Counter Terrorism Strategies in India

Counter Terrorism Strategies in India Freedom at the Helm: Strategic Framework for a Secure India Rebecca Sayres Abstract The three-day attack on Mumbai sought to undermine the liberty of India. Indians now stand more united than ever in protecting our way of life. In an effort to strengthen methods currently used to combat terrorists, a counterterrorism strategy has been implemented. The Strategy calls for additional anti-terrorism methods, organizational changes, as well as partnerships between the central and state governments. Citizens need to be vigilant and willing to work with their local government. India however cannot go this alone. The international community must act as partners to hinder recurring acts of violence by Pakistan-based extremists. Cumulatively, measures outlined in this Strategy make for a stronger India. Implementing a Strategy The objective of implementing a national counterterrorism strategy is to protect India, Indian citizens and Indian interests abroad as well as at home. The Strategy will serve as a blueprint of guiding principles, priorities, and direction for law enforcement, as well as government agencies. Those who were avidly against The Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) should be reassured that measures outlined in the Strategy will not encroach on the fundamental rights of Indian citizens. The government seeks to work with its citizens in promoting awareness of the evolving challenges of modern day terrorism. Together we can work to abolish those radical individuals who seek to harm our way of life. Pakistan-Based Islamic Extremist Groups Pakistan-based extremist groups pose the greatest threat to India’s national security. Specifically, groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) can be linked to numerous recurring acts of violence against India. In a coordinated effort in 2001, the groups launched an attack on the Indian Parliament House in New Delhi. The well-orchestrated Mumbai attacks in 2008 were also LeT linked (Rath, p.63-69). Violent jihadi terrorism strategically aims to damage India economically and stir up religious hatred between Hindus and Muslims. Due to this overwhelming threat, India will base its Strategy around countering the threat of Pakistan-based extremist groups through improved organizational structures within government agencies, and partnerships throughout the international community. Countering Threats Thwarting terroristic activities is complex; it requires diligent information gathering on individuals, objectives, capabilities, and planning. Domestically, counterterrorism encompasses many state and federal agencies. In regards to intelligence gathering, the Indian military, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as well as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) lead operations and analysis for detecting terrorist related activities under the central government (Gordon, p. 117-118). Police forces operate under the jurisdiction of state and Union territories to enforce laws, conduct criminal investigations, and respond to local threats (Gordon, p. 117-118). As counterterrorism measures enhance, interagency collaboration will be amplified in a sustainable fashion across all jurisdictions. Intelligence agencies have been successful in identifying potential terrorist attacks (Mahadevan, p.98). What we learned from the attack on Mumbai is agencies need to be able to act swiftly in a jointly coordinated effort to deny terrorists the means of carrying out their activities (Staniland, p.1). For that reason, an independent fusion center has been established to analyze and integrate intelligence relevant to national security collected by the military, CBI, RAW, and IB. Pertinent information will then be disseminated to those who need it at local levels. Agencies also have to be operationally sound. Police forces need capabilities to follow up on intelligence warnings. This requires proper manpower, weaponry, training, communications, and transportation facilities. These tools permit police forces to take preemptive measures while shortening response times (Staniland, p.1). In order to accommodate these needs, agencies will be appropriated additional funding to acquire the necessary assets for safeguarding national security. Inclusive of this funding is the Border Security Force (BSF), responsible for guarding India’s land borders (Matthews, 2011). Volatile areas like Jammu and Kashmir require additional security protocols to prevent terrorists from slipping through Indian entry points. Battlefield surveillance radars, long-range reconnaissance and observations systems will be added to the agencies arsenal (Matthews, 2011). Terrorists, smugglers, and pirates regularly threatened Indian coastline and regional waters (Matthews, 2011); therefore more emphasis will be placed on securing this area and reducing vulnerabilities. Protection of our seas is a priority; BSF will be provided additional vessels and surveillance mechanisms required for the coastline. Domestic Policy In the past, Indian officials have faced challenges reaching political consensus in countering terror. For the greater good of India, political leadership will place partisan matters aside in a joint effort to formulate timely policies to counter terrorism. In 2004, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed (Prevention of Terrorism Repeal Act, 2004). To indemnify, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was amended to further include crimes associated with terrorism (The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Ordinance, 2004). In an effort to improve on legislation that was perceived as infringing on Indian liberties, national security was exposed to vulnerabilities. India now operates under new legislation that is aggressive on susceptibilities while safeguarding against misuse. Under UAPA confessions made before a police officer were not admissible as evidence (Toughing the Law, 2009). Now, committees have been put into place to asses each case individually and the admissibility of the confession in court. This ensures confessions are made within the parameters of Indian law, while allowing the government to utilize key evidence in cases relevant to terrorism. Additionally and similar to POTA (Toughing the Law, 2009), new law has established special courts for terror related cases. Cases involving terrorist activities, including fund raising and recruitment will be fast-tracked. Failing to expedite these cases constitutes a threat to the security and stability of the state. Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures. There is a distinct difference between ordinary crime and terrorism. UAPA does not differentiate standards for bail between the common criminal and terrorists (Singh, p. 402). Therefore, bail provisions specific to activities related to terrorism have been passed into law. Bail is now set in a way which is proportional to the charges. The onus lies with the judge not to grant this privilege unless there is confidence that the accused is not guilty of terrorist related offenses. Toughening these laws ensure terrorists do not walk away free after being caught in the act. They will not however, deter an individual from committing atrocities. Terrorism has to be dealt with in the context of its growing threat to India. This starts with better governance. Elected officials at all levels must share the same objectives on terrorism. Partnerships between the central government, states, as well as Union territories are essential (Athana, p.15-16). Likewise, a partnership between the government and its people is imperative. This requires mutual trust and respect. Citizens cannot hesitate on reporting suspected terrorist activities to appropriate officials or law enforcement. Through these partnerships, we stand united in fighting violent extremist. International Cooperation India has one of the world’s highest levels of terrorist violence. In 2012, the Global Terrorism Index ranked India 4th among countries most affected by terrorism (Global Terror Index, 2012). Numerous attacks can be directly attributed to Pakistan-based extremists. The international community is well aware of the forces surrounding the tumultuous relationship between Pakistan and India. UN resolution 39 established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) attempting to mediate on-going conflicts (General Assembly, 1948). As the UN has condoned Pakistan to continue to blatantly support and harbor terrorist activities, the resolution has lost relevance. Terrorism is not isolated to India, it is a global quandary. The international community is more interdependent than ever in countering these types of threats. The UN, along with allied nations must place additional pressure on Pakistan to further oblige its commitment on fighting terrorism. Rapprochement is unfeasible without the support of the international community. Pakistan must send the message that it will not export transnational terrorism by refusing to act aggressively against those who seek to commit heinous crimes against India. Furthermore, Pakistan must cooperate with the Indian government in extraditing those associated with crimes carried out on Indian soil. Bilateral peace discussions cannot resume until this occurs. The United States and India have held an amiable relationship. Following the 9/11 attack, India offered the U.S. unlimited support including the use of specific air bases (Fair, p. 76-77). Further, we have collaborated on counterterrorism endeavors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked diligently with Indian security services after Mumbai (Staniland, p. 3). India recognizes that the United States is deeply engaged with Pakistan in regards to aid and operations surrounding Afghanistan (Asthana, p.17). This empowers the U.S. to impose unrelenting pressure on Pakistan regarding transnational terrorism (Asthana, p.17). Additionally, the U.S. should continue assistance to Indian security forces. India could greatly benefit from increased anti-terrorism courses for police and domestic intelligence forces. Conclusion The 11/26 attack on Mumbai reaffirmed that transnational violence carried out by Pakistani extremist groups remains a leading threat to India’s national security. In addition, numerous terrorist attacks in recent years have been linked to the on-going conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir (Gordon, p.111). India is not immune from the dangers that both domestic and foreign terrorists pose. It is foreseeable that terrorists will continue to target Indian interests globally. The Strategy outlined will serve as a guide to counter those threats. As a society, we must continue to live our lives without forfeiting the liberties radical extremists seek to demolish. Terrorism cannot intimidate or bend the will of the people. Citations Asthana, Vandana. (2010, June 1). Cross-border terrorism in India: Counterterrorism strategies and challenges. Department of Government and International Affairs East Washington University, 1 June 2010. Retrieved from https://ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/27703/CrossBorderTerrorisminIndiaCounterterrorismStrategiesandChallenges.pdf?sequence=2 Fair,C.C. (2004). The counterterror coalitions: Cooperation with Pakistan and India. Retrieved from Rand website: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG141.pdf General Assembly resolution 39, The rule of law at the national and international levels, S/654 (20 January 1948), Retrived from http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=s/res/39(1948) Global Terrorism Index: Capturing the Impact of Terrorism for the Past decade. (2012). Retrieved from Institute For Economics and Peace website: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/sites/default/files/2012_Global_Terrorism_Index_Report.pdf Gordon, S. (2008). Policing terrorism in India. Crime, Law Social Change, 50(1/2), 111-124. Mahadevan, P. (2012). The politics of counterterrorism in India: Strategic intelligence and national security in South Asia. London: I.B. Tauris. Mathews, N. (2011). Guarding Access. Defense Technology International, 5(1), 32. Parliament of India. (2004). PREVENTION OF TERRORISM (REPEAL) ACT 2004 (14). Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/tldb/showDocument.do?documentUid=6920node=docscmd=addcountry=IND Parliament of India. (2004). The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Ordinance, 2004. Retrieved from http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/document/actandordinances/the_unlawful_activities__amendord2004.htm Rath, S. (2013). South Asia’s future security: The danger of terrorism from Pakistan. Social Research Reports, 2563-89. Singh,U.K. (2007). The state, democracy and anti-terror laws in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications. Toughing the Law. (2009, January 9). India Today Bureau. Retrieved from http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Toughening+the+law/1/24801.html

Mills The Power Elite Analysis

Mills The Power Elite Analysis   Rudenko Viacheslav   The ruling elite consists of people occupying such positions that give them the opportunity to rise above the environment of ordinary people and make decisions that have the greatest consequences. Whether they make these decisions or not- it is less important than the fact of owning such key positions; their avoidance of known actions and decisions is in itself an action that often entails more important consequences than the decisions they make. This is due to the fact that they command the most important institutions and organisations of modern society. For us, it is important that the activities of the elite not only can provide a stabilising function for the whole society or its subsystems, but can also destabilise its condition. In the work The Power Elite, Mills carried out an institutional analysis of Americas contemporary. As he points out, among all spheres of the life of the society, there are three most important: economic, political and military. It is here where we must look for the roots of the real elite of society. Mills concluded that at the head of America more or less permanent group of families. Representatives of this ruling elite have so much in common (beginning with religion and education and ending with membership in the same clubs) that they represent a single group that gradually concentrates in their hands full power. Although these people consist in different parties, they also have similar interests and views. Because of this, it leads to that the election of the president or congressmen, in fact, a fiction that has no significant meaning. Thus, the country is governed by a narrow ruling elite, which occupies the highest level in the power structure. The lower level in this structure is occupied by the majority of citizens who allegedly are the reliance of democracy, but in reality, they are subordinate to the will of the elite. The single rule of the ruling elite, as C. Mills asserted, not only poses a threat to democracy, but can also provoke a third world war. Sharply criticising the dominance of the elite, Charles Mills posited positive hopes for intellectuals, which, in his opinion, should become the core that will strengthen American society, returning it to democratic origins. The book The Power Elite contains a comprehensive analysis of the American ruling elite:   Ã‚   its composition and main characteristics; mechanisms of its formation; its place in society; its historical evolution; etc. The research itself is a visual example of how a practical embodiment of the style of thinking should look like, which called by Mills as sociological imagination,. The ruling elite: consists of people occupying positions that give them the opportunity to rise above the environment of ordinary people and make decisions that have the greatest consequences. C. Mills believed that there are three distinct levels of power. The first the highest level is occupied by the ruling elite, which formally and informally accepts the most important political decisions and removes the popular masses from governing the country; The second level is an intermediate level of power reflecting group interests in local and regional authorities, whose influence on the adoption of fundamental decisions is limited; The third level is the level of the actual lack of rights of the masses, on which the main part of society is located, which does not exert any influence on the decision-making. This naturally leads to the conclusion that in fact American democracy and peoples democracy is nothing more than a deception. The main fact: the possession of command positions in the social system, in which effective means are concentrated, providing power, wealth, prestige, fame. The ruling elite has a national character:Analysing the provincial upper classes of the old and new formations and the upper strata of the central cities (the so-called layer of four hundred families), and Mills showed that their power capabilities are limited, and their decisions do not have a decisive influence on social processes. Higher positions in local hierarchies have lost the importance they had before. This is due to the institutional development of society, its enlargement and the formation of national social networks. Many members of the ruling elite came out from the local tops; But those who occupy the highest positions in the local hierarchies do not belong to it. The key to understanding the power of the elite must be sought in the social structure of modern society, its most important institutions. That is: (1) economic institutions: corporations; (2) political institutions: the state; (3) military institutions: the army. These institutions in American society dominate and subordinate all other institutions (school, family, church, science, etc.), turning them into tools for the realisation of their goals. There have been processes of enlargement and centralisation in these three areas: Economy: instead of a lot of small entrepreneurs 200-300 large corporations; Public administration: instead of a decentralised structure of state and municipal governments, a centralised government; Military: instead of a decentralised structure of means of violence, a centralised military department that has become the largest and the most expensive government agency. The ruling elite is effectively closed from foreign: through the working mechanisms of selection and recruitment, predominance of appointees and the role of subjective evaluation in appointments. Staying in the elite gives you direct access to the valuable benefits of life: wealth, power, prestige. Access to these benefits depends not so much on the personal qualities of a person, but on the positions in power. Disappearance of the public: The questions that determine the fate of people are not put and are not solved by the general public. Key decisions for society are made by the elite, often without any regard for the public. Also, there is a growing gap between the elite and the managed population. A huge role here is played by the media: in place of democratic discussion and decision-making, authoritarian decision-making mechanisms based on the technologies of propaganda processing and the formation of public opinion come. The market of opinions is monopolised: several large monopolists came to the place of numerous independent producers of opinions. Outcome: universal spiritual ignorance, stupor, loss of life guides and criteria, the triumph of immorality, the collapse of the mind, the general atmosphere of insecurity and impotence. A similar function is also performed by the education system. Immorality at the top: a structural problem. The society itself is arranged in such way that to achieve success person must drop moral. Moral orientations are often become disastrous for a career. In the lower classes a similar structural problem is philistine Machiavellianism. In a society where money is the only indisputable measure of prosperity (and human value), it cannot be otherwise. The main Elite-forming sign is not outstanding individual qualities, but possession of command positions, leading positions. The ruling elite, writes Mills, consists of people, occupying such positions that give them the opportunity to rise above the environment of ordinary people and make decisions that have major consequences. This is due to the fact that they command the most important hierarchical institutions and organizations of modern society. They occupy strategic command posts in the social system, in which effective means are concentrated, ensuring the power, wealth and fame that they use. It is the occupation of key positions in the economy, politics, military and other institutions that provides power and thereby constitutes the elite. Such an understanding of the elite distinguishes left-liberal concepts from Machiavellian and other theories that lead to elitism from special qualities of people. Group cohesion and the diversity of the composition of the ruling elite, which is not limited to the elite of the political, directly taking state decisions, but includes the leaders of corporations, politicians, senior civil servants and higher officers. They are supported by intellectuals, well-established within the existing system. The unifying factor of the ruling elite is not only the common interest of the constituent groups in preserving their privileged position and the social order that provides it, but also the proximity of the social status, educational and cultural level, the range of interests and spiritual values, lifestyle, and personal and family ties. There is also profound difference between the elite and the masses. Natives of the people can enter the elite only by occupying high positions in the social hierarchy. However, they have few real chances for this. The possibilities for the influence of the masses on the elite through elections and other democratic institutions are very limited. With the help of money, knowledge, the sophisticated mechanism of manipulating consciousness, the ruling elite controls the masses virtually uncontrollably. The recruiting of the elite is carried out mainly from its own environment based on acceptance of its social and political values. The most important criteria for selection are the possession of resources of influence, as well as business qualities and a conformist social position. The first and main function of the ruling elite in society is to ensure its own domination. Exactly this function by which decision of administrative tasks is subordinated. Mills denies the inevitability of the elitism of society, criticizes it from consistently democratic positions. Mills comments on the popular ideas about the managerial revolution, according to which, the power in the enterprises passed to the managers from the bottom, rational managers who care about both the profits for the owners and the dignity of the workers. Mills argues that in fact, managers are divided into two classes: those who are engaged in executive organisational work, and those who make key decisions. So, the second, higher class of managers is not separate from the owners of the group. As a rule, they have part in the shares of the enterprise. In fact, their interests do not differ from the interests of owners, as in their position they make money. At the very top of the social structure of the United States is the ruling elite, and below it is a politically formless inert society. If you look at it objectively, there is not so widely praised by the liberals the public, which discusses various issues, and then implements decisions directly or through representatives. The place of a reasonable and free personality envisaged by such a model is now occupied by the crowd man, and a mass society takes the place of a politically active organisation organised into grassroots associations of civil society. As We see large corporations instead small shopkeepers today, and instead of communicating between the buyer and the seller, we see mass advertising, as well in politics: instead of exchanging views, we see mass ideological processing. From what has been said it is clear that an inert society is the result of the influence of the mass media. The basis of resistance to them may be the comprehension of their experience, but the problem is that even our experience we perceive through the prism created by the mass media. Also, these media divert us from knowing the world through communication with loved ones. Probably, this function is performed by the TV bursting into the kitchen? Media does not only form our view of the world, but also our view of ourselves, imposing desires, dreams, and a vision of our position in society. The way out of this situation is to create and maintain alternative media that are not monopolised by the powers that be. This will allow us to see a real clash of opinions and analyse them. The education system has an effect similar to the mass media. In modern educational institutions, instead of political goals (the ability to link personal experience with social processes and to be active in public life), dominate market goals (the desire to become a steep specialist and move along the career ladder) which go together with ideologic propaganda of ruling class. The structure of an inert society is this: we are alienated from each other and closed in our own world, to which we look through the prism created by the mass media and the education system. We cannot relate our position to a real social structure. As a result, we become non-initiative and politically inert. Above the mass of such disunited people rises the organised elite, making the most important decisions, concerning all. Such pessimistic picture drawn by Mills. Pessimistic, because it does not contain a hint of a strategy of liberation. Perhaps Mills simply did not set the goal of this book to reflect on liberation strategies, or maybe he did not really see the opportunity to change society for the better, who knows? The concept of elite within the framework of the proposed cultural-institutional approach which historically defined (along with aristocracy and nomenclature) as a form of existence of power groups that define institutional boundaries. In other words, the elites are groups that perform, first of all, stabilising functions on the scale of the whole society, as well as its individual subsystems. And within the framework of this function, the elites consider the limits of the existence of other institutions and individuals. In this sense, they are institutionalising institutions. The existence of the elite is connected with the bourgeois industrial society. This means that they are the product of the social relations of this particular society. In this context, there are three characteristics of the modern society which are important: openness of the society, openness of power and openness of politics. In connection with these changes, the elites are institutionalised. The study of the ruling elite of the US did not go unnoticed. Later, the conclusions of C. Mills were reflected in the ideology of the new left throughout the world. In addition, the modern English sociologist A. Giddens who has convincingly shown that the term ruling elite, invented by C. Mills in relation to the United States, can rightly be attributed to the Soviet Union. Mills carried out an institutional analysis of Americas contemporary. He pointed out that among all spheres of the life of society the leading place is occupied by three economic, political and military. Mills believes that power elites represent only their own interests, which include maintaining an eternal economic war to control American capitalism, and masking manipulative control of social and political order with the help of the mass media. Mills concluded that at the head of America is more or less the permanent group of families. This leads to the fact that the election of the president or congressmen is a fiction, which has no essential meaning. The lower level in this structure is occupied by the majority of citizens who allegedly to the reliance of democracy, but in reality they are subordinate to the will of the elite. Mills saw the main social danger in increasing rationality without reason, that is, in using ruling elite rational means ,developed by scientists, to achi eve irrational goals.

Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace -- Internet Web Cyberspace Essays

Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace Since the public has logged onto the internet there has been vast amounts of information available. Since the 1990s more and more countries have entered into the information age. Due to the lack of freedom of speech in several countries, censorship has now taken on a prevalent role in the suppression of information. Many countries view a great deal of information as a threat if put into the wrong hands and as a consequence attempt to reduce its availability. However, unlike many of its other counterparts, the United States takes a very liberal stance towards the access if information on the Internet, which is protected by the First Amendament. In contrast to this philosophy, the Saudi Arabian government, in an act to suppress and censor the prevalence of the information on the internet, has established laws and regulations that prohibit public access to the internet for religious and social reasons. The United States has had internet access for over a decade now and information and usage has flourished. The technology development over the last five years has promoted internet access across the country with internet access in homes and businesses increasing exponentially. With any ISP a person decides to use there is no censorship or filtration system which limits their access to any part of the internet. ISPs and multiple companies’ offer software which helps restrict children’s access to pornographic sites or sites that parents deem harmful to their children, but the companies to explicitly filter the content that is received at a personal computer. There have been laws that have been revoked by the Supreme Court or regional courts which have tried to regulate or filter Internet access[i... ...4/22/2004) [iv] McCarthy, Martha. (2003). Internet Censorship: United States v. American Library Association. (4/22/2004) [v] Committee to Protect Journalists. (2003) Attacks on the Press 2003: Mideast (4/22/2004) [vi] Human Rights Watch. (1999) The Internet In the Mideast And North Africa – Country Profiles-Saudi Arabia (4/22/2004) [vii] Zittrain, Jonathan and Edelman, Benjamin. (2002) . Documentation of Internet Filtering in Saudi Arabia. (4/22/2004) [viii] Human Rights Watch. (1999) The Internet In the Mideast And North Africa – Country Profiles-Saudi Arabia (4/22/2004) [ix] Committee to Protect Journalists. (2003) Attacks on the Press 2003: Mideast (4/22/2004) [x] Committee to Protect Journalists. (2003) Attacks on the Press 2003: Mideast (4/22/2004) [xi] Jehl, Douglas. (1999). The Internet’s ‘Open Sesame’ Is Answered Warily. (4/22/2004)

The Contempt and Bitterness of Virginia Woolf Exposed in A Room of One

The Contempt and Bitterness of Virginia Woolf Exposed in A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf refuses the role society prescribes her. She stands up against glass ceilings, separate spheres, and double standards-cultural institutions that create and uphold a weaker sex. In her writing, specifically "A Room of One's Own," she manifests her contempt and bitterness by advocating "it is necessary [for women] to have five hundred [pounds] a year and a lock on the door if you are to write fiction or poetry" (769). However, to break and step above the institutions she criticizes, Woolf knows she cannot simply complain about her brothers' years at Oxford while she stayed home with tutors-that would lead an audience to believe "she has an axe to grind" (quoted in Bartholomae and Petrosky, 750). Rather, she must strive for the calm collectedness of her male academic counterparts. This presents a problem for Woolf: how does she convey the oppression of women-the passion behind her work-through an objective and level voice? She needed a vehicle that could be neutral yet em otional, provocative but wise. Ultimately, Woolf needed a mask: one that mimicked the reserved quality of men, yet allowed her to bare the thoughts of a woman subjected to society's mechanisms. Woolf found her solution in the persona "Mary Beton, Mary Seton, Mary Carmichael, or byanynarneyouplease"(751). Mary,Mary,orMary,quitecontrarytoWoolf, is a superb ballerinas prima donna of the highest caliber-she was sent to the front of the class not for punishment, but to set the par. She learned earlier than the other girls to stay quiet for her superiors and to please them, even at the risk of pain Through years of training, conditioning and practice, performing en pointe h... ... the lobby with such a confident air because she knew she was the best-the purse her mother gave her proved that. On a less frequent basis she remembers one girl who was in her class for a short time. This girl-the name Virginia sounds familiar-always had a sloppy bun and leaned to the left in her pirouettes As Mary gets ready for a grand gala (that society has told her to attend) she wonders what ever happened to that girl. Works Cited Bartholomae, David and Anthony Petrosky, eds. Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers, Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. Rich, Adrienne. "When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision." Ways of Reading. Eds. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 603-620. Woolf, Virginia. "A Room of One's Own." Ways of Reading. Eds. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 750-778,

Art versus Pornography Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Art versus Pornography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Her head rests on her left knee, with her hands clasped on her ankle.   Locks of hair are thrown about in an auburn blaze.   Her tight rosy lips are as red as her cheeks.   Her dark-blue eyes reveal a half-seductive, half-submissive look.   Her legs are in a subdued spread-eagle formation, leaving her crotch area quite visible.   Her white panties leave little to the imagination. The sexual overtones are more than just a coincidence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Suspend your imagination for a minute and ask yourself if the description formed in your mind a work of art or, instead, a photograph of softcore pornography, found in such magazines as Hustler or Playboy?   Where this description is taken from will be disclosed later, but let us concern ourselves with a problem that this... ...ed them.   A person at the time looking at his works would recognize them as prostitutes, a fact that is less distinct today.   His display of the "product" in some cases, could be seen as propaganda against prostitution.   Hence, he had an intellectual, not a pornographic intent.  Ã‚   This debate will continue, and perhaps no end may come of it until viewers have understanding of the artist's intent.

How to Lose Belly Fat and Get a Flat Stomach Essay

In this article we provide a series of diet rules that you must follow if you wish to lose weight and get a flat stomach. Then we have some specific advice for men, women, teens and seniors and finally cover the lifestyle factors and exercises which are needed to maintain a healthy weight. We then review some of the weight loss advice from major publications over the last decade. At the end of the article you will find links to several of our fitness workouts that will help you to lose weight. Knowing how to lose belly fat is the first step in gaining that flat stomach that so many people aspire to. Once the fat is lost you are only one step away from attaining the ultimate dream, six pack abs. However, even a thin layer of loose belly fat can be hard to shift. If you are looking for advice on how to lose stomach fat then following these tips and tricks will help you to lose that gut quickly. Combined with a fitness plan, these tips to lose belly fat will speed up weight loss and get you in shape in no time. Not everyone wants a washboard abs, but if you just want to trim down some inches around the waist and get a flatter stomach, these tips can really help you. Remember that central obesity is bad for your health and that losing belly fat reduces risks of developing more serious health issues in the future such as diabetes and heart disease. Diet Rules To Reduce Visceral Fat / Belly Fat Say Goodbye to Belly Fat! 1. Throw Out The Junk Food – Reduce Sugar and Saturated Fat To lose stomach fat you have to throw out the junk food! You are what you eat, so don’t eat junk. Do not keep junk food like cookies, chips, sweets and other similar products in your house. Junk food and addiction to sugar is considered to be the greatest cause of belly fat today. There are some foods that burn belly fat which will help you, but you still have to control calories. If you do not have these bad foods lying around, you will not think about them and after sometime, you will break the bad eating habits. Most weight loss plans provide great nutrition advice and motivational tips to help you keep your healthy diet on track and this is essential for losing belly fat. But, why is junk food so bad? Mostly it is due to the high sugar content of junk food. Most junk food consists of refined carbs and sugar, which when eaten quickly raise blood sugar levels, leading to reduction in fat burning and increase in appetite. 2. Carbohydrates and Losing Belly Fat – Low GI Carbs are Best Consumption of carbohydrate is essential for losing belly fat, but there are good carbs and bad carbs. Refined flours and the foods that they create, such as white bread, pasta, donuts, cakes and biscuits (yes, biscuits cause weight gain) should be avoided. They can cause bloating, poor digestion, and lead to accumulation of fat, which is the opposite of how to lose belly fat! â€Å"Good carbs†, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, should be eaten instead. Slow release carbohydrates are also beneficial, such as oats, brown rice, some pulses and sweet potato. A diet that takes most of its carbs from fruits and vegetables, as opposed to refined flours, is healthier. Read our Low GI Diet eBook to learn how the glycemic index help you to lose weight. Ideally granary or wholemeal bread should be eaten instead of white bread, and biscuits / cookies and cakes should be avoided. Consuming too much carbohydrate can bump up your insulin level, which can slow down your metabolism. Your body cannot metabolize too much carbohydrate at once because the body does not need so much energy at once. The excess sugar from the carbohydrates will just turn into stomach fat. Much research has shown that adopting the Atkins Nutritional Approach, i.e. a high fat/protein diet, is the way ahead to lose weight fast. Avoiding carbs increases the fat burning metabolism (lipolysis), which helps to reduce belly fat to get a flat stomach. Combine your meals with a good mixture of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables. Your source of protein should be in the size of a deck of cards; the carbohydrates in the size of your palm and the major bulk of your meals should come from vegetables, ideally low GI vegetables. (advertisement) 3. The Natural Way to Lose Belly Fat – Eat Like a Cave Man Following a natural food idea is a great way to lose belly fat as if combines the rules above, that is you avoid all junk food and all processed food, sugar and saturated fats. Following a Caveman Diet or a Low GI diet are two ways to lose belly fat the natural way. It is important that you avoid gimmicks and pills when try to lose weight. You need to make a lifestyle change and carry on eating a healthy diet and exercise after you lose weight. Systems such as the HCG Diet and Lemonade Cleanse / Maple Syrup Diet may aid fast weight loss initially but in the long-term there is a much greater risk of putting the weight back on again. 4. No More Late Night Snacks – Stop Comfort Eating Try not to have late night snacks. The main problem with late night snacking is that there is not much activity done afterwards. People go straight to bed right after the late night meal because they are tired. So, this will cause high sugar levels in the blood stream and no energy spent after that. The excess sugar will just turn into belly fat very quickly. You can reduce you hunger and food cravings by following a low glycemic diet. Fluctuations in blood sugar causes increases in appetite. Losing stomach fat requires a strict diet so avoiding hunger is essential. Late night snacking is often emotional eating and not eating to nourish. 5. Drink Less Alcohol To Lose Weight Decrease alcohol consumption. If you drink a lot, you will accumulate fat around your waist. Excess alcohol consumption can really give you a belly. Have you seen people who are slim all over but have a beer belly sticking out? Well, that is the effect of excess alcohol consumption. Alcohol does not contain any nutrients at all. So, all the energy consumed through alcohol will be stored as belly fat! If you want to lose weight fast then you need to stop drinking for a while. You do not need to give up alcohol completely, but just drink in moderation. Do not drink everyday and limit yourself to just one glass of wine or one bottle of beer. (advertisement) Lifestyle Changes To Help Lose Weight Get Faster Results: Free Weight Loss Guide Super Fitness Plans Low GI Diet Plan 31 Day Fat Loss 1. Turn Out The Lights Before Bed Sleep research has shown that sleeping with a light on, even just a dim night light, is enough to cause changed to appetite. Researchers found that subjects that sleep with a light on gain more weight. 2. Exercise for Weight Loss – Burn Fat With Cardio and Weights Exercise is vital for weight loss and long-term health. Exercising has an immediate effect on weight, in that as you exercise you burn energy (mostly glycogen stored in muscle tissue). The body replaces the lost energy by breaking down sugar reserves in fat cells. This is why we lose weight (fat) when we exercise. Exercise also helps build muscle and this means that your metabolism is raised permanently. Finally, the more exercise you do, the fitter you get. The fitter you are, the more you can exercise and the more calories you burn. If you do not know how to get started, find a fitness class, hire a personal trainer or learn from or guides. If you want to exercise by yourself then books exercise can help (there are some old but free books on gymnastic exercises here). We have a growing selection of advice and articles to help you get fit here at MotleyHealth.com. 3. What is the Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat? The question that is so often asked has finally been answered by sports scientists. Researchers from the Duke Uni Medical Center have found that aerobic exercise is more effective at burning visceral (belly) fat than weight training. Visceral fat is the least healthy of fat too. It causes diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. â€Å"Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass. But if you are overweight, which two-thirds of the population is, and you want to lose belly fat, aerobic exercise is the better choice because it burns more calories.† – Dr. Cris Slentz, Duke University Medical Center, 2011. How to Lose Belly Fat with Exercise The key to losing belly fat is to exercise often. We suggest exercising at least 7 times per week. If you can fit in 2 workouts a day all the better. Although sports research has indicated that intensive exercise is most effective, this new research suggests that really it is just a matter of burning more calories. So whether you spring or walk makes no difference, so long as you do the work. Sprinting obviously burns calories quicker than walking but if you can only walk that just means is that you have to exercise for longer each day. There are many exercise routines that will help you to get a 6 pack once you have lost all your belly fat. However, the most important thing is to combine different workouts. Weight training is essential, as building muscle speeds metabolism. Intensive exercise, such as interval training and circuit training burns fat fast. Keep it varied, and you will lose weight. Remember that although stomach exercises will not help you to lose belly fat, they will help to tone the mid-section and develop your abdominals. If exercise is simply not an option for you then you should read the section on How to Lose Weight which explains the role of food, hormones and fat loss. Although diet plays the most important role in losing weight and belly fat, exercise really is essential. Fortunately there are some fitness and weight loss plans that are tailored to help people lose belly fat. We have many workouts in our fitness section.

School Violence In Virgin Islands

School violence poses a great risk in the development of any nation but not only in the US as a whole or the Virgin Islands. School violence is a very serious problem especially in the public schools and it is both found in urban and sub urban areas of the Virgin Islands. It would a wasted effort to try to improve the quality of education without taking school violence as a serious problem, thus looking for ways to solve it no matter the quality of teachers we employ or the curriculum since violence makes learning difficult. School violence comes in very different forms which include; o Intimidation o Gang activity Use of guns and other dangerous weapons o Theft of lockers o Assault or o Anything that will cause a victim Victims of school violence could be teachers, students and members of non teaching staff and ranges from planned attacks to unintentional murders of by standers. There are nearly three million robberies and acts of violence happening in or in the neighborhoods of sch ool campuses yearly according to the National Crime survey of May 2001. This is about sixteen thousand occurrences per school per day and also almost all crimes against teenagers happen in schools or in the neighborhoods (Hurwitz, Menacker, Weldon, 1987 p5). The chances of a violent incident occurring in a school are increased if there is a student with a gun. Possession of guns by students while in school is a common occurrence and many parents are constantly worried about the safety of their kids who are in school. Around 15% of students in the Virgin Islands report the presence of gangs in their schools and many fear of being attacked while in school or on their way to the school and 61% of all crimes are committed by students (Boyer, 2008, p334). There is various prevention measures put in place in the Virgin Islands for controlling school violence. School safety is treated as a priority within each campus and the neighborhood. Programs encompassing parents, students, teachers, police officers, religious leaders, the courts and any other leader who is in charge of ethnic and racial balance in the community. These people help in determining case of planned violence and also setting up plans for stopping acts of violence before they happen. The school environment is set up in such a way that it creates a positive climate for the students. All employees in each school are encouraged to participate in creating this welcoming environment so as to eradicate any negativity in the students, since this goes a long way in reducing cases of violence. Schools have also established a procedures for tracking crimes and for record keeping, it records crime types, when, where and why they happened and any other important data. The data is then examined to determine the trends, the persons involved and any new patterns so as to come with measures of countering it (Furlong, Bates, Smith, 2004 pp240-263). Establishment of communication centers using the latest technologies for that is capable of getting in touch with the appropriate administrators in case of an emergency. These allows for quick response so as minimize chances of aggravating the injuries which might occur during the violence. Students who have the tendency of bringing weapons to school should be counseled, given the necessary support or referred to the suitable resources in the community and where necessary transferred to other schools. Probation officers are placed in campuses in communities experiencing severe cases of violence so as to give the students thorough supervision. Some of the above programs might fail to work in some communities but work in others because school settings are different from one school to the other. Students have formed groups which report any violence acts and the culprits. The youth contact patrols in their campuses and neighborhoods and are provided with adequate security without causing confrontations with those they find engaging in crime (United States District Court (Virgin Islands), 1982 pp290- 296). There is amicable solution of grievances which is done by using dialogue to end conflicts thus making sure that cases of revenge are minimized. This is because if some of these problems are not solved once and for all it might cause planned attacks which can happen even outside the school. Students are encouraged to engage in extra curricular activities during their free time so as to reduce the chances of getting themselves in to drugs, since this is a major cause for violence. Students who are found to be in drugs are counseled and advised to visit rehabilitation centers so that they quit these habits. Some of the traditional methods for crime prevention particularly in cases of indiscipline are limited either by the legislature or the judiciary but parents have the powers to determine the types of punishments to be administered to their children even if it is corporal punishment. It is also difficult to establish the measures that work best due to the fact that schools are of different settings. Some of these measures are limited in public schools since the government has the mandate to ascertain that power is not abused in cases where learning is a must and attending given schools is compulsory. This limitation on public schools makes them more violent as compared to private schools and this encourages the establishment of the private schools since most parents want the best for their children. Some of the legislations are kind of encouraging violence in public schools. But it is advisable for school administrators to keep on innovating new methods for countering this problem and to keep on trying the old ones as well as the established. Parents are also encouraged to take an active role in the up bringing of their children so as top ensure that they grow up in to responsible adults. It is also advisable to break up large schools in to small ones because supervising a small number of students is easier. There should be different schools for boys and girls since there seems to more violence in mixed schools than there are in boys or girls’ only schools. The government should also relax some of its legislations so as to allow teachers and parents of public schools to make their own measures for different types of indiscipline in the students (Preventing School Violence: Top Five Ways To Build Stronger Student-adult Relationships, available online).