Mission Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mission Statement - Essay Example The covert and overt implications of my study and work have to be properly understood through the best means of argumentative theory and practice that are to be found in literary discourses. A person who is a position to make decisions that could be life-changing for all life forms on earth should take into account all the possible pros and cons of research and action that emerge from such decisions. I hope that the classical and realistic aspects of discursive power would assist me all through my career. I could foresee situations, in which I will have to use my argumentative skills to persuade, convince and reassure those who would be eagerly awaiting the results or practical outcome of my line of work. Moreover, there could be situations in which I will have to defend the work carried out in my field against popular discontent. The best way to augment my knowledge and growth in my chosen area of expertise would be to get familiarized with the literature and culture that define the people with whom I will have to interact. At the end of this semester, I would like to see myself as an informed person in my area of study, equipped with the communicative and inter-personal skills that help me express well-balanced views. I would like to make use the best of my abilities and work towards this goal. I wish to be continually engaged with knowledge and expand it through meaningful discussions where my arguments are taken seriously. I would be a keen observer who is willing to learn from the classic models of arguments and to participate in any individual and group activity that would provide me with a hands-on experience of its practical aspects. The most important fact in my educational career is to be well informed in my area of

Discuss the problems created by high stakes testing, and give testing Essay

Discuss the problems created by high stakes testing, and give testing alternatives - Essay Example These controversies bring about the concept that people, students in particular, are not being tested with the knowledge that they actually know, therefore being graded unfairly. One of the biggest controversies over high-stakes testing is that the creators of the exams seem to be under the mindset that every student sitting the exam has had the same educational experience. For example, the test may make mention of a specific book, yet is done so without the thought that perhaps not every student has read that book. The majority of high-stakes testing are formed with the assumption that everybody should have the same knowledge when, in reality, not every school, or every teacher, follows the same curriculum as the rest of them. Furthermore, students may not have the knowledge through no fault of their own. Not every student is given an equal opportunity to learn the material that will be present on the test. Another issue that can go hand-in-hand with the previously mentioned problem is that high-stakes testing does not correctly measure the knowledge or skills of the individual. The tests tend to focus on specific subjects such as, as aforementioned, a specific book while claiming to see how well a student has been able to grasp English. Instead of focusing on a broader subject that many students may have learned, the creators of these tests seem to want to focus more on narrower subjects that there is a good chance that few students have learned. While the student may understand the concepts, they are unable to use this unread book to help them solve the answers. These tests seem to be measuring more what someone does not know rather than what they do. A third contention in regard to high-stakes testing is that these tests are attached to questionable rewards, such as high school diplomas. As previously mentioned, it is not always the case in which the students are at

Atonement as a Liberation for African American Christians

Atonement as a Liberation for African American Christians Shirley Mitchell Can the gospel message of the Atonement have a liberating message for all African-American Christians? Is there really power in the blood? JoAnne Marie Terrell in her exposition explored the meaning of the cross, sources of suffering and sacrifice from the beginning of Christianity through modern times and it is written by an African-American feminist who has suffered both abuse and oppression as a black woman.[1] (J. M. Terrell 1998). JoAnne Marie Terrell, Power in the Blood examines in her exposition the historical exploration of the meaning of the Cross and the impact it has towards the identity and history of African-Americans. From her introduction, she interprets the evil and suffering in which black theology approached the issue of the atonement and the cross. She identifies the various devices such as Negro spirituals, those oppressed in slavery, biblical texts, and other writings which conveyed both positive and negative experiences of African-Americans. She crafted her own observations by beginning with her own remembrance of the cross from slave narratives and other sources bringing them together while linking them with that of the character of Celie in the Color Purple, with the description of God echoing her own: He big and old and gray-bearded and white. He wears white robes and goes barefooted.[2] (Terrell n.d.). The Christians have always placed the great emphasis of Jesus death on the cross, though theologians often are at odds on how to interpret The Crucifixion. Many grapple with the images of torture and abuse, the suffering, and abandonment that Jesus endured while on the cross. Those of us as theologians and who study Christianity often attempt to define Gods nature by explaining Jesus final line, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me, (Matt 27:46, Mk 15:34). One may question, Did God actually forsake Jesus? The divine and human nature of Jesus were never separated. Yet, it is clear, that His fellowship with the Father was temporarily broken as He took the sins of the world upon Himself. Jesus used the words of Psalm 22, which begins with David affirming his conviction that God was in control. With the sins of the world upon him, Jesus felt the agony of separation from his Father. At times, we may feel alone, abandoned or rejected but we should remember Gods promise: Never will I le ave you; never will I forsake you (Heb 13:5). Today our social conditions continue to compel women to accept surrogacy roles. Both African-Americans and other ethnic races continue to labor as domestic workers and are often subjected to modern-day indentured servitude by our white employers. While our black men are being incarcerated at a rate 9.6 times that of white men, leaving the women to take on the role of both mothers and fathers to their children. Convinced by our churches teaching that suffering is a virtue, African-American women remain trapped in sexually, mentally, and physically abusive relationships. They are told in some of our churches to pray for them and faithfully bear their crosses. They identified with Jesus, writes Jacquelyn Grant of black women in slavery, because they believed that Jesus identified with them. As Jesus was persecuted and made to suffer undeservedly, so were they. His suffering culminated in the Crucifixion. But Jesus suffering was not the suffering of a mere human, for Jesus was understood to be God incarnate.[3] (Grant 1993, 281). Since crucifixion was a curse from God (Deut 21:22-23), the act was particularly heinous to Jewish people and what has become so despicable among us has become the instrument of our salvation. Jesus previously instructed his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him (Matt 16:24). Demetrius K. Williams finds redemptive meaning in Jesus crucifixion and how the cross sparked the formation of our religious community with an allegiance to Christ. This fellowship breaks down race, gender, and class distinctions that separate people in the larger society, and it unifies all who proclaim Christ crucified.[4] (Williams 1993). Jesus crucifixion affirmed their faith in their understanding of the saving work of Christ. It depicts all that Jesus endured overcoming evil and set believers free. For Christians, it demonstrates Gods love towards the world and our instructions that we must love God, our neighbors, and our enemies, as well as, the punishment we deserve as sinners which Jesus suffered in our place. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; by His wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53). From the similarity during slavery, lynched bodies and Jesus body on the cross, to crosses being burned on peoples lawns, the cross has always been a source of tension in black history. Nevertheless, the cross offers our communities faith, hope, and surviving power. By appropriating Jesus Crucifixion with African-American histories in mind and the deep faith in Jesus and the biblical witness in their hearts, black theologians and feminists free the cross for redemption. It symbolizes the suffering a person may have to endure who chooses to place Christ and his kingdom first in their lives and in doing so, they renew its liberating power for other suffering and abused persons living as the least of these in society today. The Crucifixion of Jesus proclaims that love is more powerful than hate and Jesus invites us to put our trust in Him, even in the face of evil, suffering, and oppression. Therein lies the power of Jesus Cross saving power. [1]Terrell, JoAnne Marie. Power in the Blood? The Cross in the African American Experience. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998. [2]Terrell, Joanne Marie. Strange Fruit: JoAnne Marie Terrells Power in the Blood. http://frjody.com/writings/seminary/strange-fruit-joanne-mari. [3] Grant, Jacquelyn. Womanist Theology: Black Womans Experience as a Source for Doing Theology, with Special Reference to Christology, in Black Theology: A Documentary History, ed. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1993. [4] Williams, Demetrius K. Identifying with the Cross of Christ, in the Passion of the Lord, ed. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1993.

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Essay -- Business Human Res

Terrorism and the Contract Security Market Contract security has become a billion dollar business within the last decade. It is by far one of the most profitable businesses today. Also, after the events of September 11th we can only expect this field to continue to grow. With the economy and country the way it is today, we can expect to see contract security and proprietary security forces increase in both size and tasks that must be managed. But is the contract security field ready to step up and perform the new duties we need them to perform? The truth is, the contract security field is plagued by many things that impede it's effectiveness: Pay rates are too low to attract the quality employees. Training is insufficient Turnover rates exceed 100% in many contract companies. These are just some of the problems facing the contract security field. Most of the companies manage to turn a profit by practicing the "warm body" approach. This involves recruiting anyone (which is usually the bottom 5% of the population) who will work for the low wages provided. The company provides minimum training. Some companies put their guards to work before paperwork and background checks are even completed. This is not true of all contract security firms. Some do process and provide very exceptional officers; a prime example being Wackenhut Security. Recruitment Recruitment practices have improved in many areas. Some "warm body" approaches are still being used but, overall this is practiced in places such as New York and other heavily urban areas where the process of "low bidding" is used (Hertig 2003). In these areas of the country turnover rates are higher than any other. For the most part this can be blamed on wages. The ... ... Manual. Dated: Oct 1999. Command Security Corp. (1999) Website . Accessed 17 Apr. 2003, http://www.cscny.com Goodboe Michael E; (2002) "How to turn around turnover" Security Management, Nov 2002; Vol. 46, Iss. 11; pg. 65, 3 pgs Hertig, Chris.(1999) "Contracts in Asset Protection." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 371-374. 4pgs Hertig, Chris. In class handouts.; Security and Supervision Class. Spring Semester 03 Johnson, Jordan; (2003) "Get The Most From Your Guard Force"; Security Management, Arlington; Feb 2003; Vol. 47, Iss. 2; pg. 73, 5 pgs Thibodeau, Charles; (1999) "Staff Training and Development." In Davies & Minion (Eds.) Security Supervison: Theory and Practice of Asset Protection. Butterworth Heinemann: Boston Mass. 1999. pg. 118-126. 9pgs

Carrefour

France's Carrefour relies on the key strengths of supplier contacts and customer knowledge when developing and implementing marketing strategy. Carrefour has ‚Â ¬108 billion in yearly turnover and operates 1,530 hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount stores and convenience stores in 33 countries. Even though retailing is an intensely competitive industry, Carrefour's marketers have used these global strengths to great advantage when preparing marketing plans to address various opportunities and threats in Europe, Latin America and Asia.For example, a few months after Carrefour moved its global sourcing office to Thailand, executives became aware that local farmers were producing a surplus of fruits such as durian and mangosteens. In the past, these fruits had sold well in the 34 Thai Carrefour stores as well as in the chain's outlets in Taiwan, China and Indonesia. Identifying this as a marketing opportunity, Carrefour's marketing director in Thailand arranged to buy hundreds of additional tonnes of local fruits and created a plan to encourage he European stores to stock the fruits as a taste of Thailand at an attractive price.Depending on the country, as much as 90-95 per cent of merchandise stocked in Carrefour stores is purchased from local suppliers. The purpose is to make the most of the opportunity by establishing mutually beneficial connections with local suppliers for the long term. When Carrefour's marketers analyze the internal environment, they examine the results of previous marketing programmes across the entire chain and in individual stores. They have grouped the customer base of 14 illion households worldwide into 60,000 customer segments for more relevant marketing attention.With deep analysis, they can target more precisely and measure the return on investment for each programme in the marketing plan. Carrefour also acts quickly when analyses point to unusual challenges or opportunities. For example, Just a few months after opening hyperm arkets in Moscow and Krasnodar, the retailer decided to stop expansion in Russia and sell the new stores because difficult economic circumstances had reduced short-term growth opportunities.

Theft and Burglary Arrest

Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a crime. It is an offense against possession and habitation. Night time used to be an element of burglary, but in todays world, this is no longer a factor as burglary can occur at any time of the day The deflnltlon of burglary comes from state laws and because of this some states may have other definitions of what constitutes burglary. In Washington, DC, the government must prove that the defendant entered the dwelling, building, or room of another used for sleeping and that the defendant intended to commit a crime at the ime of entry.In Virginia, the government must prove the defendant broke and entered the dwelling house of another, the defendant did so at night time, and he did so with the intent to commit larceny or felony offense. According to the FBI, burglary made up 23. 6 percent of all property crimes reported in 2009. The rate of household burglary decreased 56% from 1994 to 2011, from a peak of 63. 4 victimizations pe r 1,000 u. S. households In 1994 to 27. 6 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2011 . From 1994 to 2011, the rate of completed burglary decreased by t least half across households headed by persons of all races and Hispanic origin.Burglary clearance rates seem to below for a number of reasons. At the top of the list Is that burglaries are usually not discovered until hours after It occurs. Burglars can usually quickly dispose of property and there are rarely witnesses to burglary. Most burglars are professional and usually do not leave any physical evidence. So what can be done to improve the clearance rate of burglaries? In my opinion It Is very hard to determine what can be done to Improve the clearance rate f burglaries. I would suggest community policing In the areas where burglaries are known to happen.The police can work with the citizens to create an effective neighborhood watch program which will watch out for burglaries and report suspicious people hanging around. When re sponding to a burglary call, the officer should look for any evidence the perpetrator may leave behind and take notes, and identify all items that were taken. The officer may find that the evidence or notes will led them to a particular burglar based on the MO. If the officer can develop an MO hich leads to related burglaries, upon finding a suspect, he can usually get a conviction. based on that evidence.Many suspects are convicted based on circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is the form of physical clues and scientific analysis. I believe that circumstantial evidence is better than an eyewitness in cases like burglary. Circumstantial evidence can involve the defendants' motive alone. Say for instance the suspect was there earlier In the day Just walking around and needed money. He had a motive, the means and the opportunity. This ircumstantial evidence is enough to convict, if the defendant can't prove he was elsewhere at the time the burglary happened.Now should ther e be a criteria for making an arrest for burglary. I would have to say yes, there needs to be a criteria to make any arrest. Among the most Important criteria's for making a burglary arrest should be probable cause. The officer needs to have factual circumstances that leads 1 OF2 to tnem Dellevlng tnat tne suspect commlttea a Durglary. It snou10 De noted t probable cause may allow the officer to make an arrest, it does not always lead to a onviction. What constitutes as probable cause to the officer may not constitute to probable cause for a Judge.So now that we have our burglary suspect in custody and we've found some of the property he has stolen, where is the rest of the stolen property? The defendant states that he sold some of the stolen property online. How can we recover the stolen property that the burglar sold online? One would think it would be hard to recover stolen property online. Upon researching, I found a couple of websites where you can list your stolen items. I als o found out that eBay will help ou recover your stolen goods if you can prove they are yours.The other way to recover stolen objects is to check the pawn shops, second hand stores, and flea markets. Theft and Burglary Arrest Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a crime. It is an offense against possession and habitation. Night time used to be an element of burglary, but in today’s world, this is no longer a factor as burglary can occur at any time of the day The definition of burglary comes from state laws and because of this some states may have other definitions of what constitutes burglary. In Washington, DC, the government must prove that the defendant entered the dwelling, building, or room of another used for sleeping and that the defendant intended to commit a crime at the time of entry.In Virginia, the government must prove the defendant broke and entered the dwelling house of another, the defendant did so at night time, and he did so with the intent to commit larceny or felony offense. According to the FBI, burglary made up 23. 6 percent of all property crimes reported in 2009. The rate of household burglary decreased 56% from 1994 to 2011, from a peak of 63. 4 victimiz ations per 1,000 U. S. households in 1994 to 27. 6 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2011. From 1994 to 2011, the rate of completed burglary decreased by at least half across households headed by persons of all races and Hispanic origin.Burglary clearance rates seem to below for a number of reasons. At the top of the list is that burglaries are usually not discovered until hours after it occurs. Burglars can usually quickly dispose of property and there are rarely witnesses to burglary. Most burglars are professional and usually do not leave any physical evidence. So what can be done to improve the clearance rate of burglaries? In my opinion it is very hard to determine what can be done to improve the clearance rate of burglaries. I would suggest community policing in the areas where burglaries are known to happen.The police can work with the citizens to create an effective neighborhood watch program which will watch out for burglaries and report suspicious people hanging aroun d. When responding to a burglary call, the officer should look for any evidence the perpetrator may leave behind and take notes, and identify all items that were taken. The officer may find that the evidence or notes will led them to a particular burglar based on the MO. If the officer can develop an MO which leads to related burglaries, upon finding a suspect, he can usually get a conviction, based on that evidence.Many suspects are convicted based on circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is the form of physical clues and scientific analysis. I believe that circumstantial evidence is better than an eyewitness in cases like burglary. Circumstantial evidence can involve the defendants’ motive alone. Say for instance the suspect was there earlier in the day just walking around and needed money. He had a motive, the means and the opportunity. This circumstantial evidence is enough to convict, if the defendant can’t prove he was elsewhere at the time the burglar y happened.Now should there be a criteria for making an arrest for burglary. I would have to say yes, there needs to be a criteria to make any arrest. Among the most important criteria’s for making a burglary arrest should be probable cause. The officer needs to have factual circumstances that leads to them believing that the suspect committed a burglary. It should be noted that probable cause may allow the officer to make an arrest, it does not always lead to a conviction. What constitutes as probable cause to the officer may not constitute to probable cause for a judge.So now that we have our burglary suspect in custody and we’ve found some of the property he has stolen, where is the rest of the stolen property? The defendant states that he sold some of the stolen property online. How can we recover the stolen property that the burglar sold online? One would think it would be hard to recover stolen property online. Upon researching, I found a couple of websites where you can list your stolen items. I also found out that eBay will help you recover your stolen goods if you can prove they are yours. The other way to recover stolen objects is to check the pawn shops, second hand stores, and flea markets.

The Federal Reserve Essays - Monetary Economics, Monetary Policy

The Federal Reserve Essays - Monetary Economics, Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve When you look up the word money in the dictionary, you get this as the definition: A commodity, such as gold, or an officially issued coin or paper note that is legally established as an exchangeable equivalent of all other commodities, such as goods and services, and is used as a measure of their comparative values on the market. Money has three basic functions: a medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value. Goods and services are paid for in money and debts are brought upon and then paid off in money. Without money, economic transactions would have to take place on a trading basis. But who controls all of our countries money? Back in the early nineteenth century our country was experiencing major national banking panics. One of the most remembered of these panics was the Banking Panic of 1907. Abram P. Andrew, secretary of the National Monetary Commission collected nearly two hundred samples of different bank currencies created to stem the 1907 panic, and he provided a description of the banks' problems at that time: [The banks] were so singularly unrelated and independent of each other that the majority of them had simultaneously engaged in a life and death contest with each other, forgetting for the time being the solidarity of their mutual interest and their common responsibility to the community at large. Two-thirds of the banks of the country entered upon an internecine struggle to obtain cash, had ceased to extend credit to their customers, had suspended cash payments and were hoarding such money as they had. What was the result? ... Thousands of men were thrown out of work, thousands of firms went into bankruptcy, the trade of the country came to a standstill, and all this happened simply because the credit system of the country had ceased to operate. (The Region, 1988) With all of the troubles the banking system was experiencing, President Woodrow Wilson passed an act in 1913 that established the Federal Reserve System (the Fed). Passing that act was the most drastic banking reform in the country's history. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was made to serve as a lender-of-last-resort in times of crisis and to provide a national currency that would expand and contract as needed. A seven member Board of Governors runs the Fed. They are usually bankers or economic specialists that are appointed by the President to 14-year terms. The terms are so long so that the members are protected from all of the political material that goes on. The President then selects a chairman of the board who is the chief spokesperson of the Fed. The current chairman is Alan Greenspan. The Federal Reserve System is also dubbed with the name The Central Bank of the United States. Today the Fed is comprised of twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks spread across the United States. They are located in New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Philadelphia, Richmond, Minneapolis, and Kansas City. If you look on the left side of a dollar, you can see which branch it was manufactured at. Each branch acts as a central bank for private banks in their region. Back in 1980 The Monetary Control Act resulted that all banks are subject to regulation of the Federal Reserve. Before this act, banks could choose whether or not they wanted to be members of the Fed. After the act was passed, all banks are required to be a member. The Fed has three main policies in which they influence the way banks operate. They are the legal reserve requirement, the discount rate, and open-market operations. Each policy powers the reserve and lending capability of banks. The discount rate is not usually a potent control, but it is important for it may point to the direction that the Federal Reserve policy goes. The legal reserve ratio is a powerful policy, but changes in it are rare. Open-market operations have a direct impact on the market and are one of the most important ways the Fed controls the money supply. The legal reserve ratio is the ratio of cash reserves to demand deposits that banks are required to maintain. When