The following research paper examines the abortion debate from 1896 until today, focusing on the anti-abortionists, pro-life activists and the right to have an abortion for personal or health reasons.
Abstract This paper covers the different issues in the abortion debate. It covers both sides- pro-choice and pro-life. Although a conclusion is not made, the closing statement reads similar to the beginning. The issues surrounding abortion seem to be questions that must be answered by each individual searching his or her own heart and soul.
From the Paper "Abortion has been, and probably always will be, a very controversial subject among people of all ages. There are many aspects of the controversy: morality, legality, and safety. Many people ask whether abortion is moral; they question whether it is right or wrong. Others ask whether a woman should be permitted by law to have an abortion and, if so, under what circumstances. There are two sides that directly oppose each other. People who are against abortion label themselves as being ?pro-life." Those who are for women's choice concerning abortion are described as being ?pro-choice." Safety is another area of controversy. Many question the hazards involved with abortion- emotional and physical. With these three issues, the abortion controversy continues."
Abstract A comprehensive look at both the pros and cons of the capital punishment system. This paper raises the points of lack of evidence, temporary psychological disorders and injustice when dealing with those who oppose the death penalty. Others claim that it is the only way to deal with violent crime and the only pure deterrent. Religious arguments are also presented.
From the Paper "A man sits down to finish his last meal. It's not the last meal of his day or even his week. He isn't beginning to fast for religious observance. This is the last meal of his life. He is on death row and this is the last meal he will ever eat for his time has come. A jury of his peers, for a crime he commited, have found him guilty. His sentence has been given to him and his sentence is to die."
Abstract It is the argument of this paper that justification for the notification of communities to the presence of sex offenders far outweighs any counter argument. People should most definitely be notified of sex offenders in their neighborhoods. This notification should not only be attempted but should be aggressively pursued to assure total coverage.
From the Paper "To hear on the news of a brutal rape and murder of a small child somewhere across the country is disturbing enough. To hear of such an outrage in your own neighborhood can bring, fear provoking agony. Imagine the reaction of the mother of 7 year old Megan Kanka when she found out that the man who lived across the street and murdered her daughter had two previous convictions as a sex offender. Why hadn"t she been informed" The perpetrator had paid his debt to society and had his right to privacy. But what about Megan's right to life? What about her right to an innocent childhood free of the horrors of sexual molestation? A value judgement must be made on this issue. Protecting the life of an innocent child must be valued more highly than the privacy rights of a convicted felon. People have not only a right to be notified of sexual offenders living in their neighborhoods, but they have a right to demand that officials make an aggressive effort to notify them. The nation as a whole overwhelming seems ready to make this judgement."
Abstract Employees who report illegal or wrongful activities of colleagues are known as "whistle blowers". The paper provides a balanced argument to support both sides of this subject by discussing the positive and the negative aspects of whistle blowing in the workplace. The paper analyzes the similarities as well as the differences with regards to the opinions of whistle blowing. Lastly, this paper offers suggestions one might consider before becoming a whistleblower as well as possible recommendations for the future advancement in the protection of innocent whistleblowers.
From the Paper "We must also consider that corporations in are run with the expectations that they will function in ways that are compatible with the public interest. That they will obey laws governing their activities and not do anything that undermines basic democratic processes. Lest we not forget they must also create a profit for the stakeholders of their company. In accomplishing such feats companies may find it difficult to maintain this high level of honesty. Although companies may have answers for their each and every action they make the action is not always ethical or legal and deserves action."
Abstract The author of this paper reviews the various definitions,approaches, legislation issues and the position of the American Medical Association and the ?Death with Dignity Act" about the need to establish the right to physician-assisted suicide. Arguments against physician-assisted suicide are logically refuted.
From the Paper "When we are young, most of us do not think about making a conscious decision to die. We look forward to years of long and healthy life, and if death ever seems appealing, it is as an antidote to depression. It does not often, if ever, occur to us that there will be a time when we look forward to the "good death" promised by euthanasia."
From the Paper "Drug testing in the workplace has been undertaken by employers who are concerned that drug use by employees poses a danger to coworkers and the public, reduces productivity, costs the company money, and contributes to health problems which adds further to company costs. Drug testing in the workplace conflicts with our view of personal privacy and raises questions about how far employers can go in analyzing personal habits of employees. Workers are concerned that such testing might lead to employees being disciplined or fired, and employers are concerned as well that instituting testing might lead to lawsuits over errors, privacy issues, violation of rights, or unauthorized disclosure of test results. Some feel that the testing itself may not be adequate or accurate, contributing to such problems. The courts have been called in to adjudicate.."
Abstract Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action recounts the story of the action taken by attorney Jan Schlichtmann against the W. R. Grace chemical company and Beatrice Foods on behalf of families in Woburn, Massachusetts whose children had contracted leukemia, the suit claimed, from the ingestion of chemicals, dumped illegally by subsidiaries of the two giant corporations, that entered the wells that supplied a portion of the town. The civil litigation was meant to secure damages for the families but, more importantly, it was intended to "send a message" to large corporations that they could not continue to pollute the environment with reckless disregard for the health and well-being of the people, many of them their own employees, who lived in such areas.
From the Paper "Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action recounts the story of the action taken by attorney Jan Schlichtmann against the W. R. Grace chemical company and Beatrice Foods on behalf of families in Woburn, Massachusetts whose children had contracted leukemia, the suit claimed, from the ingestion of chemicals, dumped illegally by subsidiaries of the two giant corporations, that entered the wells that supplied a portion of the town. The civil litigation was meant to secure damages for the families but, more importantly, it was intended to "send a message" to large corporations that they could not continue to pollute the environment with reckless disregard for the health and well-being of the people, many of them their own employees, who lived in such areas. But what seemed like a fairly clear-cut case dragged on for a decade. The large corporations willingly spent millions..."
This paper discusses police brutality: The Rodney King incident, excessive force, civilian complaints, statistics, shootings, legal issues and the social impact.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, 1991, $ 63.95
From the Paper "Police brutality has long been a topic of concern in American society. The police face a difficult and dangerous job in maintaining law and order on the streets. From time to time, deadly force is necessary in order to carry out that job. Nevertheless, most people agree that the use of deadly force must be controlled. Usually, an officer is expected to practice restraint so that the use of force is appropriate rather than excessive. The problems of excessive force made the national news on March 3, 1991, when a group of Los Angeles police were videotaped while beating a suspect. The suspect, Rodney King, was a black man who had given the police a high-speed chase before finally being stopped. Unbeknownst to the officers, a citizen videotaped the incident from a nearby home. The tape showed some of the officers repeatedly kicking King and beating ... "
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of legalizing marijuana. Specifically, it discusses the current United States' policies, the uses of marijuana, and the arguments for and against legalizing marijuana. Includes an outline.
Legalization of Marijuana
I. Current U.S. Policy regarding legalization of Marijuana
a. State law overview
b. Penalties
c. Pending legislation
II. Uses
a. Medical
b. Recreational
c. Environmental
III. Arguments
a. Pro legalization
b. Against legalization
c. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
From the Paper "The legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial and volatile topics facing Americans today. In 2001, 34 percent of adult Americans believed marijuana should be legalized, the largest percentage since 1969, and up to 70 percent of adults approve of the use of medicinal marijuana (Cauchon, 2001, 01A). However, in November 2002, voters in Nevada turned down a measure to make the drug more readily available in the Silver State. Opposition is strongest among conservative Americans, while younger adults favor decriminalization. "The USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll found that support for legalization is highest among 18- to 49-year-olds, people in the West and independent voters. Opposition was greatest among the elderly, regular churchgoers and Republicans" (Cauchon, 2001, p. 01A)."
Abstract Intellectual property rights, including patents and copyrights, have been a key factor for the success of many companies. It provides them with an opportunity to protect their ideas and concepts, preventing others from copying them. The paper shows that with the boom in e-business, there have been many cases of infringement because of the relative ease in sharing information over the Internet. This paper briefly outlines the basics of intellectual property before providing a detailed discussion on e-business and intellectual property. The paper shows several cases of infringement to illustrate how intellectual property is important in e-business.
From the Paper "Since the Internet is a huge interconnection of computers, information can be shared very easily. It is this very advantage that leads to many problems in protection of intellectual property. For example; pictures, music and literary works can be copied, modified and even distributed easily through the Internet. Such activities affect and violate copyright protection. There are several dangers in electronic business and organizations have to be very cautious and watchful. Copyright does not protect ideas but protects the forms in which they are expressed. Thus documents and material available on the Internet can be protected by copyright. According to the Copyright Act, even storing of material in a computer corresponds to reproduction of material. This implies that viewing a page on the Internet leads to infringement because the web browser would make a copy of the page in the computer."
Abstract This paper explores the variety of reasons why Sarbanes-Oxley will fall short in meeting many of its objectives for making companies more accountable.
From the Paper "The future of the accounting profession will be very different under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (How the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 impacts the accounting profession 2002). First, auditors will report to an audit committee, not management. This committee must pre-approve all services provided by its auditor. The auditor will need to keep the audit committee informed if accounting policies and practices to be used, alternative treatments of financial information within GAAP that have been discussed with management, accounting disagreements between the auditor and management and other relevant communications between the auditor and management."
Abstract This paper is a legal issue analysis of a newspaper or magazine article that discusses a legal aspect of a specific diversity issue - workplace harassment. This article offers a summary of the diversity issue, analysis of the legal issues and a presentation of thoughts and beliefs regarding this issue. The presentation is contextualized in terms of the challenges of managing that diversity issue within the workplace.
From the Paper "Restaurant Business revealed that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Cracker Barreland its parent for the alleged sexual and racial harassment of ten employees in three Illinois units of the restaurant chain. The E.E.O.C. alleges that the female workers had been subjected to sexual assaults, sexual propositions, obscene jokes and the circulation of pornography. The suit also alleges that some of the African-Americans among the ten employees represented by the E.E.O.C. were subjected to racial discrimination and harassment."
Abstract The paper examines the seven classifications of crime listed in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The paper determines which crimes might be considered "mala in se", crimes that are inherently dangerous or "mala prohibita", crimes not inherently wrong, but are considered criminal because their prohibition is necessary to regulate the general welfare. The paper asserts that the crimes in which human life is lost, in threat of being lost or violated in any way, should be considered "mala in se." The paper posits that crimes in which property or belongings are lost or taking away, should be considered "mala prohibita" because property is less valuable than human life.
From the Paper "Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, as defined in the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, is the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. (www.fbi.gov) There are some homicides that are reduced to a lesser crime because there was no intent evident in the act. The intent to kill is where the defendant consciously desired to cause death or where the defendant intended to cause great bodily harm. There are other crimes of murder that are justified or excusable. An example of this is if an intruder entered a home with a gun, the occupants could murder the intruder and not be charged with a homicide. The occupants could argue that they were protecting their family from being murdered by the intruder."
Abstract This paper deals with laws in place on Internet censorship and why they are unjust. The author discusses why the American government should not attempt to censor the Internet with emphasis on children's' rights.
From the Paper "The United States Constitution guarantees each American the right to free speech and a free press. Does the government then have the right to tell you that something isn"t appropriate to be said or published" No. Through control, regulation and censorship, it seems as if the only free place to publish is on the Internet. However, the government now wants to pass legislation concerning Internet content. Government officials should not regulate what can or cannot be found on the Internet."
Abstract This paper looks at privacy concerns as they relate to the Internet. The author takes a neutral position stating concerns from both sides and taking the position that more time is needed to figure out just what should be regulated, if anything, and how the government should go about doing this. Some previous court cases are sighted along with actual quotes from the Judge's decision. The author further looks at censorship issues in general and how those surrounding the internet would differ from those regarding other forms of media.
From the Paper "Ever since the United States Constitution was established, there has been a long-standing debate over the interpretation of the First Amendment. Now, with the emergence of more advanced technologies within the past few years, this debate has been extended into a new realm."