The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament Essay

The Essence of Agape Love in the New Testament - Essay Example The majority of scholars have thought of this word to represent divine, self-sacrificing, volitional, unconditional, active, and thoughtful love. Despite the word not having a specific religious connotation, it has been used by a majority of ancient and contemporary sources which include the Bible authors and Christian authors. (Wahlde, 2010) In the Old Testament, the Hebrew used the word Ahab to describe love, it was also used in extensive ways and milieus as the English term: sexual love, love of humanity by God, love of spouse or child, friendship, and so on. In the New Testament, the word ‘agape’ was used without bringing in too much philosophical or theological baggage because the word was Greek. Thus, among the majority of early Christians, the word ‘agape’ was used to refer to the unearned love of God for humanity. This love is so immense that God sent his only son to agonize and pass away for the sake of the sins of mankind. The essence of agape love in the New Testament is, therefore, self-sacrifice. It does not denote the romantic or sexual love of English. It is unique and is distinguished by its characters and nature. According to the Book of John, it affirms that agape is love which is of and from God, whose exact nature is said to be love itself. The apostle affirms that God is love. This implies that God does not only love, but he is love itself. Therefore, everything that God does flows from His love. Therefore, agape has received a broader usage with the Christian writers. It has, however, been denoted to Christian love or charity or God himself. Agape has been expounded by on by various Christian writers some of which we are going to look at. The most common attribute of agape love that will be realized in their writings is that it is a high kind of love that is selfless, and contributes to a passionate commitment to the wellbeing of the other. With reference to 1 John 2 19-20, we try to realize the kind of commitment one is required to have in trying to demonstrate love to his community and faith in God. The book tells us that once we have a feeling of belonging to a community, family or part of any tradition, it is not worth to walk out of it. In this excerpt, the author writes to the Christian community trying to warn them of the advent of antichrist. It is not easy to tell when this book was written. However, it is known that it was written by John, one of the apostles of Christ at around A.D. 180. He refers to them – the antichrists – as opponents who depart or go out from the Christian community. According to the author, their departure means that they were actually never part of the Christian family. In order to understand the importance of this verse, one must first comprehend the setting and the background of the bone of contention that had been hugely reflected in John 1 and 2. 1 John 19 – 20 strongly suggests that there was – before the dispute at present à ¢â‚¬â€œ a time when those departing the Christian community considered themselves as part of the community. The antichrists have now departed from the congregation, the Christian community due to this cause of disagreement – disagreement over Christological doctrines.  

Effects of monopolies in the Usa economy Essay Example for Free

Effects of monopolies in the Usa economy Essay The concept of a monopoly is largely misunderstood and the mere mention of the term evokes lots of emotions that make clear judgment almost impossible. The standard economic and social case for or against monopolistic businesses is no longer straightforward. According to Mankiw (2009) a monopoly is defined as a market structure characterized by a single seller of a unique product with no close substitutes[1]. When a business dominates a market, it becomes a monopoly by virtue of its power. A company (or a group of affiliated companies) is considered to have a dominant position in a particular market if it exerts a decisive influence over the general conditions of trade in that market or can restrict access to that market for other businesses. Markets keep changing with the times and so are the conditions in which businesses must operate regardless of whether they have any noticeable market power. [2] Monopolies have contributed significantly in transforming the US economy to be the leading economy worldwide. This is largely due to the benefits arising from legal monopolies created by the Patent and copyrights law. Monopolies are in effect powerful tools of spurring economic growth in the US. How do monopolies arise? Two major conditions contribute to formation of a monopolistic trade environment. A product which has no close substitutes faces no competition thus its producer becomes a monopolist. Exclusive ownership of a key resource may lead to creation of a monopoly. A classical case is exemplified by the control of the computer hardware, market by International Business Machines (IBM) for nearly forty years. Due to its market dominance over the hardware, institutions that intended to initiate a project had to do so with IBM. (Rise in Monopolies, n. d. ) Monopolies also develop where there are barriers to market entry. These barriers are obstacles that make it difficult or impossible for any potential competitors to penetrate a particular market. Such barriers could either be natural or legal constraints that protect a firm from competitors. A natural monopoly arises when technology for producing a product enables one firm to meet the entire market demand at a lower price than two or more firms could. Legal monopolies develop in a market in which competition and entry are restricted by the concentration of ownership of a natural resource or by the granting of a public franchise, government license, patent, or copyright. When Microsoft licensed an operating system from Seattle Computer Company in 1981 their explosion into dominance began. Microsoft’s dominance over the operating systems enabled it to diversify into producing spreadsheets and word processors. These new software were made such that they worked best with its operating system hence tightening Microsoft’s grip of the market. (Mises,1981, p. 86). Certain circumstances do lead to creation of near monopolies or oligopolies. An oligopoly arises when a small number of firms have relatively large market shares. Though each firm is independent, interdependence may arise whereby one firm’s actions influence the profits of the other firms. In addition, when a small number of firms share a market, they can collude to increase their profits by forming a cartel and acting like a monopoly. Default monopolies may arise when there is lack of sufficient knowledge or interest on a particular subject[3]. A firm may end up being a small monopoly by having an upper hand when it comes to accessing knowledge on a particular trade. A case in point is the sole garbage collecting company in Taos. Are monopolies beneficial or detrimental to the US economy? Monopolies have been in existence throughout business history and several corporations have achieved complete dominance over a wide array of industries. The monopolies have been accused of charging exorbitant prices to earn super profits with little regard to consumer welfare . A fundamental question is; Are these business practices ethical? (Haas, 2006) Citizens of The United States value competition in their market system. Competition not only keeps prices low and encourages production of new products to the market place but also fosters innovations that help to bring down the cost of doing business. Contrary to popular belief, monopolies are not illegal in the United States . Indeed a government-created monopoly is exemplified by the patent and copyright law. This is a law that governs intellectual property. A pharmaceutical company that develops an original drug can patent it for several years during which it enjoys exclusive production rights. Such a patent offers the producer monopoly status where the producer can charge higher prices and earn greater profits. On the other hand, such a law is beneficial because it encourages innovation and continuous research within pharmaceutical companies to develop new and more superior products. Moreover only big monopolies with significant market power have the capacity to carry out research and development on their products. This leads to innovation since new knowledge is applied to the production process. The nearly twenty year monopoly enjoyed by Microsoft in manufacturing of its computer software has not only ensured harmony and uniformity in computer software but also facilitated accessibility of computers by the greater population. Consequently, this has lead to the information technology revolution characterized by easier access to information by US citizens and thus the US economy remains to be the world’s superpower. It is through such innovations that new channels of business for example e-commerce have sprung up . Citizens can now buy items and find good deals through iPods and other innovative devices arising from research and development by giant firms. From a different perspective, in the absence of real competition a monopolist may lack an incentive to invest in new ideas or consider consumer welfare. Monopolies may in certain instances offer inferior services or products. Amtrak enjoys a monopoly status in the passenger rail system. It has been criticized severally for failing to develop hybrid high-speed locomotives that save on energy consumption as well as failing to service some of its tracks that remain to be under- par conditions. Donald,D (1997) suggests that monopolization can be advantageous to the consumers by enabling cheaper production due to economies of scale. A monopolist may manage to maintain lower marginal costs due to economies of scale and the advantages of division of labor . Consequently; this translates into higher output at lower prices than would have been possible under competitive conditions. Such economies of scale also tend to guarantee uniform output and harmony in product characteristics. The benefits arising from economies of scale may be eroded due to X inefficiencies[4]. Monopolistic organizations cut on expenses that would have been wrought about by competition and by so doing they deny business opportunities to various support organizations like advertising and public relations firms. This has the net effect of creating unequal wealth distribution since vast wealth ends up in the hands of a few individuals. Another issue to ponder over is what to make of those monopolies that have come into existence simply by being better than all the rest. A case in point is the Wal-Mart stores which has been accused of running small shop-owners out of business in locations where it opened stores due to its retailing efficiency. Sometimes a market dominated by few firms/sellers does not always indicate the absence of competition, it can reflect the success of leading firms in providing better quality products, more efficiently, than their smaller rivals. Some monopolies throttle the creativity of enterprises and are a detriment in certain sectors. A classical example is the United States Postal Service that has continuously offered US citizens poor quality services at the expense of taxpayers. This sector needs to undergo restructuring in order to give market access to potential investors and thus improve on service delivery to the citizens. Inefficient production firms that enjoy monopoly status in essence fail to make optimal use of their scarce resources and in such circumstances, government intervention may be warranted through application of competition policy of market liberalization. A major preposition that makes monopoly undesirable is that monopoly leads to a failure in the market mechanism because the monopoly price is generally higher than both the marginal and average costs. This in turn results in the monopolist offering an exploitative price to the consumer since this price is above the cost of resources used to make the product. Such actions restrict free trade and consequently the consumers’ needs and wants are not properly satisfied because the product is being under-consumed. Some monopolies especially in the pharmaceutical industry have been criticized for monopolizing drugs for certain ailments like cancer and Aids though the patent laws. Such giant pharmaceutical companies have been accused of engaging in profiteering schemes at the detriment of the welfare of the American citizens. The higher average cost of production that may arise if there are inefficiencies in production also means that the firm is not making optimum use of its scarce resources. This may necessitate some form of government intervention for example by market liberalization in order scale down the monopoly dominance. Government created monopolies in sectors that require enormous capital outlays have ensured consumers have access to certain crucial services which would not have been possible were such ventures to be entrust solely to private investors. These state-run monopolies are service providers whose main motivation is not profit but to cater for the welfare of the citizens[5]. Their services are crucial in providing enabling environments for the citizens to explore and achieve their goals in life. Monopolies arising from merges and restructuring can operate more efficiently and thus provide better quality services to the citizens. The mergers eliminate several layers of bureaucracy and create efficient standardized processes. [6]However it is worth noting that some mergers may deprive consumers the benefit of choice. Conclusion Monopolies apparently exist because the quantity demanded in the market is completely satisfied by the monopoly (Peter 2003). The widespread view that the monopolist can fix prices at will is erroneous because the laws determining monopoly prices are the same as those which determine other prices. A monopolist can best serve its interests by separating consumers into classes based on their purchasing power. A company that controls all aspects of a field can ensure harmony and uniformity. Microsoft offers an outstanding example on this front whereby the greatest proportion of computers run on their software thus enhancing compatibility. Monopolies have resulted in great innovations and immense growth in several sectors of the economy while in others they have been detrimental for example through collapse of small enterprises or delivery of poor quality services. Monopolies are both beneficial and detrimental to the economy and a cost benefit analysis needs to be done to ascertain the role played by individual monopolies in any particular market. This demands a precise definition of what actually constitutes a market because in almost every industry, the market is highly segmented into different products. Globalization has made it very difficult to ascertain the real effects of monopoly power in any particular market more so due to the effects of the rapidly increasing competition. With proper regulation, monopolies have not only positively contributed towards economic progress but they also provided a stimulus for liberalization of major market segments. Liberalization in return has opened up many channels of investment and the net effect has been a great expansion in available business opportunities on a global scale. References Donald,D. (1997). Microeconomics: The Analysis of Prices and Markets . New York, Oxford University Press. Haas,W. (2009) Microeconomics : The Effects of Monopolies . Retrieved Nov. 17, 2009, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/85453/microeconomics_the_effect_of_monopolies_pg3_pg3. html? cat=3, Mankiw,N. G(2009). Principles of Microeconomics: South Western Cengage Learning Mises,V. L. (1981). Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis Indianapolis: Liberty Fund. Peter,P. (2003)†Bullying the Monopoly Arflington VA: Security Management. .47, 12; Rise of monopolies. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2009, from http://cse. stanford. edu/class/cs201/projects-95-96/corporate-monopolies/development. html [1] This applies largely to pure monopoly where by the monopoly has total control over output and prices within a free and fair market with near perfect competition. [2] A common assumption is that a company is said to dominate a market if it controls over 65% of that market. As a rule of thumb, if a company gains control of 30 % of a market, it poses the risk of acquiring monopoly status but this depends on the size of other competitors in the market. [3] Default monopoly is in reference to a hypothesis advanced by Mankiw in an effort to explain how some non-convectional monopolies come into existence. [4] X inefficiency is a term first coined by Harvey Libenstein. It refers to the production losses incurred by monopolies arising from economies of scale and lack of incentives to be innovative. [5] The services of some of the state run monopolies are crucial in supporting the American citizens carry out their daily duties and thus their output in all spheres of their lives is thought to be enhanced by such ‘enabling environments’ [6] Mergers create more stable organizations that can guarantee continuous output of quality services and for an extended period of time unlike smaller companies that can be under constant threat by negative market threats.

FlagLive :: Personal Narrative Traveling Essays

FlagLive It's a romantically beautiful summer evening in northern California, the heat of the day having passed, the sky and earth echoing brilliant colors against each other as if making love. I'm alone, riding my bicycle through a redwood forest on my way to a campsite, where my riding buddy and I had agreed to meet. Towering above like giant sentinels, the trees feel alive, welcoming, as if the spirits of the forest are ceremoniously receiving home a prodigal son. I roll into camp, and Fred (my traveling companion) is already there. It's only been about six hours, but we're as happy to see each other as if it had been a few days. Our campsite, nestled in the forest, is next to a meadow, where elk feed at their leisure. We settle in and started cooking our usual pot of stew, which usually consists of grains, vegetables, and canned meat - whatever we found, and liked, on the grocery store shelves. The day's ride included a series of steep climbs, so we were wondering how our British friends (one a student from Oxford, the other from Bath), also making the same southward trek from Oregon to California, had fared. True to form, they roll into camp just as supper is almost ready, this time with two 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and a bottle of tequila, but little or no food. Fred and I are happy to see them. They've become a source of inspiration, for which we are happy to provide scraps of nourishment. Typically, they'd roll into camp around 7:00 or so, with nothing but their bicycles, their tent, and alcohol, and they'd get down to business - the business of having fun. They'd start drinking, or fire up a J, or both. Then they'd wander around the various campsites, introducing themselves to anyone a nd everyone, partying the night, if possible. In the meantime, Fred had already met two other riders, whom we'd invited to supper. Recent graduates of Boston College, they became known to us over the next few days (they were also traveling the same route) as "Watch Girl" and "Chocolate Detective." As the stew cooked, the party was on. Ilana (Chocolate Detective) asked us why we slept in separate tents. We told her that if we didn't, we'd get on each other's nerves. She shot back, "Your two tents!" (You're too tense!) Bam.

Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays research papers

In the summer of 1850 Melville purchased an eighteenth-century farmhouse in the community of Pittsfield in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Berkshire was then home to a number of prominent literary figures such as Fanny Kemble, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and, in Lenox, less than six miles from Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne. The two authors met for the first time in Stockbridge on August 5, 1850, on a picnic excursion hosted by David Dudley Field. Hawthorne was forty-six and was familiar with at least a portion of Melville's work, having favorably reviewed Typee in the Salem Advertiser (March 25, 1846); Melville was thirty-one and had just written or was about to write an exceedingly warm and enthusiastic piece on Hawthorne's Mosses From an Old Manse, a copy of which had been given to him by an aunt a few weeks before. Early in the course of the excursion, a sudden thunderstorm forced the party to take shelter, giving Melville and Hawthorne an opportunity to become better acquainted. The two men took to each other at once, and as their conversation continued were delighted to discover a growing bond of mutual sympathy and comprehension. Two days later Hawthorne wrote to a friend "I liked Melville so much that I have asked him to spend a few days with me." This would be the first of a series of visits, supplemented by written correspondence, that would continue until the gradual cooling off of the friendship late in 1852. In the beginning the relationship was a great source of comfort and intellectual stimulation to Melville, who believed he had finally found the soul mate for whom he had been yearning. As Sophia Hawthorne observed, "Mr. Melville, generally silent and uncommunicative, pours out the rich floods of his mind and experience to [Nathaniel Hawthorne], so sure of apprehension, so sure of a large and generous interpretation, and of the most delicate and fine judgment." Hawthorne's influence, in fact, is credited as the prime catalyst behind Melville's decision to transform what originally seems to have been a light-hearted whaling adventure into the dramatic masterpiece that is arguably the greatest American novel of all time. In August of 1852 Melville wrote to Hawthorne about the true story of a New England woman who had taken in and married a shipwrecked sailor only to be abandoned by him. "The Story of Agatha", Melville thought, would be a perfect subject for the application of Hawthorne's talents; the older man, however, felt little enthusiasm for the project and after a few desultory attempts suggested that Melville write the story himself.

Racism: a Comparison and Contrast of Two Literary Works Essay

The words, purpose and identity are familiar with mankind. These words can mean many things to many different individuals. Each person on this Earth is uniquely made with unique DNA patterns and fingerprints that cannot be matched with any other individual among the billions of people that occupy this planet we call Earth. Why is prejudice so common among people if everyone is unique and special? This question remains unanswered. Many authors have written essays, stories, and poems about negative judgmental and biased views of people in hopes to understand unfair treatment towards mankind and promote changes in human behavior that will bring solutions of peace. This paper will reflect on the stories, Country Lovers, by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table, by Alice Walker. Gordimer and Walker have become activists for fair and unbiased treatment among mankind. Both authors have been rewarded numerous honorary awards for promoting peace. Ironically, Nadine Gordimer is a white woman born and raised in South Africa and Alice Walker is an African American but both authors have kindred spirits and are celebrated for their commitments to fight the cruel elements of racism. Nadine Gordimer’s Country Lovers is a story about Thebedi, a black girl, and Paulus, a white boy, who fell in love. Gordimer wrote the story from a third-person point of view. The point of view is objective; the characters’ thoughts are not exposed as in the omniscient point of view. The point of view allows the reader to concentrate on the characters’ actions, creating a more dramatic effect. Thebedi and Paulus’ attraction to each other was unforbidden and socially not acceptable in the South African culture in which they were raised. Both children were raised on a South African farm, one that was owned by Paulus’ parents. Thebedi was one of the many black hired hands, slaves, or servants who worked on the Eysendyck’s family farm. The story does not clearly give a time period when the events unfolded, but the era of white dominance that existed over the black people was clearly defined, as the story states, â€Å"The farm children play together when they are small, but once the white children go away to school they soon don’t play together any more†¦so that by the time early adolescence is reached, the black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an  easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie little master† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 1). Paulus and Thebedi exchanged gifts and their attraction for each other grew. Thebedi proudly wore a pair of hoop earrings given to her by Paulus but could not tell of the giver’s real identity and stated the earrings came from â€Å"the missus† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 3). Likewise, Paulus wore a bracelet made of elephant hair that was given by Thebedi but told everyone that one of the workers from his father’s farm had given him the gift (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 2). The fact that each person hid each other’s identities about the gifts suggest that their friendship was not acceptable because of their differences in racial and social statuses. As Thebedi and Paulus grew older, they frequently met at a remote dried river bed, each one walking a measureable distance from each other so that they would not be seen together. Paulus often spoke about his adventures away from home, as he was home for the holidays from a boarding school. Thebedi would ask questions and listen intently, enjoying Paulus’ company and laughing together (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 4). The friendship grew stronger and became sexual (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraphs 5 and 8). The couple continued to sneak around and see each other secretly, sometimes at Paulus’ home while his parents were away, as expressed in the line, †The door of the parents’ bedroom was locked and the empty rooms where the girls had slept had sheets of plastic spread over the beds. It was in one of these that she and the farmer’s son stayed together whole nights almost: she had to get away before the house servants, who knew her, came in at dawn.† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 8). The mood of the story quickly begins to change when Thebedi, at age 18, enters an arranged marriage union with Njabulo, a fellow black worker on the Eysendyck farm (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 9). Thebedi’s father was also a worker on the Eysendyck farm and saw Njabulo worthy of marrying his daughter; Njabulo was of the same social status as Thebedi’s family. Thebedi did not tell Paulus about her engagement to Njabulo, nor did she speak of her pregnancy, which was in the seventh month at the time she  married Njabulo (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 9). Soon, Thebedi gives birth to a healthy daughter, and with no surprise to the reader, the baby was light skinned (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 9). Njabulo’s disposition is one of high regards, as the story describes him as making no complaint, but â€Å"Out of his farm labourer’s earnings he bought†¦a pink plastic bath, six napkins, a card of safety pins, a knitted jacket, cap and bootees, a dress, and a tin of Johnson’s Baby Powder, for Thebedi’s baby† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 9). The author points out that the baby belongs to Thebedi, not Njabulo, but Njabulo assumes the role as father and provides for the child whole heartedly. The story’s plot comes to the climax when Paulus comes home from veterinary school and discovers not only is Thebedi married, but she has a child. Paulus visits the infant and immediately realizes he is the father of Thebedi’s baby. His reaction was a disturbed and embarrassed one, as the story explains, â€Å"He said nothing. He struggled for a moment with a grimace of tears, anger, and self-pity† as he asked Thebedi, â€Å"You haven’t been near the house with it?† (Clugston 2010,section 3.1, paragraphs 11 and 12). The reader sees the heart of Paulus at this point. It. The baby is referred to an it. Not a person but a thing that would bring him and his family shame and disgrace if anyone should find out. Paulus’s heart is further exposed with his commands to Thebedi, â€Å"Don’t take it out. Stay inside. Can’t you take it away somewhere. You must give it to someone—â€Å". Paulus left Thebedi’s home with the words, â€Å"I feel like killing myself† coming from the depths of his heart and out of his mouth (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 19). Paulus returns to Thebedi’s home shortly after and the reader discovers that Thebedi’s baby has been poisoned to death. The autopsy revealed intestinal damage not consistent with natural reason of death (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 22). Thebedi appears at an initial examination for the murder charges against Paulus, wearing the hoop earrings that Paulus had given her during their summer romance (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 24). Thebedi stated she had seen Paulus pouring something into her daughter’s mouth at the initial examination but later changed her story at Paulus’ trial, stating  she did not see anything that took place in her home. Thebedi wore her hoop earrings at both events, suggesting to the reader that she would always cherish Paulus and the affair they had together (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 25). Thebedi brought along her newborn baby at the time of the trial, suggesting to the reader that Thebedi had to go on with her life and concentrate on her new husband and her new baby; while Thebedi still cherished the memories that she and Paulus made together, those memories were only in the past. The reality was that Thebedi and Paulus had no chance of a future together. Paulus was found not guilty of the murder charge and Thebedi was interviewed by the Sunday papers. The author carefully points out that the newspapers â€Å"spelled her name in a variety of ways† suggesting that Thebedi was a common person and viewed in society as an individual with little importance (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 30). The story ends with Thebedi’s comment, â€Å"It was a thing of our childhood. We don’t see each other anymore† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 30). The author of Country Lovers, Nadine Gordimer, spoke out against racism in her interview presented by the Nobel Peace Organization on October 3, 2007. Having been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, an unnamed spokesperson asked Gordimer about the turning point in her life in which she became an activist for racism. Gordimer explained, â€Å"It was unthinkable for me to know black people whom would share my interests. It was always a servant/master basis. Even if you were the child of the master or mistress, you still had this particular position. But being troubled about it†¦I was beginning to find out there was something called racism in this world, and I was living in it. I was part of it. And then when I was older, training at Witwatersrand University, and there for the first time I met.there was one or two†¦there were a few young black members of the University, of course was whites only†¦there were certain courses that were not available in the black universities. And then as concession of post graduate level a few blacks would come in. I met one or two black people with whom I had far more in common than I had with the young whites that I knew at the time. There were young people who were trying to write, who were beginning to write. We had this enormous approach to life. I began at that age to make black friends. I moved into and entered into a fitting of incredible distortions of racism.  Not only the impression of blacks but the distortions in my personality and my mind as a white. These became very part of my life and indeed started my way to freedom from racism† (Nobelpeace.org, 2007). Gordimer, a native from Springs,South Africa, undoubtedly wrote Country Lovers based on experiences she dealt with firsthand growing up. In addition to winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, she has been awarded with several honorary degrees, ranging from Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and holds degrees from University of York in England and Witwatersrand in South Africa among many other schools (Nobelpeace.org, 2005). Some of the many honors extended to Gordimer have included being an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Honorary Member of the American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters, and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honour of the Republic of Chile (Nobelpeace.org, 2007). Alice Walker’s The Welcome Table also presents a theme of racism. Walker is best known for her novel, The Color Purple, which led to Walker’s award of the Pulitzer Prize for the literary work (Clugston 2010, section 3.1,). The Welcome Table is told from a third-person omniscient point of view, carefully giving details of the thoughts of the main character, an elderly, rejected black woman, and those of the snobbish, prejudiced white people. The third-person omniscient point of view allows the reader to understand the deepest thoughts of the characters. The story begins introducing the old woman as one who has known suffering and who is looking for peace, dressed in her best Sunday clothes intending to worship at a local church (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 1). The unusual thing about the black woman’s presence is that the church is in an all- white community. The white people do not want the woman at their church and the narrator is quick to disclose the peoples’ thoughts, And so they gazed nakedly upon their own fear transferred; a fear of the black and the old, a terror of the unknown as well as of the deeply known† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 1). The narrator adds that â€Å"some of them there saw the age, the dotage, the missing buttons down the front of her mildewed black dress†¦Those who knew the hesitant creeping up on them of the law, saw the beginning of the end of the sanctuary of Christian worship, saw the desecration of Holy Church, and  saw an invasion of privacy, which they struggled to believe they still kept† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 2). The white people’s prejudice against the black woman suggest that this time period was when Civil Rights laws were being ma de and the white people did not want to accept the new laws that gave the right to black people to be in public places (Cheever J. and Mason B., 2012). Cheever and Mason add that â€Å"Privacy did not really mean privacy. They wanted to maintain their unequal social system and their own privileges at all costs† (Cheever J. and Mason B., 2012). The narrator tells the reader that the woman had walked a half of a mile to get to the church (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 3). The determination of the elderly woman contrasts with the character Thebedi from the previous story in that the unnamed woman does not give in to the white people’s dominating views, as she presses on to the white church. However, Thebedi knew her place within the society that was dominated by the white people. Thebedi accepted that she would not ever be able to fit into the white people’s world and have a future together with Paulus; subsequently, she proceded to marry Njabulo, even though she was carrying Paulus’ child. The next paragraph of The Welcome Table states that even the reverend of the church disapproved of the black woman’s presence (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 4). The people â€Å"stared at her as they came in and sat down near the front†¦the site of her, sitting there somehow passionately ignoring them, brought them up short, burning Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 4). An usher came up to the woman and told her to leave. (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 5). The Welcome Table and Country Lovers both introduce the reader to white people’s prejudiced and biased views toward black people. The black woman was looked down as on outcast in The Welcome Table, much like Paulus’ response when he saw his daughter, a product of a lowly, black servant girl. Paulus’ remark that he wanted to kill himself tells the reader that he thought his situation was so embarrassing and disgraceful that he would rather end his life than be exposed that he was a father to a half black daughter. Paulus wanted to send Thebedi away or have Thebedi give the baby to someone far away- so that no one would know about Thebedi and Paulus’ affair. The white people in The Welcome Table did not  kill anyone as Paulus did but they had hatred in their hearts and they might as well have killed the black woman. They literally picked her up and tossed her back outside into the cold air. The narrator describes the incident as â€Å"It was the ladies who finally did what to them had to be done. Daring their burly indecisive husbands to throw the old colored woman out they made their point†¦Could their husbands expect them to sit up in church with that? No, no, the husbands were quick to answer and even quicker to do their duty (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 5). The next paragraph describes the removal of the woman, â€Å"Under the old woman’s arms they placed their hard fists†¦Under the old woman’s arms they raised their fists, flexed their muscular shoulders, and out she flew through the door, back under the cold blue sky (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 6). The narrator explains that the woman had been singing in her head when she was rudely interrupted and thrown out of the church (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 7). This woman was singing. She had joy in her heart. She was daring and brave to come to the white people’s church but it should not have been a risk. It’s God’s people who are supposed to be lovable and accepting towards people-all people of every race, color, and tribe. The use of the third-person omniscient point of view engages the reader to feel the discomfort and the agitation towards the biased white people who threw someone out of the church simply because of the color of a person’s skin. It is one of the most disgraceful and wrong sins church people could commit. The narrator states that the woman looked down the highway and saw Jesus himself approaching her (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 8). The white people met together for church meeting in their best Sunday clothes, most likely carrying their bibles and sang of God’s love, yet God was not in their church. God was with the black woman and showed compassion by sending His Son Jesus to meet the woman and comfort her in her time of need. As Jesus approached the woman, he simply stated, â€Å"Follow Me† (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 10). The author must have known about the bible because Jesus told his disciples many times throughout the bible to follow him. Jesus also stated, â€Å"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me† (John 10:14) and â€Å"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,  and they follow me† (John 10:27). The words, Follow Me were very appropriate for this story. The woman gladly followed Jesus. The narrator states, â€Å"Jesus gave her one of his beautiful smiles and they walked on. She did not know where they were going; someplace wonderful, she suspected. The ground was like clouds under their feet, and she felt she could walk forever without becoming the least bit tired (Clugston 2010, section 3.1, paragraph 11). Not only is the woman walking side by side by Jesus, she is strengthened and her energy is renewed. The character, Njabulo in Country Lovers can be compared to the loving father like figure Jesus was to the old woman in The Welcome Table. Both Njabulo and Jesus met the needs of those around them. Njabulo was a great provider and bought several of the babies’ needs from his small income earned on the farm and was a great support to Thebedi throughout the story. Jesus accepted the elderly black woman and was everything she needed, taking care of all her needs. Alice Walker, the author of The Welcome Table, has dedicated her entire life in helping people. She has been very active in the Civil Rights Movement, promoting equal rights for black people (Jokinen 2006, p.1). She has also been an activist for the women’s movement, anti-apartheid movement, anti-nuclear movement, and has opposed female genital mutilation (Jokinen 2006, p.1). Walker has received many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for her novel, The Color Purple, the Lillian Smith Award, The Rosenthal Award, the Front Page Award for Best Magazine Criticism, and the Townsend Prize and Lyndhurst Prize (Jokinen 2006, p.1). In the story, Country Lovers, the character Paulus was also educated and could have been influential in his community as an activist for black people but Paulus was more concerned about his social status. The thought of having a biracial child was degrading and unthinkable to Paulus. There has been recent attention to biracial identities in America. Kelly Rockquemore and David Brunsma teamed up together to write Beyond Black; Biracial Identity in America (Harris 2003, p. 436). The two authors presented a new approach to studying biracial profiles, arguing that previous projects by others assumed that all biracial individuals thought of themselves as merely biracial but, in reality, biracials claim they think of themselves as always white, always  black, sometimes white, sometimes black, or even raceless (Harris 2003, p.436). One could suspect that biracial studies as the ones conducted by Rockquemore and Brunsma would promote black and white people to live together in peace, merging communities, families, and hopefully, churches. South Africa, the setting of the story, Country Lovers, has actually had to address the issues of racism and has made changes to its government to promote equal rights among the people. In 1994, South Africa adopted a democratic form of government (Lefko-Everetti, 2012, p. 69). The Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, made into law in 1996, states â€Å"full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms’ and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity and gender† (Lefko-Everetti, 2012, p. 69). It has been said that non-racialism was one of the key founding values in making the new Constitution (Lefko-Everetti, 2012, p.79). Lefko-Everetti adds that, â€Å"the goal of pursuing a non-racial society accepting of diversity is embodied in the Constitution and continues to be embraced by many South Africans† (Lefko-Everetti, p.79). Authors Alice Walker and Nadine Gordimer have dedicated themselves for fighting for active rights of the people. Both authors have been awarded with numerous awards and have been recognized publicly for their written works against racism. Many other authors have written about racism and have joined their efforts with Walker and Gordimer to promote peace among mankind and to recognize that every individual deserves to be respected and not to be judged upon the color of their skin, nor of their religion preference, or their ethnicity. The stories, The Welcome Table and Country Lovers are prime examples of literary works that point out the sad and ugly realities of racism’s presence in communities. REFERENCES Cheever, J. and Mason, B. (2012) Alice Walker:Fiction and the Human Experience. Retrieved from http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/pardee/li220- 05/protected/lessons/notes/notes6.htm Clugston, R.W. (2010) Journey Into Literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education Inc. Harrris, D.R. (2003) Beyond Black:Biracial Identity in America (review). Social Forces, Volume 82, Number 1, September 2003, pp.436-437. Oxford University Press. Retrieved From Project MUSE at http://muse.jhu.edu Jokinen, A. (1996 ) Anniina’s Alice Walker Page. Retrieved from http://www.luminarium.org Lefko-Everetti, K (2012). Beyond race? Exploring indicators of (dis)advantage to achieve South Africa’s equity goals. Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa, Number 79, 2012 pp.69-92. Retrieved from Project MUSE at http://muse.jhu.edu Nobelprize.org (2005) The Nobel Prize in Literature 1991 Nadine Gordimer Biography. Retrieved from www.nobelprize.org/nobel/prize.org/Nobel_prizesliterture/laureaates/ 1991/gordimer-bio.html Nobelprize.org (2007) Nadine Gordimer on racism 10-3-07(shown on YouTube). Retrieved From http://www.Youtube.com/watch?v+VWcxSsd8NsM

A Timeline of the Genocide in Rwanda

A Timeline of the Genocide in Rwanda The 1994 Rwandan Genocide was a brutal, bloody slaughter that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 800,000 Tutsi (and Hutu sympathizers). Much of the hatred between the Tutsi and Hutu stemmed from the ways they were treated under Belgian rule. Follow the increasing stresses within the country of Rwanda, beginning with its  European colonization to independence to genocide. While the genocide itself lasted 100 days, with brutal murders happening throughout, this timeline includes some of the larger mass murders that took place during that time period. Rwanda Genocide Timeline 1894:  Germany colonizes Rwanda. 1918: The Belgians assume control of Rwanda. 1933: The Belgians organize a census and mandate that everyone is issued an identity card classifying them as either Tutsi, Hutu, or Twa. December 9, 1948: The United Nations passes a resolution which both defines genocide and declares it a crime under international law. 1959: A Hutu rebellion begins against the Tutsis and Belgians. January 1961: The Tutsi monarchy is abolished. July 1, 1962: Rwanda gains its independence. 1973: Juvà ©nal Habyarimana takes control of Rwanda in a bloodless coup. 1988: The RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) is created in Uganda. 1989: World coffee prices plummet. This significantly affects Rwandas economy because coffee was one of its major cash crops. 1990: The RPF invade Rwanda, starting a civil war. 1991: A new constitution allows for multiple political parties. July 8, 1993: RTLM (Radio Tà ©là ©vison des Milles Collines) begins broadcasting and spreading hate. August 3, 1993: The Arusha Accords are agreed upon, opening government positions to both Hutu and Tutsi. April 6, 1994: Rwandan President Juvà ©nal Habyarimana is killed when his plane is shot out of the sky. This is the official beginning of the Rwandan Genocide. April 7, 1994: Hutu extremists begin killing their political opponents, including the prime minister. April 9, 1994: Massacre at Gikondo - hundreds of Tutsis are killed in the Pallottine Missionary Catholic Church. Since the killers were clearly targeting only Tutsi, the Gikondo massacre was the first clear sign that a genocide was occurring. April 15-16, 1994: Massacre at the Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church - thousands of Tutsi are killed, first by grenades and guns and then by machetes and clubs. April 18, 1994: The Kibuye Massacres. An estimated 12,000 Tutsis are killed after sheltering at the Gatwaro stadium in Gitesi. Another 50,000 are killed in the hills of Bisesero. More are killed in the towns hospital and church. April 28-29: Approximately 250,000 people, mostly Tutsi, flee to neighboring Tanzania. May 23, 1994: The RPF takes control of the presidential palace. July 5, 1994: The French establish a safe zone in the southwest corner of Rwanda. July 13, 1994: Approximately one million people, mostly Hutu, begin fleeing to Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo). mid-July 1994: The Rwanda Genocide ends when the RPF gains control of the country. The Rwandan Genocide ended 100 days after it began, but the aftermath of such hatred and bloodshed will take decades, if not centuries, from which to recover.

buy custom Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft essay

buy custom Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft essay The purpose of this research paper is to identify strategies to prevent identity theft. In developing this research paper the three primary areas will be address ethics and how it relates to identity theft, various measures to prevent identity theft and what one might do if they are victim of identity theft. Legal procedures are not always the ultimate solution to addressing identity theft; it is personal responsibility for each and every individual to keep track of his/her accounts and subscriptions. Identity theft can be prevented without the necessity of incurring loss or spending money to ensure that. Relation of Ethics to Identity Theft Being ethical is the orderly manner in which the norms of specific areas in ones day-to-day life observe a certain code of conduct. This conduct may include, being discrete about the activities that one conducts or the activities conducted by others around an individual. The question of identity theft affects a vast majority of victims. For example, there are incidents where people mastermind their own identity theft to solicit insurance companies; bank employees get information of clients and use it to transfer funds to their accounts or accounts disguised as other peoples; illegal immigrants assume the identities of deceased citizens to assume citizenship and health benefits; hackers involve themselves in phishing to get credit card information of unknowing individuals. The ethical implications of these activities show that there is an orderly manner in which people are misconducting themselves according to the norms of the society. Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft 1. Personal Level An individual has the responsibility to ensure that his/her identity remains a secret and that other people are not up-to-date with where and what information the individual keeps to him/herself. To assume full responsibility, an individual is required to undertake the following strategies to ensure he/she is free of identity theft. Protection of Social Security Number: Social security number is one of the easy targets of identity thieves and is one among many other areas that require maximum protection. In the event where an individual lives with others, may be family members or roommates. The potential stealing identities can be vested in anyone and thus the reason, friends and family members should not be trusted to access the social security numbers. Besides the people one may be living with the fact that many people carry around their cards, the chance of losing it or having it stolen from them is increased. To minimize the risk of having the social security number used by either a friend or a family member, one should ensure that it is kept in places that none of the rest of people know. To prevent it from being stolen or losing it, one should only carry it with him/her only when he is going to use it. For the individuals who use the social security number many times due to the nature of their operations, resulting to carry funds in inn physical change is a better idea. (Arata, 2004) Proper Disposal of Documents: Once done with bank statements and any other information pertaining to bank, one should observe that he/she disposes the documents properly. The only legitimate and proper way to do this is by shredding if disposal must be done. To properly dispose the statements and documents, one is required to shred the paper one properly and make sure that the she sredded documents cannot be restructured. To make sure that this window of chance is sealed properly, one should then burn the shredded pieces. By so doing, whatever, an identity thief would have salvaged is gone. Protection from Phishing Scams: Legitimacy of doing business is in the way parties communicate. Contracts can be renewed with proper channeling of information through specific means and by the right personnel. Hackers are fond of using emails in posing to be legitimate company representatives. In efforts to get information about an individual, they would send emails to clients of certain companies disbursing claims that they work for those companies and they would require pieces of information to rectify or process something. Individuals are required to not ignore these emails completely for there is a chance the claims could be legitimate. But it is unadvised for anyone to respond to mails by filling their personal information and sending. The company, may it be a bank, an insurance company of a social institution would always have hotline where they can be reached on. The individual should make a call and verify if the claims were genuine. In following this procedure, one is able t o prevent identity theft without the occurrence of loss. (Collins, 2005) Regular Checking of Credit Report: The sooner an individual is able to detect signs of identity theft, the sooner that individual can stop the effect of it. To do this one should embark on checking his/her credit report regularly. By checking regularly, one would be able to track down his/her credit bank account activities. The activities that do not coincide with the ones the user is aware of are a clear indication that malicious activity of identity theft is underway. Upon discovering this, or suspecting this, one should not assume may be, he/she forgot something, it is their duty to report the activities to the authority or to the credit card companies. By reporting, the account number can be changed so that he information an assailant has will it be relevant anymore. Purchase of Identity Theft Insurance: The event of having ones identity stolen can be damaging to their social and financial status. To secure the future of ones financial status, it is advisable that one buys him/herself insurance cover for identity theft. Despite all the measures that one would assume to make sure that he is not a victim of identity theft, it is still important exercise caution with all means possible. So at the event of identity theft, one would be in a position to be compensated and the matter investigated o their behalf by the insuring company. 2. Company and Business Level Identity theft basics should be followed by businesses to ensure that their identities and those of their clients are not stolen. Information systems should be under very close monitoring in that no one should have access to those systems. The following precautions should be observed to prevent identity theft. Securing Business Premises: In businesses, records could be kept all over either in form of paper work or in form of virtual data and in either case identity theft befall the business. The nature of businesses has the potential to attract thieves and identity offenders. The premises of any business should be installed with locks and alarm systems that can alert the authority incase any form of break in occurs. Securing Business Records:the information that is found on business records bears thee personal information of a client and the business. Abusiness should have proper security for its records in order to prevent the access of these records. The records can be protected by being locked in security vaults or having secured databases that would deter access to unauthorized personnel. Shredding of Business Records: Business records should be shredded before they are disposed. This isbecause there is a possibility that the documents may land to the wrong hands. By shredding, most of the data that can attract attention of a thief would be distorted. Caution on Phone: There are possibilities that an individual can assume the identity of another and make claims of their behalf. To prevent this, it is important for business personnel to ask the questions and answer them. On phone one could be asked to give the personal information of another; ethically, it is not the duty of a business personnel to do that. He/she should enquire why the information is wanted and then if possible connect the caller with the client so that the claim can be verified ethically. Limited Computer Access: The computer can store large amounts of data and it is one of the tools of storage identity thieves would depend on to get personal information of individuals and businesses. Computers that are on a network pose a greater threat to security of personal information. To prevent the chance of any unauthorized personnel accessing personal information, computers should be protected with passwords. Those computers that belong on a networkshould be administered by network administrators to ensure that all windows of error are sealed and that access to information is only granted to genuine and specified network computers. What to do if you fall victim of Identity theft Anyone can fall victim of identity theft but all in all life will have to continue. In order to continue with life one should use the experience of the identity theft to seal off the lose ends. At the event where unusual activities are suspected, it is the duty of the individual to alert the companies and institutions that deal with that area to ensure further malicious activity is taken prevented from happening. Conclusion To prevent identity theft, there are two levels of protecting the occurrence and they are personal level and business level. At the personal level one should ensure that all his/her personal information is kept secure and not disclosed to anyone posing to be from an institution he/she has business with. Upon the discovery of malicious activities with credit card, one should seek intervention of authorities and/or the credit card companies. These activities are best tracked if credit reports are checked regularly. On the other hand, businesses have the responsibility of keeping safe clients information. To do this they are required to ensure the safety of their premises by installing locks and alarms systems. Computers should be protected with passwords and those that are connected to networks should have network administrators keeping track of activities and installing proper firewalls. In the disposal of documents, none should be disposed wholly, they should be shredded and if need be should be burned. If one fall victimof identity theft, he/she should use that experience to be careful in all means possible. Upon discovery of unusual credit card activity, one should report the matter as soon as possible in order to stop further effects of the identity theft. Buy custom Strategies to Prevent Identity Theft essay

8 things a great boss does for you

8 things a great boss does for you In the working world, bosses usually fall into one of three categories: bad bosses, good bosses, and bosses that are just okay. You’ve likely had one of these so far in your career. And then, once in a blue moon comes along a  great boss- one that brings out the best in you and makes showing up to work a truly valuable experience. Does your boss go above and beyond? Read on to find out what a talented and nurturing leader does daily for employees.1. Gives recognition and feedbackA great boss sets out clear expectations and then lets you know regularly how you’re doing. Are you meeting expectations? Exceeding them? Are there a few areas where you need more focus? Also, when you succeed or go above and beyond, great bosses show you they’ve seen your extra effort and that they recognize how hard you’ve been working. Without this kind of validation- even the critical feedback- how can an employee hope to grow?2. Helps you market yourselfBosses have access to all kinds of data you may not. If your boss commends you for a new initiative or for reaching a set goal, that’s good. If they help dig up the numbers, i.e. the proof of the impact your actions have made for the company or industry, then they are arming you to succeed even more. Sure, your boss knows you might use these stats to market yourself elsewhere one day, but that’s not the point- the mark of a great boss is caring about the growth and development of employees, no matter where they may land.3. Empowers you to do great thingsYou’re not just allowed to voice your concerns and frustrations as they arise, you’re invited to- no, expected to. The environment of your office is one in which employees are empowered to take on challenges of logistics, products, processes, and procedures with the aim of bettering the company for themselves and everyone else involved. Great bosses aren’t threatened by giving their employees this leeway- they know chan ge from the inside is good change.4. Runs efficient meetingsA great boss’s meetings not only are short, sweet, and to the point- they are also only called when necessary. Great bosses don’t waste their time- or anybody else’s- on time-wasting trips to the conference room where people jot down useless notes. They keep the meeting schedule lean and mean and make each moment count for something. Employees leave meetings energized and keyed up to work, rather than feeling that the same things have been rehashed a different way.5. Encourages your personal growthGreat bosses help you to further your career, even if that means you’ll take your new knowledge and experience and leave your current position or company a little sooner. They give you projects and initiatives that match your interests and ambitions so you don’t feel stuck in a rut.   They also encourage you to take risks and give you the resources and support for those risks to bear fruit for both of you.6. Stands up for work-life balanceGreat bosses dial down the micromanaging and make sure their employees aren’t going home (or coming in to work) exhausted and depleted. They encourage you to take your vacation days, to make use of wellness plans, and to take regular breaks for fresh air, food, and hydration. They want you to flourish as a whole person, not just as some employee robot on their assembly line. And they never get their panties in a bunch about how long you take for coffee breaks or lunch- as long as you get your work done well. They loosen the reins and let you find your own stride.7. Gives credit where credit is dueGreat bosses won’t take credit for your ideas when they’re reporting to  their bosses- they’ll make it clear that a good idea was yours, thereby pushing you up the ladder and commending themselves for having hired you and cultivated your talent. Giving credit is a staple trait of good leadership, but it is unfortuna tely rare.8. Creates a welcoming office cultureIn a healthy workplace, employees feel safe and heard. Great bosses create and cultivate this environment. They earn trust and help their team maintain a real sense of camaraderie. In a great office culture, failures are merely opportunities to learn. Weak links are supported and helped along the path to improvement. Team members are chosen deliberately to complement this community of learning and growth.If your boss is good, consider yourself lucky. If your boss is one of the great ones, soak up all the knowledge you can- you’ve been given a rare professional gift that you should use to your advantage!

High Classical and Hellenistic Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

High Classical and Hellenistic Art - Essay Example This was the era of the Peloponnesian war, Athenian democracy, and the Persian threat. But regardless of these factors, or perhaps because of them, Greek Culture experienced an artistic revolution. Statues, for instance, became much more utilized in temples and decoration and to make public statements. These statues came in a variety of forms, from funeral statuary in graveyards to the Parthenon and the Statue of Zeus. This funeral statuary often depicted actual deceased people, thus making the graveyards a much more emotionally charged place. For example, Fragment of a Marble Grave Stele of a Woman, shows that these funeral statues were not works made to tell stories or inspire, but to elicit reverence through simplicity (MetMuseum.org) Thousands of other statues dotted the landscape, filling the homes of the wealthy or adorning the streets, depicting revered figures of Greek mythology. The artistic tradition, still developing, also came to accept nude statues of women in the High C lassical era (Stokstad). Friezes also became much more used, to decorate temples for instance. They required precision and planning to maintain structural soundness while chipping away the marble perfectly, and thus fostered the development of expert artisans. In all, the Classical period was one where Greek culture was still developing and defining itself at home, and the art of the time followed that. It was a time of new artistic advancements, and an increase in the dedication of Greek society to art. The Hellenistic period was ushered in by Greece’s new place in the world. Alexander the Great had increased the Greek Empire all the way to the fringes of India. But this did not only spread Greek Culture, it also spurred the often forgotten effect of war- the conquered had serious influences on the culture of the conqueror. Now that the Greeks had contacted and governed from people all around their world, there was a dialogue opened up, and artistic influences came along wit h those interactions. Greek art was changed greatly by all these new sways, with each culture, be it the Egyptian or Indian or Persian, inputting their own flavor into Greek art. But, again, this movement was not distinct from the High Classical period. It was merely the natural progression of artistic order, brought upon by new influences in society. Greek art still was obsessed with statuary. But the subjects of the statuary developed. No longer was it only acceptable to depict mythical models of perfection, now it was artistically acceptable to make a statue of a normal person, imperfect. With this, the wealthy Greeks did not have to decorate their homes with statues of only Greek gods and goddesses and mythical figures, but could now include statues of themselves and their family and friends in the mix. But this is not to say that the mythical statuary ceased to exist- for this is most definitely not the case. In fact, much more attention began being paid to the mythological sta tuary, and some of the most well known works, like Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Laocoon and His Sons, were from the Hellenistic period. These statues depicted mythical figures in emotionally charged situations. Their countenance had advanced from the austerity in the High Classical Era to highly realistic and expressioned. In general, these statues

Congress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Congress - Essay Example The CES was claimed to have unilaterally enacted a series of rules and regulations that required all students to undergo a search of their clothes, backpacks, lockers, and desks each morning. The rules also permitted random searches to take place. A hidden provision in the regulation allowed for enforcement officials to target their investigations more towards female students than male students, since studies had shown that females talk on cellular phones more often than males. Penalties for violating CES rules and regulations include the following: for a first offense, no hearing is held and the student receives a written warning; for a second offense, a hearing conducted by school officials is held and an automatic suspension is handed down; for a third offense, a full hearing is held by a board for the CES, after which a guilty finding results in expulsion, arrest, and incarceration for 30 days. School officials are also permitted, under the regulations, to permanently keep any cellular phones they confiscate. It is alleged that there were no notice was given or hearings held prior to the enactment of the rules and regulations. Lastly, there was an incident where a student was immediately expelled from school, arrested, and incarcerated without the opportunity to appear and defend herself against the charges, and that the cellular phone was taken by the authorities, never returned to such student nor her parents. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that there shall be no violation of the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, and that no warrants shall issue, except upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized (U.S. Const. amend. IV.). The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution further

Management Control System at a Publicly Listed Company Assignment

Management Control System at a Publicly Listed Company - Assignment Example So the objective of the study would be to assess the management control system of Vodafone. It is also important to assess the strategic management model to interpret the winning formula of Vodafone not only as a company but also as a brand name. A company is a place where a group of employees work together for common goals and to receive compensation in return for the service that they are providing to the company. The company is run by a group of top level managers and they divide the departments, units and groups under them to carry out the decisions and objectives that they plan for the company. The process of management control simply ensures that the strategies implemented and the goals set by the top management of the company is moving in the right direction and the human resource of the company are perfectly allocated for performing these activities are carefully carrying out their task (Anthony and Govindarajan 51-53).   The management control system involves communication of guidelines, decisions and the objectives of the company or the organization. Similarly strategic management planning also involves communicating similar functionalities as management control. But in a much similar way, strategic planning is a part of the management control process. Strategic planning is basically applied economics but management control is applied psychology. Both of these functions involve the top level management. It is a very important strategy that is often followed in companies practicing decentralized model. It is a well known fact that in order to survive in the global market, the company should possess competitive advantage over its competitors. Competitive advantage of the company involves two vital issues such as the cost structure and special features of the firm to differentiate with its competitors. Companies always try to increase their value chain in order to have an edge over

Cyber Crime Complaint Center (in United Arab Emirates) Thesis

Cyber Crime Complaint Center (in United Arab Emirates) - Thesis Example Hacking, Malware, Fraud, Identity theft, Information warfare, phishing scams, viruses, cyber stalking are some of the examples of the cyber crime that are discussed most today. (Dwyer, P., 2010, p. 3). Usually the large organizations become the victim of cyber-crime because either the hackers are more interested in the financial gain or they want to attain the prestige by getting access illegally to their secret data. Additionally the countries where there is unemployment are also at more risk of cyber crime like in some of the countries where there are youngsters holding degrees but having no jobs gets annoyed and their mind starts moving towards the criminal activities. They are well qualified so can easily learn hacking and scamming and thus for the financial gain they gets indulged into such crimes. According to the statistics of 2008 to 2009 it is found that the financial fraud via cyber is doubled. As the cyber criminal activities have increased much so there is a need for the organizations to consider on the internal skills and structure. If the structure is strong then the risks of attacks are also minimized because about 60% of the cyber criminal activities are being play ed from inside the organization. Due to this loophole majority of the organizations get failed to deal with the cyber crime as there is either improper structure or lack of knowledge and expertise. Since now there have lots of researches being carried out on the topic of cyber crimes. The research articles with the latest information are published in International Journal of Cyber Criminology. There are number of books by Wall, Jewkes, McQuade and Yar have been written on this topic. Still as this research topic is fresh so the depth study is required as mentioned in the recent work of Nhan and Bachmann (2010). The cyber crime increases as the growth of internet connectivity increases in any area and as we know that the new

Proposing a Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposing a Solution - Essay Example However, Muslims suffer from outrageous discrimination and oppression in German society, which is the blatant violation of human rights entrenched by some United Nations conventions (I suppose there are some). Well, we cannot overlook the fact that, compared to other European countries, Germany provides relatively wide range of opportunities for immigrants’ employment; but Muslim immigrants face barriers in employment related to their religion and ethnicity (Muehe 21), which endangers their welfare and ability to earn their living in the host country. German employers show profound bias in their policy, for they would rather hire a jobless German meeting the requirements than an immigrant worker, who will inevitably the very last resort. This unfair policy seems very controversial, for â€Å"since the 1990s, analysts have pointed to Germanys ongoing need for immigrants to bolster economic development and maintain a dynamic workforce, given the rapid aging of the countrys popu lation† (Oezcan). In other words, don’t Muslim workers deserve equal employment prospects after all they have done for Germany? Moreover, Muslims experience vast cultural and religious discrimination in German environment, which gradually forces them to integrate and assimilate via various sadistic language courses and governmental integration programs. German government first admits Muslim immigrants into the country and then considers five or six million of them a problem that needs to be handled. Muslims experience blatant rejection of their religion and are virtually forced to hide their Islamic centers in unmarked buildings on the outskirts of the cities (Brenner), and the number of mosques in Germany is unbelievably small: Berlin, the great capital if this tolerant state hosts only four big mosques! Muslims are violently persecuted by anti-fundamentalist activists of German descent: for instance, peaceful

Cyber Crime Complaint Center (in United Arab Emirates) Thesis

Cyber Crime Complaint Center (in United Arab Emirates) - Thesis Example Hacking, Malware, Fraud, Identity theft, Information warfare, phishing scams, viruses, cyber stalking are some of the examples of the cyber crime that are discussed most today. (Dwyer, P., 2010, p. 3). Usually the large organizations become the victim of cyber-crime because either the hackers are more interested in the financial gain or they want to attain the prestige by getting access illegally to their secret data. Additionally the countries where there is unemployment are also at more risk of cyber crime like in some of the countries where there are youngsters holding degrees but having no jobs gets annoyed and their mind starts moving towards the criminal activities. They are well qualified so can easily learn hacking and scamming and thus for the financial gain they gets indulged into such crimes. According to the statistics of 2008 to 2009 it is found that the financial fraud via cyber is doubled. As the cyber criminal activities have increased much so there is a need for the organizations to consider on the internal skills and structure. If the structure is strong then the risks of attacks are also minimized because about 60% of the cyber criminal activities are being play ed from inside the organization. Due to this loophole majority of the organizations get failed to deal with the cyber crime as there is either improper structure or lack of knowledge and expertise. Since now there have lots of researches being carried out on the topic of cyber crimes. The research articles with the latest information are published in International Journal of Cyber Criminology. There are number of books by Wall, Jewkes, McQuade and Yar have been written on this topic. Still as this research topic is fresh so the depth study is required as mentioned in the recent work of Nhan and Bachmann (2010). The cyber crime increases as the growth of internet connectivity increases in any area and as we know that the new

Ethical Hacking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Hacking - Research Paper Example Blackhat crackers gain access to a computer system with malicious attacks. They destroy files or steal the sensitive information and disclose it to other hackers or to the public without the victim ever knowing it. Dumpster Diving is a tool used by black hat hackers/crackers in which they gain access to the trash and recycle bins to get files that the users have deleted from their system. Then they use these files to gain access to their network. â€Å"Dumpster diving is looking for treasure in someone else's trash†. The main targets are the usernames and passwords. Large corporations throw away in real dumpsters as well as computers’ recycle bins sticky notes with invoices, emails, phone numbers, passwords and other sensitive information, and no one expects anyone to peep into this trash. Dumpster divers consider this trash as their real treasure. Dumpster diving has been in use since the advent of computers and works on all sophisticated operating systems. The key is never to throw in trash important information like social security numbers into trash bins. Emptying recycle bins regularly is also very necessary. Network security threats include malware, anti-DNS pinning, banner grabbing, blackjacking, hacking, land attack, blue boxing, domain hijacking, identity theft, fraud, backdoor, DoS attacks, data flood, malicious code, document grinding, and enumeration. NTI was involved in a case where an individual assumed the identity of a past employee that had been discharged by a business.... Dumpster diving has been in use since the advent of computers and works on all sophisticated operating systems. The key is never to throw in trash important information like social security numbers into trash bins. Emptying recycle bins regularly is also very necessary. 3. Networks Network security threats include malware, anti-DNS pinning, banner grabbing, backjacking, hacking, land attack, blue boxing, domain hijacking, identity theft, fraud, backdoor, DoS (Denial of Service) attacks, data flood, malicious code, document grinding, and enumeration. Anderson (2008), who works with NTI (New Technologies, Inc.) writes about an identity theft case: NTI was involved in a case where an individual assumed the identity of a past employee that had been discharged by a business. That identity was used, over the Internet, to terrorize a female Human Resources Manager who had fired the individual. After several weeks of investigation we discovered that the communications were fabricated by a pe er worker within the corporation. In a network, those computers must be physically secured that hold sensitive information and network passwords on them. These may be kept in a separate room that is physically secured away from public. All sensitive servers and networks should be secured from the enemy by means of firewalls, code encryption and decryption (cryptography) and intrusion detection system because if the server has been physically accessed, then it is very easy to reboot it and gain access to its hard drives. Without an access control system, the information will be totally naked to everybody. Access control ranges from locking the door to locking the whole network from unauthorized or unauthenticated access. Firewalls should be

Bipolar World Essay Example for Free

Bipolar World Essay Polarization means the union of like- minded countries into a single homogeneous unit in order to safeguard their national interests. Polarization thus, naturally means that various countries with similar ideas on various problems confronting the world unite around a super power with a view to giving united front. Polarization has been facilitated by the scientific and technological advances under which the world has shrunk in area and distance. In this way, when two centers of power, i.e. two poles appear round which the other countries of the world revolve, the system is known as Bipolar. I would prefer living in a bipolar world order because it tends to reduce international violence. The advantages of bipolar system are: †¢Reduction in Tension With only two world powers, their areas of influence are clearly demarcated. This leads to reduction in tension. In Cold War era, both the Soviet Union and America were concerned with happen ¬ings in different areas of the world. The USA was mostly concerned with America continent and West Europe, whereas the USSR’s sphere of interest was Asia and East Europe. This has led to a solid and determinate balance. Expansion was not so easy, aggrandizement was not a simple work. †¢Leads to balance resulting in peace  In a bipolar system, there are only two rival blocs; competition in every field is relative which keeps the balance, usually resulting in peace. Both the power blocs are equally -or at least similarly- engaged in space race, economic growth, military preparedness, propaganda struggle and domestic issues. â€Å"Policy proceeds by limitation of the other power, with occasional attempts to outflank.† A super power never escapes calculation in terms of international balance and always evaluates the other power’s reaction. By asserting the interests of the two great powers in even minor matters, the balance is sought to be achieved in everything. Neither of the parts can act in a careless manner and this is in favor of stability. †¢Equality of Power  Thirdly, the most important stabilizing factor is the nearly constant presence of pressure and the recurrence of crises. I mean crises are natural and even desirable in a condition of conflict. If crises do not occur, it means that one side or the other is neglecting its own interests. Maintenance of balance will then mean large or small wars. As long as there are only two major powers, the power of both will be almost equal. There will be equal and opposite reaction in crisis instants. (i.e. Cuba Crisis) This will check any one of the two powers to embark on a policy of aggression. †¢Any change anywhere in the world The changes in some parts of the world do not affect the basic position of two powers. Finally, the preponderant power of the two super states means that minor shifts in the balance are not of any great importance. For example, the U.S. lost China due to the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949 and the Soviet Union lost China after Sino-Soviet border conflict in 1962, but neither change dras ¬tically altered the Russian-American balance. The two states were so strong that they could accommodate change easily. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. confronted each other on almost every issue but none of the issues was of decisive importance and none led to war. To sum up, in addition to advantages, there are also disadvantages of bipolar system, like continuous pressure in international system. Yet, the balance of power always hinders the crises getting more serious. The world witnessed two world wars in thirty years in a multipolar order, but a third world war never happened in almost fifty tense years between 1945 and 1991, the bipolar Cold War era.

Social Media and Employment Issues

Social Media and Employment Issues SOCIAL MEDIA TRANSPARENCY AND EMPLOYMENT Introduction One can apply the old saying, never judge a book by its cover to many applications in life, but today’s environment of instant social media updates provides personal transparency never experienced before. Social medias arrival on the scene has completely changed the way we interact as a society and technologies such as portable devices and wireless connectivity allows us to communicate faster and to a more massive crowd than we ever thought possible. Social media is the most significant difference in personal or business transparency and has merged into an indistinguishable haze of likes, links, and posts, making transparency an everyday issue. Complete strangers can now view someone’s daily activities without the context of knowing them personally. These strangers can easily be potential employers seeking employees to fill vacant positions. That is precisely what is occurring today; employers are examining beyond applicants resumes to make the best hiring decision by r eviewing prospective employees social media sites to learn more about their applicants and employees.  Alternatively, employers are experiencing legal issues with their new social media tool, and the courts are just beginning to unravel them. Correctly used, social media can be a powerful means of candidate identification, selection, and retention. However, employers must have comprehensive and compliant social media policies that are not overly broad, and which address privacy, lawful access, accuracy, equal protection, and conduct of employment practices. An analysis of the social media transparency regarding employment reveals an employers review of applicants and employees social media sites can be a valuable tool but must do such in a manner consistent with legal hiring and separation practices. This article is designed to review essential aspects employers should consider when using social media to make hiring or termination decisions for their company. Argument There has been an explosive growth in the use of social media over the past decade and has allowed a vast part of the worlds population instant, quick, and convenient communication to a broad network of people. According to Statista.com, known as the portal for statistics, Facebook had 100 million monthly active users in 2008, and that number has skyrocketed to 2.07 billion monthly active users as of the third quarter of 2017. LinkedIn has over 467 million members worldwide, and it is one of the most popular social networks regarding active users (Statista.com, 2017). These top growing websites allow their users to share lots of information about themselves and can give potential employers data in just a few clicks that would be impossible to know about someone decades ago. Social media has forged a path into our culture that has brought us all closer, but it has also opened many questions about the issues of modern expression and privacy. Getting at the center of this network involves untangling multiple layers of complex statutes, case law, and agency guidance in a way that balances the pillars of freedom of speech and the at-will employment doctrine. For edification, the employment-at-will doctrine states employees without a written employment contract and an indefinite term of employment, the employer can terminate the employee for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all (Ballam, 2000). Although a perfect application of the law on societys new technologies like social media is complicated, there are many considerations employers must make based on privacy, accuracy, and lawful access during the hiring, employment, and termination periods. Moreover, employers need to understand there is a potential negative impact with the use of social media when recruiting employees, and conversely, the termination of employees based on decisions issued by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Last, employers must relate legal guidelines to their company’s use of social media policies. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights explains our rights as Americans very clearly: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† The Bill of Rights, 2017 Strict libertarians or constitutionalists may notice, the words right to privacy are absent from the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Under the First Amendment, there is no right to privacy, but there are certain privacy protections afforded to every citizen. Pawel Laidler, author of Basic Cases in U.S. Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties, references Griswold v. Connecticut and suggests, Specific guarantees of the Bill of Rights have penumbras of privacy extending to specific areas and situations (Laidler, 2009, p. 102). The courts have started to make their decision on what is the reasonable expectation of privacy for applicants or employees, but employers and the public at large are still making their own conclusions. Most social media websites include privacy settings and controls to allow users to reduce exposure to those whom they wish to exclude from seeing their social media information. However, specific information such as their name, profile picture, and networks is typically always publicly available, and social media sites often provide notice to users that they do not guarantee the privacy of the information (Facebook, 2016). LinkedIns privacy policy includes wording for users about their inability to ultimately secure any information submitted to their website, nor can they guarantee users information will not be accessed or disclosed by physical or electronic methods (LinkedIn, 2017). Despite these numerous warnings about privacy disclosure, users should expect a certain level of privacy when they correctly use the privacy controls. When social media was still in its infancy, employers would ask applicants or employees for their social media login information to allow the employer direct access. This practice quickly died as social media websites, legislators, and privacy rights activists alike actively discouraged the practice (Dame, 2014). Today, most states have passed laws preventing employers from requesting social media login credentials. For example, Vermont State Law (H.B. 462) prohibits an employer from requiring or requesting that an employee or applicant disclose personal social media account information (NCLS.org, 2018, para. 26). Overall, the only reasonable access employers should have to an applicant or employees social media is what they allow them to access via privacy controls. A social media user who selects open public access to their accounts or invites or accepts potential employers to friend or connect allow an additional level of access and substantially reduces the expectation of privacy with an employer or organization. Naturally, employers can take criminal actions such as hacking or using anothers authorized login credentials to gain access to personal social media pages fraudulently, but the courts would not view these tactics favorably if it were a part of a more significant case. Beyond the concern of personal privacy, employers must also ensure the information found on a private social networking site is accurate, and it is the correct person who applied for the position or the employee who works for the company. Employers must ensure the James Smith Facebook profile they find is the same James Smith who applied for the job and not one of the other 38,312 James Smiths in the United States (Chen, 2015). Employers must also consider whether the person portrayed on the social media site established the account himself or herself or if someone else created the page without their knowledge or permission. Employers can outsource an applicant or employees social media information review to a third party Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) to help overcome some of the challenges listed above. The Consumer Fair Trade Commission (FTC) outlines particular information regarding the search of a persons character or reputation on a social media site. The FTCs stance is that when companies use a CRA to conduct a background check on an applicant or employees social media sites, that it complies with applicable provisions of the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection (FTC.gov, 2016). Additionally, Tony Rodriguez and Jessica Lyon from the FTC explain companies must be vigilant because a CRA may comply with all expressed provisions of the bureau and still violate other laws, such as equal employment opportunity violations (Rodriguez & Lyon, 2013). With the understanding of privacy and accuracy, employers have two significant concerns when deciding to use social media for recruitment. The first concern is the influence social media has on candidate sourcing and statistics and the second is the limitations of viewing candidate or employee information on a social media site. It is essential to understand that for the first time in the Pew Research Centers surveys history, the results in 2017 showed 55% of Americans ages 50 or older use social media sites for everyday tasks such as getting news updates. This increase in usage is a 10% spike over 2016 allows employers to see and contact a more substantial part of the population, but there is still a disconnect between race and between gender demographics use of social media (Shearer & Gottfried, 2017). The Pew Research Center shows employment social media websites such as LinkedIn have equal shares of whites (29%) and blacks (28%), but only 18% of Hispanics use the network. Gender has improved over the years, but there is still a gap of almost 10%. A staggering 72% of women in the United States use some sort social media contrasted with 66% of men. The most dramatic difference between demographics is in education. Only 59% of people with a high school education or less use social media, but 78% of college graduates use at least one social media website (Pew, 2017). Recognizing the disparities with using social media to decide employment is critical because the gaps could potentially fuel cases of discrimination even when the employers had no subjective intent to discriminate.  In addition to traditional avenues of attracting and finding diverse applicant pools, employers should use a variety of sourcing strategies across multiple social media outlets to avoid the potential statistical traps and pitfalls. The limitations of viewing candidate information on social media sites is also essential to consider when deciding hiring or during employment.  A social recruiting survey by Jobvite, a recruiting platform for the social web, reports from their survey of recruiters that 92% of U.S. companies are using social networking sites for hiring purposes (Jobvite 2012).  Employers should be forewarned and take reasonable steps to ascertain accurate information and to be aware a picture can be worth a thousand words, but it can paint an inaccurate picture. An employer using social media as a primary tool may be left with skewed data and a false narrative.  Knowing this and the above information, employers must understand that making decisions from viewing social media posts can unintentionally make those decisions appear demographic based rather than merit-based.  Unfortunately, these perceptions, true or false, may be enough to flag a particular hiring practice that could end in a cost ly course of litigation. Knowing the two primary concerns of using social media for employment decisions is essential, but so are the possible legal implications of using these methods.  Communication at work and home has transformed dramatically over the years, but the legal theories behind established employment policies have not changed.  Todays challenge is to apply traditional laws to todays instant, casual, broadcast style of social media communication and activities.  For many years, courts were not concerned with how many likes an employees Facebook work-related comment received.  Moreover, the courts did not have to consider the average employee might have the ability to convey their opinions to an average of 634 people with one click of a button on Twitter (Leonardi, 2017).  Social media transparency can easily create situations where employers terminate employees because of posts or comments employers find on their social media pages. Employers must look carefully to both an employees conduct as well as their company policies in determining whether circumstances legally warrant termination.  The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a long-standing government agency that is inexplicably involved ensuring the correct implementation of the law to social media caused terminations (NLRB.gov, n.d.). Employers need to be aware of protected activity on social media before taking any adverse action against employees who post on a social media website.  For example, the federal whistleblower protection law provides legal remedies for employees or job applicants who face retaliation for making protected disclosures of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or substantial and specific danger to public safety or health (OPM.gov, n.d. para. 2).  Outside of protected reporting, using social media for collective dialog and shared concerns about essential terms and conditions of employment are also protected activities (NLRB.gov, n.d.). An employee, however, otherwise engaged in a protected activity, can lose that protection by abusive conduct (Stewart, 2017).  Michael Greens journal article titled, Protecting Unhappy Worker Outbursts from Discriminatory Treatment, does a great job of explaining the method used for determining if the employees conduct is enough to cause them to lose protection.  Green (2017) explains, the NLRBs Atlantic Steel doctrine to assess the inappropriateness of an employees angry outburst by first analyzing four factors before deciding the employees actions warrant discipline (para. 5).  The four factors include where the discussion occurred, the subject matter of the discussion, the nature of the employees outburst, and whether the outburst was, in any way, provoked by the employers unfair labor practice.  Green does caveat the Atlantic Steel doctrine does have its limits.  Employees who engage in threatening behavior or conduct acts exceeding what a reasonable employer should tol erate can lose their protections under the law (Green, 2017).  Social media compounds these issues because its reach has far more impact than the typical breakroom outbursts and is immediately heard by everyone on ones feed. Recommendations A business’ decision to use social media as a tool among many when choosing employees is a good idea.  The best way to properly use social media for hiring, employment, and termination is to set clear company policy and guidance.  A companys social media policies will not protect employers if they are overly broad or restricts employees constitutional rights.  When limiting an employees right to communicate on social media (or otherwise), the terms and conditions regulating their comments to being professional or appropriate need to be clearly defined in the policy. Employers should specify in their policies about what constitutes appropriate manners in which employees are allowed to discuss subjects to include criticism of labor policies, treatment of employees, and terms and conditions of employment.  (SHRM.org, 2016).  Employers should specifically articulate their definition of actions that constitute insubordinate actions, inappropriate conversation, or other disrespectful conduct.  Additionally, the policy should include their plan of disciplinary action when employees engage in such actions.  Companies should carefully draft their social media policies to avoid broad or ambiguous terms.  A court can easily deem policies unlawful if employees reasonably believe the policy prohibits constitution freedoms. Conclusion All employers should take their time when deciding to terminate current employees employment due to their conduct or comments in general, but especially when considering social media websites.  This article reviewed relevant aspects employers should consider when using social media as part of the hiring or termination process.  Protected activity and overly broad social media policies can create liabilities for employers and employers who recruit and select employees through social media sites should carefully monitor their processes and outcomes for disparate impacts. Employers should take care when using information gained from social media and establish a process by which applicants, candidates, and employee have an opportunity to dispute potentially inaccurate information published online.  Adhering to statutory, regulatory, and agency guidance allows employers to use social media anywhere along the employment timeline to maximize information about applicants and current em ployees while protecting them from the potential social media use pitfalls. References Ballam, D. A. (2000). Employment-At-Will: The Impending Death of a Doctrine. American Business Law Journal, 37(4), 653-687. doi:10.1111/j.1744-1714.2000.tb00281.x Background Checks. (2016, November). Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0157-background-checks Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007, December 17). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Retrieved January 21, 2018, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x/full Chen, S. A. (2015, February 07). Calling James Smith! 10 Most Common First and Surname Combinations. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/calling-james-smith-10-most-common-first-and-surname-combinations/ Dame, J. (2014, January 10). Will employers still ask for Facebook passwords in 2014? Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/10/facebook-passwords-employers/4327739/ Facebook Data Policy. (2016, September 29). Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy Green, M. Z. (2017, February 13). Protecting Unhappy Worker Outbursts from Discriminatory Treatment. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://worklaw.jotwell.com/protecting-unhappy-worker-outbursts-from-discriminatory-treatment/ Jobvite. (2014). Social Recruiting Survey.  Retrieved January 20, 2018, from http://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/ uploads/ 2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf Laidler, P. (2009). Basic Cases in U.S. Constitutional Law: Rights and Liberties. Krakà ³w: Jagiellonian University Press. Leonardi, P. M. (2017). The Social Media Revolution: Sharing and Learning in the Age of Leaky Knowledge. Information and Organization, 27(1), 47-59. doi:10.1016/j.infoandorg.2017.01.004 LinkedIn Privacy Policy. (2017, June 7). Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy Managing and Leveraging Workplace Use of Social Media. (2016, January 19). Retrieved January 26, 2018, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingsocialmedia.aspx National Conference of State Legislatures. (2018, January 2). Access to Social Media Usernames and Passwords. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/employer-access-to-social-media-passwords-2013.aspx NLRB.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2018, from https://www.nlrb.gov/ Our Inspector General Whistleblower Protection Information. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://www.opm.gov/our-inspector-general/whistleblower-protection-information/ Pew Research Center. Social Media Fact Sheet. (2017, January 12). Retrieved January 20, 2018, from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/ Rodriguez, T., & Lyon, J. (2013, January 10). Background Screening Reports and the FCRA: Just Saying Youre Not a Consumer Reporting Agency Isnt Enough. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2013/01/background-screening-reports-fcra-just-saying-youre-not Shearer, E., & Gottfried, J. (2017, September 07). News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2018, from http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/07/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2017/ Statista.com. Number of Facebook Users Worldwide 2008-2017. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/ Stewart, D. R. (2017). Social Media and the Law: A Guidebook for Communication Students and Professionals. New York, NY: Routledge. The Bill of Rights: A Transcription. (2017, June 26). Retrieved January 15, 2018, from https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript#toc-amendment-i