A Study

Globalization Is one of those few phenomenon we hear about all the time and refer we try to analyses the impacts that globalization has had on the world. With help of some of the best, easy to comprehend examples, we try to understand how with time the business world has become more interactive, communicative and inter- dependent in nature and if it really has been in favor of firms competing in the market. Globalization in business is the integration process of the world through the use of international trading system.It unifies the local and foreign markets to make the trading even easier for businesses. In yet other words, we can call globalization the recess of Increased Inter-connectedness among the countries In the areas of culture, economics and politics. Firms competing In the market place have the luxury to choose their option and maximize their business potentials by the way of participating globally. Such process as a result, simplifies the corporate process of canvassing materials, production, marketing and distribution of products and services.The information System (IS) is quite different from the usual trading and thus businesses get alliance with ease other than supplies and labor forces from there countries as long as they follow the rules set by the global economic authorities including the World Trade Centre. (Schools, 2005) Is it not amazing when we turn an apple I-pod upside down and it says, ‘designed In California (US), assembled In China? The clothes In our wardrobe, an English brand made with Chinese cotton, sewed by Indian hands, shipped on a French freighter crewed by Americans to a united Kingdom harbor.That's Globalization. The word ‘Globalization' has always been creeping on all of us as long as we can remember; however, it has never been so visible and impacting until recent years. Artificial constraints like tariffs have become unfettering and the businesses are expanding globally complicating the already existing com petitive environment (Change & Park, 2005). It can be easily explained as to how the fundamental nature of competition has changed in the industries in the global economy.This change in itself has a relentless pace and moving forward at all time. In words of Williamson (2004), globalization has had too many implications to the national economy. It has intensified inter-dependence among economies in the world market and countries and yes, their organizations as reflected in the knowledge cross borders, flow of goods and services and the financial capital. In short, globalization is the outcome of a large number of business firms competing against each other in a rising number of global economies.Globalization in true sense extends immense opportunities for firms competing in the 21st century highly competitive landscape. In a globalizes market, as confirmed by Khan (2006), the financial capital can be obtained from one national market and be used to buy raw materials in a second mark et. The manufacturing equipment can be purchased from a third national market and be sold in yet another one or say a fourth market. It has become challenging to determine the boundaries of any industry in the current world scenario.Wall-Mart could be a straightforward example to support Khan's (2006) view point. Wall-Mart is the name, the brand, the global giant which is known world over and have been trying to achieve retailing with global pricing, sourcing and logistics without getting impacted by the global boundaries. The idea was to be able to easily move goods and be able to seamlessly use the pricing strategies among all its international operations as it had been able to do in case of its domestic stores. Hit 2007) said once that, Wall-Mart is pursuing this type of retailing (boundary-less) on an evolutionary basis. And, he was right when he quoted that because in the past few it has even more evident that Wall-Mart has actually put things in practice and joined hands with others to make boundary-less retailing possible. Let's count on another example from the entertainment industry. Advancements in telecommunications and the interactive computer networks have made the boundaries of entertainment industry look blur and shady. Networks such as CBS, HOBO, Fox and NBC not only compete among themselves but, also with Sony and Microsoft and perhaps others.It is not easy any more to define the boundaries of a particular industry and switchover, new industry ventures have become more frequent. Yet another major affect of globalization is the design, production, distribution and servicing of goods and services and that is visibly convincing enough to gain instances. A suitable example will be Toyota Motor Company. Global competitor Toyota Motor Company provides shall help us understand how this happens. Toyota Company's products are in high demand internationally because of its initial emphasis on product reliability and superior customer service and support. Barbwire & Mean (2004) figured out that because the demand for Toyota Motor Company's products, it's competitive actions have forced its global competitors to bring improvements in their operations and instill reliability and best customer service and support. And this act of following Toast's example has changed quality service's concept entirely. Almost any vehicle bought today across the globe, from virtually any manufacturer (company/brand) is of a higher quality and all of them extend better ND tailored service support which was not exactly the case before Toyota began competing successfully on a global scale.The firms competing in the global economy have to understand, looking at the wider perspective, that globalization has heightened the levels of performance standards in terms of quality, cost, productivity, product introduction time span and operational efficiency which could be referred to as the so called competitive dimensions. Now, these competitive dimensions not only affect the firms competing in the global economy but, also the firms competing in the domestic markets. And the reason is Customer Preference'.The customer purchases form a global brand rather than a domestic firm or brand as they know that the goods and services offered by the global competitors are far more superior to the local firms. Globalization has also led to the free movement of labor and capital after being recognized as a key source of competitive advantage and therefore, firms globally must understand the importance of keeping a better track of their work force. As Prospers (2005) mentions, the best people will come from, Just about anywhere. ‘ Hence, work force relationship plays a very dynamic role with the dawn of libations.A mixed labor is not always easy to manage and if not given importance in the beginning things may go awry at a later time. An easy to understand example would be pinpointing the Asian community, which is big part of the world population and a big chunk of which works in the west. Too many nationalities and ethnicities working together and it takes the right kind if thinking and planning to keep the things going. And, no doubt that takes careful planning and implementation. The business corporations must learn enough to positively deal with the ground realities of the current global competitive environment.Only those companies have the ability to make above average profits which are capable of meeting or rather exceeding the existing global standards. (Fink & Holder, 2005) The term, ‘Global Village' & Increasing Interaction among businesses Emergence of global economy did create some interesting opportunities. And, that is why today Europe is the world's largest single market, instead of USA, with 2005). Globalization History can create arguments of when or where it usually started and who have been the pioneers of globalization but we know for sure this is the present notations that the world has been experienci ng.This new form of business relation and practices often referred to as global village which is radically changing the business environment and it is true and highly relevant, valid and accepted in today's modern economy. In order for businesses to grow they must consider jumping into the globalization challenges to be able to compete and gain market shares. This has been the rules of the most successful business leaders around the world because the opportunity is there to bring different nations and businesses closer to one another.Look around many establishment and you can find that international businesses are all around, Franchising makes business easy to expand all over the world that a certain person who has the capacity to put up business from Asia can franchise a business in America and other countries examples are Mac Donald, Levis, Seven Eleven, Sarah Lee, Avon and many other stores scattered around the world because of globalization. McDonald's fast food chain can be con sidered as a true example of globalization as true globalization means one company procuring, manufacturing and selling in many countries and McDonald's does exactly the same.It operates in 119 countries and has successfully integrated all its operations internationally. There are many advantages in this process and anyone who would like to take a franchise business is almost assured of success because of its brand, they have ready market all over the world that has gained popularity, franchiser even offer full marketing assistance that makes your business franchise grows using their adaptable marketing expertise that they will be shared upon franchising such business. Supermarkets where we buy are daily need products; accommodate all those reduces from all over the world.Olive oil from Greece, apples from South Africa, wine from France and likewise thousands of more products from around the world. Deco's in the I-J, the biggest network of supermarkets in the UK for an example is no such exception and has left no stone unturned to bring products from all over to be made available in their stores located in the I-J. That is Just another touch to globalization because you are not taking your products to other countries, perhaps but, you are certainly bringing in other products under one umbrella to be sold to a did range of customers.An important discussion could around the Business Process Outsourcing industry which makes a certain business maximize profit by partnership from other countries, businesses like JP Morgan and chase, MM, Telltale, CIT and other companies in Europe and America usually hire and establish businesses in countries such as the Philippines and India since they are highly skilled in English Communication. Usually Technical Assistance from customers around the world pretending they are a part of such company.Through this process the company like IBM can cut their labor expenses while they enjoy productivity because of their highly effective BOP in other countries while people from other countries enjoys a good privilege from their Job because of high salary. This can happen because of currency differences from other countries and an example is India where US $ 1 is equal to RSI. 47 in Indian currency. This means that they mutually benefit from this process. This has been the reasons why BOP is highly increasing demand of people.In the Indian and Philippines alone there are at least 250,000 Call Centre people needed to fill in the vacancies of various BOP Companies. The downturn of BOP industry is that on one hand it provides Job opportunities to people of one country and takes away the Jobs of people from yet another country. Online Trading is the cause of globalization and advancement in technology that businesses can easily tap in customers using the internet, they can gain high market potentials using their website acting as an store-front to advertise their products and services that can be open 24 hours a day seve n days a week.Hotels and restaurants, Air Aviation and Local Businesses including individuals can easily use the internet to gather customers around the world. This can also cut cost their labor and transportation expenses through online participation, customers can simply fill in their information and take the orders and it will be delivered via cargo forwarding, the process is also convenient to their customers since it only takes a few clicks of a button to get an order.These practices also includes the Import- Export trading that includes free trade or open participation that can give opportunity to most business organization and individual to gain international customers around the world. Having taken the world by storm are the internet based social networking websites hose days. Backbone, Resort, Linked, Google, Namespace, Twitter, Bebop, Hi, Nettle and may be hundreds of other social networking sites are always a click away with internet in existence. Twitter for instance ser ves over 200 million people (users) worldwide and takes in 1. Billion requests every single day. That's globalization, right there, opening doors to the world and let communication channels to work their way out without any hindrance. When there are so many countries and organizations that support globalization and understand that it is the right tool for the development of less developed countries ND maximizing profits for the developed countries, there exist some Countries and unions who believed that Globalization is somehow negative and that only the strongest corporation makes the domination and small business may not grow.This to an extent is right. The lesser developed nations might take a set back as in the name of globalization and world trade their resources could be plundered or misused by the stronger nations. Remember, somewhere we talked about the BOP industry which makes the outsourcing company a massive profit, in a way that also by taking advantage of their needs. S ome believed that credit based economy has not done any good but false claims that leads to heavy debt burden while some small businessman believes that globalization is only for imperialistic purposes.Yet another constraint, and cannot be ignored. Globalization certainly has made things better but, in the future might take inter-dependency or complete dependency to a all new Level of chaos in the world. Other European and Middle East Countries somehow they believed that globalization may only favor the internationally known companies and this is not a free trade but the opposite. They re the Anti-Globalization Communities who are against this process, however their claim maybe, globalization will continue to dominate the business world.Globalization: A Stabilizing Factor in International Business It is evident from examples stated before in this paper that globalization has brought a dramatic change in the world market. Business firms attempting to expand their geographic foot-prin t to meet consumer demand, extending their value chain to a global level, stepping into boundary-less retailing and logistics, international tie-ups to get hold of a wider share of customer base, these are because of globalization and eave helped stabilizing the international business community by allowing free movement of men and materials, knowledge sharing and easy access to financial capital.Globalization has indeed at its core eased the border constraints making them less important than before as countries and economies become dependent on each other for survival and progress. Cross-borders transactions have reached to a new level as a result of diverse business locations of firms and their customer base in a broader market which allows them to secure their investments via spreading risk factor. The ERM Global Village nails the concept down very firmly. If it was not globalization the world we live in would never have been what it is now.Variety of goods for the customers, chea p affordable prices, and access to bigger markets, greater employment opportunities, faster technology and trade knowledge are all a result of globalization. Globalization does have its own side effects on somewhat manner as discussed a while ago but, the point it has it helped making things better and convenient, well, the answer is yes. It certainly has pushed the barriers and allowed the world to connect better and stronger than ever. Conclusion: Do we pay consensus to the fact that globalization is good? It is a simple question but, enough to lead to a heated debate among the experts.However, the bottom line is that globalization has indeed created more opportunities for businesses to expand globally, reach out to the mass segment of customers in need, take a stride in terms of revenue generation and of course increase brand but the more the economic and political challenges which emerge at the same time may or may not be addressed meaningfully and chances are more the emerging economies might fail to set up a proper state framework and structure to succeed. Swimming with the tide is still the best option at hand when the stream takes you exactly where you want to be.

Essay Teachers and Weapons in School Essay

Abstract In this paper, I will explore the controversial question of whether teachers should be allowed or required to carry weapons on school campuses. The question of whether the topic should be entertained has come up time and again after tragedies occur, the timeline of which will be summarized herein. The recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that devastated the nation on December 14, 2012, has wrenched this debate crudely back into the spotlight. I will investigate different types of protective instruments that could possibly be used, as well as what types are used in schools that have such regulations. I will delve into the reasoning behind states that have implemented laws that allow teachers to carry guns in school and/or at school events. Included within are excerpts from this writer’s first-person interview conducted with Maria Otero-Ball, a kindergarten teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a teacher of children the same age as those involved in the Newtown tragedy, Mrs. Otero-Ball offers a first-hand view on the changes that she and the school have made following the tragedy, as well as her views on the practicality of weapons in the school. My goals in preparing this paper are to expand my thoughts on the subject, peruse the thoughts of others, and explore the statistics to provide a better overall understanding of the subject matter to myself and to my readers. During the research process, I found that a compromise on the types of weapons teachers should be allowed to carry would be the best option from my point of view. Keywords: teachers, weapons, school, tragedy, children Screams of terror, cries of anguish, tears of sorrow, heartbreaking agony; the nation bore witness to all of these and more as the first responders struggled to make sense of the scene that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School on that fateful day of December 14th, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut (Ardillas, 2012). Many families had their hearts torn apart during the rampage of that lone gunman as he unleashed his rage on teachers and young students who were just beginning their life’s journey. Amidst the suffering and the grieving for the departed, the question was once again raised: Should the teachers charged with protecting our children be equipped with weapons to allow them to do so in a scene of horror such as this? But I don’t think the questions should end there. More importantly, would arming teachers be safe for the children and the teachers? Are there other options that may be more appropriate that should be considered? Allowing teachers to carry weapons could go a long way towards making our schools more secure, but realistically non-lethal weapons would be the safer, more manageable solution in making our schools the haven the community deserves them to be. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, though undeniably one of the most horrendous of its kind and categorically the most recent of such magnitude, is preceded by numerous similar incidents throughout the United States over the years recorded as far back as 1927. On May 18th of this year, a farmer named Andrew Kehoe set off two explosions at Bath Consolidated Schoolhouse in Bath, Michigan, killing himself, six adults and 38 children. In Houston, Texas on September 15th, 1959, convict Paul Orgeron exploded a suitcase of dynamite on a playground at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary killing himself, two adults and three children. On October 5th, 1966, 15-year-old David Black injured another student before killing teacher, Forrest Willey, at Grand Rapids High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On November 12th, 1966, in Mesa, Arizona, 18-year-old student, Robert Smith, killed five people at a local beauty college. In Olean, New York, at Olean High School on December 30th, 1974, honors student Anthony Barbaro killed a school janitor and two innocent bystanders and then killed himself while awaiting trial. 16-year-old Stephen Goods was hit and killed by a stray bullet fired during a fight between two schoolmates on March 18th, 1975, at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1978 on February 22nd, 15-year-old Roger Needham killed another student who had bullied him at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. During class on May 18th, 1978, at Murchison Junior High School in Austin, Texas, 13-year-old John Christian shot and killed his English teacher Wilbur Grayson. In San Diego, California, on January 29th, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on a school across from her home, killing the principal and janitor. (CNN U. S. , 2012) In the 80’s, violent episodes in schools increased to nearly one incident per year beginning with 17-year-old Pat Lizzotte shooting and  killing her teacher Clarence Piggott during class at Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 19th, 1982. On January 20th, 1983, an unnamed student shot and killed another student before turning the gun on himself. On February 24th, 1984, at 49th Street School in Los Angeles, California, sniper Tyrone Mitchell began firing on children on the playground, killing one, injuring 11 and later taking his own life. In Goddard, Kansas, at Goddard Junior High on January 21st, 1985, 14-year-old James Kearbey shot and killed Principal Jim McGee. David and Doris Young, a couple in their 40’s, took over Cokeville Elementary School with a bomb, holding 150 children and adults hostage and demanding $300 million in ransom in Cokeville, Washington, on May 16th, 1986. The bomb accidentally detonated causing a fire during which 74 people were injured and David Young shot his wife and then himself. The same year on December 6th, 14-year-old Kristofer Hans shot and killed his substitute teacher, Henrietta Smith, at Fergus High School in Lewistown, Montana. In Dekalb, Missouri, at Dekalb High School on March 2nd, 1987, 12-year-old Nathan Faris shot 13-year-old Timothy Perrin and then took his own life. February 11th, 1988, Pinellas Park High School, Largo, Florida; two 15-year-olds with stolen weapons, Jason McCoy and Jason Harless, shot and killed Asst. Principal Richard Allen. At Hubbard Woods Elementary School in Winnetka, Illinois, on May 20th, 1988, 30-year-old Laurie Dann killed an 8-year-old boy and injured six other people before taking her own life. Copying the Winnetka, Illinois murder, 19-year-old James Wilson killed 8-year-olds Tequila Thomas and Shequila Bradley in the school cafeteria of Oakland Elementary School in Greenwood, South Carolina on September 26th, 1988. The worst year for school killings yet, 1988 comes to a close with the fourth incident on December 16th at Atlantic Shores Christian School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, during which 16-year-old Nicholas Elliott shot and killed teacher Karen Farley. Concluding the decade’s violence, a brief month later on January 17th, 1989, 24-year-old drifter Patrick Purdy used an AK-47 to kill five children on a playground at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California before killing himself. (CNN U. S. , 2012) The momentum from the latter part of the 80’s decade did not lose velocity as the 90’s moved forward with a manifold of violent incidents every year succeeding the first episode on November 25th, 1991 at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, New York, when 14-year-old Jason. Bently shot a gun during an argument with two other teens, the stray bullet killing a 16-year-old student who was not even involved in the altercation. Thomas Jefferson High School was revisited by the sickness on February 26th, 1992, as 15-year-old Kahlil Sumpter shot and killed two other students. On May 1st, 1992, at Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst, California, 20-year-old dropout Eric Houston returned to school to kill a former teacher and three students. Without ado, 1993 started off with a bang on January 18th when 17-year-old Scott Pennington shot and killed a teacher and a custodian at East Carter High School in Grayson, Kentucky. Three months later on April 12th, 16-year-old Jason Robinson was stabbed to death in his Social Studies class by three teenage attackers at Dartmouth High School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Only 3 days had passed when, on April 15th, 44-year-old David Taber invaded Ford Middle School in Acushnet, Massachusetts, taking three hostages and later killing school nurse Carol Day. Pennsburg, Pennsylvania suffered a visit from the beast on May 24th, 1993, as 15-year-old Jason Smith, a student of Upper Perkiomen High School, killed another student who had bullied him. The fifth assault of 1993 ensued on December 21st at Wauwatosa West High School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin when 21-year-old former student Leonard McDowell returned to his high school killing Asst. Principal Dale Breitlow. February 1994 did not start off well at Valley View Jr. High School in Simi Valley, California; on the 1st day of the month, 13-year-old Philip Hernandez stabbed a 14-year-old student to death in the hallway. April 12th of the same year was no better in Butte, Montana, when 10-year-old Jason Osmanson shot and killed an 11-year-old classmate on the playground. The ominous cloud passed over Wickliffe Middle School in Wickliffe, Ohio, on November 7th, 1994, as 37-year-old drifter Keith Ledeger shot and killed school custodian Peter Christopher and injured three others. On October 12th, 1995, at Blackville-Hilda High School of Blackville, South Carolina, 15-year-old Toby Sincino killed a teacher and then himself. The 15th of November, 1995, 17-year-old Jaime Rouse killed a business teacher and a 16-year-old student at Richland High School in Lynnville, Tennessee. At Winston Education Center in Washington, DC, 14-year-old Damion Blocker encountered two masked gunmen in the stairwell where he was shot and killed by 16-year-old Darrick Evans on January 19th, 1996. In Moses Lake, Washington, at Frontier Jr. High School on February 2nd, 1996, 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis killed two students and a teacher with a rifle. 1997 saw three violent incidents on February 19th in Alaska, October 1st in Mississippi, and December 1st Kentucky with a combined death toll of 8, including a parent, a principal, and six students. Three episodes in 1998 in Arkansas on March 24th, Pennsylvania on April 24th, and Oregon on May 21st claimed the lives of 10 more. Littleton, Colorado was devastated on April 21st, 1999, when 18-year-old Eric Harris and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher before committing suicide in the library of Columbine High School. The final wreckage of 1999 came to pass on November 19th at Deming Middle School in Deming, New Mexico when 12-year-old Victor Cordova shot and killed a 13-year-old classmate. (CNN U. S., 2012). The first scene of 2000 unfurled with the youngest offender to date, a 6-year-old boy, who shot and killed a 6-year-old girl at Buell Elementary in Mt. Morris Township, Michigan on February 29th. On May 26th of the same year in Lake Worth, Florida, 13-year-old Nathaniel Brazill returned to school after being sent home for misbehaving to shoot and kill his teacher, Barry Grunow, at Lake Worth Community Middle School. At Santana High School in Santee, California, on March 5th, 2001, 15-year-old Charles â€Å"Andy† Williams killed two classmates and injured 13. The last upset until 2003 transpired on December 5th, 2001, at Springfield High in Springfield, Massachusetts when troubled teen Corey Ramos stabbed Reverend Theodore Brown, a counselor at the school, to death. 2003 saw two tragedies on April 24th at Red Lion Area Jr. High School in Red Lion, Pennsylvania when 14-year-old James Sheets shot his principal, Eugene Segro, and then himself, and on September 24th in Cold Spring, Minnesota, at Rocori High School, where 15-year-old Jason McLaughlin killed one student and critically injured another who died in October. The sole incident in 2004 struck on February 3rd at Southwood Middle School in Palmetto Bay, Florida, involving 14-year-old Michael Hernandez who slashed the throat of 14-year-old Jaime Rodrigo Gough. 16-year-old Jeff Weise perpetrated a multiple murder in Red Lake, Minnesota, beginning with the murder of his grandfather and another adult followed by killing four fellow students at Red Lake High School, a teacher, a security guard and finally himself on March 21st, 2005. In Jacksboro, Tennessee, Campbell County Comprehensive High School felt the sting of madness on November 8th, 2005, as a 15-year-old student opened fire on a principal and  two assistant principals, killing one and critically wounding another. Three vicious episodes rocked 2006: two dead in a Colorado high school shooting on September 27th, one dead in a high school shooting in Wisconsin on September 29th, and six dead, six wounded in a Pennsylvania Amish school on October 2nd. The singular attack in 2007 befell Henry Foss High School of Tacoma, Washington on January 3rd, culminating with 18-year-old Douglas Chantabouly fatally shooting 17-year-old Samnang Kok. 2008’s lone incident was a shooting at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, leaving one dead. 2009 witnessed three brutalities in rapid succession commencing on September 15th at a Florida high school leaving one fatally stabbed, shadowed on September 23rd at a Texas high school where a teacher was stabbed and killed and the closing fatality on October 16th at a South Carolina high school where a police officer shot and killed a student after the student had stabbed the officer. One confrontation on February 5th, 2010, at an Alabama middle school resulted in a 14-year-old with a fatal shot to the head and a conflict on January 5th, 2011, at a Nebraska high school bringing about the death of a vice principal and the suicide of the shooter. Prior to the Sandy Hook horror in December of 2012, an attack occurred on February 27th at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, killing three and wounding four others (Timeline: School violence in the US, CNN U.S. , 2012). 2013 has already suffered the first school assault at Taft High School in Taft, California leaving one student in a coma and fighting for his life (Simmons, 2012). Following the Newtown tragedy of Sandy Hook, several state lawmakers have begun the process of introducing legislation to allow teachers to bear arms. These states include Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Tennessee. Oklahoma State Representative Mark McCullough is quoted as saying: We cannot continue to be shackled by politically correct, reflexive, anti-gun sentiment in the face of the obvious — our schools are soft targets. It is incredibly irresponsible to leave our schools undefended — to allow mad men to kill dozens of innocents when we have a very simple solution available to us to prevent it. I’ve been considering this proposal for a long time. In light of the savagery on display in Connecticut, I believe it’s an idea whose time has come. (Celock, 2012, para. 3) While these states are only beginning their journey to allow teachers to bear arms, there are places where such laws already exist. In Indiana, state law makes schools â€Å"gun-free zones†, but exempts employees or others authorized by a school â€Å"to act as a security guard, perform or participate in a school function, or participate in any other activity authorized by a school† (Wilson, 2012, para. 2). Harrold, a small Texas town, allows teachers and school officials to carry concealed weapons on school grounds. This was unanimously voted upon by the school board in 2007, requiring only that any school employee who plans to carry a weapon obtain first a state concealed-weapons permit, and then be approved by the school board to carry concealed weapons on campus. (Brown, 2012) While allowing teachers to carry guns may seem an obvious solution to many, there are those who favor other approaches to making our schools safer. Maria Otero-Ball is a kindergarten teacher in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being a teacher of five and six year-old students, the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy struck a very personal chord with Mrs. Otero-Ball. Following the horrific event, Mrs. Otero-Ball made the changes that she was able to on her own to make her classroom safer; she cleared out her supply closet to enable her to hide students in such an event, put in place a classroom emergency procedure for use in conjunction with the school’s emergency procedure and she now runs a drill at least weekly to ensure her students know what to do in case of an attack such as the one in Newtown, Connecticut. Even so, she knows that these are small changes whose chances of effectiveness are uncertain at best. Mrs. Otero-Ball has another idea that she will be proposing in the next school board meeting. Her idea is for teachers to be issued and trained on non-lethal weapons such as stun guns, tasers, tranquilizer darts, and/or pepper spray. Mrs. Otero-Ball’s stance is, â€Å"I believe that we [the teachers] would have a much better chance of immobilizing a perpetrator if armed with something like this [stun guns, tasers, tranquilizer darts, and/or pepper spray]. † (Interview: Maria Otero-Ball, 2012) Non-lethal weapons are intended to cause pain and/or physically disable an adversary with a minimal risk of serious or permanent injury. The available types of non-lethal weapons include pepper spray, which comes in a compact cylinder and emits a pepper based, oleo resin spray that has the ability to incapacitate an attacker regardless of size and/or strength. Pepper spray is most effective in close range encounters and do not require accurate aim nor much training. Pepper spray is widely used by the general public and would not require legislation  to be allowed in schools. Tasers are one of the more painful non-lethal weapons and work by shooting small electrodes which penetrate the attackers clothing and skin. These electrodes are connected to a wire which conducts a strong electrical current and incapacitates offenders for up to 10 minutes. Tasers are good for distance use and the incapacitation time of the offender would allow time for the victims to take control of the situation, remove themselves to a safer location and contact law enforcement. Stun guns work on the same basic premise as tasers, but are a hand held, close range weapon. Stun guns could be very effective if one was able to surprise the victim from behind and take them down with a shock to the back of the neck. Both tasers and stun guns would require more training for use as well as for safety of the handler. One could expect legislature would be required to allow these in schools and supply sufficient training for the teachers designated for their use. Tranquilizer darts are best known for their use on wildlife such as bears, but can be modified for use on humans by utilizing a smaller dart and lower dosage of sedative, anesthetic or paralytic agent. The drawbacks with the use of tranquilizer guns include a delay between the time the dart connects and the incapacitation of the attacker and a danger of the offender dying if not monitored closely. (Admin: Just be Safe, 2011) Based on the research of the benefits and drawbacks of these non-lethal options, a combination of availability of pepper spray, stun guns and tasers for teachers and training on their use and handling would be most beneficial in a situation involving a single or multiple assailant(s). After being faced with a dreadful scene such as that which was encountered in Newtown at Sandy Hook Elementary School, it may well be the gut reaction of the general public to shout, â€Å"Arm our teachers! † In fact, since I have begun this paper, several more schools have begun legislation, voted to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons and even purchased weapons for the exclusive use of the school. However, if more thought is given to the implications of arming teachers with guns, one must see that this could prove more dangerous than helpful if the gun were to be appropriated by the wrongdoer. Another thought that had not been considered during my research was brought to light by ‘The Ed Show’ on January 10, 2013; many parents do not condone teachers having guns, concealed or otherwise, near their children (The Ed Show, 2013). With proper training on non-lethal weapons such as stun guns, tasers, and pepper spray, teachers would be able to defend our youth without the fear of having to kill or having a murderous weapon wrested from them while attempting to defend those they strive to protect. The facts are painfully evident: 1. Violence in school has escalated over the years and something must be done to protect the students and faculty. 2. The death toll relating to school violence is much too high for comfort. 3. Regulating gun laws will not prevent guns from being in circulation. 4. There are many drawbacks to allowing teachers to have access to guns in schools including fear of the gun falling into the wrong hands, discomfort of the parents knowing there are guns in the schools and what the shooter would have to deal with if they were to kill someone. 5. Conceivably, non-lethal weapons would be the safer, more manageable solution in making our schools the haven the community deserves them to be. In light of all of the evidence, it is apparent that a compromise could be made to keep our schools safe by giving the teachers the tools they need and still keep guns out of our schools, thus satisfying government, parents, teachers, students and families alike. This could be achieved by introducing a comprehensive plan to supply all teachers with pepper spray, select teachers with Tasers and stun guns and providing the training the teachers need to successfully use these defenses during an attack. References: Admin (2011, June 5). Tasers, stun guns & pepper spray: Non-lethal self defense weapons | Just B Safe. Just B Safe. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www. justbsafe. com/? p=84 Aradillas, E. , Baker, K. C. , Billups, A. , Breuer, H. , Dennis, A. , Weisensee Egan, N. , . . . Zuckermann, S. (2012, December). Tragedy in new town: Remember forever. People, 78(27), 52-59. Brown, A. (2012, December 20). Texas town allows teachers to carry concealed guns. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/huff-wires/20121220/us-gun-toting-teachers/? utm_hp_ref=green&ir=green Celock, J. (2012, December 18). Guns for teachers legislation on the rise in states. Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 22, 2012, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/12/18/guns-for-teachers_n_2324095. html.

Freuds Mind Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freuds Mind Structure - Essay Example Unconscious - Freud explains that this part occupies greater area compared to conscious and the preconscious memory of a individual and in enormous. This is not readily available in bringing it to conscious or awareness. The feelings and thoughts are dumped which includes the urges, feelings and ideas which are tied with anxiety, conflict and pain. Freud believed that this are not disappeared but stored in this part of memory which can eventually affect and influence actions and the conscious awareness of the individual. Also, Freud conceptualized the Id, Ego and Superego - where activities of this occur in this area. Freud also represented this mind structure into a model of an iceberg, the mental iceberg which Freud's illustration about Human Mind. Accordingly, conscious and preconscious can pass information back and forth wherein in the process of passing it can fall into the unconscious mind where it cannot be readily available freely. This is expressed as the images presented below: Id functions to satisfy self-gratification and no care for others, the selfishness in every individual, irrational and emotional. Ego does the rational thinking and helps grow awareness that there are things that human want are not always attainable.

Hebrew Bible and Bhagavad-Gita Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hebrew Bible and Bhagavad-Gita - Essay Example On the other hand, there are few faiths that are called earthly religions, which are pluralist faiths, and seek inspiration from multiple gods and goddesses; Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism etc come under the definition of this category (Beckerlegge, 2000). Although the teachings and belief system of Abrahamic monotheist faiths and pluralist faiths like Hinduism and others appear to be pole-apart from one another in all respects, yet the researchers observe few commonalities between their scriptures and declare them the source of the same sacred light enkindling the world with the concept of the Lord. The Old Testament or Hebrew Bible serves as the Holy Scripture for the Jewish and Christian communities, as they claim that it contains the word of God in the form of covenant between the Lord and His favorite nation House of Jacob as well as the commands and decrees God issued in the form of Ten Commandments to Moses determining the code of life to be observed in order to win t he Will of God in this life and hereinafter according to the Jewish and Christian faiths and traditions (Dimont, 2003). ... Jesus Christ is the central figure in according to the Christian faith, which arrived in the world through a unique virgin birth as the Savior of the humanity or Messiah, in order to preach the humanity going astray from the right path of glory and submission to the commandments of the Lord. And in case of non-compliance with his commands by the rebels and non-believers, he would sacrifice his life in order to protect the entire humanity from the wrath of God because of their sins and deviancies they committed in their life on the earth (Damascene, 2009). It is, therefore, the Christians regard Jesus as the son of God in human form. The same is the feelings of reverence and regard for Krishna in Hindu mythology and their holy book Gita, which declares him as God incarnated for the welfare of humanity, as Krishna is attributed to stating that: â€Å"I am birth-less and changeless. I am the lord (Gita, IV: 6); almost the same statement is associated with Jesus Christ, where he views h imself as the Lord, which does not experience any change in his person altogether (Malachi 3:6). Thus, both the holy books i.e. Bible and Gita regard Christ and Krishna as gods. It has aptly been observed that the Old and New Testaments discuss the belief system and commandments of the Lord, and warn the deviants by narrating the fate of their forerunner nations in past, these Scriptures do not provide any detailed account of Christ’s life; as a result, it is actually Gospel that particularly defines him as deity (Revelation, 22:13), the name and account of which resembles with the Hindu scripture, Gita.  

Draw their Veils over Their Bosoms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Draw their Veils over Their Bosoms - Essay Example Though Muslim women are not this secluded in the modern life, they have to seclude themselves from head to toe. This document shows the religious beliefs of Islamic people. Though there is nowhere in the Quran where it is indicated that women should be secluded from head to toe, women are expected to do so. This shows in a way that women are discriminated against and there are activities that men undertake but women are not expected to follow suit. However, it also shows that Islamic people value their religion. They had to follow in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad. The article has had an impact on the lives of Muslim women today. It is quite difficult to find an Islamic women walking around exposing themselves (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2009). There are instances where these Muslim women wear veils that only leave a space for their eyes especially. This mostly happens to the not yet married ones. Moreover, Islamic women do not interact with the male gender unless in it is very important. They are only allowed to interact freely with their

Astronomy of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Astronomy of history - Essay Example Consequently, this gave them the capability to compute the surface temperature of about minus-418 degrees Fahrenheit. The findings showed that the icy balls around Pluto that was given the nickname Xema. .Xema was among the largest objects to be discovered orbiting Earth’s sun after the 1846 identification of Neptune. This findings of 2003 UB313, was 1,860 miles, take 250milles added debate on whether this icy ball should be considered a planet. Moreover, the findings discovered were announced on July 2005 illustrated to astronomers that the icy ball was definitely larger that Pluto, since it looked in a surprising manner bright in the sky, although it is nine billion miles from the sun. Apparently, the similarities between Pluto and 2003 UB313, extend beyond size and reflectivity. Similar to Pluto, 2003 UB313 also has a moon and has methane ice on its surface. These findings brought out more debates as planet definition in different context made it a planet. This mission is important, as it helps astronomers to put more thought on what a planet really entails. Consequently, most research in the past have described planet as any object in the solar system large enough that gravity has shaped it into a sphere or anything larger than planet Pluto (heacademy.ac.uk). Generally, this report will help stakeholders in the astronomy and science fields put a clear definition on what a planet should entail. However, the finding of the report will not be of any interest to the general public who are not interested in science. Therefore, the report is only relevant to astronomers. My preconception of the article before reading it was that, a planet like object in the solar system, which is bigger that Pluto can be classified as a planet. However, going through the report changed this preconceptions as it shows how complicated the definition of a planet is. The fact that the definition of planet

Light Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Light - Lab Report Example I used five different colors in the experiment. According to Timmermans, (2010) different colors of light have a significant effect on growth of plants, where the amount of energy obtained is different. However, it depends on other conditions, such as temperature, light intensity among others. In this experiment, the researcher has four variables in place. They include independent variables (photosynthesis rate), dependent (effect of wavelength) and factors that are in control and those that were not in control. Control favors included number of leaflets, volume of NaHCO3, concentration of NaHCO3, size of disc used and power of the light that was used. On the other hand, uncontrolled factors were the room temperature that the experiment was carried in. The Hedera Helix discs (leaflets) in our experiment responded differently to different colors of light. The hypothesis of the study is that the rate of photosynthesis varies in different colors of light. The blue color was expected to show the highest rate and yellow color the least effect to the rate of photosynthesis. The requirements for carrying out this experiment successfully include a syringe and beaker/containers. Others incldued leaves (the Hedera Helix discs (leaflets)), holes cutter, NaHCO3 and source of light (colored light bulb). I set up the five sources of colored light in an enclosed system and allowed it to warm up so as to attain equilibrium. I left the Hedera Helix Plant exposed to different light colors for 1.5 hours (90 minutes) using an analog-digital clocks to record the time elapses. This ensured that all the leaves were exposed to light equally. Using the prepared leaves, I prepared the NaHCO3 solution from 0.60g of sodium bicarbonate by diluting it with 300ml of distilled water in a 500ml beaker and added I added one drop of soap. I stirred the mixture gently ensuring that it does not form froth. First I cut small holes into the leaves to obtain numerous