Racial Differences in the Corrections System Essay Example for Free

Racial Differences in the Corrections System Essay â€Å"According to Black Star Project Executive Director, Phillip Jackson, in 2007 there were 321 African American men enrolled at Northwestern University (1.7 percent of the student body) but four times that number – 1,207- imprisoned at Western Illinois Correctional Center (60 percent of the prison population)† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). This is only one example of the astounding percentage of young black men currently serving jail time as opposed to pursuing a college education. Something must be vitally wrong with our criminal justice system, since it allows these staggering numbers to hold truth. Overall the total percentage of young African American males is almost five times more than that of their young white or Hispanic male counterparts. I find this statistic very disturbing and chose to research the why and how this is occurring. There are many possible reasons such as limited access to public health clinics, racial profiling, unfair judicial systems, racial differences in judges, lawyers, and law makers, poverty, and parental upbringing; to name a few. How do these young men get sucked into a life of crime, do they have an alternative or a role model to seek counsel form? The numbers do not lie and there must be sound reasons behind them. In this paper I will research and discuss the various reasons why young African American males are grossly over represented in the criminal justice and corrections facilities. While the overall white population is higher than the African American population, 10.4 percent of African American men between the ages of 25-29 can expect to spend time in jail, compared with 2.4 percent of Hispanics and 1.2 percent of white men. Throughout this paper I will discuss not only the staggering numbers but also the reasoning behind them and possible solutions or at the very least a starting point to help fix the problem at hand. â€Å"†¦People of color are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, as crime victims, offenders, persons arrested, and persons in prison† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). It Starts at a Young Age There is more than one reason behind the racial imbalance in the criminal justice system. Areas that have been evaluated are parental involvement, peer groups, neighborhoods, the individual, and racial discrimination at all  levels. It appears that the problem is present in the juvenile justice system as well, something is not working right if these children are not receiving the rehabilitation and or help they need to lead a non-criminal life. Redding Arigo, 2005 state this about the number of African American juvenile offenders, â€Å"†¦compromising only 15% of the juvenile population†¦and 57% of the juveniles in state prisons† I decided to discuss juveniles because I found it interesting that they also represented a large number of the criminal offenders in the juvenile justice system in a very similar way that the 25-28 year old African American males do. Several avenues I researched concluded that African American’s have a harder time accessing health facilities such as metal health clinics, where many of the common mental health disorders that criminal offenders suffer from can be treated. â€Å"As many as 70 percent of youth in the system are affected with a mental disorder, and one in five suffer from a mental illness so severe as to impair their ability to function as a young person and grow into a responsible adult† (Hammond, 2007). It seems to me that if we can stop the current process at a young age, why wouldn’t we? Poverty and Single Parent Homes Walker, Spohn Delone state that 9.4 % of white Americans live in poverty compared to a shocking 25.8% of African American’s that live in poverty. There are thousands of studies that link poverty and poor neighborhoods with criminal activity, both victim and criminal. With a quarter of the African American population living at poverty level it is not surprising that they also retain such a large portion of the inmate population. â€Å"Regardless of whether poverty is a cause or an effect, however, the conditions associated with poverty can work against the development of human capital—that is the ability of individuals to remain healthy and develop the skills, abilities, knowledge, and habits necessary to fully participate in the labor force† (Nilsen, 2007). If people are not allowed the opportunity to reach their full potential often times a life of crime if the only way to survive. The United States Government recognizes that there is a link yet the problem still exists. Yes there are federally funded programs such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, but the poverty level is still alarmingly high. â€Å"The most telling fact about poverty in the  United States is how thoroughly it is ignored† (Royce, 2009). While there is a link between poverty and crime, there is also a link between single parent homes or absentee parent homes and crime as well. The percentage of African American families run by a single parent, usually the mother, is astounding, â€Å"†¦50% of all black households with children under age 18 are headed by black women† (Bush, 2004). Often times the majority of these families live at or below the poverty level, leading to a higher chance of violence and criminal activity. The evidence above begins to show the reasoning behind why African Americans have the highest racial population in prisons. In addition they often are judged harder and serve longer sentences in jail than there non-black counterparts. While racial profiling seems to be a likely source I found various accounts of whether or not it is a direct cause of the higher numbers of African American men in prison, the problem seems to lie further up the judicial system. â€Å"Young African American and Hispanic males, in other words, face greater odds of incarceration than young white males primarily because the commit more serious crimes and have more serious prior criminal records† (Walker, Spohn Delone, 2012). Even though they may commit more serious crimes, when sentenced next to a non-minority for the same crime, their sentences are often longer. Clifford Levy 1996 of the New York Times states,† black and Hispanic people sentenced for minor felonies or misdemeanors in New York were treated more harshly than whites in similar circumstances.† His statements are based on a study released by the Pataki administration. Higher Up the Judicial System Other areas that may lead to the disproportioned numbers in the jails are judges, juries, and lawyers. Next I plan to discuss the differences in race among the judges, juries, lawyers, and law makers. â€Å"The jury is the heart of the criminal justice system† (Cole, 2000). How can racially fair rulings be handed out if the jury consists of mostly non-minorities? Racially biased judgments could be a cause of the difference in numbers in our criminal justice system. â€Å"An analysis of Jefferson Parish, La., by the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center found that from 1999 to 2007, blacks were struck from juries at more than three times the rate of whites† (Dewan, 2010). In  additional differences amongst the jurors, judges and lawyers are mostly white males. â€Å"Combined African American and Hispanic representation among lawyers was 7% in 1998†¦ There are fewer active African American federal appellate judges today than when Jimmy Carter was President† (T he collaboration the, n.d.). The buck does not stop here, the racial inequality continues up the ladder to Congress, the Senate, and the House. The article Do Your Lawmakers Represent all Americans, or is it Time to Change Congress states, â€Å"The U.S. population includes 12 percent African Americans, 9 percent Hispanics, and 3 percent Asian/Pacific Islanders and other groups. Congress, however, is 87 percent white; 85 percent in the House and 96 percent in the Senate.† If fact black members of the three government bodies above are often times questioned about decisions and their backing status far more than their non-minority counterparts. These numbers back the idea that African Americans face a discriminatory criminal justice system that starts at the top. Unfortunately racial biased is still something that is ingrained in most Americans and until the minorities are fairly represented in the government and judicial system, racial inequality within these entities will still exist. Comparison As mentioned previously African American males face longer prison sentences due to the fact that they commit more serious crimes and have longer criminal records, in general, than white Americans. The racial differences also extend to length of time served, higher rate of convictions and prison sentences. â€Å"The national incarceration rate for whites is 412 per 100,000 residents, compared to 2,290 for African Americans and 742 for Hispanics† (Mauer King, 2007). Incarceration rates are directly affected by the sentencing process. As one might expect African Americans and Hispanics face a harsher time during the sentencing process than white Americans. â€Å"Of the estimates of the direct effect of race on sentencing at the state level, 43.2% indicated harsher sentences for blacks, and over a quarter (27.6%) of the estimates on the direct impact of ethnicity registered harsher sentences for Latinos† (Kansal, 2005). Per the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics in 2007 the conviction ratio broken down by race is as follows: whites 28.8%, blacks 24.4%, and Hispanics 43%. Overall the percentage of African American males and Hispanics males that will serve  time in prison compared to white males is significantly higher. Structural Inequality Based on the information above I believe it is apparent that there is severe structural inequality starting at the top with the government down through to the jurors. How can racial unbiased laws be passed if the government writing them is made up the racial majority. It is impossible to truly understand what it is like to be a minority without living it. Some may say they understand and can make unbiased decisions, but the fact remains that without living the lifestyle this is impossible to truly accomplish, which is why African Americans and Hispanics must fight to increase their numbers within the governing bodies. Next the judicial system needs to be addressed; they face the same racial disparities that the government does. White judges and juries are handing out the majority of the convictions and sentences, including those handed out to the minorities. It is evidenced that African Americans face harsher sentences and longer jail times than their white counterparts. â€Å"Efforts should be made to reinstate judicial discretion into the sentencing process to permit judges to craft sentences that accurately reflect the charged conduct and circumstances of the offense and defendant† (Mauer King, 2007). Efforts need to be made to correct the imbalances that the United States criminal justice system currently faces. Conclusion â€Å"To be sure, criminalizing young Black males and warehousing them in jails and prisons will further exacerbate the problems of racial domination and ossify the economic and social inequities structuring their everyday lives† (Hill Lee, 2010). The evidence does not lie; there are sound reasons why African American males between the age of 25-29 have more of their population behind bars. It often times starts at home and works it all the way up to the top. The same problem has been recognized at the juvenile level. African American juvenile offenders represent with a higher number of their population in the criminal justice system. I found some interesting studies that link mental illness to criminal activity. Many families living in poverty have limited access to mental health clinics, thus a possible source of aggression and criminal behavior is going untreated. Poverty levels are still extraordinarily high and it has been proven that living at  or below the poverty level and in rough neighborhoods, leads to criminal activity. As many as 50% of the African American families at or below the poverty level are run by a single parent, leading to even more family strain and stress. Another area that is giving rise to the above mentioned numbers is the fact that the criminal justice system, itself, has very few minority members. The House, Senate, and Congress also are compromised of mostly white. The numbers do not correlated with the overall populations in the United States. White judges, lawmakers, juries, and lawyers comprise over 90% of the judicially system and government bodies. It is easier to understand why minorities are dealt harsher sentences, serve longer jail times, are convicted at a higher rate and hold a larger percentage in the prison system. With the current system in place and the obvious structural inequality within the criminal justice system, I fear that the numbers will not change. Action must be taken to incorporate the minorities into these governing bodies. The issue needs to be addressed at the juvenile level, by helping these troubled teens; their numbers may start to decrease at all age levels. The reasoning behind the numbers has been laid out, is know by most, and yet is still a problem. It is time to make a change, if not 1 in every black male born today will see the inside of a prison cell and this is not acceptable. References Bush, L. (2004). How black mothers participate in the development of manhood and masculinity: What do we know about black mothers and their sons? The Journal of Negro Education, 73(4), 381-391. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4129623?uid=3739256uid=2uid=4sid=21101002202873 Cole, D. (1999). No equal justice: Race and class in the american criminal justice system. New York: New. The collaboration the legal profession. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lfoa.org/barnone/barnone_collaboration. Dewan, S. (2010, June 1). Study finds blacks blocked from southern juries. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02jury.html?_r=1scp=1sq=Blacks Still Being Blocked from Juries in the South, Study Findsst=cse Do your lawmakers represent all americans, or is it time to change congress?. (n.d.).

Effect of Blow Moulding on Bottle Weight and Dimensions

Effect of Blow Moulding on Bottle Weight and Dimensions Abstract Blow moulding, which is also called blow forming, is a manufacturing process for production of hollow-form plastic products. The present report is intended to deal with the effect on bottle weight, bottle dimensions and machine output of the various process factors. By reference to Rheological properties of plastics, the correlation between the share rate and screw speed, melt temperature, die swell, bottle thickness were discussed. Also, the influences of elongational viscosity were suggested. 1. Introduction Blow moulding, also known as blow forming, is a process used to produce hollow productions by â€Å"blowing† thermoplastic molten tube into the shape of a mould cavity. Generally, blow moulding can be divided into three main types including stretch blow moulding, injection blow moulding, and extrusion blow moulding. In this experiment, extrusion blow moulding was studied to examine the effects of process variables on bottle weight, bottle dimensions and machine output. In extrusion blow moulding, plastic particles are melted into fluid with heat applied. Then the melt plastic is extruded through a die, forming a hollow tube, which is usually called a parison. After that, the parison is captured by closing it around a mould. Next, air is pumped in to the parison when the ends of the parison keeps sealed at the mould parting line during forming. The parison deforms, forming a shape very closed to the mould. The mould is opened after the component is well cooled. Finally the component is ejected and the procedures are repeated. More and more products are made. In this experiment the plastic particles are High-density Polyethylene, the density of which ranges from 0.941 to 0.967 g/cm3. The High-density Polyethylene is preferred for production by blow moulding as it is more rigid and usually has a matt finish compared with Low-density Polyethylene. 2. Experimental Equipment Hayssen extrusion blow moulding machine Materials High density polyethylene (HDPE), Blow moulding grade, BS2581, Borealis. Procedures Firstly, HDPE particles were pumped into the hopper though a pipe. After that, the parameters of process variables and the temperatures of different zones were set according to Table 1 2, respectively. Then the machine was set in automatic mode and continuous cycle. Each group needs 10 samples, marking 1 to 10. Before the Process Variables were changed, the weight of parison extruded per unit minute was measured. Finally weight of each bottle, was measured along with thickness distribution along the length circumference. 3. Results And Discussions Experimental Results The original records including weight of bottle, bottle thickness distribution, output rate and crew speed are shown in Appendix I. In addition, the calculation of share rate and modified prison length are shown Appendix II and the general results are summarized. Experimental Discussions Influences Of Machine Variables On Bottle Weight And Dimensions Generally the bottle weight and dimensions is influenced by screw speed, melting temperature, and vent time. Screw speed. By comparing group A and group C, it is clear shown that output rate increasing with the increasing screw speed due to low viscosity and high die head pressure. By referring to the rheological properties of plastic, thickness and weight of group A should be higher than that of group C, because the higher sagging brings decreasing of weight and thickness. However, the records of the experiment do not accord with the theoretical analysis. The reason is that the machine is too old. Melting temperature. By comparing Group C and Group D, it is found that the bottles of group D are lighter and thinner than those of group C. The higher the melt temperature is, the lower the viscosity of polymer is. Lower viscosity reduces bottle weight and dimensions. Vent time. By comparing Group A and Group B, the result is that the bottles of group B are lighter and thinner than those of group A. If the vent time is too short, it will cause insufficient cooling and less sagging. Share Behaviours According to the equation ÃŽ ³= (6Q)/ (WH ²), the results of apparent share rate are given in Table 4 (all steps in calculation is shown in Appendix II). Experiments runs A B C D Shear Rate (s⠁ »Ã‚ ¹) 234.94 232.86 398.41 458.62 Table 4: Apparent shear rate Generally shear rate is related to screw speed, melt temperature, die swell and bottle thickness. Screw speed. The output rate is proportional to the screw speed. According to the equation ÃŽ ³= (6Q)/ (WH  ²), as the mean circumference (W) and die gap (H) are constant in this equation, the shear rate (ÃŽ ³) increases as output rate (Q) increases, in other words, screw speed increases. Melt temperature. The viscosity of polymer becomes lower at higher melt temperature. Lower viscosity results in high output rate (Q), which brings out a higher shear rate (ÃŽ ³). Die swell. â€Å"An increase in die swell results in a lower linear output rate. Since extrusion is usually continuous, further adjustments to the process dynamics are sometimes inevitable. Parison length sensors are available, to ease the effects of the problem†. In consequence, larger die swell results in larger output rate, which brings out larger shear rate. In one word, shear rate is proportional to die swell. Bottle thickness. Bottle thickness is related to the viscosity of polymer. Higher viscosity results in lower shear rate. So, shear rate increase as bottle thickness decrease.. Elongational Behaviours According to the equation ΔL= (Ï gtL ²)/ (2ÃŽ »), the results of Modified Parison Length are (all steps in calculation is shown in Appendix II). Experiments runs A B ΔL(mm) 0.566 0.944 Modified Parison Length (mm) 17.566 17.944 According to Table 5, it can be found that the longer the cycle time is, the longer the parison becomes. The result can be explained in this way: the parison will be elongated if more time is given under the gravity force. The elongational viscosity is influenced by molecular weight and temperature. High molecular weight and high temperature cause a decreasing of the elongational viscosity. 4. Conclusions Blow moulding is a manufacturing process for production of hollow-form plastic products. Process variables have the effects on bottle weight, bottle dimensions and machine output. Specifically, high screw speed, low melt temperature, and short vent time results in the increasing of bottle weight and thickness. High screw speed, high melt temperature, large die swell and thin bottle thickness lead to high shear rate. Longer cycle time results in larger parison length. High molecule weight and high temperature cause a decreasing of the elongational viscosity References [1] A. W. Birley, B. Haworth and J. Batchelor, Physics of plastic, Hanser, 1991 [2] Edwin G. Fisher, Blow moulding of plastics, The Plastics Institute, 1971

Free College Essays - Religious Symbols and Symbolism in Sweat :: Hurston Sweat Essays

Religious Symbolism in "Sweat" Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat" is a short story rich in moral and religious parallels. This story is about a common African- American working woman in the deep South and how she clings to her faith in God to see her through the hardships caused by her faithful and abusive husband. Throughout this story there is religious symbolism that characterizes Delia and Sykes Jones as two people on opposite ends of the moral spectrum yet bound by marital vows that have lost their meaning. Delia Jones is a hard working woman who uses her faith in God to guide and protect her from her husband's relentless physical and emotional abuse. From the very beginning, Delia represents diligence in work, humbleness, and saintly virtue. This protagonist is depicted as physically feeble yet spiritually strong. Diametrically opposite to Delia's character is her husband Sykes. Sykes Jones seems to oppose Delia in his every word and action. He is physically abusive toward his wife, non-virtuous in that he is adulterous, and he takes advantage of Delia's hard work by spending the money that she makes on his lover. While Sykes is physically strong and has no virtue or faith in God, Delia's strength lies in her religion and humble tolerance of her husband which proves, in the end, prevalent over his brute strength and abusive attitude. Certain objects and situations in the story suggest the influence of religion. The white clothes Delia washes in the story are symbolic of her character. White represents her virtue and saintly tendencies as she humbly tolerates Sykes' torment. The religious association of snakes and evil is prevalent in two instances in this story. Sykes at one point uses a whip to scare Delia by rubbing it on her and making her think it was a snake. Also, later in the story, Sykes places a real snake just outside the door of their house for the sole purpose of scaring Delia. These two examples could be seen as a biblical allusion as in the story of Adam and Eve when Satan took the form of a snake. The symbolism of snakes in "Sweat" subtly and cleverly illustrates Sykes as being an evil antagonist character. The pattern of good vs.

Essay --

Statement of Purpose Program Applied: Computing Science MSc - Course Work Option I am writing this statement of purpose in order to throw light on my career and education till now and in order to tell graduate admission committee that why I am applying for MSc in Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. Studying at an institute of the level of excellence as of your esteemed institute has been my dream ever since I chose to make my career in computer science. International standard institutions are known to provide highly efficient faculty, best equipments, labs, latest software and hardware etc. which helps students to think big, explore new ideas and enhances their professional skills leading to success in all aspects of life. I think I will be one step close to my dreams if I get admission at Simon Fraser University and hence be given a chance to prove my potential. Since my school days Computer Science and Mathematics have always been my favorite subjects and I have always scored well in these subjects. I am very hardworking...

Computer Networks :: essays research papers

Computer Networks Computers by themselves are useful tools. But once they are interconnected, they surge in usefulness and suddenly become media. One computer is connected into a network which is then patched into a network of networks. Computer networks have the potential to break the monopolies of media institutions. With networks, there is a shift from centralized, one-way media to dispersed, infinite-way communication. Every audience member in the world can at the same time be an information provider. Channels of information creation and distribution become cheaper and broader until we have limitless bandwidth and storage capacity. This technology comes with a cautionary note. Every emergent media technology has been hailed as the harbinger of popular expression. Yet each new media is used for commercial ends by those in control of power. Newspapers, radios, and television have become institutionalized and continue to institutionalize as they are purchased by larger and larger conglomerates. Adver tiser-supported media has become a top-down business. The audience is, after all, not the consumer in television. That role lies with the sponsor. The sponsor purchases advertising time and decides what it is they want to support. Television, and other media forms, are dominated by these sponsors supporting what they perceive is what their consumers want, or what they want their particular product to be associated with. The question is whether computer networks will go this route. Computer networks are prone to some of the same problems as traditional media. Though anyone can place something on the World Wide Web, it becomes increasingly difficult to make that web page known to the general Internet audience. Large media-entities are able to create flashy, innovative sites that make personal sites look frumpy, and quickly passed over. An analogy can be drawn between television and the Internet. Anyone can videotape a subject, and with a little time, edit it into a program. But compare the quality of what the private individual can make within their budget (an 8mm video camera, perhaps two VCRs for dubbing) versus television companies with hundreds of thousands of dollars. But computer networks have several saving graces. Distribution becomes limitless. Television, radio, and even newspapers (due to high publishing costs) have limited bandwidth. Computer networks can carry virtually limitless amounts of data at piddling costs, "the electromagnetic spectrum is not scarce but nearly limitless" (Gilder 129). That private videomaker can not distribute his video independently unless he is very wealthy.

Administrative ethics

The moral attributes that a person exercises in an administration office are such as honesty and devotion to a person’s duties; principles and a sense of responsibility for one’s actions and words that the person uses is part of administrative ethics.Moral principles which a person should apply in administrative ethics specify the rights and duties that a person should respect especially when dealing with matters that seriously affect other individuals and the entire society. The principles also specify conditions that collective policies and practices should satisfy when dealing with individual persons or the society.A person with morals of should ask whether the action performed serves everyone’s interest and whether it is accepted by all even those who were not aware of their particular circumstances. However it should not be specific to one person because this neglects the opinion of others which is vital and needs to be considered when dealing with people. ( Thompson, 1985).Statistics show that America has over 250,000 rivers which occupy a space of 3.5miles of its land. Its largest river is the Mississippi river which at its mouth has a flow volume of 593,000 cubic feet per second. The longest river in America is river Missouri whose length is about 2,500 miles. Other rivers are such as Yukon, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence, Arkansas, Colorado, Atchafalaya, Ohio, Red, Brazos, Columbia   and Snake among others.Since the signing of declaration of independence for America, rapid building of dams in the rivers have taken place and currently statistics show that 600,000 miles of rivers in America have been used for dams which range between 60,000 to 80,000 in number. These figures amount to 17% percent of the nation’s river mileage.95% of dams in the U.S. are owned by private companies or persons and they are regulated by the state dam safety agencies in the country. The dams provide many benefits both to the owners and the country and t he people around the facility.Domestic water supply, flood protection, hydro electric power, industrial water supply, agriculture and recreation are some of the benefits that are derived from dam construction.On the other hand, dams can cause economic and societal risks such as floods, excessive leakage and internal erosion of the land beneath the dam. Dams can cause both positive and negative effects on the environmental, effects on wild life living in the rivers and the economy of a country.This therefore calls for careful construction to eliminate the negative effects. The persons who have the interest of dam construction should therefore ask themselves whether it is morally to go ahead and build it. They should be able to know whether their actions are right and whether they bring a good effect in the other person or not.Since the start of building of dams in America, the receivors have brought many effects on the environment; both positive and negative. On the positive side, da ms have proofed to be very useful to the people as well as the country itself. The dams have been used for recreation, for controlling floods as well as for generation of power and job creation. (Macline & Siccohio, 1999).There are several positive effects on the environment that result from construction of dam; the following are some of the benefits enjoyed by the environment and support dam construction.According to (Moignr, Feder & Garbus, 1992), dam construction and holding of reservoirs have prevented sediments from moving down the stream or going to the shows of beaches on lakes and oceans. This makes the ocean shows and the river streams clean.Dams are able to control floods in their area of construction and thus reduce the dangers that are related to floods such as death of people and animals, loss of property and destruction of agricultural land. Drainage in the area and land improvement precautions are improved and this results to increase in soil productivity and conseque ntly increased production of agricultural products.Dam construction reduce the pollution effect especially in the downstream because their storage reservoirs which reduce the pollution materials coming from upstream.People in the area benefit from electricity energy generated from the dams thus increasing productivity and general development in the area.Dam construction in and area brings an increase in number of transport means especially if there is waterway transport services. There is increased availability of drinking and domestic water in homesteads therefore people lead a more comfortable life. This means that people have access to safe drinking water within their reach and they are able to use the water for their dairy chores.Agricultural production is increased due to availability of irrigation water from the constructed dams in an area. Fishing activities also take place in the dams improving people’s lives as well as raising their living standards.  However negat ive effects are also experienced in the environment due to construction of dams.Dam construction leads to change of water flow which changes and interrupts most of the ecological processes of a river. Sediments of a river, nutrients, biota and energy of a river are interrupted by dam construction.The dams have also brought severe detrimental effects to the environment which includes loss of animals that live in water, soil erosion and loss of land.According to (Scott & Smith, 2001), dam construction results to destruction of nature which changes water regime and as a result some detrimental effects may take place such as; unexpected floods and destruction of vegetation and nature structures which have formed on the river banks.Earth quakes can also be experienced around the area due to the large volume of water which is filled in the water receivers. This was experienced in America as a result of construction of Hoover dam, the area near the dam has now been depressed bringing serio us environmental problem. Old dams have also collapsed due to the weight of the lake which has resulted to many deaths and floods in an area. . (Duflo &Pande, 2007).Problems have also been experienced between two countries as a result of blockage of water due to a dam construction in one country and hindering flow of water of that river into the next country. Dam construction also results in increase in evaporation of water due to the increase in the water surface area.Change in climate is experienced due to changes in air moisture percentage, big scales of air movement and change of temperature due to the big mass of stagnant water in an area. Although these changes are not harmful to humans, they are experienced and can be noted in animals and plants which in turn bring secondary effects to humans.Floods experienced as a result of dam construction lead to loss of soil and water nutrients and therefore the agricultural activities in the area are affected greatly. (Shai, 2007).Incre ase in water borne diseases such as typhoid, typhus, fever, malaria and cholera may be experienced by humans due to the stagnant water caused by dam construction.Dam construction affects social, cultural and economic structures of people’s lives especially those who are forced to move out of their homesteads and settle in different areas so the dams cab be constructed.Apart from the environment, construction of dams also has effects on wild life that live in water masses. Fish, crocodiles, hippopotamus and other reptiles are affected both negatively and positively by the construction of dams.There are several positive effects experienced by the wildlife;Construction of dams on rivers have created a clean environment for egg laying fishes in the ocean and the river beds because holding of sediments by the dams has prevented the sediments from interfering with the zones where the fish and other animals lay their eggs.Construction of dams may also result to generation of new spe cies in the water masses. This is due to the change in temperature of the water, change in salt concentration and change in oxygen distribution in water. (Scott & Smith, 2001),Apart from the benefits drawn from dam construction by the animals, there are negative effects which actually outlay the positive effects.Constructions of dams on rivers hinder reproduction of migrating fishes due to the flood effect that destroy the egg beds where the animals initially laid their eggs. The egg bed is also destructed as a result of digging up of the bed and the varnishing works done on them. (Macline & Siccohio, 1999).Dams hinder the normal passing ways of aquatic animals. This leads to reduction in population of aquatics especially fish due to lack of ovulation and feeding of animals especially those that are upstream. There is a likelihood of fish damage as they pass through the turbines, floodgates and pumps of the dams. Drainage of marshy waters and other water masses as the construction w ork goes on affects the animals living in them and they may also die. (Moignr, Feder & Garbus, 1992),Water quality changes greatly due to drainage of irrigation water, this may lead to increase in salt density in the water and over transfer of food raising the emergence of water lichens and also change the living species which are in the water. Species may also change due to erosion caused by human activities and increased mud levels in the water due to the construction of the dams.Dam construction results to discharge of toxic materials in the water such as toxic metals and pesticides. This affects sensitive animals, changes their food chains and may also result to extinction of the animals due to death. (McCranes, 1978).The water at the bottom of a reservoir of a dam is usually very cold as compared to the normal water flowing in the rivers; the same water does not have enough oxygen and this puts a great risk to the animals which live downstream because they experience a differen t environment and they are likely to migrate or even die as a result.Dam construction in an area brings several economic changes which may be for the benefit of the country and the people living around or may lead to destruction of the economy.(Duflo &Pande, 2007), examined dam effects in a country and concluded that the population of people living downstream benefit in a large way especially from the water from the dams and they don’t have to rely on rainfall for they crops; they are able to irrigate their land and therefore lead to increase agricultural productivity in the area. Their land in insulated from precipitation shortfall and increase their yields.Importance of dams in an economy is that it produces electricity at a constant rate which is used to develop the place by being in areas such as factories, schools, recreational areas and other areas that improve an economy of a place.Electricity from the dams is also economically viable because it can be shut down when n ot in use, the dams are also able to produce electricity for, and many years therefore they give a surety of power for economical use.Dam construction in an area is said to bring employment opportunities for the people who live in the area. Dams need a lot of human resource during its construction and after, casual workers, engineers and other important posts need to be filled to ensure that its construction and management is well carried out. Many people therefore are able to benefit from employment and this improves their living stands as well as their economy.There is increased trade in the area which improves the lives of the people living there. Small businesses thrive and therefore the economic level of the place as well as the people goes up and the living standards become better.Industrial development in the area speeds up, due to irrigation of crops and availability of hydro electric power. Food production becomes high and therefore the people are able to feed well and trad e with other products.On the other hand, the economy may experience negative effects from dams; the negative effects of dams to the economy of an area are mostly experienced by the people living upstream, this is because their land and forests are destroyed particularly when the dams’ receivers are filled.Increase in salinity and excessive diffusion of land which is near the dam area, also damages production activities of the people living upstream due to this, it reduces agricultural products, they also suffer from rainfall reduction and rapid reduction of their yields. (Duflo &Pande, 2007).Dam construction and especially Yosemite dam led to destruction of a national park which was known for its positive land use and instead the land was flooded so as to create a recreational around the dam. This shows that construction of dams results to loss of useful land which would have otherwise be very productive.Dam construction however is very expensive and it has to be built at a v ery high standard, this means that a lot of money is spent in the construction process and once the dam is finished, it takes many years for it to bring profits to the country.Dam construction brings loss of businesses and homes for people as a result suffer economic losses. Areas that flood due to the dam also cause people to move out of their lands and many of their crops and property is destroyed. (Kader, 2000).Dams bring recreational services to an area and these services improve the area in a positive way. Dam construction leads to attraction of both domestic and international tourists. Dams also provide water sports, pleasure activities as well as leisure especially from the dams that form behind the dams.Dam construction brings about many developments in an area. Social building such as hotels, clubs and restaurants thrive in the area and attracts many people from the area and also from outside the region. Schools, churches and hospitals also develop in the area thus creating better living standards for the people and bringing the area into life and making people become more active.New roads are also constructed as a result of dam construction in the area. This means that people are able to access the area well for recreation and other reasons.The political issues that arise as a result of building dams in American rivers determine whether the rivers are being managed or mismanaged, this is due to the fact that America and its citizens depends on the health of these rivers and the decisions which are made should go beyond dam building or dam removal into the society that depends on these rivers for survival.Policy makers in America are putting their effort in changing the management of the rivers in America by trying to remove dams which are built in them and simulating the seasonal flow of the rivers so as to restore the habitat; their work however has had an unstable degrees of success. (Workman, 2006).Many people who have dealt with dam politics like William Lowry described the efforts to restore rivers in America by looking at how rivers and public policy interact. He looked at the physical differences in rivers which affect the set policies as go further to analyzing political difference of the different people who use the rivers.Rivers should be restored by making sure that the water quality is restored, seasonal flows are back as well as the natural habitat such as fish, hippopotamus and crocodile are back into the rivers. He further seeks to whether the degree of restoration is affected by the existing political circumstances. (Workman, 2006).Dams and dam construction should be well managed to ensure that they are safe and prevent any detrimental effects on the living things and property which is around it. It should be put in mind that if a dam fails, it would bring floods to homes, businesses, and roads and destroy many other properties.A maintenance and repair program for dams should be set to ensure that dams are safe. This should include frequent checks on the dykes, water levels and the walls of then dam to ensure that they are safe and are able to hold the amount of water to as to avoid breakage of the wall which would lead to floods and property destruction.(Wehr, 2004).Emergency action plans should be put in place to take care of any hazards which may occur in the dams. Personnel shouldn’t always be ready to take care of any casualties which may be reported so that the destruction effect is reduced.A fully staffed group and safety program should be set so that they can come and carry out a periodic inspection on the dam to ensure that the dam is safe for people and the animals. The groups should approve designs for dam construction and carry out the construction inspection to ensure that it is up to standard. Reference:Duflo, Esther, & Pande, R. (2007). Dams, 122(2): 601–46.Quarterly Journal of Economics

Jill Lepore, new york burning

New York Burning, by Jill Lepore, is an interesting yet flawed study of a 1741 conspiracy among New York’s slaves, which authorities discovered in the wake of ten fires started by African Americans.   While the work claims to examine the slave revolts and ensuing trials (in which over a hundred blacks were executed by hanging or burning) as evidence of how political opposition formed and functioned, it succeeds much better as a study of race relations and the culture of paranoia. Lepore’s thesis is that the 1741 conspiracy, while based more on hearsay and forced confessions than on actual evidence, occurred within a climate of political and intellectual ferment that made political pluralism (and, ultimately, the American political system) possible.   Indeed, the New York she describes was already politically divided in the wake of the landmark Zenger trial of 1735, in which printer John Peter Zenger was charged with printing libelous attacks against the arbitrary, heavy-handed colonial governor. His acquittal laid the foundations for free speech but also caused a political schism, as two rival political factions formed – the Court party, which supported the royal governors, and the Country Party, an opposition group which demanded greater liberties.   (However, she makes clear that liberty was reserved strictly for whites and pertained more to the press and taxation than to individuals, certainly those of color.)   Mutual mistrust between the two parties lingered for years. The 1741 conspiracy took place, says Lepore, within a rather tense and paranoid context.   It began in March with a fire at the city’s only military outpost, Fort George.   Subsequent blazes over the next few weeks broke out at houses and businesses belonging to Court party members, and these were quickly followed by a series of arrests and trials that lasted into the summer. Twenty whites and 152 blacks (slave and free) were arrested and over a hundred people executed, including many Country Party members’ slaves and servants.   Lepore claims that the end result of these events was greater acceptance of political opposition, but her work does less to connect the slave plot to politics than it does to describe a place beset by racism and paranoia. In tracing the plot’s evolution, Lepore offers the reader a detailed description of New York in 1741.   A former Dutch colony with a multilingual population and sizeable slave population, New York had considerable political division and a strangely paranoid culture.   Not only were fears of slave rebellions prevalent and population politically split, but novels and plays about intrigues were common and highly popular.   (She notes that George Farquhar’s The Beaux’ Stratagem was then the city’s most popular play.) New Yorkers were thus highly sensitive to anything resembling a plot and unusually prone to imagine such things; Lepore writes, â€Å"Nothing ‘just happened’ in the early eighteenth century.   There was always a villain to be caught, a conspiracy to be detected.   The century was lousy with intrigues† (51). In addition, she asserts that the black plotters may have been misunderstood by white witnesses who overheard them in Hughson’s tavern, taking oaths and swearing revenge on New York. She demonstrates that, much like New England’s slaves staged mock â€Å"election days† to both mimic and satirize white culture, the New York plotters may have been imitating their masters, many of whom were Masons (and thus mistrusted in an early America which saw wrongdoing in their secrecy and rituals).   Horsmanden, says Lepore, viewed the trial like a conspiracy novel and, â€Å"In an anxious empire, he found monstrous black creatures . . . [and] political plotters† (122) from whom he thought he could save the city. The 1741 plot was thus tailor-made for the age.   It involved a group of New York blacks who swore oaths to burn down the city, kill its white men, take their wives, and to install a tavern keeper and small-time criminal named John Hughson as the new governor.   After the arsonists were captured and confessions extracted (in some cases with torture, which could not legally be used on whites but was freely used against blacks), the colony’s Supreme Court was eager to demonstrate its authority and regain some of the credibility it lost after the Zenger trial.   In particular, Lepore devotes considerable attention to Daniel Horsmanden, the English judge who prosecuted Zenger and was eager to redeem himself. Lepore relies heavily on his own journal of the trial, pointing out its biases and distortions, and she comments that Horsmanden considered losing the Zenger trial â€Å"a gross humiliation† and that the 1741 plot offered him â€Å"an unrivaled opportunity to consolidate the court’s power.   He could make a name for himself† (118). Indeed, his handling of the trial shows not only his zeal but also how poorly colonial courts handled evidence and how grossly they mistreated black defendants.   Four whites and over a hundred blacks were executed, often in a grisly manner that assuaged the nervous city.   According to Lepore, whites enjoyed public executions and attended â€Å"out of hatred, out of obligation, out of fascination† and, â€Å"like imprisonment, interrogation, and trial, an execution was a pageant† (105).   Trials and executions of rebellious slaves were especially celebrated, as the racial order was preserved. Though the book claims to examine the 1741 slave plot’s meaning in terms of politics, is actually spends little time doing this and her analysis is thus somewhat underdeveloped.   However, Lepore offers an excellent picture of colonial New York’s race relations, which were volatile and tense, adding that â€Å"however much ‘liberty’ some enslaved New Yorkers might have enjoyed, it was always fragile and nearly always illicit† (155). Whites so feared blacks that they passed laws regulating their right to gather freely and set grossly unfair standards for sexual conduct (white men could exploit black women without penalty, but black men were sternly discouraged from consensual relations with white women).   It is little wonder, then, that blacks resented their white masters and neighbors.   Also, at the same time, though, the court was quick to attribute the plot’s leadership to Hughson, a smuggler and thief on the side, because few believed blacks intellectually capable of hatching such a scheme. Lepore ends the book by claiming that the 1741 plot demonstrates how New York’s colonial politics operated.   Horsmanden, who exacted a vicious justice on the conspirators, was stripped of his political offices in 1747 and then became a champion of the liberties he had denied as a judge.   His activities redeemed him and one of his posts was restored to him in 1755. Lepore uses this, along with the Zenger trial, as evidence of how New Yorkers became more tolerant of opposition politics, but she does not tie this very convincingly to the slave plot.   Indeed, her discussion of New York’s colonial politics pales in comparison to her picture of New York’s social and cultural landscapes. New York Burning appears to be two different histories in one, with its study of race relations and fear of conspiracies submerged within its examination of how the plot influenced politics.   The political aspects are not as well-developed and Lepore does not argue very convincingly that the Zenger trial and slave conspiracy demonstrate how New Yorkers handled the question of political opposition. The author devotes much of the book to exploring race and culture, and she creates a vivid, convincing picture of how early New Yorkers combined fear of their slaves with their taste for (and sensitivity to) conspiracy and intrigues.   Had the book been a study of race and paranoia, instead of claiming these were only parts of a developing political culture, it would likely have been a stronger piece of scholarship.   The book succeeds as a cultural history while failing to connect race and culture to the developing political landscape of early America. Lepore, Jill.   New York Burning.   New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.