Slavery in Early American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in Early American History - Essay Example Slavery was practiced in the North America at its climax for up to two centuries before legal issues and human rights fighters started the foundation of dissolving this vice. The vice started fading in the late 18th century, but continued to thrive in the Southern States of North America. Most slaves were found in areas that were active in cash crop agriculture and other areas that required hard manual labor such as industrial areas (Kolchin, 9). Needless to say, many evils happened during the extended period that slavery existed. This essay will discuss the supposed differences that led to the degradation of the blacks as slaves in English America. Terrors that were experienced in slave ships during their transportation and some of the evolutions in the slave ships will also be discussed. These will base their reference on two books: The White Man’s Burden by Winthrop D. Jordan and The Slave Ship, by Marcus Rediker. The black people underwent a lot of maltreatment as slaves d uring slavery, and in slave ships in the early American history. The major difference that formed the basis of every other difference the whites had in degrading the Africans was the skin color. This is according to the book, The White Man’s Burden, by Winthrop D. Jordan. The skin color of the Africans made the Whites believe that they were a radically unusual race. This drove to the belief that this peculiar race was then inferior and thus had no right to some of the rights that the Whites had access. Africans were, therefore, considered lesser than the White Men, and were subjected to play servitude to the perceived superior mankind, the White People. â€Å"By 1700, when Africans began flooding into English America, they were treated as somehow deserving a life and status radically different from English and other European settlers† (Winthrop, 26). According to Jordan, an initial

To what extent should TV news coverage be driven by the quality of Essay

To what extent should TV news coverage be driven by the quality of footage available, prioritised over the quality of a story - Essay Example The major consideration in the selection of news is the quality of presented content. This seeks to offer the viewers the best coverage within a certain area. In news coverage, certain pieces of news are considered paramount and more important than others depending on the section under which the news falls. Immediacy and importance of certain subject to the populace are the two criteria utilized in the determination of content that ought to be presented in news coverage (Gripsrud 1999, 56). In accordance with this, coverage of the world news, the relative significance of certain occurrences that ought to be covered on the news, are measured against other criteria such as power and distance. This implies that occurrences that have greater influence on the structures of power and prominence within a given society are greatly considered compared to other events that have little influence on this area (Gripsrud 1999, 56). Events that are appreciably associated or connected to the society attain greater coverage than other events, which have no connection or association to the society. Certainly, magnificent disasters that emanate from remote regions coupled with available footage have a propensity of getting into television news (Gripsrud 1999, 56). These events meet the criteria for television news on the grounds of immediacy. The makes the presence of footage for certain events direct to prioritization over the quality of the offered stories. Quality of footage has been improved to a greater extent through novel news technologies that have been directed by the demand. These technologies offer newsrooms with instantaneous content that increase the work for news creation staff, since it offers diversity and difficulty in choosing the most imperative and striking news footage or stories. These technologies allow the populace to experience news live as the events transpire in the real world. Numerous considerations are made concerning news coverage with other criteri a being secondary to the earlier mentioned criteria of immediacy and imperativeness (Gripsrud 1999, 56). Therefore, the quality of footage being offered is almost not considered in the presentation of news on television. This implies that the quality of footage is irrelevant within the news coverage context. For that reason, news has the capacity to acknowledge poor-quality news content and even poor quality speakers considering the subject of immediacy and significance of the presented events. These two factors are the principal considerations in the provision of footage that can either be quality or not. Therefore, these factors are considered as the determinants for the content that ought to be covered in television news. The populace is acquainted with the unaesthetic framing, presence of content that is captured through sudden pan shot, the dubious quality of the sound of the presented content, blurred images and other images presented under dazzling light (Gripsrud 1999, 56). This is considered wild footage that emanates from untamed world. Such content is considered imperative, despite the quality of content provided. The footage that has been presented is regarded a priority with regard to the quality of the story being presented. Bulletins for the news are developed, or created, by stitching these rushed, unreliable and poor quality contents from different sources (Gripsrud 1999,

Establishing the Academic Performance of Veterans in the Us Colleges Essay Example for Free

Establishing the Academic Performance of Veterans in the Us Colleges Essay The word veteran comes from Latin word, vetus which means old. It’s used to mean a person who has experience or has served for a long time in the armed forces. Though sometime it may be used to even include those still working in the armed forces (Howe 23). In some countries holidays dubbed Veterans Day have been celebrated to honor the veterans. After World War 2 veteran groups like the veterans of foreign wars and even the American legion pushed for the enactment of the GI bill which has ensured that veterans access free or subsidized education and health care (Howe 23). Objectives †¢ To determine the level of academic performance of veterans in the US colleges. †¢ To understand the reasons why veterans decide to go back to college. †¢ To comprehend the effect of being a veteran on academic performance. †¢ To classify the academic performance of the veterans i. e excellent, moderate e. t. c. Justification Frances claims that the Vietnam veterans, who were on duty between 1956 and 1975, were psychologically devastated and bitter (45) and addicted to drugs (46). They include the people who had an uphill task readjusting to the normal society life, in the US history context (47). Several movies e. g. Hi mom (1970), 1971’s hard ride and Marvel Comic’s movie The Punisher among others have constantly shown that the experience at the Vietnam war for example was so devastating (Jay 23). This warrants a study that probes to know if the government’s efforts to take the veterans back to college is the most appropriate measure. The results will boost the morale of the veterans. The researcher hypothesis will be a Null hypothesis-There is no relationship between high academic performance and being a veteran. It will be assumed that the respondents exam result will be a true reflection of their academic capability and that past exam marks achieved were not characterized by any irregularities. Literature review A number of recent studies keep pointing at the fact that those combat veterans who have PTSD have exhibited memory lapse. According to Nash (112) and Andrew (99), other psychological dimensions including intellectual capacity, veterans with PTSD have been ok just like other non-veterans. According to the newly signed GI bill by the USA president George W. Bush on 30th June 2008, all American young veterans are assured of a chance to obtain a college degree or university degree free of charge (Montreal Gazette). An example of the serious attention being given to this sector is Horatio Alger association’s commitment in 2005 to distribute 10 million dollars to those veterans who fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This bill was signed in recognition of the Jewish War Veterans. It was also signed in order to review the educational benefits attached to the military, navy or the air force from which a majority of the veterans emanate and which have been outpaced by the standards of living. The bill has been timely because it eliminates the stringent procedures and replaces them with a minimum of three years of active service to the nation in the military, navy, air force or any other troops like reservists or guardsmen. The veteran benefits are to those who have participated actively in long term state duties and have received an honorary discharge from duty e. g. the American Soldiers who went to fight the war in Iraq and made it back home (National Guard). The financial Aid office and the department of veteran affairs in the US which is based at Ivy Tech in Southern Indiana have been very instrumental in promoting education for the veterans. According to a recent survey by Minnesota state colleges and universities (2007), 80% of National Guard soldiers from Minnesota completing their overseas deployment, said they were keen on beginning or returning to complete their higher education (Karmaz 345). These veterans returning from military duty abroad face numerous challenges i. e. personal, relationship, employment matters and education as they struggle to return their lives to normal civilians (Nash 116). As the president of Las Positas College DeRionne Pollard puts it in her welcome note, the veterans have made an astonishing difference in the lives of their countrymen and women. The peace and freedom that is enjoyed by the US for example as she puts it, is as a result of the tiresome work and a strong sense of duty exhibited by the veterans in their various state assigned duties (Andrews 34). This study will therefore be seeking to establish the general academic performance of veterans and the factors responsible for the standards In veterans elementary public school in Chula Vista that caters for approximately 542 students from grade k-6 in 2007 had an adequate yearly progress of 845 surpassing the 800 mark set by the state of California. Sounds impressive but, how about other schools/colleges? (Neubauer Diane 376) Methodology This study will utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods. In quantitative method, the academic records of the veteran students will be analyzed; their performance will then be compared to the other non-veteran students in the same setting. A test will also be set and administered to all respondents. The research will utilize several resources including stationery, analyzing computers where data is entered and comparison charts and graphs produced. Qualitative method will also be used be used to generate the opinions of the respondents. Unstructured questionnaires will be used to generate this information. All qualitative information of similar nature will be grouped together i. e. information coding. The coded information will then be organized in the form of matrix and then conclusions drawn from the data, E. g. Oral examinations on general topics can also be posed, the respondent’s answers will then be checked for content and their levels of understanding understood. Data analysis The quantitative data on the performance of the subjects will be compared with that of a control reference population of students with the same characteristic but who are not veterans. The qualitative information will also be translated into percentages of the subject who prefer to go back to college for several reasons. The qualitative information will then be used to explain the performance of the veterans quantitatively. For example, if a majority of veterans go back to college because they want to gain knowledge or because they want to develop new careers and assist their families, then we would rightly conclude that the high performance by the same people is purely because of self motivation and not because of the harsh conditions they faced in service for the nation. Results According to (Willenz 56), a case study done on 204 veterans in Michigan, it was found that 60% of the respondents performed well in college at the beginning but later their performance depreciated and they eventually underperformed, with approximately 20% of them dropping out. Of those who dropped out, 90% of them were not going for counseling sessions. The results clearly show that though many veterans want to go back to college, their past experiences plays a major role in what becomes of that decision. However there is a serious need for the veterans to be attached to counselors or psychologists whose therapies should make them fit to go back to college and stay on course to achieve desirable results. Veterans most of the time have suffered severe consequences of war and therefore as a show of appreciation for the sacrifices they made the government through a specifically set financial scheme offers to take them back to school or if they accidentally passed on in line of duty, their family members are given the benefits. These benefits have been characterized with a lot of procedural technicalities that have denied genuine candidates their dues. The most common scenario is that of veterans living in conditions of poverty and engaged in a lot of legal battles with the state in an attempt to prove that they are worth compensating. For the veterans to become normal civilians after participating in military wars there is need for a carefully structured educative system that re- integrates them into the society through counseling and other methods. Recommendations The veterans occupy an integral part of any society. Their contribution in safeguarding the interests of their nation calls for more than is currently being offered even by the US. Young veterans only should have the option of going back to college as compulsory especially if they had not gone to college. But aged ones should be given an opportunity to access the compensation in terms of finances and be able to do what they like with it. The Compensation for duties discharged should not only be education grants but should also include job placements. Because of their selfless actions it would be prudent for the concerned governments to increase the compensations given to those who have been disabled in the line of duty. The duration of service should be a determining factor for compensation.

Military Rules & Regulations Essay Example for Free

Military Rules Regulations Essay There are many types of leaders in the military. To be specific, there are five different people(s) that take part in leading the Army. They are as follows (from highest point of responsibility to lowest); the SA (Army Staff) and CSA (Chief of Staff), the Vice CSA, the DCS G-1 (Deputy Chief of Staff), the HQDA (Headquarters Department of the Army) Heads of other staffing support, and commissioned officers/NCOs. In completeness, the Army Staff all take care of how we as soldiers are supposed to behave to each other, as well as civilians, and the duties we are to uphold. LDRSHIP was put into place to give us a basic idea of these responsibilities. The CSA makes sure that the leadership is keeping soldiers ready to perform their jobs effectively and aptly. The Vice CSA advises the CSA of what needs to be done in improving the Army, through the recommendations from the Well-Being GOSC (General Officer[s] Steering Committee) and oversees the rest of the Army Staff. The DCS G-1 leads the Well-Being GOSC by; creating their agenda, bringing in staff and administrators, and guaranteeing these staff are well organized and disciplined in their decisions of the Army’s well-being. The HQDA staff does much of the same thing the Well-Being GOSC does, by supporting the policies, plans, and initiatives to improve the Army’s overall prosperity. The last of the leadership charged with improving our lives, as soldiers and moral, as well as maintaining an order of things, are the commissioned and non-commissioned officers. They help our mental, physical, and spiritual health’s are brought to their peak level. They also help our families to have as much of the same benefits and living circumstances as we soldiers have. As soldiers, we are to be disciplined and handle our duties with respect to the rules and regulations put into place by our above leaders. In the case of CQ, I am to always maintain the Army standard. I understand that one of the biggest of these responsibilities is to keep soldiers from roaming outside of their rooms after bed check. This is for safety purposes for those soldiers, as well as for our sake’s as CQ runners. If we cannot maintain proper order over the barracks, we are to immediately report to the duty NCO, letting him/her take over the situation. We are also required to report any happenings on the CQ log, including deliveries, maintenance calls (COX Communications, etc.), drunken personnel, and the duties we have performed (cleaning, hall inspections) throughout our shift. We are to be self-disciplined enough to know what we can and cannot handle and ensure that we have options to take if we can’t take care of an incident. Since being on CQ is a specific order, we are to make sure that all of those duties aforementioned are followed and fulfilled. We also need to be disciplined in the aspect of our attire, and our appearance. This means we are required to wear whatever the commander specifies we wear on CQ, in a clean and tidy fashion. AR 600-25 explains all of the dos and don’ts of saluting, and honoring and visiting personnel. CQ may not be the immediate first person to see entering/exiting commanders or NCOs (but should be), but the first person to do so should call the group to Attention/At-Ease depending on the enterer. This is where the CQ personnel should have the attention to their surroundings to know when a ranking official is already present or leaving, or a higher-ranking official is entering or exiting. Since we are supposed to be making rounds to check the integrity of our area of work, especially after bed check, if we see an official of officer status, we need to give the proper gesture and remark, depending on the official’s rank and the time of the incident. In situations where we know of events going on, such as reveille and retreat, but we are at our post, we do not have the right to salute, but if we are outside in any area, we need to immediately halt our actions and salute towards the playing. We, as soldiers are to keep well trimmed in our appearance at all times. This includes wearing the proper uniform when required. Mismatching uniforms is not allowed. If we do not, our commander and/or NCO can give us punishment for our actions in consistency with the Army regulations. If a soldier does something outside of military jurisdiction that is unacceptable to civilian rules, the punishment comes from the civilian law enforcement. On top of that, though, the military, depending on the situation, will determine the harshness of ITS punishment as well. This goes so far to say that happenings, such as drinking, may be legal at age 21, but if you drive and are caught by any law enforcement, military or civilian, it is grounds for at least an Article 15 and ASAP (Army Substance and Abuse Program) training, and possible chaptering if there are multiple offences. If there are no law enforcement present to oversee a situation, any senior ranking official can take information on the soldier and give it the that soldiers commander, and should without any hesitation. Last of all, if there are no senior officials to take care of the situation, the peers of the subject should have the responsiveness to stop the soldier from doing acts against Army regulations. In this, anyone can and is required to report anything military personnel do that could be chargeable under UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). On CQ, as a female, you are not allowed to go into any of the male barracks. As a male on CQ, we are to stop any female who attempts to go to a male part of the barracks. If we are not able to do so, we need, as stated above, to report it immediately to the official on duty at that moment. Then, that official will take action as to what will happen to the individual who was reported in the wrong. Military authority should be done with most of the acronym LDRSHIP in mind (Personal Courage shouldn’t be a factor). It should be fair and not over the top. I thank you for the opportunity to do extra duties and this essay, rather than going to an Article 15. Since I now know the rules I am to follow while in the military, and especially while on duty as a CQ runner.

Economic Impact Of Marijuana Legalization Economics Essay

Economic Impact Of Marijuana Legalization Economics Essay Drug dealers in America have mastered the concept of supply and demand. They have identified their target audience and are doing an incredible job at keeping competition down. They rapidly work towards a monopoly in their respective areas. They even keep ahead of the game by obtaining the best product at the lowest price before hiking up the price to potential buyers. They are running an underground gold mine and the government hasnt been getting a penny of the proceeds. In fact, the government and taxpayers spend between 20 and 25 billion dollars a year (Osler, 2012), on prosecuting dealers and incarcerating those who possess marijuana. But facts are facts and this is how America works. It may be for this reason that voters in Washington and Colorado decided to legalize marijuana. On November 7, 2012, state legislators in both Washington and Colorado passed an initiative and an amendment, respectively, to allow for the possession, distribution, and private recreational use of cannabis. From an economic perspective, there would be numerous benefits to legalizing marijuana. The states expect to see a rapid decline in arrests for marijuana possession, saving money from the reduced need for law enforcement for marijuana prohibition. This proves to potentially save Colorado alone an average of $40.1 million, (Stiffler, 2012), in costs associated with incarceration. Not only will the economic impact of legalization of marijuana help save the government on law enforcement expenses, but it will also encompass the possibility of large sums of revenue from the market supply and demand of the newly legalized product, generating an impressive profit from sales tax. As a new industry emerges within the workforce, desperately needed employment opportunities will arise across the country, stimulating the economy by initially providing 4,200 new jobs (Fottrell, 2012). It will also help upsurge our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as more goods will be produced and retailed. The economic impact of the legalization of marijuana covers many aspects of the economy. In Mark Oslers U.S. Should Honor States New Pot Laws CNN.com, Osler discusses the conflict that arises from a state passing a law that contradicts a federal law. He examines the sides of both the proponents and opponents to the federal government cracking down on drug use in Colorado and Washington. Osler goes in depth about how the federalists support the States and want the government to leave them alone to govern their states how they choose, and how the moralists would like to see the federal government enforce the federal narcotics laws despite the voters decisions in the states. The article also analyses how harder drugs deliver a lesser punishment than more minor drugs and how drug laws in the past have done little to permanently curb drug use. Amendment 64 would produce $60 million in new revenue and savings for Colorado, by Christopher Stiffler, presents a systematic approach to how the government will benefit from the passing of the amendment. The article discusses the various ways that the legalization of marijuana will positively affect the economy and also describes in detail the how tax revenue will be generated and utilized to benefit Colorado. Stiffler also focuses on the details of the amendment itself and how a shift in governmental thinking can save millions of taxpayer dollars. Quentin Fottrells How to Invest in Legalized Marijuana, describes the rapidly growing market demand for marijuana and marijuana related products. He gives descriptions of several marijuana centered companies and offers his opinion on the direction of the economy. Fottrell also mentions how the marijuana market is spreading over to other industries and explains the benefits and pitfalls of investing in marijuana related stock. Unperturbed Puffery, by B.A., is an article that focuses on the likelihood of the Obama administration to enforce federal laws in Colorado and Washington. B.A. takes a strong stance on the issue and sides with the federalists who prefer a hands-off approach from the federal government. The articles examines the costs related to incarcerating people with marijuana related charges and concludes with mentioning how the government should have more important issues to tend to than marijuana possession. Mike Moffatts Would Marijuana Legalization Increase the Demand for Marijuana?, answers a readers question about the demand for marijuana if it becomes legal. Moffatt consults the experts to form an opinion on the issue. The experts seem to believe overall that demand will increase unless the price goes up too much, in which case it will stay the same. The article also mentions how the legalization of the drug may have the opposite effect because the allure of marijuana comes in part from the fact that it is illegal. Moffatt also looks at other countries experiences with the legalization of marijuana and concludes that legal or not, people will continue to use it. Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana? by Mike Moffatt discusses the economics of drug dealers and compares their profits to potential profits that the government could make by legalizing marijuana. He breaks down the profit percentage from street sales and considers a shift from street profit to governmental tax revenues. Moffatt also considers the health of the consumers and educational benefits that can arise from the legalization of marijuana. C. Whitakers The Economic Effects of Legalizing Marijuana, takes a look at the business aspect of legalizing marijuana. The article discusses how the underground business can become legal and even how former underground drug dealers can get off welfare and become legal entrepreneurs. Whitaker also examines the economic impact of the marijuana and how a lowered price would allow for funds to be spent elsewhere in the economy. Whitaker claims in the article that the legalization of marijuana will help put an end to poverty by creating business opportunity for drug pushers and will also save money for prisons everywhere. As stated before, the economic impact of illegal marijuana comes at an expense to us all. This expense is obtained from the costs associated with cracking down on those who are buying and selling drugs, prosecuting them in the courts, and providing food and shelter for them in jail cells. According to Mark Osler, the amount that has gone towards these efforts has been between 20 and 25 billion dollars a year for the past decade (Osler, 2012). When breaking these figures down, it is revealed that, 12.4% of federal prisoners convicted on drug charges were locked up for marijuana offenses. Thats about 11,630 people, at an average cost of $25,500 to $26,000 per person per year (B.A., 2012). Multiplying these figures yields a result of more than 290 million spent annually on jailing inmates, at the federal level, who were caught with marijuana. In the grand scheme of things, this is quite a sum of money that could be allocated towards other things. A reporter for The Economist says that, Prosecuting people for marijuana offenses is a waste of resources (B.A., 2012). The reporters sentiment is understood based on the fact that, Four out of Five of the 1.64 million people arrested for drug violations were accused of possession, and half of those arrests were for carrying what were often very small amounts of marijuana (Osler, 2012). When comparing the effects of marijuana, a schedule 1 narcotic, and the effects of cocaine and opium, schedule 2 narcotics (less offensive), (Osler, 2012), it makes little sense that a substance that has no known scientific death toll, cancer causing side effects, or even evidence of being an addictive substance should cause so many people to be put behind bars at tax payers expense. This is one reason why voters have decided to make marijuana legal in Washington and Colorado. The expense of police in Colorado alone shows substantial potential governmental savings. According to Christopher Stiffler and Colorados direct budget costs for enforcing marijuana prohibition, $40.1 million is spent annually enforcing marijuana prohibition, (Stiffler, 2012). This is seen in the chart below, (Stiffler 2012). Colorados direct budget costs for enforcing marijuana prohibition Agency Total spending Percent spent enforcing prohibition Amount spent enforcing prohibition Police $82,676,491 4.41 $3,646,033 Judicial $340,243,578 7 $23,817,050 Corrections $634,934,029 2 $12,698,681 Total $40.1 million As explained on a state and national level, legalizing marijuana has a very positive effect on the police expense, potentially creating a notable amount of revenue from savings alone. Not only are expenses a detriment from illegal marijuana; but forgone profit is a negative effect as well. An economist named Stephen T. Easton conducted a study using data from Canada to calculate the amount of tax revenue that legalizing marijuana could bring to the government (Moffatt, 2012). The study showed that the average price of .5 grams of marijuana sold for $8.60 on the street with a production cost of only $1.70. (Moffatt, 2012) These figures would amount to a $6.90 profit for drug dealers. Any survivor of an ECON 5003 course would know that with a profit like this, competition would be intense. What keeps these drug dealers with a local monopoly is the fact that the possession and distribution of marijuana is illegal and subject to serious jail time. This risk factor is what keeps others from trying to get in on the action. This also keeps supply restricted and demand high for the product, leaving drug dealers with hefty profits at the expense of the government. Now that marijuana has been legalized, it is expected that the demand for marijuana will increase. With the risk factor gone, far more people will engage in recreational activities involving marijuana. Drug dealers will no longer make as much profit due to the fact that anyone can potentially sell marijuana. With a larger supply, the prices from the once exclusive drug market will drop drastically resulting in a price much closer to the cost of production. With marijuana being legal, there will be government run distributers who will, based on basic supply and demand modules, offer the drug at a much lower base price. However, because marijuana will be closely regulated much like tobacco and alcohol, the taxes from licensing and distribution will drive the total purchase price up and revenue will rival that of current day drug dealers. When transferring the profit once enjoyed by drug dealers to the U.S. government in the form of taxes and distribution costs, and leaving transportation and marketing issues behind, the government would end up with revenue of $7 per .5 grams of marijuana, (Moffatt, 2012) With the collection of tax on each marijuana cigarette and again leaving transportation and marketing issues behind, this adds up to over a $2 billion profit, (Moffatt, 2012). Without the legalization of marijuana, the street price of marijuana will stay the same because there is a very limited and risky to purchase supply. The distributors or drug dealers enjoy a relatively stable quantity demanded because of this unchanging price. Now that marijuana has been legalized, the demand will increase due to the fact that consumers no longer have a risk in purchasing marijuana. Looking at a supply demand curve, Figure 1 shows the effect that legalizing marijuana would have. With the demand curve increasing in order to stay with equilibrium, the price equilibrium would increase. Figure 1: Effect of Legalizing Marijuana Although legalizing marijuana has great potential of increasing tax revenue, a sense of morality is likely to appear due to the perceived negative effect of health throughout the population. With this in mind the government can either decrease consumption by raising taxes or increase it by dropping taxes. Figure 2 shows the effect if taxes are increased and consumption of marijuana is decreased. Figure 2: Increase in Marijuana Tax As shown by the graph, if marijuana taxes are increased, the supply curve would shift to the left. The quantity supplied would decrease from Q*1 to Q*2. This shift in supply changes the equilibrium from E1 to E2 and the price is increased from P*1 to P*2. Increasing taxes too much can have a negative effect because if taxes get too high marijuana growers will want to sell in the black market to avoid the high taxes. In addition to law enforcement expenses and forgone profit, another aspect that illegal marijuana hinders is the emergence of a new industry and job opportunities across America. With the legalization of marijuana comes a plethora of career options and job opportunities. Also, those who were previously victims of incarceration from the distribution of cannabis can now possibly start a legal profitable business. One such business that has already taken off is the medical marijuana industry. According to Quentin Fottrell from Market Watch, the medical marijuana industry is, estimated to be worth about $1.7 billion as of 2011, (Fottrell, 2012). In Colorado alone, sales topped $181 million in 2010, and the business employed 4,200 state-licensed workers, (Fottrell, 2012). The new marijuana industry spans from medical producers, to agricultural-equipment firms, dispensaries, vaporizers, and even edible goods. Producers are now able to ship the drugs out to the customers, as drug trafficking is no longer be illegal. This is one of the many ways new jobs are being created. The marijuana industry will also raise our Gross Domestic Product because it can be grown and sold here in the USA. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Illicit drugs accounted for 1% of the worlds GDP, (Whitaker, 2009). One percent doesnt sound like much at all, but this 1% is higher than 88% of all countries GDPs in the world (Whitaker, 2009). People participating in the marijuana industry would not only have a stable source of income, but also a legal source that would be taxed. From the consumers perspective, the legalization of marijuana could mean lower prices. Since there will be countless ways for purchasing legal marijuana, more competition will arise which will result in decreased prices for the consumer. Consumers will no longer have to pay such a high price resulting in an increase in their available funds that they can invest, putting money directly back into the economy. The newly legalized marijuana market also creates investment opportunities. Medbox (OTN:MDBX) [has] an OTC stock with a $45 million market cap, (Fottrell, 2012). Medical Marijuana (OTN:MJNA), [has] an OTC stock with a $69 million market cap, (Fottrell, 2012). And Cannabis Science in Colorado Springs, Colo. (OTN;CBIS), [has] an OTC stock with a $41 million market cap, (Fottrell, 2012). These new investment opportunities encourage investors to feed into the economy and stimulate the free market. As old products are losing ground, this new market is rapidly gaining appeal and helping the economy every step of the way. In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana brings up an interesting opportunity for the government.   If they become the suppliers of the good, they can produce on the true supply or marginal cost curve and then replace the cost of arresting and fighting dealers with marijuana revenue. A great deal of tax payer money goes into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs on the black market, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. These costs seem particularly exorbitant when dealing with the drug marijuana, as it is widely used, and is likely no more harmful than currently legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. When looking at marijuanas effect on the economy as a whole, the positive and lucrative impact cannot be ignored. From the creation of new job opportunities, to the abundant new supply of revenue, and even the savings incurred from removing prohibition, it is clear that the economic impact created by the legalization of marijuana is beneficial to us all.

The Importance of Fort McHenry to America Essay -- essays research pap

As a country, the United States felt that the War of 1812 was under control and that they were well prepared for any battle any army could throw at them. After the United States won an important battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." As a new country, America, having just defeated the greatest military strength on the earth, was perhaps overconfident. However, once Great Britain turned all of its attention to defeating the United States, America realized that the fate of her country relied on Baltimore, and Baltimore relied on the protection of Fort McHenry. If Fort McHenry was taken over by the British, the Nation would have been split into two. The fate of the United States rested, to a large extent, on the success or failure of the central prong attack which was being protected by Fort McHenry. If Baltimore had not had Fort McHenry for protection, the city would have been an easy target and our nation would have perished because Baltimore would have lacked the proper protection it needed to prevail. Before 1793, there was a base on the peninsula called Whetstone Point, which was of strategic value to the United States because of its location. Whetstone Point was surrounded by water on three sides and in order to get to Baltimore by water, you had to pass by this peninsula. Because of these reasons, this point seemed like an obvious place to put a fort to protect Baltimore. Not only was this a good location because of the water, but it was close enough to Baltimore to protect it without putting it in danger. Therefore, in 1793, a man named John Jacob Ulrich Rivardi was directed by the Secretary of War to create a plan fo... ...endered or America had won. They could vaguely see a flag flying above the fort but could not tell whether it was America or British. Finally the darkness lifted and they saw that the American flag was still up and waving in the wind. After this night, Key wrote a poem telling the events of that night. He called it â€Å"The Defense of Fort M’Henry†. It was published in the newspapers all over America. Someone put the poem to music using an old English tune called â€Å"To Anacreon in Heaven†. This song became America’s first national anthem in 1931. Fort McHenry is not just known for the night when Francis Scott Key put that night into poem, but it is known as a great fort with a very strong military advantage. Fort McHenry helped protect Baltimore and save America. Without Fort McHenry, America could have easily been conquered and destroyed.

The Trouble with Boys :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

My sister asks me how I am. I tell her I’ve been unproductive, distracted, and irritable. Â   I've been in a place before where I really didn't care to be dating anyone at all, but when I'm in that place it's usually because my defenses have gone haywire and are slaughtering innocent passers-by. It's not a lot of fun, I gotta tell you. What I can't remember is whether it's more fun - or less not-fun - than what I'm feeling now. Â   I mean, he seemed like a nice guy. He loves his mother. He holds down a good job. He said just enough of the right things that I believed him. Clever boy. Â   So now I'm shuttling distractedly back and forth between feeling sorry for myself and feeling sorry for him - the first, because I've been here too goddamned many times already and why don't these boys ever hang around? and the second because, bless his little heart, he never even gave himself the chance to know just how wonderful I am. It's irritating. Â   What bothers me almost as much, though, are the friends who, when I'm cool with things and don't care whether I date anyone or not, warn me that I'll be alone forever if I don't let down my defenses and open up to the possibility of meeting Mister Wonderful, but when I'm all in a terrible state because the guy for whom I've finally let down my defenses seems to be dumping me, tell me I shouldn't care whether he wants to see me or not, because I'm allathat and a bag of chips anyway and I'll be fine on my own. Â   Seems like good advice: care enough but not too much, want to see him but not care whether he wants to see me, keep my defenses in check but up and running... but I have yet to figure out how to do all these things at once. And while I am fine on my own, I'd kinda like the opportunity to be fine with someone for a while. Â   I have a friend for whom this is not a problem. Her tactic, upon suspecting she's being ditched, which she would like me to emulate, is to put on her sassiest attitude and start dating someone else - preferably one of his friends.