Soundtrack to a Schizophrenic Mind :: Psychology Loneliness Essays

Soundtrack to a Schizophrenic Mind "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the sky." ~Jack Kerouac On the Road Track 1: Ryan Adams>> "Back beat the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out..." Next door and two flights up an unknown woman sings scales, melancholic and operatic, ghostlike, she vocalizes the sorrows that haunt me. Music has always been my salvation. A feeling rolls in, filling the empty vibration of my atmosphere. Rain, softly at first, then steadily. The universe weeps. It feels like God mocks me, showing off by crying when I can't. In retrospect, maybe he was empathizing, like a parent leading by example, gently nudging me to follow suit. But presently, I am bitter, completely incapable of seeing optimistically. Perception is inseparable from state of mind. There is a huge difference between being alone and feeling lonely. The former is bearable, even enjoyable, when a person is actually physically alone. The latter, being surrounded by the people who care, yet separated by an invisible distance, a magnetic charge of pride and insecurity, repelling love despite closeness of its proximity and the friendliest of intentions, tortures the soul. In Thailand, halfway across the world, I missed the people I love, but in a happy nostalgic way. Alone yet never lonely. Home again, I see them every day, smile at them, converse with them, yet cannot connect psychically. There is no heart in my friendships here. Surrounded by the people I once missed, I feel only empty. 58 moonstones arranged on links of tarnished silver wrap loosely around my bony fingers. I am not catholic, or even Christian, but on this night I slide my fingertips over the smooth rosary beads. Drowning. Sometimes it is just so painful to be alive. Screams, trapped with the tears somewhere inside, build a dam of hopelessness and frustration to protect society from the unsightly emotions: anger, sadness, grief. Freud called it melancholy: loss unmourned. Modern society calls it depression, apparently a phenomenon common amongst students returning from extended travels in "developing" countries. "You'll readjust in a month or so", they consoled me.

Mandatory Life without Parole for Juveniles Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Currently, over 2,500 people are serving a life sentence without the option of parole for crimes committed as adolescents. Fortunately, this policy is not considered in all states. Twelve states have discontinued life sentences without the option of parole for juveniles. Almost two- thirds of life without parole sentences for juveniles (JLWOP) happens in five states. Seventy-three children were ages 13 or 14 at time that their crime was committed. Research has been conducted that proves the vast difference in brain development of a child compared to an adult. Society does not allow minors to purchase cigarettes or alcohol, enlist into the military or enter into a legal binding agreement such as an apartment lease until the age of 18 or older because of the knowledge that minors are not mature enough to make certain decisions. However, when a minor commits homicide we allow them to be sentenced as an adult and disregard their partial brain development and decreased culpability. It is the responsibility of society to protect our children from cruel and unusual punishment such as juvenile life without parole sentences. The policy brief will give a history of the juvenile justice system, trends, and current state. Brief will also address importance of the problem and recommendations for reform of this policy. CONTEXT AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEM Almost everyone would agree that children are the core of our future. Therefore, it is imperative that we have laws/policies in place that will protect them from cruel and unusual punishment in any capacity. However, much debate continues to arise concerning mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders. In attempting to change a social policy concerning the juvenile justice system it is important to address the concern in its context. Therefore, reviewing the history of the juvenile justice system is imperative when attempting to understand the system in its current state. The attitude of society towards juvenile offenders has drastically changed over the years and therefore impacted the overall goal of the system. The juvenile system was established in the late 1800s with the goal to reform and rehabilitate. During this time it was the  belief that â€Å"bad environments caused bad children†. Consequently, specialized institutions called reformatories were formed to inseminate home like environments. The main belief that motivated this structure of the system was that children were far different from adults and would have unique individualized needs. Contrary to the gentle idea of reformatories children were often subjected to harsh labor conditions in factories and farms. Often, children who reached fifteen years of age were seen as children with little to no hope of rehabilitation and as a result were transferred to adult prisons. During this era the system was not prepared to address serious offenses committed by juveniles and therefore lacked execution of formal due process rights. In 1899 the first juvenile court system was created and soon after in 1906 the first federal system followed. By 1925, almost all states established juvenile court systems and probation services. Due to a case in 1966 the Court decided that juveniles had the right to have procedural protections and due process rights. In the late 1980s violent crimes committed by juveniles dramatically increased. The increase in crime resulted in stricter crime legislation all through the nation. The new legislation was said to be motivated by fear due to frequent incidents of school violence. This legislation formed the belief that adult crimes should be addressed with adult punishment. Consequences to juvenile crime seemed to be more punitive, contrary to past ideas of rehabilitation and reform for juveniles. The number of juvenile offenders being imprisoned enlarged and the cruelty of sentencing began to include life without parole. More recently, it seems that the overall attitude of society has changed again towards juvenile offenders. Society has begun to focus on the obvious differences between children and adults and children’s ability to mature and change. Recent studies on adolescent brain development confirm that children are different from adults in ways that are important when attempting to identify appropriate sentences for juveniles. In addition, recent Supreme Court rulings have banned the use of capital punishment for juveniles and also limited life without parole sentences to homicide offenders. Furthermore, in 2012 the Court ordered judges to consider each individual child’s mitigating circumstances. This ruling prohibited mandatory sentences of life without parole for all juveniles. In 2005, Roper v. Simmons, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles can no longer be sentenced to death for  crimes committed when they were younger than 18 years of age. This ruling stated that a death sentence was cruel and unusual punishment for juveniles as they are immature and therefore less culpable. Consequently, this ruling affected 72 juvenile offenders in twelve states. Before this decision 22 people were killed for crimes committed as minors. Following the Roper decision the harshest sentence for a minor was life without parole. In 2010 Graham v. Florida, the Court prohibited life without parole sentencing for minors not convicted of murder. The ruling immediately affected the sentencing of 123 prisoners. Following this ruling it was recognized that crimes that do not end in murder were less deserving of the most serious punishment. After the rulings that prohibited the death penalty for minors and restricted the sentence of life without parole to murder crimes almost 2,500 prisoners were serving sentences of life without parole for crimes committed as minors. However, in 2012 Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, the Supreme Court ruled that for minors the life without parole sentence was a direct violation of the Eighth Amendment. This ruling required that judges consider the juveniles character and extenuating circumstances in an attempt to give a fair sentence. As stated previously, a number of professionals have reported that adolescent brains are not fully developed and therefore over time will develop and provide capability for change as children mature. Adolescence is known to be noticeable by â€Å"transient rashness and inability to assess consequences.† In addition, people serving life without parole sentences lives vary but usually have been plagued with difficult upbringings, exposure to violence, and direct abuse. It is important that when determining sentencing for a juvenile that family and home environment are considered. Moreover, racial inequality seems to factor into the burden of this sentence. â€Å"While 23.2% of juvenile arrests for murder involve an African American suspected of killing a white person, 42.4% of JLWOP sentences are for African-American convicted of this crime. White juvenile offenders with African American victims are only half as likely to receive JLWOP sentences†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Approximately 2,000 prisoners who are currently serving juvenile life without parole sentences may be affected by this decision. The most recent ruling, Miller v. Alabama affects mandatory sentencing  policies in 29 states and the federal government. There are currently no guidelines about how states should implement retroactivity of this ruling. As a result, there have been very different reactions to the way that states will handle retroactivity of this ruling. Some state Supreme Courts have decided that Mille implies retroactively and other states have decided that Miller is not retroactive. However, most states have not changed their statues and therefore have left many prisoners anxiously waiting for possible resentencing. Currently, fifteen states do not have prisoners serving life without parole sentences and the remaining 35 states have less than 100 prisoners serving life without parole sentences for crimes committed as juveniles. Furthermore, the monetary cost for JLWOP is astronomical. Housing cost for juveniles serving LWOP requires decades of public expenditures. It is estimated that the annual cost for incarceration per inmate is approximately 31,000. Due to increased medical expenses after the age of 55 the annual cost raises to 65,000. Therefore, a lifetime sentence for a juvenile will cost taxpayers almost 2 million dollars. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS There have been great strides concerning cruel and unusual punishment for sentencing of juvenile offenders. Removing juvenile life without parole for all juveniles would not guarantee release of offenders. However, it would provide the opportunity for the offender’s case to be reviewed once he/she has served a realistic amount of their sentence. During this review the offenders individual circumstances, such as their family and home environment would be considered when decided to grant the possibility of parole. In several other countries a mandatory review is completed once the offenders serve 10 to 15 years of their sentence. However, if sufficient rehabilitation has not occurred the individual will remain in prison and another review be granted in the next five years. There is growing support for this method of reform concerning JLWOP. The state of California now provides offenders a realistic opportunity at parole after 15-25 years if their crime was committed while they w ere minors. Also, requiring Miller’s retroactivity for all states would be a great stride  in the area of policy reform. Opponents to retroactivity argue that Miller did not ban life without parole for juvenile offenders but instead required that a judge follow a particular process when imposing the penalty. Those against retroactivity also highlight the significant cost of requiring this. They also dispute that resentencing could take resources from current cases in order to focus on old cases where facts may not be available or non-existent. Furthermore, this could activate the right to counsel for offenders who wish to challenge their sentence which would also add to the cost of retroactivity. Opponents strongly insist that funds would be better directed at reforming juvenile sentencing for sentencing after Miller. On the contrary, proponents of retroactivity argue that the court meant for its ruling to be retroactive. Opponents state that â€Å"once a new rule is functional to the defendant in the case announcing the rule, evenhanded justice requires that it be applied retroactively to all who are similarly situated.† For that reason, when the Court reversed Jackson v. Hobbs it also authorized the retroactivity of other cases similar positioned. Replacing mandatory life without parole with lesser sentences such as life with the possibility of parole or eliminating juvenile life without parole altogether is also another recommendation for reform of this policy. The best solution seems to be individualized sentencing for juvenile offenders. This solution would require individual sentence hearing for minors with crimes of murder and individual evaluation. However, if this law was required to be retroactive family of the victims would directly be affected by this change. Families may have to endure the potential impact of parole board hearing for the offender. In addition, community members who have a financial investment in the business of prisons would also be directly affected as their revenue would greatly decrease over time. Lastly, schools and Social workers can work to identify children who may be experiencing difficulty in the family and home environment and offer services in an attempt to prevent the child from committing a crime and therefore having to be introduced to the juvenile justice system. REFERENCES The End of Mandatory Juvenile Life without Parole. Kennedy, Megan. Criminal Justice Policy Review. Sep. 2014, Vol. 25 Issue 5, p553-578. 26p DO1: 10. 1177/0887430341. Review for Release: Juvenile Offenders, State Parole Practices & the Eight Amendment. Russell, Sarah French. Indiana Law Journal. Winter 2014, Vol. 89 Issue 1, p373-440. 68p. Just Grow Up Already: The Diminished Culpability of Juvenile Gang Members After Miller V. Alabama. Kellogg, Sarah A. Boston College Law Review. 2014, Vol. 55 Issue 1, p265-299. 35p. Branded for Life: The Unconstitutionality of Mandatory& Life time Juvenile Sex Offender Registration& Notification. Parker, Shannon C. Virginia Journal of Social Policy& the Law. 2014, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p167-205. Criminal Law-Juvenile Life without Parole Sentences-Eleventh Circuit Holds that Miller Is Not Retroactive. Harvard Law Review. Feb. 2014, Vol. 127. Issue 4, p1252-1259. 8p. Mitigating After Miller: Legislative Considerations & Remedies for the Future of Juvenile Sentencing. Fiorillo, Sara E. Boston University Law Review. Dec 2013, Vol. 93 Issue 6, p2095- 2129, 35p. Symposium: Bombshell or Baby step? The Ramifications of Miller V Alabama for Sentencing Law& Juvenile Crime Policy. Litton, Paul. Missouri Law Review. Fall 2013, Vol 78 Issue 4, P 1003-1014. 12p.

A Nazi In Auschwitz

A Nazi In Auschwitz Free Online Research Papers It was five a.m. when I awoke, I could smell the aroma of burning Jews in the furnaces. I had been awakening to this smell since I had been stationed at Auschwitz three months ago. I looked at my calendar and saw that it was August 19, 1941, just one more year until I would be relocated somewhere else. As I headed towards my post at the furnace, I wondered how we had been so fortunate to have a leader like Adolf Hitler. I conversed with the guards as I showed them my identification card that was required to pass through the gate. Rumor had it that we would have three or four groups of Jews to incinerate today, man I loved my job. At seven o’ clock a.m., a giant bell rung to wake-up all the Jewish slobs so they could ready themselves for the things we put them through during the day. Around the time the bell rang, I had slipped back into thought about Adolf Hitler. With him as our leader, there was no way that we could lose this war. He was smart, cunning, and extremely brave, it was my pleasure to have been selected as one of his soldiers. The only bad part was that I had been stationed at this foul place with Jews running around and contaminating everything. `â€Å"Toot Toot!†, the sudden sound of the train startled me as it reached the platform with the first load of passengers. Some Jews were selected for work while the others were sent to the gas chambers to be killed en masse. Later, some Jewish slaves came and picked up all the dead bodies around camp, and then delivered them to my group in the crematoria to be burned. We prepared the bodies for burning then incinerated them and buried the bones in a big pile. Occasionally, rapid bursts from machine guns broke the silence as they mowed down Jews. I had grown accustomed to these outbreaks, whereas a new recruit that had just joined our faction, was startled every time. This led to laughter and it lightened up our spirit during this boring work. I estimated about four hundred dead Jews today. It was eight p.m. when we were relieved from our duty by the night watch. As I headed towards my bed, I passed a lone Jew and shoved his face in the dirt and walked on his head. He got up and punched me in the back, so I whipped out my pistol and shot him in the head. Shooting people makes me hungry, so I stopped in for a quick snack at the main building and listened to the idle chatter and offered my input on how the war was going. I fell asleep around ten o’ clock, the quiet sounds of night lulling me to sleep. I dreamed of shooting hundreds of Jews as they were trying to run away from me. To my disappointment, I awoke to the same amount of Jews during their daily role count. Later that day, I was alone with one of the Jews that carried dead bodies. We were alone and he asked me my name. I had grown somewhat fond of this man and, seeing no harm in it, told him my name and asked him his. He said his name was David. Then the rest of my group came around the corner and I acted like I didn’t even know him and I took the bodies and prepared them for burning. The rest of my day was quite un eventful, but David and I exchanged secretive glances throughout the day. Somehow, David eventually softened me up and my hatred for his kind diminished a little and I felt that I had made a new friend. One day, David approached me as I was headed through his section of camp. He told me that he had heard talk about planning an escape and that he would keep me informed so I would not be targeted by the prisoners when they broke out. I thanked him and provided him with a couple of maps of the place so that I could stay on their good side and help make amends. A couple of days past before David contacted me. He asked if I could provide them with a couple of pistols and knives, we arranged a drop spot and away I went. That night I sneaked into the armory and put a couple of weapons into a duffle bag and then I was able to successfully sneak back outside and to the drop point. As I was falling asleep I wondered how I had gotten into this situation. I was helping the people I had previously hated with all my heart. I was glad to help them because it would mean that I would live and be able to return to my wife and kids. I had left them back in Berlin, and I hoped that they were doing well. Even though I had been here only six months it felt like a lifetime, and the bodies I burned were starting to haunt me. I figured that if I let the prisoners escape then I would get relieved of my duties and then I could return to my home. When I awoke, it was six in the morning so I ate, got dressed, and meandered over to my post at the crematoria. When I rounded a corner I ran into David and he told me that the escape would happen in two days. He told me that I should stay inside the crematoria since the escape would happen on the other side of Auschwitz, where there were forests to hide themselves. Te next day was uneventful and there were no unnecessary deaths in the camp. This left me wondering how the Jews could remain calm when they were about to escape a major death camp. When I awoke the next morning I headed to my post and tried to look busy, even though I was only waiting for the escape to occur. It was dusk when I heard a big explosion sound throughout the air, they had found explosives! The explosion was nearer to me than David had said, and I could see the shrapnel raining down. Then I heard machine guns and rifles gun down Jews. When my commanding officer told me to get my German butt down there and help kill Jews I shot him and anyone else who saw what happened. I couldn’t believe what had just happened, I shot one of my fellow soldiers over some Jews escaping. I looked around and couldn’t believe my luck. I saw that a car was parked near the crematorium I was at. I ran over then hot-wired it. I then proceeded to drive away from Auschwitz and towards Berlin. I needed to see my family and friends, I needed to look upon living people. The dead Jews I had killed filled my thoughts as I drove and I prayed that the Jews would live after their escape. Ten years later, I was driving past Auschwitz and into the nearby town. I was surprised when I saw all the Jews running around and I stopped at one of their stores to see what they had. When I walked inside , I saw the one man I never thought I would see again, David. We exchanged greetings and I asked how he had escaped from the forests. He told me a story filled with horrors and I was happy that I had the things I did. David and I were friends forever and always remembered that weird way we had met and helped each other achieve happiness. Research Papers on A Nazi In AuschwitzThe Spring and Autumn19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Hockey GameLifes What IfsWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasResearch Process Part One

Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Bleach

Why You Should Not Mix Alcohol and Bleach Mixing alcohol and bleach is never a good idea, as the combination results in chloroform, a powerful sedative that can cause you to pass out. You should always be careful when handling these chemicals. Chemical Reaction Ordinary household bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which reacts with ethanol or isopropyl alcohol to produce chloroform (CHCl3), hydrochloric acid  (HCl),  and other compounds, such as chloroacetone or dichloroacetone. Unintentional mixing of these chemicals could occur from trying to clean up a spill using bleach or from mixing cleaners together. Bleach is highly reactive and forms dangerous compounds when mixed with any number of chemicals, so its best to avoid combining it with other products. Dangers of Chloroform Chloroform is a dangerous chemical that irritates the eyes, respiratory system, and skin. It can damage the nervous system, eyes, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, and other organs and may even cause cancer. The chemical is readily absorbed into the body through the skin and through inhalation and ingestion. If you suspect that you have been exposed to chloroform, remove yourself from the contaminated area and seek medical attention. Chloroform is a potent anesthetic that can knock you out. It is also the cause of sudden sniffers death, a fatal cardiac arrhythmia some people experience upon exposure. Over time, chloroform in the presence of oxygen (as in air) naturally degrades to produce phosgene, dichloromethane, carbon monoxide, formyl chloride, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen chloride. Even once the chloroform has broken down, you should avoid these chemicals. Phosgene, for example, is a notorious chemical agent. It was responsible for around 85 percent of the deaths from chemical weapons during World War I. Disposing of a Bleach and Alcohol Mixture If you accidentally mix these chemicals and need to dispose of the waste, dont try to neutralize it. First, use caution and do not enter the contaminated area if you smell chloroform, which has a heavy, sweet-smelling odor. Once the smell begins to dissipate, dilute the mixture with large volumes of water and wash it down the drain as quickly as possible. Acetone and Bleach Although this is a less common mixture, do not mix acetone and bleach, either, as this reaction also produces chloroform: 3NaClO C3H6O → CHCl3   2NaOH NaOCOCH3 Ultimately, mixing bleach with any chemical except water is an extremely bad idea. Bleach reacts with vinegar, ammonia, and most household cleaners to produce toxic fumes.

Deutsche Bank Spying affaire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deutsche Bank Spying affaire - Research Paper Example c, the affair struck at the heart of a country still struggling with its past identity where spying on citizens in the Communist East was a matter of course. How the bank will weather these latest charges is one question. What impact the investigations will have on stakeholders is another that affects not only the future of Deutsche Bank but also its reputation and credibility as a major player on the world financial stage. The four cases of surveillance concern a nuisance shareholder, an investigative journalist, a supervisory board member suspected of leaking information, four senior bank managers and a private person who sent threatening letters to Deutsche Bank board members. Among the targets of the surveillance were Gerald Herrmann, a former union leader and supervisory board member who was suspected of leaking sensitive company information to the media.  Michael Bohndorf, an activist shareholder who has been critical of the bank; and Hermann-Josef Lamberti, Deutsche Banks chief operating officer. The Bank launched its own investigation in the spring of 2009 and by mid-summer the affair had been turned over to BaFin, the German financial regulator. The investigative results were passed to the German data protection authority who has in turn submitted them to the German public prosecutors office. Tactics employed by the bank included media reports that detectives hired by Deutsche Bank were instructed to test Lambertis security consciousness by trying to plant a GPS tracking device in his car and sending a bouquet of flowers containing an inactive microphone to his home. Bohndorf, the activist shareholder, said that private investigators posed as vacationers and spied on his home on the Spanish island of Ibiza after he asked a number of provocative questions at a Deutsche Bank shareholders meeting in 2006. His contention was that detectives tried to determine if he had a weakness for women by setting up a "honey trap" operation that involved a chance

Civil Rights Legislation and the Return of Status Essay

Civil Rights Legislation and the Return of Status - Essay Example These students would become known as the "Little Rock Nine."2 In 1960, students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter. Their mistreatment was televised to the nation and prompted reflection. Also in North Carolina, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded at Shaw University to give black students direction in the civil rights movement.3 1963 was an active year on the Civil Rights timeline. Martin Luther King was arrested and jailed. There, he wrote his famous "Letter From the Birmingham Jail," voicing the familiar argument that is was a moral duty to disobey unjust laws. In May, Birmingham officials unleashed fire hoses and police dogs on black protestors, once again televised for the world to see. The Lincoln Memorial was the congregation point of 200,000 who joined the March on Washington, where King spoke his "I Have a Dream" speech. Violence continued in the streets of Birmingham when four young girls were killed in an explosion at the Sixteenth Baptist Church, the location of several civil rights meetings.4 Progress came in the form of the 24th Amendment in 1964, which abolished a poll tax designed to block blacks fro

Foodservice Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foodservice Marketing - Assignment Example They also display their logo (the Golden Arches) that makes it easy for the customer to recognize the brand. At Olive Garden, they do their merchandising in a different way. They do not display their products at the website. Most of their displays are at the restaurants’ menus. One can also contact them to place an order which they deliver to their customers as per the order. It is the same case at Sizzler. Their foods and beverages are displayed at their menu. Another company that merchandizes by displaying their products on the internet is coca cola company. Marketing involves influencing customers to buy your products. A successive marketing technique should meet the customers’ expectations (Garlough, p. 33). McDonalds also has a marketing strategy that has helped it become a force that is difficult to beat in the market. It has a marketing mix that is attractive to many customers. Their prices are ones that most customers are willing to pay. In addition, the company also makes numerous advertisements on TV and newspapers. It also identifies its hotels, which are visited, mostly and this assists it when developing its marketing strategies. They carry out research so as to establish the correct marketing mix. Their service is quick and friendly too (McDonald’s Corporation, p. 2). The marketing strategies in other food service companies are not so different from that of McDonalds. For Sizzler, Olive Garden and Chilis, they all market their products through advertisement in the media and newspapers. Techniques used by companies are extremely influential in getting customers to buy the company’s. In fact, in my perspective I purchased coffee from McDonalds due to the merchandising technique they use to market their products. Attractive displays by a company in their advertisement and merchandising techniques have the ability to attract customers. Restaurants such as Chilis and Sizzler do not have a marketing technique that is as strong as that of