Mental Disorder and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Mental Disorder and crime - Essay Example If they are too broad they may result in unnecessary intervention’ (Wilson, 1995 as quoted in Healthcare Education Services, 2006). This quote from Wilson suggests the complications that mental health carers and the courts have when they attempt to apply a definition to mental illness. There is a distinction made between mental health and mental disorder. According to Healthcare Education Services (2006) mental health and mental illness have often been used interchangeably as 'mental health refers to thoughts, feelings, and actions of the individual, all aspects of life, including social, physical, spiritual and emotional, affect it' (p. 6). The term mental disorder implies that he person has a mental illness and also has some sort of disability and has often been used as a legal definition for a variety of mental illnesses. The Department of Health (2004) defines mental disorder as ‘an impairment of, or a disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain resulting fr om any disability or disorder of the mind or brain’ (p.3). This definition was refined from the original bill that was drafted in 1983 and said that mental disorder was, ‘†¦mental disorder means mental illness, arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder and any other disorder or disability of the mind’ (as quoted in Healthcare Education Services, 2006, p. 7). ... This definition will cover a variety of mental disorders and it can be relevant to the individual's fitness to plead guilty or not guilty, their sentencing or disposal, or the decision for the prosecutor to divert the sentence or prosecute the individual (The Crown Prosecution Service, 2010). This is the definition will be the one used for this paper because it is the one that comes from the courts. Definition of Crime The definition of crime is complex because its definition will relate to the individual's offense. Sammon (n.d.) states that the word crime is difficult to define because it covers a variety of acts that have nothing in common necessarily except that they are punishable by law if they are carried out by an individual. The easiest definition comes from the Oxford Dictionary (2011) which describes crime as a noun and defines it as 'an action or omission which constitutes offence and is punishable by law'. A crime can be anything from shoplifting to murder. Each offence h as its own definition in the court system. This is a simple definition and will be used in this paper to refer to generic crimes. Crime and General Mental Disorders The challenge for both of these definitions is the fact that everything about them is dependent on the circumstances in each situation. Many people believe that a defence that states that an individual who has a mental disorder should be excused for committing a crime because at the time of the crime, they had a mental breakdown due to a mental disorder. However, the empirical evidence does not support this idea. Sirotich (2008) reviewed several studies about crime and violence to see whether there is a correlation with mental illness. He found that most of the literature suggests that the best

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 Essay

Cultural profiling tools for global business leaders 2281 - Essay Example Leadership being an important part of an organizational culture is also included in the discussion section. Based on the culture profiling tools discussed in the current paper, few examples relating to how culture effects decision making process of leaders have been discussed. Culture profile can be described as the cluster of cultures which determine the characteristics of a firm. The motive of culture profiling is to present the culture of an organization from different perspectives. In the system of profiling, the various categories of culture existing with an organization are attributes which reflect the same are identified. An entity can be viewed upon like as an individual. Like every individual, a firm is also seen to possess a set of values and cultures which determine the manner in which the organization interacts with different stakeholders. The set of values present in an organizations culture profile determines the way in which interaction takes place between different organizational factors and the manner in which information gets transferred (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). Culture profiles get portrayed through such interactions. Culture profiles also refer to common set of beliefs and understanding which is shared by the members of an organizati on. As members of an organization continue to interact with each other on a regular basis, they become habituated with each other and develop their own ways and styles of interaction. Cultures are often developed in a manner such that it suits motives and functions performed by the organization. Apart from communication styles, culture existing within an organization gets reflected through dress codes, slogans, interiors and ceremonies held. Existence of a strong culture is essential to provide a strong identity (SÃ ¸ndergaard, 1994). Culture also facilitates motivating employees to perform better. It is essential that the culture existing within an organization

Left to Tell Essay Example for Free

Left to Tell Essay Immaculee Ilibagiza was a college student in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide in which nearly one million people died. Her story is a remarkable testimony to the power of God’s grace to strengthen us during times of trial and to live the teaching of the Gospel in the face of overwhelming evil. Her story is told in the novel Left to Tell, published in 2006. In Rwanda, there were three tribes, and each citizen belonged to one of the tribes. These tribes were the Hutu, which were the majority, Tutsi, which were the minority, and an extremely small number of Twa, which was a pygmy-like tribe of forest dwellers. Immaculee and her family belonged to the Tutsi tribe, and because of this they were under great threat. The Hutu tribe wanted to kill every single Tutsi in Rwanda, and this was the cause of the genocide in 1994. The Tutsi tribe was taller, lighter-skinned and has narrower noses, and Hutus were shorter, darker, and have broad noses, and each person had an identity card which labeled what tribe they were in. This is how the Hutus chose their victims, by their identity card or their looks. Not only was Immaculee under death threat, but she was also being treated unfairly by her peers. She was an extremely smart girl, and because of her being a Tutsi, she was not able to get a scholarship to college. Before the genocide came into full effect, there were many reports on the radio warning the Tutsis of killings to come. One day, Damascene, one of Immaculee’s three brothers, told his family that he actually saw the killers, but they refused to believe him. They started to get nervous when President Habyarimana, the president of Rwanda, was killed. His plane was shot out of the sky, and this event sparked the beginning of the genocide. The more severe the radio reports were, the more nervous Immaculee and family got. Immaculee tried not to show her fear, because if she did, she would not be able to stay strong through this event. Many neighbors gathered around her home because her father, Leonard, was a very respectable man in the neighborhood. One day, fifty Interahamwe armed with knives and machetes attacked the Tutsis outside of the Ilibagiza home. Leonard gathered more than one hundred Tutsi men together and rushed toward the killers. They tossed stones at them and scared them away. After this, Immaculee’s father gave her a red and white rosary and told her to keep it always, and she did. The killers came back a second time, but this time no one joined Leonard to fight back. After this event, it was known that it was not safe, and Immaculee could not stay at her home. Immaculee and Augustine, a friend who was staying with the Ilibagiza family, were soon on their way to the home of family friend and local pastor, Pastor Murinzi. There, she was forced to hide in a small bathroom with seven other women, and there she had many spiritual experiences. While Immaculee was hiding in the bathroom, she could hear the killers and other people talking about what was going on. Immaculee still did not know whether or not her family was alive. She cursed the killers, and hoped that they got treated as they were treating her fellow Tutsis. Because of this feeling, Immaculee could not have a feeling of calmness, and she was very angry. She prayed, but the devil was telling her that praying would not work, when she has so much hatred in her heart, and is wishing such horrible things on the killers. In a dream, Jesus appeared to her, and told her to forgive the killers and to stay calm and he would protect her. She did as Jesus said, and forgave the killers, and she was one of the few whose life was spared during the genocide. Some people do not pray, and do not have God in their lives. These are the people that contribute to the evil and destruction of the world. The killers of the 1994 genocide were definitely evil, and they were being tempted by the devil to do such evil acts. Lies were made up just so they could kill Leonard, and the rest of the Ilibagiza family, who were very well respected in the town. Some people do not think over their actions, and do not make the distinction between what is right and wrong. Some people just listen to other people because they are scared, so they do evil things, just because someone told them to. Unfortunately, I do believe that something this terrible may happen in our own country. In the last decade, some evil things have happened in America, such as the planes hitting the World Trade Center on 9/11 and the plane hitting the Pentagon, in the same day. Islamic people performed both of these evil acts. Most Americans have hatred for these people, and some especially because loved ones died in the World Trade Center. Since then, there have been bomb scares, and the hatred has just been building up. If another tragedy occurs, Americans will most likely rebel, and want these people extinguished from the country, whether they look innocent or not, just for the sake of the country. It is much better to forgive, than to hate and hold grudges. By forgiving, you are following in Jesus’ path and becoming a better person. By hating and seeking revenge, you will harbor hatred in your heart and be an extremely angry person for always thinking of ways to get revenge. I have learned that by forgiving, instead of hating, your prayers will be answered quicker. By following in the footsteps of Jesus, forgiving all who have harmed you, you will be a happier person, and by God being an important part of your life, you will have a good life. I will most definitely live differently after reading this book. Nothing in my life has ever compared to anything that Immaculee went through, and I should be extremely grateful for that. I will try to forgive all who have done wrong to me, and although it may not be easy, I know that God is there guiding me every step of the way.

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management

Answers to Questions on Strategic Human Resource Management Due to changes in business environment, the Human Resource gained more roles and activities in the shaping of the strategy of management in organisations. The contemporary literature review provides a number of various definitions for strategy. James Brian Quinns definition of strategy focuses on the integration of goals, policies and practices: A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organisation major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole (Grees 2003, p 207). The Human Resource Management in organisations has been fully integrated with their business strategy. The strategy aims at providing a framework of directions, coordination as well as decision making. Besides, strategy may also have the role of allocating resources. According to William Henn: Strategy is the concentration of resources on selected opportunities for competitive advantage (ibid). William Henns definition refers to the making of crucial decisions that consist of moving resources from less promising projects to areas where the organisation can have more strategic and competitive advantage. Therefore, the Strategic Human Resource Management importance relies largely on its role providing competitive advantage through the effective use and implementation of such resources in such a way that enable the organisation to achieve its strategic requirements and goals. Patrick Wright and Gary McMahan summarise the Strategic Human Resource Management as the pattern of planned human resource deployments and activities intended to enable an organisation to achieve its goals (ibid). Edward et al (2003, p10) highlights the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management by emphasising on the variety of its roles and functions that include: managing change, contribution to strategy, managing the outsourcing of human resource, and operating shared services units. For instance: S.H.R.M is playing a great role in delivering changes in organisations that aspire to reposition itself in the face of changing competitive conditions. This often involves new structuring and new training that deliver the shift to new business context. 1.2. Purpose of SHRM in John Lewis As we briefly discussed above the significance of Strategic Human Resource Management in corporate world, the following analysis will attempt to identify the purpose of S.H.R.M practices in organisations but more specifically as it will examine those practices particularly in one organisation which is John Lewis. However, no doubt that the main purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis may largely apply to any other organisation. John Lewis as being one of the UK largest cloth retailer as well as an upmarket food retailer is always concerned with maintaining a steady growth by adding more value to the services it provides. Hence, for this purpose John Lewis has managed to successfully use the Strategic Human Resource by strongly linking its function with the competitive advantage and that is because all the employees within the company are part owners of the company  [i]  1. The overall purpose of Strategic Human Resource Management in John Lewis can be summarised in the following points: Developing highly skilled employees: John Lewis eagerness to competitiveness and an awareness of the increasing demands for technologically advanced environment showed the companys recognition that distinctive competencies are obtained through developing highly skilled employees. This requires programs of training and development that solidify the employees contribution to the company. Controlling labour costs: S.H.R.M function in John Lewis is very effective when it comes to controlling the companys total expenditure like: wages, training costs, compensationsetc. This function is very important to the company as argued by Edward et al (2003, p204) the pressure to control costs increased general managers awareness of the impact of inefficient use of human resource. Performance motivation: as mentioned above, John Lewis employees are part owners of the company. This strategy aims at pushing employees to become more committed and highly motivated towards their company. Besides, the companys strategy is to address all employees needs whether by rewards or other means. 1.3 Contribution of S.H.R.M to the achievement of John Lewis goals: John Lewis has set its S.H.R.M goals and studied the tools to achieve them. Yet, the remaining question is whether the strategies adopted have contributed to the achievement of these goals. According to John Lewis interim report 2010, the company seems to have achieved a significant growth even within a tough economic environment. We can argue that part of the success is largely owed to the integration of human resource activities within the companys strategy formulation and planning process. John Lewis provides an exemplary practice with respect to the functioning of its human resource. Having its employees as part owners, this strategy has allowed them or rather pushed them to contribute more towards improvement of their companys performance. The Strategic Human Resource Management at John Lewis may represent its main key strength. Through its skilled work force, the company has managed to distinctively position itself in the UK market. On the other hand, according to the classical human resource approach, any companys structure is affected by certain situational factors such as: technology, size and environment. As demonstrated by Pfeffer (1994), best human resource practice should have a structure that places staff members into groups that should have the ability to make their own decisions. John Lewis has adopted this structure by the division of the company into departments. These departments work together as teams to achieve goals and the company gives almost equal rewards to all members of the team. Therefore, adopting a strategic structure of the human resource at John Lewis has enable the company to achieve its objectives and gain more competitive advantage. Task2: 2.1 The Business factors that underpin human resource planning at BT: Human resource planning in current organisations is subject to constant change and development due to the influence of various internal and external factors. For BT, the industry of telecommunication is very challenging from many aspects e.g.: Business changes: BTs human resources has to adapt to the changes of the mature voice and connectivity market which is characterised by a high competitiveness and an increasing demand for reduced operational complexities. Employees development: as technology is at the heart of BTs telecommunication services, there is a constant need for developing highly skilled employees in order to better serve the customers. For instance, BT is working to grow from being a telecommunication company to become a 21st century software-driven organisation  [2]  which requires the development of new capabilities. Economic fluctuation: BT has suffered from an unbalance of financial resources due to the global economic slowdown, which had adversely impacted its human resources performance. As a consequence, BT has reduced last year the number of indirect employees working through agencies or third party contractors by around 1100 and full-time employees by 9000. 2.2 The human resource requirements in a given situation: Due to the complexities facing the sector of telecommunication (discussed above), human resources at BT needed to adopt a new culture of what is known as mobile and flexible working. The key driver behind the new strategy is to reduce operational costs and improve employees efficiency: Cost transformation: through mobile and flexible working, human resources at BT should be able to reduce property, accommodation and travelling costs. Employees efficiency: flexible working can reduce absenteeism, increase demand for new hires and offers employees a better work-life balance which meanwhile helps boosting their efficiency and productivity. 2.3 A human resource plan for BT: If the H.R new plan of mobile working at BT is to be successful, it should provide appropriate tools and set clear objectives. Peter Drucker (1950) used the SMART acronym to define goals that are: specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time related  [3]  . The H.R should deploy necessary efforts to up-skill employees through: Introducing the plan of mobile working using presentations, reports, web applicationsetc, taking into consideration that the more employees to choose mobile working, the greater the benefits of productivity for the organisation. Designing a process to support the transition: it could be done through 12 weeks of training programs including: skills to use visual display equipments, virtual offices, capability to access automating health and safety systemsetc Ensuring that the management has the appropriate tools to monitor and measure the performance of mobile workers. 2.4 Contribution of a human resources plan to meet BTs objectives: Human resources functions are tied to organisational strategies and must be designed to support the achievement of the business objectives. The new orientation of mobile working that H.R followed at BT reflects new elements of success that can massively contribute to the growth of the company. At this stage, the H.R is not only controlling and mentoring but rather adding value and responding to the global business changes. Besides, the approach has proved beneficiary across different organisations. BTs main objectives are targeting tow areas: the quality of services and the cost transformation. Relatively, human resources at BT have been working in the same context. Their new approach can accelerate commercial benefits that are necessary for BT to take leading position within the highly competitive market of telecommunication. 2.5 The purpose of human resource management policies in organisations: Human resource policies are codified rules and guideline that organisations establish to run their businesses  [4]  . The policies reflect the organisations culture and cover a set of procedures such as: hiring, employee relations, managing risks, corporate governanceetc. through a comprehensive human resource policies, organisations are able to build up their reputation and save valuable resources in case of any emerging crisis within the business. In the UK telecommunication industry for instance, organisations performances are critically dependent on the Data Protection Act (1998) which is concerned about the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information  [5]  . This Act helps organisation to build up trust with their stakeholders and demonstrate commitment to protect their information. On the other hand, many issues related to employees are drawn upon the Employment Act (2008) which deals with procedures for the resolution of employment disputes, compensation for financial loss, application of minimum wages legislation, the right of trade unions, enforcement of offences under the Employment Agencies Act 1973  [6]  .. and many other connected purposes. 2.6 The impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in BT: Human resources policies at BT span the complete business circle, from healthcare and safety of employees to security and copyright. The H.R policies at the organisation ensure the safety of employees and the public exposed to BT operations. BT is also critically concerned with the secure operation of its information systems, networks and data which are part of its major responsibilities as a telecommunication organisation. For this purpose, BT developed a set of policies and measures designed to deal with any catastrophic event such as: cyber-attacks, industrial failures, terrorist attacksetc. human resources management at BT realises that any significant failure to protect the company or customers data could ruin the business reputation and lead financial losses ( e.g. cancellation of contract, penaltiesetc). . Task3: 3.1 The impact of the organisational structure at MS on the management of human resources: Salamen, G and Asch, D (2003, P20) assume that organisational structure refers to the shape of the organisation, the number of levels of management and the nature and number of jobs. Any alterations to any element could lead to a structural change which itself impact on the human resource management. At Marks and Spencer, changes were introduced in the past years in order to keep up with the intense competition in the retail industry. Thus, the company refocused its business on three business values: quality, value, and services  [7]  . The new business strategy has created more challenges for the employees especially when the management opted for a more flatter structure by skipping some layers of authority, placing high centralisation on staff and supporting better coordination between the senior management and the business units. The process of delayering at MS created more business units and assigned more responsibilities to the employees. Therefore, human resources management introduced more programs of training and development. As the flat structure was giving employees more jobs, the management had to ensure that they possess the required technical skills and business competencies to manage ambiguities, and take wise decisions. In sum, the case of MS highlights the link between organisational structure and human resource management. The structure of any organisation has its own needs and requirements that the human resource should work towards fulfilling them. 3.2 The impact of MS organisational culture on the management of human resources: An organisational culture encompasses shared systems of meaning and values  [8]  . As mentioned earlier, MS eagerness to reposition itself in the retail market has led to major organisational changes. MS was determined to change the basis on which it competed by rebranding itself as a service based organisation  [9]  . The key focus of MS cultural change was on changing employees attitudes which clearly represents a strategic issue for the human resource management. Reinforcing desired behaviours requires big efforts and well studied actions. Human resource at MS focused on three key areas: Creating willingness to change among employees by raising the awareness about the necessity of the change, its benefits as well as the pressure that might be associated with the transition process. Communication at this stage is very important and an ongoing process of feedback is essential. Involving people: senior managers need to provide guidance and understand employees concerns. Sustaining the change: through continuous support, increased pay or bonus, develop new competenciesetc Cultural change at Marks and Spencer was dependent on the efficiency of its human resource planning. The H.R management in any organisation plays a great role in the achievement of organisations objectives and depends in the first place on the employees to make that happen. However, introducing any organisational changes always puts H.R management under substantial pressures. 3.3 How the effectiveness of human resources management is monitored: Human resource effectiveness monitoring is essential to enable the employees to focus on their next target role. Marks and Spence has successfully monitor the human resource performance through: Performance appraisals: employees discuss their development with their line managers who decide whether there is a need for further training. Every employee should make a personal development plan to set objectives on the basis of the appraisal feedback. Competency profiling: it also examines skills required for effectiveness as :communicating and influencing, decision making, business leadership, innovation and change, people and resource management, technical skillsetc. 3.4 Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management: The following is list of recommendations that aims at improving the effectiveness of human resources management in organisations: Promote diversity: which is very important especially for businesses that are growing globally and need to deal with different mindsets. Besides, diversity reflects the commitment of the organisation to its corporate social responsibilities. Support equal opportunities in job descriptions: in order to promote social inclusion. Clearly align the strategies with the organisations objectives: human resource should develop policies and practices that support the achievement of business goals. Develop a well designed pay and reward plans according to exceptional performances and meanwhile recognise the value of all the staff making significant efforts.

Tesco Marketing Strategy :: Marketing Business Management Essays

Tesco marketing strtegy Incomplete PART ONE STRATEGIC ANALYSIS Managers face difficulties in trying to understand the encionment. First  ¡Ã‚ °the environment ¡Ã‚ ¯ encapsulates many different influences; the difficulty is making sense of this diversity in a way which can contribute to strategic decision making. The second difficulty is that of uncertainty, managers typically claim that the pace of technological change and the speed of global communications mean more and faster change now than ever before. 1.Analysing the environment 1.1 Auditing Environmental Influence------PEST Analysis As a starting point, it is useful to consider what environmental influences have been particularly important in the past, and the extent to which there are changes occurring which may make any of these more or less significant in the future for the organization and its competitors. PEST Analysis involves identifying the political, economic, social and technological influences on an organization. It is increasingly useful to relate such influences to growing trends towards globalizations-of possible futures, to consider the extent to which strategies might need to change. 1) Political/legal - Monopolies legislation - Environmental protection laws - Taxation policy - Foreign trade regulations - Employment law - Government stability 2) Economic factors - Business cycles - GNP trends - Interest rates - Money supply - Inflation - Unemployment - Disposable income - Energy availability and cost 3) Socio cultural factors - Population demographics - Income distribution - Social mobility - Lifestyle changes - Attitudes to work and leisure - Consumerism - Levels of education 4) Technological - Government spending on research - Government and industry focus on technological effort - New discoveries/development - Speed of technology transfer - Rates of obsolescence 1.2 The Competitive Environment-------Five Force Model The next step in environmental analysis is moves the focus towards an explicit consideration of the immediate environment of the organization-for example, the competitive arena in which the organization operates. Five-force analysis provides a means of identifying the forces which determine the nature of the competitive environment, especially in terms of: 1) Barriers to entry. 2) The power of buyers. 3) The power of suppliers. 4) The threat of substitutes. 5) Other reasons for the extent of competitive intensity. 1.3 Identifying The Organization ¡Ã‚ ¯s Competitive Position---------Strategic Group Analysis STRATEGIC GROUP ANALYSIS The next major step in environmental analysis is analysis the organization ¡Ã‚ ¯s competitive position that is how it stands in relation to other organizations competing for the same resources, or customers, as it. One problem in analyzing competition is that the idea of the  ¡Ã‚ °industry ¡Ã‚ ± is not always helpful because its boundaries can be unclear and are not likely to provide a sufficiently precise delineation of competition. Strategic group analysis aims to identify organizations with similar strategic characteristics, following similar strategies or competing on similar bases.

My Daughters Seizures :: Health Medical Seizures Illnesses Essays

My Daughter's Seizures GENERALIZED TONIC-CLONIC - (also called Grand Mal) Sudden cry, fall, rigidity, followed by muscle jerks, shallow breathing or temporarily suspended breathing, bluish skin, possible loss of bladder or bowel control, usually lasts a couple of minutes. Normal breathing then starts again. There may be some confusion and/or fatigue, followed by return to full consciousness. Comments: Protect head from injury. Turn on side to keep airway clear. Don't restrain ABSENCE - (also called Petit Mal) A blank stare, beginning and ending abruptly, lasting only a few seconds, most common in children. May be chewing movement of the mouth. Child is unaware of what's going on during the seizure but quickly returns to full awareness once it has stopped. May result in learning difficulties if not recognized and treated. Comments: No first aid necessary Daydreaming Lack of attention SIMPLE PARTIAL Jerking may begin in one area of body, arm, leg or face. Can't be stopped but patient stays awake. Jerking may proceed from one area of the body to another, and sometimes spreads to become a convulsive seizure. Partial sensory seizure may not be obvious to an onlooker. Patient experiences a distorted environment. May see or hear things that aren't there, may feel unexplained fear, sadness, anger or joy. May have nausea, experience odd smells, and have a generally "funny" feeling in the stomach. Comments: Acting out bizarre behavior Hysteria COMPLEX PARTIAL - (also called Psychomotor or Temporal Lobe) Usually starts with blank stare, followed by chewing followed by random activity. Person appears unaware of surroundings. May seem dazed and mumble. Unresponsive. Actions clumsy, not directed. May pick at clothing, pick up objects, try to take clothes off. May run, appear afraid. May struggle. Once pattern established same set of actions usually occur with each seizure. Lasts a few minutes, but post-seizure confusion can last substantially longer. No memory of what happened during seizure period. Comments: Drunkenness Guide gently away from obvious hazards Don't shout Don't restrain ATONIC SEIZURES - (also called Drop Attacks) A child or adult suddenly collapses and falls, after ten seconds to a minute recovers, regains consciousness and can stand and walk again. Comments: Clumsiness Normal childhood "stages" In a child, lack of good walking skills MYOCLONIC SEIZURES Sudden brief, massive muscle jerks that may involve the whole body or parts of the body. May cause person to spill what they were holding or fall off a chair. Comments: Clumsiness Poor coordination INFANTILE SPASMS These are clusters of quick, sudden movement that start between three months and two years. If a child is sitting up, the head will fall forward, and the arms will flex forward.

Aurora Shooting Response Paper

The article published in the New York Times July 22, 2012 by Jack Healy entitled â€Å"Suspect Bought Large Stockpile of Rounds online†, addresses an absence of laws regulating the sale of ammunition. Jack Healy is a rocky mountain correspondent for the New York Times, and has reported on the war in Iraq from Baghdad. Healy's article elicits good emotional engagement with the reader, but it is fundamentally lacking sound logical arguments and ethical credibility. Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes purchased a 6,000 rounds of ammunition prior to the shooting in Aurora Colorado. Holmes purchased bullet ¬Ã‚ ¬proof vests and a high capacity 100 round drum magazine. Holmes was a college graduate with a clean criminal background. Holmes was legally able to purchase firearms and ammunition in Colorado and nationwide. States such as Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and several cities have laws regarding the sales of ammunition. These laws include licensing, permits and requiring gun stores to keep records of ammunition purchased. According to Healy, Holmes used a black commando style outfit as well as other tactical gear during shooting. Police apprehended him outside the theater still wearing the bulletproof vest, and carrying four handguns. Healy argued how Gun-control groups said the purchases of the ammunition demonstrated how easily anyone could build a veritable arsenal without attracting attention from law-enforcement officials. Healy quotes Tom Mauser, a gun-control advocate, to exemplify this point, â€Å"it’s a wide open marketplace† Healy states that ammunition and arms websites are prolific online, and buyers can purchase almost anything firearm related including ammunition. Healy quotes Gov. John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado, a Democrat, â€Å"that the killer might have built a bomb or found some other lethal device if no assault weapons had been around. Healy concludes the article with a quote from Dudley Brown, the executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners saying â€Å"I call 6,000 round of ammunition running low. † I think that the article by Jack Healy was reasonably well written, and it was emotionally engaging for the reader. The logos of the article is fundamentally flawed due to the lack of logically sound and accurate conclusions. Finally the article loses its’ ethical integrity when the authors bias becomes apparent to the reader. Healy's article contains bias for the regulation of ammunition sales, as well as confusing terminology. The article contains contradictory and inaccurate facts, and quotes selected for emotional impact rather than relevance and purpose. First I will address some of the logical contradictions in the article. Healy said â€Å"Unhindered by federal background checks or government oversight, the 24-year-old man†¦ was able to build †¦ a 6,000-round arsenal legally and easily over the Internet, exploiting what critics call a virtual absence of any laws regulating ammunition sales† In this quote Healy leads the reader to believe that there are no laws, and no regulation regarding ammunition sales. Later in the article Healy admits there are laws restricting ammunition sales in Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey as well as cities like Los Angeles and Sacramento. Healy contradicts his earlier point by highlighting the states that do have laws regarding the sales of ammunition. This contradiction leaves the reader not knowing which conclusion is valid. The second flaw in the articles logic is the argument that the sale of ammunition is unregulated, and without government oversight. This main theme that is present throughout the article is technically inaccurate. According to smartgunlaws. org, a nonprofit gun law education website, thirty-two states have laws regulating unreasonably dangerous ammunition, this is over half of the states. Sixteen states have laws regarding age restrictions and the purchase of ammunition. According to Smartgunslaws. org the majority of states have laws concerning ammunition purchases, laws concerning purchase of dangerous ammunition, (such as armor piercing), laws concerning minimum age of purchase, or laws concerning the ability of convicted felons to purchase ammunition. One of the other major flaws of this article is Healy's illogical use of quotes. Here is one of instances where Healy uses a quote and does not acknowledge or clarify the quote: â€Å"It is a war tool,† Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat of New York, said of the 100-round drum that the police say Mr. Holmes purchased online. â€Å"They’re meant to kill. They’re meant to kill as many people in as short a period of time. † Ms. McCarthy’s husband was among six people killed in 1993 by a gunman on a commuter train Before this quote Healy was talking about a failed 1999 gun control bill. After the quote Healy continued to talk about the legislation. Healy stated both republicans and democrats had doubts about the effectiveness of the proposed legislation. The technical execution of the quote interrupted the flow of the paragraph. The quote did not fit in the paragraph in a logical manor. Healy’s quote was deliberately spliced into the article to provide sensationalism needed to make it newsworthy. Healy used the quote to provide a more interesting article, and to appeal to the emotion of the reader. The ethical appeal of the article is compromised by Healy predominately presenting evidence supporting increased gun and ammunition regulation. The article is twenty-seven paragraphs long; twenty ¬Ã‚ ¬-five of them are either neutral or support increased regulation of guns and ammunition. Two of the paragraphs expressed opinions opposing an increase in gun and ammunition regulation. By not equally addressing both sides of the issue equally, Healy loses credibility with readers who oppose increasing the regulation of guns and ammunition. Healy does acknowledge the opinion of gun groups with a vague quote, â€Å"To gun groups, such an unfettered marketplace stands as a bulwark of their Second Amendment rights† This is the only place in the article that Healy acknowledges this viewpoint. This quote is not substantial enough to gain the ethical appeal lost earlier in the article. One of the positive attributes of Healy’s article is his emotional appeal to the reader. Healy uses graphic quotes and vivid imagery to provoke emotional response, and connection to the reader. Healy takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster throughout the article encompassing all types of emotions. Consider the following quote by Healy: Three weeks after the purchase, stunned and bleeding witnesses outside the century 16 multiplex in aurora would describe how a man dressed in a black commando-style outfit and a gas mask strode into the where they were watching a midnight screening of â€Å"The Dark Knight rises,† tossed some gas-spewing grenades into the packed auditorium and opened fire. In this sentence by Healy uses extremely graphic imagery to create an appeal to pathos in the article. Sentences like the one above are mixed in throughout the article along with facts about ammunition laws, and quotes. Healy uses emotion to keep the audience reading, throughout the article. Healy’s appeal to pathos is strong and well-constructed throughout the article.