Deception Point Page 82

Now they would wait. This would not be a quiet kill. There were some people you simply did not kill quietly. Regardless of the method, there would be repercussions. Investigations. Inquiries. In these cases, the best cover was to make a lot of noise. Explosions, fire, and smoke made it appear you were making a statement, and the first thought would be foreign terrorism. Especially when the target was a high-profile official. Delta-One scanned the night-vision transmission of the tree-shrouded memorial below. The parking lot and entry road were empty. Soon, he thought. The location of this private meeting, though in an urban area, was fortuitously desolate at this hour. Delta-One turned his eyes from the screen to his own weapons controls. The Hellfire system would be the weapon of choice tonight. A laser-guided, anti-armor missile, the Hellfire provided fire-and-forget capability. The projectile could home in on a laser spot that was projected from ground observers, other aircraft, or the launching aircraft itself. Tonight, the missile would be guided autonomously through the laser designator in a mast-mounted sight. Once the Kiowa's designator had â€Å"painted† the target with a laser beam, the Hellfire missile would be self-directing. Because the Hellfire could be fired either from the air or ground, its employment here tonight would not necessarily imply an aircraft's involvement. In addition, the Hellfire was a popular munition among black-market arms dealers, so terrorist activity could certainly be blamed. â€Å"Sedan,† Delta-Two said. Delta-One glanced at the transmission screen. A nondescript, black luxury sedan was approaching on the access road exactly on schedule. This was the typical motor pool car of large government agencies. The driver dimmed the car's headlights on entering the memorial. The car circled several times and then parked near a grove of trees. Delta-One watched the screen as his partner trained the telescopic night vision on the driver's side window. After a moment, the person's face came into view. Delta-One drew a quick breath. â€Å"Target confirmed,† his partner said. Delta-One looked at the night-vision screen-with its deadly crucifix of cross-hairs-and he felt like a sniper aiming at royalty. Target confirmed. Delta-Two turned to the left side avionics compartment and activated the laser designator. He aimed, and two thousand feet below, a pinpoint of light appeared on the roof of the sedan, invisible to the occupant. â€Å"Target painted,† he said. Delta-One took a deep breath. He fired. A sharp hissing sound sizzled beneath the fuselage, followed by a remarkably dim trail of light streaking toward the earth. One second later, the car in the parking lot blew apart in a blinding eruption of flames. Twisted metal flew everywhere. Burning tires rolled into the woods. â€Å"Kill complete,† Delta-One said, already accelerating the helicopter away from the area. â€Å"Call the controller.† Less than two miles away, President Zach Herney was preparing for bed. The Lexan bullet-proof windows of â€Å"the residence† were an inch thick. Herney never heard the blast. 97 The Coast Guard Group Air Station Atlantic City is located in a secure section of William J. Hughes Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center at the Atlantic City International Airport. The group's area of responsibility includes the Atlantic seaboard from Asbury Park to Cape May. Rachel Sexton jolted awake as the plane's tires screeched down on the tarmac of the lone runway nestled between two enormous cargo buildings. Surprised to find she had fallen asleep, Rachel groggily checked her watch. 2:13 A.M. She felt like she'd been asleep for days. A warm onboard blanket was tucked carefully around her, and Michael Tolland was also just waking up beside her. He gave her a weary smile. Corky staggered up the aisle and frowned when he saw them. â€Å"Shit, you guys are still here? I woke up hoping tonight had been a bad dream.† Rachel knew exactly how he felt. I'm headed back out to sea. The plane taxied to a stop, and Rachel and the others climbed out onto a barren runway. The night was over-cast, but the coastal air felt heavy and warm. In comparison to Ellesmere, New Jersey felt like the tropics. â€Å"Over here!† a voice called out. Rachel and the others turned to see one of the Coast Guard's classic, crimson-colored HH-65 Dolphin helicopters waiting nearby. Framed by the brilliant white stripe on the chopper's tail, a fully suited pilot waved them over. Tolland gave Rachel an impressed nod. â€Å"Your boss certainly gets things done.† You have no idea, she thought. Corky slumped. â€Å"Already? No dinner stop?† The pilot welcomed them over and helped them aboard. Never asking their names, he spoke exclusively in pleasantries and safety precautions. Pickering had apparently made it clear to the Coast Guard that this flight was not an advertised mission. Nonetheless, despite Pickering's discretion, Rachel could see that their identities had remained a secret for only a matter of seconds; the pilot failed to hide his wide-eyed double take upon seeing television celebrity Michael Tolland. Rachel was already feeling tense as she buckled herself in beside Tolland. The Aerospatiale engine overhead shrieked to life, and the Dolphin's sagging thirty-nine-foot rotors began to flatten out into a silver blur. The whine turned to a roar, and it lifted off the runway, climbing into the night. The pilot turned in the cockpit and called out, â€Å"I was informed you would tell me your destination once we were airborne.† Tolland gave the pilot the coordinates of an offshore location about thirty miles southeast of their current position. His ship is twelve miles off the coast, Rachel thought, feeling a shiver. The pilot typed the coordinates into his navigation system. Then he settled in and gunned the engines. The chopper tipped forward and banked southeast. As the dark dunes of the New Jersey coast slipped away beneath the aircraft, Rachel turned her eyes away from the blackness of the ocean spreading out beneath her. Despite the wariness of being back over the water again, she tried to take comfort in knowing she was accompanied by a man who had made the ocean a lifetime friend. Tolland was pressed close beside her in the narrow fuselage, his hips and shoulders touching hers. Neither made any attempt to shift positions. â€Å"I know I shouldn't say this,† the pilot sputtered suddenly, as if ready to burst with excitement, â€Å"but you're obviously Michael Tolland, and I've got to say, well, we've been watching you on TV all night! The meteorite! It's absolutely incredible! You must be in awe!† Tolland nodded patiently. â€Å"Speechless.† â€Å"The documentary was fantastic! You know, the networks keep playing it over and over. None of tonight's duty pilots wanted this gig because everyone wanted to keep watching television, but I drew short straw. Can you believe it! Short straw! And here I am! If the boys had any idea I'd be flying the actual-â€Å" â€Å"We appreciate the ride,† Rachel interrupted, â€Å"and we need you to keep our presence here to yourself. Nobody's supposed to know we're here.† â€Å"Absolutely, ma'am. My orders were very clear.† The pilot hesitated, and then his expression brightened. â€Å"Hey, we aren't by any chance heading for the Goya, are we?† Tolland gave a reluctant nod. â€Å"We are.† â€Å"Holy shit!† the pilot exclaimed. â€Å"Excuse me. Sorry, but I've seen her on your show. The twin-hull, right? Strange-looking beast! I've never actually been on a SWATH design. I never dreamed yours would be the first!† Rachel tuned the man out, feeling a rising uneasiness to be heading out to sea.

General Security Policy

Sample Information Security Policy I. POLICY A. It is the policy of ORGANIZATION XYZ that information, as defined hereinafter, in all its forms–written, spoken, recorded electronically or printed–will be protected from accidental or intentional unauthorized modification, destruction or disclosure throughout its life cycle. This protection includes an appropriate level of security over the equipment and software used to process, store, and transmit that information. B. All policies and procedures must be documented and made available to individuals responsible for their implementation and compliance. All activities identified by the policies and procedures must also be documented. All the documentation, which may be in electronic form, must be retained for at least 6 (six) years after initial creation, or, pertaining to policies and procedures, after changes are made. All documentation must be periodically reviewed for appropriateness and currency, a period of time to be determined by each entity within ORGANIZATION XYZ. C. At each entity and/or department level, additional policies, standards and procedures will be developed detailing the implementation of this policy and set of standards, and addressing any additional information systems functionality in such entity and/or department. All departmental policies must be consistent with this policy. All systems implemented after the effective date of these policies are expected to comply with the provisions of this policy where possible. Existing systems are expected to be brought into compliance where possible and as soon as practical. II. SCOPE A. The scope of information security includes the protection of the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. B. The framework for managing information security in this policy applies to all ORGANIZATION XYZ entities and workers, and other Involved Persons and all Involved Systems throughout ORGANIZATION XYZ as defined below in INFORMATION SECURITY DEFINITIONS. C. This policy and all standards apply to all protected health information and other classes of protected information in any form as defined below in INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION. III. RISK MANAGEMENT A. A thorough analysis of all ORGANIZATION XYZ information networks and systems will be conducted on a periodic basis to document the threats and vulnerabilities to stored and transmitted information. The analysis will examine the types of threats – internal or external, natural or manmade, electronic and non-electronic– that affect the ability to manage the information resource. The analysis will also document the existing vulnerabilities within each entity which potentially expose the information resource to the threats. Finally, the analysis will also include an evaluation of the information assets and the technology associated with its collection, storage, dissemination and protection. From the combination of threats, vulnerabilities, and asset values, an estimate of the risks to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information will be determined. The frequency of the risk analysis will be determined at the entity level. B. Based on the periodic assessment, measures will be implemented that reduce the impact of the threats by reducing the amount and scope of the vulnerabilities. IV. INFORMATION SECURITY DEFINITIONS Affiliated Covered Entities: Legally separate, but affiliated, covered entities which choose to designate themselves as a single covered entity for purposes of HIPAA. Availability: Data or information is accessible and usable upon demand by an authorized person. Confidentiality: Data or information is not made available or disclosed to unauthorized persons or processes. HIPAA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law passed in 1996 that affects the healthcare and insurance industries. A key goal of the HIPAA regulations is to protect the privacy and confidentiality of protected health information by setting and enforcing standards. Integrity: Data or information has not been altered or destroyed in an unauthorized manner. Involved Persons: Every worker at ORGANIZATION XYZ — no matter what their status. This includes physicians, residents, students, employees, contractors, consultants, temporaries, volunteers, interns, etc. Involved Systems: All computer equipment and network systems that are operated within the ORGANIZATION XYZ environment. This includes all platforms (operating systems), all computer sizes (personal digital assistants, desktops, mainframes, etc. ), and all applications and data (whether developed in-house or licensed from third parties) contained on those systems. Protected Health Information (PHI): PHI is health information, including demographic information, created or received by the ORGANIZATION XYZ entities which relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual and that identifies or can be used to identify the individual. Risk: The probability of a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information resources. V. INFORMATION SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES A. Information Security Officer: The Information Security Officer (ISO) for each entity is responsible for working with user management, owners, custodians, and users to develop and implement prudent security policies, procedures, and controls, subject to the approval of ORGANIZATION XYZ. Specific responsibilities include: 1. Ensuring security policies, procedures, and standards are in place and adhered to by entity. 2. Providing basic security support for all systems and users. 3. Advising owners in the identification and classification of computer resources. See Section VI Information Classification. 4. Advising systems development and application owners in the implementation of security controls for information on systems, from the point of system design, through testing and production implementation. 5. Educating custodian and user management with comprehensive information about security controls affecting system users and application systems. 6. Providing on-going employee security education. 7. Performing security audits. 8. Reporting regularly to the ORGANIZATION XYZ Oversight Committee on entity’s status with regard to information security. B. Information Owner: The owner of a collection of information is usually the manager responsible for the creation of that information or the primary user of that information. This role often corresponds with the management of an organizational unit. In this context, ownership does not signify proprietary interest, and ownership may be shared. The owner may delegate ownership responsibilities to another individual by completing the ORGANIZATION XYZ Information Owner Delegation Form. The owner of information has the responsibility for: 1. Knowing the information for which she/he is responsible. 2. Determining a data retention period for the information, relying on advice from the Legal Department. 3. Ensuring appropriate procedures are in effect to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the information used or created within the unit. 4. Authorizing access and assigning custodianship. 5. Specifying controls and communicating the control requirements to the custodian and users of the information. 6. Reporting promptly to the ISO the loss or misuse of ORGANIZATION XYZ information. 7. Initiating corrective actions when problems are identified. 8. Promoting employee education and awareness by utilizing programs approved by the ISO, where appropriate. 9. Following existing approval processes within the respective organizational unit for the selection, budgeting, purchase, and implementation of any computer system/software to manage information. C. Custodian: The custodian of information is generally responsible for the processing and storage of the information. The custodian is responsible for the administration of controls as specified by the owner. Responsibilities may include: 1. Providing and/or recommending physical safeguards. 2. Providing and/or recommending procedural safeguards. 3. Administering access to information. 4. Releasing information as authorized by the Information Owner and/or the Information Privacy/ Security Officer for use and disclosure using procedures that protect the privacy of the information. 5. Evaluating the cost effectiveness of controls. 6. Maintaining information security policies, procedures and standards as appropriate and in consultation with the ISO. 7. Promoting employee education and awareness by utilizing programs approved by the ISO, where appropriate. 8. Reporting promptly to the ISO the loss or misuse of ORGANIZATION XYZ information. 9. Identifying and responding to security incidents and initiating appropriate actions when problems are identified. D. User Management: ORGANIZATION XYZ management who supervise users as defined below. User management is responsible for overseeing their employees' use of information, including: 1. Reviewing and approving all requests for their employees access authorizations. . Initiating security change requests to keep employees' security record current with their positions and job functions. 3. Promptly informing appropriate parties of employee terminations and transfers, in accordance with local entity termination procedures. 4. Revoking physical access to terminated employees, i. e. , confiscating keys, changing combination locks, etc. 5. Providing employees with the opportunity for training needed to properly use the computer systems. 6. Reporting promptly to the ISO the loss or misuse of ORGANIZATION XYZ information. 7. Initiating corrective actions when problems are identified. 8. Following existing approval processes within their respective organization for the selection, budgeting, purchase, and implementation of any computer system/software to manage information. E. User: The user is any person who has been authorized to read, enter, or update information. A user of information is expected to: 1. Access information only in support of their authorized job responsibilities. 2. Comply with Information Security Policies and Standards and with all controls established by the owner and custodian. 3. Refer all disclosures of PHI (1) outside of ORGANIZATION XYZ and (2) within ORGANIZATION XYZ, other than for treatment, payment, or health care operations, to the applicable entity’s Medical/Health Information Management Department. In certain circumstances, the Medical/Health Information Management Department policies may specifically delegate the disclosure process to other departments. (For additional information, see ORGANIZATION XYZ Privacy/Confidentiality of Protected Health Information (PHI) Policy. ) 4. Keep personal authentication devices (e. g. passwords, SecureCards, PINs, etc. confidential. 5. Report promptly to the ISO the loss or misuse of ORGANIZATION XYZ information. 6. Initiate corrective actions when problems are identified. VI. INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION Classification is used to promote proper controls for safeguarding the confidentiality of information. Regardless of classification the integrity and accuracy of all classifications of information must be pr otected. The classification assigned and the related controls applied are dependent on the sensitivity of the information. Information must be classified according to the most sensitive detail it includes. Information recorded in several formats (e. g. , source document, electronic record, report) must have the same classification regardless of format. The following levels are to be used when classifying information: A. Protected Health Information (PHI) 1. PHI is information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium, that: a. is created or received by a healthcare provider, health plan, public health authority, employer, life insurer, school or university or health clearinghouse; and b. relates to past, present or future physical or mental ealth or condition of an individual, the provision of health care to an individual, or the past present or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual; and c. includes demographic data, that permits identification of the individual or could reasonably be used to identify the individual. 2. Unauthorized or improper disclosure, modification, or destruction of this information could violate state and federal laws, result in c ivil and criminal penalties, and cause serious damage to ORGANIZATION XYZ and its patients or research interests. B. Confidential Information 1. Confidential Information is very important and highly sensitive material that is not classified as PHI. This information is private or otherwise sensitive in nature and must be restricted to those with a legitimate business need for access. Examples of Confidential Information may include: personnel information, key financial information, proprietary information of commercial research sponsors, system access passwords and information file encryption keys. 2. Unauthorized disclosure of this information to people without a business need for access may violate laws and regulations, or may cause significant problems for ORGANIZATION XYZ, its customers, or its business partners. Decisions about the provision of access to this information must always be cleared through the information owner. C. Internal Information 1. Internal Information is intended for unrestricted use within ORGANIZATION XYZ, and in some cases within affiliated organizations such as ORGANIZATION XYZ business partners. This type of information is already idely-distributed within ORGANIZATION XYZ, or it could be so distributed within the organization without advance permission from the information owner. Examples of Internal Information may include: personnel directories, internal policies and procedures, most internal electronic mail messages. 2. Any information not explicitly classified as PHI, Confidential or Public will, by default, be classified as Internal Information. 3. Unauthorized disclosure of this information to outsiders may not be appropriate due to legal or contractual provisions. D. Public Information 1. Public Information has been specifically approved for public release by a designated authority within each entity of ORGANIZATION XYZ. Examples of Public Information may include marketing brochures and material posted to ORGANIZATION XYZ entity internet web pages. 2. This information may be disclosed outside of ORGANIZATION XYZ. VII. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION CONTROL All involved systems and information are assets of ORGANIZATION XYZ and are expected to be protected from misuse, unauthorized manipulation, and destruction. These protection measures may be physical and/or software based. A. Ownership of Software: All computer software developed by ORGANIZATION XYZ employees or contract personnel on behalf of ORGANIZATION XYZ or licensed for ORGANIZATION XYZ use is the property of ORGANIZATION XYZ and must not be copied for use at home or any other location, unless otherwise specified by the license agreement. B. Installed Software: All software packages that reside on computers and networks within ORGANIZATION XYZ must comply with applicable licensing agreements and restrictions and must comply with ORGANIZATION XYZ acquisition of software policies. C. Virus Protection: Virus checking systems approved by the Information Security Officer and Information Services must be deployed using a multi-layered approach (desktops, servers, gateways, etc. ) that ensures all electronic files are appropriately scanned for viruses. Users are not authorized to turn off or disable virus checking systems. D. Access Controls: Physical and electronic access to PHI, Confidential and Internal information and computing resources is controlled. To ensure appropriate levels of access by internal workers, a variety of security measures will be instituted as recommended by the Information Security Officer and approved by ORGANIZATION XYZ. Mechanisms to control access to PHI, Confidential and Internal information include (but are not limited to) the following methods: 1. Authorization: Access will be granted on a â€Å"need to know† basis and must be authorized by the immediate supervisor and application owner with the assistance of the ISO. Any of the following methods are acceptable for providing access under this policy: . Context-based access: Access control based on the context of a transaction (as opposed to being based on attributes of the initiator or target). The â€Å"external† factors might include time of day, location of the user, strength of user authentication, etc. b. Role-based access: An alternative to traditional access control models (e. g. , discretionary or non-discretionary access control po licies) that permits the specification and enforcement of enterprise-specific security policies in a way that maps more naturally to an organization’s structure and business activities. Each user is assigned to one or more predefined roles, each of which has been assigned the various privileges needed to perform that role. c. User-based access: A security mechanism used to grant users of a system access based upon the identity of the user. 2. Identification/Authentication: Unique user identification (user id) and authentication is required for all systems that maintain or access PHI, Confidential and/or Internal Information. Users will be held accountable for all actions performed on the system with their user id. a. At least one of the following authentication methods must be implemented: 1. strictly controlled passwords (Attachment 1 – Password Control Standards), 2. biometric identification, and/or 3. tokens in conjunction with a PIN. b. The user must secure his/her authentication control (e. g. password, token) such that it is known only to that user and possibly a designated security manager. c. An automatic timeout re-authentication must be required after a certain period of no activity (maximum 15 minutes). d. The user must log off or secure the system when leaving it. 3. Data Integrity: ORGANIZATION XYZ must be able to provide corroboration that PHI, Confidential, and Internal Information has not been altered or destroyed in an unauthorized manner. Listed below are some methods that support data integrity: a. transaction audit b. disk redundancy (RAID) c. ECC (Error Correcting Memory) d. checksums (file integrity) e. encryption of data in storage f. digital signatures 4. Transmission Security: Technical security mechanisms must be put in place to guard against unauthorized access to data that is transmitted over a communications network, including wireless networks. The following features must be implemented: a. integrity controls and b. encryption, where deemed appropriate 5. Remote Access: Access into ORGANIZATION XYZ network from outside will be granted using ORGANIZATION XYZ approved devices and pathways on an individual user and application basis. All other network access options are strictly prohibited. Further, PHI, Confidential and/or Internal Information that is stored or accessed remotely must maintain the same level of protections as information stored and accessed within the ORGANIZATION XYZ network. 6. Physical Access: Access to areas in which information processing is carried out must be restricted to only appropriately authorized individuals. The following physical controls must be in place: a. Mainframe computer systems must be installed in an access-controlled area. The area in and around the computer facility must afford protection against fire, water damage, and other environmental hazards such as power outages and extreme temperature situations. b. File servers containing PHI, Confidential and/or Internal Information must be installed in a secure area to prevent theft, destruction, or access by unauthorized individuals. . Workstations or personal computers (PC) must be secured against use by unauthorized individuals. Local procedures and standards must be developed on secure and appropriate workstation use and physical safeguards which must include procedures that will: 1. Position workstations to minimize unauthorized viewing of protected health information. 2. Grant workst ation access only to those who need it in order to perform their job function. 3. Establish workstation location criteria to eliminate or minimize the possibility of unauthorized access to protected health information. 4. Employ physical safeguards as determined by risk analysis, such as locating workstations in controlled access areas or installing covers or enclosures to preclude passerby access to PHI. 5. Use automatic screen savers with passwords to protect unattended machines. d. Facility access controls must be implemented to limit physical access to electronic information systems and the facilities in which they are housed, while ensuring that properly authorized access is allowed. Local policies and procedures must be developed to address the following facility access control requirements: 1. Contingency Operations – Documented procedures that allow facility access in support of restoration of lost data under the disaster recovery plan and emergency mode operations plan in the event of an emergency. 2. Facility Security Plan – Documented policies and procedures to safeguard the facility and the equipment therein from unauthorized physical access, tampering, and theft. 3. Access Control and Validation – Documented procedures to control and validate a person’s access to facilities based on their role or function, including visitor control, and control of access to software programs for testing and revision. . Maintenance records – Documented policies and procedures to document repairs and modifications to the physical components of the facility which are related to security (for example, hardware, walls, doors, and locks). 7. Emergency Access: a. Each entity is required to establish a mechanism to provide emergency access to systems and ap plications in the event that the assigned custodian or owner is unavailable during an emergency. b. Procedures must be documented to address: 1. Authorization, 2. Implementation, and 3. Revocation E. Equipment and Media Controls: The disposal of information must ensure the continued protection of PHI, Confidential and Internal Information. Each entity must develop and implement policies and procedures that govern the receipt and removal of hardware and electronic media that contain PHI into and out of a facility, and the movement of these items within the facility. The following specification must be addressed: 1. Information Disposal / Media Re-Use of: a. Hard copy (paper and microfilm/fiche) b. Magnetic media (floppy disks, hard drives, zip disks, etc. ) and c. CD ROM Disks 2. Accountability: Each entity must maintain a record of the movements of hardware and electronic media and any person responsible therefore. 3. Data backup and Storage: When needed, create a retrievable, exact copy of electronic PHI before movement of equipment. F. Other Media Controls: 1. PHI and Confidential Information stored on external media (diskettes, cd-roms, portable storage, memory sticks, etc. ) must be protected from theft and unauthorized access. Such media must be appropriately labeled so as to identify it as PHI or Confidential Information. Further, external media containing PHI and Confidential Information must never be left unattended in unsecured areas. 2. PHI and Confidential Information must never be stored on mobile computing devices (laptops, personal digital assistants (PDA), smart phones, tablet PC’s, etc. ) unless the devices have the following minimum security requirements implemented: a. Power-on passwords b. Auto logoff or screen saver with password c. Encryption of stored data or other acceptable safeguards approved by Information Security Officer Further, mobile computing devices must never be left unattended in unsecured areas. . If PHI or Confidential Information is stored on external medium or mobile computing devices and there is a breach of confidentiality as a result, then the owner of the medium/device will be held personally accountable and is subject to the terms and conditions of ORGANIZATION XYZ Information Security Policies and Confidentiality Statement signed as a condition of employme nt or affiliation with ORGANIZATION XYZ. H. Data Transfer/Printing: 1. Electronic Mass Data Transfers: Downloading and uploading PHI, Confidential, and Internal Information between systems must be strictly controlled. Requests for mass downloads of, or individual requests for, information for research purposes that include PHI must be approved through the Internal Review Board (IRB). All other mass downloads of information must be approved by the Application Owner and include only the minimum amount of information necessary to fulfill the request. Applicable Business Associate Agreements must be in place when transferring PHI to external entities (see ORGANIZATION XYZ policy B-2 entitled â€Å"Business Associates†). 2. Other Electronic Data Transfers and Printing: PHI, Confidential and Internal Information must be stored in a manner inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. PHI and Confidential information must not be downloaded, copied or printed indiscriminately or left unattended and open to compromise. PHI that is downloaded for educational purposes where possible should be de-identified before use. I. Oral Communications: ORGANIZATION XYZ staff should be aware of their surroundings when discussing PHI and Confidential Information. This includes the use of cellular telephones in public areas. ORGANIZATION XYZ staff should not discuss PHI or Confidential Information in public areas if the information can be overheard. Caution should be used when conducting conversations in: semi-private rooms, waiting rooms, corridors, elevators, stairwells, cafeterias, restaurants, or on public transportation. J. Audit Controls: Hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms that record and examine activity in information systems that contain or use PHI must be implemented. Further, procedures must be implemented to regularly review records of information system activity, such as audit logs, access reports, and security incident tracking reports. These reviews must be documented and maintained for six (6) years. K. Evaluation: ORGANIZATION XYZ requires that periodic technical and non-technical evaluations be performed in response to environmental or operational changes affecting the security of electronic PHI to ensure its continued protection. L. Contingency Plan: Controls must ensure that ORGANIZATION XYZ can recover from any damage to computer equipment or files within a reasonable period of time. Each entity is required to develop and maintain a plan for responding to a system emergency or other occurrence (for example, fire, vandalism, system failure and natural disaster) that damages systems that contain PHI, Confidential, or Internal Information. This will include developing policies and procedures to address the following: 1. Data Backup Plan: a. A data backup plan must be documented and routinely updated to create and maintain, for a specific period of time, retrievable exact copies of information. b. Backup data must be stored in an off-site location and protected from physical damage. . Backup data must be afforded the same level of protection as the original data. 2. Disaster Recovery Plan: A disaster recovery plan must be developed and documented which contains a process enabling the entity to restore any loss of data in the event of fire, vandalism, natural disaster, or system failure. 3. Emergency Mode Operation Plan: A plan must be developed and documented which c ontains a process enabling the entity to continue to operate in the event of fire, vandalism, natural disaster, or system failure. 4. Testing and Revision Procedures: Procedures should be developed and documented requiring periodic testing of written contingency plans to discover weaknesses and the subsequent process of revising the documentation, if necessary. 5. Applications and Data Criticality Analysis: The criticality of specific applications and data in support of other contingency plan components must be assessed and documented. Compliance [ § 164. 308(a)(1)(ii)(C)] A. The Information Security Policy applies to all users of ORGANIZATION XYZ information including: employees, medical staff, students, volunteers, and outside affiliates. Failure to comply with Information Security Policies and Standards by employees, medical staff, volunteers, and outside affiliates may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in accordance with applicable ORGANIZATION XYZ procedures, or, in the case of outside affiliates, termination of the affiliation. Failure to comply with Information Security Policies and Standards by students may constitute grounds for corrective action in accordance with ORGANIZATION XYZ procedures. Further, penalties associated with state and federal laws may apply. B. Possible disciplinary/corrective action may be instituted for, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Unauthorized disclosure of PHI or Confidential Information as specified in Confidentiality Statement. 2. Unauthorized disclosure of a sign-on code (user id) or password. 3. Attempting to obtain a sign-on code or password that belongs to another person. 4. Using or attempting to use another person's sign-on code or password. 5. Unauthorized use of an authorized password to invade patient privacy by examining records or information for which there has been no request for review. . Installing or using unlicensed software on ORGANIZATION XYZ computers. 7. The intentional unauthorized destruction of ORGANIZATION XYZ information. 8. Attempting to get access to sign-on codes for purposes other than official business, including completing fraudulent documentation to gain access. — ATTACHMENT 1 — Password Control Standards The ORGANIZATION XYZ Information Security Policy requi res the use of strictly controlled passwords for accessing Protected Health Information (PHI), Confidential Information (CI) and Internal Information (II). See ORGANIZATION XYZ Information Security Policy for definition of these protected classes of information. ) Listed below are the minimum standards that must be implemented in order to ensure the effectiveness of password controls. Standards for accessing PHI, CI, II: Users are responsible for complying with the following password standards: 1. Passwords must never be shared with another person, unless the person is a designated security manager. 2. Every password must, where possible, be changed regularly – (between 45 and 90 days depending on the sensitivity of the information being accessed) 3. Passwords must, where possible, have a minimum length of six characters. 4. Passwords must never be saved when prompted by any application with the exception of central single sign-on (SSO) systems as approved by the ISO. This feature should be disabled in all applicable systems. 5. Passwords must not be programmed into a PC or recorded anywhere that someone may find and use them. 6. When creating a password, it is important not to use words that can be found in dictionaries or words that are easily guessed due to their association with the user (i. e. children’s names, pets’ names, birthdays, etc†¦). A combination of alpha and numeric characters are more difficult to guess. Where possible, system software must enforce the following password standards: 1. Passwords routed over a network must be encrypted. 2. Passwords must be entered in a non-display field. 3. System software must enforce the changing of passwords and the minimum length. 4. System software must disable the user identification code when more than three consecutive invalid passwords are given within a 15 minute timeframe. Lockout time must be set at a minimum of 30 minutes. 5. System software must maintain a history of previous passwords and prevent their reuse.

The State Should Stay Out of the Employment Relationship

The employment relationship may be defined as the relationship between employer and employee over the terms and conditions of employment (Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson 2009). In Australia, the industrial relations had become a big issue, so â€Å"following the 24 November 2007 Federal election, the Rudd Labor Government began work on its promises to re-shape Australia’s industrial relations system. † (Riley & Sheldon 2008) However, some people think that the state should stay out the employment relationship.This essay will argue that the state should stay in the employment relationship because it makes the roles and has the rights and responsibilities for the employee and employer in working environment. The state is an influential actor in employment relations (Bray 2012). It protects the employee and employer, set industrial disputes, establishes the health and safety standards, the minimum wages and maximum working hours. There is a large body of statute law (legislat ion) that regulates employment relations in Australia at both the federal and state level (Bray 2012).Such as Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and Sex Discrimination Act1984 for anti-discrimination, Common Law and Statute Law for the occupational health and safety (OHS). The main apparatuses of the state for employment relations are state and federal government departments, agencies, tribunals and courts (Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson 2009). At federal level, the functions of a number of existing agencies and tribunals will be brought together in 2010 under one body known as ‘Fair Work Australia’ (Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson 2009).Also there are some other organisations like Australian Industrial Registry, Work Choices, and National Employment Standards and so on. This essay will analyse two key arguments to explain why the state should stay in the employment relationship. Firstly, this essay will argue this topic from the issue of discrimination in Australia including ag e discrimination, sex discrimination racial discrimination and so on.In the case of Australia, comprehensive, albeit fragmented, anti-discrimination legislation has been enacted which prohibits the use a wide range of criteria in any and all aspects of employment decision-making, including recruitment, selection, training, compensation and separation (Bennington & Wein 2000). Secondly, this essay will provide the support of occupational health and safety (OHS) to prove the state should stay in the employment relationship.According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a work related injury survey indicated a 53 out of every 1000 workers had experience some kind of injury or illness in the workplace (Alice 2012). Overall, this essay will make a conclusion; combine these two main points to argue that the state should stay in the employment relationship. Norris (as cited in Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson, 2009, p. 225) states that discrimination occurs where members of one group of peo ple are denied opportunities to develop their capabilities and denied equal rewards for equal capabilities.In Australia, there are several kinds of discrimination such as age, gender, racial and disability. For these discriminations, the state enacted a range of anti-discrimination legislations which are supported by the federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) such as Age Discrimination Act 2004, Sex Discrimination Act 1984, Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Age stereotyping appears to affect older people, whose situation receives much less attention than the problem of youth unemployment (Encel 1999). In Australia, age discrimination in working environment is alive and well.Research by Macdermott (2011) state that some state and territory legislation dates back almost two decades, and in 2004 the Australian Government enacted specific legislation outlawing age discrimination which is Age Discrimination Act 2004. By now, it has been operated for eight years and prohibits the discrimination on the basis of age. Recent research vindicates this prediction, demonstrating that women at all levels of management still report gender discrimination as a barrier to their advancement in Australia (Metz & Moss 2008). The gender pay gap is also reflected in the low numbers of women in leadership positions (Goward 2004).Therefore, the state enacted Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to assist the government for this issue. Under the Sex Discrimination Act it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy and family responsibility (Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson 2009). Racial discrimination includes race, colour, belief and national or ethnic origin. Australia is a multicultural country; a large number of people are from different countries. They have different cultural background like language, race, colour, belief and so on. Therefore, the racial discrimination has become one of the most serio us discriminations in Australia.For prohibiting it, Australia government legislate the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Disability has many forms. According to Brazenor (2002), ‘a disability is defined as any limitation, restriction, impairment †¦ has lasted or is likely to last six months. ’ Loudoun, McPhail & Wilkinson (2009) also indicated that the unemployment rate for those with a disability (8. 6%) was higher than those without a disability (5%). The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 has already operated in many areas for several years and protected the rights of people who are disabled.Another prominent explanation for why the state should stay in the employment relationship is the health and safety. Mayhew and Peterson (as cited in Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson, 2009, p. 257) defined OHS as the physical, physiological and psychosocial conditions of an organisation’s workforce, related to aspects of work and the work context. Health and safety is an em ployer’s duty that overrides all other management responsibilities. The role of effective OHS management is to improve OHS conditions and reduce risks that exist at a workplace (Loudoun, Mcphail & Wilkinson 2009).There are a lot of psychological and physical hazards in the workplace such as stress, chemical and biological agents and so on. For the OHS issue, there are two main parts of laws in legal regulation in Australia. Firstly is the Common Law. It is made by judge or court based on precedent. Under the Common Law, it involves Criminal Law which is initiated by the state and Civil Law that is initiated by an individual. The second part is the Statute Law which is made by the parliament. There are two main bodies of statute law in health and safety including Workers Compensation Law and Health & Safety Acts.The Workers Compensation Law aims to provide system of financial protection for all employers who suffer injury, illness or death due to work-related injury. The emplo yers will get paid even if it is not their faults. About the Health and Safety Acts, Its aim is to prevent workers being injured in the first place. However, the key concept of ‘duty of care’ emerged in common law, not statute law. In conclusion, because of the state makes roles for the employment relationships and protects the employee and employer’s rights, the state should stay in the employment relationship in Australia.This essay provided two key arguments to explain and prove the topic which were the discrimination and OHS in the workplace. For the discrimination in employment relationship, the state enacted a serious of Acts including Sex Discrimination Act, Age Discrimination, Racial Discrimination and Disability Discrimination Act. On the other hand, the state made a number of laws such as Common Law and Statute Law for the OHS issues in the workplace. Both two arguments are all relevant to today’s Australian workplace and expose concerning questi ons regarding the future.

School corporal punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School corporal punishment - Research Paper Example Many nations however have enacted legislations against its use while others still legalise it. In United States for example, about 20 states have it as a legal form of instilling discipline in schools (Human Rights Watch 36). This practice has received increased condemnation in the last 40 years from child rights activists and the general public but some people still advocate for its use. This paper looks into pros and cons of corporal punishment in schools while shedding light on how teachers can slowly remove its reliance as a disciplinary measure. ARGUMENTS FOR CORPORAL PUNISHMENT By use of corporal punishment students are made aware that there is an authority figure. This helps in ensuring that students respect the elder people in the society and it also draws a line between who is in authority as far as classroom management is concerned. In other instances students hail from quite lenient families who end up spoiling them. They therefore require someone to set them back on the r ight path of good discipline and respect for authority. In some regions dropping of corporal punishment in schools was followed by considerable decline in performance and heightened indiscipline among students. This is the case of Britain where teachers complained a great deal after its abolishment was followed by general decline in performance in many schools (Council of Europe 24). Corporal punishment acts as a motivation towards performance and as such it ought to be used where necessary so as to attain desirable results (27). Teachers are trained professionals who are also adults and they know what level of corporal punishment is appropriate for who and when. They should therefore be left to play their part and if they find this kind of punishment to be appropriate, then they can go ahead with it. This also shows that it is not a form of abuse to students as it is just punishment to an indiscipline student from a responsible teacher. Immediate physical punishment is more prefera ble than suspension or expulsion since after a few strokes a student goes on with their normal learning activities. The former two forms of punishment interrupt a students learning schedule. Misbehaving students are easily rewarded by suspensions due to the free time they are allowed to stay at home (54). These kinds of children usually stay home alone while their parents are at work and can easily indulge in further naughtiness. ARGUMENTS AGAINST CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Physical punishment opens doors for abuse and leads to battery tendencies in children. There is a thin line between punishment and abuse and teachers usually cross this line as they wish where the law allows for corporal punishment. Corporal punishment degrades students a great deal as others mock them for being punished. This brings shame to them and if this happens constantly, these students result to having low self esteem. Such a student is lowly motivated to learn or even conduct themselves in a disciplined manner. This type of punishment has many negative impacts psychologically (Human Rights Watch 92). Anxiety is one of them because students tend to become scared of their teachers in the classroom especially when punishment is imminent from something they had done earlier e.g. failure to have finished yesterday’s homework. Other psychological effects are rigidity, inhibition and depression all of which have far reaching consequences on a student’

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business environment - Essay Example 2009, p. 98). UK house prices have shown strong growth within nominal as well as real terms from since 1998, particularly when contrasted with earlier house price phases. An important justification for this appreciation lays in the development of basic demand issues, most significantly the increase in standard household incomes and the drop in standard mortgage interest rates. This increased both the ability to finance housing and households' capacity to service a bigger mortgage for set earnings. Lessening of mortgage lending limitations as well as a liking prejudice towards home ownership as well appear seem to have supported house price demand, however increasing demand for owner occupied housing further seems to incorporate a major â€Å"quasi speculative† (Andrews?2009, p. 103) component, motivates by beliefs of earlier capital benefits carrying on in the upcoming times. Answer 2: In equilibrium, the rate of renting a home should be equal to the price of owning it and hen ce to the actual client cost of accommodation, this technique represented an asset-pricing approach. Interest rates not just control the debt service price of funding a house acquisition, they as well modify the discount factor for evaluating the return on capital, and hence this should be negatively correlated with house costs. Within the UK effectual mortgage rates drifted downwards considerably during the 1998 and 2007, the phase where house costs goes up on their fastest. The similar downhill drift is marked for estimated mortgage charges, which relate to fresh borrowers. Because of comparatively steady inflation rates all over this phase the paths of nominal as well as actual interest rates â€Å"moved in lockstep† (Andrews?2009, p. 187), so that both the nominal and real weight of mortgage borrowing â€Å"fell in parallel†, decreasing the cost of debt sponsored home ownership for a set levels of earnings as well as house prices. Demand altering aspects, for insta nce, population or income development should be shown in increasing rental fees and house costs if rental fees precisely reveal the accurate expenditure for space, in which case surplus demand for housing facilities need not considerably have an effect on the price-to-rent ratio. Demand alterations linked with income and population growth had formed majority of the upward shift. Answer 3: On its most fundamental level, study of the course of UK house prices should start with a difference amid housing demand and supply, as well as issues deciding alterations in demand and supply. One of the conservative hypothetical structures for modeling house prices is an ‘inverted demand function approach’, whereby house prices are described as a function of the â€Å"physical housing stock, real income and other demand shifters† (Smith & Searle, 2010, p. 166). Changing factors incorporate population increase in addition to other demographic alterations, the ease of use of cre dit, interest rates, as well as likely or delayed appreciation; housing supply is normally â€Å"assumed fixed in the short term† (Smith & Searle, 2010, p. 98), which requires that demand alterations settle on house prices as an interim measure. The key basis of increased quantity demand for housing, that is, the need for further housing units, is alters within the total amount of households, and this will under plausible suppositions is likely to bid up house prices. Expansion in the quantity of households either can be because

The Impact Culture Has on Personal Identity in The United Stated of Essay

The Impact Culture Has on Personal Identity in The United Stated of America - Essay Example Due to the ethnical diversity in United States, the social cohesion is chiefly based on common social beliefs and values. Culture is a critical factor in shaping one’s identity. In this new era, there is interaction between the social media and the cultural identity. The cultural identity not only means an individual’s association in a particular group but also a social meshing of individuals copying and adopting the social customs presented by the media. An individual can be identified by the ethnic background. This refers to people who share a common heritage, culture or language. Owing to the ongoing racial favoritism and history in the United States of America, ethnicity carries a different meaning from the other countries. Various groups from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the pacific Islands have been looked down at as minor racial groups. The history of United States as a conqueror, slave society and settler and the informal and formal lettering of racism into t he law and social stratification strategy have added unto race a key identification function of the races in United States. This has been portrayed by both Wright and Rodriguez. According to the Jim Crow laws as indicated in Wright’s â€Å"The ethics of Jim Crow†, they seemed to separate the blacks and the whites since they did not portray equity. This inequality is indicated by Wright when he says that the black woman was beaten up for not having paid her bills and then dragged to the police station on the false accusation that she was drunk (Wright, 1937, pp.159). In 1980’s, the word â€Å"African American† was found to the most suitable for referring to anyone who had a colored skin regardless of the location of origin. This was intended to wipe away the racial differences that existed by then and were related to the historic view of â€Å"Black race†. The word Caucasian was also developed to refer to the people who came from the Middle East, Eu rope and the northern part of Africa. Nationality can also be used in personal identity. It refers to belongingness of a person to a certain state or nation that is always determined by their ethnicity, citizenship or their residence. An individual’s citizenship can be identified by naturalization or by birth. In the United States, people have been identified by the different nationalities they hold. The law states that an individual is free to change his nationality at will. This is what has greatly contributed to the many nationalities in the United States of America. In Richard Rodriguez ‘Aria: A memoir of a Bilingual Childhood, he tries to find his identity as a Mexican-American since he only knew how to speak Spanish. He only learns to write English when he joins school. The first sentence of the essay, his flash back â€Å"I remember, to start with, that day in Sacramento, in a California now nearly thirty years past, when I first entered a class room able to und erstand about fifty stray English words† (Rodriguez, pp. 447) The other children in his class identified him as an Hispanic. Race refers to an assortment system that is employed in sorting individuals into large and different groups by geographic ancestry, physical traits, ethnicity and inheritable phenotypic traits. Due to these

Contested globalisation and governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contested globalisation and governance - Essay Example The main person responsible for coining the term globalization is considered to be Theodore Levitt. With the passage of time, the phenomenon has grown at a steady rate whereby the setting under which it is held is one that focuses on the global patterns related with the sociological findings. Globalization, for that matter, is also remarked as Internationalization since the nature of the two terms is on a worldwide scale more than anything else. However, on the part of the two terms, the one thing common however is the fact that these have identified themselves well with the changing (and growing) trends, where most of these are credited on the shoulders of the World War II, after which there has been a resurgent rat race nonetheless. The movement of commodities, people, information, money, technological developments, organizational infrastructures, legal frameworks and so on and so forth have only proved to all and sundry that globalization is a phenomenon and it is one that is here to stay for long. The world has become a global village due to globalization and it is a good omen if seen in the proper perspectives. Globalization entails within it the changing technological innovations, the improvement in structures and different infrastructures, the advancements in basic thinking mindset of man, his ability to break loose from the ordinary and reach out towards the unknown and in all essence do something which can bring about an ultimate change, for the better. (Kantor, 2001) Having said that, we need to understand that globalization is not just a phenomenon, it is the science of human evolution and since man has for long held fast to this belief, there can be no reason as to why he should not comprehend the basis of the phenomenon of globalization. It is a paradigm shift or a movement as we might call it, one that brings more stability within the ranks (where it is applied) and unison in the efforts and activities of all concerned. More

Amazon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Amazon - Research Paper Example This essay declares that technology is everywhere; it plays an important and major role in the society. It aids in the provision of powerful tools for research. It is used for knowledge transmission and enables people to learn in a much easy and efficient way. The research paper focuses on Amazon technology that is currently widely used for online shopping purposes and the way it has enhanced life. It shows whether the technology offered by Amazon can be used for a prolonged time and in an effective. Online shopping entails use of specific networks to shop for goods online. Lots of information can be found on the internet, but the credibility and reliability of information is questionable. Amazon technology involves e-book innovation, which makes reading e-books easier on other devices. Amazon uses AT&T’s 3G network which aids in bringing e-books to e-readers through their devices. Amazon ought to design solutions that are accurate and precise. This report makes a conclusion that Amazon technology has a great future in carrying out research of any kind. It changes from time to time through upgrades and researchers should be at par with the technology. For one to use the technology efficiently they must be computer literate. In this modern times, access to computers has greatly increased, becoming computer literate should not be a problem. E-readers should come up with effective ways of preventing virus attacks on the systems.

Did Robert E. Lee make the correct decisions at Gettysburg or could he Essay

Did Robert E. Lee make the correct decisions at Gettysburg or could he have employed a different strategy - Essay Example The war involved about 170,000 men. Upon losing the battle, the General led the remaining group back to Virginia, in the process bringing the war to a halt and concluded by sealing the Union victory. Despite the defeat, Lee’s still believes they would have won the battle if only they were united. He makes this clear through his letter to the President of the Confederate States, â€Å"†¦.we must expect reverses, even defeats. They are send to teach us wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies and to prevent falling into greater disasters. Our people only have to be true and united, to bear manfully the misfortune incident to war, and all will come right in the end.† (General Robert, 8th August, 1863). The losing of the battle at Gettysburg had nothing concerning the decisions he made but instead, it was enabled by the failure of the subordinates not only failing to follow his directives but also acting contrary to them. This is seen when the Cavalry, Generals Ewell and Longstreet end up failing General Lee by failing to act in unison with him. Much about these is as discussed in the successive paragraphs. For a number of weeks, General Lee had not received any feedback from his cavalry. This posed a challenge since the General went ahead to make decisions without having much knowledge on the magnitude and strength of the enemy. This, in other words, shows how the subordinates (Cavalry) contributed in the defeat of General Lee’s Army. General Lee knew the importance a good standing ground as far the winning of any battle is concerned. He figured out a large hill which was referred to as Little Round Top. He ordered one of General Ewell, who he trusted as a Division Commander to go take the hill but instead, the commander let him down. The hill was only having about 1,000 Union soldiers (James, 36), a far much smaller number as compared to the group that was under Ewell (over 20,000 men). This depicts how easy it would have been

Workplace Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace Issues - Essay Example If the employee is not working in an area that "involves public safety or sensitive government policies", the courts may disallow drug testing (Bergman and Berman-Barrett, 2008, p.70). Limiting drug testing is based on the provisions of probable cause, and the search and seizure protections in the constitution. The federal government justifies drug testing using the legal theory that the potential for harm must outweigh the damage inflicted by the loss of the subject of constitutional rights. In any event, employees in private employment should have the same protections as a government employee. Without probable cause, IE obvious intoxication, the employee should not have to submit to an invasive search of his blood or breath.  Ã‚   Employees are protected from discrimination in their compensation based primarily on the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Equal pay and compensation discrimination, 2009). The 1963 act was meant to target gender discrimination, but subsequent acts have focused on minority status, age, and disabilities (Equal pay and compensation discrimination, 2009). The 1963 Act prohibits paying different rates of pay based on gender when the employees are equal in skill, effort, and responsibility (Equal pay act of 1963, 2009). Women have argued for gender equality, and the 1963 Act was keeping with our country's tradition of fairness and reflected a fundamental shift away from the traditional roles of men and women (Persily, Citrin, and Egan, 2008, p.158). However, the equality of pay also depresses overall wages and benefits business the most. Artificially higher pay for women attracts more women to the labor pool, and this surplus of labor drives down wages (Sowell, 2004, p.163). The fact that we have co mplied with the principles of gender equality does not fairly compensate for the economic loss incurred in the labor market, and gender should not be considered as a criterion for pay equality.   

Congo River In Heart of Darkness Essay Example for Free

Congo River In Heart of Darkness Essay The Meaning of the Congo River for Marlow, the journey on the Congo River is one of the most difficult and ominous journeys he will ever take. The fact that it takes him around and not completely into the jungle is significant of Marlows psychological journey as well. He never really goes on land but watches the shore from the outside. The only time he goes on shore he finds a wasteland. For Marlow the jungle of the Congo is representative of evil that man is capable of. In Heart of Darkness, it seems that the further Marlow travels into the jungle, the deeper he looks into himself. All this time is spent on the Congo River as he looks from the outside. This is symbolic as he is looking at his soul from the outside but never really sees himself until he goes on land to get Kurtz. When he arrives on land is symbolic of when he looks the deepest into himself. He goes to find Kurtz on his deathbed and is given he choice to take over for him as a god among an African tribe. Marlow is faced with the ultimate choice between good and evil. For a moment it is uncertain what choice Marlow will make. But, unlike Kurtz, Marlow picks the good over evil, as he rescues Kurtz back to the steamer. The fact that Marlow sailed along the Congo River, around the jungle, and not actually into the jungle is an important symbol also. Marlow never walks the path that Kurtz did to self-destruction. He went around the jungle to avoid getting captured by evil. Kurtz was a decent Englishman until he gave into the desires of his heart of darkness. Kurtz spent all his time in the jungle and eventually forgot all of his self-control, manners, and upbringing. He truly looked in the deepest part of himself and found that his evil desires would reign. This is symbolic because he was deep inside the jungle. In this respect Conrad uses to men to show the reader both the good and bad of humankind. He shows the true evil and good that man is capable of If proper restraints had been there would Kurtz have done things differently? The fact that no one was around to keep Kurtz in check helped him succeed in becoming capable of the immense evil he became. Marlow had his shipmates there to keep him responsible. When he left the steamboat there wasnt anyone to restrain Marlow. He was face to face with himself and his human desires, but as he looked at Kurtz and what the evil had done to him he saw the consequences of choosing evil. If Marlow hadnt seen the consequences would he have acted differently? In the beginning of the novel, Marlow talks of things as if they are happening far away from him and not actually happening close by which represents that he is on the outside looking in. He also talks about a fog that settles over the river. This fog represents a distortion of what lies ahead. As he makes his decisions based on what he thinks is right but really he has no idea of what will happen to him or his crew. As the novel progresses the reader will start to understand all of these themes and symbols that the Congo River represents. It represents the shedding of layers of the soul and taking a look into the desires of the heart. By the end it seams as though the reader has taken a look into their own soul to find out what ultimately dominates them. Will they find themselves to be a Marlow; a person who exercises their capacity for good, or will they find themselves to be a Kurtz; a person capable of an immense heart of darkness?

Cultural Barriers When Negotiating with Women and Minorities Essay Example for Free

Cultural Barriers When Negotiating with Women and Minorities Essay A hostage negotiation occurs when a criminal uses innocent people as bargaining chips. The scenarios for these circumstances vary from a desperate mother perhaps who in fear may barricade herself with her own child to a bank robber who utilizes the people around to assist in his getaway. In addition, a more publicized type of hostage situation would be the terrorist type situations where a completely new set of rules must be utilized to deal with these type incidents. For example, a mother may be desperate and reacting in fear. Most likely this type of person the mind set is not that of a criminal and she has no real intentions of hurting anyone but for the most part is reaching out for a solution of some type. The first job of the hostage negotiator should be to create safety. When a negotiator arrives on the scene there may be several armed officers with emotions running high and general confusion. The environment escalates the fear that is already present in this woman and she is most likely fearful for her life as well as the child or hostage she may be holding. Brute force would not be the best method to use in this type of situation as the woman most likely is not looking to harm anyone and is actually seeking some way of escape. For the most part the percentage of women who take hostages are considerably lower than that of a male committing the same crime. Upon arriving on the scene, it would be crucial for the negotiator to get organized and establish some sort of communication with the hostage taker to determine what her issue may be. If the negotiation looks like it might take some time it would be wise to consider a position that would offer some type of permanent accommodation. The next step would be to attempt to determine as much information about the situation as possible. For example, it would be important to know how many hostages and if possible their names. Then it is crucial to determine what they are demanding and from there determine what is it that they are really asking for. Since typically by nature, women tend to be more emotional it would be wise to determine where her frame of mind is at this time. The questions to consider is whether she is desperate and fearful or are her emotions running high with a sense of hopelessness where she feels she has nothing to lose? Also, if possible it would be beneficial to determine is she under the influence of any type of drug or alcohol as these factors could make the situation much more difficult as it is often times impossible to reason with a person under the influence. Their grasp on reality is greatly altered and what is plain logic will not register plainly to them. Another type of hostage situation to consider is a terrorist type situation where the person who the negotiator is dealing with is not from this country and then a whole new set of issues would require attention. Most terrorists who apprehend hostages may believe that they are truly doing a heroic act and it is most likely a religious type of motive. It is hard to reason with a person like this without understanding that this person has no fear of death. In fact, they most likely welcome it as they are under the impression that they will be greatly rewarded in the after life because of what they are doing. In addition, many times when dealing with hostage takers from the middle east they are so despondent as they have lost much in the way of possessions and more importantly they may have lost family members. In the case of these type hostage situations they are not holding the person, for the most part, in a building like perhaps a bank robber type situation. In these cases the hostages are more likely to be picked up from a public place and carried away to another secret location. The hostage takers in turn contact whomever they feel are the appropriate people and from that point make their demands. For the most part they may provide some type of proof alerting the authorities on the number of people taken and assurance that they are still alive. In these type instances they may appear, and often do, have the upper hand and it is the negotiator’s duty to balance the situation. It is imperative to determine at this point what the terrorists may be asking and if the request if realistic and one that could be honored. From this point the cooperation of several government officials may come into play and the decision on who to contact should be made considerably quick. Another type of hostage situation would be when an individual from an urban community is the criminal. Many times these people are desperate and will not be open to negotiation. Often times they are determined they will not be caught and their way of life has reduced the respect of other people’s lives, as they have no great respect for own. Another issue that is prevalent in these type situations would be there also may be the involvement of drugs and alcohol so the negotiator may not be dealing with a lucid personality.

The effect of BRIC countries on the Triad

The effect of BRIC countries on the Triad The United States, Japan and the European Union have long been regarded as the leading economic powers in the world. Referred to as à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“The Triadà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, this group of nations represents the largest economic power bloc in the world. With strong economic controls, they are able to grow their economies in measured steps. This is in stark contrast to the growth of many BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries whose growth is rapid and often uneven in both tempo and regional development (Dhaval 2010). The United Kingdom, traditionally allied with the Triad, has both opportunities and threats from the emerging BRIC nations. These include challenges to existing industries within the United Kingdom itself and also in competition with usual export markets for their goods, prompting GDP growth. However, with the competition also come expanded markets and niches where the United Kingdom may be able to compete to sell goods. The different sectors of the United Kingdom will be affected by the power shift in different ways. The main sectors will have to compete for raw materials in an increasingly competitive market, which will cause prices to rise. However, the services and technology sector, especially in the areas of software development and higher education may well experience a boom, as they are in high demand, require an educated work force and do not rely on primary resources (An Overview of the BRIC Economies 2010). The well educated middle class demographic could do well from such a boom. Overall, however, the BRIC economies represent a rising threat to the stability of the global economy and to international trade. While the Triad have undergone their own trials, with the Global Financial Crisis, Greek bailouts and Japanese à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“Lost Decadeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, they have at least managed to some degree. With the possible exception of China, the rest of the BRIC lack sufficient controls over monetary and fiscal policy to correct the problems that might befall them. You may think that it is good to see the BRICs gaining power. It means that as these nations become more prosperous nations they can help to address global problems. Who wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t like it if China, India, and Russia started to clean the oceans and feed the starving nations of Africa? That however is the problem with the emerging BRICs. These countries usually do not find it in their best interest to assist in solving global problems. They prefer not to get involved in things that do not benefit themselves. Many of the BRICs prefer to use old Cold War methods of operating. They find it easier and more profitable to say they are like the United States and care for their citizens in public, and oppress them in private; than to generally make life for the average citizen better. Nations such as China send their citizens to work camps for tweets, and are some of the biggest non regulated polluters in the world (Associated Press 2010). OVERVIEW: The United Kingdom business environment is beginning to change. The current global economic troubles are starting to affect business within the UK business community. There has been a power shift from the established Triad of the United States, European Union, and Japan; to the emerging economies (BRICs) of China, India and several smaller nations. It is hard to say if this power shift is good or bad. Some growth for the BRICs is a good thing. The increase in the economic power of emerging nations will allow them to help their own countries and to increase the trade of global goods. This is beneficial to the world as a whole. However, the current rapid growth they are experiencing today is very dangerous. With the BRICsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ rapid growth and less need for international trade, nations such as the UK can be facing tough times. The business environment in the United Kingdom especially is at a great risk due to the declining powers of the current Triad. The Triad of economic power; that has held the economy in not only the UK but the whole world together since the end of the Cold War, is starting to lose its grip on the world economy. The growth in foreign economic power is leading to increasing strain on global prices on raw materials. This then leads to strain on every business in the UK. Due to this increasing stress and uncertainty in the markets, the UK is rapidly approaching uncertain times. Industries such as airlines and other transportation services are already suffering due to high global oil prices. It is possible to see why there is concern for a loss in trade that can be brought about by the growing BRICs. This is all being compounded by a decrease in growth and a troubling global economy. While the current forecasts for the United Kingdom business economy look bleak, there is still time to turn things around. The governing power of the UK may be able to do something to stabilize the economy, and protect the business infrastructure. But, with the government struggling to sustain the economy with massive bailouts, and economic manipulation; things are not looking good for business in the UK. MAIN REPORT: With emerging economies (BRICs) such as China, India, Brazil and Russia; it may seem like there are new world powers that can assist in the stabilization of the global economy. However that point of view is only for the short-sighted, who neglect to see the economic strain that is placed on the global economy. With the recent bail out of Greece and the massive 85 billion euro bail out of Ireland, the UK is in a tough economic predicament (Davis 2010) (Irish Republic 85bn euro bail-out agreed 2010). This predicament is caused by the unstable and rapid growth of these BRICs. The growth of these emerging economies is not regulated and controlled like the Triads, and this leads to a dangerous and unstable economy. Countries such as China which plans to raise their GDP from 1.54% to 2.5 % by 2020, is one of the most dangerous (Narendra 2010). China as one of the fastest growing economies in the world can be seen as a threat to global stability. With their highly unstable growth, and unregulated economy, it is only matter of time before China starts a ripple effect that will devastate the UK economy (Dixon 2010). With the shifting of power from the US and UK toward China at an alarming rate, China is quickly becoming a massive economic force. With the shift in economic power, nations such as China have far less need to export goods to outside nations and less need to purchase imports from other nations. This is leading to economic troubles in the United States. This in turn, causes economic troubles for the UK. With BRICs increasing their self reliance and lessoning their dependence on foreign nations, the economic strain will drastically increase in the UK in the long run. This can be seen in various goods that have recently seen high prices not seen in decades, such as the price of raw sugar (Plummer 2009). This increase in raw material prices leads to increased prices for processed materials, which causes increases in the cost of living (Verma 2010). [See Figure 1] With the increased cost of living and the economic power shifting to unstable foreign powers, the UK is quickly approaching uncertain economic times. With the increase in price of raw materials, business in the UK is starting to suffer. While it may seem that the worst is over, the UK auto industry is reporting an estimated increase of 160bn euro in the cost of vehicle components by 2020. While the increase in demand for components will increase, it is only a matter of time before China, with its unregulated cheap labour begins to out produce the UK, which will lead to greater economic troubles (Berret, Bernhart 2010). The future of business in the UK looks bleak with the budget balance expected to expand to a dangerous -13% of the GDP. [See Figure 2] This would increase the public debt of the UK to over 70% of the GDP. It would cause the borrowing rates of the UK to rise and make banks less likely to loan to new businesses (UK Economy 2010, Economic Forecast). [See Figure 3] With no new loans, an increase in the cost of raw materials and increases in the cost of living; local businesses will began to suffer greatly which will lead to higher unemployment rates. With the loss of local business, unemployment is expected to climb. Unemployment that is estimated by some to increase to 4 million by 2012. In addition to climbing unemployment and rising costs, growth in the UK is expected to be a mere 2% by 2012. This will cause a domino effect where businesses cannot hire new employees, and out of work citizens cannot afford goods, causing more business to collapse thus leading to greater unemployment (Hopkins 2009) (Inman 2010). [See Figure 4] This shift from power to the BRICs is going to cause troubles with not only the UK economy but the global economy as well. While it may be harsh to say that growing economies on the emerging world is bad, it is a fact. While the rest of the world grows at a rapid and unsustainable rate, the larger nations and the United Kingdom will face tough economic times until the BRICs collapse under their own weight. While it is certain the BRICs will remain dominant for the foreseeable future, it is inevitable that they will become unable to sustain themselves and have to turn by to the Triad for help; one must just hope it is still there (Ionescu, and Oprea). With the loss of business and the increase in unemployment, UK business as a whole will suffer greatly. [See Figure 4] The transportation industry which is already suffering due to high fuel cost and the threat from global terrorism will suffer even greater when they see huge deceases in travelling Europeans. The loss in traffic will not only hurt the transportation industry but the tourism industry as well; which in turn hurts local businesses even more. This chain reaction of a crumbling economy and loss in growth will lead to panic and strife among neighbours that will threaten the European Union as a whole. All of this will happen while nations such as China increase in both economic and military strength. With a powerful nuclear armed China and an increasing Russian economy, it is possible to see a threat of a renewed Cold War. (Pop 2006) This may seem farfetched for a younger population that does not remember the great threat and fear felt throughout the world. It is not the case for an older population that knew all too real the threat of the Soviet Union. One may think this is never going to happen, as this is the modern world. It is always the modern world, and the threat is all too real. Russia, China, and other BRICs are gaining power, and nations such as North Korea are starting to stir up trouble. One just has to look at the fact to see that not just the UK but the whole world is quickly approaching a change. It is a change that for better or worse will be here in our lifetime and in the near future. Whether you are a UK business owner or a possible investor; you can not overlook the changing times, where the Triad is no longer the most dominant economic power. CONCLUSION: The United Kingdom will face many challenges in the future. There is significant risk in relying on the BRIC economies to generate economic growth, as this growth is unplanned and relies on many unpredictable factors. In addition, many businesses in the United Kingdom are already under pressure. It is therefore likely that standards of living are set to fall and unemployment is going to rise. The nations of the BRIC, unlike the nations of the Triad, lack sufficient fiscal control and monetary policy to effectively police their economies. When this is combined with the decline in the Triad, it will spell uncertainty for many of sectors within the United Kingdom. In particular, it will be very difficult for the manufacturing sectors to compete against the low labour costs of the BRIC nations. Additionally, without environmental regulation, a minimum wage or an educated populace, it will make it even harder for manufacturing to survive. This is in addition to rising raw material costs, which will in turn raise living costs. It is unfortunate, but the BRIC economies represent the introduction of even more people into the global market place. The small population and many main market sectors being challenged by their competitors in the BRIC means hard times ahead for the business environment in the United Kingdom. References An Overview of the BRIC Economies. URL: (http://www.selloverseas.co.uk/overview-bric-economies.html [29 Nov 2010]. Associated Press. (2010) Chinese women sent to labour camp for retweeting. 18 November 2010. Available from: [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Berret, M. and Bernhart, W. (2010). Growth in China, but Stagnation in Europe, North America and Japan. Key Topics going forward are electronics and power strain. URL: http://www.rolandberger.com/company/press/releases/Key_topics_Electronics_and_Powertrain.html [28 Nov 2010]. Davis, A. (2010) Rescue of Ireland Dwarf Greeceà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Bailout on Cost of Shoring up Banks. Bloomberg. 22 November 2010. Available from: . [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Dhaval, S. Brazil BRIC Economic Growth and China Retail Sales Analysis. URL: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article20220.html [29 Nov 10 2010]. Dixon, J (2010). USA-China-Europe: Tomorrowà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s New Triad? 5 March 2010. Available from: http://www.atlantic-community.org/index/Open_Think_Tank_Article/USA-China-Europe%3A_Tomorrows_New_Triad%3F [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Hopkins, K. (2009). Unemployment could Peak at 4m in 2012. The Observer. 10 May 2009. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/10/unemployment-figures-to-peak-2012%20%5B28. [Accessed 27 Nov 2010]. Ionescu, R. Oprea, R. (n.d.) Global Economy and the Triad. Inman, P. (2010). OECD Slashes UK Growth Forecast to 1.7%. The Guardian. 19 November 2010. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/19/oecd-slashes-uk-growth-forecast%20%5B28 [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Irish Republic 85bn euro bail-out agreed. (2010). BBC. 28 November 2010. Available from:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11855990. [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Narendra, C. (2010). China Challenging US, Europe, Japan in RD. 12 November 2010. Available from: 27 November 2010]. Plummer, R. (2009). Sugar Rush for Hyperactive Brits. BBC. 2 September 2009. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8231287.stm [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Pop. A. (2006) Globalization, Regionalization and the EU-Japan-U.S. Triad, Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 6(3). UK Economy 2010, Economic Forecast. URL: http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/united-kingdom/uk-economy-2010-forecast.html [28 Nov2010]. Verma, S. (2010). Rising Food Prices trouble Households. TopNews. 3 November 2010. Available from: http://topnews.us/content/228446-uk-rising-food-prices-trouble-households [Accessed 28 Nov 2010].

King Lear and Illigetimacy :: essays papers

King Lear and Illigetimacy Shakespeare’s treatment of illegitimacy in the play King Lear can be interpreted in many ways depending on the audience. The situation of illegitimacy is portrayed through the relationships of the characters the Earl Of Gloucester and his two sons Edgar and Edmund. Edmund is the illegitimate son while Edgar was born within the law. We learn of Edmund’s illegitimacy in the opening scene in the first act where The Earl of Gloucester is holding a conversation with Kent while Edmund is nearby. Gloucester speaks flippantly and lightly of the way his illegitimate son came into the world while introducing him to Kent saying, â€Å" Though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet his mother was fair, there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged† (Act I, Scene I, Lines 19-24). There are several peculiar things about this dialogue. One of the interesting aspects of Gloucester and Kent’s discuss ion is the readiness of Gloucester to admit he has fathered a child out of wedlock. This may be influenced by the fact that Edmund had obviously grown into a son that a father would be proud to have. At first meeting he seems polite, courteous, and loyal. Perhaps these admirable character traits are cause for Gloucester’s willingness to publicly claim Edmund as his own. Another unusual occurrence in the opening dialogue is that Gloucester calls Edmund a whoreson and a knave while he is close by and probably in hearing distance. This seems odd because Gloucester professes to feel only love for his son and no shame but he seems to almost mock him in this situation. One explanation for this behavior may be that deep down Gloucester still harbors some discomfort about the relationship between himself and his son despite his verbal proclamations of shamelessness. This could be inferred from Gloucester’s statement, â€Å" His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have s o often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am brazed to ‘t.† (Act I, Scene I, Line 9). Again, depending on the audience the attitudes displayed in the play by the characters and Shakespeare himself by his writing can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on the observer. Originally Shakespeare’s played were viewed by people alive during the Elizabethan era.

Vegetarianism - To Meat Or Not To Meat Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

As children, one of the first things we learn is to recognize the friendly barnyard animals. We easily can spot the furry cow with the gentle eyes, the feathery chickens who run wildly about, and the pink pigs that roll in the mud. We may also sing about that nice farmer, Old McDonald, and all of his nice animals. The truth is that Old McDonald with a straw hat has been replaced by a business man in the hard hat. Ninety-five percent of the meat we eat does not come from Old McDonald's farm. Hens, chickens, turkeys, and over half of beef cattle, dairy cows, and pigs come from an "animal factory" (Sussman, 95) which is a mechanized environment. This new farming method finds blue skies, tall silos, and grassy hillsides good for calendars but, bad for business. Those pictures are not cost effective. Animals are not treated with the loving care of a farmer but, are treated like inmates on death row. Poultry, pigs, and calves are forced to live in total confinement never to see the light of day until they head to the slaughter house. Hens are frequently crowded into small cages which they may not leave for a year or two. Pregnant sows are often put in stalls that are their homes for three months at a time. After having her piglets, a sow may be pinned to the floor for four to seven weeks in order to keep the sow from rolling over on her babies. Cows may be fed steady diet of molasses laced saw dust, shredded newspaper, plastic pellets, poultry manure, and processed slaughter house wastes in order to gain weight faster. Confinement is so complete that the animals do not have room to move (206). Not only are the animals forced to live in this unnatural environment, they are also pumped full off antibiotics, hormones, steroids, and are dipped in pesticides. Over half the cattle and nearly all pigs, calves, and poultry are fed a steady diet of antibiotics and related Jarboe 2 medications to help control diseases. No o... ...though our bodies are designed to rely on vegetarian foods, modern man has changed his dietary habits to those of the carnivore, or meat eater. We may think of ourselves as carnivores but, our flat teeth are not designed to tear through hide, flesh, and bones. Tenderizer is put on meat so that it will be more easily chewed. Furthermore, the digestive system of the carnivore is designed to get rid of the meat it eats before it decays. The human digestive system is designed to break down complex carbohydrates and fibers like those of the herbivore (Sussman, 300). Taking a look past the cruel treatment of animals and the nutritional value of the vegetarian diet, maybe God did not intend for us to eat meat at all. In Genesis 1:29-30 God said: I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be your for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every plant for food. And it was so.

The Salem Scare Essay -- Literary Analysis, Arthur Miller

On the day of the hangings at Gallows Hill, many watched as friends and family were executed for crimes they had not committed. Arthur Miller wrote about that which preceded this morbid event in The Crucible. The story, which catalogs the witchcraft trials of Salem, was not an unprovoked piece of literature. At the time Miller wrote the play, America was dreadfully close to war with Russia, and many believed that communists were infiltrating the government. Joseph McCarthy was a man who oftentimes would accuse people of being â€Å"Reds.† Arthur Miller was one of the victims of McCarthy's verbal attacks. Although Arthur was in no way a communist, denying the accusation made others think he was guilty. This Catch-22 scenario reminded Arthur of the Salem Witchcraft trials of the late 1600's. Although the two events were hundreds of years apart, the â€Å"Red Scare† and the Salem Witchcraft Trials were very much alike. Frenzy was the main component of each happening, and this frenzy resulted in the unjust prosecution of many individuals. The definition, theme, and how the theme relates to my daily life are crucial to understanding The Crucible. The definition of â€Å"crucible† is â€Å"a test†. Throughout the play, many of Salem's inhabitants are tested in various ways. Of all the characters within The Crucible, there are three who had to make major decisions that would not only affect themselves but also affect the accused. John Proctor, a man who had quite a good reputation in Salem, underwent a test of moral integrity. Throughout the story, he is plagued with the guilt of having had an affair with Abigail, and in order to save his wife, must confess this sin to the court. Before his wife, Elizabeth, is taken to jail, she tells John this... ... By reading about how people within the play responded to their tests, one can reflect upon how they respond to their own tests in day to day life. The theme of how fear and suspicion feed upon themselves and result in the destruction of public order and good sense can show one the serious repercussions that come with not considering all scenarios and letting fear take control. How the theme applies to my daily life provides one with a real world example of how fear can break down reason and create unnecessary turmoil. Fear is a recurring emotion within Salem, and one that many in the village did not keep under control. This fear became a monster that consumed the town and unjustly killed many. In modern society, controlling our fear can save innocent lives and reputations and prevent occurrences such as the Salem Witchcraft Trials from ever happening again.

American Films and Hero

Whose name comes to mind when you hear the word â€Å"hero. † A hero is a person you admire, look up to, and have respect for. A hero is someone you want to transcript because of their actions and accomplishments. A hero is someone we cherish, like our first teddy bear when we were young. My hero is my mom. I’ve been in this world for 14 years now and all I can say is that I thank god for creating the women that created me that I can depend on anytime and call my mom.After all the bad and rough times, put downs and fall downs I been through; there was only one person that could endure my life. After all the mistakes I've done through the past years, it was her who helped me out. And those times when I was heartbroken or confused out of my mind, it was her who gave me advice. There is no other person you can trust enough to tell them every detail that happens in your life, and there is no way you can find someone that would care about you like a mother would.Whose name c omes to mind when you hear the word â€Å"hero. † A hero is a person you admire, look up to, and have respect for. A hero is someone you want to transcript because of their actions and accomplishments. A hero is someone we cherish, like our first teddy bear when we were young. My hero is my mom. I’ve been in this world for 14 years now and all I can say is that I thank god for creating the women that created me that I can depend on anytime and call my mom.After all the bad and rough times, put downs and fall downs I been through; there was only one person that could endure my life. After all the mistakes I've done through the past years, it was her who helped me out. And those times when I was heartbroken or confused out of my mind, it was her who gave me advice. There is no other person you can trust enough to tell them every detail that happens in your life, and there is no way you can find someone that would care about you like a mother would.Whose name comes to min d when you hear the word â€Å"hero. † A hero is a person you admire, look up to, and have respect for. A hero is someone you want to transcript because of their actions and accomplishments. A hero is someone we cherish, like our first teddy bear when we were young. My hero is my mom. I’ve been in this world for 14 years now and all I can say is that I thank god for creating the women that created me that I can depend on anytime and call my mom.After all the bad and rough times, put downs and fall downs I been through; there was only one person that could endure my life. After all the mistakes I've done through the past years, it was her who helped me out. And those times when I was heartbroken or confused out of my mind, it was her who gave me advice. There is no other person you can trust enough to tell them every detail that happens in your life, and there is no way you can find someone that would care about you like a mother would.Whose name comes to mind when you hear the word â€Å"hero. † A hero is a person you admire, look up to, and have respect for. A hero is someone you want to transcript because of their actions and accomplishments. A hero is someone we cherish, like our first teddy bear when we were young. My hero is my mom. I’ve been in this world for 14 years now and all I can say is that I thank god for creating the women that created me that I can depend on anytime and call my mom.After all the bad and rough times, put downs and fall downs I been through; there was only one person that could endure my life. After all the mistakes I've done through the past years, it was her who helped me out. And those times when I was heartbroken or confused out of my mind, it was her who gave me advice. There is no other person you can trust enough to tell them every detail that happens in your life, and there is no way you can find someone that would care about you like a mother would.Whose name comes to mind when you hear the wo rd â€Å"hero. † A hero is a person you admire, look up to, and have respect for. A hero is someone you want to transcript because of their actions and accomplishments. A hero is someone we cherish, like our first teddy bear when we were young. My hero is my mom. I’ve been in this world for 14 years now and all I can say is that I thank god for creating the women that created me that I can depend on anytime and call my mom.After all the bad and rough times, put downs and fall downs I been through; there was only one person that could endure my life. After all the mistakes I've done through the past years, it was her who helped me out. And those times when I was heartbroken or confused out of my mind, it was her who gave me advice. There is no other person you can trust enough to tell them every detail that happens in your life, and there is no way you can find someone that would care about you like a mother would.