John Donne Essay

A text is essentially a product of its context, as its prevailing values are inherently derived by the author from society. However, the emergence of post-modern theories allows for audience interpretation, thus it must be recognised that meaning in texts can be shaped and reshaped. Significantly, this may occur as connections between texts are explored. These notions are reflected in the compostion of Edson’s W;t and Donne’s poetry as their relationship is established through intertextual references, corresponding values and ideas and the use of language features. Edson particularly portrays key values surrounding the notions of the importance of loved based relationships, and death and resurrection: central themes of Donne’s Holy Sonnets and Divine Poems. The purpose of these authors distinctly correlate as each has attempted to provide fresh insight into the human condition by challenging prevalent ideals. Thus, Edson incorporates Donne’s work to illuminate both explicit and implicit themes, creating an undeniable condition. Prior to John Donne’s Judeo Christian conversion he believed that life was only fulfilling if shared with another individual. He conveyed in his pre-conversion poems and stressed the power and importance of love to a person’s well being and existence. Donne contrives the idea that love must not be a â€Å"Dull Sublunary lover’s love†, rather a relationship where â€Å"two souls†¦ are one,† a love, he explores his conceit, so strong it can stretch â€Å"like gold to aery thinness†. His geometrical conceit explains that relationships â€Å"Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is, these walls, thy sphere. † During the 17th century everything revolved around the sun, saying that lovers went against it was seen as going against the, thus showing how vital relationships are to human existence. The medium of a play allows us to a different view on how important love is one life’s, and what is to be lost with its absence Donne’s values according to life’s meaning and relationships are reworked by Margaret Edson within W;t. Vivian Bearing is constructed to reflect the secular view point, â€Å"preferring research to humanity†, the motif Edson creates in Bearing as she misses the point Donne makes about relationships, seeking instead to be making a â€Å"significant contribution to†¦ knowledge. † Bearing does not mind the lack of relationship she has, correcting Susie she has â€Å"none, to be precise,† distinctively juxtaposing Donne’s views on relationships and their importance. Bearing reflect the individualism of the estern culture when she is â€Å"distinguishing the [herself] in illness facing the world alone. However Bearing reflects how after many years with being uncomfortable with kindness she wishes her doctor â€Å"would take more interest in personal contact. † The implicit connections Edison portrays between â€Å"an orange two stick Popsicle† shared between Bearing and Susie, and Donne’s twin compass displays Bearings recognition of th e importance relationships should play in life. Edison challenges secular humanists through her textual construction of dialogue and motifs to question the importance relationships play in order for a meaningful life to be attained. The existential question of what lies after death is one that writes have pondered for years. Donne explicitly demonstrates his battle with this concept and his beliefs about theology, death and afterlife after he is converted to his Judeo Christian faith. Death was not easy to ignore in the 17th century as executions and daily mortuary carts attributed to the fear and awareness of death. His compliant tone throughout his poetry clearly indicates that he feels that he feels some degree of confidence that God will accept his soul into heaven, evident when he apostrophises death to â€Å"be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful†, that death should not be feared as it is a â€Å"rest and sleep† till the forgiven â€Å"wake eternally†. A possible passage through the American continent to the indies was earnestly being explored just as the poet’s body was probably being probed and prodded to seek enlightenment or a successful path. This analogy is made clear by the clever extended pun on ‘straits’ as both a trade route and a personal dilemma. They are itemised so that the link is not missed for the Western Sea, to which all the straits led, also represents death and entry into the next life: â€Å"So death doth touch the Resurrection Likewise to John Donne, Edison engages with the concept of death and what, if anything comes after it. While Bearing does not openly ponder what comes after death in the play, she is tangibly struggling with the fear of death. Her own feelings are mirrored by Donne’s â€Å"If poisnous minerals† is shown through her analysis. In her analysis she says, Donne â€Å"finds God’s forgiveness hard to believe, so he crawls under a rock to hide. † Rather than trust God’s mercy â€Å"I want to hide. I just want to curl up into a little ball. † Donne’s poem If Poisonous Minerals has a direction relationship to the The Runaway Bunny read by Bearing in her childhood. It provides for her an allegory for God’s mercy allowing her to find solace, â€Å"No matter where it hides, God will find it. Where Donne presents this same allegory in a complex manner, the book is simple. Bearing is redeemed and able to die peacefully with this understanding of compassion. It is in the final scene that Edson reshapes Donne’s ideas on eternity and resurrection of the play with bearing’s humanistic post-modern sight. Donne, in his Judeo Christian context, prepares hims elf for God to take his soul into heaven, whereas the humanistic post-modern understanding of the resurrection that Bearing obtains brings an end to her suffering an pain when the â€Å"lights out. â€Å"

Fire And Rescue Leadership Essay

The rapid and dynamic environment in which fire safety and rescue services operate require transformational leadership which can manage subsequent pressures in organizations. Leadership is important in directing workers in any organization towards achieving organizational objectives. The rapid changes that take place during a fire emergency can only be properly managed through flexible working patterns and communication tools (Crosby, 2007 P. 10). Organizational leadership is generally responsible for designing vision and communicating values that are consistent with the mission of the organization. Followers are therefore coached on best practices and procedures for giving and receiving feedback on sensitive matters to the organization. Exchange of ideas within the organization is a product of harmonious relations between the leader and workers. It is this exchange of ideas and interaction between leadership and followers that inspires teamwork and quality performance at workplace. Changes must be appropriately factored in the planning of an organization. Fire rescue demands effective and timely communication of information in order to avoid fire disasters getting out of hand. Fire and rescue leadership is the pivot around which operations and tasks are managed for safety and goals to be achieved. Literature review Group and team managers working in fire stations are the principle leaders who strategize vision and explain it to employees. Lifelong learning, emotional intelligence and self awareness are very important leadership at all levels (Cote, 2003 P. 14). Fire outbreaks are an emergency which if not managed properly could lead to devastating effects. Prior preparation and strategic planning is therefore necessary in benchmarking precise decisions and innovations which can thwart a crisis. Training is therefore part and parcel of the organizational culture of transformational leadership in fire safety and rescue services. An effective leader should possess a character of humility and courage in order to direct fellow workers in preventing and arresting fire emergencies. Such a leader should also be charismatic enough to influence focus in employees towards achieving organizational objectives. Fire and rescue training is an important component of managing fire risks and associated damages. The training program is fragmented in several sections that correspond to variety in expertise. The daunting task of training falls in the hands of the fire engineers and management which look into technical details of the training and financial allocation respectively. The fire engineer outlines the curriculum for the training taking into account engineering and architectural details that apply to fire safety. It is the duty of management to support training programs financially. Fire fighting requires enormous investment in monetary terms towards purchasing facilities and equipment for quenching fires. Rescue operations also require the support of machinery and equipment that guarantee the safety of the rescuing personnel and survivors during a fire outbreak. Joint trainings are carried out by experienced managers and engineers who ensure that fine details are adhered to while minimizing financial spending. Too much fragmentation of the training program could lead to duplication of tasks in teams which could result in wastage of resources (Muckett & Furness, 2007 P. 16). Joint trainings foster lucrative professional relationships across disciplines that facilitate exchange of ideas between experts on matters of fire safety and rescue services. It is therefore the duty of fire and rescue leadership to organize the different trainings into a formidable program that ensures that roles are properly assigned, resources economically allocated and time saved in the process. Meaning training should be carried out in an integrated approach instead of stand alone activities in various teams. The quantity and quality of the training should serve the main purpose and goal of the organization towards reducing the devastating effects of fires while enhancing rescue services successfully. Effective education and training should ensure skills are acquired within the time frames allocated. Qualified instructors provide integrated training which can ensure mutual operations in fire and rescue services. Allocation of relevant resources for training should be consistent with the training program and the topics to be covered. It is the task of the leadership to ensure that courses are covered effectively and information recorded regarding attendance and compliance of employees to the program. Competency targets need to be clearly stated and explained to employees undergoing the training for purposes of evaluating their work performance (Hoff & Kolomay, 2003 P. 19). Documentation of the training in terms of attendance and compliance by trainees is a key performance indicator of success. Information management is equally an important aspect of the training program which ensures that relevant data is taught with respect to the current trends and practices in fire safety and recue services. Current trends include emerging technologies and techniques that provide solutions to the problems at hand. Fire and rescue leadership should evaluate technologies and alternative techniques with the aim of weighing their cost and applicability in their organizations. The current system and structure of preventing and arresting fires should be investigated against the modern approaches after which decisions can be appropriately made. In case the current system does not support a comprehensive and precise fire rescue operation during emergencies, then it could be improved based on the modern technologies or otherwise replaced where the current system fails to provide expected results. Maintaining the current system with new innovative technologies saves time and resources as compared to an entire overhaul (Smeby, 2005 P. 15). Methodologies Leadership should guarantee safety of people and securing of property during fire outbreaks. Managers, supervisors and managers should ensure that resources are appropriately allocated to the important activities and programs. Different departments can be trained through a rotational program that recognizes the needs of each of them. Such a rotational program is cost-effective and proficient in terms of training the entire staff comprehensively. It is also the duty of the management to ensure that legal compliance to fire protection is observed. Standards related to the physical design of the building and escape routes during fire emergencies should be factored in fire management policies (Crosby, 2007 P. 17). This enables organizations to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the law and architectural specifications in case of fire. Apart from the support provided to continuous education and training of personnel on matters of fire safety, the smooth running of organizations is a factor of how compliant they are to the established code of conduct and professional ethics. The use of appropriate technologies and techniques in fire fighting and prevention of physical damage is only effective if physical security conforms to architectural specifications. Leadership is therefore tasked to educate employees on fire safety protocols such as the use of fire extinguishers and first aid. The fire service and rescue operations should therefore be designed in respect of the industry standards and technological advancements. A culture of fire prevention should be developed instead of the regular approaches where efforts are directed on fire suppression after an outbreak. Fatalities and damages can be effectively reduced if fire prevention is prioritized (Cote, 2003 P. 20). Firefighting however persists as an important strategy in managing fire outbreaks. Leadership should therefore ensure that fatalities during firefighting are radically reduced. Normally, fire outbreaks are sudden. Detection of fires and smoke is thus crucial at its onset in firefighting. Communication systems which include alarm and smoke detection systems should be operational and properly maintained. This is because fire spreads at an unpredictable rate and may cause unfathomable fatalities and damage to property. It is therefore the responsibility of those in organizational leadership to ensure that the relative occupancies of different buildings are factored in fire safety protocols. Occupants should also be properly trained on how to respond to a fire emergency in order to avoid unnecessary panic and confusion that usually develops during such disasters. Behavioral leadership is therefore part and parcel of fire safety management (Muckett & Furness, 2007 P. 24). Rescue operations normally take time to reach the site of a fire outbreak. Fire safety should therefore seek to empower different occupants with skills for escape. Apart from robust infrastructure made up of proper communication tools, spacious physical design and escape routes, occupants should be properly trained on perishable skills that would ensure composure and communication is sustained throughout the period. For instance, people with disability require additional support in terms of alternative safe havens within the building which are insulated from fires in order to secure their lives before rescue operations are launched. It is equally important that these alternative safe havens are accessible to occupants with disabilities away from the congestion of other normal people during a fire incident. Conclusion Saving lives is the ultimate responsibility of fire safety and rescue operations. Different stakeholders are involved in planning, organizing and implementing activities which prevent and arrest fires. Fire and safety leadership ensures that fire prevention strategies are feasible in a dynamic environment where technologies keep changing and techniques in firefighting vary (Hoff & Kolomay, 2003 P. 28). It is the responsibility of organizational leadership to apply wisdom and innovation when designing the best procedures and policies in fire safety. It is important that the current systems are evaluated and appropriately upgraded in order to align organizational infrastructure in fire safety with relevant modern technologies. These are particularly important in designing communication and detection systems which can promptly alert occupants on the danger of fire. Since rescue operations take time to be launched, minimizing the degree of fatalities during a fire incident remains on top of the agenda in fire safety. Fire and rescue leadership should therefore apply collaborative and transformational approaches in organizing trainings and fire fighting strategies. Reference list Cote, A E 2003, Organizing for Fire and Rescue Services, NFPA (Series), Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA. Crosby, F C & Windisch, F C 2007, A Leadership Guide for Combination Fire Departments, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA. Hoff, R & Kolomay, R 2003, Firefighter Rescue & Survival, Penn Well Books, Oklahoma. Muckett, M & Furness, A 2007, Introduction to fire safety management, Butterworth- Heinemann, Amsterdam. Smeby, L C 2005, Fire and emergency service administration: management and leadership practices, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA.

Music and Film: Jaws (1975)

An opaque dorsal fin slices through the water. Camera-point-of-view on a young man splashing in the distance. The fin submerges. The sound track cranks up a notch: Dum- Dum – Dum – Dum – Dum – Dum..! Bubbles, white foam, glimpses of something large and foreboding thrashing in the waves. The music increases in its intensity: Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum..!   A red mist of blood that fogs the water. The audience in the movie theatre screams hysterically. A severed limb floats lazily to the ocean floor below. The music trails off. Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun.There have only been a handful of movies produced which contain a soundtrack that is not only instantly recognizable, but where the music also plays such an integral part in the film itself. Jaws (1975) is such a film. The movie successfully tapped into several human fears of the unknown and translated these phobias into a highly entertaining film that doesn’t talk down to its audience, nor uses viole nce gratuitously to get its point across.Commented Director Steven Spielberg:â€Å"†¦I think one of the reasons I made â€Å"Jaws† was because I was afraid of the water before I read the Peter Benchley book, and therefore I was the perfect candidate to direct this picture, because I have a tremendous amount of anxiety about the sea. Not so much about swimming pools or small ponds, but certainly about the eternal sea.I have a lot of anxiety, and my main anxiety stems from not being able to see my feet when I’m treading water. And what’s down there with me, and who’s nibbling on my toes. And I know how to express my fear cinematically. I’ve always been good at that, and I thought when â€Å"Jaws† came along, well, I   already have a tremendous fear of the ocean, and certainly a fear of sharks, and so I went to [producers] Dick Zanuck and David Brown and volunteered myself to direct the adaptation from the Benchley book†¦Ã¢â‚¬    (Excerpts from Steven Spielberg Interview)Composer John Williams — while no stranger to sound tracks for television and film (he’d already won an Oscar as music producer in 1971 for Fiddler on the Roof) — was just beginning to hit his stride on a musical odyssey that would see his movie soundtracks crack the Billboard music charts and sells millions. Almost unheard of for instrumental compositions, let alone for movie soundtracks.Williams saw something unique in the Spielberg rough-cut. He viewed the film as more  of an adventure and less as a traditional horror film. Recalled Williams in a conversation  with film producer Laurent Bouzereau:  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦This is like a pirate movie! I think we need  pirate music for this, because there’s something primal about it — but it’s also fun and  entertaining†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ( Lindahl, pg1 )As the legend goes, Williams was previewing proposed music for the film on his piano, playing t he basic structure for Spielberg and Bousereau and hammering out the now famous bars of impending doom on his piano keys. Spielberg thought Williams was kidding. â€Å"dum, dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum†   The rest as they say, is history:At first I began to laugh, and I thought, â€Å"John  has a great sense of humor!† But he was  Ã‚  serious — that was the theme for Jaws. So he  Ã‚  played it again and again, and suddenly it  seemed right. Sometimes the best ideas are  Ã‚  the most simple ones and John had found a  signature for the entire score†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  ( Lindahl, pg 1)Let it be said that the music in Jaws is effective because it’s not over used. By playing the Jaws theme only to foreshadow the presence of the shark, the music is much more effective. Several examples of this stand out. The music played in the scenes of families playing at the beach have an almost home town flavor to them. The music when the boats are setting out to capture the shark have a classical feel and one scene in particular – of a child playing in the water with a fake shark fin – has no music at all. Collectively, this contrast in musical styles plays to the audience’s advantage. They know in short order when they do hear the jaws theme that there’s no mistaking the fact that the shark is going to make an appearance.What is it about the movie Jaws and its music that sets it apart from so many other adventure and suspense films? Oddly enough, prior to the film’s premier there wasn’t a â€Å"genre’ for this type of film. Horror and suspense were considered â€Å"Category B or C†.In fact, after Jaws cracked 100 million dollars during its North American Box Office the genre of monster/animal/villain stalking its prey was firmly in place. Whose to say there’s not a little bit of Jaws in every film ranging from Rambo to Halloween? Certainly there are variations of John Willi ams film score in the above mentioned film and more.Stephen Spielberg has gone on record as saying that Jaws wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if it didn’t have the music it did. Plainly put, the music works. Would any other type of soundtrack so indelibly stamp an image on the subconscious of the  audience? Highly doubtful. The by-now famous â€Å"†¦dum, dum, dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum†¦Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"   creates an instant visual. But also serves as a metaphor for the shark’s excitement when it approaches its prey or when it approaches the boat of Robert Shaw.Critics can say what they will regarding John Williams score for Jaws. As a â€Å"piece of music† it is not the kind of score that allows for listening while lying down on the coach for example. It is music that conjures up images. There are several suites — if the term can be freely used – that showcase Williams versatility as a scorer of music and as a producer who kn ows how to grab his audience by the collar.When it comes to music that creates a sense of suspense and hysteria the loaded â€Å"Shark Cage Fugue† bears listening to more than once. Similar treatment is due â€Å"The Great Shark Chase† and the nearly five minutes long â€Å"Man Against Beast†, where renditions of the familiar theme appears and disappears, interwoven with the theme associated with the actual shark hunting.However, Williams’ use of Quint’s â€Å"sailor song† as a recurring theme is used to great effect as a vehicle to mark the captain's inner resolution and character. He sings it when he is in a good mood, or when he needs to conjure up his muse: â€Å"†¦Farewell and a-do to you fair Spanish ladies, farewell and a-do to you ladies in Spain†¦Ã¢â‚¬    Williams interweaves this ditty at crucial parts of the film. Most notably when his ship â€Å"The Orca† is floundering and ready to sink. The shark is waiting â€Å"out there† somewhere and Quint is running out of luck. The music again — in this case not even the theme — is used to great effect.On a more technical note, it would be impossible to discuss the impact of the Jaws soundtrack on the film, without exploring how the music itself was packaged and made available to the public as a marketing tool. Andrew Drannon provides a valuable perspective on the issued soundtrack for Jaws, as well as an astute track by track breakdown of the music on it’s latest re-issue. Drannon mentions that the original Jaws score exists in three recordings: The original LP and a 1992 CD re-issue feature about half an hour of music that Williams rearranged and re-recorded for the sole purposes of the album, and this was for a long time the only available music from the picture. Drannon delves further into the music, saying:â€Å"†¦Film score collectors have been historically  Ã‚   quite adamant in their demands for comple te releases of soundtracks, namely for the scores of John Williams, which so often leave out highlights of the music and place them into confusing suites.  To some, this may seem a bit unneeded, due to the fact that the original 35-minute LP album featured a great majority of the score, with a few of the shorter cues actually expanded into suites.Still, for the 25th anniversary of the film, Decca saw fit to rescue  the entire musical work, minus the album expansions for a 51-minute CD release. Fans will be elated due to the inclusion of almost 30 minutes of new material, including fantastic cues not used in the film, which make up for the loss of the infamous original album developments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Andrew Drannon pg 1)The final re-issue presents the jaws soundtrack into a more cohesive listening experience.Years after the film made its debut in theatres, after countless showings on television, after a Jaws Fest even, the music ha become an institution. There have been only a handful of films where the music has much such an impact: the James Bond franchise, Enrico Morricone with â€Å"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and possibly the Indiana Jones series. But none make the blood curl, create a knot in one’s stomach and send a chill up the spine like John Williams soundtrack for the original summer blockbuster, Jaws.References:Spielberg, Steven. Interview excerpts, Jaws 30th Anniversary Special EditionDVD linear notes, 2005Lindahl, Andreas. Scoreviews.Com. Internet article. pg 1 1998Ibid. pg 1Drannon, Andrew. Decca Music Group Sound Tracks Review: Jaws 25th Anniversary Edition. Internet article. pg 1. 2000

Prepare an overview of the Banking Sector of INDIA. Mention your Essay

Prepare an overview of the Banking Sector of INDIA. Mention your sources - Essay Example This has led to competition and generated new level of expectations among the consumers. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of the country and it closely monitors the developments in the financial sector. The banking sector is dominated by Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) including 27 Public Sector Banks (PSBs), 31 Private, 42 Foreign and 196 Regional Rural Banks as of March 2002 (Research & Markets, 2009). In addition, there were 67 scheduled co-operative banks consisting of 51 scheduled urban co-operative banks and 16 scheduled state co-operative banks. State Bank of India (SBI) is the largest bank in India with a market share of 20 percent while ICICI is the second largest bank in India. The commercial banks include the former development financial institutions (DFI) such as the ICICI and the IDBI. The commercial banks have on their books very long-duration GOI securities with some banks holding as much as 45 percent in these securities (Mor, Chandrasekhar & Wahi, 2005). The GOI and the RBI together direct and govern the functioning of the banks (Ra vichandran, 2003). The initiatives or the stimulus package by the GOI has transformed the banking industry which reflects in the significant growth in the banking sector as studied by Dun & Bradstreet, an international research body. Taking into account all banks of India, as of 2009, there are 56,640 branches or offices, 893,356 employees and 27,088 ATMs (IBEF, 2009). Public sector banks dominate the industry comprising of 87.7 percent of all offices, 82% of staff and 60.3% of all ATMs. As on 2nd January 2009, the aggregate bank deposits stood at 21.2% while the ban credit touched 24% against 21.4% as on January 4, 2008. There has also been an increase in the total flow of resources from the banking sector to the commercial sector which stood at US$ 58.83 billion up to January 2, 2009. Credit expansion varies across bank groups.

Source Encounter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Source Encounter - Assignment Example Summary: The article brings to the limelight what happens in the night clubs behind the knowledge of the people and the conduct of the club owners when dealing with the ladies who are lured to work in the clubs. The famous Manhattan Club which is a hot spot in New York is put under view with its owner, Mark Birnbaum being accused of sexually harassing and molesting the female employees in his club. This comes to the limelight after four bartenders who worked at the Tenjune and its sister club Simyone lounge accused the owner of using his position as the boss in the enterprise to solicit sexual favors from the unwilling employees. They go further to call him a sex predator for his unruly act. Though his lawyer denies the charges on the basis that the employees are still working in the enterprises as they have been doing over the years it is evident that such claims could be valid looking at the author’s experiences from a different club. About the Author: Scott shifrel is a Daily News Staff writer. He handles topics from various fields and does critical analysis before posting his results on the web and also on their print version. He has written other interesting articles such as ‘Same Old, Same Old for Musician suing for Age Bias’ among others. His articles range from legal to sociology and through his well-articulated use of words and knowledge of the contemporary society he is able to address various topics in an exemplary way. About the Audience: The article is published in the Daily News which is an informative paper. The audience targeted varies and there is no age group that is targeted. However, this article is meant to open the eyes of the ladies who may end up falling prey to such owners who employ them as a way of soliciting sexual favors from them. This has been a controversial topic in the recent past and he addresses it in an

Is the current law on murder still acceptable Assignment

Is the current law on murder still acceptable - Assignment Example It is more than any rule that is practiced or any law but it’s a complete process of legal frame work. England inherited the law of Wales, therefore when talking about the English Legal System we refer to Wales’s as well. The English Legal system is based on the common law where the judges can carry on the law themselves and the decisions from the previous cases and be made as a part of law. (Gillespie, 2007) The legal system of England and Wales is based on the common law legal system used I Republic of England and in most common wealth countries. United Kingdom is the member of the European Union, England and Wales are constituent countries of the UK. The essence of common law is that it is the judges sitting in courts applying the Law of England. 1.1 CRIMINAL LIABILITY OF A DEFENDENT ACCUSED OF MURDER As explained by Catherine Elliot and Frances Quin in the first chapter (Elliot & Quin, 2012) there are various elements necessary to prove the criminal liability of a m urder. A criminal offence is only possible when both â€Å"Actus reus† and â€Å"Mens rea† are conducted at a time. ... As stated in the English law that a person is innocent until proven guilty. ACTUS REAUS + MENS REA = CRIMINAL OFFENCE (the above diagram shows the elements of criminal offence) In the case of Woolmington v DPP (1935) the defendant had taken a gun to threat his wife (the victim of the case), that he would commit suicide if she didn’t return to him, accidently the gun went off and he was convicted of murder. Hence, it is concluded from this case that although he did it by accident but the murderer had done a criminal offence, with a guilty mind. (Roe D, 2005) 1.2 ACTUS REUS To begin with the study of any case, firstly it is necessary to prove the criminal offence. As talked about it earlier a criminal offence is a compound of both intention and action to commit the crime. Actus reus is the first element of a criminal offence. Briefly and in simple words it means intent, the intention to commit offence. The term is a Latin word meaning ‘the guilty act’. The literal m eaning explains that it is important that a physical action or movement takes place. In the case of R  v Cunningham  (1982), the victim was attacked by the defendant wrongly assuming that victim has sexual relation with his fiance. The defendant repeatedly hit the victim in his head, causing fracture and severe injuries resulting in death in a week. Although the defendant claimed that law of murder should be held to those who intent to do kill but unfortunately the decision was given against the defendant. 1.2.1 IMPORTANCE The concept of Actus reus has been derived from English common law. The principal of this concept is the application of both the elements of criminal offence to call it a criminal act. Any act that is carried on with the intention to harm anyone becomes a criminal act. In the

Civilian Contractors on the Battlefield Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Civilian Contractors on the Battlefield - Essay Example The following discussion is going to explore the ethical problems, whilst defining the actual position of a civilian contractor on the battlefield. Also it will consider the security problems in depending on civilian personnel, because there interest is in the monetary value of their service rather than the loyalty and security of a nation4. Therefore this may jeopardize the security of battle planning, because if civilian contractors are working on a business level then if the opposition offered a better business deal then these civilian contractors become a breach in the US military strategy5. In the first place the role of the civilian contractor can be seen as military personal as the Hague Convention of 1907 allows that other persons can be combatant in a time of war than just military personnel. Therefore under the Geneva Convention these individuals will be afforded the protections as prisoners of war. This means that on the ethical grounds of using contractors on the battlefield, governments such as the USA can legitimately affirm their use. In essence under the Hague Convention and the Geneva Convention these individuals are in fact quasi-military, i.e. ... ercenaries.7 British Human Rights lawyer Helen Kennedy has illustrated that there is vast problems with the USA naming freedom fighters, armed guerrillas who are not part of a state army as terrorists in order to punish them through vengeance ethically and a breach of humanitarian law. We [the UK] should not be tempted to take the American route There should never be a direct role for victims in punishment. If victims have a direct say in sentencing decisions, how will consistency be achieved between the victim bent on vengeance and the person willing to forgive8 The actions of the US authorities in Guantanamo Bay are an example of a nation of victims having a say in the punishment of possibly innocent people and these victims have no objectivity and mass cruelty and torture is happening. This is happening of civilians that have taken up arms to protect themselves and named terrorists. How does the US government legitimize civilian contractors who are getting paid for there services on one hand, but not freedom fighters on the other The distinction does not make legal or ethical sense, because morally a freedom fighter has a better argument for their actions and to become a war prisoner protected under the Geneva Convention than does the civilian contractor.9 Finally, the security issues that the uses of civilian contractors raise are vast. In the first instance is a contractor is being highly paid there are business reasons for their use on the battlefield.10 Therefore is it not conceivably possible that if the contractor is offered a higher price on the opposition, the needs of the business and money outweigh loyalty Secondly, there is the possibility that there will be infiltration by the opposition through the use of civilian contractors; especially in the case