Personal Perception of Organized Crime - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 665 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/09/23 Category Advertising Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Crime Essay Criminal Law Essay Did you like this example? Personal Perception of Organized Crime University of Phoenix CJA/393 Organized Crime By Magdalena Enger September 12, 2010 Personal perception of organized crime American organized crime history goes back as far as the colonial period when pirates were considered to be the first organized criminals in America. However, many historians believe that 1920s Chicago and New York gangs were the true beginning of these criminal families. Even though definite dates have never been established, organized crime has become extremely advanced. It is one of the most structured, dangerous, very hard to detect and even harder to fight against. Modern organized crime is a major issue in the United States and one of the toughest to deal with by law enforcement. Organized criminals are very dangerous individuals who have no known limits and they will do anything necessary to achieve their goals, to profit and gain power by any means available to them. Many individuals portray organized cri me as crimes that are shown by the media on television or in the movies such as â€Å"The Godfather†, â€Å"American Gangster† or â€Å"The Sopranos. The media gives society ideas about the lifestyles and activities that individuals associated with organized crime groups engage in. This perception is limited and not nearly close to reality. My perception of organized crime is one of violence, deception, intimidation, and blackmail to benefit the group. Also their involvement in prostitution, street drugs, gambling, politics, and money laundering to achieve power and respect. This includes but does not imply any limits to terrorists, gangs, and mafia. Organized crime is defined as an illegal activity that involves a group of at least three people (two members and a leader). The leader is a person who makes the rules and gives orders to members. Members are assigned to specific jobs depending on their skills. Organized criminals engage in illegal activities that perm it their leaders to earn profits or control territories or markets, internal or foreign, by means of violence, intimidation or corruption. In organized crime the leader is isolated from direct engagement in criminal activities. So called â€Å"dirty jobs† are carried out by members of the organized crime group. Crime syndicates, mafia families and gangs prove their loyalty to their leader and organization by fulfilling their obligations to the group. Cartels, mafias, gangs, syndicates, and triads are some of organized crime groups. All these groups do not tolerate competition that is why they fight for monopolization in their field (such as drug trafficking). Organized crime has a number of characteristics. The main goal is to gain profit, power, respect, pride, and protection. Organized crime groups supply illegal goods and services such as drugs or prostitution that many people crave and are willing to pay for. Another characteristic of organized crime is a hierarchic al structure as a business that has a boss (leader), an advisor who works closely with the boss, a crew leader who runs group members, and members who carry out a wide range of assigned tasks, from collecting money, dealing and trafficking drugs, prostitution, gambling, money laundering, racketeering, extortion and killing people. Another characteristic of organized crime groups is limited or exclusive membership, which is awarded by the leader. According to Lyman and Potter â€Å"this characteristic refers to ethic background, kinship, race, long time friendship, or other variables that make the recruit an attractive candidate for membership† (2007, p. 7). In conclusion, organized crime may be a great way to get reach and powerful for some people. However, once person becomes a member of any organized crime group he or she is committed to a full loyalty to a leader and organization. Only one mistake on the part of a member may jeopardize their love once or their own we ll being. Affiliates designate their life to the so called â€Å"criminal families†, and in exchange they get money and respect. References: Lyman, M. D. , Potter, G. W. (2007). Organized crime (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Mallory, S. L. (2007). Understanding organized crime. Sudbury MA: Jones and Bartlett. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Personal Perception of Organized Crime" essay for you Create order

Charles Dickens Great Expectations - 1103 Words

Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations is a bildungsroman that shows the youth, corruption and redemption of a young man named Pip. The boy begins as an innocent child until he comes into contact with a young lady, Estella, and some sudden wealth. As a young man, he strives to be a gentleman and live up to his great expectations, as well as to woo Estella. Finally, Pip becomes a gentleman after accepting his mistakes and coming to terms with his surrounding company. Overall, Pip undergoes great changes from a kind and timid child, to an ungrateful and materialistic young man, to a thankful and kind gentleman due to his great expectations. At the start of Pip’s journey, he is introduced as a timid but kind young boy. He is brought up by his sister, who is shown to be harsh and demanding. She constantly berates him, calling him ungrateful despite him being brought up â€Å"by hand† (Dickens 8). This is the basis for Pip’s poor confidence. This weakness pairs badly with his innate sense of kindness. When he meets the convict, Pip is easily overwhelmed and harassed by the convict, even being lifted and turned upside down by the man. Pip proceeds to follow the man’s orders and brings him food and a file. His timidity prevents him from standing up for himself while his kindness urges him to oblige to others. This combination causes him inner turmoil. Pip becomes so caught up in guilt for his wrongdoings that he even begins to hallucinate, and images that cows are speaking to him. This isShow MoreRelatedGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1113 Words   |  5 Pagesadventures that the male charac ters go on. This seems to be relevant in a lot of movies and books like the story Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In Great Expectations there are multiple female characters like Estella, Biddy, and Miss Havisham who all play a large part in the main character, Pip’s life. One of the first that we meet the character Estella in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is when Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s to play with her. The two kids play the game beggar my neighbor when EstellaRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1347 Words   |  6 Pagespoor status of the economy, social mobility does not seem to be occurring at high rates, with the poor getting poorer and rich getting richer. Despite this, social mobility is alive and well, and has been for centuries. In his novel, Great Expectations, Charles Dickens voices the concerns of many that lived in Victorian England during the 19th century by promoting such a desire to live life in a more prosperous social class. One of the most fundamental and reoccurring themes in the novel is that ofRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1426 Words   |  6 Pages Twelve-year-old Charles dickens gets ready for bed after a long day at the blacking house. These Victorian-aged memories will provide him with many ideas for his highly acclaimed novel Great Expectations. Set in 1830 England, Great Expectations is a coming-of-age story about a common innocent boy named Pip and his road to becoming a gentleman through the influence of others. Pip is influenced both positively and negatively by Estella, Herbert, and Magwitch. Estella left a huge impression on PipRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens984 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens utilizes his life for inspiration for the protagonist Pip in his novel Great Expectations. They both struggle with their social standing. Dickens loved plays and theatre and therefore incorporated them into Pip’s life. Dickens died happy in the middle class and Pip died happy in the middle class. The connection Dickens makes with his life to Pip’s life is undeniable. If readers understand Dickens and his upbringing then readers can understand how and why he created Pip’s upbringingRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations943 Words   |  4 Pages This is true in many cases but none as much as in Great Expectations. In many ways the narrator/protagonist Pip is Charles Dickens in body and mind. While there are many differences between the story and Charles Dickens life there remains one constant. This constant is the way Pip as the narra tor feels, because these feelings are Dickens s own feelings about the life he lead. Since Great Expectations was written towards end of Charles Dickens life, he was wiser and able to make out the mistakesRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1375 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Talented Mr Ripley by Anthony Minghella present similar criticisms of society to a large extent. Both of these texts consider the criticisms of rich social contexts (wealth and status), societal morality (whether a society is good or not. Status [can lead to the wrong people being in a high position i.e. making bad decisions affecting the community/society] Appearance [society appears to be moral/good (if you’re from a higher status) {dickens criticisesRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1223 Words   |  5 PagesBeloved author Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Growing up in a life of poverty, his childhood hardshi ps provided the inspiration to write a myriad of classic novels including his 1861 seminole masterpiece, Great Expectations (â€Å"BBC History - Charles Dickens†). Great Expectations follows the life of an orphan named Pip, who’s perspective of the world is altered when he is attacked by an escaped convict in his parents’ graveyard in the town of Kent. Throughout hisRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1344 Words   |  6 Pagessomething that is not what they truly need? Often, they use social class to fill a void in their lives that can not be filled by materialistic possessions. Many people realize this, but it is often too late. Charles Dickens demonstrates the effects of social climbing in his novel, Great Expectations. This novel explores the connections and effects of human nature and society, which are the two most powerful forces that guide people’s decisions. Some may say that social climbing is good, but as will beRead MoreGreat Expectat ions by Charles Dickens1285 Words   |  6 PagesAP Great Book Assignment: Great Expectations The 544-page, Bildungsroman novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is considered a classic because it has stood the test of time, appealing to generation after generation of readers while still remaining relevant to them. Published in 1861, Dickens created a coming-of-age story that is similar to his other novel, David Copperfield, but Great Expectations is considered to have reflected parts of his own life. There are several parallels betweenRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens924 Words   |  4 Pagesa character driven novel, or a mix of the two. In order for a novel to be character driven, it must revolve more around the characters’ individual thoughts, feelings, and inner struggles, rather than around the quest of the story. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is a character driven novel. While the story does have a plot, it is not contingent upon that plot, but rather is reliant upon its characters and their natures. This is evident from the beginni ng of the novel. From the opening of

The Secret Circle The Hunt Chapter 5 Free Essays

string(38) " Adam was exactly what Cassie needed\." It was the middle of the night, dark and quiet, when Cassie unlocked the gunmetal chest and reached inside for her father’s Book of Shadows. She held the book close to her face, and took a deep breath in. It smelled musty and old. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now She ran her palm over its soft, faded cover and traced its inscription with her finger. She wanted to absorb every detail. Finally, she pressed her thumb onto the worn oval on its corner – Black John’s fingerprint – and found it was a perfect fit. Cassie knew what she was doing was wrong. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t open the book without Adam. But she couldn’t control her own hands. They shook with excitement as she flipped through the book’s yellowed pages. The words printed there still appeared as wavy lines and ancient symbols, but they were somehow more familiar to her. She could sense their meaning; she could almost taste it. And as she continued scanning each page, from top to bottom, left to right, she could feel herself getting sucked into the book itself, like she was becoming a part of it and it a part of her. That dark feeling she was beginning to know so well filled her stomach, and then her heart. Soon it was shivering provocatively through her whole body. With a final shudder, Cassie startled awake. All was still and silent in her room. It was just a bad dream, she thought, but a painful throbbing ran from the tips of her fingers up the length of her wrists. Cassie reached over to her lamp on the nightstand and found she could barely grip the switch to turn it on. But when she did, the light revealed an alarming sight: The marks on her hands had deepened to a shocking crimson. And, Cassie noticed, there was a dark red, cruel-looking welt on the inside of her left palm. It was a new mark. But the book was locked away – there was no way Cassie could have actually touched it. Could she? She ducked under her bed to check for the gunmetal chest. She’d positioned it just so, perfectly aligned with a faint line on the floorboard, so she could easily tell if someone discovered and tampered with it. The chest was in place with its lock still fastened. Next, Cassie checked her jewelry box. The key was there, lying innocently beside the chalcedony rose, just as she’d left it. But Cassie was sure she’d had the book in her hands – how else could these new marks be explained? And she was positive she’d actually been reading the book. She felt different. A strange energy surged through her veins. It felt like strength, like capability. Like power. Cassie woke up the next morning to find her mother pulling open the curtains in her room, filling it with bright sunlight. â€Å"You were really in a deep sleep,† her mother said. â€Å"You snored right through your alarm.† Cassie glanced down at her burned hands and hid them beneath the bedspread. â€Å"Your friends came by about an hour ago,† her mother continued. â€Å"But I sent them home.† Cassie sat up and tried to get her bearings. â€Å"You sent them home? We were supposed to have a Circle meeting.† â€Å"You seemed to need your rest more.† Her mother patted Cassie aside and sat next to her. â€Å"I went ahead and told your friends about the secret room in the basement. And I already spoke to Faye’s mother and Laurel’s guardians about letting them spend their nights here. Everything’s all set. That’s one less thing for you to worry about.† Cassie’s mouth was dry and her mind was still groggy, but she was awake enough to understand that her mother was supporting her in a whole new way. She had basically sat in on Cassie’s Circle meeting for her and single-handedly accomplished everything on the agenda. Her mother, the same woman who had refused to even utter the word witchcraft one year earlier. â€Å"And another thing,† her mom said. â€Å"You and your friends are going to the spring dance. It’s been decided.† For a second Cassie thought she might be dreaming again, but then she noticed her mother’s sly smile. â€Å"Really,† Cassie said. â€Å"The Circle decided that. And I’m sure you played no part in convincing them.† â€Å"Guilty as charged.† Her mother raised up her hands, defenseless. â€Å"I think you all deserve a break. And it’ll be a good reminder that you’re in high school – these are supposed to be the best years of your life.† True, Cassie thought. She was in high school, but she also had people’s lives in her hands. Not to mention her own. â€Å"Are you hungry?† her mother asked, changing the subject before Cassie could protest the dance. â€Å"You must be, it’s already lunchtime. I’ll fix us something to eat.† She was already through the door headed for the kitchen when Cassie called out to her. â€Å"Mom – thank you.† Cassie knew just how lucky she was, not only to have a mother – unlike most of her friends – but to have her mother. â€Å"Mmhmm,† her mother replied modestly, like it was nothing at all. Cassie let her head drop back onto her pillow. Her mind immediately began to spin. She needed to tell Adam about the dream she had had last night, if it had been a dream at all. Even now, as exhausted as she felt, Cassie had the urge to grab the book and search its pages for anything resembling the witch-hunter curse. Cassie reached for her cell phone to quickly text Adam: What are you up to? Can you come over? He instantly wrote back: Can’t. Taking Grandma to doctor, remember? But I’ll see you tonight. That’s right. She knew Adam was busy today, but they’d made plans to have the evening to themselves. Where was her head? The restless night had left her brain foggy and confused. A night alone with Adam was exactly what Cassie needed. You read "The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 5" in category "Essay examples" In addition to everything about the book and the dream, there was something even more overwhelming weighing on Cassie’s mind: She had to talk to Adam about the cord she’d seen connecting Adam to Scarlett on the night Scarlett left town. Whether or not Adam had seen it, and whether or not talking about it would be like throwing a hammer through the glass window of their relationship, it had to be addressed tonight. There could be no more secrets between them. Cassie crawled out of bed and headed toward the sweet smells wafting from the kitchen. She’d better eat; she’d need her strength later. Faye and Laurel appeared at Cassie’s front door that afternoon with suitcases in tow. â€Å"Pop the champagne,† Faye said sarcastically as she stepped inside. â€Å"We’re here to prepare for our extended slumber party.† Laurel sped past her and asked where the secret room was. She obviously didn’t want to waste any time with small talk. â€Å"Follow me,† Cassie said. She was still feeling shaken up from her nightmare and had hoped the doorbell would be Adam arriving early, but for Faye’s and Laurel’s sake she tried to sound pleasant. She also did her best to keep her burns covered, though that was becoming more and more challenging. The sleeves of her shirts were getting stretched out from constantly pulling them down over her hands. â€Å"This feels like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story,† Faye said as Cassie led them downstairs and through the basement. â€Å"Wasn’t he a fan of burying people alive?† Laurel nodded. â€Å"In catacombs. Subterranean receptacles of the dead.† â€Å"I think you’ll have a change of heart when you see it,† Cassie said. When they reached the bookcase, Cassie explained how it worked as a secret door. Then she closed her eyes, focused her energy on the wall of books, and recited the words her mother had used: â€Å"Enchanted threshold, door untold, reveal to me what you conceal.† Surprise flashed across Faye’s and Laurel’s faces the moment the doorway appeared in the bookshelf. â€Å"Your grandmother was a sneaky lady,† Faye said. â€Å"A woman of my own kind.† Laurel stepped inside the room and picked up a plush throw pillow from the sofa. â€Å"It’s like Victorian England in here.† â€Å"I’m glad you like it.† Cassie smiled. â€Å"I want you both to be comfortable.† â€Å"It certainly has less of a bomb-shelter feel than I expected,† said Faye. Cassie knew that was the closest thing to a compliment she was going to get. Faye claimed her side of the room and immediately began taking things out of her suitcase and spreading them around – some candles and perfume bottles, her makeup case, her favorite jewelry. â€Å"What we should be doing,† Faye said, as she arranged her nail polishes and lipsticks upon the dresser by color, â€Å"is taking action against Max and his dad. I don’t understand what we’re waiting for.† â€Å"We are taking action.† Cassie tried to sound patient but firm. â€Å"But it’s important for you two to keep under the radar as best you can.† â€Å"It’s not fair,† Laurel blurted out. She was standing over her closed suitcase, not as quick to settle in as Faye. â€Å"I know,† Cassie said, as sympathetically as she could. â€Å"But I promise you, Laurel, we’ll do what we have to do. In the meantime, keeping close to the Circle is the best way to truly be safe.† â€Å"I still want to go to the Spring Fling tomorrow night,† Faye said, without looking up from her tincture collection. The tiny vials ranged from innocuous-looking browns to malicious purples. â€Å"The rest of the Circle will be there. There’s no reason Laurel and I should have to miss it.† Cassie didn’t bat an eye. â€Å"You’re free to go to the dance if you want to. But Mr. Boylan and Max will be there, too, and there’ll only be a handful of chaperones guarding an endless number of dark hallways. Need I remind you of Jeffrey Lovejoy hanging dead in the boiler room the night of the homecoming dance last year? Is that what you want to happen to you, Faye?† Cassie didn’t realize until a moment too late that she’d been yelling. Her face and neck felt flushed and she’d broken into a sweat. Faye was so caught off guard by Cassie’s eruption, her only response was stunned silence. Laurel backed away from her, awestruck. Cassie’s hands were balled into fists. When she released them, the burns on her skin tingled. â€Å"Cassie’s right,† Laurel said, still eyeing Faye with an expression of alarm. â€Å"Forget the stupid dance. We’ll hang out here and watch a movie. Your pick.† Faye simply nodded, which was a more agreeable gesture than Cassie thought she was capable of. It wasn’t like Faye to let anyone off easy, and Cassie was grateful for it. â€Å"I’m sorry,† Cassie said, trying to inject a new calm into her voice. â€Å"I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.† Faye returned to her suitcase and resumed unpacking, but she refused to look Cassie in the eye. â€Å"Faye,† Cassie said, softening her voice further. â€Å"I don’t know what came over me. I think I’m just on edge with everything going on.† It was the best she could do for a peace offering, but Faye wasn’t taking the bait. â€Å"It’s okay, Cassie,† Laurel said. She’d finally opened her suitcase and had begun removing her things, laying them out neatly on the dresser. â€Å"None of us feel like ourselves these days.† Faye sprayed her neck and wrists with perfume and then rubbed them together. â€Å"I feel just fine,† she said, as the air around her grew heavy with the perfume’s invigorating scent. â€Å"Better than fine, in fact. Unlike some people, I’m in complete control of myself.† She glanced at Cassie at last, as if she were deciding to pursue an argument or let it go. â€Å"I guess you’re a stronger person than I am,† Cassie said, knowing that was the one thing she could say to make Faye feel better. And it did. After a few seconds, Faye’s eyebrows relaxed and she said, â€Å"At least you’re willing to admit that.† Then she moved to her bed, opened her laptop, and asked, â€Å"Can we at least get Wi-Fi down here?† Cassie smiled. â€Å"I think that’s the least I can do.† And just like that, she’d been forgiven for her outburst. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Hunt Chapter 5, Essay examples

Difference between Utilitarianism and Kant theories

Question: Discuss about the Difference between Utilitarianism and Kant theories. Answer: Utilitarianism theory governs a perspective, which analyses an action based on its outcomes. If the consequence is right then the action is right or vice-versa (West, 2013). However, Kant theory believes in a perspective, which analyses the action prior to its consequences. Further, it does not focus on the outcomes; it rather governs the action based on psychological aspects (Ameriks, 2014). The Utilitarianism theory believes in the consequence of an action, it never cares the nature of work (Conway Gawronski, 2013). Moreover, it is clearly evident that a consequence outcome of an action is of utmost important in the Utilitarianism theory. This belief is extremely effective in bringing out the desired consequences. However, in doing so, it often becomes an ignorant body to the human life (Gray Schein, 2012). The particular theory does not find a strong foothold in organizations across the globe for its hard core nature to the human sentiments. Human sentiments have no values for a utilitarian approach. Nonetheless, the adherence of this theory in organizations would affect the morale of their working (Conway Gawronski, 2013). They would feel demoralized, which can also affect their respective responsibilities in organizations. Applying hard core rules to the organizational behaviour might find certain favours but that does not hold any guarantee of a sublime commitmen t from employees (Gray Schein, 2012). The support of some employees might have occurred because of the fact that they do not have sufficient guts to protest the organizational obligations. However, these kinds of employees are less in number across the organizations in the globe. Moreover, the probable situation, which could arise in organizations with the adherence of the Utilitarianism theory, might destroy the fundamental organizational practice, which is indeed extremely important for its successful operations (Conway Gawronski, 2013). Kants ethics respect the moral values of human behaviour in organizational practices. The theory though respects the organizational hard core nature towards the job responsibility of employees. However, it does not believe in such a hard core rules obligations to employees, which could attract suicide cases in case of not meeting with the organizational requirement (West, 2013). The theory mainly focuses on human values and keeps it above all the organizational fundamentals. Moreover, it believes that if human values are kept secured, it would result in a better performance. As per the Kant theory, some of the suicide cases happen because of the compulsions, which organizations impose on employees (Ameriks, 2014). Motivation is an important characteristic of employees, which is driven by certain factors that acts as a catalyst in promoting the beliefs in employees. A half-hearted dedication might not produce the desired result for an organization as it affects the functionalities of morale behaviour. Nevertheless, an entire motivation is not possible in organizational practices. However, the maximum practising of it is only possibly if the Kant theory finds its obligations across the organizations in the globe (Conway Gawronski, 2013). The Kant theory is highly effective in enhancing the moral values of employees in organizations. However, the Utilitarianism approach merely supports any human values apart from its hard core rules obligations. It rather supports the productive nature of an action, which is not favourable for employees in most of the cases. Due to the moral values of the Kant theory, which it imparts to its followers, the theory finds a foothold in organizational practices. References: Ameriks, K. (2014). Kant's moral and legal philosophy. Conway, P., Gawronski, B. (2013). Deontological and utilitarian inclinations in moral decision making: a process dissociation approach.Journal of personality and social psychology,104(2), 216. Gray, K., Schein, C. (2012). Two minds vs. two philosophies: Mind perception defines morality and dissolves the debate between deontology and utilitarianism.Review of Philosophy and Psychology,3(3), 405-423. West, H. R. (2013). Utilitarianism.The international encyclopedia of ethics.