Essay on Homless To Harvard

Essay on Homless To Harvard Essay on Homless To Harvard Hello today im going to talk about the book I read HOMLESS TO HAVARD . THE MAIN CHARACTER WAS LIZ SHE WAS WATCHING HER PARENTS TAKE DRUGS . SHE WAS ALWAYS EATING OUT THE DUMPSTERS AND NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL. WHEN HER MOM DIED ALL THAT CHANGED SHE INROLLED INTO A SCHOOL AND WENT EVERYDAY.SHE ENTED INTO A WRITING CONTEST AND WON A SCHOLARSHIP TO HARVARD.LIZ AND HER OLDER SISTER MOVED OUT BUT THE OLDEST DIDNT GO TO A GROUP HOME. WHEN SHE WAS Only FIFTEEN WATCHING HER MOM AND DAD GET HIGH OFF OF HERION . SHE WOULD GOTO SCHOOL SOMETIMES BUT MISSED ALOT OF DAYS . SO ONE DAY WHEN SHE CAME BACK HOME CHILD SERVICES CAME AND TOOK HER TO A GROUP HOME. SHE was STARTING TO ACT RIGHT BUT WHEN HER MOTHER DIED THAT ALL CHANGED. SHE WAS VERY SAD WHEN SHE SEEN WERE HER MOTHER WAS BEING BIRED SHE HAD TO CHANGE HER LIFESHE WANTED TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF HERSELF. HER MOM HAD NO TOMB STONE SHE WAS JUST BEING BURRIED ONCE SHE WAS BURRIED THERE WAS NO TRACE OF HER . THIS IS WHAT TURNED HER LIFE AROUND. TO CHANGE HER LIFE SHE STARTED BY INROLLING BACK INTO SCHOOL SHE WAS 17 . AFTER MANY REJECTS SHE FINALY FOUND A ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL. CALLED HUMANITIES PREPERATORY ACADEMY IN CHELSA MANHATTAN.SHE WAS A SMART GIRL JUST DIDNT GO TO SCHOOL . WHEN SHE USE TO LIVE WITH HER MOTHER AND FARTHER SHE READ THE WHOLE ENCYCLOPEDIA. SO SHE HAD A GOOD READING COMPREHENSION SHE NEvER WENT TO SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE WAS HOMLESS . SHE WON A ESSAY CONTEST THE ESSAY WAS ALL ABOUT HOW HER LIFE WAS AND SHE WON A SCHOLARSHIP.

Desert Pavement Theories

Desert Pavement Theories When you decide to visit the desert, you usually have to go off the pavement, onto a dirt road. Sooner or later you arrive in the brightness and space that you came for. And if you turn your eyes from the distant landmarks around you, you may see another kind of pavement at your feet, called desert pavement. A Street of Varnished Stones Its not at all like the drifting sand that people often picture when they think of the desert. Desert pavement is a stony surface without sand or vegetation that covers large parts of the worlds drylands. Its not photogenic, like the twisted shapes of hoodoos or the eerie forms of dunes, but seeing its presence on a wide desert vista, dark with age, gives a hint of the delicate balance of slow, gentle forces that create desert pavement. It is a sign that the land has been undisturbed, perhaps for thousands- hundreds of thousands of years. What makes desert pavement dark is rock varnish, a peculiar coating built up over many decades by windblown clay particles and the tough bacteria that live on them. Varnish has been found on fuel cans left in the Sahara during World War II, so we know that it can form fairly fast, geologically speaking. What Creates Desert Pavement What makes desert pavement stony is not always so clear. There are three traditional explanations for bringing stones to the surface, plus a much newer one claiming that the stones started out at the surface. The first theory is that the pavement is a lag deposit, made of rocks left behind after the wind blew away all the fine-grained material. (Wind-blown erosion is called deflation.) This is clearly so in many places, but in many other places, a thin crust created by minerals or soil organisms binds the surface together. That would prevent deflation. The second explanation relies on moving water, during the occasional rains, to winnow out the fine material. Once the finest material is splashed loose by raindrops, a thin layer of rainwater, or sheet flow, sweeps it away efficiently. Both wind and water could work on the same surface at different times. The third theory is that processes in the soil move stones to the top. Repeated cycles of wetting and drying have been shown to do that. Two other soil processes involve the formation of ice crystals in the soil (frost heave) and salt crystals (salt heave) in places with the right temperature or chemistry. In most deserts, these three mechanisms- deflation, sheet flow, and heave- can work together in various combinations to explain desert pavements. But where there are exceptions, we have a new, fourth mechanism. The Born at the Surface Theory The newest theory of pavement formation comes from careful studies of places like Cima Dome, in the Mojave Desert of California, by Stephen Wells and his coworkers. Cima Dome is a place where lava flows of recent age, geologically speaking, are partly covered by younger soil layers that have desert pavement on top of them, made of rubble from the same lava. The soil has been built up, not blown away, and yet it still has stones on top. In fact, there are no stones in the soil, not even gravel. There are ways to tell how many years stone has been exposed on the ground. Wells used a method based on cosmogenic helium-3, which forms by cosmic ray bombardment at the ground surface. Helium-3 is retained inside grains of olivine and pyroxene in the lava flows, building up with exposure time. The helium-3 dates show that the lava stones in the desert pavement at Cima Dome have all been at the surface the same amount of time as the solid lava flows right next to them. Its inescapable that in some places, as he put it in a July 1995 article in Geology, stone pavements are born at the surface. While the stones remain on the surface due to heave, deposition of windblown dust must build up the soil beneath that pavement. For the geologist, this discovery means that some desert pavements preserve a long history of dust deposition beneath them. The dust is a record of ancient climate, just as it is on the deep sea floor and in the worlds ice caps. To those well-read volumes of Earth history, we may be able to add a new geologic book whose pages are desert dust.

Choosing Childs Sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Choosing Childs Sex - Essay Example In this research paper, I will try to give reason to the possible ethical issues that arise from the likelihood parents to be able to choose the sex of their children. The scope of this research paper will try to determine what is the ethical pros and cons in dealing with child sex selection. Whether desirable practice for medical, cultural, social or demographic reasons prohibiting or allowing it by law will likely result in producing harm for the given nation. There are ethical reasons that I will present in this paper - namely the genetic predisposition of female or male fetus to be born with anomalies. These arguments are plausible. The unethical ones go as far as altering the sex ration, further devaluing women and creating social imbalance. It will be further argued whether families having 2 or more children from the same sex will be permitted to keep the balance of their offspring by prenatal sex selection. It will be discussed whether couples have reproductive rights and how they can be infringed and violated. The consequences of forbidding or permitting child sex selection vary considerably from society to society and from individual to individual. Statistical data also varies between North America, Europe and Asian countries - India and China, in particular. Logically a comparison is impossible to be deduction about the child sex selection, because the social, cultural and economic factors that exist in India and Chine for a strong preference for son will be never prevalent and almost absent in Europe and North America. There are four major arguments which oppose sex selection methods: Such practices devaluate either one of the sexes; It reinforces the social attitudes and discriminate against girl/boy preferences; Women are struggling whether to choose abortion of the fetus if it is not from the desired sex or to give birth and kill it; It creates demographic imbalance in the sex ration. Since the introduction of the first sex selection clinic in Europe which happened around 1990, the interests, debates and even hostility surround these procedures. Often the hatred is generated and voiced by media and certain pressure groups, most likely religious organizations or professional bodies (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), 1993a). The public is struck by ethical and emotional concern and people have extremely polarized opinions - positive or negative. There are those who demand complete freedom to choose the sex of their children and those who express total disagreement and prohibition of prenatal sex selection which is not done in case of medical reasons. The main objections for sex selection come due to the demographic statistics in countries such as China, Korea and India, where the culture requires a sex preference due to the family policies restrictions. Population Reports (1994) shows that in some of the Asian countries as well as in the Middle East, boys are highly valued for religious, cultural, economic and hereditary purposes. The widespread practice of abortion or infanticide in case of female fetus suggests that the possibility to select the sex of the child in advance will further

American Ideals by a Founding Father Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Ideals by a Founding Father - Essay Example This declaration comprised of Thomas's ideals. His second and the most important accomplishment was the Louisiana Purchase. This land was previously occupied by France but now due to Thomas Jefferson's efforts it is a part of the United States. It is approximately one third of the present United States. Louisiana was important to United States because it was located at the Mississippi border which majorly carried out the US trade. Free public education had always been one of Thomas Jefferson's dreams and the University of Virginia is the result of it. It was inaugurated in 1825 and welcomed deserving students both wealthy and poor. He is known as the father of institution for his efforts to renew to university curriculum. (Norman, Pierson, 1917) Nations can attain independence without declaration of independence too like acts of heroism and deceit, military revolt, civil strife etc. but it is not that effective as that which is achieved through proper agreements. The Declaration of Independence was presented by Thomas Jefferson and it revolutionized the American history and paved way for their success. The ideals and the philosophy of independence were already presented by John Locke and the Continental philosophers and hence it was not new. The efforts made by Thomas Jefferson actually mobilized the aims of the previous philosophers. He put forward the injustices of the government and the king and made the world look at the conflicts that existed between the different colonies and the mother country. It was accepted and hence it became one of the most important documents in the history of America. After its success the Americans were at liberty and they were no longer under the British rule. It has formed the American government's structure. After the Declaration of Independence the Americans were able to achieve their goals without any hindrance or difficulty. They were free and respectable citizens and were no longer slaves. (Francis, Cogliano, 2006) QUOTATION AND ITS REVEALENCE ABOUT AMERICAN IDEALS According to Barak Obama, the true test of an American ideal is whether they recognize their failings and struggle to fight with them or not. Whether we are able to counter the challenges of time. It is up to the nation to determine whether they allow the events and history to shape the future or control and maneuver them in such a way that they are in their favor. Whether chance of birth decides the winners or whether everyone has a chance to achieve their goals. This quotation gives a clear view of the American ideals dreams and policies. It indicates that the American ideals are very ambitious people. They don't let the events or their dark history affect their future. On the contrary they take the matter and in their own hands and shape their future according to their dreams. The race or class difference has no effect on their lives whatsoever. It is the goal and ambition of an individual that matters the most and their efforts are not tarnished by their class or background. Their main goal is the achievement of their dreams. (Kelly

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay Example for Free

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay SUMMARY The book begins with at brief selection as it addresses the importance of the counselor utilizing the Christian faith in counseling in addition to focusing on the relationship between psychology and theology. It addresses the issues and concerns that religion may bring into counseling sessions and how the counselor should address and handle these challenges. McMinn addresses the facts that spiritual development must take place with the client as well as the counselor. The counselor must personally address the regulation of prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption these formulations are a necessity for smooth sessions for the client and counselor. The objective of the sessions is to create a healthy sense of self for the client. Once this objective is achieved, the client can move from being broken, and begin a self-motivated and fulfilling relationship with God and others. In the section, Toward Psychological and Spiritual Health, McMinn focuses his main position to the varied individuality of an individual’s life. He proposes that Christian counseling strengthens three areas of a person’s life: sense of self, awareness of human need, limitations, and confiding interpersonal relationships with God and others. The book appears to be focused on the many important attributes of a Christian’s life i.e. prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption all which should be the foundational make-up of the Christian counselor’s method of treating client’s. Dr. McMinn (1996) believes prayer should be used in and outside of the counseling session, however; with caution. According to McMinn (1996) Christian counselors should depend upon Scripture for truth by determining how to use it appropriately. The use of scripture should be utilized as a therapeutic intervention in the counseling setting. In addition, it would solely depend upon the client’s emotional, mental and spiritual health and how it is perceived. The chapters are formatted in a very straightforward layout. The chapters have sections to address the challenges counselors face, psychological and spiritual health focus points, and also expected results by each foundational element of counseling – psychological, theological, and spiritual. McMinn further discusses the topics of sin, redemption and forgiveness. From the text, it is apparent that the discussion of sin must be handled with care at all times. This subject should be approached with caution and only be discussed if there is a healthy client counselor relationship. Forgiveness is one of the other attributes discussed. Forgiveness has the ability to lead an individual to a healthy and fulfilling life with others and self. It can produce spiritual, mental and emotional reprieve for a client. Redemption is the sole objective for counseling and the counselor must first recognize his redemption before he is urged to be a vessel to redeem someone else. (Ephesians 1:7-8) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV) Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being â€Å"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus† (Romans 3:24). To be redeemed we first have to be lost, separated, and captive, be in slavery, and so on. In the case of the Christian redemption definition, we are separated from God and need redemption to be able to be reconcile back to God. CONCRETE RESPONSE This book is a very good outline of spiritual and psychological health and functioning. It gives a very detailed outline of what a Christian counselor should be. Having had some counseling sessions with my pastor in regards to debating on divorce, I was able to relate to McMinns outlines. My pastor was firm and consistent and did not waiver from the word of God as it related to my personal issue at the time. Before the sessions begin, one of the major items my pastor discussed with me was prayer. He asked before the sessions started if I would like for him to pray and before the end of each session. He advised me that through prayer I would be able to feel the presence of God in which I did. As I became more acclimated with my relationship with God, I was able to feel his presence. However; at some points during the sessions I felt as if he was forcing his personal beliefs on me as it related to divorce. I was at a point in my life that divorce appeared to be the only option I felt I had. With prayer and the act of forgiveness and continued efforts, I was able to forgive my spouse and move forward. After my sessions, I was able to find my healthy sense of self again which lead to a more positive, healthy and productive life with my spouse. REFLECTION The proficiency of counseling must be carefully implemented in order for the counselor and client to eventually envision and reap the benefits. This action may not happen in two or three sessions or may not happen at all depending upon the counselor and client’s relationship. We as Christian counselors must equip ourselves with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13). The Holy Spirit should be in the midst of each counseling session in order for the sessions to be productive and prosperous. McMinn (1996) intra disciplinary approach to healing the emotional, mental, and spiritual life of man must be taken in small steps. One question that comes to mind is the section which related to counseling adolescents. According to the book, a teenager appears to be the most difficult to communicate with. In view of the fact that teenagers are faced with an array of complex situations on a daily basis, how would one effectively bring across information for a teenager to perceive who is currently going through a dilemma? Would the same outline be used in treating adults? ACTION As I read Mark McMinn’s book I began to feel a hunger and thirst for the Word of God which became more prevalent as I continued to read. My spirit began to search for more of God . It is apparent that I must fast, pray and read my bible on a daily basis so that I can focus on God and build a closer relationship with him. This book is an excellent resource for counseling for those who need guidance in incorporating spiritual disciplines in a secularly dominated society. The only way this will be instrumental in counseling is to refer to its teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to make it conducive and acceptable in the counseling session. Many Christian counselors can use this resource to reach a level of maturity that will translate into true healing and redemption. As a Christian Counselor, I must first recognize the fact that each person is different mentally, physically and emotionally. Therefore, different methods must be utilized. There is not an outline written in stone; each session evolves into a different method according to the client and the positive or negative response of the previous sessions. The information given by McMinn has truly broadened my outlook in respects to counseling and the relationship I should have with God in reference to becoming a counselor. I would truly recommend this book to any existing counselors or those perusing a counseling career. REFERENCE McMinn, Mark R. Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality In Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996.

Star Wars :: essays research papers

You're sitting in a dark movie theater. X-Wing fighters whiz across the screen, and light sabers flash. You've seen it all before, but now it's better than ever. Star Wars, the Special Edition, is a classic that has been updated for the 1990s. The new Star Wars has additional special effects, a more realistic home planet, and improved sound.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The original Star Wars movie had great special effects, but they weren't as good as today's computer-generated special effects. In the new Star Wars, the spacecrafts are more realistic-looking, because they are images created by a computer rather than actual models. So, they have been given more details than the original spacecrafts, and they can fly and maneuver more easily. An example of this improvement can be seen near the end of the movie when the Rebel Fleet attacks the Death Star. For example, there are more rebel ships, and the ships can twist and swoop with ease when they're fighting the Imperial ships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thanks to today's technology, Luke Skywalker's home planet, called Tatooine, is also more lifelike. It has new creatures, more people, and additional flying machines. For instance, the scenes in the city of Mos Eisley seem genuine. In the original Star Wars, it looked as if not much went on in the city. Now, added people, creatures, and robots walking on the streets make it look busy. Also, there are many more spacecraft taking off, landing, and flying overhead. The effect is that the city is more believable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, the sound of the new Star Wars has been digitized --it has improved in several ways. Explosions sound bigger. The exhaust sounds from the flying spacecraft are louder and actually sound as if they're swooshing. Also, voices and noises in the movie seem to come from your right or left side, which is a more realistic effect. For example, when several of the main characters are stuck in a garbage room with steel walls, Han Solo shoots his light saber to try to escape. The laser beam bounces off the walls, and you hear it hitting the right wall as if it were on your right side, and you hear it hitting the left wall as if it were on your left side.

Explain the role of effective communication Essay

A common form of communication is texting. This electronic form is used every day and can be used as a replacement for voice utilized conversation if the communicator is unable to speak. Another form of communication is drama. Drama is an expressive art and is often used as a way to allow people to express themselves emotionally in meaningful ways or to relay a message. Sign language is an important form of communication as it aids communication with individuals who are unable to hear or speak. It consists of the use of the hands forming different shapes, movements or symbols to represent a word or phrase and it becoming increasingly popular. In health and social care, effective communication is essential and significant as it ensures that workers are doing their jobs correctly and patients are in good care. This means that workers need to communicate with a wide range of people such as colleagues, professionals, workers from different agencies and patients. When communicating with colleagues, health and social worker need to make sure they are being polite and respectful as not only does this build a strong working relationship, but it is also a way of practicing how to speak to patients and others who use the services. Having a strong working relationship with colleagues ensures that health and social workers are able to listen effectively which is highly important as they will need to know and remember important information about their job and patients. It also helps to build trust as, like with patients, workers must try to keep and respect the confidentiality of others. People who work in professions often have ‘language communities’. A ‘language community’ is a professions individual form of communication that contains unique words and phrases that are particular to that profession. When health and social workers are communicating with people from different professions it is easy for them to misunderstand each other, there for it is important for the workers to listen carefully and check to ensure that they understood correctly to avoid and problems later on. Likewise, health and social workers also need to make sure that when they are communicating with patients and others who use the services that they are explaining themselves properly and not using their community language so the patients will understand. Also, when  communicating with professionals from different agencies, it is important for health and social workers to be aware that not everyone is from the same language community so it is necessary to take extra care and communicate in a way that everyone will understand. There are two types of interpersonal interaction; verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication most often refers to speech. People from different areas, backgrounds and professions often have different variations of speech depending on the words and phrases that they use; this is known as a ‘language community’. Although this brings people together, it can also shut them out and make people feel excluded. An example of this would be that health and social workers are all part of a language community however this could be a barrier to those who are not such as patients for example. In speech many people use their mother tongue or first language which is the language that they grew up knowing and speaking. However, some people are open to a second language that they may have learnt later on. Although this has its advantages, it is said that people who use their second language as opposed to those who use their first, cannot communicate their thoughts as effectively. Non-verbal communication can take many forms such as a person’s posture and body language, the gestures they use, their facial expressions and their ability to listen. Through non-verbal communication, people can often tell how others are feeling, for example happy, sad or even tense. A person’s body language can include their posture, proximity and movement which all send out messages. Sitting up straight can often mean a person is listening and they are attentive where as if a person was to slouch it would send out the message that they are bored or not paying attention. This is similar to other movements such as nodding your head. The way a person moves also conveys messages such as walking quickly may be recognised as stress or a lack of posture may mean a person is tired. The proximity between two people when they communicate also reveals information. If two people who are socially distant or do not have a close relationship are talking, they may stand further apart as to be polite and not get into each other space however if two people are very close they may feel they can close the distance and be a little more intimate.

Legalizing or not legalizing abortion creates

Whether to legalize or not to legalize abortion remains one of the most debatable issues in the world. There have been many arguments for and against abortion which have taken religious, political and moral perspectives.Every side of both proponents and opponents come up with very substantive claims that clearly support their arguments.   Some countries have gone to an extent of entrenching abortion legally in their constitution which has raised resistance from the conservatives.They claim that the constitutional laws legalizing abortion and   penalizing murder are contradicting when they impose death penalty on individuals who are   convicted of murder but at the same time it legalize abortion which is taking the life of unborn and therefore amounts to murder.Legalizing or not legalizing abortion creates no difference since it is practiced all over the world in countries which have legalized or not legalized it.   My thesis is that abortion should be legalized since illegali zing does not deter people from aborting and instead it encourages backstreet abortion which comes with increased risk.What is abortion?Abortion is the premature expulsion of a human fetus, whether it occurs naturally like in case of a miscarriage or artificially induced or carried out with the consent of the pregnant women through the use of surgical or chemical equipments or any other method used.It may be carried out for medical reasons which in most case are acceptable evening countries where it is not legalized. This is usually done in order to save the life of the mother and has a moral backing in case the mother has other children to look after. However the main controversial issue of abortion regards cases which account for 93% of the abortions that are carried out based on no medical reason but mainly for elective purpose.  Why abortion should be legalized  There are many reasons which have been argued to support or to oppose abortion. Abortion can be considered   leg alized when carried out in context of cases like where a woman been raped or had undergone another ordeal like incest that is likely to affect their life because bearing such a child may most likely rekindle the painful memories of the ordeal.Social nod economical changes have brought about many homeless people and street children and families. In this context, abortion should be legalized for those women who feel that they has not well off economical to support their children since they will end up leaving them to wander on the street increasing the number of homeless families and children.Illegalizing abortion does not deter it any way since even in countries which have illegalized abortion there are very high cases of backstreet abortion. In order to grasp the concept why abortion should be legalized, we are going to argue the facts which we have listed. Though few, and complete discussion on the three points will support our thesis that abortion should be legalized since illegal izing does not deter people from aborting and instead it encourages backstreet abortion which comes with increased risk.The first reasons why abortion should be legalized is that it is necessary in cases where a woman might have conceived after a rape or after a painful ordeal like incest, and other painful sex related ordeals. There is high likelihood that such ordeals may haunt the victim for the rest of their life not mentioning the trauma. It has been shown that one out of every six case of rape or incest usually results to conceptions which are unwanted and unplanned.   There are more dangers which are associated with rape in addition to conception. There is a high likelihood of the women contracting venereal disease like syphilis which may result to impaired infant as venereal diseases may affect fetal formation.Research has also shown that women bearing such children are more to suffer repeated trauma when they see that child since they remember the ordeal they went through . The effect of rape on abortion reveals that more than 50% of pregnancies resulting from rape, incest or any other sex ordeal are usually aborted whether the country legalized or illegalized abortion (Johnson, 2008).Tehre are issue regarding the re-victimization of women in countries where abortion is illegalized and therefore they tend to seek abortion from backstreet clinics. Most will not report rape or pregnancy fearing stigma.   They end up seeking crude methods of abortion risking their health and thousand lose their life all over the world.   Legalization of abortion is therefore important in order to save women from such ordeals.

Battle of Santa Cruz in World War II

Battle of Santa Cruz in World War II The Battle of Santa Cruz was fought October 25-27, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) and was part of a series of naval actions tied to the ongoing Battle of Guadalcanal. Having built up troops on the island in preparation for a major offensive, the Japanese moved naval forces to the area with the goal of attaining a decisive victory over their counterparts and sinking the remaining Allied carriers. On October 26, the two fleets began exchanging air attacks which ultimately saw the Japanese suffer one carrier heavily damaged and the Allies lose  USS Hornet (CV-8). Though Allied ship losses were higher, the Japanese suffered heavy casualties among their air crews. As a result, the Japanese carriers would play no further role in the Guadalcanal Campaign. Fast Facts: Battle of Santa Cruz Conflict: World War II (1939-1945) Date: October 25-27, 1942 Fleets Commanders: Allies Vice Admiral William Bull HalseyRear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid2 carriers, 1 battleship, 6 cruisers, 14 destroyers Japanese Admiral Isoroku YamamotoVice Admiral Nobutake Kondo4 carriers, 4 battleships, 10 cruisers, 22 destroyers Casualties: Allies: 266 killed, 81 aircraft, 1 carrier, 1 destroyerJapanese: 400-500 killed, 99 aircraft Background With the Battle of Guadalcanal raging, Allied and Japanese naval forces clashed repeatedly in the area around the Solomon Islands. While many of these involved surface forces in the narrow waters off Guadalcanal, others saw the adversaries carrier forces clash in attempts to alter the strategic balance of the campaign. Following the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August 1942, the US Navy was left with three carriers in the area. This was quickly reduced to one, USS Hornet (CV-8), after USS Saratoga (CV-3) was badly damaged by a torpedo (August 31) and withdrawn and USS Wasp (CV-7) was sunk by I-19 (September 14). While repairs quickly progressed on USS Enterprise (CV-6), which had been damaged at Eastern Solomons, the Allies were able to retain daytime air superiority due to the presence of aircraft at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. This allowed supplies and reinforcements to be brought the island. These aircraft were not able operate effectively at night and in the darkness control of the waters around the island reverted to the Japanese. Using destroyers known as the Tokyo Express, the Japanese were able to bolster their garrison on Guadalcanal. As a result of this standoff, the two sides were roughly equal in strength. The Japanese Plan In an effort to break this stalemate, the Japanese planned a massive offensive on the island for October 20-25. This was to be supported by Admiral Isoroku Yamamotos Combined Fleet which would maneuver to the east with the goal of bringing the remaining American carriers to battle and sinking them. Assembling forces, command for the operation was given to Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo who would personally lead the Advance Force which was centered on the carrier Junyo. This was followed by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumos Main Body containing the carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Zuiho. Supporting the Japanese carrier forces was Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abes Vanguard Force which consisted of battleships and heavy cruisers. While the Japanese were planning, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, made two moves to change the situation in the Solomons. The first was speeding repairs to Enterprise, allowing the ship to return to action and join with Hornet on October 23. The other to was to remove the increasingly ineffective Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley and replace him as Commander, South Pacific Area with aggressive Vice Admiral William Bull Halsey on October 18. Contact Moving forward with their ground offensive on October 23, Japanese forces were defeated during the Battle for Henderson Field. Despite this, Japanese naval forces continued to seek battle to the east. Countering these efforts were two task forces under the operational control of Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Centered on Enterprise and Hornet, they swept north to the Santa Cruz Islands on October 25 searching for the Japanese. At 11:03 AM, an American PBY Catalina spotted Nagumos Main Body, but the range was too far for launching a strike. Aware he had been spotted, Nagumo turned north. Remaining out of range through the day, the Japanese turned south after midnight and began closing the distance with the American carriers. Shortly before 7:00 AM on October 26, both sides located each other and began racing to launch strikes. The Japanese proved faster and soon a large force was heading towards Hornet. In the course of launching, two American SBD Dauntless dive bombers, which had been serving as scouts, hit Zuiho twice damaging its flight deck. With Nagumo launching, Kondo ordered Abe to move towards the Americans while he worked to bring Junyo within range. Exchanging Strikes Rather than form a massed force, American F4F Wildcats, Dauntlesses, and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers began moving towards the Japanese in smaller groups. Around 8:40 AM, the opposing forces passed with a brief aerial melee ensuing. Arriving over Nagumos carriers, the first American dive bombers concentrated their attack on Shokaku, striking the ship with three to six bombs and inflicting heavy damage. Other aircraft inflicted significant damage on the heavy cruiser Chikuma. Around 8:52 AM, the Japanese spotted Hornet, but missed Enterprise as it was hidden in squall. Due to command and control issues the American combat air patrol was largely ineffective and the Japanese were able to focus their attack on Hornet against light aerial opposition. This ease of approach was soon countered by an extremely high level of anti-aircraft fire as the Japanese began their attack. Though they took heavy losses, the Japanese succeeded in hitting Hornet with three bombs and two torpedoes. On fire and dead in the water, Hornets crew began a massive damage control operation which saw the fires brought under control by 10:00 AM. Second Wave As the first wave of Japanese aircraft departed, they spotted Enterprise and reported its position. The next focused their attack on the undamaged carrier around 10:08 AM. Again attacking through intense anti-aircraft fire, the Japanese scored two bomb hits, but failed to connect with any torpedoes. In the course of the attack, the Japanese aircraft took heavy losses. Dousing the fires, Enterprise resumed flight operations around 11:15 AM. Six minutes later, it successfully evaded an attack by aircraft from Junyo. Assessing the situation and correctly believing the Japanese to have two undamaged carriers, Kinkaid decided to withdraw the damaged Enterprise at 11:35 AM. Departing the area, Enterprise began recovering aircraft while the cruiser USS Northampton worked to take Hornet under tow. As the Americans were moving away, Zuikaku and Junyo began landing the few aircraft that were returning from the mornings strikes. Having united his Advance Force and Main Body, Kondo pushed hard towards the last known American position with the hope that Abe could finish off the enemy. At the same time, Nagumo was directed to withdraw the stricken Shokaku and damaged Zuiho. Launching a final set of raids, Kondos aircraft located the Hornet just as the crew was beginning to restore power. Attacking, they quickly reduced the damaged carrier to a burning hulk forcing the crew to abandon ship. Aftermath The Battle of Santa Cruz cost the Allies a carrier, destroyer, 81 aircraft, and 266 killed, as well as damage to Enterprise. Japanese losses totaled 99 aircraft and between 400 and 500 killed. In addition, heavy damage was sustained to Shokaku which removed it from operations for nine months. Though a Japanese victory on the surface, the fighting at Santa Cruz saw them sustain heavy aircrew losses which exceeded those taken at Coral Sea and Midway. These necessitated withdrawing Zuikaku and the uncommitted Hiyo to Japan to train new air groups. As a result, the Japanese carriers played no further offensive role in the Solomon Islands Campaign. In this light, the battle may be seen as a strategic victory for the Allies.

Why the Illinois v. Wardlow Case Still Matters Today

Why the Illinois v. Wardlow Case Still Matters Today Illinois v. Wardlow is not a Supreme Court case that most Americans know well enough to cite by name, but the ruling has made a serious impact on policing. It gave authorities in high-crime neighborhoods the green light to stop people for behaving suspiciously. The high court’s decision has not only been linked to a rising number of stop-and-frisks but to high-profile police killings as well. It has also been held responsible for creating more inequities in the criminal justice system. Does the 2000 Supreme Court decision deserve the blame? With this review of Illinois v. Wardlow, get the facts about  the case and its consequences today. Fast Facts: Illinois v. Wardlow Case Argued: November 2, 1999Decision Issued:  January 12, 2000Petitioner: State of IllinoisRespondent: Sam WardlowKey Questions: Does a suspect’s sudden and unprovoked flight from identifiable police officers patrolling a known high-crime area justify the officers stopping that person, or does it violate the Fourth Amendment?Majority Decision: Justices Rehnquist, OConnor, Kennedy, Scalia, and ThomasDissenting: Justices Stevens, Souter, Ginsberg, and BreyerRuling: The officer was justified in suspecting that the accused was involved in criminal activity and, therefore, in investigating further. There was no violation of the Fourth Amendment. Should Police Have Stopped Sam Wardlow? On Sept. 9, 1995, two Chicago police officers were driving through a Westside neighborhood known for drug trafficking when they spotted William â€Å"Sam† Wardlow. He stood beside a building with  a bag in hand. But when Wardlow noticed the police driving through, he broke into a sprint. After a brief chase, the officers cornered Wardlow and frisked him. During the search, they found a loaded .38-caliber handgun. They then arrested Wardlow, who argued in court that the gun shouldn’t have been entered into evidence because the police lacked a reason to stop him. An Illinois trial court disagreed, convicting him of â€Å"unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.† The Illinois Appellate Court reversed the lower court’s decision, asserting that the arresting officer didn’t have cause to stop and frisk Wardlow. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled along similar lines, arguing that Wardlow’s stop violated the Fourth Amendment. Unfortunately for Wardlow, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, reached a different conclusion. It found: â€Å"It was not merely respondent’s presence in an area of heavy narcotics trafficking that aroused the officers’ suspicion but his unprovoked flight upon noticing the police. Our cases have also recognized that nervous, evasive behavior is a pertinent factor in determining reasonable suspicion. ...Headlong flight- wherever it occurs- is the consummate act of evasion: it is not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing, but it is certainly suggestive of such.† According to the court, the arresting officer hadn’t misstepped by detaining Wardlow because officers must make commonsense judgments to decide if someone is behaving suspiciously. The court said that its interpretation of the law did not contradict other rulings giving people the right to ignore police  officers and go about their business when approached by them. But Wardlow, the court said, had done the opposite of going about his business by running away. Not everyone in the legal community agrees with this take. Criticism of Wardlow U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, now retired, wrote the dissent in Illinois v. Wardlow. He broke down the possible reasons people might run when encountering police officers. â€Å"Among some citizens, particularly minorities and those residing in high crime areas, there is also the possibility that the fleeing person is entirely innocent, but, with or without justification, believes that contact with the police can itself be dangerous, apart from any criminal activity associated with the officer’s sudden presence.† African Americans, in particular, have discussed their distrust and fear of law enforcement for years. Some would even go so far to say that they have developed PTSD-like symptoms because of their experiences with police. For these individuals, running from the authorities is likely instinct rather than a signal that they’ve committed a crime. Additionally, former police chief and government official Chuck Drago pointed out to Business Insider how Illinois v. Wardlow affects the public differently based on income level. â€Å"If the police are driving down a middle-class neighborhood, and the officer sees someone turn and run into their house, that’s not enough to follow them,† he said. â€Å"If he’s in a high-crime area though, there may be enough for reasonable suspicion. It’s the area he’s in, and those areas tend to be to impoverished and African American and Hispanic.† Poor black and Latino neighborhoods already have a greater police presence than white suburban areas. Authorizing police to detain anyone who runs from them in these areas increases the odds that residents will be racially profiled and arrested. Those familiar with Freddie Gray, the Baltimore man who died in police custody in 2015 after a â€Å"rough ride,† argue that Wardlow played a role in his death. Officers apprehended Gray only after he â€Å"fled unprovoked upon noticing police presence.† They found a switchblade on him and arrested him. However,  if the authorities had been prohibited from pursuing Gray simply because he fled from them in a high-crime neighborhood, he may very well still be alive today, his advocates argue. News of his death sparked protests across the country and unrest in Baltimore. The year after Gray’s death, the Supreme Court decided 5-3 in Utah v. Strieff to let police use the evidence they’ve collected during unlawful stops in some circumstances. Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed her dismay at the decision, arguing that the high court has already given the authorities ample opportunity to stop members of the public for little to no reason. She cited Wardlow and several other cases in her dissent. â€Å"Although many Americans have been stopped for speeding or jaywalking, few may realize how degrading a stop can be when the officer is looking for more. This Court has allowed an officer to stop you for whatever reason he wants- so long as he can point to a pretextual justification after the fact.â€Å"That justification must provide specific reasons why the officer suspected you were breaking the law, but it may factor in your ethnicity, where you live, what you were wearing and how you behaved (Illinois v. Wardlow). The officer does not even need to know which law you might have broken so long as he can later point to any possible infraction- even one that is minor, unrelated, or ambiguous.† Sotomayor went on to argue that these questionable stops by police can easily escalate to officers looking through a person’s belongings, frisking the individual for weapons and performing an intimate bodily search. She argued unlawful police stops make the justice system unfair, endanger lives and corrode civil liberties. While young black men like Freddie Gray have been stopped by police lawfully under Wardlow, their detainment and subsequent arrests cost them their lives. The Effects of Wardlow A 2015 report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that in the city of Chicago, where Wardlow was stopped for fleeing, police disproportionately stop and frisk young men of color. African Americans constituted 72 percent of people stopped. Also, police stops overwhelmingly took place in majority-minority neighborhoods. Even in areas where blacks make up a small percentage of residents, such as Near North, where they make up only 9 percent of the population, African Americans comprised 60 percent of people stopped. These stops don’t make communities safer, the ACLU argued. They deepen the divides between the police and the communities they’re supposed to serve.

Discuss about DNA related topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discuss about DNA related topic - Essay Example DNA has come a long way since the time of the famous photo 51 of Rosalind Franklin until the three-dimensional model interpretation of Jim Watson and Francis Crick of the double helical structure of the DNA strand. Even the discovery of the DNA helix was of controversy itself as discussed in an interview of Lynn Osman Elkin conducted on March 26, 2003 posted at NOVA website regarding the confusion on who to take credit for the discovery, if double helix DNA should be more on Franklin’s account (Rosalind Franklins Legacy). Deoxyribonucleic acid is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus. The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people. The order, or sequence, of these bases determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences (DNA interactive). Series of studies have proven the role of DNA as the gene carrier. Fred Griffith and his transforming principle experimented on mice by injecting strains of the S (smooth) and R (rough) form of the Pneumococcus bacteria. The experiment showed transformation of R from to its virulent form by somehow incorporating gene from the dead S form when mixed together. Furthermore Griffith’s experiment set out Oswald Avery and colleagues Colin Macleod and MacLyn McCarty to determine what the transforming agent was by the process of elimination ruling out DNA as the transforming material. Further experiment of Hershey and Chase proved that DNA, and not protein, is the one injected by virus into their host thus establishing DNA as the hereditary