Abstract Criticism and controversy surround a lot of issues in the modern world today. For instance, graphically violent and sexually explicit lyrics, particularly, in heavy metal and rap music have been named by some as the cause for pernicious and destructive behavior in the adolescents and young adults who listen to it. This paper argues that to allege that violent material contained within music lyrics has not been proven to cause real-life violence is not to, in any way, defend or endorse media violence. It explains however, that there are many angles of this theory that frequently go unmentioned.
From the Paper "It is long overdue that society as a whole stop overlooking the reality of what is causing our youth to unleash anger and rage. If violent music is not the origin of societal turbulence among our nations' young people, public attention should turn to what does. Violence is cause by unabated familial, economic, and political problems, and these things are what need to be addressed. Music does not create violence; it brings what exists to America's attention and forces people to acknowledge it. Steven S. Salem of Billboard Magazine commented, "Artists have never been anything but mirrors of their surroundings.""
Tags:admendment, drugs, free, heavy, insulting, lyrics, metal, mosh, n, profanity, rap, rock, roll, sex, speech, wild
Abstract This paper explains that the U.S. Supreme Court decision "Roper v. Simmons" (2005) holds that the death penalty for juveniles is "cruel and unusual" and as such, the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution forbid the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. The author points out that the advocates for juvenile death penalty argue that a murder committed by a 16 or 17 year old is as gruesome as that committed by an adult and that individuals exhibit different ranges of maturity thus some 17 year olds may be more "mature" than other 20 year olds. The paper states that, in opposition to the juvenile death penalty, psychologists and behavioral scientists have long known that adolescents do not yet have a brain ability to reason as adults do, are 'wired' to behave more irrationally than adults and are subjected to hormonal instability.
Table of Contents
Arguments for Juvenile Death Penalty
A Murder is a Murder
Case-to-Case Basis
Deterrence
No Consensus
Arguments against Juvenile Death Penalty
Brain Development
Raging Hormones
Adolescents are Similar to Mentally-Retarded People
Death Penalty is no Deterrent for Juvenile Offenders
No Death Penalty does not mean Complete Clemency for Offenders
Public Opinion
International Stance
Conclusion
From the Paper "The alleged evidence quoted by anti-capital punishment advocates that death penalty is not a deterrent is inconclusive. The threat of being put to death as a result of committing murder has always proved to be a deterrent throughout human history. There is no reason to assume that such deterrence does not apply to juveniles. As an example, Christopher Simmons (of the Roper v. Simmons fame) was 17 at the time when he and a 15-year old broke into the home of the victim (Shirley Crook) in Missouri; they bound up the woman with electrical wire and pushed her into a river to die. While planning the burglary and murder, Simmons told his friends that even if he were caught, nothing would happen to him because he was a juvenile. If he had known that he would be facing the death penalty he would surely have not committed the crime."
Abstract This paper discusses the influence of the Bible on First Amendment rights including issues of separation of Church and State, prayer in public schools, religious clubs at school and Christmas decorations. It also traces biblical influences on drawing up the First Amendment.
From the Paper "The First Amendment informs that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech. Until this passage was ...."
