The Sudden Blow

Her head was pounding from the sudden blow. Blood was running down the side her face as she began to remember. He had tormented her, degraded her feelings, and took away her financial stability. She felt forever trapped as she was the only one to witness such vile acts. â€Å"There is no one here to see this. There is no one here to save me from what happens inside these walls† she whispered, voice cracking. Victims like this must go through the injustice of not being able to feel safe in their own home or even their own skin. Whether it be inflicting harm for the victim through physical abuse, toying with their emotions through emotional abuse, or financially controlling them through financial abuse, abusers find ways for many women to suffer from domestic abuse in their daily lives. Physical abuse is one of the many aspects of domestic abuse. This type of abuse is most known as it can be seen with one's own eyes. However, physical abuse doesn't always have to happen on the victim. In many cases, physical abuse can happen somewhere near the victim. It shows that â€Å"When a partner is violent near or around you, doing things like punching a hole in the wall, the message is ‘Next time this could be your head'† (Carlson 146). Numerous amounts of people will brush off the incident and believe that it will not mean anything in the future but this sort of act can escalate quickly and leave the victim in shambles. If this message is given, the abuser is releasing their anger on an object physically and it will not be long before the abuser directs their anger on their victim – the one who caused their distress. Once they direct their anger on the victim, it can lead to extreme violence that the victim is not capable of keeping under control. Sam is a victim who had been physically abused herself. She speaks out about one of the stories of her journey with physical abuse:I was at home and I cooked his dinner†¦he came home when the food was on the table. He was like ‘Oh, it's too cold,' so I put it in the microwave and warmed it up. I gave it to him and he said it was too hot†¦and you start to get this worried feeling like ‘It's going to happen. He's going to hurt me.' He threw the plate and smashed it against my head and he started beating me up and kicking me on the floor and punching. (Sam?)This is an example of severe physical abuse. Here, the abuser takes a typical, simple misunderstanding and exaggerates it until it reaches its full capacity. In most cases, those who are in healthy relationships would be able to work this out without it becoming physical. The victim shows that she has the constant worry of not wanting to go against the abuser's needs. Thus, they are always tip toeing around the abuser and the second they do something even the slightest bit wrong, it becomes another heated fight. This instance is just one glimpse of what a day in the life of a physically abused partner must go through. There are always other cases. Some outcomes of physical abuse could even be fatal. This is one of the more extreme cases of physical abuse. It should be known that â€Å"One woman is fatally shot by a spouse, ex-spouse, or dating partner every 14 hours† (â€Å"NCADV†). Many do not understand the significance of homicide in physical abuse and do not link this importance to the fact that it still happens. This statistic shows that those who are in domestic abuse relationships are at a very high risk of being killed by their significant other.

Should America Go to War essays

Should America Go to War essays On September 11, 2001 at 8:45am, American Airlines flight 11 slammed into the North tower of the World Trade Center, in the heart of New Yorks financial district, and changed the lives of Americans forever. America was unexpectedly attacked by terrorists, and the prime suspect is Osama Bin Laden. Americans are in shock, and are feeling agony, pain, grief, fear, but most of all, anger and rage. We all want revenge and retaliation on the evil, heartless people who did this. But the question is, should America go to war? And if we do, who do we fight against? We are not sure because this is not a fight against a certain country, this is a fight against Terrorism. There should be no doubt that the United States should find the perpetrators of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks and use whatever military force is necessary against them. If the mastermind behind these heinous acts is indeed Osama bin Laden, then our goal should be the total destruction of his al Qaeda terrorist group. If it is bin Laden, then the Taliban government in Afghanistan should suffer the wrath and might of a U.S. response. President Bush made clear from the outset that the United States would "make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts, and those who harbor them." But we are also at a crossroad. We need to make the distinction between retaliation against those responsible specifically for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks versus a war on terrorism. These are two very different things. The former is a daunting task of tracking down the setup of a distributed terrorist network and destroying it. The latter - "a global assault against terrorism in general," according to Secretary of State Colin Powell - is completely uncharted waters. We have to understand that going after terrorists is not a routine military operation such as the Gulf War. Bush says What we ...

Sociologists Take Historic Stand on Racism and Police Brutality

Sociologists Take Historic Stand on Racism and Police Brutality The 2014 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA) took place in San Francisco on the heels of the killing of unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, at the hands of a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. It also happened during a community uprising shrouded in police brutality, so many sociologists in attendance had the national crises of police brutality and racism on their minds. The ASA, however, created no official space for discussion of these issues, nor had the 109-year-old organization made any kind of public statement on them, despite the fact that the amount of published sociological research on these issues could fill a library. Frustrated by this lack of action and dialog, some attendees created a grassroots discussion group and task force to address these crises. Neda Maghbouleh, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto-Scarborough, was one of those who took the lead. Explaining why, she said, â€Å"We had a critical mass of thousands of trained sociologists within two blocks of each other at ASA- equipped to marshal history, theory, data, and hard facts toward a social crisis like Ferguson. So ten of us, complete strangers, met for thirty minutes in a hotel lobby to hash out a plan to get as many concerned sociologists as possible to contribute to, edit, and sign a document. I was committed to helping in any way possible because it’s moments like these that affirm the value of social science for society.† The document† Dr. Maghbouleh refers to is an open letter to U.S. society at-large, that was signed by over 1,800 sociologists, this author among them. The letter began by pointing out that what transpired in Ferguson was born of â€Å"deeply ingrained racial, political, social and economic inequities,† and then specifically named the conduct of policing, especially in black communities and in the context of protest, as a serious social problem. The authors and signatories  implored â€Å"law enforcement, policymakers, media, and the nation to consider decades of sociological analysis and research that can inform the necessary conversations and solutions required to address the systemic issues that the events in Ferguson have raised.† The authors pointed out that much sociological research has already established the existence of society-wide problems present in the case of Ferguson, like â€Å"a pattern of racialized policing,† historically rooted â€Å"institutionalized racism within police departments and the criminal justice system more broadly,†Ã‚  the â€Å"hyper-surveillance of black and brown youth,† and the disproportionate targeting and disrespectful treatment of black men and women by police.  These troubling phenomena foster  suspicion about people of color, create an environment in which it is impossible for people of color to trust police, which in turn undermines the ability of police to do their job: serve and protect. The authors wrote, â€Å"Instead of feeling protected by police, many African Americans are intimidated and live in daily fear that their children will face abuse, arrest, and death at the hands of police officers who may be acting on implicit biases or institutional policies based on stereotypes and assumptions of black criminality.† They then  explained that brutal police treatment of protestors is â€Å"rooted in the history of repression of African American protest movements and attitudes about blacks that often drive contemporary police practices.† In response, sociologists called for â€Å"greater attention to the conditions (e.g., joblessness and political disenfranchisement) that have contributed to the marginalization of residents† of Ferguson and other communities, and explained that â€Å"focused and sustained government and community attention on these issues is required to bring about healing and a change in the economic and political structures that have thus far ignored and left many in such areas vulnerable to police abuse.† The letter concluded with a list of demands required for â€Å"an appropriate response to the death of Michael Brown,† and to address the larger, nation-wide issue of racist police policies and practices: Immediate assurance from law enforcement authorities in Missouri and the federal government that constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of the press will be protected.A civil rights investigation into the incidents related to the death of Michael Brown and general police practices in Ferguson.The establishment of an independent committee to study and analyze the failures of the policing efforts during the week following Michael Brown’s death. Ferguson residents, including leaders of grassroots organizations, should be included on the committee throughout this process. The committee must provide a clear roadmap for resetting community-police relations in a way that grants oversight power to residents.An independent comprehensive national study of the role of implicit bias and systemic racism in policing. Federal funding should be allocated to support police departments in implementing the recommendations from the study and ongoing monitoring and public reporting of key benchmarks (e.g., use of force, arrests by race) and improvements in police practices. Legislation requiring the use of dash and body-worn cameras to record all police interactions. Data from these devices should be immediately stored in tamper-proof databases, and there should be clear procedures for public access to any such recordings.Increased transparency of public law enforcement, including independent oversight agencies with guaranteed full access to law enforcement policies and on-the-ground operations; and more streamlined, transparent and efficient procedures for the processing of complaints and FOIA requests.Federal legislation, currently being developed by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), to halt the transfer of military equipment to local police departments, and additional legislation to curtail the use of such equipment against domestic civilian populations.Establishment of a ‘Ferguson Fund’ that will support long term strategies grounded in the principles of social justice, systems reform and racial equity to bring about substantial and sustained c hange in Ferguson and other communities facing similar challenges. To learn more about the underlying issues of systemic racism and police brutality, check out The Ferguson Syllabus compiled by  Sociologists for Justice. Many of the readings included are available online.

The Religious Right Definition and Issues

The Religious Right Definition and Issues The movement generally referred to in the U.S. as the Religious Right came of age in the late 1970s. While its extremely diverse and shouldnt be characterized in simple terms, its an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution. Its a response to events that are seen by Religious Right proponents as being connected to the sexual revolution. Its goal is to effect this religious response as public policy. Family Values From a Religious Right perspective, the sexual revolution has brought American culture to a fork in the road. Either the American people can endorse a traditional and religious institution of family and the values of loyalty and self-sacrifice along with it, or they can endorse a secular hedonistic lifestyle grounded in self-gratification and with it a profound moral nihilism. Proponents of the Religious Rights approach to public policy do not tend to see any broadly applicable alternatives to these two possibilities- such as a hedonistic religious culture or a deeply moral secular culture- for religious reasons. Abortion If the modern Religious Right had a birthday, it would be January 22, 1973. That was the day the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Roe v. Wade, establishing that all women have the right to choose to have an abortion. For many religious conservatives, this was the ultimate extension of the sexual revolution- the idea that sexual and reproductive freedom could be used to defend what many religious conservatives consider to be murder. Lesbian and Gay Rights Religious Right proponents tend to blame the sexual revolution for increasing social acceptance of homosexuality, which some religious conservatives regard as a contagious sin that can be spread to youth by exposure. Hostility toward lesbians and gay men reached a fever pitch in the movement during the 1980s and 1990s, but the movement has since transitioned into a calmer, more measured opposition to gay rights initiatives such as  same-sex marriage, civil unions, and nondiscrimination laws. Pornography The Religious Right has also tended to oppose the legalization and distribution of pornography. It considers it to be another decadent effect of the sexual revolution. Media Censorship While media censorship has not often been a central legislative policy position of the Religious Right, individual activists within the movement have historically seen the increase of sexual content on television as a dangerous symptom of and a sustaining force behind cultural acceptance of sexual promiscuity. Grassroots movements such as the Parents Television Council have taken aim at television programs that contain sexual content or that appear to condone sexual relations outside of marriage. Religion in Government The Religious Right is often associated with attempts to defend or reintroduce government-sponsored religious practices ranging from government-endorsed school prayer to government-funded religious monuments. But such policy controversies are generally seen within the Religious Right community as symbolic battles, representing flashpoints in the culture war between religious supporters of family values and secular supporters of hedonistic culture. The Religious Right and Neoconservatism Some leaders within the Religious Right  see theocratic movements within Islam as a greater threat than secular culture since the events of 9/11. The 700 Clubs Rev. Pat Robertson endorsed thrice-divorced, pro-choice former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential elections because of Giulianis perceived tough stance against religion-motivated terrorism. The Future of the Religious Right The concept of the Religious Right has always been vague, nebulous, and vaguely insulting toward the tens of millions of evangelical voters who are most often counted among its ranks. Evangelical voters are as diverse as any other voting bloc, and the Religious Right as a movement- represented by organizations such as the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition- never received evangelical voters ubiquitous support. Is the Religious Right a Threat?   It would be naive to say that the Religious Right no longer poses a threat to civil liberties, but it no longer poses the most serious threat to civil liberties- if it ever did. As the general atmosphere of obedience following the September 11 attacks demonstrated, all demographics can be manipulated by fear. Some religious conservatives are more motivated than most by the fear of a potentially hedonistic, nihilistic culture. The proper response to that fear is not to dismiss it but to help find more constructive ways to respond to it.

Business Research Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Business Research Analysis - Essay Example However, due to an increase in the intensity of competition within the tourism industry, it is essential to look into the level of customer satisfaction. In order to carry out the same the study has used a questionnaire survey among the existing customers of the company. The questionnaire is described below in the appendix section of the project (Questionnaire Appendix 1.) PART I (b) Distribution Method and Associated Documents As mentioned above, the study intends to examine the level of customer satisfaction among the existing customers of the company. In order to do so, a questionnaire survey will be used by the company. However, only the development of questionnaire will not serve the purpose it needs to be distributed properly so as to ensure higher response rate. Presently the company has 3200 registered customers in the data base. Among the total numbers of customers around 20% i.e. 640 customers will be contacted by post. The remaining 80% of the customers will be approached via e-mail. The respondents will be sent an email with the attachment of the questionnaire. The customers will be asked to reply back with their responses. ... However, the SMS will not disclose the incentives to be provided but will notify about a guaranteed prize. The incentives to be offered to the customers for taking part in the survey will be flat 20% discount in the next trip. Furthermore 3 lucky respondents will get digital camera from the company, 10 lucky winners will get travel bags and 20 lucky respondents will win 8 GB memory stick. With such lucrative offers, it is expected that the company will be able to achieve at least 30% overall response. The coding plan as well as other supported documents such as consent form, confidentiality forms etc. that are to be sent to the customers are presented in the Appendix section of the study. PART I (c) Critical Evaluation of the Questionnaire Tours and Travel industry is one of the rapidly growing industries of the world. This is probably the only industry which is least impacted by the external business situation. Although, economic crisis and financial downturn reduces the growth rate of this industry, but it maintains a steady growth rate despite of several unwanted situations. According to reports, tourism is one of the major contributors to the national economy of a country. Due to the robust growth of travel and tourism industry, the level of job creation is growing at a robust pace accounting to one and half times faster than the other industries. It is one of the labour intensive industries of the world and employs around 200 million people worldwide. There are several forms of tourism namely sustainable tourism, eco tourism, pro-poor tourism, medical tourism, recession tourism, educational tourism, dart tourism, creative tourism, and doom tourism among others. This project intends to shed light on the

HSBC Plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HSBC Plc - Essay Example rce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services: personal, commercial, corporate, investment and private banking; trade services; cash management; treasury and capital markets services; insurance; consumer and business finance; pension and investment and management; trustee services; and securities and custody services. financial services in 83 countries and territories. It provides its customers with a wide range of banking and other financial services, selected to complement its strategy in each market. Where HSBC enjoys large scale – or, in the case of emerging markets, where scale can be built – it offer a full range of personal financial products. In other markets, it participates more selectively, meeting the needs of customers with strong international connections. Sometimes it innovates and at other times, it relaunches some products as per the need of the market. HSBC has adopted a unified brand, using HSBC and its hexagon symbol nearly everywhere it operates, with the aim of enhancing recognition of the Group and its values by customers, shareholders and staff throughout the world. The branding initiative allowed HSBC to develop new services and products on a worldwide scale, all bearing the Group’s identity. Since 2002, the HSBC identity has carried the strap line â €˜the world’s local bank’ emphasising the Group’s experience and understanding of a great variety of markets and cultures. HSBC follows the Product Invention Strategy(Kotler,422) . This means that either it develops new products or reintroduces earlier product forms and promotion does not change. It could be diagramatically represented as follows: Managing for Growth Strategy: This strategy provides HSBC with a blueprint for organic growth and development. This strategy was launched in 2003 and would continue up to 2008. The plan aims at guiding the Group to achieve management’s vision to be the world’s leading financial services company. The company

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Essay

Investigation of Investors in People in the UK Leisure Industry - Using Fitness First as a case study - Essay Example The corporation’s entire staff, clients, and vendors were affected directly or indirectly when incorporating change. Fitness First UK’s employees work hard in order that client scan recuperate from the stresses of daily life. Perhaps by implementing Investors in People, the largest health club organization, which caters to their external people (clients) can also provide cater to their internal people (employee) and reach its objective more effectively. Hence, the focus of this project was to evaluate how the Investors in People Standard, can be implemented the current policies of Fitness First UK. The Investors in People Standard, or the Standard, provides a framework for organization to follow. However, the framework is kept open and flexible so that organisations can adjust and customize to meet its needs. Based on the actions of the planning cycle, the Standard’s guidelines are to Plan, Do, and Review. It is not strictly structured in order that organizations can implement the Standard in the way that is best. This makes sense and is highly effective because each organization and its people are extremely unique. Investors in People UK list their framework: Scutt (1998) lists, â€Å"The current Director, John Layne, joined Airline Operations during 1994 and quickly identified the need to improve its business performance, customer service, and reduce costs. The Director was aware of the existence of Investors in People and saw it as the tool that would facilitate the implementation of a culture to achieve the required improvements†¦It was formally communicated throughout the function and gained very strong support from the Trade Unions. Fitness First is the largest health club operator in the UK and Europe. Having grown from a single health club, twelve years later Fitness First has 1.2 million members in fifteen countries. There are 166 Fitness First clubs in the UK, which is the focus of this case study. They