Discuss terrorism conducted in the interest of environmental Essay

Discuss terrorism conducted in the interest of environmental causes(ecoterrorism).How can ecoterrorism be stopped - Essay Example sition against some form of abuse upon nature, such as the over-exploitation of the environment, use of plants, animals, and other natural resources beyond the normal ways, which these people think are detrimental to the over-all state of our ecology. In a legal context, the official definition referred here is based on a law promulgated by a government entity. Although other definitions exist and are used officially such as those used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, discussions are focused as far as the meaning of ecoterrorism through a law passed in the state of Pennsylvania. House Bill 213 published by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2006 defined ecoterrorism within the context of criminalizing the acts of harming properties to intimidate individuals lawfully involved in activities that use animals, plants, or other natural resources. But those sectors branded as ecoterrorists contest the meaning and remarked that the use of the term is a form of propaganda against their cause. They claimed that the term connotes terror inflected against the ecology which is the opposite of what these groups are fighting for. It is further alleged that the use of ecoterrorism in branding environmental activism is a political maneuver of the opponents of the causes for environmental activism. This is a fatal blow as far as extremists are concerned since the acceptance of the term has created acceptance that environmental activists are terrorists. This classification would result to â€Å"more investigation, infiltration, and disruption of radical environmental groups regardless of whether any law is actually violated, longer terms of incarceration for convicted activists, and the harassment of mainstream environmental groups† (R. Smith 564). The violent acts mentioned in the law and described by authorities as eco-terrorism are varied. These include: arson offenses, causing or risking catastrophe, vandalisms in any form, crop destruction, burglary, criminal trespass,

Drone controversy Essay Example for Free

Drone controversy Essay In today’s battlefield unmanned aerial systems (UASs) also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) or drones are the United States Department of Defense’s most controversial defense weapon to date. Many US top commanders and expert in military history, intelligence, and international security, says that unmanned aerial systems or UAS, as experts call them, are the most important new military technology in the twenty-first century since the intercontinental ballistic missile. With the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) writing rules to allow UAS to fly in American skies nowadays, drones are also ushering in the most dramatic new age in aviation since the jet engine. Only a dozen years ago, no one saw it all coming and perhaps it is even seems like a science fiction. UAVs and UASs are not a relatively new defense weapon or a very futuristic robot but in fact they have been around since the 1930’s in the loose form of Austrian balloons which is used for reconnaissance back then. However, with the advancement of technology for the past few years, drones have become the most efficient, effective, and accurate means to gather intelligence and information, reconnaissance, and surveillance without putting the lives of our soldiers and officials in danger at the front lines. Drones have been successful in targeting and killing high profile terrorists (many of whom were top Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants) and minimizing civilian casualties. They have also been successful in minimizing U.S. soldier casualties because the pilots are flying these vehicles in U.S. soil or somewhere safe away from the conflict zone. Drones have been and will continue to be a major successful factor in the U.S.’s war on terror. Meanwhile on the other hand, as convenient and beneficial as drones are, they are also one of the most controversial weapons used because, internationally, they violate the United Nation’s Charter; violating a country’s territorial sovereignty and national integrity. Although they are precise in eliminating their targets, they have killed too many innocent civilians who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Through the years, the U.S. has increasingly used drones to target and kill suspected terrorists, increasing the number of civilian casualties during the attack. As a result, more and more people (mainly in Pakistan- who were neutral in the U.S.-Pakistan conflict) are getting frustrated or losing hope with U.S. military tactics and beginning to side with Pakistani militants, possibly derailing their goal of democracy in the region. In relation to innocent civilian casualties, if Pakistan or another country wanted to bring issue to international criminal court, who will be charged? Will the soldier piloting the aircraft be charged, or his commander? Will former President Bush or President Obama be taken to court? Either way, the international legal issue surrounding drones are still very hazy and do not seem to be cleared any time soon especially with the war on terror is still raging in the Middle East. Not only do the drone strategy raise issues internationally, there is also a lot of controversy surrounding them domestically. The government and many companies see drones as a great technological advantage to society or public life. They are can be used for surveillance of the U.S.-Mexican border, search for survivors of natural disasters through heat sensor technology, wildfire fighting, spraying pesticides, and searching for radiation or dangerous chemical leaks. Nevertheless, domestic drones can also be used to invade citizens’ privacy. Recently, Congress allowed the FAA to allow over 70 drones to operate in U.S. airspace. These domestic drones can be equipped with infrared cameras, heat sensors, GPS, and automated license plate readers, making it easy to track people. These domestic drones are supposed to be used by civil organizations only; however, they can easily fall into the wrong hands and be reverse engineered and misused to do more harm than good. Since 9/11 the congressional has approved the use of military drones on the war on terror due to their efficiency, effectiveness, and accuracy. Therefore making the US armed drones one of the most fearful flying machine in the sky of Middle East and being used many times to take down a high profile target with high percentage or changes to be hit within seconds . why drones are very efficient ? Well first of all they are an automatic flying system , therefore the drones can operate within a larger scale of operation rather than their human counterparts in the F-16 or RAPTOR jet. for example before the drones are armed in the year 2000’s most of the US air force operations are relying on jets to do some reconnaissance , therefore the humans factor must be involve in the entire hours of that operation and making it less effective than drones because as humans our senses and energy or the capacity to do some work is quite limited. And the length of the operation is also determined by the fuel inside the jet which consume a huge amount of fuel especially for military combat jet, so without the drones the operation could only last a day or two max. but with the drones the length of the operation hours could be extended significantly , thanks to their new innovative flying energy and system inside the drones which are very useful . The drones are a smaller airplane therefore they have a lighter body and no human is needed inside the drones, therefore making it much more lighter to cover a larger area to do some reconnaissance with much more speed and better performance . of course the smaller the plane the smaller the energy is required to fill it up, therefore the US air force wants to increase their drone capability with their new high tech fuel cell or an electric battery which could give the drones the power to fly for a long distance with a longer duration rather than a normal flying jets. With this new technology the drones are not just limited to their human controller in the safe zone , but thanks to their fuel and weight efficiency they can operate for a longer duration with their auto pilot on which make it much more reliable and easily to operate. It may not seems like a huge or a big revolutionary advantage, but this is quite a big improvement over the past few decades because now we could have an eye from the sky to watch over a potential target in the hot zone of the conflict area without risking the lives of our armed forces and the drones can do it for at least 24/7 hours , so that they can maintain the enemy position as long as they can before they need to go back to the base to refuel and rearmed . This is crucial because with the latest data we can have the most up to date information which will give our army a greater momentum to accomplish this war on terror . Drones are not just effective for killing but they are also good to do some surveillance .Which is by far the most common use of drones, if perhaps the least talked about. The U.S. military currently considers drones as part of an integrated system, where drones are being used, particularly along the mountainous Afghan/Pakistan border, to provide long-term monitoring of a population, and to solve the thorniest of problems facing occupying armies fighting insurgents –mainly telling the civilians and the fighters apart. By monitoring these areas, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the U.S. military hopes to use drones to gather ‘patterns of life’ or ‘signatures’ in surveilled communities, allowing them to identify when something disrupts that ‘pattern of life,’ or also known as the insurgent activity.

Bless Me Ultima Book Report Essay -- essays research papers

Book Report: Bless Me, Ultima Title of Work: Bless Me Ultima Author & Date Written: Rudolfo Anaya 1972 Country of Author: New Mexico, USA Characters: Ultima- An old Curandera who comes to spend her last days with Antonio and his family. She is Tony’s mentor and helps him to find the right path for his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antonio Marez- A young boy who is torn between his parents: a Marez and a Luna. But with the help of Ultima, he discovers his own destiny. He thirsts for knowledge: he is a curios boy, an outstanding student, and a questioning worshiper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maria Luna - Antonio’s mother. A kind woman who’s one dream is to see her youngest son become a priest. She is obsessed with his education and pushes him to learn about the culture of her family, the Lunas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gabriel Marez- Antonio’s father. A proud man, a carefree rancher on the plains who tends to push his son away from his mother’s protective arms. He is often depressed because he gave up his lifestyle for his wife. His dream in to move to California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lupito- A man turned mad by the happenings of the war who kills the sherriff of the town in cold blood. It is his blood that first defiles the river. The memory of his death stays with Tony throughout the novel and causes him to think about the difference between good and evil and forgiveness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Narciso- An honorable man who tries to protect Ultima from harm. Because of the loss of his young wife, Narciso begins to drink and is known as the town drunk. Through his garden, Narciso makes magic by growing beautiful flowers and plants. He is later killed by Tenorio in cold blood while trying to warn Ultima of harm and is buried as the town drunk instead of the hero that he is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leon, Andrew, and Eugene- Tony’s brothers. The giants in his dream. They go off to fight the War and come back grown men with their own dreams and beliefs. The inevitably break the heart of their proud father by going out on their own and not helping him fulfill his dream of moving to California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ...ment in which the story takes place. His ellaborate description of the llano shows you the beauty of Spanish America and helps you to understand the restless culture of the vaqueros who wander across it. Also, Anaya gives you a detailed description of El Puerto. The village in which the Lunas reside. The imagery in this description also helps you to understand the culture of the farmers, the calm and quiet people who plant their crops by the light of the moon and live in peace. Imagery plays and important role in this novel because without it, certain aspects such as the point of views of both the Lunas and the Marez faimy, would never be understood . Significance of Title of Work: The title of the novel: Bless Me, Ultima shows the power and knowledge of Ultima. At the end of the story, Antonio says, â€Å"Bless me, Ultima† (260). With these words you find the meaning of the title. Author’s Techniques: Rudolfo Anaya uses many Spanish terms in this book. The reason for this is to show the culture of the characters in the novel. Also he uses imagery to explain the beauty of the llano the Spanish America. By using both these techniques in his writing, Anaya bring s the true culture of

During those times when I have lost hope Essay

I cannot imagine life without Christina. In fact, I cannot remember a time in my life when she was not there with me or for me. More than best friends, we are like sisters. We shop together and we talk about everything and anything. And just like sisters, we too have our own fair share of misunderstandings and arguments but in the end, it is our bond of friendship that makes us kiss and make up. Christina was not my best friend when I was younger. In fact, we did not like each other. She was the type who was always hanging around with the cooler girls in school while I was the one who was always hanging around with the guys. So she was the princess and I was the tomboy. We could hardly look at each other because our crowds were of two completely different worlds. But an unfortunate event happened that made us talk to each other. You see, Christina and I were neighbors. And on that fateful rainy spring day, I got locked out of my house while my parents were out of town for a conference. I had to knock on the door of Christina’s house and her family let me stay until my parents got home. It was then that we realized that we were not really that different from each other. We liked the same movies and the same kind of music. From then on, we started hanging out in school and after school. Christina is a very optimistic person, the complete opposite of how I am. I always see the worse in things while she always saw the sunshine after the rain. During the lowest times of my life, she was there to cheer me up and always reminded me that there is no problem big enough that cannot be solved. She always told me that the problems that come my way are just challenges in life that I must overcome to become a stronger and more mature person. During those times when I have lost hope, her hug or simple pat on the shoulder would make everything alright because she makes me feel that I do not have to go through life alone. It is from Christina that I have learned that there is something good in every person and in every thing. I must admit that I am a very judgmental person but Christina has influenced me to be more open minded about how I perceive the people I meet and the things that I encounter. She would constantly tell me the cliche don’t judge a book by its cover and I would just laugh her off. But then she would remind me of the circumstances on how we started becoming friends. And she’s right that by her appearance alone, I will choose not to be friends with her. But she is also correct that since I took time to get to know her, I learned that her appearance alone does not define her entire being. Now, I am very careful with how I interact with people and that before I dismiss them and not want anything to do with them, I try to talk to them first and get to know a little bit of them to see if we have things in common. Another good thing that I have learned from Christina is how to take a break from school and all the other stressful extra-curricular activities that I have. I come from a very demanding family when it comes to school and my parents do not realize how much pressure they put on me to do well in school. So there are times when I would be awake for days, trying to prepare for an exam or a paper and would miss out on parties and shopping with friends. Christina taught me the importance of balance in life. For one, she is the type of student who can go to a party every weekend and yet still manage to get those A’s in school. She constantly reminds me that rest is important and that there is no use in studying all the time if I would be too tired or weary to take the exams. I have learned that there is a time for everything and that balance is essential to keep myself sane. But by far, the most important thing that Christina has taught me is how to love myself. My insecurities are like little battles for me everyday. When my boyfriend broke up with me for a girl who looked like a supermodel, all my insecurities started to envelope me. I started hating and doubting myself. There came a point when I found nothing good about myself and started wasting my life away. But Christina was there to pick me up and to shake some sense into my head. She, with some other friends, talked to me through some sort of intervention and told me all the good things that they see in me. They pounded in my head that unless and until I start seeing the good in myself, I will never be able to offer what I have to other people; and that if I didn’t believe in myself, then other people will start losing their faith in me as well. It was not easy to bounce back into the life I used to have: the more focused and idealistic me. But I am grateful that Christina was with me every step of the way, helping me collect the pieces of my life and putting them back together, as if completing a puzzle. Differences brought me and Christina together as friends. And it is differences that continue to bind us. I no longer consider Christina as my best friend but as my sister, someone that has shaped my life and continues to shape my life for the better. I just wish that someday I can give back to her everything that she has done for me as my way of saying how grateful I am that she is a part of my life.

Analysis on death of the moth by Virginia Woolf Essay

The passage â€Å"The Death of the Moth† has been excerpted from Virginia Woolf’s (1882-1941) collection of essays and published one year after her death. Throughout this particular passage, she symbolizes a moth and its insignificance yet contribution to nature, along with her views on life and death. She skillfully elaborates about this moth, providing information that reveals it is much more noteworthy than it is treated. She begins her writing with a general idea of moths, and although the sentence â€Å"they are hybrid creatures, neither gay like butterflies nor somber like their own† is written in a factual manner, it is actually not a fact; it is her method of expressing that moths are unique individuals, not completely like butterflies and not completely like their own kind. Virginia’s purpose of displaying it in this factually manner is to verify the strength of her belief in this phrase. The moth was trapped and put so much effort into retrieving its freedom that she felt a slight sense of pity for the trapped moth. Nevertheless, she still watches it without reacting to aid it. As she watches it, she realizes the moth has not given up yet, as if it has plenty to strive for. Woolf describes the moth as â€Å"pathetic†, since it was battling against the inevitable and was in pain because of the profound effort that seemed unworthy in her eyes. We see that with numeral examples from this essay, Virginia carefully chooses her style of writing and literary devices to make her writing effective, detailed, and emotionally expressive. It is difficult to understand what exactly motivates her to write like this, and how exactly it reflects her reason for suicide, but there are still many interpretations. She did, however, persistently mention her fascination by the creature, as it had so much determination to live, thrusting its body uneasily, attempting to save itself. The moth seemed to have a dignity that it was holding on to, as it fought vigorously to live. Personally, I think this is the reason people find her motive to voluntarily give up her own life to be extremely ambiguous. The message Woolf is trying to convey to the reader is that one must give in to death, as it is part of the life cycle. One needs to give in to the inevitable, as all beings will die and it is only a matter of time. Even though this particular moth used to be pathetic in her perspective, Virginia now watched it as if it were a renowned masterpiece. The moth had transformed into becoming a truly magnificent creature in her eyes; thus her use of paradox is meant to keep us thinking and wondering. For sixty years now, students and professors of the English language have been studying her rhetorical modes, in hopes of bringing out the true meaning behind her literature.

Critique Of Andrew Abbott Essays - Andrew Abbott, Free Essays

Critique Of Andrew Abbott Essays - Andrew Abbott, Free Essays Critique Of Andrew Abbott Part A: Summary Introduction: Andrew Abbotts book, The System of Professions: An Essay on the Division of Expert Labour contains a mix of comparative historical analysis and current evaluation, which is assembled within an analytical model that looks at professions from the viewpoint of their jurisdictions, the tasks they do, the expert knowledge needed for those tasks, and how competitive forces internally and externally work to change both the jurisdictions and the tasks. Abbott attempts to show that professions are interdependent systems, containing internal structures. He accomplishes this task by means of analyzing the emergence of modern professions and their relationships with each other cooperatively and competitively. Section I: Work, Jurisdiction, and Competition Abbotts book takes on an individualistic direction in its inception then moves to a more systematic view of professions. Modern studies of formal professions began with the rise of the discipline of social sciences in the 19th century. In the beginning, scholars debated about the theoretical interpretations of professionalism. There was a split between proponents of functionalist and monopolistic approaches. However, academics on both sides agreed, that a profession was an occupational group with some special skill (Abbott 1988: 7). Abbott mentions that there have been four different perspectives that have sought to interpret professionalization, a functional, structural, monopolistic, and a cultural view. Abbott states that the tasks of professions are to provide expert service to amend human problems (Abbott 1988: 33). These problems can be objective, in that they originate naturally or through technological imperatives. Problems can also be subjective, whereby they are imposed by society or a culture either from the present or past. Abbott argues that the real difference between the objective and subjective qualities of problems is a difference in amenability to cultural work (Abbott 1988: 36). Abbott outlines that there are several types of objective foundations for professional tasks. Some being technological, some organizational, other sources of objective qualities lay in natural objects and facts, while others came from slow-changing cultural structures. Abbott also argues that a profession is always vulnerable to changes in the objective character of its central tasks (Abbott 1988: 39). Besides the objective qualities, professional tasks also have subjective qualities, which m ake them susceptible to change. Unlike objective tasks, change does not come from the vagaries of external forces, but from the activities of other professions impinge[ing] on the subjective qualities (Abbott 1988: 39). According to Abbott, three acts helped to embody the cultural logic of professional practice. The three subjective modalities being diagnosis, inference, and treatment. Diagnosis is the process wherein information is taken into the professional knowledge system, and treatment is wherein instruction is brought back out from it (Abbott 1988: 40). During the process of diagnosis, relevant information about the client is assembled into a picture of the clients needs. This picture is then categorized into a proper diagnostic category. This process consists of two sub-processes known as colligation and classification. Colligation is the first step in which the professional knowledge system begins to structure the observed problems (Abbott 1988: 41). Colligation is the forming of a picture of the client, and consists primarily of rules declaring what kinds of evidence are relevant and irrelevant, valid and invalid, as well as rules specifying the admissible level of ambiguity (Abbott 1988: 41). Classification is the referral of the colligated picture to the dictionary of professional legitimate problems (Abbott 1988: 41). Colligation and classification help to define which type of problems fall under which body of profession, and specifically what kind of problem it is in that particular profession. Abbott mentions that sometimes problems of classification arise. For some problems are constantly shifting classifications, and fall under more than one classification, due to their defining traits. This may lead to intervention or competition by other professions who want to assimilate the unclear problem into their own professional repertoire (Abbott 1988: 44). The procedure of treatment is organized around a classification system and a brokering process, whereby results are given to the client and prescription is offered (Abbott 1988: 44). One major problem associated with treatment is the clients willingness to accept treatment. A profession that adamantly forces clien ts to take treatment risks losing clients to their competition who may be

No Better Elaborate Protective Environment Better Than essays

No Better Elaborate Protective Environment Better Than essays Religious opposition to The Pledge of Allegiance and flag salute appeared as early as 1918. Yet, the most famous case involving in Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) greatly challenged our constitutional rights to require students to salute the flag. Courts desicision rejected the claim of Jehovahs Witnesses from Pennsylvania who argued that requiring the children to salute the flag while in school was equivalent as to forcing them to worship an image that violated their rights to freedom of religion. After numerous times of reading and studying the case, I found myself in a great deal of opposition to the decision and opinions presented by Justice Frankfurter. Right from the beginning, it was inappropriate and wrong doing for the Court portrayed as balancing conflicting claims of liberty and authority. There is not a piece of law has been written in the Constitution states nor implies that schools interest in creating national unity is more important than the rights of t he students to refuse to salute the flag. Instilling patriotic ideals in our youth is a noble objective. Nonetheless, it is counterproductive if, seeking to accomplish that noble objective, we ignore the fundamental principles in the Constitution. Although the Courts decision was in favor of the Minersville School district, the decision seemed to have had some overtones of bias towards the Jehovah's Witnesses. One must remember that America was involved in World War II; a war that took many lives of American men and change the path of our country forever. It does make one wonder whether or not Justice Frankfurter could have had some bias towards the Jehovah's Witnesses because of this and other beliefs they might have followed. Refusing to salute the flag, or to participate in activities, which many consider necessary during this time period to promote unity within America, was looked upon as suspicious. Justice Frankfurter himself m...