Why We Need Laws Essay -- essays research papers

The American Heritage Dictionary defines law as 'a rule of conduct or procedure established by custom, agreement, or authority.'; Since even the most primitive forms of life have been known to live by some 'rule of conduct,'; by definition, law has existed before the dawn of the human race. However, no other species have adopted laws to fit their immediate needs more than humans. As groups of humans began living in larger and larger groups, competition for resources such as food, water, shelter, and even mating partners grew increasingly intense. Therefore, the leaders of these basic forms of society found it necessary to set guidelines for sharing and protecting these resources. As these societies grew in complexity, so did the need for laws. While in its nascent stage law primarily protected tangibles such as life, limb, and property, the scope of laws has grown to encompass moral values as well. However, these values often differed from society to society. With each passing year, more and more laws are coming into effect. Consequently, more and more people are growing incognizant of the laws that govern them. In effect, this ignorance of the law nullifies its effectiveness as a deterrent of crime. Therefore, modern law has taken a more passive role as a medium for holding people accountable for their actions. Voltaire once said that 'a multitude of laws in a country is like a great number of physicians, a sign of weakness and malady.'; Historically, laws have been created in an attempt to correct perceived problems within a society. An epidemic of adultery must have occurred before laws forbidding such activity came into existence. Several affluent members of society must have been robbed before anti-theft laws were passed. Undoubtedly a number of politicians were shot and killed before gun-control laws were believed to be necessary. For the most part laws are created out of fear of becoming victimized. As illustrated in the preceding examples, most laws are designed specifically to address crimes in which the distinction between an offender and a victim is clear. However, laws against so-called 'victimless'; crimes suggest that its intent exceeds that of mere protection. For instance, according to California Penal Code 286, 'sodomy is sexual conduct consisting of contact between the peni s of one person and the anus of another person. Any sexual penetra... ... person, simply relying on an individual's sense of morality in respect to self-government would result in inevitable sociological chaos. This holds especially true for those who lack the mental competency to differentiate between moral and immoral behavior. Although some laws have been proven to be effective deterrents of crime, this holds true only for those laws that are known to exist. Furthermore, it is necessary to remember that even the most severe of punishments will not deter the motivated criminal. Therefore, the very essence of law is reduced to a mere mechanism to hold people accountable for their actions or lack thereof. Accountability for the law, regardless of moral beliefs, must be applied unconditionally and without prejudice to all persons within the jurisdiction of the governing body in order to safeguard the law's effectiveness. Although this can be construed as 'force-feeding'; perceived moral beliefs upon the society as a whole, accountability is necessary t o insure that the violators of crimes are justly punished for their actions. Without such universal accountability, it would be impossible to apply laws upon a morally diverse and legally ignorant society.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 14

I Can Share Raisin Bran On the drive home from Cliff's office I ask my mom if she thinks asking Tiffany on a date is the best way to get rid of her once and for all, and Mom says, â€Å"You shouldn't be trying to get rid of anyone. You need friends, Pat. Everyone does.† I don't say anything in response. I'm afraid Mom is rooting for me to fall in love with Tiffany, because whenever she calls Tiffany my â€Å"friend,† she says the word with a smile on her face and a hopeful look in her eye, which bothers me tremendously because Mom is the only person in my family who does not hate Nikki. Also, I know Mom looks out the window when I go on my runs, because she will tease me, saying â€Å"I see your friend showed up again† when I return from a jog. Mom pulls into the driveway, shuts off the car engine, and says, â€Å"I can loan you money should you ever want to take your friend to dinner,† and again, the way she says â€Å"friend† makes me feel tingly in a bad way. I say nothing in response, and my mother does the strangest thing – she giggles. I finish my weight training for the day and put on a trash bag, and as I begin stretching on the front lawn, I see that Tiffany is jogging up and down the length of my parents' block, waiting for me to begin running. I tell myself to ask her out to dinner so I can end this madness and get back to being alone on my runs, but instead I simply start running, and Tiffany follows. I go past the high school, down Collings Avenue to the Black Horse Pike, make a left and then another left into Oaklyn, run down Kendall Boulevard to the Oaklyn Public School, up past the Manor Bar to the White Horse Pike, make a right and then a left onto Cuthbert, and I run into Westmont. When I get to the Crystal Lake Diner, I turn and jog in place. Tiffany jogs in place and stares at her feet. â€Å"Hey,† I say to her. â€Å"You want to have dinner with me at this diner?† â€Å"Tonight?† she says without looking up at me. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"What time?† â€Å"We have to walk here because I'm not allowed to drive.† â€Å"What time?† â€Å"I'll be in front of your house at seven-thirty.† Next, the most amazing thing happens: Tiffany simply jogs away from me, and I cannot believe I finally got her to leave me alone. I am so happy I alter my route and run at least fifteen miles instead of ten, and when the sun sets, the clouds in the west are all lined with electricity, which I know is a good omen. At home, I tell my mother I need some money so I can take Tiffany out to dinner. My mother tries to hide her smile as she retrieves her purse from the kitchen table. â€Å"Where are you taking her?† â€Å"The Crystal Lake Diner.† â€Å"You shouldn't need more than forty dollars then, right?† â€Å"I guess.† â€Å"It'll be on the counter when you come down.† I shower, apply underarm deodorant, use my father's cologne, and put on my khakis and the dark green button-down shirt Mom bought me at the Gap just yesterday. For some reason, my mother is systematically buying an entire wardrobe for me – and every piece is from the Gap. When I go downstairs, my mom tells me I need to tuck in my shirt and wear a belt. â€Å"Why?† I ask, because I do not really care if I look respectable or not. I only want to get rid of Tiffany once and for all. But when Mom says, â€Å"Please,† I remember that I am trying to be kind instead of right – and I also owe Mom because she rescued me from the bad place – so I go upstairs and put on the brown leather belt she purchased for me earlier in the week. Mom comes into my room with a shoe box and says, â€Å"Put on some dress socks and try these on.† I open the box, and these swanky-looking brown leather loafers are inside. â€Å"Jake said these are what men your age wear casually,† Mom says. When I slip the loafers on and look in the mirror, I see how thin my waistline appears, and I think I look almost as swanky as my little brother. With forty bucks in my pocket, I walk across Knight's Park to Tiffany's parents' house. She is outside, waiting for me on the sidewalk, but I see her mother peeking out the window. Mrs. Webster ducks behind the blinds when we make eye contact. Tiffany does not say hello, but begins walking before I can stop. She is wearing a pink knee-length skirt and a black summer sweater. Her platform sandals make her look taller, and her hair is sort of puffed out around the ears, hanging down to her shoulders. Her eyeliner is a little heavy, and her lips are so pink, but I have to admit she looks great, which I tell her, saying, â€Å"Wow, you look really nice tonight.† â€Å"I like your shoes,† she says in response, and then we walk for thirty minutes without saying another word. We get a booth at the diner, and the server gives us glasses of water. Tiffany orders tea, and I say that water is fine for me. As I read the menu, I worry that I won't have enough money, which is silly, I know, because I have two twenties on me and most of the entrees are under ten bucks, but I do not know what Tiffany will order, and maybe she will want dessert, and then there's the tip. Nikki taught me to overtip; she says waitresses work too hard for such a little bit of money. Nikki knows this because she was a waitress all through college – when we were at La Salle – so I always overtip when I go out to eat now, just to make up for the times in the past when I fought with Nikki over a few dollars, saying fifteen percent was more than enough, because no one tipped me regardless of whether I did my job well or not. Now I am a believer in overtipping, because I am practicing being kind rather than right – and as I am reading the diner menu, I think, What if I do not have enough money left over for a generous tip? I am worrying about all of this so much that I must have missed Tiffany's order, because suddenly the waitress is saying, â€Å"Sir?† When I put my menu down, both Tiffany and the waitress are staring at me, as if they are concerned. So I say, â€Å"Raisin bran,† because I remember reading that cereal is only $2.25. â€Å"Milk?† â€Å"How much is milk?† â€Å"Seventy-five cents.† I figure I can afford it, so I say, â€Å"Please,† and then hand my menu back to the waitress. â€Å"That's it?† I nod, and the waitress sighs audibly before leaving us alone. â€Å"What did you order? I didn't catch it,† I say to Tiffany, trying to sound polite but secretly worrying that I will not have enough money left over for a good tip. â€Å"Just tea,† she says, and then we both look out the window at the cars in the parking lot. When the raisin bran comes, I open the little single-serving box and pour the cereal into the bowl the diner provides free of charge. The milk comes in a miniature pitcher; I pour it over the brown flakes and sugared raisins. I push the bowl to the middle of the table and ask Tiffany if she would like to help me eat the cereal. â€Å"Are you sure?† she says, and when I nod, she picks up her spoon and we eat. When we get the bill, it is for $4.59. I hand our waitress the two twenties, and the woman laughs, shakes her head, and says, â€Å"Change?† When I say, â€Å"No, thank you† – thinking Nikki would want me to overtip – the waitress says to Tiffany, â€Å"Honey, I had him all wrong. You two come back real soon. Okay?† And I can tell the woman is satisfied with her tip because she sort of skips her way to the register. Tiffany doesn't say anything on the walk home, so I don't either. When we get to her house, I tell her I had a great time. â€Å"Thanks,† I say, and then offer a handshake, just so Tiffany will not get the wrong idea. She looks at my hand and then up at me, but she doesn't shake. For a second I think she is going to start crying again, but instead she says, â€Å"Remember when I said you could fuck me?† I nod slowly because I wish I did not remember it so vividly. â€Å"I don't want you to fuck me, Pat. Okay?† â€Å"Okay,† I say. She walks around her parents' house, and then I am alone again. When I arrive home, my mom excitedly asks me what we had for dinner, and when I tell her raisin bran, she laughs and says, â€Å"Really, what did you have?† I ignore her, go to my room, and lock the door. Lying down on my bed, I pick up the picture of Nikki and tell her all about my date and how I gave the waitress a nice tip and how sad Tiffany seems and how much I can't wait for apart time to end so Nikki and I can share raisin bran at some diner and walk through the cool early September air – and then I am crying again. I bury my face and sob into my pillow so my parents will not hear.

Schools Should Not Encourage Corporate Sponsorships

For many years, corporations have sponsored schools in the United States. Many students and faculty can find corporate advertisements all over the school; on jerseys, uniforms, equipment, and even school buses. Corporate sponsorships bring money to cash-strapped schools that desperately need money, but these ads also bring distractions to students. Students deserve the best education the school board can provide them and these corporate sponsorships bring many distractions and annoyance to students. Schools should not allow corporate sponsorships into their schools if they do not bring the best benefits to students. Although corporate sponsorships bring a small number of benefits, the school board should provide an environment free from ads and corporate influence in schools because corporate sponsorships create a biased education system and creates lifelong customers out of vulnerable students. Corporate sponsorships bring a couple of financial benefits to cash-strapped schools. The se sponsorships can provide better equipment, new textbooks, and improved school supplies to schools that need it. At Austin High School, corporate sponsorships would enable our school to provide better uniforms and microphones for choir and to provide many essential supplies needed for art and it also gives a way for schools to get more money from corporations whenever they need it. Corporate sponsorships can provide upgraded computers and technology to students and can upgrade or create newShow MoreRelatedDominos Pizza Operations Process and Information Needed1652 Words   |  7 Pagestotalling  £1.9 million. The company believe that their continued sponsorship of The Simpsons on the Sky TV service and increased advertising on cable and satellite channels gives them an unchallenged position at the forefront of delivered food by e-commerce. 2) Nationwide service system through Internet and interactive TV ordering. 3) Dominos calculate that their brand awareness is 81% and that t his is partly as a result of their sponsorship of The Simpsons, and also their marketing of the launchRead MoreMarketing Challenge At The 2013 Toronto s Intercamp Classic Annual Charity Event2159 Words   |  9 Pagestwo months. Based on internal and external analysis, a comprehensive marketing plan that addresses the product, placement, price, promotion and target market of the Intercamp Classic will be developed to overcome the outlined marketing challenge. Corporate Capabilities Since the establishment of the event in the spring of 2010, the Intercamp Classic has consistently shown strong financial performances and has raised a total of $291,000. Although Howard does not have a specific marketing budget inRead MoreEssay on Figerouas Framework1149 Words   |  5 Pages* Equity affects nearly all aspects of our lives none less than sports such as beach volleyball. Sport is an integral part of today’s society and as such, sport should be organised, participated in and distributed in an equitable manner.The aim of equity in sports is to encourage all people, regardless of age, gender, disability or ethnic origin to participate in and develop their potential within sport. Disputes over equity have been apparent in our society for hundreds of years, over such thingsRead MoreRole Of The College Athletics Administrator Has Changed Dramatically805 Words   |  4 PagesCarolina Athletic departments they have fifteen inter-departments within the department of athletics. Out of the fifteen departments, seven of those departments are related to marketing. Surprisingly, Coastal has two opening positions under the Corporate Sales and Partnerships. When it comes to controlling the market function within these departments the only way to ensure marketing effectiveness is to control all parts of the marketing effort (Mullin, Hardy, Sutton, 2014). The key to controllingRead MorePerceptions and Stereotypes of Aerobics1713 Words   |  7 Pagesand the media. Applying this level of Figueroa’s framework to sport means investigating the relationship between the media and sports promotion, the allocation of government funding for sports programs, and how the corporate sector affects sport and sports participation through sponsorship and other funding. It can easily be seen that there is very limited acknowledgment of aerobics by the Australian government and this is seen as the AIS (Australian institute of sport), which is a government organ izationRead More Sponsorship Today Essay2445 Words   |  10 PagesSponsorship Today Introduction to sponsorship Sponsorship is an important marketing tool for many organisations is an important element of the promotional mix. Sponsorship involves the support of an event, activity, person, organisation or product by an unrelated organisation that may exchange money, services or goods in return for the association that the sponsorship provides. Sponsors choose events that attract their target market to enhance their brand reputation awareness. A methodRead MoreMultinational Corporations And Its Impact On The Environment Essay1351 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment, even when they are claimed to helping it. Consequently, financing to such projects has been discouraged due to their impact on the environment. For example, in the 1990s the United Nations (U.N.) engaged corporations in sponsorship and collaboration to encourage support for human rights, development projects, and the environment. However, the projects were criticized because the U.N. incorporated organizations that were known to have caused severe environmental damages and human rights breachesRead MoreThe Benefits Of Pr Planning936 Words   |  4 Pagesorganisations partnering with NFP sector. †¨ Corporations are increasingly committing to social responsibility in their environments as contributing to the public good is an important factor in increasing shareholder value and image (Wilburn 2008, p. 111). Corporate partnerships with Not For Profits are becoming a key public relations tactic to engage with the community sector and other stakeholders that is proving to be an effective engagement tool (Pro Bono Australia 2014). In the Week 6 discussion forum,Read MoreMetropolitan Museum of Art - Case Study Essay example4646 Words   |  19 Pagestourist seasons. The Met will strengthen its relationship with New York University, as well as expand to Columbia University. Sponsorships will also grow as a consequence of the improved value package of better relationships with local colleges and improved children’s educational programs. In addition, the floor plan will be reorganized to reduce crowds and thereby encourage more visitors. The retail stores will be expanded nation ally and better manage their inventories through a point of sale systemRead MoreThe Nature and Functions of Political Parties and Voting Behaviour in Britain939 Words   |  4 Pageshave different policies on how these issues should be handled. Both parties state in their manifestoes that Education is an important issue - Labour sighting it a major priority, aiming to cut class sizes for 5-7 year olds to under 30 and to modernise comprehensive schools and provide funding for the implication of new technologies. The Conservatives aims for the improvement of education is to implement more regular testing in schools and for a more rigorous system of appraising