Restoring Wolves to Yellowstone :: Essays Papers

Restoring Wolves to Yellowstone In his book, Never Cry Wolf, Farley Mowat tells an Inuit tale, saying that in the beginning, caribou were created for humans to hunt. However, humans â€Å"hunted only the big, fat caribou, for they had no wish to kill the weak and the small and the sick,† creating a weak population of caribou. The creator then made wolves to eat the sick, weak, and small caribou, creating a natural health and balance to the earth (124). Humans have traditionally seen wolves as a competitor and a danger, but these misconceptions can now be put to rest. Because wolves regulate the carrying capacity, preserve the health of herds, and complete the ecological cycle in a balanced system, they must be restored to Yellowstone. To understand why wolves should inhabit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), we must first look to history. As Douglas Smith et al say, â€Å"The history of wolves in North America and the west is straightforward: we killed them† (108). This statement may sound simplified, but actual wolf extermination was thoughtless and thorough. Many wolves were removed from regions where they weren’t even threats to humans or livestock (Klinghammer 446) because wolves, like grizzlies, were perceived as competitors for land and food. Unlike grizzly bears, wolves didn’t survive in the Northern Rocky Mountains because of poisonings, shootings, and bounties for their pelts (Barker 177). These actions caused the extinction of wolves in western states, changing the ecosystems by eliminating a natural predator. The reasons for this genocide, according to David Mech, were â€Å"the possible predation by the wolf upon man. . ., competition by the wolf for man’s livestock, and the possible competition by the wolf for wild animals that man regards as game† (289). Each concern needs to be addressed to move to move arguments beyond social threats to ecological issues. The first threat, the danger of wolves to humans, is rarely known outside of fairy-tales. The only existent evidence of wolf-induced danger remains in countries with less wild prey, more protection of domesticated animals, and less protection of young children than in the U.S. (Mech 291). In Superior National Forest, which has many wolves, there have been 1909 recorded visitor days â€Å"without any incident of wolves attacking humans† (US Cong 101st 79).

All My Sons :: All My Sons by Arthur Miller

1. In the play â€Å"All My Sons,† by Arthur Miller, the word ‘father’ means the personification of goodness and infallibility to Chris Keller. There was a strong relationship between Chris and his father, Joe. Everything Joe had done in his life was for Chris. His entire factory was intended for Chris once he retired. 2. Throughout the play, there was question of Joe’s innocence in the death of twenty-one pilots, who were flying planes that had parts from Joe’s factory. Chris strongly believed that his father played no part in those deaths and that the blame lay solely on Joe’s partner, Herbert Deever. At the end of the play, Chris’ realization that his father was guilty brings about anger and then remorse, when Joe commits suicide due to his guilty conscience. Joe has done everything in his life for his sons. 3. Once his elder son Larry died in the war, Joe devoted his life to his younger son Chris. â€Å"KELLER. †¦Because what the hell did I work for? That’s only for you, Chris, the whole shootin’-match is for you.† Many businesses are handed down from generation to generation. Joe felt his role in life was to build a business that his son could take over once he got too old to run it. His love and hope for Chris blinded Joe’s ability to make a thoughtful and rational decision regarding faulty parts from his factory. This resulted in the death of the pilots’. Joe completely disregarded the lives that his parts would be affecting because all he cared about was his son. The love that Joe displayed to his son was returned in the love and respect that Chris had for his father. â€Å"GEORGE. †¦But you know him. You know in your heart Joe did it. CHRIS. Lower your voice or I’ll throw you out of here.† George Deever’s confrontati on with Chris about his father’s guilt demonstrated Chris’ belief that his father was not guilty of any crime. He refused to believe that his father played a role in shipping the defective parts to the government. This only reinforced the idea that there was a strong father son bond between Joe and Chris. 4. The moral values that were instilled in Chris blocked him from believing that his father was capable of anything else but good. These values prove to be the eventual down fall of Joe.

Ideology of True Womanhood

Ideology of True Womanhood Between 1820-1830, and sometime between the Civil War, there was a lot of growth of businesses and new industries. All of this growth created a new middle class in America. Back in the nineteenth century, middle class families could survive off of the goods or services that their husband’s jobs produced without making all the money they needed to survive. The men did all of the work which helped create a vision that all men should support the family while their wives and children stayed at home.This started the public sphere, the belief that the work was a rough job, and that a man had to do everything he had to do in order to be successful. It was engulfed in violence, trouble and temptations, and women were thought of as weak and delicate by nature. Women were then put into the private sector, in their homes where she was in control of everything that happened. Everyone in the middle class families saw themselves as the backbone of society. A new i deology about the home came after opinions towards work and family arose.This new ideal, called â€Å"domesticity,† provided us with a new view of women’s duties and roles but still treated men and women as total opposites. There were four characteristics that all good and proper young women should follow: piety, purity, domesticity and submissiveness. In the nineteenth century it was believed that American women were to demonstrate a particular behavior towards religion. They thought religion was good for women and that it helped put their minds at rest. Women who weren’t religious were considered the most disgusting human characteristic.They also believed that women were not women, but instead a lower form of being if they weren’t sexually pure. Marriage was supposed to be the greatest night in a woman’s life, when her she could give her greatest gift to her husband, her virginity. From this point on, she was dependent on him. A woman must remain pure regardless of any attempt made by a man to assault her. A woman who allowed herself to be seduced by a man was either killed or had her baby taken from her. Female purity also gave them some sort of â€Å"power. Her purity was used to keep men in control of their sexual needs and desires. The biggest feminine virtue is probably submissiveness. Although men were supposed to religious, they generally weren’t. Men were also supposed to be pure, but nobody really expected it from them. But men were never supposed to be submissive. Men were the ones that did everything and made all the decisions. Women were more passive and obeyed the husbands. Women were forced to wear tight corsets that pinched her organs and caused limited mobility.True women knew their place, and they knew what qualities their husbands wanted. Finally, they believed a woman’s place was in the home. They thought of housework to be an uplifting task. Her job was to make sure the home was perfect fo r when her husband came home. It was supposed to be a relaxing place for the husband to escape from work. Women were also thought of as intellectually and physically inferior to men. They thought they woman just because woman were generally smaller than men in physical size that their stamina wasn’t good either.They believed that the brain was smaller in women than in men. They believed that because women menstruated there was a periodic illness that was inflicted on them. Women were thought of as very emotional and very delicate and that they have an unpredictable nature. It was believed that sexual feelings were very strong in men but they were absent in women. Puberty played a large role as well. This was a period when boys became strong and vigorous men, and girls became timid and weak women. â€Å"Even if you have a child two years of age, you need to go to work,† said Mitt Romney, on CNN on April 2012.He argued that the women would be better off having â€Å"the dignity of work. † This proves that there is still evidence on how people perceive women. Mitt Romney wanted women to work even if they have a two year old child and some people said it was â€Å"heartless. † He said it isn’t because he would raise the money from the state for daycare so you could provide daycare for your child while getting a job for yourself. His intentions were to increase the work requirement but a lot of people had different opinions.

Would Life Still Be Meaningful in the Absence of an Afterlife?

When people ask about the meaning of their lives, they are more likely concerned as to what worth would their actions be on Earth if there is no specific end to the road that they travel on. Being inherently inclined to the material, Man always seeks reward for everything that we do in our lives. As children, we almost always seek to excel in class in order that we can have the persuasive power to ask our parents for the different goods that we have laid our eyes on. This is human nature, and our nature always invades into our train of thought.   â€Å"What would I get for doing this?† would be the collective question that permeates our minds if we think about the meaning of our lives. To them, the meaning of life is the material end which they believe their individual actions would entitle them to. People seek something tangible, something that can be felt, in determining the meaning of life. Some are also driven by their sufferings, their negative experiences, in questioning why they are here. They want to know to what purpose have they been born into this world, and why do they have to suffer that way. To them, the meaning of life is an answer, a reason that will explain the things that happen to them throughout their lives in this world. I believe that the question about the existence of the afterlife is detrimental to one's quest to finding meaning in his existence. Instead of finding the true value of our lives, we are now preoccupied with how we should act in order to attain the afterlife, and inevitably forget about the fact that we should be living as meaningfully as we could in this world that we have been born into. People, especially those who have found themselves in suffering and in great emotional pain, view the afterlife as a form of escape or a greener pasture that they believe awaits them if they play their cards right in their present lives. However, if we take away that notion, would life for us still be meaningful to live if there is no clear end to which we could direct our efforts to? II. The True Meaning of Life For me, life can still be meaningful despite the apparent absence, or lack of proof thereof, of the afterlife. From my point of view, the afterlife is a figurehead, a symbolic figure, perhaps created by the ancients to address man's question as to the meaning of his life. It is more of an abstract idea rather than a specific â€Å"life† by itself. I define the afterlife for its simplest meaning: â€Å"to live after we have died,† not an exact place that the supposed soul goes to after death. I believe that the idea of â€Å"going to Heaven by doing good† is made especially to cater to man's materialistic nature that everything he does should be given a reward. Obviously, man has been created with a reason. Each of us has a reason, maybe a mission, in this world that we have been born into. Unless we ascertain what that is, we obviously cannot find the meaning for our existence here on Earth. We will continue to ask ourselves why we are still here. But how can we find that answer? Perhaps, the famous adage â€Å"no man is an island† is what I'll consider the most apt and summarized answer to the question of â€Å"Why are we here?† Man exists for the sake of his fellowmen. We are made for the service of each other. That is what man should live for: the good of his fellow human beings and not himself. Every action that we take should be decided with the well-being of our fellowmen in mind, and not just ourselves. The key to finding meaning to our earthly lives is to start shedding our selfish human nature and start living for our fellows. Man's suffering in this world is brought about by his earthly desire to preserve his own self, his discontentment and his desire to hoard all good things in this world for himself. The more material things Man receives, the more he desires, and the more he feels empty because not all things in this world are achievable. Leading such life is meaningless, for there is no point in that life that man can say that his purpose in living has been fulfilled, that he has found his reason for existing. One would probably argue that the key to self-fulfillment and happiness is to achieve all that we have longed for, definitely including money. However, that is materialism, and anything material is temporary and empty. The feeling is passing, and leads to more emptiness and questions, leading to emotional suffering and discontentment. Like Epicurus said, â€Å"the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.† I, for one, would not be able to find happiness even if I had the power to buy everything that this world could offer and money could buy, because there will always be something better than the ones we have. With endless supply of money perhaps, I would be able to buy those things that I could lay my eyes on. However, I still would not be satisfied because then I find something I do not have, and will then long for it again. The process will go on and on until I find that there is no end to the material wealth that the world offers. When we die, all the material things that we have worked for will not go with us to the grave. Materialism is human nature, and like I said, we should overcome human nature if we are to start finding the meaning of life. If I spend my life entertaining every material and carnal urges that I would find, I would be living in vain because in the end it will all come down to nothing. In finding the meaning of life, we should start looking beyond ourselves and start thinking of what is good for the people around us and ourselves as a whole. This constitutes morality, as one does not learn the value of morality without learning to consider what things would be good for him alone, and what things will benefit both him and the people around. When we are morally upright, we will feel a sense of peace and security. For example, an honest man will have nothing to fear from the law than a dishonest thief will. People might say that honesty is actually subjective because the law has loopholes that can be exploited and bent in ascertaining who is honest from the dishonest, but there is the basic law of morality that we are all governed by. A thief may be able to circumvent the due process of law to his favor, but for the rest of his life he will live in fear that someone will come up with some kind of evidence to implicate him. By then, his life would have been meaningless and without peace, spent in fear of the justice that he has evaded. The time allotted for him to exist in Earth would have been wasted, for instead of cherishing every moment that has been granted to him, he instead spends it in dread and apprehension. III. Conclusion The lack of proof that the afterlife exists will not deter me from finding meaning in living my own life, even if my death is the most definite end of my journey. A life of service through acts of kindness and selfless is, for me, the most meaningful life that I can possibly lead. The greatest fulfillment that I could have for myself is the feeling of peace and contentment that I can attain by being satisfied and being thankful for the things that I have, rather than wasting it trying to own the world and finding no peace in entertaining my material nature. To sum it up, the meaning of my life would be the peacefulness that I would get when I look back at my life when I am in my deathbed, knowing that I have done as little wrong as possible in the time that I have lived on Earth. It is the peace I'd feel in knowing that, in living my life, I have not stepped on anyone's rights and lives for my own gain.                     

Msc Strategic Marketing Assignment

1. Visit www. americanexpress. com to learn more about the different cards that American Express offers. Discuss the target market and positioning strategies for each and suggest other segments that American Express might be able to successfully target (20%/630-770 words) American Express manages a wide variety of products but their cards can be classified in two main card types if cards: personal and business cards. For each card type they offer a wide range of different utilities and privilege and can be sub divided in credit and charge cards.The difference between the credit and the charge cards available in each category is that the credit cards charge the card holder at the end of the month while the charge cards charge the card holder instantly. The American express business model is aimed at a very narrow premium customer base, which frequently make large transactions. As their customer base is narrow they are able to provide a higher customer service than their competitors (p p). The AmEx brand also holds a huge cultural value.Because of the brands positioning and corporate branding being the owner of an AmEx automatically improves this persons role as opinion leader for the personal social group. Personal Cards Card The range of personal AMEX cards is designed for personal use. The holder pays an annual fee depending on their card and in return they get the corresponding American Express services. Generally such services include no preset spending limits and luxury rewards for collecting points.Other cobranded American Express cards such as the British Airways American Express card also offer additional travel related advantages such as travel insurance or priority on waiting lists. (American express. com Target market In comparison to some of its competitors such as Visa and Mastercard, American express does charge for its services. This naturally shifts it away from these competitors and into a segment of its own. The target market of the personal AME X cards are high earning individuals, because they are high earners they are likely to be individuals professionally hold roles of esponsibility. Their personality is extravagant, extroverted and exploring yet sophisticated lifestyle. Small Business Cards Card The small business card range is designed by American Express to help small businesses manage their finances and reduce stress of running a business. The card holder is expected to pay a monthly fee and in return get the American Express services of no preset spending limit, the card can be extended to other business employees, access to airport lounges and a generous membership reward program.Target Market As the card types name suggests American Express targets small businesses segment with this range of cards. But they don’t target the whole of the small business segment. The card is designed for those businesses that regularly need to make payments for business purposes. The co-branded American Express and British A irways card suggests that they are targeting businesses whose employees are frequently traveling and would like to centrally control their company expenses. Missing segments,The existing range of AMEX cards target the high profile person and business that need to make large and regular payments. Though the product range can also be use online it’s mainly intended to be used offline with the physical card. Many of today’s payment transactions are made via the world wide web of which services such as Pay Pal and Citadel EFT. These 3rd party services are sometimes considered to be unreliable and no provide the exclusivity that American Express provides. This can withhold AMEX users from using their AMEX card online.An exclusive online payment service for AMEX users to provide payment services can increase the company’s online presence and stimulate the cards use. 2. How has American Express been able to help consumers shift their attitude toward usage of the card? Is American Express taking a proactive approach to managing its marketing environment? How? (20%/630-770 words) Shift of attitudes Proactive in managing its marketing environments? 3. Based on your knowledge of online buyer behavior – provide a proposal for an effective e-marketing campaign for American Express, using social media: Facebook, twitter, blogs etc.Critically discuss different ways to attract and retain consumers using different social media in the UK market. To answer this you may choose any two appropriate models of consumer behavior. (20%/630-770 words) Currently American Express is present of the World Wide Web’s main social networks. On Facebook AMEX? s global page got 2. 7 Million who â€Å"like† them, they also have separate pages for each country they have commercial activity in which on average tend to have some 7,000 likes each.The AMEX main Twitter account got 600K followers, on LinkedIn approximately 136,000 professionals are following th e company and on YouTube they got 12,000 subscribers. American express also attempts to connect with small businesses and professionals through offering business advice to them through blogs. In comparison American Express? s closest competitors Master Card and Visa both got 4. 5 million likes each on Facebook. On twitter Visa got 38,000 followers and Master Card 16,000. On Linked in MasterCard for 43,000 followers and Visa 48,000 and on YouTube 1000 and 4000 subscribers respectively.Because of the niche market targeted by American express and the enormous reach and noise of the World Wide Web, planning a carefully targeted campaign is of great importance to ensure the campaign is using resources efficiently. In their study Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (2002) found that modern day online consumers, when considering buying, are looking for the human values behind products and services, such as honesty, respect, dignity trust and fairness behind the products they buy.Since American expres s has two card types and thus two target markets its only logical that the online marketing campaign also be divided to target the two markets separately. Since AMEX got two quite specific target markets the use of social networks is recommended. Social networks allow you to target users on a wide variety of demographic, psychographic, lifestyle information and interests supplied voluntarily by its users. American Express brand is virtually universal, and a single geographic market is quite small.Therefor it is suggested that it is better to focus an e-marketing campaign, via social media, on a global or regional scale than national. The online marketing campaign directed towards the private users will focus on creating a worldwide viral marketing campaign on the popular social networks. For a period of 45 days, using a designated app on the AMEX Facebook page, users can enter a lottery to win one of five free Platinum American Express cards and an additional â‚ ¬2000. Users will be able to increase their chances of winning one of these cards in multiple ways.The first way would be though on a daily basis entering the application and participating in a multiple choice quiz, for every correct daily an additional entry is gained. The daily quiz will consist of questions related to the AMEX products and brand, designed to increase the knowledge about the AMEX products and aid the correct positioning of the brand in the mind of the consumer. The estimated marketing costs for the target market of private users is approximately â‚ ¬17,000, and has a potential reach +1,000,000 resulting in a maximum price per impression of â‚ ¬0. 17, much more efficient than the Facebook adds which recommend a charge of â‚ ¬0. 65 per click. Rivero, J. (2012) suggests that credit card marketing to consumers should be done â€Å"where your consumers and their friends are hanging out†. This campaign attempts to do just that: to get potential new users interested in an d reinforce the connection that existing consumers have with American Express through cultural influences. The people who have already like the American Express Facebook page will be the ones kicking of the campaign by being the first ones to enter the draw.Then when they invite their friends to join they are seen as opinion leaders within their social group. Those who are really interested in winning will engage in the daily quiz elaborating their knowledge of the brand and its products and in turn also convert them into 2nd generation opinion leaders for their social network. Facebook users will also be able to increase their chances of winning by inviting their Facebook â€Å"friends† to enter the competition via the AMEX application. For every friend that they have invited and has also entered the competition they will also gain an additional entry.For the business segment of the American Express target market linked in will be used to gain the public’s attention. This campaign will also take the shape of a competition but not a lottery. Entrepreneurs will be invited to submit start up business proposals. After initial screening, through popular vote on from the linked in community the most popular idea will gain a three year backing of American Express experts, full financial support and of course the AMEX cards and benefits to get up the new business idea. This campaign focuses gaining new business customers through having them engage with the brand through LinkedIn.The social role that AmEx would be taking on, of financing the best business idea, should be interpreted by other users and business as an act of social charity and an attempt to help the business world encouraging them to also use American Express for their business as they understand they provide better and premium services to businesses. 4. Critically analyze and evaluate consumer and customer management practices adopted by American Express and how consumers react to individ ualized consumer-organization interaction. (20%/630-770 words) . Discuss potential trends in buyer behavior in the Credit Card market over the next ten years. Identify companies in this sector which are responding well to the trends, and make recommendations how your company can update the way it engages with current and potential customers. (20%/630-770 words) Innovations One of the main innovations currently in the credit card market is the move to pay via smart phones. Systems are being developed to use a person’s smart phone as a mobile wallet without having to take out a physical credit card. 0 percent of people expect that their smartphones will eventually replace cash and credit cards. (Farrell, B. M. , 2013) Mastercard, Visa and Paypal are already experimenting with this alternative payment method though it must be mentioned that people or 35 or younger, are more inclined to use this innovation than the over 35? s. (Farrell, B. M. , 2013). Amex bought the online payme nt system Serve for $300 million in 2009 and launched its e-wallet service in 2011 (Pepitone, J. , 2011) in a reaction to Visa and PayPal launching a similar service first.The service is currently only available in the US (Johnson, A. R. , 2011) Since in many emerging markets they are taking a technology leap, i. e. directly starting with the latest technology, there exists a realistic possibility that they might also skip the credit card phase and move directly into having an e-wallet. American express could well establish their brand in these markets by providing e-wallet services as well as methods to accept e-wallet payments to local businesses. Competition,The standard credit card market is becoming saturated and its becoming increasingly difficult to obtain new customers or to make customers switch credit card issuer. Card issues have to offer increasingly more incentives to attract new customers and retain exisiting customers. American Express has the advantage of having a un ique brand within a select group of customers. But there are no restrictions for MasterCard or Visa to launch a cheap premium or platinum range in order to target and gain market share right in the heart of American Express? core business. Multi-Function cards. First Data Corporation (2011) suggests that in Brazil Banco Bradesco and in France Credit Agricole have been offering a card type that has the ability to access both credit and debit accounts. But neither have been considered a game changer. Multi-function cards are being increasingly interesting as consumers are starting to shift their preference to the debit card instead of the credit card. This is partially related to the currently ongoing financial crisis.With shifting trends and no game changing alternative this will be a future point of focus for credit card issuers to successfully introduce a hybrid card of this type as long as the demand proves sufficient. Co-Branded Cards Some of American Express? s biggest competito rs are teaming up with other large multinationals to offer exclusive co branded credit cards. For example IKEA and VISA have launched the IKEA Visa card allowing consumers to finance their purchases for up to three years among other benefits.American Express already hs a co-branded card with British Airways but with competition becoming increasingly tougher it is likely that card issuers will also try to issue cards via large multinational organizations. Bibliography: Farrell, B. M. , 2013, Not paying by smartphone? You soon will, many bet. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www. bostonglobe. com/business/2013/03/20/payment-industry-executives-eye-mobile-future/XHi4XtUT9zkoloMd0m2biO/story. html First Data Corporation (2011) Four Important Trends Shaping the future of Credit Cards. Retireived from ttp://www. firstdata. com/downloads/thought-leadership/cc-trends-wp. pdf Johnson, A. R. (2011). â€Å"AmEx Looks Beyond Credit Cards†. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from h ttp://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424052970204552304577112611696189378. html Pepitone, J. , 2011. American Express dives into mobile payment with Serve. Retrieved from http://money. cnn. com/2011/03/28/technology/american_express_serve/index. htm Rivero, J. (2012). 3 Big Trends in Credit Card Marketing. Retrieved from: http://thefinancialbrand. com/22348/three-trends-in-credit-card-marketing/

My Immigration Research Paper Essay

In this paper I will use the ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology, as well as the perspective of ethical egoism, as they pertain to the issue of immigration. Living in a state bordering Mexico [New Mexico], this is indeed becoming a pressing issue as tens of thousands of illegal immigrants flood my state and neighboring states. This issue brings up many questions such as: 1 – What is our moral obligation to these immigrants? 2- What is our moral obligation to U.S. citizens that are affected by this influx? 3- Is it morally right for smugglers to profit from the pain of those seeking safety, security, and a better life? 4- Is it morally/ethically right for parents to subject their children to the long, lonely, dangerous journey to the United States. By applying the theories and perspective noted above, I will show that if this issue is not handled immediately, the consequences will be detrimental to both U.S. citizens and the immigrants as well. The desire of the immigrants to obtain a better life does not preclude them from following current laws and processes. While they act from a position of self -interest, their actions impact many others in the process. From October 2012 through September 2013, the Border Patrol has apprehended about 24,000 unaccompanied children at the border. Between October 2013 and the end of June 2014, the number rose to 57,000. It is estimated this number could reach 90,000 by the end of September 2014. Most are coming from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Once the immigrants arrive in the United States, what is our moral obligation to them? Under current law, these children are placed under the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services which works to place them with family members in the U.S. while awaiting a court date. The influx has created the largest backlog in immigration courts. â€Å"In the first half of the year there were 366,724 pending cases. As of March the average wait time for  a case was 578 days, according to the Justice Department records.† Experience has shown many immigrants never show up to these hearings.† Deontology claims an act is to be evaluated in terms of its accordance with a set of rules. Consequently, it is clear that these immigrants have broken the immigration laws of the U.S. both in the way they entered the country and in their refusal to attend court hearings. Their flight to this country clearly is done for the person’s self- interest. They hope to flee the dangers and poverty of their home countries to seek a better life in the United States. However, does the actions of the immigrant outweigh the effect of this influx on the population of the United States? Once here, national, state, local and charitable organizations are being used to house, feed, provide medical care, and other assistance to these immigrants. Meanwhile, United States veterans, homeless, mentally ill, and the elderly go without needed services. Should our own citizens not be our main focus? In my state of New Mexico, one of the poorest in the nation, we are currently housing and processing hundreds, if not thousands of these immigrants. My town of Las Cruces has opened its churches to house and care for the immigrants, even though many of the children here do not have enough to eat or a proper living environment themselves. Once the immigrants arrive at our local shelter, they are given a cot, clean clothes, a shower, hot meals and health checks. After eating, they file into rooms to collect hygiene supplies, diapers, clothes, and suitcases. Children can choose one toy from a large box of donated stuffed animals. Down the hall, volunteers assist the immigrants to call their families across the country and book train, bus, and plane tickets, depending on how much the families can spare. With the system the church shelter has developed, most immigrants will be on their way to relatives within 2 days. President Obama is seeking billions of dollars to increase the number of facilities for these immigrants, to tighten border security, and expand the number of U.S. immigration judges. Should huge amounts of U.S. money be expended to deal with illegal activity or more properly used to alleviate problems of legal U.S. citizens? Governor Rick Perry of Texas has ordered the National Guard to help protect the border because of Congress’s inability to act on this issue. Again, this is taking resources that might be needed elsewhere. While most Americans understand and empathize with the reasons for this influx,  the cost to the American public is substantial. One of the less publicized sides of this immigration issue is the smuggler’s profiting from the distress/fear of others. The smugglers are referred to as ‘coyote’ smugglers. One smuggler described â€Å"shipments of thousands of dollars in human cargo from slums of Honduras and highlands of Guatemala to cities across the United States. It is business; sometimes business is very good.† The vast majority of immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally do so with the help of a network of smugglers. It is a high risk, high yield business estimated to generate $6.6 billion a year. The immigrants pay $4,000 to $10,000 each for this illegal journey. The smugglers in turn pay off government officials, gangs operating on trains, and drug cartels. The experts estimate a profit of $3,500- $4,000 per person if the journey goes as planned. The smugglers are profiting from the rising violence in gang-ridden cities of Central America. Many of the immigrants travel to the U.S. because they believe they will be allowed to stay. The U.S. generally releases children to parents, relatives, or family friends. Their cases take years to go through the immigration courts. This gives rise to rumors of a new law or amnesty for children. The coyote smugglers spread those rumors to drum up business. In a July 23, 2014 issue of the Las Cruces Sun-News it was reported that the Homeland Security Department arrested 192 people along the Mexico border in South Texas on immigration smuggling charges and seized more than $625,000. A crackdown called â€Å"Operation Coyote† took place over the last month, part of the 90 day effort to target smuggling groups. The White House stated that smugglers are exploiting U.S. policies and the crackdown was a message to the smugglers that â€Å"our borders are not open to illegal immigration.† Analyzing this issue from the perspective of ethical egoism, the immigrants and the smugglers are both looking out for themselves, one to seek freedom and a better life, the other to procure as much money as possible. From a deontology perspective, clearly both the immigrants and smugglers are not following the law. The immigrants are entering the U.S. illegally while the smugglers are giving payoffs to drug cartels, gangs, and government leaders. Finally from a utilitarian standpoint the course of action of both the illegal immigrants and the smugglers certainly does not maximize the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. The illegal immigrants may benefit in the short run, but  if eventually returned to their countries may indeed be subject to even greater hardship. The corruption supported/used by the smugglers does nothing to create a better life for the majority of people. And once again the financial and emotional effect on the U.S. is wide spread. Another question/ concern raised by this influx of mostly unaccompanied children is related to their safety, both in their home countries and related to their long journey to the United States. Homicide, extortion, rape, and gang recruitment have risen to epidemic levels in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. â€Å"Immigrants’ rights advocates in the U.S. say they are seeing more children from Central America who are not only fleeing gang recruitment and random violence, but who have been targeted themselves.† This violence is seen as the key reason for driving immigrants north. But let’s look at the very imminent danger of death these immigrants face by not only placing themselves in the hands of smugglers [whose only concern is money] and the desert journey they face. The smugglers receive money from the immigrants and their families [both in their home country and in the U.S.] This in turn places more of a financial burden on these families, while a successful outcome is not assured. Along the journey, these immigrants are still subjected to the threats of gangs, drug cartels, and corrupt government officials. They are subjected to the extreme heat of the desert with little food or water and often just the clothes on their backs. Recent news reports put a face to this crisis when Texas authorities identified a decomposed body found recently near the border with Mexico as that of an 11 year old Guatemalan boy, Gilberto Francisco Ramos Juarez. He was identified by calling a phone number etched into his belt buckle and by family members describing the clothes he was wearing when he left home. A recent interview of a rancher in Brownsville Texas reported him also finding a body on his ranch. He reports having to keep a constant vigil all day and night as illegal immigrants enter his land, approach his house and car, and seek aid. Hector Espinal, the Honduras spokesman for UNICEF, stated â€Å"The message is that governments should do what they need to do to stop the violent conditions that are making these children leave.† How to stop violence in Honduras is a subject of much debate. Two major gangs- The Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, have grown into transnational criminal organizations. Drug cartels use Honduras as a point to move cocaine into the United States.  First Lady Garcia of Honduras says her country needs its own U.S. funded anticrime program similar to Plan Colombia or Mexico’s Merida Initiative to fight the gangs and cartels. Vice President Joe Biden recently visited Guatemala. To coincide with that trip, President Obama has pledged $93 million in new programs to reduce violence in Central America. This includes $40 million to reduce gang membership in Guatemala, $25 million to build 77 youth outreach centers in El Salvador and $18.5 million to build 77 outreach centers in Honduras. The White House is currently requesting approximately $3.7 billion in emergency funding with $300 million for international programs to aid Central America. However, the House Republicans recently passed legislation to address the crisis. The new $694 million version would send migrant youths back home without hearings, and contained a companion bill that could lead to deporting more than a half a million immigrants to whom the Obama administration granted temporary work permits. This companion bill could prevent more than 700,000 people who’ve already gotten work permits, from renewing them. Lawmakers objected to sending any more money to President Obama without a strong stance against the two-year-old deportation relief program that they blame for causing the current border crisis by creating the perception that once here, young migrants would be allowed to stay. The new GOP border bill adds $35 million more for the National Guard, reimbursing states for guard deployment. It would increase spending for overwhelmed border agencies, add more immigration judges and detention centers, and alter a 2008 anti-trafficking law. We can apply the theories of utilitarianism and deontology and the perspective of ethical egoism to the above question much in the same way as we did before. Once again the immigrants, but also the smugglers, are acting in their own self-interest. One wants freedom, the other seeks money. Both the illegal immigrants and the smugglers are breaking the law, both in their home countries as well as the United States. By focusing on their own interests, the illegal immigrants forget the bigger picture. Would it not benefit the greater number of people to focus on the root problems in Central America? No one doubts the dangerous conditions in these countries. However, other dangerous conditions face the immigrants on the journey to the United States. Is one danger greater than the other? If these immigrants indeed make it to the United States, most will be returned to their home countries  to be placed in the same conditions, disillusioned from the loss of their hopes and dreams. Only by a concerted effort to improve conditions in their home countries, can the greatest benefit result for the greatest number of people. The issue of immigration is perhaps one of the hottest issues facing our country today. As tens of thousands of illegal immigrants make their way into the U nited States, many moral and ethical issues arise. Do the individual rights of the immigrant to seek a better life, outweigh the negative effect their actions place on their own families as well as the citizens of the United States? Do the immigrants have a right to break laws, both in their home countries, as well as the United States, in order to obtain their dream? Is it the ethical/moral responsibility of the United States to care for the illegal immigrants once they arrive? And lastly, is it morally /ethically correct to send children from one dangerous situation into another one, rather than trying to fix the core issues precipitating their illegal journey to the United States? By applying the theories of utilitarianism and deontology, as well as the perspective of ethical egoism, I have attempted to answer these questions. Utilitarianism stresses the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. In the case of illegal immigration that would seem to be that more effort should be aimed at correcting the core issues in Central America. Deontology stresses evaluating an issue in terms of its accordance with a specified set of rules. Obviously, in the case of illegal immigration, the laws are not being followed. And lastly, ethical egoism argues that acts should be done out of a person’s own self –interest. Clearly, this is what drives the immigrants. But the impact in the long run, both to the immigrants, their families, and the citizens of the United States, may be too big a price to pay. References 1 Exporting Mayhem across the Border. [2014]. Bloomberg Businessweek, [4379], 10. [Permalink]:http://search.ebscohost.com.prox-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=96077008&site=eds-live 2 Grillo, Ioan [2014]. Honduran Children Deported From U.S. Back to World’s ‘Most Violent City. Time.Com, p1-1. 1p. [Permalink]:http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=97074587&site=eds.-live. 3 LaFranchi, H. [2014July]. Border crisis: Kerry asks Central America to help combat ‘false information’. Christian Science Monitor. P.1. [Permalink]: http:// search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=crh&AN=96897036&site=eds-live 4 Preston, Julia. The New York Times. U.S. looks to tide illegal border crossings-Biden goes to Central America to discourage illegal immigration- deportations of central americans will be accelerated. Accelerated by the Lexington- Herald [Ky.] [June 2014]. [Permalink]: http:// search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsnbk&An=14E97D7C018E48F0&site=eds-live 5 Schearer, M. [2014]. Obama in Political Bind over Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. Time. Com, 1.[Permalink]: http:// search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=97059415 &site=eds-live 6 Micheal,Shear, W.[2014 July 10]. Obama seeks $4 b for border crisis- United States- Immigration- 150,000 children projected to flee Central America. The Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]. P 17. [Permalink]: http:// search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsnb&AN=14EF984EBA4C6788&site=eds-live 7 E. Edurado Castillo and Christopher Sherman of the Associated Press. Migration spotlights Mexican ‘coyote’ smugglers retrieved from The Las Cruces Sun – News [2014 July 22]. 8 Christopher Sherman and Will Weissert of the Associated Press. Gov. Rick Perry will send National Guard to border. Retrieved from The Las Cruces Sun –News [2014 July 22]. 9 Kuhnman, Jim The Associated Press. How a flood of kids upended immigration debate. Retrieved from The Las Cruces Sun –News [2014 July 21]. 10 Anderson, Lindsey The Las Cruces Sun News. Cots, Clothes and Compassion [2014 July21]. 11 The Associated Press. Gov’t arrests 192 for smuggling. Retrieved from The Las Cruces Sun –News [2014 July 23]. 12 Werner, Erica The Associated Press. Hose Oks border crisis bill. Retrieved from The Las Cruces Sun-News [2014 August 2].

ATT Income Report Assignment Example

AT&T Income Report The paper "ATT Income Report" is an extraordinary example of an assignment on finance and accounting. ATT Company has reported a net income for the fourth quarter of 2009 of $3 billion. This is a 26% increase as compared to the 2008. This has been attributed to the increase in mobile subscribers. The revenue of the company has fallen from $31.1 to $30.9 billion. The earnings per share was reported at $0.51 which met the expectation made by several business analysts. According to the company, the increase in income was fueled by broadband and mobile growth. During the fourth quarter, the company added 2.7 million subscribers. This was the second-best performance that the company has ever achieved. The increase was driven by the fast adoption of products by the apple company like e-readers, iPhone, and netbooks. The mobile operating revenue for the company increased by 7.6% from $12.9 billion in the 2008 fourth quarter to $13.8 billion in 2009 fourth quarter. Furthermore, the company activated about 3.1 million iPhones in the quarter. In the companys report, it assured its clients that it will offer the best services in iPad. The company has embraced the new innovation by Apple which has planned connectivity on its network. This was a report from John Stankey, the president of ATT Company. The company has an understood the technical operation of iPad thus will maximize on its usage. In addition, the mobile data revenue of ATT increased by 26.3% to $3.9 billion. The company had a solid year, 2009 and led the company to the biggest growth driver. The company is in a good position to provide for the high demand in connectivity of IP data and mobile broadband. Therefore, the company aims at adding vital mobile capacity in 2010.