Development of Autism Research

Development of Autism Research Fighting the Monster By writing a book called Infantile Autism, a Navy psychologist named Bernard Rimland established autism as an inborn condition rather than bad parenting. The books popularity inspired him to launch the National Society for Autistic Children (NSAC). By forming an alliance and reaching out to parents, he gave the parents in his network a sense of hope and progress at a time when there was virtually no research in the field, setting the stage for the surge of interest in autism research. Bernard Rimland was born in Cleveland in 1928, the son of Russian Jewish parents who emigrated after World War I. When he was twelve, his family relocated to San Diego, California. He got a bachelors degree in experimental psychology from San Diego State University in 1950 and earned his masters degree a year later. He met Gloria Alf, a Jewish girl from the neighborhood, and got married before heading east to Penn State to earn his doctorate. After completing his degree at Penn State, Rimland was hired as the director of research at the new naval base in San Diego. Their son, Mark, was born in the spring of 1956. But something was drastically wrong with Mark and it was only much later that his condition was determined to be early infantile autism. Besides reading everything he could on the subject, Rimland wrote a letter to Kanner in 1959 describing his sons behavior and announcing his intention to write a paper on the subject. After five years of research, Rimland published his book Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior in 1964, featuring an introduction by Kanner. The crux of the book was that autism is primarily a product of genetic inheritance rather than family dynamics. At one point, he even referred to Asperger syndrome without explaining it. He suggested that in some cases the syndrome was caused by unknown environmental factors acting upon a genetic predisposition. He speculated that parents who tend to be gifted in certain fields pass this vulnerability down to their children along with the genetic factors for high intelligence. This hypothesis would fall into disrepute in the 1970s as studies by Michael Rutter and others proved that autism does not discriminate by IQ or educational level and is equally prevalent across all socioeconomic strata. Rimland wanted the diagnosis to be strictly defined so that autism would turn out to be a metabolic dysfunction akin to phenylketonuria (PKU) that could be averted with a dietary intervention. PKU is a rare genetic disorder due to a gene mutation that impairs the metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine. Untreated PKU can lead to behavioral problems, seizures, intellectual disability, and mental disorder. To facilitate autism research, Rimland included in the book a questionnaire called the Diagnostic Check List for Behavior-Disturbed Children (Form E-1), designed as a template for clinicians to copy and give to parents. After the book came out, Rimland unexpectedly received piles of completed E-1 forms. He followed up with the parents by telephone after scoring the checklist with a proprietary algorithm. He was so gregarious and empathetic to the parents that he became Uncle Bernie to a generation of families. In the second edition of his book, he included a revised version of the checklist called the E-2 designed for the parents to send to Rimland directly. His questionnaires had planted the seeds of a revolution. *** In the 1960s, most psychologists in America were still convinced that autistic kids were constitutionally incapable of learning. But a professor in the Psychology department of the UCLA named Ole Ivar Lovaas thought otherwise. Ole Ivar Lovaas was born in Norway in 1927. He and his family were forced to work as migrant laborers when the Nazis occupied Norway in June 1940. After the war ended, Lovaas was allowed to immigrate to the United States on the strength of his violin playing. He got a music scholarship at Luther College in Iowa and earned his bachelors degree in a year. Then he talked his way into the graduate program in psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He didnt want to become a psychoanalyst because he had lost patience with the speculations of theory-based psychiatry, so he focused on lab research. After earning his doctorate at the University of Washington, Lovaas stayed in Seattle, teaching and conducting research at the Child Development Institute near the university. At the institute, he experienced that improving the language skills of children with developmental delays might help them control their problematic behavior. He was also influenced by a psychologist at Indiana University named Charles Ferster who proposed that parents had inadvertently conditioned their children to be more and more autistic by rewarding their misbehavior with doting attention. In 1961, he accepted a position as an assistant professor in the psychology department at UCLA. In his first year on the job, the Clinic referred only one child to his lab: a nine-year-old girl named Beth who spoke mostly in echolalia and bore scars all over from banging herself against walls and furniture. Luvaas outfitted a suite of rooms with one-way mirrors, hidden microphones, and a push-button device that enabled his assistants to record the frequency and duration of her behaviors. He called this style of intensive intervention applied behavioral analysis, or ABA. Rimland was skeptical of the Lovaas method when he first heard about it. But he set his doubts aside and began to use the technique in training his eight-year-old autistic son. Lovaas had been thinking about inviting parents into the process because the lessons learned in ABA often didnt generalize beyond the artificial situation in the lab. The best hope for stimulating lasting behavior change was to train the children in their natural environment at home. Rimland arranged a dinner with Lovaas and a few of the couples from his network of autistic parents. Before the meal was over, they were begging Lovaas to train them in his method. By forming an alliance and reaching out directly to parents, Rimland and Lovaas had just built a shadow infrastructure for autism research in which parents, rather than medical professionals, were the ultimate authorities on their childrens well-being. *** In the fall of 1965, Rimland received a letter from Ruth Christ Sullivan, a young nurse and mother of an autistic son. Sullivan proposed forming a national group to advocate for the needs of autistic children. On November 14, 1965, Sullivan, Rimland and 60 other parents formed the National Society of Autistic Children. In the coming years, parents would launch hundreds of local NSAC chapters all over the country. By the mid-1970s, the NSAC launched a number of legislations aimed at protecting the rights of individuals with autism and mandating services for them, especially education. Autism was also included in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1976. In 1974, by conducting thorough examinations of 78 children brought to the Childrens Brain Research Clinic in Washington by NSAC members, the clinics researchers theorized that autism is not a single clinical entity but is composed of multiple distinct subtypes. Rimland also did a groundbreaking study on savant skills based on data from his questionnaires, rediscovering the same clusters of enhanced ability in music, memory, art, science, mathematics, and technology that Asperger called autistic intelligence. Over time, the two paths represented by NSACs founders Sullivans focus on services and Rimlands search for a cure would diverge, resulting in Rimland being voted off the board of his own organization. *** Meanwhile, Lovaas was experimenting with alternating rounds of acquisition (reinforce proper behavior) and extinction (extinguish self-injurious behavior) trials on Berh. He found that she was responsive on acquisition trials, but not on extinction trials. So Lovaas sought a more expeditious solution, which was the use of punishment. Concerned that some of his techniques might seem unorthodox, Lovaas invited members of the press down to the lab to watch him in action. When the articles came out, members of the NSAC were concerned about how brutally kids were being treated at UCLA. Despite Rimlands tireless cheerleading for aversives, many NSAC parents refused to use them. Meanwhile, state hospitals across the country embraced the harsh techniques promoted by Lovaas at UCLA as a way of keeping problem patients in line. In 1988, the NSAC (now changed the name to the Autism Society of America) has passed a resolution calling for a ban on aversive techniques. But painful electric shocks are still employed to punish autistic children at an institution called the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Massachusetts, even in the face of a public outcry against their use. In the 1970s, Lovaas lent his expertise to a series of experiments called the Feminine Boy Project. The projects most celebrated success story was Kirk Andrew Murphy. Kirks was enrolled into the program at UCLA when he was five because his parents were concerned that he was exhibiting behavior that was too feminine. Lovaas worked with a graduate student named George Rekers who was Kirks behavioral therapist. Rekers and Lovaas devised a program of total immersion based on Lovaass work on autism. After sixty sessions in the lab, Rekers and Lovaas declared victory over Kirks sissy-boy behavior. Rekers went on to build a career based on the premise that homosexuality can be prevented. He became a founding member of the Family Research Council, a faith-based organization that lobbies against gay-rights issues. In the meantime, Kirk committed suicide in 2003 at age thirty-eight, following decades of depression. His parents claimed that Kirks earlier therapy had contributed to his suicide. In 2010, Rekers days as an anti-gay champion came to an end when two journalists ambushed him at the Miami airport returning from a holiday in Madrid with a hired male escort. In 1987, Lovaas claimed that nearly half of the children in an experimental group at UCLA had achieved normal intellectual functioning by undertaking intensive ABA starting at age three. Lovaass study was the breakthrough that many parents had been waiting for: empirical proof that their children could become normal given enough devotion, effort, and expense. *** In 1964, Rimland received an invitation from the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Standford University for a years fellowship in Palo Alto. There he fell under the spell of Linus Pauling, who had won two Nobel Prizes, a Nobel prize in Chemistry, and a Nobel Peace Prize. Pauling was the most prominent advocate of the notion that megadoses of Vitamin C could avert the common cold, slow the aging process, and improve mood. Paulings concept of orthomolecular psychiatry meshed perfectly with Rimlands thoughts on PKU and autism. Meanwhile, Rimland had started getting letters from parents claiming that their sons and daughters had become more calm and engaged after taking megadoses of certain nutrients, particularly vitamins B and C. After talking with doctors convinced of the therapeutic value of the megavitamin regimen, Rimland established the Institute for Child Behavior Research, later renamed the Autism Research Institute in San Diego to launch a study. But he di d not use the so-called double-blind placebo-controlled trial model in his study. Instead, he developed a home-brewed form of data analysis that he called computer clustering, an algorithmic search for clinically significant ripples in a sea of big data. With 45 percent of parents reporting that the vitamins definitely helped their children, Rimland was thrilled with the results of his experiment. But three independent analyses of his dataset revealed more problems with his design. The design of the experiment with parents as evaluators of changes in their childrens behavior was anything but blind in the statistical sense. A Navy statistician with access to the raw data concluded that no reliable information about the reaction in the vitamins by various subtypes in the sample population could be obtained by using Rimlands computer clustering scheme. Rimland was bugged by the disappointing response of his peers to his megavitamin experiment. Noting the serious side effects caused by prescription drugs, Rimland concluded that the future of his work was not to be found in conventional medicine. He would eventually encourage his parent-experimenters to try several treatments at once, making it nearly impossible to tease out the benefits and side effects of any single one. This try-everything-at-once approach gave the parents in his network a tremendous sense of hope and momentum at a time when the mainstream science of autism was at a standstill. From his office in Kensington, a suburb of San Diego, Rimland forged a productive alliance with the nineteen-year-old Steve Edelson, a psychology/sociology major in Lovaass lab. Together they wrote a book called Recovering Autistic Children that became one of the bibles of the biomedical movement. In the 1990s, they launched Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!), the network of clinicians and alt-med practitioners that Shannon Rosa turned to for advice on the GFGC diet and other treatments after Leo was diagnosed in 2002.

The Importance of Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay

The Significance of Pearl One of the most complex characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned from society because of her mother's sin. She is a living representation of the scarlet letter, acting as a constant reminder of Hester's sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant, "...whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion." (Hawthorne 81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically, she has a "beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child." (Hawthorne 81,82). Pearl is ravishing, with "beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints' a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." Combining with her extreme beauty, are the lavish dresses that she wears. The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditio nal clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. "Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world... the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children." (Hawthorne 86). The children did not accept Pearl, her unavoidable seclusion was due to the ... ... mother, whom is not wearing the scarlet A and whose hair is down, she refuses to acknowledge her without her A and capped hair. This shows Pearl's dissent for beauty as a solution to sin, which is expressed in the first few chapters when Hester is lightly punished for her adultery. Because of Pearl's banishment from Puritan society she was thrown to another way of life and her wildness and peculiarity is a direct product of her banishment. Her character acts as a mysterious and interesting symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is an important character, as she is a constant reminder to Hester, as well as to the reader, of the sin of Hester. She contributes largely to the themes of the novel through her unusual history. The one character that seems to play the most uninvolved role in the novel is one of the most forceful symbols and individual throughout. The Importance of Pearl in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Essay The Significance of Pearl One of the most complex characters in The Scarlet Letter is Pearl, the illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic individual, as well as an extremely important symbol. Pearl is shunned from society because of her mother's sin. She is a living representation of the scarlet letter, acting as a constant reminder of Hester's sin. Hawthorne uses vivid descriptions to characterize Pearl. She is first described as the infant, "...whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of Providence, a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion." (Hawthorne 81). From the beginning of her life she is viewed as the product of a sin, as a punishment. Physically, she has a "beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child." (Hawthorne 81,82). Pearl is ravishing, with "beauty that shone with deep and vivid tints' a bright complexion, eyes possessing intensity both of depth and glow, and hair already of a deep, glossy brown, and which, in after years, would be nearly akin to black." Combining with her extreme beauty, are the lavish dresses that she wears. The exquisite dresses and her beauty cause her to be viewed as even stranger from the other typical Puritan children, whom are dressed in traditio nal clothing. As a result, she is accepted by nature and animals, and ostracized by the other Puritan children. "Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world... the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children." (Hawthorne 86). The children did not accept Pearl, her unavoidable seclusion was due to the ... ... mother, whom is not wearing the scarlet A and whose hair is down, she refuses to acknowledge her without her A and capped hair. This shows Pearl's dissent for beauty as a solution to sin, which is expressed in the first few chapters when Hester is lightly punished for her adultery. Because of Pearl's banishment from Puritan society she was thrown to another way of life and her wildness and peculiarity is a direct product of her banishment. Her character acts as a mysterious and interesting symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is an important character, as she is a constant reminder to Hester, as well as to the reader, of the sin of Hester. She contributes largely to the themes of the novel through her unusual history. The one character that seems to play the most uninvolved role in the novel is one of the most forceful symbols and individual throughout.

Individual Privacy vs National Security Essay

Introduction Since the terrorist attack of 9/11, America has been in a high level conflict with terrorist around the world, particularly the group known as Al Qaeda. There has been many discussions within the U.S. Congress about the measures of how to effectively combat this organization and their members, here and abroad. Consequently, the issue of individual privacy vs. national security has generated discussions within the civilian and government sectors. To date, the discussions continues with many private citizens who feels they are constantly losing their privacy , when will it end, and how long will it continue. In this report, it will discuss where privacy issues began and where the public see individual privacy vs. national security come together in its most recent society. Do the public succumb to total governmental control, or do they propose continued debate in the nation’s process of the national security process. There are always two sides of a story, the pros and cons, the laurels and pitfalls, or the good and the bad, and for the public, it has to decide which side in each of these is the right side it feels is the best possible side to be on. One hand, national security is decided by the government to protect its citizens, by the measures it puts into place it feels is necessary, and what duration these measures will be in effect. On the other hand, the level of security and safety is set without discrimination to all. This results in the dilemma of the battle between individual privacy versus national security issues, that are essential to the individual, the public, and government. The Claim: What privacy should an individual lose to protect against terrorist because It gives society a level of feeling protected by the protections in place. The public can only maintain a limit of safety by giving up a degree of privacy to governmental agencies in order to protect this basic need; and it is a trade off to give up a certain amount of privacy, but not complete privacy. Justification of Claim: The justification of the claim is that it is prudent and the right of the public to debate the process of privacy, which the public has come to rely on for many years. Even though limited under the constitution, privacy rights and national security is important to the country’s citizens on all levels of government. The Bill of Rights is the area where citizens’ rights are specified, and over the years of war, and specifically after 9/11, citizens have seen and felt an erosion of their rights. Constitutional protections of individual rights not expressed specifically by the Bill of Rights is being at best controversial, (Linder 2012a). Many originalists, including most famously Judge Robert Bork in his ill-fated Supreme Court confirmation hearings, have argued that no such general right of privacy exists. The Supreme Court, however, beginning as early as 1923 and continuing through its recent decisions, has broadly read the â€Å"liberty† guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment to guarantee a fairly broad right of privacy that has come to encompass decisions about child rearing, procreation, marriage, and termination of medical treatment. Polls show most Americans support this broader reading of the Constitution, (Linder 2012b). Looking forward under this decision, each citizen relies on its government to maintain a fair level of protection and security as well as maintaining a balanced level of privacy. The justification for this claim shows how the rights of individuals is a must, within the American society, compared to the national security of the country’s territory and a balanced approach it must give to its people within previous rulings. Individual Privacy vs. National Security After 9/11 a set of laws was set in place to protect us from Terrorism and terrorist attacks and placed under a new governmental act called the Patriot Act. With the past occurrences of 9/11, with the airlines planes crashing into the twin towers in New York City, and the Pentagon, it was not hard to convince the public this action was not needed. The residing administration presented stacks of follow-up attacks to Congress from experts and officials on a daily basis with grim pictures or scenarios of possible attacks on nuclear facilities, schools, shopping centers, and  others alike, that the public saw measures in place as acceptable and adequate, (Downing 2008a). Downing further states; Americans have seen their privacy and other rights curtailed in previous wars but the present-day privations are unfounded only in the duration of these rights. Just how long will the duration of war on terrorism and rights last, it has already lasted longer than any other US wars. Further sources of concern to the public, are the rich array of devices and techniques of the government, such as improved computer programs, databases, and surveillance gear, never before used in previous wars and never devoted as resources to any state or its partners. What if any remedies are there in the political system in the privacy of individuals versus national security protections and concerns? The courts have narrowed away some of the concerns, but the bulk of these powers, many of them are still persisting. Congress has been hesitant to amend passing the Patriot Act and its follow-ups, due to fear of being labeled unpatriotic, but also for fear of being blamed for further terror attacks. So far, no president or presidential candidate will probably seek to curb the purview of the Committee on the public safety, nor hardly mention future changes. Privacy, like its colleague individualism, has been in decline anyway †Ã¢â‚¬Å" putting up only token resistance here and th ere against mass society, a corporate-based economy, and relentless bureaucratization. So perhaps the war on terror requires us to bid a fond adieu to privacy and send it off to government bureaus for safekeeping. They broke it, it’s theirs (Downing, 2008b) According to laws enacted by the government after recent terrorist activities, it has the right to eavesdrop on telephone communications, monitor online communications of suspects, and incorporate surveillance on anyone it feels is a threat. With recent attacks upon American soil and the loss of thousands of lives, law enforcement agencies have asked for broader and pervasive laws to counter security challenges. Some have asked if these changes will impact the privacy of its citizens, and indeed over the years, history has shown the rights and liberties of citizens have been curtailed and in some instances revoked completely. One example, during World War II 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is there a harmonization-of-laws guarantee, by definition (An adjustment of differences and inconsistencies among the difference of  measurements, methods, procedures, schedules, specifications, or systems to make them uniformed to or mutually compatible with). In 1803 Chief John Marshall said in his opinion Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of â€Å"what the law is.† 2003 Tracy Mitrano Marshall also stated, that settling the duties of inconsistencies, disharmonizations, and contradictions falls to the duties of the Court, which in its practices, means that many such problems may go unaddressed for years and some of the controversies may never be resolved. Complications and constitutionally are thought of as checks and balances, and the cost of checks and balances systems are weighed in confusion and consternation and capricious that have the appearance of resolving conflicts once and for all. Before we go deeper into the analysis of the legislation, let’s examine the following terms of privacy and security. The American Heritage Dictionary defines privacy as secluded from sight, presence or intrusions of others, confined to one person. There are those who have pointed out that nowhere in the constitution the word privacy appears. The word security comes from the Latin word Securus, meaning carefree. Definitions of security begin with freedom from danger, risk, harm, etc. No matter what measures are taken to assert security, no one should think the outcome would mean complete freedom. Notice how the definition of the word security, implies that its function is as the means to quality, freedom, no less and not as an end to itself, as balance is the key. The American history provides us a variety of examples of how that balance has shifted over time. The Alien and Sedition Acts of the 1790s were the first example of a federal law believed to have thrown off the balance in favor of security over civil liberties, designed to silence and weaken the Democratic-Republican Party by the Federal P arty. To protect the new United States from an antagonistic French Revolutionary government as legal devices over the Naturalization Act, that actually backfired, ensuring the Revolution of the 1800’s to expire. This episode stands as a lesson of federal legislative overreach-political impulses of legislation touted as patriotic and necessary for national security, and the dissolving of the Federal Party. The internment of the Japanese, remains the opposite of Roosevelt’s emergency measures, which were the most shameful of all mistaken emergency legislative measures. As in each case of emergency legislation that protects national security, it also  curbs civil liberties and must be interpreted in context of a very complex history. Acts and organizations such as FERPA, HIPAA, and FSMA shares the purpose of preserving the privacy of records in keeping with the foundational tenents of fair-information practices. These fair-information practices are as such are transparency, relevancy, the ability to correct records, institutional obligations to maintain records of disclosures and provide notice to subjects, and finally, the security of those records. Dealing with paper records years ago, under FERPA regulations, colleges and universities now are struggling with the task of bringing electronic security up to the same level of confidentiality and availability. Due to the creation of IT security programs-which include policies, procedures, guidelines, risk assessment, and education/training-corresponds to new legal developments such as FMSA and HIPAA, which raises the specter of liability, legal requirements should also come as an encouragement for IT professionals. Intrusion-detection and -response plans require leadership, articulated practices, enforcement polices, and education within the campus communities, all of which relevant hardware and software as well as highly trained personnel to address these matters adequately and professionally. Sharing-of-information legislation, under national security, such as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (the USA- Patriot Act) and the Homeland Security Act pulls in a direction contrary to privacy legislation. It is the longest piece of legislation of emergency legislation, well over a hundred pages, passed in the shortest time period, in all American history. It comes with three overall goals: (1) to enhance government to government information sharing (by lifting regulations that had monitored law enforcement relations between federal, state and local authorities, (2) to allow government surveillance and encourage private entities to share information with the government (by alleviating legal liability); and (3) create and expand existing criminal law design to fight terrorism (by adding specific provisions and expanding the definition and powers of existing legislation. So vast is the reorganizatio n of the federal government under this act , the implications have yet to be spelled out. But there are two are already along with, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) program, which requires every college and  university to report, abuses and fraud crimes, specifically allowing the death penalty for any abuse, (i.e. hacking) that results in serious physical injury or death. The second is the goal of the USA-Patriot Act-government surveillance and these two aspects of the Homeland Security Act have the most direct impact on scholarship and research, libraries, and IT resources in higher education. (Tracy Mitrano, 2003) Further in notations of privacy and national security, (Bajaj and Austen 28 Sep 2010) report, the United States and law enforcement and security agencies have raised concerns with new proposals electronic powers to track terrorist and criminals and unscramble their encrypted messages through e-mail and other digital communications. Officials from India have also stated they will seek greater access to encrypted data sent over popul ar Internet sources such as Gmail, Skype and other sources such as private networks that allow users to bypass traditional phone line links or logging in to remote corporate computer systems. Some have said that India’s campaign to monitor data transmissions within their borders may hurt other important national security goals: by attracting other global businesses and becoming a hub for technology innovations. In another report by, (Kandra, Anne; Brandt, Andrew; Aquino, Grace Jan 2002) Federal legislation passed in October gave investigators more tools for apprehending terrorists. Proponents of the law said it was needed to protect ourselves. Opponents said it will threaten our constitutional rights. But whatever position you take on these issues, it is important to know how the new laws will affect everyone’s lives online. They continue to report, the Patriot Act is complex and powerful, and it also broadens the definition of terrorism and increases the penalties for the crime of terrorism. Some of the more drastic changes in the law involve electronic surveillance. The act allows federal investigators to implement more powerful tools to monitor phone call s, email messages, and even Web surfing. What are the implications of this new type of surveillance for your Internet privacy? It is difficult to say exactly. The Patriot Act is vague on many key points, and understandably, law enforcement officials are not eager to show details about tools like the controversial Internet surveillance system, DCS1000 (and more commonly recognized by its previous name, Carnivore). â€Å"One of the biggest issues with Carnivore is that we don’t really know how it works,† says Ari Schwartz, associate director of the  Center for Democracy in Technology, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on preserving privacy and civil liberties on the Internet. What are the implications of this new type of surveillance for your Internet privacy? It is difficult to say exactly. The Patriot Act is vague on many key points, and understandably, law enforcement officials are not eager to show details about tools like the controversial Internet surveillance system, DCS1000 (and more commonly recognized by its previous name, Carnivore). â€Å"One of the biggest issues with Carnivore is that we don’t really know how it works,† says Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Center for Democracy in Technology, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on preserving privacy and civil liberties on the Internet. It is probably a fair assessment to say that joking when sending an e-mail about planting a bomb is not very good idea these days, and researching biological terror techniques over the Internet is not conceivably a good idea which would also draw suspicion. (Kandra et al., Jan 2002) Under the Patriot Act Amendments, the FERPA Act has a health and safety exception. It is well known to students and administrators, who invoke it to look at a student’s record in the case where a student is missing and police hopes to find clues to the student’s disappearance from their e-mail. The Patriot Act added a new terrorism exception design to protect the health and safety of everyone e lse. It is worth noting the broad definition of domestic terrorism, meaning activities that involve dangerous acts of human life, that are in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or individuals, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion , or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping and occur primarily within the United States. Within the principal of the Homeland Security act, its job is to reorganize a significant amount of the federal law enforcement and immigration and naturalization bureaucracy under the roof of one central agency, which grew out of concern that compartmentalization federal intelligence and law enforcement structures did not permit adequate study and intelligence and warning. The Homeland Security Act has already had a noticeable impact on immigration. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) a mandatory government issued program that tracks  the whereabouts of visiting foreign students attending colleges and universities. The concept is nothing new, as there were widespread disuse of bureaucratic disorganization from within the INS. The Patriot Act echoed the existing INS laws to require mandatory reporting and enforcement, and the Homeland Security Act passed on the baton. Civil privacy legislation that includes security legislation such as FERPA, HIPAA, and FSMA should be the rule. National security information sharing and anti-terrorist legislation, such as the USA-PATRIOT Act and the Homeland Security Act—should be the exception. With the USA-PATRIOT Act divergence from traditional constitutional standards, there have been many people who are concerned that the exceptions may soon swallow the rule. Tensions between these two types of legislations speaks to the more general concern of the American society at large, about a reduction of privacy overall, whether caused by changes in the law, in social norms, or in the very nature of information technologies. Even today with new technology its task has grown and evolved in recent years, and over the past three decades, the challenges have grown to protect individual and personal privacy, and to curb privacy violations. In general, several surveys and polls that were taken seem to suggest that the public feels there has been a loss of privacy and intrusions and the backdrop behind these new proposals could potentially impact privacy and civil liberties on a greater scale. Analysis from an ethics point of view, there are major concerns under national debate on tensions between privacy and security. Below are the following measures of security being proposed and public, personal and privacy issues under consideration. 1. Stricter security measures at airports, ports, points of interest in the U.S., and gathering places such as stadiums, and other large mass venue, (A) Extensive checks of baggage, personal searches and vehicles, (B) Intensive custom and immigration checks, (C) Restrictions within airport areas and certain public places, (D) Additional spot searches and personal property checks in key public areas, (E) Increased surveillance and monitoring of movements in key public areas. 2. Detailed, accurate identification and verification of identities and background,. (A) Mandatory issuance of national identity cards for all people, (B) Increase use of facial profiling systems for assessment of potential suspects. 3. Increased surveillance of all communities. (A) Monitoring via Internet  (‘Carnivore’}wireless, wire-lines, satellite, etc., (B) Broader wiretapping powers, (C) Broader (and possible indefinite) detention, arrest, and asset seizure powers, (D) Authority for blanket searches, secret searches, (E) Website activity monitoring and data collection, (F) Access to personal and business records of all kinds. 4. Tighter immigration laws to screen immigrants/visitors more thoroughly, (A) More thorough screening of credentials and backgrounds of visa applicants, (B) Tracking of movements of immigrants and other visiting foreign nationals through databases. (Krishnamurthy, 2001a) CRITERIA FOR ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING: (See additional charts posted be low by Krishnamurthy). POSSIBLE ACTIONS The proposed increases in security measures may be beneficial for the good of everyone if implemented in an impartial manner regardless to race, ethnicity, religion. Accountability and transparency in law enforcement procedures, especially on privacy issues must continue to be preserved, despite recent attacks. The judicial system must be empowered to deal effectively with all abuses of proposed security measures with regards to protecting the constitutional rights and liberties of all its citizens. It must also ensure anyone accused has adequate legal representation and a fair chance to prove their innocence. Ensure that the current atmosphere of rich ethnic and cultural diversity environment of the country with one another is not compromised. 1. Assess that this is a real and tangible problem we are facing. 2. If so, can it be handled without impacting/violating privacy at all. 3. If not, can it be handled by making it as less intrusive as possible. There are possibilities that additional lengthy investments for public infrastructure needed to be made nationwide to expand capability of existing systems or newly incorporated systems to handle the challenges. 5. VIRTUES APPROACH GOALS: A focus on individual development of virtues A thoughtful reflection on self-realization of human potential The developing virtuous habits and attitudes leading to ethical action throughout the communities. POSSIBLE ACTIONS An assessment of whether the proposed measures will reinforce positive virtues we hold important, such as our patriotism, self-sacrifice, compassion, patience and courage, or whether these options could harbor destructive traits leading to religious intolerance, less compassion, racism, fear, and suspicion. To impress upon more awareness through debates and discussions across the nation to distinguish religion from universal human values of peaceful co-existence, mutual respect, and non-violence, and  human dignity. To focus on cultivating tolerance, compassion and patience (Krishnamurthy, 2001c). The following abstract articles shows and or explains further privacy and security issues since the terrorism of 9/11/2001 put in place as part of measures private citizens may need to become accustomed to in their part of loss of privacy rights in their security of national security. Security and Privacy After September 11: The Health Care Example Abstract: The following article examines the collaboration between privacy and security in relations to the medical rule, issued in 2000 under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Studies shows that the HIPAA stands up well to concerns of post 9/11 era. Affairs about public safety are met by current provisions that permit revelations to protect national security, to react to emergency situations, and to respond to law enforcement investigations. The article examines in particular detail the envisioned Model State Emergency Health Powers Act, sketched in the wake of the 2001 anthrax attacks. It has been argued by Professors Lawrence Gostin and James Hodge that this Act is justified by a new â€Å"model of information sharing† for medical information purposes. This article concludes that public health concerns are suitably addressed by the existing HIPAA rule, and that a â€Å"model of information sharing† sends completely the wrong signal about how the health system will handle issues of data privacy and security. More generally, the article investigates positions of â€Å"security vs. privacy†, where both values are antagonistic, and situations of â€Å"security and privacy†, where both values work together. (Swire and Steinfeld January 22, 2003) Civil Liberties vs. Security: Public Opinion in the Context of the Terrorist Attacks on America Abstract: This abstract article discusses, in the tradition of research on political tolerance and democratic rights in context, this analysis uses a national survey of Americans directed shortly after the September 11, 2001 attack on America to study people’s eagerness to trade off civil liberties for grander personal safety and security. We find that the bigger people’s perception of threat, the lower their endorsement for civil liberties. This  effect interrelates, however, with trust in government. The lower people’s trust in government, the less willing they will agree for a trade off of civil liberties for security, regardless of their perceptions of threat. It is known that African Americans are much less likely or willing to trade civil liberties for security than their counterparts of whites or Latinos, even with other circumstances taken into account. This may be their long-standing commitment of their struggles for human and civil rights. In matters of party issues, liberals may be less likely to trade off civil liberties than moderates or conservatives, but liberals tend to converge toward the position taken by conservatives when their sense of the threat of terrorism becomes high. While this is not a projection of the future, the results suggest that Americans’ commitment to democratic values is greatly dependent on other concerns and that the context of a wide-ranging threat to national or personal security can provoke a considerable readiness to give up rights. (Davis & Silver, 2003) Mobile cameras as new technologies of surveillance? How citizens experience the use of mobile cameras in public nightscapes Abstract: In surveillance studies using mobile camera technologies in public nightscapes, terms such as sousveillance and inverse surveillance define forms of surveillance that have a bottom-up and democratic character. On the other hand, in this paper this democratic notion is queried by looking into procedures and occurrences with both Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and mobile cameras by Dutch citizens. By superseding in the nightlife district of the Rotterdami city centre, data has been collected on both mobile and CCTV camera confrontations. From this, an investigation is made into how mobile cameras are practiced in the Nightlife landscape. Comparing these practices with CCTV provides understanding into new surveillance issues that come into view due to the mobile camera. Analyzing surveillance technologies, provides prospective as hybrid groups, that may take different shapes in different places, and allows for involvements that attempts to improve our perception of current changes in the surveillance technology landscape. (Timan & Oudshoorn, 2012) The Spy in the Cab: The Use and Abuse of Taxicab Cameras in San Francisco Abstract: Since 2003 security cameras were required in San Francisco taxicabs. Their story has come to contain many features that are familiar to surveillance examinations. Their acceptability is explored of the trajectory using the concept of surveillance slack, and the stages and tensions where the line of use and abuse is has been drawn. The effectiveness of what the cameras are perceived to be doing, the integration of its use, and how the slackness or tautness of surveillance interacts in tension and conflicts. Since its first introduction, the new technology initial reaction was met with moral panic. This is just another element of privacy intrusion in the name of national security, the public now must adapt to. (Anderson, 2012) These abstracts are the several indications of elements put into place after the 9/11 Terrorist attacks in 2001. Privacy rights have eroded over the years since, by the US Government claims to protect its citizens. From cameras, in inconspicuous places, wire-tapping, and monitoring e-mail, and social sites, these are just a few of the acts we are controlled under. Needless to say, we may never see these laws or acts diminish anytime soon, so it is better to adjust now, and band together before further intrusions are brought upon society. My assessment of the information taken from this report is that the privacy rights we hold as individuals within the country are vague, although most Americans seem to think their rights are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution . Although under the 14th Amendment a certain amount of rights has been guaranteed, even these rights can be limited by the powers of the U.S. Government, especially during a time of war, or other emerging acts. When you look at the broad powers of war, emergency acts, and even the powers that exists of the U.S. Congress, we can assume any privacy we hold true is basically up to the representatives we elect to represent us. We as a people of the republic come together when there are disasters, and acts of terror, and differs on many policies of the day, but what we have as collected group is the power of vote, and this power is what we can use to help balance the power of our existing government. The research of this paper was conducted using various sites concerning a  combination of privacy of individual citizens, versus the introduction of laws enacted by the US Government, since the terror attack of 9/11/2001. Taking in all the information collected, and analyzed, this report has been intended to show the privacy each citizen held before and after the attack. It comprised what the public has perceived as a given right, over what was actually allowed by law. Conclusion The Claim: What privacy rights should an individual lose to protect against terrorists? It gives society a level of feeling safe by the protections in place. The public can only maintain a limit of safety by giving up a degree of privacy to governmental agencies in order to protect this basic need; and it is a trade off to give up a certain amount of privacy. On one hand individual privacy seems to be an inherent right thought of by the public as a Constitutional right. On the other, it is limited rights given by the 14th Amendment. Whatever rights we hold true today is the norm, yet not all true rights we bear are in real existence. What remedies in the political system in the privacy of individual privacies versus national security protections and concerns? The courts have narrowed away some of these concerns, but the bulk of the powers still exists. Even though Congress has been hesitant to amend the Patriot Act, in fear of being too intrusive, the powers to be are that it has the power to limit the society’s individual rights. Throughout the years rights have been in decline, and we wonder whether it will be because of terrorist acts, the U.S. Patriot Act, or the Homeland Security Act, it is something we all will have to get accustomed to. References (Anderson, 2012) Surveillance & Society, ISSN 1477-7487  © Surveillance Studies Network, Retrieved from http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/cab_spy Bajaj, V. And Austen, I. (28 Sep 2010) B1 New York Times, Privacy vs. National Security: [Business/Financial Desk] http://search.proquest.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/755073818/fulltext/13AA4752BA6755D6A1B/1?accountid=32521 Darren W. Davis, Brian D. Silver, (12 DEC 2003) American Journal Of Political Science, Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0092-5853.2004.00054.x/abstract Downing, B. M. (2008, August 26th) The Agonist Retrieved from http://agonist.org/national_security_versus_individual_privacy_no_line/ (Kandra et al., Jan 2002): 37-41PC World 20. 1National security vs. online privacy http://search.proquest.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/231422330/fulltext/13AA49614672EB98EE2/3?accountid=32521 Krishnamurthy, B. (Posted 11/01/01) Website. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/briefings/privacy.html Linder, D. (2012). Exploring constitutional law. Informally published manuscript, educational, non-commercial site, umkc.edu, Kansas City, United States. Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ft rials/conlaw/home.html Miltrano, T. (January 1, 2003) Web Page title. EDUCAUSEREVIEW ONLINE Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/civil-privacy-and-national-security-legislation-three-dimensional-view Swire, Peter P. and Steinfeld, Lauren, Security and Privacy After September 11: The Health Care Example. Minnesota Law Review, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=347322 (Timan & Oudshoorn, 2012) Surveillance & Society, ISSN 1477-7487  © Surveillance Studies Network, 2012 Retrieved from http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/mobiles Downing, (2008a) and (2008b) Krishnamurthy, (2001a), (2001b) and (2001c) Linder, (2012a) and (2012b)

Free Essays on Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman was a major figure in the history of American radicalism. â€Å"She received fame for her advocacy of both free thought and anarchism† (Emma Goldman†). She was a courageous and outspoken anarchist, as well as one of the greatest radical propagandists in the United States (â€Å"Emma Goldman†). Along with being an exceptional propagandist, Goldman was also a good organizer who campaigned for more than thirty years to define the limits of dissent and free speech during the Progressive American era (â€Å"Emma Goldman†). During the period in which she lived, expressing controversial view points were dangerous, especially for women. Many people considered her ideas to be radical and dangerous, for example she opposed involuntary military service because she believed in free choice in all aspects of life (â€Å"Emma Goldman†). Goldman also believed that a campaign to prepare for war would result in a militarized America. Furthermore, she argu ed that a complete transform of social and economic values were needed. In Goldman’s â€Å"Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty† she says, â€Å"patriotism requires allegiance to the flag, which means obedience and readiness to kill father, mother, brother, sister† (179). Patriotism, as described by Oxford American Dictionary is â€Å"love of country; devotion to the welfare of one’s country; the passion which inspires on to serve one’s country†. Furthermore, being a patriot as defined by Oxford American Dictionary is, â€Å"one who loves and defends his or her country†. Because Goldman was a radical and an exceptional propagandist she describes loving or taking pride in ones country as a willingness to kill your family for the good of the country. Moreover, Goldman’s radical view points on how the United States military funding is too much and actual size of the military is too big. The United States of America is a nation created by war; the first war was the French and Indian war when wha...

Someone i admire Essay Example

Someone i admire Essay Example Someone i admire Essay Someone i admire Essay The question should teenagers be allowed a television in their bedroom has been debated for many years now. With the forever updating technology such as; mobile phones, pods, computers and laptops television should really be the least of our parents worries. In my opinion teenagers should be allowed a television in their bedroom as long as they agree to use it in moderation and of course, fulfill that agreement. Some of the reasons a teenager should be allowed a television in their editor are; it shows them that you as parents, trust your teenage daughter or son. Being a teenager myself I know that it feels brilliant to be trusted and granted freedom. Another reason I feel teenagers should be allowed a television in their bedroom is that it would help to avoid a lot of arguments between siblings or parents on what to watch. Additionally, as parents would you rather that your teenage son or daughter was watching television in their bedroom at night or out in the streets with friends you disprove of? Personally if it were me I would prefer them watching television. Another example could be; as a parent would you rather you teenager was watching a television programmer about illegal drugs or using illegal drugs? Again if it were me I would rather they were watching television. Television can also help discourage the use of things such as; drugs, cigarettes or alcohol as sometimes it shows the effects or consequences on people. Even though there are scenes of violence, sex, drug abuse and such, scenes of this nature can also be viewed on other electronic gadgets such as; mobile phones or computers. There are also a lot of violent and inappropriate video games these days which can be in the bedroom, therefore surely if televisions are not allowed in the bedroom no electronic devices should be. By not allowing teenagers to have any electronic equipment in their bedroom they may feel you are taking away their freedom and making their privacy a minority. I feel that television is probably one of the easiest electronic devices to monitor, this is because parents can find out what exactly is on each channel. Ultimately it is gadgets like mobile phones, tablet computers and laptops we should be worried about. Firstly they are much harder to monitor and secondly, a teenager is much more likely to stay up social networking or testing that watching television. Overall I think parents should allow teenagers to have a television in their bedrooms provided that they get enough sleep, get all their school work done and listen to their parents.

Widening Participation In Higher Education Policy Essay

Widening Participation In Higher Education Policy - Essay Example The gap between both the social groups was around 30%, a figure on the higher side. Some reasons that have been cited for this trend include the inability to bear the overall expenses of studying for a higher university degree, the desire to earn money rather than study, and the feeling that good institutions and good jobs are closed doors for them. Furthermore, it did not help matters that the ones in control had their own views about students and higher education. It was Margaret Thatcher and her government who ushered in New Right Ideology to deal with matters concerning higher education. These were her very words, "We are going much further with education than we ever thought of doing before" (Margaret Thatcher 196). This government took control in 1987, and their agenda can be summed up to include four major changes that they brought into the system. The first one was to make all educational institutions directly responsible for their finances and budgeting. It resulted in fierce competition between schools and colleges, since those that exhibited wonderful results in external examinations would be favored with more finances. Scholarly pursuits got relegated to the background, and the focus was shifted to attracting as many students as possible to respective institutions. This had not been the old pattern of thinking. In e arlier days, the bureaucracy interfered as less as possible, believing that universities and institutions were meant for intellectual development more than anything else. Advertisements for academic posts contained phrases such as-"used to introducing commercial thinking", "excellent strategic and financial skills", "naturally authoritative and decisive leader", "commercial acumen", "strong strategic awareness", "creative visionary", "energy, resilience with the ambition to drive the organization forward"-and so on. These were discovered by Professor Rosemary Deem, Lancaster University's Department of Education Research. Managerialism had thus entered the field of education. The techniques, values and practices from the commercial sector made an entry into the higher educational arena. Though these managers did strive Last Name 1 towards excellence, they also tended to subject everything to minute scrutiny, resulting in a lot of dissatisfaction all round. Next on the agenda was governmental control over institutions offering higher education. This could be termed as the Rationalist approach. Funds would not be allocated to whoever asked for them; the government would take up "rationing of funding". Furthermore, a national curriculum would be prepared and this had to be followed diligently. Based on how well the teachers delivered that curriculum to the students, the institution would receive its share of finances for its functioning. There were also detailed directives given as to how the curriculum was to be delivered. And no one was allowed to take liberties with it, considering that government-appointed inspectors would be making their rounds. Their final reports carried a lot of value, for higher education could not be

Impacts of The European Economic Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Impacts of The European Economic Crisis - Essay Example Additionally, the EU recession caused an increase in the cost of doing business, since firms do not have access to credit from financial institutions. Because of this, firms will have to cut cost of investments such as research on investments. This will have a long term effect on firms and the countries involved because there is a loss in research which would have led to inventions of new technologies. Political crises have also been reported in countries affected by financial crisis, for example Greece. There have been cases of demonstrations, rioting and other social effects on the population. This is mainly attributed to the high rate of unemployed persons, high inflation and high prices of goods. This can be a long term effect because if the case of EU financial crisis is not dealt with, political and social instability will continue (Aghion & Howitt, 2006). The rate of depression among the residents of EU is also increasing because of the high rate of unemployment. This is becau se the population has lost hope for future income based on the crisis which hit their countries. This is mainly attached to the results of the crisis such as the increase in the number of poor people. This would be a long term effect because it is a continuous trend. Furthermore, other long term consequences are impacts on the populations’ health due to loss of jobs and lack of insurance cover. Research done by the Red Cross in some EU countries has shown that the EU crisis has made the governments too weak to provide important services to its citizens. This is because there is a high growth in the number of citizens demanding social services from the government. The gap between the poor and the rich is also increasing because more people...This essay is one of the best examples of comprehensive analysis of the impacts of the economic crisis on the economies of the EU countries. The EU crisis increased the rate of unemployment in most European countries. High number of workers outside the job lose their job skills because they are not practicing. The EU recession caused an increase in the cost of doing business, since firms do not have access to credit from financial institutions. Firms had to cut cost of investments such as research on investments. There is a loss in research which would have led to inventions of new technologies. Political crises have also been reported in countries affected by financial crisis, for example Greece. There have been cases of demonstrations, rioting and other social effects on the population. This is mainly attributed to the high rate of unemployed persons, high inflation and high prices of goods. This can be a long term effect because if the case of EU financial crisis is not dealt with, political and social instability will continue To solve the case of unemployment which has contributed to political instability, the EU should consider unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance has been implemented in the United States and has done well. This act can be implemented in such a way that those who had been employed before losing their jobs qualify for unemployment insurance. The study also mentioned the loss of hope by firms and cuts on their investments due to loss of credit from financial institutions.