Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a multiple award winning book, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009. Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books are inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak, the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson  and others have to say about the issue of censorship.    Speak: The Story    Melinda Sardino is a fifteen year old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party.   At the party Melinda is raped and calls the police, but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast. Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity. Melinda doesn’t reveal  the details of her experience  until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist  who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby.       Speak: The Controversy and the Censorship    Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes â€Å"soft pornography.† His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book. (Source: Laurie Halse Anderson’s Web site) The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to  her book. She writes that Speak is about the emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault and is not soft pornography. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web site) In addition to Andersons defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman  Shanta Newlin stated, That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing.  (Source: Publishers Weekly Web site)    Speak: Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship    Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and  began to speak.  Anderson felt compelled to tell Melindas story. With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned, but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, â€Å"Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.† (Source:  Banned Books Blog) Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web Site) Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.    Speak: My Recommendation    Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. This is the underlying message of Speak and the message Laurie Halse Anderson is trying to convey to her readers. It must be made clear that Melindas rape scene is a flashback and there are no graphic details, but implications. The novel is focused on the emotional impact of the act, and not the act itself. By writing Speak and defending its right to voice an issue, Anderson has opened the door for other authors  to write about real teen issues. Not only does this book deal with a contemporary teen issue, but its an authentic reproduction of the teen voice. Anderson deftly captures the high school experience and understands the teen view of cliques and what it feels like to be an outcast. I grappled with the age recommendations for some time because this is such an important book that needs to be read.  Its a powerful book for discussion and 12 is an age when girls are changing physically and socially. However, I realize that because of the mature content, every 12 year old may not be ready for the book. Consequently, I recommend it for ages 14-18 and, in addition, for those 12 and 13 year olds with the maturity to handle the topic. The publishers recommended ages for this book is 12 and up. (Speak, 2006.  ISBN: 9780142407325)

The Soviet German War essays

The Soviet German War essays The Soviet-German War is the most brutal episode of the most vicious war that mankind has ever seen (Clark 1). During the Great Patriotic War, as Joseph Stalin coins it, the Soviet Union emerges through pure tenacity as one of the worlds great superpowers. Although Stalin and the USSR emerge victorious, the sacrifices made are enormous (Clark 446). Estimates show between 20-25 million Soviets die from 1941-1945. Only 7-8 million Germans die during this same period (Encarta). Many of these deaths are a direct result of the brilliant (sometimes insane) chess match between two of the most tyrannical leaders in history: Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Even today, some people ponder which leader fits the anti-Christ description best. The finest way to analyze the minds of these two leaders is to examine each dictators rise to power, the motives which led to the unholy alliance, and the initial offensive campaigns that each dictator launches. Born on December 21, 1877, Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvilis father is a drunkard and his mother is a washer struggling to support the family. Dzhugashvili will later be known to the world as Joseph Stalin (Encarta). Stalins mother, Ekaterina Georgievna, is a dedicated member of the Orthodox Church and enters him into the Seminary at Tifilis(Georgia) in 1894 for the study of priesthood in the Georgian Orthodox church. Soon after Stalin becomes part of the illegal Marxist movement (Encarta). The young Stalin quickly rises to the rank of leader of his own Marxist circle. In May of 1899, he is expelled from school just short of graduation in which later communist literature criedits to political balance (Encarta). By this time, Joseph Stalin has become more immersed in his role as a professional agitator of the system. While working as an accountant in Tbilisi, Stalin joins the Social-Democratic Workers Party. In 1900 and...

Criminal Justice and Your Constitutional Rights

Criminal Justice and Your Constitutional Rights Sometimes, life can take a bad turn. You’ve been arrested, arraigned, and are now set to stand trial. Fortunately, whether you are guilty or not, the U.S. criminal justice system offers you several constitutional protections. Of course, the overriding protection assured to all criminal defendants in America is that their guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But thanks to the Due Process Clause of the Constitution, criminal defendants have other important rights, including the rights to: Remain silentConfront witnesses against themBe tried by a juryProtected from paying excessive bailGet a public trialGet a speedy trialBe represented by an attorneyNot be tried twice for the same crime (double jeopardy)Not to be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment Most of these rights come from the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution, while others have come from the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court in examples of the five â€Å"other† ways the Constitution can be amended. Right to Remain Silent Typically associated with well-recognized Miranda rights that must be read to persons detained by the police prior to questioning, the right to remain silent, also known as the privilege against â€Å"self-incrimination,† comes from a clause in the Fifth Amendment which says that a defendant cannot â€Å"be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.† In other words, a criminal defendant cannot be forced to speak at any time during the detention, arrest and trial process. If a defendant chooses to remain silent during the trial, he or she cannot be forced to testify by the prosecution, the defense, or the judge. However, defendants in civil lawsuits can be forced to testify. Right to Confront Witnesses Criminal defendants have the right to question or â€Å"cross-examine† witnesses who testify against them in court. This right comes from the Sixth Amendment, which gives every criminal defendant the right to â€Å"be confronted by the witnesses against him.†Ã‚  The so-called â€Å"Confrontation Clause† has also been interpreted by the courts as prohibiting prosecutors from presenting as evidence oral or written â€Å"hearsay† statements from witnesses who do not appear in court. Judges do have the option of allowing non-testimonial hearsay statements, such as calls to 911 from people reporting a crime in progress. However, statements given to police during the investigation of a crime are considered to be testimonial and are not allowed as evidence unless the person making the statement appears in court to testify as a witness. As part of the pre-trial process called the â€Å"discovery phase,† both lawyers are required to inform each other and the judge of the identity and expected testimony of the witnesses they intend to call during the trial. In cases involving the abuse or sexual molestation of minor children, the victims are often afraid to testify in court with the defendant present. To deal with this, several states have adopted laws allowing children to testify via closed-circuit television. In such instances, the defendant can see the child on the television monitor, but the child cannot see the defendant. Defense attorneys can cross-examine the child via the closed circuit television system, thus protecting the defendant’s right to confront witnesses. Right to Trial by Jury Except in cases involving minor crimes with maximum sentences of no more than six months in jail, the Sixth Amendment assures criminal defendants the right to have their guilt or innocence decided by a jury in a trial to be held in the same â€Å"State and district† in which the crime was committed. While juries typically consist of 12 people, six-person juries are allowed. In trials heard by six-person juries, the defendant can only be convicted by a unanimous vote of guilty by the jurors. Typically a unanimous vote of guilt is required to convict a defendant. In most states, a non-unanimous verdict results in a â€Å"hung jury,† allowing the defendant to go free unless the prosecutor’s office decides to retry the case. However, the Supreme Court has upheld state laws in Oregon and Louisiana allowing juries to convict or acquit defendants on ten-to-two verdicts by 12-person juries in cases where a guilty verdict cannot result in the death penalty.   The pool of potential jurors must be chosen randomly from the local area where the trial is to be held. The final jury panel is selected through a process known as â€Å"voir dire,† in which lawyers and judges question potential jurors to determine if they might be biased or for any other reason unable to deal fairly with the issues involved in the case. For example, personal knowledge of the facts; acquaintanceship with parties, witnesses or attorneys occupation which might lead to bias; prejudice against the death penalty; or previous experiences with the legal system. In addition attorneys for both sides are allowed to eliminate a set number of potential jurors simply because they do not feel the jurors would be sympathetic to their case. However, these juror eliminations, called â€Å"peremptory challenges,† cannot be based on the race, sex, religion, national origin or other personal characteristics of the juror. Right to a Public Trial The Sixth Amendment also provides that criminal trials must be held in public. Public trials allow the defendant’s acquaintances, regular citizens, and the press to be present in the courtroom, thus helping to ensure that the government honors the defendant’s rights. In some cases, judges can close the courtroom to the public. For example, a judge might bar the public from trials dealing with the sexual assault of a child. Judges can also exclude witnesses from the courtroom to prevent them from being influenced by the testimony of other witnesses. In addition, judges can order the public to leave the courtroom temporarily while discussing points of law and trial procedure with the lawyers. Freedom from Excessive Bail The Eighth Amendment states, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.† This means that any bail amount set by the court must be reasonable and appropriate for the severity of the crime involved and to the actual risk that the accused person will flee to avoid standing trial. While the courts are free to deny bail, they cannot set bail amounts so high that they effectively do so.   Right to a Speedy Trial While the Sixth Amendment ensures criminal defendants a right to a â€Å"speedy trial,† it does not define â€Å"speedy.† Instead, judges are left to decide whether a trial has been so unduly delayed that the case against the defendant should be thrown out. Judges must consider the length of the delay and the reasons for it, and whether or not the delay had harmed the defendant’s chances of being acquitted. Judges often allow more time for trials involving serious charges. The Supreme Court has ruled that longer delays can be allowed for a â€Å"serious, complex conspiracy charge† than for â€Å"an ordinary street crime.† For example, in the 1972 case of Barker v. Wingo, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a delay of over five years between arrest and trial in a murder case did not violate the defendant’s rights to a speedy trial. Each judicial jurisdiction has statutory limits for the time between the filing of charges and the start of a trial. While these statutes are strictly worded, history has shown that convictions are rarely overturned due to claims of a delayed trial. Right to Be Represented by an Attorney The Sixth Amendment also ensures that all defendants in criminal trials have the right â€Å"†¦ to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.† If a defendant cannot afford an attorney, a judge must appoint one who will be paid by the government. Judges typically appoint attorneys for indigent defendants in all cases which could result in a prison sentence. Right Not to Be Tried Twice for the Same Crime The Fifth Amendment provides: â€Å"[N]or shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.† This well-known â€Å"Double Jeopardy Clause† protects defendants from facing trial more than once for the same offense. However, the protection of the Double Jeopardy Clause does not necessarily apply to defendants who might face charges in both federal and state courts for the same offense if some aspects of the act violated federal laws while other aspects of the act violated state laws. In addition, the Double Jeopardy Clause does not protect defendants from facing trial in both criminal and civil courts for the same offense. For example, while O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in criminal court, he was later found to be legally â€Å"responsible† for the killings in civil court after being sued by the Brown and Goldman families. Right to Not be Punished  Cruelly Finally, the Eighth Amendment states that for criminal defendants, â€Å"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.† The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the amendments â€Å"Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause† also applies to the states. While the U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Eighth Amendment forbids some punishments entirely, it also forbids some other punishments that are excessive when compared to the crime  or compared to the defendant’s mental or physical competence. The principles the Supreme Court uses to decide whether or not a particular punishment is â€Å"cruel and unusual† were solidified by Justice William Brennan in his majority opinion in the landmark 1972 case of Furman v. Georgia. In his decision, Justice Brennan wrote, â€Å"There are, then, four principles by which we may determine whether a particular punishment is cruel and unusual.† The essential factor is â€Å"that the punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity.† For example, torture or an unnecessarily long and painful death.â€Å"A severe punishment that is obviously inflicted in wholly arbitrary fashion.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A severe punishment that is clearly and totally rejected throughout society.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"A severe punishment that is patently unnecessary.† Justice Brennan added, â€Å"The function of these principles, after all, is simply to provide means by which a court can determine whether a challenged punishment comports with human dignity.†

Sustainability Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sustainability - Assignment Example Sustainable environment not only brings satisfaction to the needs of the current/present generation but also the needs of the future generations Environmental sustainability creates a balance between the varying needs of the changing and growing and changing population and natural resources’ ability to support the growth. With the dynamic nature of the technology, environmental sustainability is fast becoming a priority in many companies nowadays. According to Raghda (2013), many countries have begun to understand the forests, land, open space, agricultural soils, and clean air are important natural resources that must be managed and conserved responsibly. They are fast implementing critical issues on development practices and land use that aims at promoting and preserving their continued availability not only for the present generation but for future generations as well. With sustainable environment, businesses and other stakeholders are beginning to understand that the social, economic, and environmental characteristic of the various things we consume and create is not only measured by their initial costs but also by the benefits and costs. Sustainable environmental practices are vital for smart growth. In order for a business to compete favorably in the global context, it must embrace smart growth. Smart growth offers not only best natural environment but also it provides highest standards of living. Sustainable environment practices play a critical role in our surrounding in addition to preserving opportunities for our future generations. Therefore, the decisions we make now will definitely impact on our future generations. The tourism sector is one that is fast incorporating the concept of sustainable environment. New Zealand for instance, has greatly thrived in the tourism sector due to its continued sustainability

Business communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business communication - Research Paper Example e advertisement under focus pictures a girl who has bandage on both sides of her lips giving the impression that she hurt herself while trying to open her mouth to its limit in order to eat the ‘real big burger’. It has become a trend in the marketing industry to allure the teenagers, especially men, through gender appeal. The same tactic has been applied in the discussed advertisement. The face of the girl is only half visible in the advertisement with her cherry colored lips. The target market of Burger King, as can be analyzed from their overall marketing campaign, consists of moms with young children, teenagers and also middle class income families who have enough income to eat out on occasions. On the other hand, them portraying women in such a way that they cannot handle ‘Burger King’s REAL Big Burgers’ can make a negative impact on their existing target market and exclude many women from it. Burger King’s point of differentiation from its competitors (McDonalds, KFC etc) is that it has ‘REAL Big Burgers’ at the same affordable price which makes it a unique and special place to dine out. In this print ad as well their point of differentiation is depicted through their message intended in this picture. What they intend to say through this message is that our burgers are so big that the mouth of an ordinary person (can also be women) will pierce\cut out if they put it all in their mouth in one go. In this age we are all surrounded by advertisement everywhere in our homes on tv, on billboards while driving, in the bus stations on the internet everywhere. Hence creativity has become one of the primary factors to be considered while making an advertisement to catch the eye of the audience and this ad is a perfect example of creativity. It definitely catches the eye of the audience and the exaggerated ironic appeal would surely amuse him. What attracted me, and perhaps many other viewers, is the challenge to eat big burgers of Burger King. An

Formal justification report to an organization making a recommendation Research Proposal

Formal justification report to an organization making a recommendation for eco paper - Research Proposal Example The report proposes a greener approach to the building and construction sector to ensure that that as domestic and commercial built environment increases, there should be measures that have to be followed in ensuring that buildings are energy efficient, with a view of reducing the carbon load caused by both domestic and commercial usage in heating, air conditioning and cooling. Other resources such as water should also be utilized in the best way possible to ensure sustainability. Some buildings such as L60 building in Melbourne and Comcast Center in Philadelphia have elaborated the leadership in built environment impact of reducing global warming through being energy efficient. Such buildings serve as the best examples that the program should be tailored to emulate and policies put in place, to enforce new and old buildings to accord to these policies. This is due to the wide ranging benefits that is achieved though energy efficient designs on the long term. There is to put into per spectives some of the technologies successfully implement in other places to use to achieve the same benefits. Sustainable Architecture & Building 1.0 Introduction: Overview The current globalised world in industrialization has led to massive increase in environmental pollution. The environmental pollution and the release of green house gases to the atmosphere are two issues that have become a menace to the current order in life. There are many organizations and government initiatives that have been set up to find measures that would be used to reduce the environmental impact of greenhouse gases, and saving of other resources such as water that are becoming scarce after each day. These organization and government policies have come up with measures that are targeted to the general manufacturing sectors and service sectors. This leaves an important cause of pollution unaddressed; the domestic and commercial houses. The Department of Built Environment and Urbanization has a responsibi lity to put up measures that if implemented in the building sector would have environmental degradation through release of green house gases reduced significantly. This call for implementing measures and policies that would require all the modern houses and those under construction to ensure efficiency in energy utility in a bid to ensure sustainable development that is friendly to the environment. There is a need for architects, clients and engineers to cooperate in designing and constructing domestic and commercial buildings to ensure the reduction of carbon load that is mainly caused by overreliance on conventional energy sources in both commercial and domestic buildings. As the country relies heavily on coal and hydropower sources of energy, the carbon burden produced by these energy sources has been increasing daily as the domestic and commercial power demands soars to record levels. The Australian households use about 92% of conventional energy, with only 8% being tapped form renewable sources. This has led the domestic usage or households to contribute to about

Nursing Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing Future - Essay Example Nursing varies from general nursing to nursing specialties, and after the four year course a nurse gets autonomous registration. There is scope for diversification after the basic graduate degree in the form of postgraduate courses. An interview was conducted with Dr. Llasus & Dr. Dover on topics like Nursing Faculty Teaching Expectations, Nursing Faculty Scholarship Expectations, and Future of Nursing Education. Dr.Llasus is the Assistant Dean of the School of Nursing, Nevada State College. As an Assistant Dean he performs of a multitude of functions ranging from performing regular instructional teaching duties on a half-time basis, and collaborates with the Associate Dean and to oversee the academic program and ensures quality of faculty and student support services. In addition to these, Dr.Llasus coordinates courses and faculty to promote communication and consistency in meeting School of Nursing policies and procedures. He provides leadership in curriculum and course development , orients new faculty to the SON, and connects faculty with Course Coordinator or Mentor for course orientation. He conducts orientation for new students and prepares program-specific materials, leads orientation program for each upcoming semester, schedules and leads make-up orientations. He organizes Semester Faculty Meetings, schedules and attends meetings for assigned curriculum tracks, mediates student and faculty issues and problems, follows â€Å"chain of command† in BSN Student Handbook, Performs peer evaluation of faculty by visiting classes and reviews clinical site evaluations by faculty and students, recommends new clinical contracts, prepares student cohort numbers and availability in each cohort, prepares records of students going forward for Reinstatement. Apart from the above said duties as an Assistant, Dean Dr. Llasus shoulders the following general duties such as ATI Assessments (Regular, Accelerated and Part-time Tracks), sets up ATI semester fees/deadline s ,schedules ATI make-up tests at end of semester, collects end of semester ATI exam, analyses from faculty and post on X drive, CSCLV,CSCLV skills lab & room, schedules for upcoming semester, CSCLV simulation schedules for upcoming semester, arranges for Marlock keys and parking information, end of semester scheduling of simulations for clinical make-up, class schedules for upcoming semester--working with the Dean and Associate Dean. Dr. Cheryl Dover is the Program Chair of Nursing Department, Prince George's Community College, Maryland. He performs the following duties like scheduling all classes, appointment of classes, supervising day to day activities like budgets, grants, Committee activities, Faculty/student issues etc. Nursing Faculty Teaching Expectations Dr.Llasus explains the tenure track of Assistant professor Post and explains the responsibilities of an Assistant professor. According to him, Assistant Professors shall be appointed to the School of Nursing upon recommend ation of the nursing faculty and the Dean of the School of Nursing. They shall hold an advanced degree in nursing and a doctorate. The responsibilities of an Assistant Professor are in accordance with college by laws. The position of Assistant Professor shall be primarily that of nursing faculty who teaches nursing courses under policy determined by the Faculty of the College, consistent with College-wide academic policy. An Assistant Professors shall aid in the planning, development, and teaching of nursing