US Supreme Court Decision Essay Example for Free

US Supreme Court Decision Essay An examination of the United States Supreme Court case Romer v. Evans, which was decided on May 20, 1996, is to be put forth in this paper. The case was argued on October 10, 1995. At issue was Amendment 2 to the State Constitution of Colorado â€Å"which precludes all legislative, executive, or judicial action at any level of state or local government designed to protect the status of persons based on their homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). The U. S. Supreme court held it violates the Equal Protection Clause. The opinion in favor was filed by Justice Kennedy, while the dissenting opinion was filed by Justice Scalia. The referendum, Article II sec 30b of the Colorado Constitution, read as follows: NO PROTECTED STATUS BASED ON HOMOSEXUAL, LESBIAN, OR BISEXUAL ORIENTATION. Neither the State of Colorado, through any of its branches or departments, nor any of its agencies, political subdivisions, municipalities or school districts, shall enact, adopt or enforce any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy whereby homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices, or relationships shall constitute or otherwise be the basis of, or entitle any person or class of persons to have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination. This Section of the Constitution shall be in all respects self-executing (Romer v. Evans, 1996). While many believed the law would prevent non-federal discrimination lawsuits based on sexual orientation as well as prevent the passage or the enforcing of existing laws prohibiting such discrimination, Amendment 2’s purpose was â€Å"generally inconsistent with mainstream American values† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 264). The State of Colorado argued the â€Å"measure does no more than deny homosexuals special rights† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). This is a decades old argument that right-wing Christian groups have used â€Å"to appeal to a wider, more secular audience by characterizing the gay rights movement as one aimed at getting special rights and protected status for gays and lesbians incorporated into civil rights law† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 273). Justice Kennedy writes in the opinion in favor, â€Å"The States principal argument that Amendment 2 puts gays and lesbians in the same position as all other persons by denying them special rights is rejected as implausible† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). Justice Kennedy further states how â€Å"Amendment 2 confounds this normal process of judicial review. It is at once too narrow and too broad. It identifies persons by a single trait and then denies them protection across the board† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). The final paragraph of Justice Kennedy’s opinion declares: â€Å"We must conclude that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws. Amendment 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado is affirmed† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). While Justice Scalia writes in his dissenting opinion, Amendment 2 is a â€Å"modest attempt by seemingly tolerant Coloradans to preserve traditional sexual mores against the efforts of a politically powerful minority to revise those mores through the use of the laws† (Romer v. Evans, 1995). While Justice Scalia has the right to his own personal beliefs regarding homosexuality and its validity as a protected class, many others do not share them. As Richard Mohr observes in Romer v. Evans: A Blow for Justice, â€Å"All or nearly all legal burdens on gays appeal directly or indirectly to prejudice†. His article goes on to describe how in 1996 this ruling should affect two major gay issues: gays in the military and gay marriage. When opponents cannot give logical reasons for their opposition it presupposes â€Å"strongly held beliefs for which one can offer no reasons or explanations are by definition prejudicial ones† (Mohr, para. 5). With the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, Romer v. Evans â€Å"marked an immensely important day for the gay rights movement and a major setback for anti-gay rights activists of all persuasions† according to Sharon Debbage Alexander’s article in the Winter 2002 issue of Texas Forum on Civil Liberties Civil Rights. Furthermore, this case has become one of the most significant decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in regards to gay rights. The majority of those who have analyzed Romer v. Evans purport the â€Å"fact that the case was won using a rational basis test adds to the strength of the decision for gay rights† (Debbage Alexander, pg. 297). Since the decision of Romer v. Evans, President Barack Obama has overturned the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy within our Armed Forces and gay marriage is currently under consideration in two cases that have been heard at the U.S. Supreme Court. After winning Boy Scouts of America v. Dale in 2000 protecting the groups First Amendment expressive association rights, recently the governing body of the Boy Scouts of America voted to allow openly gay scouts within its membership, but not as Scout Leaders. The important issue of gay rights in America has finally reached the forefront of public policy and debate. As in Romer v. Evans, I hope that the United States Supreme Court will rule against the State of California’s Proposition 8 and DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, to find both laws unconstitutional. In so far as to bring equality for all to these United States of America.

Pursuing a Degree in Criminal Justice Essay -- Criminal Justice

Today our world is filled with crime. The people committing these crimes must have a consequence for their illegal actions. The system in place to keeping everything fair and safe is called the criminal justice system. This was put in place to ensure there is fairness and justice served to people who break the laws set up by the government. Criminal justice is one of the most important majors one can study due to the necessity to keep the streets safe and clean. From street cops, to state troopers all the way to criminal psychologists the criminal justice system is a very important part of modern society as it keeps us safe from murders, rapists and various other criminals. The street cops are the ones that are out on our streets protecting every citizen. It can be as simple as writing a parking ticket on a car that is illegally parked, to arresting murderers and rapist in a quiet neighborhood in the suburbs. The cops are the ones that are keeping our streets more safe for families everywhere. The main thing I want to learn about Criminal Justice is where I can go with my degree. By studying criminal justice I would like to be able to pursue my dreams of becoming a Drug enforcement agent so that I can help make neighborhoods safe and take bad people off the public streets. The mission of Franklin Pierce Universities Criminal Justice Program is to produce graduates who have demonstrated competency in administration of justice, corrections, criminological theory, and law enforcement the program provides students with essential knowledge in the areas of policing, courts and corrections within a solid liberal arts framework. Special attention is given to career roles, social interaction and social forces that contribute to so... ...eb. 30 Mar. 2010. . 2."Criminal Justice Careers /Jobs Information." Direct Degree | Associate, Bachelor and Online Degree Programs. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. . 3."Criminal Justice System - Structural And Theoretical Components Of Criminal Justice Systems, The Systems In Operation, The Importance Of Viewing Criminal Justice As A System." Law Library - American Law and Legal Information. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. . 4."Criminal Justice System Processing Flowchart." Research Brought To Life : Florida State University College of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. . 5. "Franklin Pierce University Academic Catalog 2009-2010

Macbeth Summary †historical context and the main female roles Essay

* Macbeth was written around 1606 * King James I has recently honoured Shakespeare’s theatre company and so this play was a ‘thank you’ to him; o The story is made relevant to him as he had written a book on Demonology about witchcraft with many of his beliefs appearing in Macbeth. o He also claimed direct descendant of Banquo. o King James later had a medal struck of a snake concealed by flowers after the gunpowder plot on him as it showed deceitful concealment of that in Macbeth. * Women in the 17th century (1600’s) have had no rights and were inferior to men. o They were thought to be more misogynistic as well, implying that they were more susceptible to evil as well e.g. first sin. o They were to be obedient to father and husband and hostess to men so they couldn’t get a divorce & if divorced they would own property or land and would be frowned upon by society o Women had no power or education (Lady Macbeth is different; she can read & has power over husband and as queen) o Only access to throne by way of manliness – (Macduff stripped of his connections with weak womanhood as c-section birth) * Shakespeare takes the historical part of the story from a historian called Raphael Holinshed. In his chronicles, Lady Macbeth is only mentioned once. * The real Macbeth was a Scottish king in the 11th century who ruled after Duncan and is supposed to have been brave, honest and successful in conquering land. * The people of the era would have believed in the divine right of kings whereby a king was appointed by God and only God should have the power to kill him. Therefore the audience would have been appalled to her such a plot. * Witchcraft was very much believed in at this time and those who were thought to be a witch were burnt, hung and drowned as they where that dangerous. They thought they could control everything from the weather to the future and did the work of the devil. Those who didn’t believe would still have followed it for the purposes of the play. Lady Macbeth * She has an abnormal female identity as she is able to read Macbeth’s letter symbolising her power * Her domineering personality also breaks social standards and the witches prophecies display the power of woman’s sexuality * Macbeth and her have an equal relationship â€Å"my dearest partner of greatest† and knows that Macbeth isn’t ruthless enough and so she helps him murder â€Å"Shalt be what thou art promised† or â€Å"Hie, thee hither that I may poor my spirits in thine ear†. They are on the same wave length * Her decision to be ‘unsexed’ by evil turns her into more into a witch character over time than a character of masculine power. * Lady Macbeth is first shown to be stronger, more ruthless and more ambitious than her husband as she plots and persuades her way to the murder of Duncan. She dominates the first meeting showing Macbeth’s dependence on her and the ease that he submits to the plan shows his true ambition. â€Å"Look like the innocent flower and be the serpent under it† * She is pre-eminently cunning with a practical mind to plan the murder * She wishes that she were not a women so she could murder herself and her husband implies she is a masculine soul inhabiting a female body by linking masculinity to ambition and violence o Menstrual flow stop: womb equated to the womanly feelings of tenderness o Milk to gall: denies womanly instincts of birth and suckling child ( would bash in her own child’s head to gain her ambitions) – Antithesis of a maternal mother o Milk of human kindness while blood is masculine in bedchamber o She calls on darkness like her husband to hid the truth * She manipulates Macbeth by questioning his manhood as her ambitions of power have social constraints. He gives in by saying â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man; ho dares to do more is none† and â€Å"when you durst do it, then you are a man† * She is like a ‘serpent behind the innocent flower’ as she performs evil behind being a good hostess to Duncan where he even says â€Å"Fair and noble hostess, we are your guests tonight† while she plans the â€Å"Fatal end to Duncan under my battlements† – she plays the stereotypical women, the perfect mask to get away with murder. * She is very much involved with the murder as she drugs, leaves out the daggers & smears blood over the guards. She even says, â€Å"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it † which is a sign that she is human * She steadies her husband’s nerves (a little water clears us of this deed) issuing imperative language and commands over what he should do, but slips later into madness as she sleep walks later through the castle trying to get rid of an invisible blood stain – ambition affects her more strongly than Macbeth before so guilt haunts her more strongly afterward * She is partly responsible for the corruption of Scotland but from the point Macbeth murders the guards unplanned, she slowly slips out of the story * She is cool self-possession who is courageous enough to faint on the news of Duncan’s murder for her husband and dismiss him from the banquet. â€Å"False faith doth hide what do the heart does know† * Lady Macbeth gets queen which is what she wanted but isn’t any happier as her husband drifts away from her (asks permission of servant to speak to him and is left out of other murders as Macbeth wants her to be â€Å"innocent of the knowledge†) * Just before the banquet, Macbeth takes over as the dominant partner controlling their conversion and it taken Lady Macbeth’s last bit of strength to think of an excuse for Macbeth seeing Banquo’s ghost. It works at first relating back to her masculine coward argument against Macbeth but the second time the ghost comes back, Macbeth is in so much shock that he doesn’t give in to her. Lady Macbeth is then forced to call off the banquet without etiquette. On the plus side, Macbeth goes along with her excuse of his terrors showing their still is trust. * She is the complete opposite of Lady Macduff who is era standard woman who is a maternal mother & defends husband despite criticism over leaving them. Her death relates back to â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair† as it’s the good that suffer. The murder of her innocents may have put lady Macduff over the edge. * Once Macbeth goes away, Lady Macbeth starts to sleep walk and wants a light beside her as she sleeps as there is so much darkness inside her. This scene shows her at her most venerable with â€Å"Out damned spot† as she reiterates the whole murder. She uses irony of â€Å"Will these hands never be clean† and hyperbole of â€Å"all the perfumes in Arabia couldn’t sweeten this hand† which is a first for her logical mind. * She now says â€Å"what’s done cannot be undone† compared to â€Å"what’s done is done† strong minded opinion earlier in the story. * She apparently kills herself at the end as she can’t cope with the guilt and her character has no further need as Macbeth can’t face her as he sees what deeds they have done. * Macbeth feels that his life is now over because of her death as he uses a strong soliloquy saying â€Å"There would have been time for a word tomorrow† so he goes into battle to die a soldiers death. * The last words on her were from Malcolm saying â€Å"This dead butcher and his fiend like queen † which could be a biased opinion bit we don’t know how she actually died. * Her role in the story is vital but supplementary to the work of the witches in tempting Macbeth to evil as she is the one who Macbeth trusts and loves * The witches and her share similar features in that they lack in human empathy and are ambiguous beings e.g. witches have beards and Lady Macbeth wants to be unsexed. The Three Witches * Three â€Å"weird sisters† who are the first characters we meet in the play providing dark thoughts and unconscious temptations to evil with their supernatural powers as they play on Macbeth’s ambitions like puppeteers. * They have beards giving the impressions that they are neither male or female therefore unambiguous * Each worked with their own ‘familiar’ – an animal of transfiguration (Greymalkin & Paddock) * The witches appear in thunder and lightning as they control it. They speak in rhythmical paradox (rhyming couplets) â€Å"fair is foul etc.† which is echoed by Lady Macbeth and there appears to be an omen over the castle. * The witches plant the thought, Macbeth thinks it and Lady Macbeth waters it * The witches words are comical but a clearly the most dangerous characters as they act as independent agents toying with human lives and their prophecies are reports of the inevitable. * Their effects of temptation are shown in Macbeth as this great military hero is wrapped in a trance, sees visions, is unable to pray and suffers from fear before saying ‘I have almost forgot the taste of fears’ * They could be thought to have controlled Lady Macbeth in her insanity when she rubs at the â€Å"damned spot† as they could have been the ones who as she says â€Å"unsexed† her * Shakespeare leaves the witches well outside the limits of human comprehension and only implies stereotypes of the era for the characters * The witches help no one but themselves, even when Macbeth is helped by their prophecies; there are tricks within e.g. Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane or being killed of a man not born of a woman. (Equivocation is the distortion of truth)   

Animal Experimentation And Its Effects On Human Life And...

Mathura Prasad Dahal Instructor Miguel Marrero English 1302 September 18, 2014 Animal Experimentation The various experiments are performed on living animals especially to test the effects of chemical compounds such as new drugs, cosmetics, food additives and pesticides. The application of animals to test a large number of products from household compounds and cosmetics to pharmaceutical has been considered to be a normal strategy for many years. Animal experimentation has existed since ancient times and contributed to human life and survival. The most radical progress in the health science has all been made possible by animal research. Thus, animal experimentation is recognized and accepted as an important tool in saving lives. Humans have been benefited from the health care developments that have been based on the benefits of animal research and testing for many years. According to Fox Michael â€Å"Virtually every medical innovation of the last century – and especially last four decades – has been based to a significant extent upon the results of animal experimentation.† Surgery on animals has assisted in developing organ transplant and open heart surgery. â€Å"Animal testing has also helped in developing vaccine against disease like rabies, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and TB. Development of antibiotics, HIV drugs, Insulin, and cancer treatments depend up on animal tests. Other testing methods are not advanced enough† (Vaughn, 171). Laboratory animals can play an importantShow MoreRelatedEssay about Animal Rights1553 Words   |  7 Pagesissue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the fu nctions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. 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While businesses have searched for other methods of testing, there is no more accurate way of testing toxicology