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Street Gangs Americas Growing Problem - 1056 Words

Street Gangs: Americas’ Growing Problem Gangs have increasingly become a serious problem over the past few decades. A report from the FBI’s 2011 National Gang threat assessment states that there are 1.4 million active gang members comprising of more than 33,000 gangs in the United States. This growth migration of gangs has had a negative effect on our youth. Gang violence causes fear and changes how kids behave in school. In a poll of 2,000 teenagers, â€Å"the respondents reported that their fears of violence often affect how they behave and perform in school† (Wilson, pg. 5). This demonstrates that fear of gang violence affects their learning. â€Å"About 13% said that they had performed poorly in school because of their concerns about crime and violence† (Wilson, pg. 24). This research proves that many teens fear gangs. Involvement in gangs leads to innocent deaths from shootings. â€Å"Many victims of gang-related violence are innocent bystanders† (Miller, pg. 19). This illustrates that innocent people are affected by gang violence. The presents of gangs in an area leads to felony convictions and leads to an increase of crime and drug runs. â€Å"As a member, Shelia was used for drug runs† (Miller, pg. 46). This quote means that members of a gang are manipulated and encouraged or forced to commit crimes. Poor parenting can play an important part in why kids join gangs. â€Å"Children need to feel loved and accepted by their parents. When parents do not respect their children and physicallyShow MoreRelatedNot All Street Gangs Were Formed For Ill Doing1745 Words   |  7 Pages Not all street gangs were formed for ill doing. Many people might think down on the creation of gangs but it is a part of survival in their region. Street gangs, which pull peers into gangs for protection and social status, assemble to protect their neighborhood, family and friends from other street gangs thus causing rising crime rate and innocent people dying because of this. First off, there are a few definitions for gangs because authorities had a hard time explaining what a gang even is.Read More Possible Solutions to the Youth Violence Problem Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesPossible Solutions to the Youth Violence Problem The birds are chirping, the sun is beaming down through the clouds, and you can hear the shrieks of excitement from the neighborhood park. Walking down the street, you envision raising your family on this picture-perfect street. As the vision becomes more and more detailed, however, the shot of a gun rings out from the distance. You duck behind a parked car, wondering where the bullet came from and why. Looking around, you are shockedRead MoreGang Violence During The 19th Century901 Words   |  4 Pages ¨Gang members have been responsible for 61 percent of all homicides [in Chicago] in 2011, up from 58.7 percent in 2010 ¨ (Hidden America). These are some of the few disturbing statistics about gang violence in Chicago; however, as many people do not know, gangs have not always been about drugs and violence. In the early 19th century, gangs are not what people perceive them to be today. Gangs in the 19th century were volunteers with the fire department back in the Antebellum Period, which is the periodRead MoreShould Street Gangs Be Considered Terrorist Organizations?1711 Words   |  7 PagesShould Street Gangs be Considered Terrorist Organizations? Terror, violence, and death are the common denominators in our society nowadays. Why? Because of street gang fights. Innocent people have been killed as a result of street gangs. These groups of criminals use violence against societies and band together for mutual protection and profit. Street gangs are gangsters controlling, attacking, and killing people on the streets, as a result, they are one of the biggest social problems around theRead MoreHispanic Gangs: Not Just a California Problem Anymore1475 Words   |  6 PagesGangs are not a new problem to the United States. Gangs have often been romanticized in literature and the media with a classic example being â€Å"West Side Story†. Americans have long been fascinated with the Mafia, and infamous gangsters such as Al Capone and John Gotti have even been elevated in status as cultural icons. Americans have seen an uprising in â€Å"Gangster Rap† since the early 1990’s. Many people tend to think of gangs i n America as being made up primarily of young inner-city black malesRead MoreAnalysis Of Alex Kotlowitz s There Are No Children Here1695 Words   |  7 Pagesthe children of inner-cities, experience situations and know of unimaginable horrors that rob them of their innocence and childhoods. Lafeyette and Pharoah have to face and overcome many forces that can change their lives for the worst, such as: gangs and drugs, the social system, the Chicago Housing Authority, and the battle within them to give into the worst of society. Sociological concepts, including: racism, strain theory, and social stratification can explain some of the exploitation of LafeyetteRead MoreEssay on MS-13: A Dangerous Gang1167 Words   |  5 Pagesor commonly known on the streets as (MS-13) is an unfamiliar gang but to (FBI) Federal Bureau Investigation,(ATF) Alcohol, Tabaco, Firearms and Explosives, and local law enforcement agencies,MS-13 is an uprising globalized menace of ruthless criminals who are growing in numbers exponentially. These plagues of criminals are not only making their mark here in the United States but they are deeply rooted in their country of origin, El Salvador and all throughout Central America with the exception of CostaRead MorePrison Gangs : The United States991 Words   |  4 PagesThe fact that prison gangs are not visible to the public makes them seem unknown to the public eye, however the pose the same threats to the United States as all other gangs. Prison gangs are also often written off and forgotten about by authorities due to fact that they are incarcerated. â€Å"Due to their seclusion from the public and their minimal visibility, prison gangs are difficult to target and are thus frequently overlooked as threat actors, which enables them to commit various crimes withoutRead MoreEssay Obstacles That Weaken Democracy 1652 Words   |  7 Pagesdemocracy are street crimes, corruption, and inefficient economy. Building a perfect democracy probably will never occur, but there are ways of meeting people’s expectations of it. As presented by Jesà ºs Silva-Herzog, a Professor of law at the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, people have expectations for a democracy which are not met, meaning that the democracy fails to the people. For, example when Vicente Fox went into presidency Mexicans had hopes that he would solve economic problems, put aRead MoreThe Impact of Gang Violence in Oklahoma Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impact of Gang Violence in Oklahoma Gangs have had a huge impact in Oklahoma the many years they have been here. Gangs account for most of the drug trade, as well as most of the homicides in the Oklahoma area. Gangs are being fueled by the fear they have given the citizens, therefore most people are too afraid to do anything about the problem. â€Å"Every city in the world always has a gang, a street gang, or the so-called outcasts†.- Jimi Hendrix. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gang

Budgeting Policy in Managing a Business Free Essays

Budgeting is one of the fundamental concepts in managing a business and it is often up to the budgeting policies that the managers decides upon that will conclude where the company is going to make it in the industry or not. The budgeting policy a company decides upon will show the top management team where the money is being spent and, even more importantly, it will show the team prior to the spending actually occurring. If we refer to the four management functions (organizing, planning, directing and controlling), budgeting covers all four of them. We will write a custom essay sample on Budgeting Policy in Managing a Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now Indeed, a responsible manager will be able to apply all four functions in what the budgeting policy is concerned. First of all, the top management will need to determine what the company’s budget for the future period of time will be. This will need to take into consideration both the company’s possible revenues during this time and the expansion strategy that the team has decided upon. It may be the case that the management team has designed an expansion on the market that will take up more of the resources than otherwise. While this may be the case, the spending must be determined by realistic plans and future achievements. Second of all, the top management team needs to organize the portfolio of projects and the investments it wants to develop in the subsequent period of time. Organizing the portfolio of projects also refers to determining (1) which projects of the portfolio will be done and (2) with what priority. Before the actual spending and investing begins, the company needs to have a organized set of future spending steps. The planning functions intervene in terms of properly determining the evolution of projects’ costs in the period to come. Budgeting helps plan projects’ costs so that we don’t arrive at a situation where the company’s finance is overwhelmed by costs during a period of time. In terms of directing, budgeting ensures that the funds are used where they are most necessary. Directing also refers to leading and the budgeting policies are direct means by which the top management leads within the company. Finally, the controlling function is essential in budgeting policies and strategies. Indeed, the controlling function ensures that the budget and the budgeting policies, previously established and decided upon, are fully respected. There is no point in having a healthy financial system within the company, corresponding to a well-planned budget, if this budget is regularly underestimated or overspent. The controlling function will keep track of projects’ cost evolution, track down any inadvertence’s that may appear and correct them in time. As we have seen from those previously presented, the budgeting function within the company is not only intrinsically linked to management, but the main functions of management are also reflected in a company’s budgeting policies. It is essential, as pointed out, that the company properly analyzes what its sources are, how much of them it is willing to spend and, additionally, what future results and added value the investments will bring at a certain point in the future, in terms of the rate of return. A healthy budgeting strategy will lead to a healthy financial situation of the company and a solid development strategy for the future. Budgeting should be where every company strategy should begin. How to cite Budgeting Policy in Managing a Business, Essay examples

Divine Revelation free essay sample

What is Revelation? Our starting point is to understand the concept of revelation. A simple definition of revelation is this: revelation is the disclosure or unveiling of something that has been concealed. It is the lifting of an obscuring veil, so as to disclose something that was formerly hidden. It is of a different order from our ordinary matter-of-fact knowing of the world in that the initiative lies with that which is known. In the revelatory process, the knower does not discover something; it is disclosed to him or her. This is the essential element to the idea of revelation: its gift-like character. 1 That this is St Paul’s self-understanding of revelation is evident from the following scripture verses which originated from him: Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom 16:25-27) What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived†¦God has revealed to us through the Spirit. (1 Cor 2:9-10) Disclosure vs Discovery In defining revelation, a distinction has been made between disclosure and discovery. These two words are not sufficiently differentiated in common speech. Yet the distinction is key to a proper understanding of revelation. As the following news report effectively illustrates, disclosure differs in meaning from discovery: The police had arrested a man of whose complicity in a crime they had much evidence. It was said in the paper that they had discovered certain facts about the man which pointed to his implication in the alleged crime. There was not, however, sufficient evidence to fasten it finally upon him. So they went to work upon him with several hours of continuous questioning, until at last he broke down and confessed. In the confession, said the paper, he disclosed to the police certain things which they had not discovered, which, indeed, almost certainly they could never, without the suspect’s aid, have laid bare at all. 2 So revelation is self-disclosure of God to humankind, not human discovery. It is a process initiated by God, not a human insight or achievement. In the revelatory experience, it is as if the holy breaks-in upon us. Necessity of Revelation Why is it necessary for God to make himself known? We can think of two considerations but there are several more. God is transcendent-he is wholly ‘other’. Thus, Kierkegaard speaks of ‘the infinite qualitative distinction’ between us and God. It should be noted that the distinction between God and us is a severe one. Giving his take on God’s transcendence, William Nicholls writes, ‘God differs from ourselves not merely in degree, as would be the case if we were both spirits and he the greatest of spirits, but in kind. He is above us not only morally but ontologically, as he is above everything else that he has made, far removed from us in the mystery of his divine being. He is above everything that we can conceive, and any image that we could form of him, even the highest mental image, would be a travesty of what he really is, an insult to the divine majesty. ’3 A number of scripture passages lend support to the concept of divine transcendence: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’, declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ’ (Is 55:8,9) The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? (Ps 113:5,6). God is the hidden God, or to use a Latin expressionDeus absconditus. The subject of God’s hiding is quite intriguing. In a final conversation with Moses, God tells him, ‘I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods. ’ God’s hiddenness is a concept that cuts to the core of the psalmists’ understanding of God and of themselves (see Ps 10:11; 13:2; 88:15, 89:46, etc). The phenomenon of divine hiddenness is not unknown to Isaiah who cries out: â€Å"Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. † (Isaiah 45:15). Given God’s transcendence and his hiddenness, God cannot be known other than by or through revelation. Validity Before we can proceed further we need to satisfy ourselves that it is reasonable to believe that there has been a revelation from God. If there has not been a revelation, and if God has not spoken then our discussion must end here. Gerald Downing understood how essential it was to ask after the question of whether revelation from God had been given. He devoted an entire book to the quest, and entitled it Has Christianity a Revelation? (1964). Unfortunately, Downing drew the conclusion that there has not been any revelation. As people of faith we can simply believe that divine revelation had been given. British theologian Austin Farrer has spoken that the â€Å"instinct of our faith† would react against any denial of revelation. But belief that God has revealed himself to humankind may be robustly defended as being philosophically valid. As Paley has argued: †¦given that there is a Godwho is by definition, goodand that the human race lies in ignorance of things important for them to know, it is a priori to some extent to be expected that God would give a revelation to men. Biblical Evidences It may be useful to look at some evidences in the Bible for our belief that God has indeed revealed himself. Here are just a few: God said to them (Aaron and Miriam), When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions; I speak to him in dreams†¦ With (Moses) I speak face to face†¦. † (Num 12:6-8). The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. (1 Sam 3:21) The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. (Ps 98:2). I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. † (Is 65:1) Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey himto the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom 16:25-27) In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to Gods holy apostles and prophets. (Eph 3:4-6) It is thus a fundamental Christian belief that God had revealed himself or information about himself. If God had not done so, we will have little knowledge about him. General Special Revelation In the field of Christian theology two types of divine communication are noted: one through the created order, and the other through God’s Word. We call the first type general revelation and the second special revelation. The two differ in their audiences and in their aims. General revelation is given to all peoples of all times, whether Christian or not. It is the fingerprint of God or marks left on the works of creation. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Ps 19:1) For since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Rom 1:20) John Calvin taught that God had planted within all people a sense of divinity and that there are signs of God in nature but he held that our minds had become so dull through sin that we derived no profit from these manifestations. Special Revelation, on the other hand, is given to specific people at specific times. It is a message from God explaining his purpose, a special communication which discloses God’s character and his plans for human beings. Special revelation is both living and written-the living message came in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ; the written message comes in the Bible. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14) In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Heb 1:1-2) The usefulness of the distinction between general and special revelation has sometimes been questioned. The problem is not with the term ‘special revelation’ since this refers to divine disclosure through unique historical events. It is ‘general revelation’ that has been a source of controversy. If one is able to learn something about God from the created order, it is questionable whether revelation is needed at all. 4 Why then do we continue to speak of general revelation? We can use the term in a creative wayto point to the inadequacy of natural theology in revealing the fullness of the divine plan for human salvation. Inscripturation of Revelation In the account of revelation given above, we seem to be talking about directly given revelation. Actually the occurrences of such revelation are rare. The original disclosure of the holy belongs to times past. What about the experience of revelation for us who live many years removed from the original disclosure? John MacQuarrie uses the term ‘primordial’ revelation to distinguish it from ‘secondary’ revelation. By the former is meant that revelatory event upon which a community of faith is founded, and which becomes a pattern for experiences of the holy within that community. By secondary revelation is meant those events through which the primordial revelation becomes alive again for successive generations. After a primordial revelation had occurred, a record is made some time later. That record is what we now call scripture. The process is sometimes known as ‘inscripturation. ’ Today, we read that record in the midst of life’s events and sometimes as we do, the record comes alive and there is again a moment of revelation. Because revelation has been recorded as scripture, it is therefore a primary source of theology and therefore a basic category in theological thinking.