An Argument Of The Lack Of Lawyer?s Morals :: essays research papers

Synthesis Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I clearly remember one wild and crazy Saturday night, I had just turned 19 years old and was out celebrating with my buddies. On my way home I decided to act like if I was on an episode of â€Å"COPS† and was arrested for drunk driving, reckless driving, evading police, resisting arrest, and underage drinking. When I went to court for my first hearing I was facing a minimum of one year in jail, five thousand dollars in fines, and a two year suspension of my drivers license. Right then I knew then that I had to find myself a lawyer and was not going to settle for a worthless public defender. As I was walking out of the courtroom a lawyer approached me and asked if I needed a lawyer. Before I could answer he said he could get my case dismissed and all of my charges dropped for three thousand dollars. He didn’t even know all the details of my case and already knew he could win my case. The lawyer didn’t care whether I was guilty or innocent he ju st wanted the money for taking my case. This goes to show that some lawyers don’t care who is innocent or guilty as long as they can get paid a good sum of money for your court case. I will show you that some lawyers aren’t interested about who is innocent or guilty all they want is the chance to profit from the case. I have included three cases in this essay where lawyers don’t care whether their clients are innocent or at fault. The first case I will be discussing is Liebeck Vs McDonald’s. In this case an 81 year old woman (Stella Liebeck) using the drive through window at a local McDonald’s ordered a cup of coffee. While in her vehicle Liebeck spilled the coffee on her lap and groin area and received second and third degree burns from it. With a lawyer on her side she filed a lawsuit stating that McDonald’s coffee was served too hot and it was a dangerous temperature. McDonald’s would not settle out of court because they believed they had proof of negligence on the victim, and would win the case. After a long and timely lawsuit, McDonald’s lost the case and the jury awarded Liebeck 2.9 million dollars. We all know that Liebeck was at fault for spilling coffee on herself, but to the lawyer it doesn’t matter.

The Theme of The Death of Ivan Ilych :: Tolstoy Death Ivan Ilych Essays

The Theme of The Death of Ivan Ilych One Work Cited In "The Death of Ivan Ilych", Leo Tolstoy examines the life of a man, Ivan, who would seem to have lived an exemplary life with moderate wealth, high station, and family. By story's end, however, Ivan's life will be shown to be devoid of passion -- a life of duties, responsibilities, respect, work, and cold objectivity to everything and everyone around Ivan. It is not until Ivan is on his death bed in his final moments that he realizes what will become the major theme of the story: that the personal relationships we forge are more important in life than who we are or what we own. This point of the story is indirectly brought out in the very beginning when Ivan's colleagues, and supposedly his friends, learn of his death. The narrator states in paragraph 5: So on receiving the news of Ivan Ilych's death the first thought of each of the gentlemen in that private room was of the changes and promotions it might occasion among themselves or their acquaintances. This line reveals that among Ivan's peers, he was no more than an obstacle. It also reveals that these men regarded Ivan with the same respect and cold, professional indifference with which he regarded them. Ivan's own wife appears to be just going through the motions of grieving, when in fact she is more concerned with monetary matters. Of all the characters presented in this story, none truly mourns the passing of Ivan Ilych. Of the things Ivan seemed to pride himself on during his lifetime was his professionalism while performing his job at the Court of Justice. The narrator explains in some detail how Ivan was able to detach himself from the emotional turmoil surrounding a case while "eliminating all considerations irrelevant to the legal aspect of the case" (paragraph 65). This portrays Ivan Ilych as a shrewd, calculating, apathetic magistrate, whose only concern was for the process of justice, and not for the people his rulings affected. He is made to realize, too late, the dehumanizing effect his unemotional demeanor has had on others when a physician gives him like treatment. Ivan recognizes that "the doctor put on just the same air towards him as he himself put on towards an accused person" (paragraph 115).

TV Families and Real Families Essay -- Family, television

As early as 1950, television families have depicted not only the way we live today, but also the way we ought to live (Tueth, 2003). Hence, television has continued to present comedies about family life that ranges from the didactic model of domestic conventionalist and gradually to non-conventionalist ways of life. By conventionalist, I mean the depiction of the â€Å"nuclear† family that consists of clear roles, responsibilities, and gentle lines of authority that flow from the wise dad and understanding mom to the obedient children (Kutalas, 2005). Examples of these types of shows between 1947 to 1990 that constructed more than 60% of family sitcoms included: The Cleavers, The Cosby Show, Father Knows Best, Family Ties, and Growing Pains (Morgan & Signorielli, 1990). The original nuclear families portrayed in shows such as Father Knows Best, were also defined as having a father who was the breadwinner, the rule maker, and the mediator of disputes, a mother who was socia ble, witty, and good natured, and an average of 2.2 children that mostly consisted of boys that were obedient, and when confused, they would find out that father did know best, even about their personal childhood problems. These conventional sitcoms worked as a formula that changed the expectations of viewers who would find these families not only amusing, but instructional and taught moral lessons each episode (Tueth, 2003). And by non-conventionalist ways of life, I mean families which were â€Å"non-nuclear†, such as single parent families and gay families. These types of families made up 40% of the family sitcoms and included shows such as: Who’s The Boss, Kate and Allie, and Modern Family (Morgan & Signorielli, 1990). Making up more than 80% of the dramatic ... ...thin 22-minutes, but they may also view it in a way to learn how to handle certain family or marital problems (Morgan & Signorielli, 1990). Works Cited Bartlett, K. T. (1994) Rethinking Parenthood As an Exclusive Status: The need for Legal Alternatives when the Premise of the Nuclear Family has failed. (pp. 879) Kutulas, J, (2005) Who Rules the Roost?: Sitcom Family Dynamics from the Cleavers to the Osbournes (pp. 49-58) Morgan, M., Sinorielli, N., (1990) Television and the Family: The Cultivation Perspective (pp. 333-347) Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Skill, T., Robinson, J., (1994) Four Decades of families on television: A demographic profile 1950-1989, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol. 38, Issue 4 Tueth, M. V., (2003) Back to the Drawing Board: The family in animated television comedy (pp. 133-146)

The need for free public Wi-Fi.

The need for free public Wi-If. BY Leeway Sample Persuasive Speech Self-Defense on Campus Speech Commentary Rebecca Hanson You're tired; you're hungry. You've Just spent a long day at College Library and you can't wait to get back to your room. Glancing outside, you remember how quickly it becomes dark. You don't think much of it, though, as you bundle up and head out into the gusty wind. Not until you spy the shadows on the sidewalk or hear the leaves rustling beside you do you wish you weren't alone.You walk quickly, trying to stop your imagination from thinking of murderers and rapists. Only when you are safely inside your room do you relax and try to stop your heart from pounding out of your chest. Can you remember a time when you felt this way? I would be surprised if you never have. The FBI reported last year that there were three murders, approximately 430 gag aggravated assaults, 1,400 burglaries, and 80 rapes here in Madison alone. And while these statistics are quite alarmi ng, they don't even compare to the numbers of larger metropolitan areas.No matter where we live, crime affects us all-?men and women, students and instructors, young and old. We need to stop being the victims. One way we can do this is by enrolling in a self-defense course. There are many times I can remember when my heart seemed to pound out of my chest, but because I took an introductory course in self-defense, I feel more confident and more prepared to deal with potentially dangerous situations. Today I would like to encourage all of you to enroll in a self-defense course.Let's start by looking at the dangers of crime we face as college students. College students face many crime issues, both as members of society and as students on campus. These crimes endanger our money, our property, our self- inference, our psychological well-being, and even our lives. According to the Foundation for Crime Prevention Education, violence and crime have dramatically increased. An American is six times more likely to be assaulted with a weapon today than in 1960.The FBI reports that someone is either murdered, raped, assaulted, or robbed every 16 seconds. This means today, at the end of our 50-minute class period, approximately 187 people will have been victims of a violent crime. College students, many of whom are away from home for the first time, are especially easy targets for crime. Students often look at campus housing as a secure place. But according to the book Street Wisdom for Women, precautions must be taken in a dorm or Greek house, Just as in any house or apartment.How many of these bad habits do you have? How often do you leave your room without locking your door, for getting how easily accessible your room is to anyone? How often do you fall asleep without locking your door? Or how often do you open your door without first checking to see who is there? As the Wake Forest University Police Crime Prevention website states, â€Å"Each of us must become aware of the precautions necessary to reduce the childhood that we will become victims of crime. † Those who forget to take these precautions invite trouble.Although students must watch themselves in campus housing, they must also take care elsewhere. Prevalent use of drugs and alcohol, especially on college campuses, increases the chance of crime. Using drugs or alcohol makes you an easier target because, as we all know, it affects your Judgment, influencing your decisions on safety. According to the Pacific Center for Violence Prevention, in 42 percent of all violent crimes, either the assailant, the victim, or both had been drinking. Specifically n campus, 90 percent of all violent crimes involve drugs and/or alcohol.This problem is so serious that testimony by law enforcement officials reprinted on the Security On Campus website indicates that many college campuses are the highest crime areas in their communities. So now that we see the dangers we face as students, what can we do to protect ourselves? Although there are many ways of dealing with crime, I recommend that you and every college student enroll in a self-defense course. You can choose from a variety of self-defense courses offered right here in Madison.You can find one to fit our schedule and your pocketbook. On campus, the university has a club sport called Shoring Rye Karate, which emphasizes practical self-defense. They hold their meetings in the evening, after classes, right on campus, and they're open to all university students, faculty, and staff. Another option is Pillar's Self-Defense and ATA Chi Center, which not only offers courses in self-defense, but in ATA chi, karate, and gung if. Pillar's location on State Street is convenient for all university students.To find a class that fits your needs, you can also search over the Internet or through the Yellow Pages. I also brought along some brochures today, so if you are interested, please see me after class. After enrolling in a self-defen se course, you will find yourself much better prepared to deal with an emergency situation. Patrick Lee, an instructor for a course called â€Å"Self-Defense for Women: Victim or Survivor,† claims the biggest thing he teaches in his courses is that you must decide from the beginning whether you want to be the victim or the survivor.Repeating over and over again that â€Å"l am a survivor† not only increases your self-confidence but helps you think more clearly in a difficult tuition. I didn't realize the importance of this myself until I took an introductory course in self-defense in my high-school physical education class. After a few days of practice, each of us faced the notorious padded attacker. Expecting to enjoy fighting the attacker, I prepared to yell, â€Å"No; stop; back off,† as forcefully as possible. But before I knew it, this man, twice my size, had put me in a hold I could not get out of.My mind was so overcome with fear that I could barely muste r out a â€Å"No. † Immediately, I pictured this as a real situation, one which I probably would not have survived. But after a few more days of practice, we were able to go against the padded attacker one more time. This time, I no longer felt fear. I felt anger. I was angry that this man felt he could take advantage of me. This time, using what I learned, I yelled, â€Å"No; back off,† and successfully escaped his move. And this time I survived. I'm not the only example showing the benefits of taking self-defense.If you're interested, check out â€Å"Stories from Self- Defense Classes† posted to the Internet by the Assault Prevention Information Network. Although I don't have the time to share with you the dozens of success stories. I can sum them up with a quote by Cindy, a 23-year-old woman who used her self-defense knowledge to scare off an assailant. Cindy says, â€Å"l know deep inside, where it matters most, that I have what it takes to defend myself if need be, and this feeling is one of pure Joy. † As you can see; self-defense is time and money well invested.So I encourage you to enroll in a self-defense course, whether it be through a physical education class or through a private organization and whether you do it here or back in your hometown. Even if you do not enroll right away, I encourage you to do so in the near future. Taking such a course could mean keeping your money, protecting your property, defending yourself, your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife. It could even mean the difference between life and death. Don't ever think, â€Å"It could never happen to me. † Why not be prepared?As Patrick Lee said, â€Å"Ask yourself, do you want to be the victim or the survivor? † The speaker begins with an extended hypothetical example. Vivid and richly textured, it gains attention and relates the topic directly to the audience. It also contains a strong element of emotional appeal-?especially for fema le students who have expert once the feelings described by the speaker When you begin a speech with a hypothetical example, it's a good idea to follow up with statistics showing that the example is not far-fetched.The statistics in this paragraph are especially effective because they come from the city in which the speech was given. After reinforcing the fact that crime is a concern for all members of her audience, the speaker focuses on the specific issue of enrolling in a self-defense course. She estate lilies her credibility by citing the benefits she gained from taking such a course. Although she stresses her personal experience here, it becomes clear as the speech goes on that she has also done a great deal of research on the topic.This speech is organized according to Monomer's motivated sequence. In this paragraph, the speaker begins her discussion of the need for students to enroll in a self-defense course. Notice how she identifies the sources of her statistics and translat es the figures into terms that relate directly to her classmates. Moving from the general crime statistics in the previous paragraph, the speaker focuses on crime issues facing college students.

History of Oldtown

1. 2 Brief explanation of the company’s history The  OldTown White Coffee,  OTWC  (Chinese:   ) is the largest  kopitiam  restaurant  chain in  Malaysia. Its main headquarters is in  Ipoh, Perak,  Malaysia. Established in 1999, the co-founders and Executive Director, Mr. Goh Ching Mun and Mr. Tan Say Yap are the incorporation of White Cafe and provide quality white coffee to Malaysian households and the food services industry. It manufactures instant beverage mixes and products, in addition to operating over 180 cafe outlets throughout Malaysia and the region.With more than 10 years of experience in the coffee beverage industry, both of co-founders were instrumental in the growth of the Oldtown Group of companies. Next, Mr. Lee Siew Heng, Group of Managing Director who played a significant role in implementing the overall vision, strategy and development of the Oldtown Group is the one of support them to incorporation Oldtown Group. In 1999, they successful ly to commercialize the instant 3-in-1 coffee mix under the â€Å"OLDTOWN† brand name for the retail sector.By end of 2009 October, the â€Å"OLDTOWN† 3-in-1 instant coffee mix was sold in approximately 1,348 retail outlets nationwide in Malaysia, approximately 550 retail outlets in Singapore and approximately 2,100 retail outlet in Hong Kong. In 2000, the â€Å"OLDTOWN† brand of 3-in-1 instant coffee mix is the first export to Singapore. In 2001, White Cafe marketing commenced operations as the marketing arm for the Group’s beverage products. During the same year, the product line is expanded and includes different variations of the instant coffee mix.In addition, instant coffee mix has also expanded export to Hong Kong markets. In year 2002, White Cafe obtained a HALAL certification from the Islamic Religious Department of Perak for the Group’s beverages. This is the part of OLDTOWN Group’s intentions, which is to produce the beverages in accordance with the Islamic law. In the same year, OLDTOWN Group’s have successfully expanded to nationwide retail distribution of 3-in-1 instant coffee mix to cover East and West Malaysia through major hypermarkets and supermarkets.In 2003, OLDTOWN Group’s have also successfully commercialized the new blend of 3-in-1 instant milk tea for the retail market under the â€Å"OLDTOWN† brand name. In view of expanding OLDTOWN manufacturing activities, OLDTOWN Group’s incorporated Gongga Food in 2003 and commenced operations in 2004 manufacturing roasted coffee powder for the road services sector using the Group’s proprietary bean roasting process. OLDTOWN Group’s also distributed the roasted coffee powder to traditional coffee shops in Ipoh and other states in Malaysia.In addition to the food services sector, roasted coffee powder is also marketed to the retail sector under the â€Å"NANYANG† brand. In 2004, it also further penetrated the export markets for 3-in-1 instant coffee to cover the United States, Canada and United Kingdom and subsequently in 2005, Taiwan and Indonesia. In 2005, OLDTOWN Group’s expanded vertically into the food services sector by opening a chain of cafe outlets based on the traditional Ipoh coffee shop setting and ambience under the â€Å"OLTOWN WHITE COFFEE† brand name.This is part of the Group’s strategy of capitalizing and reinforcing on the â€Å"OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE† brand in the food services industry. In the same year, Kopitiam Asian Pacific commenced operations in the licensing, supply of food, beverages and other item, and provision of management services to â€Å"OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE† cafe outlet. Since the opening of the first â€Å"OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE† cafe outlet in Ipoh in 2005, the chain of cafe outlets have expanded to reach 137 cafe outlets in Malaysia and Singapore as at 31 October 2009. This included fully and partially owned, and franchised cafe outlets.In 2005 and 2006, OLDTOWN Group’s has established the subsidiaries namely as Old Town Kopitiam, Old Town Kopitam Butterworth, Old Town Kopitiam Kuala Lumpur, Old Town Kopitiam Cheras, Conneczone to focus on operating cafe outlets in different areas and states within Malaysia. To support the cafe outlet business operations, their established the following subsidiaries as central food processing centres between year 2005 and 2007:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emperor’s Kitchen commenced operations in 2005;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Esquire Chef commenced operations in 2007;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dynasty Confectionery commenced operations in 2007. In 2005, Gongga Food’s business activities also expanded to cater to the procurement of food items for â€Å"OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE† cafe outlets. In the same year, Gongga Food also obtained a HALAL certification from the Islamic Religious Department of Perak for the production of its roasted coffee powder. Furthermore, OLDTOWN Group’s has obtained a HACCP certification from BM TRADE Certification Ltd for the processing and manufacturing of beverage roducts. In 2006, the company also expanded the product export to Japan and China markets. In the same year, the company incorporated Dynasty Kitchen as a distribution centre, which commenced operations in 2007. During this year, group’s company also incorporated Oldtown Berhad, which will focus on investment holding and provision of management services pursuant to its listing on the Main Market of Bursa Securities. Subsequently the OLDTOWN Group’s also started exporting to Thailand and Philippines.In view of group’s company plans to expand more cafe outlet business operation to Singapore, OLDTOWN company also incorporated Oldtown Singapore in 2007 to provide management services, supply of food and beverage items to cafe outlets in Singapore. OTK Singapore commenced operations in 20 08 with the launch of the first â€Å"OLDTOWN WHITE COFFEE† cafe outlet in Singapore. In 2008, the company of Dynasty Confectionery and Esquire Chef obtained HALAL certifications from the Islamic Religious Department of Perak for the processing of various foods.On other food-processing subsidiary, Emperor’s Kitchen obtained HALAL certification from the IFRC ASIA. To further affirm, OLDTOWN Group’s adherence to international food safety standard and White Cafe achieved ISO 22000:2005 certification and ISO 9001:2000 from BM TRADA Certification in 2008 in addition to GMP certification by the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia in the same year. Within 2008, OLDTOWN Group’s has expanded the product lines to include 3-in-1 instant coffee mix with cane sugar.In 2009, Gongga Food obtained a HACCP certification from BM TRADA Certification Ltd for the production of roasted coffee powder. OldTown White Coffee now exports its instant beverage mi xes to more than 10 countries worldwide and plans to expand its cafe outlet network in the region. The group has an extensive chain of cafes in Malaysia via 194 outlets as of end Nov 2011, and also operates a few outlets that are open 24/7 in certain areas. This tally includes fully and partially owned outlets, franchise outlets and licensed outlets.

Deception in Hamlet

There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark because deception rules the day! Deception, one of the main themes in Shakespeare’s play; Hamlet, is a major factor or characteristic that many, if not all of the characters portray. Throughout the play, almost none of the characters are true to one another, this causes chaos and drama. Within the play, there are many examples of deception, one being in scene II of act I. In this scene Claudius gives a speech, acting as if he feels sorrow and remorse over the death of his brother, and former king, Hamlet. To deceive the people, and fool them into thinking that he actually feels remorse over his brother’s death, is King Claudius’s goal. The truth however is king Claudius is the source of King Hamlet’s bereavement. In hopes that no one will suspect him of murdering his own brother, Claudius uses the â€Å"fake sympathy charade†. Even if King Claudius truly felt remorse or regret for the death of his brother, he would not have married his dead brothers wife, Queen Gertrude. Scene II of act II includes another example of deception. This scene consists of four characters, all of whom deceive the traumatized and depressed Prince and main character, Hamlet. He is deceived by; his â€Å"love†, Ophelia, his Uncle/Father, King Claudius, Ophelia’s father, Polonius, and most importantly his own Mother, Gertrude. Polonius concocts a plan to prove to King Claudius that Hamlet’s destructive behavior is due to his unreciprocated love for Ophelia. This was to be carried out by Ophelia misleading Hamlet into thinking that they are alone, in the hallway in which Hamlet spends most of his time. Meanwhile Ophelia is well aware that her father, Polonius and King Claudius are hiding nearby eavesdropping on their conversation. Also, In Act I, sc. II, Claudius and Gertrude ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlets long time friends to speak with Hamlet and find out why has been so sepulchral . After Hamlet greets them joyfully, he asks them for the reasoning behind their visit. Rosencrantz lies in his response by saying, â€Å"To visit you, my lord, no other occasion†. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not the only ones involved in this situation, making Gertrude and Claudius unfaithful to Hamlet as well because it is they who brought Hamlets friends, knowing that his friends were most likely the only ones that would be able to get information out of Hamlet. Almost all of the characters in Hamlet are unfaithful/ deceptive. They play tricks, and lie to one another. Most of the characters are â€Å"duplicitous† in the sense that they have two totally different personalities and switch back and forth, or perhaps they are one faced, and wear masks. So one side of their face is who they truly are, and the other (or the mask) is who they deceive people into believing they are.

Red Record

Ida B. Wells-Barnett wrote a Red Record in 1895. This remarkable woman wrote this article during a critical time in American History, a time when blacks had civil rights, yet they could not exercise those rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed 20 years earlier and slavery was abolished 10 years prior to the Civil Rights Act, still blacks could not exercise their rights. Despite the death threats on her life, Ida B. Wells-Barnett insisted on writing this information to inform the world of the injustices that African-Americans faced in America during this era. In this article, the writer states that southern white people, in essence, butchered blacks for what they (whites) interpreted as â€Å"rape†. White southern men, as the article states, believed that it was impossible for a voluntary alliance to exist between a white woman and a colored man; therefore, the fact of an alliance is proof of force. Ida B. Wells-Barnett put her life and livelihood in danger when she decided to write an editorial in her paper, the Free Speech. Surprisingly, this paper was printed in my hometown, Memphis, Tennessee, on May 21, 1892. The one thing that disturbs me is the way in which southern white men treated blacks in the south. It appalls me to learn that white men, in that era, would go to the extent of breaking into a penitentiary, steal a black man, and then hang him for their definition of rape. The law was established so that every citizen in America could have the right to a fair trial. However, in the South, the law undoubtedly meant nothing to the white man, especially when it came to dealing with matters that involved blacks. The white man felt as if he was â€Å"The Law†. Blacks were freed from slavery in 1865 by the 13th amendment, yet they were still oppressed. Through the accomplishments of the 14th amendment, blacks were given citizenship and the 15th amendment gave black males the right to vote. Blacks, in spite of all their governmental rights, still were not seen as an equal race, but an inferior one by most southern whites. One of the few groups of people that showed compassion towards blacks was northern white women. These women were not seen as aiding the situation to the white man, but as â€Å"nigger teachers†. I feel that the southern white men knew the potential that the blacks had within them; therefore, in an attempt to keep them oppressed, the white man tried to intimidate the northern white women and allege that some black men were raping white women, when in fact the white women may have been attracted to the black man after discovering the intelligence and love he possessed. I am sure race mixing at that time was shunned; however, I do know that it could have taken place. It grieves me to learn that more people died unjustly and without a trial than people who were tried and convicted in a court of law in the United States during this era. Wells-Barnett states that she did not write her paper in the spirit of vindictiveness; nevertheless, it is hard to believe that a person of her status would not want to be vindictive. Plessy v. Ferguson These are excerpts from the trial Plessy vs. Ferguson. Throughout the course of my studies, I have learned that whites and blacks often participated in everyday activities during the 1870's and 1880's. By 1883, this ended after the Supreme Court encouraged racial segregation by overturning the Reconstruction legislation. Plessy was seven-eighths white and one-eighth black. In some southern states if a person had any black blood, they were considered black. Therefore, a group of prominent Lawyers sought to test the constitutionality of a segregation law that was passed in Louisiana in 1890. In my opinion, the judge in this case was racially discriminatory and biased. I agree that this case does not conflict with the 13th amendment; however, it does conflict with the 14th amendment. The following statement was taken from this article, and I believe the judgment was faulty. â€Å"The object of the 14th amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to enforce social, as distinguished from political, equality, or a commingling of the two races upon terms unsatisfactory to either. Laws permitting, and even requiring their separation in places where they are liable to be brought into contact do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other, and have been generally, if not universally, recognized as within the competency of the state legislatures in the exercise of their police power †¦. † This statement is, as far as I can tell, a statement that condones racial inequality. There is no doubt that the 14th amendment guarantees all men equality before the law. On the surface, it may not imply racial inferiority; nevertheless, it indicates that the law has no jurisdiction when it comes to social equality as opposed to legal equality. Due to the outcome of this case, racial segregation was condoned by the Supreme Court, a decision that stood for the next fifty years. Report on Wounded Knee Massacre and the Decrease in Indian Acreage (1891) This article contains excerpts from an annual message written in December 1891. It is not clear to me who the author of this message is; nevertheless, what is clear is that there were some major hostilities between the Sioux Indians and the white settlers of this era. The Sioux were upset about the reduction of the appropriation for rations and the delays attending the enactment of laws to enable the Department of the Interior to perform the engagements entered into with them. From this article and what I understand from the text, the Wounded Knee Massacre is one of the most merciless events that our history holds in its deep dark past. I understand why the Sioux warriors were excited by the teachings of their medicine men and chiefs. Hearing of an Indian messiah that would endower them with power to destroy the white man was more than enough to excite the Sioux. The Sioux expressed their excitement in a set of dances and rites known as the Ghost Dances. These dances made the white settlers who lived near the reservation uneasy; therefore, the Army was called in to protect the settlers. I believe if the white man had not begun to take land from the Native Americans, then this massacre would have not happened. The article states that from March 4, 1889 to December 9, 1891, about 23,000,000 acres of Indian reservations was taken and added to the public domain, this is a harsh fact. The white man caused many Indians to leave their way of life and assimilate into the white man's society. It appalls me that the writer of this article had the audacity to call the Indian reservation â€Å"waste land†. I hope the interpretation of this statement means that the land was being wasted because it was not being used to the capacity in which the white man envisioned. In closing, I believe the damage that was done to the Indians is irreversible. Tragedy at Wounded Knee (1890) This article tells of the horrifying story, the tragedy at Wounded Knee. The trouble, as stated by Red Cloud, started when the Indians first made treaties with Government. The signing of those treaties marked the end of the Indian's old way of life and customs; the white man was settling on their land and pushing the Indians out. Red Cloud states that the only way left for the Indians was to adopt the white man's way of life. The Government promised them all the means necessary for them to live on their land, yet the government never made good on all of the promises. On the other hand, the Indians were given tools and means to work their land; nevertheless, the few things they did receive helped a little but not enough to make a difference in their lives. The Government did make an Indian Department; however, the Agents were more interested in self-gain, than helping the Indians. This made a bad situation worse. The Government took their (Indians) ponies under the promise that oxen and large horses would replace the ponies. It seems to me that the Government did everything within its power to disrupt the Indian's way of life and culture. The Government did everything from taking the Indian's land to removing the â€Å"real chief†. Throughout history the United States government has done what ever it took for them to stay economically stable. No matter what the situation was, be it taking land and starving Indians or oppressing and enslaving African-Americans, this behavior has been a routine practice of our Government. I thought African-Americans had it bad during this era, however, it seems that the Indians had it just as bad or worse. I cannot imagine the way the Indians felt when their land, traditions, customs, the way they hunted for food, their rituals, and all the things that they cherished was taken; and to add to the sorrow, they were forced to assimilate into a white mans world. This had to be an awful feeling. From what I understand from the text, the Wounded Knee Massacre is one of the most tragic events that our history holds in its past. The picture this article paints during this horrific event is one that I cannot fathom in my mind. The sound of machine gun fire and seeing dead bodies in the snow paid its toll on the Indian. This event along with others like it has caused the Indian to question the very existence of his God. A Sharecrop Contract (1882) A sharecrop contract, in my opinion, contained many passive forms of slavery. Although the croppers had basic freedoms, they were still controlled by the landowner. This contract's tone seems to be a demanding one. The croppers had no choice other than to agree with this contract. Disagreeing could have cost the cropper jail time. It seems that they had no other options, because all of them were former slaves and the only trade that the majority of them had was fieldwork; therefore, there was no better way to make a living than this. Nevertheless, this was not, by any means, a â€Å"great† way of life. The croppers were allowed to keep half of their crop, only if they complied with every demand in the contract. If they did not comply, then they only received two-fifths of their crop. Crops in which they worked and sweated so hard to plant, cultivate, and harvest. The rest went to the landowner. After reading such a contract, I believe that most croppers were discouraged, yet they knew that was the only way for them to survive. In this particular contract, the landowner had a policy that not only included him receiving half of the crop, but the cropper had to feed his workers three times a day. Many other things in this contract disgust me. One such thing is that the croppers could not sell anything until the landowner was paid, yet before a cropper could bring home his net gain; the landowner had taken an eighteenth of the croppers fifty percent. The reason for this is the landowner charged the cropper to gin and pack all of his (cropper) cotton. In addition, the cropper had to haul, plow in cotton and corn stalks, clean out ditches, and repair fences. Above all the freedoms the sharecropper had, nothing could be more discouraging than the contracts that they were forced to sign. When I speak of force, I do not mean physical force. These people had no other choice in the matter; this is why I say it is passive slavery. Instead of being beaten, these croppers could now be thrown into jail for not complying with the sharecropper's contract. The life of a sharecropper can be best described as a person trapped in a revolving door; trapped in a system that was never designed for the sharecropper to become economically stable, but to keep them economically unstable and needy. They were trapped in a continuous effort to pay off their debts. Consequently, most sharecroppers never became wealthy.