬠ââ¬Å"How 'bout you, darlin'?â⬠she said to Coyote. ââ¬Å"Drinks. Umbrellas and swords.â⬠ââ¬Å"Now you know better'n that ââ¬â come into Mormon country and order drinks.â⬠She shamed him with a wave of her finger. Coyote turned to Sam. ââ¬Å"Mormon country?â⬠ââ¬Å"They settled in this area. They believe that Jesus visited the Indian people after he rose from the dead.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh him. I remember him. Hairy face, made a big deal about dying and coming back to life ââ¬â one time. Ha. He was funny. He tried to teach me how to walk on water. I can do it pretty good in the wintertime.â⬠Arlene giggled girlishly. ââ¬Å"I don't think you need any more to drink, hon. How 'bout some ham and eggs?â⬠Sam said, ââ¬Å"That'll be fine, two of those, over easy.â⬠Sam watched Arlene move around the counter, flirting with some of the truckers like a saloon girl, clucking over others like a mother hen. She snuck a cinnamon roll to a scruffy teenage hitchhiker with no money and asked after him like an older sister, then moved across the counter and found the kid a ride with a gruff cowboy trucker. One minute she was swearing like a sailor, the next she was blushing like a virgin, and all the customers who sat at her counter got what they needed. Sam realized that he was watching a shape-shifter: a kind and giving creature. Perhaps he was meant to notice. Perhaps that was what he needed. She was good. Maybe he was too. He turned to Calliope and caught her in the middle of losing a bite of oatmeal down her chin. ââ¬Å"We can do this,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"We'll get him back.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"You do?â⬠She nodded, wiping oatmeal off her chin with a napkin. ââ¬Å"That's the scary thing about hope,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"If you let it go too long it turns into faith.â⬠She scooped another bite of cereal. Sam smiled. He wished that he shared her confidence. ââ¬Å"Did you ever go to South Dakota with Lonnie? Will we be able to find them?â⬠ââ¬Å"I went to the big summer rally, not this time of year. They don't camp with the other bikers. They rent land from a farmer in the hills. All the Guild chapters stay together there.â⬠ââ¬Å"Could you find it again?â⬠ââ¬Å"I think so. But there's only one dirt road leading in there. How will we get Grubb out?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, I guess just walking in and asking for him isn't going to work.â⬠ââ¬Å"They usually have guns. They get drunk and play shooting games.â⬠Coyote said, ââ¬Å"Wait for them to go to sleep, then sneak in and count coup.â⬠ââ¬Å"They don't really sleep,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"They do crank and drink all weekend.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then we will have to trick them.â⬠ââ¬Å"I was afraid you'd say that,â⬠Sam said. He spun on his stool and looked out the windows of the truck stop to the gas pumps, where a black stretch Lincoln was just pulling away. -=*=- Sam woke up in the passenger seat. The Z was parked sideways on the side of the road, the headlights trained over a pasture. The driver's seat was empty. Coyote, who was curled up in the tiny space behind the seat, growled and popped his head out between the seat. ââ¬Å"What's going on?â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't know.â⬠Sam looked around for Calliope. It was raining out. ââ¬Å"Maybe she stopped to take a leak.â⬠ââ¬Å"There she is.â⬠Coyote pointed to a spot by the barbed-wire fence where Calliope was standing by a young calf, working furiously on something at the fence. A mother cow stood by watching. ââ¬Å"The calf's tail is stuck on the barbed wire,â⬠Coyote said. Sam opened the car door and stepped out into the rain just as Calliope finished untangling the calf, which scampered to its mother. ââ¬Å"It's okay,â⬠she called. ââ¬Å"I got him.â⬠She waved for him to get back into the car. She ran to the car and got in. ââ¬Å"Sorry, I had to stop. He looked so sad.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's okay. Pasture pals, right?â⬠Sam said. She grinned as she started the car. ââ¬Å"I thought we could use the karma balance.â⬠Sam looked for a road sign. ââ¬Å"Where are we?â⬠ââ¬Å"Almost there. We have to get going. There's been a car behind us for a while. I got way ahead of it, but I felt like it was following us.â⬠She pulled onto the road, ramming through the gears like a grand prix driver. Sam was peeking at the speedometer when he saw a colored light blow by in the corner of his eye. ââ¬Å"What was that?â⬠ââ¬Å"The only stoplight in Sturgis,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"I'm sorry, guys, it sort of snuck up on me. The Z goes better than it stops.â⬠ââ¬Å"We're here already?â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"But it's still dark out.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's a few more miles to the farm,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"Sam, if a cop saw me go through that light can you take the wheel? My license is suspended.â⬠Sam checked his watch, amazed at their progress. ââ¬Å"You must have averaged ninety the whole way.â⬠ââ¬Å"I had to go to jail the last time they caught me. Three months. They taught me to do nails for vocational training.â⬠ââ¬Å"You did three months for a traffic violation?â⬠ââ¬Å"There were a few of them,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"It wasn't bad; I got a degree. I'm a certified nail technician now. In jail it was mostly LOVE/HATE nails, but I was good at it. I would have had a career except the polish fumes give me a headache.â⬠Coyote pulled Grubb's blanket out of the hole in the back window and looked through. ââ¬Å"It's clear. There's a car behind us but it's not a cop.â⬠The sleeping town was only a block long ââ¬â a stoplight with accessories. Calliope drove them through town and turned south on a county road that wound into the Black Hills. ââ¬Å"It's a couple of minutes up this road to the turnoff, then about a mile in on a dirt road.â⬠Sam said, ââ¬Å"Turn off the lights when you make the turn. We'll drive halfway in and walk the rest of the way.â⬠Calliope made the turn onto a single-lane dirt road that led through a thick stand of lodgepole pines. The road was deeply rutted, the ruts filled with water. The Z bucked and bottomed out in several places. ââ¬Å"Keep it moving steady,â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"Don't hit the gas or the wheels will dig into the mud. Christ, it's dark.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's the trees,â⬠Calliope said. ââ¬Å"There's a clearing ahead where they camp.â⬠Sam was trying to peer into the darkness. To his right he thought he saw something. ââ¬Å"Stop.â⬠Calliope let the Z roll to a stop. ââ¬Å"Okay,â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"Hit the parking lights, just for a second.â⬠Calliope clicked the parking lights on and off. ââ¬Å"That's what I thought,â⬠Sam said. ââ¬Å"There's a cattle gate back there to the right. Back the Z in there so we can turn it around.â⬠ââ¬Å"Giving up?â⬠Coyote said. ââ¬Å"If we have to get out of here fast I don't want to have to back down this road.â⬠He got out of the car and directed Calliope as she backed the Z in and turned it off. ââ¬Å"We walk from here.â⬠They got out of the car and started down the road, stepping between the puddles. The air was damp and cold, and smelled faintly of wood smoke and pine. When the moonlight broke through the trees they could see their breath. Calliope said, ââ¬Å"Wait.â⬠She turned and ran back to the car, then returned in a moment with Grubb's blanket in hand. ââ¬Å"He'll want his wubby.â⬠Sam smiled in spite of himself, knowing the girl couldn't see his face in the dark. Never face heavily armed bikers without your wubby. Coyote and Cottontail It's an old story. Coyote and his friend Cottontail were hiding on a wooded hill above a camp, watching some girls dance around the fire. Coyote said, ââ¬Å"I'd sure like to get close to some of them.â⬠ââ¬Å"You won't get near them,â⬠Cottontail said. ââ¬Å"They know who you are.â⬠ââ¬Å"Maybe not, little one. Maybe not,â⬠Coyote said. ââ¬Å"I'll go down there in disguise.â⬠ââ¬Å"They won't let any man get close to them,â⬠Cottontail said. ââ¬Å"I won't be a man,â⬠Coyote said. ââ¬Å"Here, hold this.â⬠Coyote took off his penis and handed it to Cottontail. ââ¬Å"Now, when I come back into the woods I will call to you and you can bring me my penis.â⬠Then Coyote changed into an old woman and went down to the camp. He danced with the girls and pinched them and slapped their bottoms. ââ¬Å"Oh, Grandmother,â⬠the girls said, ââ¬Å"you are wicked. You must be that old trickster Coyote.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm just an old woman,â⬠Coyote said. ââ¬Å"Here, feel under my dress.â⬠One of the girls felt under Coyote's dress and said, ââ¬Å"She is just an old woman.â⬠Coyote pointed to two of the prettiest girls. ââ¬Å"Let's dance in the trees,â⬠he said. He danced with the girls into the woods and tickled them and made them roll around with him laughing. He touched them under their dresses until they said, ââ¬Å"Oh, Grandmother, you are wicked.â⬠ââ¬Å"Cottontail, come here!â⬠Coyote called. But there was no answer. ââ¬Å"Wait here for your old grandmother to return,â⬠Coyote told the girls. He ran all over the woods calling for Cottontail, but could not find him. He went over that hill to the next one and still no Cottontail. He was excited and wanted very much to have sex with the girls, but alas, he could not find his penis. Finally the sun started coming up and the girls called, ââ¬Å"Old Grandmother, we can't wait for you any longer. We have to go home.â⬠Coyote stalked the hills cursing. ââ¬Å"That Cottontail, I will kill him for stealing my penis.â⬠As he walked he passed three other girls coming out of the woods. They were giggling and one of them was saying, ââ¬Å"He was so little, but he had such a big thing I thought I would split.â⬠Coyote ran in the direction the girls had come from and found Cottontail sitting under a tree having a smoke ââ¬Å"I'll kill you, you little thief,â⬠Coyote cried. ââ¬Å"But Coyote, I pleasured the three many times and four times I made each of them cry out.â⬠Coyote was too tired from tickling and dancing all night to stay mad. ââ¬Å"Really, four times each?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yep,â⬠Cottontail said, handing Coyote his member. ââ¬Å"I feel like I was there,â⬠Coyote said. ââ¬Å"You got a smoke?â⬠ââ¬Å"Sure,â⬠said Cottontail. ââ¬Å"Are you going to need your penis tonight?â⬠Coyote laughed and smoked with Cottontail while his little friend told the story of his long night of pleasuring.
Crime and Punishment Essay
The themes of sacrifices and egoism are usual in his works. He believes that egoism became that reason that destroyed earlier civilizations and made a threat to contemporary societies. Despite the fact that he saw nothing wrong in the wish to self-perfection, he blamed those, who tried to oppose their ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠to the rest of the world and considered only their own needs and desires. Raskolnikov, the protagonist of Crime and Punishment is severely punished for his extreme egoism and daring to take the decision about human lives. For example in The Brothers Karamazov Zosima worries about moral responsibility for all actions, committed by the person. Ivan doubts his views and states that responsibility is nothing but abstract notion and without God it becomes impossible to talk about any limits to the behavior of an individual. In the poem Ivan declaims to his brother in the cafe he expresses his view on the free will. The Inquisitor blames Jesus for giving people free will, which has become a hard burden and the reason of misery. The feeling of guilt becomes Ivanââ¬â¢s price for an attempt to express his free will. Dostoevsky does not agree or disagree with any opinion discussed but he constructs the plot of the story in such a way that the readers get an opportunity to get the proofs of ideas, expressed by Zosima. (Dostoevsky) The characters of Dostoesky are haunted by their past. In many his stories people cross the limit and take excessive responsibility to make the decision for other people and get severe punishment for it. In contrast to Borges, whose characters exist in present, and to Tolstoy, who regarded human history as a reason for all the events, which happen to us, Dostoevsky made the past the reason of suffering and misery. His characters are haunted by the ghosts from the past and can not find their place in present. For Dostoevsky the conflicts between free will and determination, and between egoism and responsibility become driving force and a source for creativity. All three authors use literature not only as means to bring their messages for the readers, but also as a way to resolve their inner conflicts. Art is always a personal experience for both ââ¬â creator and those, who perceive it, and Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Borges make their art serve one ultimate purpose ââ¬â a quest for the meaning of life. Sources Dostoevsky, Feodor (1992). Crime and Punishment. Pevear, R. and Volokhonsky, L. transl. New York: Alfred Knopf. Dostoevsky, Feodor (1992). The Brothers Karamazov. , Pevear, R. and Volokhonsky, L. transl. New York: Alfred Knopf. Dostoevsky, Fyodor translation by Pevear, Richard and Volokhonsky, Larissa (1990). The Brothers Karamazov. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Tolstoy, Leo (1969). War and Peace , transl. Rosemary Edmonds, Penguin. Borges, Jorge Luis (1998). Collected Fictions(translated by Andrew Hurley), Viking Penguin
Saturday, September 28, 2019
How Technology Changed Society
Through the years, we've watched technology grow like a child budding into adulthood: It starts out mostly crying and pooping, then crawling, gradually learning to walk, and finally able to run at a speed we all wish we could keep up with. We've seen technology fail, and we've seen it succeed. We've poked fun at it when it doesn't make sense, and we've praised it when it's absolutely brilliant. We've yelled at it when it runs out of power, and we've fixed or replaced it when it gets run down.We treat technology as a family memberââ¬âeven if that is a little co-dependent. You can't blame us, though; it's certainly made aspects of our lives easier: We're no longer forced to send letters through the postal service, book vacations through travel agents, shop in stores, visit the library for research material, or wait for our photos to be developed. Thanks to technology, all of these activities can be performed either digitally or online.At the same time, though, technology can make l ife more convolutedââ¬âespecially when something doesn't work right or doesn't do what it's supposed to: Say, for instance, a GPS device tells you to turn the wrong way on a one-way street (yikes! ), or a computer erases all of your important data (ouch! ). Unfortunately, it's not always easy to understand how a product or service works, not to mention whether or not to hold off on adopting it until a better, shinier thing comes along. A perfect example is the ever-evolving video format.We've gone from Betamax to VHS to DVD to HD DVD/Blu-ray to just Blu-ray (and everything in-between, of course). It can take years before a technology catches on, and even more time before we see a significant price drop. For the most part, however, technology does us more good than harm: It's reconnected us with old college roommates, helped us learn a foreign language, and encouraged us to exercise. Follow us as we look back at how technology has changed our livesââ¬âfor the better and for t he worseââ¬âin terms of communication, computing, dining, entertainment, and travel.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Community Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1
Community Service - Essay Example Community Service When magistrates compel first time law breakers to undertake community service, they aim at promoting discipline and advocating for reform that will restrain the law-breaker from repeating the offence (Godhbole). Community service is aimed at the development of the community where a volunteer or philanthropist, or a group of people may get into projects such as to teach children from less fortunate backgrounds, help build homes, clean and attend to the elderly in homes, clean the streets, plant trees, fix public utilities or assist in animal shelters. Institutes of education tend to direct young people to community service so that they can develop a sense of purpose for their lives as they progress to other levels and overall to groom their personalities. Philanthropists, who are people that are involved in making the society better through various works of donations, usually create foundations that focus on the problems which often affect the society, such as education or environmen t (Daniel). One of the biggest advantages of community service is that it creates within a community the ability to do things together that would seem overwhelming to an individual. For example, if a person notices there is a piece of land that is neglected and that this land would look better with trees and flowers, these persons can decide to come together with their friends and start a beautification activity. The activities of such persons may inspire others within the community to decide to join together to make similar projects. As a result, this may ignite a chain reaction where many people may end up working together to turn a single activity started by others, into a project that covers the entire community. Community service projects has the effect of bringing people together and this turns into a spirit of togetherness and caring for one another, and the environment in which they live (Arrington). My own personal experience working in community service took place when I v olunteered to work in a Buddhist temple for several months. The activities that I took part in included serving lunch, cleaning the temple and statues, and directing people to the different prayer sessions. It was an experience that was fulfilling for me as it taught me the importance of spirituality. I got the opportunity to interact with the priests who gave me an opportunity to help people from different occupations and many backgrounds. The way the priests lead such simple lives inspired me and interacting with ordinary people emulating their lives made it seem achievable. I developed a sense of discipline from following the schedule of the activities at the temple as they were adhered to strictly. In addition, the community service gave me a chance to expose myself to people of different backgrounds, cultures and ages. The experience of community work in the Buddhist temple exposed me to a process of learning that was beyond the formal idea of learning. The practice accorded me the opportunity to explore areas of knowledge that I had not encountered in the formal learning processes. The understanding and practice of community service usually involves an awareness of the real things that make up the social order in the world of those who
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Edgar Degas's Sculpture Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen Essay
Edgar Degas's Sculpture Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen - Essay Example If one is speaking with Marshall Berman, modernity is described as "a mode of vital experience-experience of space and time, of the self and others, of life's possibilities and perils-that is shared by men and women all over the world today. I will call this body of experience 'modernity'" (Berman, 1982). It encompasses the social changes that are constantly taking shape, the way in which these changes are experienced and the reflection of these experiences in various circles. It is a world of definition and ambiguity, a world of static definitions and constant change. For Marshall Berman, the contradictions of modernity are characterized by a tendency to order space and time while simultaneously promoting their ruination and failure. Many of these concepts are uniquely applicable to Edgar Degas' only publicly displayed sculpture, a small wax figure of a young ballet dancer conveying a strong sense of personality entitled "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen." In describing the modern human, Berman says "they are moved at once by a will to change - to transform both themselves and their world - and by a terror of disorientation and disintegration, of life falling apart" (Berman, 1982). Through this statement, it is easy to see the conflicting emotions of an individual undergoing change of any kind. Relating it to everyday life, an individual might strive to pursue a dream career by quitting their job and launching a business of their own, but at the same time be paralyzed by the fear of this new venture failing, or worse, succeeding. Either way, it represents a change in the way things have been. "To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. It is to be overpowered by the immense bureaucratic organizations that have the power to control and often to destroy all communities, values, lives; and yet to be undeterred in our determination to face these forces, to fight to change their world and make it our own. It is to be both revolutionary and conservative: alive to new possibilities for experience and adventure, frightened by the nihilistic depths to which so many modern adventures lead" (Berman, 1982). These were the ideas emerging in the world as Degas was working in his studio and the ideas that have been discovered within the small shape of his tiny dancer. The origin of the statue is not fully known. According to the foremost expert on the statue, Richard Kendall, the artist created the statue between the years of 1878 and 1881 when he was in his middle forties. This was at the height of his involvement with Impressionism and his sculpture is considered the first major sculpture associated with the movement. Impressionism is largely considered to be a movement within Modernism in which emphasis was placed on the emotional content of the image more than the physical content. Artists working during this period dedicated themselves to the depiction of human emotions as discovered through the colors and lines of their work rather than through the symbols and forms of the photograph and the machine age. In doing so, these artists were attempting to dig deep into the feeling of human experience as a means of discovering the true reality of what being human meant; in other words, to express the sublime. Lyotard (1984) describes this process a s an attempt "to make visible that
Sociology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4
Sociology - Research Paper Example History can show the dangers of ethnocentrism. The Third Reich is an extreme example of ethnocentrism. Hitler felt the way to protect his Aryan race was to kill inferior races. The genocide in Rwanda committed by the Hutus against the Tutsis is another extreme example of ethnocentrism. Slavery was a form of ethnocentrism. Today examples of ethnocentrism are white supremacist and radical Islam. These groups are at war with all other cultures. In order to protect their superior culture, ethnocentrism believers fight all other groups. The dangers of ethnocentrism are the reasons for social integration. Due to modern technology, war, and population growth, the world is shrinking. Large chunks of one culture or people are becoming less common. Unless living in an isolated location, where one never leaves and others do not visit, individuals will encounter different cultures during their lifespan. Especially in America, where many cultures live, work, and make up communities, the need for social integration is essential. More social integration will lessen the violence, discrimination, and verbal aggression between cultures. The less violence in between races will help communities to get along and reduce hate
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Role of Nuclear Medicine in the Field of Gastrointestinal Diseases Essay
Role of Nuclear Medicine in the Field of Gastrointestinal Diseases - Essay Example Through imaging the physician can advice the patients with such diseases the cure and treatment. With the help of Nuclear Medicine Imaging, the imaging of IBD may be performed with In-111Leukocytes and Tc-99m Leukocytes. Nuclear Imaging can assess the conditions and situation of the gastrointestinal tract of the patient. With detailed observation the physician can advice the patients on what medicine to take to cure the said disease. Medicine is the science and art concerned with treating diseases so with preservation of one's health. It is a branch of healing art that deals with restoration of life and curing diseases by administration of drugs. Medicine is a very wide subject but it all includes all the sciences that are under the healing art and all varieties of curative treatment. Not only is it all about treating but also about preventive and the discussion of causation (Universal Encyclopedia, 1993). The development and classification of medical science have proceeded by gradual steps from very early times. The year 1543 marks an important point in the development of modern medicine. It was Andreas Versalius who published De Humani Corposis Fabrica (The Fabric of Human Body) in that year. It was a first great achievement for in that book the real structure of human body was revealed. Versalius undermined the widespread of reverence for authority in science and prepared a way for independent observation in anatomy and medicine. After that achievement there was a lot of upgrades in the field of medicine. The works and achievement of Pasteur in the field of Microbiology, Mendel in the field Genetics, and Darwin in Evolutionary Biology has greatly influenced and advanced the field of Medicine. As Medicine has been developing into more knowledge about the art of healing researches and more studies have been done. Among to its advancements are the discovery of tissue grafting. Transplants of organs are now possible and have saved many lives already. Born with the improvement in the field of Medicine is Nuclear Medicine. This field of Medicine is a science of healing that uses radiation to provide or give information about the person's anatomy and the functioning activity of the specific organs. With the information given to the physician, the doctor can provide and recommend proper diagnosis and treatment. Examples of conditions that can be checked with this field are cancer, heart diseases, thyroid disorders, bone disorders and gastrointestinal diseases (Nuclear Imaging, 2006). This field of Medicine is actually a sect specialty with in the field of radiology. The diagnostic examination that results from the images of body anatomy and functionality is comprised in this field. Nuclear medicine is a subspecialty within the field of radiology. The images are developed based on the detection of energy emitted from a radioactive substance given to the patient, either intravenously or by mouth. Generally, radiation to the patient is similar to that resulting from standard x-ray examinations (Nuclear Medicine, 2006). The substances used in this kind of practice are radio nuclides (radiopharmaceuticals). During examinations the radioactive substances are administered to the patience and the radiation emitted is then measured. Mostly of these examinations involves the formation of an image using a gamma camera. Nuclear medicine can
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Richard III - Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Richard III - Shakespeare - Essay Example He engages other by his persuasions in order to win their support; he does this using all possible means even killing others in order to achieve his ambitious dream. Although at the end of it all we see Devine power taking control of the scene. Because of Richardââ¬â¢s hunger for power, conflicts have been created in this society throughout the play Richard III. Richard is so ambitious and hungry to be the leader of England no matter the conflicts he brings between him and the people. From the beginning to the end of this play, every move is about Richard and his desire to be the king. He either uses persuasion or even kills to ensure he achieves this ambition. We see Richard sweet talking Lady Anne in order to win her. Lady Anne knows that Richard killed his husband and father in law King Henry VI, but still Richard cunningly is able to lure and win her for marriage. Richard knows that by marrying Lady Anne he makes a strategic move towards getting the throne (Shakespeare, 1597, A4v). He further spreads rumors about his brother through his false prophecy claiming that Clarence was planning to kill the kingââ¬â¢s heirs yet he is the one planning to do so. He makes the king furious with Clarence leading to his imprisonment and later he is killed through Richardââ¬â¢s orders (Shakespeare, 1597). Richard had a number of plans of evil thi ngs to do to make himself king and rule England forever. These plans were to; eliminate his brother Clarence, marry Lady Ann, kill king Edward IV, become protector since the heirs were still young, eliminate anyone who supported the heirs, murder the young princes, make himself king, murder his wife then beat up Richmond. Richards hunger and ambition to get to power lead him to commit so many evil deeds in order for him to achieve his dreams. All the deeds by Richard to get himself to power created conflict between
Monday, September 23, 2019
Terry v Ohio Stop Question Frisk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Terry v Ohio Stop Question Frisk - Essay Example In conducting a stop and frisk, police officers are acting on a reasonable suspicion that either the officers or others are in danger of being harmed. In such circumstances, police officers may conduct a reasonable search of the individual for weapons. This investigatory power exists independent of whether or not there is probable cause for affecting an arrest or whether or not the officers in question are entirely sure that the person is actually armed and dangerous (Terry v Ohio 1968). The US Supreme Court defined the circumstances in which a stop, question and frisk would not exceed the boundaries of the Fourth Amendment. First, while warrants for search and seizure are the preferred way, there are times where police officers must act quickly and in such a case a stop and frisk may be appropriate. Secondly, the search and seizure must be reasonable in the circumstances and reasonableness is judged from the perspective of the reasonable ââ¬Å"man of cautionâ⬠(Terry v Ohio 1968). Thirdly, a stop and frisk is appropriate when the police officer in question is investigating a reasonably suspicious behavior. Fourthly, in such circumstances, if the police officer perceives that the individual acting suspiciously is armed, the officer may conduct a reasonable search to determine whether or not this is the case. Fifthly, where an officer is justified in searching/frisking the individual for weapons, where there is no probable cause for arrest, the frisk must corre spond with the circumstances of the case. Finally, in all circumstances where an officer reasonably fears that there is danger such an officer may ââ¬Å"make an intrusion short of arrestâ⬠(Terry v Ohio 1968). According to Stolarik (2013), the practice of stopping, questioning and frisking by New York City Police has gotten out of control and there has been significant controversy over whether or not these practices are consistent with the protection against unreasonable search and seizure under
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Integral part of British culture Essay Example for Free
Integral part of British culture Essay Soaps are contemporary, which means they are written in the same rime that they are being acted. Some viewers develop whats called social critism or social commentary, when as I mentioned before, viewers get lost in the plots and get carried away with their feelings. You sometimes hear about people trying to kill characters that they dont like. I just think how pathetic they are that they cant differenciate between a soap opera and reality. Political bias is another issue, which tends to sway the minds of viewers. This happens when a character is portrayed to have a specific political view on a matter. For example if a character is strongly against the Labour Party, their views may rub off on to the public, and then the public assume that that is their real belief. Really the actors/actresses are shoved a script to learn. They dont mess about and argue with the script writers just because their views differ to their characters. Many potentially controversial issues are embarked upon in soaps. For example, when the first lesbian kiss was screened on Brookside a few years ago everyone was horrified. On the otherhand, it encouraged real life lesbian couples to go public, not being ashamed of their sexuality. Soap operas are a form of voyeurism which means you can enjoy watching without participating, which is just up some peoples street. Its nice to come in from school, make a cuppa and be entertained by people for half an hour, from a distance, without having to participate. Some people believe soaps are anti-depressants. This is true when you are experiencing serious problems in your life. It is comforting when you switch on the tv and find a character with a much worse problem than yours. It puts everything into perspective, and demonstrates that it is quite possible to overcome such problems. Soap operas prove to be relief from everyday pressures, albeit temporary. This is especially true for me. My artistic merit is Neighbours. Sometimes I cant wait till 5. 35pm, because I know that I can relax during the twenty five minutes it is on. Soaps are very informative about occupations. You get to know what a characters job involves and requires. For example, Joe Scully is a builder in Neighbours, Paddy is a vet in Emmerdale and Karl Kennedy, a doctor in Neighbours. All these characters provide good insights into these careers, which may help you to choose which job suits you. Soaps allow you to study lifestyles. This is especially useful for sociology and psychology students who are required to research different lifestyles and the way they affect our personalities. Using these studies they can compare the lifestyles of regions or countries, and how they differ. Soaps are used as message propaganda. This is when truths or quotes are twisted and end up only half true. Journalists use this technique. Since video recorders developed, soaps have given them a revolution. Before technology developed viewers who were unable to watch an episode simply missed it. Now, it is popular to record programmes when you are out, or viewing on another channel. This revolution has increased the viewing figures by thousands. Producers of soap operas have many promotion techniques. Some of these include advertising, omnibus episodes, special length episodes with exciting content, ie, a birth or a wedding. All of these attract the viewer and send the ratings rocketing. There are two types of soaps: Imported and home grown. Imported is self-explanatory-the soap is imported from other countries to our screens, Home and Away and Neighbours are examples. Home grown is the screening of soaps from their own country. Wealth and power V class consciousness is an issue in soaps. An example of wealth and power is Mike Bawldin in Coronation Street. He is portrayed as a filthy rich business man. On the otherhand the employees that work for him in his factory are examples of class consciousness. They are of the working class. In my opinion this is wrong because it demonstrates that people of different classes should be treated differently, when really people should be treated with the same amount of respect. Soaps are a form of escapism, as viewers can escape from the real world to the soap world. Soaps provide a vicarious experience, which means that the viewers experience the soap at second hand. The cast experience at first hand. Soap opera producers use romanticism to enchance love affairs, to give the viewer a rose-tinted image of the issue. Usually the characters chosen to have love affairs are beautiful, psycially desirable people. We all know that in the real world this stereotypical image is not always true to life. Soap operas move with the times in all aspects such as decor and design in houses and settings, up to the minute technology, lifestyles and relationships, entertainment and the cultural scene (mores), eg drugs, alcohol abuse. This can have a powerful impact on the viewers who will emulate a particular home or lifestyle. Overall, I think soap operas are enjoyable and fulfilling, but if watched over prolongued periods of time can lead to unhealthy addiction.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Improving Team work and leadership in Infosys
Improving Team work and leadership in Infosys The emergence of the private sector in the economy has created more entrepreneurs especially in the services sector. The ability to manage a complex and diverse workforce is a decisive factor that adds to the competency of the organisation in contemporary work environment .complexity of human behaviour has increased the significance of the organisational behaviour .organisational behaviour is concerned with the study of behaviour of people within the organisational setting which involves the understanding .prediction and control of human behaviour and the factors which involves the performance of people as members of an organisation (Luthans ,F. 1992) . The importance of the human capital in the current working environment has increased the importance of managing people within the organisation. The organisation made up of a large number of individual members and they mostly act in a group or in isolation. They are individually and in a group expected to achieve the organisations obje ctive .any sort of indifference between both can lead to conflict and tension between the individual and the organisation. Importance of defining the organisation Organisation are complex social systems which can be defined and studied in a number of different ways .Morgan identifies different ways of viewing organisations as machines ,brains ,organisms, cultures, political systems ,psychic prisons ,flux and transformation and instruments of domination (Morgan.1986). As a consultant seeking to improve the management of people in a organisation you need to define the nature of the organisation and understand the longer-term goals of the company. Goal setting is important were the organisation evaluates the long term and short term goals of the company. Every employee has to understand and work according to this goal. Infosys is planning to become a $10 billion company in the next 5 years and according to the Founder of Infosys is to be a globally respected corporation that provides best of breed business solutions, leveraging technology, delivered by best in the class people (A.C Fernando 2009). The company driven by the passion to innovate in technology and management practices has grown to become a company spread in 16 countries and 32 sales offices catering to the technological needs of a global community. Value systems in Infosys At stretch its competency beyond the stream of technology Infosys has designed core value systems that define the behaviour within the organisation. (George .W. England 1967) after studying the value system of managers in several American firms commented that the personal belief system of individual managers can make difference to an organisation at large as to how he evaluates information and arrives at a decision. Understanding customer value systems is also important to the success as to understand their consumption patterns and the cultural patterns which shape their consumer behaviour as a individual and as a group. (Craig .j. Thompson Maura .Troester 2002) . The value system of Infosys is designed to achieve long term competencies in the industry. Customer delight: To lead by example and excess customer expectation Leadership example: A constant effort to set standards within the industry in the way they do business and to build motivation within the employees to work towards a goal. Integrity and transparency: To be transparent in dealing with customer and discarding unethical practices within the organisation. The example being one of the few companies following high disclosure norms like making no forward looking statements in the stock market (Business Standard 2010). Fairness: Trying to be objective and delivering on expectations and in the process earning the respect of the clients and the shareholders. Infosys has exceeded the guidance in the current quarter with revenues of more than 5741 crore Indian rupees. When management expectation was 5423 crore (Nirmal Bang 2010). The company constantly tries to innovate in an extremely competitive industry .Infosys has grown to become a company with a market cap of more than 32 billion as of date (rediff .com 2010) emerged from being a small time company in the 90s mainly due to its unique management policies and quality of leadership that helped employees to work as a team and contribute effectively to the organisation. As a publically listed company it sets realistic targets of growth which the employees feel achievable. The competitive nature of the industry and the opening of multiple options for the employees is seen as reasons for the high attrition rates within the industry. For example software sector witnessed high attrition rates in the range of 25 -35% especially in the business process outsourcing industry (shvoong .com 2009) when compared to the manufacturing industry. Improving team work at Infosys The current work environment is less about working individually and more about working in groups .large organisations are characterised by multiple groups and work is more of a group based activity and efficiency of group work is crucial in determining the success of the entire organisation .team work is co-operative effort by a group of people to achieve a common goal. (teamtechnology.co.uk 2009). Team work has shaped our work culture and through the history has lived, loved and worked together in groups.(Baumeister 1995) the organisation culture performance is normally managed and assessed by customer satisfaction and sales growth .as the needs of the business grows and when the organisation becomes bigger it is important to build people management and appraisal systems to assess the success of group work .the most guaranteed way of improving performance is by identifying all aspects of the group behaviour and trying to promote those aspects that significantly create more value for the organisation. The management should encourage innovative ideas that create opportunities for value addition. In instep programme at Infosys is targeted at creating valuable ideas that can drive the organisation forward. (Infosys 2009).it brings the best talents from diverse streams to partner with the organisation develop their employees in enhancing their intellectual faculty. The company can adopt similar polices implemented in Vodafone though Vodafone Malta which facilitates the process of research in the company by promoting employees with a passion to innovate. This has helped to design effective tariff structures within the company and make advanced networking equipment and improve supply chain management.(Vodafone Malta 2009) Research and development is one of the core area where the company tries to achieve competency ,according to estimates around 2.5 % of GDP was spend on RD in the year 2005 (lysander.sourceoecd.org).Especially in areas like pharmaceuticals the abilit y to launch new products is important in defining the success of companies. Considering the benefit of team working and its existence at all levels of the organisation ,every team has to be dealt with in nature of its strategic importance ,the management have more to do with the routine functioning of the company ,strategic planning teams are more involved with shaping the overall longer term strategy of the company. Writing an quote in( management today 2004 ) comparing the organisational behaviour in leading Indian IT companies Peter Drucker commented that Management is a function ,a discipline , a task to be done ,and managers practice this discipline ,carry out functions and discharge these tasks. The study outlining the job of managers stated the prime functions as planning ,organizing ,directing and controlling .the main functions of managers after studying Managers of three organisations were outlined as co-ordination and integration between different layers of employees that functions in the IT industry. Facilitating Group cohesiveness in Infosys Group cohesiveness increases the productivity and motivation to work within a group .according to (Zaccaro etal 1995 ) cohesiveness is described as the degree to which group members and attracted to work together and stay together as a group. The role of first time managers has gone through significant change over the last few years in the company has adopted the Managers in charge (MiCP).where there is an effort to decentralise the .management system and delegating more authority to first time managers. This method initially employed by Japanese producers was found to be cost-effective, more focussed and flexible in contemporary work environment. Research in this stream has proved that this increases more facilitative and empowering type of leadership and is more strategic rather than being functional (Ghobadian etal1998).The success of the team work is depended on how effectively the goals are communicated and defined and the appropriate training that develops the overall capabilit ies of the employees and brings them closer to the organisational goal. Performance management and appraisal Right from the beginning the work of the employees are managed effectively and constantly evolved in the organisation .the peer satisfaction report is the key input were the feedback from the peers are used to generate critical inputs about the employees .the evaluation of the task assigned to the employee forms the key part of the performance appraisal in Infosys .team work are monitored through various developmental stages of team work. The forming stages should be more focussed on giving vision to the group a employees should have good listening skills and build interdependency and form the initial ground rules of team building .storming stage involves initial group debates and expressions of conflict within the group .the group has to be reminded of team mission and goals .in the Norming stage the group need present regular feedback of the team work and has to search for solutions to improve the current performance. The adjourning is common in Projects were they dissolve after ac hieving the mission. In this stage the success of the project need to be studied and how it has contributed to the bottom line of the company. Leadership development in Infosys Pre dominantly there is an effort to acquire a global mindset in the current work environment .global mindset .what exactly is Global Mindset cannot be properly defined and tgere can only be vague be definitions and closest that it can be is the ability of organisations to influence ,groups ,organisations and systems that have less similar intellectual ,social and psychological intelligence .company like Infosys having a global presence and should have a decentralised approach were more authority should be delegated rather than being limited to a core group. Creating future leaders in Infosys Infosys leadership institute in Mysore started in 2002 is a unique venture by the company to train Info scions to face the complex tasks in the constantly changing work environment and bringing a strategic change by instilling leadership qualities. Meeting the financial targets is crucial for a company like Infosys which seeks to achieve financial targets by facilitating the process of corporate learning and coupling the strategic organisation goals with the learning infrastructure targeted to improve financial goals (Thomas Anderson 2009). The company received the corporate excellence Award recently and can be seen as a testimonial to its efforts to bring innovative management practices. Following the several theories in Leadership the company has tried to implement these in the work environment. Generic Group Focus Group Premise Major concerns Great man Trait THEORY Identifying the traits and potential leaders for the future Primary source of leadership effectiveness lay in the personal traits of leaders Does not address on the howdimension of leadership Behavioural Theories What do Leaders do Identify determinants of behaviour of leaders . Does not address the situation, the followers Contingency Theory Interactions between the quality of leaders leaders and the situational factors The appropriate leadership style is dependent on the situation and other factors The categorisation of situations at a meta level Transformational /Theory /Charismatical Leadership INDIVIDUAL AS THE LEADER Leadership is rooted in leaders and is a capability partly inherited and partly acquired/ acquirable Current status Implementing various theories of leadership Using the theories of leadership like Trait theory the management spots future leader by understanding their potential based on their current performance and analysing their traits that can make them future leaders. They company also spots charismatic leaders and promote them to critical positions .this helps them to retain talented leaders who can contribute further to the growth in the future. The leadership development programme has outlined three core areas to develop its competencies they are: Work People Technology (Business line 2002) Using the abilities in technology and the competencies of the human capital and leveraging both effectively and strategically can best define the leadership programme in Infosys. Mentoring new recruits and helping them aligning with the organisational goals helps the company to achieve their project targets much easier. There is an effort to increase the morale is increased by sharing the success with members of the core team and rewarding them with bonuses. Infosys was one of the first companies give away huge benefits With Their ESOP systems. The IC workshops The Infosys cultural workshops is the employee engagement programme in Infosys were there are frequent interactions with employees from different cultural backgrounds working within Infosys .this is intended to foster the spirit of camaraderie and to reinforce a common work culture within the organization. Performance appraisal systems Performance appraisal systems are considers one of the most emotionally charged activities in business to asses ones contribution in business and signals he receive has strong impact on his confidence and future performance (Thompson and Dalton 1970). The Infosys feedback systems are tries to make crucial behavioural interventions in the work place based on the feedback which is formal and informal .these feedbacks are analysed to bring out an effective and workable plan which is suitable for the organisation .one of the things lacking in such an interface is that those who receive negative feedback can be spotted as bad performers and will find it difficult to improve their performance. Conclusions Infosys being a leader in the Indian software industry has always followed a policy of leading by example by setting benchmark in the industry. The succession policy followed by company where the founding members step-down after completing their term and retire after they turn 60 (Associated Press 2006). This helps to develop a spirit of equity within the organisation . the action learning system followed in the company should be address real problems in the company and workable plan has to formulated by setting goals for the future. The 360 -degree feedback should be used effectively by interconnecting between various verticals of the company. the company operates various verticals in like banking ,healthcare and research and product development capabilities in one vertical especially the marketing of one product can be used in other verticals as well , for eg : The success of banking software Finacle (Economic Times 2010)can be of use to other verticals in healthcare and retail and proper feedback can help in leveraging on its success to other verticals. The practices the company currently follows has significantly contribute to the value addition in the company over the years. The ability to maintain the value system and bring suitable improvements can define the team work and leadership in the company. Proactive approach can help the company maintain its current niche in the industry.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Stop and search, and the Human Rights Act
Stop and search, and the Human Rights Act PART A The power of stop and search is a general term used to describe the powers of police or occasionally the officials to search the members of public in a various context without a warrant.[1] Such powers are governed primarily under Part 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). [2] Besides PACE 1984, there are other legislation which governs the power of stop and search. For example, s23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971[3], s60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPOA)[4] and s47A of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT)[5]. The power of stop and search under TACT were previously governed under s44, but were ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, stating that the power were too widely drawn and open to abuse.[6] S44 were than formally replaced with s47A by the Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011[7] on the 18 March 2011, by more limited measures in England, Wales and Scotland. All legislations which governs police power of stop and search similarl y aim to prevent and deter crimes, however, there is still some difference in the regulations of such powers, between Part 1 of the PACE 1984 and s47A of the TACT 2000. Statistic showed that approximately 1.1 million stops and searches are recorded under Section 1 of the PACE 1984, in the year of 2011/2012. [8] No searches were made by the police in 2011/12 or 2012/13 in Great Britain under s47A of TACT.[9] A low detection rate alone does not necessarily undermine the use of stop and search powers. Proponents of the power, especially under terrorism legislation, argue that its use disrupts and deters criminal activity rather than simply detecting it.[10] The first and utmost obvious difference in the powers of stop and search in relation to both PACE 1984 and TACT 2000 are that both legislation have different aim of search. Part 1 of the PACE 1984 provides power to stop and search for a range of items including stolen property, offensive weapons, prohibited articles under s1(7) PACE, controlled drugs or evidence that a person is a terrorist.[11] Whereas, powers under TACT 2000 were to search for evidence of terrorism. An officer exercising the stop and search powers may only do so for the purpose of searching for evidence that the person concerned is a terrorist or that the vehicle concerned is being use for the purposes of terrorism, as opposed to the purpose under section 45(1)[12] of searching for articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism. [13]. The meaning of terrorists are defined under section 40(1) (b) of the 2000 Act. In addition, the regulation of the power of stop and search are different in terms of the powers where exercisable. Under Part 1 of the PACE, the power of stop and search may be exercise by constable at any time, but only in public places, and non-dwelling places to which the public have ready access.[14] This includes public transport, museums, sports ground, cinemas, pubs, restaurants, night club, banks and shops. Whilst power of stop and search under S47A only allows a constable with uniform to search at a specific area for a defined period [15]with authorisation by an officer of ACPO rank who reasonably suspects that an act of terrorism will take place.[16] Next, the difference of regulations of both PACE and TACT in the power of stop and search by the police are the matter of authorisation. Under Part1 of the PACE, the constable are allow to conduct searches as long as they are having the reasonable ground of suspicion that relevant offences will be found. [17] There are no mention of needing authorisation by officer of a higher ranking before conducting stop and search unlike S47A of TACT. Under this section, authorisation by a senior police officer are essential before stop and search could be conduct by any constable in uniform. [18]Authorisation will only be given if an officer reasonably suspect that an act of terrorism will take place[19] and consider that the authorisation is crucial to prevent such an act and that the areas or places specified in the authorisation are no greater than is necessary and the duration[20] of the authorisation is no longer than is necessary to prevent such an act. The requirement for an authorisation are given in the Code of Practice[21] where an authorisation under section 47A may only be made by an officer of ACPO or ACPOS rank. The authorisation would include details of how the exercise of the powers is necessary to prevent the act of terrorism.[22] In most statutory provisions including PACE which grants police the power to stop and search, there is a requirement that the police must have a reasonable ground of suspicion that the person is in possession of an item of a specified kind. [23] Although there was no definition of reasonable ground of suspicion laid down in the legislation, Code of Practice A, under PACE had provided some sort of guideline as to what constitute reasonable suspicion. Para 2.2 explained that reasonable grounds for suspicion will depend on the nature in each case. [24] There must be some objective basis for that suspicion based on facts, information and/or intelligence that are relevant to the likelihood of finding an article of a certain kind.[25] Reasonable suspicion can never be supported on the basis of personal factors. Officers must rely on intelligence or information about or some specific behaviour by the person concerned.[26] For example the nature of the articles suspected of being carried, th e time and place where the person or vehicle is or the behaviour of the person suspected. The case of Howarth v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (2011)[27] explained that reasonable cause for suspicion is a lower standard that which would be required to establish a prima facie case.[28] It allows police officer to take into account matter that would not be admissible as evidence. In comparison, the power conferred under S47A TACT 2000 can be exercised without reasonable suspicion. An authorisation by a senior police officer allows searches by any constable in uniform in specified areas or places without reasonable suspicion to find evidence related to terrorism. The authorisation would provide explanation which allows stopping and searching of individuals and/or vehicles without suspicion is necessary to prevent the suspected act of terrorism.[29] To conclude, although both PACE and TACT have different regulations in terms of the power of stop and search, however what remains the same is that the underlying principles of stop and search are intended to promote its use in a fair and effective manner. An officer may not search a person where there is no legal basis to do so, even with an individualââ¬â¢s consent. Stop and search must be done in a courteous and respectful manner and the length of detainment must be kept to a minimum even when the officer is lawfully entitled to search a person of vehicle. [30] PART B The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) came into force in the United Kingdom in October 2000. [31]This legislation gives effect in the UK to certain fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Under section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, public bodies such as the court, police, local council and all other bodies carrying out the public functions must comply with the Convention rights. This means, individuals can now take human rights cases in domestic courts and they no longer have to go to Strasbourg to argue their case in the European Court of Human Rights.[32] With the HRA 1998 coming into force, the power of stop and search had made some impact on the regulation and use of the power of stop and search in some way. In relation to the use of power of stop and search, public bodies are required to exercise such power in compliance to the convention rights. The legal framework for protecting the fundamental human rights contained in the HRA 1998 allows the public to rely on the articles when they are being stopped and searched. When powers of stop and searched are exercise, the public bodies are required to exercise it in such a way that it is necessary and proportionate. [33]Article 5, 8 and 14 of the HRA 1998 would be more relevant in the matter of stop and search. Article 5 ensures the right to liberty and security of person. [34]The right in Article 5 is limited, which means that there are certain circumstances or situation where deprivation of liberty is lawful.[35] Article 8 protects people from arbitrary interference in their private and family right. [36] The act of being subject to a search, which may take place in public, and may include a search of a person, their clothing or personal b elongings will interfere with Article 8 rights. Article 8 is a qualified right, and Article 8(2) provides exceptions enabling interference with the right, for example in the interests of national security, or the prevention of crime.[37] Any interference with a personââ¬â¢s Article 8 rights will need to come within one of the exceptions allowed under Article 8(2), and be in accordance with the law, necessary and proportionate. In addition, Article 14[38] allows people to enjoy the Convention rights without any discrimination. In another words, individual must not be stopped or searched purely because of their race or religion. The power of stop and search would only be compatible with human rights if they are used legitimately and proportionately.[39] Evidence shows that stop and search powers that do not require reasonable suspicion, as well as those under PACE, may be used in a way that is discriminatory because certain ethnic communities are more likely to experience stop and search than others. However, the black and minority ethnic groups, particularly the black people, have for many years been disproportionately at the receiving end of police stop and search. Joel Miller in his article ââ¬ËStop and Search in England, A Reformed Tactic or Business As Usual?ââ¬â¢ suggested that the treatment towards the black and the minority had always been discriminatory. This is evident in surveys such as the Smith and Gray 1985, Willis 1983, Young 1994, and others. [40]The government statistics particularly from the Ministry of Justice 2009 had suggest that the black people in England and Wales in the year of 2007/2008 are more likely to be searched eight times more than white people and Asian people more than twice, for searches which requires reasonable ground of suspicion.[41] The power of stop and search under Terrorism Act 2000 were previously governed under s44, but were ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Gillan and Quinton v United Kingdom[42]. After the incident of 911, the Home Secretary and senior police officers established the practice of making authorisations continually under section 44 to cover the whole of metropolitan London.[43] The police justified their act by claiming that there was now a generalised threat of terrorism in London and it was likely to manifest in any large-scale public gathering, and that it would be impractical to make narrower. In this case, Kevin Gillan and Pennie Quinton were attending a demonstration in London in the year of 2003. Both of them were stopped and searched by the police under S44 Terrorism Act 2000. They subsequently brought a judicial review regarding the power of stop and search on the basis that there was no evidence of terrorism showed by the protestor on that day. They claimed that the stop and search was an interference with their rights to liberty, respect for privacy, and the right to freedom of expression and assembly. [44]In March 2006, the House of Lords heard Gillan and Quintons appeal against the refusal of the lower courts to allow their claim. Lord Bingham and his fellow Law Lords ruled that section 44 was itself compatible with Convention rights, there were sufficient safeguards against arbitrary use of the power, and that there was no evidence that the section 44 power had been exercised unlawfully. [45] Gillan and Quinton took their complaints further to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In January 2009, the Court ruled that the searches under section 44 had violated their right to respect for their private life under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). [46] As a result of a legal challenge made by the European Court of Human Rights, and as a part of the UK governmentââ¬â¢s commitment to introduce safeguards against the misuse of powers under TACT, the Home Secretary conducted a review of these powers.[47] One of the recommendations of the review was that stop and search powers under section 44 of TACT should be repealed and replaced with a much more targeted and proportionate power. [48] The Home Secretary therefore made a remedial order under section 10 [49] of the Human Rights Act 1998 to make immediate changes to the legislation. This new power came into force on 18 March 2011.[50] Section 47A of TACT allows the police to stop and search persons in order to prevent acts of terrorism, without reasonable suspicion of their involvement in terrorism. Searches under this power may only be authorised in a specific area for a defined period where the police reasonably suspect an act of terrorism will take place.[51] Stop and search powers provided under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Firearms Act 1968 [52] and the Road Traffic Act 1988 [53]all require a reasonable suspicion that the person stopped is in possession of prohibited goods or has committed an offence.[54] By contrast, stop and search powers provided under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and section 47A do not require any grounds of reasonable suspicion. Although S47A can be said as an improvement of the previous law, however the power of stop and search without reasonable suspicion had always been an issue. Many are in the view that such power of stop and search without the need of reasonable suspicion is inherently incompatible with the Convention. [55]The justification is that the lack of any requirement for reasonable suspicion renders selection for stop and search arbitrary and invites discrimination in the exercise of the power.[56] Rabinder Singh QC, Professor Aileen McColgan and the Human Rights Watch are in the view that the nature of stop and search without the need for reasonable suspicion is incompatible with right to respect for private and family life under Article 8 of HRA 1998.[57] In their view, even with the best guidance to officers as to how to exercise the power, cannot be rendered compatible with Convention rights because of the irreducible arbitrariness of the selection of individuals to subject to the power.[58] In Human Rights Watchs view, the only human rights compatible power to stop and search is one which requires reasonable suspicion. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) itself, however, does not appear to share this view that a power to stop and search without reasonable suspicion is inherently incompatible with Article 8 and other Convention rights. [59]In its submission, it recognises that there may be very exceptional circumstances in which it is necessary for there to be a power to stop and search without reasonable suspicion ,for instance to prevent a real and immediate act of terrorism or to search for perpetrators or weapons following a serious incident. [60] In terms of the protection under the power of stop and search, any individual who were searched unlawfully may seek a remedy under the Human Rights Act 1998 for an unjustifiable breach of their rights to liberty, respect for private life or to be free from discrimination. [61] All in all, the Human Rights Act 1998 had made some significant impact on regulations and use of the power to stop and search by the public bodies. It is safe to argue that the law in terms of the stop and search power had improved significantly, particularly S47A TACT 2000, which minimize the abuse of power and act in compliance with the Convention rights. With the legislation coming into force, it does not only provide guidelines to the authorities, it also provides momentous protection to the public when the power to stop and search are exercise on them. In any circumstances which the public authorities abuse or misuse the power to stop and search, judicial review would be a mechanism to hold them into account. It was suggested that, when there is misuse of power, judicial review offers the public a relatively quick, effective and inexpensive means of securing their rights through scrutiny of the lawfulness of police action by a specialist judge. [62]The bases on which it can be a rgued that the police have acted unlawfully were importantly expanded by the enactment of the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998. [1] ââ¬ËStop and search under the Terrorism Act 2000ââ¬â¢ (Justice) http://www.justice.org.uk/pages/stop-and-search-under-the-terrorism-act-2000.html accessed 17 November 2014 [2] Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 [3] Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 [4] Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 [5] Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) [6] Adam Wagner, ââ¬ËStop and search powers under review as European Court reject UK appeal ââ¬Ë ( UK Human Rights Blog, 1 July 2010) http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2010/07/01/stop-and-search-powers-under-review-as-european-court-reject-uk-appeal/ accessed 28 November 2014 [7] Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011 [8] Home Office, ââ¬ËStatistics national statistics Police powers and procedures England and Wales 2011/12ââ¬â¢ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-2011-12#stops-and-searches [9] ââ¬ËStatistics Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches, Great Britain, 2012 to 2013ââ¬â¢ (Home Office, 12 September 2013) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-2012-to-2013/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-and-subsequent-legislation-arrests-outcomes-and-stop-and-searches-great-britain-2012-to-20 accessed 20 November 2014 [10] Pat Strickland, ââ¬ËStop and Searchââ¬â¢ ( House of Commons Library , 23 January 2014) [11] Part 1 of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, particularly s2, s7,s8 [12] S45(1) Terrorism Act 2000 [13]ââ¬ËDoes the Order remove the incompatibility?ââ¬â¢ (Terrorism Act 2000 (Remedial) Order 2011: Stop and Search without Reasonable Suspicion Human Rights Joint Committee) http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201012/jtselect/jtrights/155/15506.htm accessed 27 November 2014 [14] S4 , s5 PACE [15]Duration: The maximum period for an authorisation is 14 days. [16] Code of Practice under Terrorism Act 2000 [17] s1(3) PACE [18] Code of Practice under Terrorism Act [19] Kiron Reid, ââ¬ËStop and Searchââ¬â¢ (24 September 2014) [20] The maximum period for an authorisation is 14 days. [21] Code Of Practice (England, Wales And Scotland) For The Authorisation And Exercise Of Stop And Search Powers Relating To Section 47a Of Schedule 6b To The Terrorism Act 2000 [22] ââ¬ËConsultation Code Of Practice (Northern Ireland) For The Authorisation And Exercise Of Stop And Search Powers Relating To Sections 43, 43a And 47a Of The Terrorism Act 2000ââ¬â¢ (Northern Ireland office, Febuary 2012) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136403/consultation_on_the_code_of_practice_for_stop_and_search_powers_under_the_.pdf accessed 25 November 2014 [23] S1(3) PAC 1984 [24] Code of Practice, para 2.2 PACE [25] Andrew Sander, Richard Young and Mandy Burton , Criminal Justice( 4th edn, Oxford University Press,2010) 84 [26] ââ¬ËStop and search QAsââ¬â¢ (Policy Pages, 21 August 2014) http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/priorities_and_how_we_are_doing/corporate/stop_search_qa_august2014.pdf accessed 25 November 2014 [27] Howarth v Commissioner of Policeof Police of the Metropolis[2011] EWHC 2818 [28] Andrew Sander, Richard Young and Mandy Burton , Criminal Justice ( 4th edn, Oxford University Press,2010) 157 [29] Code of Practice under Terrorism Act 2000 [30] Avon and Somerset Constabulary, ââ¬ËStop and Searchââ¬â¢ www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/stop_search_notes.doc accessed 24 November 2014 [31] Equality and Human Rights Commission, ââ¬Ë The Human Rights Actââ¬â¢ http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/your-rights/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/human-rights-act accessed 22 November 2014 [32] Equality and Human Rights Commission, ââ¬Ë The Human Rights Actââ¬â¢ http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/your-rights/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/human-rights-act accessed 22 November 2014 [33] ââ¬ËArticle 8 : The right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondenceââ¬â¢ ( Human Rights Review 2012) http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/humanrights/hrr_article_8.pdf accessed 24 November 2014 [34] Article 5 HRA 1998 [35] Article 5 : The right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondenceââ¬â¢ ( Human Rights Review 2012) http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/humanrights/hrr_article_5.pdf accessed 24 November 2014 [36] Article 8 HRA 1998 [37] Article 8 : The right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondenceââ¬â¢ ( Human Rights Review 2012) http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/documents/humanrights/hrr_article_8.pdf accessed 24 November 2014 [38] Article 14 HRA 1998 [39] ââ¬ËHuman Rights Thematic Review on the use of police powers to stop and search and stop and question under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Justice and Security (NI) Act 2007ââ¬â¢ (Northen Ireland policing Board) http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/stop_and_search_thematic_review__final_draft__15_october_2013.pdf accessed 24 November 2014 [40] Joel Miller, ââ¬ËStop and Search in England, A Reformed Tactic or Business As Usual?ââ¬â¢ (2010) 50 British Journal of Criminology 954 [41] Ben Bowling and Coretta Phillips, ââ¬ËDisproportionate and Discriminatory: Reviewing the Evidence on Police Stop and Searchââ¬â¢ ( Modern Law Review,2007) http://www.stop-watch.org/uploads/documents/modern_law_review.pdf accessed 27 November 2014 [42] Gillan and Quinton v. UK 4158/05 [2010] ECHR 28
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Huck :: essays research papers
whites were in inner conflict over their belief in a creed of equality and opportunity on the one hand, and their treatment of blacks on the other. Huckleberry Finn, the most influential novel dealing with black and white in America, Twain visualized a white whose conscience tells him it is sinful to rescue a black from slavery. it would be difficult to find a novel where the characters are more enthralled by money, driven by the search for it, ready to commit violence on its behalf, or more victimized by others' lust for it. when his conscience besieges him because he does not tell the slave hunters the truth, when he decides to go to hell rather than allow Jim to remain a slave, Huck and Jim, river and raft. Huck and Jim, floating down the river on their raft. The images are so familiar that it is easy to mistake familiarity for accessibility. In reality, the mythology they evoke is not easy to decipher, given that it identifies legendary black-white amity and unbounded, dreamlike freedom with a voyage that takes a fugitive slave ever further south. The nakedness of Huck and Jim when they are alone on the raft becomes a symbol of how they have shucked off the excrescences of the real world, their clothes, and have come as close as possible to the world of the spirit." The implication that skin color ceases to matter when the two are away from civilization--that they spontaneously move beyond color consciousness and see in each other only a color-free humanity. In Huckleberry Finn, slavery seems fixed, permanent, while everything else is in flux, transitory. Identities mutate as if in a dream, or nightmare. Huck, who forever picks up and moves on, is a master creator of identities.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
In Search of My Community :: Personal Narrative essay about myself
In Search of My Community While trying to examine how my community has changed economically since the 80's, I found myself pondering what my community really was. I have had the unfortunate experience to understand how a person can feel as if they don't really belong. Since I had moved about nine times within my life, and I am only eighteen years old, I became stuck, without any ideas of what to write about. While facing this assignment, I realized that I did not know if I had a place I would consider my "community," or even my true "home." In the year of 1984, when I was born, my family lived in Reading, Pennsylvania. Reading was not an area known for its good economic reputation. Most of the people in the area could be considered lower-income, middle class individuals. Our community was composed mostly of factory workers and small business owners. My father was self-employed at the time, for he owned a retail establishment. In our neighborhood, we may have been one of the families that earned the most money per year. We lived in a duplex, but even then, we were still considered upper-middle class. My mother was working nights as a medical technologist, and this was all so she could stay at home with me during the day. My father never completed his college career, but my mother did. She needed that degree to pursue her career in the medical field, and to have the potential to earn more pay. Throughout the 1980's we moved around a lot. First we moved to Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania in 1985, and then we moved to Stafford, Virginia in 1987. In Sinking Spring we finally owned our own house, and we lived in a wealthier neighborhood than before. We were now neither the richest, nor the poorest, people on the block. The richest people living in the neighborhood worked as engineers, and the poorest were factory workers. In Virginia, it was about the same as it was in Sinking Spring. My father was no longer running his own retail establishment, he was now working in the sales and marketing field for a company named AMP.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Police Deviance And Accountability Essay
Introduction à à à ââ¬Å"The ethically ideal police system would be one with integrity and nothing puzzling about it (i.e., there would be neither corruption nor misconduct). There would be no us-against-them and no disrespect for the limits of the law or how itââ¬â¢s enforced. Everything done in private would be just as if it was done in public.â⬠(Anonymous) à This is the probably an interesting view of oneââ¬â¢s vision for the police. Can this be achieved? is a question of utmost importance. The issue of police misbehavior is a limiting factor in this dream of such an ideal police force. Police deviance is a generic description of police officers activities that are inconsistent with the officerââ¬â¢s legal authority, organizational authority and standards of ethical conduct. Who then polices our police or what effective measures have been put in place to curb deviance among the police. The problem of police deviance is seen in the core values of the police and modifying internal review processes would be effective in controlling deviance amongst the police such as allowing civilians interference into the internal review processes of the police force. Following Nelligan and Taylor (1994: 59), who wrote that ââ¬Å"should police work be reorganized, patterns of misconduct are likely to changeâ⬠The actions of the police officers are controlled by a number of different rules and regulations which are written down in the criminal code and various police acts, some are undocumented and exist in the expectation the police department and society at large dictates for its officers. Police deviance is defined as a behavior that is inconsistent with the norms, values or ethics from either societal standpoint. It has thus been described as a much broader term than corruption. The criminal code, which contains policing rules and precepts regarding the use of deadly force and policing, rules. The police act adds rules governing neglect of duty, insubordination, discreditable conduct dressing .The society also has its own rules not formally stated but socially accepted and expected by citizens from officers such as police-citizen interaction, and maintenance of certain ethical standards. Any action that violates such laws is termed as police deviance. Ross (2003) sees police misbehaviors in two lights i.e. the officer willfully violating the law and the agency tolerating it. Deviance has been placed on the standard of police behavior, which can be derived from 3 perspectives i.e. ethical, organizational and legal. Ethical standards involve the police officers personal standards of moral integrity and responsibility. Organizational standards are the standards published by the police departments, police boards and commissions. Legal standards involve the laws of the community. à How Does Deviance in the Force Arise The Sherman typology distinguishes between levels of corruption that exist at different levels of the police department. The Rotten apple, rotten pocket theory holds that some police officers where deviant before joining the force and upon admission into the force became the deviant ones in the police. The pervasive unorganized theory holds that there are deviant police officers within the force with no specific pattern of organization. While the pervasive organized theory holds that there are deviant police officers with a specific pattern of organization. Whatever the origin of deviance, public safety cannot be assured and much of the deviance is seen due to lack of proper monitoring or effective control of internal systems and as such creates a free environment for the deviant officers to continue in their acts as seen in this story of Arthur McDuffie, an African American, was riding his motorcycle in Miami, when according to police reports; he popped a wheelie, gave a cop the finger, and sped away. More than a dozen Miami patrol cars gave chase. When caught, at least six white officers jumped him, splitting open his skull. He died four days later. It came out at trial that the police fabricated an explanation that he fell; splitting his head, of his own accord, but an all-white jury acquitted the officers. Three days of racial rioting erupted. à REASONS FOR POLICE DEVIANCE The Shermanââ¬â¢s (1974) typology of police deviance attributed 8 factors responsible for police deviance. The large number of police officers thus increasing the number of deviants A lack of direct supervision, especially seen among police patrol where the police superiors or public are unaware of whatââ¬â¢s going on. The complex task of policing which incorporates law enforcement, order maintenance and service functions and placing strict limits on the power of the police leading to misconduct. Both the discretionary power of the police and the nature of the work provide police officers with numerous opportunities to partake in deviant behaviors. Contacts formed during the course of work with deviant and criminal subcultures can introduce the officer to deviance Code of secrecy that exists and leads to a cover-up of deviant behavior as well as new recruits been initiated to such a system. Police managers are part of the police subculture, having worked their way up the ranks Police officers have a mentality of being underpaid and undervalued despite improved financial rewards to the police system à Efforts Carried Out Much effort has been put in place to curb police deviance, Much as been attributed due to public society effort such as the story of Rodney King, an African American, who was detected speeding on a Los Angeles freeway, but refused to stop for fear that he could be returned to jail. Over eleven LAPD units, including a helicopter, gave chase. Eventually he stopped but refused to exit the vehicle, he was savagely dragged out, jolted twice with fifty thousand volts, and kicked or beaten with nightsticks at least fifty-six times by four white officers. Rodney suffered sixteen broken bones and permanent brain damage. The tape was then aired on television. The four white officers were initially acquitted of charges by a Simi Valley jury mainly white population. Five days of racial rioting erupted. A federal trial in 1993 then reviewed the case and convicted two of the four officers. à à à à à à à à à à à As seen above, the public had a great impact in the prosecution of the deviant police officers. The deviance amongst the police in Canada is much less than that of the United States and more so less numerous. Perhaps, Canadaââ¬â¢s most famous incident of police deviance occurred in 1974 when a corporal of the RCMP security and intelligence branch injured himself while planting a bomb outside a supermarket executiveââ¬â¢s home. The cases of deviant police officers have mainly shown that police deviance most often occurred mainly for the selfish gain of these individuals probably driven by greed, guilt, revenge or lust and made possible by the lack of proper monitoring and a police department that is swift in covering its acts and thus protecting these deviant persons. Policing The Police The question of whether the police should be left alone to carry out is function has long been discredited and it is obvious that there is a need for a monitoring body. The accountability of police officers can be divided into 2 categories namely the internal review process and the external review process. Internal review processes refers to the policies and procedures that exists in individual police department and are enforced through a chain of command and they include internal affairs, discipline boards and command and management supervision. External review procedures relate to agencies that are external to agencies that are external to police organizations which monitor police agencies such as police board, police commission and public inquiry. Civilian Review Bodies A civilian review body involves the creation of a group of civilians to review instances of alleged misconduct by the police. The police have often resisted this intrusion into what they deem their exclusive area of expertise as this civilian oversight compromises the secrecy needed by police departments. According to Rothwell and Baldwin (2007:611) They agree that many officers believe that silence enables them perform their jobs more effectively and also avoids unnecessary public oversight. à Despite this though the civilian review boards have gained widespread growth due also to public demand for accountability and have paid off tremendously. The aim of civilian review board is to provide police accountability and listed below are its objectives. To determine, whether individual complaints against an officer are true and to take appropriate corrective actions To identify patterns of wrong doing by officers who are subject to a number of complains To demonstrate police credibility and responsiveness to the public by showing them grievances are taken seriously. This board is taking the bull by the horn as they form the aggrieved party and thus provide a strong motivation in performing their duty. There are some limitations to the civilian review board as they only have access to the cases that are reported and the help of the internal review process is needed. A reform that allows for the safety public is thus required also putting into consideration the need for police secrecy. Seagrave in her book: ââ¬Å"Introduction to Policing in Canadaâ⬠lists 5 alternative models for dealing with this police deviance, she describes alternative models such as ââ¬Å"Externally supervised ââ¬Å"in houseâ⬠modelâ⬠where the investigation and adjudication of the complaint are undertaken by the police but at the end of the process, the entire procedure is reviewed by an individual external to the police department to ensure fairness in judgment by the police. ââ¬Å"Police investigation with independent adjudication modelâ⬠in which the investigation is completed by the police, but once completed, the adjudication is in the hands of a body independent of the police. Both models here allow the police process to be monitored. While the police argue that this probably is an intrusion into their secrecy and undermines their capabilities well as claiming that police individuals are well versed with the law and procedures as well as human rights. The public on the other hand understands that the police are also humans and are thus capable of making judgmental errors along with the different moral values shown by various police individuals as depicted a study reported by Terry and Reisig (2003): ââ¬Å"It was found that police officers are significantly more likely to use higher levels of force when suspects are encountered in disadvantaged neighborhoods and those with higher homicide rates, net of situational factors (e.g., suspect resistance) and officer-based determinants (e.g., age, education, and training). Also found is that the effect of the suspectââ¬â¢s race is mediated by neighborhood context.â⬠Also following the rotten apple theory of police deviance, it is probable that some of the deviant police officers are in the force and may have worked their way up to top ranking positions, thus if they are left unsupervised, they pose as the rotten of the police force. By view of reforms to integrate some external p rocesses into internal review processes, public safety can be ensured. Accountability in The police The police are a public enforcement agency allowed to use deadly force. It is thus necessary that accountability measures be put in place. The accountability of the police is based on the premise that the state has a duty to provide a fair and equitable service to the public. The police are accountable to number of different groups such as the politicians, lawyers, general public etc. A police individual can be held accountable for his/her action or the police department can be held accountable for the action of its members. Assessing Accountability How does one therefore assess the accountability of the police? An administrative way takes into consideration the effectiveness and the efficiency. Effectiveness ascertains such things such as crime and arrests rates, number of calls for service, reports etc. while efficiency takes into account how resources are used by the organization Both internal review processes and external review processes are involved in monitoring police accountability, while the internal process monitors internal accountability, the external review processes involves bodies outside the police such as the police boards, public enquiries and police commissions. The external review processes are mainly involved in administration of police and the police laws and are not involved with deviant behaviors. Thus much of the police deviances are handled by the internal board which does not handle these cases well. Summary. Much has been mentioned about police deviance, the internal review process has played its part but is still ineffective and argues that civilians should not be involved with police matters due to invasion of secrecy. It is in view that civilian interference into internal police affairs has helped in instances such as the Rodney King incident to combat deviances in the force. Works Cited Heck WP: Police Who Snitch ââ¬â Deviant Actors In A Secret Society, Deviant behavior 13 (3): 253-270 JUL-SEP 1992 Klinger DA: Negotiating Order In Patrol Work: An Ecological Theory Of Police Response To Deviance, CRIMINOLOGY 35 (2): 277-306 MAY 1997 Nelligan.P; Taylor.W.Ethical Issues in Community Policing: Journal Of Contemporary Criminal Justice, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 59-66, February 1994. Ross, Darrell L, Book Review: Readings on Police Misconduct and Police Ethics Criminal Justice Review, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 382-395, September 2003 Rothwell.R. Baldwin. J: Whistle-Blowing and the Code of Silence in Police Agencies: Policy and Structural Predictors Crime & Delinquency, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 605-632, October 2007 Terrill W, Reisig MD: Neighborhood context and police use of force journal of research in crime and delinquency 40 (3): 291-321 AUG 2003
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