Into the Wild Character Analysis of McCandless - 1040 Words

Christopher Johnson McCandless graduated from Emory University in 1990. The son of well-to-do parents, it appeared that Chris was prepared to embark on the next chapter of his life. He had been editor of the student newspaper, earned honors with a double major in history and anthropology, and seemed destined for law school. Determined to rewrite his story, Chris eschewed conventional expectations. He divested himself of money and possessions and immersed himself in a new identity: Alexander Supertramp, Alaskan Adventurer. Four months after beginning his trek into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley, Chriss decomposed body was found. When the details of his story emerged, many people thought Chris was mentally disturbed, calling him a kook, a nut, and a half-cocked greenhorn, among other things (Krakauer, 1996, pp. 71-72). Had Chriss story had a happy ending, he would probably be described differently. He brought the tragic ending on himself, and people called him crazy. Crazy is a n on-clinical word often used to describe someone with an underlying pathology. In this sense, there was nothing wrong with Chris McCandless. What he did suffer from was the enthusiasm and over-confidence of youth. Combined with poor planning and insufficient skills and experience in the outdoors, his affliction became fatal. McCandless made bad decisions, but he was not crazy. Chris McCandless enjoyed a privileged upbringing, but one in which he was held to high expectations. ChrissShow MoreRelatedEssay On Chris Mccandless1092 Words   |  5 PagesChris McCandless, the subject of Jon Krakauersâ€Å"Into The Wild,† whose off-the-grid Alaskan adventure ended in starvation is a hero and an idealist whose sense of independence and adventure inspires us to reach for our dreams. McCandless was a courageous man. He wanted to live a life that was completely different than the one his parents lead. And wanted to submerge himself in the world that we live in and be sequestered from peo ple who take it for granted. However, most students see McCandless as aRead MoreInto the Wild Journal (English 4 Erwc)5236 Words   |  21 PagesHector Hernandez Mrs. Phillips 3 May 2012 English 4 ERWC/SDAIE â€Å"Into the Wild† â€Å"Krakauer, John. Into the Wild. Double Day: New York, 1996.† â€Å"1. Getting Ready to Read† Answer the 3 Questions†¦Half Page each â€Å"2. Introducing Key Concepts† Story 1 | Story 2 | Story 3 | My view | Her view | My view | Her view | My view | His view | Spoiled | Heart Broken | Educated | Amused | Obsessed | Hurt | Brat | Sad | Helpful | Interested | Mysterious | Sad | Greedy | Depressed | Wasteful | Amused | NotRead MoreAnalysis of Into the Wild1957 Words   |  8 Pages Into the Wild Introduction Into the Wild is a modern day exploration of liberty found by eschewing custom and flinging oneself into the literal wilderness. Exploring Christopher McCandless true story, the film couches McCandless search for freedom in noble terms, quoting Lord Byron, for example. In addition, both John Stuart Mill and Anne Norton would appear to agree with McCandless adventure, though there is also the cautionary possibility that McCandless was troubled and selfish ratherRead MoreVisual Rhetorical Analysis: Into the Wild Essay1043 Words   |  5 PagesName: Lu Seng Chuin ENGL250 FD Visual Rhetorical Analysis: Into The Wild (Rough Draft) The movie â€Å"Into The Wild† is a true story depicts the desperation of a young Emory graduate, Christopher Johnson McCandless, to flee from the invisible binding of societal pressure and family problems; and worked his way through the unusual journey to Alaskan. The story began with his college graduation and inner frustration to his broken family, then proceeds through a series of events full withRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1739 Words   |  7 Pages Existentialism: Wild(2014) and Into the Wild(2007) For this paper, both movies used to explain Existentialism are adapted from real stories. The first film is Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed and the second is Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless. In Sartre’s definition of existentialism, human existence precedes essence, therefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they knowRead MoreInto the Wild2374 Words   |  10 PagesRhett Jackson English 12B: American Literature 15 March 2012 Into the Wild Temperament Type Analysis The novel Into the Wild is a nonfiction novel published by Jon Krakauer who investigated the life and death of a free spirited individual named Christopher McCandless. McCandless was a recent Emory University graduate who sought to suck the marrow out of life through an independent experience in nature and purposely sought to this experience in the rawest form of supplies. He was found deadRead MoreExistentialism : Wild ( 2014 ) And Into The Wild1779 Words   |  8 Pages Existentialism: Wild(2014) and Into the Wild (2007) For this paper, both movies used to explain Existentialism are adapted from real stories. The first film is Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed and the second is into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless. In Sartre’s definition of existentialism, human existence precedes essence, therefore leading to meaning, purpose and identity. When Chris and Cheryl leave their family, friends and everything else they knowRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pageseducation,[2] or coming-of-age story (though it may also be known as a subset of the coming-of-age story) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age),[3] in which character change is extremely important.[4][5] Contents [hide] 1 Origin 2 Plot outline 3 Examples 3.1 Precursors 3.2 17th century 3.3 18th century 3.4 19th century 3.5 20th century 3.6 21st century 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 Further

Struggle in The River Between Essay - 917 Words

Struggle in The River Between In the book The River Between we find traditional values of the tribe challenged by tribal members who had converted to Christianity. The novel focuses on the struggle between two conflicting interests: First there was the interest to convert Africans to Christianity, and the second was the tribe trying to keep their traditional values in the midst of Christianity. The most contrasting characters in the story were Waiyaki and Joshua. Waiyaki was a strong influence on the people of the land, and his father, Chege, was a man who had powerful visions of his sons future: Salvation shall come from the hills ... Arise. Heed the prophecy (Pg. 20). Waiyaki’s father put the burden of this prophecy†¦show more content†¦some good, some truth shone through it (Pg. 141). Joshua instead believed in rooting out all pagan traditions and rituals: He renounced his tribes magic, power and rituals. ... his people worship the Gikuyu god the Prince of darkness (Pg. 29). All the tribe’s customs were bad. That was final. There could never be a compromise (Pg. 84). As is true in every religious movement there are those who become fanatical and try to push their ideas. Many people will not understand what your beliefs are, and so they will be fearful and most likely reject anything that you say. Fanatics come out when they think they know better than the people they are trying to convert, as is true in Joshuas case. Joshua, and a few others grasped the Christian ideas and fully took hold of the beliefs. He, Joshua, went as far as judging everybody around him who would not convert to Christian ideas: There is none righteous, no, not one. ... for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Pg. 84). Both of these characters become different when faced with Western ideas. Waiyaki takes to heart the idea of education in helping his people, and the need to learn like the white people do. In the case of religion he knew that some of the teachings were beneficial, but he also knew that if they gave up all their traditional rituals their society would disintegrate. WaiyakiShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Swimmer711 Words   |  3 Pageswater. Every human mind is different, and we all have our own fear and struggles. The short story â€Å"The Swimmer† (2011), written by S.J. Butler, is a story about a girl ´s fear of life and her effort to overcome it. The theme of fear in the story is expressed by the main character ´s development. Even the smallest decision, can change you for the rest of your life. The story takes place in the middle of the nature, by a big river with many trees around it. The weather is extremely warm and everythingRead MoreGay Fathers And Their Children1300 Words   |  6 PagesDANIEL WINUNWE RIVERS. Radical Relations: Lesbian Mothers, Gay Fathers, and Their Children in the United States since World War II. (Gender and American Culture.) Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2013. Pp. xii, 296. $32.50. Recent representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families in mainstream media, exemplified by the long-running sitcom Modern Family, and the 2015 United States Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, may lead some to believeRead MoreThe River Between By Ngugi Wa Thiong1549 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel The River Between, Ngugi wa Thiong’o expresses a strong moderate nationalist sentiment displayed in various ways. The subject of this novel, is a meaningful portrayal of how the theme of colonization is at the heart of most African literature written in English. The River Between was Ngugi’s first work to be published in his own language, Gikuyu and then translated into English. His radical shift from the use of the European languages to the use of an indigenous African languageRead More Heritage and Identity in Pat Barkers Regeneration1563 Words   |  7 Pagescompound the problem even further, when England entered t he war, most Russian Jews refused to serve, which angered both the Christian and Jewish community (105-108). References to Jews in Barkers novel begin on page 35 in a conversation between Dr. Rivers and Siegfried Sassoon where the reader learns that Sassoon not only lost his father at a very early age, but also missed a large part of his heritage, his past, which kept him from understanding himself. Sassoon feels disconnected from his fatherRead MoreChange over Time Essay: Mesopotamia from 2000 Bce to Current Day1078 Words   |  5 PagesBCE to Current Day The earliest civilization in Asia arose around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia meaning land between the rivers because of its convenient location between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This river valley regions rich soil and access to waterways made early civilization thrive on agriculture and trade. Although much has changed since its beginnings, the Mesopotamian River Valley has continued to grow and develop as a civilization to this day. During the time period 2000 BCE to presentRead MoreThe Struggle For Land And Palestine : What s The Problems Ahead?1698 Words   |  7 PagesThe Struggle for Land in Israel and Palestine: What’s the Problems Ahead? Abstract The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a continuing conflict, which is a part of Arab-Israel conflict and the Middle East war. This paper mainly explores the conflicts which caused the struggle for land in Israel and Palestine. Why Is It So Hard to Stop Struggling For Land? The land struggle between Israel and Palestine have never ended for almost a century. Today, though there are a lot of agreements, the conflictsRead MoreLesbian Identity Politics and Associated Organizations Essay936 Words   |  4 Pagesidentity politics – a movement very much its own amongst its predecessors. One sect would come to be coined the â€Å"lavender menace† of feminism – a group of mostly Caucasian lesbians – followed later by the black lesbian feminist group, The Combahee River Collective. The infamy and separation these â€Å"menaces† were ascribed from feminist colleagues – as well as respective male colleagues on the Gay Liberation and the Civil Rights fronts – very much set them apart from other movements. And yet, despiteRead MoreA River Runs Through It753 Words   |  3 Pagestwo children growing up in rural Montana with a strict Minister father. Their father not only taught them the word of God and to put all th eir faith in their religion, but he also taught them to fly fish. Several times it is mentioned that the line between God and fly fishing was usually blurred or hard to find. Norman Maclean is the eldest son, he also appears to be the protagonist. The movie is in his point of view with an older version of himself providing voice overs as he reflects. The story startsRead MoreThe Nile River Essay1578 Words   |  7 Pageseveryone in the world knows, the Nile River. What most do not know is that the Nile originates from two separate locations, with two major tributaries. The tributary in the east, the Blue Nile, begins from Lake Tana in Ethiopia and the tributary in the west, the White Nile, begins in Uganda. Both travel hundreds of miles until they reach their confluence in Khartoum, Sudan, where they merge into the mighty Nile River. Similar to this idea of two smaller distinct rivers forming one larger and more recognizableRead MoreThe Great Mississippi Flood of 1927981 Words    |  4 Pagesfailure and the limits of human control over the river. The beginning of the flood, from the initial crevasse, poured out â€Å"468,000 second-feet onto the Delta that triple the volume of a flooding Colorado, more than double a flooding Niagara Falls and the entire upper Mississippi ever carried† (pg 203). The flood of 1927 â€Å"shifted perceptions of the role and responsibility of the federal government†¦ shattered the myth of a quasi-feudal bond between Delta blacks and the southern aristocracy...accelerated

Patent Infringement of Internet Technology Free Essays

Issue in Dispute Factual Background The issue being disputed is whether Vonage contravened patent law by using a technological invention registered to Verizon, without permission, in providing its online communication services. Infringement was claimed by Verizon on three of its patents. Since 2006, a string of patent infringement cases have been filed against Vonage, an online communications company providing customers with the means to communicate through their computers through the Internet route. We will write a custom essay sample on Patent Infringement of Internet Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Verizon was first to sue Vonage for the use of three patents covering the translation of ‘analog voice signals’ into ‘digital signals’ to allow customers to communicate through their computers with broadband connections. In March, a jury verdict found Vonage to have infringed the patents and this was also upheld by the appellate court but only for the two patents. However, the appellate court remanded the case down to the lower court for re-determination of the monetary award since this was not detailed by the jury. Next to file a case was Sprint Nextel Corporation for the use of its patented voice-over internet protocol (VoIP), which allows computer users to make calls using broadband connections. In September, a jury also found voyage to have infringed this patent. Lastly, Klausner Technologies also communicated its claims to Vonage but this has been settled. To date, claims of Sprint Nextel Corporation and Klausner have already been settled. All these claims involved Vonage’s online use of these technology patents in its online popular communication services. Position of Litigants Verizon based its claims on the infringement of three patents. Patent 574 enhances translations of communication information such as telephone numbers or websites into IP addresses. Patent 711 covers the manner of using computer speakers or microphones to communicate online. Patent 880 covers ‘localized wireless gateway system’ that enables phones to register with transceivers before connecting to the Internet.[1] Although these patents do not constitute online communications, this serves to enhance the system by providing a means of translating numerous digital to analog signals, instructing a means of using speakers and microphones to communicate online, and connecting into local base stations to connect mobile phones to computers. By offering online communication services using these three patents without its permission, Verizon claims that Vonage has violated its patent grant. Vonage claims that it has not violated Verizon’s patents because it did not translate but merely extracted and reformatted the telephone numbers. Verizon also claimed that the court of first instance erred in the direction it gave to the jury, particularly on the construction of vital terms found in the claims. First contested term is ‘translation’, which was construed by the courts generally instead of limiting this to the conversation of higher to lower protocols as contained in the patent grant. Second contested term is ‘conditional analysis’, which was interpreted by the court as generating a result from a prior first condition. Vonage claims that this should be limited only to the preferences of the parties using the system.[2] Since its operations do not fall under the technological systems patented by Verizon, it has not infringed any patent. Ethical Issue Opinion on the Case Prior to the cases, Vonage has become popular as an online communications company[3]. In 2006, it launched virtual phone numbers in Europe[4] implying the development of a new type of Internet based community function apart from linking its services to various Internet communication channels such as voicemail. Its popularity was due to the competitive prices together with the high Internet accessibility in most developed countries and the higher interconnectivity it offers by being able to link landlines and mobile phones to computers when compared to purely landline or mobile services or with Internet connectivity but limited only to same network calls. Basically, prior to Vonage’s service, VoIP was already existent but with limited use only to partners of the service provider. Vonage took the VoIP concept fused it with the other online communication connectivity and processes and created a service that higher interconnectivity. Did Vonage violate the law? According to the courts, it did violate the patents of the two companies. Was its actions right or wrong? The answer cannot be plainly stated in black and white. On one hand, this may be wrong because it profited out of somebody else’s technological innovation but on the other hand, it served or even empowered the public by giving them an alternative option. Even in a competitive world, consumers, through demand, do not always influence market prices, quality of service, or innovation. This is especially so in the case of online technology sector, which have become a venue for monopoly such as Microsoft. Under existing law and jurisprudence[5] there may be infringement. However, this case could have become a landmark by clarifying the concept of patent for the purpose of negating infringement. A patent is a property right to use or own inventions for a given number of years and an invention is a new creation[6]. However, it does not necessarily cover purpose, function or importance to the community. Patent has also been used for abuse such as the monopolistic tendencies of technological companies. While private property should be respected, this should also be balanced with public good. Moreover, Internet technologies are virtual, making it necessary to determine or limit the processes or operations considered as qualifying for patents. References KSR Int’l Co.v. Teleflex Inc. (No. 04-1350) 119 Fed. Appx. 282. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/04-1350.ZO.html. Richtel, M. (2007, October 26). Shares Rise as Vonage Settles Fight over Patent. The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/technology/26phone.html. Vonage (2007). Timeline. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from www.vonage.com. US Patent and Trademark Office (2007). General Information Concerning Patents. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent. Vonage Told to Stop Using Verizon Technology By IAN AUSTEN Published: March 24, 2007 A federal judge said yesterday that he would order Vonage Holdings, the Internet-based telephone service, to stop using technologies patented by Verizon Communications. The decision, which could force Vonage to close or to install new systems, follows a jury decision this month that awarded Verizon $58 million and monthly royalties. But the judge agreed to postpone the effective date of the injunction for two weeks while he considers a request by Vonage for a stay pending what could be a lengthy appeal. The decision forced a temporary halt in the trading of Vonage shares and eventually sent the company’s stock down $1.05, or 26 percent, to close at $3. Vonage began trading last May at $17 a share. â€Å"For Vonage, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong,† said Richard Greenfield, the co-head of Pali Research in New York. â€Å"The constant stream of bad publicity has got to be adding to customer churn.† As it did earlier this month, Vonage quickly moved to assure its two million customers that their service would not be affected. It has said it is developing alternative technology that does not conflict with Verizon’s patents. â€Å"We are confident that Vonage customers will not experience service interruptions or other changes,† the company’s chief executive, Mike Snyder, said in a statement. â€Å"Our fight is far from over. We remain confident that Vonage has not infringed on any of Verizon’s patents.† Brooke Schulz, a spokeswoman for Vonage, said the company had not seen any effect on its ability to attract and retain customers because of the case. â€Å"We believe this case has had not impact on churn to date, nor do we expect it to,† she said. Judge Claude M. Hilton of Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria said yesterday that an injunction was necessary because fines and royalties will â€Å"not prevent continued erosion of the client base of the plaintiff,† The Associated Press reported from Alexandria. Vonage has been the early leader in an attempt by several companies to shift traditional telephone company customers to Internet-based calling. â€Å"We’re pleased the court has decided to issue a permanent injunction to protect Verizon’s patented innovations,† said John Thorne, a senior vice president and deputy general counsel at Verizon. The three patents that a jury found Vonage to be infringing upon involve the way the company moves calls to and from the Internet from the conventional telephone system, methods for giving customers calling features like call waiting, and means for providing Internet calling through wireless networks. If Vonage is forced to switch to other technologies, the cost and feasibility of such a change is not clear. It is believed that the company has the ability to make remote software updates in devices that its customers have installed at their homes and offices.  Many conventional telephone companies hold patents involving Internet calling. Vonage faces a separate patent lawsuit from Sprint Nextel that has yet to go to trial.    How to cite Patent Infringement of Internet Technology, Essay examples

What Is a Random Variable free essay sample

We categorize these situations by defining a generic numerical outcome, or random variable. for similar random circumstances. Identifying the type of random variable ap ¬propriate in a given situation makes it easy to find probabilities and other infor ¬mation that would be difficult to derive from first principles. There are two different broad classes of random variables: 1. A continuous random variable can take any value in an interval or col ¬lection of intervals. 2. A discrete random variable can take one of a countable list of distinct values. Sometimes a random variable fits the technical definition of a dis ¬crete random variable but it is more convenient to treat it as a continuous random variable. Examples include Incomes, prices, and exam scores. Sometimes continuous random variables are rounded off to whole units, giving the appearance of a discrete random variable, such as age in years or pulse rate to the nearest beat. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is a Random Variable? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In most of these situations, the num ¬ber of possible values is large and we are more interested in probabilities concerning intervals than specific values, so the methods for continuous random variables will be used. We can consider discrete and continuous random variables separately because probabilities are computed and used differently for them. For discrete random variables, we are interested in probabilities of exact outcomes or a series of them. For continuous random variables, we are Interested in the probability of the outcome falling into a specific Interval. For instance, suppose you are wait ¬ing to fly on standby and you have first priority. You would want to know the probability that the number of standby passengers who will be able to board the plane (a discrete random variable) is one or more. You might also want to know the probability that the flying time (a continuous random variable) will be no more than the time specified in the flight schedule. The probability that the flying time is exactly that amount would be essentially zero, and it doesnt make sense to talk about probabilities of exact values for continuous random variables. Remember that a discrete random variable is one that can only result in a countable set of possibilities. Although a discrete random variable often has a finite number of outcomes, that Is not always the case. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/engineering-homework-help

Types of Teachers Most Students Love and Hate

Types of Teachers Most Students Love and Hate Hashtag: #OdioAlProfesorQue (I hate the teacher who..) Types of Teachers Most Students Love and Hate There are different types of teachers in the college realm and some of them belong to the type that most students would love.   These are teachers who are not so strict when it comes to class discipline, crack jokes in class, just check the attendance and do not even teach. However, there are teachers who take their job seriously, too strict, give students so many requirements, and teach in a style some students hate. Teaching, according to the literature is undoubtedly not an easy job as teachers need to blend and leave a mark on students who have varying views and diverse culture. Moreover, students learn in various ways and therefore requiring an application of specific teaching style. However, since not all teachers can offer all the teaching styles, students will always love or hate a teacher. Study of the teacher’s characteristics that have positive effects on college students suggest that most students like teachers who are always coming to class prepared, creative in the way he or she teach the class, fair in both student treatment and grading, funny, have a very positive attitude about being a teacher, and have high expectations for all students. Moreover, teachers who respect and never embarrass any student in front of the class, make students feel welcome and comfortable, approachable and with a sense of humor, showing compassion and genuine concern about students problems are the most loved and memorable among college students. In contrast, teachers who let their students take responsibility for their learning; making no effort to teach or help the class understand the course material, making destructive criticism and comparisons about low and top-scoring students in front of the class are mostly despised and remembered for their misbehavior and ineffectiveness. Good and Bad Classroom Teaching Behaviors Good classroom teaching behaviors such as those mentioned earlier  can be viewed as the leading edge of teaching and most likely have a positive impact on students’ feelings and attitude towards their teacher. In contrast, classroom teaching behaviors that are based on the false notion that public disclosure and personal attacks on students would motivate and improve their performance are not only unprofessional and ineffective but make students hate the teacher and the class. Study of the benefits of good classroom teaching behavior suggests that college students often appreciate a good teacher and developed negative feelings toward the poor teacher. A good teacher in their view is the one who induces a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere in class, contribute more to their learning, confident in students’ ability to learn, genuinely care and promote students’ interest in the material and motivation to come to his or her class and learn. A poor teacher for these students, on the other hand, is one who induces mistrust and a tense classroom atmosphere contributes little to their learning, lowers their self-esteem and restrains their ability to learn. A human relation approach to teaching can help teachers avoid the negative impact of ineffective teacher-students relationship. For instance, since most students have varying learning needs and cultural preferences, a caring teacher is more likely to succeed than an irate one practicing bigotry in his or her class.   In fact, the teaching requirements in human relations-oriented teaching such as creating supportive classroom atmosphere, helping and guiding students in resolving course-related problems, encouraging participation and collaboration in class are almost similar to beneficial classroom teaching behavior discussed earlier.

ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a bureau of the Department of Homeland Security, created on March 1, 2003. ICE enforces immigration and customs laws and works to protect the U.S. against terrorist attacks. ICE achieves its goals by targeting illegal immigrants, particularly those people, money,  and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities. The HSI Division of ICE Detective work is a big part of what ICE does. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that is charged with investigating and gathering intelligence on a wide range of criminal activities, including immigration offenses. HSI gathers the evidence that makes the cases against criminal operations. The agency has some of the top detectives and information analysts in the federal government. In recent years, HSI agents have investigated human smuggling and other human rights violations, art theft, trafficking, visa fraud, drug smuggling, arms dealing, gang activities, white-collar crimes, money laundering, cyber crimes, counterfeit money and prescription drug sales, import/export activity, pornography, and blood-diamond dealing. Formerly known as the ICE Office of Investigations, HSI has about 6,500 agents and is the largest investigative division in Homeland Security, ranking second to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in U.S. government. HSI also has strategic enforcement and security capabilities with officers who perform paramilitary-type duties similar to police SWAT teams. These Special Response Team units are used during high-risk operations and have provided security even during the aftermaths of earthquakes and hurricanes. Much of the work HSI agents do is in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies at the state, local and federal levels. ICE and the H-1B Program The H-1B visa program is popular with both political parties in Washington but it also can be challenging for U.S. immigration officials to ensure that participants are following the law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) devotes considerable resources trying to rid the H-1B program of fraud and corruption. The visa is designed to allow U.S. businesses to temporarily employ foreign workers with specialized skills or expertise in fields such as accounting, engineering or computer science. Sometimes businesses don’t play by the rules, however. In 2008, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services concluded that 21 percent of H-1B visa applications contained fraudulent information or technical violations. Federal officials have since put in more safeguards to ensure that the visa applicants comply with the law and accurately represent themselves. In 2014, USCIS approved 315,857 new H-1B visas and H-1B renewals, so there is plenty of work for federal watchdogs, and ICE investigators, in particular, to do. A Case of Visa Fraud in Texas A case in Texas is a good example of the work ICE does in monitoring the program. In November 2015, after a six-day trial in Dallas before U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, a federal jury convicted two brothers of felony visa fraud and abuse of the H-1B program. Two brothers Atul Nanda, 46, and his brother, Jiten Jay Nanda, 44, created, established, and ran a computer company located in Carrollton, Texas, which recruited foreign workers with expertise who wanted to work in the U.S. They sponsored H-1B visas, claiming that there were full-time positions with annual salaries for the new workers, but did not, in fact, have actual positions for them at the time they were recruited. Instead, the brothers used the people as a pool of skilled part-time workers. The two were each convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, and four counts of wire fraud, according to federal officials. The penalties are severe for visa fraud. The conspiracy to commit visa fraud count carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

To what extent does political participation reflect a bias in favor of Essay

To what extent does political participation reflect a bias in favor of the privileged - Essay Example This is particularly reflected in political participation. Inherent Inequality Ideally, political exercise is open to all. The constitution and the collective laws of any democratic government ensure this. Here, most people are eligible to seek public office or be involved in electing people to public positions. For some communities, even those who do not know how to read and right are not excluded to participate. Unfortunately, the electoral process in democracies today is characterized by competition, wherein political participation is â€Å"circumscribed by unequal access to both resources and the decision-making process.†1 Equality would have been easier to practice in the brand of direct democracy adopted in Greece, wherein all citizens are entitled a voice in policymaking. But the circumstance today – one about political participation through representation – is radically different. The rules and dynamics of choosing representatives are no longer as straigh tforward as those in the past. Resources are needed in order to get represented and this aspect tilts the balance to those who have more than others. This is highlighted by the predomination of individuals and private enterprises in political exercises with their capability to influence all policy networks. Elitism In the United States, political representation is especially biased towards the elite. The manner in which individuals are elected, demonstrates a process wherein the privileged enjoy extreme advantage. For example, there are no laws that regulate private expenditures for partisan political purposes. The system currently treats private funding in the American elections as part of the egalitarian value of freedom to support the candidate of one’s choice. The argument is that when one restricts the use of money, it is tantamount to restricting the rights to liberty and free speech. This is demonstrated in the way candidates in the US can buy advertising airtime in th e media. Private money in this instance is translated into a very important political resource, severely disadvantaging those individuals and parties that do not have the means or cannot raise them in time. Chapman classified the privileged between the socio-economic elite and the political elite. She explained that the latter tend be dominated by the former and that in most likelihood property, income, occupation and education are those that would render people from this class more likely to enter politics.2 Another variable that underscore the bias of the current democratic political participation in the US is the conservative view on politics. This is manifested best by the American Electoral College system, wherein popular vote is disregarded in favor of certain groups and individuals. The Founding Fathers of the American Constitution were known to have noted the fickleness and selfishness of the masses and, hence, entrusted the power to elect the American President in the hands of the learned and the capable. This is rationalized, wrote Sullivan, Piereson and Marcus, by the idea that universal transformation of human nature is too much to expect and that political representation should be given only to the virtuous or the â€Å"more highly educated and more responsible segments of the public.†3 And so when Al Gore won the popular election, George W. Bush was elected