What is a Training Contract?

What is a Training Contract? To be a successful solicitor, you will need more than legal knowledge to ace your exams and plunge to the challenging world of law. You will also need to have a substantial training period. As aspiring solicitors, you need to start preparing to apply to training contracts. Currently, it is normal for students to start applying for training contracts in the second year of their LLB (their Law Degree program) or the final year of their non-law degree. However, the recent change to the Graduate Recruitment Code means law students may soon start applying in their first year of the university. The training contract, or period of recognised training, is the final stage on the path to qualifying as a solicitor. This period enables you to understand the practical implications of the law as well as developing your skills required in law practice. It is the stage where you put into practice what you learnt so far, and develop these still further within a working environment. You will have an opportunity to harness your commercial and financial awareness, negotiation skills, drafting, advocacy and client care skills. The training contract is usually a two-year period spent working at a law firm. Trainees in larger firms spend for blocks of six months each in different departments (they are usually called as seats). While in smaller firms, the training will not be so structured although the trainees will need to cover at least three areas of work. Your contract of employment Your relationship to your employer is that of apprenticeship, regulated by the SRA, to make you apply the skills you learn at the earlier stages into practice is a real, supervised environment. Hence your contract cannot be easily terminated by your employer unless there is a serious misconduct, you are so incapacitated that allow you not to be trained properly by the firm, or the business has been changed or closed. Training contracts often have a cancellation clause (like the inability to complete GDL or LPC). However, cases wherein trainees being fired by their employers are quite rare. Trainees must complete the Professional Skill Course, which the firm has to pay the course fees. The PSC will enable them to be fully qualified solicitors. This course is split into three modules: advocacy and communication skills, client care and professional standards, and financial and business skills. Aspiring solicitors must also be aware that SRA is considering a single central exam the Solicitors Qualifying Examination to be taken at the end of the training contract. What you need to learn During the training period, the SRA requires your firm to provide practical experience in at least three areas of English and Welsh law and practice. This apprenticeship provides the trainee solicitors avenues to develop and apply practical skills, which they will need as qualified solicitors. The trainees should develop the skills through the mixture of the following activities: Completing work and tasks by themselves; Assisting others; Observing experienced practitioners. Advocacy and oral presentation On completing the training period, trainee solicitors should be competent to exercise the rights of audience available to solicitors in admission. The trainees must be able to fully grasp the skills required to prepare, conduct, and present a case. Case and transaction management The trainee solicitors must acquire the skills in managing and running a case or transaction. To develop these skills, trainees should work on large cases or transactions as members of a team, or they should be given smaller transactions that they run by themselves. Client care and practice support To be able to deal with the strenuous demand of solicitors life, trainees should develop skills necessary to manage time, resources, and effort. They need to develop good working habits. Communication skills Through the apprenticeship, trainee solicitors should understand the importance of refined communication skills so that they can present oral and written presentation in a way that achieves its purpose. Dispute resolution Trainees should gain a full understanding of the skills and practice necessary in resolving disputes, including settling, mediation, and adjudication. in a fair, cost-effective, and timely manner that meets the clients needs. Trainees can develop these skills by attending tribunal hearings or alternative dispute resolution, meetings, and assisting with the preparation of cases. Drafting The trainees should develop the skills that enable them to produce clear, concise, and precise documents that achieve their purpose. Interviewing and advising This training experience will also help the trainee solicitors understand the importance of identifying their clients goal along with taking accurate instructions. They should experience observing and conducting interviews with clients, experts, witnesses, and others. Legal research Trainees should learn to find solutions by investigating the factual and legal issues, analysing problems, and communicating the results of their research. Negotiation By being given a chance a to observe negotiations conducted by experienced practitioners and/or conducting negotiations under close supervision, trainees will be able to understand the processes involved in contentious and non-contentious negotiations. They will also value the importance to the client or reach an agreement or solve the dispute. Other than the above-given skills needed, it is also important to note that the apprenticeship program can help develop the trainees character, which will make them suitable to practice law. Successful completion of training contracts does not necessarily guarantee a job offer, although the majority of the trainee solicitors work in the firms where they conduct their period of recognised training. Payment to Trainees All trainee solicitors receive a salary, but this varies depending on the firm and location. From August 2014, SRA announced that companies are required to pay the trainees the national minimum wage; however, may trainee solicitors receive more than the national minimum wage. Law firms particularly the larger ones offer to cover the cost of the LPC and/or GDL tuition fees, with some even providing support for living costs. In conclusion, the apprenticeship must be seen as a period to learn about several areas of practice and at the same time to find your spot in this competitive profession. Industrialization as an Engine of Economic Growth: India Industrialization as an Engine of Economic Growth: India A Case Study of India Introduction The process of Industrialization is considered at the core of economic growth in any economy and it is critical for development and progress. Since the Industrial Revolution, secondary sector development is regarded important for mass production, provision of employment opportunities, gaining advantage of technological advancements. The development of industrial sector has had spillover effects and brought about innovative solutions for other sectors as well such as agriculture, infrastructural development, trade and even the service sector. Thus, industrialization is considered as the ultimate engine of economic growth in an economy. This essay aims to provide insight into why Industrialization is critical for economic growth and how it results in creating development prospects in an economy. The essay will begin with exploring literature that highlights that Industrialization improves the GDP growth rate in an economy and absorbs labor surpluses created by other sectors of the econ omy. Literature also shed light on the popular Lewis Model. The essay then follows by presenting the case of India and how Industrialization has led to economic growth in India. The essay however pays little focus on the role of primary and tertiary sectors in the growth of economy. Industrialization as an Engine of Economic Growth: Literature Review Industrialization and its significance have been discussed by various scholars since the Industrial Revolution. While the debate has been taken to various fields of study, it is frequently mentioned in Economics to discuss the structural changes and the resultant economic effects it has caused. A large pool of literature has consensus over the stance that Industrialization is critical for development. Various scholars tend to prove their stance with the help of empirical analysis carried out in both developed and developing country. The core model supporting this stance was introduced by Arthur Lewis in 1950s in which explains why economies should shift from agricultural base to an industrial base. Lewis presented his theory of Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labor and claimed that as the agricultural sector of the economy experiences labor surplus and low productivity, an economy should shift these surpluses to the industrial sector (Ranis, 2004). The growing manufacturing se ctor of the economy will tend to offer higher wages to the unemployed to provide them with an incentive to shift towards the manufacturing sector as well as to compensate them for the expenditures of moving to urban areas. Thus, the resultant increase in productivity and capital accumulation will lead to growth of industrial sector and this will generate sufficient employment opportunities to absorb unemployment in other sectors of the economy (Guru, 2016). Lewiss model however, assumes that all the wages provided are used up and all the profit earned is reinvested. Thus, this would lead to expansion of the industrial sector. Conclusively, saving and investments as a ratio of national income in an economy will tend to rise, leading to growth and development in an economy (Guru, 2016). Lewis aims to directly address the issue of development through proposing the expansion of industrial sector. However, the theory is subject to various loopholes. Lewiss model is criticized for ignoring the surplus absorption capacity of the agriculture sector. Guru (2016) argues that developing nations like China and Bangladesh have an increasing population rate so the shift of labour from agriculture to manufacturing or smaller fraction of total population being employed in agriculture is difficult in labour surplus economies. Hence, development of agrarian sector through capital accumulation, reforms and technological advancement will generate opportunities within the sector to absorb any surpluses (Guru, 2016). Criticism however, still fails to undermine the contribution of the Lewis Model in Development Economics. Industrialization still tends to be the key towards development in various economies of the world. Supporting the Lewis Model, various scholars tend to highlight the role of industrial development in the economic growth of a country. Syrquin Chenery (1989) attribute increasing growth rates to the manufacturing sector development in a particular economy. They argue that an increase in industrial output (resulting from greater demand) will lead to GDP growth as well as improved labor productivity (Syrquin Chenery, 1989). A wide range of scholars also tend to acknowlege technological advancement and its role in evident structral changes. It is argued that less profitbale and productive sectors are replaced with more efficient ones in the contemporary era. In order to ehance aggregate productivity, technological change is considered to be the core of economic growth. Thus, scholars like Kaldor (1970) and Cornwall (1977), refering back to Industrial Revolution where technology revived the manufacturing sector, argue that improvements and growth in the manufacturing sector are the cor e drivers of economic growth. Technological advancement did not only improve the manufacturing sector, but also led to productivity improvements in various other sectors of the economy. For e.g. manufacturing of tractors brings imrpovement in the agricultural sector. Thus, technological advancement has been directly linked with industrial development and economic growth. Advocates of the aforementioned argument also tend to support their stance by examining the impact of industrialization on poverty and income inequality through empirical analysis. Bourguignon Morrison (1998), identified removal of trade protection in manufacturing sector as the reason for reduction in the income of the richest 20 percent and increse in the income of poorest 60 percent, in 35 developing countries of the world. Likewise, Dollar Kraay (2004) found a strong correlation between variations in trade volumes and, growth and inequality. This can be explained such that as the manufacturing sector imrpoves it production volumes, it earns more which can be reinvested. Reinvestment leads to better incomes and employment opportunities for the poor bridging the inequality and making poor better off. Opposing school of thought however have been trying to reinstate the importance of agricultural sector in the economies. An empirical study by Awokuse (2009) suggests that agriculture is a driver of economic growth such that agricultural produce leads to trade openess which has positive impact on GDP per capital. Thus, Awokuse (2009) argues that resource allocation and infrasturcture development should be carried out targeting agricultural improvements in an economy. Similarly, opposing school also favour the development of tertiary sector in order to undermine the importance of secondary sector in the economy. Park Noland (2013) argue that service sector can serve as the new engine of economic growth in an economy specifically in asian economies, as an analysis of 12 asian economies already indicated that service sector has contributed to the growth of the economies in the past (Park Noland, 2013). However, Szirmai Verspagen (2010) rule out their findings and claim that manufacturing sector is still important than any other sector in a country in the contemporary era. His empirical findings were inline with the engine of growth hypothesis and illustrate that manufacturing sector has the biggest share in the economic growth of a country and this impact is more prominent in poorer economies. Conclusively, majority of the scholarly pool of knowledeg supports the fact that countries shall inustrialise in order to develop. Industrialisation and Development in India South-Asian countries have been traditionally known to be export oriented particulrary in manufacturing products. Most of the Asian economies have been known for shifting from agrarian base to industrial base in order to develop. This has been inevitably true in the case of China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan etc. India however, has been known for its strong industrial base and its Industrialisation led strategy of development and economic growth. Since Indias adoption of liberalisation policy in 1991, multiple opportunities for investment have attracted various foreign investors. The government ensured that projects were approved quickly and moreover 34 industrial sectors were allowed automatic approval of projects. The investment was focused on the industrial sector and thus, has majorly contributed towards manufacturing sector growth. There was also relaxation in the percentage of ownership to be held by foreign actors. This led to various industrial project initiation in the sectors like automobiles, infrastructure, computer softwares etc. Indias liberalization policy had been so successful that its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) climbed up from being $170 million during 1991-1992 to $1.3 billion in 1994-1995. Since the last century India has been attracting $10 billion of FDI annually, most of which are for industrial projects. Hence, India;s FDI is approximately 25 times more than what it was before adoption of liberati on policy (Hambrock Hauptmann, 1999). Undoubtedly, Indias liberalization policy led to a major structural shift in the economy. The role of Industrial sector in the economy was enhanced and it ultimately led to development and economic growth. Kniivila (2007) reports that India has undertaken huge structural change since the last 40 years where the contribution of agriculture value added to GDP has gone down from being 45% in 1965 to 19% in 2005. Despite of this, the overall growth rates in the economy have risen mainly attributing to the growth in manufacturing sector. The growth rate of manufaturing industry value added averaged at 6.6% between 1980 and 2002 while the growth in agriculture was just 2.8% (Kniivila, 2007). Thus, this growth has brought various benefits to the country. The most evident trend in India has been the increase in trade flows. During the period 1991-2002, Indias gross trade flows trippled with trade-GDP ration rising from 21.3% to 33.1%. A major contributor to this was merchandise exports that grew by 145% (Kelkar, 2004). Manufacturing sector has a major proportion in the merchandise exports of the country. While it accounted for 43% of merchandise export in 1962, it trippled by 2003 (Figure 1). 11% of the total merchandise exports consisted of food exports in 2003. Other important manufacturings included textiles, clothing, gems, chemicals, drugs and dyes and automobile components (Kelkar, 2004). Thus, since the liberalization policy, he industrial portfolio of India has not only widened but has also brought about spill over benefit for the economy by improving the wages of basic level employees and increasign the national income through volumnous trading. While the industrialization process has improved economic growth in India, it simultaneously reduced the risk of growth volatility such that since 1980s the standard deviation of GDP growth has fallen down to 1.9% (Kelkar, 2004). An important reason for this is the rise of industries and decrease in the contribution of agriculture sector in national income. While Industrialisation has developed the national economy of India, it has also served to improve the living standards of the population addressing the issues faced by the poor population. Since the structural shift towards Industrialisation, the Indian government reports that the employmnet rates have gone up and the percentage of poor in the total population of the country as falledn from 45.7% in 1983 to 27.1% in 2000 in rural areas whereas it has fallen from 40.8% to 23.6% in urban areas. Overall, the poverty line of the country declined from 44.5% to 26.1%, which can mainly be attributed to the better earnings and living sta ndards of the poor resulting in better welfare for them. According to Mishra Kumar (2005), trade liberalization resulting in enhacement of industrial sector has decreased wage inequality in manufacturing. Sectors marked by tarriff reductions experienced wage increments. Because mostly the tarrif reductions were imposed in sectors with great number of unskilled labor, these sectors were marked by increasing wages an thus, it led to increase in inome levels of poor unskilled labour (Mishra Kumar, 2005). However, a significant loophole of liberalisation policy in India has been its biasness in implementation. It is to be noted that reforms for the manufacturing sector depended upon their location and level of technological advancement. While liberalization attempted to inroduce innovation and growth in industries, it mainly trageted industries with scope in technological advancement. Moreover, some industries that were labour intensive were prevented from introduction of innovation so that it does not lead to unemployment. This, restricted te spill over effects of industrialization in some areas and hence led to inequality. However, at large industrialization prominently improves the economic conditions of India. In support of theory, it has also been empirically tested that Industrialisation has served as an important engine of growth in India. Chakarvarty Mitra (2009) carried out empirical analysis and concluded on the basis of VAR analysis that manufacturing sector is one of th emain stimulator o growth in India and many economic activities in India are becomign dependent upon industries. Similarly, Kathuria, et al., (2013) examined the growth in manufacturing sector and output in Indian states and concluded that manufacturing is still an important for growth in India. Hence, the case of India clearly depicts that boost in the industrial sector has been the major driver of economic growth in India since 1991. Technological advancements have been balanced out with Industrial growth to imrpove the economic state of the country. Thus, Industrialisation is the engine of economic growth in India. Conclusion Conclusively, we have established that Industrialization and Manufacturing sector growth is the ultimate engine of economic growth. It helps in curbing inequalities by improving the wages of the poor unskilled labor force and also tends to improve the trade volume of the economy. This has been inevitable in the case of India. Post-Liberalization manufacturing sector development has brought about major benefits for India. Industrialization has resulted in consistent growth, increase in productivity and exports, and reduced level of poverty. This has certainly led to development at a phenomenal rate in India. Hence, Industrialization has served as the driver of economic growth in India, being in line with the Lewis Model. This has not only been proved theoretically but also empirically by Chakarvarty Mitra (2009) and Kathuria, et al., (2013). A few development challenges still faced by India attribute to the loopholes in the legal and justice system, and massive regulations in the lab or market. However, Industrialization has seemingly solved most of the development challenges in India. Figure 1. Export of Commodities in India 1988-2003 Source: Kniivila (2007) Awokuse, T. O., 2009. Does Agriculture Really Matter for Economic Growth in Developing Countries? , s.l.: University of Delaware: Department of Food Resource Economics. Bourguignon, F. Morrison, C., 1998. Inequality and Development: Role of Dualism. Journal of Development Economics, Volume 57, pp. 233-257. Chakarvarty, S. Mitra, A., 2009. Is industry still the engine of growth? An econometric study of the organized sector employment in India. Journal of Policy Modeling, 31(1), pp. 22-35. Cornwall, J., 1977. Modern Capitalism: Its Growth and Transformation. s.l.:Martin Robertson. Dollar, D. Kraay, A., 2004. Trade, Growth and Poverty. The Economic Journal, February, 114(493), pp. F22-F49. Guru, S., 2016. The Lewis Model of Development with Unlimited Labour Supply. [Online] Available at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/economics/the-lewis-model-of-development-with-unlimited-labour-supply-2/38290/ Hambrock, J. Hauptmann, S., 1999. Industrialiation in India. [Online] Available at: https://www.tcd.ie/Economics/assets/pdf/SER/1999/Hambrock_Hauptman.pdf Kaldor, N., 1970. The Case of Regional Policies. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, November, 17(3), pp. 337-348. Kathuria, V., Raj, S. R. Sen, K., 2013. The effects of economic reforms on manufacturing dualism: Evidence from India. Journal of Comparitive Economics, Volume 41, pp. 1240-1262. Kelkar, V. L., 2004. India: On the Growth Turnpike, Canberra: Narayan Oration, ANU. Kniivila, M., 2007. Industrial Developemnt and Economic Growth: Implications for Poverty Reduction and Income Inequality. In: Industrial Development for 21st Century: Sustainable Development. New York: UN, pp. 295-332. Mishra, P. Kumar, U., 2005. Trade Liberalization and Wage Inequality: Evidence from India, s.l.: IMF. Park, D. Noland, M., 2013. Developing the Service Sector as the Engine of Economic Growth, Mandaluyong City: Asian Development Bank. Ranis, G., 2004. econ.yale.edu. [Online] Available at: http://www.econ.yale.edu/growth_pdf/cdp891.pdf Syrquin, M. Chenery, H., 1989. Three Decades of Industrialization. The World bank Economic Review, May, 3(2), pp. 145-181. Szirmai, A. Verspagen, B., 2010. Is Manufacturing Still an Engine of Growth in Developing Countries?, s.l.: The International Association for Research in Income and Wealth.

The Namesake Clash of Culture

The thing about The Namesake is not that it is a great movie (although most avid movie-goers will be satisfied), but that it treats universal themes with such clarity that anyone who has been through the experience of leaving one’s land should be able to relate, even if not from India. Directed by Mira Nair and with Kal Penn leading a great cast, the movie follows the lives of an Indian couple coming to New York in the 70s and raising children in this context.I have a number of friends that are second generation to Indian immigrants for which reason I believe my understanding of their culture is above average, but even if that was not the case I’m sure these themes would not be lost on me: Abandoning the comfort of family life in the quest for better opportunities Struggling to make a living without help, in a culture where all values are different All the sacrifices that parents make for the sake of their children.I’ve always said that migration is cruel to our ancestors but selfless to our children. The agony of loosing loved ones being far away and the constant fight with the irrational thought that it could be avoided. The temptation of multiracial relationships The intimacy of the father/son dialog when the entire future of their lineage depends on them The cultural pride that one feels even after leaving the country behind, assuming all great achievements from our people as our own.In many ocassions this only happens once we leave our countries. The quiet professional triumph that occurs almost in the background to all the other events in our lives. The crude attempt to follow tradition even if this means to butcher them once in a while The cultural mix that is driven by well adapted â€Å"second generation† kids and their loose interpretation of their heritage in the context of their daily lives. Go see it or continue reading the chatter at one of the Indian blogs I follow.

Thank You, Esther Forbes Free Essay Example, 750 words

ï » ¿List of Names Louse Forbes was an American novelist, children's writer, and a historian. She is well known for works such a Mirror of Witches, Paul Revere and the World He Lived in and the novel Johnny Tremain. Esther received the Newberry medal and the Pulitzer Prize during her time. Notably, she loved writing and that is why she is quoted in Paul Revere and the World He lived saying, note 54, "Most American Heroes of the Revolutionary are by now two men, the actual man, and the romantic image. Some are even three men-the actual man, the image, and the de-bunked remains’ Audrey Kathleen Hepburn was a British actress and later a humanitarian. She was acting during the Golden age of Hollywood and she was recognized highly as a fashion and film icon. To this date, Audrey is regarded as one of the best naturally beautiful women of all time. Further, the American Film Institute ranked her third in the greatest female screen legends list in American Cinema’s list and also is placed the Hall of Fame’s International Best Dressed List. Ernest Miller Hemmingway was an American journalist and an established author. We will write a custom essay sample on Thank You, Esther Forbes or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now He won a Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. He had written seven novels, six short story collections and two non-fiction books all of which he had published and are considered as American classics. Some of his popular works include The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old man and the Sea. Isaac Emmanuilovich Babel was a Russian literary translator, a playwright, a journalist and a short story writer. Babel produced several masterpieces of Russian Literature those include the Red Cavalry, Tales of Odessa, and Story of My Dovecote which are very popular. Notably, he was not uncritical of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union but he was later arrested and shot dead in 1940 after confessing that he had been a foreign spy and a Trotskyist terrorist. Gertrude Stein was a pioneer and member of the Modernist Literature movement and she is well known as an American plays, poetry and novels writer. In specific, she wrote the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas which was a literally best seller and that made her get attention as a mainstream literally figure. She was also regarded as a modernist art collector. Henry Green is best remembered as an English author who wrote the popular novels Loving and Party Going. Between 1905 and the year 1973, he was Henry Vincent Yorke's ‘nom de plume'. Greens novel’s, especially Living, Loving and Party going are considered basic works in the works of English in the Modernist Literature. The Flying Nun was an American sitcom produced for the book The Fifteenth Pelican in 1965. This series was showing on ABC from 1967 to 1970 and had 82 episodes. Johnny Tremain was an historical novel for the children written by Esther Forbes in 1943. It was set in Boston before and during the American Revolution outbreak. It had attention because of its themes of courtship, apprenticeship, human rights and sacrifice. The America Revolution is also known as the American War of Independence occurred in America between 1775 and 1783. It was a rebellion in which the North American colonies fought against the Great Britain, their Colonizers, and ended with the declaration of independent United States of America in 1776. The Newbery Medal popularly known as John Newbery Medal is a literally award that is given to the writer who uniquely contributes to the American literature for children. It is given by the American Library Association and is named after John Newbery. John Newbery was an English publisher who is also known by nickname as The Father of Children’s Literature. Notably, he was the one who established the children’s literature in the literary market. Chicago Cold-the writer refers to the extremely low temperatures that accompany the winter in Chicago. Actually, Chicago set record low temperatures of minus 9 degrees in 1896 . Thank You, Esther Forbes Summary Saunders, the writer of the article, Thank You, Esther Forbes assumes the position of grade three pupils at St. Damian School. This article is found in a collection The Bain Dead Megaphone by Saunders (57-64). In the story, as he likes one of the nuns who he describes as adorable and as having an Audrey Hepburn smile. The nun too liked the writer and one she gives him a book by Esther Forbes titled Johnny Tremain. the book interests the writer for two reasons, one, it talks about war and the writer talks about dreaming of leaving school to draft antiwar speeches, and secondly, it is the from the way the book is written, the sentences and its prose that are the subject of this article. In this article, the writer discusses effective sentence structures and prose that make creative writing attractive. It is from effective sentence structure that a story flows interestingly and makes reading attractive. Moreover, the writer compares Esther Forbes with other books he had read before th ose were uninteresting. The writer says that what distinguishes Esther Forbes book from other books was the language that was dense and efficient. According to Forbes, a sentence was supposed to be unique and not just a fact conveyer. Such well-structured sentences following each other enable the reader to put themselves in the imagined situation in the story and can actually feel it like it was real. This ability of sentences to make imagined situations feel like they exist is what makes Forbes book interesting. Notes

Profile of Harvey M. Robinson

The east side of Allentown, Pennsylvania had the reputation of being a nice, safe area for families to raise children. The residents in the area felt secure to walk their dogs, jog, and let their kids play out in the yards. All of that changed in the summer of 1992. The residents and police force of Allentown had a problem. For the first time, its east side residents were being stalked by a serial killer. A Killer Is Born Harvey M. Robinson was born on December 6, 1974. He grew up in a troubled family. His father, Harvey Rodriguez Robinson, was an alcoholic and physically and emotionally abusive towards his mother. By the time he was three, his parents were divorced. Harvey Rodriguez Robinson ended up going to prison for manslaughter after beating his mistress to death. The younger Harvey idolized his father, regardless of his abusive and criminal behavior. School Years At a very early age, young Harvey Robinson showed great athletic and academic potential. He won awards for his essays and was a fierce competitor in wrestling, soccer, football and various cross-country sports. However, as early as nine years old he demonstrated a dark side that diminished all of his positive accomplishments. School counselors determined that Robinson suffered from severe conduct disorder. As a child, he was known to throw tantrums. As he got older, he developed a quick temper and was unable to define between right and wrong. From the age of nine to 17, he filled up a rap sheet with numerous arrests including burglary and resisting arrest. He was also a known substance abuser, which added to his propensity towards impulsive aggressive behavior. He detested authority and lashed out at those who tried to control him including the police and his teachers. As he grew older, his threats intensified. Teachers and students were afraid of Robinson, and he liked it. Why Robinson began raping and murdering children and women is unknown, but as far as what is known for sure, it all started on August 9, 1992, when he was 17-years-old. First Victim At about 12:35 a.m. on August 5, 1992, Robinson burglarized the home of Joan Burghardt, 29, who lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a residential apartment complex on the east side of Allentown. He broke through the screen on the patio door, which was locked, and ripped just enough to slip his hand through the doorknob and open it. Burghardt reported the burglary and the missing $50 from a drawer in her bedroom dresser. Everything else seemed undisturbed. Four days later at around 11:30 a.m. on August 9, 1992, Burghardts neighbor telephoned the police to complain that Burghardts stereo had been on for three days and nights and that no one answered the doorbell. She also reported that the screen had been out of the window for three nights and during one of those nights she heard Burghardt screaming and banging the wall and sounds as if she was being beaten up. When the police arrived, they found Burghardt dead, lying on the living room floor. She had been severely beaten about the head. The autopsy revealed that Burghardt had been sexually assaulted and hit over the head at least 37 times, fracturing her skull and damaging her brain. She also had defensive injuries on both hands, indicating that she was alive during at least some of the attack. Seminal stains were found on a pair of shorts found at the scene, suggesting that a male had masturbated on them. Second Victim Charlotte Schmoyer, 15, was always diligent about delivering the Morning Call newspaper on her assigned route on the east side of Allentown. When she failed to deliver the paper on the morning of June 9, 1983, one of her customers scanned the street for the young carrier. She did not spot Schmoyer, but what she did see alarmed her enough to phone the police. Schmoyers newspaper cart was left unattended, for more than 30 minutes, in front of a neighbors house. When the police arrived, they found that the newspaper cart was half-filled with newspapers, and Schmoyers radio and the headset had been strewn on the ground between two houses. There were also finger streaks on the windowpane of the door to the nearby garage of one of the houses. Based on the scene the police concluded that Schmoyer had likely been abducted. The police began their search and found her bicycle abandoned along with some of her personal property. Within hours a tip came in, and investigators began searching a wooded area where they found blood, a shoe, and the body of Charlotte Schmoyer buried under a stack of logs. According to the autopsy report, Schmoyer was stabbed 22 times, and her throat was slashed. Also, there were cutting and scraping wounds in her neck area, indicating they were inflicted while the Schmoyer was conscious and her neck bent down. She had also been raped. Investigators were able to collect blood samples, a pubic hair and a head hair on Schmoyer that did not match her blood and hair. The evidence was later matched to Robinson through DNA. Burglary John and Denise Sam-Cali lived on the east side of Allentown, not far from where Schmoyer had been abducted. On June 17, 1993, Robinson burglarized their home while the couple was away for a few days. He had taken Johns gun collection, which was kept in a bag in the closet. Within days John bought three new guns, one of which he purchased for Denise for protection. The couple grew even more concerned about their safety after learning that someone had broken into their neighbors home and attacked their child. Third Victim On June 20, 1993, Robinson entered a womans home and choked and raped her five-year-old daughter. The child managed to live but based on her injuries it appeared that he had intended for her to die. Some theorized that he was actually after the childs mother, but when he found her sleeping with her partner, he attacked the child instead. Fourth Victim On June 28, 1993, John Sam-Cali was out of town, and Denise was alone. She awoke to the sounds Robinson was making from inside the walk-in closet near her bedroom. Frightened, she decided to try to run out of the house, but he grabbed her, and they struggled. She managed to get out of the house, but Robinson grabbed at her again and pinned her down onto the ground in the front yard. As the two fought, she was able to bite him on the inside of his arm. He repeatedly punched her, sliced her lip open and then raped her, however, her screams alerted a neighbor who turned on her porch light, and Robinson ran away. When the police arrived, they found Denise alive, but severely beaten, with strangulation marks around her neck, and her lip deeply slashed. They also found a butcher knife wrapped in a napkin lying outside the bathroom door. After recovering in the hospital, the Sam-Calis went out of town for a few days. Fifth Victim On July 14, 1993, Robinson raped and murdered Jessica Jean Fortney, 47, in the living room of her daughter and son-in-laws home. She was found dead, half-naked and her face was swollen and black. There was blood spatter on the wall indicating she had died a violent death. The autopsy revealed that Fortney died in the early morning hours after being strangled and severely beaten. It was also determined that she had been raped. What Robinson did not know was that Fortneys granddaughter had witnessed the killing and was able to give the police his description. Back to Finish the Job On July 18, 1993, the Sam-Calis returned home. Before going out of town, they had the house equipped with a burglar alarm. At about 4:00 a.m. Denise heard a noise in the house and then the back door opened, setting off the alarm and the intruder, Robinson, took off. After that, the Allentown police set up a sting operation and arranged for a police officer to stay in the Sam-Cali home every night. They thought the man who attacked her was coming back to kill her because she could identify him. Their hunch was right. Officer Brian Lewis was staked out inside the Sam-Cali home when at around 1:25 a.m. on July 31, 1993, Robinson returned to the house and tried to open doors. Lewis heard the noises, then watched as Robinson broke into the house through a window. Once he was entirely inside, Lewis identified himself as a police officer and told Robinson to halt. Robinson began shooting at Lewis and gunfire was exchanged. Lewis went to the Sam-Calis bedroom to warn the couple to stay inside the room. He then called for backup. In the meantime, Robinson escaped by breaking through several glass panels on a wooden door in the kitchen. The police found a blood trail in the kitchen and out the door. It looked like the intruder had been shot, or severely cut during his escape. The local hospitals were alerted. Caught A few hours later the police were called to the local hospital after Robinson showed up there to be treated for a gunshot wound. A physical exam of Robinson found that he had fresh wounds to his arms and legs indicative of being cut with glass as well as a bite mark on the inner part of his arm. Officer Lewis also identified Robinson as the man he encountered inside the Sam-Calis home. He was arrested on various charges including kidnapping, burglary, rape, attempted murder, and murder. Investigators built a large case against Robinson with DNA evidence, eyewitness accounts and physical evidence found at his home and the victims homes. It was a solid case. The jury found him guilty for raping and murdering Charlotte Schmoyer, Joan Burghardt, and Jessica Jean Fortney. He was sentenced to a combined 97 years in prison and three death sentences. Resentenced Robinson and his lawyers were able to get two of the three death sentences resentenced to life in prison. One death sentence remains.

Monsters and The Moral Imagination by Stephen Asma

Throughout history we see monsters taking many different shapes and sizes. Whether it be a ghoul in the midst of a cold nightly stroll or a mass genocide, monsters are lurking everywhere and our perception of what monsters truly are, is enhancing their growth as a force with which to be reckoned. Fear of the unknown is seen throughout time, but as humans progress we are finding that things we once were afraid of we are less frightening than they once were. Monsters can evoke fear in their targeted victims rather than physically harm their victims. For instance, every year a new horror film is released with the next scary beast, but why do we call something a monster even if we know it is not real? Even certain people and creatures are†¦show more content†¦The more we begin to understand a monstrosity, the less we fear the monster itself, however, we fear the actions of the creature itself. Perhaps it is this fear that draws us closer to the unknown and the monsters thrive upon this fear we have. Asma discusses how this fear allows for individuals to play out scenarios in their minds; we then use the events to ultimately ask ourselves, â€Å"what will I do in a situation like that (Asma)?† Dating back to the early days of Christ in a biblical era, we see monsters have always been on the rise. Stephen Asma’s chapter on Biblical Monsters in On Monsters shows how godly monsters were on the rise in the Medieval eras. Whether it was gods’ testing of one’s faith, or individuals’ justifications as to why monsters were on earth, we can see the rise through this Medieval period as gods’ uses of monsters varies. In Asma’s subsection over The Apocalypse, he discusses numerous interactions between good and evil monsters where they are disguised almost as that of a symbolic gesture. For instance, Asma explains how God sometimes will use his monstrous capabilities to cause harm to an individual to test ones faith. W e see this in particular when the devil convinces God to test Job this way (Asma 64).Throughout this period in time, we see the classic biblical beasts such as the Behemoth and Leviathan at work. These monsters, amongShow MoreRelatedThe Monsters And Their Origin1412 Words   |  6 PagesMonster Stephen T. Asma has given an analysis of the monsters and their origin. Besides, he gives a definition on the fears of human beings regarding the monsters. The prejudices and fears date back to prehistory and the developments in evolution that have occurred throughout in humanity. The prehistory gives an account of the concerns that people have in today s world. The author uses the term monster to describe myths and physical deformities. Stephen Asma uses the term to describe that thereRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book A Good Story 1361 Words   |  6 Pagesreader following along. In this particular instance its the monsters that makes the play. When it comes to the topic of monsters, most of us will readily agree that they are bad. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what makes a monster. Although some are convinced that a monster is defined by being ugly, disfigured and unlikable, others maintain that a monster can be an everyday person who is lacking specific moral attributes. According to the literary criticism known asRead MoreThe Article Monsters And The Moral Imagination 1041 Words   |  5 PagesIn the article â€Å"Monsters and the Moral Imagination,† Stephen Asma, a professor of Philosophy and Distinguished Scholar at Columbia College Chicago, argues that the existence of monsters have a purpose in our lives. It is not only to reveal our deepest fears, but to question our moral instincts. Being attacked by fictional monsters seems impractical, however, chaos and disasters do happen and exist in the real world. The creation of monsters is due to our reaction of our fears and th e inability toRead MoreThe Rude Awakening By Mary Shelley2059 Words   |  9 Pagesculture constrained to constrict of society standards. Many women longed for liberated lives in order to be able to contribute to art and literature, as men did. Janet Horowitz Murray writes a review of Shelley’s Frankenstein in her article named â€Å"My Monster, Myself†, she adds her interpretation stating, â€Å"Mary Shelley s is the story of a woman who tried to live out a feminist vision of womanly dignity and freedom of choice - her dead mother s vision - in a world that was not ready for it (16). WomenRead MoreShould Aliens Be Legal?1784 Words   |  8 Pagesmirroring our own technological narrative. When I hear the word â€Å"monster,† the first image that comes to mind is the cute, illustrated, blue, white spotted monster from the children’s book Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks. My mother would read me this book as a child before bedtime. She did this because the monsters drawn in the book look cute and friendly and she thought it would help me become less scared of all the monsters that were supposedly living in my closet—which it, in fact

Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife Free Essays

When people ask about the meaning of their lives, they are more likely concerned as to what worth would their actions be on Earth if there is no specific end to the road that they travel on. Being inherently inclined to the material, Man always seeks reward for everything that we do in our lives. As children, we almost always seek to excel in class in order that we can have the persuasive power to ask our parents for the different goods that we have laid our eyes on. We will write a custom essay sample on Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is human nature, and our nature always invades into our train of thought.   â€Å"What would I get for doing this?† would be the collective question that permeates our minds if we think about the meaning of our lives. To them, the meaning of life is the material end which they believe their individual actions would entitle them to. People seek something tangible, something that can be felt, in determining the meaning of life. Some are also driven by their sufferings, their negative experiences, in questioning why they are here. They want to know to what purpose have they been born into this world, and why do they have to suffer that way. To them, the meaning of life is an answer, a reason that will explain the things that happen to them throughout their lives in this world. I believe that the question about the existence of the afterlife is detrimental to one’s quest to finding meaning in his existence. Instead of finding the true value of our lives, we are now preoccupied with how we should act in order to attain the afterlife, and inevitably forget about the fact that we should be living as meaningfully as we could in this world that we have been born into. People, especially those who have found themselves in suffering and in great emotional pain, view the afterlife as a form of escape or a greener pasture that they believe awaits them if they play their cards right in their present lives. However, if we take away that notion, would life for us still be meaningful to live if there is no clear end to which we could direct our efforts to? II. The True Meaning of Life For me, life can still be meaningful despite the apparent absence, or lack of proof thereof, of the afterlife. From my point of view, the afterlife is a figurehead, a symbolic figure, perhaps created by the ancients to address man’s question as to the meaning of his life. It is more of an abstract idea rather than a specific â€Å"life† by itself. I define the afterlife for its simplest meaning: â€Å"to live after we have died,† not an exact place that the supposed soul goes to after death. I believe that the idea of â€Å"going to Heaven by doing good† is made especially to cater to man’s materialistic nature that everything he does should be given a reward. Obviously, man has been created with a reason. Each of us has a reason, maybe a mission, in this world that we have been born into. Unless we ascertain what that is, we obviously cannot find the meaning for our existence here on Earth. We will continue to ask ourselves why we are still here. But how can we find that answer? Perhaps, the famous adage â€Å"no man is an island† is what I’ll consider the most apt and summarized answer to the question of â€Å"Why are we here?† Man exists for the sake of his fellowmen. We are made for the service of each other. That is what man should live for: the good of his fellow human beings and not himself. Every action that we take should be decided with the well-being of our fellowmen in mind, and not just ourselves. The key to finding meaning to our earthly lives is to start shedding our selfish human nature and start living for our fellows. Man’s suffering in this world is brought about by his earthly desire to preserve his own self, his discontentment and his desire to hoard all good things in this world for himself. The more material things Man receives, the more he desires, and the more he feels empty because not all things in this world are achievable. Leading such life is meaningless, for there is no point in that life that man can say that his purpose in living has been fulfilled, that he has found his reason for existing. One would probably argue that the key to self-fulfillment and happiness is to achieve all that we have longed for, definitely including money. However, that is materialism, and anything material is temporary and empty. The feeling is passing, and leads to more emptiness and questions, leading to emotional suffering and discontentment. Like Epicurus said, â€Å"the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.† I, for one, would not be able to find happiness even if I had the power to buy everything that this world could offer and money could buy, because there will always be something better than the ones we have. With endless supply of money perhaps, I would be able to buy those things that I could lay my eyes on. However, I still would not be satisfied because then I find something I do not have, and will then long for it again. The process will go on and on until I find that there is no end to the material wealth that the world offers. When we die, all the material things that we have worked for will not go with us to the grave. Materialism is human nature, and like I said, we should overcome human nature if we are to start finding the meaning of life. If I spend my life entertaining every material and carnal urges that I would find, I would be living in vain because in the end it will all come down to nothing. In finding the meaning of life, we should start looking beyond ourselves and start thinking of what is good for the people around us and ourselves as a whole. This constitutes morality, as one does not learn the value of morality without learning to consider what things would be good for him alone, and what things will benefit both him and the people around. When we are morally upright, we will feel a sense of peace and security. For example, an honest man will have nothing to fear from the law than a dishonest thief will. People might say that honesty is actually subjective because the law has loopholes that can be exploited and bent in ascertaining who is honest from the dishonest, but there is the basic law of morality that we are all governed by. A thief may be able to circumvent the due process of law to his favor, but for the rest of his life he will live in fear that someone will come up with some kind of evidence to implicate him. By then, his life would have been meaningless and without peace, spent in fear of the justice that he has evaded. The time allotted for him to exist in Earth would have been wasted, for instead of cherishing every moment that has been granted to him, he instead spends it in dread and apprehension. III. Conclusion The lack of proof that the afterlife exists will not deter me from finding meaning in living my own life, even if my death is the most definite end of my journey. A life of service through acts of kindness and selfless is, for me, the most meaningful life that I can possibly lead. The greatest fulfillment that I could have for myself is the feeling of peace and contentment that I can attain by being satisfied and being thankful for the things that I have, rather than wasting it trying to own the world and finding no peace in entertaining my material nature. To sum it up, the meaning of my life would be the peacefulness that I would get when I look back at my life when I am in my deathbed, knowing that I have done as little wrong as possible in the time that I have lived on Earth. It is the peace I’d feel in knowing that, in living my life, I have not stepped on anyone’s rights and lives for my own gain.                      How to cite Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife?, Essay examples

Reasons Teen Disrespect Is On The Rise Essay Example For Students

Reasons Teen Disrespect Is On The Rise Essay Though cultures have many differences there have been a few traits that have united them across the spans of time and geographical area. Many of these traits have even been included in religious doctrine or social and moral laws. In western philosophy and religions the concept of respect has help a high place, allowing a clear distinction between those who have experience and answers to those who are young and naive. Religions such as Christianity and Mormonism stress greatly that the young should respect the elderly, while the Judaic religion provides a strict consequence, should this command be broken. By Old Testament law, the disrespectful child was to be taken to the town council, and then promptly stoned to avoid the spread of the sin and to keep ?God?s Chosen? pure. In recent times the respect that teenagers have shown for the elderly has decreased significantly, this trend has become extremely apparent in the 1980?s and 90?s. Though modern social guidelines do not dictate the killing of a disrespectful youth, it is still considered something that must be stopped. High school students have always been notorious for their lack of respect for authority. Many have wondered how these changes occur, most children are respectful at a young age but seem to ?change over night? into a youthful teenager who is often disrespectful to those around them. Studies done in recent years have shown that society, media, and the physical changes that a teenager undergoes may all be responsible for this metamorphosisThe severe changes teenagers endure are often seen as one of the key reasons for their disrespect. Adolescents undergo startling changes both physically and psychologically through out the process known as puberty. Hormones, the biological chemical responsible for several of the body?s functions, have been found to increase drastically during puberty. Because of this increase, teenagers tend to have clouding judgment and a feeling invincibility. This often leads to them perceiving themselves as the equal of their parents, grandparents, and teachers. The problem of disrespect begins with this perceived equality for it is difficult to respect someone who is an equal, or even a perceived equal.Teenagers also seem to learn who to respect, and who not to respect, based on the culture they are placed in. As the child grows in a society the norms and values of that culture are taught to the child. Things such as saying thank you when given a gift, chewing food with a closed mouth, and even what people deserve respect are all controlled by cultural values. One institution society uses to teach these values to the teenagers are schools, allowing a large group of teenagers to interact semi-independently, in a relatively controlled environment. In recent years however, the moral role of the schools has declined, depriving the teenagers of the guidance they require. This lack of guidance leaves the students to build off values that they are taught else where. Teenagers also learn what to respect from other sources, such as movies. The Movie Industry has become a substantial part of a teenagers life. With hundreds of movies each years fighting for a large audience each movie seeks to appeal to the teenagers by showing them something they desire, or can relate to. Frequently this means casting teenagers in what otherwise would be adult roles, movies now depict teenagers as independent, self-serving characters that can save the world, take lives, engage in sexual acts, or as characters that can beat the odds in death defying situations. With several millions of teenagers influenced by these movies the old adage Monkey See; Monkey do shows just how great of an impact the movies have on the teenage audience. .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .postImageUrl , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:visited , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:active { border:0!important; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:active , .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229 .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua06161399919123394364d3cc05a9229:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Great Depression Essay Thesis Society, movies, or natural growth, all play a vital role in living the stereotype of a teenager. These three factors are not the only thing that control a teenager?s development, in addition to those discussed there are several lesser variables help explain the trend teenager have developed concerning their respect for the various institutions of society.