Legalizing Concealed Weapons May Deter Crime Essay -- Argumentative Pe

Legalizing Concealed Weapons May Deter Crime A concealed weapon is a firearm hidden on a person. Thomas Jefferson once wrote that "laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man"(Lee 147). "In Florida, 315,000 permits had been issued to citizens for concealed weapons by December 31, 1995. Only five have been revoked because the permit holder committed a violent crime with a gun" ( Kopel 129). Many crimes could have been avoided if you could carry a concealed weapon in every state. "If the states that do not have right - to - carry concealed guns had adopted the laws in 1992, approximately 1,570 murders; 4,177 rapes; and over 60,000 aggravated assaults would have been avoided yearly" (Kopel 129). Many people worry that innocent people or trained police officers would get hurt. The idea that poorly trained, armed people looking to become heroes would make it more dangerous for innocent people. Many law-enforcement organizations say different. They voluntarily issue concealed carry permits to citizens who pass a background checks. The concealed-carry movement is based on the principle that responsible citizens should not expect government to provide them with the essentials of life. Providing for the safety of one's self and one's family is first of all a personal duty. In the past five years in Miami, four concealed weapons permits have been revoked for criminal misuses of concealed weapons. Everyone may benefit from concealed-carry reform.... ... Brady, chairman of Handgun Control, said, "I don't believe gun owners have rights." Rosie O'Donnell said I honestly think-and I am not an expert on the amendments-I think the only people in this nation who should be allowed to own guns are police officers. I don't care if you want to hunt; I don't care if you think it's your right. I say 'sorry'. It is 1999 we have had enough as a nation. You are not allowed to own a gun and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison (Lee 149). I believe like Thomas Jefferson did that laws that forbid the carrying of arms, disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. In the future crime rates might drop, but that does not mean that all violent crime will stop. Carrying a concealed weapon does not guarantee that you will not be a victim, but I think it will help to protect yourself.

Causes of WWI Essay

Wars are large and complicated affairs. The first word war was the product of many, many things. Although the war officially began on July 28th, 1914, it had been building up for a while. The beginning of the war was much like a domino affect. It started when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. On July 29, Russia ordered a mobilization only against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia. The Germans threatened war on July 31 if the Russians did not demobilize. France then mobilized. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and two days later, on France. The German invasion of Belgium to attack France, which violated Belgium’s official neutrality, prompted Britain to declare war on Germany. World War I had begun. Nationalism, militarism, and imperialism all prompted the rivalry between nations which led to WWI. Nationalism, the love and support of one’s country, has always existed. At this time, however, it was so prominent, it helped cause the first world war. Since so much pride was devoted to countries, it made the possibilities of peace between past rivals less probable. People felt great loyalty and were willing to do anything for their country. In history, many wars have been over territorial disputes. A country feels nationalistic, and people’s pride leads to people wanting to expand with more land. A country can feel so strongly about this, that they will fight for it. The spark of the world was the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife. They were shot by a Serbian nationalist because of the crisis in the Balkans. The Balkan Peninsula was a mountainous area below Austira-Hungary and consisted of many different ethnic groups. Each group was very nationalistic and wanted to extend its borders, especially Serbia. Austria-Hungary took over two Balkan Slavic areas. Document 6 describes the tension in this region at the time. Serbia did not want Austria-Hungary to have Bosnia and Herzegovina. The archduke was shot because the Serbians feared that when he became in power he would continue to persecute the Serbs who lived in the Austro-Hungarian borders. The assassination, however, only created more problems. A harsh ultimatum was given to Serbia and when Serbia tried to negotiate that harsh terms, war was declared upon them. Serbia’s ally, Russia joined right in the war, and soon after many other European countries. Nationalism was also a contributing factor to the alliance  system. A country having more people on its side meant they felt more powerful, and more nationalistic. During World War I there were two alliance systems; the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. The Triple Alliance included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente included Great, Britain, France, and Russia. Later on in the war, the United States entered the war on the Triple Entente side, and Russia left. Members of the Triple Alliance were also known as the Central Powers. This is because the three countries were grouped together in the center of Europe. On each side of them, they has enemies, which is why this was a two-front war. This is shown on document 2’s map. Germany’s Schlieffen Plan was a plan to have a large part of the German army go west to fight France, and then go east to fight Russia. Nationalism is what made Great Britain join the war. Under the Schliefeen Plan, German troops invaded Belgium (a neutral country) because they refused to let the Germans pass through on their way to France. Great Britain was closely tied with Belgium so after the Germans attacked Belgium, Great Britain declared war on Germany. Although not the only cause of the large, complex war, Nationalism was the cause of many of the other causes. In many ways Nationalism can be a positive thing. It can improve economy by increasing competition and devotion and make a country more prosperous. Theses feelings created by nationalism can go to far. Nationalis m can also cause rivalry, feelings of superiority, and competition can lead to aggressiveness which leads to wars. Around 9 million people died in World War One. Tension between countries led to a arms race in Europe. Countries were over nationalistic and felt that having a large army made them more powerful. Glorifying military power and having an strong army is known as militarism. When a country has a strong army who is ready to fight, they are more likely to use war as a way of getting what they want. The main countries who participated in WWI all had significant increases in the amount of money they spent on weapons. Germany increased its per capitata expenditures on armaments from $1.28 in 1870, to $8.19 in 1914 (document 1). Propaganda, a way of persuading people to think one way, was used to keep up morale and support for the war. Posters like the one shown in document 5 was used to recruit soldiers for battle. People felt patriotic when they went to fight in the war. Countries competed to  have the largest militaries, and the best weapons. Militarism at this time led to the creation of many new weapons. Fritz Harber invented a method of using nitrogen from the air. It was used to create one of the worst weapons of the time, poison gas. The machine gun was also a new weapon of the time. It fired ammunition automatically and was extremely deadly because it was quick and easy. Other weapons of war included the tank, the airplane and the submarine. Submarines were used in unrestricted warfare and fired torpedoes. Militarism is why the war was so deadly. It caused rivalry between nations. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany envied Britain for having such a strong navy so he increased the German navy and built many warships. Britain responded by increasing its navy and building more warships too. Things like this started the arms race and created even more competition between countries and alliances. Leaders looked at militarism and saw war as the only way to solve problems, which is not true at all. Another factor which contributed to the increase in rivalry in Europe was imperialism. Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. These countries competed for economic expansion in Africa. Africa between 1880 and 1914 was split up between Britain, France, Germany, Italy and several other nations (document 4). Long before the war there was competition between these countries for resources, land, and markets. Each country wanted to be the most powerful and felt that they could do this by obtaining as much land and wealth as possible. Many forms of imperialism were used to do this with. Germany and France disputed over who would control Morocco a couple times, so the mistrust between these countries was already at a high level. Before the war, grudges had already been formed. Document 8 describes the tension and the trouble spots prior the WWI. The reason why the became and world war so quickly was because of all the factors that were already in place. Mainly rivalry, which imperialism contributed to greatly. World War One was ended with the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty was intended to make peace between the countries. The treaty was unfair and created with revenge in mind. It made Germany pay $33 billion in reparations and forced them to accept war guilt. Adolph Hitler himself was a product of  the First World War. In many ways, the end of World War I was the cause of World War II.

Chapter 4 Public Finance Answers

Part 2 – Public Expenditure: Public Goods and Externalities Chapter 4 – Public Goods 1. a. Wilderness area is an impure public good – at some point, consumption becomes nonrival; it is, however, nonexcludable. b. Satellite television is nonrival in consumption, although it is excludable; therefore it is an impure public good. c. Medical school education is a private good. d. Television signals are nonrival in consumption and not excludable (when broadcast over the air). Therefore, they are a public good. e. An automatic teller machine is rival in consumption, at least at peak times.It is also excludable as only those patrons with ATM cards that are accepted by the machine can use the machine. Therefore the ATM is a private good. 2. a. False. Efficient provision of a public good occurs at the level where total willingness to pay for an additional unit equals the marginal cost of producing the additional unit. b. False. Due to the free rider problem, it is unlikely that a private business firm could profitably sell a product that is non-excludable. However, recent research reveals that the free rider problem is an empirical question and that we should not take the answer for granted.Public goods may be privately supported through volunteerism, such as when people who attend a fireworks display voluntarily contribute enough to pay for the show. c. Uncertain. This statement is true if the road is not congested, but when there is heavy traffic, adding another vehicle can interfere with the drivers already using the road. d. False. There will be more users in larger communities, but all users have access to the quantity that has been provided since the good is nonrival, so there is no reasons larger communities would necessarily have to provide a larger quantity of the nonrival good. 3.We assume that Cheetah’s utility does not enter the social welfare function; hence, her allocation of labor supply across activities does not matter. a. The public good is patrol; the private good is fruit. b. Recall that efficiency requires MRSTARZAN + MRSJANE = MRT. MRSTARZAN = MRSJANE = 2. But MRT = 3. Therefore, MRSTARZAN + MRSJANE > MRT. To achieve an efficient allocation, Cheetah should patrol more. Chapter 4 – Public Goods 4. The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence is a public good because it is nonrival and presumably non-excludable. The government should pay for the research only if the SMB is greater than the SMC. . Aircrafts are both rival and excludable goods, so public sector production of aircrafts is not justified on the basis of public goods. If policymakers erroneously assume that the benefits of the mega-jetliner are public, then they would find the efficient level of production by vertically summing demand curves rather than horizontally summing demand curves. This causes the benefits to be significantly overstated and could be used to justify such high costs. 6. It is unlikely that if Pemex were privati zed that the situation would lead to a monopoly situation. Comparing oil production to telephone service is not a correct comparison.In the case of the telephone company, there was only one provider of telephone service. In the case of oil production, there would be only one producer in Mexico, but many competitors providing oil from which Mexico could buy. The newly privatized company would have to compete to sell its goods. It would likely become more efficient than the state run company because of this competition. 7. This debate is similar to the debate about private versus public education. Public sector production is often associated with higher costs (for both schools and prisons), but there may be other reasons society would prefer public to private provision.These reasons typically relate to equity considerations. For schools, the main argument is to make sure everyone child has the opportunity for a good education. For prisons, there may be a fundamental conflict between f air and humane treatment of prisoners and keeping costs low. For example, equity might require that prisoners be fed nutritious meals, but giving them bread and water for every meal might be less expensive. This question asks students to give personal opinions about privatizing prisons, so there is no single â€Å"right† answer. 8.The experimental results on free-riding suggest that members of the community might voluntarily contribute about half of the required amount. The reason these citizens wanted to use private fundraising was because the state government redistributed tax dollars from wealthy districts to poor districts (the so-called Robin Hood plan), so using private donations was a way to avoid losing tax dollars to other districts. 9. Books are not a public good. They are both rival (two people cannot read a book at the same time) and excludable (you can keep a person from reading a book).But if the goods libraries provide are a sense of community or a better educa ted populace, these would qualify as public goods. If the public good aspect of the library is to produce a better educated populace, then perhaps the classic books are a better choice. 10. Hiring private military firms to provide military support in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Darfur would be similar to the example of airport security in the text. One might argue that a private firm would not provide adequate training, use unethical or especially aggressive methods to shorten the conflict, thus lowering costs to increase profits.Proponents would argue that such things could be stipulated in a well-written contract. However, no Part 2 – Public Expenditure: Public Goods and Externalities contract can specify every possible contingency. In high conflict situations this may be especially true as the opposing side will not be predictable. 11. a. Zach’s marginal benefit schedule shows that the marginal benefit of a lighthouse starts at $90 and declines, and Jacob’s margina l benefit starts at $40 and declines. Neither person values the first lighthouse at its marginal cost of $100, so neither person would be willing to pay for a lighthouse acting alone. . Zach’s marginal benefit is MBZACH=90-Q, and Jacob’s is MBJACOB=40-Q. The marginal benefit for society as a whole is the sum of the two marginal benefits, or MB=130-2Q (for Q? 40), and is equal to Zach’s marginal benefit schedule afterwards (for Q>40). The marginal cost is constant at MC=100, so the intersection of aggregate marginal benefit and marginal cost occurs at a quantity less than 40. Setting MB=MC gives 130-2Q=100, or Q=15. Net benefit can be measured as the area between the demand curve and the marginal benefit of the 15th unit. The net benefit is $112. 5 for each person, for a total of $225. 2. Each day the private decision of each fisherman would equate private cost with private benefit. Therefore, 7 would show up because then each fisherman would catch four fish. If the fishermen catch less than four fish, then they will stay home. The net benefits to society are 0 fish (the benefit to the seven fishermen is 4 fish (7Ãâ€"4=28) and the cost to society is 4 fish per fisherman (7Ãâ€"4=28)). The efficient number of fishermen to show up at the lake is the number that will maximize social net benefits, which happens where the social marginal benefit equals the social marginal cost.This occurs at four fishermen, where the net social benefits equal 12 fish (4Ãâ€"7 – 4Ãâ€"4). Access to the lake is an impure public good. It is rival – if one fisherman has access to the fish, the others have less access. It is, however, non-excludable because it is difficult to keep people from fishing at a lake. 13. Britney’s marginal benefit is MBBRITNEY=12-Z, and Paris’s is MBPARIS=8-2Z. The marginal benefit for society as a whole is the sum of the two marginal benefits, or MB=20-3Z (for Z? 4), and i s equal to Britney’s marginal benefit schedule afterwards (for Z>4).The marginal cost is constant at MC=16. Setting MB=MC along the first segment gives 20-3Z=16, or Z=4/3, which is the efficient level of snowplowing. Note that if either Britney or Paris had to pay for the entire cost herself, no snowplowing would occur since the marginal cost of $16 exceeds either of their individual marginal benefits from the first unit ($12 or $8). Thus, this is clearly a situation when the private market does not work very well. Also note, however, that if the marginal cost were somewhat lower, (e. g. , MC? ), then it is possible that Paris could credibly free ride, and Britney would provide the efficient allocation. This occurs because if Britney believes that Paris will free ride, Britney provides her optimal allocation, which occurs on the second segment of society’s MB curve, which is identical to Britney’s MB curve (note that Paris gets zero marginal benefit for Z>4). Since Paris is completely satiated with this good at Z=4, her threat to free ride is credit if Britney provides Z>4. See the graph below. Chapter 4 – Public Goods MBParis MBBritney

Morality Can Exist Without Religion Essays

Morality Can Exist Without Religion Essays Morality Can Exist Without Religion Essay Morality Can Exist Without Religion Essay Have you ever imagined if morals can exist without religion? One day when got lost in a multitude of useless trivia in the Internet I accidentally came across a thought-provoking sentence by a British writer Arthur C. Clarke who said that one of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. After that, I started to think about this controversial matter. As a young Polish student, raised in the Christian tradition, in a country where according to WIN-Gallup Internationally research, more than 80 % of Poles declare themselves as religious, should I disagree with this quotation? The main problem with morality is to define it specifically. Although, it is obviously difficult to investigate scientifically, The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior Of course, religion imposes certain rules which helps believers to differentiate between good and evil. By obeying them, they build their moral system, but in that case, dont atheists have a moral compass? Many philosophers and scientists including Charles Darwin assumed that morality is a matter of evolution, especially in the case of social species such s humans. There is also an endless number of books which show how peoples emotions like empathy, kindness, altar ism or friendship have been evolved since the times of the first man. Even in the previous era, cooperation and sharing ensured better chance to survive. In that way, it may be considered that moral system was created instinctual and as a result it gave birth to numerous religions. The roots of moral conscience we can also detect in peoples upbringing or society they live in. Religion is hardly ever peoples free choice, in most cases its foisted by our ethnicity. There is no doubt, it goes hand in hand with our ideals and perception of the world, however I wouldnt count it as the main factor which determine morality. The thing am trying to prove is that you can be raised in a family or society of non-believers and still become a good person. Lets consider how many people would agree with the statement treat other people the way you would wish to be treated. I bet a significant majority of them would. Why? It just comes from basic empathy that most people usually have and also as parents instill in their children regardless of heir religious views. At the end I should admit that although many scientists and philosophers claim that morality can exist without God, they certainly dont mean to attack any religious believes. The main purpose for writing this essay was my strong will to debunk the stereotype that everything is either black or white. Morality, as a changing construct, which has developed over the years, is very subjective and often depends on peoples personal preferences. Therefore, we can always encounter an atheist doing good things as well as a Christian or Jew who behave wrong. The most important is just to live according to certain rules which dont harm other people then we can consider ourselves as a moral person. Nowadays religion plays an underlying role in many peoples lives. Moreover, its often treated as an oracle for morality. But one day I came across a thought-provoking sentence by a British writer Arthur C. Clarke who said that One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. This quotation forced me to start thinking about this controversial matter.

30 More Nautical Expressions

30 More Nautical Expressions 30 More Nautical Expressions 30 More Nautical Expressions By Mark Nichol After launching a list of seafaring idioms on a previous online cruise, I discovered a cargo hold of additional expressions that originated on the high seas but have come to rest high and dry on land. Here’s the haul. 1. All at sea: lost because of lack of knowledge of one’s position (confused and disorganized) 2. At loose ends: a reference to idle sailors being assigned to check that rigging is secure (idle) 3. Bail out: remove water from (assist or rescue) 4. Broad in the beam: said of a wide vessel (said of a large-hipped woman) 5. By and large: said in reference to steering slightly off the wind to ease effort and decrease the risk of slowing (in general, without special consideration) 6. Cut and run: sever the anchor line in an emergency (leave abruptly and abandoning others) 7. Fall foul of: collide with or become entangled in (come into conflict with) 8. First-rate: the largest class of warships during the sailing era (best) 9. Flog a dead horse: a reference to a period of work after getting and spending an initial payment (focusing on something already completed or settled) 10. Flotsam and jetsam: items lost or thrown overboard, respectively (odds and ends) 11. Give a wide berth: provide sufficient space when anchoring or docking to avoid other ships (keep at a distance) 12. Go by the board: a reference to something lost overboard (said of something to be abandoned or ignored) 13. Hail from: referring to the point of origin of a ship (come from, live) 14. Half seas over: partly submerged or keeled over so that waves are breaking over the deck, and therefore unable to maneuver effectively (drunk) 15. Hand over fist: using one hand at a time in quick alternating movements (rapidly) 16. Hard and fast: grounded (inflexible) 17. Hard up: a reference to the tiller being pushed as far to one side as possible (short of money) 18. High and dry: beached or caught on rocks and standing out of the water as the tide recedes (stranded or without resources or support) 19. In the offing: in sight, from the term for the expanse of ocean visible from shore (about to happen) 20. Know the ropes/learn the ropes: a reference to understanding knots, ropes, and rigging (familiarity with or training in how to perform a task) 21. Loose cannon: a piece of artillery that is not secure and therefore can cause damage or injury when it rolls on its wheels from the ship’s movement or from its recoil after being fired (out of control or unpredictable) 22. Ship shape: ready for sailing, with equipment and materials secured (clean, neat, in good condition) 23. Skylarking: sliding down rigging for fun (engaging in playful antics) 24. Take another tack: change the ship’s direction in relation to the wind (try another approach) 25. Take the wind out of one’s sails: a reference to the loss of movement when another vessel comes between the wind and one’s ship (to undermine another, usually by anticipating an action) 26. Taken aback: halted by a sudden shift of wind (surprised by a revelation) 27. Three sheets to the wind: a reference to the sheets (ropes) of a sail becoming loosened, rendering the sail useless (drunk) 28. Trim one’s sails (before the wind): adjust sails as appropriate (act according to circumstances) 29. When one’s ship comes home: a reference to the arrival of a fully laden cargo ship that will bring profit to the owner or investors (achievement of fortune or good luck) 30. Whistle for it/whistle for the wind: from the tradition of superstitiously whistling to summon the wind (hope for the impossible) At least two nautical expressions, â€Å"between the devil and the deep (blue) sea† (meaning, essentially, â€Å"between a rock and a hard place†) and â€Å"to the bitter end† (meaning â€Å"to the last extremity, regardless of difficulty†), have been attributed to seafaring origins, but the idioms, or similar expressions, may have come from earlier landlubber usage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsRunning Amok or Running Amuck?Charles's Pen and Jesus' Name

Pfizers Unsuccessful Takeover of Astrazeneca Essay - 5

Pfizers Unsuccessful Takeover of Astrazeneca - Essay Example On 25th November 2013, Pfizer, a US company expressed its interest to enter into a merger with AstraZeneca. This is a crucial stage of initiating a merger, where the interested party expresses for the first time the consideration for a merger. The second stage of the merger is the high-level discussion in which the two parties sit down and discuss in detail the path they are going to follow in the merger. At this point, the interested company proposes its offer to which the other party may accept or reject. On 5th January 2015, the two companies held high-level talks in which Pfizer offered $58 per share (Farrell, 2014). After considering the offer, the AstraZeneca rejected the offer and the no more discussion was held after January. The step of Pfizer to go public on its interest to merge with AstraZeneca in April 2014 is an important stage of the merger. The main purpose of this stage is to draw the public assessment into the merger and consider the logistics behind its association . At this point, other multinational companies have the opportunity to consider the offer evaluate and criticize it. The national government also is called at this point to intervene in merger and to consider whether the offer is to the public’s interest. From this point, the leader of the company engages the parliament before the science and technology committee to further negotiate on the offer. Later on, the company offers a higher bid and promises to give $69 per year and to absorb about 20% of the researchers for at least five years (Farrell, 2014). At this stage, AstraZeneca has an opportunity to reconsider how this offer would affect their business. The CEO of the company needs to obtain information on how the merger would benefit its company and how his management would achieve their goals. The fact that the company rejects the offer at this stage shows that the company is bound to  lose from the bond.

Marketing on Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing on Women - Essay Example Today, women are well educated, travel, and live alone in new cities, and they form a mobile workforce. Women are active in almost all sectors, such as engineering, manufacturing, construction, hospitality, healthcare, entertainment and TV, and many other sectors. Thus, the earning power of women has increased, and they do not have to depend on their husbands, fathers, brothers, or partners to buy products2. Statistics: In USA, high net worth women make up 39 percent of the top earners while 2.5 million women have assets of $ 4.2 trillion. About 43 percent of women in USA have assets of more than $ 500,000. Estimates until 2020 indicate that women will control and manage about two thirds of the national wealth and control about $ 40 trillion. Generally, women make 95 percent of the decisions to buy a large number of products, while in groceries; they make 99 percent of the decisions. Estimates indicate that women are the decision makers for 85 percent of all consumer goods, 91% of new homes, 92 percent for vacations, 65 percent for new cars and 93 percent for pharmaceuticals, beauty products and personal hygiene items. Women also participate in online buying and 22 percent shop online almost daily, and they post reviews about their purchase, post messages in social media and write to marketing firms about their pleasure or displeasure3. Loyalty: Studies indicate that womens loyalty is less for some types of products such as consumer goods, groceries and toiletries. They look at a number of factors such as product quality and price and they would be willing to try new products that are recommended by friends or that cost less, but the products must meet the expected quality requirement. Celebrity endorsements have limited appeal, unless women like the products. Women also tend to be more loyal to the service provider such as the waiter,