Marketing Strategy of Tesco

Sir Robert Peel and Modern Day Police

Sir Robert Peel and Modern Day Police Free Online Research Papers The early roots of policing encompassing Sir Robert Peel’s nine principles have a distinct application to modern day policing. It is important to understand the genesis of policing and the development prior to Sir Robert’s codification of the role of police in the 1820’s. Prior to 1829, law enforcement in England and America had principally been in the hands of ordinary citizen volunteers, night watchmen, sheriffs, or constables. It was generally unorganized and informal in its application. As early as 1215, with the acceptance of the Magna Carta in England, the first serious interest to solve abuse at the hand of the policing authority and for the general maintenance of order originated. Peel recognized these same problems and suggested solutions to the traditional problems of recruitment of qualified policemen, a uniform application of penalties for official misconduct, and the creation of an independent method of control of the police. These issues had been debated for centuries but with the introduction of these principles Peel started the ultimate professionalization of modern police management. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the connection between Sir Robert Peel’s nine principles and their connection to modern policing. Any attempt to understand a connection to the nine principles Peel espoused requires a brief description as depicted by the New Westminister Police Service. The first principle states that basic reason for having a police force is to prevent crime and disorder. The second principle suggests that police must have public approval to be effective. Third, the police must secure the willing cooperation of the public to obey the law in order to have the respect of the public. Next, the degree of cooperation from the public declines with the use of force. Fifth, the police secure public favor by observing impartial service to the law. Sixth, the police must use force only after exhausting all other means to obtain compliance. Seventh, the police are members of the public who are discharging their official duty to secure the welfare of t he public. Eighth, the police enforce laws and do not exercise the right to impose punishment. Last, the measure of police effectiveness is in the absence of crime and disorder and not just police activity. The growth of American policing is closely related to the English legal traditions. However, the American police developed under different circumstances, despite the similarities with the English. Three major characteristics that mirror the English system are principles of limited authority, local control, and fragmented organization. Sir Robert Peel, as Home Secretary in the British Cabinet, recognized the major failings of the prevailing policing practices and successfully orchestrated the passage of the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829. This was the Act that ultimately created the London Police Force. It provided for a uniformly recruited, organized, paid, professional police force that we would recognize as very similar to those seen today. Further, the Metropolitan Police Act authorized Sir Robert to establish the police force with the quick recruitment of one thousand men in what would resemble military regiments. Sir Robert and his subordinates, known as commissioners, were faced with many obstacles with regard to organization and management of the new force. These problems are the same faced by modern Chiefs of Police. They include the thoroughness of training of police recruits, aptitude, maturity, and suitability of candidates, and the standardization of policy, discipline, and the maintenance of community relations. The stage for modern American policing was set in the 1830s following the English model. Large and diverse urban centers, similar to those in England’s industrialized areas, contributed to the growth of professional police beginning in New York and Boston. The presence of social disorder forced the civil governments to take action, albeit slowly and with some suspicion of uniformed agents in the civil setting. The influence of Sir Robert’s principles was felt and progress was substantial in the Northeastern States. This was in contrast to the role of law enforcement in the Southern and Western states. The various geographical areas of the United States evolved differently and can still be seen in the philosophical approached used by modern police agencies. The effect of the nine principles took hold in distinct phases of American History up to the present day. The first, the Political Era (1840-1920), showed the shortcoming of contemporary policing due to political interference and official corruption. It was probably the most substantial obstacle to Peel’s reforms. Political machines generally influenced hiring, salary, and even investigative activities. The Professional Model Era (1920-1970) recognized the shortfalls of previous era and focused on hiring competent, qualified applicants and in curbing police abuses and inefficiency. The most changes occurred during the 1960s primarily due to civil rights abuses. From 1970 to the present the police focus has been called the Community Model Era which has sought to put the police into more contact with the public it supports and to improve quality of police through higher standards. The evolution of modern day policing has had many failed attempts and false starts since the early Nineteenth Century and Peel’s principles. While the principles represent an idealized vision of police activity, they have served as a touchstone for modern law enforcement theorists and criminologists. The concept of community policing can be attributed to Sir Robert Peel in the sense that his principles form the core of police-community interaction. References Cole, George Smith, Christopher. (2004). The American System of Criminal Justice. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Wadsworth. Cromwell, Paul Dunham, Roger. (1997). Crime and Justice in America. Research Papers on Sir Robert Peel and Modern Day PoliceUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Fifth Horseman19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseOpen Architechture a white paperBringing Democracy to AfricaThe Project Managment Office SystemCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

Cntemporary Asian Societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cntemporary Asian Societies - Essay Example For a long tine, Asian countries isolated themselves from the rest of the world trying to keep untouched old traditions and values (Metcalf, pg 6). Thus, since the beginning of the XX century, they have experienced a strong influence on their cultural traditions and building practices. This influence had a negative impact on Asian societies spreading alien cultures and the building crafts (Hawkes, pg 9). The main issue against modern building practices is that Asian societies developed unique building traditions and distinct practices which comply with their needs and regional differences. Asian societies should stick to their own building traditions because they reflect cultural uniqueness and religious beliefs followed by generations. Hinduism, Aryans, Dravidians, Islamic, Christian, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism developed building styles which reflect their unique and distinct beliefs and values. For instance, the earliest surviving monuments of architecture date from the tenth century. Perhaps the first shrine is the Nat Hlaung Gyaung at Pagn, a temple traditionally dated in 931 and one of the few Hindu monuments in the history of Burmese architecture. Even this structure has certain characteristics of Burmese architecture of all periods (Metcalf, pg 23). ... Other temples of this early period at Pagan, such as the Ngakye Nadaun of the tenth century, recall the form of Gupta stupas, such as the Dhamekh stupa at Sarnath (Metcalf, pg 23). Just as these buildings, for all their elaborateness, are the ultimate descendants of old Indian architecture, the typically Burmese technique of lacquer decoration goes back at least to the period of florescence at Pagn in the thirteenth century (Lim, Beng, pg 68). These building have survived for over a thousand years while modern buildings survive only for 80 years. Old building traditions meet geographical peculiarities and climate diversity of Asian societies. All of building traditions meant planning, planning for communities, planning which should take into account architectural amenity as well as practical utility; and every single example of these planned communities like the ample and attractive housing built in numerous Asians cultural centers reflect old styles and geographical peculiarities (Goad et al ph65). Following Hawkes (1996) modern construction and building practices allow only the passive control of climate through built form (pg 34). In contrast, old building traditions (as shading and wind-channelling devices) are quite effective, mitigating solar gain at the hottest times of the day and encouraging useful cross-ventilation (Hawkes pg 45). What is more, they frame and direct views of the surroundings and give depth and relief to the facades. Upon entering the old building, the reticence of the facades gives way to a top-lit, daylight filled entrance court, the first of two such courts. But in old buildings the means of environmental control is clear and the legible (Frampton, pg 14). In sum,

The energy in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The energy in the UK - Essay Example In today’s modern industrialised world energy is almost as essential as basic necessities such as water. A very recent / current example of the importance of energy to our every day lives is the panic buying of fuel due to the closure of BP’s oil pipeline at The Grangemouth refinery in Scotland. It is being shutdown because of a workers strike. The refinery produces 10% of British petrol and diesel and also produces the steam required to power the neighbouring Kinneil that processes the crude oil from 70 offshore fields in the North Sea. British Energy state that; In the UK the major energy sources are coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydro/other or imported sources. These sources are used either on their own as fuel for machinery and transport, or, to create electricity. The 2003 statistics on national consumption indicate that 46.5% of our energy consumption came from petroleum, 35% was natural gas and 17% was electricity. The diagram clearly shows that usage of coal in electrical power stations has almost halved in a 13 year period whereas the usage of gas has increased dramatically. This is a good indicator of how consumption patterns changed in general. Coal is a fossil fuel which is a finite source of energy. Shortages in coal reserves have forced the closing of many British mines. However, more significantly a moratorium on gas was lifted on gas which encouraged its usage at the expense of coal. Gas has been preferred over coal as it is viewed as being a â€Å"cleaner† fuel and it was also much cheaper than coal. Things are, however, beginning to change again. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has released statistics that indicate that although in 2005 deep mined coal output was down by 24% in comparison to output in 2004 and opencast output was down by 13%, overall, coal consumption was actually up by 2.3% to 61.8 million tonnes. In 2005 34% of all electricity

Effect of Genes on Personality

Effect of Genes on Personality To do what extent do genes influence one’s personality? Personality is, traditionally, one of the most important objects of study for psychologists due to its major contribution to individual differences. Previous research explored the mystery of human personality to some extent, people gradually realize what determines their behaviours, why somebody feel excited in a certain situation while others do not. However, there is still huge debate with respect to various perspectives of personality. First debate is about the definition of personality which is much more complex than everyday uses of this term. It can depend on what psychologists believe about the causes and formation of personality. A generally accepted definition was proposed by Robins who defined personality as the distinctive and relatively enduring ways of thinking, feeling and acting that characterizes a person’s response to life situations (Robins et al, 2007). Furthermore, psychologists also ask â€Å"what causes personality differences?† Why some twins rais ed in the same family could have different personalities while others could have more similar personalities (Bouchard et al. 2001)? It is generally believed that personality is formed under the combing effect of genes and environment (Riemann et al., 1997; Bouchard et al.,2001; Caspi et al., 2002); however, there is no final conclusion about to what extent genes and environment influence personality. Some psychologists suggest that genes could play a more important role in shaping one’s personality than environment (Schuett, 2013), and some believe that the plasticity of personality is lost after the age of thirty, that is, people’s personality remains constant as a result of their unchanged genes (Conley, 1985). In this essay, the influence of genes on personality will be discussed and evaluated in relation to two perspectives: Eysenck’s biological basis personality theory and twin studies carried out by various psychologists (Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996). One important theory which is still regularly cited today is Eysenck’s biological basis personality theory (Eysenck 19xx, 19xx; Eysenck and Eysenck, 19xx). This theory explains individual differences in personality in terms of genetic factors based on Eysenck’s â€Å"Gigantic three theory†, which is one of the major theories and instrument for assessing personality traits. According to Eysenck’s account, People’s personality traits can be classified according to three dimensions: Neutroticism the extent to which people experience negative emotion; Extraversion the extent to which people prefer to be alone or with others; and Psychoticism the extent to which people are tough-minded. After the description of â€Å"gigantic three theory†, Eysenck states (1985) that there are two major systems responsible for physiological and psychological variations between individuals: the reticulo-cortical which is located in the brain-stem reticular forma tion as well as the reticulo-limbic which is located in the visceral area and which consists of the amygdala, hippocampus, septum, cingulum and hypothalamus (Eysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Although mutation can occur, these differences in the cortex are genetically determined. According to Eyseneck (1985), differences in the Reticulo-cortical could determine whether someone is extroverted or introverted, as the reticulo-cortical controls the cortical arousal produced by nerve impulses which determines levels of motivation, emotion and condition depending on either inhibitions or excitations of the cerebral cortex. To illustrate, Eysenck claims that introverts are more likely to be cortically aroused than extraverts, as a consequence, they are likely to generate larger arousal by themselves than extraverts when they are in exactly the same situations such as in a party (EysenckEysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Discrepancy between cortical arousa l of extroverts and introverts, which have a genetic origin, means that the former feel comfortable to talk to people in the party because they are seeking external stimulation compensating for their low level of arousal, while the later remain quiet as they have higher level of cortical arousal in their brain and do not need the external stimulation (ibis). Eysenck also accounts for people’s emotional stability in terms of reticulo-limbic activities (Eysenck Eysenck, 1985, cited in Matthews Gilliland, 1999). Reticulo-limbic in the brain controls people’s response to emotional stimuli. Emotional stimuli induces arousability of limbic system. Eysenck states that the brains of neurotic people are more easily aroused than emotionally stable people (ibid). The arousing activities can then be translated into a predisposition to experience intense emotions such as anxiety or sadness. Therefore, when the same event happens to neurotic and stable person, strong arousability could be generated by the brain of the former, as a result, he or she may response intensely either psychologically and physiologically, on the contrast, little arousability is generated in the brain of the later, leading to very few response in return (ibid). A major limitation of Eysenck’s particular biological account of personality is concerned with its testability. The difficulty to test Eysenck’s hypotheses is considerable, especially due to the lack of appropriate technological instruments (MatthewsGilliland,1999). For example, a measure of cardiovascular activity is sometimes used to measure arousal differences between introverts and extraverts. However, the cardiovascular system has a considerable interaction with the respiratory system which could be a confounding variable in this experiment (ibid). It is very difficult for scientists to exclude all confounding variables and reach a valid result, hence it is difficult to verify the relationship between arousability of brain and personality traits. Nevertheless, further experiments carried out by other psychologists offer evidence that Eysenck’s biological theory was not as well substantiated as predicted. To illustrate, associations between extraversion and t onic measures of central nervous system and automatic nervous system arousal are actually much weaker than that were expected from Eysenck’s prediction (ibid.). It is worth considering, therefore, whether there is any other more important factor giving rise to the differences between extraverts and introverts apart from arousability of cortex as proposed by Eysenck. While the genetic account of personality theory proposed by Eysenck (1985) has remained purely theoretical and is difficult to substantiate, more recent research on twin studies also reveals that personality could largely be influenced by genetic factors (Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996). Twins can be divided into two types: monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins. Monozygotic twins come from the same fertilized egg and are, therefore genetically identical. Dizygotic twins refer to twins who come from two separate fertilized eggs and only share half of their genetics. In the study of influence of genetics and environments on personality, twin studies prove to be an important strand of research (Bouchard, 2001). Because MZ twins shared exactly the same genes, it is reasonable to assume that any variation in their personality could be attributed to environmental differences in their upbringing, which indicates, to a certain extent, the possible envi ronmental influence on personality. Meanwhile, DZ twins shared only half of identical genes and most of them are raised in the same environment. Their personality differences could largely be a result of genetic variations instead of environmental influence. In 1989, Eaves et al. carried out twin studies using the â€Å"Gigantic Three†(Eysenck, 1985) as three major personality dimensions and differences between twins’ personality traits( Neuroticism, Extraversion and Psychoticism) were thus investigated. Twin meta-analysis suggested a nearly zero correlation between shared environments and twins’ personality traits for all three traits, while correlation for MZ was twice that for DZ, indicating that genes play an important role in this difference. Eaves et al. then used falconer heritability to describe the heritability of a personality trait based on the difference between twin studies. The Falconer heritability for Extraversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism wa s 0.58, 0.44 and 0.46 respectively, which means around half of one’s personality traits could be inherited from parents (BouchardLoehlin, 2001). While Eysenck (1985) described personality traits according to his â€Å"Gigant three † and proposed a genetic account for them. Costa and McCare (1992) proposed an alternative personality trait theory: â€Å"the Big Five† which classifies personality trait into Extroversion, Neuroticism, openness to experiences, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Neuroticism can be described as the tendency to experience negative emotions, notably anxiety, depression and anger. Extraversion refers to high activity, the experience of positive emotions, impulsiveness, assertiveness and a tendency towards social behavior. Openness to experience represents the tendency to engage in intellectual activities and experience new sensations and ideas. Agreeableness refers to friendly, considerate and modest behavior. Conscientiousness is associated with proactivity, responsibility and self-discipline (Costa McCare, 1992, p.xx). There are psychologists, however, who suggested that the â€Å"Big five model† is a more robust and superior interpretation of personality traits compared to â€Å"Gigantic three†, as it could include wider personality scales in the input data(AzizJackson,2000) and more scientifically acceptable nowadays. Similar twin study of â€Å"the Big five† rather than â€Å"the Gigantic Three† was conducted. Those studies yielded similar results as those for the Giant three (Waller,1999 ; Jang et al., 1996a ; Riemann et al ., 1997), stating that around 40 per cent to 60 per cent personality traits was influenced by genes and the rest of them most influenced by non-shared environment(also 40-60 per cent). Although twin studies(Eave et al., 1989; Bouchard, 1997; Waller, 1999; Jang et al., 1996) has provided a relatively convincing answer for the question to what extent do genes influence one’s personality, studies from different researchers have not always provided consistent results (BouchardLoehlin, 2001). Furthermore, a main limitation of all twin studies is that MZ twins can not be treated as a homogenous group. MZ twins can be further divided into two types: monochorionic MZ twins who share the same placenta and amniotic sac and dichorionic MZ twins who do not. Sharing the same placenta means the twins have the same prenatal environment, which could lead to their higher correlation in personality traits. However, this high correlation was not resulted from similarity of genes but the same prenatal environment. This could be a large confounding variable of twin studies, giving rise to larger proportion of genetic accounts than reality. REF In conclusion, both Eysenck’s biological basis of personality theory and twin studies have revealed that genetics can play an essential role in the formation of one’s personality. However, limitations of these theories and experiments exist and cannot be excluded due to difficulties of current technology. On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that the extent of influence of genes and environment have on personality could be different depending on individuals. For example, people in adverse situations are more likely to change their personalities sharply, while those without big change happened in their lives could keep relative constant personalities. Nevertheless, it is still very difficult to draw a valid conclusion; more research needs to be conducted in this field in the future in order to draw a more valid conclusion. References Chamorro-premuzic, T. (2011). Personality and individual differences (2nd ed.) 46-48. Blackwell: Sussex. Eysenck,H.J.(1981): General features of the modal. In H.J. Eysenck(Ed). A model for personality. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Eaves, L.J., Eysenck, H.J., and Martin, N.G.(1989). Genes, culture and personality: An Empirical Approach, Academic Press, New York. Eysenck, H. J., and Eysenck, M. W. (1985).Personality and individual differences, Plenum, New York. Matthews, G and Gilliland, K (1999). The personality theories of H.J. Eysenck and J.A. Gray: a comparative review Personality and Individual differences 26(1999) 583-626 Riemann, R., Angleitner, A., and Strelau, J. (1997). Genetic and environmental influences on personality: A study of twins reared together using the self- and peer report NEO-FFI scales. J. Personal. 65:449– 475. Tomas J. Bouchard, Jr.,and John C. Loehlin (2001). Gens, Evolution, and Personality. Behavior Genetics. Vol 31 No. 3. Waller, N. G. (1999). Evaluating the structure of personality. In Cloninger, C. R. (ed.), Personality and Psychopathology, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, pp. 155–197 Schuett W, Dall SRX, Wilson AJ, Royle NJ. (2013) Environmental transmission of a personality trait: foster parent exploration behaviour predicts offspring exploration behaviour in zebra finches. Biol Lett 9:20130120.http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0120 Jang, K. L., Livesley, W. J., and Vernon, P. A. (1996a). Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study. J. Personal. 64:577–591.

Blood Diamond Essay

The realization that there is always something bad mixed with good hit her like a tornado as she watched the movie Blood Diamond. Unconsciously she fingered the stone on her finger and wished she had not worn it. She had to blink back the tears stinging her eyes as she saw children being put to work at alluvial mines, and other workers being amputated and killed for sport. I almost choked with guilt when I remembered how I had gaily remarked, ‘Diamonds are forever,’ when my friend showed me the diamond ring her boyfriend had gotten her. We were not giggling anymore when we saw a World Vision quote†¦ ‘amputation is forever. ’ On seeing the movie, we decided that we had to do something about the conflict diamond issue. We felt so bad about not getting information concerning the origin off the diamond my friend wore, we would never know for sure whether it was a conflict diamond or not. Blood diamond and conflict diamonds are more or less synonymous terms. The UN defines a conflict diamond as a â€Å"diamond whose origin is an area which is controlled by forces that are opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments. The diamonds are used to finance military action to oppose the government of the day or to contravene the decisions of security council (UN,www. un. org/peace/Africa/Diamond html) Most of these diamonds have their origin in Africa with countries like Sierra leone, Liberia, Angola and DR Congo being among those most affected. Though diamonds are mined in Liberia, it offers more of a marketing and ‘supporting point’ role for the Blood Diamond trade. Civil wars in Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone are funded with diamonds that have been smuggled into Liberia which are later sold and the cash is used to purchase ammunition, guns and other weapons. Liberia has imposed some violence of its own lasting 8 years killing around 200,000and displaying thousands more (Stop Blood Diamond Organization, 2007). Reports by Amnesty International and Global Witness show that there are areas in Liberia where diamond are still mined and traded which are controlled by rebels. Worse, these have been report of links between the infamous alqaida and Liberia (Amnesty USA,2007). The 9/11 attacks have been linked to funds and weapons associated with the diamond mines of Sierra Leone. The diamonds are usually mined by civilians who are used as slaves after being caught as prisoners. The civilians, children included, work in poor conditions and are punished brutally for the slightest error. Killing for sport and amputation are regular occurrences. (Stop Blood Diamonds Organization, 2007). Some of the abducted children eventually become child soldiers. John Lahia, a 15 year old child soldier was among the victims of the war that has led to starvation, disease and war wounds for many refugees. He was wounded by an exploding rocket-propelled geradeand died of a tetanus infection, far away from medical aid that would have otherwise saved his life. The Revolutionary United Front(RUF) medics left him lying in a backwater hospital with his wounds taped for lack of better medical means to treat him. This too will be the likely fate of other combatants and all this because of the greed for diamond (Campbell,2007). A sure way to eradicate conflict diamond is to end conflict areas. Peacekeeping that aims at apprehension and removal of rebels without violation of human rights of civilians can be used to achieve this. Inernational agencies need to focus on ending hostilities so diamond production can return to the hands of the government; this will enable the countries in question to benefit from rather than be torn apart by their diamond mines. In 1999, the UN deployed a mission to deal with the problem of conflict diamonds. The Kimberly cerrtification scheme requires provision of a certificate of origin for diamonds. The aim is to cut off flow of diamonds from illegitimate sources. This process however has several shortcomings. The certificates can be forged, many diamonds can be smuggled into a dean country and even when certificates are real the officials may have been bribed. This is a reality especially because in most of the war torn countries poverty and suffering are rife. Most people will only be too glad to line their pockets with the bribes offered. Sensitizing the American Public on issues to do with conflict diamonds is another strategy. This has already began especially in the entertainment industry with such movies as Dicaprios Blood Dianond and James Bond Die another Day and Kanye West’s song, ‘Diamond are Forever’. Further flooding of the public with more information through as many avenues as possible will ensure that people are aware of the origin and human terror and suffering that comes with some diamonds. This will in turn create a low market for the diamonds, slowing down the flux of diamonds into the country. In the present situation, supply of diamond and human suffering in the country of origin have a direct correlation, decreasing supply from illegitimate sources will consequently lead to a decrease in suffering of the Africa children and civilians affected. US contributes 70%of the worlds diamond trade making it a leading customer of diamond. (VOA News, 2007). The US therefore has a role in spearheading the fight against conflict diamond. The government should insist on strengthening the Kimberley process and the Clean Diamond Trade Act. By providing more forceful support, technical aid and financial aid. African countries can be assisted to develop the Kimbeley process such that its effect is felt by the corrupt officials and rebels overseeing mining of blood diamond. The Government Accountability office has had several proposal which include spot checks of diamond companies and tracking of rough diamonds inside and outside the country of origin. (Globalwitness, 2007). These need application and immediate application. Regular checking of the progress of US wagh diamond trade statistics Is an important evaluation tool for the effect of blood diamond and assessment of how the problem is being combated. Though my friend and I are not sure of the origins of the diamond she wears on her finger we are more knowledgeable about conflict diamonds. As a result our circle of friends also know more and now most of our college is no longer ignorant about the issue. Through our campaigns we encourage people to ask about the origin of the diaomonds they are just about to buy. This means that as a nation we are thinking about and doing something in consideration of the people whose lives have been lost in the diamond trade. REFERENCES Amnesty USA Conflict Diamond retrived from www. amnestyusa. org/new/doc/diamonds-survey-text. pdf Campbell G. Blood Diamonds, Amnesty Magazine retrieved from www. amnestyusa. org/amnestynw/diamond s. html Conflict Diamond retrieved from Www. un. org/peace/Africa/Diamond. html Globalwitness, Combating conflict Diamonds,retrieved Sep 1 2007 from http://www. globalwitness. orga/pages/en/conflictdiamonds. html Stop Blood Diamond Organization, Stop Blood Diamond, conflict Diamond in Africa retrieved from www. stopblooddiamonds. org/children-of-Africa. asp VOA News US cogress Tackle Blood Diamond trade retrieved sep 1, 2007 from www. voanews. can/english/archive/2002-02/a-2002-02-4-2-us. cfm. World vision, Stop the Trade in Blood Diamond, retrieved sep 1 2007 from Worldvision. org/worldvision/stable/globalissues-conflictdiamond.

A Clean Well Lighted Place- Ernest Hemmingway Summary

â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† Theme Analysis â€Å"I wouldn't want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing. † â€Å"Not always. This old man is clean. He drinks without spilling. Even now, drunk. Look at him. † -Ernest Hemmingway The story written by Ernest Hemmingway tells of a deaf old man who is in conversation with others at a cafe in the late night hours. The others in the story’s setting share a significant difference of age and opinion. It seems they depict their ages as stages of life. The story contains a lot of noteworthy symbols, behaviors and decisions that give us hints as to what the story is supposed to represent. Characters within the story are divided into four age groups, each having different characteristics and behaviors, however all waiting for their time to in which they face the inevitable and depart from the physical realm of living and into what follows. The old man is described as a deaf and depressed man who tried to take his life away a week prior the story’s setting. It is said in the story the man is financially stable and is a frequent guest in the cafe that is well lighted and clean, unlike bars or bodegas . The story also is able to show the old man’s loneliness, sadness, and distress. Also, the waiters are sharing significant differences between them; the young waiter is in a hurry to leave work and go home to his wife, he is unsympathetic for the old man, he shows a disliking to him, and displays disgust towards the idea of getting old and the old man himself. It seems as if the young bartender has no appreciation for the old man life and holds no regard to it. Unlike the older bartender who tries to understand the old man’s condition and is curious of his suicide attempt. The older waiter himself is not in the hurry, after leaving work he goes to the bar to get a drink and then finally falls asleep upon the dawn. The last characters, however not as significant but symbolic, are a young soldier and a young girl who are just strolling through the street at night. The story reveals interesting patterns based on the age of characters. The young couple strolling through the street at night gives us as an image of how young people are free and independent. Having their whole life in front of them, they explore their surroundings, strive for new experiences and enjoy life without taking a break to stop and think where it is leading. The young bartender is a described to be in the next level in life. He is probably one or perhaps two decades older then the soldier and young girl. Hemmingway gives us indirect hints of the characteristics in which a middle stage life in an adult would exhibit. The young bartender is in a hurry to leave the cafe and go home to his wife. â€Å"I wouldn’t want to be that old† he says during the dialog with another bartender. At some point, upset about having to serve the old man who prevents him to close up the cafe and go home he even says, â€Å"He should have killed himself last week. † It shows how this character is captivated by own needs and wants. It shows his life as having purpose or meaning, time for himself, and an outlook for the future of him and his family. Perhaps, at this point of life, Hemmingway tries to tell us that people are confined within their own personal spaces, living a fast-paced life and trying to accomplish as much as possible with no little regard towards others. They do not look towards life’s philosophy and take that approach very lightly carefully avoiding the truth behind life, because they’re simply disgusted by it. Conceivably, materialistic good is a measure of happiness at that age. The conversation between him and the other bartender reveals that in his mind despair over life couldn’t be caused by anything but money. When the older bartender tells him he’s got everything – confidence, youth and work, the young bartender simply replies â€Å"Come on. Stop talking nonsense. . . .† The older bartender, no doubt, is closer emotionally to the old man. He is far from being in a hurry. The sight of the financially well old man who frequently stays until the last possible drink at the cafe, and has tried to commit suicide week before captivates him. In a way he can relate to the old man, and views him as someone who, like him, has contributed his time and life by years. He questions the younger bartender about circumstances around his suicide attempt as well as trying to defend the old man from arrogant opinions expressed by his co-worker. Why didn’t you let him stay and drink? † the old waiter asks the younger bartender when he refused to serve the old man anymore even though the time for closing was an hour away. Then he concludes â€Å"I am of those who do not want to go to bed. [I am] with all those who need a light for the night . . . We are two of different kinds. † The author leaves it to our imagination to interpret what the bartender mea nt by the â€Å"light† for the night however the distinction between two characters that is linked to their age is significant. The older waiter is slowly getting through the stage of life preceding that of the old lonely man. The â€Å"light† might be a symbol for the hope or motivation for the life to continue. Younger characters of the story did not have a need for that hope as they had everything – confidence, youth, work and most importantly – the time. The old man is the most important figure in the story. Even though he is not part of conversation and does not say more than simple words, he is a symbol of the last stage of one’s life. Hemmingway shows that stage as depressing, a lonely time in one’s life. He shows the old man as having realized the meaningless of life, the old man’s need to move on. The suicide attempt was significant as well as the fact that the old man was deaf, because it shows the man’s loneliness, his need to be with others, and is desperate attempt to end the silence, he feels he is confined to his own lonely thoughts by being deaf and wants nothing more than to end the silence with death, because death or life means nothing to him. The story is constructed in a very enlightening way; by including the different age groups and the different opinions of life and its worth to others. It is interesting to see the contrasting views of the individuals as they journey through life and all its experiences. Take the epigraph above; it shows to vivid contrast between the old and the young bartender. The young bartender shows his disgust in getting old, and his avoidance of it, while the old bartender in his quote shares his appreciation for maturity and the life’s worth. It is something to take from this story that as we all live to understand life and its meaning with different views and opinions, we share one thing in common and that is the inevitable.