The Defendant's Confession Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Defendant's Confession - Assignment Example Sometimes, impairment in the defendant’s functioning compromises the defendant’s abilities relevant to the confession process. This report seeks to investigate the damaging impact caused by use of confession. It will also show how a confession can be used in the court of law. Case study Beckwith v. United States (1976) The following case existed following statements made by a taxpayer (Beckwith) to the Internal Revenue agents in his house. During this noncustodial interview, the defendant retorted that he had evaded tax payment at some point. The interview was carried out to investigate criminal tax fraud. He was arrested and later reined in court, prosecuted and found guilty for tax evasion. However, the defendant claimed that he was not read his Miranda rights before the interview took place (Arthur and Lawrence 220). This did not have any impact on the case since his tax liability was under scrutiny. He served a jail term because of the confession he made during the interview with the IRA. A free and voluntary confession by the defendant is sufficient to convict, without any other evidence whether the confession was made before apprehension, or after, or whether reduced in to writing or not. If the confession was drawn from the defendant by means of a threat or a promise, then, it is not admissible evidence. Any facts, however, that may be brought to light in consequence of such confession may be proved. A confession, (if made on examination before a magistrate) ought to be taken in writing, and signed by the magistrate. Parol evidence of such a confession will not be received, unless it is clearly proved not to have been reduced into writing. The confession when taken in writing ought to be read over to the defendant, and he should be asked to sign it. His refusing to do so will not make it inadmissible. The defendant’s confession must not be taken on oath, and if so taken, it cannot be received. His confession is evidence only against himself. In all cases a confession should be provided in evidence for it is a general rule that the full account must be taken together, both that which makes for the defendant and that which makes against him. In the mentioned petition, the defendant's confession was voluntary since the defendant did not expect the matter to be criminalized. The Internal revenue Agents did not read him his Miranda rights before they interviewed him. Miranda rights are extremely crucial since they act as warning to indicate that whatever you say during the investigation will be incriminated as evidence (Arthur and Lawrence 130). Legal issues related to assessing the ability of individuals, especially those of special populations, to waive their rights are reviewed. An empirical research on the ability of suspects to make knowing, intelligent, and voluntary confessions is considered in light of relevant ethical issues and limits of testimony. Constitutional Law and Miranda Warning A defendant's confe ssion often serves as the most persuasive evidence in criminal trials. It is particularly influential when it serves as the sole or primary source of evidence offered by the prosecution. When a suspect is placed under arrest or is given the impression that he or she has no right free to leave, police officers, or government agents are expected to read the Miranda warning. For example,† You should to remain silent. Anything you say shall evidence in the court of law.† – As indicated by the U.S. supreme court. However, the

Copper Ion Effects On Mung Beans Germination Environmental Sciences Essay

Copper Ion Effects On Mung Beans Germination Environmental Sciences Essay This experiment was planned to investigate the effect of different concentrations on copper ion on seed germination of mung beans. The experiment uses seed germination as a parameter in the presence of varying concentration of copper ion solution (Cu2+) in copper (ii) sulphate (CuSO4). Solutions used were 300 ppm, 200 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, and 0 ppm and the seeds were all soaked for 6 hours, and then sown on Petri dishes with a wetted cotton layer. The seeds were watered with the same volume of Cu2+ solution of respective concentrations. The numbers of seeds germinated were recorded after 20 hours, and the germination rate was calculated. Results showed that germination rate increases as concentration decreases. An analysis was done using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC), and it showed a statistically significant negative linear relationship between concentration of Cu and germination rate as the calculated r-value was greater than critical va lue (Cr) at 5% significant level. Research and Rationale Plants as micronutrients require a number of heavy metals, which are found naturally in soil.13 However, the global buildup of metals in the environment is increasingly becoming a problem.1 Toxic metals continue polluting the biosphere by volcanoes, natural weathering of rocks, and by industrial activities such as combustion of fossil fuels and mining.2 Heavy metal pollution has accelerated since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Copper (Cu) is one of the main metal pollutants, and usually results from human activities such as mining and the use of fertilizers.4 Cu is an essential element needed in trace amounts in plants, about 4-30 ppm of the approximate dry weight in plants (Raven and Johnson 1999), associated with enzyme activity which catalyses the oxidative reactions in various metabolic pathways.(4) An excess causes a reduce in germination, growth, respiration, photosynthesis and also causes severe membrane decomposition.4 It becomes toxic as it interferes with the enzyme activity, acting as a non-competitive inhibitor, destructing the tertiary bonds in some enzymes, thus altering and inhibiting enzyme activity.4 Human life becomes at risk once these plants develop tolerance mechanisms against Cu, and when these plants are incorporated into our food chain.(2) Mung bean is part of the human food chain as it is a favourite ingredient in Asian food.5 It is commercially grown in many regions of Asia. An ability of it to become Cu tolerant would pose a high risk on human health due to Cu accumulation in the body.2 This investigation also serves to show the type of soils suitable for mung bean growth in agriculture. Soils contaminated by copper or near industries are deemed unsuitable. The seed- Vigna radiata, commonly known as mung beans was chosen as it has a short life cycle and is small, thus large numbers of the seeds can be used as not much space is taken. (487 Words) Germination rate, which is usually expressed in percentage, shows the number of seeds that is likely to germinate; based on a particular plant species.6 Germination is one of the most critical stages of development in a plants life cycle. It is at this stage where the plants are more susceptible to injuries, water stress or diseases. 7 Experimental Hypothesis The lower the concentration of Cu2+ in the solution, the greater the germination rate of mung beans. Null Hypothesis There is no correlation between the different concentrations of Cu2+ in the solution and the germination rate of mung beans. Variables: Manipulated variable : Different concentrations of Cu2+ from Cuso4. (ppm) Responding variable : Germination rate of mung beans (%) Fixed variables : Mass of Cuso4 (g) Volume of solution used for soaking (30 ml/beaker) and for moistening the cotton (50 ml/petri dish) Temperature Light Intensity Humidity (632 Words) Apparatus: Petri dishes Label stickers Weighing balance Dropper Beakers (600 ml) Volumetric flask (1000 ml) Measuring cylinders (100 ml, and 500 ml) Pipette Schott bottles Materials: 3.937g of Cuso4 Distilled water Mung bean seeds (A) Cotton Planning Number of seeds used: 15 The first trial was to determine the condition needed for germination. Three different conditions were identified- in the dark (inside a cupboard), normal laboratory conditions, and outside the laboratory (under normal environment). The seeds were soaked for an hour in distilled water and then sown on wetted cotton. For each condition, three replicates were prepared. The results were observed after 20 hours. (736 Words) Conditions Number of seeds Germinated Mean Number of Seeds Germinated Replicate 1 Replicate 2 Replicate 3 Laboratory 6 9 8 8 In the Cupboard 8 14 11 11 Garden 6 9 5 7 Table 1: Germination rate of seeds in different conditions Germination rate= Number of seeds germinated/Total number of seeds 100 The results showed that the seeds grown in the dark had the highest germination rate. This is in line with what has been written about the germination of mung beans in websites stating that mung beans germinate in darkness.5 Therefore, it was decided that further germination of the seeds would be carried out in the dark under room temperature of 25Â °C in the mornings and 22Â °C during night. The second trial was a combination to find out the most suitable duration to soak the seeds and the best concentrations needed to carry out the experiment. For starters, the concentrations decided were a range from 1000 parts per million (ppm), 750 ppm, 50 ppm, 250 ppm, 100 ppm and 0 ppm (distilled water). The stock solution of 1000 ppm was prepared by the following method. (929 Words) To make 1000 ppm of Cu using CuSo4.5H2o Molar Mass of CuSo4.5H2o= 249.5g Atomic weight of Cu=63.5g 1g of Cu in relation to molar mass of salt= 249.5/63.5 = 3.931g Hence, 3.931g is weighed out from CuSo4.5H2o and dissolved in 1000ml of distilled water to make a standard solution of 1000ppm of Cu.8 From the stock solution, the serial dilution method was applied to make a concentration of 750 ppm. From 1000 ml of the stock solution, 750 ml of the solution was diluted in 250 ml of distilled water in a volumetric flask, to make up 1000 ml of 750 ppm solution of Cu. To make up 500 ppm solution, 500 ml of stock solution was diluted in 500 ml of distilled water and so on. The duration to soak was set to one hour, three hours, six hours and 12 hours. The seeds were soaked in 6 beakers containing the different concentrations, and sown to germinate on Petri dishes. Wetted cotton was used, and the respective concentration of the solution the seeds were soaked in was used to wet the cotton. 15 soaked seeds of similar size were chosen to germinate in two replicates. (1125 Words) Concentration (ppm) Duration of Soaking (Hours) 1 3 6 0 A 10 8 10 B 11 10 10 Mean 11 9 11 Germination Rate (%) 73.3 60.0 73.3 100 A 5 6 13 B 2 2 12 Mean 4 4 13 Germination Rate (%) 26.7 26.7 86.7 250 A 0 5 2 B 0 4 6 Mean 0 5 4 Germination Rate (%) 0 33.3 26.7 500 A 0 0 4 B 0 0 5 Mean 0 0 5 Germination Rate (%) 0 0 33.3 750 A 0 0 0 B 0 0 0 Mean 0 0 2 Germination Rate (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 1000 A 0 0 0 B 0 0 0 Mean 0 0 0 Germination Rate (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 Table 2: Germination rate of seeds in different conditions soaked for different durations (1286 Words) Observations were made 20 hours later, and in concentrations of 1000 ppm and 750 ppm, no seeds germinated. 500 ppm was the highest concentration whereby seeds germinated while for 0%, the germination rate was 80%. The seeds that was soaked for six hours showed the highest seed germination rate for the concentrations whereby seeds did germinate. Therefore, it was decided that the best range of concentrations to be used included 0 ppm, and also a value slightly lower than 500 ppm, and the duration of soaking was 6 hours. For seeds soaking in 500 ppm solutions ad above, the seeds appeared slightly purplish, and some even turned black. The seeds germinated at concentration of 500 ppm had its roots stunted with necrotic tips. To ensure the results were more reliable statistically, the number of seeds to be used in the actual experiment was increased to 50 seeds per concentration instead of 15. The actual experiment also included two replicates, using similar methods to obtain more reliable results. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) was chosen to analyse the data obtained. Experimental Procedures A stock solution of 1000ppm of Cu2+ was prepared from 3.937g of Cuso4 (as indicated in the trial). The serial dilution method is used to prepare different concentrations of Cu2+ in Cuso4 solution. For example, 10 ml of 1000ppm solution was pipetted out and mixed with 990ml of distilled water in a 1000 ml volumetric flask to obtain a 10ppm solution, and so on. Besides 10 ppm, 25 ppm, 50 ppm, 75 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, and 300 ppm were prepared and stored in labeled Schott bottles. (1558 Words) At least a 150 seeds were chosen randomly and placed in a beaker to be soaked with a 300 ppm solution (50 ml) for six hours. Two Petri dishes were prepared and labeled A and B. Two layers of white cotton were placed in each Petri dish, spread evenly. The cottons were moistened with 300 ppm solution of the same volume (30 ml). 50 seeds of similar size were chosen and sown in each labeled Petri dish and placed inside the cupboard to germinate. Observation was made 20 hours after sowing. Germination was said to have occurred once the radicle was visibly extended from the surface of the seed for about a minimum of 5mm. The number of seeds germinated was determined, and the mean and the germination rate were calculated. Steps 2 to 8 were repeated for different concentrations- 200 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, and 0 ppm, and all results were recorded in Table 3, a graph was plotted and a PMCC test was used to analyse the data. Risk Assessment All glasswares, such as measuring cylinders and volumetric flask were handled with extra care as they can break easily and may then cause injuries. The soaked seeds were handled with gently as they are very fragile. While using the measuring cylinder, volumetric flask and pipette to measure the amount of solution needed, the eye-level was ensured to be perpendicular with the scale on those apparatus as to prevent parallax error. This was crucial while mixing the stock solution for a little difference may actually affect the percentages of all the other solutions. (1833 Words) Results Concentration (ppm) Number of Seeds Germinated Mean Number of Seeds Germinated Germination Rate (%) A B 0 49 50 50 100 25 46 48 47 94 50 44 45 45 90 75 40 38 39 78 100 15 13 14 28 200 7 10 9 18 300 7 9 8 16 Table 3: Germination of seeds in different concentrations Calculating germination rate: = = = 78% (1910 Words) Statistical Analysis (1932 Words) The PMCC test was chosen to measure the strength of linear dependence between two variables-concentrations and germination rate. The correlation coefficient, r ranges from +1 to -1. A value of zero indicates no linear correlation between the said variables, while +1 indicates a linear equation explains the relationship between concentration and germination rate perfectly, with all the points from the data lying on a line for which germination rate increases as concentration increases. A value of -1 indicates that all points from the data lie on a line whereby germination rate decreases as concentration increases.9 x 0 25 50 75 100 200 300 ∑X=750 y 100 94 90 78 28 18 16 ∑Y=424 x2 0 625 2500 5625 10000 40000 90000 ∑x2= 148750 y2 10000 8836 8100 6084 784 324 256 ∑y2=34384 yx 0 2350 4500 5850 2800 3600 4800 ∑xy= 23900 SS (x) = = =68392.857 SS (y) = = =8701.714 SS (xy) = = = -21528.571 ( Words) The correlation coefficient, r, is found using the formula: = -0.8825 (negative indicating a negative correlation between variables) r = 0.8825 > 0.754 Cr for 5% confidence level. The analysis using PMCC proved a statistically significant negative linear relationship between the concentrations of Cu2+ in CuSO4 and germination rate, as the calculated r value was larger than Cr at 5% confidence level. Hence, null hypothesis is rejected and experimental hypothesis is accepted. A higher concentration of Cu2+ leads to a lower germination rate of mung beans. Data Analysis The statistical analysis using PMCC proved that low concentration of Cu did result in a greater germination rate of mung beans, as shown in Table 3 too which shows the number of seeds germinated after treatment with respective concentrations of Cu2+ in CuSO4 solutions for 20 hours. The table shows that only a very low concentration of Cu allows germination. Graph 1 illustrates the trend and relationship between the variables. It can be seen clearly that as the concentration of Cu2+ in CuSO4 increases, the rate of germination decreases. Distilled water recorded the highest germination at 100%, while the lowest germination rate was noted when the concentration used was 300 ppm. There is a great difference in germination rate from 75 ppm to 100 ppm, about 50%. Increase the concentration from 25 ppm to 50 ppm and 200 ppm to 300 ppm only showed a decrease in 4% and 2% respectively. This may one of the inconsistencies of the experiment. Distilled water, or 0 ppm acted as a control in this experiment. From the results obtained, all the seeds germinated when soaked in distilled water. From the trials, seeds soaked in distilled water did not germinate more than 80%, however in the actual experiment it was 100%. After much research, I concluded that the results obtained from the actual experiment was valid as it supports the results obtained from various other research published.1, 10 The inconsistencies that occurred may have been due to: Some of the seeds may have been already damaged (trials) and so germination was impossible The cotton layers used in 0 ppm during trials were too thick, and became dry fast, thus made it impossible for the seeds to absorb the water and enable germination in 20 hours. Mixing errors could have occurred causing the drop between 75 ppm and 100 ppm, as the concentrations of the solutions could have been higher than it was suppose to be. ( Words) Evaluation The degree of seed germination in the presence of Cu2+ is to some extent a measure of resistance of mung beans to this toxic metal.11 Germination, is a process said to occur when a dormant seed begins sprouting into a seedling, under the right growing conditions.14 This process is highly dependent on external and internal conditions. Light or darkness, temperature, water and oxygen and considered to be the important external conditions that may affect germination. Imbibition, the process by which water is taken up by the seeds, causes the soaked mung bean seeds to swell and start softening, thus the breaking of the seed coat.11, 6 This makes germination easier. Hydrolytic enzymes are activated (due to water), and these enzymes digest the food source in the seeds into chemicals, that are useful metabolically. 6, 7 Excess Cu is detrimental as it becomes toxic. It interferes with the enzyme activity, acting as a non-competitive inhibitor, destructing the tertiary bonds in some enzymes, thus altering and inhibiting enzyme activity.4 It combines with the thiol groups, breaking the hydrogen bonds and disulphide bridges holding the 3-D shape together (of an enzyme). In order to germinate, amylose is needed, and is metabolized by amylase. The interference of toxic level of Cu causes the inhibition of amylases, thus preventing the food store in the cotyledon to be broken down, depriving the embryo from carbohydrate needed for respiration and production of energy for germination.4 ( Words) There were some limitations in this experiment. The temperature of the surroundings is one of it. It was assumed that the temperature in the cupboard was to be 22 and 25 at night and morning respectively. However, along the day, the temperature could have fluctuated. This could have affected the germination process, as the time taken for germination to occur could have been longer. Besides, the humidity of the surroundings was also not measured and thought to be constant all the time. However, due to changes in weather (rain at night, hot sun in the mornings) during the time of experiment, there could have been changes in relative humidity and temperature too. Some of the seeds may have already been damaged but appeared normal. These seeds could have been sown for germination, thus it can be certain that the seeds that did not germinate were purely due to high toxic Cu levels or not. The use of a large sample had given enough replicates to support the conclusion for this experiment. The results are reliable as the experiment can be controlled and also repeated. This investigation only stressed on the effects of Cu on the germination of mung beans, without subjecting the seeds to different abiotic or biotic pressures. Modification could be made by comparing the, effects of other heavy metals such as Nickel, Cadmium and Lead on the germination of mung beans. Besides investigating the rate of germination only, the length of the radicle can measured (plant growth) to see the effects on growth of mung beans. The growth of plants may show a more visible change due to the toxic metals. Plus, other varieties of seeds such as sunflower, orca or cabbage can be used to test the levels of metal toxicity tolerance on other plants species. ( Words) Conclusion With reference to the results obtained and statistical analysis made, it can be concluded that the lower the concentration of Cu in the solution, the greater the germination rate of mung beans, Vigna radiata. This is because Cu is an enzyme, non-competitive inhibitor which alters and inhibits enzyme activity. Thus experimental hypothesis is accepted, while null hypothesis is rejected. Evaluation of Sources Source 7 and 13 are published books written by well-known authors in the scientific community. The source is reliable as it has been revised, recognized and undergone a series of editing before being published. Sources 1,2,3, 10 and 11 are scientific journals. Scholars wrote it and the journals have been peer-reviewed, and have a high level of scientific creditability. Therefore, these sources should contain valid information. Sources 4,5,6,8,9,12 and 14 are websites. These are sites that have been referral site to by many people and the information in it are also cited, thus it is reliable. ( Words) Appendix Figure The apparatus used to make the stock solution-500ml Measuring Cylinder, 100ml Measuring cylinder, 1000ml volumetric flask ( Words)

Smallpox in New England :: Colonial Diseases Native Americans Essays

Smallpox in New England The original New England Natives first felt the effects of Smallpox and other diseases during the first decade of the sixteenth century. This was shortly after John Cabot explored the coast in 1498. By 1504, constant fishing trips were being made by the French and Portuguese, which started the spread of disease. However, It wasn’t until the outbreak of 1616 and 1617, when huge numbers of natives were killed. Diseases like chicken Pox, cholera, the plague, tuberculosis, and many others were introduced to New England for the first time. For the most part, Europeans had become immune to these diseases over the years. The natives, on the other hand, were completely vulnerable. ¹ Native Americans were completely susceptible to contracting the disease, but they weren't the only victims. Twenty people died on the Mayflower as a result of smallpox. There was a smallpox outbreak in Plymouth Colony around 1633. Twenty people died including their only physician. This was the beginning of the colonial's struggle with the disease. Smallpox became distinguishable as the most destructive disease in New England in 1633. From this date forward, smallpox continued to plague New England. Captain John Oldham was considered the first Englishman to conduct explorations along the Connecticut River. After his trip north, there was a severe breakout of smallpox. Many Natives held him responsible for the thousands of deaths that spread from Maine to New York and up into Quebec. The truth of the matter is Henry Hudson and his followers had already begun spreading the disease into New England from above, in Canada. Quebec was established in 1608. The French found an oppurtunity to trade in nearby Ontario with both the Huron and Iroquois. This interaction led to a smallpox outbreak in the area between 1634 and 1640. ² In 1636, The Jesuits provided Hurons, Abenakis, and tribes of the St.

Mayan Calendar

The Mayan Calendar is a manifold system of time-tracking developed by the Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica. The calendar was developed using several different mechanisms of tracking time according to the astronomic or mythic events. The Mayans had many different â€Å"calendars† by the time of the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, however, the Mayan Calendar was to be considered the most accelerate. It is known as a clear indication of the educated significance in Mayan culture. There are three different types of dating systems used in conjunction with the Mayan Calendar. The Long Count, The Tzolkin, and the Haab. The Long Count calendar identifies a date by counting the number of days from the Mayan creation date. Long count days were tallied in a modified 20-base scheme. For periods that are meant to be longer than 52 years the Long Count Calendar was used. There is no evidence that the Long Count Calendar is meant to be repeating. This type of calendar can be found carved on Mayan Monuments. The Tzolkin calendar is the sacred moon calendar for the Mayans. The calendar consists of 20 day signs combined with 13 numbers. The 13 numbers tell how many days it takes for the moon to go from new to full and another 13 from full to new. The 260 day calendar is believed to be tied to the woman’s birth cycle. The Tzolkin calendar has also been used for agricultural planning in determining the length of time between planting crops and harvesting. Tzolkin calendar was considered to be the most important of the calendar systems. The Haab calendar is comprised of 18 months of 20 days each. It is preceded by five extra days known as Uayeb thus giving the years length of 365 days. Uayeb was considered to be â€Å"the unlucky period†. The persons born on these days were â€Å"doomed to a miserable life†. The days in of the month used in Haab were numbered 0 to 19 rather than 1 to 20. The use of the 0th day has significance due to the fact that it is believed Mayan’s discovered the number zero centuries before it was discovered in Europe or Asia. The years of the Haab calendar are not counted. The system of the Mayan calendar ended with the fall of the Mayan civilization. The majority of the remaining knowledge of it was destroyed by he Spanish during the overthrow. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that archeologists discovered more extensive knowledge of the Mayan civilization regarding the calendrical system. The Mayans were believed to be skilled mathematicians and astronomers far beyond their time. They had a firm understanding of modular arithmetic. In conclusion, for us the Mayan calendar is a glimpse into the ancient world and how they viewed astronomy, time and dates. The ramification of the Mayan calendar tells experts a substantial amount about their culture or way of life. Due to the Long Count calendar the Mayans believed they would be around for many years. Though pre-Columbian Mesoamerica remains concealed in conundrum, we continuously unveil discoveries and artifacts throughout the years. The discoveries lead us to more knowledgeable understanding of the Mayan calendar. It is considered to be a precious piece of information. Many archeologists and anthropologists proclaim that it is worth the study and pursuit. It is viewed as an open door into a buried history that experts still valiantly try to understand. www. webexhibits. org www. mayancountdown. net

Early Death Penalty Laws Essay

The death penalty laws were started way back in the eighteenth century B. C. under the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon which covered the death penalty for approximately 25 different offenses or crimes. In the Fourteenth Century B. C. of the Hittite Code, the Fifth Century B. C of Roman law of the Twelve Tablets and the Seventh Century B. C. of the Draconian Code of Athens used death penalty as a part of their laws and made capital punishment as the sole punishment for every crime committed. During those times, death penalties were executed through drowning, beating to death, crucifixion, burning alive and impalement. Moreover, during the Tenth Century A. D. in Britain, the common method of executing the accused was through hanging. A century later, William the Conqueror would not like to see and permit any convict to be hanged or else executed for any offense except during times of war. But this trend did not last because during the reign of Henry VIII in the Sixteenth Century, there were approximately 72,000 convicts that were executed. The methods used in the execution during his reign were burning at the stake, hanging, boiling, beheading, quartering and drowning. In addition, in the following two centuries, the rate of capital offenses continued to go up in Britain. During the 17th century, there were about 222 crimes were sentenced by death penalty in Britain which included cutting down a tree, stealing and stealing a rabbit warren. And due to drastic punishment of death, several juries would not easily convict a defendant if the case committed was not really serious. This action had brought changed in the death penalty of Britain. Since 1823 up to 1837, the capital punishment was abolished for over 100 of the 222 offenses sentenced to death. Furthermore, Britain had influenced the United States of America to practice death penalty compared to any other country. As the time European colonizers arrived in the new world, they brought with them the practice of death penalty. The first man ever recorded and received such punishment in 1603 under the new colonies was Captain George Kendall in the Jamestown colony of Virginia. Captain George Kendall was sentenced to death because he was a spy of Spain. Four years later, Sir Thomas Dale (a governor from Virginia) decreed the Devine, Moral and Martial Laws which used death penalty even for minor crimes like killing chickens, trading with Indians and stealing grapes. Laws which regard to capital punishment depend from colony to colony. The first execution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony happened in 1630 although the Capital Laws of New York Colony instituted the Laws of Duke of 1665. In these laws mentioned, crimes like denying the â€Å"true God† and striking individual’s father or mother were sentenced to death (see â€Å"Early Death Penalty Laws†. History of the Death Penalty, p. 1). In addition, the chart below records the practice of death penalty in United States of America in the past four centuries. The chart emphasizes the gradual rate growth of death penalty during seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the middle of 1930s, there were approximately 200 executions happened every year and between 1967 and 1977, there was succeeding regression in practice and a suspension on executions. The statistics utilized in the chart were compiled from M. Watt Espy and John Ortiz Smylka’s database â€Å"Executions in the U. S. 1608-1987: The Espy File. † (See â€Å"Executions in the U. S. 1608-1978: The Espy File. DPIC, 2006). C. Different methods used to execute people There are many ways on how to execute death penalty as mentioned in the earlier discussion. But then again, there are seven principal methods of execution that are presently use globally and these are the hanging, firing squad, lethal injection, stoning, poison gas, guillotine, and electric chair. c. 1 Hanging If this method handled properly, this would be considered as humane method. The neck is intentionally broken and then, death quickly comes. Nonetheless, if the fall is insufficient, the convict will slowly choke to death. If it is excessively great, the rope has the tendency to slit the convict’s head (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 2 Firing Squad The convict is tied and shot in the heart using several marksmen. Death is expectedly to be fast and of all of the states in the United States of America, only the Utah practiced such method. In March 15, 2004, the method was abolished by other states and chose to have lethal injection instead, but with the exception of the four convicted murderers on death rows that were sentenced to death through firing squad (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 3 Lethal Injection This kind of method is the most â€Å"convenient† execution of death penalty. While the convict is lying on the table, the lethal drugs are injected to him/her. Normally, sodium pentothal is injected to cause unconsciousness to the convict. After that, pancuronium bromide is injected. This drug stops breathing and paralyzes the convict. Then lastly, potassium chloride is injected to end the circulation of the heart. If this method is properly performed, the convict easily becomes unconscious. But if the dosage is extremely slow, the person may possibly experience paralysis. This kind of method is practiced by most states in the United States of America (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 4 Stoning The convict is frequently buried up to his neck and bombarded with rocks till the convict will finally die. Rocks are used for this method because they are big enough to initiate fatal injury to the convict but even one rock can already cause death to the convict. This method is absolutely not practiced in all states of United States of America but is actually practiced in several Muslim countries as a punishment for adultery, murder, blasphemy and other offenses (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 5 Poison Gas Cyanide is dropped into acid which produce Hydrogen Cyanide. It is a deadly gas. It would take several minutes of anguish and pain before the convict dies (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 6 Guillotine This was recognized and eminent French invention and not practiced in North America. It cuts the neck and death comes very fast (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org). c. 7 Electric chair This is the only method of death execution that not a single person knows how fast the convict dies from the electric shock or what the individual is experiencing. The ACLU explains two incidents where convicts obviously lived for 4 up to 10 minutes before they will die (see â€Å"Methods used to execute people†. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org).

The eNotes Blog Stay Woke 8 Award-Winning Books About Race, Feminism, andImmigration

Stay Woke 8 Award-Winning Books About Race, Feminism, andImmigration Read more books by diverse authors was a friends New Years resolution which, in my humblest opinion, is an important evolution from the common and, dare I say, vanilla Read more! resolution. While challenging because of  the low levels of publishing industry representation, reading diverse  books is a rewarding and crucial task in confronting your perspectives, privileges, and preconceptions. It helps us  not only practice empathy but also  intersectional empathy- a multi-dimensional way for us to hear, understand, and feel the varied experiences of other humans to the best of our ability. Complex topics like race, gender, immigration, class, and income inequality are at our socio-political forefront (now, seemingly more than ever). Poetry, essays, and fiction on these themes, penned by those with unique perspectives and experiences, are a crucial tool to listen to underrepresented voices. At , weve been working to highlight some of these important authors and texts with the intent to bring our readers more eye-opening, enriching literary experiences. Weve listed eight of our new, thematic favorites here and welcome your beloved recommendations in the comments below. 1. Between the World and Me Central Themes: Race and Racism â€Å"It is not necessary that you believe that the officer who choked Eric Garner set out that day to destroy a body. All you need to understand is that the officer carries with him the power of the American state and the weight of an American legacy, and they necessitate that of the bodies destroyed every year, some wild and disproportionate number of them will be black.† Between the World and Me  is a book-length letter by Ta-Nehisi Coates, written the year Tamir Rice and Eric Garner were killed and the year the world learned that Michael Browns killers would go free. Its written to Coatess fifteen-year-old son Samori to explain to him what it means to be a black man in America. Race and the black body are some of the central themes in  Between the World and Me- historically explaining how black bodies have been brutally used and imprisoned by their oppressors. Coates has learned how to bear this weighty burden, a burden shared by all African Americans, and he hopes to teach Samori to do the same. The American Dream, fatherhood, and death are other prevalent themes. 2. Bad Feminist Central Theme: Feminism â€Å"I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human. I am messy. I’m not trying to be an example. I am not trying to be perfect. I am not trying to say I have all the answers. I am not trying to say I’m right. I am just trying- trying to support what I believe in, trying to do some good in this world, trying to make some noise with my writing while also being myself.† Roxane Gay writes about race, gender, sex, politics, and popular culture in this collection of thirty-seven essays.  Bad Feminists prevailing theme is, of course, feminism: a complicated word, Gay acknowledges, loaded with social misconceptions. To Gay, feminism is simply the belief that women should be treated as equals instead of second-class citizens (radical, I know). In her opinion, a bad feminist is someone who doesnt always fit the traditional, and often misguided, mold of a feminist- she likes the color pink and rap music. As an African American, Gay is an important intersectional voice contributing to the conversation on what it means to be a feminist, even if the core concept is a simple one. 3. Homegoing Central Themes: Race and Racism, Slavery â€Å"We believe the one who has power. He is the one who gets to write the story. So when you study history you must ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there you get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture.† Homegoing  by Yaa Gyasi is a novel about two half-sisters who never meet, Effia and Esi, with radically different lives. Effia married a slave trader, and Esi was sold into slavery (by Effias husband).  The novel is broken into two parts, seven chapters each, with alternating chapters between Effias and Esis descendants. As is evident, race, racism, and slavery are central themes of the novel. Family is another important theme  as its essentially the story of two families with very different histories. Effias and Esis different family lines came to ultimately represent two different African experiences of being sold into slavery and being spared from it. 4. The Refugees Central Theme: Immigration He repeated his story so often even she allowed herself to believe it, until the afternoon of the seventh day, when they saw, in the distance, the rocky landing strip of a foreign coast. Nesting upon it were the huts of a fashing village, seemingly composed of twigs and grass, brooded over by a fringe of mangroves. At the sight of land, she had thrown herself into the professors arms, knocking his glasses askew, and sobbed openly for the first time in front of her startled children. The Refugees is a collection of eight short stories by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a professor from Vietnam- his debut novel, The Sympathizer,  was a  recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The characters in The Refugees  are Vietnamese immigrants and their children, many whom fled Vietnam after the communist regime came into power. The central theme is, of course, immigration.  While the journies of the characters arent always safe, easy, or even attainable, its a complex but critical process to escape the communist regime in Vietnam. That said, communism is another theme of these short stories, as well as death and economic status- two haunting and fate-determining issues hanging over the various characters narratives. 5. We Should All Be Feminists Central Theme: Feminism â€Å"My own definition is a feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.† Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies We Should All Be Feminists was adapted from her wildly popular TEDx Talk. According to Adichie, being a feminist means understanding and acknowledging the foundational fact that sexism exists. She draws upon her early experiences growing up in Nigeria and, from there, her anecdotal experience and insight on feminism, economic power, and gender roles.  We Should All Be Feminists  is more-than-worth the read (and the watch!). 6. Americanah Central Themes: Race and Racism, Americanization â€Å"If you dont understand, ask questions. If youre uncomfortable about asking questions, say you are uncomfortable about asking questions and then ask anyway. Its easy to tell when a question is coming from a good place. Then listen some more. Sometimes people just want to feel heard. Heres to possibilities of friendship and connection and understanding.† Another work by  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,  Americanah  is novel about a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who lives in Princeton, New Jersey, and decides to move back to Nigeria- shortly after going through a romantic break-up.  Ifemelu reconnects with her first love, Obinze, whom she first met and fell in love with immediately while in Nigeria. Though the prevailing themes are race, racism, and Americanization (Ifemelu manages a blog where she explores the issues of being a non-American black woman in America), the novel is also a powerful story about immigration and, ultimately, love. 7. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Central Themes: Race and Racism, Mass Incarceration In every state across our nation, African Americans- particularly in the poorest neighborhoods- are subjected to tactics and practices that would result in public outrage and scandal if committed in middle-class white neighborhoods. Michelle Alexander, civil rights lawyer and Ohio State associate professor of law, argues that Jim Crow never died, but that it simply took a new form in the shape of mass incarceration. Loaded with historical and current facts  and court cases,   The New Jim Crow underlines how  convicts have effectively become slaves- stripped of their freedom, voting rights, and access to government programs. Loaded with historical backdrop, statistics, and recent court cases, this book effectively shows how the War on Drugs, mass incarceration, and Supreme Court rulings justifying racial profiling have contributed to systematic racism and oppression. 8. milk and honey Central Themes: Gender, Abuse, Sex and Love my father shoves the word hush between [my mothers] lips and tells her to never speak with her mouth full this is how the women in my family learned to live with their mouths closed Rupi Kaurs inaugural book,  milk and honey,  is a best-selling collection of poetry, primarily written from the point of view of a woman whos experienced sexual and emotional abuse from men. Its broken into four parts that form a loose narrative arc: The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, The Healing. Kaur is an immigrant from India (currently based in Canada) who was unable to speak English with the other children at school. Her feminist poetry is primarily about abuse (and overcoming it, the healing), sex, and love- which she identifies as not necessarily always going hand in hand.

Free Essays on Book Review Of Huck Finn

Jim’s escape from freedom is not a well-laid out plan, just rather a lucky turn of events. Jim heard of being sold down river and ran away for the island in the river and if Huck didn’t fake his death and preoccupy the town Jim probably would have been captured. When the two got on the raft and headed down river Huck protected Jim in a couple of close encounters like in the small pox incident. After meeting the Duke and King Jim had a easier time of hiding out, yet his search for freedom took a back seat to the Duke and King’s greedy exploits. The King then turns around and sells Jim for $40 and Jim is locked away. Huck has a moral decision to make then whether or not to help Jim. I credit Huck with Jim’s freedom even if it was planned out Huck still did it. Like when being on the raft with Jim, Huck was glad to have company I don’t think he realized he was helping Jim. When the two slave hunters came up and questioned Huck, Huck was just saving his own skin and it just turned out to save Jim’s as well. With the Duke and King Huck made sure they helped hide Jim and when Huck was not around Jim was sold. In the end Huck finally realized he needed to help Jim and this time he was going to do it knowing he was helping Jim as where before he didn’t realize it. Even though Huck followed Tom in rescuing Jim in the end I would still credit Huck with Jim’s freedom. The question would be whether Huck knew what he was doing when him and Jim first took off on the raft. When Jim and Huck are on the river the two seem to enjoy some good times and seem to have some freedom. Their freedom is they do what they want and just lazy away the days. Huck is use to this because his old â€Å"unsiziled† ways is close to what they do on the river. Huck on the river does what he wants, when he wants, and does not have to explain himself to anyone just like it was on land before the widow tried to change him. Jim on the other hand probably neve... Free Essays on Book Review Of Huck Finn Free Essays on Book Review Of Huck Finn Jim’s escape from freedom is not a well-laid out plan, just rather a lucky turn of events. Jim heard of being sold down river and ran away for the island in the river and if Huck didn’t fake his death and preoccupy the town Jim probably would have been captured. When the two got on the raft and headed down river Huck protected Jim in a couple of close encounters like in the small pox incident. After meeting the Duke and King Jim had a easier time of hiding out, yet his search for freedom took a back seat to the Duke and King’s greedy exploits. The King then turns around and sells Jim for $40 and Jim is locked away. Huck has a moral decision to make then whether or not to help Jim. I credit Huck with Jim’s freedom even if it was planned out Huck still did it. Like when being on the raft with Jim, Huck was glad to have company I don’t think he realized he was helping Jim. When the two slave hunters came up and questioned Huck, Huck was just saving his own skin and it just turned out to save Jim’s as well. With the Duke and King Huck made sure they helped hide Jim and when Huck was not around Jim was sold. In the end Huck finally realized he needed to help Jim and this time he was going to do it knowing he was helping Jim as where before he didn’t realize it. Even though Huck followed Tom in rescuing Jim in the end I would still credit Huck with Jim’s freedom. The question would be whether Huck knew what he was doing when him and Jim first took off on the raft. When Jim and Huck are on the river the two seem to enjoy some good times and seem to have some freedom. Their freedom is they do what they want and just lazy away the days. Huck is use to this because his old â€Å"unsiziled† ways is close to what they do on the river. Huck on the river does what he wants, when he wants, and does not have to explain himself to anyone just like it was on land before the widow tried to change him. Jim on the other hand probably neve...