Self defense Essay Example for Free

Self defense Essay Representing a group that is fighting in self defense, for preservation of our species, and all species of life on earth is usually the main goal of an eco-terrorist. Eco-terrorists operate through self-sufficient units, and are unconstrained by geographic boundaries. They are very difficult to permeate and stop. Unlike racial hate groups with membership requirements, an eco-terror activist can become a member of the eco-terror movement simply by carrying out an illegal action on its behalf. In recent years, an increasing amount of eco-terrorism activity has been carried out, and the amplified nature of these attacks suggests that the actions and beliefs behind the groups are not coming to an end anytime soon. II. Definition Eco-terrorism has numerous definitions. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, eco-terrorism is defined as the acts of terrorism, violence or sabotage committed in support of ecological, environmental, or animal rights causes against persons or their property. The term itself can refer to the use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property for environmental and political reasons. Often of a symbolic nature, acts of eco-terrorism are usually committed by individuals who believe that the exploitation of natural resources and vandalism of the environment are becoming so severe that action outside of conventional legal and environmental channels is required. By the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it is defined as the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against people or property by an environmentally oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature (Jarboe, 2002). The FBI has credited to eco-terrorism, $200 million in property damage from 2003 to 2008, and a majority of states within the USA have introduced laws aimed at eco-terrorism. Ultimately, any definition is possible but the commonly held definition of terrorism is that its goal is ideological, not financial. III. History The term eco-terrorism is believed to have been coined by Ron Arnold, the executive director of the center for the Defense of Free Enterprise. He first used the term in a 1983 article in Reason Magazine. In 1991, Ron Arnold told Outside magazine that he chose the term eco-terrorism because it was ambiguous and fit neatly in newspaper headlines. He defended the word by stating Facts dont really matter. In politics, perception is reality (Berlau, 2007). † According to Mr. Arnold he wanted to destroy environmentalists by taking away their money and their members. He spoke of his efforts as We (CDFE), Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, created a sector of public opinion that didnt used to exist. No one was aware that environmentalism was a problem until we came along (Burke, 1993). Ron Arnold was trying to eliminate eco-terrorists and destroy environmentalism once and for all for two main reasons. First, for him personally, it was financially rewarding to oppose environmentalism and second it was a political gain on his part with the government and politicians. Arnold has been very busy writing a series of highly critical books on the environmental movement. He has always been aimed at mobilising those receptive to his argumentative language and comparitive policy debates as being a war. Arnold once stated We are sick to death of environmentalism and so we will destroy it. We will not allow our right to own property and use natures resources for the benefit of mankind to be stripped from us by a bunch of eco-facists (Burke, 11993). † To understand Ron Arnold’s term of eco-terrorism, one must look back into history as to how the activities of threats began. The eco-terrorist movement was said to begun in the 1960’s, when a group of animal rights advocates in England formed the Hunt Saboteurs Association. This assembly disrupted fox hunts by blocking roads, protesting the hunters by using bullhorns, and confusing the hunting dogs trail by spraying chemicals that eliminated the scent left by foxes. After effectively ending a number of traditional hunting events across England, the members of the Hunt Saboteurs Association decided more militant action was needed and in 1972, they became the Band of Mercy, a much more violent activist group that damaged property and held frequent meetings to attract new advocates. The ideas of violent activities to ensure the activist’s points were made brought about the forming of many more organizations that even exist today. IV. Organizations There are many organizations alive in today’s societies, which are fighting for environmental causes and animal rights. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is one of the most extreme animal rights groups in the United States. Their purpose is to inflict economic damage to those who profit from the misery and exploitation of animals. They oppose any form of animal experimentation and perceived mistreatment towards animals. Their principle activities include freeing animals from places of abuse such as labs, and zoos, and then committing property destruction. The origins of ALF trace back to the Hunt Saboteurs Association that was formed in England in the 1960’s, which later became the Band of Mercy. ALF claimed full responsibility for a 1987 arson at a University of California-Davis veterinary laboratory, which ended up causing $3. 5 million worth of damages. Their next major claim was at a 1992 firebombing at an animal research laboratory at Michigan State University. The Department of Justice and Agriculture stated that ALF was the most significant â€Å"radical fringe† animal rights group and reported more than 313 incidents of break-ins, vandalisms, arson and thefts committed in the name of animal rights between 1979 and 1993 (Anti-Defamation League, 2005). In 1975, Peter Singer who was an Australian philosopher; wrote the most influential book titled â€Å"Animal Liberation†. It was one of the first books to cover animal rights and it gave great motivation to activist groups such as ALF, to become more active and more violent in their protest activities. In his book, Singer says that any living being that has a face, must have a soul and is able to feel pain and sadness (Singer, 1975). Although he did not specifically advocate violence, Singer did suggest that animals deserve the same rights as humans. Another well known organization is Earth First, which came about in the 1980’s. This group engaged in acts of civil disobedience by using the method of tree spiking. This is the practice of hammering nails and large metal spikes into the trunks of the trees, to prevent it from being cut down. When the loggers’ saws hit the spikes they would be damaged upon repair, forcing the workers to stop, which ultimately slowed the rate of logging, and in return cost the logging companies time and money. They insisted no harm to the loggers but the spikes were known to severely injure the loggers, and they were forced to abandon their tactics of tree spiking which resulted in loss of popular support. Earth First brought about a more radical organization of themselves and in 1992 they renamed the organization as the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). ELF sees its own actions as a matter of self defense, protecting the earth from the greedy individuals and corporations that it views as destroying the environment’s ability to sustain life. They view politicians as ineffective and believe that if something is to be done, they must do it themselves. ELF claimed sole responsibility for an attack in the United States in 1997 when activists burned down a Bureau of Land Management horse corral in Oregon. The group also made national headlines when it claimed responsibility for the arson of a ski resort in Vali, Colorado, which caused $12 million in damages. Their reasoning for this attack was that putting profits ahead of Colorado’s wildlife will not be tolerated, and that the greedy corporation continued to trespass into the wild and un-roaded areas. ELF views the ongoing battle with urban and leisure building, as a wasteful and unnecessary infringement on natural habitats. Car dealerships and sport utility vehicles are also a common target for members of the ELF organization. They have been known to set fire to, blow up, and spray paint such vehicles and facilities. The organization defends their actions with the view that they are eliminating the profit motive from killing the natural environment. Ultimately since 1996, ELF’s campaign of property destruction has cost some $43 million, and has yet to result in permanent closure of a business or facility. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has formed joint terrorism task forces with police around the country to investigate ELF actions and potentially stop them altogether. Another well known organization is Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). This organization came about in 1998 when a British television broadcast, BBC, did a graphic documentary alleging mistreatment of animals by Huntingdon Life Sciences, a British-based research firm. In response to this documentary, outraged animal rights activists began to pressure financial institutions associated with Huntingdon Life Sciences to drop their support of the company and thereby force them to discontinue animal use in their tests. This campaign named themselves Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty. SHAC quickly became a transatlantic cause among radical animal rights activists, with chapters in Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the United States. Today, the group has claimed responsibility for several bombings and numerous acts of vandalism as well as harassment in both the United States and Europe. The SHAC uses the internet more effectively than any other eco-terrorist group. On their website, they provide activities with specific targets that include information such as the names and addresses, spouse’s names and even social security numbers of its intended targets, whether it is an individualized person or a company/organization. Once the information is relayed electronically, SHAC activists protest outside the homes of the targeted employees. A new nonprofit organization recently formed in Portland, Oregon, called Stop Eco-Violence (SEV), was made to demonstrate the harm of eco-terrorism to communities where it occurs. SEV was founded on the core principle that violence is no solution to addressing environmental and social issues. Stop Eco-Violence hopes to expose the terrorists and their founders, as well as assist law enforcement agencies, by serving as a public clearinghouse to track eco-terrorism cases. Despite the few successes by law enforcement in capturing those responsible for eco-terror related crimes, most of the acts made by these organizations remain unsolved. Eco-terrorist groups remain extremely difficult to identify and infiltrate, and it is very unlikely that the rapidly growing movement of eco-terrorism will disappear soon. However, I feel that these organizations should be allowed their activist movements as long as their position of the acts themselves include such attitudes that the kind, compassionate, caring of other people is included.

Home Depot Employee Benefits Essay Example for Free

Home Depot Employee Benefits Essay The first case is against an employee Gunderson working at JMI agency owned by Brown Corporation. It is filed by Brown on account of the defendant’s violation of the employee agreement by joining a competing company after working there continuously for seven months and soliciting and servicing Brown’s customers and disclosing confidential information. The summary judgment was made in favor of the defendant because an employment of seven months is not enough under Illinois law to support the limiting agreement. (Findlaw, 2008) The second case is against an employee Robert M. Bono working at Chicago Transit Board who was discharged from his job on account of misconduct by calling a customer while working though his job duties did not require calling any customers. The call was personal and social in nature involving a sexual joke. The court affirmed the decision of Chicago Transit Board as being reasonable and appropriate. (Findlaw, 2008) Issues:Â  The issue being discussed in the first case is the claim by the parent company of breach of contract by the employee. But since the employment period of Gunderson was only seven months so according to Illinois law no charges can be made against him In the second case, the issue discussed is of an employee misbehaving with a customer on telephone and making personal use of the phone though he is not allowed to do so. Therefore, he dismissed by the company. Implications for Home Depot:Â  At Home Depot, each employee should be clearly told of his/her duties and the consequences of not acting accordingly. Secondly, the employee contract at Home Depot should specify clearly all the terms and conditions specially the time period after which he can be accused of the violation of the contract. Conclusion: Through the analysis of the above cases, I learned that minor mistakes by an employee can result into big troubles and court procedures. Therefore, one should remain cautious every time while working on his job.

Conditions for Equilibrium Experiment

Conditions for Equilibrium Experiment Laboratory Report Tricia Desierto, Luis Diaz, Karhen Estella, Gabrielle Beatrix Francisco Department of Biological Science College of Science, University of Santo TomasEspanÃÅ'Æ’a, Manila, Philippines Abstract The object is said to be in a state of equilibrium, when the forces acting upon an object are balanced. There were four activities done in the experiment. In the first activity the equilibrant force was determined. The second activity, unknown forces was determined. For the third activity,center of gravity was located. The last activity, rotational equilibrium was demonstrated. I. Introduction Equilibrium is moving with constant velocity. It is a condition that the rotational  motion of the body may also remain constant. A body is in equilibrium or at rest only when there is no movement or rotation done. When the resultant force acting on the object is zero the object is in equilibrium. The objectives of the experiment are: to determine the equilibrant force by using the component and table method;to determine the unknown forces using the first and second conditions for equilibrium; to locate the center of gravity of a composite body;and to demonstrate the rotational equilibrium. II. Theory A situation wherein the net force acting on a certain object is zero[1] and an object that has no motion or undergoes no rotational and traditional accelerationis said to be in a state of equilibrium wherein net torque and net force on the object is zero in all directions. For an object to be in equilibrium, two conditions should be met. The first condition tells us that the net force acting on the object needs to be zero which only means that for a certain axis of motion, the forces acting along that particular axis should sum up to zero.[2]The second condition needed to attain equilibrium, on the other hand, involves avoiding or neglecting accelerated rotation and it should maintain a constant  angular velocity. A rotating body can attain equilibrium if the rate of its rotation remains unchanged by the forces acting on that certain object.[3] The center of gravity is a geometric property of any object. It is the average location of the  weight  of an object. The  motion  of any object can be described through space in terms of the translation of the center of gravity of the object from one place to another and the rotation of the object about its center of gravity when it is free to rotate.[4] Figure 1. Determination of the Center of Gravity using plumb line technique X= Center of Gravity m=Mass x= distance from a fixed point Equation 1.Center of Gravity Formula When an object is said to be in equilibrium, it is not moving or rotating. The pivotal axis can be any point outside or inside the object. The objects linear and angular accelerations are both zero and the sum of the torquesacting on a system should be equal to zero.The sum of the counter-clockwise torques should be equal to the sum of the clockwise torques.[5] III. Methodology Activity 1: Equilibrant Force Three pans labelled as A, B and C was weighed. Pans A and B were hanged respectively at the 300 and 2000 marks on the force table. 100g was placed on pan A and 150g on pan B. The tension acting on the string, the weight of the pan plus the weight added to the pan was recorded as TA andTB respectively. The two tensions in the strings were balanced by placing weight on pan C or adjusting its position. The tensions are balanced if the pin is exactly at the center of the ring. The magnitude of the equilibrant, the weight of pan C plus the weight added to it, and its position was recorded. The theoretical equilibrant of the two tensions was determined by component method and the % error was computed. Activity 2: First Condition for Equilibrium A cylinder of unknown weight was suspended using the force board by means of two strings. A spring scale was attached to one of the strings and was pulled horizontally until the pin on the force board was exactly at the middle of the ring. The reading on the spring scale was recorded as T1. The angle that the other string made was recorded as ÃŽ ¸. A free body diagram of the ring was drawn. The tension of T2 in the other string and the weight of the cylinder were solved. The cylinder was weighed for the accepted value and the % error was computed. Activity 3: Locating the Center of Gravity A circle with a diameter of 10cm and a square with a side of 10cm were cut out from a card board. The weights of WC and WS were determined. The center of gravity of the composite figure was determined by balancing method and plumb line method. The position of the center of gravity was specified using the leftmost side of the square as the y-axis and the bottom square as the x-axis. The results were checked by actual computation for the center of gravity. Activity 4: Second Condition for Equilibrium The center of gravity of an aluminium bar was located by balancing it on a pencil and the position for the center of gravity was marked. The cylinder used in the previous activity was hanged 5.0cm from one end of the bar. Using the force board, the aluminium bar was supported by means of a spring scale on one end and a string on the other end until the bar assumed a horizontal position. A free body diagram of the bar was drawn. The second condition for equilibrium was used to determine the weight of the bar and the tension in the string. The theoretical weight of the cylinder was used in the computation. The bar was weighed for the accepted value and the % error was computed IV. Results and Discussion V. Conclusion The equilibriant force was successfully determined using the component and table method, with an acceptable value for the % error – 8.70% and 4.47%. The unknown forces were also determined using the first condition of equilibrium with a % error of only 4.57% The center of gravity was defined more accurately with the Plumb Line Method as opposed to the Balancing Method. The unknown forces were unsuccessfully defined using the second condition of equilibrium, as the % error exceeds the acceptable range at 51.76%. VI. Applications VII. References Lesson24:Equilibrium. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2013, from studyphysics: http://www.studyphysics.ca/newnotes/20/unit01_kinematicsdynamics/chp06_vectors/lesson24.htm First Condition. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2013, from boundless: https://www.boundless.com/physics/static-equilibrium-elasticity-and-torque/conditions-for-equilibrium/first-condition/ Second Condition. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2013, from Boundless: https://www.boundless.com/physics/static-equilibrium-elasticity-and-torque/conditions-for-equilibrium/second-condition/ Rotational Equilibrium. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2013, from faculty: http://faculty.wwu.edu/vawter/PhysicsNet/Topics/RotationalDynamics/RotEquilibrium.html Benson, T. (2008, July 18). Center of gravity. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from grc: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/cg.html

Humorous Wedding Speech Delivered by the Best Man -- Wedding Toasts Ro

Humorous Wedding Speech Delivered by the Best Man Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. First of all, I’d like congratulate the groom (bridegroom) on a very enjoyable speech - which has raised the expectation of my speech to a level that I cannot possibly hope to fulfill now. Thanks for that! Now I know I’m expected to say this but it really is an honor being John’s best man. He’s a very popular person with many close friends, so when he asked me to do this job I was extremely pleased and very proud – and I hope he remembers that sentimental moment just as well as I do. We’d been having a few drinks in Bournemouth one Saturday night, when John stumbled over towards me, belched a couple of times, put his arm around my shoulder and said, ‘Jason, I’m getting married in May as you know, and I suppose I’ve got to ruin someone’s day, so I’d like it to be yours.’ My mind immediately turned to the speech. So in preparation, and yes this was prepared, I asked John and Sabrina for a complete list of everyone present, broken down by age and sex. But, looking round, I can’t see anyone who isn’t. (Laughter) What an excellent venue this is though, and seeing these two families together is an interesting experience. I can certainly see where Sabrina got her brains and good looks from, and John his limitless capacity to eat and drink. John is able to mix beers, wines and spirits with considerable ease and c... ...too Sabrina.’ For it’s no lie to suggest that John recollections are often triggered by memories of food. If you ask him a question, like ‘remember that day we played golf in the thunder?’ he’ll come back with ‘oh, that day we got ham, egg and chips in the club house.’ To bring things to a conclusion, I'd like to thank you all for your attention. And if anyone hasn’t yet bought John and Sabrina a wedding present, I hear that they need a new shower rail for the bathroom. The last one, according to John, 'just fell off' – like they do. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to the happy couple, John and Sabrina. I know you're going to be great together - God bless you and good luck to you both.

Different Strands of Feminism: Comparing Equal Rights Feminism, and Socialist Feminism :: Womens Studies

Different Strands of Feminism: Comparing Equal Rights Feminism, and Socialist Feminism With the developments going on in England during the 19th century, a new social class started to emerge, a middle class whose wealth came from land, trade, the professions, or industry. It was from this class that a great deal of the women working for the women's right movement emerged from in the 19th century, since they were the ones that experienced the deprivation of rights which men from this class had won. In 1897 in England the women's movement reunited in the National Union of Women's Suffrage Society, and from here on more women, from both the middle-class, and the working class began allying with the new Labor Party to advocate for the right os workers in general. However, the new reunited women's movement split again in 1906 when feminist lost patient after a deputation of 300 women meet with the prime minister to request the vote, and got instead an advice to be patient. From here on the English women's movement concentrated in winning the vote, but split into two r ival parties, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Society(NUWSS) led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett, and the Women's Social and Political Union(WSPU), led by Emmiline Goulden Pankhurst. Faweet took the prime minister, and peacefully, and patiently continued working to get the vote. She believed that the parliamentary democracy would eventually acknowledge women's right to the vote. So she dedicated to expand membership of NUWSS, to promote publically the demand for the vote, through speaking tours, and distribution of their journal, The Common Cause, and to lobby Liberal Politician to vote in favor of women's suffrage. They repudiated the use of violent tactics. Pankhurst on the other hand completely discarded the advice of the prime minster. She believed that of the vote was to be gain, then action had to be taken. Pankusrt actively spoke to gain the vote whenever a Liberal politician spoke. She participated in local and national suffrage demonstrations, at personal risk. WSPU follows this tactics, they disrupted meeting, organized demonstrations such as open-air rallies. In spite of all this government still did not act, so the WSPU turned to more violent ta ctic. They broke windows, poured liquid down mail boxes, cut telegraph wire, and curve "Votes for Women" in golf courses. They often encounter arrest, to which they responded with hunger strikes.

Nathaniel Abraham :: essays research papers fc

Nathaniel Abraham was eleven years old when he committed the act of murder. Under a 1997 Michigan law a child of any age may be tried as an adult for severe crimes. Abraham was the first juvenile to be tried under this statute. Accused in the murder of Ronnie Lee Greene Jr., Abraham faced first degree murder charges. Now, at the age of fourteen, Nathaniel has been sentenced to a juvenile facility until the age of twenty-one. Oakland County Probate Judge Eugene Moore hopes that rehabilitation will put an end to Nathaniel’s criminal activity. Nathaniel, a black youth from the slums of Pontiac, Michigan, grew up with out a father, or a strong family unit. He, in turn, never learned the responsibility of his actions; he was not privy to an upbringing that reinforced positive ideals. Crime & Criminology describes, in depth, the relation between family and criminal activity in youths. Page 126 (chapter four) sited two relevant facts; 1) Blacks have much higher rates of illegitimacy and female headed house holds. 2) Blacks have a much higher rate of crime than their white counterparts. In Nathaniel’s case, it can be said that his lack of a positive role model, or father figure lead to his involvement in criminal activities. His mother, Gloria, was struggling to raise three children by herself. Nathaniel’s father had left when he was born, leaving her with no one to depend on. The family moved in with an older couple who offered to help them. With limited supervision Nathaniel was a constant source of aggravation for his mother. Police reported that Nathaniel was suspected in over 22 local crimes, ranging from assault to armed robbery. He, in fact, had been arrested five days before Greene’s murder on the charge of robbery. All this by the age of eleven. In families where there is no male role model a child is far more likely to become involved in crime. The data that exists suggests a direct correlation between youths raised without a fathe r and criminal activity.

Not Waving but Drowning Essay

Not waving but drowning – the poem written by stevie smith is itself a conceit. The whole poem is an extended metaphor for someone going through depression and his cries have constantly been ignored. The phrase â€Å"I was much further out than you thought† gives out a message that the man was too far out all his life. He had nothing to look forward to, this could also mean that he hence drowned on his own will. Though â€Å"Still lay moaning† shows that he had been trying to show his emotions since a long time but he was hiding behind false emotions. Poor chap, he always loved larking. And now he’s dead† is a sarcastic caption , this shows that the town people show no little concern about his death. Maybe also because he was always cold , to just hide his sorrows. The poem could also be interpreted as ,that the man all this while has been drowning and not waving as from far flawing your hands look like you are waving, the people must have hence misperceived his predicament and hence left him there alone, to drown. Not waving but drowning stresses pain and suffering, specifically the pain and suffering of a dieing old man. â€Å"Oh no no no , it was too cold always† shows that if he died from being in depression, he was always in depression, and no one realized as he hid it all this while, by larking and trying to be happy. The poet concludes the poem with â€Å"And not waving but drowning† which shows that the man is in complete denial and dies in despair.