Hela Cells

Henrietta Lacks was a 30- year – old black mother of five when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951. She went to Johns Hopkins hospital to have the tumor looked at; they took a sample and sent her home. A few weeks later, when Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr. was prepping Henrietta for treatment he took two samples from her one from the tumor and one from her healthy cervix. He never asked Henrietta if he could take these samples from her. Dr. Wharton Jr. took the samples down to Dr. Gey’s lab; he got excited but thought the cells would just die like all the rest.The women in the lab cut the cancer cells, placed them in test tubes, and placed them in the incubator. The next morning the women noticed that there was growth in the test tubes, Henrietta’s cells were growing at a great speed, they doubled over night. That day she cut the cell in half and those two halves grew overnight. Every 24 hours the cells where growing like crabgrass. It seemed like her cancer cells where unstoppable, as long as they had food and warmth. Because of their adaption to growth in tissue cultures plates, HeLa cells are difficult to grow.In 1952, researchers injected HeLa cells into everything, from mumps to herpes. That year was the worst year of the polio epidemic they used Hela cells to test the vaccine that protected millions. Hela cells made it possible to grow the virus, so they could make a vaccine to fight it. Dr. Gey and his colleagues went on to develop a test, using HeLa cells, to distinguish between the many polio strains, some of which had no effect on the human body. Until researchers knew which strain-produced, polio's crippling effects some of which had no effect on the human body.Until researchers knew which strain produced polio's crippling effects, they did not know what they were fighting. Through Henrietta's cells, they found their culprit. With this information, researchers in Pittsburgh created a vaccine, and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis established facilities for mass-producing the HeLa cells. They would use them to test the polio vaccine before its use in humans. During this time, the scientists come up with a way to send cell through the mail without killing them. Due to a laboratory accident involving HeLa cells scientists in Texas were able to see human chromosomes for the first time.Henrietta’s cells have helped us find and many things over the last 50 years. In 1954, thanks to the cells scientists came up with a method that kept an isolated single cell alive long enough for it to replicate and make a perfect copy of them. That is how we discovered gene therapy, in vitro fertilization, and stem cell isolation. In the 1960’s they packed some HeLa cells into a soviet satellite and sent them into space, this discovered that cancer cells grow faster in space. Later NASA listed the HeLa cells were in the first manned US mission in space.By the mid 1960’s they found that if y ou mixed Hela cells with mouse cells it created the first cross-species helped prove that human papillomavirus causes cancer, and they made a vaccine to help prevent it, this could have saved Henrietta’s life it was available then. A few years later, they inject HIV into the HeLa cells to try to find the key receptor in this virus. Thanks to the HeLa cells, scientists have been able to find cures, vaccines, and help to many types of viruses. hybrid, and that helped with mapping human genes. They also discovered Herceptin, a cancer drug, with the help of the Hela cells.In the 1970’s they used Hela to show the invasiveness of salmonella, and to study it inside the human cell. By 1984 with the help of HeLa cells they All my information was found at many sites here is the list of them. http://h2g2. com/dna/h2g2/A73516368 http://www. bbc. co. uk/blogs/adamcurtis/2010/06/the_undead_henrietta_lacks_and. html http://www. smithsonianmag. com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immor tal-Cells. html http://www. virology. ws/2009/02/09/the-amazing-hela-cells-of-henrietta-lacks/ http://www. wired. com/magazine/2010/01/st_henrietta/ I also read the book â€Å"The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks† .

A Case Study on Formulation of the Information Strategy of Timberlodge Essay

Information strategy is an integral part of a business plan to improve the computer/communications architectures, hardware, software, peripherals, and training. The mentioned changes are targeted at refining business operations (Betz, 396). Accordingly, Timberlodge has benefited from restructuring of the technical aspect specifically its software/hardware architectures. Information strategy (IS) of Timberlodge should yield competitive advantage at a lower cost and higher profitability. IS is composed of three components namely information system (IS) strategy, information technology (IT) strategy, and information management (IM) strategy. In Timberlodge’s case study, they are looking to adapt the same innovative and technological approach into the product area of figurines based on the production driven by demand. The said aim is considered to be the company’s IS Strategy. Given the long business and supplier relationship of Timberlodge and Potterville, the company can meet halfway by integrating the new automated production processing system in their existing factory at Potterville. See more: Homeless satire essay In this way, the company and its highly skilled, experienced, and loyal workforce at Potterville that makes up the IM strategy. The company can make use of the same tool called KAPS Associates’ Systems Planning and Analytical Tool (SPLAT) as its IT strategy. Timberlodge can continue to achieve higher production through efficient, automated production system by integrating the new information technology into the traditional set up. The possible adverse publicity of the closure of its factory in Potterville can be avoided through adapting the new technology and retraining of the staff in Potterville. Timberlodge should also consider their loyalty and long standing job employment with the company. While these people are highly skilled, the new automated system requires low skilled people. Thus, workers must be re-assessed and rehired based on their skills.

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy - Essay Example Therefore the financial business units for which causal chains and strategy are designed have to be identified. Causal chains and strategy therefore is not a strategy formulation tool but a system that serves to translate and describe the present strategy constantly in order to facilitate successful strategy execution (Atkinson, 2000). The development of causal chains and strategy in financial institution is not an independent process but a component of an extensive framework of strategy formulation and competitive positioning. For financial institutions like banks to ensure tailored causal chains and strategy, identification of specific needs affecting the strategic business units should be made (Atkinson, 2000). Secondly, financial result profile and exposure with an aim of identifying pertinent financial factors that facilitates acquisition of comprehensive listing all probable strategically relevant financial aspects should be made, financial internal business processes such as financial operational procedure. Banks innovation procedure and processes related to postsale services, customer service measures such as customer satisfaction, customer acquisition, customer retention, which results to larger market share. Thus, higher customer profitability and finally financial measures such as loan balances, deposit balances, none interest income, asset utilization, productivity growth and revenue growth (Atkinson, 2000). Financial performance will always depend on several measures; this involves learning and growth measures such as work force retention, workforce satisfaction and the productivity of the workforce (Atkinson, 2000). The balance scorecard concept is as a new approach of measuring performance as a result of past orientation and short-termism problems in management accounting. The balance scorecard assumes the fact that

Oil Subsides impact on a government budget in Indonesia Iran and Essay

Oil Subsides impact on a government budget in Indonesia Iran and Venezuela - Essay Example It is worth noting that subsidies on fuel consumption have critical macroeconomic consequences and that many subsidies fail to serve their purpose thus causing unsustainable development. This paper attempts to analyze oil subsides’ impact on a government budget in Indonesia Iran and Venezuela. Globally, all governments are greatly concerned with their energy sectors because of the key role energy plays in the economic development. Energy consumption calls for public interventions such as use of direct grants and all sorts of tax break that are hidden in public and economic structures (Gavish & Gavish, 2012). Two-thirds of all subsidies flow to fossil fuels where subsidies to energy production are common in industrialized countries while support to energy consumption dominate developing countries (Davis, 2013). Different categories of subsidies have different impacts that include low energy prices that enhance overuse and waste while underpricing hurts energy producers. On the other hand, producer subsidies promote overproduction characterized by protection and quantity regulations that trigger further distortions in the local economy. Rationale to subsidize energy has always been to stimulate economic growth but the notion changed after the oil crises in 1970s. The growth motive was no longer considered important because governments thought it necessary to safeguard domestic energy supply while developing countries subsidized energy consumption to fuel economic growth. According to Davis (2013), energy subsidies are believed to avert possible barriers to growth although this concept has been proven ineffective especially in stimulating economic growth. According to Gavish & Gavish (2012), there are studies that show that energy subsidies hamper economic growth and therefore eliminating them (subsidies) may provide incentives for a more efficient resource allocation and spur economic growth. Moreover, energy subsidies

Classical Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classical Realism - Essay Example Elephant is a collection of short stories by Carver which includes the following: Boxes, Whoever Was Using This Bed, Intimacy, Menudo, Elephant, Blackbird Pie, and Errand. Carver used a "dirty realism" technique in presenting his thoughts in these short stories, "a North American literary construct born in the late 20th century where the narrative is stripped down to its fundamental features."2 A derivation of minimalism, dirty realism is present in most of the author's literary works, one essentially characterized by a focus on surface description and an economy of words. This literary genre is present in Elephant as it tends to eschew adverbs and allow context to dictate meaning.3 In minimalist stories, just like that of Carver's, the characters tend to be featured as unexceptional beings through the use of meaningful contexts and through incorporation of adverbs.4 Dirty realism is generally seen as a hallmark of Carver's Elephant as in the rest of his works. Setting out the differences between Carver's dirty realism and 19th century classical realism, the latter focuses on a broad category of artistic styles attempting to merge or combine classicism and realism in textual presentation. It is likewise broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality", a literarily technique practiced by several schools of writing. Realism takes interest in scientific method, rational philosophy, and a reaction against the classic romanticism.5 It emphasizes "the immediate, the here and now, the specific action, and the verifiable consequence."6 The combination of classicism and realism seems to be an oxymoron, as classicism tends to idealize the subject matter while realism tends to develop a reaction against the idealists.7The 19th century realism tends to have a remarkable and monotonous agreement in main features. There is an excessive use of minute external detail, alongside with viewing the vaunted objectivity and impersonality as a faade for immorality and cynicism, neglecting the ideal. As rapid industrialization and urbanization take place, an expanding population and a rise in middle-class affluence provide an abundant ground for literary explorations, which is often regarded as "a strategy for imagining and managing the threats of social change."8 With Madame Bovary, the term was clearly established in France. Dickens was likewise held as "a novelist of the ideal or romantic school, welcoming the wholesome spirit of realism."9 As a dirty realist, Carver's objects are conveyed with a representational quality which may not be described as metaphorical, universal, or direct. His dirty realism is characteristically represented through truth and a depiction of commonplace events, characters, and settings. It considers characters and events which are very ordinary and uninteresting, attributing meaning and value to them.10 In his Elephant and Other Stories, he presents everyday objects in a realist, descriptive manner, with relevance to their relatedness in the syntax of sentences and the 'world' of the story.11 Intimacy, a story in the collection, suggests a constant fascination with animate objects with the character's expression of inexplicable things through the medium of objects depicted in the text. The story revolves around a man and his

Criminal Law Case Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminal Law Case Report - Essay Example She therefore initiated a legal action in order to challenge the constitutionality of the criminal abortion laws in Texas. There were additional plaintiffs, however, the facts were quite different than those of Roe. In particular, these plaintiffs were not pregnant and they did not present the same sense of urgency and relevance as existed in the case of Roe. The United State Supreme Court dismissed these plaintiffs because they lacked legal "standing" and because the issues in their cases were not yet decidable or "justiceable." This report, consequently, will focus on the specifics and the legal merits of the case involving Roe. The main questions presented are whether the Texas criminal abortion laws violate certain constitutional principles and provisions. Roe, a resident of Dallas, Texas, initiated this lawsuit in a federal court. The defendant was the District Attorney of the county in which she resided. She didn't sue for money; instead she requested that the federal court issue a declaratory judgment stating that the criminal abortion laws violated the federal constitution and she further requested that the federal court issue an injunction to prohibit the District Attorney from enforcing the criminal abortion statutes. ... Roe was successful as the federal trial court found that the ninth and fourteenth amendments did, in fact, extend to women a "fundamental right" to decide whether or not to have children. The federal court further decided that the Texas criminal abortion laws were "unconstitutionally vague" and that Roe was entitled to a declaratory judgment. A difficulty, however, was that because the criminal abortion laws were declared void, the injunctive relief requested by Roe was dismissed. Neither party was satisfied. Roe appealed from the rejection of her request for injunctive relief and the District Attorney appealed from the declaration that the criminal abortion laws were unconstitutional and therefore void. Traditionally, cases are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. In this case, by contrast, a "protective appeal" was made to the 5th Circuit and also directly to the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court noted some awkwardness with the skipping of the intermediate appellate court, but at the same time noted that it had discretion to review the appeals. Therefore, the Supreme Court proceeded to review the case on its merits. Legal Discussion: The United States Supreme Court Justice Blackmun was compelled to address a number of preliminary issues prior to addressing the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws. There was a suggestion that Roe did not have legal standing to bring this case because she was not pregnant at certain times during the course of the litigation. The Supreme Court dismissed these arguments by stating that pregnancy is by its very nature a limited condition and that the legal issues were of sufficient important to

The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne Research Proposal

The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Research Proposal Example veil, a message regarding the power of the symbol itself as a symbol and the importance of considering individual interpretation as a part of this meaning. Nathanial Hawthorne wrote from a deep immersion in the Puritan world, having had ancestors that landed on North American soil with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other, ready to tame the wilderness (Swisher, 1996). His hometown of Salem, Massachusetts was the setting for the most brutal witch trials documented in this country and his education reinforced the beliefs espoused by such trials and the religion that made them possible. These influences figured strongly in his writings, often forming the basis of his tales. This is true whether he was writing short stories or longer novels, whether he was writing of times long past or of a more contemporary period and whether he set his stories in his homeland or moved them all the way across the sea into Italy. The way that Hawthorne used this influence reveals a deep questioning of the validity of the beliefs to which he’d been raised to adhere (Erlich, 1984). Few of his stories offer straight-forward tales that are easil y understood on first reading. Some, like his short story â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, leave a great deal open for speculation. The meaning of the minister’s black veil has been debated since the story was first printed, but it seems clear that the veil is intended to symbolize something much greater than a quick assessment might imply. The story itself seems simple enough. It opens as the village people are called to the church for a normal Sunday mass and the minister emerges wearing a heavy black veil. The veil permits his mouth and chin to be seen, being just long enough to be touched by his breath, but keeps his eyes constantly shrouded from the rest of the world. The congregation responds to this strange appearance of their minister as he takes his place in the church, delivers his sermon and then attempts to

Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ethical Issues - Essay Example Thesis statement: An investigation into the Parenting Programs in US Prison Systems to assess the ethical issues of conducting these sorts of programs. The responsibility a father to lead his child to become a productive and able citizen in the society is significant. But in America, around 24 million children do not get enough care and attention from their fathers (Leving, 2007). Besides, our society is responsible to lead these children towards the right path in their future life. For instance the Council on Responsible Fatherhood situated in Illinois plays the crucial role by conducting parenting programs to tackle this challenge. This Council aims to help the children in Illinois to grow with their fathers. The council is planning to instill awareness among the mass by conducting a number of programs like Regional Meetings, Statewide Symposiums etc. One of the missions of the Council is to raise public awareness on the consequences of absence of fathers in a family, and its negative effect on children (Leving, 2007). The most important reason for the absence of fathers in families is short or long term imprisonment. This exampl e proves the importance of parenting programs in US Prison systems. As prisoners lead an isolated life in prisons, it is important to implement Marriage and Relationship Education Programs under Parenting Programs in Prison Systems. Short or long term imprisonment badly affects father- child/ husband –spouse relation and it is the duty of prison authorities to implement effective measures to improve marital relation through educational programs in prison systems. In the US prison system, there are a number of Marriage and Relationship Education Programs. The Prevention and Relationship Education Program or PREP helps couples to develop strong marriage bonds. The goal of PREP is to negative patterns in marital relationships and to inculcate individual, emotional and

Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Population - Essay Example In spite of this transition the total population of the country in stage IV is found to be much higher. It will be interesting to understand each stages of growth i.e. stage I through stage IV for understanding how the population eventually stabilizes (World Population: Growth & Trends). This is the stage when birth rates and death rates are high and even then there is no population growth. High birth rate is due to high fertility rate or no use of contraceptives. Similarly, high death rate during the stage is attributable to the deaths occurring from the deadly diseases such as plague, cholera, typhoid as medical science was not developed enough to provide required protection. This is a preindustrial stage when living conditions are not favorable. Infant mortality goes down due to improved health conditions that in turn, bring down the death rate; however, the birth rates still remains high keeping the population growth rate at high levels. This is also known as the transitional stage and most of the developing world is found in this stage. The country develops economically and the people start using contraceptives that controls the birth rates significantly. Population growth rate in this stage falls down significantly. Most of the developed world and a few developing countries can be found here. From the equation above, it is amply clear that if the death rate equals birth rate, there will be no growth in population of the country. In other words, if the death rate declines, the birth rate must decline by the same rate for the population to achieve stabilization. With the advances in medical sciences; better nutrition, enhanced sanitation and clean water, the death rates have declined substantially in last several decades; however, the birth rates have not kept pace with the death rates resulting into positive population

Character analysis on young Goodman Brown Thesis

Character analysis on young Goodman Brown - Thesis Example In Young Goodman Brown, the character of Brown changes from faith and innocence to corruption and doubts as the devils distorts the way he thinks and perceives valuable people in his life. The faith and goodness of Brown are seen in the way he treats his father, grandfather, minister, and wife. He looks up to the goodness of his father and grandfather and the minister. Brown believes in the true Christina nature of the minister of Salem because he is a man of God. His wife Faith comes into his life a young immaculate and beautiful woman. He invests all his trust in the life of his wife, and life seems good in his belief that he has found a true partner to share his life happiness and glory. Faith is a staunch Christian, who is an epitome of good and purity but not until the devils come knocking on their doors. Brown’s innocence is lost when the devil visits his home and changes the way he views the valuable people in his life. Brown interjects, â€Å"what if the devil himself should be at my very elbow† (9). His wife Faith is no longer the pious and religious figure, and he hopes that the character would persist for the rest of her life. However, the arrival of the devil elicits doubts about the true nature of faith. He starts doubting her after seeing him in the evil ceremony in the forest. The devil also reveals the two followers, Deacon Gookin, and Goody Cloyse that Brown has known all along that they are staunch Christians (Hawthorne 16). The character of Brown here is seen to shaky because he is convinced to think otherwise about the community he has known his entire life. The arrival of the devil changes the faith and innocence of Brown to corruption. The evil nature of the people around him comes as a surprise, and that convinces him that the entire Puritan society is hypocritical. The revelations that come to him give him a different perspective of the society that he knows professes its Christian faith in

Apush Sample Frqs Essay Example for Free

Apush Sample Frqs Essay 1. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the relationship between Britain and its North American colonies. Assess this change with regard to TWO of the following in the period between 1763 and 1775. Land acquisition ​Politics ​Economics 2. Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in solving the problems that confronted the new nation. 3. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following. Whiskey Rebellion, 1794 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799 Hartford Convention, 1814-1815 Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833 4. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establish a stable government after the adoption of the Constitution. John Adams ​Thomas Jefferson ​George Washington (2002) 5. Analyze the extent to which TWO of the following influenced the development of democracy between 1820 and 1840. Jacksonian economic policy Changes in electoral politics Second Great Awakening Westward movement 6. The Jacksonian Period (1824-1848) has been celebrated as the era of the common man. To what extent did the period live up to its characterization? Consider TWO of the following in your response. Economic development ​Politics ​Reform movements 7. In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence TWO of the following? Abolitionism Temperance The cult of domesticity Utopian communities 8. Although Americans perceived Manifest Destiny as a benevolent movement, it was in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others. Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to American expansionism in the 1840s. 9. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions in the period 1820-1861. 10. Discuss the political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South between 1864 and 1877. To what extent did these reforms survive the Compromise of 1877? 11. Analyze the impact of any TWO of the following on the American industrial worker between 1865 and 1900. Government actions ​Labor Unions ​Immigration ​Technology changes 12. Analyze the reasons for the emergence of the Populist movement in the late nineteenth century.

The Effectiveness Of Figurative Language Religion Essay

The Effectiveness Of Figurative Language Religion Essay Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, the most renowned sermon in American history, had been delivered by Jonathan Edwards before his congregation in Enfield, Connecticut on the morning of July 8th, 1741. By Edwards time, the Puritans had lost their authority in the Northern colonies and more liberal denominations of Christianity were being embraced. As other denominations preached of a more merciful God and of the opportunity of salvation for everyone, Edwards, with great determination, believed he should revive Puritan principle. In his sermon, Edwards passionately uses similes and metaphors to encourage his message to his congregants. Through his use of figurative language, Edwards puts the abstract concepts of his sermon into realistic scenarios in which all members of the congregation of different intellects may understand. Edwards motives for describing the concepts of his lecture through figures of speech were to awaken his worshippers from their stagnancy, motivate the unconverted to convert, and to reassure the doubts of straying members the powerfulness of God. Edwards wanted to create an image in his followers minds of how dependent they are on Gods sovereignty and depict how helpless humankind truly is in the wrath of God. Edwards hoped his listeners would experience an overwhelming sense of Gods sovereignty, and through this experience, Edwards hoped his listeners would take action to escape certain damnation. His listeners are meant to feel awaken, and by which, feel the need to contemplate and re pent for ones own personal wickedness. Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Edwards, 695). In this simile, particularly, Edwards is provoking his congregation to consider the heaviness the burden of sin has on the human soul. Moreover, Edwards attempts to provide an illustration of how ones sin will be his downfall, the reason with which will drag him down to Hell and widen the reach between himself and the mercy of God. Elaborating even further on page 695, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Edwards describes the helplessness of man, unable to life the bondage of sin without the mercy of God, and without his mercy, man is inevitably lost to Hell. Edwards continues on this thought through a comparison of mans ability to uphold himself out of Hell by his personal means and righteousness to that of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a spiders web would have to stop a fallen rock, (Edwards, 695). The comparison of mans personal means to sustain himself out of Hell and the spiders web attempting to stop a falling rock is a metaphor implying both are vain attempts that end in ruin. Edwards use of figurative language in this instance, specifically, makes it easier for the members of Edwards congregation to relate to the weight of sin dragging one down and in addition, worshippers could create a mental image of what might be in store if one did not repent. The use of figurative language as Edwards had is an ingenious tactic to persuade his audience. It allowed Edwards paint a powerful picture of Hell and Gods sovereignty to even the simplest ones in the congregation and gave him the utmost control over the audiences insight. The most prominent theme Edwards desires to communicate to his congregants is the urgency for the unconverted to repent, and for those who are indifferent or believe his sermon is not relevant to them, to realize God at any moment could cast each of them to Hell for their wickedness as well. Edwards sermon is his outlet to convince his followers there is no excuse and no reasoning of the mind that can evade repentance, and moreover, Gods wrath. He combats the doubtful member among his congregation and the unconverted by reproducing their logic and matching it with statements in which provided an answer to their doubt. One doubt Edwards addresses especially is the idea that mans wisdom is security. Edwards states, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that mens own wisdom is no security to them from deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Edwards, 693) and later quotes Ecclesiastes 2.16. By directly countering the qualms of the congregation, Jonathan Edwards strengthens his sermons influence on his followers. The straightforward manner is Edwards method to show leadership and direction. It allows him to restore confidence in his congregants and craft the focus of his congregants on fearing Gods sovereignty. Edwards aimed to transform the conduct of his congregants by reminding them they were at the mercy of Gods wrath. Edwards want for motivating his congregation to strive to be something more in the eyes of God brought forth immense zeal from several members of his audience during and after his sermon. In the first footnote of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God on page 690, the zeal of his members is described as hysterical, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦breathing of distress, and weepingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as reported by Benjamin Trumbull in A Complete History of Connecticut, 1797. The tactics of Edwards throughout his sermon were exceptionally efficient. His tactics greatly persuaded his audience and even brought forth shame and sorrowfulness in several of his members. Along with the directness of his words and tone, the similes and metaphors guide Edwards congregants to fear damnation and Gods wrath upon the wicked. The figurative language Edwards uses relate directly to his followers and allow them to create a mental image of Hell and the suffering there would be without God.

History of Somalia: Pre-colonial, Colonial and Post Colonial

History of Somalia: Pre-colonial, Colonial and Post Colonial Chapter 1 Introduction The work pertains to the pre-colonial colonial and post colonial history of Somalia and the factors it does contain leading to the collapse of the state of Somalia. Furthermore research will demonstrate the fall out of the failure on the international and regional politics. It should be bear in mind that the Somali issue is complex in nature and hence at the end of the paper, the reader should understand the nature of Somalias tribulations. Note that one of the features of African politics is that it comprises what can be considered as the worst political weakness, that is: political disequilibrium, and state failure and Somalia are a case among others. Somalia is situated on the so-called Horn of Africa, with a total population of 15 to 17 million people and extending into the Indian Ocean, Somalias harbors are natural ports of call for traders sailing to and from India. So the coast of the region is much visited by foreigners, in particular Arabs and Persians. But in the interior the Somali are left to their own arrangements. It is bordered in the north by Djibouti, in the west by Ethiopia and in the south by Kenya. Chapter 1.1 Pre-colonial and colonial Somalia By the early 1800th European interests begins to crop up in Somalia, the coasts were used as a coaling station for ships to India. Somalia was an important port of call on the Indian trade route, but its aridity and hostility fueled hesitation on the colonization issue. In the 1880s, France, Britain, Italy and Ethiopia competed for the Somali territory, the four competitors agreed among them and shared the land, the northern part were shared among French and British(now Djibouti and Eritrea) and the coastal regions were annexed by Italian protectorate and Ethiopian. But their interests grew when the Suez Canal opened creating tension between Italy and Ethiopia, the repercussion of this tension were felt in the Ogaden region found between Ethiopia and the coastal part of Somalia; an active Italian region, which was finally granted tot eh Ethiopians. By 1920 the colonial compromises in Somalia began to weaken through upheavals in the British Somaliland, and in the Ogaden region by Fasc ist Italy. The World War II complicated the situation; as Italy violently acquired Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, then known as the Italian East Africa, which surrounded British and French Somaliland. Somalia got into a situation of constant colonial change until its independence in 1960. Chapter 1.2 Post-Independence Somalia and conflicts After independence, Somalia looked forward to reunite with three large Somali groups trapped in other states in French Somaliland, in Ethiopia and in northern Kenya. As Kenya and Ethiopia were in under the protection of the Western powers, Somalia turned towards the Soviet for help. But still Somalia kept a neutral stance in international affairs, but this soon changed when newly elected President M. Egal was assassinated (1969) and the accession to power by Siad Barre who sided on the Soviet side, he devoted himself to a brutal Marxist dictatorship and hence opposing clan ideology and the clan system; which was an inherent part of the Somali culture. In 1977 Somalia attacked Ethiopian garrisons in the Ogaden but his ally; that is the USSR soon turned on the Ethiopian side and Ethiopia used Soviet support to take back the Ogaden in 1978. Having lost its ally and with thousands of refugee coming back, Somalia headed towards a deep abyss where it still lies. To understand the collapse of the Somali state is a complex issue, but as a sum up of the issue it can be said that it was due to both, historical and cultural legacy. From a political point of view it can be said that during the 19th century, Somalia has been divided into five regions, namely: French Somaliland (Djibouti), British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia (Ogaden) and the Kenyan Northern Frontier District. But since its independence in July 1960, the main objective of the nationalist was to reunite the whole territory, thing which was difficult as it implied conflicts with its neighborhood. Such ideology represents also a constant threat to all the countries concerned, that is: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. As a result, it weakened Somalias regional economic development and its diplomatic relations. Culturally speaking, it can be seen that Somalia is a complex body made up of several clan and sub-clans of nomads and pastorals. However the Somali believe that the clan system is their safeguard and protects them against foreigners, nevertheless, this belief is more complicated than it can appear. Moreover, above all they attach a deep affiliation to kinship and hence, for the Somali it can be sum up like the following: Families against families in a clan. Clan against clan in Somalia And Somalia against the World. The conflicts among clan is due spilling hereditary lineage and Siad Barre regime could maintain itself due to that Barre was able to play the game of rivalries between clans, furthermore, it is to be noted that major armed political groups are clan based. In the after effects of this disaster guerrilla groups, clan-based are formed in and around Somalia with the intention of bringing down Siads repressive and centralizing regime. By 1988 the result was a full-scale civil war, resulting in the overthrow of Barre in 1991. He joined his own clan, becoming one warlord among many in this increasingly chaotic nation. In 1991 the faction controlling the former British Somaliland confuses matters by declaring its independence as the republic of Somaliland. Unlike Somaliland, the south and central Somalia is under constant conflict and conquest by rival clans and establishment of de facto government(Ali Mahdi) but the question was not about how to rule but who rules as the tension revolved a round clan supremacy . Humanitarian turmoil reaches its peak and armed conflict generated food and health crisis but the situation is such that foreign intervention is difficult due to violent respons towards foreign aids. There is often a danger that fundamentalist peep into conflicts and tries to take advantage of the situation, the Islamic Courts Union confirmed the fundamentalists habit in Somalia extending its ideology. This Islamic fundamentalist group briefly tried to conquer Somalia. Chapter 1.3 Somalia economic overview â€Å"The economy has long been heavily dependent on livestock and agriculture. Stock rearing is practised throughout the country and accounted for about 40% of GDP [Gross Domestic Product] and 65% of export earnings in 2000, according to World Food Programme (WFP) estimates. Most of the farmland lies between the Jubba and Shabeelle rivers in the south of the country. The small manufacturing sector is based on the processing of agricultural products. In the south, the absence of a central government has meant that no economic data have been produced by national sources since 1990. In Somaliland, by contrast, the government collects tax and duties levied on trade.[1]† This can give an overview of Somali economy, hence its vulnerability and dependency on foreign economic aid especially in Puntland region where the data concerning the economic activity are almost absent. And this also brings in the ecological factor which is not in favor of the Somalis a clear example is the great droughts of 2006 which has caused a major humanitarian in Somalia, which touched nearly 1.5 million people, displacing 400,000 people due to a fall in crop production in practically all regions under cultivation[2]. But still, the Somalis economy is said to have flourished after the collapse; because the absence of a state and its institutions, has given birth to a laissez faire economy controlled by private sector. Private newspapers and enterprises mushroomed creating one of the best telecommunication systems in Africa, with an approximate GDP of $5.524 billion, and Somalia natural resources are: Largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, uranium, co pper, salt, petroleum and natural gas. It produce also agricultural product such as banana, livestock, fish, corn, and has established markets(United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman) to export its product and imports petroleum products, food grain, construction material, etc†¦ from countries like Brazil, India, Kenya, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman. Furthermore, Somalia also benefit from foreign economic aid especially from the United States of America, the European Union etc.[3] Its impact on the regional and international politics is more disastrous: it can be said in one paragraph which will clarify the rest; Somalia has been noted as a failed state in the international sphere, arms embargo imposed by the UN security council since 1992 till now, removal of humanitarian aid due to violence against the humanitarian aid volunteers, (particularly in Puntland state), and reinforcement of security in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean due to high piracy level in the zone, there is also the problem of mass migration of Somalis to Yemen. Chapter 2 State and State failure State A state is a set of components and institution that enable it to survive. The main pillars of the state are: the Government, territory and population. While population and territory are physical in nature government is institutional and most important, failing to establish one of the basic institutions, a country can be said to have failed. States function can be classified as ideal state functions and real state functions. Ideal state functions are divided into social functions and economic functions; social functions being: controlling the peoples fundamental rights and liberty and economic functions being provision of goods and services and income redistribution. But the real state functions are different, they are divided into state natural functions: that is power and coercion, social functions: for example protection of rights and liberty and economic functions that is limited to provision of goods and services. The state is presented as a tangible political entity; and the sta te has different characteristics: that is: Sovereignty; each state is sovereign and that is what creates the contract between the states prevents the interference of one state into another states matter. Territory: land and sea defined by a boundary. Nation: the concept of nation is very important, sometimes a nation leads to the creation of a state and sometimes a state leads to the creation of a nation. Somalia is a state with one nation but divided through cans. The Somali societys features match with the features of a nation that is same language, same culture, same religion, but different clans. Characteristics of a state are that it has also diplomatic recognition, internal organization and internal loyalty from the part of its population. [4] Chapter 2.1 Why a state? State has two sets of definition, the organizational definitions; that define the state as a set of governmental institutions making rules, controlling and supervising different element of the country. The functional definition depicts the state according to its social, economic, political and legal functions. The origins of the state dates back to the ancient civilization and the most antique form of state known is the Greek city state which evolved through time to give way to the modern nation state. State is a common word nowadays, members from each governing institutions claim that they can serve it and manipulate it, for instance, judges claim that they can discern its interests and politicians claim that they know how to run it. Liberals believed that the state should be a referee, Marxist sinister perception see the state as an â€Å"instrument† and relist perceive the state as a elitist organization of manipulators. A broader definition would be that the state is mainl y regrouping of all powers relations in society which acts as an automatic machine supervising the legal, economic, political and social elements of a country. Diverse thinkers view the state differently and below are the principal thinkers view of the state. Therefore, all the definitions show that a state is important and needed. 2 Locke rejects any notion of subordination and with it the relationship that it maintains in relations between men and relationships between men and inferior creatures. There is no difference between them inherent among men, there is no hierarchy: they are all free and equal in the eyes of God. The natural liberty requires both independence and equality; it makes the political authority to consent. Locke argues that men are originally free and equal and that the origin of Governments is a free association. It therefore opposes the theory of divine right monarchy and absolutism. Montesquieu developed in the spirit of laws theory of forms of government (monarchy, despotism, aristocratic republic, democratic republic). Its doctrine is based on separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial) and opposes the speculative theory of natural law. There is no noble savage, but various companies where several elements govern men: climate, religion, morals. Thomas Hobbes sees the state as an institution whose individuals are self-centered in nature. Left on their own, they can create a state of war, as he called it. Hence, Hobbes upholds an absolute ruler to control the state. The will of the sovereign is the will of god and law of the state is the will of the sovereign, thus the sovereign or Leviathan, as he called it establishes the contract between various institutions and among individuals so as not to create chaos. The ruler is above law, the Leviathan is the state. So what can be deduced is that Hobbes defined the state as a primitive, individualist and anarchical institution where conflict of interest among individuals prevails and leads to collapse of the state, hence state must be a harsh institution which looks towards its survival, otherwise it would be the state of nature? But Jean Jacque Rousseau does not see the state as such. For him, the state and power is the evil that corrupts the good man. Rousseau corrects Hobbes by saying that it is state of nature is not just the removal of the governing body it is also the removal of all societal features; that is culture, belief, religion and even understanding of ones own self. Therefore it can be deduced that according to Rousseau, the state is a set of societal features, that is culture, religion belief, rational view of others and ones own self and governing institution. Marxist, view the state as something totally different: (The state) is a product of society at a certain stage of development; it is the admission that this society has become entangled in an insoluble contradiction with itself, that it is cleft into irreconcilable antagonisms which it is powerless to dispel. But in order that these antagonisms, classes with conflicting economic interests, might not consume themselves and society in sterile struggle, a power seemingly standing above society became necessary for the purpose of moderating the conflict, of keeping it within the bounds of order; and this power, arisen out of society but placing itself above it, and increasingly alienating itself from it, is the state.[5] What Engels wants to explains is that the state is controlled by the economically dominant class, enabling it to maintain its control over the exploited classes. Although the state is usually the instrument of the economically dominant class, sometimes conflicting classes balance each other such that the state becomes somewhat independent. The state is part of the superstructure of society. Marx and Engels analyzed human society as divided into a material base and a superstructure that rests on it. The base is made up of the devices of production (machines, tools, and raw materials), the social classes, chiefly the exploiting and laboring classes, of the particular society, and the relations between these classes. The superstructure consists of political and cultural institutions, including the state, churches, schools, etc., as well as corresponding intellectual spheres: politics, religion, science, art, etc. The state is a major, if not the major, element of this superstructure as per the Marxists. As per principles of International Law, a state is a recognized and subject to international law only if it comprises of certain qualifications, that is: a permanent population, a defined territory, government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states.[6] Comparing these features to Somalia, it can be deduced that Somalia lacks two of these qualifications, that is; capacity to enter in relations with other states and it has a weak government controlling limited territory. Therefore, Somalia is a state without its full managerial capacity, but still it is a sovereign state and is recognize as such by the international community, as defined by the Declaration on principles of international law Elements: b).: Each state enjoys the right inherent in full sovereignty and element c).: Each state has the duty to respect the personality of other states[7] Chapter 2.2 State failure A state does not collapse one day or another, a state weakens fails and then collapse. A weak state still have control on the majority of the country but cannot solve major issue or is illegitimate in the eyes of some portion of the population. In fact the strength of a state is judge on the level of obedience and legitimacy accorded to it by the nation. State failure is an instable state experiencing civil war or invasion, then, the state collapse; this situation is the total paralysis of all institution of the state that is; legal, economic, military and political. State failure is a sensible but tangible issue in Africa, moreover, before defining state failure and its implication in Africa, first of all there must be a kind and close comprehension of the subject and its various facets. State failure is two words with various definitions, because circumstances and factors leading to state failure vary from one country to another. Before looking into the core subject, definitions of the word state is important, moreover, the definitions of state also vary. State failure concerns essentially the interrelationship between models of authority, political control and institution building in a country. What makes Africa the appropriate model to examine state failure, is that it has experienced shifts of government, that is, from colonial to post colonial or from democracy to autocracy. The shift of power, from colonial to independent has created political instability in most country and in some state failure. In the case of Africa and particularly, Somalia, when the term state failure is coined, it, means the there is a failure to control and to promote human prospering. Government is normally formed of various institution to promote Culture, economic stability, security, rights, liberty, justice and what is more important is to respect the concept of rule of law on the territory by all civilians. Hence these values are under the responsibility of a governing body which delegates the particular responsibilities to institutions like; the Army, Supreme Court, ministries, police force etc†¦ in respect of a Constitution[8]. There are some fixed and variable symptoms indicating a state collapse; fixed symptoms being common symptoms present in all cases and variable symptoms being particular to the specific Country. Examples of fixed symptoms are failure in the provision of national and international security and the preservation of order, failure in the implementation of the rule of law, no existence of; institutions of political freedom, channels of commerce and communication, lack of provision of an economic institution to promote growth and prospe rity, and no presence of basic services such as medical services, power, running water, and control of the environmental commons, and civil war. Variable symptoms, here in the case of Somalia, would be piracy, but the issue of piracy is subject to debate because the state failure is not the only causes of piracy in Somalia, ecological factors are responsible too. Therefore, a state is weakens when it loses control one of these institutions or all, in other words the state failed to provide basic functions for its citizen. But state failure or collapse, is not an instant event, it is rather an event of long lasting decay of the state due to internal or external factors, which will be explained later. Hence, the fall out of state failure is that the economy becomes weak, provision of education and heath care disappear, proliferation of crime and violence and it also generates opposing groups often engaged in armed conflict, creating humanitarian crisis and often genocide, population shift, refugee crises and food shortage. Chapter 3 Causes of the collapse Causes of the collapse can be divided and hence would be better understood, there are the founding causes and the contributing causes. Founding causes are those causes which are at the origin of the collapse of the state and contributing causes are as important as founding causes but have contributed to the collapse not originate it. The conflicts are to be divided into three categories; it must be beard in mind that all these factors have contributed to the collapse of the Somali state, but at different stages and different way. This chapter is an attempt to demonstrate how each causes has its importance throughout the failing process. The causes or factors of collapse are classified as such: Original cause(initiation of collapse) instable Contributing causes (declining factors) weak Final blow collapse Original causes: these factors can also be referred to as the initiation to the state collapse: that is the factors which rendered the state instable, but did not knock out the state. What is meant by instable is that; those factors created a state of tension in the country that gave little chance for Somalia to progress, socially, economically, politically. Original causes are; colonial division of Somalia into five parts and offering Ethiopia in particular a great portion of the territory[9]; and social division of the Somali society into small clan-based mini-states that lacked an organizational skill to regroup themselves into a state. These two factors could be considered as the core factors of the collapse of the state by causing the formation of a weak and deformed state. But another core factor can be added to this that is: wrong management of the national resources and the fact that Somalia lack effectively trained human resources to substitute colonial administration in running state institutions. The historical period for this condition is preceding the independence of Somalia in 1960. There are also the transitional causes which caused the state to collapse. Transit causes are mid causes; these are for example the Barre Socialist regime, and the final blow which lead to the downfall of Somalia. Chapter 3.1 Clan system It should be bearded in mind the cultural traditions of Somalia do not allow the country to be accustomed to building a modern state. The clan system in Somalia is both unite and divide, as explained above, the characteristic that unites, that it is a common form of social organization in Somalia. But the sharing feature is that: there is hostility between clans and sub-clans. The clans are divided into two categories: there are pastoral nomads and livestock mainly southern clans. But the conflict is mainly between pastoral nomadic clans and clans farmed. There are four major clans of noble families; the Darood, Hawiye, Isaaq and Dir,. Minority groups and low-caste clans included the Bantu of Somalia (being the largest minority group), the Benadiri, Rer Hamar Brawanese, swahili, Fumal, Yibir, Yaxar, Madhiban, Hawrarsame, Muse Dheryo and Faqayaqub. One third of the population, approximately two million people are from minority groups. Intermarriage between these groups and noble clans is limited. Some of these groups have limited access to all social services that are available, including health and education. Minority groups had no armed militias and continue to be victims of murders, tortures, rapes, abductions and looting of land and property. These groups have continued to live in conditions of great poverty and suffer numerous forms of discrimination and exclusion.[10] As indicated in the JFFMR[11] March 2004, the delegation met Omar Abdiaziz Daad: Daad Omar, former Minister of the reconciliation of President Siad Barre from 1986 to 1990, said he is a Marehan himself and the nephew of Siad Barre and next to Siad Barre, the son closest. Daad Omar left Mogadishu in 1991 and returned several times since. Daad Omar said he works as a mediator in central Somalia and has been accredited for the peace process in Kenya to the Darood clan. Daad Omar explained it is too difficult for Marehan to live in Mogadishu, they are designed to be high because many of them used to work for the regime of Siad Barre. He stated that all members of the clan would Marehan to blame for the suffering caused by the SiadBarre regime and they risk being killed. Omada Daad estimated 200 people Marehan clan live in Mogadishu today that are able to stay there only because they were married with members of stronger clans. Marehan An independent could not live safely in Mogadishu and manage a business. Daad Omar said that Marehan who had worked for the regime of Siad Barre could not return to Mogadishu. Even members of the family of a Marehan who had worked for Siad Barre would have had problems today. Any other clan member (eg a Hawiye and Habr Gedir) who had worked in the administration (including police) Siad Barre have no problems returning to Mogadishu today. But members of the Darood clan and Majerteen will not be able to live safely in Mogadishu, the Hawiye clans regard them as a challenge to their power â€Å" The complexity of the Somali clan system, it is difficult to identify the clan, but it is easier to identify them when they fall into political factions. This complex political structure, where there is only way to rivalry and competition for resources and territorial control, can not make a good organization policy. Good organization policy refers here to standard policies every country, that is, establishment of a modern state through democratic principles. But what was so undemocratic about the clan system? The answer is simple; the clan system that has long existed in Somalia, as well as conflicts between clans, but these conflicts has been an obstacle to the unification of Somalia under a local body[12] (after independence). An obstacle to the unification of Somalia that the issue of creating a modern state was another thing, it was more difficult with increasing conflict between the clan, where the modern nation-state was not the priority, the unification of the clans is paramo unt. But the intellectual elite choose the wrong option, they created the modern state in Somalia first and then tried to accommodate the clan, what followed was chaos! We can not find details of Somalia without being troubled by the importance of clan in the Somali culture, and it is so omnipresent that it is causing the conflict in Somalia. What brings the clan system as a basic factor for the collapse of the state is that, as mentioned above, it is an integral part of Somali culture, and furthermore, it has generated the de facto state by clan rivalries on then basis of clan identity. Siad Barre could remain so long at the head of Somalia because he used a policy of divide and rule and created rivalries between clans, favorising his own clan the main armed political groups as well that is;USC, SSDF, SNM, SPF, SDA, SDM. United Somali Congress (USC). The USC was created by the Hawiye clan in central Somalia around Mogadishu. Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). The SSDF was created by the sub-clan of Darood Majerteen, who live in north-eastern Somalia. Somali National Movement (SNM). The SNM was created by the Issaq clan of north-west Somalia, it proclaimed the independence of Somaliland. Somali Patriotic Front (SPF). The SPF was established by the Ogaden sub-clan of Darood who live partly in the south and partly in central Somalia. Somali Democratic Movement (SDM). The SDM is the movement Rahanwein clan; they live in the south and west. Somali Democratic Association (SDA). The SDA is the advantage of living Dir clan in Somalias north-west. The question of invasion is also very important for the inter-clan conflicts. Unlike northern Somalia, also known as Somaliland, which consists of five districts, but primarily inhabited by people fro the Issaq clan, southern Somalia is not homogeneous. The regions south and central Somalia is under conquest and occupation of the armed forces different clan, who have no legitimacy on the cities and agricultural lands for which they fought and. Chapter 3.2 Colonial division of Somali territory The colonial history of Somalia do not let anyone believe that this nation can easily form an effective state, the question that comes to mind all the readers is that the colonial history of Somalia, how can be linked to the collapse of the state. The countries sharing the same culture with the various rival clans, and the problem does not stop there, the colonial powers divided the land into portions thereby creating a situation of standstill, paralyzing the nation. As mentioned at the beginning, Somalia was formed by the union of two former colonial territories, British Somaliland in the north and Italian Somaliland, which was more populous. But the colonial division affects the breakdown as follows: Somali irredentism and conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya. When Somalia was unified in 1959, before independence in 1960, only the British and Italian Somaliland, which has created the new Somalia, there were still some Somalis living in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. In fact, this could be unified has been unified and the rest was considered that there was a Somali nation in these countries, Somalia and the whole is not united. And thats where the problem laid, Somali irredentism was much more important than solving the rivalries of clans that has brought the country to failure and collapse. The colonial history of Somalia do not let anyone believe that this nation can easily form an effective state, the question that comes to mind all the readers is that how can the colonial history of Somalia, be linked to the collapse of the state. The countries sharing the same culture with the various rival clans, and the problem does not stop there, the colonial powers divided the land into portions thus creating a situation of standstill, paralyzing the nation. As mentioned at the beginning, Somalia was formed by the union of two former colonial territories, British Somaliland in the north and Italian Somaliland, which were more populous neglecting portions of Somali in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Therefore, the colonial division affects the collapse as follows: Somali irredentism leading to conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya. When Somalia was unified in 1959, before independence in 1960, only the British and Italian Somaliland had created the new Somalia, there were still some Somalis living in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. In fact, what could be unified has been unified and the rest was unconsidered, there was a Somali nation in these countries, Somalia as a whole was not united. And thats where the problem laid, Somali i rredentism was much more important than s Sainsburys: Competition With Other Supermarkets Sainsburys: Competition With Other Supermarkets J Sainsbury:  What will it take to make it ‘Great’ again? Contents (Jump to) Introduction Key Figures Products and Services Quality and Quantity Analysis Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The food and grocery retail sector is the United Kingdom’s largest employer, supplying 11% of all jobs in the UK, totaling in excess of 2.8 million people (IGD, 2004a) in a market that generates  £123.9 Billion in sales (IGD, 2006b). This traditionally British company dominated industry has been changed through the acquisition of ASDA by giant retailer Wal-Mart in late 1999, which then was the third largest supermarket with 229 stores and sales of  £8 billion. Wal-Mart’s entry into the UK food retailing sector and their low pricing retailing concept sparked a round of ‘full-scale food price wars’ as it embarked upon its strategy of gaining immediate market share increases (BBC News, 2001). This development represented a less than desirable market instance for J. Sainsbury’s, which at the time of the Wal-Mart invasion was number two in the UK market behind Tesco (BBC News, 2001). In fact, the troubles at Sainsbury’s were in progress before Wal-Mart’s entrance into the UK market as it lost its position as the number one food retailer to Tesco in 1995, and since ASDA’s acquisition by Wal-Mart the company has slide into third place (Food Business Review online, 2005). This examination shall seek to look into the overall United Kingdom supermarket industry as it relates to the large chains and identify factors acting upon as well as in it that have reversed the fortunes of Sainsbury’s from an internal as well as external standpoint. The question that said examination will endeavor to answer is â€Å"What will it take to make Sainsbury’s Great again?† The aim of this examination is to delve into the market forces, conditions, competitive influences and impacts within the United Kingdom grocery retail sector to gauge what has transpired since Sainsbury’s occupied the number one position in the market and why it has been supplanted. The historical perspective will provide an overview of how the market has changed from a consumer, competitive and internal standpoint of Sainsbury’s marketing, and market strategic planning and thus attempt to identify what the company either missed or failed to respond to with regard to the conditions that resulted in its losing significant market share and thus its leadership position. The objective is to uncover the salient and noteworthy market and competitive forces, inroads, developments and circumstances that enabled Tesco as well as ASDA to pass Sainsbury’s for the number one and two spots in the United Kingdom and what strategies, developments, changes and other factors which Sainsbury’s will need to consider and or implement to begin reclaiming significant market share. Key Figures As of October 2006 the Taylor Nelson Sofres study, which is also known as the TNSofres Superpanel, of the United Kingdom grocery retailing market showed the following (Answers.com, 2006) (Wikipedia, 2006): Table 1 – UK Grocery Retailing Market Share 13 August 2006 Table 2 – UK Grocery Retailing Market Share 2 January 2005 The foregoing indicates how much Sainsbury’s has slipped since the early 1990s when it was the undisputed market leader. An examination of accounting data for the company and or its competitors indicates that there is noting in this aspects that affects or has affected the abilities of the firms to either operate or obtain an advantage. The importance of market share, translates into customer traffic, the all important variable in generating sales. Products and Services The change in the UK grocery retiling sector to a more price competitive structure eroded Sainsbury’s advantage the existed prior to 1995, and the resulting price wars heated up with Tesco responding to the Wal-Mart / ASDA discounting strategy along with Safeway and Morrisons, which Sainsbury’s failed to respond to when this development hit the market (Food Business review online, 2005). This important misstep compounded consumer defections and eroded market share. Sainsbury’s heavy investment in private label brands did not provide the needed hedge as the consumer market shifted away from this prior initiative as they started buying lower price brand names offered by competitors (TNS, 2000). Another important factor in the decreased market share, which is a function of low store traffic is that Tesco, ASDA as well as Morrisons built or expanded to larger stores thus providing them the opportunity to stock non-food items thus making their locations more convenien t for one-stop shopping (Just Food, 2002). Sainsbury’s Savacentre format represented a subsidiary operation rather than a central format whereby it could not compete with the competitors’ number of stores in this format. The trend of grocery retailers into non food areas was not just a Wal-Mart innovation, as Carrefour also had moved in this direction. One stop shopping represents convenience for consumers, and this along with loyalty cards, big stores and lots of extras are what today’s more demanding consumer looks for, wants and expects. The preceding understandings as to the developments the occurred over time in the UK as well as in international grocery retailing segment are important to understanding not only what has happened to Sainsbury’s, but what it missed in terms of market developments and what it needs to concentrate on to return to its former greatness. Quality and Quantity Diversification has been the key to success for Tesco as well as ASDA in that their non-food items such as clothing, electrical items, appliances for the kitchen, soft toys and ceramics allow them to not only attract customers, it permits them to operate on lower margins in their food operations thus increasing the difficulty for Sainsbury’s (Food Business review online, 2005). The preceding diversification strategy represents the means via which Tesco as well as ASDA overtook Sainsbury’s, and thus indicates the path the company must take to not only hold its ground, but make up for lost customers. The preceding strategy permits these companies to offer a larger selection of items as a customer draw. The quantity of offerings represents a distinct advantage. The qualities of products as well as the environment in which they are sold are important points in attracting customers as well as keeping them, and is equal among competitors. Sainsbury’s 2005 Annual Report recognizes the preceding as the company stated â€Å"Our vision for Sainsbury’s is all about delivering great quality food at fair prices.† (Sainsbury’s, 2005). The company is committed to the importance of the low price position with regard to the UK market and has made this a center piece in its restructuring strategy (Sainsbury’s, 2005). In recognition of the importance of customer convenience, the company is expanding its non food mix which â€Å"†¦ includes items such as cards, gift-wrap, music and DVDs, and which for most customers are now a part of the weekly grocery shop† (Sainsbury’s, 2005). In this same vein, Sainsbury’s adds â€Å"Where space allows we will also sell clothing and home ware †¦Ã¢â‚¬  an d continues â€Å"We see a clear opportunity to grow sales by developing our non-food offer †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sainsbury’s, 2005). Analysis Key to understating where Sainsbury’s and the grocery retailing sector market is today, is understanding where it was yesterday and the events that led to the company’s decline. The supermarket wars are nothing new as are the minor developments that signal competitiveness. Price cutting discounters were in the marketplace as far back as the late 1980s, yet Sainsbury’s continued to gain market share in spite of this (BBC Online Network, 1999). Tesco’s successful bid for supermarket chain William Low in 1994 provided it with a presence in the Scottish market, but does not represent a singular event that aided in its surpassing Sainsbury’s in the marketplace. In addition, Tesco introduced a highly successful marketing campaign, as well as its loyalty card well in advance of Sainsbury’s, which helped it to improve upon customer loyalty and repeat store visits (BBC Online Network, 1999). Other developments included Tesco’s â€Å"†¦ ow n label discount lines, as well as supermarket bank accounts (BBC Online Network, 1999). Correspondingly, Sainsbury’s 1994 Annual Report indicated that their prices were 3% below the other large chains (Sainsbury’s, 1994, p. 4), however this in and of itself did not counter Tesco’s more customer centric marketing strategies which increased customer loyalty and attracted new ones. By 1995 it was official, Tesco had achieved the status of the number one grocery retailer. And while Sainsbury’s also operated Savacentre hypermarkets which sold a broad array of goods, including clothing, the company’s focus on expansion into the United States through its acquisition of the Giant food retailing chains and modest opening of 20 new U.K. stores ran contrary (Sainsbury’s, 1995, pp. 10-12) to Tesco’s focus of expanding in the large store multi product mix format in the U.K. Table 3 – UK Annual Grocery Retailer Sales 1998 – 2000 (TNS, 2000) % Share The SWOT analysis of Sainsbury’s reveals: (S)trengths The Sainsbury’s name and reputation represents a strong advantage and strength for this British company serving its domestic market as well as the fact that it has learned the lessons and importance of non-food items, larger stores and customer loyalty programs from the successes of its rivals which it has implemented in it restructuring strategies (Sainsbury’s, 2005). (W)eaknesses The company’s weaknesses are its lack of superstores to match the strength of ASDA and Tesco who are and have benefited from the increased number of non-food items these types of locations can carry and the lost customers the company must win back. (O)pportunities The well known format of pricing has been inoculated into the company’s structure through cost cutting and paring down personnel, thus putting it in the position to do battle on this front. In addition, the proven successful strategies in internal operations as well as winning customers as learned from rivals provides it with the position and structure to now attack these areas. Opportunities exist in the acquisition of key superstores from other smaller competitors as well as a strategic acquisition. (T)hreats Continued discounting, and new superstores by the company’s competitors represent its biggest threats as well as the potential acquisition of smaller chains by rivals to increase their store placements. A Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Sainsbury’s reveals the following: Rivalry Tesco and ASDA hold market share leads over Sainsbury’s, and their size, strength and placements in the market provides them with a strong positioning that the company must not simply match, but exceed in order to gain market share from them as well as smaller firms. The high rivalry in the industry makes the preceding proposition difficult as the format is based on pricing for which there is little room to maneuver. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes is low as the extremely high cost of entry owing to real estate, store and other relationships rules out new players in the market except through the acquisition of existing firms. In addition the high degree of managerial savvy to operate in this environment represents another inhibiting factor. Buyer power Buyer power is strong in that the stores in this sector control to a great degree their supplier relationships through long standing agreements or out right ownership and control. Supplier power Supplier power is weak as a result of the number of competitive firms in the market all having long established existing relationships. Changing to new firms means an intense round of cost cutting measures to either replace or fit in with the chains supplier structures. Barriers to Entry and Threat of Entry The barriers to entry in this industry sector are represented by the extremely high cost of either starting up, acquisition and securing qualified management and store manager talent. The threat of entry is extremely low for the same reasons. In addition, the market is full of top line players thus making it improbable that an outside firm would be interested in entering this extremely tough competitive environment. Conclusion What it will take to make Sainsbury’s great again is the continued commitment by management and employees to surpass the service levels offered by its rivals as the company has already embarked upon the immediate and long internal, location and non-food formats that have proven successful for competitors. The all important ingredient in the entire strategy and marketing mix is the customer, as pricing and product mix are keenly watched, modified and adjusted by all competitors to either maintain parity or achieve it. Store layouts, modern designs, non-food items, convenience, location and size are all key aspects of the company’s plan as contained in its Annual Report to achieve market position gains by 2008 (Sainsbury’s, 2005). These things being equalizers in terms of the company putting its facilities and locations on a par with competitors is not enough, in and of themselves, as the key to the industry sector are its customers and their weekly shopping habits and needs. Sainsbury’s must forge an increased personal relationship with its customers in terms of product selections, quality, locations, convenience and deft utilization of customer relationship management to identify spending and shopping patterns and craft unique loyalty programs that respond to individual customer preferences, needs and desires. In an industry with little to differentiate one firm from another, the difference is in the interpersonal relationships and contact with a company’s staff that spells an advantage. Friendliness, personable, helpful and most of all key customer relationship management to present offers, are factors that appeal to customers. Despite all of the investment in facilities, stock and the like, the grocery retailing industry is a service industry, as such is the most important front via which to attract, retain and increase store visits. All of the facility designs, stock and related aspects go with this formula, but, it is the customer shopping experience that is the key to winning their attitudes. Bibliography Answers.com (2006) ASDA. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.answers.com/topic/asda BBC Online Network (1999) Business: The Company File, A tale of two supermarkets. 12 April 1999. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/317325.stm BBC News (2001) UK poised for supermarket wars. 28 August, 2001. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1512847.stm Just Food (2002) UK: Food retailers lead the way in product, store innovation. 22 July 2002. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.just-food.com/article.aspx?art=50664type=1 Food Business review online (2005) UK supermarkets: diversify or die. 5 April 2005. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.food-business-review.com/article_feature_print.asp?guid=F7002651-4884-4DDA-BE2C-CAE9A7C11D3C IGD (2004a) Employment in the Food Grocery Industry. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.igd.com/CIR.asp?menuid=146cirid=1433 IGD (2006b) UK Grocery Retailing. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.igd.com/cir.asp?menuid=51cirid=114 Sainsbury’s (1994) Annual Report. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/files/reports/ar1994.pdf Sainsbury’s (1995) Annual Report. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/files/reports/ar1995.pdf Sainsbury’s (2005)Annual Report. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar05/files/report05.pdf TNS (2000) Sainsbury’s Case History. Retrieved on 267 November 2006 from http://superpanel.tns-global.com/superpanel/Library/retailer_casehist_sainsbury.asp Wikipedia (2006) TNS Superpanel. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNS_Superpanel

Challenges Women Confronted in the 1990s Essay -- Feminism Feminist Eq

Four important challenges confronted women in the 1990s: increasing practical literacy, gaining access to employment opportunities at all levels in the economy, promoting change in the perception of women’s roles and status, and gaining a public voice both within and outside political process. There have been various attempts at social and legal reform aimed at improving women’s lives during the twentieth century. Indeed there may be contradictions inherent in the gender agenda of some nationalist projects, yet more and more steps are being taken so women can participate actively in programs especially in the area of the physical sciences. This is an area where women are now becoming more and more recognized. In the nineteenth century there was a struggle to introduce female education, to ease some of the restrictions on women’s activities. Yet more and more, women began to be active participants and many of the earliest proponents of education improved social status for women. They advocated cooking and sewing classes conducted in a religious framework to advance women’s knowledge and skills. Feminists campaigned for increased breast cancer research, more convenient and cheaper contraceptive methods. Research on the physiology of menopause and elimina tion of unnecessary surgical interventions such as hysterectomies, Cesarean sections and radical mastectomies. These campaigns were supported by several advocacy groups. In 1990 the U.S. National Institute of Health established the Office of Research on Women’s Health and launched the Women’s Health Initiative to redress gender inequities in medical research. (Creager & Schiebinger). For the women in developing countries, for example, promoting the education of women was a first step in moving beyond the constraints. The nationalist struggle helped fray the threads in socially imposed curtains. Simultaneously, women’s roles were questioned, and their empowerment was linked to the larger issues of nationalism and independence (ibid). A review of Muslim history and culture brings to light many areas in which Qur’anic teaching notwithstanding, women continued to be subjected to diverse forms of oppression and injustice, often in the name of Islam, while the Qur’an because of its protective attitude toward all downtrodden and oppressed classes of people, appears to be weighted in many ways in favor of women... ...ford while the woman has no choice in the matter. Among some tribes husbands do not sleep with their wives except for purposes of procreation. They do not eat with their wives and children. When the wife brings him his food, she places it on the ground before him so that he will not be contaminated by her touch. He then pulls it toward himself with his foot (Abdullah. 1988). There is hope though for women in this area. More and more women are realizing that they can rectify systemic injustices. They look toward a future when feminist theorizing has a more profound influence on society including medicine and health. This, in a way, is where they are most capable because of their motherly instincts. They look toward a future when the voices of the socially marginalized are fully recognized, and the needs of all social groups are incorporated into a system of healthcare justice that is responsive to the diverse needs of all across the globe. In sum, the overall purpose of feminist issues such as these is the development of a human community that values the health and well being of all, regardless of any impediments to gender and race.

The History, Theory, and Evolution of Magical Realism Essay -- Literat

The History, Theory, and Evolution of Magical Realism      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What comes to mind when one hears the word "magical"? He or she probably thinks of charms, spells, wizards, and disappearing doves. The term "Realism" may represent the everyday world-that with which we are already familiar. Could these two words ever be coupled together to represent one idea? Magical Realism represents the marriage of these two words. A name originally given to a new art form in the early twentieth century, Magical Realism evolved into a literary genre and now represents much more-an attitude, the window through which to view the world, a philosophy of life. By examining the history, theory, and evolution of Magical Realism, this term, seemingly an oxymoron, will make sense. The term Magical Realism is thought by most critics to have originated in the early twentieth century as a new art form. Franz Roh, to whom we attribute having coined the term, describes this "new" art form in his 1925 article "Magical Realism: Post Expressionism." Roh defines Magical Realism through a chronological examination of artistic styles preceding this "new art." The two periods on which he focuses primarily are Impressionism and Expressionism. Impressionism, which preceded Expressionism, focused on the artists' desire to portray something that existed in reality. An artist may examine the texture, light, or the shapes of an object. The portrayal was simply a caricature of reality, with no significant meaning or stimulation other than the obvious, realistic qualities with which viewers were already familiar. Expressionism, in contrast, sought to portray something with a very deep meaning, refusing to portray reality because it was too mundane and familiar. Intelle... ... Works Cited Chanady, Amaryll. "The Territorialization of the Imaginary in Latin America: Self-Affirmation and Resistance to Metropolitan Paradigms." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 125-144. Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 109-117. Leal, Luis. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Literature." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 119-124. Roh, Franz. "Magic Realism: Post-Expressionism." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham, N.C.: Duke UP,1995: 15-31.   

The Feminist Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scarlet Letter can easily be seen as an early feminist piece of work. Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story that exemplifies Hester as a strong female character living with her choices, whether they were good or bad, and also as the protagonist. He also presents the daughter of Hester, Pearl, as an intelligent female, especially for her age. He goes on to prove man as imperfect through both the characters of Dimmesdale and of Chillingworth. With the situation that all the characters face, Hawthorne establishes the female as the triumphant one, accomplishing something that, during Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time, authors did not attempt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne paints the picture of a female named Hester who has sinned. Not only is she publicly ostracized for having an affair while unmarried, but her major repercussion, her daughter, receives her punishment as well because she derives directly from sin. It is through these tribulations that Hawthorne exemplifies Hester and Pearl, no matter how young, as strong, independent females. These characteristics were not easily applied to females during this time. Hawthorne’s ability to show Hester collected and under control to the crowd, although she may have felt otherwise inside, while she exits the prison and while she is on the scaffold, exhibits her as a strong woman. The fact that Hester exits the prison â€Å"by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will†, and the fact that while on the scaffold, under pressure, Hester refuses to give the nam e of the father of her child, also proves her strength and compassion. She states, â€Å"Never!....It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well Lewis 2 as mine!† To Hester, there is no reasons to put both shame on her and her partner when she can take all the shame. She proves herself to be selfless, another strong characteristic that exemplifies feminist attributes in the book. At first, when Hester is confronted by her ex-husband Chillingworth, she is portrayed as weak and feeble. This trait does not go on to prove Hester as a huge feminist character for the Scarlet Letter, but as the book continues, Hester receives the strength to stand up to him and realizes there is no need ... ... him feeble. In the end, he frees himself from his guilt by admitting to everyone his sin. He crumbles under the anxiety of holding his secret inwards revealing Dimmesdale to be a rather weak male protagonist. He also is not strong enough support Hester, to show love towards Hester, or to take his own burden of sin on himself, although he does realize how wrong he is. His inability to outwardly show his sin like Hester proves Hester to be the stronger one which supports the idea that Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a feminist composition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With a strong female protagonist and two mentally weak males, it is hard to consider Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter anything but a feminist treatise. He obviously intended to put down not only Puritanism, which is an obvious aspect of the novel, but to establish a powerful, secure female in American literature. Hester proves, although she has sinned in the past, she can confront her mistakes, take care of herself and her child, and help others at the same time. She can withhold a position in society that many can respect because of her character something the males of the story obviously could not succeed at doing.

Animal Rights and Ethics

Is it ethical for animals to have the same rights as humans? During this paper I will present the views of both sides. I will try my best to give the reader a chance to come to there own unbiased conclusion. I will talk about the key areas of animal ethics. I will present the facts and reasoning behind the arguments over Animal cruelty, testing, hunting, and improper housing. My conclusion will hopefully bring us closer to answering many of the question surrounding â€Å"Animal Rights and Ethics†. Animals Rights and Ethics† Animal ethics is a complex subject. Despite opinions Animal ethics has nothing to do with someone’s sentimental love for animal. In fact you don't even have to own or like animals to argue that it is morally wrong to mistreat them. For many it raises fundamental questions about the basis of moral rights. For years animal rights activist have tried to prevent animal suffering. Two of the main topics which animal rights activists have brought to the attention of the public are; animal testing and hunting.The testing performed on animals has gone on for years and even with certain regulations set in place some of these experiments can be extremely cruel and barbaric. Even now it is still defended by the scientist performing these acts and our governments as a necessary (evils or) safety procedure. They don't want to spray perfume on people and cause them to get a rash so they use it on animals before it is safe for the public. There have been a lot of negativity surrounding animals testing but some of these tests have lead to medical breakthroughs.Clinicians can now use Herceptin to treat Breast Cancer. If it wasn’t for animal testing the estimated five million diagnosed diabetics in the United States alone wouldn’t be able to use Insulin safely. If we look at the good side of animal testing it is that humans benefit in long run. The dark side of animal testing is the majority of test subjects or test animals h ave went blind or died not because of medical advancements but simply because it was necessary to test whether cosmetics like perfume burned when sprayed in eyes of animals instead of humans.The views of animal rights activists are that innocent animals live there life in labs and cages not for the benefit of man but for the benefit of the next test. As of today these procedures are viewed as ethical and expectable in our culture. Hunting is an extremely controversial subject because hunting in different cultures means different things. In this country hunting laws were dramatically, changed causing outcry within the hunting community. Activist believes it would be ethical to ban hunting world wide.Hunters would argue that they have the right to live off the land and it’s a form of population control. It comes back to the fact hunters don't need meat to live and most hunting is did for fun, not for food. As far as population control places like Africa have adopted things like â€Å"Hunting Safari's†. On these safari's you can hunt any animal for a certain fee. So as long as you have the money you can go kill a rhino or tiger with no hesitation for fun. To pay and kill innocent animals for a photo ethically seems to be a ludicrous idea.If animals kill people it is universally viewed that the animal should be put down but when humans kill animals it’s the exact opposite. Most Activists have felt if animals don't have rights people will always be allowed to commit these unethical acts. While hunters feel they can't be held morally wrong if these events are legal by law. For years people have avoided arguing that all animals deserve rights because this would give rights to creatures that are so simple that the idea of them having rights would seem to defy common sense.The second problem is arguing which animals should have rights. The argument that only the â€Å"higher level† animals have rights would suggest that we have the right to pick and choose which animals deserve respect. For instance the household animals which we keep as pets have the right to live a happy fulfilled life, but the spider you washed down the stink or the slug you or a kid poured salt over did not because they are not a â€Å"higher† animal. Even though it might seem wrong or controversial for one to decide which are ‘higher’ animals, our society and government have decided this for us.For example household pets such as dogs and cats are hailed too much higher standards in the United States than Cows or Chickens. Which raises the question, is it ethically wrong for Animal rights activists to fight for the rights of some animals and not others? Animal Cruelty is a subject that spreads far across the United States and into most civilized cultures. Animal cruelty can either be in the form of intentional abuse, simple neglect, or abandonment of animals. Whatever forms the abuse takes, however, the animal that is the victim of the abuse is often helpless and may experience extreme suffering.Animal right activist feel if you don’t know how to take care or treat an animal it can be as deadly as physical abuse to care for one. Activist also feel by giving a child a fish, rabbit, or bird to take care of can viewed as intentional neglect or abuse. This is based upon a child not being able to take care of its self but giving another life which depends on its care in order for it to live. This is hardly ever considered by the parent(s) or suppliers of pets and for that that reason organization like PETA and The Humane Society feel it is necessary to step in and make the general public aware of these issues.The Improper housing of animals have been a bitter subject with Animal rights activist as well. This is viewed as immoral because Activist feel it is unfair to house or travel with animals in cages against their will. They see places like the zoo, breeding houses, and the circus can all be guilty of the in proper housing of animals. The general public along with the zoo, breeding houses and the circus do not see anything wrong with the showcasing of animals but the showcasing is not at the core of what upsets the activist.The argument is that animals are being treated and housed unfairly and immorally for profit or amusement. Governments and a lot of organizations have taken action against the in proper housing and treatment of animals. Law enforcement units have been made to protect and ensure animal safety but still Animal activist feel it’s not enough. Animal activist feel the best way ethically to make a difference would be to give animals the same rights as humans. Which brings us back to the main topic: Is it ethical for animals to have the same rights as humans?The arguments against animal rights center on whether animals behave morally, because rights only have a meaning within a moral community. And as animals don't behave in a moral way they don't deserve mora l treatment from other beings. It is said that animals usually behave selfishly, and look after their own interests, while humans will often help others, even if this is to their own disadvantage. Some feel Animals don't display these characteristics and therefore is not a member of a â€Å"moral community†. Some people enjoy eating meat and fish, and so face a conflict between animal and human interests.The act of killing animals for food is trivial because humans do not need to eat meat in order to survive. So should the human interest to eat meat be satisfied at the expense of the animals? Moral behavior comes into play when asking this question. To the people that argue animals don't behave morally therefore they don't deserve rights, I ask this. If we behave in an immoral manner do we deserve our rights? The view that animals were put on this earth to serve human's comes originally from the Bible, but probably reflects a basic human attitude towards other species.It was for these reasons that the Animal Welfare Act was put in to place. The Act is an overhaul of pet abuse laws and came into force in England and Wales in 2007. The act was the first review of pet laws in 94 years. It replaced the Protection of Animals Act, first passed in 1911 and designed to prevent outright cruelty to animals. The animal welfare act combined more than 20 pieces of legislation in to one. The act introduced harsher penalties for neglect and cruelty, including fines at up to 20,000, a maximum jail term of 51 weeks and a lifetime ban of some people keeping pets.It also rose the age of buying a pet from 12 to 16 years old. Although the act banned mutation for cosmetic reasons such as docking (cutting or removal) of the tail the exception was made for â€Å"working† dogs' such as those in the police or armed forces. It also allowed such practices as castrating, spaying cats and dogs and ear tagging which were not made illegal. This act has forced people to acknowle dge that animals do have rights. In closing, I feel animals deserve more than the rights they have and that we might not deserve all the options and liberties we are granted.It is ethical to treat others as you would like to be treated, should this statement only be meant for man. I think this comes down to knowing what is right or wrong but by saying that I can only consider my view as what is right, which could be viewed by others as wrong. I present this conclusion; â€Å"When hunting becomes a sport instead of a survival skill, it is wrong. When one animal is considered better than another that is wrong’. When any life is taken out of neglect, spite, hobby or abuse, Animal or human, ethically and morally, we can agree, without bias is â€Å"wrong†.