Community Within Maycomb Essay

So often in a society we are misled at the actual courageous and uncourageous acts that are done amongst a society. Most of the time it is usually because we have our own perception that a society is emulated from the way someone may act or the lineage and community in which some are born into. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows the strengths and weaknesses of a community through the white community, black community, and lastly the community within a family. Though there is much strength in a White community, like holding their values high, there are also weaknesses like being racist toward the â€Å"Blacks. For instance Jem points out a weakness in the White community when he tells Scout, â€Å"They’re real sad†¦ They don’t belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em cause they’re colored, so they’re just in-between, don’t belong anywhere. † Back during the 1930’s interracial marriage was unheard of and if it was it was thought of as impure or inadequate therefore disregarded. Experts Joyce Moss and Gorge Wilson say, â€Å"†¦ Racial relations where complicated by various restrictions in the 1930’s. Breaking the taboo against sexual intercourse between a black man and a white woman was considered by most whites and some blacks†¦ most serious offence. This kind of miscegenation would ‘taint’ racial purity. † This then re-states the negativity of racism during the time of Maycomb in the White community. Despite of Macomb’s racist perspectives they also share very important morals between their communities. Atticus Finch shares with Scout,† you never really understand a person until you consider things from his [or her] point of view†¦ ntil you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. †(Chapter 3) This excerpt shows how high Atticus being from the White community, keeps his standards and beliefs held high so that he may be looked up as Macomb’s role model. In conclusion this states, though Maycomb may struggle with some things that still to this very day affect us as a community, Maycomb is also showing how it is to be keeping their morals in mind. From the outside looking in it may seem as though the Black community has no strength despite the fact there is. During the time period the Blacks had no problem with helping one another. If one didn’t know the other one knew and they assisted one another. During church scout asks â€Å"How we gonna sing [the songs] if their aint any hymn books? † â€Å"[Zebo cleared his throat and read in a voice†¦ ]. We tend to always focus on the main idea but this tiny detail helps the Blacks unite with each other because they are able to participate in activities like sing in church by just being able to work with each other to read the hymnal and be a religious community. Scout being from the White community she doesn’t understand the ways of the â€Å"blacks† and how they choose to be one. KJ The book girl states, â€Å"The black community as a whole is a very close congregation, as it has to be to survive the harsh treatment by the white community†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Because the Blacks have been kind of segregated by the White community, it has taught them to become and be closer. In difference to the negative conversations that go on in the Black community as well. You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal? † said Lula. This is the first time Jem and Scout experience direct racism which is usually never heard of because they are white. This makes them in a real uncomfortable position in which they have never been. The weakness in the Black community is they are racist back and don’t want to make a difference well most of them anyway. Even though Lula is from the black community she is prejudice towards the whites. This is a weakness in the black community though they help one another they don’t realize how to be the bigger person in the sense of acting with dignity and not stooping and lowering you self to discriminate against different raced people. There are much strength as well as many weaknesses within the kinship of a Family community. Atticus instills within his kids that, â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway. † A Review of General Semantics says that,† Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of [a heinous crime] raping Mayella Ewell a white woman. During the trial, Atticus provides sufficient evidence†¦ if fact provides that Mayella’s father Bob[Ewell] is responsible for marks on her face†¦ however the all-white jury convicts Tom[Robinson] away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Action speaks louder than words have always been the saying for a society especially when parents say it. Atticus is teaching his kids the moral of standing up for what is right and to have full courage when doing so. He defends Tom Robinson to not only prove that this man has done nothing wrong but also to teach his kids the moral of standing up for what you believe in and having courage to do so is far more meaning full than feeling powerful verse feeling courageous for doing the right thing. In contrast to the benefits of a positive family community. In contrast to a positive family environment Robert also know as Bob Ewell, is determined to have a black man imprisoned for a crime that he has not committed. Atticus, while on the trial with Mayella Ewell Atticus asks her, â€Å"Why don’t you tell the truth, child, didn’t Bob Ewell beat you up? † Bob Ewell being a horrifying father has done a crime that if people knew what he has done the community would probably never speak to or even regard him again. He has raped and beaten his own flesh and blood. The inhumanity that he possesses within his family as the head of the house hold is unfathomable.

The Bridges Of Madison County essays

The Bridges Of Madison County essays The Bridges of Madison County, by Robert James Waller, is about two individuals, Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid, who are madly in-love but unfortunately could not be together. The main theme of the novel is the value of the people who you truly love is worth more than a selfish romance. Francesca Johnson is a loving wife, of Richard Johnson, and a mother of two children, Michael and Carolyn Johnson. One day, Robert Kincaid, a photographer for National Geographic, stopped to a calm house for direction on a bridge he can not locate. Francesca Johnson happened to be in her front porch and helped the man. She fell madly in-love with Robert Kincaid. As the story goes on and as Robert nears to his departure from Madison County; before Richard and her two kids comes back home, Francesca must decide if she should go with Robert or not. Francesca was prudent about love. She knows she can only pick one out of two to love, her family or Robert Kincaid. She wanted to go with Robert, however, she thinks about her family too much. She would know how they would feel; they would feel betrayed and most importantly, devastated. Her husband, Richard, would have to live with the embarrassment that his wife left him with a photographer and the pain he could not possibly bear. However, if she would have left with Robert Kincaid, she would be really happy. The way that Robert loved her and the attention that she was getting from him made her feel this way for the first time in a long time; passionate, devoted, and respected. She wanted to make the right decision and not hurt her family, but then again, she is not really happy. Francesca Johnson loved Robert Kincaid, however, she did not go with him when he asked her. The main reason was that she wanted her family to be happy. She felt guilty and did not want to destroy their feelings. If she would have came with Robert Kincaid, her guilt would have haunted her because of the fact that sh ...

Are immigrants needed to provide low-wage workers in the U.S. to Essay

Are immigrants needed to provide low-wage workers in the U.S. to compete with workers in other regions of the world Do immigran - Essay Example This is not to say that these immigrants provide better quality jobs than the natives of the country as the reverse is usually the case. It could then be concluded in this regard that, the low-wage working immigrants in the US are not needed to compete with workers in other regions of the world but to meet up with the high demand of work in the country at a lower rate (Holzer, 2011). Immigrants take on low-paying work that people in the US do not want to do and the reasons for these are not far-fetched. Due to the need to make ends meet and the desire of the immigrants to get to do something during their sojourn in the US; they take any offer that comes their way (Holzer, 2011). This means that the immigrants are ready to take any offer that comes their way. Thus, the immigrants are satisfied taking the low-paying work as long as it would guarantee their survival in the country and make them more comfortable than the way they were in their native countries. It could then be said that the immigrants are ready and willing to take up low-paying jobs that the people in the US would never be willing to do.

Effects of Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects of Mass Media - Essay Example Adequate information is important because they prevent people from making errors or poor comparisons when getting information from different sources, and in prevention of poor conclusions. Mass media revolution has swept through the economy and no company that is capable of escaping the effects of information conveyed in new age media. Therefore, mass media can be a tool used by companies to obtain competitive advantage in various forms, which include reduction of time of obtaining, processing and transmitting business information in organizations. During the process of obtaining the information that has been found, there has been a setback, which involves the creation of an environment that allows people who take advantage of unsuspecting victims by giving false information, and if an individual researcher obtains information without careful selection, one may use information that is not relevant. Advantages and disadvantages of social media Social media has facilitated open communication between people of different cultures, creation of new friends, and communication with loved ones in different parts of the world. In promotional campaigns, people from different geographical locations are able to express, share and promote various global products (Sznitman et al, 2011). Social media has enabled people to get connected at a broad level making it easy to know and find information about almost anything from different parts of the world through the use of the media.... Social media has enabled people to get connected at a broad level making it easy to know and find information about almost anything from different parts of the world through the use of the media. Students have had the opportunity of getting technological exposure, which has enabled them to become connected to interaction options from a broad base; besides this, the media has helped students in working together and creating their own meaning on social contexts and academic environment. The use of social media helps in the development of simple skills since social media relies on advanced forms of information and communication systems that require technological literacy. Technological literacy helps in connecting people to the economy as well as making people make vulnerable contributions to the economy. The use of social media is a fun and creative way of doing business because it provides an opportunity for employees to share ideas, share links, ask questions, minimize advertising co sts of the business and improve the reputation of the business. However, there is a high probability for social media to open opportunities for hackers to commit crimes such as virus attacks and fraud making people fall prey to online frauds that eventually end in data theft. The third disadvantage of social media is the damage it can to on one’s reputation especially when using the wrong online branding strategy. Worker productivity is affected using social media at the work place; lost productivity may result using social media in ruining the reputation of a company. Instead of workers concentrating on their duties during the time of work, they may spend a lot of time on

Modern-day Slavery and abused domestic workers in kuwait Essay

Modern-day Slavery and abused domestic workers in kuwait - Essay Example There are several cases that domestic workers, who have been abused by their employers tries to escape and the Kuwaiti law allows the employers to sue these domestic workers for trying to abscond and they get these workers deported at the end of the day (Human Rights Watch, 2010). This trend can only encourage modern-day slavery in Kuwait as there have not been stringent laws to curb the excesses of employers that abuse their domestic workers. This situation is rather different from the one in the United States of America as the government of the country has made efforts to reduce the problem of modern-day slavery to the barest minimum. The US government has given the domestic workers the right to sue their employers whenever they feel they have been maltreated by them. Thus, the modern-day slavery in Kuwait seems to be more terrible than the one in the US and this is due to the fact that the domestic workers in US have the right to protest against harsh treatment, while the ones in Kuwait have not been granted that privilege (Human Rights Watch, 2010).

European Economic Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

European Economic Community - Essay Example Three treaty organizations were considered for the creation of the European Communities known under EC since 1992. The European Economic Community, being the processor of the EC, was a treaty between Belgium, France, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and West Germany. It aimed for the economic inclination of the participating counties which would eventually lead to common political goals and institutions. Today the organization numbers 25 members which all fall under the European Union organization. These are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1. The aim of this paper is to investigate to what extend the European Union has penetrated the economy of each party and to what extend it represents a new legal order meaning the effect the of the common regulations and policies followed on the participant countries. What's more, the prevalence of Community Laws over local Laws is examines and for this matter the Dutch transport firm Van Gend & Loos case is discussed as an example case. All former are sustained through comparison within the EC member countries and comparison to development rates universally. Since European Community is a pillar of the European Union focusing on environmental, social and primarily economical matters, the two terms are used interchangeably for the rest of this paper. Common Policy Issues The first issue to discuss here are the emerging problems of the common momentary policy implemented four year ago by twelve of the fifteen members and how these were tackled by the Community authorities. To start with and moving away from the prevalence issues per se, attaining the deficit goals is not an easy task and there is not much confidence for all countries. Strong economies are expected to perform better than smaller economies that might not achieve the set standards and conflicts within the union boundaries are common to occur. Secondly, the bilateral conversion rates are put into question as to how much these reflect the currency prior to conversion. Thirdly, the core or strong economy countries will be a lot more lucrative in risk taking; in fact they will be a lot more conservative. Interest rate level however on the fast growing countries however will be a lot higher and countries such as Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain. The former might encounter great issues when managing their economies (Krijsman, 1998). The entire former sum up to a list of problems the Community had to tackle even before embracing the common monetary policy. Of course the authority of the Community enforced the members to follow the guidelines imposed to them; these however were based on the actual facts and the potential of each member. In any case, the members followed, or are still trying to in case they have not achieved, the set standards imposed by the EC. The EC Facts The European Union focuses on economic and environmental policies on subjects as agriculture, trade, humanitarian aid and taxation policies. The unique property of common economic policy met within the European Union boundaries holds an extra property; all participating countries will fail or succeed. This is the main concern of countries that refuse to join the European Union as Switzerland and Norway that refuse to jo

Ethics in the Oil and Gas Industry

Ethics in the Oil and Gas Industry INTRODUCTION This report looks at the importance of ethics in the oil and gas business and its potential impact on business risk and company share value. Ethics refers to the concept of what is right and wrong, and ethical behavior is generally considered behavior that is proper. Business ethics is a form of applied ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and organisations. They are the moral values that guide the way corporations or other businesses make decisions. ETHICS AND BUSINESS RISK There are many instances throughout corporate history of how companies have disregarded ethics or morals in the quest for wealth. This can increase business risk due to breaking the law, damaging their image and the effects of lawsuits and damages. Breaking the Law Bribery and corruption are widespread in the developing nations. Companies say that the only way to get things done is to pay the bribes. Although few companies publicly defend bribing officials in third world countries, many privately condone bribery on several grounds. First, there are strictly financial considerations. Bribes can prevent delays that might otherwise have serious financial implications. In a capitalistic environment, we need an even playing field, and if other businesses engage in bribery, then either we do or face being at a competitive disadvantage. Second, there are practical considerations owing to what appears to be the universal nature of bribery in third world countries. Often foreign government officials are so corrupt that it is virtually impossible to do business without playing by the unspoken rules. Thus, theres nothing morally wrong with participating in bribery. On November 4, 2010 the United States Department of Justice announced a series of settlements whereby seven firms were to pay criminal fines and civil disgorgement penalties amounting to a total of $236.5m, in a settlement in relation to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Five of the firms were Royal Dutch Shell, Transocean Inc, Global SantaFe Corp, Pride International and Noble corporation (Thomson Reuters , 2010). This type of transgression if repeated has the potential to place the companies involved at serious risk. It is this acceptance of thats the way the system works that perpetuates and fuels the bribery culture. If all companies adopted a strong ethical position and refused to pay the bribes the corrupt system would fail. Some companies have taken steps to distance themselves from corruption. BP was the first oil company to support the Publish what you pay campaign, a campaign for greater transparency in oil companies dealings with foreign governments. StatoilHydro was the first major oil company to start disclosing ALL revenues and payments in the countries in which it operates. It has set out a clearly defined ethics code of conduct and is promoting this in the different countries it operates in (Statoil, 2008). Damage to Company Image In the 1990s Shell was involved in a highly damaging controversy in Nigeria. The Ogoni people of the Niger delta, a minority tribe, had seen their land decimated by years of drilling. Ken Saro-Wiwa helped form the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, and began protesting. The army ordered a brutal crackdown and series of killings, beatings, and arrests took place. Saro-Wiwa was eventually framed for murder and executed. This event was met with widespread condemnation and the bad publicity surrounding it was extremely difficult for Shell. It is difficult to say if Shell were complicit in these events but they certainly could and should have stopped it or at the very least spoken out against it. Shell eventually distanced themselves from Nigeria in an attempt to regain credibility. Total has been in Burma since 1992 and is a supporter of the military regime. The country has an appalling human rights record. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmas pro-democracy leader, has said that Total has become the main supporter of the Burmese military regime. She told the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur that TOTAL knew what it was doing when it invested massively in Burma while others withdrew from the market for ethical reasons. She added, the company must accept the consequences. The country will not always be governed by dictators. (Burma Campaign UK , 2007) However unlike Shell this does not worry nor deter Total Unfortunately, the worlds oil and gas reserves are not necessarily located in democracies says Totals website. Lawsuits and Damages On April 20th 2010 the BP operated Macondo well blew out. The Transocean owned Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was destroyed with the loss of 11 lives. The well continued to leak oil into the Gulf of Mexico until it was finally killed on the 17th September 2010. Initial reports show that cost cutting, poor decision making and lack of honesty were important factors in the disaster. Both companies have suffered damage to their company image, reputation and financial well being. BP initially faced all the blame as this was politically convenient to the point that it suddenly became British Petroleum again after a gap of 20 years which clearly showed that the Obama administration was about as ethically sound as either Transocean or BP. BP safety record in the US is poor but much of this is down to the poor condition of assets it inherited during its mergers with Amoco and Arco. Due to its failure to live up to its ethical promises BP is viewed with mistrust bordering on outright hatred in the US whilst elsewhere ethical investors are shying away from it. Tony Hayward, the former group chief executive of BP, stated: Our reputation, and therefore our future as a business, depends on each of us, everywhere, every day, taking personal responsibility for the conduct of BPs business. Sadly even the chief executive failed to live up to his own statement. ETHICS AND SHARE VALUE The effects of this disaster on BP have been significant with BP as a corporate entity particular at risk. The effect of the Macondo disaster on BPs share price was initially catastrophic. As can been seen in Figure 1, the share price collapsed from 650p/share to 300p/share in a little over 2 months. Figure . BP Share Price April 2010 Feb 2011 chart_builder (Livecharts, 2011) BP has had to pay out an initial  £20 billion in clean-up costs and with civil lawsuits pending, the final pay-out is expected to severely impact on the strength of its business. After announcing that it had successfully capped the Macondo well however BP shares rose 8% (Gray, 2010). This proves that investors with equally as little regard to ethics are buying in at the bottom of the market in the hope of making a profit. There have been other cases where poor ethical behaviour has led to significant declines in share price. In January 2004 Royal Dutch Shell announced that it was downgrading nearly 4 billion barrels of proven reserves to the probable category. As a result Shells share price fell by 7%. An internal report by US law firm Davis, Polk and Wardwell, (Moore, 2004) detailed a damaging series of e-mails showing that top managers at the company had known about the inflated reserves for years and had been arguing about whether and how to lie to investors. Conclusion Which means of ethical behaviour a company adopts has been open to much debate. There are some business leaders who think as Milton Friedman did that their duty is, to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society. Others such as Statoil wish to conduct their business to the highest ethical standards possible. Companies have set up Corporate Social Responsibility policies. These policies clearly state the companies ethical and social stand point. The main problem with this is when individuals fail to live up to the statements Unethical business practices will continue to be seen in the oil and gas sector as some companies continue to think that the lack of ethics will have no impact. In many ways they are correct. Shell and Total do not seem to be struggling despite poor ethical records. From a sales point of view ethics, or the lack of them, have little impact. Due to the very nature of the product the ethical stance of the end user will be weaker. When we buy petrol we dont know where it came from or who suffered as a consequence and so companies are protected. The world is reliant on oil and will therefore look the other way as long as it keeps flowing. If these practices continue it may lead to government intervention and regulations that are more financially costly for companies to adhere to. Even more important than governmental intervention, is trust. Companies lacking trust by employees, business partners, and customers will suffer financially in the long-term. Trust, based on ethical reputations, may become even more important in the future (Richardson, 2002/2003). We live in an age where the general public are more attuned to, and aware of, ethical concerns and will base their investment strategies on these principles. In the computer age information is more easily accessed and campaigns against companies can be organised worldwide in days. Companies basing their corporate strategies on strong ethical principles may not show so much short term gain however their long term security will be assured.