Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay Example for Free

Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay It has been a debate for quite some time as to whether college athletes should be paid for their work on the field. They are some of the hardest working individuals that obtain intense practices and demanding college courses, and many believe that they should be rewarded for their hard work. But the ongoing debate is whether it is right to pay these players as if they were employees. Many major colleges provide the best services for their athletes by providing them with the greatest gyms to workout in, free health insurance for injuries, transportation, food, equipment, and most of the time, a full four-year scholarship. On top of all of these things that are provided, does it seem right to be paying these students as well? Determination and motivation for greatness during college should be enough; therefore, I don’t think that college athletes should be paid. One reason why student athletes should not be paid is the fact that the college experience should be payment enough. In the article, â€Å"College Athletes Should Not Be Paid† found in the book Sports and Athletes, the author talks about â€Å"the primary function of academic institutions is to educate, and not to hire student-athletes for their contributions on the basketball court or football field† (Meshefejian 99). When high school athletes are approached for their profound athletic abilities, they often choose the university that will open the door for them to pursue a professional career rather than what will provide them with an exceptional education. Meshefejian makes the following statement to prove why students should not be paid for their athletic abilities: These players may have chosen a school due to the amount of scholarship money they were receiving, but scholarship money is usually not enough to overwhelm other considerations . . . Paying student-athletes any more than a scholarship would put such considerations in jeopardy, resulting in student’s making decisions based on how much money they are offered, as opposed to making decisions based on where they will succeed in all aspects of college life. The college experience, a student-athlete’s educational experience should be about more than just dollars and cents. (99) In an article entitled, â€Å"Should College Athletes Be Paid?†, Allen Sack states, â€Å"During the past four years, the NCAA has crafted a payment system that provides a relatively cheap and steady supply of blue-chip athletes . . . the majority of those polled identify themselves more as athletes than as students† (2). Mark Murphy, Director of Athletics at Northwestern Univeristy, participated in the debate on ESPN on the topic of paying student –athletes, and he argues that some of these athletes â€Å"currently receive scholarships, whose value, in some instances, totals close to $200,000 over four years† (Meshefejian 17). That is a large amount of money, and they still want to be given more? So now we ask, â€Å"Where will the money to pay these athletes come from?†. In Rodney D. Fort’s article titled â€Å"Paying College Athletes Makes Economic Sense†, he states that â€Å"Universities allow athletic departments to keep all excess revenues on an updated basis during any given budget period. Thus, a department whose costs do not rise over budgeted amounts, but whose revenues are higher than expected, will appear to break even because they are allowed to spend the excess. So there can be plenty of revenue to be arranged† (Fort 11). Players also generate marginal revenue product (MRP), and that is then spent elsewhere in the department rather than on the players themselves. So, the money is there, but I think it’s a terrible idea to give them the money that they’ve accrued because the athletic department does need money to be able to upgrade equipment if needed, or be spent elsewhere within the athletic department. According to Robert and Amy McCormick, two law professors at Michigan State University, they believe that a college sport is definitely a job, and that these athletes need to be paid. They argue that the athletes are â€Å"employees† under federal labor laws and entitled to form unions and negotiate wages, hours and working conditions (Cooper 1). But Donald Remy, the NCAA’s general counsel and vice president for legal affairs states: The NCAA, in accordance with courts that have addressed the issue, believes that student-athletes are not employees, under the law, and that they should not be treated as employees either by the law of by the schools they attend . . . Moreover, taxing authorities do not consider the benefits student athletes receive to be taxable compensation (Cooper 2). The one thing that comes to my mind when I think of paying college athletes is gender equality. Would the female athletes be paid the same as the male athletes? Some male athletes may believe that they deserve more because they may think that they work harder and take more of a beating than the female athletes. But Title IX federal regulations would cut off federal funding of colleges if those colleges discriminate on the basis of sex (Meshefejian 97). Another reason why student athletes should not be paid is because it would create a monetary race to buy the best athletes in the country. There may be a chance that it would eliminate â€Å"under the table† activities, but I believe that schools would still manage to find other ways of getting the players that they want on their team. College sports wouldn’t even be exciting anymore because the schools that have acquired the most money would end up buying the best athletes in the country, and all of the greatest athletes would go to the same teams, making sporting events unfair and not equally proportioned. Meshefejian says it best when he says, â€Å"The more the disparity, the less the competition, and the less the competition, the less excitement† (98). Paying the players would be the end of college athletics as we know it.

Essay on Dream Deferred in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

The American Dream Deferred in Song of Solomon      Ã‚   Beginning with the first African American literary works through the more recent successes such as Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon the topic of literacy is almost inextricably connected to freedom and power. A closer investigation, however, leads the reader to another, less direct, message indicating that perhaps this belief in literacy as a pathway to the "American Dream" of freedom and social and financial success is contradictory or, at least, insufficient in social and cultural terms. In this way, African American literature reconstructs the "American Dream" into an even more complex "dream deferred."    Toni Morrison deconstructs the "American Dream" and the "literacy myth" in The Song of Solomon by deriding formal education and literacy while emphasizing oral family history. A most blatant ridicule of formal education comes to the reader in the story of First Corinthians Dead, the only character in the novel to attend college. First Corinthians finds that education made her "a little too elegant" (188), and that "Bryn Mawr had done what a four-year dose of liberal education was designed to do: unfit her for eighty percent of the useful work of the world," (189). At forty-two, First Corinthians is untrained, unmarried and unfulfilled, thanks to her college education.    Milkman, on the other hand, is not sent to college and is ultimately educated by the oral family history revealed by Pilate and the townspeople of Shalimar, Virginia. Milkman's freedom comes only after he breaks the chains of the "American Dream" myth his father is slave to and seeks out his history, his culture, and his identity.    Milkman's father, Macon Dead II, is certain that... ...eedom, independence and equality built on the successful negotiation of not just illiteracy, but of a history of social and cultural denial. Such is the nature of the dream deferred.    WORKS CITED Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views: Toni Morrison. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 1990. Graff, Harvey J. The Literacy Myth: Literacy and Social Structure in the Nineteenth-Century City. New York: Academic Press, 1979. McKay, Nellie, editor, Critical Essays on Toni Morrison, G.K. Hall, 1988. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1996. Peterson, Nancy J. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. Rice, Herbert William. Toni Morrison and the American Tradition: A Rhetorical Reading. New York: P. Lang, 1996.

Project/Portfolio Fact Pattern Handout

Facts – Little Louie 1. Unemployed 2. Dates Wild Wanda 3. Plans to rob a bank with Billy Bad Boy and Vinnie Bagadonuts. 4. Knows a gun collector named Smith 5. Breaks into Smith’s house 6. Breaks into the gun locker and steals couple of handguns, sawed-off shotgun, and automatic weapons. 7. Robs the bank 8. In a shootout with the armed guard a bank teller and police officer is shot. 9. Runs from the police officers. 10. Breaks into Smokey’s house. Little Louie 1. Conspiracy          Title 18, Part 1, Ch, 19,  §Ã‚  371 2. Burglary – break an entering                ORC, Title29, Ch 2911,  § 2911. 2       a) Breaking glass window into Smiths house 3. Second count of burglary – guns                   ORC, Title29, Ch 2911,  § 2911. 12       a) Breaking into the gun case b) Saw off shotgun c) Several hand guns d) Automatic weapons 4. Robbery – bank       Title18, Part 1, Ch 103,  § 2113 5. Murder of police officer       Title18, Part 1, Ch 51,  § 1114 6. Murder of a bank teller       Title 18, Part 1, Ch 51,  § 1111 7. Fleeing and eluding police officer                      ORC, Title 29, Ch 2921,  § 2921. 331 Offense Charge with & Defense possibly for Little LouieLittle Louie is charged with conspiracy because he had talked planned with Billy Bad Boy and Vince Bagadonuts. Little Louie is charged with two counts of 5th degree felony burglary for in the Smith’s home and take his guns. Little Louie is charge with two counts of 1st degree felony Aggavated Murder one of a police officer and the other is the bank teller. Little Louie is charged with one count of fleeing and eluding of a police officer. Little Louie claims that Vinnie Bagadonuts was the one that shot the officer and bank teller and that also he was the one that broke into the house, and that    along with him.

Borderline Personality Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay - 1275 Words

Borderline Personality Disorder History of disorder Prior to 1938, there were only psychotic and neurotic disorders. The clients were either psychotic or neurotic; however, there were some cases when the clients did not meet neither of the disorders or had a mixture of both. This is what led Adolf Stern to coin the term â€Å"borderline† in 1938 to describe clients who disorders did not fit into psychotic or neurotic disorders. They were considered to be somewhere in between. By the 1970’s Otto Kernberg suggested to add a third group to the disorders to be called borderline personality. Shortly after Gunderson and Singer made an expansion. They added several key features to distinguish the disorder. It was first used as a diagnosis in DSM-III in 1980. (Bhome Fridrich, 2015). It was later listed as a cluster B disorder. Diagnostic criteria Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality dysfunction that is characterize by disinhibition and impulsivity and often is manifest as self-regulation difficulties. (Sansone Sansone, 2015). Clients with BPD commonly have fear of being abandoned. They will get close to someone then start to isolate themselves from them because they feel as if the feelings are not mutual. They often have do risky activities such as binge eating, shopping sprees, and several sexual partners. It is common for them to participate in self-injurious behavior such as cutting themselves. The DSM-5 states that a client must have at least five of theShow MoreRelatedBorderline Personality Disorder ( Adhd )1479 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Borderline Personality Disorder was first listed in the DSM in 1980. It is classified as a cluster B personality disorder. Before then it was unsure if it was a disorder on its own, if it only coexisted with other disorders, or only mocked other disorders. Most people suffering from BPD have problems regulating emotions and thoughts, have impulsive and reckless behavior, and have unstable relations with others. High rates of comorbidity occur with this disorder including; depressionRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Adhd )1659 Words   |  7 Pagesenigmatic condition. The term â€Å"Borderline,† coined by Adolph Stern in 1938 (Optimum Performance Institute), refers to the behavior exhibited by these patients who are on the borderline between neurosis and psychosis. The oscillating nature and unknown concrete cause of this disorder makes it difficult to treat. Due to this, Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, has become one of the most controversial disorders to w ork with in the psychiatric community. Often time Borderline patients are avoided entirelyRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Adhd )1713 Words   |  7 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder Understanding the Disorder DSM-5 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders(DSM-5,2013), Borderline Personality Disorder (301.83) is a pervasive pattern of volatility of interpersonal relations, self image, and affect, and marked impulsivity, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of context (p. 663). Concurrent disorders associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are depressive and bipolar disorders andRead MoreA Brief Note On Borderline Personality Disorder ( Adhd )1671 Words   |  7 Pages Assessing Borderline Personality Disorder Amanda Kissling Millersville University â€Æ' Introduction Treating individuals with Borderline Personality Disorders presents unique challenges for Clinicians and other service workers. Borderline personality disorder is described in the DSM-V as a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, (as well as) marked impulsivity (2013). Symptoms typically begin to present themselves in late adolescents and earlyRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Borderline )1361 Words   |  6 Pages Borderline Personality Disorder is named borderline personality disorder because at one point in history they considered this disorder to be on the â€Å"borderline† between neurosis and psychosis. Borderline personality disorder is a severe mental disorder that impacts an individual’s behavior, relationships, and mood. The disorder usually begins during adolescence or young adulthood. People with BPD have a tendency of rapid change in attitude or feelings toward others because they cannot regulateRead MoreThe Personality Disorder, And Adhd Subtype On The Family Variables Essay999 Words   |  4 Pagesand ADHD subtype on the relationship amongst ADHD and family variables remains mostly obscure. We close with proposals in regards to the need for research that will illuminate a formative psychopathology point of view of ADHD.Changes in connection union and intelligent capacity were measured as assumed components of modification in 1 of 3 year-long psychotherapy medicine s for patients having borderline personality disorders. Ninety patients dependably determined to have borderline personality disorderRead MoreEtiology of Borederline Personality Disorder1755 Words   |  7 PagesEtiology of Borderline Personality Disorder Borderline personality disorder is defined as a mental illness that involves unstable moods, behavior and relationships. There are many other symptoms of borderline personality disorder, some of which include intense irritability, elevated levels of fear, and anger. The etiology of BPD is unknown, but through a number of different studies it is believed that it can be caused by genetics, environmental factors, and/or brain abnormalities. ScientistsRead MoreMental Disorders And The Severity Of The Disorders1681 Words   |  7 PagesPeople overlook and ignore mental disorders due to the skepticism of the severity of the disorders. Some people do not believe that disorders exist. An example, people who want out of certain situations or an excuse to not do something will use the word, anxiety, as an excuse. Parents who have kids that lack the knowledge of how to stay still and how to focus will use the term, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as an excuse, while the parents sim ply need to teach their kids in a harsher wayRead MoreLilo And Stitch : Analysis1288 Words   |  6 Pagesalien refugee named Stitch (experiment 626). The story continues to show the struggle the three face while continuing to grow as a family and overcome their challenges. Analyzing Lilo it is cleared that she may suffers from multiple mental and personality disorders due to the fact that she does not socialize well with others and the stress that she suffered from loosing her parents (DeBlois, 2002).†¨ It is assumed that Lilo lost her parents within the previous year because of this I believe that a greatRead MorePersonality Disorders : What Causes A Personality Disorder?930 Words   |  4 PagesPersonality disorders is a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior of a specified kind, typically manifest by the time one reaches adolescence and causing long term difficulties in personal relationships or functioning in society. Someone with personality disorder not only effects the person with it but the love ones as well. A question that is always raised while talking about personality disorder is what causes a personality disorder? Some doctors and professor believe that things happen in a person’s

Medical Marijuana Essay - 1174 Words

Medical Marijuana Marijuana (cannabis) is a mixture of leaves, stems, and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa. [4] Marijuana is thought by many to be harmful, but it has been proven in fact to be helpful for some people with certain illnesses. [4] When I first started looking into medical marijuana as my research subject, I was curious to see what people my age actually thought about marijuana. I asked twenty of my peers, ranging in age from seventeen to twenty-two, What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say marijuana? The responses shocked me: six of them said getting high, four of them said damaging drug, and ten of them, fifty percent, said medical uses. The response that overwhelmed†¦show more content†¦In fact, there is not one substance in this entire Physicians Desk Reference that is completely harmless, [9] said Chuck Thomas at the Testimony Before the Institute of Medicinal Marijuana Hearing in New Orleans. #8230;while prescription drugs, defi ned as safe by the FDA, kill up to 27,000 and aspirin up to 1,000 Americans per year, cannabis kills 0 per year, [2] according to the Bureau of Mortality Statistics. Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects, but marijuana is not such a substance#8230;Marijuana in its natural form, is one of the safest active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical core, [3] the Guardian Newspaper printed in 1993 on the issue. Compared with legal drugs#8230;..marijuana does not pose greater risks, [8] according to the Pharmacological Reviews: Health Aspects of Cannabis. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, has been produced in a pill form. Marinol#61650; is one of the pills: The poor availability of Marinol#61650; in aqueous solutions and its high first-pass metabolism in the live account for its poor bioavailability; only 10-20% of an oral dose reaches the systemic circulation. The on set of action is slow; peak plasma concentration areShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana1558 Words   |  7 Pages Alaskan Thunderbolt Whether pro, con, user or bystander. The issue of the nationwide legalization of medical marijuana is one that infringes both in political and social standards. Be it that marijuana is subsequently abused, and utilized as an illegal drug. It is regarded highly, as a controversial issue which affects the amenity of conservative, modern America. Because of which one should further seek to understand. Things like its history, correlation with crime, effects on economy, effectsRead MoreMedical Marijuana1767 Words   |  8 Pages Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to resurface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical â€Å"pot smoker.† This skewed perception of a lazy and unmotivated American is the result of over seventy years of propaganda and misinformation spread by private interests who relied onRead MoreMedical Benefits Of Medical Marijuana1161 Words   |  5 Pagessurrounding the issue of whether medical marijuana ought to be legally sanctioned as a medicinal treatment. Medical marijuana involves the use of cannabis and its constituent’s cannabinoids in order to treat a disease or its symptoms (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2015). Numerous studies led declare the drug a miracle treatment for a variety of medical issues. These studies, however, are limited and effectively challenged by different studies that exhibit the health risks marijuana can have on the humanRead MoreMedical Marijuana And Medical Therapy2626 Words   |  11 PagesMedical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis as medical therapy in the palliative sense to treat diseases or alleviate symptoms. This treatment modality has proven to be a highly debatable issue within the medical field due to the use of this substance as an illicit drug. â€Å"The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey monitors priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States† (Center for DiseaseRead MoreMedical Marijuana Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesMedical Marijuana One of the most controversial issues in the United States is over medical marijuana. Many experiments test the validity of the drug as a medicine, and results of these experiments receive much praise but also some critique. The DEA and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) are battling over the issue. The underlying matter that cannot be ignored is that marijuana proves to be a useful medication for many patients, especially those with wastingRead MoreThe Ban Of Medical Marijuana1090 Words   |  5 Pagesepilepsy and used medical marijuana to save her life. Her parents had tried almost every medication to try and save her by the time she was two-years-old. Some nights she would get fifty seizures each night. Finally, her parents were able to get her a medical marijuana card in Colorado, and the new medication immediately stopped the seizures (Gummow, 8 Miraculous, para. 4, alternet.org). This is just one example of how unjust the ban of medicinal marijuana is. The ban of medical marijuana is unjust becauseRead MoreMedical Marijuana Essay969 Words   |  4 Pages[Medicinal Marijuana] [Heather Bryant] Communication and compostition (COM156) University of Phoenix, Axia College [October 20, 2012] Medicinal Marijuana use in the United States Although many individuals find medical marijuana illegal, and unnecessary, it is a natural herb used to help symptoms caused by chronic illnesses. Over three million Americans use medical marijuana. Medical marijuana is the most widely used drug used to treat chronic illnesses in seventeenRead MoreMarijuana as Medical Treatment917 Words   |  4 Pages Marijuana as medical treatment Should marijuana become legal in our country as a prescription and clinical drug for medicinal treatment? Imagine somebody that you love lying in bed at a hospital and having just undergone chemotherapy for their cancer treatment; Side effects of chemotherapy like constantly vomiting, fatigue and pain are difficult to tolerate every day. Doctor can prescribe medication, but any of it has absolutely no effectRead MoreThe Legalization Of Medical Marijuana1314 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana is the most frequently abused illegal substance worldwide. Not only is there no legitimate medical use, it has been tied to physical, mental, and emotional damages. â€Å"Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds† (National Institute on Drug Abuse). There are many supporters of the legalization of medical marijuanaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Allowed For Medical Marijuana?1483 Words   |  6 Pageswork. Finally, you decide to resort to the medical marijuana and notice the results are astounding. Your child’s behavior changes from quiet and unmotivated to talkative and energetic! Dravet Syndrome is just one of many conditions that medicinal cannabis has proven to help. Many medical conditions qualify for medical marijuana use making it a more reliable and affordable alternative from over-the-counter drugs. However, since the early 1900’s marijuana has been p ushed to the side when it comes to

Dbq on Western Front - 791 Words

DBQ: Settlement of the Western Frontier During the years between 1840 and 1890, the land west of the Mississippi River experienced a wild and sporadic growth. The natural environment contributed greatly to this growth spurt and helped shape the development of the trans-Mississippi west. The natural environment dictated and facilitated the development of the west by way of determining who settled where, how the people survived, why people wanted to settle, and whether they were successful or not. Many Americans packed few belongings and headed west during the middle to the late nineteenth century. It was during this time period that the idea of manifest destiny became rooted in American customs and ideals. Manifest Destiny is the†¦show more content†¦Women were able to won land as seen in Document F. Women also moved out of the domestic sphere and helped with the hard labor, necessary to make a farm run correctly. The success of the emigrants largely depended on the cooperation of the climate and the how well the land was cultivated during those first crucial years. Success for the emigrants on the mining frontier largely depended on the abundance of the lands natural resource, like gold. The land basically determined if the settlers were at all successful in their quest to settle the land. The land west of the Mississippi provided benefits for few people and imposed hardships to many. The land provided the people with rich natural resources and was the reason a majority of the people went west. Climatic changes and unexpected hardships made the voyage west and settlement in the west hard for many. The success of the settlements largely depended on the abundance of the natural resources and the changes in climate. The natural environment overall fueled the development of theShow MoreRelated DBQ on Western Front Essay793 Words   |  4 Pages DBQ: Settlement of the Western Frontier nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the years between 1840 and 1890, the land west of the Mississippi River experienced a wild and sporadic growth. The natural environment contributed greatly to this growth spurt and helped shape the development of the trans-Mississippi west. The natural environment dictated and facilitated the development of the west by way of determining who settled where, how the people survived, why people wanted to settle, and whetherRead MoreAp Exam Essays1660 Words   |  7 Pages1660s? 2. Analyze the political, diplomatic, and military reasons for the United States victory in the Revolutionary War. Confine your answer to the period 1775–1783. 3. Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. 4. Analyze the roles that women played in Progressive Era reforms from the 1880s through 1920. Focus your essay on TWO of the following. Read MoreDbq: Ancient Greek Contributions1467 Words   |  6 PagesDBQ: ANCIENT GREEK CONTRIBUTIONS The Ancient Greek contribution ranged by the 1900-133 BC, however its influence on the Western Literate Society lasts to this day. As the Greeks expanded their empire, they spread their ideas to other countries, while also borrowing from other cultures. During this period of time, the Greeks made many significant and long-lasting contribution to our modern culture in Philosophy, Art, Democracy, Drama, Math, and Science. These givings of important ideasRead MoreEssay on Minority Dbq818 Words   |  4 PagesWWII Minorities DBQ In the mist of the countries involvement in one of the most grueling wars in history new barriers were broken to make room for an equal America. Although true equality was not reached, these short four years would lead to the turning point in American acceptance toward diversity, both in and out of the work place. The movement of thousands of men overseas create a substantial gap in the work place, creating a never before seen chance for women, Blacks, and immigrants to floodRead MoreEssay on Tension and Suspicion Between U.S. and Russia1310 Words   |  6 PagesName Teacher AP U.S. History October 8, 2012 DBQ From the years of 1941 to 1949, there was an increase in suspicion and tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a Communist country ruled by a dictator while America was a capitalist democracy that valued freedom. Their completely different beliefs and aims caused friction to form between them, which contributed to the creation of the Cold War. At the start of the first world war, Germany and the Soviet UnionRead MoreWwi : An International Conflict Between The Central Powers And The Allies1927 Words   |  8 PagesWWI DBQ Essay WWI was an international conflict between the Central Powers and the Allies that lasted four years.The Central Powers consisted of the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria-Hungary and the Allies consisted of Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. WWI was a traumatic event for soldiers involved, transformed societies, and the world. For something to be transformative, there must be a change from its original state. This relates to All Quiet on the Western Front (AQWF)

Witness Statements and their Unreliability-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Witness Statements and their Unreliability. Answer: The major argument contained in this paper is that psychologists have a point when they denote that eye witness statements are not always reliable. Eye witness testimony plays an important role in the criminal justice process. This is because the conviction of a suspect will depend on the reliability and the accuracy of an eye witness, when he provides his testimony to the court of law (Vrij, Hope Fisher, 2014). However, there is a problem regarding eye witness testimonies. The problem lies on whether their statement of facts is accurate and credible. A large number of wrongful convictions have relied on the testimony of eye witnesses, some of which have been proved to be false. Some of the reasons that an eye witness testimony cannot be reliable is if the memory of the witness is low, poor vision and old age. Note that, some people who are over 70 years of age normally have poor memory and vision, and this affects their capability to provide reliable and accurate statements of facts. It is based on these factors that psychologists have come up with the assertion that eye witness testimonies are not always reliable, and extensive reliance on them can lead to a mistrial. A number of studies have been carried out on this concept of human memory, and the capability of an individual to provide an accurate testimony in a court of law (Vrij, Hope Fisher, 2014). One of the psychologists who has carried out extensive research on the human memory, and its propensity to recognize erroneous occurrences and details is a researcher by the name of Elizabeth Loftus. Most of her experiments focused on the capability of third parties to introduce false facts and events in the memory of a witness (Laney Loftus, 2016). These experiments were carried out in the 1970s, and the results were startling and surprising. For instance, in one of the experiments, Elizabeth Loftus showed a stop or a yield sign to the subjects of the study. This is when they were driving a car. When a question was asked on the yield sign that the participants saw, the examiners falsely introduced a stop sign. From this study, the conclusion was that people can produce an answer based on the false images that are depicted to them. Loftus also carried out an experiment of a car accident (Nahari, Vrij Fisher, 2016). Two terms were introduced when asking the participants questions on how fast the cars were travelling before causing an accident. The first term was hit and the second term was smashed. The population, who were questioned by the use of the term smashed, provided an answer of seeing a broken glass (Laney Loftus, 2016). This answer was inaccurate. Basing on these experiments, it is possible to denote that a third party can interfere with the memory of a witness, through the introduction of false cues. This will definitely make the testimony to be inaccurate and false. Submission of false testimonies to a court of law would definitely lead to an injustice, if the judge relies on such a testimony to convict the suspect. Moreover, eye witnesses do not have to rely on third parties for purposes of distorting their memories. They can distort their own memories, without the help of police officers or any third parties (Vrij, Hope Fisher, 2014). This is basically because they have some element of bias towards certain conditions or events. Note that, people normally retell certain events with a purpose on mind (Nahari, Vrij Fisher, 2016). On this note, any act of storytelling is always aimed at a specific listener. Because of this fact, the eye witness always engages in the process of editing the information he wants to provide, so that it may fit the context in which he is narrating the story (Laney Loftus, 2016). For instance, if a witness has a perception of a particular perpetrator in a negative manner, and identifies him as such, he might be unable to provide an accurate testimony, based on his reconstruction of memory that emanates out of the bias that he has towards the perpetrator. Thus, becaus e of the capability of bias to affect the eye witness testimony, chances are high that the information provided might be incorrect. In a study carried out by psychologists from the University of Virginia on the reliability of eye witness testimonies: they found out that extensive reliance on eye witness testimonies can result to a mistrial. On a specific note, if the court is relying on a person who is over 60 years of age. In this study, the population of study was aged people between 60 to 80 years, and college going students (Nahari, Vrij Fisher, 2016). From the results of this study, psychologists found out that the aged people were poor eye witnesses compared to the college going students. This result is not surprising, given the fact that the aged people normally have poor eye sights and vision, and this may result to their inability to accurately witness the criminal activity that occurred and to provide a correct identity of the person who committed the act. Psychologists criticize the reliance of visions for purposes of providing a testimony in the courts of law. For instance, tests suggest that a person with very good eyesight may not have the capability of accurately witnessing an event that occurs 10 feet away from him (Vrij, Hope Fisher, 2014). This is because he may not accurately see the eye lashes of the suspect or maintain an eye contact, and this is crucial in the identification of a suspect. Moreover, research indicates that at 200 feet, the eyes of a suspect may become blurred, irrespective of whether they have a good eye sight or not. It is far much worse when the suspect is at 500 feet, and this is basically because they will not have the capability of distinguishing the facial features of the suspect, limiting their capability to accurately identify them. Despite these weaknesses of eye witness testimonies, Burrows Powell (2014) explains that majority of murder charges are always determined by the testimony of witnesses who were more than 450 feet away from the scene of crime. Another finding from this study by professionals from the University of Virginia that is of interest to psychologists relates to how the aged people behave when giving testimonies in the courts of law (Weisweiler, 2014). This behavior touches on the confidence and adamance of the aged people during the process of giving testimony. This confidence normally makes the judges to be convinced on the credibility and reliability of the statements provided by the aged people, and may ultimately result to a mistrial or a wrong conviction. To avoid such a scenario from happening, it is important for the court to always ensure that there are other ways and methods that can be used to examine the credibility of the eye witness, and the facts that he is providing. This is one of the major reasons that make lawyers to seek and analyze the history of the witness for purposes of ascertaining whether they are people whom the courts can rely upon to give an accurate and correct statement. Some of the facts that lawyers normally seek to find out, about a witness is their criminal history and whether they have issues pertaining to dishonesty of problems with the law (Fisher, Vrij Leins, 2013). Chances are high that the courts may not believe an inconsistent testimony that is provided by a person with a suspicious or criminal past. However, if the testimony is accompanied by a scientific proof, chances are high that the courts will take the testimony serious, and use it to determine the fate of the suspect who is under trial. Another factor that makes eye witness testimonies to be unreliable deals with the issue of stress. Note that, when a person suffers from stress, his mind is under pressure and is prone to errors (Volbert Steller, 2014). Research indicates that stress has the capability of affecting the account of an eye witness. Furthermore, when the eye witness suffers from stress, he may be unable to accurately pick a suspect from a police lineup. Note that, it is unethical for police officers to induce the identification of a suspect. However, when the process is not handled professionally, and the eye witness is suffering from stress or depression, chances are high that the police will help top induce the identification of the suspect, which may result to a wrong identification. Yuan et al (2016) denotes that a photographic lineup can be done through the use of a number of ways. An exampling is by excluding a suspect from the mug shot, and providing the photos to the witness to try and identify if the suspect is there. Yuan et al (2016) calls this type of identification as simultaneous lineup. This process has a number of disadvantages. For instance, Vrij (2015) denotes that one of the disadvantages is that chances of errors are high in this process if the suspect is suffering from stress. This is further compounded by the fact that the eye witness may choose a look alike picture, if the image of the suspect is not found amongst the picture set that is provided by the police. In the view of Howe Knott (2015), photographic lineup policies have been developed for purposes of minimizing the risks of choosing a wrong suspect in the lineup. This is because of the requirement that a police officer should notify a witness that a suspect may not be in the photos provided to him. Police officers can also allow an eye witness to view photos one at a time. This type of suspect identification has the capability of being accurate, since it produces less false identification. Richter (2015) denotes that the development of such policies is an indication that the eye witness account may be unreliable; thus, the need of supporting them with other types of evidence, such as scientific evidence. Note that, people who are used in the police lineups together with suspects are called fillers (Steblay, Wells Douglass, 2014). The use of these people who do not resemble a suspect can easily make an eye witness to identify them, because the suspects stand out. Moreover, psychologists explain that when a person is of the same race, it is easier for the eye witness to identify them. This is as opposed to when the suspect comes from a different race to that of the eye witness. Another important factor that may affect the capability of a suspect to provide an accurate account of the crime or to accurately identify the victim is whether there was the presence of a weapon. The reasons why this may affect the eye witness account is because focus is always on the weapon, as opposed to the identity of the suspect (Hahn, Oaksford Harris, 2013). Moreover, leading questions that are asked by police officers may affect the testimony of a witness, and this is the reason that makes most judges to prevent the police or an attorney from asking certain questions. Finally, eye witness testimonies have a number of weaknesses; thus, the courts of law should not rely on them entirely, while coming up with a decision about the fate of a suspect. One of the weaknesses is the fact that a person may have poor vision, and this may limit his capability to provide an accurate account of what happened. Moreover, factors such as stress, depression, presence of a weapon and poor suspect identification procedures may affect the capability of a witness to provide an accurate account of what actually happened in the scene of a crime. It is based on these factors that psychologists are right, when they assert that reliance on witnesses may lead to a mistrial. References Burrows, K. S., Powell, M. (2014). Prosecutors' recommendations for improving child witness statements about sexual abuse.Policing and Society,24(2), 189-207. Fisher, R. P., Vrij, A., Leins, D. A. (2013). Does testimonial inconsistency indicate memory inaccuracy and deception? Beliefs, empirical research, and theory. InApplied issues in investigative interviewing, eyewitness memory, and credibility assessment(pp. 173-189). Springer New York. Hahn, U., Oaksford, M., Harris, A. J. (2013). Testimony and argument: A Bayesian perspective. InBayesian argumentation(pp. 15-38). Springer Netherlands. Howe, M. L., Knott, L. M. (2015). The fallibility of memory in judicial processes: Lessons from the past and their modern consequences.Memory,23(5), 633-656. Laney, C., Loftus, E. F. (2016). Eyewitness Testimony and Memory Biases.Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. DOI: https://doi. org/nobaproject. com. Nahari, G., Vrij, A., Fisher, R. P. (2014). Exploiting liars' verbal strategies by examining the verifiability of details.Legal and Criminological Psychology,19(2), 227-239. Richter, L. L. (2015). Posnerian Hearsay: Slaying the Discretion Dragon.Fla. L. Rev.,67, 1861. Steblay, N. K., Wells, G. L., Douglass, A. B. (2014). The eyewitness post identification feedback effect 15 years later: Theoretical and policy implications. Yuan, X., Mei, Q., Zhou, S., Ma, X. (2016). Reliable and robust entanglement witness.Physical Review A,93(4), 042317. Volbert, R., Steller, M. (2014). Is This Testimony Truthful, Fabricated, or Based on False Memory?.European Psychologist. Vrij, A. (2015). Verbal Lie Detection tools: Statement validity analysis, reality monitoring and scientific content analysis.Detecting deception: Current challenges and cognitive approaches, 3-35. Vrij, A., Hope, L., Fisher, R. P. (2014). Eliciting reliable information in investigative interviews.Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences,1(1), 129-136. Weisweiler, J. (2014). Unreliable Witness: Failings of the Narrative in Ammianus Marcellinus.Literature and Society in the Fourth Century AD: Performing Paidea, Constructing the Present, Presenting the Self (Leiden: Brill), 103-133.