Perceptions of Organized Crime Groups Essay

The United States is run by a democratic government that has laws in place to ensure order and organization. However, there are certain people and groups that wish to compromise and profit personally from breaking these laws. According to Understanding Organized Crime (2007), organized crime can be defined by the members and the activities of a group. There are many crimes in which organized crime might be involved, but what separates individual crime from crimes committed by groups of people is the term organized or organization. Organization has been described as a group of people who cooperate to accomplish objectives or goals. Organized crime has been around for centuries; from Outlaw gangs in the western days that robbed stage coaches, the pony express, and passengers of trains to today’s Blood and Crip gangs that dominate public streets for power over territories and drug sales. Gangs have been around for a long time imposing on the lives and liberties of law abiding cit izens that wish to obey laws. Law abiding citizens have to live in imminent fear that their lives are not disrupted by the actions of these criminal organizations that wish to indulge in crime. In this paper, we will explore the various definitions, perception, characteristics of organized crime, and explore some high profile groups that indulge in different types of crimes. Perception of Organized Crime A University of Phoenix student named ————– was asked how she defined organized crime. ———–’s perception of organized crime has some of the dynamics right such as profit, power, and hatred, but the reading further states that organized crime has no real black and white meaning, besides a group of people uniting for a common goal. Her answer was simple; she stated that organized crime is when a group of people break laws and/or violate others in order to gain power, profit, or promote hatred. Organized crime groups incarcerated within the prison system such as Nuestra Familia and Mexican Mafia, break laws to gain power that lead to some form of profit; depending on what they need such as drugs, cigarettes, or privileges from others. Drug Cartels as the Shower Posse and Spangler Posse of Jamaica, involved themselves in organize crime to profit from illegal drug activity, and groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Bro therhood are driven by hatred. Author’s Perception Compare to the Definitions in the Readings The author’s perception of the definition in the reading is similar in the meaning of criminal organization, but the book states that crime can be defined by the members and the activities of a group. This means that crime is what each club sees it to be. This is an interesting point, but very true. Many people (e.g. club members) in society commit crimes for different reasons. Some feel it is necessary to break laws due to their limited necessities in life. It does, in no means make it right, but it is the perception of many. The prisons are filled with individuals/criminals that feel they were doing what they needed to do to defend themselves, take care of themselves, or just was presented with opportunity. Some of them sit in prison for years and still feel that their actions of breaking the law were justified. This is the mentality of most organized crime gangs. All they care about is what they want at the time, and not what the implications of breaking the law ca n lead to, until it hits home. ———has personal knowledge of different biker groups and 2 Outlaw Motorcycle Gang’s (OMG’s) and was raised in and around the biker atmosphere, but none of those groups that are mentioned in the book. She has heard the mentality of the OMG’s as opposed to regular Biker Clubs. The 1% clubs run their clubs totally different with no regard for breaking the law, indulging in violence, or starting trouble. 1% Outlaw Biker Gangs One of the clubs that she knows of is called the Chosen Few. The Chosen Few is a 1% motorcycle gang that ———-has first-hand knowledge of. She has known some of their members for a long time and has witnessed how their club is run, aside from other biker clubs that do charitable work in and around their communities, such as toy runs, mentorships, feeding, and clothing the homeless and disable children. In a recent article, from 2010, the Chosen Few M.C. was involved in 3 murders. After this incident, law enforcement officials began to keep a close eye on them and found even more illegal affiliations. The article by Chris Vogel (2011), points out several incidents with Chosen Few members that had negitive run-ins with the law. The article states that agents used confidential informants to buy drugs and guns from members, a member was arrested with more than a kilo of coke, police discovered that a DMV worker was making fake identifications for club members to use i n order to buy guns, and a member was arrested with a gallon of PCP – which led federal agents to Detroit, where another six gallons of PCP were seized. (Feds Catch Chosen Few Motorcycle Club Members Selling Guns & PCP, 2011) According to the characteristics of organized crime with Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG’s) the Chosen Few, fits the criteria. Characteristics Associated with Organized Criminal Behavior There are certain characteristics of organized criminal behaviors that range from commitment to eminent structure. Commitment is an oath and allegiance to what these clubs, good or bad stand for. It is needed to protect and serve the honor of the organization and all its secrets. Along with this it comes with a sense of power, pride, and protection. Survival is a trait that many organized crime member’s exhibit. It is sometimes used to partake in illegal activities to sustain the worldly goods that obtained. For OMG’s, it may consist of the clubhouse, due paying members, and motorcycles. Punishment is a characteristic that is prevalent in discouraging members from disloyalty, disobedience, or dishonor. These punishments can be in the form of death, beat downs, or in the case of OMG’s fines or snatching of colors. Structure is the final characteristic that needed for an organize crime group to be successful. Like a business is run with a CEO, CFO, and other people in place to ensure order, organized crime groups are ran alike. With a chief officer in place and other members in position to handle different aspects of business to make sure there is no breakdown in with members. In conclusion, organize crime has unique characteristics that has been in place for centuries, and although law enforcement has been investigating the structures of this organizations, it is too many to stop. They are intricate organizations with different reasons as to why they chose to break the law. This is why there is no clear cut definition of organize crime. Mallory, S. (2007). Understanding Organized Crime. Retrieved from University of Phoenix. Vogel, C. (2011). Feds Catch Chosen Few Motorcycle Club Members Selling Guns & PCP. Retrieved from http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/07/black_biker_gang_chosen_few.php

Hydrocephalus in Animals

Hydrocephalus in Animals Hydrocephalus is a nervous system disorder characterized by increased intracranial pressure and enlargement of the head. Increased intracranial pressure is a direct consequence of fluid accumulation in ventricular system. This condition can affect almost all animal species including domestic animals like cattle, dogs, and cats (Rousseaux Ribble 31).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hydrocephalus in Animals specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The disorder is mostly diagnosed in young animals. However, animals may develop the disease during adulthood. Two general types of hydrocephalus exist; communicating hydrocephalus and non-communicating hydrocephalus. This paper analyzes causes, signs and symptoms, diagnostic techniques, treatment, and prevention of the condition. Communicating hydrocephalus is brought about by buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain channels due to either over secretion or faulty absorp tion. In communicating type the ventricular system and subarachnoid space are connected (McGavin Zachary 864). It is not clear what causes excessive production or defective absorption but inflammatory processes could be involved. In some cases cerebrospinal fluid absorption occurs but is insufficient. This type occurs mainly as a congenital disorder. Congenital anomalies arise from exposure to chemicals, drugs and other teratogenic agents during pregnancy. Chromosomal mutations have been noted in animals with hydrocephaly. Genetic alterations are passed from parents to offspring. Cerebrospinal fluid cannot move from ventricles to subarachnoid space in non-communicating hydrocephalus. Obstruction could either be within the ventricular system or at the foramina connecting ventricles and the subarachnoid space. In this type, cerebrospinal fluid production and absorption are normal. Blockage is caused by a number of factors. They include tumors, injury to the brain, inflammation within the channels, and infections. Viral infections are by far the most common cause of obstruction. Most signs and symptoms are nonspecific to the condition. The disease is manifest through enlargement of the head. In some animal species, enlarged skull takes a characteristic shape. For example, dogs with the abnormality have dome shaped skull. Other signs and symptoms result from neurological deficits caused by compression. They include seizures, tremors, abnormal gait, feeding difficulties, growth retardation, and malformation of limbs. Animals with the disease are unable to lead a normal life. Diagnosis of hydrocephalus relies on physical examination by a veterinary doctor who then recommends other tests. Imaging is used to determine the location of the lesion in the brain (Nam 59). Laboratory tests are also done to rule out other causative agents like viruses and bacteria. Samples for laboratory tests include blood, cerebrospinal fluid and biopsies.Advertising Looking for r esearch paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management of the disorder is divided into medical and surgical interventions. Medical treatment is done using steroids and diuretics. Steroids are anti-inflammatory agents while diuretics reduce intracranial pressure by increasing frequency of urination. Surgical management is done by a veterinary surgeon to improve drainage of cerebrospinal fluid. Shunting of fluid is achieved through ventriculoperitoneal shunting and ventriculoartrial shunting (Woo et al 499). Control and prevention of the disease can be achieved through screening of animals and removal of causative agents. Animals should be screened early in life for genetic abnormalities. Animals with defective genes should not be allowed to reproduce because they can pass problematic genes to their offspring (Hitlock 58). Pregnant animals should not be exposed to teratogenic agents. Animals should be im munized against some causative organisms like viruses. This paper analyzed causes, signs and symptoms, diagnostic techniques, treatment, and prevention of hydrocephalus. The disorder is caused by excessive production, defective absorption, and obstruction of flow. It can be managed using drugs and surgery. Hitlock, BK. â€Å"Heritable Birth Defects of Cattle.† Applied Reproductive Strategies Conference Proceedings Nashville. (2010): 146-153. Web. McGavin, MD. Zachary, JF. Pathologic Basis of Veterinary Disease, St Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier Publishing, 2007: 863-864. Print. Nam, Jung- Woo. â€Å"Evaluation of hydrocephalic ventricular alterations in maltese dogs using low field MRI.† Intern J Appl Res Vet Med. 9. 1. (2011): 58-67. Web. Rousseaux, CG Ribble, CS. â€Å"Developmental Anomalies in Farm Animals II. Defining Etiology.† Can Vet J .29 (1988): 30-40. Web.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hydrocephalus in Animals specif ically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Woo J. N et al. â€Å"Application of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement through fontanelle in a hydrocephalus dog: a case report.† Veterinarni Medicina. 54.10 (2009): 498– 500. Web.

When Two Stars Orbit Together

When Two Stars Orbit Together Since our solar system  has a single  star  at its heart, its logical to assume that all stars form independently and travel the galaxy alone. However,  it turns out that about a third (or possibly even more) of all stars are born in our galaxy (and in other galaxies) exist in multiple-star systems. There can be two stars (called a binary), three stars, or even more.   The Mechanics of a Binary Star Binaries (two stars orbiting around a common center of mass) are very common in the sky.  The larger of the two stars in such a system is called the primary star, while the smaller one is the companion or secondary star. One of the best-known binaries in the sky is the bright star Sirius, which has a very dim companion. Another favorite is Albireo, part of the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. Both are easy to spot, but it requires telescope or binoculars to see the components of each binary system.   The term binary star system should not be confused with the term double star. Such  systems are usually defined as two stars that appear to be interacting, but actually are very distant from each other and have no physical connection. It can be confusing to tell them apart, especially from a distance.   It can also be quite difficult to identify the individual stars of a binary system, as one or both of the stars may be non-optical  (in other words, not especially bright in visible light).  When such systems are found though, they usually fall into one of four following categories. Visual Binaries As the name suggests, visual binaries are systems in which the stars can be identified individually. Interestingly, in order to do so, it is necessary for the stars to be not too bright. (Of course, distance to the objects is also a determining factor if they will be individually resolved or not.) If one of the stars is of high luminosity, then its brightness will drown out the view of the companion. That makes it difficult to see. Visual binaries are detected with telescopes, or sometimes with binoculars. In many cases, other binaries, like those listed below, could be determined to be visual binaries when observed with powerful enough instruments. So the list of systems in this class is continually growing as more observations are made with more powerful telescopes. Spectroscopic Binaries Spectroscopy is a powerful tool in astronomy. It allows astronomers to determine various properties of stars simply by studying their light in minute detail. However, in the case of binaries, spectroscopy can also reveal that a star system may, in fact, be composed of two or more stars. How does this work? As two stars orbit each other they will at times be moving towards us, and away from us at others. This will cause their light to be blueshifted then redshifted  repeatedly.  By measuring the frequency of these shifts we can calculate information about their orbital parameters. Because spectroscopic binaries are often very close to each other (so close that even a good telescope cant split them apart, they are rarely also visual binaries. In the odd instances that they are, these systems are usually very close to Earth and have very long periods (the farther apart that they are, the longer it takes them to orbit their common axis). Closeness and long periods make the partners of each system easier to spot. Astrometric Binaries Astrometric binaries are stars that appear to be in orbit under the influence of an unseen gravitational force.  Often enough, the second star is a very dim source of electromagnetic radiation, either a small brown dwarf or perhaps a very old neutron star that has spun down below the death line. Information about the missing star can be ascertained by measuring the orbital characteristics of the optical star. The methodology for finding astrometric binaries is also used to find exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) by looking for wobbles in a star. Based on this motion the masses and orbital distances of the planets can be determined. Eclipsing Binaries In eclipsing binary systems the orbital plane of the stars is directly in our line of sight. Therefore the stars pass in front of each other as they orbit. When the dimmer star passes in front of the brighter star there is a significant dip in the observed brightness of the system. Then when the dimmer star moves behind the other, there is a smaller, but still measurable dip in brightness. Based on the time scale and magnitudes of these dips, the orbital characteristics, as well as information about the stars relative sizes and masses, can be determined. Eclipsing binaries can also be good candidates for spectroscopic binaries, though, like those systems they are rarely if ever found to be visual binary systems. Binary stars can teach astronomers a lot about their individual systems.They can also give clues to their formation, and the conditions under which they were born, since there had to be enough material in the birth nebula for both to form and not disrupt each other. In addition, there werent likely large sibling stars nearby, since those would have eaten up the material needed for the formation of the binaries.   The science of binaries is still very much an active topic in astronomy research.   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground

Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground By Maeve Maddox When I was still young enough to be under parental supervision, if I did something ill-considered, I was not â€Å"grounded†; I â€Å"lost privileges.† The use of grounded to mean â€Å"confined to home outside school hours† had not yet penetrated to our neck of the woods. I was familiar with grounded in connection with electricity and flying: grounded adjective: electrically connected with the ground, either directly or through another conductor. grounded adjective: of an airplane or pilot, unable, or not allowed to fly. For example, a pilot might be grounded because of illness. A plane might be grounded by reason of bad weather. In the 1940s, the word grounded acquired the general sense of suspended or disqualified. For example, a truck driver whose license had been revoked was said to be â€Å"grounded,† as was a jockey who had been suspended from riding. It was not a leap to apply the use of grounded to a teenager whose driving privileges had been revoked. Nowadays, even young children are said to be grounded when they have privileges denied as the result of misbehavior unconnected with using a vehicle. The noun ground is from a Germanic source meaning earth. Literally and figuratively, ground represents the basis or bottom of something. A ship in shallow water may strike ground. The plural, grounds, denotes the premise or reason on which something rests. For example, â€Å"grounds for divorce, â€Å"objections on religious grounds.† Ground occurs in numerous idioms. Here are just ten. ground rules: the basic rules or principles. For example, â€Å"Establishing the classroom  ground rules  on the first day can provide year-long benefits for your challenging students.†Ã‚   groundswell: a long, deep rolling of the sea caused by a disturbance, possibly originating at the bottom. Figuratively, a ground swell is strong public opinion that seems to be rising from somewhere and becoming stronger. For example, â€Å"Whether New York businessman Donald Trump is serious about running for president or just serious about getting publicity, his groundswell of support in recent weeks is hard to ignore.† ground zero: This expression stems from nuclear testing. â€Å"Ground zero† was the point on the earth’s surface either at or immediately above or below the center of a nuclear explosion. Now it can mean the center of any cataclysmic blast, such as the site of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in 2001. The expression is also used figuratively, as in this reference: â€Å"The Interview - the Hollywood movie that became ground zero in the extortionate cyber attack that U.S. authorities are now blaming on North Korea.†Ã‚   To break new ground: to do something that has never been done before, like a settler digging a foundation for a home in the wilderness. â€Å"Anomalisa filmmakers break new ground with stop-motion drama.† To cut the ground from under someone’s feet: in a debate, to disprove all possible arguments before they can be made by one’s adversary; to leave someone at a loss as to what to do. â€Å"Depression  cuts the ground from under  ones  feet!†Ã‚   To get in on the ground floor: to be involved at the beginning of an enterprise, especially in anticipation of profiting greatly. â€Å"If you are hoping to get in on the ground floor of Maryland’s medical cannabis program, you should not underestimate the importance of this very short comment period.†Ã‚   To put one’s ear to the ground: be on the alert for possible developments on a topic of interest. â€Å"It is not a secret among those who  keep their ears to the ground  in matters political in Michigan that Commissioner Mershon, of the state tax commission,  intends to resign as soon as the new administration takes office.† To go to ground: to make oneself inaccessible for a time, like an animal holing up in its lair. For example, â€Å"Similarly, a proportion of  fugitives  had  gone to ground  because they knew some of their Francoist neighbours were working in tandem with the authorities.†Ã‚   To get off the ground: to begin a project; begin to show success. This newspaper headline plays on both the literal and figurative meanings of â€Å"to get off the ground†: â€Å"In Chicago, rooftop farming is getting off the ground.† To hold one’s ground: to maintain one’s position in the face of opposition or attack. â€Å"A workplace bully may try to verbally pound you into submission. If he insists on getting his way, hold your ground.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartDoes "Mr" Take a Period?Uses of the Past Participle

NBA vs. Owners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

NBA vs. Owners - Essay Example For instance, in 2009 he paid $2.73 in fines to the federal government to settle claims that were placed on him regarding discrimination towards the African Americans and Latinos. Donald Sterling has also been sued in the past by his own 22-year manger on claims of harassment, discrimination, as well as wrongful termination. This case becomes a moral issue because the recording that Donald Sterling has been accused of was released to the press illegally and his conversation was recorded without his consent. This has led to Sterling claiming that his rights were violated. The image conscious NBA has several options that can be taken against the billionaire who has since maintained that he is not racist. This issue becomes more confusing because Donald Sterling has been involved in initiatives to support the minority groups. However, one of his own managers has maintained that he does something expecting to benefit in another way. For instance, helping the minorities and having a girlf riend from a minority group would be effective in showing that he is not racist and in improving his own image. Although the NBA has a clear constitution, several changes should be incorporated in it to ensure that firm actions are taken against individuals who make racist remarks. Due to the evil that is involved in racism, NBA should punish such individuals as Donald Sterling accordingly to ensure that such instances do not occur again in the future and to ensure equality in the American society. Preventing a re-occurrence of the same in the league, NBA should monitor the behavior of the team owners, create an environment that advocates for equality, react immediately to racist behaviors, and enforce racism cases regarding the league in the U.S constitution. The NBA should monitor the behavior of the team owners as well as their actions so as to ensure that actions that may tarnish the name of the organization and the image of

Global Business Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Business Environment - Assignment Example This report will look at the different measures a country can take in such instances. There is essentially no simple strategy alone to prevent recession in a country. There are a number of factor at play which further complicates the problem of recession in a country. Like after world economic crisis in 2008, country like India faced many challenges with respect to its economic policies. India has high inflation rate along with soaring high interest rate. Keeping in mind the strong fundamentals in India, RBI took a number of measures to control recession in India. RBI plays a significant role by controlling and monitoring the lending rates of scheduled commercial banks. The inflation rate in any economy is dependent on the availability of goods and services. RBI uses its monetary and credit tools to maintain the price stability in the economy and thus support the economic growth in the economy. RBI being the central bank of India, monitors, regulates and controls the entire financial system. RBI through its monetary policy regulates the issue of bank notes so as to m aintain proper liquidity in the system (Schwartz, 2010, p. 7). The monetary policy adopted by RBI can be either expansionary or contractionary in nature. RBI uses expansionary policy during deep recession. When RBI finds excess liquidity in the system, RBI uses several monitory instruments like Cash reserve ratio, Statutory Liquidity Ratio, Repo Rate, Reverse Repo rate to adjust liquidity in the economy. During deep recession, RBI needs to inject liquidity in the system so that money can flow in the system and demand improves and consequently GDP improves. For that RBI can reduce Cash reserve ratio or Statutory Liquidity Ratio. This will inject more cash in the hands of Bank which Banks can lend to the customers and inject liquidity in the system (Hershey, 2004, p. 13). The main priority should be given to small scale industries as they are the main employment

The Concept of Disinterestedness as Central for the Ethics of Kant Essay

The Concept of Disinterestedness as Central for the Ethics of Kant - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the chief postulate of the philosophy of Kant is that the mind can know objects existing in the external world only via notions of space and time, which are sensible forms produced by the mind itself. Kant maintains that these forms, by virtue of structuring the sensual information, enable the knowledge as such, and concludes that all we know about objects is their appearance in time and space, in this way drawing attention to the fact that the mind adds something to its knowledge, fundamentally limiting itself in the process. Kant used these views as an argument in his moral philosophy to show that humans are free because it is the power of their reason that posits a moral law for their actions. In frames of the classical tradition, moral philosophy was viewed as ethics based on the human situation in the world, and on the realities external in relation to mind. Under this view, moral goodness is rooted in the natur e of man, the nature of things, and God. This approach gave rise to Natural Law theory of ethics, and since the classical period, the moral philosophy offered few new perspectives. It was Kant who offered a truly new perspective in the moral philosophy as he rationalized ethics by his exaltation of Pure Reason as a system of beliefs that does not depend on sensual experience, and at the same time used his Christian background to absolutize his moral ideal. He grounded morality not on the traditional notion of good but on the pure obligation, akin to his perception of knowledge as based on some a priori, i.e. independent of experience, forms inherent to mind. In this way, Kant replaced the traditional Christian ethics with reason, which became the factor that shapes human life, and ascribed to morality absolutized and sacred status. Thus, as the external reality has been demoted as the source of morality, a total change of the foundation of moral philosophy occurred and the rational ethics had to be separated from external objects and had to be inferred only from the internal qualities of the human mind. In Kantian disinterestedness, love is absent, which makes the ethics based on Pure Reason distinct from the traditional Christian morality. Indeed, Kant thought that to have a truly disinterested motive, any striving for good, including love and our desire for pleasure and happiness, as the end of an action must be disqualified as being not moral but as the one which is inevitably interested. Of course, the desire for pleasure, our self-interest, our self-love, and after all our prudence may seem to be related to morality, as these elements of our motivation accompany most actions of man, but for Kant they cannot constitute even slightest motives of the moral act, and instead deprive it of morality. As Kant says that the only possible thing which can be considered unqualifiedly good is a good will, therefore human desires cannot be motives for the pure and auto nomous moral will. Similarly, goodwill remains good only because it is an exposition of Pure Reason, and because it conforms to obligation exclusively for the sake of obligation, forming the only possible mode of a truly moral motivation. There is just one impulse that can lead us to this authentic motivation - reverence of the moral law because such a respect is the only factor that reason lets into moral life.