Discussion 1

Death Penalty

Texas carries out the death penalty more than any other state.

Executions by State (since 1976)

         State                                                                                      Total Executions

         Texas                                                                                               515

         Oklahoma                                                                                  111

         Virginia                                                                                      110

          Florida                                                                                         88

          Missouri                                                                                    77

          Alabama                                                                                    56

          Georgia                                                                                      54

           Ohio                                                                                            53

           North Carolina                                                                     43

           South Carolina                                                                     43

           Arizona                                                                                     37

           Louisiana                                                                                 28

           Arkansas                                                                                  27

           Mississippi                                                                              21

           Indiana                                                                                      20

           Delaware                                                                                 16

           California                                                                                13

           Illinois                                                                                        12

           Nevada                                                                                      12

           Utah                                                                                              7

           Tennessee                                                                                 6

            Maryland                                                                                  5

            Washington                                                                            5

            Nebraska                                                                                  3

            Montana                                                                                   3

            Pennsylvania                                                                         3

            U. S. Federal Gov’t                                                              3

            Kentucky                                                                                  3

            Idaho                                                                                           3

            South Dakota                                                                         3

            Oregon                                                                                       2

            Connecticut                                                                            1

            New Mexico                                                                            1

            Colorado                                                                                    1

            Wyoming                                                                                   1

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/number-executions-state-and-region-1976

And a very large majority of Texans support continued use of the death penalty. Here’s a Texas poll from 2012:

What is your opinion of the death penalty?
Strongly support:          42%
Somewhat support:       31%
Somewhat oppose:        11%
Strongly oppose:           10%
Don’t know:                    5%

SOURCE: University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, May 2012

But we know several things:

* the death penalty is far more expensive than life imprisonment without parole;
* the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime;
* the death penalty is implemented in a racially unbalanced manner;
* the death penalty has been carried out on innocent victims.

If you don’t think those things are true, you can easily look it up to prove it to yourself.

Given that the above statements are true, why do we still have capital punishment in Texas? What justification is there – beyond simple blood-lust vengeance – for capital punishment? Is vengeance an adequate reason for the state to kill people, even if sometimes we kill someone who is innocent?

Check out this last table:

Rank                                            Country                                       Number executed in 2012[69]

                                            People’s Republic of China     4,000+Officially not released.

                                            Iran                                                         314+

                                            Iraq                                                         129+

                                            Saudi Arabia                                       79+

                                            United States                                     43

                                            Yemen                                                     28+

                                            Sudan                                                       19+

                                            Afghanistan                                          14

                                            Gambia                                                     9

10                                           Japan                                                         7

11                                           North Korea                                          6+

12                                           Somalia                                                     6+

13                                           Palestinian Authority                       6

14                                           Republic of China (Taiwan)            6

15                                           South Sudan                                           5+

16                                           Belarus                                                      3+

17                                           Botswana                                                 2

18                                           Bangladesh                                             1

19                                           India                                                            1

20                                           Pakistan                                                    1

21                                           United Arab Emirates                       1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishmen

Does the company the US keeps by retaining the death penalty cause you to question our continuing to perform executions?

What’s your opinion?

Should Texas, and should the US, continue to carry out executions?

Yes, I know I’ve painted a completely one-sided picture of the death penalty. I haven’t, for example, provided descriptions of crimes committed that have led to executions. I haven’t provided statements from family members of murder victims. I haven’t done several things I could have done to make this a “fair” presentation. I decided not to do that because a) given that we live in Texas, I didn’t think I needed to present that side of the picture, and b) I thought some of you might not know some of those things and might not look them up before responding.

You’ll find that in this class I regularly do not give both sides of the story. My goal is to make you think — to question your assumptions. Hopefully when I present a one-sided story you’ll take the time to investigate the other side. There’s ALWAYS another side! Please do NOT assume you know what I think about this or any other issue based on the way I ask the question or based on what data I present. And please do NOT EVER tailor your answer based on what you think I want to hear. I promise you that you do not know what I want to hear, or even if I “want to hear” anything at all.

The only other rules about your responses to this and all the discussion boards are that you a) stay on topic, and b) remain respectful toward your classmates. Disrespectful posts will be deleted.

Remember you need to make your “Initial Post” of at least 250 words and you need to complete at least two responses (the “Final Posts”) of at least 200 words each to classmates by the dates shown in the course schedule.

Remember there is one date for your Initial Post and a later date for your Final Posts.

Basic Communication Theory Discussion

Basic Communication Theory Discussion

assignment 1-Explain what is meant by the principle: “communication is inevitable, irreversible and unrepeatable.” Give an example to illustrate your answer.120 words minimum

assignment 2- Respond to two or more posts explaining the reason for your agreement or disagreement or why you think the post is important, and/or provide examples of the point(s) made 100 words minimum

post 1–the principle, “communication is inevitable, irreversible and unrepeatable” meaning is a simply one to understand. Communication is inevitable because it WILL happen no matter what in someone’s life. You have to communicate to get through most if not all your life. Communication is irreversible because a statement made depending on a situation will destroy a relationship, opportunities and your life in general. You have to be careful of what you say and in todays society people are very fragile to anything that goes against their views in life. Lastly communication is unrepeatable because every experience is different as well as it goes in tangent to irreversibility. Everyone is different and different views in life, communication with everyone is a new challenge tackle.

post 2

There are six of The Basic Principales of Communication, one of them being “communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable.”I myself believe this is one of the most important principles, because it highlights the fact that communication is very important in the modern word, and should be taken seriously. Now to break it down, when it states communication is “inevitable” it means people are always communicating, sometimes even without noticing. Communicating isn’t just happening verbally, it can also be transmitted through body language and actions. Communication is “Irreversible” because once you say something you can’t unsay it, and you can’t unsent a text. The most you can do is try to reduce the effects of what was said, but it can never be “uncommunicate.” Lastly, communication is “unrepeatable,” although similar situations might come up, you will never find yourself in the same scenario, with the same frame of mind, and same relationship dynamics. 

Report 3

  

Correlate job responsibilities with the 16 -week hybrid course outcomes listed above.

Course Outcome:

• Compose comprehensive definition of “emerging technologies”.

• Summarize, with a high level of understanding, key terminology common to management trends, principles and practices common to contemporary technology-intensive organizations.

• Analyze, compare and assess current and future management models utilized in contemporary emerging technology-intensive organizations. Explain how to avoid the pitfalls of emerging technology.

• Create an original analytical research report that complies with the course writing guides and the APA Publication Manual, 6th Edition

Job Responsibilities:

· Responsible in delivering the complete Project Plan with total supporting data which included the status Reports, Issues Log, Performance Testing Matrix, detailed Testing Reports, Fine tuning Recommendation reports to both Executive Management & Senior Management

· Responsible to provide Technical and Functional Support to the users, tester and Business System Analysts

· Managing and Preparation of the Test Plan and Test strategy for the various projects

· Liaison with the onsite and offshore teams for testing status and issue resolution

· Tested the data mapping, fixing errors

· Tested staging table for EDI 210 Invoice, Balance Due Invoice, EDI 810 Invoice inbound, 850 Inbound Purchase order

· Tested Web service using SoapUI

· Involved in User acceptance testing (UAT)

· Written standard test scripts for Oracle Financial, Procure to Pay, SOA, web services

· Involved in standard Functionality testing in Phase I Phase II for 3 Instance

· Documented and communicated test results to the test Management and Business Management Team

· Worked closely with Developers team for different issues

· Experience with test automation tools like JIRA

· Worked on the testing of SaaS, Web services, XML and web application.

your opinions on which proposed law would be most likely to be enacted and why.

chose one: you’ll politely offer your opinions on which proposed law would be most likely to be enacted and why. Make sure to address comments your group members may have left you. between 150 to 200 word onlay for one of the proposed law below:

needed in 5 hours please.

 

 

 

1-Earth is a planet that people have to take care of, if people do not take care of it now, we will see the consequences in the future. Global warming is a problem that has been seen since many centuries now, and it will continue to be a problem if people do not make smarter choices. One of those smarter choices could be an alternative and safer choice when using gasoline for cars. Some researchers at the University of Cincinnati have researched about another better and safer choice for fuel, which includes coffee beans. A lot of car brands have started to use biofuel cars which are somewhat better for the environment than other cars. The United States is a country that should invest and also countries that have big populations. This will help clean the environment clean. The proposition that the University of Cincinnati made, is a good one and so is the one on the video about biodiesel in London. People would still be able to drink coffee but instead of the leftovers of the coffee beans, it would be used to make biodiesel out of it. We would have a better environment and promising future for everyone.

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQki0o-aSE

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/15500782-coffee-grounds-used-as-fuel-proprelling-us-into-the-future

 

2-To discover a new law, is a rather difficult to answer and discover. As a construction management major and being in a construction course that talks about being sustainable, I would like to find innovative ways that would help a construction site be more green and eco-efficient. It is really difficult to think of something because of everything that is involved within a construction site that it would have to be in a budget. It can go both ways as being expensive or cheap (or a reasonable price). One idea is that there should be a possibility of running all (or at least some of the construction vehicles) run on electrictiy. As modern vehicles have grown towards fueling on electricity, which has really improved the environment by not producing toxic chemicals into the air, but also the fact that electricic vehicles have gone more miles per gallon (MPG). A majority of construction vehicles today run on diesel fuel which realeases toxic chemicals into the air which affects wildlife. Another good possiblity is that there should be greener routes for transporting construction materials which long routes may cause more emmissions into the air. Summary: make construction vehicles run on electricity and find alternative routes for transporting construction vehicles to and from the construction site.

 http://www.epa.gov/tribalcompliance/buildandveh/bvbuilddrill.html 

Writing a paper about current event

 It is import for people to know and understand local, national, and world events. This assignment consists of accessing a news article pertaining to the federal government. The source must be less than one week old from the time of submission. Acceptable sources are: The Dallas Morning News, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and The Economist. 

The purposes of this assignment are: 

1. to increase your ability to research current events in government,

 2. to increase your understanding of a particular area of government,

 3. to connect concepts you are learning in class material with real-world issues. 

You are to include the following criteria in your assignment: 

1. Article title and source – 

 a. Using the MLA style of citation, where did you get the article? 

b. You must include the article in a format so that it can be retrieved: 

         1) If you are using an internet source, include the url so it can be accessed. 

        2) If you are not using an internet source, cut out, photocopy, or print the        article, then scan or attach it. 

2. Summary –  Briefly and in your own words, summarize the content of the article. 

3. Connection – 

Connect the article to one or more concepts we have covered in class. 

a. Define the concept(s) that you state the article connects to.

 b. Describe how the article illustrates the concept(s). 

4. Viewpoints – 

Identify the different perspectives that could be present in, or affected by, what is included in your article. Think about our discussion of changing demographics. How might the information in the article affect people from different groups such as race or ethnicity, age, region, religion, family structure or size, education, gender, etc. 

5. Reaction – 

Take a position on the issue contained in the article. 

a. What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge? 

b. What do you agree with and why? 

Write your paper in paragraph form using good sentence structure with proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Write the paper in your own words. If you need to use a short quote, cite properly. The paper should be one to two pages in length, doublespaced, one inch margins, and 12-inch point font. It should be turned in via eCampus. This is not a critique of whether the article is good or bad. This assignment is to make a connection to the classroom material and to explore the different sides of the issue. 

Discussion Post

 (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)

Civil Rights and Digital Resources

https://untexas.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/advanced (Links to an external site.)

Assignment:

We will be practicing using UNT’s online resources for this discussion. We will be looking for a quote from a peer reviewed journal that we can connect to an author/topic from our syllabus. I have provided a link above to take you to the online search engine for UNT’s collection of journals. I have also provided a screen shot of the recommended boxes to check to limit your search. Feel free to include any specific disciplines you might be interested or familiar with but make sure that the content type is set to only journals. I have provided an example of a quote from a law journal below which will provide not only another look at social construction as discussed by Simone de Beauvoir but also is taken from an article by one of the authors mentioned by Richard Delgado. Kimberlé Crenshaw is credited with coining the term intersectionality. She is particularly concerned with the failures of the system to recognize overlapping oppressions which find people being not only discriminated against based on race or gender but specifically because of the combination. Her articles are worth skimming if you are interested in the intersection of gender, race, and policy discussions and some of the rulings she cites from court cases in defense of her claims are shocking to read. 

“But to say that a category such as race or gender is socially constructed is not to say that that category has no significance in our world. On the contrary, a large and continuing project for subordinated people-and indeed, one of the projects for which postmodern theories have been very helpful-is thinking about the way power has clustered around certain categories and is exercised against others. This project attempts to unveil the processes of subordination and the various ways those processes are experienced by people who are subordinated and people who are privileged. It is, then, a project that presumes that categories have meaning and consequences. This project’s most pressing problem, in many if not most cases, is not the existence of the categories, but rather the particular values attached to them, and the way those values foster and create social hierarchies” (Crenshaw 1991, 1296-1297).

Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review43, no. 6 (1991): 1241-1299.

Required: You must include the following 

  1. You will provide a quote from an online journal with proper in-text citation (see example above).
  2. You will provide a bibliographic entry for your quote in proper format for the online journal (see example above).
  3. You will provide a brief explanation as to how your quote clarifies, adds to, or otherwise enhances the thinking of a particular philosopher as listed on our syllabus from Modules 7 or 8 or broadly on the topics of feminism and critical race theory in general.
  4. You will, as per usual, also comment on the original post of a classmate. Please keep in mind that vapid positivity and empty flattery does not push the conversation forward. We can and ought be both polite and critical. 

major essay

  • Instructions for Summary / Response EssaySummary/Response Essay
    Assignment Description
    For this essay, you should read the articles from the folder in this unit and choose one to respond to in a formal essay. The summary/response essay asks you first to summarize the main points of the article and to respond to those points by agreeing, disagreeing, or agreeing with some but not all of the arguments made in the article. You should include evidence (from the article, from your own reasoning, from examples, from experiences, etc.) to support your response.

    Due Dates
    Please refer to the calendar due dates. Please remember the peer review is a separate grade and has separate due dates.

    Purpose and Learning Objectives
    The purpose of writing a response paper is to encourage you to read actively and to evaluate the selected articles critically. While it is possible to read an article just once and gain an understanding of the main idea, much of the depth and nuance of the article will only be discovered after multiple readings.  Moreover, your grasp of the ideas and concepts presented in the article will remain superficial until you apply those ideas and concepts in your own writing. As you write, you should practice making clear claims about the material you’re writing about and should practice supporting those claims with evidence from the text and from your own reasoning about the subject.

    Minimum Requirements

    • 600- 900 words  (approx. 2-3 pages)
    • An interesting and informative title
    • MLA format with in-text citations and works cited page
    • An introductory paragraph that tells readers what article you are responding to and that includes a thesis statement
    • One or more paragraphs that summarize the article
    • One or more paragraphs that respond to the article
    • A conclusion paragraph that wraps up the main ideas in the essay
    • You should not expect to earn a grade higher than a 60% if you do not meet the minimum requirements.

      Process for Completion

    1. The first step in writing a good response paper is to actively read the article assigned. Active reading means consciously identifying the thesis, purpose, audience, and tone.  It means determining what main points the author is trying to convey with his or her article.
    2. Next, it might help to construct an outline or graphic organizer that will help you visualize the claims and the evidence supporting those claims. Once you have a firm understanding of the article, start formulating your response by asking questions:
      1. What do I really think about this topic? Why do I think that? 
      2. Do I disagree with any points being made? Why?
      3. Do I agree with any points? Why?
      4. Can I think of additional examples or evidence that support or refute the author’s claims?
      5. Can I connect something in the article to my own personal experience?
      6. Can I apply the ideas presented in the article to some other subject?  
    3. At this point, you should start to formulate your response. Once you have an idea of what you want to say, start drafting your essay. 
      1. The introduction should clearly identify the author and article you’re summarizing. It may include a bit of brief summary to show what the main point of the article is. It should include a thesis statement that presents your response to the article. 
      2. The body paragraphs should begin with a summary of the article that you’ve chosen (one or two paragraphs). Be sure to accurately represent the ideas and arguments from the source. Next, you should develop your response (between one and three paragraphs), usually with a statement of agreement or disagreement, followed by your reasons, examples, and evidence. Remember that the purpose of a response paper is to add your own voice to the mix, to join the conversation.  I want to read your reactions, your interpretations, and your opinions. Take this opportunity to develop your own voice.
      3. The conclusion paragraph should reinforce the ideas you stated in the essay.
    4. Once you’ve drafted your paper, go back and review how you’ve organized your paragraphs (do they have topic sentences?) and integrated evidence (all quotes should be seamlessly incorporated into your own sentences). 
    5. When you’re happy with your draft, you should complete the peer review process to get feedback on your writing.
    6. After you have read the feedback provided by your peers, continue revising and editing your draft.  You might find that some comments are more helpful than others. You are not obliged to take anyone’s advice, but you should at least consider every suggestion. When you are comfortable that the essay is in good shape, upload it to eCampus. The final draft will automatically be sent through “Safe Assign,” which is an originality checker used to help identify plagiarism.
    7. Plagiarism
      Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit and is a serious academic offense.  It can range from:
    • Turning in a paper any part of which you did not write, 
    • Cutting and pasting a paper together from various sources without attributing the sources correctly,
    • Changing a few words but basically keeping most of the words and sentence structure of the original,
    • Using the ideas of another without giving credit to the person who originally had the idea.
    • Using the exact words of the source without using quotation marks even if you give the name of the source.
    • Refer to the syllabus for consequences of plagiarism in this class. For more information, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

      Grading and Rubric
      To access the rubric, go to the essay submission and select “View Rubric.” Please remember that the grades for peer are listed in the syllabus as separate grades.
      Instructions for Peer Review
      Peer reviews are an essential part of the revision process, as it’s important to receive feedback on your writing. Even the best writers ask for others to read their work. All you need to do is turn to the acknowledgement section of many books to find praise for others who have read drafts of the book. All important writing should be read by someone else prior to submission.

      To earn credit for peer review, you must submit a draft to the peer review discussion board by the due date and comment on one of your classmates’ drafts by the second due date (the schedule lists two due dates: the first is when you must submit your draft; the second is when you must submit your responses to others). You must submit a draft AND comment on someone else’s draft to earn any credit for peer review. Just submitting a draft OR just commenting on someone’s draft will not earn credit.

      Posting Your Draft

    • To post your draft, go to the discussion board for peer review included within the unit.
    • Create a new thread and post your draft as an attachment.  Your attachment must be saved as a .doc or .docx document. Please ensure that your draft uploads correctly.
    • Responding to Classmates
    • Select a classmate’s thread and download his/her attached draft.
    • Reply to his/her thread to indicate the draft is under review (i.e. John Dow is currently reviewing the document).  Do not select the paper if someone else is already reviewing.
    • Read the draft carefully and respond to the questions listed below, either in a new document or at the top of your classmate’s document. At the very least, you must answer the questions, but you can also use the “Comment” function in Microsoft Word to write comments to your classmates within the essay (put your cursor where you want the comment, go to the “Review” tab in Microsoft Word, and select “New Comment”).
    • Complete the review and save the document to your computer.
    • Once you have completed the review, reply to your classmate’s thread and upload the review.
    • Questions for Peer Review
      1. Read your peer’s essay from beginning to end just to let its ideas wash over you.  What are your initial thoughts? Did your peer satisfy the requirements of assignment?  Please explain in detail.

      2. Review the essay’s title as well as its introduction and conclusion.  Think about the relationships among these three components. Do they match or do they disagree? Make note of strengths or weaknesses in these crucial areas.  Please explain in detail.

      3. Find the essay’s thesis.  Is it clear? Is it well positioned? Paraphrase (put in your own words) the thesis of the essay to check your understanding. Review the assignment guidelines to ensure that your peer’s thesis is on target. Make note of strengths or weaknesses in this area. Please explain in detail.

      4. Focus on the individual paragraphs of the essay.  Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that previews the ideas of the paragraph? Observe the essay’s development of paragraphs.  Does each paragraph have a single main idea that relates to the thesis?  Are there any paragraphs that seem disconnected or out of place?

      5. Consider the essay’s use of the English language.  Are sentence structures, grammar, spelling, punctuation and mechanics employed effectively, or do errors distract the reader from understanding and enjoying the writer’s analysis? Make note of strengths and weaknesses in this area.  Please explain in detail.

      Remember: When in doubt about how to do the peer review, be honest, helpful, and constructive. Saying “Great job! Don’t change a word!” never helped anyone to be a better writer.
       

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

discussion 4

GUNS

A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

That is the full text of the 2nd amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

If anyone tells you they KNOW! definitively what it means, they are actually giving you their opinion rather than an objective fact. They can’t possibly know, because it’s inherently ambiguous, as much as some people would like to believe otherwise.

Some people say it means that the government has no constitutional authority to limit a citizen’s right to own semi-automatic handguns or an AR-15, or even a Barrett M82 50 caliber rifle. Others, however, say it means that anyone in an official “well-regulated” militia, like the National Guard, has the right to bear arms. But, the response to this goes, the “militia” really means everyone, because when the constitution was drafted, everyone was subject to being activated to repel invaders.

Many historians think evidence points to the conclusion that the 2nd Amendment was ratified *not* to guarantee an individual right to be continually armed, but because there was widespread opposition to a standing army, so state militias were necessary and should not be disarmed. Or, probably more commonly, constitutional historians accept that the right is an individual right, but is conditioned upon the assumption of participation in a militia, and since militias no longer exist, the individual right to keep and bear arms consequently no longer exists.

One example may be found in a brief submitted to the Supreme Court (page 36) in 2008:

“…the authors of the Second Amendment would be flabbergasted to learn that in endorsing the republican principle of a well-regulated militia, they were also precluding restrictions on such potentially dangerous property as firearms, which governments had always regulated when there was “real danger of public injury from individuals.”

Other people may have other interpretations of the 2nd amendment. So when your great uncle Norman (I hope no one actually has a great uncle Norman!) tells you the 2nd amendment gives him a constitutionally guaranteed right to have that AR-15, or even a machine gun, the truth is…. maybe, maybe not.

As it happens, the 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals held in an opinion issued on June 9, 2016, that the Second Amendment does not ensure an individual right to bear arms in public. At that link you can download the opinion and also listen to, or even watch video of, the oral argument that led to it.

The Supreme Court held in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) that the Constitution protects and individual right to own a handgun in the home for self-protection. In contrast, this 9th Circuit opinion (Peruta v. County of San Diego) bears on weapons outside the home. Here is one of many news stories about Peruta. And here is the case page for the Heller decision.

According to Peruta, individuals are not constitutionally barred from carrying weapons, but states or other political subdivisions do not violate constitutional rights by requiring individuals to demonstrate a strong need to have a firearm before issuing a license.

That decision was appealed, but the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, leaving the decision’s restriction on public carrying of firearms in place.

What do you think? Should there be stricter limits on gun ownership and carrying?

Whatever your opinion of gun ownership, carrying and regulation, you should remember that, as documented by the Gun Violence Archive, there were 385 mass shootings in the US in 2016 and 344 in 2017. There have been 5 so far in 2018, and 15 children aged 0-15 killed or injured by gun violence as of January 10, 2018.

I’m including more text and some more links below, in case you’d find it helpful.

Remember that our discussion boards are not typical online forums where insults, name-calling and snide dismissiveness are acceptable. We are in a scholarly academic environment, and you are required to reflect that attitude in discussion board posts, as with everything you do in this or any class.

And remember that I ask questions attempting to create discussions. Do not assume you know my personal position, and do not consider whether you will agree with me, or not, in your posts.

Remember you need to make your “Initial Post” of at least 250 words and you need to complete at least two responses (the “Final Posts”) of at least 200 words each to classmates by the dates shown in the course schedule.

Remember there is one date for your Initial Post and a later date for your Final Posts.

Lots of folks say they want to have guns to protect themselves. We know, though, that having a gun makes someone much, much more likely to die from guns than to protect themselves with guns.

Consider:

Despite the widely held belief that guns are effective for protection, our results suggest that they actually pose a substantial threat to members of the household. People who keep guns in their homes appear to be at greater risk of homicide in the home than people who do not. Most of this risk is due to a substantially greater risk of homicide at the hands of a family member or intimate acquaintance. We did not find evidence of a protective effect of keeping a gun in the home, even in the small subgroup of cases that involved forced entry.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199310073291506#t=article

So, statistically, people who have guns are actually far more likely to die from guns. People who do not have guns are actually far safer from guns than people who have them. Especially for women, who are many times more likely to be shot by a member of her household than by an intruder.

It is certainly true that sometimes a person does actually protect themselves with a gun. It is also true that sometimes someone is trapped in a car by a seatbelt when they would otherwise be able to escape.

A popularly-cited factoid among defenders of the 2nd amendment is that guns are used over 2 million times per year in self-defense. This factoid has been strongly challenged, or here, however, as it is plagued by self-reporting error and faulty statistical methods.

In fact, it is entirely clear, beyond any real debate, that not having a gun, wearing a seatbelt, and getting your vaccinations are vastly more likely to result in positive outcomes for individuals.

But what about the point raised by those opposing restrictions on gun ownership and possession that “mass shooters look for gun free zones?” Actually, there’s quite a bit of research indicating that it’s not true. Some researchers argue that the vast majority of mass shootings occur in “gun allowing” zones.

According to the National Rifle Association, the most prominent group advocating for 2nd amendment rights, the answer to gun violence is for more people to have guns. “An armed society is a polite society.” Try telling that to the Sheriffs of Dodge City and Tombstone in the Wild West era. Essentially everyone owned handguns then, but carrying them in town – at least the part of town where the locals lived – was strictly prohibited. Or here.

And America is certainly a leader in gun violence.

Using the most recent CDC estimates for yearly deaths by guns in the United States, it is likely that as of 1/25/2014, roughly 37,569 people had died from guns in the U.S. since the Newtown shootings. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html)

Yes, it’s true that nearly two thirds of those deaths are suicides. But that doesn’t seem to be an effective argument. If people didn’t have guns they would not be nearly so successful at killing themselves. People are “successful” at suicide by gun over 90% of the time, but with drug overdoses perhaps as little as 6% of the time. It may be that drug overdoses and slashing wrists are as much a cry for help as a real suicide attempt. But with a gun, no help is possible. Add this to the fact that the presence of guns makes people more aggressive, and there doesn’t seem to be a sensible reason to exclude suicides from gun violence totals.

Over 37,000 gun deaths in a year. And the solution is more guns?

Of course, it’s hard to know the full truth about gun violence, because a 1996 amendment (the “Dickey Amendment”) to an appropriations bill effectively ended most scientific inquiry into gun violence.

So what do you think? Should we have more rules about gun ownership, such as closing the “gun-show loophole?” (Some people object to this description, but it seems reasonably accurate and it’s in wide usage.) Should we require gun manufacturers to make guns safer? Or would those things violate our inalienable rights?

Yes, I know I’ve painted a very one-sided picture of this debate. As usual, I’m not trying to fool anyone or brainwash anyone. I’m just providing a starting point. Anyone wanting information on “the other side” can check out the NRA or Gun Owners of America or the National Association of Gun Rights or the John Birch Society or a bunch of others.

There is a whole library of writing and probably a gazillion hours of YouTube on this issue. I encourage you to further research the issue before posting. I warn you as you are researching that much of what you see will be more politically motivated than scientifically researched. As always on any topic: Be Careful!

acc561 2

due in 30 mins

 

Question 2

The ledger of Custer Company has the following work in process account.

Work in Process—Painting
5/1  Balance  4,480   5/31 Transferred out ?
5/31  Materials  7,070       
5/31  Labor  3,870       
5/31  Overhead  2,380       
5/31  Balance  ?      

Production records show that there were 550 units in the beginning inventory, 30% complete, 1,430 units started, and 1,580 units transferred out. The beginning work in process had materials cost of $2,760 and conversion costs of $1,720. The units in ending inventory were 40% complete. Materials are entered at the beginning of the painting process.

 

Warning

 

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(a), (b) and (c)

(a) How many units are in process at May 31?

Work in process, May 31      units

(b) What is the unit materials cost for May? (Round unit costs to 2 decimal places, e.g. 2.25.)

The unit materials cost for May  
$

(c) What is the unit conversion cost for May? (Round unit costs to 2 decimal places, e.g. 2.25.)

The unit conversion cost for May

 

discussion / student replies

Describe what materials are recyclable in your area and how you would recycle if you chose to (i.e. curbside recycling, taking to a recycling center).  Pick one material that you could recycle in your area and describe what product(s) can be created from this recycled material.  Do you think it is worthwhile to recycle this material in your area?  Why or why not?

Cite your sources in MLA or APA format 

1 paragraph and a half

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Student replies 3 sentences each

1. Damon Lancaster

  1. Were you surprised at the current size of the human population or at its changes since your year of birth?

Honestly I was kinda shocked at how the population has changed since I was born. I was born in 1999 and according to Ined.com there were 308,978,000 people on earth the year I was born. Just  twenty years later and the population has multiplied by 1.19. There are 366,601,000 people living in Northern America today. This means that in that twenty year time span there were approximately 57 million people born.

  1. How many people do you believe the Earth can support without dire environmental damage? 

I believe that earth can support everyone’s basic needs but the problem is when people start to get avaricious and start thinking of only themselves and taking more than they need not the next person.

  1. Should developed countries help slow the population growth of developing countries? If so, what sorts of methods should be employed to do this?

I don’t think developed countries should slow the population growth of developing countries because we all have different beliefs and morals. For example, if we were to adopt China’s One Child Policy many Americans would not be very pleased with this because they would have to lose their child. According to an article written by Kristen Bialik on Pew Research the average household has “anywhere from 2 to 3 children in it”. After doing more research on Statista.com I found out that there are about “7.13 million families with more than one child”. This policy would affect this nation tremendously.

2. Most of the electricity which is used in my area comes from a dam on the Chattahoochee river.  There are two dams on the river which are the Oliver Dam and the North Highland dam.  The majority of the power that is used in my area comes from the North Highland power plant.  Where I live, Georgia and Alabama are very close.  The river is a natural boundary between the two states. The two dams are owned by Georgia but it is shared in respect to the power distribution.  Alabama Power has transmission lines which come from the North Highland dam.  Although the river provides power to the power plant, there are effects from the dam on the local ecosystem. The two dams block the natural flow of the river thereby trapping sediment, logs, and nutrients which the organisms in the river need.  The river beds are disturbed by the build up of sediment and other things which harms the spawning of the fish and hinders the other freshwater creatures.  Not to mention when the flood gates open, the force from the rushing water pushes away any creatures that are close to the churning water. The damming of the water actually decreases the water’s quality.  The water which comes from the river is turned into potable for the local communities as well.

  It is even believed that dams cause water born illnesses, global warming, and even earthquakes.  The artificial reservoir changes the ecosystem upstream.  The lack of oxygen in the dammed water does allow for the natural plants and animals to survive.  The organisms upstream and down stream both have to adapt or die.  All in all, a dam may help provide power, but the organisms in the river and the people using the power are feeling the direct effects of the dammed waters.  Really the only solution would be to not use the dams for power.  Maybe one day the benefits of having a healthy river would outweigh the need to draw power from the river.  Personally I like having clean lakes and rivers.  Removing the dams would allow the river to become cleaner and thereby making the environment healthier.

Hinton, Kevin. “5 Environmental Effects of Dams.” Environment 911, www.environment911.org/.  Accessed on 11 Nov. 2019.

3. I live in Valdosta, Georgia which is Lowndes County. After using the energy map I found out that there are 2 petroleum power plants, 2 solar power plants, and 2 biomass power plants in the Lowndes County area. I like that there are 2 solar power plants because while they are expensive to build, they do produce clean energy. However, between the biomass power plants and petroleum power plants my main concern is air quality and the affects that it is causing to the o-zone. I think a way to reduce some of the impact would be to look more into solar power plants, we do have two that are in effect right now so we know that they obviously work but maybe we can rely a bit more on them. I think it might be hard to completely rely on the solar power plants because they are weather dependent and expensive but it would be a start to cutting down the negative emissions. During months when we have a large sunlight exposure we can use the solar energy and months when we are not able to use solar energy we can turn towards the biomass source since it is less of a pollutant than fossil fuels like petroleum. I think that over all the cost of the changes would be worth it. It may be a bit expensive upfront to make these changes but in the long run it could have a positive effect and return of the money that was put into it. 

“U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis.” United States – Maps – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), https://www.eia.gov/state/maps.php. 

4. I recycle everything that can be recycled here in Columbus, Georgia.  Such as papers or cardboards, plastic (even bags).  Mostly I use the curbside pick up that comes around with the regular waste removal or if it is too big a local park has a large recycle drop off.   When I moved here I discovered they did not recycle glass which I found really bizarre and bothersome because I think glass has a lot of uses.  Just a few would be for countertops, being recreated as another type of container or if it is ground and used as an additive to other products.  I also discovered that some types of plant containers (non decorative) sold at our local home improvement stores are not recyclable.  Which with such a broad distribution seems wasteful.  I think its useful to recycle overall if it reduces the impact on the environment.  However, if recycling becomes better for our soul than the actual environment then the entire premise would be moot.

5. Dalton, Georgia is known as the carpet capital of the world and with that being said the carpet material that is leftover should be recycled. It can be left at the carpet plants and the workers can break it down and reuse it. Almost all types of carpet are recyclable. Depending on the makeup of the carpet, it can be broken down into fibers, or plastic pellets. The leftover carpet and materials can be recycled into new carpet or new construction projects. It is worth recycling in my area considering there are so many carpet plants, roughly 150 of them.