The Role Of A Sheriffs Department Social Work Essay

The Role Of A Sheriffs Department Social Work Essay The sheriff is an elected county official; therefore deputies and those who work for the department tend to have a closer relationship with the citizens in that particular city. According to LaFrance and Placide (2009), article on the different leadership styles of police and sheriff, most of the time, Sheriffs have risen through the ranks of the sheriffs office over time before running for election therefore they are place-bound. Because they are elected, they might feel more of an obligation to remain at their posts even when there is an adversarial relationship with the county and its board. Rowan D. Williams states that Bad human communication leaves us less room to grow, well I grew from this internship with the sheriffs office. They were willing to let me witness and be a part of any call that would not put my life in any danger. They answered all questions and allowed me to participate and experience the procedure of filling out paper work. The internship with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office was everything I expected an internship to be. I went into this internship with an open mind willing to learn and observe as much as possible, regardless of the warnings that it was more cows and horses then people. Expecting to do a variety of things which would not only give me a paper to write but also an idea of what I wanted to do with my criminal justice degree. All of my personal learning objectives were answered. If the individual I was with at the time could not answer a question, then I was directed to the persons who could. Interning with the Cherokee County Sherif f Department was a very enlightening experience making me more aware of what my lifes goals were and were not. I gained a lot of firsthand experience and was able to network with a lot amazing individuals. From the observations I made while interning with such informative individuals gave me new respect for the manner in which the legal process is reviewed. I started my internship as the ride along and the shift was 6:00am-6:00pm, however the deputies shift started at 5:45am. The overlap help the deputies who were about to punch out get off sooner. Roll call is held every morning. This is where the deputies receive any information from the night crew or any policies and procedures which changed while they were off. They inspect their weapons, cars, and any other device which may hinder them from doing their job. After the roll call, the supervisor at each precinct briefed the deputies on what was going on within their zone and who I would be riding with. Then the deputies would disperse and began zoning or patrolling. Stan Crowder The Cherokee County Sheriffs Office runs their agency with high standards. Deputy Hackard describes the sheriffs department as aiming to be Triple Crown holder with its accreditations. The training which every deputy participates in prepares the deputy for his job and also their partners job. This agency goes beyond all requirements for accreditation. Cherokee County, which was the first agency in Georgia to have accreditation through The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), is also Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified and Georgia certified. Each certification holds its own purpose within the agencys policy and procedures. The agency builds its policy and procedures around the standards and requirements of CALEA and POST. The agency has not yet received accreditation from American Correctional Association (ACA); however they have standards similar to those that are already required. This agency strives to maintain and go beyond all standa rds to set itself apart from the rest as it relates to its citizens. Constantly being in training helps the department establish a mind, within the deputies, able to critically examine situations in different scenarios. Wesley Phillips and Darrell Norman write in their article that by engaging in critical thinking, law enforcement professionals should create multiple solutions to problems by constantly questioning and challenging their strengths, and examining decision-making preferences and practices (2009). The training which is required by the agency also helps the deputies help each other in their job. Even though the agency is certified through other programs the two which really have a large impact on how the department will conduct business are POST and CALEA. POST is an essential asset to the Cherokee Sheriffs office. It is a program which basically trains the department on gun usage and ethics that are mandatory and every agency in Georgia must be certified in. Even though CALEA is not mandatory, it does so much more for an agency. According to the departments website having this form of accreditation strengthen an agencys accountability, both within the agency and within the community. However, with CALEA it is more of a standard and rules. This accreditation is not mandatory and more than a few agencies in Georgia do not have this accreditation within the department. There are two reasons why many agencies do not have; money or man power. Cherokees Sheriff Office possesses an extremely hardworking and serious group of individuals whose job is to be quite knowledgeable about CALEA and assist in them maintaining their accreditation. Another difference between the major two accreditations, POST and CALEA, is the process. With CALEA the deputies sit in classes and learn. They become aware of the policies and procedures to handle different scenarios. They also learn different ethical choices to make. Again CALEA is not mandatory but it does say a lot about an agency. Cherokee was the first agency in the state of Georgia to be accredited through CALEA. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies set the procedures and standards on things such as how to hand cuff or searches and seizures an individual correctly to how to write out reports. POST is a different entity in itself. To maintain your certification through POST you must go through training once a year, however Cherokee requires their deputies to go through training twice a year. According to the sheriffs department website, they require each officer to secure 45 hours of P.O.S.T. approved training during the calendar year. Everything the age ncy does to improve the department, exceeds the minimum. P.O.S.T. only requires 25 hours to retain. Every deputy in the state of Georgia must be POST certified to even carry a firearm. Peace Officer Standards and Training classes usually last about twelve to thirteen weeks. Officers who finish then become fully sworn officers after they complete. Deputies also receive ethical training here as well. They go through a variety of academies and courses. Cherokee County maintains their accreditation by doing the following: The office coordinates scheduling of personnel attendance at state and local training facilities, provides in-service training and monitors number of hours personnel receive annually to assure minimum requirements of the P.O.S.T. Council and the Sheriffs Office are met. Being in law enforcement requires a lot of paper work, but the training the deputies receive prepare and train them in filling out all paper work. When it comes to maintaining their accreditation, Cherokee County Sheriffs department exceeds the requirements. The deputies must re-qualify with their firearms every year and the minimum score is eighty percent. They must have forty hours of training which is more then what CALEA requires. The department also leaves the option to sign up for more class if the deputies would like. The department goes beyond its requirements for the protection of the agency. If something was to happen on behalf of one their employees not following protocol then the agency would be able to show that they provided training to that individual to make the right choices. I feel that the training and certifications are used by the department to be able to distance itself from law suits and unnecessary court involvement. Cold cases in the Cherokee County Sheriffs department are reviewed annually. Cold cases come about when there is not enough information to bring the case to a closing. These are crimes or an accident that has not yet been solved fully and is not the subject of a recent criminal investigation. Only the serious crimes fall under cold cases if they are not solved. However some serious crimes have statues of limitations, such as rape. Rape is only a cold case for seven years. Homicide and murder do not have any statues of limitations they can be reopen at any time. However, if there is not a perpetrator then there is not case and no case means another cold case. The only way the case can be reopen is with new information or with new witness testimony. In order for the deputy to get a warrant they only need probable cause however the district attorney needs beyond a reasonable doubt to win the case. So if the sheriff never gets the warrant because there is not enough evidence then the district attorney never gets the file and the case becomes cold. The investigators re-examined archives and retained material evidence, as well as fresh activities of the suspect to reopen the case. Conduct of crime investigation and detection work has undergone significant and deep reform in recent year. In large part this is attributable to significant advances that have been made across the forensic sciences, especially in respect to the rapidly accelerating capacity to locate, collect, and analyze genetic materials this is why the sheriffs department is now able to reopen and solve more cases than in previous years (Innes and Clarke, 2009). In order to reope n a case there must be new information. Cherokee county has a variety of cultures with the county line. The deputies come in contact with language barriers and culture differences. You have the huge Hispanic community and then you have the white and black communities. The training which the deputies receive is more of an ethical training. Standards for ethical training are set by The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Then the department adds onto the standards set by CALEA. They do not receive any training on how to speak to the Hispanic community, however there are Spanish speaking individuals who work for the department. The department also now makes sure that every shift has an individual who is fluent in Spanish working with them. Some of the deputies I spoke with even said that they experienced a culture shock. That they were not prepared for the culture and community they now had to provide service to. The department does not offer any form of skill training to prepare their deputies for the d iversity within the county. Heather Wyatt-Nichol and George Franks (2009) found in their article that Many professionals and organizations in the law enforcement community hold that ethics training bridges the gap between written policies and actual behavior by introducing or reinforcing rules and expectations of behavior. Ethics instruction exposes officers to ethical dilemmas and scenarios through training prior to hitting the streets or moving up in rank. The ethical training is what keeps Cherokee County deputies grounded and professional. How the culture differences in the county also play a major role in the composition of the adult detention center inmates as well. Jennifer McMahon-Howard The adult detention center system in Cherokee is very small compared to other adult detention center systems. With over 544 inmates, there are eight housing pods in the adult detention center and fourteen inmates on each floor. There are both females and males in the adult detention center. The gender composition of the adult detention center is about 86.21% male and 13.79% female. Out of the males percentage the racial compositions is 66.10% white, 19.19% black, 14.50% Hispanic, and 0.21% other. The female composition is racially divided with 81.33% being white, 16.00% black, 2.67% Hispanic, and 0.00% other. The racial composition of the adult detention center is a reflection of the county. In the 2009 Census, Cherokee County population was composed of 81.1% white, 6.2% black, 9.4% Hispanic, and 3.3% other. If majority of the county is of the white race than the majority of the composition of the adult detention center will be of the white race. With composition of the adult detenti on center being so drastic officers have to be fully aware of their environment. Victims in Cherokee County are treated like victims regardless if they are legal or illegal. The department offers different services with help line numbers to the victims of crimes. One of the services they provide to victims of family violence is The Cherokee Family Violence Center (CFVC). The information for their services comes on a small business card, which deputies are able to hand out if there is a victim. The business card list contact information as well information on how to handle a case of family violence. CFVC is an emergency shelter which provides a 24 hour crisis hotline. They also have other valuable services such as therapy for children and they even serve as a legal advocacy. CFVC has even taking their service to the next step by making their services available to Hispanics. Cherokee County also has a program where they keep the victim inform of the whereabouts of the offenders, The Cherokee County Victim-Witness Assistance Program. The program is called Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINE). These program uses computer technology and the telephone system to provide offender custody information 24 hours a day. The system provides the custody status to the victim, including arrest, release, and transfer information. The victim is known only by a pin number. The deputies participate in different activities prepare them for these kind of events; the deputies never know what they are about walk into when called out to domestic dispute. The training which the department provides to its deputies is very necessary it prepares them for different situations, including victims which may be undocumented or illegal. There is not a police written on how to handle a victim, so many of the deputies rely on their discretion, training, and ethical values. When dealing with any victim along with the policies set forth by the department, the training received plays a role as well. On the departments website it states th at CALEA Accreditation facilitates an agencys pursuit of professional excellence, so the deputies are always presenting and representing the department in a manner which is very professional. Cherokee Sheriffs Department receives training in classes on ethics to get them prepared for the victims who may be here illegally or those of a different culture. In Kenneth Dowlera and Raymond Sparks (2008) article, on the relationship between law enforcement and victims, states that victims might have direct contact with police by reporting their victimization, although some victims choose not to report the crime. Thus the attitudes of some crime victims toward police might be influenced by the quality of their contact with police. The way that deputies and the department present themselves to victims of crime must be professional. This is the only way to build a relationship with the undocumented victims or those of a different culture. One of the deputies stated that sometimes it is difficult to get across to a victim that you are there to help them because they are scared. He went on to say that in many Mexican areas the police are corrupt so there is not a victim-police relationship. Jennifer Chacà ³n states that unauthorized peoples are more vulnerable to threats because they [perpetrators] know that efforts to seek legal recourse can results in protracted immigration detention, criminal prosecution, and, of course removal., the deputies of Cherokee County believe that any person, regardless of their citizenship, is a victim if a crime has being committed against them, before they are an illegal. So they use their discretion and to maintain a healthy relationship with the victims of crimes. Ella Ballard Discretion is defined by Terenceas Daintith as a legally constituted power of decision. It is a staple element in both administrative and contractual arrangements, but whereas its judicial control provides the core of administrative law, it is hardly even acknowledged as an issue in the standard authorities on contract (2005). Discretion can be found in an officers decision to use a legal sanction. That is, an officer exercises discretion in whether to stop a traffic offender, to give a ticket, or to make an arrest. Some police officers operate in an environment where they are frequently alone in their contacts with citizens causing them to move expeditiously to diffuse situations. Each officer is different and may have pet peeves about certain violations whether in the community or while in confinement, community perceptions are important because the department wants the majority of the community to be supportive. However, officers that work more from emotions rather than factual re presentation tend to abuse the use of discretion. In communities where the officers knew the people in community the violations may be dealt with differently because they are familiar those individuals. The perception of the offense to the officer is what influences the treatment of the party involved. The use of discretion can be closely related to how the officers worked with one another, being that they spend a significant amount of time on cases together causes them to seek peer advice. An officer influence on discretions can derive from many elements. When the nature of the crime has a child involve the deputy may tend to be more aggressive toward the alleged criminal, especially if they have a child of their own. Another major element is the department policy. If the department makes it a policy that everyone who is stopped in a traffic stop gets a ticket then that is what the officer must follow. In Cherokee County, the sheriff has made it where no one gets a ticket driving over 10 mile per hour. Scott Phillips (2008) makes a point in his article about the use of discretions when he states, Officers use discretion in traffic-stop decisions, but many state legislatures now require departments to gather traffic-stop data to study and potentially deter racial profiling. Many agencies make it very difficult for deputies to use their own discretion, especially since profiling can become an issue. The organizational structure of the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office is decentralized. Before the decentralized structure the department was centralized. The structure of the agency is very important because it dictates who report to whom and it also determines the response time. In the decentralized structure everything goes through a chain of individual before it comes to the desk of Sheriff Garrison. The captain runs just the shift in the decentralized structure. This includes all precincts. Each shift has one captain, so it is more work for the captain in the decentralized structure. In the centralized structure the captain ran just the precinct. Every deputy in that precinct would report to that captain. With the centralized structure everyone was on one page and was able to know what was going on in the precinct at the beginning of each shift because they were being ran by one person. With the decentralized structure each shift is ran differently and the adjustment from one shif t to another is difficult. Each organizational structure works, however majority of the individual I spoke with thought that the centralized structure worked better for the agency. At the top of the organizational chart is Sheriff Garrison and at the bottom of the chart is the detention centers Chaplin. Before you get to the sheriff, there is Chief Vic West and the special operations unit. Beside the special operations units are also the individual over the accreditation and certification. Special operations, which is ran by Captain Satterfield, and Headquarters Operation, ran by Captain Martin, works together and very closely with each other. Underneath training and accreditation are adult detention center operations, uniform patrol operations, investigative operations, and emergency management. The agencys organizational structure has many departments to maintain. I was assigned to the training department, but I got to speed majority of my time with the patrol unit. From the patrol unit, I spent some time within the detention center and then the courts. The time spent in the detention center was the worse for me, however there I got to visit the other departments of the agency. Within the agency you have the S.W.A.T unit, V.I.P.E.R, CID, K-9, the GCIC, patrol, and intelligence; only to name a few. V.I.P.E.R, which is acronym for Violent Incident Pro-active Enforcement Response, targets high crime areas in Cherokee. They are in conjunction with SWAT, CMANS (narcotics unit), and the gang unit. Their main purpose is to reduce criminal activities and certain areas. They also assist other units in the agency. CID is the agency investigation division. They investigate all crimes after the report has being made by the deputies. S.W.A.T is the departments most prestige unit. The un it trains on a daily bases and also participate in different mock rescue drills. The agencys website states that, all team members are required to pass a rigorous physical fitness test and demonstrate elevated shooting skills with a variety of specialized weapons. There are currently ten members, however there is only one lady apart S.W.A.T. Cherokee County Sheriffs Office has so many different units, but it training unit is what prepare the deputies for those situations where their life depend on it. Before the start of my internship with this agency, I spoke with a gentleman by the name of Captain Joe Satterfield. He explained to me all the interns duties and responsibilities and gave me the forms in which I needed to fill out. Captain Satterfield appeared to b very straight forward, and from the tone in his voice it appeared he really enjoyed what he does. I later learned that the emotions I experienced during my time with Captain Satterfield were feelings I would feel with everyone in the department I came in contact with. Captain Satterfield began his career in law enforcement 19 years ago when he was the age of 22 years old. He chose this career because he felt like it was an exciting way of living and that seemed like something fun to do. Before he started his career he attended Abraham Baldwin College. There he received his associates degree in criminal justice and a technical degree in law enforcement. Once Captain Satterfield got a job with Cherokee he received a scholarship to further his education. The scholarship came through the department from Reinhardt College. Satterfield received his bachelors degree in history and he also graduated magna cum laude. After graduating he enrolled into Columbus States graduate program, where he received his masters degree in public administration. Satterfield has had a great impact on the Cherokee Sheriffs Department. His career path started with him being in the adult detention center for about a year, every deputy starts in the adult detention center. From the adult detention center he moved very quickly to the uniform patrol unit, where he stayed for about eight and half years. Mr. Satterfield was promoted to sergeant then to lieutenant with that division. He was then to the training division where he remained for eight years. Currently Captain Satterfield is the commander over all of the following units; S.W.A.T., K-9, negotiation and biking. However, out all the position Satterfield has being over, he felt like training was the position which made the greatest impact to the department. He stated that the decision he made about training not only made an impact on the deputies but also the mannerism they would approach different situations. Training goes a long way especially when it is done the right way. Captain Satterfield is happy where within his career. He states that he would not change anything or do anything differently. He went on to explain the key to keeping family life separate from work life. Satterfield explained to always be focus on what you are doing and be able to commit to that situation. He explains that everyone will come to that point in their career where it is a challenge to maintain the family and work, but you must stay focused. The person has to approach the situation in the right manner. When you are talking to your child you are a parent; you are not the drill instructor from training anymore. Satterfield does not have any plans on running for the Sheriff of Cherokee County. As I conversed with Captain Satterfield I acquired that he feels like he has a greater interest in law enforcement and being Sheriff will not give him that hands on experience he likes. During our conversation I asked him if he could briefly describe himself in five powerful words in w hich he chose the following words; leader, disciplinary, manager, professional, and inspirational. If I had to describe my internship to another student while trying to sell them the experience which I have had, I would begin with get plenty of rest. There is land and more land, with plenty of cows and farms. I would go on to explain that the individual are very in tune with their career and down to earth. The individual of Cherokee are kind and love talking. There are a few deputies who must break the ice with before you began to ask questions. I would then inform them of the many houses which they would see form the ride-along. Be prepare to eat too because the deputies love to eat. Ask plenty of questions as well. There is so much to be learned at this internship, but you have to ask first. The internship is very similar to a job with the sheriffs department. The internship starts in the am and ends in the pm. It is a 12 hour shift but if there is nothing really to do then you can always work on school work. An internship with a sheriffs department will allow you to experience everything within the county. The internship is not like one with the Drug Enforcement Agency or Marietta Police Department; however, it is one that you will always remember. Interning with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The officers I worked with gave me the opportunity to participate in all of the excitement that the sheriffs office has to offer; they were more than willing to teach, explain, and support me throughout the entirety of my internship. This experience has helped strengthened my career preparation for this field of work within law enforcement. Doing an internship really helps you gain a unique perspective into the world of law enforcement. I now look at some of the problems many young individual have with law enforcement and I am able to evaluate the problem to come to an answer. I have learned a lot of skills that will help me gain a career with a local law enforcement agency; minor the physical agility test. Some of the skills that I have learned this year include the dispatch codes, filling out paper work, and different policies and procedures. Along with these skills I also was able to gain an appreciation for the work that the law enforcement does. I feel as though I have learned more about the criminal justice system and the way it functions. From interning the schedule which the deputies work, 12 hour shifts, I was able to see and sometimes feel the strain of the job. I also helped fill out citations and enter the report in on file. Everything must have a paper trail when it comes to law enforcement. If it is not written down then it does not exist. I notice from looking at how evidence is handled that, even though it is a lot of paperwork, the paper helps protect the deputy and the department. Every hand that touches the evidence must sign it, therefore to where the evidence has been and how it got there. I also learned valuable lessons just from talking to different people through this internship; wisdom goes a long way. They held nothing back and I felt as though they were straight forward when answering any of my questions. Deputy McElroy gave me the chance to experience everything from riding with the officers to sitting with them in the court rooms. I now also have a better understanding of what the sheriff department means to a county and it citizens. While I have learned a lot in my four years of Criminal Justice classes between Augusta State and Kennesaw State, I do not believe anything can really compare to what I learned during my time as an intern with the sheriffs office. College course can provide us with the different facts and figures on the crime rate and the victimization rate. A teacher can give the class a hypothetical situation to be analyzed and create a solution. All of these different in class situations are usually observed and felt by others. To actually participate in these real life situations has a learning value above and beyond any typical classroom made of strictly course work. I would strongly recommend the Cherokee County Sheriff Office internship to the next student. Participating in an internship gave me an idea of what to expect to a certain degree in the area of law enforcement, along with a vast number of general skills. I have gained an appreciation for the knowledge obtained through communication with the deputies. I was able to network and establish professional relationships, which will assist me in whichever path of law enforcement I choose to pursue. I  feel privileged for being able to fulfill the opportunity I received to work with the men and women at the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office. My internship experiences have been worthwhile and very instrumental to my future plans as an individual in law enforcement. I will continuously build onto the amount of knowledge that I have obtained from this internship. The field of law enforcement can be difficult as one of the deputies stated, but I was afforded a good start with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office.

Alice Walkers depiction of men in The Color Purple Essay

Alice Walkers depiction of men in The Color Purple has been controversial. Explore the opinions of the two critics printed below and explain your own view of the way Walker presents men in The Colour Purple. In The Color Purple, Alice Walker’s depiction of men has been seen by some as controversial. Walker seems to be attacking black men because of their mistreatment of black women. Although, there is another force at work in this powerful, and emotional, book. That force is the unwitting testimony which Walker cannot control, because it was not deliberately written to be part of her story. Between the lines of her story is the strong message of personal rage: rage which cannot be hidden. The rage can be seen throughout the novel in numerous forms; the words used by Walker, that are strong and emotive; the portrayal of the characters, from innocent, like Celie, to evil, like Mr. Alphonso and the realism in which the characters are brought to life, because of the real anger used to describe them. Therefore, in considering the opinions of the two opposing critics, this circumstance must be borne in mind. The first critic, Tony Brown, wrote an article about The Color Purple for the Carolina Peacemaker. He has many views on the book, and expresses those views confidently. Brown admits in his article that some men have raped their daughters, â€Å"†¦ some black men have raped their daughters,† However, immediately afterwards, he is stating his defence of black men. He defends himself instantly, saying that the majority of black men have not. He then speaks of the problem that black men have when it comes to loving, saying the love has â€Å"†¦ been drained out by the brutality of a society panic-stricken over black masculinity. † Brown then goes on to tackle the issue of lesbian affairs in the book, and that they give women â€Å"†¦ emotional and sexual salvation†¦ † He defends his position saying that this is not the case in the real world, even though many frustrated black women seem to want to believe. Brown then admits that some black men are like Walker’s characters, he says they are but, â€Å"†¦ sad examples†¦ † He also says the book focuses only on the failings of black men, and that black men are being abused by a white mans movie. He is blaming everyone else. Famous black men are mentioned by Brown in his argument, and the fact that they were non-incestuous and non-brutalizing and had healthy relationships with women. He states that, â€Å"Their women never needed a ‘Shug’. † Brown fails to support his argument about famous black males though, he merely mentions their names briefly. Brown blames the publishers in the final part of the extract. He says that white men and women only publish books by black women, or homosexual black men, and then label them as being the ‘black experience’. Brown is constantly blaming others throughout his extract, he never accepts responsibility for the actions of black men; he merely shirks the blame to other people. The second critic writes as a response to Brown’s article, their name is not given. Their argument defends The Color Purple, and retorts to Brown’s scathing attack of Walker’s depiction of men in the book. The critic opens their response with the line that states the book is, â€Å"†¦ strictly fiction†¦ † They stress though, that Walker has written about real suffering, and the ideas were not conjured up by the imagination of Walker. The critic then speaks of the books content, and speaks of Walker’s characterisation. The critic gives Celie as an example of a woman who grew from her own strength, â€Å"†¦ a self-assured, strong woman†¦ † even if it was at the ‘expense’ of a few male egos. After stating the facts in the book and showing the main character development, the critic then launches a scathing attack upon black men, saying that, â€Å"†¦ the shoe is such a good fit that it becomes downright uncomfortable†¦ † Meaning that, the black men are offended, because the book is too truthful for their liking. The critic then emphasises that Walker’s message is that of oppression, and that it is, â€Å"†¦ ugly no matter what colour it is. † They state that oppression is wrong, and that the message given by the book mustn’t be forgotten, or else the ugliness will live on, and continue to breed. In the closing lines of the critic’s argument, the critic states that the book is a story about black women; not a book that is against black men. Brown is then contradicted by the anonymous critic, as they write that Walker’s is a feminist book, and that it is not specifically against black men, even though black men are on the defensive because of it, â€Å"†¦ black men protesting and licking their wounded egos. † Both critics focused on actual events in the book; relationships in the book; the powerful difference between men and women; the differences between sex and the raw influence in sexual matters. In spite of this, both critics overlooked the power in the book, that being of Alice Walker’s real message which encompasses so much of bitterness and grief experienced by black people in the USA. In my opinion, the men in The Color Purple presented during anger, Walker’s anger when writing. Therefore, the presentation of men is biased. Personally speaking, I think the depiction of men in the novel is true; that is, all aspects of the male personality are represented by Walker’s characters, from kindness in Reverend Mr (Samuel) to brutal cruelty, seen in Albert. The way in which Walker writes, with such conviction and passion about her characters makes the depiction true, it cannot be fained. The slightly biased view on the male characters in the novel is so because Walker only shows two good black, male characters; Samuel and Harpo. Harpo cares deeply for his family, and loves them sincerely, but his sensitivity causes him to be dominated over by his wife. Samuel does so much to help Nettie; he takes her in after Albert’s assault on her. He educates her, shows her new and exciting places abroad. The marriage between Samuel and Corrine also knows no cruelty, no violence or sexual abuse. This example is compared to several other male characters that are portrayed as raging, unprincipled creatures. An example of a raging, unprincipled creature, as shown by Walker, would be Mr. Alphonso, he rapes his own step-daughter, on more than one occasion, and then when Celie gave birth to two children, he gave them away. This was not the act of a decent human being.

The Action of Tiger Conservation

The Action of Tiger Conservation As the population of tiger in the world dwindles nowadays, everyone has the responsibility for the conservation of tiger especially tiger range countries. Over the past 100 years, tiger numbers have declined by 95 percent which leave only 3,200 and three sub-species have become extinct – with a fourth not seen in the wild for over 25 years (World Wild Fund for Nature [WWF] International, 2008). Since it is estimated that wild tiger number halved to 3,200, we can stop this decline if we act together now.In the countries where tiger population is facing extinction, government, conservation groups, and corporation have stepped many efforts to recover the threat of extinction. Government plays a vital role in taking steps to conserve population of tiger because without them a tiger conservation policy cannot be implemented. All of the governments throughout the species' ratige demonstrate greater resolve and lasting commitments to conserve tigers a nd their habitats, as well as to stop all trade in tiger products from wild and captive-bred sources (Dinerstein et al. , 2007).In Malaysia, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia which under Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Government of Malaysia has introduced the National Tiger Action Plan for Malaysia in the year 2008. The aim of the Plan is to double the population of Malayan tigers from 500 to about 1,000 in the nation’s Central Forest Spine by 2020. This Plan identifies four objectives towards achieving following goal: 1. Secure the Central Forest Spine with strictly protected priority areas in landscapes connected with corridors. 2. Provide effective and long-term protection of tigers and their prey. . Promote and practice ecologically sound land-use, compatible with tiger conservation outside the priority areas. 4. Apply science in monitoring the efficacy of conservation actions and improving the knowledge of tiger ecology. (De partment of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia [DWNP], 2008). Furthermore, the vigilance of the Anti-Smuggling Unit officers and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks’ Wildlife Crime Unit prevented the smugglers from slipping their illicit haul through the Malaysia-Thailand border and into the illegal trade in tigers and their parts.Besides that, the law is being amended and other more stringent regulations are being finalized which allow for higher fines and longer jail sentences for poaching tigers. This is because as it stands, taking a tiger or any part of a tiger is an offense under the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972 which allows for a maximum fine of RM15,000 (USD4,000), a jail term of up to five years, or both. This is paltry compared to the fortune awaiting the smuggler when his illegal haul is finally sold (John ; Shepherd, 2009).According to the World Wild Fund for Nature (2008), India is home to the world’s largest population of tigers in the wild which is nearly to half of the world’s tigers or 1,400 of the 3,500 tigers. A major concerted conservation effort by the government known as Project Tiger. Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation movement initially spearheaded in India in 1972 by Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of the Republic of India from 1966 to 1977 to protect the Bengal Tigers.The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various biogeographical regions throughout India. Under the flagship Project Tiger program, the central government allocated a budget of USD17. 75 million to Indian tiger reserves during ninth five-year plan from 1997 to 2002 (Dinerstein et al. , 2007). The fundamental accomplishment has been the establishment of over 25 well-monitored tiger reserves in reclaimed land where human development is categorically forbidden.The program has been credited with tripling the number of wild Bengal tigers from roughly 1,200 in 1973 to over 3,500 in the 1990s. However, after that tiger conservation in India used to focus on an exhaustive, census-based attempt which known as tiger census to determine exact tiger numbers. A report was stated that the wild tiger population in India declined by 60% to approximately 1,411 by using tiger-census technique. It is noted in the report that the decrease of tiger population can be attributed directly to poaching.Now it has shifted to population sampling based on the mapping software known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In place of the tiger census, India’s Ministry of the Environment and Forests has launched a GIS-based program that monitors habitat. The new system uses a sample-based approach to estimate tiger populations and to evaluate whether tiger habitat is increasing, decreasing, or stable (Bobechko ; Stockton, 2004). Following the release of the report, the Indian government also pledged $153 million to further fund the Project Tiger initiative, se t-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat oachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimise human-tiger interaction. Additionally, eight new tiger reserves in India are being set up. Indian officials successfully started a project to reintroduce the tigers into the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The Ranthambore National Park is often cited as a major success by Indian officials against poaching. On the other hand, India was seeking the support of World Bank and multilateral leader in highlighting efforts to keep alive India’s national emblem, the near-extinct wild tiger (Lamont, 2010).In Thailand, government of Thailand hosts world’s first inter-ministerial meeting on wild tiger conservation. The 1st Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation will be held at the resort of Hua Hin, Thailand from January 27-30, hosted by the Royal Government of Thailand and co-organized by the World Bank, Save the Tiger Fund and other partners of the Global Tiger Init iative. All 13 tiger range countries were represented in Hua Hin. They include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.It marks the first time that ministers from tiger range countries will come together to find ways to work together on tiger conservation. At the 1st Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, governments from the 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) showed unprecedented unanimity around the ambitious goal of total protection of critical tiger habitats and doubling the global number of wild tigers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. Thailand, the conference host, announced new commitments to improve and expand wildlife patrolling efforts.It was the first ever meeting of high-level representatives of the TRCs to discuss wild tiger conservation and signaled powerful convergence of political will, solidarity, and recognition of the urgency of the crisis facing the iconic symbol of Asiaâ €™s biodiversity. The meeting in Thailand was the latest concerted effort by governments and wildlife conservation experts set in motion by the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) to date to consider local, national, and regional plans to address tiger conservation issues.Experts and practitioners of conservation in the TRCs continued discussions on best practices and adoption of policies embracing locally-targeted ‘tiger-friendly’ strategies in areas such as smart green infrastructure and landscape and park management, building on work from a conference on wildlife enforcement in Pattaya, Thailand last year, and the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop held in Nepal in October 2009 (Global Tiger Initiative, 2010). Thailand, the host government used the Hua Hin Ministerial meeting as a platform to announce new commitments, including expanding its Smart wildlife patrolling program in the Western Forest Complex.Thailand's Western Forest Complex – a 6,900 square mile (18,0 00 square kilometers) network of parks and wildlife reserves can potentially support some 2,000 tigers, making it one of the world's strongholds for these emblematic big cats, according to a new study by Thailand's Department of National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society. The Western Forest Complex currently supports an estimated 720 tigers. These tiger densities were lower than those reported by Wildlife Conservation Society scientists from some protected areas in India with similar habitat, but better enforcement.For example, tiger densities of as many as 12 tigers per 100 square kilometers were measured in India's Nagarahole, Bandipur and Kanha forests, as opposed to four tigers per 100 square kilometers in Thailand's Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. The Hua Hin Declaration was unanimously adopted by delegates at the ministerial meeting, reflecting minister-level agreement among the TRCs to redouble efforts on the groun d to halt the decline of tigers and assist in recovery of habitats (Wildlife Conservation Society, 2008).Where national governments supported in part by conservation groups, make a consistent and substantial commitments to tiger conservation, tiger do recover. Thus, conservation groups such as Malaysian Conservation Alliance of Tigers (MYCAT), World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), and play a big part in taking steps to conserve population of tiger. Malaysian Conservation Alliance of Tigers is a joint programme of four non-governmental organization – the Malaysian Nature Society, WWF-Malaysia, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, and Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia Programme.MYCAT is established in 2003 because challenges to tiger conservation are multi-faceted and reaching solutions requires an integrated conservation approach. MYCAT was created to take a holistic approach to conservation by consolidating the resources and strength of the partners to produce a cohesive plan to save the tiger. MYCAT works in partnership with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia for integrated tiger conservation programme in Malaysia. MYCAT is the collaborative latform for the implementation of National Tiger Action Plan. MYCAT’s role is to increase communication and opportunities for collaboration among the partners whose tiger conservation priorities include habitat protection, human conflict resolution, law enforcement, monitoring of illegal trade, research, education, and public awareness. For example, MYCAT organized Race Against Time: Tiger Day at Zoo Negara, Kuala Lumpur on December 16, 2007. This nationwide awareness campaign is to reduce the incidence of people consuming tigers and tigers’ prey in all forms.Many people getting their hands dirty making plaster casts of tiger footprints, learning about the cruelty of snares, playing wildlife games and much more. Thousands took their first step in saving wild tigers by signing the pe tition for improved legislation. Furthermore, MYCAT had set up the 24-hour Tiger Crime Hotline at 019 356 4194 to encourage public reporting of possible crimes against and their prey. The need for a 24-hour hotline is clear: poachers and smugglers don’t just work between 9-5.The 24-hour Tiger Crime Hotline allows everyone to easily report suspected wildlife crimes or send report to [email  protected] net (Malaysian Nature Society, 2006). The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the largest international conservation groups. In this year, 2010, WWF has placed tigers at the top of their conservation priorities, fearing that the Chinese Year of the Tiger might hasten their extinction by spurring demand for the animal's body parts (Lamont ; WWF Global, 2010).Attaching top priority to remaining wild tiger populations around the world, WWF will witness the organization redoubling its efforts to preserve habitat and to give remaining species of wild tigers an earnest boost i n their struggle to remain viable. WWF has launched the â€Å"Tx2: Double or Nothing† tiger conservation campaign. WWF's Tx2 campaign aims to  put in place the necessary conditions to  double the wild tiger population by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022.The Tx2 campaign is all about setting the right conditions to enable our tiger population to double naturally in the wild. Monitoring of tiger populations, increasing patrol teams to reduce poaching threats and protecting tiger habitats are some of the ways to achieve this. Throughout 2010, WWF is focusing efforts on  securing emergency funds to halt poaching in the most critical tiger landscapes, securing political will and action to double wild tiger numbers, and protecting tiger habitat at an unprecedented scale, including clamping down hard on the illegal tiger trade.In addition, WWF outlined the current top 10 trouble spots for tigers in a first time interactive map that provides a unique overview of threats faced by wild tigers (WWF Global, 2010). Other than that, WWF-India strengthens patrolling capacity of Panna Tiger Reserve with vehicles. With the aim of strengthening tiger protection, WWF-India has supported Madhya Pradesh’s Panna Tiger Reserve with a four-wheeler and four motorcycles. The formal handover ceremony happened on Jan 26, 2010, the 60th anniversary of India becoming a republic.The vehicles are expected to strengthen the monitoring capacity of the staff of the tiger reserve and thereby deter poachers. They will help observe the tigers which were recently translocated here. In addition, they will be used to oversee the process of repopulation of Panna through future translocations (WWF-India, 2010). TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is an international conservation group dedicated to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals are not threat to the conservation of nature.TRAFFIC is a joint programme of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Conse rvation Union (IUCN). TRAFFIC also works in close co-operation with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). TRAFFIC has done many works to conserve tigers. TRAFFIC monitors wildlife markets in Asia and elsewhere by identifying any tiger parts being traded (there are many fake â€Å"tiger parts† in circulation) and informing the appropriate authorities of required action to curb such trade.TRAFFIC also works with enforcement authorities and governments to take action to protect Tigers. For example, TRAFFIC India recently provided metal detectors and training to help park guards detect the use of illegal metal snares in Tiger reserves. TRAFFIC is also developing a database to monitor all seizures and trade in tiger parts. It is being modeled on ETIS, a database that has proved successful for monitoring illegal ivory trade and ensuring effective action is taken to curtail it.TRAFFIC also helps to raise aware ness about the conservation plight of wild Tigers. Besides that, TRAFFIC are also committed to assisting the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and tiger range states with any technical assistance necessary to help the GTF fulfill its full potential as a significant global force for tiger conservation (TRAFFIC, 2008). On the other hand, the continuous decline in wild tiger populations worldwide which adversely impact both the biodiversity system and national heritage have also led to corporation heightening tiger conservation efforts globally.Thus, corporation also can play a role in taking steps to conserve the population of tiger. In Malaysia, the country's leading financial services group, Maybank which bears the face of the Malayan tiger as its iconic emblem, is taking action by entering into a two-year partnership with the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) in an effort to bring the plight of the Malayan tiger to the forefront. Maybank will be contributing RM1 million tow ards a dedicated outreach and research programme being spearheaded by MYCAT.While Maybank has been involved in supporting tigers in Malaysia's zoos, the rapidly declining tiger populations worldwide and appalling rate of poaching of tigers in our country have led us to take firmer action this time around towards the conservation of wild tigers as part of our golden jubilee corporate responsibility activities. As a result, Maybank decided to provide funds that will be used mainly by scientists to conduct research that aims to gather data that will help us conserve the fast-declining Malayan tiger from extinction.The Maybank & MYCAT alliance will also focus on raising public awareness among our rural and urban communities, and providing enforcement support to the authorities by assisting in collecting accurate, real-time information on wildlife crimes (Low, 2010). As a corporation, Maybank view this as an ideal opportunity to encourage our employees and the communities we operate in t o learn more about the importance of biodiversity balance and the role conservation efforts can play in protecting our Malayan tiger, a national heritage.This partnership also serves to remind people that nature is not just a commodity to be extracted or taken for granted, and if we are to progress, it must be with sustainability in mind. The project funded by Maybank will go towards supporting MYCAT in implementing the National Tiger Action Plan 2008-2020 – specifically research that aims to enhance the sustainability of the population of tigers and their preys by securing a safe dispersal tiger corridor at Sungai Yu, the last forest linkage between the Main Range and Taman Negara in Pahang along the Gua Musang-Kuala Lipis trunk road.Agricultural expansion along the road has created a forest bottleneck and there is only about a 10km stretch of forest left connecting these environmentally sensitive areas. The research will determine the response of wildlife to the past develo pment and current landuse patterns and establish benchmark data for future management. It will also estimate the tiger density in western Taman Negara and compare it to that of ten years go. Maybank's support will allow the public and policy makers to be informed of practical solutions based on careful research.Maybank employees will also have the opportunity to participate in the outreach programme as volunteers. Among the year-long activities planned with MYCAT are roadshows mainly at night markets and conservation education programmes in schools to create awareness among key communities in the country (Maybank, 2010). Nokia India, the leading mobile communications company in partnership with WWF-India, one of the largest conservation organizations in the country to save the tiger.Globally, Nokia’s environmental strategy is to drive the use of safe substances and materials in products, improve the energy efficiency of products and create effective take-back and recycling pr ograms. Energy efficiency and climate strategy are other important areas of continuous performance improvement by Nokia. Nokia has been involved in several conservation initiatives with the WWF Global Network. Nokia is extending this global vision to focus on local environment through its partnership with WWF by extend the relationship with WWF-India through Nokia in India.This is an important step in bringing corporate institutional support for conservation, significantly tiger conservation in India. This is also an important beginning at this critical time for conservation in our India. In July 27, 2008, Nokia India unveiled the ‘Tiger Wall of Hope’ in New Delhi as part of their support initiative for the Tiger Conservation programme of WWF India. The ‘Tiger Wall of Hope’ that has been created out of original pugmarks embedded in Plaster of Paris encased in acrylic are a grim reminder of the critical numbers of tigers left in the wild.As part of the assoc iation, Nokia and WWF-India will work towards providing education to the villagers for sustainable development, increasing awareness on tiger conservation, and identifying alternative livelihood programmes for the villagers around National Parks, specifically the Ranthambore National Park. Furthermore, Nokia will work with WWF in the following areas around Ranthambore to strengthen the existing community institutions and development of further institutions of the community to facilitate community empowerment, to provide education for sustainable development and ommunication outreach to the school teachers and students, villagers-including men and women, civil society communities around the Park and the forest personnel, and to strengthen sustainable and alternative livelihood programmes, to link them with existing schemes of other line departments of the Government of Rajasthan. In addition, Nokia has a robust community involvement program in Sriperumbudur, Chennai around its manufa cturing facility that has contributed immensely in improving the socio-economic fabric of the region and its employees.It is a matter of great privilege for Nokia India to be associated with WWF for the cause of tiger conservation that needs immediate intervention. This endeavor for tiger conservation is an extension of our commitment towards creating a positive impact on the society beyond Nokia’s technology, products, and services. (WWF-India, 2008) While the tiger as a wild species will most likely not go extinct within the next half century, its current trajectory is catastrophic.If this trend continues, the current range will shrink even further, and wild populations will disappear from many more places, or dwindle to the point of ecological extinction, in which their numbers are too few to play their role as top predator in the ecosystem. Leaving room for wide-ranging mammals such as tigers is vital and must become part of an effort to incorporate wildlife conservation into national and regional development agendas. Over the decades, we have realized that this problem is transnational and that science, economics, culture, public policy, and international dialogue all bear on preserving the tiger and its habitat.Conserving tigers, tiger habitat, and the natural capital they encompass must be part of the calculus that will continue to fuel Asia's growing prosperity (Dinerstein et al. , 2007). According to George Schaller, â€Å"Future generations would be truly saddened that this century had so little foresight, so little compassion, such lack of generosity of spirit for the future that it would eliminate one of the most beautiful and dramatic animals that the world has ever seen. † (DWNP, 2008)

Nitrogen (N2)â€Its Discovery, Danger and Uses

Nitrogen is the primary gas in the atmosphere. It makes up 78.084 percent by volume in dry air, and that makes it the most common gas in the atmosphere. Its atomic symbol is N and its atomic number is 7.   The Discovery of Nitrogen   Daniel Rutherford discovered nitrogen in 1772. He was a Scottish chemist and a physician with a passion for understanding gases, and he owed his discovery to a mouse. When Rutherford placed the mouse in a sealed, enclosed space, the mouse naturally died when its air ran low. He then attempted to burn a candle in the space. The flame didnt fare well either. He tried phosphorous next with much the same result.   He then forced the remaining air through a solution that absorbed the carbon dioxide that remained in it. Now he had air that was devoid of both oxygen and carbon dioxide. What remained was nitrogen, which Rutherford initially called noxious or phlogisticated air. He determined that this remaining gas was expelled by the mouse before it died.   Nitrogen in Nature   Nitrogen is a part of all plant and animal proteins. The nitrogen cycle is a pathway in nature that transforms nitrogen into usable forms. Although much of the fixation of nitrogen occurs biologically, such as with Rutherfords mouse, nitrogen can be fixed by lightning as well. Its colorless, odorless and tasteless.   Everyday Uses for Nitrogen You may regularly consume traces of nitrogen because its often used to preserve foods, particularly those that are prepacked for sale or sold in bulk. It delays oxidative damage—rotting and spoiling—by itself or  when combined with carbon dioxide. Its also used to maintain pressure in beer kegs.   Nitrogen powers paintball guns. It has a place in making dyes and explosives.   In the health care field, its widely used in pharmacology and is commonly found in antibiotics. Its used in X-ray machines and as an anesthetic in the form of nitrous oxide. Nitrogen is used to preserve blood, sperm and egg samples.   Nitrogen as a Greenhouse Gas Compounds of nitrogen, and particularly nitrogen oxides NOx, are considered greenhouse gases. Nitrogen is used as a fertilizer in soils, as an ingredient in industrial processes, and is released during the burning of fossil fuels.   Nitrogens Role in Pollution   Sharp rises in the number of nitrogen compounds measured in the air began surfacing during the Industrial Revolution. Nitrogen compounds are a primary component in the formation of ground-level ozone. In addition to causing respiratory problems, nitrogen compounds in the atmosphere contribute to the formation of acid rain. Nutrient pollution, a major environmental problem in the 21st century, results from excess nitrogen and phosphorous accumulated in water and air. Together, they promote underwater plant growth and algae growth, and they can destroy water habitats and upset ecosystems when theyre allowed to proliferate unchecked. When these nitrates find their way into drinking water—and this sometimes occurs—it presents health dangers, particularly for infants and the elderly.