Racial Profiling within America’s Criminal Justice System Essay Example for Free

Racial Profiling within America’s Criminal Justice System Essay The criminal justice system of America is deeply scarred with racial bias. Crimes are being committed and, in turn, are resulting with innocent people doing hard-time. Thankfully, newfound methods of appealing court rulings are finding justice for these minorities; however, the results are as shocking as the crimes being committed. When it was found that the majority of successful appeals were of minorities, the true defects of the system was apparent. The minority community is being critically judged for things they’re not doing. Throughout the last decade lawmakers have be aiding the racial profiling scene. Arizona legislature passed a law allowing for an officer to demand papers of any person that proved their legal citizenship. The law, intending to lower the illegal immigrants in Arizona, became a symbol for racial profiling within our government. President Obama strongly opposed the passing of the law saying that it threatened â€Å"to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe† (Archibold). It is a very rare occasion where the President speaks out about state legislature, proving the enormity of the law and its regards to human rights in America. The law, dubbed the â€Å"Show Me Your Papers† law, has Arizona residents furious. Faulting someone of being illegal, purely based on their appearance is a very subjective issue. Someone with a last name of Garcia or Rodriquez is much more likely to be suspected of being in the country illegally rather than someone with the last name of Smith. Because Smith has a very typically â€Å"American† last name, he, most likely, wouldn’t be asked to prove citizenship. This is a perfect example of the kind of profiling that Arizonians are concerned about. Not only have lawmakers been creating laws supporting racial profiling, but laws such as the â€Å"Stand your Ground† law in Florida are allowing for racial profiling to occur under a pseudonym. The â€Å"Stand your Ground† law allows for someone to use deadly force, if needed, in order to protect themselves from harm’s way. The recent slayings of teenagers Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, two African American teenagers, have so far been defended under the law, bringing uproar to the stateespecially among the black community. Even worse, it’s considered legal. Families and friends of these children defend them as being upstanding citizens killed due to their race. Although Martin and Davis have not been the only people murdered under the law, they are the ones bring publicity to it. Due to the media attention, the policy’s effect on different racial groups is finally being questioned. John Roman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, conducted a study intending to measure the racial bias within the policy. Roman focused his study on killings that were considered justified within the eyes of the court: the murder of people that just committed a felony. â€Å"Roman found that the killings of black people by whites were more likely to be considered justified than the killings of white people by blacks†¦. In non-Stand Your Ground states, whites are 250 percent more likely to be found justified in killing a black person than a white person who kills another white person; in Stand Your Ground states, that number jumps to 354 percent.† (Childress). Roman’s findings show that even laws that weren’t aimed to become a racial issue are. The issue, however, is that it’s not being stopped despite the blatantly obvious ramifications. Some might argue that people of color are being convicted for more crimes than other races because they’re the ones committing more crimes. A valid point, however, with the recent advancement of these races throughout society, it would be thought that these numbers would be heading in opposite directions. In reality, minorities are being served harsher consequences than their white counterparts despite their equal standing in society. Michigan State University (MSU) conducted a study revealing that there was often racial bias when selecting a jury—especially those involving minority parties. The study conducted by MSU examined jury selection as well as the decisions made by said juries. â€Å"The MSU study of capital charging and sentencing found that those who kill whites are more likely to get the death penalty than those who kill blacks. The MSU study found that a defendant is 2.6 times more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white.† (ACLU). Following the study, North Carolina passed a law entitled the â€Å"Racial Justice Act†. This piece of legislature made it possible for inmates to appeal their sentences due to supposed racial profiling. Since the passing of the law last year, there have been 4 successful appeals. The law doesn’t guarantee that the whole sentence will be reversed; however, it puts in place a system that allows for flaws in the length/severity of the sentence to be readdressed. The passing of the law as well as the MSU study prove that although there are more minorities being charged for crimes, the charges are of ill-willed intentions. In addition to undeserved charges, DNA testing has exonerated hundreds of people for crimes in which they were convicted over the past few years. When DNA testing became readily available to the criminal justice system, crucial flaws began to surface. It was realized that people were serving hard-time for felony crimes they didn’t commit. University of Virginia Law professor, Brandon Garrett, studied the first 200 people exonerated through said DNA testing. He compared the demographics of the exonerees concluding that â€Å"[Of] the innocent group, all male save one†¦71 percent were minorities. The vast majority of exonerated rape convicts (73 percent) were black or Hispanic, while studies show only about 37 percent of rape convicts are minorities.† (Wood). These hundreds of people are provide valid evidence supporting that, although people of color are being convicted of more crimes, they are also being cleared of said crimes. Racial ethnicity plays a large factor when it comes to being convicted of a crime. Oftentimes, a person of color is automatically assumed to be more likely of committing a crime than a Caucasian person. People of minority races are being targeted as criminals purely based on their looks rather than their guilt. Laws have been passed both for and against said issue, providing for a government that is facilitating racism. Racial profiling isn’t an act that would be thought of as happening in the 21st century, following the Civil Rights movement of the mid 1900’s. Despite the advancements in society, America’s criminal justice system hasn’t quite advanced so far. Works Cited Archibold, Randal. â€Å"Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration† NYtimes.com April 23, 2012. Web. New York Times January 30, 2013. Childress, Sarah. â€Å"Is There Racial Bias in ‘Stand your Ground’ Law?† PBS.org, July 31, 2012. Web. UNC-TV January 30, 2013 ACLU. â€Å"North Carolina Racial Justice Act† ACLU.org, December 17, 2012. Web. American Civil Liberties Union January 30, 2013 Wood, Mary. â€Å"Study of First 200 DNA Exonerations Shows Flawed Criminal System† law.virginia.edu, July 23, 2007. Web. University of Virginia February 2, 2013

Geostrategic Importance of Indian Ocean

Geostrategic Importance of Indian Ocean The Indian ocean region had become the strategic heartland of the 21st century, dislodging Europe and North East Asia which adorned this position in the 20th centurythe developments in the Indian Ocean region were contributing to the advent of a less Western centric and a more multi-polar world. -Donald L. Berlin, Head of Security Studies, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii The Growing Importance of IOR The Indian Ocean has emerged as a critical maritime space in the Asia-Pacific littoral in view of the transformed strategic, security and economic significance of the region. The Indo-Asia-Pacific region is the greatest maritime-littoral space that has the largest concentration of population, resources, developing economies, congested sea lanes, and contested territorial spaces. It is thus significant in a geo-political, geo-economic and geo-strategic sense  [1]  . The Indian Ocean is home to many choke points, such as the Straits of Hormuz, Straits of Malacca, Lombok and the Sunda Straits. Any disruption in traffic flow through these points can have disastrous consequences. The disruption of energy flows in particular is a considerable security concern for littoral states, as a majority of their energy lifelines are sea-based. Since energy is critical in influencing the geo-political strategies of a nation, any turbulence in its supply has serious security consequences. Given the spiraling demand for energy from India, China and Japan, it is inevitable that the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and choke points of the region have become strategically important for these countries that they are extremely sensitive to their security  [2]  . The Indian Ocean and the states on its littoral are of significant and growing importance. The region contains 1/3 of the worlds population, 25% of its landmass, 40% of the worlds oil and gas reserves. It is the locus of important international sea lines of communication (SLOCs). The region is home to most of the worlds Muslim population as well as India, one of the worlds likely rising powers. The Indian Ocean also is home to the worlds two newest nuclear weapons states, India and Pakistan, as well as Iran, which most observers believe has a robust program to acquire nuclear weapons  [3]  . The Oil Factor The Indian Ocean has seen intense maritime activity for the past 600 years, primarily for trade. While centuries ago, the motivation was for silk and spices, today it is for oil. Persian Gulf contains 65 per cent of the worlds proven reserves and accounts for more than half of the worlds oil exports and almost all of Asia-Pacifics imports. Due to growth in global economy the world wide demand for oil imports from the gulf is expected to grow and this fact is most critical while considering geo strategic significance of Indian Ocean. Despite efforts by nations to diversify sources, disruption of oil supplies is bound to impact severely on national economies leading to inflation and widespread unemployment. The US, Europe, China, Japan, India and most of Southeast Asian nations  are heavily reliant on oil from the Gulf. In his State of the Union address in Feb 2006, President Bush said that the nation was addicted to oil. U.S. gross oil imports from the Persian Gulf were 2.2 million bbl/d during 2006, accounting for 17 percent of the US total net oil imports  [4]  . The importance of energy to India, China and Japan is also extensive. At current levels of consumption, the oil import dependence of India is expected to reach 82.2 percent by 2010 and 91.6 percent by 2020. In the case of China it will be 61 percent and 76.9 percent, while for rest of South Asia it will be 95.1 percent and 96.1 percent respectively  [5]  . Sea Lines of Communications(SLOCs) The economic development of a state is closely linked to its trade and energy supply. Since most of the trade of the Indian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs form the lifeline of these countries. According to World Bank estimates, in 1999 the world seaborne trade was pegged at 21,480 billion ton-miles; it is expected to reach 35,000 billion ton-miles in 2010, and 41,800 billion ton-miles in 2014. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Report, Review of Maritime Transport 2000, notes that world sea-based trade recorded its fourteenth consecutive annual increase, and Asias share of imports and exports was 26.1% and 18.8 % respectively  [6]  . To a military analyst, the SLOCs are related to the maritime instruments of power, and maritime geography becomes the pivot on which forces must be deployed. To a politician, on the other hand, SLOCs signify the state of relations with countries located along the sea route traversed, while for an economist it is just the shortest and most economical travel distance between two destinations. Similarly, for some nations multilateral cooperation on SLOC security may mean a perceived intrusion into aspects of sovereignty. Thus the security of sea lanes requires comprehensive strategies encompassing differing perceptions and national interests of concerned states  [7]  . The Indian Ocean is home to important SLOCs and maritime choke points. A large volume of international long haul maritime cargo from the Persian Gulf, Africa and Europe transits through this ocean. Some of the primary items transported are energy products mainly oil and gas. Disruption in energy lifelines can also arise from patterns of trade flows. Imports to South Asia from West Asia utilize the Strait of Hormuz. According to EIA estimates, the Strait recorded a transit volume of 15.4 million barrels of oil per day in 1998. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz practically cuts off Gulf supplies to the East altogether and also affects the West considerably. Similarly, the closure of the Straits of Malacca, through which nearly 9.4 million barrels of oil per day flow (according to the EIA), can seriously threaten the economies of Southeast Asia and the energy intensive economies of China and Japan. Due to the geostrategic importance of Malacca Straits to almost all the South and Southeas t Asian countries, any maritime contingency in this traffic congested region would have profound security ramifications. Since most of the trade of the Indian Ocean littorals and the South Asian states is seaborne, SLOCs are critical to these countries as well as to major energy consuming nations such as US, Europe, China and Japan. Exports from West Asia utilize the Strait of Hormuz. Equally strategically located are the eastern straits, Malacca, Sunda and Lombok-Makasser. One-third of the worlds trade and almost all of East Asias oil amounting nearly to 9.4 million barrels of oil per day pass through these straits. Protection of the sea-routes through the Indian Ocean becomes a strategic priority for many states. America thus has maintained a massive military presence in the region, poised to do whatever necessary to maintain the choke points and the flow of regions essential energy supplies to the rest of the world. The stakes are so high that Pentagon has now drawn up plans to annihilate Irans military capability in three days  [8]  . Strategic Importance of IOR for Extra Regional Forces United States of America. For almost 200 years the British exercised predominant military power in the Indian Ocean by establishing bases at key choke points and along critical sea lines. In the 1960s however British Government decided to drastically cut the British presence east of Suez. During the succeeding years the Indian Ocean became a distinct area attracting international attention due to inter and intra state instabilities in the states bordering the region , prominent being the Iran-Iraq war. In reaction to this instability both the superpowers started deploying naval forces on a regular basis in the Indian Ocean to ensure their energy security  [9]  . The dramatic event of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, led to US establishing its naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean to react quickly to a situation threatening access to the oil resources in the region. This was the beginning of the so called super power rivalry in the IOR. Successive US administrations have followed u p these developments with a vigorous search for facilities across Indian Ocean and have met with considerable success in getting such facilities in Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia , Kenya and Singapore. Their base in Diego Garcia is however the key element in providing the US capability to act at relatively short notice in the region  [10]  . By the end of 1980 US established a Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) at Diego Garcia. On 01 Jan 83 RDJTF was converted into full fledged strategic command and was named the Central Command (CENTCOM). Hundreds of B 52 bomber flights were flown by US from this base during 1990-91 war against Iraq  [11]  . Russia. The initial deployment of Soviet Navy in the Indian Ocean was governed by need for a reciprocal arrangement with littoral states that would assist its attempt to break through Western containment of its long southern flank. Soviets developed their facilities in Ethiopia and South Yemen close to Bab-al- Mandeb  [12]  . In 1979 the Soviets signed an agreement with Vietnam for a 25 year lease of base at Cam Ranh Bay close to Malacca straits. Russian government continued the lease of Cam Ranh Bay primarily for SIGINT activities in South China Sea. At the end of 25 year period, Russia decided to withdraw from Cam Ranh Bay. Its presence in other erstwhile bases is also on the decline. Australia. Vital to Australias economic well being is the security of maritime trade, particularly in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The worlds principal trading blocs, USA, EU, Japan/Korea/China/East Asia, comprise mercantile trading nations dependent on Middle East oil to sustain their economies. Australias economy is tied to these principal trading blocs  [13]  . Besides straddling vital sea-lines for naval and commercial mobility Southeast Asia has always provided Australia the strategic defence-in-depth for its security. Post-Cold War, Australia rushed to forge new security bonds in the sub region to augment its existing Five-Power Defence Agreement (FPDA) with Malaysia and Singapore. This caused apprehensions, but its proactive stance and especially its leadership role during the 1999 East-Timor crises  demonstrated a commitment to the sub-region. However, the perception of Australias pro-West character since the beginning of the 20th century has led to Islamic fun damentalists targeting its interests. Its interests thus converge with that of other concerned powers to combat non-state maritime threats in Southeast Asia. Japan. Japans proactive role in Southeast Asia is vital for its global status and economic interests, since the sub-region is the source and transit of its energy lifeline. Primarily due to this reason, it is averse to Chinese domination in the South China Sea  [14]  . Despite its potent maritime forces however, Japan has been unable to assist the sub-region to secure the sea-lines against nontraditional threats due to the constraint posed by Article 9 of Japanese Constitution, which does not permit its military to have a collective security arrangement. Japans commitment to Southeast Asia has thus been limited to financial and technological assistance for navigational safety and prevention of pollution. Japan is now actively considering a Constitutional review to break free from the legal handicap, including in terms of collective-security. This would make Japan more militarily assertive and enable it to safeguard its vital security interests in Southeast Asia. Natural Resource Wealth The Indian Ocean is known to contain natural resources, the significance of which has yet to be fully determined  [15]  . Other than the oil in the gulf, the Indian Ocean holds 65 per cent and 31 per cent of worlds strategic raw minerals and gas respectively. Large occurrences of hydrocarbons are being trapped in the offshore deep bedrocks of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Australia. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and deep sea polymetallic nodules are actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Bay of Bengal is known to hold an immense wealth of resources in terms of fossil fuels, minerals and fish stocks. The discoveries of huge gas reserves in the Krishna-Godavari basin has added to the known potential of the area. The AN island chain itself is known to bear substantial hydrocarbon reserves. It is only a matter of time that offshore platforms, similar to those at the Bombay High, would sprout in these waters. Its fish are of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from   Russia,  Japan,  South Korea, and  Taiwan  also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for  shrimp  and  tuna. The endangered marine species include the  dugong,  seals,  turtles, and  whales  [16]  .

Our Lady Of Guadalupe :: Essays Papers

Our Lady Of Guadalupe The image of the Virgin Mary seen by Juan Diego has changed the world. About forty years after Mary’s appearance to Diego, it is believed to be a turning point in western civilization. At this time there were a lot of copies of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe being circulated around Europe and one ended up in the hands of Admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. The King of Spain gave this special copy to him. There were three hundred Turkish ships blocking the Gulf of Lepanto and the admiral was given command of a squadron to sail to the blockade. The Christian fleet consisting of about three hundred ships was to meet the Turkish navy head on. However, the Turkish outmaneuvered the Christian forces. It is said that when this crucial hour was at hand, Doria went into his cabin to kneel and pray before the Image of Guadalupe. By nightfall the direction of the battle started to shift. One Turkish squadron was defeated and captured causing the others to panic which lead to the de struction of the whole fleet. Fifteen thousand Christians that were enslaved in the Turkish galleys were freed. This battle marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion into the western Mediterranean.1 First Apparition In 1531, ten years after the capture of Mexico City, a poor Indian named Juan Diego left his house to attend divine service in the beginning of December. On his way he passed the hill of Tepeyacac ("Hill of the Nose", in Nahuatl) and he heard beautiful music from the top of the hill. The music was heavenly; he heard the most beautiful songbirds singing soft and pleasant. He wondered if he was worthy of hearing such beautiful music, and if maybe it was a dream. He thought he might have died and gone to heaven. Over the sounds of birds Juan heard a voice from the hilltop; however, it did not frighten him. In fact he was strangely set at ease by the voice. He climbed the hill in search of the mysterious voice. When he reached the top of the hill he saw a magnificent woman who appeared to glow like nothing he had ever seen before. She radiated like the sun, and the stones that she was standing on were like gems beneath her feet. The foliage surrounding the magnificent woman was full o f translucent colors that glimmered in the radiating light.

Business Marketing

Chapter 7 LO1. There are four major trends that have influenced world trade and global marketing . first one is decline of economic protectionism , is the practice of shielding one or more industries within a country’s economy from foreign competition through the use of tariffs or quotas . Second is rise of economic integration , just like creation of the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement . Third , there exists global competition among global companies for global consumers , resulting in firms adopting global marketing strategies and promoting global brands .And finally , is the emergence of a networked global marketspace has emerged using internet technology as a tool for exchanging goods , services , and information on a global scale. LO2. Global marketing efforts was shape by three major environmental . first , cultural diversity , including a society’s values , customs and cultural symbols and language . Second , Economic considerations whic h include economic infrastructure , consumer income and purchasing power , currency exchange rates is also shape global marketing efforts . The last one is political-regulatory climate .Its for marketing in a country or region of the world means not only identifying the current climate but determining how long a favorable or unfavorable climate will last . LO3. Exporting , licensing , joint venture , and direct investment are four alternative approaches for entering global markets . Exporting involves producing goods in one country and selling them in another country . A company offers the right to a trademark , patent , trade secret , or other similarly valued item of intellectual property in return for a royalty or fee , that is licensing .When a foreign company and a local firm invest together to create a local business it is called a joint venture . They share ownership , control , and the profits of the new company . Finally , The direct investment is which entails a domestic f irm actually investing in and owning a foreign subsidiary or division , that is the biggest commitment a company can make when entering the global market . LO4. Successful global marketers standardize global marketing programs whenever possible and customize them wherever necessary .Companies distinguish between standardization and customization when crafting worldwide marketing programs . Standardization means that all elements of the marketing program are the same across counties and cultures , like Coca-Cola ,Levi’s jeans or Sony consumer electronics. Customization means that one or more elements of the marketing program are adapted to meet the needs or preferences of consumers is a particular country or culture .Like McDonald’s does not sell beef hamburgers in its restaurants in India because the cow is considered sacred by almost 85 percent of the population . Global marketers apply a simple rule when crafting worldwide marketing programs : standardize marketing p rograms whenever possible and customize them wherever necessary . Chapter 8 LO1. Marketing research is the process of defining a marketing problem and opportunity , systematically collecting and analyzing information, and recommending actions .Marketing research reduces risk by providing the vital information to help marketing managers understand those wants and needs and translate them into marketing actions. LO2. Those are five-step decisions-making process to collect information that will help improve marketing decisions when engage marketing researchers. Define the problem is the first step should do . Every marketing problem faces its own research challenges , should setting the research objective and identifying possible marketing actions .Develop the research plan is the second step in the marketing research process requires , which the researcher specify the constaints on the marketing research activity , identify the data needed for marketing decisions , and determine how t o collect the data . Collect relevant information is the next step , which includes considering pertinent secondary data and primary data as well as using information technology and data mining to trigger marketing actions . Step 4 is develop findings from the marketing research data collected .This involved analyze the data and present the findings of the research . The last step is take marketing actions , which involves implement the action recommendations , evaluate the results . LO3. Secondary data have already been recorded before the start of the project and consist of two parts : internal secondary data , which originate from within the organization , such as sales reports and customer comments , and external secondary data , which are created y other organizations , such as the U. S.Census Bureau , or business and trade publications , Primary data are collected specifically for the project and are obtained by either observing or questioning people . LO4. Marketing researche rs observe people in various ways , such as electronically using Nielsen people meters to measure TV viewing behavior or personally using mystery shoppers or ethnographic techniques . A recent electronic innovation is neuromarketing –useing high-tech brain scanning to record the responses of a consumer’s brain to marketing stimuli like packages or TV ads .Questionnaires involve asking people questions in person using interviews or focus groups or via a questionnaire using a telephone, fax , print, e-mail , or internet survey . Panels involve a sample of consumers or stores that are repeatedly measured through time to see if their behaviors change . Experiments , such as test markets , involve measuring the effect of marketing variables such as price or advertising on sales . Collecting data from social networks like Facebook or Twitter is increasingly important because users can share their opinions about products and services with countless â€Å"friends† aroun d the globe.LO5. Today’s marketing managers are often overloaded with data–from internal sales and customer data to external on TV viewing habits or grocery purchases from the scanner data at checkout counters Information technology enables this massive amount of marketing data to be stored , accessed , and processed . The resulting databases can be queried using data mining to find statistical relationships useful for marketing decisions and actions . LO6. One approach uses subjective judgments of the decision maker , such as direct or lost-horse forecasts . A direct forecast involves estimating the alue to be forecast without any intervening steps . A lost-horse forecast starts with the last known value of the item being forecast , and then lists the factors that could affect the forecast , assesses whether thy have a positive or negative impact , and makes the final forecast . Surveys of knowledgeable groups , a second method , involves obtaining information such as the intentions of potential buyers or estimates of the salesforce . Statistical methods involving extending a pattern observed in past data into the future are a third approach . The best-known statistical method is linear trend extrapolation .